2007/09/14

Misc. Friday Ramblings...

Lawdog:
"An amateur practices until he gets it right. A professional practices until he can't get it wrong."

Friday FIREPOWER!
  • Gamma-ray annihilation lasers.
    Di-positronium, as the new molecule is known, was predicted to exist in 1946 but has remained elusive to science.

    Now, a US team has created thousands of the molecules by merging electrons with their antimatter equivalent: positrons.

    The discovery, reported in the journal Nature, is a key step in the creation of ultrapowerful lasers known as gamma-ray annihilation lasers.

    "The difference in the power available from a gamma-ray laser compared to a normal laser is the same as the difference between a nuclear explosion and a chemical explosion," said Dr David Cassidy of the University of California, Riverside, and one of the authors of the paper.

    "It would have an incredibly high power density."

    As a result, there is a huge interest in the technology from the military as well as energy researchers who believe the lasers could be used to kick-start nuclear fusion in a reactor.

    No word yet on if sharks will be involved or not.

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