Mystery of the Roman Lycurgus Cup Bashny.Net

There is a perception that this is an amazing artifact proves that our ancestors were ahead of their time. Technique of making a Cup is so perfect that his master had at that time were familiar with what we today call nanotechnology. Ancient Roman Lycurgus Cup carries a secret the Daleks, the power of thoughts and imagination of the ancient scholars. Presumably it was constructed in 4 BC

This extraordinary Cup is made of dichroic glass that can change its color depending on the lighting – for example, from green to bright red. This unusual effect arises from the fact that the dichroic glass contains a small amount of colloidal gold and silver.

 





The height of the vessel is 165 mm and a diameter of 132 mm. the Cup fit under the category of blood vessels called diatreta, such glass is made usually bell-shaped and consisting of two glass walls. Inner part of the vessel – body, decorated on top with carved patterned grid, also made of glass.

Glass in the manufacture of the Cup the ancient Romans used unusual dichroic having the property to change its color. Under normal room lighting, this glass gives a red color, but when you change the external lighting it changes color to green. The vessel and its mysterious properties have always attracted the attention of scientists from different countries. Many of them carried their hypotheses, their arguments were not scientifically justified and all attempts to unravel the secret of the mysterious color changing glass were in vain. Only in 1990, scientists discovered that this unusual effect is created because dichroic glass in very small quantity contains a silver and colloidal gold. Investigating the bowl, the archaeologist from London named Ian Freestone believes that the creation of this Cup is "an amazing feat". In reviewing the Cup from different angles, being thus in a static position, changing its color.

After examining shards of glass under a microscope, it became clear that the Romans in those days were able to impregnate it with tiny particles of silver and gold, crushed to a size of 50 nanometers in diameter. For comparison it may be noted that a crystal of salt is more than these particles about a thousand times. Thus, they have come to believe that the Cup was created by the technology that is now widely known all over the world called "nano technology". The concept is interpreted as control over the manipulation of materials at the atomic and molecular level. The conclusions of experts, based on facts, confirmed the version that the Romans were the first people on earth to use nano technology. An expert in the field of nano technology engineer Liu gang Logan claims that the Romans used nanoparticles in the manufacture of these works of art quite intelligently.Of course, scientists could not conduct a detailed review of the original Lycurgus Cup, kept in the British Museum, which has a history of about 1,600 years. For this purpose, they have recreated an exact copy and checked it in the version change the color of the glass when filling the vessel with various liquids.

 



 

"It's surprisingly advanced technology for that time," – says the opening of an archaeologist at University College London Ian Freestone. So fine suggests that the ancient Romans very well mastered it.

The principle of technology is the following: in light of the electrons of the precious metals begin to vibrate, changing the color of the Cup, depending on the location of the light source. Engineer specialist in nanotechnology at the University of Illinois Liu gang Logan and his team of researchers drew attention to the enormous potential of this method in the field of medicine – for the diagnosis of human diseases.

The head of the group said: "the Ancient Romans knew how to use nanoparticles in works of art. We want to find this technology to practical application."

The researchers suggested that during the filling of the Cup liquids its color, due to the vibration of electrons will vary (in the modern home pregnancy test is also used to separate nanoparticles that change color control strips).

Of course, scientists could not experiment with a valuable artifact, so they used a plastic plate about the size of a postage stamp, which through billions of tiny pores struck gold nanoparticles and silver. Thus, they have got a miniature copy of the Lycurgus Cup. The researchers were applied to the plate of various substances: water, oil, sugar solutions and salt. As it turned out, in contact with these substances in the pores of the plate its color changed. For example, the light green color was obtained when injected into its pores water, red – in contact with oil.

The prototype was 100 times more sensitive to changes in the level of salt in solution than is common today, commercial sensor developed for similar tests. I want to believe that soon scientists will create anew on the basis of open source technology in portable devices capable of detecting pathogens in samples of saliva or urine, and to prevent the possible movement of terrorists dangerous liquids on airplanes.

Artifact IV century BC Lycurgus Cup was used most likely only in special cases. On its walls depicts Lycurgus ensnared in a trap of vines. According to legend, the vines strangled the ruler of Thrace for the atrocities against the Greek God of wine Dionysus. If scientists are able to create on the basis of ancient technology, modern testing instruments, we can say that it is the turn of Lycurgus to set traps.

 



 

 

According to scientists, these studies can serve to the benefit of all mankind. The knowledge gained from these studies will help to develop the medicine in the field of diagnostics of various diseases and even in some measure to prevent acts of terrorism. Experiments conducted by researchers, can contribute to the development of devices to detect pathogens in saliva or urine.

 



American physicists have proposed the use of manufacturing technology of colored glass that was used by the Romans in the beginning of IV century of our era, for creating chemical sensors and disease diagnosis. Technology research published in the journal Advanced Optical Materials, briefly about it writes the Smithsonian and Forbes.

Created by the authors of a chemical sensor is a plastic plate, which accomplished about a billion nano-sized holes. The walls of each hole are nanoparticles of gold and silver, superficial electrons which play a Central role in the process of detection.

When binding of a substance inside the holes, the resonant frequency of the plasmons (quasi-particle, reflecting oscillations of free electrons in the metal) on the surface of nanoparticles is modified with a resulting change in the wavelength of the transmitted light through the plate. The method is reminiscent of surface plasmon resonance (SPR), but, in contrast, leads to a much more significant shift in the wavelength of light to about 200 nanometers. Processing such a signal does not require complicated equipment, so the binding substances can be detected even with the naked eye.

The sensitivity of the sensor to different types of substances (including those, whose presence has a diagnostic value in medicine) is provided by the immobilization on the surface of the holes of specific antibodies.

Device chemical detector was, according to the scientists suggested by their unusual properties stored in the British Museum the Roman Lycurgus Cup. Made of glass with the addition of a powder of nanoscale particles of gold and silver, the Cup looks green in reflected light and red in transmitted. This is because the metal nanoparticles change the wavelength of light depending on the angle of his fall. On this basis, the authors decided to call the device "the matrix nanosized lycurgue bowls" (nanoscale Lycurgus cup arrays — nanoLCA). published

 

P. S. And remember, only by changing their consumption — together we change the world! ©

Source: masterok.livejournal.com/