Scientists have found a creative new use for wood. They have made it transparent. This could change how we use and make many things. See-through wood could replace glass in windows, iPhone screens and many other areas of building. Researchers experimented with different ways to remove the colour from wood. They were surprised at how transparent it became. One researcher said the discovery could, "potentially replace glass".
The researchers boiled small blocks of wood in water and chemicals for two hours. The wood lost its colour during this process and it became transparent. The see-through wood is stronger than glass. It is better at protecting against the cold. It is also biodegradable. Research is still in its early stages. Researchers have only used small blocks of wood so far. They will now start testing on bigger pieces of wood.
