My website, "The Ratchedemic" continues to discuss issues as they arise in the world around us. Today, with all the recent comments about Michael B. Jordan as the Human Torch and Jaden Smith possibly (probably) playing Static, diversity in comics has once again become a highly discussed issue. So of course, I gave my own take on it here. Check it out!
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When I started this company in 1996 with Bryan ColtStrong Fulford, Roger Harris & Steven Henriquez I told them I had 3 goals: #1-Change The World #2-Change how people of African Descent see Themselves #3-Save HBCU's! The mission is still the same and needed even more today!!! We would like your help please share!
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| FIG. 1. (a) Morphology of the NRs with 5–10 nm Ag nanoparticles. (b) Magnified image of 1(a). One NR with 5–10 nm Ag nanoparticles. (c) SEM image of the reference sample without Ag nanoparticles. Citation: J. Appl. Phys. 117, 193101 (2015); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4921424 |
Topics: (100), Nanoparticle, Nanorod, P-Type Silicon Substrate, Photoluminescence, Photovoltaic, Raman Spectroscopy, Wurzite
Abstract:
The test structures for photovoltaic (PV) applications based on zinc oxide nanorods (NRs) that were grown using a low-temperature hydrothermal method on p-type silicon substrates (100) covered with Ag nanoparticles (NPs) were studied. The NPs of three different diameters, i.e., 5–10 nm, 20-30 nm, and 50–60 nm, were deposited using a sputtering method. The morphology and crystallinity of the structures were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. It was found that the nanorods have a hexagonal wurtzite structure. An analysis of the Raman and photoluminescence spectra permitted the identification of the surface modes at 476 cm−1 and 561 cm−1. The presence of these modes is evidence of nanorods oriented along the wurtzite c-axis. The NRs with Ag NPs were covered with a ZnO:Al (AZO) layer that was grown using the low-temperature atomic layer deposition technique. The AZO layer served as a transparent ohmic contact to the ZnO nanorods. The applicability of the AZO layer for this purpose and the influence of the Ag nanoparticles on the effectiveness of light acquisition by such prepared PV cells were checked by reflectance and transmittance measurements of the AZO/glass and AZO/NPs/glass reference structures. Based on these studies, the high-energy transmittance edge was assigned to the ZnO energy gap, although it is blueshifted with respect to the bulk ZnO energy gap because of Al doping. It was also shown that the most optimal PV performance is obtained from a structure containing Ag nanoparticles with a diameter of 20–30 nm. This result is confirmed by the current-voltage measurements performed with 1-sun illumination. The structures show a plasmonic effect within the short wavelength range: the PV response for the structure with Ag nanoparticles is twice that of the structure without the nanoparticles. However, the influence of the Ag nanoparticle diameters on the plasmonic effect is ambiguous.
American Institute of Physics:
Si/ZnO nanorods/Ag/AZO structures as promising photovoltaic plasmonic
E. Placzek-Popko1,a), K. Gwozdz1, Z. Gumienny1, E. Zielony1, R. Pietruszka2, B. S. Witkowski2, Ł. Wachnicki2, S. Gieraltowska2, M. Godlewski2,3, W. Jacak1 and Liann-Be Chang4
Topics: Economy, Education, Exceptionalism, OECD, Politics, United States, Singapore
Exceptionalism: It's not even really a word, it's a mythology we tell ourselves, over and over like a meditative mantra. As with most naval gazing, we tend to believe our own inner press instead of examined facts and data. Self-myth is Linus's security blanket.
It traces back to Tocqueville, even though it's obvious we've retained the old world's sins: classism, racism, the ability and willingness to wage war.
"In recent years scholars from numerous disciplines, as well as politicians and commentators in the popular media, have debated the meaning and usefulness of the concept. Roberts and DeCuirci ask:
"Why has the myth of American exceptionalism, characterized by a belief in America’s highly distinctive features or unusual trajectory based in the abundance of its natural resources, its revolutionary origins and its protestant religious culture that anticipated God’s blessing of the nation—held such tremendous staying power, from its influence in popular culture to its critical role in foreign policy?" Wikipedia
However: of The 10 smartest countries based on math and science, America is exceptionally left out of the top ten...we tie with Italy at twenty-eighth.
What we're exceptional at is pseudoscience like creation science/museums and anti-vaxxers, the inane devotion to the testing industrial complex (making a killing on standardized tests in all 50 states) that Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Finland, Estonia, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Canada (the only one from the North American CONTINENT) have no relevant equivalent in this continued lunacy. As Ken Ham builds an ark and sues to only hire young Earth creationists - legalizing a patently discriminatory hiring practice; Bill Nye the Science Guy is crowd funding a solar sail. Go figure...
Mark Twain once famously remarked: "there are lies, damned lies and statistics," but this is not a lie, damnable or otherwise. Callously, politicians are telling people what they want to hear versus what they need to; making them comfortable to merely hold onto their positions for 20...30+ years and accomplish nothing.
There is still good work being done in high tech in this country. That good work is being done by engineers and scientists that are daily...getting older. They will eventually be pushed out (sadly), or retire. National prosperity is not the result of magical thinking. To continue our leadership and advances in STEM fields, the current workforce will have to have replacements once they can no longer produce at the same level as they did when they were younger; when there was industry, commerce and manufacturing that demanded their brilliance. Our university professors are in the same boat. They can only train students based on demand, and that demand cannot increase when our employment is freely traded across oceans to meet the bottom-line of "bean counters" oblivious to the real world between lattes.
We are exceptionally prone to conspiracy theories: false links to vaccines and autism; every shooting a "false flag" operation; the common nomenclature for military exercises - the exercise code name + YY (e.g. "15") - made into "the boogie man" in Texas by Alex Jones ditto head nincompoops that confuse the strict rules regarding research with disparate links of search engine results after an obvious drunken stupor.
As we advance in technology, there is a fear of it. Everyone has become Al Qaeda, The Tea Party, the Unabomber or ISIS: who all want us all in huts, cabins or caves; women covered head-to-toe, not driving or working, barefoot and pregnant (always) and living in some Shangri-La parallel to the voices loudly booming in their heads.
Hopefully, Robert De Niro's sage yet colorful advice to his co laborers in the arts is not appropos to the rest of the nation. We're sliding down an incline, slowly...inexorably...sliding. Rock bottom will hurt unless we start back up the incline.
I'll be out in a class. My 1,962 post and coincidentally the year of my birth. See you 1 June.
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| Image Source: Technology Review and Physics arXiv |
Topics: Artificial Intelligence, Biology, Biomimetics, Computer Science, Humor, Quantum Computers, Quantum Mechanics
This reminded me of the Old Star Trek episode "The Devil in the Dark." It was unique in that it posited the Horta wasn't carbon-based (as we are), but silicon-based life, and a mother. Talk about "seek out new life." The write up and the paper are intriguing in that it does speculate something we altogether have never encountered, and if we did - or, in this case, create it, what then? What would we call it; what would it call us (mom/dad, or irrelevant/obsolete?), and how would we deal with our uncomfortable insignificance as a species in current 21st Century geopolitics? It's Wednesday, and I probably shouldn't think too deeply on such things. I just hope I haven't broken the three rules of Gremlins, and inadvertently fed the trolls...
TECHNOLOGY REVIEW: Computer scientists have long known that evolution is an algorithmic process that has little to do with the nature of the beasts it creates. Instead, evolution is set of simple steps that, when repeated many times, can solve problems of immense complexity; the problem of creating the human brain, for example, or of building an eye.
And, of course, the problem of creating life. Put an evolutionary algorithm to work in a virtual environment and it doesn’t take long to create life-like organisms in silico that live and reproduce entirely within a virtual computer-based environment.
This kind of life is not carbon-based or even silicon-based. It is a phenomenon of pure information. But if the nature of information allows the process of evolution to be simulated on an ordinary computer, then why not also on a quantum computer? The resulting life would exist in virtual quantum environment governed by the bizarre laws of quantum mechanics. As such, it would be utterly unlike anything that biologists have ever encountered or imagined.
But what form might quantum life take? Today we get an insight into this question thanks to the work of Unai Alvarez-Rodriguez and a few pals at the University of the Basque Country in Spain. They have simulated the way life evolves in a quantum environment and use this to propose how it could be done in a real quantum environment for the first time. “We have developed a quantum information model for mimicking the behavior of biological systems inspired by the laws of natural selection,” they say.
Physics arXiv: Artificial Life in Quantum Technologies
U. Alvarez-Rodriguez, M. Sanz, L. Lamata, E. Solano
Related Link
Science Alert:
An Electronic Memory Cell Has Been Created That Mimics the Human Brain
Fiona MacDonald
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| An artist's concept shows a black hole eating material from a nearby star. Researchers say its possible dark matter swirling around a black hole could radiate gamma rays that could be seen by telescopes. Credit: An artist's concept shows a black hole eating material from a nearby star. Researchers say its possible dark matter swirling around a black hole could radiate gamma rays that could be seen by telescopes. |
Topics: Black Holes, Cosmology, Dark Matter, General Relativity
Dark matter circling the drain of a massive black hole could radiate gamma-rays that might be visible from Earth, according to new research.
Dark matter is five times more plentiful in the universe than regular matter, but it does not emit, reflect or absorb light, making it not just dark but entirely transparent. But if dark-matter particles around black holes can produce gamma-rays (high-energy light), such emissions would give scientists a new way to study this mysterious material.
The process responsible for creating the gamma-rays is somewhat counterintuitive, because it seems to defy two common assumptions: that nothing can escape from a black hole and that there's no such thing as a free lunch.
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| A 3D computer model of what the dark-matter gamma-ray signal might look like around a black hole. Because the particles are orbiting around the black hole (left to right) the signal is only visible on one side. Credit: Jeremy Schnittman |
Space.com: Black Holes Might Make Dark Matter Shine, Calla Cofield
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| Schematic diagram of the single-electron transistor. The long green line on the right of the diagram is the gate. The two green lines connected to the yellow structures are the source and drain. The nanodot is the isolated green line between the source and drain. (Courtesy: Guanglei Cheng et al./Nature) |
Topics: Electrical Engineering, Nanotechnology, Quantum Mechanics, Superconductivity
Electron pairing without superconductivity has been seen for the first time by a team of physicists in the US. Confirming a prediction made in 1969, the electron pairs were spotted in strontium titanate using a single-electron transistor. The observation could provide useful insights into the nature of superconductivity, and perhaps even help in the design of new high-temperature superconductors.
In a conventional superconductor, electrons with opposite spin come together to form Cooper pairs that pass through the atomic lattice without scattering. This interaction occurs because the presence of one electron pulls in positive ions from the lattice, and this in turn attracts the next electron. These pairs then interact with each other to form a condensate from which individual electrons cannot be easily scattered. For this to work, however, the electrons have to be relatively close together. This is not the case in strontium titanate, which has a very low electron density yet is a superconductor at temperatures below a critical temperature (TC) of about 300 mK (millikelvin).
Physics World: Electron pairing without superconductivity seen at long last, Tim Wogan
Hey All,
33 Days Left Until the campaign is finished. I have been working on the book and doing all I can do. Check out THESE completed pages. Still need everyone help to make this campaign a success HERE.
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| The humble soap bubble – a whole new field of physics. Photograph: Alexander Boden/flickr |
Topics: Materials Science, Soft Matter Physics, Theoretical Physics
Respectfully, in memory of Sir Sam Edwards...
Many of the objects in the everyday world around us are squidgy when squashed, flow easily, or are very sensitive to changes in temperature. These sorts of materials – ranging from paint to frogspawn, from yogurt to snot – fall into the category of ‘soft matter’: materials whose dynamics are governed by timescales of seconds rather than hugely longer or shorter times.
The study of these systems, which are often complex and heterogeneous, grew out of the more traditional field of condensed matter physics. Whereas condensed matter physicists of the early-mid twentieth century traditionally studied in minute detail the properties of simple, one-phase materials such as copper or silicon, as soft matter grew as a discipline the range of material types studied expanded enormously.
There are two towering figures, both theoretical physicists, who are usually identified with the birth of this new field: Pierre Gilles de Gennes and Sir Sam Edwards. Both were trained as conventional theorists, both saw the richness of the newer materials and how the mathematical tools they were familiar with could be taken over to the study of this new class of materials.
It was the Frenchman de Gennes who won the 1991 Nobel Prize for this work with a citation that read “for discovering that methods developed for studying order phenomena in simple systems can be generalized to more complex forms of matter, in particular to liquid crystals and polymers”. But his friend and friendly rival the Welshman Sir Sam Edwards, who died last week at the age of 87, was equally active and influential; many felt he was unlucky not to share the prize.
The Guardian: The birth of soft matter physics, the physics of the everyday,
Athene Donald
The Antennae galaxies, shown in visible light in a Hubble image (upper image), were studied with ALMA, revealing extensive clouds of molecular gas (center right image). One cloud (bottom image) is incredibly dense and massive, yet apparently star free, suggesting it is the first example of a prenatal globular cluster ever identified.
NASA/ESA Hubble, B. Whitmore (STScI); K. Johnson, U.Va.; ALMA (NRAO/ESO/NAOJ); B. Saxton (NRAO/AUI/NSF)
Topics: ALMA, Astronomy, Astrophysics, Molecular Gases, Proto Stars, Radio Astronomy
Globular clusters — dazzling agglomerations of up to a million ancient stars — are among the oldest objects in the universe. Though plentiful in and around many galaxies, newborn examples are vanishingly rare and the conditions necessary to create new ones have never been detected until now.
Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have discovered what may be the first known example of a globular cluster about to be born: an incredibly massive, extremely dense, yet star-free cloud of molecular gas.
“We may be witnessing one of the most ancient and extreme modes of star formation in the universe,” said Kelsey Johnson from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. “This remarkable object looks like it was plucked straight out of the very early universe. To discover something that has all the characteristics of a globular cluster, yet has not begun making stars, is like finding a dinosaur egg that’s about to hatch.”
This object, which the astronomers playfully refer to as the “Firecracker,” is located approximately 50 million light-years away from Earth nestled inside a famous pair of interacting galaxies — NGC 4038 and NGC 4039 — which are collectively known as the Antennae galaxies. The tidal forces generated by their ongoing merger are triggering star formation on a colossal scale, much of it occurring inside dense clusters.
Astronomy Magazine: ALMA discovers proto super star cluster,
NRAO, Charlottesville, VA
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| Scanning electron mictographs of a uniform array of conical Polysilicon nanoneedles, with a < 100nm tip diameter, 600nm base diameter, 5 micron length and 2 micron pitch (Courtesy ACS Nano). |
Topics: Biology, Nanotechnology, Photolithography, Quantum Dots
Biocompatible silicon nanoneedles, which can efficiently deliver nucleic acids and nanoparticles into biological cells without damaging them, have been developed by an international team of researchers. The porous needles are capable of delivering these drugs into live cells that are normally difficult to penetrate, and the technique could help damaged organs and nerves to repair themselves, and could also act as intracellular pH sensors.
The researchers, based at Imperial College London and the Houston Methodist Research Institute in Texas, made their nanoneedles using photolithography techniques. The structures can be patterned onto standard silicon chips in different ways, and the length and width of the needles can also be adjusted. Because they are porous, they can be made to take up a significantly greater amount of nucleic acid, nanoparticles and other therapeutics. Importantly, the porous silicon from which they are made is biocompatible – unlike ordinary silicon – and it clears the body in about two days, without leaving behind any toxic residue.
The plasma membrane and "endo-lysosomal compartment" of a cell are major biological barriers that limit the therapeutic efficiency of many drug-delivery vehicles by preventing nanostructures from entering the cells. According to team member Ennio Tasciotti from the Department of Nanomedicine at the Houston Methodist Research Institute, the new nanoeedles can "successfully deliver nucleic acids into cells, bypassing their plasma membrane and endo-lysosomal compartments without damaging the cell".
Physics World: Silicon 'nanoneedles' deliver nanodots and nucleic acids, Belle Dumé
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| NIST Director Willie E. May Credit: NIST |
Topics: Chemistry, Diversity in Science, Optics, National Institute of Science and Technology, Photonics
Washington, D.C. – On May 4, 2015, the U.S. Senate confirmed Willie E. May as the second Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and the 15th director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). May has been serving as acting director since June 2014. He has worked at NIST since 1971, leading research activities in chemical and biological measurement science activities prior to serving as associate director for laboratory programs and principal deputy to the NIST director.
“Willie has been a partner and champion in our efforts to strengthen America’s manufacturing sector and promote innovation, key drivers to spurring economic growth, and core pillars of the Department’s ‘Open for Business Agenda.’ In addition to serving as a world-class research institute, NIST has taken the lead on several major Department of Commerce and Obama Administration priorities, including implementing a national network of manufacturing institutes and working with industry and other stakeholders to develop the NIST Cybersecurity Framework,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker.
Among many other awards and honors, May was elected a Fellow of the American Chemical Society in 2011. He has been recognized with the Department of Commerce's Bronze (1981), Silver (1985) and Gold (1992) medals. The National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE) has recognized him with both the Percy Julian Award for outstanding research in organic analytical chemistry and the Henry Hill Award for exemplary work and leadership in the field of chemistry. May received the 2007 Alumnus of the Year Award from the College of Chemical and Life Sciences at the University of Maryland, and in 2010 he was among the first class of inductees into the Knoxville College Alumni Hall of Fame. He was the keynote speaker for the 2002 winter commencement ceremonies for the University of Maryland's College of Life Sciences, and for Wake Forest University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences commencement exercises in 2012. [1]
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The science and technology of light are essential to a multitude of applications that have transformed our society, and there is much promise that optics and photonics will remain at the forefront of the world’s innovations well into this century.
Moreover, the general excitement in and impact of optics and photonics is growing dramatically. This presentation will highlight: (a) past breakthroughs, present advances and potential future growth in the science and technology of light, (b) the convergence of the International Year of Light, the Nobel Prizes based on light and the various U.S. government initiatives in photonics, and (c) the critical nature of metrology to harnessing the exquisite capabilities of high-frequency, coherent light for different industries. This talk is part of an afternoon NIST program celebrating World Metrology Day. [2]
1. Senate Confirms May as 15th NIST Director, Jennifer Huergo
2. Optics and Photonics: Essential for Our World, May 20, 2015
Friday May 15, 2015 at 6:00pm - 9:00pm in EDT |
The African American Museum in Philadelphia
701 Arch St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106
Free Admission for Reception only
We will honor comic book excellence by presenting the Glyph Comics Awards, which recognizes the best in comics made either by, for, or about African-descended people. While the recipients of these awards are not exclusively authors and artists of African descent, the Glyph Comics Awards does its best to honor and recognize those creators making great contributions to the African image in graphic novels, comic strips, and comic books. By doing so, we hope to encourage more diverse and high-quality work across the board and to inspire new creators to add their voices to the field.
We will honor comic book excellence by presenting the Glyph Comics Awards, which recognizes the best in comics made either by, for, or about African-descended people. While the recipients of these awards are not exclusively authors and artists of African descent, the Glyph Comics Awards does its best to honor and recognize those creators making great contributions to the African image in graphic novels, comic strips, and comic books. By doing so, we hope to encourage more diverse and high-quality work across the board and to inspire new creators to add their voices to the field.
Last year was my first year attending and I won the GLYPH Award for the "BEST COMIC STRIP or WEB COMIC" for my franchise THE ADIGUN OGUNSANWO™. I was in shock but enjoyed the accolades towards my work and the fact that it was given by an organization dedicated to promoting the hard work and creativity of Sci Fi and Fantasy creatives of the African diasporia.
ENJOY BSFS Peeps
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| Image Source: Rob's capibara.com techblog |
Topics: Accelerators, Particle Physics, Physics Humor, Semiconductor Technology, STEM
It's interesting most don't know how particle accelerators were "born" and how they affect our everyday lives. I happen to work in a semiconductor manufacturing facility - AKA a wafer "fab" (short for fabrication) facility. The accelerators I see often are called Ion implanters, which in device physics is how an impurity is introduced into a semiconductor's energy band gap - usually rather wide as it would appear in nature (Silicon, Germanium) otherwise, you wouldn't have your laptop or smartphone; your microwave, essentially everything electronic around us we normally take for granted.
Particle accelerators even have a fun history of their beginnings, or as you've probably experienced in a high school physics class - a Van de Graaff Generator. It's more fun if you (ahem, unlike me) have hair...
American Institute of Physics: History of Accelerators
Great to see some of my favorite hangout spots in LA turned into a virtual Battleground.
Enjoy
Promotional Shot of Michael B. Jordan as Johnnie Storm in the new reboot of FANTASTIC FOUR. out in August. I am amped-up to see this yo! The fact that Susan is adaoped, Johnnie's father is old man Storm that is the director of the program that creates these heroes, and Ben Grim is not a product of Yancy Street in Brooklyn are all factors that peeks my intrest. I am not one to like european characters in blackface and still have my researve opinions about the STORM mega mix. But I still want to give my old fav Marvel characters a chance to burn out our OLD preconceived perceptions of this elemental group. Your opinions are welcomed. chat it up BSFS peeps.
TV Director and creator of the Legend of the Mantamaji graphic novel series launched a 12 episode web series this week as a lead up to the Legend of the Mantamaji Live Action Short release.
The 12 episode series follows TV Director Eric Dean Seaton and his production team during three days of filming, as he creates a live action short based on the critically-acclaimed graphic novel series, “Legend of the Mantamaji.”
According to BlackGirlNerds.com's exclusive story on the release: “I wanted a fun and different way for people to see what the Mantamaji can do and what the story is about,” Seaton said. “The behind the scenes offers more information on the series, the passion behind the idea and what it takes to bring a graphic novel to life.”
The 1st episode is 4 minutes long, the other episodes are 2 minutes long and are published weekly leading up to the release of the Live Action Short.
From Alex Widen of Examiner.com: "The short aims to translate the beginning of the first volume of "Legend of the Mantamaji" to life, and it is here where having a creator with a vast knowledge of TV direction and production is key. The comic itself often doubled as an incredibly detailed storyboard in terms of action sequences, and the costume designs of both the heroes and villains work as both a two dimensional comic as well as practically created suits for a live action production.
"Legend of the Mantamaji" is the result of six years worth of effort from creator/writer Eric Dean Seaton, artist Brandon Palas, colorist Andrew Dalhouse, and letterer Deron Bennett. Across three graphic novels, it chronicles the story of arrogant New York district attorney Elijah Alexander who discovers he's the last of an ancient race of mystical warriors while also stumbling into the centuries long scheme of an ageless sorcerer who's manipulated both the public and organized crime. The graphic novels were released from October 2014 - February 2015 and can be easily purchased from the main website as well as other venues such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The series was nominated for a Glyph Award last month. The release of this short in the summer should increase the profile of this incredible work."
Watch the first episode of "Legend of the Mantamaji: Behind the Scenes" here:
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| The European Space Agency has been looking at what it takes to construct a moon outpost. Credit: ESA/ Foster + Partners |
Topics: European Space Agency, Humor, ISS, Moon Colony, Space Exploration
Living on our closest neighbor has some advantages. I've seen articles about how long-term radiation would alter our astronauts' brains on a trip to Mars, for example. There's a low probability of getting "super powers," e,g. the fictional "Fantastic Four," but an extreme likelihood of dying prematurely - a rather unpleasant outcome for the astronauts and their families. The International Space Station does have shielding, but its exposure to radiation is by far not as harsh as would be encountered by a crew on an interplanetary flight. We'll have to come up with some knew design configurations/materials for shielding, and being a mere 238,900 miles (384,400 km) from Earth is probably a good place to start. Although I must admit: the representative photo looks like a graphic from a "Doctor Who" episode (explain to your non-nerd friends if that completely went over their heads).
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado — The incoming leader of the European Space Agency is keen on establishing an international base on the moon as a next-step outpost beyond the International Space Station (ISS).
Johann-Dietrich Wörner expressed his enthusiasm for a moon colony at the Space Foundation’s National Space Symposium, a gathering of global, commercial, civil, military and "new space" experts that was held here from April 13 to April 16.
"It seems to be appropriate to propose a permanent moon station as the successor of ISS," Wörner said. This station should be international, "meaning that the different actors can contribute with their respective competencies and interests." [Living on the Moon: What It Would Be Like (Infographic)]
Space.com:
Europe's Next Space Chief Wants a Moon Colony on the Lunar Far Side,
Leonard David
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| Image Source: Wienberg College of Arts and Sciences |
Topics: Chemistry, Laser, Nanotechnology, Semiconductor Technology
EVANSTON, Ill. --- Northwestern University scientists have developed the first liquid nanoscale laser. And it’s tunable in real time, meaning you can quickly and simply produce different colors, a unique and useful feature. The laser technology could lead to practical applications, such as a new form of a “lab on a chip” for medical diagnostics.
To understand the concept, imagine a laser pointer whose color can be changed simply by changing the liquid inside it, instead of needing a different laser pointer for every desired color.
In addition to changing color in real time, the liquid nanolaser has additional advantages over other nanolasers: it is simple to make, inexpensive to produce and operates at room temperature.
Nanoscopic lasers -- first demonstrated in 2009 -- are only found in research labs today. They are, however, of great interest for advances in technology and for military applications.
“Our study allows us to think about new laser designs and what could be possible if they could actually be made,” said Teri W. Odom, who led the research. “My lab likes to go after new materials, new structures and new ways of putting them together to achieve things not yet imagined. We believe this work represents a conceptual and practical engineering advance for on-demand, reversible control of light from nanoscopic sources.”
Northwestern University: Northwest Scientists Develop First Liquid Nanolaser, Megan Fellman
