Wildfire smoke is no longer just a short‑lived air quality problem drifting over cities for a few hazy days. New research shows that when these plumes rise high into the atmosphere, they can spawn ...

Researchers are reporting progress on the road to more efficient utilization of solar energy: They have developed an innovative light-harvesting system. In order to convert sunlight into electricity ...

The ocean is blue because water absorbs colors in the red part of the light spectrum. Like a filter, this leaves behind colors in the blue part of the light spectrum for us to see. When sunlight hits ...

Researchers have developed a new method for light and matter interaction, paving the way for the production of ultrathin silicon solar cells. The University of California, Irvine (UC Irvine) team's ...

Researchers have made a discovery that changes what we know about light and materials. They found that engineered achiral (symmetric) materials, called achiral plasmonic metasurfaces, can absorb light ...

In a surprising twist, researchers have identified crystals that are symmetrical but nevertheless absorb light as if they were chiral (Science 2025, DOI: 10.1126/science.adr5478). The discovery ...

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Recently, University of British Columbia (UBC) scientists discovered a super-black material that absorbs 99% of light. The new material, which is composed of wood, could ...

Living bacteria embedded in silicone can absorb green LED light and re-emit it as red, offering a potential sustainable ...

Several light sources produce light across various wavelengths. While this wavelength spectrum can be useful in lighting applications, other applications require light with a restricted visible ...