QueenslandUniversityOfTechnology
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Nano-sized diamond thread may be a super-strong wonder material
Move over, graphene -- you're not the only miracle material in town. Australian researchers have discovered that diamond nanothreads (one-dimensional diamond crystals capped with hydrogen) could be extremely strong. While scientists thought they were brittle when announced just a month ago, it turns out that they become supremely flexible (and thus durable) when you introduce the right kinds of defects. You could create nanoscopic structures that are just as strong as you need them to be, with a 'perfect' mix of bendy and rigid shapes.
Autonomous robosub hunts starfish with poison-tipped needles
Crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) are voracious coral consumers with a propensity for population explosions, which makes them very real threats to the world's coral reefs. And while they're typically held in check by fish higher in the food chain, overly aggressive human fishing has decimated these predator species. That's why a team from the Queensland University of Technology in Australia has spent the past decade developing a fully autonomous COTS-hunting robotic submarine to help bring these populations back into balance.
Lingodroid robots develop their own language, quietly begin plotting against mankind
It's one thing for a robot to learn English, Japanese, or any other language that we humans have already mastered. It's quite another for a pair of bots to develop their own, entirely new lexicon, as these two apparently have. Created by Ruth Schulz and her team of researchers at the University of Queensland and Queensland University of Technology, each of these so-called Lingodroids constructed their special language after navigating their way through a labyrinthine space. As they wove around the maze, the Lingobots created spatial maps of their surroundings, with the help of on-board cameras, laser range finders and sonar equipment that helped them avoid walls. They also created words for each mapped location, using a database of syllables. With the mapping complete, the robots would reconvene and communicate their findings to each other, using mounted microphones and speakers. One bot, for example, would spit out a word it had created for the center of the maze ("jaya"), sending both of them off on a "race" to find that spot. If they ended up meeting at the center of the room, they would agree to call it "jaya." From there, they could tell each other about the area they'd just come from, thereby spawning new words for direction and distance, as well. Schulz is now looking to teach her bots how to express more complex ideas, though her work is likely to hit a roadblock once these two develop a phrase for "armed revolt."
Australia trialing new emergency finder system with centimeter accuracy
This year has seen the evil doings of many powerful natural disasters around the world, and while the capable organisations are doing their best to provide relief, many lives could've been saved if the stranded victims were able to provide their precise positions for quicker rescue. Having seen the number of recent floods and cyclones in Queensland, Australia, Ergon Energy started trialing a new emergency tracking system earlier this year, which utilises pole-mounted mobile GPS stations to pinpoint cellphones equipped with special but cheap location-based chips -- Samsung and Nokia are said to be participants in this project. Over the next 12 to 18 months, said energy firm will be deploying 1,000 of these stations to cover 95 percent of the state, in order to let emergency services track down calling victims within centimeters -- that's a huge leap from conventional GPS devices' 10 to 20 meters, though an updated land database with matching accuracy is still required before the system reaches its full potential. Regardless, here's hoping that this brilliant project will be brought over to many more disaster-prone areas sooner rather than later. [Thanks, Justin]
Apple's glossy screens will 'mess you up,' University report warns
Attention, ergonomics buffs: an advisory recently published by Queensland University of Technology is predicting a rash of injuries as a result of users straining to get a clear look at Apple's "high gloss" screens, and the ergonomically unsound postures and positions that result. If you should find yourself in possession of one of these "torture displays" (as we think Apple should refer to them in their advertising from now on), Queensland Tech offers many suggestions for staying healthy, including: Placing the monitor so that screen is at a 90 degree angle to overhead lighting, closing the curtains or blinds to minimize glare, and adjusting the contrast / turning down the brightness. Of course, we're sure you've already tried all those things if you're one of the parties effected -- what, then is a strained MacBook user to do? We don't know, but maybe the Grippity guy will come up with something.[Via Apple Insider]
HP ridicules Queensland study linking laser printer particles to potential health issues
Oh noes, that study claiming that laser printer particles are dangerous is shaping up to be just as contentious as those studies proving that cellphones are/aren't dangerous. As you'll recall, the Queensland University study tested 62 "relatively new" laser printers from Canon, HP, and Toshiba and found 17 to be "high emitters" of potentially dangerous, ultra-fine toner particles. Of these, all but one (a Toshiba model) were manufactured by HP. As you'd expect, HP has issued a formal response courtesy of Tuan Tran, HP's vice president of marketing for supplies. Perhaps predictably after such a damning report, HP's response can be summarized as an attempt to both discredit and mock the research while standing behind the safety of their products. Tuan first ridicules the study by stating "the nature and chemical composition of such particles – whether from a laser printer or from a toaster – cannot be accurately characterized by analytical technology." He goes on to say that, "Testing of ultrafine particles is a very new scientific discipline. There are no indications that ultrafine particle (UFP) emissions from laser printing systems are associated with special health risks." HP does agree with the study's assessment that "more testing in this area is needed" and claims to be actively engaged in the process. Since HP's statement came our way via a PR agency and not HP's official news site, we offer you their complete response after the break. While it's tempting to label HP the Big Tobacco of the printer business, don't; it's far too early to jump to such conclusions. Still, with a press release like this, they're not making it easy on anyone.
Laser printer particles as dangerous as cigarette smoke?
In today's edition of How Your Office is Slowly Killing You, a study emerging from Queensland University of Technology suggests that laser printers can emit clouds of ultra-fine particles that compare to "cigarette smoke and motor vehicle emissions." Reportedly, 13 out of 40 models tested were deemed "high emitters" of particles from the toner, and while office photocopiers failed to produce similar results, concentrations of microscopic particles near laser printers were found to be "five times higher than outdoor levels often produced by traffic" in a given investigation. Currently, no efforts have been made to actually study the chemistry of the emissions, but considering that such fine objects could easily sink "to the very lowest reaches of the lungs," we'd say that's reason enough to request an airtight office a few floors underground.[Image courtesy of Gripguard]
