May
2007
Smart materials0
3-May-2007 A new computer model shows that objects can be made invisible at close range.
At present invisibility cloaks made of metamaterials only work with microwaves and when viewed from afar. They are likely to be used first in military technology, says the University of Liverpool’s Sébastien Guenneau: “The shape and structure of aeroplanes make them ideal objects for cloaking, as they have a fixed structure and movement pattern.
“Human beings and animals are more difficult, as their movement is very flexible, so the cloak – as it is designed at the moment – would easily be seen when the person or animal made any sudden movement.
“A cloak such as the one worn by Harry Potter is not yet possible, but it is a good example of what we are trying to move towards.”
2-May-2007 Scientists and fashion designers come together to create a garment that can prevent colds and flu and never needs washing, and another that destroys harmful gases and protects the wearer from smog and air pollution.
The two-toned gold dress and metalled denim jacket contain cotton fabrics coated with nanoparticles. They look cool and protect the wearer, and at $10,000 a square yard they’re what every well-dressed millionaire could be soon wearing.
25-Apr-2007 New Scientist reports that a Spiderman outfit, complete with gloves and boots to stick to walls, and a silk spinner to swing between buildings, may be just 10 years away. Geckos can hang upside down by one toe because their feet have millions of tiny elastic hairs called setae. Spiders dangle on silk that’s fine but incredibly strong. Throw in nanotube technology to mimic these natural examples at the molecular level and you’re well on the way to your first superhero suit.
18-Apr-2007 Imagine a material that can make light from electricity or electricity from light. It’s a window in daytime, a lighted wall in the evening. It’s clothes that display changing messages, or alter colour at the touch of a button. It’s a mobile, flexible source of solar power. Organic light emitting devices can be all these things and more. An international research group has just been set up to explore the fundamental science and bring potential applications closer to market.
10-Apr-2007 Scientists are constantly coming up with ways to repair the human body, replacing defective and worn-out parts with plastic, titanium, or ceramic substitutes. But the body often rejects these. Now researchers at Brown and Purdue universities have found that changing the surface texture of implants can dramatically improve their acceptance by the body’s defences.
5-Apr-2007 Stronger than steel and more elastic than rubber, spider silk is unsurpassed in its expandability, resistance to tearing, and toughness. It would be an ideal material for a large variety of medical and technical applications. A team at University of Munich has now used genetic engineering to produce one of the spider silk proteins of the European garden spider.
2-Apr-2007 Researchers at Purdue University take a first step toward creating an invisibility cloak that operates in the visible range. A major limitation is that it only works at one frequency.
28-March-2007 Scientists at the University of Illinois make the world’s smallest chain-mail fabric.
20-Oct-2006 Invisibility cloak story and science teaching resources (US or UK English) posted at www.realscience.org.uk
