We are getting closer to cyborgs that are as strong and as fast as people. The prototype rocket powered mechanical arm can lift (curl) about 20 to 25 pounds – three to four times more than current commercial arms – and can do so three to four times faster. “That means it has about 10 …
The Purdue University researchers, in work funded by Intel Corp, have shown tiny “ionic wind engines” that might improve computer chip cooling by 250%. When used in combination with a conventional fan, the experimental device enhanced the fan’s effectiveness by increasing airflow to the surface of a mock computer chip. The new technology could help …
Technology Review reports on graphene paper which could be mixed with polymers or metals to make materials for use in aircraft fuselages, cars, and buildings. In theory, graphene sheets could be superior to all other materials, Ruoff says, “with the possible exception of diamond”. Researchers at Northwestern University have reassembled one-atom-thick graphene sheets that make …
The NY Times reports that Toyota has started testing Plug in Hybrid versions of the Prius The Mercury news has extra information on its blog and in the main SJ Mercury newspaper * Susan Shaheen, a UC-Berkeley researcher, said she’s still figuring out the methodology for the studies into how people react to PHEVs, but …
Wired has an article about the activity in ultracold physics Ultracold atoms could enable precise non-GPS navigation by using measurements based on the Earth’s rotation. Very precise measurements of the strength of magnetic or gravitational fields can be used to find oil. This is only part of the revolution from measuring and controlling the quantum …
A new kind of “superlens”, capable of focusing light to a spot far smaller than its own wavelength, could be far easier to build than other proposed designs, researchers say. It could allow viewing and etching of points and lines at 0.4 to 1 nanometer. This would help accelerate the improvement of conventional computer power …
The 11th Carnival of space is up at space4commerce.blogspot.com which is run by Brian Dunbar Once again I have a posting in the space carnival. I give a review of the current state of space funding and development in the USA and briefly for other major space organizations The Mars Society of Germany has proposed …
New Scientist reports on nanowires suspended in an invisible “force field” of laser radiation could soon be peering into biological samples, taking low-cost snapshots of viruses and proteins with unprecedented resolution. The team’s prototype can already scan objects with a resolution of 100 nanometres, allowing it to capture the features the size of those on …
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has entered the integration and test phase for the Joint High Power Solid State Laser (JHPSSL) Phase 3 program after exceeding all demonstration requirements for the first gain module, or building block, that forms the core of its 100 kW solid-state laser system. This is four months after the 67 kilowatt …
A device that can hold hundreds of atoms in a 3D array, and image each one individually, has been developed by scientists in the US. The team [David Weiss, Karl Nelson, and Xiao Li at the Pennsylvania State University] used three lasers arranged at right angles to create a 3D lattice in which they trapped …
Researchers at MIT have created a revolutionary device that could remotely charge batteries and power household appliances. The setup is straightforward, explains Andre Kurs, an MIT graduate student and the lead author of the paper. Two copper helices, with diameters of 60 centimeters, are separated from each other by a distance of about two meters. …