A Japanese company has developed paper that it says will last 1000 years.
Most paper deteriorates because it contains traces of lignin, a complex
oxygen-rich organic substance that is the chief constituent of wood along with
cellulose. The lignin makes paper change colour and print fade, eventually
disintegrating altogether. Oji Paper has reduced the lignin content by treating
the wood pulp twice with a secret chemical, to produce paper that it says can
“record information in the 21st century until the 30th century”.
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from 51¶¯Âþ
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Health
The mysterious reason why women get hotter from age 18 to 42
51¶¯Âþ
Comment
This is the most underrated sci-fi film franchise of the 21st century
Culture
Comment
Shiver me timbers: Do we have to worry about space pirates now?
Regulars
Life
PMOS shows us why many scientific terms need to be renamed
Leader
Popular articles
Trending 51¶¯Âþ articles
1
The Selfish Gene at 50: Why Dawkins’s evolution classic still holds up
2
Mystery of the ancient giant stone jars of Laos may have been solved
3
The distant world that is our best hope of finding alien life
4
How I used psychology to come back from the worst year of my life
5
The ‘doomsday’ glacier’s giant ice shelf is about to break away
6
Why autism pioneer Uta Frith wants to dismantle the spectrum
7
After news about Oliver Sacks's "lies", we revisit his best-loved book
8
We may finally know why dinosaurs like T. rex evolved tiny arms
9
Photos reveal unexpected details from the world's first atomic test
10
The mysterious reason why women get hotter from age 18 to 42
