One of the big problems with current solar cells is that they aren't able to absorb infrared light — which accounts for around a third of the solar energy that hits the planet. A new type of nanomaterial, a tiny antenna, could solve that problem and make our solar panels far more efficient.
Milan Karki, an 18 year-old from a rural village in Nepal, has invented a type of solar panel that replaces expensive silicon with cheap, easily replenished human hair. Melanin, the pigment in human hair acts as a conductor for solar energy, and hair, unlike silicon, can be easily replaced, giving the panels a longer…
