The diode-pumped Mercury laser will deliver 100 J pulses at 10 Hz under automatic control, advancing the development of high-repetition-rate inertial laser fusion. The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is on target to demonstrate “breakeven”–creating as much fusion-energy output as laser-energy input. The NIF laser will compress a tiny sphere of …
The UK Guardian reports on Novacem, a company that is making cement from magnesium silicates that absorbs more CO2 as it hardens. Normally cement adds a net 0.4 tons of CO2 per ton of cement, but this new cement would remove 0.6 tons of CO2 from the air. This is competitive with the claims of …
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is requesting that the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reinstates the construction permits for two unfinished reactors at its Bellefonte site in Alabama. It continues to pursue regulatory approval for two further units at the site. Bellefonte 1 (1213 MWe, 88% complete) and 2 (1213 MWe, 50% complete) are pressurized …
Caterpillar, the world’s largest manufacturer of construction equipment, is starting to support research on the “Contour Crafting” automated construction system that its creator believes will one day be able to build full-scale houses in hours. This is concrete-jet instead of inkjet printing technology. Printing buildings to speed up the economy is one of the key …
Michele Mosca of the Institute for Quantum Computing and Dept. of Combinatorics & Optimization, University of Waterloo and St. Jerome’s University, and Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics reviews Quantum Algorithms. Aug, 2008 [71 pages] Some of the categories of algorithms: Factoring, Discrete Logarithms and the Abelian Hidden Subgroup Problem : like Shor’s algorithm. Quantum Walk …
Some people scoff at mind uploading, human level or greater artificial intelligence or nanorobots that are able repair all damage to the human body Here is a review of the current state of brain computer interfaces, brain simulation, and nanomedicine related medicine (cellular repair and rejuvenation) and science. I do not see anything stopping zettaflop …
At the end of this lengthy MSNBC article is some information about the Bussard fusion process where researchers are building a new demonstration system WB7 One interesting point is that the University of Wisconsin has 100 people and about 10 million in budget per year that is devoted inertial confinement fusion. They are obviously aware …
A naturally myostatin blocked boy. Antisense RNA has been used to activate myostatin inhibition in mice Mice lacking the myostatin gene have 25–30% increased muscle mass. Individual muscles, such as the pectoralis and quadriceps, of myostatin mutant mice are two- to threefold heavier than those of wild type mice. Antisense RNAs were injected into normal …
In a world with 100 cores on a single chip, how do you get enough data onto the chip to keep all those cores fed? Rambus is working on technology that does 32 data transfers per clock beat, so that each line can transmit 32 bits per clock cycle. That’s a ton of per-pin bandwidth, …
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center has made a major step forward in reducing the cost of manufacturing single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). Most manufacturing methods, which use a metal catalyst to form the tubes, have several drawbacks that have impeded development of SWCNTs’ numerous applications. NASA researchers have discovered a simple, safe, and inexpensive method to …
I had written in 2006 about the Military Nanotechnology book by Altmann The Center for Responsible Nanotechnology has reviewed the book. Some consideration should be given to 1. What are the non-nanotech ways that production could greatly increase ? Breakthroughs that allow expanded reel to reel production. ECD Ovonics quantum control devices made from polymers …