The Idea Factory: Adios, street lamps?

A new glowing liquid called Starpath lights the way — sans electricity

Adios, street lamps?
(Image credit: YouTube)

U.K.-based Pro-Teq Surfacing has patented a remarkable new glowing liquid called Starpath that can be sprayed onto asphalt and concrete. After 30 minutes, it leaves a "shiny, shimmery pathway that can guide cyclists and pedestrians at night with zero power consumption," says Pranav Dixit at Fast Company. Starpath's illuminating ability relies on tiny light-absorbing particles that harvest ambient light during the daytime. Once darkness falls, that luminosity becomes visible. "It adjusts accordingly," says Pro-Teq Surfacing owner Hamish Scott, "almost like it has a mind of its own."

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Chris Gayomali is the science and technology editor for TheWeek.com. Previously, he was a tech reporter at TIME. His work has also appeared in Men's Journal, Esquire, and The Atlantic, among other places. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.