Scientists find natural photovoltaic cell in hornet, and copy it
An Oriental hornet, whose yellow and brown exoskeleton is able to turn sunlight into electricity (Photo: Matti Paavola)
Article Summary
It’s no big mystery why turtles and other reptiles bask in the sun – being cold-blooded animals, they’re gathering heat to warm their bodies, so they can be active. Recently, however, scientists from Israel and the UK discovered that the Oriental hornet has been putting a “high-tech” spin on that model... the outer layers of its body work as a natural photovoltaic cell, converting sunlight to electricity. The scientists then proceeded to create a cell of their own, using the hornet as their inspiration.
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