In April 2021, scientists from Purdue University revealed a new shade of white paint. At first glance, it may look like any other plain white hue found at the local paint store. But unlike those other pigments, Purdue's white paint reflects 98.1% of the sun's rays. (Most white paints, by contrast, reflect only about 80% to 90%.)
According to Guinness World Records, that reflective ability makes the paint the whitest white that's ever been created. And what Purdue's hue lacks in chromatic sophistication, it more than makes up for in utility. According to The New York Times, if between 1% to 2% of the world's surface (about half the size of the Sahara) could be coated with this ultra-white paint, "the planet would no longer absorb more heat than it was emitting." Although painting half the Sahara is not in the cards, painting the many, many rooftops that dot the world could help fight our current planetary fever while also cutting A/C costs. At midday, for example, the new paint makes surfaces 8 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than the surrounding ambient air temperature.
On the other end of the visual spectrum, of course, there's Vantablack — a color that absorbs 99% of ultraviolet light and is considered one of the darkest materials ever made. And like the white yang to its black yin, Vantablack (made of carbon nanotubes) also has its distinct advantages, specifically in improving high-end optics for cameras and telescopes, in part by reducing glare. Perhaps that means that when it comes to color engineering, it helps to think in extremes.
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