AWAKE! AUGUST 2014
IN ORDER to reduce mankind’s dependence on
fossil fuels, scientists are eager to improve the light-harvesting efficiency
of solar collectors. “The solution to this problem,” said a scientist, “may
have been . . . fluttering right in front of our eyes.”
Scales on the
butterfly’s wing have honeycomblike holes
Consider: To keep themselves warm during cold
weather, butterflies spread their wings in the sun. The wings of some species
of swallowtail are remarkably efficient at trapping and absorbing sunlight. The
insects’ secret lies not just in their dark pigment but also in the structure
of microscopic, overlapping scales coating their wings. The scales, in turn,
contain rows of honeycomblike holes separated by inverse V-shaped ridges that
funnel light into the holes. This ingenious structure traps incoming sunlight,
making the wings extremely black and warming the butterfly with amazing
efficiency.
“Butterfly wings may rank among the most
delicate structures in nature,” says Science Daily, “but they have given
researchers powerful inspiration for new technology that doubles the production
of hydrogen gas—a green fuel of the future—from water and sunlight.” Other
promising applications include optical instruments and solar cells.
What
do you think? Did the light-absorbing
architecture of the butterfly wing come about by evolution? Or was it designed?
LEARN MORE AT www.jw.org
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