By STEVEN R. WEISMAN, February 27, 2004
"The Bush administration plans to announce that, in a step to lessen the dangers of land mines, it will end the use of long-lasting mines in warfare and instead concentrate on mines that go inert within hours or days, an administration official said Thursday....The official said the United States would also make its mines detectable so they can be removed when a conflict is over. But he did not say what would prevent an enemy from detecting them during a conflict."
Hmm. There are some specific situations where landmines are required, and in those situations, I'm not sure that ones that go inactive in "hours or days" will work (like the DMZ in Korea). As for making them detectable, there are quite a few patents on equipment to detect these things; so, anyone could figure out how to find them--specifically, enemy combatants, but probably not villagers or non-combatants.
Friday, February 27, 2004
Thursday, February 26, 2004
New York Times: What's Next: Piercing the Fog With a Tiny Chip
by ANNE EISENBERG, 2/26/04
..."A team of electrical engineers at the California Institute of Technology has shrunk the functions of a radar system into one tiny, intricately designed silicon chip and eight minuscule antennas." The uses the author gives are in cars for warnings when backing up, etc. Argh. Maybe having a car that you can see out of would be helpful! I see many military applications in this.
..."A team of electrical engineers at the California Institute of Technology has shrunk the functions of a radar system into one tiny, intricately designed silicon chip and eight minuscule antennas." The uses the author gives are in cars for warnings when backing up, etc. Argh. Maybe having a car that you can see out of would be helpful! I see many military applications in this.
Books of The Times | 'The Fabric of the Cosmos': The Almost Inconceivable, but Don't Be Intimidated
review by JANET MASLIN, 2/26/04 (although not really a review, more like discussion.)
oh-oh.... can't wait. This came out on the 10th and I'm just hearing about it now? I read the Elegant Universe and liked it. I also saw him (and my old prof from Maryland, Jim Gates) on Nova. I'll get on the list for it right away.
oh-oh.... can't wait. This came out on the 10th and I'm just hearing about it now? I read the Elegant Universe and liked it. I also saw him (and my old prof from Maryland, Jim Gates) on Nova. I'll get on the list for it right away.
ScienceDaily News Release: A New Step In Spintronics: 'Organic Spin Valves' Shown Feasible For New Electronic Devices
from University of Utah, 2/26/04
"University of Utah physicists have taken an important step toward a new generation of faster, cheaper computers and electronics by building the first "organic spin valves" – electrical switches that integrate two emerging fields of technology: organic semiconductor electronics and spin electronics, or spintronics."
Article has a nice description of what spintronics are an why organic spin valves are better: "organic semiconductors are inexpensive and simpler to make, can be manufactured at lower temperatures with fewer toxic wastes, have electronic properties that can be adjusted, and are flexible so they can be molded to desired shapes."
"University of Utah physicists have taken an important step toward a new generation of faster, cheaper computers and electronics by building the first "organic spin valves" – electrical switches that integrate two emerging fields of technology: organic semiconductor electronics and spin electronics, or spintronics."
Article has a nice description of what spintronics are an why organic spin valves are better: "organic semiconductors are inexpensive and simpler to make, can be manufactured at lower temperatures with fewer toxic wastes, have electronic properties that can be adjusted, and are flexible so they can be molded to desired shapes."
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
Aerade: Aerospace and Defence
This is the coolest portal.
"The AERADE portal provides integrated access to key aerospace and defence information sources:
Aerospace and defence resources - quality assessed Internet sites
DEVISE - a special collection of military and defence resources
ESDU Series - abstracts for engineering design data and methods
Internet Aviator - an interactive tutorial.
NewsBrief - aerospace and defence news from Moreover.
ConferenceBrief - a list of forthcoming aerospace and defence conferences and events."
I did a sample search on UAVs and was really impressed with the results. Relevant and authoritative resources. Stuff to trust. I've already furl'ed it. Can't wait to get a chance to try it for/with a customer! Oh, and looks like they have a newsletter, but only quarterly and no feed. I've added their what's new page to WatchThatPage, we'll see how that goes. (pointed out by Shirl Kennedy on The Resource Shelf)
"The AERADE portal provides integrated access to key aerospace and defence information sources:
Aerospace and defence resources - quality assessed Internet sites
DEVISE - a special collection of military and defence resources
ESDU Series - abstracts for engineering design data and methods
Internet Aviator - an interactive tutorial.
NewsBrief - aerospace and defence news from Moreover.
ConferenceBrief - a list of forthcoming aerospace and defence conferences and events."
I did a sample search on UAVs and was really impressed with the results. Relevant and authoritative resources. Stuff to trust. I've already furl'ed it. Can't wait to get a chance to try it for/with a customer! Oh, and looks like they have a newsletter, but only quarterly and no feed. I've added their what's new page to WatchThatPage, we'll see how that goes. (pointed out by Shirl Kennedy on The Resource Shelf)
The Engineer: Shedding a new light on earthquake damage
2/20/04
Shedding a new light on earthquake damage
[new optical strain gauge]
"Detecting structural damage caused by earthquakes will be 100 times easier thanks to a new optical strain gauge, according to its US developers [URI]... the new optical gauge uses a waveguide system with coatings of semiconductors, making it up to 100 times more sensitive. "
This is already production-ready. This technology is 1) cheaper 2) more sensitive 3) independent of temperature.
Shedding a new light on earthquake damage
[new optical strain gauge]
"Detecting structural damage caused by earthquakes will be 100 times easier thanks to a new optical strain gauge, according to its US developers [URI]... the new optical gauge uses a waveguide system with coatings of semiconductors, making it up to 100 times more sensitive. "
This is already production-ready. This technology is 1) cheaper 2) more sensitive 3) independent of temperature.
NOVA: Spies That Fly
Aired on PBS 2/24/04
This was a pretty cool program. It provided a history of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and historical information about their uses. It also discussed the evolution from spy planes (like the U-2) to satellite to predator. It also discussed projects in development like Global Hawk and Dragon Eye. What they didn't discuss is multiple UAVs interoperating in a network not ground controlled. I really think this is where science is going. I just ran across UAV Forum. It appears to be a pretty helpful site.
This was a pretty cool program. It provided a history of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and historical information about their uses. It also discussed the evolution from spy planes (like the U-2) to satellite to predator. It also discussed projects in development like Global Hawk and Dragon Eye. What they didn't discuss is multiple UAVs interoperating in a network not ground controlled. I really think this is where science is going. I just ran across UAV Forum. It appears to be a pretty helpful site.
Tuesday, February 24, 2004
Scientific American: Better Displays with Organic Films
"Light-emitting organic materials offer brighter and more efficient displays than LEDs. And you'll be able to unroll them across a tabletop"
by Webster E. Howard, 2/2004
There are quite a few articles now on electronic paper and also flexible batteries.
by Webster E. Howard, 2/2004
There are quite a few articles now on electronic paper and also flexible batteries.
Monday, February 23, 2004
BBC News: US military creates second Earth
2/23/2004
"The US Army is building a second version of Earth on computer to help it prepare for conflicts around the world.
The detailed simulation will be drawn from a real-world terrain database and will be drawn to the same scale as the original.
The software Earth is being created for the US Army by gaming company There, which is currently working on a virtual world for gamers.
The first version of the virtual planet should be finished by September."
Interesting, but if you read the rest of the article, you'll see that they're not as far along as it makes you think.
"The US Army is building a second version of Earth on computer to help it prepare for conflicts around the world.
The detailed simulation will be drawn from a real-world terrain database and will be drawn to the same scale as the original.
The software Earth is being created for the US Army by gaming company There, which is currently working on a virtual world for gamers.
The first version of the virtual planet should be finished by September."
Interesting, but if you read the rest of the article, you'll see that they're not as far along as it makes you think.
ScienceDaily News Release: Researchers Hone Radiation Source For Terahertz Devices; Potential Applications In Medicine, Remote Sensing, Imaging And Satelli
From a news release from Lehigh.
"Terahertz (THz) frequencies, ranging from 0.1 to 10 THz, have potential applications in medicine, remote sensing, imaging and satellite communications, but are nonetheless one of the most under-utilized frequency ranges. That is because the THz range lies between the microwave frequency range and the near-infrared and optical frequency ranges, in which conventional semiconductor devices are usually operated ...Ding and his research group, which includes four Ph.D. candidates, one M.S. candidate and two post-doctoral researchers, have developed a method of focusing two high-frequency lasers to generate tunable and coherent THz waves in the range of 58 to 3540 microns. "
"Terahertz (THz) frequencies, ranging from 0.1 to 10 THz, have potential applications in medicine, remote sensing, imaging and satellite communications, but are nonetheless one of the most under-utilized frequency ranges. That is because the THz range lies between the microwave frequency range and the near-infrared and optical frequency ranges, in which conventional semiconductor devices are usually operated ...Ding and his research group, which includes four Ph.D. candidates, one M.S. candidate and two post-doctoral researchers, have developed a method of focusing two high-frequency lasers to generate tunable and coherent THz waves in the range of 58 to 3540 microns. "
'Dark Energy' Backs Idea Einstein Junked (washingtonpost.com)
By Rob Stein, 2/21/04
"Astronomers announced yesterday they had found strong new evidence that a theory Albert Einstein proposed but later discarded may have been right after all, providing crucial new clues to the fundamental nature and eventual fate of the cosmos."
This is reassuring (although it sounds a little sinister). I would hate to think the universe will rip itself apart.(free registration may be required)
"Astronomers announced yesterday they had found strong new evidence that a theory Albert Einstein proposed but later discarded may have been right after all, providing crucial new clues to the fundamental nature and eventual fate of the cosmos."
This is reassuring (although it sounds a little sinister). I would hate to think the universe will rip itself apart.(free registration may be required)
Friday, February 20, 2004
Wired News: Russia Tests New Wonder Weapon
"MOSCOW -- Russia has successfully tested a hypersonic anti-Star Wars weapon capable of penetrating any prospective missile shield, a senior general said Thursday.
The prototype weapon proved it could maneuver so quickly as to make "any missile defense useless," Col.-Gen. Yuri Baluyevsky, the first deputy chief of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces, told a news conference..."
This is interesting, I wonder if it came out in response to the news reports that their missile testing the previous day had gone so wrong... Russians Fail for Second Day in Missile Test By STEVEN LEE MYERS, NY Times, February 19, 2004
"MOSCOW, Feb. 18 — President Vladimir V. Putin oversaw one of Russia's largest strategic military exercises in years for a second day on Wednesday, and, for a second day, something went wrong.
An intercontinental ballistic missile fired from the nuclear submarine Karelia in the Barents Sea veered wildly off course 98 seconds after the launching and self-destructed, a navy spokesman, Capt. Igor V. Dygalo, said. The cause of the malfunction, he said, would be investigated..."
The prototype weapon proved it could maneuver so quickly as to make "any missile defense useless," Col.-Gen. Yuri Baluyevsky, the first deputy chief of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces, told a news conference..."
This is interesting, I wonder if it came out in response to the news reports that their missile testing the previous day had gone so wrong... Russians Fail for Second Day in Missile Test By STEVEN LEE MYERS, NY Times, February 19, 2004
"MOSCOW, Feb. 18 — President Vladimir V. Putin oversaw one of Russia's largest strategic military exercises in years for a second day on Wednesday, and, for a second day, something went wrong.
An intercontinental ballistic missile fired from the nuclear submarine Karelia in the Barents Sea veered wildly off course 98 seconds after the launching and self-destructed, a navy spokesman, Capt. Igor V. Dygalo, said. The cause of the malfunction, he said, would be investigated..."
Wired News: Russia Tests New Wonder Weapon
"MOSCOW -- Russia has successfully tested a hypersonic anti-Star Wars weapon capable of penetrating any prospective missile shield, a senior general said Thursday.
The prototype weapon proved it could maneuver so quickly as to make "any missile defense useless," Col.-Gen. Yuri Baluyevsky, the first deputy chief of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces, told a news conference..."
This is interesting, I wonder if it came out in response to the news reports that their missile testing the previous day had gone so wrong... Russians Fail for Second Day in Missile Test By STEVEN LEE MYERS, NY Times, February 19, 2004
"MOSCOW, Feb. 18 — President Vladimir V. Putin oversaw one of Russia's largest strategic military exercises in years for a second day on Wednesday, and, for a second day, something went wrong.
An intercontinental ballistic missile fired from the nuclear submarine Karelia in the Barents Sea veered wildly off course 98 seconds after the launching and self-destructed, a navy spokesman, Capt. Igor V. Dygalo, said. The cause of the malfunction, he said, would be investigated..."
The prototype weapon proved it could maneuver so quickly as to make "any missile defense useless," Col.-Gen. Yuri Baluyevsky, the first deputy chief of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces, told a news conference..."
This is interesting, I wonder if it came out in response to the news reports that their missile testing the previous day had gone so wrong... Russians Fail for Second Day in Missile Test By STEVEN LEE MYERS, NY Times, February 19, 2004
"MOSCOW, Feb. 18 — President Vladimir V. Putin oversaw one of Russia's largest strategic military exercises in years for a second day on Wednesday, and, for a second day, something went wrong.
An intercontinental ballistic missile fired from the nuclear submarine Karelia in the Barents Sea veered wildly off course 98 seconds after the launching and self-destructed, a navy spokesman, Capt. Igor V. Dygalo, said. The cause of the malfunction, he said, would be investigated..."
Hubble Reveals Dramatic New Phase of a Supernova Explosion
By Robert Roy Britt, 19 February 2004
"The most dramatic stellar explosion witnessed in centuries just got more interesting. New images from the Hubble Space Telescope show a dying star's "ring of fire" entering a new phase of brightness.
The remarkable event is the only one of its kind ever recorded by telescopes. "
"The most dramatic stellar explosion witnessed in centuries just got more interesting. New images from the Hubble Space Telescope show a dying star's "ring of fire" entering a new phase of brightness.
The remarkable event is the only one of its kind ever recorded by telescopes. "
Thursday, February 19, 2004
Mars Exploration Rover Mission: SPIRIT UPDATE: Spirit Does a "Wheel Wiggle"
Chasse', Chasse' or is it put your right wheel in, take your right wheel out, put your right wheel in and shake it all about... Who knew that keeping up with the rovers would be this fun?
Explosive evidence that will not wash away
From The New Scientist, 11:52 19 February 04
"Bombers and bomb makers could soon be exposed by testing their hair for traces of explosives.
Jimmie Oxley, a chemist at the University of Rhode Island, Kingston, has extracted nanograms of the common explosives TNT, RDX and PETN from the hair of workers who handle these chemicals daily when training airport sniffer dogs. Even after several washes and brushing, the explosives still showed up in chromatography tests on a solvent-soaked comb that was run through the hair."
This we knew, right? A little surprised it lasts that long; however, this is for employees who handle the chemicals daily. What about if the bomb builder is not the bomb deliverer? I think this would be common. We'll have to see the paper she presents at the SPIE Defense & Security Symposium.
"Bombers and bomb makers could soon be exposed by testing their hair for traces of explosives.
Jimmie Oxley, a chemist at the University of Rhode Island, Kingston, has extracted nanograms of the common explosives TNT, RDX and PETN from the hair of workers who handle these chemicals daily when training airport sniffer dogs. Even after several washes and brushing, the explosives still showed up in chromatography tests on a solvent-soaked comb that was run through the hair."
This we knew, right? A little surprised it lasts that long; however, this is for employees who handle the chemicals daily. What about if the bomb builder is not the bomb deliverer? I think this would be common. We'll have to see the paper she presents at the SPIE Defense & Security Symposium.
Wednesday, February 18, 2004
Scientists Accuse White House of Distorting Facts
Scientists Accuse White House of Distorting Facts
"The Bush administration has deliberately and systematically distorted scientific fact in the service of policy goals on the environment, health, biomedical research and nuclear weaponry at home and abroad, a group of about 60 influential scientists, including 20 Nobel laureates, said in a statement issued today." (courtesy of Bob Michaelson via SLAPAM-L)
"The Bush administration has deliberately and systematically distorted scientific fact in the service of policy goals on the environment, health, biomedical research and nuclear weaponry at home and abroad, a group of about 60 influential scientists, including 20 Nobel laureates, said in a statement issued today." (courtesy of Bob Michaelson via SLAPAM-L)
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
Crystals Could End Up as the Fuel Tank of the Future
Crystals Could End Up as the Fuel Tank of the Future
"One hurdle in the envisioned switch to a "hydrogen economy," displacing fossil fuels, is that hydrogen, a gas at room temperatures, is bulky. ...Dr. Yaghi envisions the ephemeral crystals acting as hydrogen sponges, storing the gas at room temperatures under less pressure."
"One hurdle in the envisioned switch to a "hydrogen economy," displacing fossil fuels, is that hydrogen, a gas at room temperatures, is bulky. ...Dr. Yaghi envisions the ephemeral crystals acting as hydrogen sponges, storing the gas at room temperatures under less pressure."
Monday, February 16, 2004
Ocean Studies May Be Heading to Space
ABCNEWS.com : Ocean Studies May Be Heading to Space: "The skills and technology used to explore the extreme depths of the Earth's oceans will soon find work in outer space. Scientists are making plans to probe the icy seas of Jupiter's moons and drop a lander to the bizarre gasoline-like lakes of Titan, a moon of Saturn"
Group adds a dash of freshness to Morse code
baltimoresun.com - Group adds a dash of freshness to Morse code
The ITU added a new character to Morse Code. AKA the "commat" it stands for the @ symbol used in e-mails. From the article it "consists of the signals for "A" (dot-dash) and "C" (dash-dot-dash-dot), with no space between them. "
The ITU added a new character to Morse Code. AKA the "commat" it stands for the @ symbol used in e-mails. From the article it "consists of the signals for "A" (dot-dash) and "C" (dash-dot-dash-dot), with no space between them. "
Friday, February 13, 2004
The New Freedom Tower Will Host a Wind Farm
The new design to replace the World Trade Center twin towers in New York will be 1,776 feet. This places it above most of the turbulence that prevents wind power generation in urban areas. The designers hope that it will be able to generate power 40% of the time and will produce 2.6 million kWh of electricity annually.
See:
Battle McCarthy's site for more information.
Wednesday, February 11, 2004
How to Quickly Find Articles in the Top IS Journals
Ruth Bolotin Schwartz and Michele C. Russo. Communications of the ACM v47 i2 (February 2004): 98-101. If you are a subscriber to the ACM portal click here for the article.
These authors have pointed out what librarians have known all along: if you need to find articles on a subject, search in a research database. Your library provides these for you and can help you pick the best one.
Radical Warship Takes Shape
Navy's DD(X) May Launch Generation of Greater Efficiency
By Guy Gugliotta
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, February 8, 2004; Page A03
Radical Warship Takes Shape (washingtonpost.com)
This is a pretty nice overview of DD(x). It's really meant to solve a lot of the Navy's big upcoming issues
- draft - this can go closer to shore
- vls capacity - can carry a lot more sm-2s, sm-3s, tomahawks, VLA, etc.
- smaller crew - the most expensive part of the ship.
- lower radar cross section
What it won't do is be good for MIO/VBSS because it doesn't look threatening as a bigger ship does.
It actually kind of remindes me of the early iron-clads mixed with the Napoleonic era frigates. Tumblehome, indeed.
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
NASA really means it: No more Hubble
This article, HoustonChronicle.com - NASA says no to Hubble repair among several others reinforces NASA's decision not to continue with the Hubble although recently released internal NASA engineering documents show that Hubble could be maintained at a lower risk to astronauts. Maryland Senator Mikulski (D) is working to try to change NASA's mind because of the many Maryland jobs either directly or indirectly related to Hubble maintenance and research.
This article, HoustonChronicle.com - NASA says no to Hubble repair among several others reinforces NASA's decision not to continue with the Hubble although recently released internal NASA engineering documents show that Hubble could be maintained at a lower risk to astronauts. Maryland Senator Mikulski (D) is working to try to change NASA's mind because of the many Maryland jobs either directly or indirectly related to Hubble maintenance and research.
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