Neon Trees

Taiwanese researchers have stumbled onto something truly magical. When gold nanoparticles were introduced into Bacopa caroliniana plants they caused the chlorophyll to produce reddish light. Bye-bye street lights? But wait, there’s more:

While lit, the glowing trees consumed more carbon from the atmosphere than normal (i.e. the luminescence causes the cells to undergo photosynthesis).

PopSci calls this a “triple threat,” in that the trees could cut energy costs, reduce global warming and keep streets safely lit at night. I’m more than inclined to agree. [RSC Publishing via Inhabitat via PopSci, Image: Flickr]