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Thanks to DQ reader Daniel Willhite for a link to this crazy story:IBM has created a chip that can slow down light, the latest advance in an industrywide effort to develop computers that will use only a fraction of the energy of today's machines.
The chip, called a photonic silicon waveguide, is a piece of silicon dotted with arrays of tiny holes. Scattered systematically by the holes, light shown on the chip slows down to 1/300th of its ordinary speed of 186,000 miles per second. In a computer system, slower light pulses could carry data rapidly, but in an orderly fashion. The light can be further slowed by applying an electric field to the waveguide.
There's a detailed article about this appearing in Nature today (Wednesday). In the meantime, here's the link: http://tinyurl.com/d45gb.
Here's something else, this time far more unlikely, submitted by John Catania:
It seems too good to be true: a new source of near-limitless power that costs virtually nothing, uses tiny amounts of water as its fuel and produces next to no waste. If that does not sound radical enough, how about this: the principle behind the source turns modern physics on its head.
Randell Mills, a Harvard University medic who also studied electrical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, claims to have built a prototype power source that generates up to 1,000 times more heat than conventional fuel. Independent scientists claim to have verified the experiments and Dr Mills says that his company, Blacklight Power, has tens of millions of dollars in investment lined up to bring the idea to market. And he claims to be just months away from unveiling his creation.
This would blow up quantum mechanics, by the way.
The sub-headline of the article cracked me up:
--Scientist says device disproves quantum theory
--Opponents claim idea is result of wrong maths
My money's on #2. Here's the link:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/renewable/Story/0,2763,1627425,00.html.
I received an excellent link to a very funny listing of ultra-high-end audiophile products. Ever wanted to pay $1,500 for a three-foot power cord? Here's your chance. And the commentary associated with the items is outstanding. Here's the link:
http://www.ilikejam.dsl.pipex.com/audiophile.htm.
I'd credit the submitter, but I have no idea if he wants his real name or his remarkably goofy screen name used, so I'll just thank "Jackson Sweeny" (the first name of each) instead.
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