One of the tricks used to make currency harder to counterfeit is being made
available to manufacturers to mark their goods as the genuine article. The
invention, licensed from Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee and made by
Tracer Detection Technology, uses tags consisting of fluorescent dichroic fibres
of nylon. The tags, which can be woven into fabric, fluoresce when they absorb
polarised light and can be detected by a scanner. Tracer claims the tags will be
quick to scan and almost impossible to forge.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Technology
US government wants to have a useful quantum computer by 2028
News
Life
Childbirth for many primate species is even harder than for humans
News
Humans
Humans sleep the least of all apes – is it the secret to our success?
Features
91É«ÇéƬ
Your menstrual cycle may affect how well vaccines work
News
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
Where, when and how to watch the 2026 solar eclipse
2
Humans sleep the least of all apes – is it the secret to our success?
3
We’ve uncovered a master gene that switches on human development
4
Childbirth for many primate species is even harder than for humans
5
If you aren't terrified by this heatwave, you should be
6
The best sci-fi novel in 2026 so far – plus 6 other great reads
7
US government wants to have a useful quantum computer by 2028
8
Screwworm could be the first species targeted by an 'extinction drive'
9
Remote-controlled cockroach swarm can now breathe underwater
10
The lunar botanist with a plan to farm vegetables on the moon
