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A shortcut to adiabaticity (STA) offers a fast route to quantum state preparation, similar to how a toll road offers a fast route to a traveler’s destination; both shortcuts involve costs, but the costs are hopefully worth the time saved. (The image depicts a road sign produced by the Swedish Transport Agency.)
Topics: Adiabatic Processes, Computers, Consumer Electronics, Cryptography, Quantum Mechanics
Quantum technologies come in a wide variety of forms, from computers, sensors, and cryptographic systems to simulations and imaging systems. But one thing that all current and future quantum systems have in common is the need to achieve reliable control over physical systems such as atoms or photons. A frequently used method to prepare quantum systems in the desired quantum state is a quantum adiabatic process, but these processes often take so long that environmental noise causes the quantum state to decohere and lose its "quantumness."
To speed up quantum state preparation and minimize decoherence, physicists have devised so-called "shortcuts to adiabaticity" (STA), which refer to any process that prepares quantum states in a shorter time than adiabatic processes without losing the benefits of being adiabatic. Originally developed for simple systems consisting of a single particle, STA has recently been extended to many-body systems, which are more relevant for applications. However, the implementation of STA in many-body systems is still very challenging due to the inherent complexity of these systems.
Phys.org: Quantum shortcut could speed up many quantum technologies, Lisa Ziga
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| Image Source: Headbirths - Technology, Neuroscience, Philosophy |
Topics: Computer Science, DARPA, Humor, Robotics, Science Fiction, Virtual Reality
"Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep," by Philip K. Dick, a rather colorful and disturbed science fiction writer, whose novel was the inspiration for the Dystopian movie: "Blade Runner." Like all good science fiction, it ask the question quite literally: "what does it mean to be 'human,' especially in light of self-aware androids in our midst. You'll see this is more about simulation than dreaming, but in thinking of a title, I fell for the poetic irony. DARPA coincidentally, played an early important role in the concept and development of the Internet.
In a month’s time, a motley assortment of robots will attempt to navigate a punishing obstacle course laid out in a fairground park in Pomona, California. At the challenge, organized by the Defense Advanced Research Projects (DARPA), about two dozen machines will make their way through a series of tasks meant to push the limits of robot navigation, manipulation, and locomotion.
Before many of the robots set foot (or wheel) on the course, however, they will be put through their paces in a highly realistic virtual world. This 3-D environment, called Gazebo, makes it possible to try out robot hardware or software without having to power up the real thing. It’s a cheap and quick way to experiment without risking damage to valuable hardware components. And it allows many researchers to work on a single robot simultaneously.
“We are trying to mimic reality as closely as we can,” says Nate Koenig, CTO of the Open Source Robotics Foundation, which is developing Gazebo, and who has spent the last decade leading its development. “The goal is to easily switch over to a real robot.”
Technology Review: Even Robots Now Have Their Own Virtual World, Will Knight
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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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| 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
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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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| Image Source: ACGHS.org |
Topics: Anniversary, Calendar Quirk, Diversity in Science, Mother's Day (originally posted 7 May)
Given time, you may notice the calendar repeats itself quite literally every six years - date and day of the date.
Today (7 May), I lost my mother six years ago. I'm currently in the process of moving to another apartment. I've gained appreciation for the expression "tote that barge; lift that bail!" as engineering and science textbooks can be quite hefty!
Staying busy will keep me focused on the task at hand. A few things I'll never forget:
The impressive explosion I made with my chemistry set wasn't enough to discourage me from science. I did notice however, my mother and father made sure to buy erector sets, electronics kits, a microscope, a telescope, tool boxes...i.e., things that couldn't blow up! I also noticed the absence of the chemistry set in about two years.
You can never forget the loss of your parent, no matter how hard you might try. The next day, I saw the reboot of Star Trek: Mr. Spock lost his mother in spectacular fashion. I at least didn't lose my planet to a vengeful Romulan (not much of a spoiler since it's out on DVD).
I don't think its for humans to forget, just remember and honor the sacrifices made to make you successful in wherever you are in life.
For her sacrifices, for her love, I am grateful to have been her son. I will always love her.
I'll be unpacking from the move, so hopefully I'll get back online Monday. Enjoy the following related posts:
#P4TC:
Dear Mrs. Flynt...January 17, 2014
Mother's Day (repost)...May 12, 2013
Identity Crisis...August 15, 2012
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
Dissapointed that I am not going this year, but next year looks bright. If you are in Philladelphia, and able to attend I HIGHLY suggest you check it out. The PRIME place to meet, greet, purchase, and feel the love of Black Comic Creators, AFRIcoz Play, Workshops and Seminars. Save them Duckets until....
Saturday May 16, 2015.
at 11:00am - 7:00pm in EDT
4548 Market St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19139
$10.00 admission (Free for Youth 12 and under with paid Adult ticket)
The East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention, originally slated to be called the Pan-African Comic Convention (PAC-Con) or First World Komix Con (1st World Con), is an annual gathering of comic book artists, writers, their fans and retailers who are interested in discussing, buying and selling comic books, sci-fi, action figures and related material by and / or about Black superheroes / super-powered characters / adventures. In addition, the Convention also features panel discussions, self-publishing and graphic arts workshops for aspiring creators, and film screenings of works of veterans and amateurs alike.
Tentative workshops: Writing, Drawing, and the Business of Comics. Workshops are free to attendees with the price of admission. There will also be multiple panel discussions and an all-day marketplace to buy and sell comic books and related items.
The East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention, originally slated to be called the Pan-African Comic Convention (PAC-Con) or First World Komix Con (1st World Con), is an annual gathering of comic book artists, writers, their fans and retailers who are interested in discussing, buying and selling comic books, sci-fi, action figures and related material by and / or about Black superheroes / super-powered characters / adventures. In addition, the Convention also features panel discussions, self-publishing and graphic arts workshops for aspiring creators, and film screenings of works of veterans and amateurs alike.
Tentative workshops: Writing, Drawing, and the Business of Comics. Workshops are free to attendees with the price of admission. There will also be multiple panel discussions and an all-day marketplace to buy and sell comic books and related items.
FOX MINORITY REPORT
By Tambay A. Obenson | Shadow and Act
May 11, 2015 at 5:42PM
Fox has finalized its 2015/2016 lineup, ordering to series, a small screen version of the sci-fi movie based on the 1956 Philip K. Dick science fiction short story, "The Minority Report," which starred Tom Cruise, and was directed by Steven Spielberg.
Fox's TV series version will be set 10 years after the events of the film, which concluded with law enforcement’s Precrime division being disbanded. In the show, a female detective who is haunted by her past, teams up with a Precog that's still plagued by visions (similar to the movie, although the genders of each character have been swapped).
Meagan Good stars as the female detective - Lara Vega. Stark Sands will play the Precog.
They are joined in the series by Wilmer Valderrama, Daniel London, Laura Regan, Li Jun Li and Zhane Hall.
Max Borenstein ("Godzilla") wrote the pilot. Kevin Falls is the showrunner and an executive producer along with Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank.
The pilot is from Amblin Television and Paramount Television in association with Twentieth Century Fox TV.
"Minority Report" will air on Monday nights after "Gotham," on Fox.
Some projects resonate with me more than others. I assume it's the same way with most artists and authors. When one does, it shows up in my work, which may explain why this cover has a bit of a different look for me. More of an edge that was TOTALLY unplanned.
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Luckily for me, Amanda liked it in the first draft, even though it wasn't precisely what we had outlined in our project planning live chat.
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Behind Those Eyes is actually to be a second edition. New cover, revised text.
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So without further ado ...
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blurb:
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Two homeless men, a successful brother and sister, a woman falling in love, a man with family problems, a policeman and a whole lot of twists in this 'sliding doors' style novella.
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It’s a story about people and adversity, love, friendship and stigma.
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Will you work out what they have in common?
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reviews:
reviews:
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5* “In style this is one of those stories I used to seek out on the New Yorker website. It's rough, with a shot of reality and definitely makes you stop to think a lot ... her observations seem authentic and much more local.”
~Ilze Powell on Goodreads.com
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5* “... Unable to put it down. I totally got the humanity of it too… a fantastic read with excellently true to life characters.”
5* “... For where some writers might choose this difficult topic to teach or preach you showed us the heart of the matter from the inside out and back again!”
~Hamble O’Mara on Amazon.co.uk
~5* “... For where some writers might choose this difficult topic to teach or preach you showed us the heart of the matter from the inside out and back again!”
~Paula Rose Michelson on Amazon.com
~5* “The highest point of this novella, for me, is that the author gives a voice to people who are mostly unheard, unseen, or rejected, silenced”
~Renata Barcelos on Amazon.co.uk
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Be sure to find Amanda online to stay updated:
Onto wrapping up the next book 
Until next time ...
Aidana WillowRaven http://WillowRaven.weebly.com
This post edited by Grammarly* ~ NOW FREE FOR CHROME USERS!
*Blurbs and quotes provided are not edited by WillowRaven, but posted as provided by author/publisher.
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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
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.
Great to see some of my favorite hangout spots in LA turned into a virtual Battleground.
Enjoy
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
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| Image Source: Memes.com |
Topics: #BlackLivesMatter, Baltimore, Commentary, Civil Rights, Economy
We are inheriting what we have sown in the wind. Charlotte, North Carolina; Sanford, Florida; Staten Island, New York; Ferguson, Missouri; Baltimore, Maryland: Angela Davis dropped the mike on this ages ago.
Last Wednesday was the 23rd anniversary of the Rodney King riots. There have been riots since then. There have been Rodney Kings, Trayvon Martins, Jordan Davis'...ad nauseum. My post last Tuesday was similar to my complaint of Occupy Wall Street: web sites are generally informative and entertaining. The Tea Party have that, and got some of their "believers/insane inmates" elected to public office. That trumps web sites, no matter how much smarter you are. The Bernie Sanders endorsement is a noted recent exception. Equivalently, the wanton violence as I stated was understandable, but neither strategic or politic. In Hegelian theory: thesis - antithesis - synthesis - King was "thesis"; Malcolm was "antithesis"; The Civil Rights and Voting Rights and Fair Housing Acts were the "synthesis." This dialectic logic is absent from any goal or strategies I see thus far. Now,"thug" is the new n-word as Stanford Honor Graduate and NFL champion Richard Sherman pointed out, and has sadly been misused by the powerful that should know better.
These are the "chickens that have come home to roost" (Malcolm X quote) in America. The systematic dumbing down of American education is deliberate; the collective powers of critical thinking reduced to cliché, jingoism and sloganeering. Our stupidity is being engineered to devastating effects economically and nationally. We will soon not be able to compete globally.
What we're not asking since the greatest financial meltdown post the Great Depression is why we're testing our youth to the point educators feel they have to cheat to get them through, and, unlike Wall Street thugs - an appropriate label given the magnitude of the malfeasance, the teachers were convicted for their crimes; the Wall Street thugs were not.
SIX multinational companies control everything entertaining and informative - print media, the Internet, radio, music channels - that we see and hear, and thus think. The fact that the "successful" presidential candidate from either major party has to now raise a billion dollars to win a $400,000 job means our democratic republic is a broken memory; its only balm our participation.
What does ALL this have to do with Baltimore and Freddy Gray?
This: Every trade policy since 1980 has focused on one thing: increasing corporate profits. That has resulted in a pretty steady formula recited like a cult mantra: tax cuts. Locally, it siphons funds from municipalities that must gather funds by other means, usually by harassment of the poor and on the backs of the dwindling middle class. It is a policy devoid of any regard for not just ethnic underclasses, but citizens as a whole, exacerbating income inequality; turning the wage gap into an echoing canyon. When corporate taxes are either cut or deferred, everyone becomes members of the "taxed enough already" party, yet few realize their libertarian rants are being orchestrated by the same entities that benefit from it; the poor in rural and urban neighborhoods alike suffering the most from this dodge. Roads are not repaired; schools, teachers and public servants (like the police) are underfunded; factory jobs are shipped overseas (no need to educate for employment that's not there); housing and office buildings are shuttered; neighborhoods either fall to crack or meth respectively, irrespective of the dominant culture present. The "Corporations are People" predates Citizen's United, piggybacking on the 14th Amendment intended to establish the personhood of African Americans, using it arrogantly for themselves. Every effort is made to maximize profit over the commodity that replaced the barter system - monetary wealth, now in ones and zeros and socked away in foreign shores' tax havens. As human chattel/capital, we are all discarded. Our police have been militarized to "protect and serve" not citizens, but oligarchy; cutting taxes has turned the beat cop of my youth into Robocop: mechanized, weaponized; ruthlessly cold and methodical. We are all targets of opportunity; "trickle-down" economics having the acrid, ammonia smell of golden-flow.
The answer is: the conditions that created the neighborhood/hood that Freddie Gray lived in were the result of decisions made in boardrooms that if they had someone that looked like Freddie, she or he probably had to "go along to get along." Beyond that boardroom and their companies Affirmative Action goals, their exclusive neighborhoods are likely that, and homogeneous. During the South's "peculiar institution," it is fact that every white person could not afford to own even one slave. They were the beneficiaries of an apartheid system - slave codes cum black codes cum poll tax cum Jim Crow - supported by domestic terrorists in white sheets who at that particular dark time wanted to "take their country back" before the humiliating surrender at Appomattox. The hierarchy of capitalism-status quo-ethnic supremacy remains intact as a Moloch altar, even for those who will never partake of the inner sanctum of the temple's wealth, and it requires an underclass on which to lay blame for all ills and obedient serfs that can easily be duped by propaganda. Like the poor southerner, they are not "them" (blacks); but believe they could be like "them" (slave owners), without any evidence they would suddenly own a plantation; a work crew and overseers with whips - or in the modern case, a multinational corporation. It was an early version of "magical thinking" without the presence of knowledge they were no different than the people they were conditioned to disdain. After the Civil War, land grabs reminiscent of the promised "40 acres and a mule" allowed the zombie devotees of inequality to benefit from government largess. In that case, reparations met out did its work, and reinforced the system still in effect. Now of course, the "other" include Hispanics, LGBT, Women's Rights - any shell to shift on the table in the great game. Now of course, Freddie "broke his own back" - a LIE, the typical leak to the aforementioned concentrated media; the scripted attack on the dead like an act of social necrophilia. I held my breath baited Friday when the promised release of information on his death was instead turned over to the district attorney - I was pleasantly surprised. The second prisoner in the van along with Freddy will hopefully not also have his character assassinated on this side of the grave as this flagrant canard failed to deliver.
The technology of mobile devices simply reveals what used to exist as rumor and innuendo. Hence, states like Texas are moving to outlaw that 1st Amendment Right (they can apparently only count to and count the 2nd). Sadly related, the state possesses far more firepower than any anarchist. What the powerful fear is the vote; what they fear is civics knowledge propagated and acted upon; what they fear most is accountability and that any reparations - fairly distributed - goes not to merely a culture, but a number: 99%. Until there is a reckoning on this point of ignored history, until we can seize our rightful place in governing a democratic republic; until we can stop treating fellow humans as lesser beings, there will always be riots! Lastly, we need not spread "democracy and freedom" around the world, until we clean up our own house.
Amazon.com:
The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and American Capitalism,
Edward E. Baptist
