Science and Technology -Net Catalogue

It has been held as the new X-ray “miracle” - a three dimensional scanner that strips away skin and muscle tissue to reveal the workings of vital organic blood vessels and bones.

Taking pictures only half a millimeter wide, the 64 Multislice CT scanner, as the Japanese built machine is known, penetrates the human body layer by layer to build up a complete 3D anatomocal image in a little as 11 seconds.

Unlike other scanners, it can be used on every part of the body. Radiologists at the Conquest hospital in Hastings, east Sussex, where the NHS has acquired its first machine for 500000 pounds sterling, say it has been speeding up chest scans, as patients no longer have to hold their breath for so long during the proceedure.

With up to 50 percent more X-ray being carried out each day, managers predict it will also reduce waiting times for hospital beds. The X-rays still expose patients to radiation - in some cases the doeses are higher than with standard CT scans - but patients undergo less trauma.

When a persons head is scanned, the device first of all peels away facial tissue to reveal the structure of muscles and nerves. As the scanner penetrates deeper, it exposes blood vessels, then bones and the skull. The image are so precise they can pin-point the build up of calcium in a artery.

The European - American Cassini - Huygens space probe has detected traces of ice flowing on the surface of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, suggesting the existence of an ice volcano.
The radar image sent back to earth by the probe looks very much like its something that oozed across the surface of the moon. The probes radar mapped as 230 sq. km area of Titan from an altitude of 2,494 km.
The surprising discovery was made by radio and plasma wave detectors on board the Cassini spacecraft as it passed over Saturn’s rings during its arrival at the planet. The tones are emitted as radio waves.
The tones are short, typically lasting between one and three seconds, and unlike the ethereal sliding tones associated with other cosmetic processes, every one is quite distinct. The evidence suggests that each tone is produced by the impact of a meteoroid on the icy chunks that make up the rings.

While I have been webmastering and blogging for over one and half years, I am no techie by any means of imagination. My computer or technological knowledge is just minimal to the point of 9 months diploma in computer application and some very basic knowledge on programming. And believe me, quality blogging is a laborious job and one has to constantly update his own knowledge by reading and looking for information.

So I chanced upon one of my friend who was involved in selling embedded computer. I was shocked as I never heard of them. Then he explained that there are some computers dedicated to perform some specific jobs like particular industrial functions. These computers come with RFID readers (Radio-Frequency Identification) which are tiny electronic items consisting of tiny chips and antennae and work as identifier of tags and capture data automatically. These RFID readers have definitely become very important part of modern electronic technology along with transponders. Transponders have long been regarded as the backbone of electronics technology. RFID devices come in many forms such as PC cards, OEM boards and also have different frequencies. On the other hand transponders are electronic equipments which receive signals, convert them to new frequencies and then transmit them to new location.

I never knew these devices in details and now I am much wiser than before.

Few days back I visited the neighborhood I grew up and found it quite than those days I spent my childhood. There are still same people, same building except that their outer look changed with age. I caught up with some childhood friends and after talking to them came to know why the area has become so quiet.

I grew up going to the nearby game plaza during the weekend and spent all my weekly pocket allowances there. As soon as the plaza opened, it became a raze for children and big headache for guardians. We were amazed with virtual reality games by SEGA and drove speed-boat at high speed without fear of getting hurt or worse killed.

But now the situation has changed with the advent of internet and new technologies. With the exponential growth of internet and unimaginable advancement in technology including 3D, flash and graphics – companies have developed innumerable number of exceptional games and offer them free online. People have become so fond of free online games that they are now spending more time in front of their monitors than somewhere else. Its not children, but more adults have become online games addicts. And why should not they be? After all the advent of broadband internet, crystal clear graphics and sound system have made playing games an unforgettable experience. One can easily play classic games such as PacMan, Tetris, Battleships etc. along with sport games like Virtual Champions League, Beachtennis, Baseball and much more.

To be frank even I am an online game junky, often logging on to my favorite game site. Only future will tell if this too will change in ten years time!