Ancient "Egyptian blue" pigment points to new telecommunications, security ink technology

Ancient "Egyptian blue" pigment points to new telecommunications, security ink technology

canadafreepress.com

A bright blue pigment used 5,000 years ago is giving modern scientists clues toward the development of new nanomaterials with potential uses in state-of-the-art medical imaging devices, remote controls for televisions, security inks and other technology. That’s the conclusion of an article on the pigment, Egyptian blue, in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Rest of the article,

Tina T. Salguero and colleagues point out that Egyptian blue, regarded as humanity’s first artificial pigment, was used in paintings on tombs, statues and other objects throughout the ancient Mediterranean world. Remnants have been found, for instance, on the statue of the messenger goddess Iris on the Parthenon and in the famous Pond in a Garden fresco in the tomb of Egyptian “scribe and counter of grain” Nebamun in Thebes.

They describe surprise in discovering that the calcium copper silicate in Egyptian blue breaks apart into nanosheets so thin that thousands would fit across the width of a human hair. The sheets produce invisible infrared (IR) radiation similar to the beams that communicate between remote controls and TVs, car door locks and other telecommunications devices. “Calcium copper silicate provides a route to a new class of nanomaterials that are particularly interesting with respect to state-of-the-art pursuits like near-IR-based biomedical imaging, IR light-emitting devices (especially telecommunication platforms) and security ink formulations,” the report states. “In this way we can reimagine the applications of an ancient material through modern technochemical means.”

I did a search, and came up with nothing. So, I thought I would drop this here. It was posted on a Canadian free press website, earlier this year. If it is true, I think this is really a step up in our ability to view a whole new side of reality. What kind of equipment could we make to view new kinds of radiation unseen before? I think it would be really interesting to find out if this ever went anywhere.

canadafreepress.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Originally posted by VeritasAequitas
I think this is really a step up in our ability to view a whole new side of reality.

What?

What kind of equipment could we make to view new kinds of radiation unseen before?

...what?

Originally posted by VeritasAequitas
I think this is really a step up in our ability to view a whole new side of reality. What kind of equipment could we make to view new kinds of radiation unseen before?

Good grief, make a mention of ancient egyptians and people's brains fall out of their heads.

There is no "new side of reality".
There is no "radiation unseen before".

FFS, they're just talking about a pigment that, (in their own words) "have strong near-IR luminescence" abilities.

link

reply to post by alfa1


You are misunderstanding what I'm saying. In what ways, could we possibly harness the effects of Egyptian blue, but mixed with 21st century technology. Ever tried viewing liquids through a glass while they are being used to conduct electricity, but also different sound vibrations. Now similar to how IR-vision goggles work now; what could we see with a gadget like this?

Originally posted by VeritasAequitas
You are misunderstanding what I'm saying.

I don't think anyone's misunderstanding what you're saying. You're misunderstanding the article, and you're misunderstanding the person who replied to your post.

In what ways, could we possibly harness the effects of Egyptian blue, but mixed with 21st century technology.

Is that a coherent sentence? Does it involve a question? Where is the question mark? No question? What?
If it was a question, then one of the answers were in the article. If it wasn't a question, I have no clue what it says, or why.

Ever tried viewing liquids through a glass while they are being used to conduct electricity, but also different sound vibrations. Now similar to how IR-vision goggles work now; what could we see with a gadget like this?

.....what?

reply to post by VeritasAequitas


"Have the wisdom to abandon the values of a time that has passed and pick out the constituents of the future. An environment must be suited to the age and men to their environment"

Egyptian Proverb

The scientists are looking at calcium-copper tetrasilicate. They don't give a care about Egyptian blue, just an ingredient of it. It turns out boiled sand is really good at making technology, who would have guessed?

Reminds me of the green goo that David used to activate the door and holograms in Prometheus

reply to post by VeritasAequitas


Pretty sure I read an article lately that described how scientists are also working on using sound waves to move objects, the first thing it reminded me of was the Great Pyramids, just a theory of course. Those Egyptians sure seemed to be well ahead of the time.

Originally posted by alfa1

Originally posted by VeritasAequitas
I think this is really a step up in our ability to view a whole new side of reality. What kind of equipment could we make to view new kinds of radiation unseen before?

Good grief, make a mention of ancient egyptians and people's brains fall out of their heads.

There is no "new side of reality".
There is no "radiation unseen before".

FFS, they're just talking about a pigment that, (in their own words) "have strong near-IR luminescence" abilities.

link

edit on 18-7-2013 by alfa1 because: (no reason given)

I think we can deduce that you're not abnormally kind-hearted, and have no issues with being stricken with any mysterious bouts of being rather pleasant. Also, there seems to be nothing medically preventing you from blurting out the first thing that comes to mind, no matter how rude or disrespectful it may be to others. Consider this diagnosis at no charge, pal.

My compliments to the one who personally hand delivered this news to the ATS FireHose. I've always wondered what the perfect shade of blue looks like. And while this thread has brought me no closer to finding an answer, I still think its beautiful, and its pretty cool that it helps with nanotechnology.

We are constantly surrounded by other worlds not visible to us...

reply to post by Nevertheless


My apologies, I was in a haste during my reply. So, unless I put a question mark at the end of a sentence, you are incapable of using discernment based on the structure of said sentence, to determine it really is a question? That's kind of....I don't even know...

reply to post by SLAYER69


That's a great proverb Slayer!

Was wondering if you would show up to see this as well. I know how you love the Ancient Egyptians.
This article has in general, regardless of inability to comprehend my thoughts, made me really wonder what we can do with this, and nano-technology in general, combined with technology and know-how of Science in today's day and age.

Just saying, I think we may be able to get more use and a bigger diversity of such, for this Egyptian blue ink.

Originally posted by SLAYER69
reply to post by VeritasAequitas

 

"Have the wisdom to abandon the values of a time that has passed and pick out the constituents of the future. An environment must be suited to the age and men to their environment"

Egyptian Proverb

Impressed as always.

It would be very hard to find the trails, they don't mind the low tech earth battery coming out, but to reveal advanced tech... Good thread!

The mineral used to create that colour blue was only rediscovered a few years ago, from memory, in Morocco. Again, if memory serves me right, scientists, whilst stoked about rediscovering a hitherto lost mineral cautioned that, its' structure is very similar asbestos and that grinding it up to create pigment might well have seriously debilitated or killed, many of the artisans who used it and prepared it.