Nuclear News Roundup
A tiny bomb detector, MRI for wines, and saving grapes with milk
Carbon Dioxide Cooling
Car air conditioners that use carbon dioxide instead of HFCs are under development.
Sound Effects
Foley sound effects sound more like the real thing than actual sounds -- Studying why
Cracking Whip
A whip crack comes from a loop accelerating down the length of the whip.
Washing Away Mines
A new device that shoots water at the soil to detect and then remove landmines
Primary Colors
Why are there three primary colors? (Three kinds of receptors in the retina)
Power Cord in Space
Geocentric spacecraft may one day be propelled by a tether that dangles into the earth's magnetic field; Concept to be tested July 2002
Boarding Pass Bomb Detector
A mass spectrometer that can scan boarding passes for explosive materials from passengers
Ultrasound Surgery
Using ultrasound to diagnose and treat internal injuries
Cold Mountain Air
If hot air rises, why is it colder at the top of mountains? (because hot air cools as it rises)
Billiard Break
Is it possible to sink all the billiard balls on the break shot? (Highly improbable)
Mobile Phone Towers
Is the radiation from mobile phone antennae dangerous? (only if you get too close to the source)
Stopping Light
Physicists stop laser light pulses in a Bose-Einstein condensate.
Car Shock
Why do I get a shock when I get in my car? (static charge builds up and conducts through you)
Hair Conditioner
How does conditioner detangle hair? (it coats the hair shaft, smoothing down the cuticle)
Antarctic Ice Sheet
Modelling how the Antarctic ice sheet behaves yields clues to its impact on global climate.
Photonics
Photonic crystals that manipulate light could one day be used in a variety of applications.
Designer Soot
Creating a chemical identity for soot (by designing a standard soot) to study it.
Passive Ultrasound
Taking ultrasound by detecting the weak sound waves generated naturally by objects
Spoilage Sensor
A sensor that can detect the presence of gram-negative bacteria, and soon other bacteria, fungi, and dna as well
South Pole Scope
A radio telescope in Antarctica will help astronomers learn about the universe
Neutrino Detector
A detector built in Japan is studying neutrinos from nuclear power plants
Bottomless Pit
What happens if you drop a ball through a hole drilled clear through the Earth? (Oscillates until it comes to a standstill in the center)