Global warming is making the planet warmer and as such, we need to invent ways to not only reverse this effect but also to deal with a warmer world. Scientists have already been working on this problem for decades now and some of the latest results are very exciting. In the paper discussed in this video, the scientists were able to demonstrate that by combining nanoparticles into a fabric that the cooling can cool you down. It does this by reflecting UV radiation, in the same fashion as some sunscreens, while also being transparent to infrared. This helps as it is one of the main mechanisms that our bodies lose heat, but normal clothing blocks most infrared radiation.
They show that their nanoparticle enhanced clothing outperformed standard fabrics by several degrees in the sun. Additionally, they have previously shown that this type of technique can also lead to several degrees of additional cooling even when indoors [2].
Nanoparticles are incredibly useful but they can be dangerous when distributed into the environment. While this research is very exciting more work needs to be done in relation to the recycling of these products. Not just for inventing the correct methods but ensuring that these methods are actually used in the countries where nanoparticle enhanced metafabrics are sold. Either way, condensed matter and quantum mechanics are extremely useful tools in designing new materials that have tailored qualities.
If you want to read more, check out the papers linked below or some popular science news websites for an overview [3].
If you think I missed anything, let me know, I love to learn.
References:
[1] doi.org/10.1126/science.abi5484
[2] doi.org/10.1126/science.abe4476
[3] www.newscientist.com/article/2283614
0:00 - Intro
0:38 - Human Cooling
1:45 - Nanoparticles
2:18 - Fabric engineering
3:06 - Performance of the fabric
Some of the footage and artwork in this video was sourced from the following:
www.pexels.com
www.freepik.com