Category: Crazy

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From Engadget: ‘Stained glass’ nanotechnology capable of printing up to 100,000 dpi

100,000 dpi color image crafted by 'stained glass' nanotechnology

Researchers in Singapore have managed to create high-resolution color images several times sharper than typical methods using a metal-laced nanometer framework. While normal inkjet and laser jet printers can reel out up to 10,000 dots per inch, this nanotech-based technique has a theoretical limit of around 100,000 dpi. The technique is closer to lithography than typical modern printing, and could pave the way for future high-resolution reflective color displays and high-density optical storage. Scientists crafted precisely patterned metal nano structures, and designed the surface to specifically reflect the intended color. According to project leader, Dr Joel Yang, “The team built a database of color that corresponded to a specific nanostructure pattern, size and spacing,” with an ultra-thin metal film spread across the image activating these “encoded” colors. Looks like yet another reason to upgrade our dull fleshy retinas.

 

from Engadget

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From Ars Technica: Putting the brakes on climate change with… diamonds?

Enlarge / The planet has done its own geoengineering experiments that suggest the technique could cool the globe.

As the emissions of carbon dioxide have continued largely unabated over the past decade, a number of people have given thought to geoengineering, or changing the environment in a way that tweaks the planet’s thermostat. Although people have suggested some exotic interventions—reflecting sunlight away from the Earth with orbiting mirrors—more serious consideration is being given to pumping sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere. But a new paper in Nature Climate Change suggests that focus might be keeping us from considering even better options.

Sulfur is a major focus in part because we know it will work, since major volcanic eruptions provide a natural test of it. The sulfur released in eruptions can reach the stratosphere, where it combines with water to produce aerosol particles that reflect sunlight back to space. It’s estimated that the aerosols created in the wake of the eruption of Mount Pinatubo were large enough to drop the global temperature by half a Kelvin for two years.

Sulfur is also abundant and cheap, making the raw materials for this form of geoengineering relatively inexpensive. In fact, the whole process is expected to be so cheap that some have estimated that it might be within reach of a handful of wealthy individuals. But, even if you were committed to reflecting sunlight back to space, there are some downsides to using sulfur. The sulfur would have to be constantly replenished, and its constant presence at high altitude would trigger chemical reactions that could damage the ozone layer.

from Ars Technica

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From Popular Science – New Technology, Science News, The Future Now: Giant 3-D Printer to Make An Entire House in 20 Hours

3-D Printing Concrete Houses Contour Crafting

3-D printers can make airplanes and their parts, food and more – why not entire buildings? A professor at the University of Southern California aims to print out whole houses, using layers of concrete and adding plumbing, electrical wiring and other guts as it moves upward.

Professor Behrokh Khoshnevis at USC created a layered fabrication method he calls Contour Crafting, which he says can be used to build a single house or “a colony of houses.” It could be used with concrete or adobe, he says. Khoshnevis has been developing the system for several years and hosted a presentation about it at a recent TEDx event.

It would use a movable gantry taller than the house you want to build. Concrete pours out and is set down layer by layer, like a typical 3-D printer would sinter plastic together. It could be ideal for emergency housing, commercial or low-income structures, but it could also be used to print out customized luxury homes, according to Khoshnevis. Or, he adds, it might be ideal for the moon or Mars. “Contour Crafting technology has the potential to build safe, reliable, and affordable lunar and Martian structures, habitats, laboratories, and other facilities before the arrival of human beings,” his website reads.

Khoshnevis is hardly the only 3-D printing expert advocating this – Enrico Dini, the Italian inventor of the D-Shape 3-D printer, wants to 3-D print moon buildings out of lunar regolith.

On Earth, the automated system could prevent delays, injuries and other labor issues related to human workers. With this system, maybe a 3-D printer could beat the Chinese attempt to construct the world’s tallest building in three months.

[via Dvice]

 

from Popular Science – New Technology, Science News, The Future Now

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From Geeks are Sexy Technology News: For the Space Exploration Haters

Lots of people are critical of the money spent on space exploration, especially the Curiosity’s mission to Mars. Just to put it in perspective:

Of course, one could argue that the Olympics is worth spending money on because its philosophy is about uniting the world through sport instead of war, to foster peace and international relations.

It’s just funny how that argument can hardly hold up when someone smashes a record and wins an Olympic gold only to have the sore losers accuse them of doping. Or for an article to come out in the news entitled “The Shame of the Silver Medal”.

I would think that the International Space Station has resulted in more positive cooperation than this year’s Olympics, but that is just my opinion. After all, I wanted to be an Astrophysicist at some point in my life, so it might be just a little biased.

What’s the geek community’s opinion? Space exploration is worth the money or is it a waste of the taxpayer’s dollar?

[Via I f* love science]

 

from Geeks are Sexy Technology News