It used to be known as the information superhighway — the fibre-optic infrastructure on which our gigabytes and petabytes of data whizz around the world at (nearly) the speed of light. Continue reading “Photonic chips harness sound waves to speed up local networks”
Energy and machines in Antiquity (Part II)
Mechanical Devices
It is seldom possible to determine exactly when a particular mechanical
device was discovered or invented, but in general the chronological development
was as follows. Continue reading “Energy and machines in Antiquity (Part II)”
Energy and machines in Antiquity (Part I)
Here we present the same-titled Chapter from the book ‘Ancient Technology’, by John W. Humphrey (Greenwood Press) Continue reading “Energy and machines in Antiquity (Part I)”
Scientists pioneer a new way to turn sunlight into fuel
The quest to find new ways to harness solar power has taken a step forward after researchers successfully split water into hydrogen and oxygen by altering the photosynthetic machinery in plants. Continue reading “Scientists pioneer a new way to turn sunlight into fuel”
Terahertz spectroscopy enters the single-molecule regime
The interaction of light with matter is the basis of spectroscopy, a set of techniques lying at the heart of physics and chemistry. From infrared light to X-rays, a broad sweep of wavelengths is used to stimulate vibrations, electron transitions, and other processes, thus probing the world of atoms and molecules. Continue reading “Terahertz spectroscopy enters the single-molecule regime”
Superradiance: Quantum effect detected in tiny diamonds
The effect has been predicted theoretically decades ago — but it is very hard to provide experimental evidence for it: “Superradiance” is the phenomenon of one atom giving off energy in the form of light and causing a large number of other atoms in its immediate vicinity to emit energy as well at the same time. This creates a short, intense flash of light. Continue reading “Superradiance: Quantum effect detected in tiny diamonds”
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