Technology Roundup : True atomic scale Microscopy, Training cells, Algorithms Boost Flash Density

Immune cells attracted to nooks in this porous, biodegradable polymer implant are stimulated to attack cancer. Credit: Omar Ali 1. A polymer implant signals cells to combat cancer. This was already covered at Nextbigfuture in Jan 2009 but we now have a photo and some more information and it is an important development to track. …

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Enhancing Stem Cell Production for Miraculous Bone Healing in Less than Half the Time

The drug teriparatide, or Forteo, which was approved by the FDA in 2002 for the treatment of osteoporosis appear to also boost bone stem cell production for “miraculous bone healing”. Astute observations led a team of clinicians and researchers to uncover how this drug can also boost our bodies’ bone stem cell production to the …

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More Technical Details on Artificial Ribosome

Reconstituting ribosomes: Shown here is a parts list for creating a synthetic, self-replicating ribosome. Proteins are shown in purple, RNA in red, and DNA in blue. The list includes 54 ribosomal proteins, as well as RNA-based enzymes involved in protein production, and other molecules that interact with ribosomes. Credit: George Church and Mike Jewett Church …

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The Nuclear Orion Home Run Shot, All Fallout Contained

The typical analysis of the nuclear Orion external pulse propulsion rocket is to use constant charges (bombs) every 1.1 seconds to launch with people inside who experience 4Gs or less. Nuclear Orion can achieve launch costs of less than $1/kg and perhaps a tiny fraction of that. This is 1000 to 20,000 times cheaper than …

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Combination Major Advance: Gene Therapy for HIV Passes Phase 2 Clinical Trial

The therapy aims to stop HIV re-producing A one-time gene therapy that puts an anti- HIV RNA weapon into blood cells is safe and, in higher doses and stronger form, could make the body resist the AIDS virus, a clinical trial suggests. This “major advance in the field” is the largest clinical trial ever to …

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More Durable and High Resolution Nanoimprint Lithography

Nano imprinting with Bulk Metallic Glass enables to directly replicate smallest features with high aspect ratio. Our current record is 13 nm and 50 for feature diamater and aspect ratio, respectively. MIT Technology Review reports that researchers at Yale University have demonstrated that these nanoimprint molds can be created from more durable materials. This advance …

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Status of Carbon Nanotubes for Wiring, Superink, Super-Batteries and other Applications

1. Super carbon nanotube batteries MIT Technology Review reports researchers at MIT have made pure, dense, thin films of carbon nanotubes that show promise as electrodes for higher-capacity batteries and supercapacitors. Dispensing with the additives previously used to hold such films together improved their electrical properties, including the ability to carry and store a large …

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Casimir force was reduced by 30 to 40%

Caption: A scanning electron micrograph, taken with an electron microscope, shows the comb-like structure of a metal plate at the center of newly published University of Florida research on quantum physics. UF physicists found that corrugating the plate reduced the Casimir force, a quantum force that draws together very close objects. The discovery could prove …

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Carnival of Space Week 46

Carnival of Space 46 is up at riding with robots My contribution was the premature report of room temperature superconductors. There is a new class of superconductors made under high pressure which could lead to room temperature superconductors. Centauri Dreams talks about David Brin’s speculation on eleven reasons for no contact with aliens (fermi paradox) …

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Thorium reactors again

Another summary of the benefits of Thorium nuclear reactors. This from the Uranium information center in Australia Some of the listed benefits:– Thorium is much more abundant in nature than uranium. – Thorium can also be used as a nuclear fuel through breeding to uranium-233 (U-233). – When this thorium fuel cycle is used, much …

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