tech post for 13-Aug-2008
Aug. 13th, 2008 09:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dracodraconisNova Scotia Mounties find Jesus - a metre-high concrete statue of him, to be specific.
Designer RNA to control cholesterol levels - In pre-clinical trials, levels of "bad" cholesterol were reduced by up to 2/3 in mice after being injected with siRNA. A single dose was effective for several weeks.
Thinking better for complex decisions - a recent study indicated that snap judgements and "sleeping on it" were not as effective in solving complex problems as conscious thought.
Flexible nanoantenna arrays gather heat energy - US researchers have developed a method for producing gold nanoantenna arrays on a flexible polyethylene substrate that converts 80% of mid-infrared rays into energy. Mid-range infrared energy is emitted continuously by the Earth in response to absorbing solar energy, as well as by any radiant surface. The challenge now is how to convert the energy produced by the arrays into electricity because they generate AC currents that oscillate trillions of times each second, far beyond the capabilities of current systems to rectify.
Aerial laser gives US "plausible deniability" - The 5.5 tonne Advanced Tactical Laser system currently being tested is expected to be capable of destroying targets at a range of up to 20 km without leaving a trace to indicate who caused the destruction. This has lead various military officials to cite plausible deniability as one benefit of the weapon.
Dark matter key to FTL travel - at least according to two physicists at Baylor university. They determined that, in theory, the Alcubierre drive could be realized by manipulating dark matter. The result would be a distortion of the fabric of space-time within which the ship would be locally moving slowly but globally exceeding the speed of light.
Designer RNA to control cholesterol levels - In pre-clinical trials, levels of "bad" cholesterol were reduced by up to 2/3 in mice after being injected with siRNA. A single dose was effective for several weeks.
Thinking better for complex decisions - a recent study indicated that snap judgements and "sleeping on it" were not as effective in solving complex problems as conscious thought.
Flexible nanoantenna arrays gather heat energy - US researchers have developed a method for producing gold nanoantenna arrays on a flexible polyethylene substrate that converts 80% of mid-infrared rays into energy. Mid-range infrared energy is emitted continuously by the Earth in response to absorbing solar energy, as well as by any radiant surface. The challenge now is how to convert the energy produced by the arrays into electricity because they generate AC currents that oscillate trillions of times each second, far beyond the capabilities of current systems to rectify.
Aerial laser gives US "plausible deniability" - The 5.5 tonne Advanced Tactical Laser system currently being tested is expected to be capable of destroying targets at a range of up to 20 km without leaving a trace to indicate who caused the destruction. This has lead various military officials to cite plausible deniability as one benefit of the weapon.
Dark matter key to FTL travel - at least according to two physicists at Baylor university. They determined that, in theory, the Alcubierre drive could be realized by manipulating dark matter. The result would be a distortion of the fabric of space-time within which the ship would be locally moving slowly but globally exceeding the speed of light.