Science and Technology -Net Catalogue

The research journal Nature published a communication announcing one of the most exciting advances built upon the landmark work of Nobel laureate Sir C. V. Raman called ‘Raman Effect’. Incidentally, it was the same journal in which phenomenal research of Sir C. V. Raman was brought out for the first time almost 80 years ago.

Mr. Haishing Rog and six other researchers with chip maker Intel, claim a scientific breakthrough by creating the world’s first continuous laser beam with a silicon chip.  And as they admit, the credit goes to the ‘Raman Effect’ whereby light is tremendously amplified when it passes through some transparent materials.

The proof that silicon can be used as a light-amplifying  material has far-reaching implications for the electro-optical industry. If a way is found to commercially produce Raman SiliconLasers in large numbers, it will reduce the dependence on costly and delicate fibre optic materials.

The processes based on the ‘Raman Effect’ might just turn out to be the compelling application that turns the Indian discovery into something that is truly a global technology. It is a great potentials toultimately change how and how fast we are able to communicate.

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.