Researchers at the University of British Columbia in Canada have developed a new type of ultra black wood that can absorb over 99% of light, much higher than ordinary black paint that absorbs about 97.5% of light. This new material was accidentally discovered by researchers while conducting experiments on wood. Ultra black wood has potential applications in exquisite jewelry, solar cells, and precision optical equipment, contributing to the development of fields such as astronomy, fashion, renewable energy, and optics. To improve the waterproofness of wood, researchers conducted a high-energy plasma experiment and found that the cut surface of the wood became abnormally black. According to measurements from the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Texas A&M University in the United States, the material reflects less than 1% of visible light. The researchers did not give up on this unexpected discovery and decided to shift their research focus to designing ultra black materials. The researchers named this ultra black material Nylon and registered a trademark. Nylon is made of oak wood, which is lightweight, hard, and easy to cut into complex shapes. Surprisingly, even with a gold plating layer applied to the wood, Nylon still maintains its black color, while the wood also maintains sufficient conductivity. Nylon can replace expensive and rare black woods such as ebony and redwood for dials, and can also be used in the jewelry industry to replace black agate. Ultra black materials are becoming increasingly popular in astronomy, and the ultra black layer on devices can help reduce stray light and improve image clarity, as well as enhance solar cell efficiency. At present, researchers have developed prototypes of commercial products such as watches and jewelry using Nylon, and will explore other commercial applications in the future. (New Society)