News — Transparent wood

Transparent wood is coming, and it could make an energy-efficient alternative to glass Glass windows like these could be replaced with wood. Shutterstock/Visions-AD Steve Eichhorn, University of Bristol Wood is an ancient material humans have been using for millions of years, for the construction of housing, ships and as a source of fuel for burning. It’s also a renewable source, and one way to capture excess carbon dioxide from the Earth’s atmosphere. Today, the main component of wood - cellulose – is produced annually at 20 times the volume of steel. One thing you wouldn’t use wood for is making...