Hi. I’m Casey Hudson, and my sci-fi novel research recently went down a path about human made materials. Enjoy these snippets from my archive about the synthetic materials of float glass, synthetic fossils, and metamaterials.
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Everyday Human Made Materials: What is Float Glass?
There are many types of glass, and one common one used for windows, doors, and facades is float glass.
Float glass gets its name from the process used to make it. Essentially, molten glass is floated atop a layer of molten metal that has a low melting point.
While lead was once used as the metal, tin is the preferred metal used today.
This method is common because it results in a flat surface with uniform thickness. However, because there is a difference in texture on either side of the glass, UV light is often used to determine which side is the best side for painting.
The UV detection approach gives off a cool blue glow and is a light show worth seeing.
Synthetic Materials to Leave Data for Future Archeologists
The interesting thing about storing our entire existence digitally is that data doesn’t last very long. Physical storage decays, and electronic data–like what I’m sharing right now–is ephemeral.
To help future archeologists, scientists have played with an idea called “synthetic fossils.” Essentially, we could encode data as DNA and encapsulate it in an inert material that is resistant to damage and decay. Something like silica would work.
Of course, we’d also have to leave instructions for how to extract the data. Oh, and we’d have to figure out what future archeologists would find interesting about our daily lives and culture.
Basically, if we’re going to leave our mark on this world, we’re going to need to make a really complicated time capsule.
Metamaterials: Synthetic Materials for a Smarter Future
“Smart” technology goes beyond phones and artificial intelligence. For some time now, scientists have been giving natural materials a nanotech makeover to make them smarter and more sustainable.
This is being made possible with metamaterials.
These functional materials are made from natural materials, but their exactingly designed structures give them new and unique properties.
Metamaterials have been used to accurately measure blood sugar without piercing the skin, increase the speed and resolution of MRs, and de-fog and de-ice windscreens, headlights, and smart headgear.
This is just one way technology is advancing towards a future that was once only possible in sci-fi.
Until next time, stay curious.
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