It’s fall where I live, so we’re getting some very cool weather.
But there are still plenty of places in the world where it’s hot out.
That means trying to find ways to stay cool, and ideally, without using too much energy.
Scientists at Purdue University have a way to help keep us cool to the point that we might not even need air conditioning – and all it takes is a fresh coat of paint.
We’ve talked before on the show about paints that are so black that they actually absorb the color around them.
Well, the Purdue team has come up with a paint that’s so white that it reflects nearly all of the sunlight that it encounters.
It’s 99.5 percent effective.
Their testing found the surfaces with the ultra-white paint were cooler by 18° F than the the air nearby.
That means cars and buildings will be able to stay cool, because they aren’t getting hot in the first place.
As if all that wasn’t enough, they say the paint could actually help curb global warming, because it’s so reflective it sends all the heat from the sunlight back into space.
So that old rule about not wearing white after Labor Day?
We’re probably gonna have to rethink that.
Remember the community of Asbestos, Quebec, that decided it was time to choose a new name, but the townspeople weren’t thrilled with the choices?
The town has come back from the drawing board, and the new name is Val-des-Sources, which means “Valley of the Springs” in French.
They are near the sources of three lakes, after all.
New ‘Super-White’ Paint Can Cool Down Buildings and Cars (Interesting Engineering)
Goodbye Asbestos, hello Val-des-Sources: Que. town changing infamous name (CBC)