Errymath: Search results for breakthrough

Mysterious interstellar object of cigar-shaped 'comet' flies through Solar system

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTRDjInz6mZ3iU_kb5IOYaloPGL6t5xVXvH-RPltoNRNUFbKkkCmoQRafP1ZWt0wk3ThB5pJOZe470P5MYr1h4qODIelqdhVP5hUR5izM1itye9dWcISup4O0o0lJOEHZmjT6eHNZXyRw/s1600/5a2f1379fc7e9302308b4567.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTRDjInz6mZ3iU_kb5IOYaloPGL6t5xVXvH-RPltoNRNUFbKkkCmoQRafP1ZWt0wk3ThB5pJOZe470P5MYr1h4qODIelqdhVP5hUR5izM1itye9dWcISup4O0o0lJOEHZmjT6eHNZXyRw/s640/5a2f1379fc7e9302308b4567.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
   Last month, a mysterious cigar-shaped asteroid sailed past Earth, 
marking the first time an interstellar object has been seen in the solar
 system.<br />
<br />
<div class="article__summary summary ">
        A mysterious large object that has come from a different star 
system is to be examined by one of the world’s biggest telescopes for 
signs of alien technology.
    </div>
The 
Green Bank telescope will examine a mysterious object speeding through 
our solar system to check for signs of alien signals. The observation 
begins Wednesday and will be carried out by Breakthrough Listen, a 
global astronomical program searching for evidence of other 
civilizations.<br />
The cigar-shaped body was first spotted in the 
solar system by researchers on the Pan-Starrs telescope in Hawaii in 
October, Breakthrough Listen <a href="http://breakthroughinitiatives.org/news/14" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reports</a>.
 Named ‘Oumuamua after the Hawaiian word for “messenger,” it sped from 
interstellar space going as fast as 196,000 mph (315,000 kph) as it went
 past the sun.<br />
<br />
<img alt="The cigar-shaped object, named 'Oumuamua  by its discoverers, sailed past Earth last month and is the first interstellar object seen in the solar system" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" height="381" id="i-da72caa8f18988f3" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/12/11/473F465100000578-5167821-image-a-5_1513076520867.jpg" width="634" /><br />
The cigar-shaped object, named Oumuamua  by its discoverers, sailed 
past Earth last month and is the first interstellar object seen in the 
solar system. <br />
<br />
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Another oddity is that Oumuamua is flying 
very 'cleanly', without emitting the usual cloud of space dust that 
astronomers observe around asteroids.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Experts say this suggests it is made of something dense: probably rock, but possibly metal.</div>
<br />
<em>“'Oumuamua’s presence within our solar system affords 
Breakthrough Listen an opportunity to reach unprecedented sensitivities 
to possible artificial transmitters and demonstrate our ability to track
 nearby, fast-moving objects,”</em> said Andrew Siemion, Director of Berkeley SETI Research Center. <em>“Whether this object turns out to be artificial or natural, it’s a great target for [Breakthrough] Listen.”</em><br />
<br />
<em>“Most
 likely it is of natural origin, but because it is so peculiar, we would
 like to check if it has any sign of artificial origin, such as radio 
emissions,”</em> Avi Loeb, professor of astronomy at Harvard University and an adviser to the Breakthrough Listen project <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/dec/11/astronomers-to-check-interstellar-body-for-signs-of-alien-technology?CMP=twt_gu" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">told</a> the Guardian. <em>“If we do detect a signal that appears artificial in origin, we’ll know immediately.”</em><br />
<br />
The
 telescope, which is located in West Virginia, will listen for radio 
signals from 'Oumuamua across four different radio transmission bands. 
The powerful telescope can pick up signals as small as those that come 
from a mobile phone. 'Oumuamua is located twice as far from Earth as the
 sun.<br />
<br />
<img class="blkBorder" height="360" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/gif/2017/10/27/3a4ff6697cb4e06e9939992aeea30a50181681a5.gif" width="640" /> <br />
<br />
<strong></strong>The 400 meter-long celestial body is ten 
times longer than it is wide, and was thought to be an interstellar 
asteroid by many astronomers, but its shape is unlike anything seen 
before.<br />
The Breakthrough Listen project was launched by Stephen 
Hawking in 2015 and is funded by Russian billionaire Yuri Milner. It 
aims to listen for radio signals coming from potential other 
civilisations outside our solar system.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" width="698" height="573" scrolling="no" id="molvideoplayer" src="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/embed/video/1576716.html"></iframe>
<br />
<br /></div>

Mysterious interstellar object of cigar-shaped 'comet' flies through Solar system

Last month, a mysterious cigar-shaped asteroid sailed past Earth, marking the first time an interstellar object has been seen in the ...

Thermal reactor breakthrough

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJ0uvuPTgOZ34iOuh63qU9DYV_45TfZHP3_3fbYfbHJ_4yAqCkoDLG4zxCEUWjsvG1MqRaWQvdEQpYSPyvBDIsHYbz2xJckHj9VNnC351Wos2sJ6ZoyjpelC_pKdIUCj9Cbr6QufYdv8/s1600/a-nuclear-reactor-being-built-in-china-in-2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJ0uvuPTgOZ34iOuh63qU9DYV_45TfZHP3_3fbYfbHJ_4yAqCkoDLG4zxCEUWjsvG1MqRaWQvdEQpYSPyvBDIsHYbz2xJckHj9VNnC351Wos2sJ6ZoyjpelC_pKdIUCj9Cbr6QufYdv8/s400/a-nuclear-reactor-being-built-in-china-in-2011.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">File photo of a nuclear reactor being built in China. In 2011</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Thermal reactor breakthrough in Beijing could end nuclear waste problem and remove meltdown threat.<br />
Beijing mulling ambitious plan to get first accelerator-driven 
sub-critical nuclear reactor up and running in Guangdong province by 
2025; competing teams are suggesting different models. <br />
 
<br />
Chinese scientists have moved a step closer to being able to run a 
nuclear reactor without generating a chain reaction, a development that 
could remove the risk of a meltdown while also getting rid of masses of 
nuclear waste in a faster and safer way.<br />
All reactors today rely on chain reactions, but these can spiral out 
of control and result in massive explosions, as was the case with the 
Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine in 1986.<br />
They also generate large amounts of radioactive waste that can take millions of years to safely biodegrade.<br />
The Chinese team experimented with a new approach to resolve both 
issues by working on proton beams that could potentially be used in a 
sub-critical reactor.<br />
<br />
Nuclear scientists have dreamed of building one of these for decades,
 but until now they remain a theoretical construct due to various 
scientific challenges.<br />
The Chinese team used an external high-energy proton beam to generate
 and sustain the process of nuclear fission. As a result, the nuclear 
fuel stopped burning as soon as the beam was cut off. This removes the 
risk of chain reaction, which is used by today’s reactors to sustain 
nuclear fission, or the splitting of atoms.<br />
Moreover, the proton beam was able to generate neurons fast enough to
 burn off other fissile material – such as thorium and the waste 
generated by commercial reactors – after hitting its target. This was 
hailed an important nuclear “waste-disposal” measure.<br />
“We are really excited,” said Professor Pan Weimin, lead scientist of
 the Chinese Accelerator Driven System project at the Chinese Academy of
 Sciences’ Institute of High Energy Physics in Beijing.<br />
“We have solved the problem of getting the [reactor’s] ‘engine’ up and running from a cold start,” he added.<br />
Pan used the automobile analogy of starting up an old car engine on a
 cold day because of the comparable difficulties in generating a proton 
beam. Once up and running, it operates smoothly, but getting that 
initial “blast off” can be problematic.<br />
<br />
In order to “get the engine started” smoothly, the Chinese team successfully conducted an experiment in Beijing in October.<br />
In technical terms, they were able to stably accelerate a beam of 
very slow-moving protons at a current of 10 milliamps to 6.04 
milli-electron volts, according to a statement on the website of the 
Chinese Academy of Sciences.<br />
That meant they were able to achieve the initial “blast off” needed 
to get a sub-critical reactor going, Pan said. The breakthrough removed a
 major technological obstacle that has hindered the construction of this
 as-yet paper-based reactor.<br />
“We built a brand new nuclear ‘engine’,” he said. “It isn’t running 
at full throttle yet, but it’s up and cruising in a stable manner.”<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, China’s central government has been mulling an ambitious 
plan to try and make a sub-critical reactor a reality in a coastal city 
in southern Guangdong province.<br />
Pan and other nuclear physicists in China have been involved in this 
project. Pan said his team has submitted their proposed full-sized 
accelerator-driven reactor to the authorities and are awaiting – or 
hoping for – approval.<br />
With the recent pace of technological development, Pan expressed 
confidence that the new-generation power plant could be built within a 
decade.<br />
But other Chinese researchers claim his solution may not be the best 
one, as there are other designs of new reactors and different 
methodologies.<br />
<br />
“The proton accelerator is a very large and sophisticated system, but
 it is too early to say whether their method is better than ours,” said 
one physicist, who declined to give his name.<br />
This man’s team has been working on a different way of accelerating 
protons at the Nuclear Reactor Physics Laboratory in Lanzhou, the 
capital city of Gansu province in Northwest China.<br />
The idea of a sub-critical reactor was first proposed by American 
physicist Earnest Lawrence in the 1950s. It attracted international 
interest thanks to the support of Carlo Rubbia, a co-winner of the Nobel
 Prize in Physics in 1984.<br />
<br />
But they have proven a tough nut to crack. In addition to the problem
 of generating powerful and stable proton beams, there are numerous 
other structural and mechanical challenges yet to be solved.<br />
In tackling these, China also faces competition from other countries.<br />
Japan demonstrated a prototype in 2009 and Europe has announced plans
 to build an industrial-scale reactor called Myrrha by 2023, even though
 delays are expected.<br />
Moreover, this kind of reactor is just one of several possible 
options for the future of nuclear power generation. Competing designs 
include a “fast reactor” and “molten salt reactor”.<br />
<br />
<i>By Stephen Chen | SCMP “China’s Thermal Reactor Breakthrough”</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Ancient discoveries: Thousands of gold & bronze items unearthed at Chinese cemetery. 
</b></span><br />
<br />
2,200-year-old cemetery excavated in Haihunhou cemetery, Nanchang, the capital of Jiangxi Province, were given a rare treat when they unearthed more than 10 tons of Wuzhu bronze coins, along with more than 10,000 other gold, bronze and iron items. 
Jade articles, wood tablets, and bamboo slips were also among the unearthed treasures, Xin Lixiang of the China National Museum, who led the team of archeologists, told Xinhua.
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="460" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q5hy3D2rK3I" width="660"></iframe>

Thermal reactor breakthrough

File photo of a nuclear reactor being built in China. In 2011 Thermal reactor breakthrough in Beijing could end nuclear waste problem...

China Claims Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough, No Specifics

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img alt="Atom molecule in female hand (Shutterstock/ Sergey Nivens)" height="275" src="http://cdn01.dailycaller.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/rsz_shutterstock_403184353-e1473442569402.jpg" title="Atom molecule in female hand (Shutterstock/ Sergey Nivens)" width="640" /><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Atom molecule in female hand (Shutterstock/ Sergey Nivens)</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><a class="externalLink" href="http://dailycaller.com/author/andrew-follett/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ANDREW FOLLETT</a></i><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://dailycaller.com/2016/12/12/china-claims-nuclear-fusion-breakthrough-no-specifics/" target="_blank">Energy and Science Reporter</a> </span></b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">China’s state-controlled TV station claimed Sunday scientists made a major breakthrough in nuclear fusion research.<br />

Chinese researchers claim to have independently invented components to 
keep ionized gas burning steadily for twice the length of the previous 
record — an important step forward toward nuclear fusion, if true.<br />

The country allegedly created a component for a fusion reactor core that can withstand extremely high heat.<br />
<br />
“The component we invented is one of the first of its kind in the world 
that has passed the international cyclic heat test,” Cheng Jiming of 
China National Nuclear Corporation <a class="externalLink" href="http://english.cctv.com/2016/12/11/VIDEhckU10qimuaFeDvQwVRC161211.shtml" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">told CCTV</a>. “It really means a lot — it’s a great contribution to the international field of thermonuclear experimental reactors.”</span><br />
<br />
<div class="v2-processed image no-float">
<span class="image-caption-container image-caption-container-none" style="clear: none; display: inline-block; float: none; width: 465px;"><img class="caption lazyload-processed magic-processed loaded" data-ignore="true" data-original="http://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/660x385/public/images/methode/2016/12/08/a6e4f9e2-a622-11e6-a836-75a661626cad_660x385.jpg?itok=MPuPouDh" src="http://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/660x385/public/images/methode/2016/12/08/a6e4f9e2-a622-11e6-a836-75a661626cad_660x385.jpg?itok=MPuPouDh" title="The donut-shaped chamber at the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) in Hefei. Photo: Chinese Academy of Sciences" /><span class="image-caption hover-processed" style="display: block;"></span></span></div>
Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST).<br />
H-mode, in a donut-shaped chamber shielded by a extremely strong electromagnetic field.<br />
<br />
CCTV wasn’t clear about what kind of breakthrough allegedly occurred, other than to say China is “<a class="externalLink" href="http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/2044428/how-chinas-leading-world-nuclear-fusion-research" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">leaving other nations in the dust</a>” and will pour more money into fusion research.<br />
<br />
China’s component is supposed to be installed on the International 
Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in France. China provides 
about 10 percent of the financial support for ITER and has scientists 
directly involved in the project. It claims the new component <a class="externalLink" href="http://news.qq.com/a/20161211/004269.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">is about 20 percent more heat-resistant</a> than the reactor’s design requires.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" class="lazyload-processed loaded" data-caption="The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) facility in Hefei, Anhui province. Photo: EyePress" data-enlarge="http://cdn1.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/980w/public/images/methode/2016/12/08/6294efda-a61e-11e6-a836-75a661626cad_1280x720.jpg?itok=rtyQ28tG" data-ignore="true" data-original="http://cdn2.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/980x551/public/images/methode/2016/12/08/6294efda-a61e-11e6-a836-75a661626cad_1280x720.jpg?itok=vJQ0h0P7" height="359" src="http://cdn2.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/980x551/public/images/methode/2016/12/08/6294efda-a61e-11e6-a836-75a661626cad_1280x720.jpg?itok=vJQ0h0P7" title="The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) facility in Hefei, Anhui province. Photo: EyePress" width="640" />      
<br />
Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) in Anhui’s provincial<br />
  <br />
<div class="v2-processed image no-float">
<span class="image-caption-container image-caption-container-none" style="clear: none; display: inline-block; float: none; width: 465px;"><img class="caption lazyload-processed magic-processed loaded" data-ignore="true" data-original="http://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/660x385/public/images/methode/2016/12/08/2d27bea6-a61c-11e6-a836-75a661626cad_660x385.jpg?itok=v4GivXwt" src="http://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/660x385/public/images/methode/2016/12/08/2d27bea6-a61c-11e6-a836-75a661626cad_660x385.jpg?itok=v4GivXwt" title="Technicians build a radial plate for superconducting cables for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in a large workshop in La Seyne-Sur-Mer, southern France. Photo: AFP" /><span class="image-caption hover-processed" style="display: block;"></span></span></div>
International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in France <br />
ITER members – Japan, South Korea, China, Russia, the US, India and the European Union<br />
<br />
ITER was originally expected to cost <a class="externalLink" href="http://www.iter.org/faq#Do_we_really_know_how_much_ITER_will_cost" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">approximately $5.7 billion</a>. Cost overruns, design changes and rising raw material prices <a class="externalLink" href="http://www.iter.org/faq#Why_have_ITER_costs_risen" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">saw the amount almost triple to $ 14.9 billion</a>. The project could end up costing $20 billion. <br />
<br />
Scientists in Germany found fusion reactors are feasible <a class="externalLink" href="http://dailycaller.com/2016/12/06/did-germany-just-unlock-nuclear-fusion/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">earlier this month</a>
 by determining that an experimental reactor was generating the right 
kind of magnetic field to trap plasma for long enough for nuclear fusion
 to occur.<br />
<br />
German engineers from the Max Planck Institute <a class="externalLink" href="http://dailycaller.com/2015/12/17/germany-tests-fusion-reactor-but-will-abandon-nuclear-by-2022/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">successfully activated</a> the experimental nuclear fusion reactor used in the research last December and managed to <a class="externalLink" href="http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN-German-fusion-reactor-achieves-first-plasma-1612154.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">suspend plasma for the first time</a>. The reactor <a class="externalLink" href="http://www.iflscience.com/technology/germany-just-successfully-fired-their-nuclear-fusion-reactor" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">took 19 years and $1.1 billion to build</a> and contains over 470 tons of superconducting magnets, all of which need to be cooled to absolute zero.<br />
<br />
Nuclear fusion is different from conventional nuclear reactors, as 
fusion causes atoms to join at extremely high temperatures and release 
huge amounts of energy. The process would generate essentially no 
hazardous waste and <a class="externalLink" href="http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/nucene/fusion.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">wouldn’t require hazardous fuel</a>.<br />
  <br />
<div class="v2-processed image">
Operational fusion power would put most other forms of electricity generation permanently out of business and <a class="externalLink" href="http://dailycaller.com/2015/12/17/germany-tests-fusion-reactor-but-will-abandon-nuclear-by-2022/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">could occur very soon</a>. Fusion power could be “<a class="externalLink" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=qBqbr8uV9c8C&pg=PA32&ots=X_NiY853vH&dq=strauss+son+cheap+meter&sig=NJRVHP66IqtX80mgp38UfttAIPc#v=onepage&q=strauss%20son%20cheap%20meter&f=false" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">too cheap to meter</a>,”
 meaning that the cost of generating new power would be below the cost 
of determining how much power an individual was using, effectively 
making electricity generation free.<br />
<br />
Other recent <a class="externalLink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlYClniDFkM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">breakthroughs in fusion</a> could restart the atomic age, an era when nuclear progress was lauded as a pinnacle of human achievement.<br />
<br />
Lockheed Martin Skunk Works <a class="externalLink" href="http://www.pppl.gov/events/colloquium-lockheed-martin-compact-fusion-reactor" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">is developing a compact fusion reactor</a> small enough to fit in a truck and would generate enough electricity to power 80,000 homes.<br />
<br />
An American research team in January discovered a way to initiate 
nuclear fusion reactions in a process called “fast ignition” using a 
high-intensity laser, <a class="externalLink" href="http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-01/uoc--swe011416.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science</a>. Scientists believe that “fast ignition” <a class="externalLink" href="http://www.nature.com/nphys/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nphys3614.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">could allow a fusion reaction to be controlled</a>, because it requires less “start-up” energy than other methods.</div>
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="460" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UlYClniDFkM" width="660"></iframe> 
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>

China Claims Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough, No Specifics

Atom molecule in female hand (Shutterstock/ Sergey Nivens) ANDREW FOLLETT Energy and Science Reporter China’s state-controlled TV...

Plasma jet engine breakthrough heralds beginning of new era in space travel

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0NXLNshbaqEA_WLu00n4_NmIVutfjX8X6GfIK2Zn3hs5QyTPAMZbpXxrVik65f5ycpGZj2RmlDeXEY-u2Kl-mufE3exNNOcrCBmcM3XpNjyxM5UiOJu5gtencar8vMY3loKu2AULAseE/s1600/59203601c46188f1598b45b9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0NXLNshbaqEA_WLu00n4_NmIVutfjX8X6GfIK2Zn3hs5QyTPAMZbpXxrVik65f5ycpGZj2RmlDeXEY-u2Kl-mufE3exNNOcrCBmcM3XpNjyxM5UiOJu5gtencar8vMY3loKu2AULAseE/s640/59203601c46188f1598b45b9.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
    Photo of transient atmospheric nanosecond pulse discharges for internal MPC excitation. 
      
                iopscience.iop.org  <br />
<br />
<div class="article__summary summary ">
A major new breakthrough in jet propulsion technology could 
revolutionize the aerospace industry, paving the way for plasma jet 
engines that could carry a craft to the edge of space using only air and
 electricity. </div>
<div class="article__summary summary ">
</div>
Berkant
 Göksel, the lead researcher in a new study by the Technical University 
of Berlin, says his team have <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23431264-500-plasma-jet-engines-that-could-take-you-from-the-ground-to-space/" target="_blank">successfully completed tests on plasma engines that could take future aircrafts to altitudes of 30 miles (50km) and beyond</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="arcticle__read-more read-more">
<span class="read-more__footer"></span> </div>
<div class="arcticle__read-more read-more">
<span class="read-more__footer"></span> The challenge was to develop an air-breathing plasma propulsion engine 
that could be used for take-off as well as high-altitude flying.</div>
<div class="arcticle__read-more read-more">
<a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23431264-500-plasma-jet-engines-that-could-take-you-from-the-ground-to-space/?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_medium=Social&cmpid=SOC%7CNSNS%7C2017-Echobox&utm_source=Facebook#link_time=1495056249" target="blank">We
 are the first to produce fast and powerful plasma jets at ground 
level,” says Göksel. “These jets of plasma can reach speeds of up to 20 
kilometres a second.</a><br />
  </div>
<div class="arcticle__read-more read-more">
<span class="read-more__footer"></span> </div>
<div class="arcticle__read-more read-more">
<span class="read-more__footer"></span> <br />
The team used a rapid stream of nanosecond-long electric discharges 
to fire up the propulsion mixture. A similar technique is used in pulse 
detonation combustion engines, making them more efficient than standard 
fuel-powered engines.<br />
<br />
* Plasma propulsion was proved on an airship in 2005<br />
* this is a pathway to far more powerful and effective plasma propulsion<br />
* this could enable propulsion beyond the height of existing planes<br />
* nearterm it could be for routine airships at 50-100 km<br />
* it could eventually be used to get to orbit and transform aviation and space access</div>
<br />
While studies into plasma jet engines has largely focused on 
their ability to manoeuvre small satellites in the vacuum of space, 
Göksel told the<a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23431264-500-plasma-jet-engines-that-could-take-you-from-the-ground-to-space/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&campaign_id=RSS%7CNSNS-"> New Scientist</a> that his research concentrated on testing the engine in a normal atmosphere.<br />
<br />
It’s the first time anyone has applied pulse detonation to plasma 
thrusters. Jason Cassibry at the University of Alabama in Huntsville is 
impressed. “It could greatly extend the range of any aircraft and lower 
the operational cost,” he says.<br />
<br />
But there are several hurdles to overcome before the technology can 
propel an actual plane. For a start, the team tested mini thrusters 80 
millimetres long, and a commercial airliner would need some 10,000 of 
them to fly, which makes the current design too complex for aircraft of 
that size. Göksel’s team plans to target smaller planes and airships for
 now. Between 100 and 1000 thrusters would be enough for a small plane, 
which the team thinks is feasible.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-133244" height="164" src="http://www.nextbigfuture.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/2da9fa211c6b4e07e43151994090685f-300x123.png?x71037" width="400" /> <br />
<br />
<img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-133245" height="245" src="http://www.nextbigfuture.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/9a33db93a73b08f4e572ef6c47c1f8eb-300x184.png?x71037" width="400" /><br />
<br />
A real flight demonstration is the next milestone goal for the project.<br />
The
 team used 80mm-long mini-thrusters in their experiments – 10,000 of 
which would be needed to support a commercial airliner. However, Göksel 
believes the team could test their work on a small plane using between 
100 and 1,000 thrusters.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-133243" height="171" src="http://www.nextbigfuture.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/8596b8f6f2f061e3e75885d5ee60845c-300x129.png?x71037" width="400" /><br />
<br />
Plans are underway to develop a mobile power generator for use in the first flight demonstration onboard the <a href="https://www.festo.com/net/SupportPortal/Files/344798/b_IONIC_Airfish_en.pdf">b-Ionic Airfish</a>. In 2005, the craft became the world’s first airship to be propelled by plasma engines.<br />
 It
 is hoped this experiment helps overcome the project’s major obstacle, 
which is the huge amount of electricity required to generate and sustain
 the plasma.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Plasma jet engine breakthrough heralds beginning of new era in space travel - study" class="media__item " height="355" src="https://cdn.rt.com/files/2017.05/original/592029ecc36188064d8b4597.jpg" width="640" /><br />
b-Ionic Airfish.
iopscience.iop.org<br />
<br />
<i>“An
 array of thrusters would require a small electrical power plant, which 
would be impossible to mount on an aircraft with today’s technology,”</i>  Dan Lev from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology told the New Scientist.<br />
Göksel is hopeful of working around this with solar panels or potentially beaming power wirelessly to the engines.<br />
<br />
<img alt="© SolarStratos" class="read-more__cover" src="https://img.rt.com/files/2017.05/thumbnail/590ca6d9c46188e57e8b45b4.jpg" /><br />
<span class="read-more__footer">Sun-powered ‘space plane’ </span><br />
<br /></div>

Plasma jet engine breakthrough heralds beginning of new era in space travel

Photo of transient atmospheric nanosecond pulse discharges for internal MPC excitation. iopscience.iop.org ...

Cyborgs with superhuman strength move a step closer after scientists combine muscles made from living tissue with a machine

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrsLyhEqmiLUImREn86N44XGAnGCONUNkYPpshqzRyZzGHstD8GGsFS3JKVzrikecb6unKmmFENvjjRaXwIJHIDldy9_9sT73i-5Zy5yxk2KfognnajE3twxkzYSFzTMvVXuJwds0Hnjo/s1600/cyborgs+with+superhuman+strength+move+a+step+closer+after+scientists+combine+muscles+made+from+living+tissue+with+a+machine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="634" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrsLyhEqmiLUImREn86N44XGAnGCONUNkYPpshqzRyZzGHstD8GGsFS3JKVzrikecb6unKmmFENvjjRaXwIJHIDldy9_9sT73i-5Zy5yxk2KfognnajE3twxkzYSFzTMvVXuJwds0Hnjo/s640/cyborgs+with+superhuman+strength+move+a+step+closer+after+scientists+combine+muscles+made+from+living+tissue+with+a+machine.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="imageCaption">
Biorobotics is a developing area of
 science which aims to combine the best of the natural world with the 
best of the field of robotics. A new study succeeded in merging muscle 
fibres to a robotic skeleton</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
</div>
<br />
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Human-robot hybrids could be in the 
pipeline as Japanese scientists have succeeded in merging muscle fibres 
with a robotic skeleton.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Previous attempts at this have been short-lived and prone to failure. </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
A
 new study took a different approach and grew the muscles from scratch, 
instead of taking a muscle that had grown inside an animal.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
This
 discovery could pave the way for superhuman cyborgs, but scientists say
 larger-scale applications are at least a decade away.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font mol-style-bold">
<br /></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font mol-style-bold">
The cross-over project is a breakthrough in the field of biorobotics, as it uses fully-functioning skeletal muscle tissue.  </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
A common issue facing scientists before was that the muscles had a tendency to lose their strength and shrink.</div>
<br />
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Lead author Yuya Morimoto, of the University of Tokyo Institute of Industrial Science, overcame these issues.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
His new method ensures the muscles are stronger and more durable than previous attempts.  </div>
<br />
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
 <div class="mol-img" style="height: auto; position: relative;">
 <div class="image-wrap fff-pic" style="cursor: pointer;">
 <img alt="Human-robot hybrids could be in the pipeline as Japanese scientists have succeeded in merging muscle fibres with a robotic skeleton. This discovery could pave the way for superhuman cyborgs, but scientists say larger-scale applications are at least a decade away" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" height="379" id="i-611bace2db55690b" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/05/30/17/4CC2A11B00000578-5783583-image-a-93_1527696726851.jpg" width="634" /><div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
<span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
Human-robot hybrids could be in the
 pipeline as Japanese scientists have succeeded in merging muscle fibres
 with a robotic skeleton. This discovery could pave the way for 
superhuman cyborgs, but scientists say larger-scale applications are at 
least a decade away</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
  </div>
</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
To do this, the researchers needed to use special sheets which contained myoblasts - muscle precursor cells - from rats.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Over the course of ten days, the muscles slowly grew on the skeleton.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
The muscles were eight mm long in total and able to contract with a force of 10 mN.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Full range of motion of the finger allowed it to bend by around 90° and even pick up and move a plastic ring.   </div>
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" width="698" height="573" scrolling="no" id="molvideoplayer" src="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/embed/video/1698212.html"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
The muscles survived and functioned well for more than a week, far exceeding what others had done previously.  </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
'Once
 we had built the muscles, we successfully used them as antagonistic 
pairs in the robot, with one contracting and the other expanding, just 
like in the body,' study corresponding author Shoji Takeuchi says. </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
'The
 fact that they were exerting opposing forces on each other stopped them
 shrinking and deteriorating, like in previous studies.' </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
 <div class="mol-img" style="position: relative;">
 <div class="image-wrap fff-pic" style="cursor: pointer;">
 <img alt="The cross-over project is a breakthrough in the field of biorobotics, as it uses fully-functioning skeletal muscle tissue" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" height="358" id="i-fd3a4da7eb649ae4" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/05/30/15/4CBC987700000578-5783583-image-m-87_1527689049698.jpg" width="634" /><div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
<span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
The cross-over project is a breakthrough in the field of biorobotics, as it uses fully-functioning skeletal muscle tissue</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
For simplicity, the researchers used antagonistic pairs to demonstrate the functionality of the hybrid. </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
These are pairs of muscles which work in direct opposition to one another in order to perform a simple function.</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
For example, the bicep and tricep form an antagonistic pair as they work in opposition to either straighten the arm or bend it.  </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
 <div class="mol-img" style="position: relative;">
 <div class="image-wrap fff-pic" style="cursor: pointer;">
 <img alt="The new method ensures the muscles are stronger and more durable than previous attempts. Rather than extract and use a muscle that had fully formed in the body, the team opted to built one from scratch" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" height="354" id="i-65fa38a661c74470" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/05/30/15/4CBC986D00000578-5783583-image-m-90_1527689080759.jpg" width="634" /><div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
<span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
The new method ensures the muscles 
are stronger and more durable than previous attempts. Rather than 
extract and use a muscle that had fully formed in the body, the team 
opted to built one from scratch</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
The
 scientists hope to build on their success and develop ever more complex
 arrangements of the human body to replicate with their biohybrid. </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
'Our
 findings show that, using this antagonistic arrangement of muscles, 
these robots can mimic the actions of a human finger,' lead author Yuya 
Morimoto says. </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
'If we can combine more
 of these muscles into a single device, we should be able to reproduce 
the complex muscular interplay that allow hands, arms, and other parts 
of the body to function.' </div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
Dr Murimoto 
told MailOnline that although this result is promising 'ten years are 
required' before larger-scale robotic applications will be a reality. <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/" target="_blank">dailymail</a></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
<div class="artSplitter mol-img-group">
 <div class="mol-img" style="position: relative;">
 <div class="image-wrap fff-pic" style="cursor: pointer;">
 <img alt="The muscles were eight mm long in total and able to contract with a force of 10 mN. Full range of motion of the finger allowed it to bend by around 90° and even pick up and move a plastic ring" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" height="424" id="i-319cdc7d18376108" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/05/30/15/4CBC988400000578-5783583-image-m-91_1527689112196.jpg" width="634" /><div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
<span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
The muscles were eight mm long in 
total and able to contract with a force of 10 mN. Full range of motion 
of the finger allowed it to bend by around 90° and even pick up and move
 a plastic ring</div>
</div>
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" width="698" height="573" scrolling="no" id="molvideoplayer" src="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/embed/video/1698214.html"></iframe>
<br />
<br /></div>

Cyborgs with superhuman strength move a step closer after scientists combine muscles made from living tissue with a machine

Biorobotics is a developing area of science which aims to combine the best of the natural world with the best of the field of robotics...

Nanotechnology breakthrough means almost any surface can become a touchscreen

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPF_bbdaDhYE_3DHj8B_ZfftZjFijwh_UMuNgrc0n0Us-PkwQv94o6LypBAjh95fKTcJbQy4mZNXGTdEC0CQpXvv5JlLfxrjs9N1lgTyk0Zvkr4ggGc7uIJ_VVCbBD2OhnKwsSsdQ5iIE/s1600/holographic+augmented+reality+display.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPF_bbdaDhYE_3DHj8B_ZfftZjFijwh_UMuNgrc0n0Us-PkwQv94o6LypBAjh95fKTcJbQy4mZNXGTdEC0CQpXvv5JlLfxrjs9N1lgTyk0Zvkr4ggGc7uIJ_VVCbBD2OhnKwsSsdQ5iIE/s1600/holographic+augmented+reality+display.jpg" /></a></div>
    Young boy interacting with holographic augmented reality display.
© Coneyl Jay / Gettyimages<br />
<br />
<div class="article__summary summary ">

Nanotechnology has occupied the pages of sci-fi novels for 
decades, but now a major new breakthrough could bring the super advanced
 tech into the average household.

</div>
<a href="https://www.tcd.ie/Physics/research/groups/1d-nanostructures/">Researchers</a>
 at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, have created two-dimensional 
nanomaterials, only a few billionths of a meter thick, making it 
possible to turn almost any surface into a screen or a computer.<br />
Using
 standard printing techniques, scientists combined graphene nanosheets, 
an ultra-thin form of carbon just one atom thick, with two other 
nanomaterials named tungsten diselenide and boron nitride.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
What is the Internet Of Things at Nanoscale?<a href="https://t.co/DfSlUAsLMM">https://t.co/DfSlUAsLMM</a> [via <a href="https://twitter.com/evankirstel">@evankirstel</a>]<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IoT?src=hash">#IoT</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NanoTechnology?src=hash">#NanoTechnology</a> <a href="https://t.co/entW2bqhve">pic.twitter.com/entW2bqhve</a></div>
— ipfconline (@ipfconline1) <a href="https://twitter.com/ipfconline1/status/849932390365634560">April 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Leaf vein structure could hold key to extending battery life <a href="https://t.co/4yLtIyT0kw">https://t.co/4yLtIyT0kw</a><br /> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nanotechnology?src=hash">#nanotechnology</a> <a href="https://t.co/XltAdTI7ET">pic.twitter.com/XltAdTI7ET</a></div>
— Nanotechnology News (@Nanowerk) <a href="https://twitter.com/Nanowerk/status/850138595243552772">April 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

The research published in the journal <a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/356/6333/69">Science</a> could have wide-ranging implications from the mundane to the extraordinary.<br />
Futuristic
 uses could include a touchscreen pad superimposed onto your skin, 
reading an electronic newspaper that could be rolled up or folded to be 
placed neatly inside a jacket pocket or even receiving an alert message 
saying the milk in the fridge is about to go sour.<br />
<br />
The technology 
could also enhance security capabilities of valuable items, allowing for
 the encoding of biometric data on passports and the marking of 
banknotes to make them virtually impossible to forge.<br />
This 
technology could also have advantages for solar power, one day making it
 possible to turn a variety of materials into solar cells, making it 
cheaper to harness energy from the sun, theoretically reducing our 
collective dependence on oil and gas.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
10 Ways Technology Is changing healthcare with artificial intelligence, 3D-printing, robotics, nanotechnology... <a href="https://t.co/fLaXUmJPVj">https://t.co/fLaXUmJPVj</a> <a href="https://t.co/AvoitNm2Ol">pic.twitter.com/AvoitNm2Ol</a></div>
— Eduardo López Bran (@DrLopezBran) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrLopezBran/status/846777698286551043">March 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

<em>“In the future, printed devices will be incorporated into even the most mundane objects such as labels, posters and packaging,”</em> senior author of the paper Jonathan Coleman, professor of chemical physics at Trinity College <a href="https://www.tcd.ie/news_events/articles/scientists-make-major-breakthrough-in-smart-printed-electronics/7733">said</a> in a statement.<br />
<em>“Printed
 electronic circuitry (constructed from the devices we have created) 
will allow consumer products to gather, process, display and transmit 
information: for example, milk cartons could send messages to your phone
 warning that the milk is about to go out-of-date.”</em><br />
<br />
<em>“We 
believe that 2D nanomaterials can compete with the materials currently 
used for printed electronics. Compared to other materials employed in 
this field, our 2D nanomaterials have the capability to yield more cost 
effective and higher performance printed devices,”</em> he added.<br />
</div>

Nanotechnology breakthrough means almost any surface can become a touchscreen

Young boy interacting with holographic augmented reality display. © Coneyl Jay / Gettyimages Nanotechnology has occupied ...

“Super Camera” for use in reconnaissance satellites: The hidden man fuelling developing it

<ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a class="externalLink" href="http://cdn1.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/486x302/public/images/methode/2016/01/12/8cafafd8-b8ff-11e5-9ce7-2395197ababe_1280x720.jpg?itok=WMIx9cfR" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="[IMG]" class="bbCodeImage LbImage" data-url="http://cdn1.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/486x302/public/images/methode/2016/01/12/8cafafd8-b8ff-11e5-9ce7-2395197ababe_1280x720.jpg?itok=WMIx9cfR" src="http://cdn1.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/486x302/public/images/methode/2016/01/12/8cafafd8-b8ff-11e5-9ce7-2395197ababe_1280x720.jpg?itok=WMIx9cfR" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hyperspectral imaging expert Xiang Libin (right) receives the 
prestigious accolade from President Xi Jinping during the annual 
national science and technology awards ceremony in Beijing on Friday. 
Credit: Xinhua</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
A scientist who specialises in optics and has been developing a “super 
camera” for use in reconnaissance satellites has pocketed China’s top 
science award for his latest technological breakthrough, hinting at how 
formidable the nation’s military is becoming and the measures taken to 
keep such developments under wraps.<br />
<br />
Hyperspectral imaging expert Xiang Libin, 49, received the prestigious 
gong from President Xi Jinping during the annual national science and 
technology awards ceremony in Beijing on Friday.<br />
<br />
During an official group photo session with state leaders, Professor 
Xiang was pictured in a prominent position behind Xi, hinting at the 
level of importance attached to his work.<br />
<br />
This level of official recognition suggests China may have fully 
acquired the technology to locate and track military targets that are 
usually camouflaged or hidden underground, such as missile launch sites 
and testing facilities for nuclear weapons.<br />
<br />

Due to the sensitivity of the research, however, Xiang’s name did not 
appear on the list of award recipients; neither were his efforts 
trumpeted with the usual pomp and ceremony preserved for patriotic 
milestones by China’s state-run media.<br />
<br />
But Xiang, a former director at the Academy of Opto-Electronics under 
the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is well known among China’s optical 
research community for his pioneering works on hyperspectral imaging 
sensors. He now runs the Shanghai Engineering Centre for 
Microsatellites.<br />
<br />
While traditional cameras can capture an object’s appearance, a hyperspectral camera is able to determine what the object is.<br />
<br />
For example, a military spy satellite equipped with hyperspectral 
sensors would be able to tell the difference between a genuine and 
“counterfeit” fighter jet if they were parked side by side at an 
airport. In contrast, the two would appear identical to cameras that use
 optical, infrared or microwave rays, now matter how sharp the images 
they produce.<br />
<br />
<a class="externalLink" href="http://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/980w/public/images/methode/2016/01/12/b7f7ea1c-b8fe-11e5-9ce7-2395197ababe_image_hires.jpg?itok=aPEiaNtS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img alt="[IMG]" class="bbCodeImage LbImage" data-url="http://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/486w/public/images/methode/2016/01/12/b7f7ea1c-b8fe-11e5-9ce7-2395197ababe_486x.jpg?itok=ah0hI7Zz" height="474" src="http://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/486w/public/images/methode/2016/01/12/b7f7ea1c-b8fe-11e5-9ce7-2395197ababe_486x.jpg?itok=ah0hI7Zz" width="640" /> </a><br />
An
 image taken over Australia using a hyperspectral camera aboard China’s 
Tiangong-1 space lab reveals the distribution of minerals and 
agricultural vegetation in the area, in this 2011 file photo. Photo: 
Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Chinese Academy of 
Sciences<br />
<br />
The hyperspectral imaging technology did the trick by examining the 
electromagnetic “fingerprint” of the target. The camera collected 
spectral data over a continuous range of electromagnetic bands for each 
pixel. The resulting data revealed the object’s true chemical 
composition and physical traits.<br />
<br />
Now scientists claim that a military or government intelligence service 
could use such a satellite to search for any “object of interest” 
anywhere in the world. This could be a specific vehicle, a strategic 
missile launch site, camouflaged roadside bombs, or even nuclear-testing
 facilities hidden underground as they all have their own hyperspectral 
“fingerprint”.<br />
<br />
Over the last decade, Yuan Yan, a professor of optical science at 
Beihang University in Beijing, has co-authored many research papers with
 Xiang on the theme of a hyperspectral imaging sensor for use in a 
satellite.<br />
<br />
She confirmed to the <i>South China Morning Post</i> that Xiang was the man standing behind Xi in the aforementioned group photo.<br />
<br />
<a class="externalLink" href="http://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/980w/public/images/methode/2016/01/12/bd064742-b8fe-11e5-9ce7-2395197ababe_image_hires.jpg?itok=LcKRu8vT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img alt="[IMG]" class="bbCodeImage LbImage" data-url="http://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/486w/public/images/methode/2016/01/12/bd064742-b8fe-11e5-9ce7-2395197ababe_486x.jpg?itok=3jIX6waE" src="http://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/486w/public/images/methode/2016/01/12/bd064742-b8fe-11e5-9ce7-2395197ababe_486x.jpg?itok=3jIX6waE" /> </a><br />
Professor
 Xiang (the tall, balding man with glasses) is pictured behind the right
 shoulder of Chinese President Xi Jinping in this group photo with state
 leaders in Beijing on Friday. Xiang’s prominent position implies the 
importance of his research to China’s defence industry. Photo: Handout<br />
<br />
But Yuan declined to provide more details on Xiang’s award-winning breakthrough.<br />
“It is classified … for good reason,” she said.<br />
Professor Sun Liqun, an optical scientist at Tsinghua University who has
 been involved in various military research projects, said Xiang was a 
figurehead in the field, even though he is little known outside of this 
small circle of people due to the sensitive nature of his work.<br />
<br />
The use of hyperspectral technology by China’s military had been a 
closely guarded secret for years, but there is enough evidence to 
suggest the country embarked on this field of research relatively early,
 and apparently with the aim of overtaking the US by launching a new 
satellite this year.<br />
<br />
The first-known camera of its kind deployed by the US Army was the 
Artemis system, according to its developer Raytheon Company. This was 
tested on the TacSat-3 satellite, which was launched in 2010, the major 
US defence contractor said.<br />
<br />
<a class="externalLink" href="http://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/980w/public/images/methode/2016/01/12/bf95bf06-b8fe-11e5-9ce7-2395197ababe_image_hires.jpg?itok=Nxz14_ED" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img alt="[IMG]" class="bbCodeImage LbImage" data-url="http://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/486w/public/images/methode/2016/01/12/bf95bf06-b8fe-11e5-9ce7-2395197ababe_486x.jpg?itok=9WSOJ6a1" height="464" src="http://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/486w/public/images/methode/2016/01/12/bf95bf06-b8fe-11e5-9ce7-2395197ababe_486x.jpg?itok=9WSOJ6a1" width="640" /> </a><br />
<br />
China
 has used the hyperspectral camera in lunar missions to produce one of 
the largest and most detailed maps of mineral distribution on the 
surface of the moon. Credit: Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital 
Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences<br />
<br />
The Artemis sensors can collect data on 300 electromagnetic bands, thus 
allowing its user, the US Strategic Command, to operate it for tactical 
purposes ranging from the detection of roadside bombs to the 
identification of nuclear weapon facilities.<br />
<br />
But the system remains in an experimental stage as a number of technical problems, such as its low resolution, still unsolved.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, a civilian satellite that China plans to launch this year 
will be equipped with a more advanced hyperspectral camera than that 
linked to the Artemis, Chinese researchers said during an international 
conference held by the Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society in 2014.<br />
<br />
The China Commercial Remote-sensing Satellite System (CCRSS) will be 
able to collect data on 328 bands offering very high resolution of up to
 15 metres, according to the researchers from the Institute of Remote 
Sensing and Digital Earth in Beijing. This means each pixel in the image
 measures 15 metres squared.<br />
<br />
Hyperspectral research efforts have been going on in China for several 
decades, having begun at the start of the 1970s, the team said in a 
presentation.<br />
<br />
<a class="externalLink" href="http://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/980w/public/images/methode/2016/01/12/c482b4b0-b8fe-11e5-9ce7-2395197ababe_image_hires.jpg?itok=3QRWMNi0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img alt="[IMG]" class="bbCodeImage LbImage" data-url="http://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/486w/public/images/methode/2016/01/12/c482b4b0-b8fe-11e5-9ce7-2395197ababe_486x.jpg?itok=VrQsLnYp" height="384" src="http://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/486w/public/images/methode/2016/01/12/c482b4b0-b8fe-11e5-9ce7-2395197ababe_486x.jpg?itok=VrQsLnYp" width="640" />The
 hyperspectral camera used on the small satellite constellation known as
 HJ-1 - which was launched in 2008 - can also be applied in civilian 
sectors such as those pertaining to the environment or disaster 
monitoring. Credit: Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, 
Chinese Academy of Sciences</a><br />
<br />
The technology was tested extensively and improved over time on 
aircraft-based platforms, before researchers shifted their attention to 
devices in space.<br />
<br />
The first satellite-based hyperspectral camera, called the CMODIS, was 
installed on Shenzhou-3, an unmanned spacecraft that China launched in 
2002.<br />
<br />
The camera was fairly primitive with just 34 spectral bands and 
resolution as low as 500 metres, but it was soon replaced as Chinese 
technology in this area developed at a fast clip.<br />
<br />
By 2008 the small satellite constellation known as HJ-1 was able to scan
 115 bands with resolution of 100 metres, according to the researchers.<br />
<br />
But as these developments and sensors all took place in equipment 
destined for the civilian sector,many suspect the cameras used by 
China’s military can perform significantly better.<br />
<br />
However, the hyperspectral imaging technology could theoretically be 
applied in a number of sectors including vegetation identification 
(agriculture), mineral detection and the assessment of polluted waters 
in oceans, coastal zones and inland waterways.<br />
<br />
The technology could also be used for space exploration missions.<br />
<br />
China has deployed a hyperspectral camera for use on previous lunar 
missions, during which it produced one of the largest and most detailed 
maps of mineral distribution on the surface of the moon to date.<br />
<br />
<a class="externalLink" href="http://m.scmp.com/tech/science-research/article/1900103/hidden-man-fuelling-chinas-military-ambitions-xiang-libin" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The
 hidden man fuelling China’s military ambitions: Xiang Libin honoured 
for work on ‘super camera’ to aid spy satellites | South China Morning 
Post</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Most Powerful 30 km/s Acceleration Ion Jet Engine </span></b><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" data-shortcode="caption" id="attachment_22273" style="width: 310px;">
<img alt="Ion jet engine" class="size-medium wp-image-22273" height="215" src="https://tiananmenstremendousachievements.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/ion-jet-engine.jpg?w=300&h=162" width="400" /><div class="wp-caption-text">
Ion jet engine</div>
<div class="wp-caption-text">
  </div>
</div>
Hong Kong media <span class="skimlinks-unlinked">news.wenweipo.com</span>
 reports today that China displayed its new generation of ion engine. 
Ion jet engine was invented by the Soviet Union in 1971 and has been 
used in space rockets for decades.<br />

However, new generation of ion jet engine is the best in the 
world with acceleration of 30 km/second and according to the scientists 
who have developed it, the acceleration can be further increased by 30%.<br />

Iron engines are better than engines using chemical fuel in its 
ability to operate in lower temperature, lighter weight and less 
consumption of fuel.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</div>

“Super Camera” for use in reconnaissance satellites: The hidden man fuelling developing it

Commercial Remote-sensing Satellite System This image shows the technical layout of the China Commercial Remote-sensing Satellite Sys...

Scientists develop ‘invisibility circuit’ for stealth planes

The researchers are affiliated with the Huazhong University of 
Science and Technology in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province.<br />

They published their paper in last month’s <em>Journal of Applied Physics</em>, run by the American Institute of Physics.<br />
<br />

“It sounds like something that should be kept in the drawer,” said 
Professor Huang Jun, a military stealth technology researcher at the 
School of Aeronautic Science and Engineering at Beihang University. 
Huang was not involved in the research.<br />

“This will be a breakthrough if it works as they claim,” he said.<br />
<br />

“<a href="http://www.scmp.com/tech/science-research/article/1886754/really-bad-news-early-warning-radars-chinese-scientists" target="_blank">That will be really bad news for early warning radars</a>,” he added.<br />

The researchers, led by Professor Jiang Jianjun at the Wuhan 
institute’s department of electronic science and technology, could not 
immediately be reached for comment.<br />

According to their paper, they have created a multi-layer electrical 
circuit that can “trap” microwaves at ultra-high frequencies, thus 
confusing radar systems and enabling aircraft to sneak past them.<br />

<br />
All radars work by detecting “echoes” of radiowaves, which are 
bounced off a target. If the waves are absorbed by the new circuit, the 
target - in this case an aeroplane - would disappear from radar screens.<br />

What is unique about the latest finding is that the material used to 
create the circuit would be almost impossibly thin. At under one 
centimetre, it is just a tenth the size of similar products developed by
 overseas competitors. This means it could be used to coat planes for 
the first time, pundits say.<br />

Stealth planes including the F-22 and F-35 used by the US military 
are not quite as evasive as they sound, according to Huang, who said 
they can be spotted by advanced radar systems even from a considerable 
distance.<br />

<h4>
<em><strong></strong></em></h4>
Such radars typically use microwaves at strengths of 2 gigahertz or 
lower to identify and track stealth aircraft. This is because the 
currently available coating materials can only absorb electromagnetic 
waves at high frequencies.<br />

Jiang’s team said the new circuits hit the military’s sweet spot as they can absorb waves ranging from 0.7Ghz to 1.9Ghz.<br />

Many similar projects are kept under wraps because of their 
implications for national security and national defence. Some are 
supported by military funding, which prohibits their public disclosure.<br />

But in this case the team was free to act on its own discretion as it relied solely on public funds.<br />

Meanwhile, other sources said the new technology could be coupled 
with traditional paint materials to reach an unprecedented level of 
“invisibility” for military and other aircraft.<br />
  <br />

<span class="image-caption-container image-caption-container-left" style="clear: none; display: inline-block; float: left; width: 486px;"><span class="image-caption" style="display: block;"></span></span>Yet the new circuit is not without problems.
<br />
First, it is unable to absorb microwaves generated at frequencies of 
2Ghz or above, meaning that it could still be spotted by advanced radar 
systems, some of which can operate at over 40 Ghz.<br />

As such, it could take years before it is used on an actual aircraft, Huang said.<br />

It may initially be applied as an undercoat beneath other cutting-edge paints that are already used on stealth planes, he added.<br />

“It will take countless field tests to prove the circuits can survive the cruel environment of battle,” he said.<br />
<br />

Jiao Yongchang, a professor of radar technology at Xidian University in Xi’an, Shaanxi province, was more sceptical.<br />

“The advent of the [invisibility circuit] generated some interest a 
few years ago, but now the hype is cooling down because of all the 
technical limitations,” Jiao said.<br />

“The idea of it having any military application right now is the stuff of daydreams,” he added.<br />
China has been developing “invisibility cloaks” for several years - some for radars, and others designed to trick the naked eye.<br />

In 2013, a research team from Zhejiang University managed to hide 
cats and fish in broad daylight using specially designed glass prisms.<br />

</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<br /></div>

Scientists develop ‘invisibility circuit’ for stealth planes

What is special about the discovery is that the coating material rendering them invisible to radar systems is in theory thin enough to be...

CCTV reported that the catapult being tested to launch aircraft

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<img alt="exchange_7_1.png" class="bbCodeImage LbImage" height="640" src="http://defence.pk/attachments/exchange_7_1-png.200572/" width="636" /><br />
<br />
 <img alt="3dd85d5bg9e40024d75ed&690.jpg" class="bbCodeImage LbImage" height="349" src="http://defence.pk/attachments/3dd85d5bg9e40024d75ed-690-jpg.200573/" width="640" />
<br />
<br />
The middle pic left+above the blue workshop is 2008 dug, long trench is a steam catapult, the military has approved.<br />
right below the test site in 2012 and again in 2014 a new trench dug, 
the pict shows the project has been completed, this is obviously the 
electromagnetic launcher.
<br />
<br />
<br />
Taipei, 2015/03/06 (CNA) <span style="color: blue;">A recently unveiled 
satellite photo showing China testing an aircraft carrier launch system 
has led experts to believe China has made a breakthrough in the design 
of its catapult system</span>.<br />
<br />
China's CCTV reported that <span style="color: blue;">the catapult 
being tested to help planes take off quickly is more efficient than the 
"ski-jump" ramp used to launch aircraft on China's first carrier</span>, the Liaoning.<br />
<br />
The report said the catapult enables aircraft to be launched quickly, upgrading their combat efficiency.<br />
<br />
Li Li (李莉), a military expert in China, said catapult takeoff device 
technology is currently dominated by the United States. But if the 
satellite photo is true, it means that China has "made a groundbreaking 
and strategic breakthrough" in aircraft carrier technology.<br />
<br />
Li said both steam and electromagnetic catapults are used to launch 
aircraft, with the United States the first country to use the 
electromagnetic launch system.<br />
<br />
Steam catapults have their limitations, Li said, while electromagnetic 
catapults enable planes to take off without worrying about weather 
conditions and are therefore more strategically significant.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">The recently unveiled satellite photo showed a catapult track and auxiliary experimental equipment</span>, which Cao Weidong (曹衛東), a researcher at the People's Liberation Army's Naval Research Institute, analyzed <span style="color: blue;">could be used as an experimental platform for steam and electromagnetic catapults</span>.<br />
<br />
He said China is developing catapults to promote the development of its aircraft carriers, explaining that <span style="color: blue;">the currently used ramp system cannot launch early warning fixed-wing aircraft</span>, restraining its combat capabilities.<br />
<br />
Cao said China will not only build an aircraft carrier, but also upgrade
 the ship's combat capabilities, including making use of a catapult, 
which has become the trend among aircraft carriers.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">If China has sufficient funds and the right
 technology, the aircraft carriers it manufactures will adopt 
electromagnetic aircraft launch systems, Cao said</span>.<br />
<br />
(by Yin Chun-chieh and Lilian Wu)
<br />
------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
</h2>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
China’s Electromagnetic Catapult More Advanced than US</h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
Mil.huanqiu.com says in its report today that according to Hong Kong Commercial Daily, China’s catapult for takeoff of carrier-based aircrafts is entirely problem free in technology. It is even better than that of the US.<br />
<br />
Outsiders are very much interested whether China’s first homegrown aircraft carrier will adopt ski-jump takeoff like that of the Liaoning or the most advanced electromagnetic catapult assisted takeoff. If the catapult is used, a carrier-based fighter jet may have much longer range and carry much more weapons.<br />
<br />
Major General Ma Weiming, the inventor of China’s electromagnetic catapult, pointed out that lots of practices have proved that there were no problems at all in China’s catapult technology. He is confident that the catapult can be used.<br />
<br />
General Ma has won quite a few National Science and Technology Progress Awards first class and is regarded by outsiders as a “national treasure” in military technology.<br />
<br />
At reporters’ repeated questions whether China’s homegrown aircraft carrier will use electromagnetic catapult, he pointed at the one star on his uniform and said with a smile that he was only a technical general in charge of research and development of the technology that can be used. Only PLA top management can decide which technology should be used.<br />
<br />
<i>Source: mil.huanqiu.com “Hong Kong media: Major general discloses that China’s electromagnetic catapult not less but even more advanced than that of the US” </i><br />
------------------------</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Brazilian Navy : <i>São Paulo</i> aircraft carrier</b></span><br />
<br />
<img alt="[IMG]" class="bbCodeImage LbImage" data-url="http://sohanews2.vcmedia.vn/2013/1373120534167.jpg" height="480" src="http://sohanews2.vcmedia.vn/2013/1373120534167.jpg" width="640" /><br />
<br />
<img alt="[IMG]" class="bbCodeImage LbImage" data-url="http://biendong.net/images/stories/2010/2012/tau%20san%20bay%20sau%20paulo%20a12.jpg" height="482" src="http://biendong.net/images/stories/2010/2012/tau%20san%20bay%20sau%20paulo%20a12.jpg" width="640" /><br />
<br />
<div class="quote">
</div>
<div class="quote">
</div>
<div class="quote">
<i>São Paulo</i> is a <i>Clemenceau</i>-class aircraft carrier currently in service with the Brazilian Navy. The <i>São Paulo</i> was first commissioned in 1963 by the French Navy as the <i>Foch</i>
 and was transferred in 2000 to Brazil, where she became the new 
flagship of the Brazilian Navy. </div>
<div class="quote">
In December 2014 it was announced that <i>São Paulo</i> will be expected to continue active service until 2039, at which time the vessel will be nearly 80 years old<b>.</b></div>
<br />
<br /></div>

CCTV reported that the catapult being tested to launch aircraft

The middle pic left+above the blue workshop is 2008 dug, long trench is a steam catapult, the military has approved. right below t...

Chinese Scientists Unveil New Stealth Material Breakthrough

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img alt="In this July 7, 2006 photo, the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is shown after it was unveiled in a ceremony in Fort Worth, Texas. " height="292" src="http://cdn.defenseone.com/media/img/upload/2015/11/11/AP_200691809359/defense-large.jpg" title="In this July 7, 2006 photo, the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is shown after it was unveiled in a ceremony in Fort Worth, Texas. " width="640" /><br />
<br />
<br />
Planes and warships just got a lot harder to see with microwave radar.<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><br />
<b>A group of scientists from China may </b>have created a stealth 
material that could make future fighter jets very difficult to detect by
 some of today’s most cutting-edge anti-stealth radar.<br />
<br />
The researchers developed a new material they say can defeat microwave 
radar at ultrahigh frequencies, or UHF. Such material is usually too 
thick to be applied to aircraft like fighter jets, but this new material
 is thin enough for military aircraft, ships, and other equipment.<br />
Today’s synthetic aperture radar use arrays of antennas directing 
microwave energy to essentially see through clouds and fog and provide 
an approximate sense of the object’s size, the so-called radar cross 
section. With radar absorbent material not all of the signal<br />
bounces back to the receiver. A plane can look like a bird.<br />
<br />
“Our proposed absorber is almost ten times thinner than conventional 
ones,” said Wenhua Xu, one of the team members from China’s Huazhong 
University of Science and Technology, in a statement.<br />
<br />
In their paper, published today in the<a class="externalLink" href="http://scitation.aip.org/docserver/fulltext/aip/journal/jap/118/18/1.4934683.pdf?expires=1447264283&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=711630351CCC6D63AD647C5F26C65855" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"> Journal of Applied Physics</span></a>,
 the team describes a material composed of semi-conducting diodes 
(varactors) and capacitors that have been soldered onto a printed 
circuit board. That layer is sitting under a layer of copper resistors 
and capacitors just .04 mm thick, which they called an “active frequency
 selective surface material” or AFSS. The AFSS layer can effectively be 
stretched to provide a lot of absorption but is thin enough to go onto 
an aircraft. The next layer is a thin metal honeycomb and final is a 
metal slab.<br />
<br />
The good news: the material isn’t locked away in a lab but published openly, so it’s not going to surprise anyone.<br />
Stealth is considered by many to be one of the key technologies that 
enabled U.S. military dominance throughout the last century, effectively
 neutralizing, or offsetting, technological gains made by rival nations 
and the Soviet empire.<br />
<br />
“In the 1970s, Secretary of Defense Harold Brown, working closely with 
Undersecretary – and future Defense Secretary – Bill Perry, shepherded 
their own offset strategy, establishing the Long-Range Research and 
Development Planning Program that helped develop and field revolutionary
 new systems, such as extended-range precision-guided munitions, stealth
 aircraft, and new intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance 
platforms,” former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel<a class="externalLink" href="http://www.defenseone.com/technology/2014/11/pentagons-new-offset-strategy-includes-robots/99230/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"> said</span></a> at a November 2014 event outlining the Pentagon’s newest technological push.<br />
<br />
The F-35’s stealth capabilities are often touted as the jet’s most valuable feature. But in 2009, China was <a class="externalLink" href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/19/usa-fighter-hacking-idUSL2N0EV0T320130619#wCuGMKVJgvulEQPW.97" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">reportedly</span></a> able to steal design and electronics data related to the program.  J-31 fighter resembles the F-35 to <a class="externalLink" href="http://www.defenseone.com/threats/2015/09/more-questions-f-35-after-new-specs-chinas-copycat/121859/?oref=search_China%20F-35" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">an uncanny degree</span></a>, leaving many to wonder if the electronics on the inside are a match as well.<br />
The publication today won’t answer that question but does speak to a 
growing Chinese capability in stealth technology, an area where the 
United States once had clear dominance.<br />
<br />
<i><a class="externalLink" href="http://www.defenseone.com/voices/patrick-tucker/8219/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">By Patrick Tucker </span></a>  | 
<a class="externalLink" href="http://www.defenseone.com/technology/2015/11/chinese-scientists-unveil-new-stealth-material-breakthrough/123622/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chinese Scientists Unveil New Stealth Material Breakthrough - Defense One</a></i><br />
<div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Boeing - Strongest & Lightest Metal Invented </b>
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="460" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tUgqub5fon8" width="660"></iframe>

Chinese Scientists Unveil New Stealth Material Breakthrough

Planes and warships just got a lot harder to see with microwave radar. A group of scientists from China may have created a stealth ma...

Insect Size RoboBee Performs Controlled Flight

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBpqdQJQFOYnkjIfy-il4I1GGYB4M4_QVCqCdpCXIPiwAh5Zba2LjiNimpi-SuEg0PkqqAfAmtD-HYDFVuFFQlyykGPffyZw_ZAIEzFanJlyw-IDoig4rzyGA_-zHuMNgfuWyjKIhD17A/s1600/RoboBee+built+by+Robert+J.+Wood%E2%80%99s+team+at+Harvard..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBpqdQJQFOYnkjIfy-il4I1GGYB4M4_QVCqCdpCXIPiwAh5Zba2LjiNimpi-SuEg0PkqqAfAmtD-HYDFVuFFQlyykGPffyZw_ZAIEzFanJlyw-IDoig4rzyGA_-zHuMNgfuWyjKIhD17A/s1600/RoboBee+built+by+Robert+J.+Wood%E2%80%99s+team+at+Harvard..jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An early prototype of the RoboBee built by Robert J. Wood’s team at Harvard. Photo: SEAS</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
A team of researchers from the Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS)
 are developing an insect sized robot. Half the size of a paperclip, weighing less than a tenth of a 
gram, RoboBee inspired by the biology of a fly and conceived through 
manufacturing breakthrough and miniaturization.<br />
<br />
<div>
<div style="float: left; margin-right: 5px;">
</div>
<div class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 210px;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="  " height="300" src="http://defense-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/hqdefault.jpg" style="margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RoboBees
 are manufactured through a unique Pop-up manufacturing process 
developed by the same team that developed the robotic insect. See the 
video</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<br />
The unique submillimeter-scale anatomy of RoboBee uses two wafer-thin
 wings that flap almost invisibly, 120 times per second. At tiny scales,
 small changes in airflow can have an outsized effect on flight 
dynamics, and the control system has to react that much faster to remain
 stable. For the wing ‘muscles’ the tiny robot employs piezoelectric 
actuators – strips of ceramic that expand and contract when an electric 
field is applied. Thin hinges of plastic embedded within the carbon 
fiber body frame serve as joints, and a delicately balanced control 
system commands the rotational motions, differentially moving the 
flapping wings to generate directional motion.<br />
The first flights that took place in the summer of 2012 employed a 
tethered version feeding power and processing from external devices. The
 next steps in the program will involve integrating the parallel work of
 different research teams who are working on the brain, the colony 
coordination behavior, the power source, etc., leading to the evolution 
of fully autonomous, wireless robotic insects. High energy-density fuel 
cells must be developed before the RoboBees will be able to fly with 
more independence.<br />
</div>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_41751" style="width: 660px;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="RoboBee design. Image courtesy of Kevin Ma and Pakpong Chirarattananon." class="size-full wp-image-41751" height="421" src="http://defense-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/robobee.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RoboBee design. Image courtesy of Kevin Ma and Pakpong Chirarattananon.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="wp-caption-text">
Applications of the RoboBee type ‘creatures’ could include 
distributed environmental monitoring, search-and-rescue operations, or 
assistance with crop pollination, but the materials, fabrication 
techniques, and components that emerge along the way might prove to be 
even more significant. The US Air Force is also working on similar 
technologies, under the Air Force Research Lab Micro-Aviary program. The
 US Army is also working on micro-bots, through thethe Army Research 
Laboratory’s (ARL) Micro Autonomous Systems and Technology (MAST) Collaborative Technology Alliance.</div>
</div>
According to Robert J. Wood, principal investigator of the National 
Science Foundation-supported RoboBee project, the lab’s recent 
breakthroughs in manufacturing, materials, and design have paved the way
 for the new achievement of RoboBee. “Now that we’ve got this unique 
platform, there are dozens of tests that we’re starting to do, including
 more aggressive control maneuvers and landing,” says Wood. The robotic 
insects also take advantage of the breakthrough pop-up manufacturing 
technique developed by Wood’s team in 2011.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/eI2HoBccEXQ?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe>

<br />
<br />
Through the Pop-Up Manufacturing process (video) sheets
 of various laser-cut materials are layered and sandwiched together into
 a thin, flat plate that folds up like a child’s pop-up book into the 
complete electromechanical structure. The process enabled the team to 
accelerate prototype development, going through 20 prototypes in a six 
months period. The pop-up manufacturing process could enable a new class
 of complex medical devices.<br />
Harvard’s Office of Technology Development, in collaboration with Harvard <span class="wp_keywordlink_affiliate"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target="_blank" title="View all posts in SEAS">SEAS</a></span>
 and the Wyss Institute, is already in the process of commercializing 
some of the underlying technologies. The program was supported by the 
Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard. defense-update<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="The RoboBee is designed to evolve into an insect-size fully autonomous robot but at the current phase it is tethered to a power and processing sources. Photo SEAS, Photo courtesy of Kevin Ma and Pakpong Chirarattananon." class="size-full wp-image-41752" height="426" src="http://defense-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/robobees.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The
 RoboBee is designed to evolve into an insect-size fully autonomous 
robot but at the current phase it is tethered to a power and processing 
sources. Photo SEAS, Photo courtesy of Kevin Ma and Pakpong 
Chirarattananon.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_41752" style="width: 660px;">
<div class="wp-caption-text">
</div>
</div>
</div>

Insect Size RoboBee Performs Controlled Flight

An early prototype of the RoboBee built by Robert J. Wood’s team at Harvard. Photo: SEAS A team of researchers from the Harvard’s Scho...

Breakthrough in Making Aircraft Carrier Engines

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="003751sg6eb9e0yae06jmy.jpg" class="bbCodeImage LbImage" height="640" src="http://defence.pk/attachments/003751sg6eb9e0yae06jmy-jpg.185072/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="465" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Type 
052D destroyers use QC280 gas turbines</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<img class="bbCodeImageFullSize" src="http://himg2.huanqiu.com/attachment2010/2014/1023/20141023091716420.jpg" style="left: 327.65px; top: 359.167px;" /><br />
<br />
<br />
Canada’s Kanwa Defence Review published an article on January 25 on 
China’s development and production of QC280 gas turbines for its Type 
052D destroyers.<br />
According to the article, China developed QC280 generates 28MW of power, on the basis of the 
technology of DA80/GT25000 gas turbine imported from Ukraine but has 
made a series of improvements on it.<br />
Kanwa visited Ukraine’s Zorya JSC several times and learned from the 
company that it had to provide China parts and components for QC280. 
When China assembled and put into operation the engines, it had to 
provide lots of information and advices. Sometimes, it was requested to 
send experts to China.<br />
QD280 consumes less fuel, has greater power than DA80 due to the improvements.<br />
On the basis of the development of QC280, China is now developing 
R0110 heavy gas turbine with power output of 114,500kw and heat 
efficiency of 36%. The turbine has passed expert evaluation and will be 
used on China’s homegrown aircraft carrier.<br />
The article points out that a new helicopter platform was built at 
Jiangnan Changxing Island Shipyard in May 2014. What will the platform 
be used for? To facilitate State leaders’ visits to the shipyard?<br />
Source: Kanwa Defence Review “China has made breakthrough in warship 
engines to be installed on its homegrown aircraft carrier” (summary by 
Chan Kai Yee)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
</h3>
<div class="post-header">

</div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-9143109505116107213" itemprop="description articleBody">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
Brazilian KC390 maiden flight </h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xyAci7BcrIkarpNeiuOaJFeU3RwWdT-2FGtOT_bG-5uLX4QM8RSjA7P9VWYT7LBQxAUcTDwS2Eq7ptGjKsglnjGXtOngjvCX-vojY1-xG0m7Vo5TgUvqGl_nhYaXyqsv-B9BRqhuXsm9/s1600/Brazilian-made+transport+aircraft+completed+its+first+flight+KC390+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xyAci7BcrIkarpNeiuOaJFeU3RwWdT-2FGtOT_bG-5uLX4QM8RSjA7P9VWYT7LBQxAUcTDwS2Eq7ptGjKsglnjGXtOngjvCX-vojY1-xG0m7Vo5TgUvqGl_nhYaXyqsv-B9BRqhuXsm9/s1600/Brazilian-made+transport+aircraft+completed+its+first+flight+KC390+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPjH4hVS-uPACV8bvlMHxA5vVLGEh4rRvOl5kurlV60cm-ChCtqIWex4XJsQIpRYRtQS8Ej_Oo2AwFXjvFqERLMWQ2QjQvAtViXUBkhpBFnIknw77-GV3s4AOf3D52bX6ilsDgLcXxjZ5/s1600/Brazilian-made+transport+aircraft+completed+its+first+flight+KC390+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPjH4hVS-uPACV8bvlMHxA5vVLGEh4rRvOl5kurlV60cm-ChCtqIWex4XJsQIpRYRtQS8Ej_Oo2AwFXjvFqERLMWQ2QjQvAtViXUBkhpBFnIknw77-GV3s4AOf3D52bX6ilsDgLcXxjZ5/s1600/Brazilian-made+transport+aircraft+completed+its+first+flight+KC390+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61MBB6CXmMacMV05MJW1LBcnkBwDSnuMnyAp3IBoF8VT0CMLcYaiqWHGn7Br69ahBxpCzVcJj0WTMPM49QG9WFclzHNAszH4mr6m6TesGRH5L8m5Ffn0vXhzRPs26MmvQ5_H8WY_Ddu6D/s1600/Brazilian-made+transport+aircraft+completed+its+first+flight+KC390+3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61MBB6CXmMacMV05MJW1LBcnkBwDSnuMnyAp3IBoF8VT0CMLcYaiqWHGn7Br69ahBxpCzVcJj0WTMPM49QG9WFclzHNAszH4mr6m6TesGRH5L8m5Ffn0vXhzRPs26MmvQ5_H8WY_Ddu6D/s1600/Brazilian-made+transport+aircraft+completed+its+first+flight+KC390+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL2C1LpJcsDidujJfDghvI-3TBLnHNvGYoWlHZ7pI04oCqYTUUvZiytqbVJrbV0r43mZyWbPu_fsO4-QWHZFg3sgnpadGiaK7wAOKCULlYVh5VCJxJ5jNE4h-wW4aBl6gkCsMFUx7egHKy/s1600/Brazilian-made+transport+aircraft+completed+its+first+flight+KC390+4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL2C1LpJcsDidujJfDghvI-3TBLnHNvGYoWlHZ7pI04oCqYTUUvZiytqbVJrbV0r43mZyWbPu_fsO4-QWHZFg3sgnpadGiaK7wAOKCULlYVh5VCJxJ5jNE4h-wW4aBl6gkCsMFUx7egHKy/s1600/Brazilian-made+transport+aircraft+completed+its+first+flight+KC390+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-KVuVZ1t3bBZwHijSYAfFIt6Hb3_3rQ-tOxlGSQJphqmguETLnO8sbXSEzvk2nMlmDRJatkvKgSxPG-FnbjYLV3ciwyWusIPhZxcUcpN0kqfli7RjARk9ziPiEm29ZiLHGF-nPi1iMAD/s1600/Brazilian-made+transport+aircraft+completed+its+first+flight+KC390+5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-KVuVZ1t3bBZwHijSYAfFIt6Hb3_3rQ-tOxlGSQJphqmguETLnO8sbXSEzvk2nMlmDRJatkvKgSxPG-FnbjYLV3ciwyWusIPhZxcUcpN0kqfli7RjARk9ziPiEm29ZiLHGF-nPi1iMAD/s1600/Brazilian-made+transport+aircraft+completed+its+first+flight+KC390+5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<br /></div>

Breakthrough in Making Aircraft Carrier Engines

Type 052D destroyers use QC280 gas turbines Canada’s Kanwa Defence Review published an article on January 25 on China’s de...

Details of Type 039B new AIP submarine technology revealed

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2zODqCBc8p1ssOqrq-TCyfOSzTenp4lVKg3Hpi1JuIM_VZKDS8ooBQWtqGukqkY887Ak0IbUuPeoCj7tL36T9YzBWaZ3bMpO5wD0iZvvyiBK9HN_fm9VjeqVaELii0wsHvK5ArmEKQRs/s640/Details+of+China's%2Bnew%2BAIP%2Bsubmarine%2Btechnology%2Brevealed.jpg" width="640" /><br />
<br />
<br />
In recent years several different air-independent propulsion (AIP) 
submarines have entered service in China and are said to be leading the 
world in standards, according to Duowei News, a media outlet run by 
overseas Chinese.<br />
<br />
Due to the highly classified nature of submarine technology, however, 
the parameters of China's AIP systems have not been fully revealed to 
the public, the website stated. A May 1 report in People's Daily, however, mentioned that China's "new Stirling
 engine" was 117% more efficient than its international rivals. The 
first hints of the details of the engine technology have gradually 
emerged recently. The engine will likely be adopted by 
new AIP submarine.<br />
<br />
In the April 26 edition of People's Daily, in the run-up to Labor Day, a
 piece entitled "The 'Prettiest Worker' Reveals Why Workers are 
Beautiful" included the sentence: "In the field of special propulsion 
systems, the Stirling engine department of the 711 research institute of
 the China Ship Scientific Research Center has been around for 10 years 
and has independently developed a completely new engine, which is 117% 
more efficient than similar products overseas, which puts it in the lead
 worldwide. It is set to be installed in China's next generation of 
warships."<br />
<br />
The 711 research institute is the main research unit that develops 
propulsion systems for conventional submarines. One of the most advanced
 systems it created was the AIP system for the Type 039B Song-class 
diesel-electric submarine, powered with Stirling engines based on 
engines imported into China from Sweden during the 1980s.<br />
<br />
According to the People's Daily report, there are several models of the 
Swedish 4-275 propulsion system that the country is currently exporting 
to overseas buyers, including a 75 kilowatt and a 110 kW model. Only the
 75 kW version is being sold on the international market, however. China
 imported the 75 kW version from Sweden then replicated the engine and 
used it to power the Type 039B submarine.<br />
<br />
As the Stirling engine is not very efficient, it is normally used for 
slow cruising underwater. A new electricity generating technology 
developed in China allows the submarine to cruise underwater and charge 
its battery at the same time, the website stated. So although the four 
Stirling engines are identical in efficiency to those used in Japan's 
Soryu-class diesel-electric attack submarines, the Chinese submarines 
are afforded more tactical flexibility. Before the liquid oxygen on 
board the submarine is exhausted, the submarine does not need to 
navigate with its snorkel extended to the surface, which puts it at the 
same level of performance as a small nuclear submarine.<br />
<br />
This leaves the problem of the low efficiency of the Stirling engine. 
The engines of the Type-039B submarine charge quite slowly. After 
travelling at a speed of 20 knots for several hours underwater, it needs
 to slow to a speed of 2 knots for several days to recharge its battery,
 which makes increasing the efficiency of the engine key.<br />
<br />
This is what the 711 research institute has been working to address. 
According to a 2004 report by state news agency Xinhua, the engine 
developed by the 711 research institute has made a breakthrough in the 
technology. The new engine is said to have a 20 kW and a 100 kW model, 
said the website. The advantage of the engine is that it can be used 
together with other propulsion systems such as natural gas, diesel, 
solar energy or other solid fuels to generate electricity. This also 
reduces emissions compared to other engines on the market. This meant 
that back in 2004, China had almost equaled the power of the Swedish 110
 kW 4-275 Stirling engine.<br />
<br />
The website then speculated that the power of China's new generation of 
Stirling engine has likely reached the 160 kW or 217 kW mark. If new 
submarines were to use four Sterling engines, as the Type 039B submarine
 does, then this would mean power of 640 kW to 868 kW (868-1,180 
horsepower). The engine would also drive the submarine at the same time 
as charging the battery. The Russian Kilo-class submarine has one 150 
horsepower cruise generator and two emergency-use 102 horsepower 
generators.<br />
<br />
This means that China's new Stirling engine can charge its main battery 
at the speed of a conventionally-powered submarine in snorkel mode, 
while travelling at a low speed of 2-3 knots. This is a unique 
breakthrough. Even the lithium battery powered submarine, which is under
 development, is unable to compete with diesel-electric submarines in 
terms of energy density and it still needs to charge its battery with 
its snorkel extended. <i></i><br />
<br />
<br /></div>

Details of Type 039B new AIP submarine technology revealed

In recent years several different air-independent propulsion (AIP) submarines have entered service in China and are said to be leading ...

Will China’s scientists’ breakthrough sound death knell for world’s deadly viruses?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-VIOy40jPp9AHvVG_AZLEkea6YEkhuY7SyNgF2aXgm3UrmRbUOv1Kgts_Cun497yRbP0k-FJdBrXOFTzd1rrk2OFH5QdMMOCqqg7KvEs25VreM-HiQuRP65_Gqhdq-KbchdnT-vyWIM/s1600/283615-virus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-VIOy40jPp9AHvVG_AZLEkea6YEkhuY7SyNgF2aXgm3UrmRbUOv1Kgts_Cun497yRbP0k-FJdBrXOFTzd1rrk2OFH5QdMMOCqqg7KvEs25VreM-HiQuRP65_Gqhdq-KbchdnT-vyWIM/s640/283615-virus.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />Peking University research could help simplify development of <b><a href="http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/2050471/will-chinas-scientists-breakthrough-sound-death-knell-worlds-deadly" target="_blank">effective vaccines or cures for infections such as bird flu, Sars, Ebola and HIV within weeks of an outbreak</a></b><br /> <br /> Chinese scientists may have found the key to creating effective vaccines for the world’s deadly viruses – by breaking two taboos in traditional vaccinology.<br />  An experiment by a research team at Beijing’s Peking University was hailed as “revolutionary” in the field in a paper published in the latest issue of Sciencemagazine on Friday.<br />  The scientists broke two of the field’s taboos first by creating a vaccine using a live, fully infectious virus, and then by injecting the substance into infected animals dying of the same virus.<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="blockquote-quote v2-processed">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Now we have a new weapon ... that can mow down nearly any kind of virus and their mutations. It can shift the battle</span></i></div>
<div class="blockquote-author v2-processed">
<i>Zhou Demin, Peking University</i></div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /> The animals were cured after receiving the injection, according to the paper.<br />  This breakthrough promises to simplify the process of producing vaccines, which may help scientists develop effective vaccines or even cures for various viruses – such bird flu, Sars, Ebola and HIV – within weeks of an outbreak.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />  The live virus used in the vaccine used by the researchers had its genetic code tweak to disable the viral strains’ self-replication mechanism. But it was kept fully infectious to allow the host animal cells to generate immunity.<br />  Using live viruses in their fully infectious form was considered taboo, as viruses spread rapidly. Vaccines sold and used widely today generally contain either dead or weakened forms of viruses.<br />  Live viruses used in vaccines approved for clinical use have typically had their physical structure altered to weaken them. But this has affected the vaccines’ effectiveness. Vaccines also do not exist for many of the world’s deadly viruses.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />  Zhou Demin, a professor at Peking University’s School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and the study’s lead scientist, said researchers had been facing a losing battle against viruses.<br />  “Now we have a new weapon ... that can mow down nearly any kind of virus and their mutations. It can shift the battle,” Zhou told the <a href="http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/2050471/will-chinas-scientists-breakthrough-sound-death-knell-worlds-deadly" target="_blank">South China Morning Post</a>.<br />  In the experiment reported in Science magazine, Zhou’s team made the vaccine using live bird flu virus.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />  They jabbed the vaccine into mice, guinea pigs and ferrets. The virus menginvasi host dan menciptakan kekacauan di sel, but they did not reproduce themselves.<br />  The immune system fought back and picked out the virus in each cell, one after another. By the end of the third day the last strain of the virus was gone, leaving no trace behind except a permanent memory in the host’s immune system, which provided immunity.<br />  The researchers then injected the vaccine into mice suffering from the flu. The animals recovered quickly and returned to full health.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />  Analysis showed that the man-made virus had recombined with the wild virus so that the combined virus was unable to reproduce, too.<br />  “The vaccine is not just a vaccine, but also a drug,” Zhou said.<br />  The bird flu virus in the vaccine had more than a 99 per cent similarity to its natural cousin.<br />  The researchers tweaked as few as three genome bases in the virus’ DNA. A typical virus has hundreds of thousands of such bases.<br />  A virus needs food and amino acids, the building blocks of proteins found in animals and plants, is one source of food. A wild virus will eat almost any amino acid, but the genetically tweaked virus in Zhou’s vaccine would accept only a special kind of man-made amino acid.<br />  The unnatural amino acid can be produced only in a laboratory: it does not exist in the body of animals or humans.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />  “So after you inject these viruses into the host they will not be able to reproduce themselves due to the lack of a [suitable] amino acid, and they will ‘starve’ to death in the end,” Zhou said.<br />  Zhou’s team produced the virus in a man-made cell line. The cells were filled with the unnatural amino acid. The virus would then find comfort in these man-made cells and reproduce in large numbers, like cars rolling off a production line.<br />  Zhou has envisioned a likely use for the vaccine technology in the near future, such as a time when a nation is hit by an outbreak of something like severe acute respiratory syndrome.<br />  Researchers would quickly isolate the unknown viral strain from patients and modify three genetic bases in the virus. The modified virus would then be used to vaccinate the general population. All this could be done within a few weeks.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />  The vaccine could also be injected into patients already suffering from the viral infection.<br />  “The side effect is so small that the recipient would hardly feel anything,” Zhou said.<br />  He said he believed the technology would benefit patients “soon”.<br />  The team had acquired international patents for the technology and they were in contact with some vaccine manufacturers so that trials in humans could be carried out, he said.<br />  In the past, vaccine development has been a long and complicated process, requiring researchers to know exactly the physical structures of a virus and its behaviour.<br />  However, that would not be necessary using the new method, which requires only the modification of a few genetic bases that exist in the DNA of almost any virus.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />  Professor Meng Songdong, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, said the work by Zhou’s team was a “new approach” and “something never thought of by others before”.<br />  Meng, who was not involved in the study, added: “It shed a new light on how to deal with the virus.”<br />  However, he raised concerns about whether the live virus vaccine could be used on humans in the near future.<br />  The man-made virus might undergo unexpected mutations that broke the link of control initially created by researchers, he said.<br />  And the recombination of a man-made virus with wild types might not always produce the good results that had been reported by Zhou’s team, Meng added.<br />  “The chances are the exchange of genetic information will make [the virus] even deadlier, even more productive,” Meng said.<br />  “I doubt health authorities in any country, especially China, will vaccinate the public with a live virus.”</span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>

Will China’s scientists’ breakthrough sound death knell for world’s deadly viruses?

Peking University research could help simplify development of effective vaccines or cures for infections such as bird flu, Sars, Ebola a...

Errymath