X-rays from tape

[Gilded]

Tribology is a branch of physics (or materials science) you don't hear about too often, but this is a very intriguing discovery:

 

Physicists discover an unexpected source of X-rays

 

"Even the lowliest kind of sticky tape can leave physicists befuddled. Unrolling tape in a vacuum produces X-rays — enough of them to do X-ray imaging, researchers have found. No current theory can explain such intensity of X-ray emissions, the scientists write in the Oct. 23 Nature."

 

The mechanism resembles closely to that of X-ray tubes so it doesn't work without a vacuum, but it's still pretty damn amazing. MacGyver would be proud.

[swansont]

I saw this this morning and read the blurb on it. I've seen blue light emanating from some adhesives, such as band-aid and breathe-right strip wrappers, so UV wouldn't have surprised me. But to get up to X-rays is. Cool.

[Mr Skeptic]

I wonder how long until some silly group decides that we need to ban tape because it is dangerous and emits radioactivity?

[YT2095]

I was rather hoping shares in 3M and Dyson would take off