click on the image for a larger version of the picture
Physicists at UC Riverside have made an accidental discovery in the lab that has potential to change how information in computers can be transported or stored. The thickness of MgO (Magnesium Oxide) can control the flow of electrons with different spin.
When the MgO interface is very thin, spin up electrons, represented in this image with an arrow to the right, are reflected back to the semiconductor. At an intermediate thickness of the interface, spin down electrons are reflected back to the semiconductor, resulting in a “spin reversal” that can be used to control current flow.
Inversion of Ferromagnetic Proximity Polarization by MgO Interlayers at Physics Review Letters by
Yan Li,1 Y. Chye,1 Y. F. Chiang,1 K. Pi,1 W. H. Wang,1 J. M. Stephens,2 S. Mack,2 D. D. Awschalom,2 and R. K. Kawakami1
1Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA 2Center for Spintronics and Quantum Computation, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USAWe investigate the spin-dependent reflection properties in Fe/MgO/GaAs heterostructures by optical pump-probe measurement of the ferromagnetic proximity polarization (FPP). As a function of MgO thickness, the FPP is initially enhanced (<2.0 Å) and then exhibits an unexpected sign reversal at ~5.0 Å. The identification of two competing thresholds in the intensity dependence of FPP and the observation of FPP sign reversal in Fe/Mg/GaAs suggest that the inversion of FPP is related to an interfacial bonding effect.
June 23, 2008
Breakthrough could be significant step to faster Spintronic computers
June 05, 2008
Carbon nanotubes + epoxy + lunar dust = lunar concrete
To make a 2.4-metre mirror like Hubble's, Chen estimates the recipe would call for about 600 kilograms (1300 pounds) of Moon dust, 60 kg (130 pounds) of epoxy, 6 kg (13 pounds) of carbon nanotubes and less than a gram of aluminium.
So bring 66kg of material to make something about ten times as heavy. Besides making giant telescopes, the lunar concrete can be used to form other structures on the moon. A 50 meter telescope would still need many tons of material but ten times less than before. Telescopes could combine and image continents on earthlike worlds in other solar systems.
Peter Chen of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, US, has devised a simple method to create a concrete-like substance using a mixture of carbon nanotubes, epoxy and a crushed rock material that NASA uses as a stand-in for Moon dust.
Using the mixture, they built a 30-centimetre disc. Then they added more liquid epoxy to its surface and spun it, coating it with aluminium in a vacuum.
They believe the process could be scaled up to produce 20- to 50-metre-wide telescopes on the Moon. Universe Today discusses the possibilities:
With a stable platform, and no atmosphere to absorb or blur starlight, the monster scope could record the spectra of extra solar terrestrial planets and detect atmospheric biomarkers such as ozone and methane. Two or more such telescopes spanning the surface of the Moon can work together to take direct images of Earth-like planets around nearby stars and look for brightness variations that come from oceans and continents.
The team has yet to determine the type of devices that might be used to spin the mirrors, and the telescopes would need detectors, actuators, steel support structures and other components not made from Moon dust.
Carbon nanotube prices are falling because of new larger scale factories and new cheaper processes
Multi-wall carbon Nanotube production has had dramatic price decreases (Arkema, Bayer Material Sciences, Showa Denko), down to $150/kg for semi-industrial applications [Feb 2008]. The run for industrial CNT production plants has started in order to achieve a sustainable business with the commercialization of these high-tech materials with a mid-term price target of $45/kg.
This on-site composite material to build habitats for the astronauts, and mirrors to collect sunlight for solar-power.
Website of the American Astronomical Society who hosted the conference where this work was presented
Carnival of Space Week 57
The Carnival of Space 57 is up at Out of the Cradle
This site contributed an article about some problems with lorentz propulsion tests but success with the SpaceX Falcon 9
International Space Development day 1
International Space Development day 2
International Space Development day 3
Babe in the Universe also had International space development coverage
There is covereage of the Mars Phoenix lander
Check out the carnival for more.
June 02, 2008
You are probably in a Singularity when
Vernor Vinge wrote about "Signs of the Singularity" However, some of the signs will be more obvious when they are actually occuring.
Robin Hanson talks about the economics of the Singularity where economic growth rates accelerate 60-250 times. This site has talked about Singularity Lite where the 2-3 times increase in economic growth rate from the early (1730) to late (1900s) part of the industrial revolution is repeated.
If the economic impacts of a Singularity are correct then a clear sign of a Singularity would be if world economic growth rates goes to current China levels of growth or higher. The difference between Singularity lite and a full blown Singularity would be if the majority of the world economy is more than doubling every year.
If 1996-2000 rates of change for the Internet industry speed hits and radically transforms education and healthcare, then you are probably in a Singularity.
If you have a device that guides you through the first day of your new job like Morpheus telling Neo which turns to make in the first Matrix movie then you are probably in a world undergoing a technological Singularity. If the device is providing those instructions via a direct brain-machine interface then you are definitely in a technological Singularity.
Note: Emotiv already is selling inexpensive brain computer interfaces for use with video games.
Emotiv graphic. The device on the woman's head is a real brain computer interface. The projected image is not an actual current interaction.
If over 90% of the businesses and industries this year did not exist last year then you are probably in a technological Singularity.
Vernor Vinge indicated :The consequences of creating human-level artificial intelligence would be profound, but it would still be explainable to present-day humans like you and me. But what happens a year or two after that? The best answer to the question, “Will computers ever be as smart as humans?” is probably “Yes, but only briefly.”
If the world's energy and transportation infrastructure is being replaced multiple times per year with radically improved technology then you are deep into a technological Singularity or experiencing a hard takeoff.
If every quarter or week, you have to change out your mind machine interface device for one that is over ten times faster in order to "stay competitive" you are in a technological Singularity.
Add your less subtle signs of a Singularity in the comments.
FURTHER READING
Contact lens displays
Displays in glasses exist now.
Cheap brain wave sensors
Somewhat related: A robot performed brain surgery for the first time.
Microsoft captcha's broken. Captcha's are the letter graphics that are designed to be human but not machine readable. Advancing machine progress can be measured by the frequency with which the "test for humanness" must be changed.
May 30, 2008
Focus Fusion and X-scan and the Company behind them
Lawrenceville Plasma Physics (LPP) is the company that is trying to develop focus fusion
LPP is developing a portable, economical, extremely intense hard X-ray source using a dense plasma focus (DPF). DPF is the same core technology that is to be used for focus fusion.
Such a source, transportable by truck, will allow economical non-destructive inspection of the nation’s critical infrastructure, leading to savings in repair costs of at least five billion dollars annually.
A source with the power, photon energy and adjustability developed in this project will allow the use of Compton scattering, in which the X-rays are scattered off the material being probed and return to a detector on the same side of the object as the source. Compton scattering requires far higher X-ray power than does direct X-ray scanning, in which the detector is on the opposite side of the structure from the source, but has the great advantage that scanning can be done from one side. Such one-side scanning will greatly reduce the cost and time of inspections, making possible the timely preventive maintenance of infrastructure such as bridges, roads and buildings.
The X-ray source technology is being developed as a "spin-off" of our medium-term research into the use of the DPF as a source for fusion energy. Essentially the same technology can produce both useful energy and extremely intense x-ray pulses.
Our market projections, based on discussions with likely final customers, mainly state departments of transportation, indicate that our X-ray source integrated into an inspection system can yield sales of $20 million a year and profits of at least $3 million a year within two or three years of introduction into the market. We anticipate that, with the help of likely government funding, we will be able to begin marketing this device in three to four years.
LPP's research shows that, with our innovative approaches, a DPF can serve as an x-ray source with the capabilities required. It will be able to deliver a pulse of 100J of x-ray energy of 300keV photons in a pulse of 10 ns, a power output 30,000 times higher than existing linac sources.
To achieve our ambitious goals, LPP will employ five innovations, all of which have either been verified in practice, or are supported by extensive theoretical calculations. These are: (1) An overall quantitative model of DPF functioning that allows firm predictions of performance; (2) the use of the strong magnetic field effect to achieve easy adjustability of electron temperature; (3) a specific model of the critical plasmoid generation (collapse) phase of DPF operation which shows the approach to achieving high efficiency of energy transfer into the plasmoid that emits the x-rays; (4) a multi-scale "snapshot" method of simulating the collapse phase from scales of centimeters to microns and (5) a method of plasma diagnosis that eliminates previous confusion of plasma and electron beam emissions.
[The latest]LPP engineering analysis indicates that 5 MW focus fusion reactors could be produced for about $300,000 apiece. This is less than one-tenth of the cost of conventional electricity generation units of any style or fuel design. This means that once the prototype is successfully developed within five years, focus fusion generators will be the preferred technology for new electrical distributed generation.
More powerful units can be designed by accelerating the pulse repetition rate, although there are limitations due to the amount of waste heat that can be removed from such a small device. It is likely that units larger than 20MW will be formed by simply stacking smaller units together, with approximately the same cost per kW of generated power.
Current technical information
FURTHER INFORMATION
Previous article on focus fusion funding which has now been corrected
Another follow up on Focus fusion
The Focus Fusion google tech talk
New Iron based superconductors might resist magnetic fields over 100 Tesla
Researchers at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at Florida State University have discovered that the new iron based family of superconducting material kept superconducting all the way up to 45 tesla. 45 Tesla is the most powerful magnet sustained field in the world. The researchers did not find the upper limit for magnetic field resistant superconductivity for the new material. Scientists are calling the material “doped rare earth iron oxyarsenides".
The new superconductors seem like they will be able to make improved MRI machines and research magnets, a new generation of superconducting electric motors, generators and power transmission lines.
Tesla is a unit of magnetic field strength; the Earth’s magnetic field is one twenty thousandth of a tesla.
A high tolerance for magnetic field is one of three key properties researchers hope for in superconductors. Also desirable are the abilities to operate at relatively high temperatures and in the presence of high electrical currents. Superconductors are used to make MRI and research magnets, and now they are being tested in a new generation of superconducting electric motors, generators, transformers and power transmission lines. Today, the most powerful superconducting magnet generates a field of about 26 tesla. If a superconductor could be found that tolerates a higher current and field, it may make possible more powerful magnets, opening up vast new research areas to scientists and power applications.
Based on both theoretical calculations and what we’re seeing from the experiments, it seems likely that this is a completely different mechanism for superconductivity. If it’s found that these materials can support high current densities, then they could be tremendously useful.
The hybrid 45 tesla magnet site
The Magnet Lab’s 100-tesla multi-shot, currently the most-powerful reusable magnet in the world. Designed to operate at 100 teslas, the multi-shot has so far been kept to 89.9 teslas, still a world record.
100-tesla multi-shot magnet, with its central insert coil being loaded.
All of the highest-field magnets are pulsed: a single swift current pulse sent through the assembly creates a field that rises, peaks, and decays (typically) within a few thousandths of a second. The short duration limits the heat and stress on the materials, so the highest fields can be contained without destroying the magnet.
The Los Alamos team is currently investigating how the Fermi surface evolves as the cuprate's composition changes. In comparing all the data (including the controversial results from an experiment conducted at Los Alamos in 1991), one sees dramatic changes in the Fermi surface as the materials get closer to the number of dopants that is optimum for the highest superconducting temperature. The Magnet Lab is continuing its quest to produce higher fields. Indeed, Mielke is spearheading a new electromagnet design, the "single-turn," named for its single loop of copper. The single-turn has already produced pulsed fields as high as 240 teslas. The field lasts but a few millionths of a second, and then—the magnet explodes! Remarkably, the magnet's design allows a sample to survive the explosion intact.
Mielke is planning to use the single-turn to measure the Fermi surface of plutonium and to investigate superconductivity in the heavy-electron metals, but he needs to refine his measurement techniques. "A changing magnetic field can generate an unwanted voltage—electromagnetic interference (EMI)—in the measurement probe," he explains. "It's hard enough to measure small signals in the 100-tesla magnet, where the field goes from nothing to everything in a few thousandths of a second. When the field ramps up in the single-turn's millionth of a second, the EMI is much higher, and the measurement becomes that much harder."
Pulsed fields of microseconds up to 300 Tesla are possible and the 100 tesla multi-shot can get 90 tesla for 25 milliseconds.
FURTHER READING
Preprint of the research paper
From Nature the research paper, Two-band superconductivity in LaFeAsO0.89F0.11 at very high magnetic fields
Researchers report resistance measurements of LaFeAsO0.89F0.11 at high magnetic fields, up to 45 T, that show a remarkable enhancement of the upper critical field B c2 compared to values expected from the slopes dB c2/dT 2 T K-1 near T c, particularly at low temperatures where the deduced B c2(0) 63–65 T exceeds the paramagnetic limit. They argue that oxypnictides represent a new class of high-field superconductors with B c2 values surpassing those of Nb3Sn, MgB2 and the Chevrel phases, and perhaps exceeding the 100 T magnetic field benchmark of the high-T c copper oxides.
The new iron based superconductors could open up a new path to room temperature superconductors
MRI magnets are usually in the 0.5 to 3.0 Tesla range
The most powerful MRI has a 9.4 Tesla field
Researchers and physicians hope that the 9.4T will usher in a new era of brain imaging in which they will be able to observe metabolic processes and customize health care.
Oncologists, for example, may one day be able to tailor radiation therapy based on a brain tumor's real-time response to treatment. Currently, physicians often must wait weeks to see if a tumor is shrinking in response to therapy. With the 9.4T, it will be possible to see if individual cells within the tumor are dying long before the tumor has begun to shrink.
It offers physicians a real-time view of biological processes in the human brain.
Magnetic field strength is an important factor in determining image quality. Higher magnetic fields increase signal-to-noise ratio, permitting higher resolution or faster scanning. However, higher field strengths require more costly magnets with higher maintenance costs, and have increased safety concerns
Better magnet material (such as the iron based superconductors) could also allow a magnet field strength at current levels with smaller magnets. Some MRI devices how weigh hundreds of tons.
Superconducting magnets at wikipedia
Current superconductors have enabled a 36.5 MW prototype engine for the navy that is three times smaller than the same power engine using ordinary wiring. The new iron superconductors might make engines even smaller or more powerful (if they can also carry a lot of current.)
May 29, 2008
Carnival of Space Week 56
Carnival of Space week 56 is up at the main Lifeboat Foundation blog.
Nextbigfuture contributed A reproducible cold fusion experiment might have been made and a promising regular nuclear fusion approach, plasma focus fusion, has received $10 million in funding
There were several articles about the Phoenix space craft landing on Mars
Phoenix spacecraft parachuting to a landing on Mars
Music of the Spheres discusses the possibility of other civilizations arising in our galaxy
Centauri Dreams talks about finding earth like worlds
Go see the other articles at the Carnival of Space week 56 at the main Lifeboat Foundation blog.
April 04, 2008
Summary and Review of ABC : living to 150
Barbara Walters had a show: Live to 150..Can you do it? It was light on details and touched a lot of the topics in the longevity area.
Alcor, the cryogenics company has their article
ABC has other related articles.
I saw the show. It was a very quick run through of many topics on aging. Aubrey's section was maybe 2 minutes and half of that was him riding a bike and paddling on water. His actual speaking points were a very brief summary of extend life 30 years and then during that time extend it again by 50 years and so on up to 1000 years. No details or even mentioning of SENS. Barbara does describe him as a respected scientist and active and basically a "leader in the field".
They had an extended bit on Advanced Cell Technologies corporation. A company whose stock has tanked. Because they could show video of an articifially created rat heart. They interviewed the CSO. Dr. Robert P. Lanza M.D., 51
Chief Scientific Officer. He predicts hundreds of years of life extension using organ and cell replacement and rejuvenation.
Calorie restriction segment shows practitioners and how they eat.
And then a lot of the show (almost half) is talking about and showing how extending life will be good and fulfilling and shows these active older people enjoying life and how people will have many careers and maybe many partners and maybe older woman will become lesbians because they will live so much longer than men. They also mentioned that 30 years was added to life expectancy in the 20th century.
They also talked about gray power and how boomers and others may retain their positions and power and thus help push the funding and effort towards life extension forward.
I think the more older reporters and journalists that there are on 60 minutes and ABC and other places then the more there will be favorable shows of this type.
FURTHER READING
A facebook discussion
Carnival of Space Week 48
I am stepping in as late last minute host for the Carnival of Space week 48. Thanks to Fraser Cain of Universe Today for letting me host. Send your Carnival of space entries for week 49 to carnivalofspace at gmail dot com.
We have Mars, Red Dwarfs, Astronomy meetings, 2001, Forbidden Planet, Dr Who, aliens that could hide their solar system and more.
From Centauri dreams we have Red Dwarfs: Dust, Details and Habitability 
One of three pictures in the red dwarf ariticle.
Here Paul Gilster is looking at a recent paper on dust disks around red dwarfs, but the broader speculation is really about red dwarfs themselves and the odds on habitable planets around them. 75 million in our galaxy if we assume 1 per thousand stars -- and the article goes on to look at the other assumptions in that statement, and contrasts red dwarfs to G and K stars.
From Ed Minchau at Space Feeds Every day, Space Feeds shows a space video of the day; from these Ed chooses a Space Video of the Week. 
This week's video is the classic 1956 science fiction movie Forbidden Planet.
From Hobby space and Space Transport News is
Surrey's GIOVE-A : a full success
The GIOVE-A satellite, built and launched by Surrey Satellite, is another example of how an entrepreneurial, innovative, "NewSpace" style approach can succeed at rapid, low cost development of space systems.
David Portee at altairvi has a series of blog posts on the 40th anniversary of the film 2001. The film premiered 40 years ago today in Washington, DC. David's blog series started on Monday and will continue through Sunday, April 6, when the trimmed-back version of the film screened for the first time in NYC. His first post gave the dates of 2001's press screenings and premieres, and the second considered the inspiration behind the good ship Discovery. Today's will look at a Earth-moon transportation proposal described in a paper with the title "2001: A Space Odyssey Revisited." 
There will also be one in which he compare the monolith and the TARDIS and discuss our perceptions of superraces.
Dynamics of Cats at science blogs has NASA launches USS enterprise. Note the date of the article.
Martian Chronicles has an update on the Opportunity rover from Monday's planning session. They are working on driving over close to a cliff in Victoria Crater called Cape Verde. They posted a low-resolution "thumbnail mosaic" of Cape Verde 
See their links for more pictures.
as well as an image showing where the rover is now.
Another posting after the second rover planning meeting.
Starts with a bang has a little game called "Mars or Arizona?" He shows you pictures and you have to guess whether it's a picture of Mars or a picture of Arizona. So far the highest score is 10/13.
From Cumbrian Sky we have what will Phoenix see [on Mars] when she opens her eyes?
Pamela Gay at Star Stryder
has IYA taking shape
Summary: IYA is taking shape - People and tools are all slowly emerging to make 2009 a year of great astronomical promise
Ian O'neill at Astroengine has a brief story about the recent sunspot activity and cycle overlap.
Orbiting frog is submiting the entire National Astronomy meeting blog They are covering the UK National Astronomy meeting which is on this week and since its a one-week thing. They are covering press releases from the UK and talks/poster sessions.
Astroprof's Page has Too Much Radiation?
Summary: About radiation exposure to astronauts on long duration space missions.
A Babe in the Universe has Eruptions. Halma'uma'u crater on Hawaii's Big Island is erupting and simultaneously our Cassini spacecraft has found organic molicules erupting from Saturn's moon Enceladus
Earth and a distant moon share the phenomenon of internal heat sculpting their surfaces. Study of worlds like Enceladus offers clues to our own planet
My own Next Big Future entry Fermi Paradox, metamaterials and alien civilizations that are not distinguishable from dark matter.
Summary: Recently developed metamaterials are being developed to make objects that they surround invisible to microwaves and some optical wavelengths. They can also make things invisible to magnetic fields and sound and other waves. The Fermi paradox is based on assumptions about what aliens with advanced technology would or would not do and that the works of very advanced aliens should be visible to humans or that they or their robots should be greeting us like the galactic welcome wagon. Advanced aliens if they could build massive Dyson spheres could also make those things fade into the interstellar background. Plus we need to be humble and realistic in our assessment of how hard we have looked at the universe for life. This year we are finding that the Milky way is twice as thick as we thought (12000
light years not 6000) and last year the Andremeda Galaxy is five times bigger than we thought. These kinds of errors should tell us how clueless we are judging whether looking at some pinpoints of light tells us about whether there is or is not advanced life.
UPDATE: Centauri Dreams has an excellent follow up to my article on what aliens might do with Dyson spheres and current efforts to look for Dyson sphere building aliens.
