Purdue University engineers have developed a white paint that can keep all surfaces cool — specifically, up to 18 degrees Fahrenheit (-7.778°C) cooler than their ambient surroundings. Moreover, the "super-white" paint reflects 95.5% sunlight and efficiently radiates infrared heat.
"It’s very counterintuitive for a surface in direct sunlight to be cooler than the temperature your local weather station reports for that area, but we’ve shown this to be possible," said Xiulin Ruan, a Purdue professor of mechanical engineering.
The paint works by absorbing nearly no solar energy and sending heat away from wherever it is used. It can even help with climate change by sending heat away from Earth into deep space where it can no longer affect our planet.