Protein® Feed
Hairy Solar Cells
A new manufacturing process could mean improved efficiency for solar cells. The technique, which is being pioneered by researchers at the University of California, San Diego, results in “hairy” solar cells.
The hairs are visible only on the microscopic level. They’re actually nanowires: tiny silicon or metallic structures used to complete very small circuits.
Magnetic Gold
Physicists at the Georgia Institute of Technology have made two important findings regarding gold on the nanoscale.
They found that applying an electrical field on a surface-supported gold nanocluster changes its structure from a three-dimensional one to a planar flat structure.
In another paper, they relate their discovery that gold in this size regime can be made magnetic through oxygenation of gold nanowires.
Small is Different.
Raymond Kurzweil: Solar Power to Rule in 20 Years
We may not need futurist and inventor Raymond Kurzweil to tell us that solar energy is going to rule in 20 years or the fact that nanotechnology could give global warming a big chill (pdf link), but it’s always a good thing to be reassured. He is one of the distinguished futurists that predicted the demise of the Soviet Union and foresaw the explosive growth of the Internet and wireless systems.
“We also see an exponential progression in the use of solar energy,” he said. “It is doubling now every two years. Doubling every two years means multiplying by 1,000 in 20 years. At that rate we’ll meet 100 percent of our energy needs in 20 years.”
Nanonails: Water Repulsion at the Flick of a Switch
Sculpt a surface composed of tightly packed nanostructures that resemble tiny nails, then add a jolt of electricity, and the liquid on the surface slips past the heads of the nanonails and spreads out between their shanks, wetting the surface completely.
Crazy Tech, with a multitude of uses, Nanotech is the future I tellz ya.
Smaller is Stronger
As structures made of metal get smaller - as their dimensions approach the micrometer scale (millionths of a meter) or less - they get stronger. Scientists discovered this phenomenon 50 years ago while measuring the strength of tin "whiskers" a few micrometers in diameter and a few millimeters in length. Many theories have been proposed to explain why smaller is stronger, but only recently has it become possible to see and record what's actually happening in tiny structures under stress.
Chips push through nano-barrier
New materials have had to be developed to shrink the transistors. The next milestone in the relentless pursuit of smaller, higher performance microchips has been unveiled.
