A friend recently sent me the link to this fascinating article and said, “This is why we need science.”
Scientists are tapping into a law of physics to create cooling systems that work without special fuel or electricity.
Working with colleagues, Aaswath Raman has developed a thin, mirror-like film engineered to maximize radiative cooling on a molecular level. The film sends heat into space while absorbing almost no radiation, lowering the temperature of objects by more than 10 degrees, even in the midday sun. It can help cool pipes and panels — like a booster rocket for refrigerators and cooling systems. Incorporated into buildings, it may even replace air conditioning. And it requires no electricity, no special fuel — just a clear day and a view of the sky.
“It sounds improbable,” Raman acknowledged. “But the science is real.”