{"id":22954,"date":"2016-11-13T06:28:21","date_gmt":"2016-11-13T06:28:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/SciTech-ScienceSunday-Digest-462016"},"modified":"2016-11-13T06:28:21","modified_gmt":"2016-11-13T06:28:21","slug":"scitech-sciencesunday-digest-462016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/csidemedia.com\/mikerm\/2016\/11\/13\/scitech-sciencesunday-digest-462016\/","title":{"rendered":"SciTech #ScienceSunday Digest – 46\/2016."},"content":{"rendered":" \n

SciTech <\/strong>#ScienceSunday Digest – 46\/2016.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Permalink here:<\/em> http:\/\/www.scitechdigest.net\/2016\/11\/metamaterial-radar-metamaterial.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Metamaterial radar, Metamaterial semiconductors, Hybrid anti-lasers, Machine learning advances, Cyclocopter microdrone, Clones age normally, Implants fix paralysis, fMRI lie detector, Zika virus therapies, Carbon nanomaterials pressurised.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1. Metamaterial Radar for Drones<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Echodyne has demonstrated a metameterial radar device the size of a phone whose performance is comparable to expensive, bulky military-grade phased-array radars http:\/\/spectrum.ieee.org\/automaton\/robotics\/drones\/metamaterial-radar-is-exactly-what-delivery-drones-need<\/a>. Next year the improved device will allow a drone to detect power lines 800m away, small drones 1km away, and small planes 3km away, and all regardless of the weather conditions. Their metamaterial, comprised of layers of patterned copper wiring with radar beam control facilitated by heating different regions, drastically reduces the size, complexity, and cost of effective high resolution radar applications powering sense-and-avoid capabilities for autonomous vehicles and other devices. Meanwhile Osram continues to shrink LIDAR systems http:\/\/spectrum.ieee.org\/cars-that-think\/transportation\/sensors\/osrams-laser-chip-for-lidar-promises-supershort-pulses-in-a-smaller-package<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2. Metamaterials Power Semiconductor-Free Electronics<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In related metamaterial news, a microscale metamaterial device functions as a semiconductor via the application of a low voltage and low power laser, which boosts electrical conductivity by 1,000% http:\/\/jacobsschool.ucsd.edu\/news\/news_releases\/release.sfe?id=2060<\/a>. The metasurface is designed such that the influence of this light and low voltage causes certain spots to generate very high electric fields able to pull electrons from a metal and liberate them. An interesting novelty at this stage it\u2019ll be interesting to see what applications are developed: where do you need semiconducting properties but can\u2019t have semiconducting elements? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3. Hybrid Laser Anti-Lasers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new device demonstrates both laser and anti-laser capabilities for telecommunications applications, and would enable the development of devices that can flexibly operate as lasers, amplifiers, modulators, absorbers, and detectors http:\/\/newscenter.lbl.gov\/2016\/11\/07\/lasers-anti-lasers-one-device\/<\/a>. While a laser amplifies a certain frequency of light, an anti-laser completely absorbs a certain frequency of light and can pick up signals among noisy backgrounds. The architecture of the device, a microscale alternating array of two materials, is the first to achieve what is known as \u201cparity-time symmetry\u201d in which an amplifying gain medium can also be a absorbing loss medium. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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4. Latest Machine Learning Advances<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, LipNet is a deep learning system that can lipread from video to transcribe sentences with 93.4% accuracy, outperforming experienced human lipreaders http:\/\/prostheticknowledge.tumblr.com\/post\/152735696866\/lipnet-deep-learning-research-from-the-university<\/a>. Second, another system generates and suggests alternative promising drug molecules for investigation https:\/\/www.technologyreview.com\/s\/602756\/software-dreams-up-new-molecules-in-quest-for-wonder-drugs\/<\/a>. Third, DeepMind and Blizzard are collaborating to open up and use StarCraft II as a formal AI and machine learning environment https:\/\/deepmind.com\/blog\/deepmind-and-blizzard-release-starcraft-ii-ai-research-environment\/<\/a>. Finally, a new system makes gains in automatic information extraction from text but automatically generating search queries and including new texts in its analysis http:\/\/news.mit.edu\/2016\/artificial-intelligence-system-surfs-web-improve-performance-1110<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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5. Cyclocopter Microdrone<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A tiny 29 gram cyclocopter drone has been developed that utilises a novel lift and thrust mechanism based on a single cycloidal rotor that can generate instant vector thrust http:\/\/spectrum.ieee.org\/automaton\/robotics\/drones\/worlds-smallest-cyclocopter-brings-unique-design-to-microdrones<\/a>. Check out the video, it is pretty cool. The cyclorotor design provides excellent maneuverability and efficiency, as well as more stability, lower noise, and faster than helicopters. We might even see this design adapted to carry humans at some point given the key hurdle of large centrifugal bending loads can be overcome with better composite materials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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6. Cloned Animals Age Normally<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Latest research suggests that cloned animals age at the same rate and achieve the same lifespan as normal animals https:\/\/www.fightaging.org\/archives\/2016\/11\/do-cloned-animals-age-normally\/<\/a>. There had been concerns over many years as to whether this was the case but it appears that once the cloned animal reaches adulthood most problems that might arise from the somatic cell nuclear transfer and reprogramming procedure are effectively overcome and a normal life outcome should be expected. Addressing the rates of reprogramming errors are of course important and an ongoing research area, but for those animals who reach maturity telomeres and other cellular degradations appear to be restored. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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7. Brain & Spine Implants Circumvent Paralysis<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monkeys with partial spinal cord injuries were able to walk again thanks to a new system involving a brain implant and a spinal implant that bridged the injury with wireless data connection http:\/\/spectrum.ieee.org\/the-human-os\/biomedical\/bionics\/brain-and-spine-implants-let-a-paralyzed-monkey-walk-again<\/a>. The brain implant records specific activity in the motor cortex that coordinates leg movement, decodes these signals and sends to the spinal implant, which stimulates a specific location in the spinal cord in order to generate appropriate leg movement. Meanwhile NeuroGrid is an electrode grid on plastic wrap that can cover and cling to the brain to perform high-resolution recording and stimulation of neurons http:\/\/spectrum.ieee.org\/the-human-os\/biomedical\/devices\/new-implant-safely-records-activity-from-individual-neurons<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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8. Spotting Lies With fMRI<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As expected, functional magnetic resonance imaging has proven to be significantly more effective at spotting lies than typical polygraph tests http:\/\/www.uphs.upenn.edu\/news\/News_Releases\/2016\/11\/langleben\/<\/a>. In the comparison study neuroscientists reviewing fMRI scans were 24% more likely to detect deception than professional polygraph examiners reviewing polygraph recordings. Interestingly, in 17 subjects in which the polygraph and fMRI agreed on the particular lie, they were 100% correct. Still, it is unsure whether fMRI scans will ever be admissible as evidence in court. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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9. Zika Antibody Therapy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new antibody has proven effective in tests in mice to protect babies in the womb from the effects of Zika Virus, effectively transferring from the mother\u2019s blood, through the placenta, and into the baby\u2019s brain http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/health-37897617<\/a>. This is in addition to a promising Zika Virus vaccine being developed to prevent infection in the first place http:\/\/www.defense.gov\/News\/Article\/Article\/999584\/human-trials-begin-for-army-developed-zika-vaccine<\/a>. While Zika proves catastrophic in babies with rapidly growing brains (by targeting neural stem cells), adults also have neural stem cells needed throughout life, and I suspect Zika may result in long-term neurological conditions so any therapy will be doubly beneficial. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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10. Pressurising Carbon Nanomaterials<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, applying high pressure (55 GPa) to multi-walled carbon nanotubes results in the walls of different carbon nanotubes fusing together to create an ultrastrong bulk material and opening the possibility of covalent inter-tube bonding for polymerised carbon nanotubes https:\/\/mipt.ru\/english\/news\/pressure_welding_nanotubes_creates_ultrastrong_material<\/a>. Second, applying a pressure difference across graphene membranes results in the perceived colour of the graphene shifting colour (a type of strain-tronics or strain-optics in this case) and is a phenomena that might be exploited in displays http:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2016-11-graphene-balloons.html<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SciTech Tip Jar:<\/em> http:\/\/www.scitechdigest.net\/p\/donate.html<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SciTech #ScienceSunday Digest – 46\/2016.
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