Author: Allison

Roland Piquepaille writes "According to the Daily Californian, researchers at UC Berkeley have developed a new technique to build monolayers of nanowires. By applying various kinds of chemistry to these nanowires, they think it will open the way for future applications in nanotechnology. "The monolayers can be placed onto surfaces such as plastics, polymers, glass, silicon and even soft, flexible surfaces. With so many possibilities, the nanowires can be used as active components in solar cells, light-emitting diodes and other optics to enhance electromagnetic signals." The researchers also are targeting surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for better detection of chemicals and explosives. This summary contains more details and a spectacular photograph of these monolayers of nanowires."

Phil Bowermaster writes "Skeptic Michael Shermer is having a little fun at the expense of the life extension movement with an opinion piece running on ScientificAmerican.com. Let's have a look:

For most of our history, humans could turn only to prayer and poetry to help cope with this reality. Today we are offered scientistic alternatives–if not for immortality itself, then at least for longevity of biblical proportions. All have some basis in science, but none has achieved anything like scientific confirmation. Here is a short sampling, from the almost sublime to the near ridiculous:

Continued…"

Dr_Barnowl writes "The BBC reports that scientists at Purdue university have mapped out the structure of cytochrome in blue-green algae.

Cytochromes are the core of the photosynthetic process, making them an interesting photo-electro-chemical curiosity and potentially a model for nanotech systems with similar functions, although less "squishy" alternates might be more efficient."