University
Latest
Scientists figure out how to see through walls, sort of
We all know that light can't exactly pass through solid objects -- unless of course, you're using a laser or something. Yes, X-rays allow us to look into suitcases at the airport and broken bones in our bodies, but there's a new kid on the block that claims to have done the impossible in a novel fashion. Jochen Aulbach and his colleagues of the FOM Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics out in Amsterdam have developed a technology that allows scrambled light to remain focused as it passes through ultra-thin layers of paint. You see, when light is sent through opaque material, it becomes muddled and lost in the space-time continuum. Aulbach and his crew used a spatial light modulator, or SMT, to control a 64-femtosecond long laser pulse that's passed through a thin layer of paint. The SMT emits pulses that last long enough for only a machine to see and the data is sent to a computer for calibration. NewScientist claims that with this technology, it might be possible to hone in on cancerous cells and blast them to oblivion without damaging the healthy tissue surrounding them.
'Stanford gurus enable two-way radio communications. Over.'
Call it the holy grail of radio transmissions if you must, but even if you're not about to toss that label on it, there's no question that the work being done in Stanford's engineering labs could destroy quite a few preconceived notions about wireless interference. Demoed as a concept last year, a newfangled wireless technology developed in Palo Alto is proving that signals can indeed be sent and received at the same time. Outside of the cellular telephony world, this seemingly simple occurrence doesn't really happen -- typical wireless signals have to take turns when it comes to listening and transmitting. As an example, it's impossible for a WiFi router to "shout" out signals while also being intelligent enough to quiet its own voice in order to hear "whispers" from a connected device. The breakthrough came when researchers found that radios could be tweaked to filter out the signal from its own transmitter, something that already happens within noise-canceling headphones. If this can be packaged into a commercially viable platform, it could instantly double the amount of information sent over existing networks, and on an even grander scale, it could allow airplanes to radio into control towers simultaneously (a feat that's shockingly impossible with today's physics bearing down). Head on past the break for a downright enlightening video on the matter.
iPad passes Reed College higher ed test
Reed College took the Apple iPad for a spin in 2010 and was pleased with the tablet's performance as an educational tool. The College was one of several educational establishments that tested the Kindle DX when the eReader was launched in 2009. When the pilot program was completed, the Kindle DX was deemed a failure for usage in a classroom situation. Where the Kindle failed, the Apple iPad excelled according to CTO Martin Ringle who was speaking with Fast Company. According to the results from Reed College's iPad pilot program, the iPad's responsive and smooth scrolling touchscreen made it ideal for reading content in the classroom. Navigation among passages was quick and easy, a task that was difficult using the Kindle's navigation pointer. The highlighting and annotation of text was also easy, with many students choosing to highlight text on the iPad over traditional pen and paper. The iPad pilot program did point out some flaws, most notable of which is the virtual keyboard. While easy to type short messages, the onscreen keyboard is not designed for long-form writing. This shortcoming could be alleviated with an external keyboard that lets you input text in a traditional and comfortable manner. The purchase of a keyboard, though, adds an additional expense to the final cost of adoption. Syncing and file system issues are also a hindrance as transferring PDF files via iTunes is slow. Once synced, documents are difficult to locate on the device, though the use of a third-party application like Good Reader would mitigate this issue. Interestingly enough, the Reed report on the pilot program suggests schools may be open to the usage of Android tablets as well as the iPad. If a device hits the right price point and the correct set of features, schools will adopt these tablet devices en masse in the upcoming years. [Via @counternotions]
Newfangled lab-on-a-chip technology gets more health data from less blood
It's a nightmare of epic proportions: the finger prick. Anyone who detests 'em completely understands, and they'll also be supremely appreciative of the work being done by Dr. Karan Kaler and co. at the University of Calgary. Kaler's team has created a new lab-on-a-chip technology, which uses a wireless microchip to analyze nanolitre-sized samples of blood. That's far less fluid than is currently needed to run a gauntlet of tests, and this fresh take is also far more efficient. We're told that it "involves creating a structure called a micro-emulsion, which is a droplet of fluid captured inside a layer of another substance." From there, the emulsions are positioned precisely on the chip, and after tests are ran, the results are piped wirelessly to a computer. The potential here is far more impressive than the existing iteration; the long-term vision is to "create handheld devices for patients to use at home for testing fluids, such as blood and urine," which would prevent extensive wait times and enable patients to get vital information faster. There's no telling how long it'll take to escape the lab and land in the hands of those who need it, but we're sure the folks involved are cranking just as hard as they can.
Hokies give (tactile) sight to the blind so they can drive, no word on turning water into wine
Daytona International Speedway is synonymous with speed, auto racing, and . . . blind people? Virginia Tech's Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory (RoMeLa), along with the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), recently debuted its sight-optional and street-legal SUV at the famed racetrack. Dr. Dennis Hong and his students first let blind folks drive a dune buggy without the help of a sighted copilot in 2009 -- as a first step to achieving the goal of a street-legal SUV for the sightless crowd. The SUV in question was designed for the NFB's Blind Driver Challenge, and is equipped with a drive-by-wire system -- also seen in the RoMeLa autonomous vehicle -- that was modified for use with RoMeLa's SpeedStrip and DriveGrip tactile interface technology. It works by using a laser rangefinder to map the surrounding area, relaying information for acceleration and braking to the driver by rumbling the SpeedStrip seat, and passing along turning info through vibrations in the DriveGrip gloves. The system was not developed solely for the purpose of getting blind drivers on the road, however, as Virginia Tech suggests that its technology could also be used in gaming applications. We're not quite ready to see blind drivers on actual roads just yet, but why shouldn't our sight-impaired friends get to enjoy Gran Turismo 5 with the rest of us? Video's after the break.
Research shocker! Keyless car entry systems can be hacked easily, elegantly
We know you are vigilant enough not to trust your car's security to a wireless system, but plenty of other folks like the convenience of putting away the metallic keys and getting into their vehicles with a bit of Bond-like swagger. Professor Srdjan Capkun of ETH Zurich found himself perched on the fence between these two groups when he recently purchased a vehicle with a keyless entry system, so he did what any good researcher would: he tried to bypass its security measures. In total, he and his team tested 10 models from eight car makers and their results were pretty conclusive: each of the tested vehicles was broken into and driven away using a very simple and elegant method. Keyless entry systems typically work by sending a low-powered signal from the car to your key fob, with the two working only when they're near each other, but the wily Zurich profs were able to intercept and extend that signal via antennas acting as repeaters, resulting in your key activating your car even when it's nowhere near it. The signal-repeating antennae have to be pretty close to both the key and the car, but that's why heist movies stress the importance of teamwork. Hit the source link for all the chilling details.
Quadrocopters learn to build things, when will humans learn to fear them? (video)
The GRASP Lab quadrocopters were impressive enough by themselves, all slashing and swooping through the air with unerring precision, but then their makers had to go and give them the intelligence to work in groups and today the inevitable has happened: they've learned how to construct things! Sure, the structures are rudimentary, but we can recognize the beginnings of human containment cells when we see them. Skip past the break for the bone-chilling, teamwork-infused video.
Lightning photographed by superfast X-ray camera, Nikola Tesla nods with approval
You know, we could just leave you with the image above and be done here, but its backstory is almost as cool. Researchers at the Florida Institute of Technology have built a 1,500-pound X-ray camera that can shoot ten million frames a second and then pointed it at a nearby flash of lightning to try and learn more about it. How did they know where the lightning would strike? Well, in true scientific fashion, they caused it themselves! This was done by shooting rockets into thunderstorms, with attached wires directing the flow of energy down into their target zone. The imagery produced from the X-ray sensor is actually extremely low-res -- a 30-pixel hexagonal grid is all you get -- but it's enough to show that X-ray radiation is concentrated at the tip of the lightning bolt. What good that knowledge will do for the world, we don't know, but we're sure it'll provide nice fodder for the next round of superhero empowerment stories.
Visualized: world's largest neutrino observatory rivals Guatemala sinkhole
Without question, one of the images from 2010 will be the insane, almost incomprehensible sinkhole that emerged in Guatemala earlier this year, but this particular shot from the South Pole does an outstanding job of vying for equal attention. Coming directly from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, this is a look into the planet's largest neutrino observatory, which was just completed after half a decade of work with $279 million. The goal? To detect "subatomic particles traveling near the speed of light," and when you have an ice-bound telescope that encompasses a cubic kilometer of Antarctic ice, well... you've high hopes for success. Will this pipe into the underworld finally lead us to understanding Dark Matter? Will century-old mysteries of the universe finally have answers? Even if not, we're envisioning a heck of an entry fee when it's converted into the world's longest firehouse pole and marketed to affluent tourists who make the trip down.
Fragrance Jet II receives video demonstration, still looks like a terrible idea (video)
Ah, those zany Keio University researchers trying to recreate Smell-O-Vision, do you want to know what they're up to these days? They're still trying, of course, but now they've taken the opportunity to demonstrate their hardware -- which uses basic inkjet printer tech to fire off very short bursts of fragrance -- to tech lovers in Japan while still tweaking and refining it. Primarily aimed at helping healthcare professionals in assessing a patient's sense of smell, the Fragrance Jet II has a high degree of control granularity, permitting the varying of both intensity and duration of a scent, which in turn can provide a very accurate measurement of a given person's olfactory acuity. A mobile prototype has also been trotted out (pictured above), hinting at the possibility of eventually shrinking these modules to fit inside cellphones and thus leading us to an awesome future of customizable "incoming call fragrances." Awesome indeed. Video after the break.
Google fires Nexus S into space, invites tenuous Galaxy S analogies (video)
How are you killing the time until the Nexus S finally goes on sale? Google's answer to that question has been a typically outlandish affair, involving seven Nexi, a collection of weather balloons, and another quest to see how much can be learned from a humble smartphone's sensors when they're shot to the edge of space. Yes, the Mountain View madmen fired a week's worth of their latest and greatest smartphones through the Earth's atmosphere, hoping to test both the durability and the information-gathering skills of the onboard compass, gyro, and accelerometer, while dedicated GPS modules were installed in each "shuttle" (made out of styrofoam beer coolers, if you can believe it) to help recover the cargo on its return to terra firma. So far, only six of the phones have been recovered -- might this be another of Google's crazy puzzles? A treasure hunt for an Android fallen from heaven? Video after the break. Update: Want to see an Android in space? It turns out that Google was documenting the entire event, and has high-res images and footage of its mascot exiting Earth's atmosphere in a brand-new blog post. Find it at our more coverage links, or hit the break for some video!
Kinect finally fulfills its Minority Report destiny (video)
Not to denigrate the numerous fine hacks that Kinect's undergone since its launch, but it's always nice to see the professionals come in and shake things up a little. A crew from MIT's brain labs has put together a hand detection system on Microsoft's ultra-versatile cam, which is sophisticated enough to recognize the position of both your palms and fingers. Just as a demonstration, they've tied that good stuff up to a little picture-scrolling UI, and you won't be surprised to hear that it's the closest thing to Minority Report's interactive gesture-based interface that we've seen yet. And it's all achieved with a freaking console peripheral. Video after the break.
Carbon nanotubes run into magical polymer, become 'tougher than Kevlar'
Much like graphene, carbon nanotubes seem to be hitting on all cylinders in the lab. Of course, we can count on one hand finger how many instances we've seen them making a difference in "the real world," but we aren't giving up hope just yet. Researchers from a cadre of universities have come together to solve one of the most nagging issues when dealing with carbon nanotubes -- in prior studies, the bundling of these tubes resulted in a marked decrease in strength, which in turn led to a profuse outpouring of tears. But thanks to a new approach, which mixes in a nondescript polymer, they've managed to conjure up a "a high performance fiber that is remarkably tough, strong, and resistant to failure." More specifically, the resulting material is said to be "tougher than Kevlar, meaning it has a higher ability to absorb energy without breaking." Notably, this material isn't stronger than Kevlar, as it's resistance to failure isn't quite up to snuff, but you can bet the gurus working on this won't stop until it is. And then, friends, we will have officially arrived in The Future.
Graphene electrodes promise 5x energy storage boost for ultracapacitors
Graphene. We hear of your achievements so often, but feel your benefits in our everyday lives so infrequently. We'd be remiss if we didn't point out how unhealthy of a relationship this is, but hopefully Bor Jang and co. have a mind to mend it all. Bor, along with a number of colleagues at Nanotek Instruments, have just uncovered a graphene advancement that could put conventional Li-ion cells in a world of hurt. Of course, we've been hearing about so-called "battery breakthroughs" for the better part of our lives, but few have involved progress with ultracapacitors. For those unaware, ultracapacitors are energy storage devices that can "absorb and release charge in minutes," and they're pegged as cheaper / safer alternatives to batteries for electric vehicles. The only problem? Mainstream versions today hold just five percent of the energy held by Li-ion batteries. Nanotek's crew has figured out that the use of graphene electrodes "could lead to ultracapacitors with more than five times the energy density of commercial devices," but as these things always go, no one's coming close to producing a hard release date. We'll just assume it's undergoing lab tests for now, and in 2022 we can all weep at what could've been. Prove us wrong, whiz kids.
Electronic neural bridge helps paralyzed mice walk again, human application might prove tricky
It's only been a week since we heard about age reversal in mice, yet already we've got another big advancement in rodent medical care: a solution for ameliorating the devastating effects of spinal cord injuries. A UCLA research team has shown off a new system that can restore walking motion to a mouse's hind legs, but not only that, it also grants control to the little fella by responding to its front legs' actions. Electromyography sensors detect when a mouse starts to walk up front, triggering electronic signals to be sent to the functional lower portion of its spine, which in turn starts up the rear muscles for a steady walking gait. It's only been tested on a treadmill so far, but the result seems to be a seamless restoration of walking capacity in rodents that doesn't require any outside assistance. The same will be pretty hard to replicate in humans, bipeds that they are, but that's why it's called research and not reobvious.
Google helps scholars mine 1.7 million Victorian era book titles for clues to our historical attitudes
Whether we like, loathe, or never even considered the idea of it, quantitative literary analysis seems ready for its moment in the spotlight. Dan Cohen and Fred Gibbs, a pair of historians of science over at George Mason University, have been playing around with the titles of some nearly 1.7 million books -- accounting for all the known volumes published in Britain during the 19th century -- in a search for enlightenment about the Victorian era's cultural trends and developments. By looking at how often certain words appear in text titles over time, they can find corroboration or perhaps even refutation for the commonly held theories about that time -- although they themselves warn that correlation isn't always indicative of causation. Their research has been made possible by Google's Books venture, which is busily digitizing just about every instance of the written word ever, and the next stage will be to try and mine the actual texts themselves for further clues about what our older selves thought about the world. Any bets on when the word "fail" was first used as a noun?
NC State and CMU develop velocity-sensing shoe radar, aim to improve indoor GPS routing
The world at large owes a good bit to Maxwell Smart, you know. Granted, it's hard to directly link the faux shoe phone to the GPS-equipped kicks that are around today, but the lineage is certainly apparent. The only issue with GPS in your feet is how they react when you waltz indoors, which is to say, not at all. In the past, most routing apparatuses have used inertial measurement units (IMUs) to track motion, movement and distance once GPS reception is lost indoors, but those have proven poor at spotting the difference between a slow gait and an outright halt. Enter NC State and Carnegie Mellon University, who have worked in tandem in order to develop a prototype shoe radar that's specifically designed to sense velocity. Within the shoe, a radar is attached to a diminutive navigational computer that "tracks the distance between your heel and the ground; if that distance doesn't change within a given period of time, the navigation computer knows that your foot is stationary." Hard to say when Nike will start testing these out in the cleats worn by football players, but after last week's abomination of a spot (and subsequent botching of a review by one Ron Cherry) during the NC State - Maryland matchup, we're hoping it's sooner rather than later.
Harvard scientists reverse aging in mice, laugh maniacally at human possibilities
The reversal of aging has been one of the great dreams of humanity, but it seems like our rodent overlords have beat us to it. The Harvard Medical School has demonstrated "a dramatic reversal" in the aging process when reintroducing the enzyme telomerase into old and feeble mice. What happened was that their naturally worn out organs started to regenerate, instead of degenerating further, bringing them back to a youthful state of health. Sadly, while the results of this study are hugely important, there are a couple of caveats to make: firstly, the mice in question were genetically modified to suffer from a lack of telomerase, which might have inflated the results of the tests relative to regular mice, but more importantly, an increase in telomerase in humans is "a hallmark of most human cancers." So, if you want a shot of Benjamin Button brew, you'll have to be very patient indeed. For now, let's just be happy that Algernon and his buddies have found their fountain of youth. [Thanks, Vygantas]
Megaframe Imager takes its one million frames-per-second capabilities to the medical world
The iconic Megaframe Imager has been kicking for a good while now, but gurus have been scratching their heads in an effort to figure out how to best take advantage of a sensor that can capture one million frames per second. A European consortium made up of the NPL, ST Microelectronics, the University of Edinburgh, and TU Delft have something in mind, and not surprisingly, it's in the medical realm. Researchers are currently looking to use this here device in "cellular / sub-cellular imaging; neural imaging; biochemical sensors; DNA / protein microarray scanning; automotive collision studies; and high-sensitivity astronomical observations," and for the first time, tests are proving that it could be a vital tool in the future of biosensing. Tangled in technobabble? Here's the long and short of it: a crew has demonstrated "detection of viral DNA binding events using fluorescence lifetime imaging at the very low target concentrations relevant in biosensing applications with acquisition times of less than 30 seconds," something that should be useful in disease screening, mutation and forensic analysis. So much for escaping the jargon, huh?
Caltech research could lead to quantum hard drives, networks, parallel universes
Quantum anything has typically fallen into our oft-used category of 'awesome things that'll never happen,' but if a crew of researchers at the California Institute of Technology have anything to say about it, they'll soon be changing the fortunes of that segment. The team has recently demonstrated quantum entanglement for a quantum state stored in four spatially distinct atomic memories, and while that probably just blew your mind a little bit, the breakdown is fairly interesting. Essentially, they've uncovered a quantum interface between the atomic memories, which is said to "represent something akin to a computer hard drive for entanglement." If extended, it could pave the way toward quantum networks, and in turn, massive webs of quantum computers. We're obviously decades out from understanding what this all means for the common computer user, but just remember this: "for an entangled quantum system, there exists no objective physical reality for the system's properties." And you thought The Matrix was deep.
