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Science and Tech post
Nov. 5th, 2008 03:22 pmScientists have developed a solar cell that captures the entire spectrum of solar illumination, thanks to an anti-reflective coating, and does so with light from any angle. The new solar cell absorbs more than 96% of the available solar energy, compared to the 67% absorbed by standard silicon-based solar cells. The new approach should work with any photovoltaic material.
US engineers have developed a method for detecting water turbulence which could improve the maneuverability of submarines. Taking a page from Nature's book, they developed a set of artificial neuromasts, microscopic hairs used by fish to sense water movement, by coating polymer "hair", mounted on a peizoelectric base, with a hydrogel. The result is a sensor 40 times more sensitive that those currently in use.
According to the CBC, writer Michael Crichton has died at the age 66 after a long battle with cancer.
A record number of Americans turned up to vote in their recent election. More than 64% of voters cast ballots, the best voter turnout in 44 years, and higher than Canada's voter turnout rate of 59% in our most recent election.
A recent Harvard study found that students who practice music outperform those who do not on tests of verbal ability and visual pattern completion.
For your reading pleasure:
C|Net's "50 most significant moments in Internet History"
Simon Pegg's Guardian rant on "speedy zombies".
And a rant of my own: CNN trumpets "hologram" that wasn't really a hologram. Although the reporter was captured in 3D, the image was added to the video feed during transmission and was not displayed in the studio. By definition, a hologram is projected into space so what they created was not a hologram.
US engineers have developed a method for detecting water turbulence which could improve the maneuverability of submarines. Taking a page from Nature's book, they developed a set of artificial neuromasts, microscopic hairs used by fish to sense water movement, by coating polymer "hair", mounted on a peizoelectric base, with a hydrogel. The result is a sensor 40 times more sensitive that those currently in use.
According to the CBC, writer Michael Crichton has died at the age 66 after a long battle with cancer.
A record number of Americans turned up to vote in their recent election. More than 64% of voters cast ballots, the best voter turnout in 44 years, and higher than Canada's voter turnout rate of 59% in our most recent election.
A recent Harvard study found that students who practice music outperform those who do not on tests of verbal ability and visual pattern completion.
For your reading pleasure:
C|Net's "50 most significant moments in Internet History"
Simon Pegg's Guardian rant on "speedy zombies".
And a rant of my own: CNN trumpets "hologram" that wasn't really a hologram. Although the reporter was captured in 3D, the image was added to the video feed during transmission and was not displayed in the studio. By definition, a hologram is projected into space so what they created was not a hologram.