HackingTheUniverse

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Graphene is an arrangement of carbon atoms into a thin flat sheet that has extraordinary strength as well as being flexible and a conductor of electric current. This would seem to make it an ideal medium for electronic components. Researchers are now working to add superconductivity to the list of attributes associated with graphene. Graphene’s […]

Most parts of our universe self assemble in some form, but it often takes place in a random or even chaotic manner. When scientists talk about self assembly, they usually are discussing techniques designed to guide the assembly process into producing a specific result. Crystals are collections of atoms that have self assembled into predetermined […]

Carbon NanoTubes (CNT) are structures made from carbon atoms arranged in a lattice that is rolled up into a tube shape. Like silicon, carbon can act as a semiconductor and this allows it to be used in making small electronic components. We are just beginning to learn how to use carbon nanotubes in electronics, but […]

In 1663, Otto von Guericke invented the first known generator that produced electricity through friction by rubbing a pad against a large ball of sulphur. PRECURSOR: -0624 – Thales 1269 – Epistola de Magnete – Peregrinus 1600 – de Magnete – Gilbert SUBSEQUENT: 1737 – Galvani (born) 1745 – Volta 1746 – Leyden jar 1752 […]

We are building intelligence into a constantly expanding list of everyday household items. It started with smart phones, and we now have smart meters, smart light bulbs, smart locks, smart watches, smart clothing and smart appliances and gadgets of all types. Any device that can use sensors to collect data, make decisions about how to […]

Thermoplastics are a class of polymer that can be heated and molded into new shapes which harden when cooled, then reheated and remolded many times. Meander geometry describes the snaking curves often found in rivers and other similar forms. Meander shaped wires are configured in a snaking pattern which allows them to bend and stretch. […]

When ripples in the fluid-like free electrons in conducting metals form oscillations, they can act like virtual particles and are called “plasmons”, a category of quasiparticles. Controlling plasmons which interact with light allows fast and efficient modulation of light based communications. What is a plasmon? – [nanoscale.blogspot.com] A plasmon is a collective excitation of the […]

Several years ago, a wireless brain sensor capable of being implanted was being tested at Brown University. A team at Harvard has been working on creating scaffolds of a mesh of nano wires sandwiched in between layers of organic polymers, allowing it to culture living cells, creating a kind of “cyborg” tissue. They have now […]

Antennas resonate harmonically with radio waves according to how the length of the antenna matches the wavelength. Antennas can be tuned to a specific wavelength by changing their length. Using an applied voltage to change the length of some liquid metal, creates an antenna that can be tuned electronically. An antenna capable of tuning by […]

Aerogel, aka “frozen smoke” is a light, porous, nearly translucent, matrix of silica, made by removing the liquid part of a gel. Aerogels can also be made from metals and from carbon. Graphene versions of aerogel offer intriguing combinations of strength and electrical conductivity. Lawrence Livermore Laboratory is working on a process that uses 3D […]