Picture credit: Sprinerlink : Nano Research Jpurnal Hauge’s Rice University team describes a method for making “odako,” bundles of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) named for the traditional Japanese kites they resemble. It may lead to a way to produce meter-long strands of nanotubes Hauge’s new method creates bundles of SWNTs that are sometimes measured in …
The Potential Gas Committee, a group of academics and industry specialists supported by the Colorado School of Mines, reports the largest increase in natural-gas reserves in its 44-year history. Estimated reserves rose to 2,074 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) in 2008 from 1,532 Tcf in its 2006 report. UPDATE: Robert Rapier made a calculation that if …
In the Journal Nature: Programming cells by multiplex genome engineering and accelerated evolution Researchers created over 4.3 billion combinatorial genomic variants (of E Coli) per day. They isolated variants with more than fivefold increase in lycopene production within 3 days, a significant improvement over existing metabolic engineering techniques. Multiplex automated genome engineering (MAGE) is used …
Phil Bowermaster who blogs at the Speculist has a good comment at Michael Anissimov’s Accelerating Future. The article is in response some posts from John Hughes and Mike Treder. John Hughes Peter Thiel, the 99% funder of SIAI, is a raving right-wing anarcho-capitalist, who supports Republicans for public office and sits on the Hoover institution …
air Force Research Lab (AFRL) is also developing munitions systems for the UAVs [Unmanned Air Vehicles]. One is a precision missilelike bomb for urban strikes that could be mounted on multiple platforms. Designed to cut down on collateral damage, Suburb Warrior could get a flight test as early as 2014. An integrated submunition guidance system …
1. GE Aviation is advancing jet propulsion and its next-generation engine core program, called eCore, through several private- and government-funded R&D programs, many with key technology milestones this year. General Electric is working on HEETE (Highly Efficient Embedded Turbine Engine) A three-year program sponsored by the USAF, HEETE focuses on embedded technologies for the endurance …
China’s Loose Credit Spurs Economy Wall Street Journal : China had 7.1% GDP growth in the first half of 2009 and is projected to have 9% in the third quarter of 2009, the real reason for this success is an aggressive, behind-the-scenes bank lending binge to the tune of some 7.4 trillion yuan and counting. …
Advanced swimsuits will be banned starting in 2010. However, they are being used this year to increase speeds by up to 3-6% Arena X-Glide, the polyurethane suit Germany’s Paul Biedermann wore Sunday when he cut his time of a month ago by a startling 6 1/2 seconds and broke Ian Thorpe’s 7-year-old world record in …
Oilsand Slower Growth and Lower CostsSuncor expects its [oilsand] capital costs to decline by as much as 20 per cent from the peak of 2008 when it resumes oil sands expansion after its merger with Petro-Canada, which is expected to close this fall. Oil sands producers faced increasing bottlenecks in accessing pipelines and a lack …
1. Deep flight is a small company that is making deep diving one and two person submarines. Deep Flight II (DFII), which has been designed and is awaiting funding, will be built with acrylic crew hulls for 3,000 feet or with titanium hulls with conventional viewports for 20,000 feet. Ceramic-carbon fibre hull will enable 37,500 …
A leengthy interview of Ian Clifford of Zenn Motors who indicates that EEStor will publicly prove its breakthrough ultracapacitors soon. (H/T Talk Polywell The ZENNCity electric car which would be the first vehicle to use these batteries has a 52kwh 250 mile range EESU that would only weigh 280 pounds. EEStor is building a state …