The key finding that Dwave systems is disclosing is that quantum error correction (and fault tolerance) can be achieved PASSIVELY instead of actively. They have also released two papers describing their work on quantum computers Here is an Aug 11, 2006 paper (pdf) about their sign and magnitude tuneable superconducting couplers The second pdf describes …
New fuel cells could get an energy density up to about 2200 watt-hours per litre Gervasio says, compared to 200 watt-hours per litre for a lithium polymer battery. Chemist Don Gervasio and colleague Sonja Tasic, both at Arizona State University in the US, set out to develop a fuel cell that would generate more electricity …
New higher resolution X-ray crystallography is uncovering molecularly precise insight into the workings of proteins and ribosomes. As we figure precisely how they work then we can take control and modify the processes. Thus advancing towards protein based pathways to molecular nanotechnology. The crucial job of reading the genetic instructions and synthesizing the specified proteins …
New MIT technology promises to speed up the accurate sorting of proteins, work that may ultimately aid in the detection and treatment of disease. Separating proteins from complex biological fluids such as blood is becoming increasingly important for understanding diseases and developing new treatments. The molecular sieve developed by MIT engineers is more precise than …
In early tests, Peptide – carbon nanotube sensors detected the presence of heavy metal ions in water down to parts per trillion levels. The peptides are made of 20 or so amino acids, so changing the sequence of amino acids allows the researchers to “tune the peptides and recognize different compounds,” Tao said. “We developed …
Nathan Lamont pointed out this Rand Organization study about meteor weapons. The Rand analysis assumes :1. The bigger rocks are not of strategic interest They limit the consideration of destruction to roughly nuclear equivalent. I think that is an incorrect assumption. Rapidly advancing technological capability could require more destructive capability to penetrate advanced defences2. It …
Roger Shawyer’s second prototype EM Drive generates a push of only about 300 millinewtons. Shawyer reckons he could achieve a thrust of 30,000 newtons—enough to “lift a large car”—if the waveguide cavity’s walls are made into a superconductor so that energy from the microwaves isn’t dissipated into heat. Each photon that a magnetron fires into …
Chemists at Virginia Tech are creating new polymers by adding DNA base pairs. Attributes include improved stretchable behavior and self-healing polymer films and coatings. “We are trying to integrate molecular biology with traditional macromolecular science in order to synthesize novel families of elastomers. The base pairs disassociate when heated and permit the polymer to easily …
Wired has a color coded threat list which has terrorism near the bottom. These are the actual dangers confronting America. Based on the number of mortalities in each category throughout the 11-year period spanning 1995 through 2005 (extrapolated from best available data). I had performed a similar analysis comparing murders in the US against war …
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. announced Monday (Sept. 11) it has completed the industry’s first fully working prototype of a 512-Mbit Phase-change Random Access Memory (PRAM). The PRAM features the fast processing speed of RAM for its operating functions combined with the nonvolatile features of flash memory for storage, giving it the nickname of “Perfect RAM”. …
Scientists are designing stem-cell-based therapies for degenerative retinal diseases. Fighting Aging updates the continuing development and application of the VesCell therapy from TheraVitae in Thailand. VesCell uses adult stem cells that are harvested from approximately ½ pint of the patient’s own blood. In the lab, these stem cells are transformed into millions of cells called …