Sunday, April 7, 2019

Thread Detective

This Good News article made me think of my varsity days in the chemistry lab doing practicals and seeing little smudges of colour appearing on blotting paper. All I remember is that it was a paper chromatography experiment and my partner seemed to know a lot more about it than I did.

But in this case it's the thread that changes colour after detecting certain dangerous gases in the air.

Courtesy of Good News Network
I can just imagine going off to work at the local chemical plant wearing a blue shirt and finding halfway through the morning that it's turning brown, or yellow. And if you're not sure whether you are imagining it, taking out a smartphone camera. Apparently it can tell you of even small amounts of harmful gases in the air. Isn't science amazing?

I wonder if embroidering a shirt or a badge with this type of thread would be sufficient to let you know that the air you were breathing was becoming hazardous.




3 comments:

  1. I wonder if laundering diminishes the property. If not, I imagine the trick would be remembering to look at the embroidery!

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    Replies
    1. Apparently the colour changing property of the thread does not come out in the wash. Quite amazing. I guess a co-worker looking at you would soon notice that the embroidery on your shirt was changing colour.

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