A new antireflective coating developed by researchers at Rensselaer could help to overcome two major hurdles blocking the progress and wider use of solar power. The nanoengineered coating, pictured here, boosts the amount of sunlight captured by solar panels and allows those panels to absorb the entire spectrum of sunlight from any angle, regardless of …
This a follow up to prior article about re-inventing civil defense using simple and affordable defenses for residential buildings, such as better nails (hurriquake nails which you can buy from amazon.com.) This is not a plan to make buildings nuclear blast proof, but a lot more blast resistant. A direct hit would be too tough …
In a collaborative effort between academic and industry, chemical and biological engineering professors Nealey and Juan de Pablo and other colleagues from the UW-Madison NSEC partnered with researchers from Hitachi Global Storage Technologies to test a promising new twist on the traditional computer memory and storage methods. In the Aug. 15 issue of the journal …
An Ipsos poll indicates that 17% of Americans feel that the United States is on the right track An opinion poll in February, found that 43% of Iraqis felt that things were going well in Iraq So more than twice the percentage of Iraqis are polling positively about their country versus the percentage of Americans …
A transformation in the pace of economic growth can be achieved even without nanofactories. These pre-nanofactory methods would transition well to a world with nanofactories when they do arrive. A coordinated effort by research, companies and government could be made to plan and develop Rapid Automated Manufacturing by 2030. There could be an increase in …
Replacing one amino acid on the surface of a virus that shepherds corrective genes into cells could be the breakthrough scientists have needed to make gene therapy 30 times more efficient. Gene therapy will be a more viable option for treating genetic diseases such as hemophilia. The discovery could be the solution to a problem …
WhalePower, based in Toronto, Ontario, is testing this wind-turbine blade at a wind-testing facility in Prince Edward Island. The bumps, or “tubercles,” on the blade’s leading edge reduce noise, increase its stability, and enable it to capture more energy from the wind.Credit: WhalePower I have talked frequently about nuclear power uprating (changes in fuel design …
Lockheed has signed an exclusive international license to use EEStor’s power system for military and homeland-security applications–everything from advanced remote sensors and missile systems to mobile power packs and electric vehicles. Zenn motors is now expecting delivery of the energy-storage unit in mid-2008. It will be a mass-produced commercial product. Brian WangBrian Wang is a …
There is interesting progress being made to develop a nanoair vehicle that weighs less than 10 grams and is shorter than 3 inches. A promising design is using electricity and plasma jets. Plasma micro thruster powered UAV the size of a cigarette “It’s a new propulsion technology to be used by micro and nano-unmanned aerial …
We can use a thought experiment of placing a hypothetical superior intelligence back 20, 30 or 40 years, we could use our hindsight knowledge of superior algorithms (developed between then and now) and new technologies to approximate possible improvements a AGI could use. The level of advantage could be used to approximate advantages of a …
Wired has an analysis of what would happen in a war between the United States and China in space. I think the analysis is meaningless because I do not believe that the United States and China would go to war. Both countries are prospering under the current world system and world order. The Wired analysis …