So for those undergrads who think nanotechnology engineering is truly a waste of time with no applications in the real world, a major breakthrough material has been announced: Vantablack!
You may well ask what Vantablack is; the name seems almost like gibberish and is as confusing as the quantum mechanical theories used to invent such a crazy material. This is essentially the blackest material on earth and it absorbs 99.96 perecent of light that hits it which is the highest percent ever recorded. It is essentially made out of carbon nanotubes grown on sheets of aluminum foil and in reality it just looks like a black material.
The unique thing about it is that perception of the shapes and contours within the material is not possible if you simply look at it. It instead feels looks like you are staring into a very dark hole. However visible light is not the only thing it can absorb, it can actually absorb UV, IR and microwave radiations as well. This property actually improves upon our modern day technology. For example, consider telescopes: this material can be used to increase the sensitivity of the telescope so that even a star that can’t be seen with the human eye can be detected by it.
Also for you Harry Potter fanboys/fangirls, it is possible to create an invisibility cloak out of this material! How cool is that?!! It is still a new and growing piece of technology but the applications are, without a doubt, endless. So for anyone out there who thinks nanotechnology engineering is just a waste of time, look at what can be done with it!
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