Today I read a fascinating article. It seems that the standard process for creating nanosensors, which can electronically detect the presence of many different types of materials, involves creating connections between extremely thin layers of silicon together.
This is done by “curing” them — subjecting them to very high temperatures for 12 hours. Which is an extremely expensive process.
Apparently, while cleaning one of these sensors prior to curing, a researcher accidentally spilled a little ethanol — that’s regular drinking alcohol — on one of them. And the sensor started performing better than any of the cured sensors.
The research team then figured out that adding just the right amount of ethanol to uncured sensors– not too much, not too little — resulted in sensors which were more effective than the cured sensors method. And also a lot cheaper to make.
So apparently if you get these sensors a little drunk — but not too drunk — then they become very sensitive.
Which is a principle that Chinese poets knew centuries ago.