Medieval Churches: Solar-Powered Nanotech Pioneers
As I recently discussed, sometimes we need to look to the past for solutions to our current problems. Queensland University professor Zhu Huai Yong has done just that, noting that painting glass windows with gold particles can purify the air.
Zhu came across this realization after studying medieval painted church windows, which were often decorated using glass colored with gold nanoparticles.
Though people likely did not realize it at the time the churches were built, the sun-energized nanoparticles destroy air-borne pollutants, as sunlight creates an electromagnetic field that resonates with the gold particles’ oscillations.
While CO2 is a byproduct of the filtering process, it only occurs in small amounts and is not as harmful as volatile organic compounds that the nanoparticles destroy.
Zhu’s discovery isn’t just trivia fodder—the researcher believes that it could be applied to produce specialty chemicals at room temperature that are both cost-effective (despite the high price of gold) and have minimal environmental impact.
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August 24th, 2008 at 6:00 am
Gold particles in windows, in a church? OK, seems like they have a BIT too much spare money on their hands!
RD
http://www.anotools.cq.bz
August 24th, 2008 at 6:35 am
I vaguely remember a reference by Sitchen’s The Twelveth Planet to a Sumerian (I think) text that describes the motovation for ET visitors to Earth as gold mining operations, for they put the gold particles in their upper atmosphere to somehow manage the pollution that they caused to their home planet.
No way I can think of to verify ancient Sumerian texts, without asking the Sumerian authors, as far as I know; but it is interesting to see that the claim made by the author has some scientific legitimacy. I would like to see a research report by scientists native to Earth on the viability of such an idea. Better to put the gold particles in the ozone for a real reason than as coatings to RCA connectors to sell at Radio Shack.
Fascenating.
I think I need to read that book, again.
August 24th, 2008 at 8:52 am
Ah. but did the gold particles overcome the pollution caused by burning candles to an imaginary diety?
August 24th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Hello? Lead? like surrounding every pane of glass – how could the gold present in red panes of glass clean the air of lead oxide dust?
August 25th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
now if we could figure out what makes the holy water holy
October 30th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
[...] our search for new clean technology, it’s important to pay attention to inventions of the past. A tiny hydroelectric plant in the Yorkshire Dales area of England is coming out of a [...]
December 14th, 2009 at 5:37 am
[...] have put the principle into practice. A Queensland University scientist has found evidence that gold nanoparticles used in medieval painted glass windows can purify air. In this process, sunlight creates an electromagnetic field that resonates with [...]