Silicon photonics breakthrough from physorg.com UCLA Engineering researchers report that not only can optical amplification in silicon be achieved with zero power consumption, but power can now be generated in the process. The team’s research shows that silicon Raman amplifiers possess nonlinear photovoltaic properties, a phenomenon related to power generation in solar cells. In 2004, …
Better and more energy efficient semiconductor chip manufacturing processes are now possible. (news release at physics web) The Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University College London, has used nanotechnology techniques to successfully induce the oxidation of silicon at room temperatures using light from ultraviolet (UV) excimer lamps, instead of high-temperature, energy-hungry furnaces. The discovery …
Researchers at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have developed a new technology that can greatly enhance the ballistic-proof strength of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber by adding carbon nanotubes to pristine high-strength fiber. Applications include bullet-proof vests, extra-durable nautical rope and could be useful for space tethers and other …
This is great news. It seems to require that the patient have some of the root of the tooth left, which would then be stimulated to regrow. If someone had no teeth at all and the roots had been removed, then they would need to have even more intervention. Something like stem cells directed to …
Serious consideration is being given to technological solutions to global warming as insurance policies in case we approach an environmental crisis This is from the NY Times. Related articles:Some recently funded space studies. One of which is : Roger Angel investigates the feasability of a 2000 kilometer solar shield at L1 to counter global warming …
the energy blogEnergy Balance siteEnergy balance also has another article on thorium for nuclear energy. A comment discusses how U-233 makes poor nuclear weaponsA discussion of solar energyPositive energy bloginuclearThorium energy blog Brian WangBrian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is …
Here is the announcement of the launching of the Tau Zero foundation. They are working towards interstellar flight. Conceived by Marc Millis, former head of NASA’s Breakthrough Propulsion Physics program, the foundation aims to support a carefully chosen group of researchers whose work is directed at this goal. Older charter for the new group, Tau …
Kalpana One, by Al Globus, Ankur Bajoria, and Nitin Arora, is intended to be the first, and smallest, of a family of space colonies. The Kalpana One structure is a cylinder with a radius of 250m and a length of 550m and is designed to house 5000 people. The size is determined by the limited …
Al Globus has a vision and plan to use $4 billion in government prizes and programs to catalize a larger space colonization effort. I think it is a good plan and hope that it can get implemented. Even better is if we used it and other plans like it to start taking up the challenge …
Darpa, along with the Air Force Research Lab, just handed Lockheed Martin the latest in a $42.5 million series of contracts to develop components the uber-blimp (target date is 2011 ISIS will have a phased-array antenna that is nearly as large as the airship itself.Since radar performance depends on the power-aperture product, the extremely large …
Silicon surfaces rendered black by pits and bumps only nanometers or billionths of a meter large could in the future help make solar power cells 15-20 percent more efficient. Koynov and his colleagues instead developed a simple and fast technique that creates these textures using wet chemical processes. Their method works regardless of the crystalline …