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One pixel digital camera

Happy with your new 12 megapixel camera? Well, perhaps for next christmas you should be considering buying a better one, with only 1 pixel... Check the news ;)

And don't forget to check also the original source of this article, the blog Physics Buzz, always posting nice bits of science related information.

posted by Goto @ 11:00 0 comments

Destructive lasers (III)

And yet another destructive use for optics, carried on by Boeing. The plan is to install Advanced Tactical Lasers (ATLs) in the C-130H airplane from the U.S. Air Force. From the article:

"ATL will destroy, damage or disable targets with little to no collateral damage, supporting missions on the battlefield and in urban operations. ATL will produce scaleable effects, meaning the weapon operator will be able to select the degree and nature of the damage done to a target by choosing a specific aimpoint and laser shot duration. For example, targeting the fuel tank of a vehicle could result in total destruction of the vehicle, while targeting a tire might result in the vehicle stopping without injury to the driver."

posted by Goto @ 18:15 0 comments

Optical videos

It's a pitty that the video I posted recently about the fabrication process of the optical fiber was removed from YouTube due to copyright infringement. But still there are some other good videos out there we can enjoy (and download before they remove them as well :P)


Hybrid Solar Lighting

High power industrial cutting laser

Optical camouflage

posted by Goto @ 14:41 0 comments

Ig Nobel Prizes awarded

At this time of the year not only the Nobel prizes, but also the Ig Nobel prizes are awarded - according to Nature arguably the highlight of the scientific calendar. To quote the official website: "The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think. The prizes are intended to celebrate the unusual, honor the imaginative - and spur people's interest in science, medicine, and technology."

Have fun!

I like most the research exploring why woodpeckers don't get headaches and the invention of the electromechanical teenager repellant - a device that makes annoying noise designed to be audible to teenagers but not to adults; and for later using that same technology to make telephone ringtones that are audible to teenagers but not to their teachers.

The research in acoustics to learn why people dislike the sound of fingernails scraping on a blackboard and in mathematics to calculate the number of photographs you must take to (almost) ensure that nobody in a group photo will have their eyes closed I consider excellent and absolutely worth funding..

posted by ingo @ 19:18 1 comments

LEGO robots: Armed and dangerous

This is a mini how-to about using a LEGO Mindstorms construction kit (Alpha Rex robot), and pluging two low-power lasers in its hands. The usefulness of this is still far from my understanding. Some people really have a lot of spare time (and money...)

posted by Goto @ 16:14 0 comments

How optic fibers are made

Interesting video (Youtube) where you can see how the fibers are made by melting the crystal with certain dopping gases inside, and then hanging it and letting it slide until it reaches the right diameter with the help of gravity.

posted by Goto @ 11:31 1 comments