Unique C₆₀ atom configurations known as buckyballs have attracted notice for their ability to quench light. Now a team of University of California researchers say they've discovered that buckyballs can also emit white light.

The scientists added attachments that modify the electronic structure of the buckyball, enabling it to emit light. It's doubtful that the discovery, which the team regards as an "academic curiosity," will have any immediate commercial applications. The device is extremely inefficient and relatively expensive to produce.