ElectroMagneticRadiation
Latest
Spray-on conductive concrete will shield us from EMP attacks
While the threat of an EMP attack knocking out electronics and sending the world into an apocalyptic spiral seems far off, it's good to know that someone is working to protect us from it anyway. University of Nebraska engineers Christopher Tuan and Lim Nguyen have successfully created a cost-effective concrete mix that acts as a shield against "intense pulses of electromagnetic energy" and protects any electronic devices inside.
Man illuminates electromagnetic waves using coffee cans and LEDs, Christmas-colored science ensues
Electromagnetic radiation is all around us, but we're largely unaware that our bodies are constantly bathed in waves of the stuff because our eyes aren't equipped to see most of it. Dr. Gregory Chavat decided to give us a glimpse of an EM waveform, however, by using a coffee can radar system, a couple of LEDs, and long-exposure photography. The setup consisted of a radar emitter made out of one coffee can and a second can with a couple of LEDs attached to serve as a tethered receiver antenna. Those LEDs were then set to that light up red or green to illuminate the EM wave peaks and valleys. By moving the receiver closer and further away from the emitter while taking a long exposure photo, the good doctor was able to capture the wavefront radiating on film, and let you see the unseen with a bit of Christmas-colored flair. Check the video below for a fuller explanation, and hit the more coverage link to learn how to build a coffee-can radar and perform some basement black magic yourself.
Microsoft motion controller concept kicks sand in Kinect's puny face
Think your body's a temple? Turns out it's actually just the antenna the temple's staff uses to watch football when they're done praying. A group of engineers from Microsoft Research showcased a technology at Vancouver's Conference on Human Factors in Computing that offers gesture-based control on a scale that could make the company's Kinect controller downright laughable. The team demonstrated how it could harness the human body's reception of electromagnetic noise to create gesture-based computer interaction that does away with the need for a camera -- though a receiver is worn on the body (the neck, in this case). The system uses the unique signals given off in different parts of the home to help measure the interaction, effectively turning one's walls into giant control pads, which can regulate things like lighting and the thermostat. Hopefully games, too, because we can't wait to play Pac-Man with our bedrooms.
MIT's EMF detector bracelet takes all the fun out of radiation poisoning
We've seen our fair share of EMF detectors and other tin foil hat apparel, but no endeavor is complete without the MIT stamp of approval. Cati Vaucelle's EMF sensor bracelet is designed to pick up on any potentially harmful electromagnetic fields, allowing you to dance around the veritable minefield of computers and cell phones in your workplace, unscathed by the -- maybe, maybe not -- lethal effects of radiation being emitted. Nevermind about looking like a freak -- better safe than sorry, right? The bracelet, sensitive up to 14-inches, features an integrated LED that's illuminated whenever an EMF field over 50kHz is detected. If you'd like to see this prototype in action, a video will be presented today at Ubicomp in Seoul, or save your air miles and see it here after the break.[Via Make]
Clarins Expertise 3P anti-electro magnetic radiation mist
Good news for the tin-foil hat set: Clarins just did you solid and busted out an anti-electro magnetic radiation mist -- we keed you not. Of course, this is for cosmetic reasons. Cancer be damned, Clarins just wants to make sure none of of that electro magnetic radiation is at fault for any premature skin aging. Such radiation-caused aging is a "very real problem" sez Clarins, and we suppose we should be grateful to the cosmetics giant for producing its new Expertise 3P Screen Mist to save our collective epidermis at a mere 39 euros (around $50 US) a bottle. The product "works" by forming a screen on the face, and also purportedly contains an anti-pollution complex to fight nefarious environmental causes of premature aging. Is this absolutely ridiculous? Perhaps. Are we loving every minute of it? You betcha.[Via Shiny Shiny]
