Tech for Tue—October 13, 2009
By Mark Devlin
October 13, 2009
Really Cool News—Superconducting, Even
Okay, want some serious future-tech? This one could be big. Getting any material to go superconductive at any reasonable, earthly temperature has largely held back that field and related applications. Well, it appears that major barrier to applied superconductivity has been broken—big time—with ‘the first material to enter a superconductive state at temperatures commonly found in household freezers,” according to this article at Superconductors.org, which also says...
This achievement was accomplished by combining two previously successful structure types: the upper part of a 9212/2212C and the lower part of a 1223. The chemical elements remain the same as those used in the 242K material announced in May 2009. The host compound has the formula (Tl4Ba)Ba2Ca2Cu7Oy and is believed to attain 254K superconductivity when a 9223 structure forms...
See the linked article for more tech, right down to the atomic level.
“He Put Creatures in Our Bodies!”
You’ll find this particularly interesting if you’ve faced United Healthcare’s insanely thieving $600 deductible (Yes, that’s just the deductible.) for a colonoscopy—or, even if you’ve ever been victim of this hideous preventive measure (that could probably be done more easily, quickly, and less expensively by various forms of alien with their various and assundry probes).
ANYway, Dr. Enrico Grasso, a cancer specialist in Rome, told the BBC about a new ‘spider pill’—a robotic, remotely controlled itty-bitty robot camera WITH LEGS—that could forever lift the stench of endoscopes.
Besides monetary concerns, some folks are made so uncomfortable by the procedure that they refuse treatment. The heading-toward-Fantastic-Voyage device, according to this article, has been tested on pigs, is believed to be the first controllable camera that can be swallowed. One pig was quoted post-procedure with but a single-syllable response: “Ew.”
Industrial applications could be really interesting. Imagine sending one of these things into a critical hydraulic system, for instance, for troubleshooting. (“Hey! That looks like a bad o-ring! Zoom-in closer!”) Also, industrial applications are expected to be a bit less disgusting and painful.
(Thanks to the writers of Star Trek: The Wrath of Kahn for the above headline.)
An Electron Microscope in Every Classroom...
...or rec room. Shipments of a Hitachi-developed, tabletop, ‘highly accessible’ electron microscope have surpassed 1,000 units since its launch in 2005. Called the TM-1000, the compact powerhouse fits on a desk, offers magnification of up to 10,000X, and according to this article is as easy to use as a digital camera.
While typically used in R&D, QA, and nano and biotech, the TM-1000 has found its way into ‘schools and science museums in and outside of Japan.’ Not all of those ‘customers’ have paid for them—Hitachi High-Technologies has also been loaning the microscopes to academia. Not just Ivy League or even universities, but to—and this is the wow part—an elementary school in Japan.
The company is promoting ‘the kind of science that inspires young learners.’ Go, Hitachi. (We need some of that inspiration here in the U.S., too.)
They’re Trying to Pull the Plug on Grandpa Mainframe!
...and, in this case, they succeeded.
According to this Network World article...
The last mainframe supposedly enjoyed "quasi-celebrity status" within the House data center, having spent 12 years keeping the House's inventory control records and financial management data, among other tasks. But it was time for a change, with the House spending $30,000 a year to power the mainframe and another $700,000 each year for maintenance and support.
The plug’s been pulled to save a few bucks (and in that world, less than a mil is just a few bucks, but it’s a start), go Green (or put on a face that looks green), and ‘improve efficiency in the Halls of Congress.’ (I’m not touching that. But, go ahead. Go for it.)
Interestingly, the article implies that it’s taken this long for the replacement X86 and Unix boxes to reach the virtualization capability that mainframes had decades ago. Migrated applications included payroll, inventory management, committee calendars, ‘and other legislative tasks.’
Was It A Bug or An Alien?
Sorry, I couldn’t resist the parallel to the alien-that-appears-like-a-bug splattering-on-the-truck windshield opening of MIB. Maybe it was a bug, or an alien, or even a robot. But just for kicks, let’s assume it was a bug, even though this article over on MSNBC uses single quotes in the headline, around ‘large insect.’
Here’s a tech part: missiles—and a truck carrying missile parts—specifically, rocket engine parts for ICBMs. But, hey—there was no nuclar (I kinda miss him.) material.
Here’s where the bug and missile parts (pun intended) come together. It was an Air Force Truck, also carrying two tanks of liquid rocket fuel. The driver lost control of the semi after a large insect flew into the cab and landed on his back.
Okay. I can see a bug causing discontent, uneasiness, or even flailing one of one’s arms about (while the other arm drives). But losing control and overturning on a gravel road in North Dakota—while driving a truck that could likely take out a small town? Now that’s some bad driving. And, um, if this guy’s twitchy with bugs—any kind of bugs—should he be allowed near missile parts and rocket fuel?
Wait. It gets better: this isn’t the first time. Last year, the Air Force spent ‘about $5.6 million’ after a truck overturned carrying an unarmed ICBM booster rocket.
The article also mentions that the public was never in danger. Yeah, right.
That bright light you see after reading this brief will be the flash of a neutralizer (Yes, the flashy thing.).
You won’t remember reading this, and you’ll redecorate your house.
Enjoy your week—seeya Thursday. Peace and good driving skills to all, and to all a good military transport system with emotionally-stable drivers.