It’s the stuff that makes Oreo filling white. It’s in sunscreen, toothpaste, cosmetics, inks, paper, plastics, solar cells, and superyacht hulls. And it’s the billion-dollar brightener behind every ...

Brilliantly whitewashed houses are a familiar sight in hot countries, from Morocco to Greece. In fact, white-painted roofs “have been used to cool buildings for centuries”, said The Guardian. But ...