Show Notes November 10, 2023
Story 1: Microsoft Project Silica: Glass Plates That Store Data for 10,000 Years
Source: ExtremeTech.com Story by Ryan Whitwam
See video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rfEYd4NGQg
- Microsoft is working on a new kind of storage technology, called Project Silica, that could store data essentially forever without any electricity. Instead of writing data to a magnetic storage medium, it encodes that data in a sheet of glass smaller than a DVD.
- Microsoft engineer Ant Rowstron explains that simply keeping data safe over time is a monumental undertaking. Hard drives might last five years (or less) in a data center before they need to be replaced, and a tape drive could last twice as long if you’re lucky.
- The team has developed a system that writes data to sheets of glass using short laser pulses. The laser physically alters the internal structure of the glass, so even scratches on the surface won’t alter the code.
- Since glass is a very stable material, engineers estimate the data could be stored safely for 10,000 years or more.
- A single plate has enough space for 1.75 million music tracks, which works out to about 7TB of total storage.
- Notably, the glass plates don’t need any power to do their job. You just stack them on a shelf and read them when needed.
- Rowstron says Project Silica is being developed with the cloud in mind. Specifically, it looks like a form of cold storage in which your data is not instantly available—that’s because writing and reading data from the glass sheets is a multi-stage process.
- It starts with what Microsoft calls the Write Lab, which uses a laser to imprint voxels (3D pixels) inside the glass. Each time you need to read a glass plate, a small robot leaps into action to climb the library stacks and pull the right one.
- Then what Microsoft calls the Read Lab uses a computer-controlled microscope to read the voxels from the retrieved glass.
- Next, the data goes to the Decode Lab, where an Azure AI converts the visual data into usable digital files.
- Side note, what is Mircosoft Azure AI: Discover Azure AI—a portfolio of artificial intelligence (AI) services designed for developers and data scientists—to do more with less. Take advantage of the decades of breakthrough research, responsible AI practices, and flexibility that Azure AI offers to build and deploy your own AI solutions. Access high-quality vision, speech, language, and decision-making AI models through simple API calls, and create your own machine learning models using an AI supercomputing infrastructure, familiar tools like Jupyter Notebooks and Visual Studio Code, and open-source frameworks like TensorFlow and PyTorch—all backed by Microsoft’s responsible AI principles.
- Reality Check: This is still just a research project, and things could be streamlined eventually, but the basic concept assumes you don’t need immediate access to the data.
Story 2: ABB To Provide Hydrogen Fuel Cell Propulsion Systems for Container Ships
Source: CleanTechnica.com Story by Steve Hanley
- Emissions from ocean-going ships are a serious issue. Maritime transportation contributes nearly 3% of annual carbon-dioxide emissions, and this is predicted to increase to 17% by 2050 if no changes are adapted, according to ABB, an international engineering and sustainability company headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. One of ABB’s areas of focus is hydrogen fuel cell technology.
- Late last month, the company announced it will collaborate with Samskip Group, a multi-modal shipping company based in the Netherlands which plans to be net zero by 2040, and India’s Cochin Shipyard to build two 135-meter-long container ships [433 feet long].
- Each ship will be powered by a 3.2 MW ABB hydrogen fuel cell system. Each ship is expected to eliminate 25,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
- The two new container ships will be the first of their kind to utilize a comprehensive hydrogen fuel cell power distribution system supplied by ABB. Built by Cochin Shipyard Ltd, the largest shipbuilding and maintenance facility in India, the ships are due for delivery in Q3 and Q4 of 2025, respectively.
- Both vessels will be operating between Oslo Fjord and Rotterdam, a distance of approximately 700 nautical miles.
- In addition to the integration of hydrogen fuel cells, ABB’s comprehensive package includes the new, more compact version of its Onboard DC Grid power distribution system that will ensure the optimal use of energy on board.
- The vessels will also feature ABB’s energy storage solution control and automation technology, ensuring seamless operation of onboard equipment.
Story 3: World’s smallest particle accelerator is 54 million times smaller than the Large Hadron Collider, and it works!
Source: Live Science Story by Harry Baker
- Scientists recently fired up the world’s smallest particle accelerator for the first time. The tiny technological triumph, which is around the size of a small coin, could open the door to a wide range of applications, including using the teensy particle accelerators inside human patients.
- Time out, what is a particle accelerator? A particle accelerator is a machine that uses electromagnetic fields to propel charged particles to very high speeds and energies, and to contain them in well-defined beams. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Particle_accelerator
- Why pursue this research? Particle accelerators are vital for research in the following areas [see more extensive side note below]:
- treating cancer
- enhancing security
- unraveling the universe
- creating new materials
- exploring the early universe
- The new machine, known as a nanophotonic electron accelerator (NEA), consists of a small microchip that houses an even smaller vacuum tube made up of thousands of individual “pillars.” Researchers can accelerate electrons by firing mini laser beams at these pillars.
- The main acceleration tube is approximately 0.02 inch (0.5 millimeter) long, which is 54 million times shorter than the 16.8-mile-long (27 kilometers) ring that makes up CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Switzerland — the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator.
- The inside of the tiny tunnel is only around 225 nanometers wide. For context, human hairs are 80,000 to 100,000 nanometers thick, according to the National Nanotechnology Institute.
- It is the first time that a nanophotonic electron accelerator, which was first proposed in 2015, has been successfully fired, the researchers wrote in a statement. (Researchers from Stanford University have already repeated the feat with their mini accelerator, but their results are still under review).
All about particle accelerators [source a Bing AI search]: Particle accelerators, those magnificent machines that propel particles to incredible speeds, have a profound impact on our world. Let’s delve into why scientists are so enthusiastic about these high-energy devices:
- Treating Cancer:
- Particle accelerators play a vital role in modern healthcare. They are used to produce isotopes for PET scanners, which aid in diagnosing and monitoring cancer and other diseases.
- Additionally, accelerated electrons are directed onto targets to generate X-rays for radiotherapy. These X-rays help treat cancer by precisely targeting tumor cells while minimizing damage to healthy tissue1.
- Enhancing Security:
- The same X-ray sources used in radiotherapy are also employed for security purposes. At ports and airports, particle accelerators scan cargo to detect any illicit or dangerous items being smuggled into the country.
- By producing high-energy X-rays, these accelerators contribute to boosting security and safeguarding transportation systems1.
- Unraveling the Universe:
- Particle accelerators allow scientists to study the fundamental building blocks of matter by accelerating particles to high speeds and observing their collisions.
- These collisions provide invaluable insights into quantum physics, helping us understand particle interactions, forces, and the behavior of matter at its most fundamental level2.
- Creating New Materials:
- Scientists use particle accelerators to create radioactive materials by bombarding atoms with charged particles. These unstable atoms have various applications in research, medicine, and industry.
- For instance, isotopes produced in accelerators are used in medical imaging, and they contribute to advancements in fields like nuclear medicine3.
- Exploring the Early Universe:
- By conducting precise measurements of particle collisions, scientists hope to understand the exotic behavior of particles, their interactions, and their role in the development of the early universe.
- Particle accelerators serve as powerful tools for unraveling cosmic mysteries and expanding our knowledge of the cosmos4.
In summary, particle accelerators are not only essential for scientific discovery but also impact our daily lives in ways we might not always realize. From cancer treatment to airport security, these remarkable machines continue to shape our world.
Story 4: Woman Becomes First Person to Be Fitted for Bionic Hand That Integrates Nervous and Skeletal Systems
Source: People Magazine Story by Sandra Rose Salathe
Link: https://people.com/woman-becomes-first-person-to-receive-brain-controlled-bionic-hand-8356363
- A woman from Sweden has become the first to receive a robotic limb integrated with her nervous and skeletal systems.
- Known as “the real bionic woman,” 50-year-old Karin was fitted a few years ago with an advanced robotic limb after losing her right hand in a farming accident two decades ago. Karin, whose last name remains undisclosed, endured years of phantom limb pain, and prosthetic limbs provided her little comfort.
- A study released in Science Robotics reveals that Karin, who underwent surgery in December 2018, can now accomplish 80% of tasks she formerly did with both hands. She can even experiences sensations in her artificial limb.
- Researchers highlight that the limb, after three years of enabling Karin to conduct tasks like turning doorknobs and cooking meals, has seamlessly integrated into her daily life.
- To craft Karin’s advanced bionic limb, a collaborative team of engineers and surgeons from Sweden, Australia, and Italy pioneered what they deem a groundbreaking solution for those with limb loss, merging surgical techniques, implants, and AI.
- Karin’s bionic limb was fashioned by using two titanium rods that were anchored to her bone, serving as the connection between her arm and the prosthesis. This surgical method, termed osseointegration, is fundamental to the new bionic technology developed by Prensilia, an Italian prosthetics company.
- It eliminates the requirement for a socket to connect an amputee’s limb to their prosthetic, addressing issues of discomfort, poor fit and challenges in attachment and removal.
- Electrodes were then implanted into her severed nerves and arm muscles, connecting them to the prosthesis. Consequently, the device can interpret signals from her motor commands, which initiate bodily movements.
- To test the effectiveness of the bionic limb, actions — such as picking up a glass or closing a suitcase zip — were played out in real-time.
- Although Karin’s surgery took place a few years ago, it is suddenly gaining traction due to its successful outcome and advancements in the medical field.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Story: This Weird New Material Could Be the Key to Superfast Computer Chips
Source: Inverse.com Story by Kiona Smith
- Chemists accidentally invented an unusual new material that could make the next generation of computer chips much faster.
- The material is a molecule made of rhenium, selenium, and chlorine, and its called Re6Se8Cl2. Its inventors say that a computer chip made with Re6Se8Cl2 could transfer information twice as fast as one made with silicon. And surprisingly, that’s because it slows electrons down instead of speeding them up.
- Columbia University chemist Jack Tulyag and his colleagues published their work in the journal Science.
Story: You’ve got to see Webb telescope’s eerie view of the Crab Nebula
Source: Mashable Story by Mark Kaufman
Link: https://mashable.com/article/james-webb-space-telescope-crab-nebula
- In the year 1054 CE, astronomers saw a strange bright light appear in the sky.
- We now know it was a star’s explosion, a dramatic event called a supernova, which was visible even during the day for some three weeks. Today, the glorious remnants of that exploded star exist as the “Crab Nebula,” and scientists just used the James Webb Space Telescope to capture an unprecedented view of the iconic object.
Story: It’s Official: Oxygen Has Been Directly Detected in Venus’ Dayside Atmosphere
Source: Science Alert Story by Michelle Starr
- It’s official. Astronomers peering at the atmosphere of Venus have directly detected clear signs of atomic oxygen in daylight, hanging about above the planet’s toxic clouds.
- Atomic oxygen is known to exist in the planet’s atmosphere, according to theoretical models, and has even been directly detected directly on Venus’ nightside; but the dayside detection means we have new insight into the dynamics of the Venusian atmosphere, and the circulation patterns therein, say a team led by physicist Heinz-Wilhelm Hübers of the German Aerospace Center (DLR).