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NEWS
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Foundry
in a fiber
A method
for chemically assembling nanoscale metal and semiconductor
wires, tubes and circuits inside hollow optical fibers
promises a simple route to making long nanodevices and
devices that combine light and electricity. The technique
could be used to make chemical and light sensors and new
types of lasers. (Microstructured Optical Fibers as High-Pressure
Microfluidic Reactors, Science, March 17, 2006)
Fuel cell muscles
A pair
of artificial muscles made from carbon nanotubes also
work as fuel cells that generate their own power from
hydrogen or methanol. The fuel-based artificial muscles
could be used to drive robots and micro machines sans
batteries. (Fuel-Powered Artificial Muscles, Science,
March 17, 2006)
Nanotube circuit
A single
carbon nanotube forms the backbone of an integrated
logic circuit of 12 transistors. The work shows that carbon
nanotubes could complement or eventually replace today's
silicon circuitry. (An Integrated Logic Circuit Assembled
on a Single Carbon Nanotube, Science, March 24,
2006)
Double-barreled cancer treatment
A combination
of two anti-cancer treatments -- a virus that kills cancer
cells and a type of immune system cell -- proved effective
at targeting cancer tumors in mice while leaving surrounding
tissue largely unaffected. The virus hitches a ride on
an immune system cell that homes in on cancer tumors,
and both virus and cell attack the cancer. (Synergistic
Antitumor Effects of Immune Cell-Viral Biotherapy, Science,
March 24 2006)
Molecular pedal power
A molecule uses
light-driven pedals to twists an attached rotor molecule,
a step forward for molecular machines. Connecting multiple
molecular devices in this way could provide control mechanisms
for smart materials, smart drugs and nanomechanical devices.
(Mechanical twisting of a guest by a photoresponsive host,
Nature, March 23, 2006)
Faster plastic electronics
A semiconductor
plastic whose molecules are closely aligned conducts
electricity almost as well as the amorphous silicon circuitry
used in some flat screen displays. Efficient plastic electronics
promise cheap, flexible devices like electronic paper
and radiofrequency identification tags. (Liquid-crystalline
semiconducting polymers with high charge-carrier mobility,
Nature Materials, April 2006)
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FEATURES
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View
from the High Ground: Cornell's Jon Kleinberg
Six degrees of separation, buying gasoline
by the molecule, the science of popularity, all just getting
along online, intellectual prosthetics, Big Science, making
up questions, and telling stories.
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How
It Works: Quantum computing: qubits
Photons, electrons and atoms, oh my! These particles are
the raw materials for qubits, the basic building blocks
of quantum computers. |
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"In
most areas of science and technology, the origins
of new breakthroughs can still be found in the work
of a small number of people -- or even a single
person -- working at their own pace on their own
questions, pursuing things that interest them. "
- Jon Kleinberg, Cornell University |
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Thanks
to Kevin from
GoldBamboo.com
for technical support |
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