Professor Cardwell recently discussed the bulk microstructure of YBCO, and explained the effect of second-phase inclusions on the flux-pinning capability of the material. Methods had now been developed to incorporate nano-scale inclusions into the bulk structure, and a 10-200nm nano-phase based on RE2Ba4CuMOy had been shown to form effective artificial flux-pinning sites. Although these materials …
Finished Titanium parts from Titanium Hydride can be over 8 times cheaper than regular titanium manufacturing. ($25/lb versus $213/lb) A titanium powder developed during a DOE/GIPP project appears to produce a product with mechanical properties sufficient for a propulsion application from a very low-cost press and sinter process * Could replace costly ingot processed forgings …
The New York Times reported on the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence 2008-2009 Presidential Panel on Long-Term AI Futures conference. Co-chairs: Eric Horvitz and Bart Selman Panel: Margaret Boden, Craig Boutilier, Greg Cooper, Tom Dean, Tom Dietterich, Oren Etzioni, Barbara Grosz, Eric Horvitz, Toru Ishida, Sarit Kraus, Alan Mackworth, David McAllester, Sheila McIlraith, …
A team of physicists and engineers at Bristol University has demonstrated exquisite control of single particles of light — photons — on a silicon chip to make a major advance towards long-sought-after quantum technologies, including super-powerful quantum computers and ultra-precise measurements. The most exciting thing about this work is its potential for scalability. The small …
Carnival of Space 102 is up the Space Writer. This site provided an article listing eleven highly promising nuclear fission and fusion technologies. This site also provided the Sander Olson interview of Richard Nebel which gave insight into the IEC Bussard fusion project prospects. Centauri Dreams looks at sending an interstellar probe with frozen embryos …
Artificial bacterial flagella are about half as long as the thickness of a human hair. They can swim at a speed of up to one body length per second. This means that they already resemble their natural role models very closely. (Image: Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems/ETH Zurich) ETH Zurich researchers have built micro-robots …
There is an iPhone application which assists a person at card counting while playing blackjack in a casino. Using devices to assist in playing in a casino is illegal. It operates in several modes, including a “stealth mode” where the screen is blanked, and can be operated by touching different zones on the screen. It …
Over the past two decades, nuclear power plants have achieved increasingly higher capacity factors with the same or greater levels of safety. The average capacity factor for U.S. plants in operation in 1980 was 56.3 percent; in 1990, 66 percent; and in 2007, 91.8 percent. A 1994 analysis as the capacity factors were being improved …
The USA has the Very High Temperature Gen IV reactor candidate, which could have deep burn [65% of the nuclear material would be used instead of about 1% for current reactors] and temperatures up to 1000 degrees. High temperatures is efficient for providing heat for many industrial applications. The difference between the US and China …
Via Greencarcongress: Democrats in the US House of Representatives unveiled their $825-billion recovery package, a combination of $550 billion in spending and $275 billion in tax cuts. * $46.75 billion is to be directly applied to the transportation sector, including on-road, rail, air and maritime segments. – Of the direct transportation money, $30 billion (64%) …
About a half a square mile is covered with sludge. Coal ash is recycled into products such as cement or placed in secure landfills, but much of it ends up in gravel pits, abandoned mines and unlined landfills — or in ponds like the one that burst in Kingston, Tenn., on Dec. 22. In the …