A professor at Duke University has “accidentally” discovered a new way to analyze paintings. Dr. Warren S. Warren (clearly had some creative parents), head of Duke’s Center for Molecular and Biomedical Imaging, developed a laser called the pump-probe laser to study melanoma.
When visiting the National Gallery in London, Warren realized the technology used to examine paintings was several decades old. He decided to start experimenting with lasers on paintings and he soon discovered that he was able to observe each layer and color of paint. The pump-probe laser creates a three-dimensional cross-section of a painting which allows researchers to study art in a way that was never possible without damaging the work. Duke is now working with the N.C. Museum of Art to figure out how to make the pump-probe work optimally for art conservationists.
