Wednesday 13 July 2016

Graphene-infused packaging is a million times better at blocking moisture

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Plastic packaging might seem impenetrable -- and sometimes nearly impossible to remove -- but water molecules can still pass through. And this permeability to moisture can limit the lifespan of a product. To better protect goods such as electronics and medicines, scientists have developed a new kind of packaging that incorporates a single layer of graphene. Their material reduces by a million fold how much water can get through.
via Science Daily

Robot would assemble modular telescope -- in space

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A new concept in space telescope design uses a modular structure and an assembly robot to build an extremely large telescope in space, performing tasks in which astronaut fatigue would be a problem.
via Science Daily
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M7: Open Star Cluster in Scorpius

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Zazzle Space Gifts for young and old

Milan exhibition opens doors to particle physics enthusiasts

Poster promoting the “Extreme. In search of particles” exhibition, which is open to the public from 13 July in Milan. (Image: Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology)

From 13 July, a new exhibition opens visitors’ eyes to what makes the universe tick at the most fundamental level and how devices are used to track the most minuscule of events.

“Extreme. In search of particles” designed and produced by the Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology  in partnership with CERN and INFN (the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics) unlocks some of the secrets behind particle physics research.

This mesmerising exhibition unravels the answers behind complex questions such as: How are such small-scale events observed? What are detectors and how do they work? Where does this cutting-edge research take place? How can this technology be used elsewhere?

The exhibition showcases a new video that demonstrates the handy tool used to probe matter at the smallest of scales in the universe, particle tracks, and how these led to one of the most significant discoveries of the century: the Higgs boson.

“CERN has been very happy to contribute to its development, working with the Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology and INFN to create something truly inspiring that I’m sure the museum’s visitors will enjoy for many years to come. It is therefore particularly pleasing for me to see this superb exhibition about particle physics opening here.“  –  Fabiola Gianotti, CERN Director-General.

Eager visitors are transported into the past to discover experiments that marked the history of particle physics. They discover a prototype of Carlo Rubbia’s UA1 detector, the Delphi experiment’s Vertex detector and the University of Milan’s cloud chamber.

As they move through the exhibition, visitors accelerate back to the present to interact with installations on current research issues – such as the existence of dark matter – and learn about the detectors currently in use at CERN and INFN.

They are shown what happens behind the doors of control rooms, offices and laboratories: the heart of data analysis and the communication of information among researchers, which led to Tim Berners-Lee’s invention of the World Wide Web at CERN.

Finally, they get a behind-the-scenes peek into the lives of those working at the very forefront of physics, through Andri Pol’s photographic installation featuring everyday work at CERN, and a presentation containing fascinating stories told by Italian researchers who have previously worked at both institutes.

Admission is included with the museum’s general admission ticket, enabling particle physics enthusiasts to delve into a subatomic world. 


via CERN: Updates for the general public
http://home.cern/about/updates/2016/07/milan-exhibition-opens-doors-particle-physics-enthusiasts

Novel advancements in radiation tolerance of HEMTs

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When it comes to putting technology in space, size and mass are prime considerations. A better understanding of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs could mean huge advancements in solid state science, specifically space exploration.
via Science Daily
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NASA's Juno spacecraft sends first in-orbit view

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The JunoCam camera aboard NASA's Juno mission is operational and sending down data after the spacecraft's July 4 arrival at Jupiter. Juno's visible-light camera was turned on six days after Juno fired its main engine and placed itself into orbit around the largest planetary inhabitant of our solar system. The first high-resolution images of the gas giant Jupiter are still a few weeks away.
via Science Daily
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