silicon
Science
Electronic Circuits That Melt Into Your Body
2:48AM Jesus Diaz | It makes me nervous too. I’m not so keen on the idea of circuits enveloped in a silk substrate, which melts into your body leaving just nanometres-thick layers of electronics. But it’s for the best, trust me on this one. More »
Hardware
The First Integrated Circuit Chip: Celebrating The 50th Anniversary
10:30AM Dan Nosowitz | The Computer History Museum is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the integrated circuit, pictured above, with a multimedia exhibit called “The Silicon Engine” to explain why many claim the IC as one of mankind’s greatest and most important inventions ever. More »
Hardware
Let’s Speculate: What Could Flexible Memory Be Used for?
8:00AM Dan Nosowitz | Researchers have developed a lightweight, mostly transparent, and quite flexible memory chip. It sounds cool, but then I think: What possible advantages could flexible memory have? Help me out, commenters. More »
Science
Scientists Say Their Mirror Based Invisibility Cloaks Actually Work
11:40AM Adrian Covert | Researchers from Cornell and UC Berkeley say they’ve both developed invisibility cloaks using bump-shaped mirrors that can hide objects across optical wavelengths. Oddly enough, their designs are nearly identical. More »
Peripherals
Brando Silicone HDD Case Prevents Bareback Docking
2:40AM John Mahoney | Mainly for use with their hard disk dock that accepts HDDs like SNES carts, these silicone rubbers, complete with removable end caps, will keep your disks from slipping around too much and add a modicum of extra protection for $US17. If only anti-virus defence was this easy. [Brando] galleryPost('brandohdcondom', 3, ''); More »
Science
Black Silicon Discovery Could Change Digital Photography, Night Vision Forever
8:00AM Jack Loftus | With the accidental discovery of “black silicon,” Harvard physicists may have very well changed the digital photography, solar power and night vision industries forever. What is black silicon, you say? Well, it’s just as it sounds. Black silicon. It’s what this revolutionary new material does that’s important, starting with light sensitivity. Early indications show black silicon is 100 to 500 times more sensitive to light than a traditional silicon wafer. More »
Science
11:48AM Nick Broughall | Quantum computers are almost considered as the Holy Grail of computing, with power that blows away anything we can see on the market today. Now, a team of scientists working on creating the world’s first quantum computer have taken a big step towards their goal.
The team has created a silicon chip that can control and observe a single electron. What makes that useful? Well, according to Susan Angus, who’s leading the scientific team, “Building a quantum computer involves perfect control of the most fundamental properties of our universe. Controlling and observing individual electrons is an important step towards that goal.” Being able to control individual electrons gives some of that control.
Instead of using binary to transfer information, Quantum computers will use quantum physics, which (from my very, very limited understanding), lets information be transferred even when the computer is switched off.
If you’re struggling to get your head around the idea, you’re not alone. However, the guys at Science in Public have a pretty good grasp on the whole situation, so it’s definitely worth a trip on the link express to try and gain some insight into why this is important.
[Science in Public - Thanks Niall!]
More »
Quantum Computers One Step Closer Thanks To Silicon Chip Breakthrough
11:48AM Nick Broughall | Quantum computers are almost considered as the Holy Grail of computing, with power that blows away anything we can see on the market today. Now, a team of scientists working on creating the world’s first quantum computer have taken a big step towards their goal.
The team has created a silicon chip that can control and observe a single electron. What makes that useful? Well, according to Susan Angus, who’s leading the scientific team, “Building a quantum computer involves perfect control of the most fundamental properties of our universe. Controlling and observing individual electrons is an important step towards that goal.” Being able to control individual electrons gives some of that control.
Instead of using binary to transfer information, Quantum computers will use quantum physics, which (from my very, very limited understanding), lets information be transferred even when the computer is switched off.
If you’re struggling to get your head around the idea, you’re not alone. However, the guys at Science in Public have a pretty good grasp on the whole situation, so it’s definitely worth a trip on the link express to try and gain some insight into why this is important.
[Science in Public - Thanks Niall!]
More »
Hardware
Moore’s Law Revitalised by 12-Nanometer Chip-Fabbing Invention
10:40PM Kit Eaton | A year ago we reported on Intel’s nifty technique for 22nm chip fabrication, which may extend the life of Moore’s Law. Now MIT is reporting a new technique for optical lithography which should make 12nm chip manufacture possible, making for smaller, denser future chip tech.
Gadgets
Graphene Confirmed as the World’s Strongest Known Material
6:10AM Sean Fallon | The scientific community has been praising graphene as some sort of miracle material for years now–even going so far as to say that it could eventually replace silicon. Well, graphene can now add another statistic to its impressive resume now that researchers have confirmed it as the strongest material ever tested. More »
Science
