The science-world is all aflutter on the news that a group of scientists have found a way to incorporate the natural design of a butterfly’s wing and implement it into new anti-counterfeiting measures on currency.
The Bulkley Valley should be excited at the news because one of the persons involved in the invention is Clint Landrock, a former Smithers-resident who grew up on a nearby farm.
Simon Fraser University announced the development on Jan. 17, where they explained that microscopic gratings, composed of nanostructures, interact with light and product an effect seen on the Costa Rican morpho butterfly.
The technology is being applied to anti-counterfeiting measures initially but reportedly has potential other applications such as in authenticating documents and in concert tickets.
Landrock, an SFU applied sciences grad, started his research under the guidance of SFU engineering science professor Bozena Kaminska.
“Because of the kind of wavelengths of light that are being emitted off of these devices are so unique in nature we can take advantage of that to create machine-readable features,” he said.
It’s all just an elaborate way to say that if you counterfeit money it might soon be more difficult to fool the person at the register.
As technical as the technology may be, what’s not complicated is a work ethic that this scientist developed right here in the Bulkley Valley.
He said life on a Smithers farm taught him how to work, an ethic that has carried him to where he is now.
“Growing up on a farm, you grow up with a certain kind of work ethic. You get up early in the morning, you have to get things done or your animals don’t survive and your crops don’t do well,” he said. “You have to always be on top of things. There’s no opportunity to be lazy as a farmer.”
He graduated from Smithers Secondary School and was at an earlier time a student at Lake Kathlyn Elementary School. After he graduated he took some scholarships and studied aerospace engineering at Ryerson University in Toronto before moving back to Vancouver.
His family still lives in town
“[My family is] super excited and happy to see me progress with this whole project.”