Science in Public has an interesting story on ANU’s Dr Niraj Lal and the inspiration he’s gained from buddhist singing bowls, as found in your nearest Oxfam shop, to design more effective solar cells.

While doing his PhD at Cambridge University Niraj realised that small nano-sized versions of Buddhist singing bowls resonate with light in the same way as they do with sound, and he’s applied this shape to solar cells to increase their ability to capture more light and convert it into electricity.

“Current standard solar panels lose a large amount of light-energy as it hits the surface, making the panels’ generation of electricity inefficient,” says Niraj. “But if the cells are singing bowl-shaped, then the light bounces around inside the cell for longer”.

[Photo: OK White Lane 2]