THE BAKER WILL THANK YOU:

Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, in California, have developed a nanocrystal coating that gives more control over the light spectrum, and therefore how much near-infrared light (which produces heat) and visible light (the stuff you like) enter a room. The clever bit is that the window appears completely clear, even when little heat is entering.  

"When used as a window coating, our new material can have a major impact on building energy efficiency," says Delia Milliron, who led the work (she talks more about it in the video below). The researchers write up their findings in a recent issue of the journal Nature.

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