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Researchers Create Silly Putty Lights, Plan on Making Dollar Bill Impressions

by Joshua Topolsky on April 17, 2008 at 03:02 PM



Someday soon, the phrase "dripping with light" won't just be an abstruse lyric in a post-punk song you've written... light may actually be dripping on things. At least that's what researchers at Nikki Chemical Co. and the Nagoya Institute of Technology hope to see happening by 2010.

The team of scientists has created a white, fluorescent material that can be used to create white light, yet can be molded into a number of shapes. The mushy lamps consist of an organic compound, which is coupled with ultraviolet light and a glasslike inorganic compound that gives the substance structural protection. The combo can handle temperatures to 500 degrees Celsius, uses half the power of typical fluorescent lights, and lasts longer than white LEDs due to heat resistance. Also, did we mention it's like Silly Putty? [Warning: read link requires subscription]

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