Armadillo aerospace won the $350,000 lunar lander prize but missed the $1 million prize. Level 1 ($350,000) contest called for teams to fly their remote-controlled, rocket-powered landers up to a height of 50 meters (yards), hover for at least 90 seconds, land at another pad 100 meters (yards) away, refuel and then retrace the route …
Dwave Systems will have a new 128 qubit quantum computer in about two weeks. This was first discussed four days ago on this site along with a review of the background on the Dwave adiabatic quantum computer. In the systems Dwave builds, the maximum number of connections per qubit is constrained by noise. In order …
Transformation optics is a field of optical and material engineering and science embracing nanophotonics, plasmonics, and optical metamaterials. Transformation optics may enable invisibility, ultra-powerful microscopes and computers by harnessing nanotechnology and “metamaterials.” The list of possible breakthroughs includes a cloak of invisibility; computers and consumer electronics that use light instead of electronic signals to process …
The Lounge of the Lab Lemming has Carnival of Space week 75 up This site contributed the future giant telescope roundup. Brian WangBrian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and …
Light Sweet Crude oil traded below $70 a barrel today. The current reprieve from high energy costs should be used to aggressively pursue an effective energy policy. This site has discussed effective energy plans. Energy Technology PlanThis site has proposed an energy plan with a greater focus on applying better energy technology. The plan is …
In 2001, the FDA approved the use of capsule endoscopy, which uses a capsule size camera [1.2 inches long by 0.4 inches in diameter]. These are passive systems. There is work to make smaller robotic systems and systems that can perform more of the capabilities of regular endoscopes. These capabilities include therapeutic and diagnostic operations …
Terahertz near field nanoscope has 40 nanometer resolution. Nanoscale resolution is achieved by THz field confinement at the very tip apex to within 30 nm, which is in good agreement with full electro-dynamic calculations. Imaging semiconductor transistors, we provide first evidence of 40 nm (λ/3000) spatial resolution at 2.54 THz (wavelength λ = 118 μm) …
Vertical farming/urban farming is a plan to grow produce in vertical, multi-story structures within urban areas to reduce the dependence on food grown and transported long distances. Vertical farming will be using new versions of hydroponics and aquaponics. It will use about 100 times less water and provide over 5 times greater energy efficiency. The …
IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced the semiconductor industry’s first computationally based process for production of next generation 22nm semiconductors. Known as Computational Scaling (CS) — a process that enables the production of complex, powerful and energy-efficient semiconductors at 22nms and beyond — this new initiative will feature support from several of IBM’s key partners initially …
SiCortex, maker of energy-efficient high-productivity computing (HPC) platforms, today announced that it has doubled the price/performance metric of its entire product line. This breakthrough is the result of increased processor speed, advancements to system software and leading-edge compilers. SiCortex computers scale from 72 to 5,832 processors running Linux and other open-source codes, in packages ranging …
Graphics and information from the Sept 2008 Petrobank investors presentation (48 pages) If the Capri/Thai processes are successful then Canada’s oilsands, other oilsands and heavy oil deposits around the world will have higher recovery rates using a more economic process and the oil will be upgrading in the ground to a higher and more valuable …