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Tech-news archive: November-December 2010
New solar fuel machine 'mimics plant life'
(Dec 24, 2010)
A prototype solar device has been unveiled which mimics plant life,
turning the Sun's energy into fuel. The machine uses the Sun's rays
and a metal oxide called ceria to break down carbon dioxide or water
into fuels which can be stored and transported. Conventional photovoltaic
panels must use the electricity they generate in situ, and cannot
deliver power at night.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Qubit in a nanowire
(Dec 23, 2010)
A type of quantum bit that hinges on the innate link between an electron's
spin and its orbit round the nucleus has been developed by physicists
in the Netherlands. The system, which should easily integrate with
other electronics, is a strong contender for use in future quantum
computing or cryptography, according to research published today in
Nature.
Read
more. Source: Nature |
Invisibility rug hides 'large' objects
(Dec 16, 2010)
Invisibility cloaks were proposed in 2006 and prototypes that can
shield objects for certain wavelengths of light have since been built.
However, until now, physicists have been unable to fabricate a cloak
that could hide macroscopic items at visible wavelengths. Two independent
groups have now achieved this feat, by building transparent 'carpet
cloaks', made from calcite crystals, that lie over the object to be
hidden.
Read
more. Source: Nature |
Lighting up chips gives computers a brain
boost
(Dec 3, 2010)
Computers could soon be rivalling the human brain for speed of thought.
The computer giant IBM today unveiled a new type of computer chip
that integrates both electrical and optical nano-devices on the same
piece of silicon. This could soon make it possible for supercomputers
to perform one million trillion calculations – or an exaflop
– in a single second.
Read
more. Source: New Scientist |
Summon a 'demon' to turn information into
energy
(Nov 15, 2010)
Demons can unleash arcane energies in physics as well as fantasy.
The building of a real-life version of "Maxwell's demon" – which
can turn information into useful energy – might mean that future
nanomachines can be powered purely by information.
Read
more. Source: New Scientist |
Supercomputers 'will fit in a sugar cube',
IBM says
(Nov 15, 2010)
A pioneering research effort could shrink the world's most powerful
supercomputer processors to the size of a sugar cube, IBM scientists
say. The approach will see many computer processors stacked on top
of one another, cooling them with water flowing between each one.
The aim is to reduce computers' energy use, rather than just to shrink
them.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Invisibility cloak closer with flexible
'metamaterial'
(Nov 4, 2010)
Scientists in the UK have demonstrated a flexible film that represents
a big step toward the "invisibility cloak" made famous by Harry Potter.
The film contains tiny structures that together form a "metamaterial",
which can, among other tricks, manipulate light to render objects
invisible. Flexible metamaterials have been made before, but only
work for light of a color far beyond that which we see.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Hologram messaging coming of age
(Nov 4, 2010)
It has long been a staple of science fiction films – the idea
that you could send a moving 3D representation of someone to any location,
even the far side of the galaxy. Now, US researchers claim this fantasy
is very close to reality. A University of Arizona team says it has
devised a system that can make a holographic display appear in another
place and update it in near real-time.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
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