Latest news of science and technology, new electronics

A regularly updated selection of the most interesting news in science and technology, new electronics. Large archive of articles from 2000 to 2024. Based on materials from periodicals and the Internet.

timeline

Wireless communication for mobile phone 29.01.2001

The Japanese company Total Design Communications has developed a wireless headset for mobile phones called "i2me". Using the new Bluetooth technology, it provides a stable connection between the earphone and the "mobile phone" at a distance of up to 10 meters. Thus, nothing prevents now to put the phone in a bag and forget about it until the incoming call. Then, without getting confused in the wires, "pick up the phone" and start a conversation. And to do this is surprisingly simple: the device controls are limited to the answer button and the volume control. The new headset is powered by just one coin cell battery, which lasts for two weeks of intensive use. True, the price of new items is still too high - about $220. ... >>

virtual sweetheart 27.01.2001

The Japanese company Bandai, which produced the Tamagotchi electronic toy, has unveiled its new creation a virtual sweetheart who is flirtatious, naughty and does not like to talk about sports. Cybergirl carefully answers the love letters of her suitors. Bandai has developed seven variants of "imaginary" women, including a teacher, a waitress and a student party girl. Every day a man meets his "girlfriend" on the Web - they exchange emails and SMS messages. The girl is programmed so that her answers change depending on the time of day, year and type of question. So, declarations of love sent immediately after several "meetings" are ignored by the beloved, and the conversation about sports is reluctantly supported. But it is worth asking the right question at the right time, as the cybergirl becomes gentle and attentive. Such a romance can last from one to three months, and if the "courtship" is successful, then the beloved will be rewarded ... >>

Absolutely smooth surfaces 26.01.2001

Professor of the State University of North Carolina (USA) Jan Genzer and colleagues have developed a technology for manufacturing absolutely smooth surfaces. The substrate made of elastic polymer material is slightly stretched in all directions and coated with Teflon. After some time, the mechanical stress is released, the substrate returns to its original shape, and the Teflon molecules, chemically bonded to the surface, are brought extremely close to each other, forming a dense molecular film with a uniform structure. Its properties are very unusual: firstly, chemically it is much more inert than any other natural material. Secondly, which partially follows from the first, there is practically no friction between parts coated with Teflon using this technology. The new development can be used in the automotive industry (friction-free bearings) and medicine (implants that do not interact with surrounding tissues). ... >>

Nanorobots for human health 24.01.2001

Currently, intensive research is underway to create microscopic devices the size of a molecule, the so-called nanorobots, which can, for example, swim through human blood vessels, cleaning their walls of cholesterol deposits, kill nascent cancer cells, or synthesize new substances. In biology, protein motors that are located in a living cell have long been known. As a fuel, these engines use the chemical fuel of all living things - adenosine triphosphoric acid (ATP). Thanks to them, the transfer of various substances into the cell, the work of muscles, they are used even when copying DNA. A group of researchers from Cornell University, led by Carlo Montemagno, used the enzyme AT Phase to create a nanoengine. It is a complex of several proteins that work together to produce ATP. It looks like a cylinder with a diameter of 12 nm and the same height and consists of six proteins assembled around a single axis. AT Phase turns dv ... >>

Is there water on Mars 23.01.2001

In 2003, NASA plans to fly to Mars, where two robotic rovers will be delivered to determine if there is water on Mars. In December 1999, the Mars Polar Lander rover crashed on Mars, which received a false signal and turned off the engine before it landed on the surface of the planet. A few months earlier, due to a mismatch between English and metric units of length, the Mars Climate Orbiter spacecraft burned out in the atmosphere of Mars. Given the mistakes of past years, spacecraft will land on the surface of the "red planet" using air cushions. Ships that look like giant vines will bounce on them until they come to a complete stop. Then the covers of the aircraft will open and wheeled robots equipped with video cameras will come to the surface of Mars. Every day, the rovers will walk 90 meters, take pictures of the surface and explore the ground. The robots will transmit information to Earth for three months until dust clogs the mirror panels. ... >>

How to protect yourself from sea robbers 22.01.2001

Japanese designers are developing ways to protect against the attacks of sea pirates, which suffer ships in Southeast Asia. The Togapotop system (translated as "tiger cage") reacts to the hit of metal hooks, which are the main weapon of pirates, on the deck of the ship. When hit by such hooks, the wire stretched along the sides bends or breaks, as a result of which a system of mirrors and fiber optic cables is activated, and a powerful searchlight is turned on, illuminating the place of attack. Another system - Seajack Alarm - is based on the use of satellite tracking of the location of ships, speed and direction of movement. ... >>

Robot building a robot 19.01.2001

In the United States, an experiment was successfully carried out, during which a computer for the first time, without human participation, invented, developed and built another robot capable of moving. According to Rodney Brooks, director of the artificial intelligence laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, a computer created a scheme of the apparatus from randomly selected virtual components and transmitted the information to an automatic installation that produced the necessary parts. The authors of the experiment only slightly "helped" to connect the structure at several points indicated by the computer, and after a few minutes the robot began an awkward, but independent movement on the laboratory table. ... >>

Allergy to computer 17.01.2001

As Swedish ecologists have discovered, the chemical compound triphenyl phosphate, which is part of the plastic of monitor cases, can cause allergies in a person working at a computer or just being in a room with a computer turned on - especially in a small room. Triphenyl phosphate is introduced into plastics as a plasticizer and fire retardant (flame retardant). In some people, this compound causes allergies, usually in the form of itchy skin, difficulty breathing through the nose, and headaches. As studies have shown, when heated during normal operation to 50 - 55 degrees Celsius, the monitor case begins to release triphenyl phosphate vapor into the air. The content of this additive in the case plastic varies in different brands of monitors, but almost all manufacturers use it. Appreciable concentrations of the compound were found in the air within half a meter of the screen of ten of the 18 new monitors tested. These secretions are sharply weakened after eight days of continuous operation of the monitor (plasticizer ... >>

Microrobots of Swiss watchmakers 15.01.2001

A group of employees of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology led by Roland Siegart created a group of microrobots. The size of each of them is slightly larger than a cube of refined sugar. The robot is driven by two battery-powered stepper clock motors. Four infrared sensors allow him to bypass obstacles and follow the corridors of the labyrinth. When two robots meet, they exchange their serial numbers via infrared communication, and the one with the higher number (that is, he is "younger") gives way to the "older" one and can, obeying his commands, follow him. Microrobots are able to report their movements to the central computer by radio. And he builds a map of the premises they are examining. So it is proposed to use a team of robots for reconnaissance, say, of premises at a nuclear power plant after a release of radioactivity. ... >>

Water from the wind 14.01.2001

The village of Chingungo in northern Chile has only 350 inhabitants. There could be more, but there is almost no water there. Recently, 86 panels with nylon nets have been installed on the mountainside above the village. Almost every night, clouds pass over the mountain from the ocean. They rain down somewhere far beyond the mountains. But part of the water is deposited on the nets and flows into the gutter located under them. In order for one ordinary drop to appear on the network, about 10 million droplets of fog must settle. For a successful night, one network gives up to 700 liters of water, and the entire system for a month - about 300 thousand liters. Water from the air is five times cheaper than imported water in tankers. ... >>

Canned Coconuts 12.01.2001

An unripe coconut contains about half a liter of a clear, cool, sour-sweet liquid that quenches thirst well and contains a large amount of vitamins, potassium and sugar. This is the so-called coconut water, which later, as the nut ripens, is saturated with droplets of fat and turns into coconut milk. At the same time, the drink loses some of its usefulness, because coconut palm oil is rich in saturated fatty acids and contributes to atherosclerosis. Coconut water is one of the favorite drinks in those countries where the coconut tree grows. It could be in great demand outside the tropics, but it cannot be stored for a long time. Coconut water does not lend itself to pasteurization, it coagulates when heated, so it cannot be bottled and sold away from the tropics. Specialists from FAO - the United Nations Organization for Agriculture and Food Resources - have developed and patented a method for sterilizing coconut water that does not involve heating. The drink is filtered ... >>

Robot Cop 10.01.2001

Less than half a century has passed since R. Daniel Olivo was born under the pen of Isaac Asimov - a robot police officer, a participant in complex investigations, who more than once saved the lives of his human colleagues in alterations - and now an armed security robot has been created. The robot, called Roboguard, appeared at the King Mongkut Institute of Technology in Bangkok and is a non-moving combination of a computer, a video camera and a gun mounted on a mechanical arm. The gun is still for children, pneumatic. The pistol is equipped with a laser sight that casts a red light spot on the target. Roboguard can aim and shoot on its own initiative, noticing the movements of a person intruding into a protected area through infrared sensors. But the owner of the electronic security guard can control the shooting himself via the Internet, being anywhere in the world. In order for the robot to pull the trigger, you must enter a password. The inventors want to offer their creation to the Thai army and h ... >>

Ancient Cemetery of Athletes 08.01.2001

Studying burials in the necropolis of the ancient city of Miletus (Greece), the German archaeologist Manfred Kunter from the University of Giessen drew attention to a strange discrepancy. After examining about three hundred graves, Kunter noticed that the chic monuments and tombstones do not correspond to the features of the skeletons lying under them. The people buried here 2000 - 2400 years ago have solid bones with traces of powerful muscles, which speaks more of people of manual labor, and not of the pampered rich aristocrats who could have owned such monuments. Some of the skulls are missing individual teeth, although the remaining teeth were healthy and perfectly preserved. In several burials, metal scrapers were found, which were used to clean the skin after a bath by people of hard physical labor. A belt with a lead plaque was also found - ancient Greek boxers wound such belts around their fists before a fight. All this led the archaeologist to the conclusion that the best Milesian athletes were buried in the cemetery, and the tombstones ... >>

Mosquito trap 06.01.2001

According to the creators of the blood-sucking insect trap, engineers from American Biophysics, this pretty solid device, which costs almost $ 700, protects a 30-acre site from mosquitoes. Propane from a cylinder, undergoing flameless combustion on a catalyst, generates heat and carbon dioxide - the main landmarks by which a mosquito finds a person. Having penetrated into the vessel, from where the appetizingly smelling carbon dioxide flows, the bloodsuckers cannot get out and die. A stock of liquid propane of 9 kilograms is enough for two to three weeks of round-the-clock operation of the device. ... >>

Milk clothes 05.01.2001

If natural fibers such as silk and wool are made of protein, can not artificial fibers be made from other proteins, such as milk proteins? The idea arose half a century ago, but the milk fiber produced then smelled of well-aged cheese, which excluded its use in clothing. Now in France and Italy a method has been developed for obtaining tissues from milk that are completely odorless. These fabrics are lighter than silk and tend to wrinkle less. True, milk clothes will be very expensive: to get a gram of fiber, you need to process two liters of milk. ... >>

Speedometer on shoes 03.01.2001

For fans of jogging, the American company "Fitsens" launched the production of sneakers with a speedometer. The device, mounted on shoes, counts steps, translates them into distance traveled, calculates running speed and even the number of calories burned. All these data are transmitted over the radio channel to the electronic watch on the athlete's wrist. By special order, the system can be supplemented with a pulse rate sensor. After jogging, you can go online and transfer the results of the workout to the company's website, and receive doctor's recommendations in return. ... >>

Energy from olives 01.01.2001

In the town of Benameji in southern Spain, a thermal power plant with a capacity of 12 megawatts has been operating for three years, fueled by oil cake left after squeezing oil from olives. A third of the world's olive oil production comes from Spain, leaving more than five million tons of waste every year. Spanish peasants have long used this cake, after drying it, to heat their houses. The experiment at Benamehi was so successful that two more "olive" thermal power plants with a capacity of 16 megawatts are now planned. In total, the waste of the annual harvest can feed eight such power plants. ... >>

The use of puppets in medicine 30.12.2000

The American Barbie doll has found application in prosthetics: her knee joint can be replaced by sore finger joints. This idea came from the surgeon Jane Bahor from the Duke University Clinic (USA) four years ago. At first, she experimented with hinges cut off from store-bought dolls. But when the Mattel company, which produces Barbie, found out about these experiments, it presented the surgeon with several hundred such details. The only drawback is that the puppet's joints click when the fingers are bent. However, according to Bakhor, after some grinding, the sound disappears. ... >>

Rheumatics and athletes - in the cold 26.12.2000

A strange method of treating arthritis and rheumatism is used in the department of rheumatology of the clinic in the German city of Sentenhorst. This is the stay of an almost naked person in a refrigerator with a temperature of minus 110-120 degrees Celsius. A session lasting two to three minutes for some time relieves pain in the joints. The patient enters the cell in gloves and with a mask on his face, so as not to freeze his fingers and nose. The skin on the body is cooled down to plus two degrees Celsius. Between "refrigeration" courses of treatment, it is possible to reduce the doses of usually taken drugs. Some doctors expressed concern that a sudden cooling could cause a heart attack, but the head of the clinic replies that a heart condition is checked before treatment and there have been no such problems in 15 years of using the method. Sports doctors became interested in an unusual method of treatment. It turned out that a short-term (up to three minutes) stay at an ultra-low temperature acts on the muscles like a good massage, improves their blood flow. ... >>

The fire will be suffocated 23.12.2000

The Luxembourg company "Seode" offers a simple and reliable system of automatic fire extinguishing that does not need power supply. In fire-hazardous places, such as in electrical distribution cabinets or along cables like those that caught fire at the Ostankino television tower, a network of polymer tubes about a centimeter in diameter is laid. The tubes are connected to a high-pressure cylinder filled with an extinguishing agent suitable for extinguishing a fire in a particular place - water, foam, powder, nitrogen or carbon dioxide. If a fire occurs near such a tube, it begins to soften and bursts at 110 degrees Celsius, releasing an extinguishing agent under a pressure of about 5 atmospheres. According to the developers, this system will be especially effective on aircraft and ships. ... >>

Remedy for nicotine 19.12.2000

Canadian pharmacologist Edward Sellers and his colleagues at the University of Toronto drew attention to the fact that people in whose bodies nicotine decomposes more slowly than usual, as a rule, do not smoke. The thought arose: it is possible to treat this bad habit with means that slow down the breakdown of nicotine. After testing the action of more than two hundred compounds, pharmacologists settled on methoxsalen, a drug developed for the treatment of psoriasis. Methoxsalen blocks the action of an enzyme that breaks down nicotine. Tests showed that smokers who took 30 milligrams of methoxsalen smoked half as much and took fewer puffs. The nicotine stayed in their blood longer and supplements were simply not required. ... >>

Technique against pirates 18.12.2000

You are mistaken if you think that the pirates remained somewhere in the seventeenth century. In the waters of Southeast Asia, pirate attacks on cargo ships are now quite common. Over the past four years, the number of attacks on Japanese merchant ships has increased fivefold. And all over the world in 1999 there were more than three hundred cases of piracy. It got to the point that the team of the Japanese icebreaker "Sirase", which set off for Antarctica last fall, when passing through the most "pirate-dangerous" zones off the coast of Indonesia, tightly battened down and tied all the doors from the inside with ropes, and water cannons were placed on the deck to wash away those climbing on board of pirates. The methods of the pirates have remained the same: the ship is boarded by throwing hooks with ropes or rope ladders on board. In July of this year, 15 Japanese bulk carriers were equipped with a simple protection system. A wire connected to a tension sensor was stretched along the deck railing. When the hook breaks or pulls on the wire, an alarm will sound and the ... >>

robot 14.12.2000

The robot, created by IBM, can make faces. With the help of a television camera, he catches the facial expression of the person standing in front of him, and accordingly changes the position of his pupils, eyebrows and lips. So far, this is only a toy, but it was created to demonstrate and debug the principle of operation of household appliances of the near future, which will be able to obey the movement of the eyebrows and eyes of their owner. This method of control will be especially convenient for the disabled. ... >>

Old phone: heat up after use 11.12.2000

Every year, the British throw thousands of broken, obsolete or unwanted mobile phones into the landfill. But soon, at the pan-European level, a law is to be adopted requiring the obligatory waste-free use of all electronics. Unnecessary appliances should be disassembled into parts that can somehow be reused or buried in a safe place. Dismantling and sorting into parts small devices such as a pocket phone is a difficult and painstaking manual labor. Therefore, employees of Brunel University in London proposed to make mobile phones from metals and plastics with shape memory. When heated to a certain temperature, such an apparatus simply disintegrates, and the resulting pile of parts is easy to sort. If you set up different parts of the case, PCBs and chassis to change shape at different temperatures, the sorting process will be even easier. Such telephones and other electronic devices will gradually disassemble themselves for hours. ... >>

The clock controls the TV 09.12.2000

The Japanese company Casio has released an electronic watch with a built-in TV and VCR remote control. Since the electronics of different models are subject to different signals, the wrist control panel is able to self-learn from the "native" remote controls that are attached to TVs and VCRs. ... >>

Believers live longer 05.12.2000

This conclusion was reached by a group of American psychologists after analyzing the results of 42 independent studies conducted on this topic since 1977. They took into account the life expectancy of 125 people (mostly North Americans) compared with survey data on their attitudes towards religion. It turned out that the life expectancy of believers is on average higher than that of atheists. The researchers put forward three possible reasons for this. First, many believers do not use tobacco and alcohol, not to mention drugs. Secondly, believers usually have more social contacts (they regularly go to church and communicate with fellow believers), their families are more stable, and it has long been proven that both of these factors contribute to longevity. Thirdly, religion often gives people positive emotions and relieves depression. ... >>

Shake before use 02.12.2000

The flashlight, launched in the US, does not have batteries or a light bulb. In order for it to catch fire, it must be shaken several times. In this case, the magnet contained inside the body of the flashlight "runs" inside the coil, exciting an electric current in it, and its energy is stored in a miniature, but very capacious capacitor. From this energy, a white LED lights up, the service life of which is one hundred thousand hours. After shaking for 25 seconds, the flashlight shines for five minutes, and at a distance of 10 meters an illuminated circle with a diameter of two meters is created. The operating temperature range - from minus 90 to plus 85 degrees - no battery could withstand. Since nothing needs to be changed in the flashlight, it is made one-piece, sealed and can work underwater. ... >>

Internet for washing machine 30.11.2000

The South Korean firm LG Electronics has successfully connected a washing machine to the Internet, creating the first washing machine that can update washing programs through a site created by the owner of the machine. Unlike the Internet-connected refrigerator that the company created a few months ago, the washing machine does not have a built-in modem, but connects through a regular personal computer. The company spent $3,5 million and three years of work to create a new model of a washing machine. The company's next development will be an Internet microwave that downloads recipes from the Web. It will be presented to the public next year. The company's global plans include the creation of a home network that connects all electronic household appliances and allows the owner of the house to control them via the Internet. In the USA, a unique invention was presented - a disposable mobile phone. A prototype of such a phone has already been made, measuring only 5x7x0,5 cm. The first device is made of plastic, ... >>

Ambient light display 29.11.2000

Scientists at Edinburgh Napier University have announced the invention of a display that uses ambient light to display images on the screen. The basis of this device is a lattice, the cells of which are formed from a polymer fiber with a fluorescent substance. Adjusting the brightness of the pixels is carried out using a thin layer of liquid crystal, which is covered with a matrix. In this case, it is not the current that changes, but the voltage, which, as experts emphasize, provides serious energy savings. According to the developers, the fluorescence effect in the new display is so intense that it can work even in the dark, and the brightness of the image is on average 30 times higher than the brightness of ambient light. ... >>

SMS will save a stolen car 28.11.2000

One of the Austrian companies engaged in the production of anti-theft systems, presented at the fair "Security 2000", held in Essen (Germany), a new development. This is a system that, in response to an SMS (short text message) sent from the owner's mobile phone, will be able to stop the stolen car by cutting off the supply of gasoline, as well as lock the doors, thus preventing the hijacker from getting out of the car before the arrival of the police, or draw the attention of other drivers on your car, blowing red smoke from the exhaust pipe. Other topics of the Essen trade fair dedicated to security and protection technologies were identification devices for ATMs and personal computers, which use technologies for recognizing fingerprints, irises, voices, signatures, etc. - the so-called biometrics, as well as video monitoring systems. ... >>

Cities will become cleaner 27.11.2000

Japanese scientists are working on a project whose goal is to ensure that the streets of the future themselves cleanse the atmosphere of harmful impurities contained in car exhaust gases. According to Deutsche Welle, a new road surface developed by Mitsubishi engineers is being tested in Westminster, London. It is a concrete slab, on the outer surface of which a centimeter layer of a special composition containing titanium dioxide is applied. This substance serves as a catalyst, in the presence of which the toxic oxides of nitrogen contained in the exhaust gases decompose in bright sunlight into harmless components - oxygen and nitrogen. The effectiveness of the miracle coating was proven during the first series of experiments in the city of Osaka. Tests in London are designed to confirm that the new composition retains its effectiveness for a long time. ... >>

New car with air engine 26.11.2000

At the Auto Africa Expo2000 in Johannesburg (South Africa), a new air-powered vehicle was presented. The cost of a 200-kilometer trip in a car called e.Volution costs only 30 cents. The technology for the production of a compressor engine was created by a former Formula 1 engineer, Frenchman Guy Negre, who spent several years developing his idea. The engine uses compressed air, which is stored in cylinders placed at the bottom of the machine, similar to the oxygen tanks of scuba divers. ... >>

Security Robot 24.11.2000

The world's first security robot capable of opening fire on an intruder automatically or on command via the Internet was demonstrated at an exhibition in Bangkok. The shooter robot is made in Thailand based on an unarmed telerobot created in Australia in 1994. The new Thai robot is armed with a gun, as well as a camera and special sensors that respond to movement and temperature changes. Depending on the program, the robot can open fire automatically or wait for the owner's command via the Internet. ... >>

Robot policeman 23.11.2000

In Russia, in the Miass research and production association "Resource", a robot policeman has been created, which has already been tested in a number of departments of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. The Praying Mantis, as the inventors called their brainchild, penetrates hard-to-reach places without any problems, neutralizes explosive devices, transports and retrieves dangerous objects. By the way, there is already an application for it from the Central Internal Affairs Directorate of the Chelyabinsk Region. ... >>

Exhibition of domestic robots 21.11.2000

In Yokohama (Japan), the first world exhibition of domestic robots "ROBODEX-2000" has ended. Most of the robots presented at the exhibition have no practical application today and are something like a very expensive toy. The price of some robots (for example, a robot dancing to the music of Tchaikovsky, aquarium robots, dancing dogs and soccer robots) already on sale in Japan reaches $20. According to experts, today the computer industry and the level of technology development are still insufficient to so that household robots find mass application. But within the next few years, machines that will independently clean the apartment, wash dishes or look after children in the absence of parents may become a reality. ... >>

The robot copies a one-year-old child 20.11.2000

In Japan, a new robot has been born that accurately copies the gait of a one-year-old baby. At the same time, its dimensions correspond to the average for a Japanese boy of this age: 70 cm - height, about 5 kg weight. According to the characteristics, the model can be considered the best likeness of the human body developed in recent times. The creators assure that, despite the infantile timid gait, "Pino" will be able to participate in a football match of humanoid robots from around the world, scheduled for 2002. ... >>

Grasshopper robot 19.11.2000

The US Department of Energy's Sandia National Laboratories has unveiled a new type of robot that mimics the clumsy, almost completely random hops of a grasshopper. The mass of the robot is 510 g, the height of the jump reaches 10 times its height. The developers claim that this kind of movement is ideal for jumping over obstacles that other robots could not overcome. These obstacles can be either blocks of stone or tanks, or mountains, and craters on Mars or on the Moon. ... >>

Robot Football Championship 18.11.2000

Australia hosted the 150 League Robotic World Cup with 35 "mechanical" teams from 0 countries. In the main class in the final match, the European champions from Germany lost 2:2 to their rivals from the USA. The German robots were not saved from defeat by either the "quick-firing leg" specially prepared for the tournament, which not only hit the ball faster, but also took corners, nor the forward with the sonorous name of Ronaldo. Football robots, who contested the championship in the "major league", are cardboard boxes equipped with microelectronics and video cameras. They move at speeds up to XNUMX meters per second. The game is played on a field the size of a tennis table. The main feature of these players is autonomy, the independence of their decisions and actions during the match from coaches-engineers, i.e. the presence of the so-called "artificial intelligence". ... >>

Artificial protein synthesis 16.11.2000

A small apparatus, developed by the well-known pharmaceutical company Laroche, automatically synthesizes proteins. It is enough to enter a copy of the gene of the corresponding protein into the device - and the work begins. So far, the automaton has mastered the synthesis of about 60 proteins. It will help researchers of the human genome understand the function of different genes by discovering which protein is synthesized by each gene. ... >>

Eclipse and the body 15.11.2000

Employees of the German Institute for Pet Ethology at the University of Stuttgart observed the behavior of some animals during a solar eclipse on August 11 last year. Of the three horses kept in the open, one began to snort loudly with the beginning of darkening, run around the pasture, and, finally, tail between her legs and trembling all over, huddled under a tree. The horses of the Icelandic breed reacted outwardly very calmly: they stood in the twilight, lowering their heads and closing their eyes, as if dozing off. However, a pulse sensor mounted on the leg of one horse showed that, compared with the usual 30-40 beats per minute, at the time of total eclipse, the pulse increased to 100 beats per minute or more. Until now, the pulse of this frequency in horses was noted only during the races. The geese became worried and raised the alarm, and the ducks, sitting quietly on the shore, rushed into the water and gathered in the middle of the pond, as if hiding from a predator. Employees of two English universities conducted observations on a group of students. In time ... >>

Not a single paper is lost 13.11.2000

Hopes that the computer will save offices from paper blockages did not materialize. US office paper consumption is projected to double between 1996 and 2003. And where there are a lot of papers, they are inevitably lost from time to time. The Berlin company "Thax Software" offers a system that allows you to quickly track the location of any folder, paper, drawing or photo in a large institution and even in its out-of-town branches. An electronic label the size of a postage stamp is attached to each document flow unit. Inside it is a flat microcircuit, in response to a specific radio signal, it begins to emit a paper number on the air. The microcircuit does not require power - it uses the energy of a radio wave sent by a search device, the antennas of which are held in all rooms and offices. The same antennas take direction from the signal of the microcircuit. And immediately on the plan of the institution that appeared on the computer screen, a red circle begins to flash, indicating the location of the desired paper. If ... >>

Phone novelties 09.11.2000

The latest models of cell phones allow you not only to talk, but also to communicate via e-mail and even surf the Internet. However, for this you have to use a few phone buttons, which are clearly not enough for comfortable written communication. The Swedish company "Erikson" offers an additional keyboard for a mobile phone, organized on the principle of a computer keyboard. It is connected, if necessary, to the lower connector of the device. Another novelty of the company is a radio receiver connected to the telephone. Listen to it through headphones. When a call comes in, the radio automatically turns off. ... >>

Microbes are in the clouds 08.11.2000

Austrian microbiologists have discovered living and multiplying bacteria in the clouds over the Alps. It has long been known that microbial life exists in the upper atmosphere, but until now it was believed that bacteria were only accidentally carried there by the wind and, in the absence of food, soon perished. Each milliliter of water collected from clouds contains an average of 1500 bacterial cells of various shapes: round, rod-shaped, filamentous. It is assumed that bacteria can serve as centers for the formation of snowflakes and ice crystals. What they eat in the clouds is not yet clear. Apparently, these microorganisms tolerate freezing well and are not afraid of the ultraviolet rays of the Sun. ... >>

Invisible mark 02.11.2000

The English firm "Smart Water" began to produce a novelty for forensics. This invention of Phil Cleary, a retired police officer, is a water-soluble mixture of different substances that glows in the rays of an ultraviolet laser. A system is being installed in the apartment that sprays the intruding robber with this mixture. It is colorless, and traces of it on the skin and clothes are not visible, but it is almost impossible to wash them off. The composition is unique for each apartment, so by illuminating the suspect with a laser, you can find out exactly where he paid a visit. The system is installed separately or in addition to the alarm system already in the house, and a noticeable sign is fixed at the front door, notifying potential robbers of a serious interference (criminals who read the press bypass such apartments). An individual luminous mark is already being applied to motorcycles, cars, weapons and other valuable or dangerous movables. But in this case, the mixture is made insoluble so that rain does not wash it away. Except ... >>

Suit for Robinson 01.11.2000

For lovers of travel and extreme sports, the Finnish sportswear firm Reima has designed a suit that can raise the alarm if something happens to its wearer far from civilization. Numerous sensors sewn into the suit continuously measure body temperature, pulse rate and skin moisture. If these parameters go beyond the norm, and the owner of the suit has stopped moving, a miniature computer, also available in the suit, calls for help via satellite, and indicates the location of the victim. ... >>

GPS helps the blind 30.10.2000

American scientist Jack Loomis has developed a device that will help the blind navigate the streets of the city using the global satellite navigation system GPS. The device developed by Loomis contains a GPS signal receiver, a laptop computer and an original speaker system for orientation of a blind person. In order to increase the positioning accuracy to 1-2 m, in addition to satellite signals, an additional ground station signal must also be received. Detailed information about the area is entered into the computer in advance. Using GPS signals, the computer determines its location on a map that shows all the significant objects of the area - from houses, roads and sidewalks to trees and street lamps. The blind perceives the surroundings with the help of stereo headphones, on which an electronic compass is installed. This compass gives the computer information about the position of the person's head. A computer with the help of a speech synthesizer converts the visual environment around the blind into sound. For example ... >>

The radar is battery powered. 25.10.2000

It is generally accepted that a radar station is a solid and expensive structure with a bulky antenna and numerous blocks. But in the Livermore National Laboratory (USA), under the leadership of Mac Evans, a miniature and cheap battery-powered radar has been developed. The Evans locator emits two million ultra-short, low-power pulses per second. Its range is only 50 m. The reflected signal is processed by a special microcircuit that forms an image of the object from which the radio waves are reflected. Unlike conventional radars, which simultaneously receive signals from objects located at different distances, the Evans locator works only at a certain "depth", the value of which can be changed from a few centimeters to tens of meters. The locator allows you to determine the location and type of metal structures enclosed in concrete walls. On the same principle, it is possible to create a mine detector that detects not only the presence of a metal mine, but also its end. ... >>

Seventeenth moon of Jupiter 20.10.2000

We have already become accustomed to the fact that new satellites of the planets are discovered by automatic interplanetary probes or a space telescope. But it turns out that even today it is possible to make such a discovery with the help of a relatively small telescope standing on Earth. For the first time in 25 years, a new moon has been discovered around Jupiter. Its diameter is only five kilometers, it was discovered by American astronomers using a telescope with a diameter of 92 centimeters installed at the Kitt Peak Observatory 79 years ago. The new satellite, which does not yet have a name, is located at a distance of about 24 million kilometers from Jupiter and completes its revolution around the planet in about two Earth years. Thus, the total number of known satellites of Jupiter has now reached seventeen (the record in the solar system is held by Uranus, it has 20 satellites). Recall that the first four moons of Jupiter were discovered by Galileo in January 1610. Perhaps in February next year, the automatic probe "Galileo" will be able to receive more ... >>

Furniture is being tested 17.10.2000

In Nuremberg (Germany), there is a special institute that tests the safety of all consumer goods that go on sale. There are no data for Germany, but, for example, in the USA in 1997, 411 cases of home injuries related to beds and mattresses were recorded, 373 - to chairs, armchairs and sofas, and 222 - to desks, cabinets and shelves. To prevent such troubles, in Nuremberg furniture is tested for durability. The chair, equipped with sensors, is fixed on a test bench and subjected to alternate pressure on the back and seat up to 300 times. The pressure force of the pneumatic piston on the seat is up to 140 kilograms, on the back - at least 35 kilograms. In real life, such a chair will have to experience several million such loads during its service life, and you must be sure that it will not let the owner down. Before the advent of a special test bench, such chairs were tested at the city police department. They were placed in the duty room ... >>

giant crystals 12.10.2000

Researchers from the Lawrence Laboratory in Livermore (USA) managed to grow huge crystals of potassium pyrophosphate. The largest of the crystals has a volume of a quarter of a cubic meter and weighs 318 kilograms. It grew in a large tank, where a solution of potassium pyrophosphate evaporated at a temperature of 65 degrees Celsius. Molecules were deposited on a seed smaller than a thimble, and after 52 days a transparent giant with almost no defects in the crystal lattice grew. The crystals will be used to build super-powerful lasers, which are used in experiments on controlled nuclear fusion. ... >>

Dangerous airbags 09.10.2000

Most modern cars are equipped with so-called airbags - plastic bags that, upon impact or too sudden braking, instantly inflate, protecting the driver and passengers from injury. However, studies by American chemist Eric Betterton have shown that these life-saving pillows can be dangerous for people and the environment. Instant inflation of the pillows is provided by an explosive - sodium azide (NaN3), from 50 to 200 grams of which are embedded in each pillow. Upon impact, the sensors send an electrical impulse to the charge, under the action of which the sodium azide decomposes, releasing a large amount of nitrogen, and the pillow inflates. However, sodium azide itself is poisonous to a wide range of living organisms, and when in contact with moisture, it releases even more poisonous vapors. The entire US car park contains about 5000 tons of sodium azide in total. This number is growing because the latest models of cars have airbags that protect not only from frontal ... >>

Robot sapper 05.10.2000

During the war in Cambodia, about six million mines were laid in the land of this small country. At a normal pace of work, demining will take 600 years. The six-legged robot "Komet-1", proposed by the Japanese inventor Kenzo Nonami, will make it possible to do this in two years. Each leg of the robot is equipped with sensitive sensors, and before putting a foot on the ground, the robot holds it for a second three centimeters from the surface. If it is “clean” here, he lowers his leg, but if he feels a mine, he bypasses the dangerous area and marks it, throwing out a charge of paint. Following the robot are human sappers, extracting mines. In the future, this task can also be shifted to the robot. ... >>

Who do mosquitoes love 02.10.2000

Researchers from the University of Durham in England and the Medical Research Council in The Gambia concluded that mosquitoes bite pregnant women twice as often as other people. In the same proportion, their risk of contracting malaria also increases. Scientists believe that mosquitoes are attracted to chemicals released by the body of a pregnant woman along with exhaled air. These substances help malarial mosquitoes to find their breadwinners. In addition, pregnant women have higher body temperature and sweating. As a result, ideal conditions are created for the reproduction of bacteria on the skin, which also secrete compounds that attract mosquitoes. However, not only the physical condition, but also the behavior of pregnant women makes them more vulnerable. Research from the Gambia shows that pregnant women are twice as likely to drop their mosquito nets at night, and therefore twice as likely to be bitten by mosquitoes. ... >>

Data transmission over the mains 29.09.2000

The HomePlug Powerline Alliance consortium, which includes 38 companies, including Cisco Systems, Hewlett-Packard, 3Com, Intel, AMD, announced the selection of Intellon, a small company that was one of the first to develop data transmission over the power grid, as the core technology. . Network devices compatible with this technology will allow users to use the home electrical wiring as a medium for Internet sharing, audio and video transmission. The main problem is the filtering of interference induced in the network by other electrical appliances. Mass production of devices is expected in the first half of 2001. ... >>

Internet along the railway 27.09.2000

Indian engineers have proposed an original way to quickly and cheaply access the Internet. The private telecommunications company plans to use India's developed railway network for this purpose, transmitting information over communication and signal cables laid along the railway track. The invention has already been tested on a forty-kilometer stretch of road. ... >>

Protecting your computer from theft 26.09.2000

The American company Cyber ​​Group Network in the near future plans to release a complex for protecting computers from theft, which has so far been given the code name C-4 Chip. A special microcircuit is installed in the computer and the necessary software is installed. The microcircuit transmits information using radio waves, which allows you to determine the location of the PC with an accuracy of 1,5 m. The microcircuit is also capable of receiving information that affects the hard drive and motherboard. If necessary, it is enough to send a command - and these devices will be disabled. A "softer" option is also possible, when important data is transferred to secret areas of the disk that are inaccessible to the thief. ... >>

New Lithographic Process for Growing Semiconductor Crystals 25.09.2000

Leading manufacturers of computer chips - Intel, AMD and Motorola, together with the Virtual National Laboratory (USA) are developing a new lithographic process used in the growth of semiconductor crystals. The new lithographic process uses extreme ultraviolet wavelengths to produce elements with a transverse dimension of less than 0,1 microns on a semiconductor chip by placing more transistors on a single chip. According to the developers, the new lithography technology will make it possible to create 100 times more powerful processors and 100 times more capacious memory chips than is possible with modern semiconductor growing technologies. The first processors created using this technology will operate at a clock speed of about 10 GHz (currently the fastest commercial chips from Intel and AMD are clocked at 1 GHz). It is planned that commercial production using ultraviolet litho ... >>

Transmission of odors over a distance 24.09.2000

Scientists at the Israeli Weizmann Institute have found a way to transmit odors over a distance. The method, called "olfactory communication", will allow the transfer of odors over the phone or through computers and televisions. Over the course of several months, a series of algorithms have been developed with which odors can be transmitted electronically. The newly created company SenselT plans to start selling the first "olfactory sensors" by the end of this year. And although sensors that recognize odors and recreate them have existed and have been used for a long time, scientists consider the ability to transmit odors over a distance to be the main discovery. ... >>

Identification of Internet users by fingerprints 23.09.2000

Sony has announced the creation of a reliable and convenient Internet user identification technology. The new FIU-700 integrates a capacitive fingerprint scanner and a public key code generator. Although the use of fingerprints is not new in identification technology, the device contains a fundamentally new identification scheme, since the comparison of biometric data and pre-entered fingerprints occurs directly in the device, and therefore the entered parameters do not enter the external network (they do not even enter the computer ). The mass of the device connected via the USB port is only 35 g, dimensions are 85x54x9 mm. ... >>

42 V car batteries 22.09.2000

To ensure high efficiency of the car in the future, the engineers of the German company Varta are developing new batteries designed for the on-board network with a voltage of 42 V. This need arose due to the growing number of devices and assemblies powered by the on-board electrical network. The lead-acid batteries commonly used can hardly cope with such a load, and the standard voltage of the on-board network (12 V) is sometimes insufficient. The main focus is on lithium-ion and nickel-metal hydride systems with increased durability, high capacity and the ability to charge in a forced mode. ... >>

telephone clothing 21.09.2000

According to experts from France Telecom, the future is not for mobile phones, but for ... "telephone clothes." Scientists have already developed a "jacket-phone" model, where buttons or a specially embroidered "keyboard" on the wrong side of the jacket are used as buttons and keys, to which only a light touch is enough to access the network. A small earpiece will allow you to listen to the interlocutor, and you can speak into the microphone built into the collar. ... >>

Mobile phone with FM receiver 20.09.2000

Telit company announced the development of a new mobile phone model Gm 910 with a built-in stereo FM receiver (88-108 MHz). In addition to a fairly large number of familiar telephone functions, the "mobile" also has a built-in digital voice recorder for 8 minutes and a voice dialing system. The size of the Gm 910 model is 55x124x21 mm, the weight together with the standard battery is only 100 g. Additionally, the model can support the WAP protocol. ... >>

satellite doctor 19.09.2000

AeroAstro and Space Machine Advisors are jointly developing the Escort satellite, which should serve as a "satellite doctor". Such a "navigator" is planned to be used for inspection and diagnostics of expensive communication satellites during their operation in orbit. Escort is an inexpensive microsatellite that will be launched simultaneously with the main communication satellite or "meet" existing satellites in space. It will operate independently of the "master" satellite and will be able to safely maneuver around it when testing equipment or analyzing the results of these tests, as well as communicate with the ground control center to resolve problems. ... >>

Computer controlled by mime 18.09.2000

Hitachi has developed a technology that allows people with limited hand mobility to use a personal computer. The know-how is based on "reading" the user's facial expressions with a digital camera. Special software processes the resulting image, detecting blinking, eye or eyebrow movement, and, based on the information received, controls the operation of the computer. It is planned that the commercial implementation of such systems will begin in early 2001. ... >>

Silicone chip for artificial retina 17.09.2000

Scientists at the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago reported successful implantation of artificial retinas in three patients with vision loss. The retina is a silicone chip containing about 3,5 microscopic elements that convert light falling through the eye into electrical impulses, and the operation of the "device" does not require any external power sources. The implantation of an artificial retina will partially restore vision in people with eye diseases, which affect about 30 million people in the world. ... >>

From trembling in the hands 16.09.2000

Tremor (trembling in the hands) can greatly interfere with the surgeon, especially during microsurgical operations. Some of the surgeons even take special medications before the operation, the so-called beta-blockers (by the way, they are considered doping among sports shooters). Cameron Riviere of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh (USA) measured and recorded the trembling of the scalpel tip in the surgeon's hands. The trajectory of the scalpel is decomposed into three sinusoids with an amplitude of up to half a millimeter. Riviere built piezocrystals into the blade of the tool, which are connected to a generator that produces the same vibrations, but in the opposite phase. As a result, the scalpel does not tremble. ... >>

Ecology of roads 15.09.2000

The total length of highways in the United States is 6,2 million kilometers, they cover one percent of the territory, which corresponds to the area of ​​the state of South Carolina (almost twice the size of the Moscow region). But the negative impact of roads on the ecological state of the area extends over a much larger area. Based on data from studies conducted in Holland and Massachusetts (USA), Richard Foreman of Harvard University calculated that a road that drives 10 cars a day through a forest spreads its negative impact on a strip 305 meters wide. This is noise, dust, polluted air, sometimes - both garbage and seeds of plants alien to the area, in winter - salt water runoff. As a result, the harmful effects of roads extend to one-fifth of the entire US. ... >>

Two mushrooms on chocolate 14.09.2000

Until 1995, Brazil was the world's leading exporter of cocoa beans. Since then, the Brazilian cocoa crop has shrunk by about four times. The reason is the fungus Crinipellis pemiciosa, which attacked the plantations. It causes "witch's brooms" on the cocoa tree's branches and, more importantly, destroys the tree's beans themselves. But scientists have noticed that sometimes another fungus called Trichoderma viride grows on this fungus in the Amazon floodplain. Researchers at the US Department of Agriculture, along with Brazilian scientists, suggested that farmers spray trees with Trichoderma spores. There are already signs of a recovery in the plantations, but it is clear that in the next few years it will not be possible to return the harvest to normal, and the price of chocolate will continue to rise. ... >>

Children lengthen your life 13.09.2000

"These kids will drive me to the grave!" - the exhausted mother often sighs. However, studies by American zoologists have shown that everything is quite the opposite - children lengthen the life of the parent caring for them. Statistics show that in primates, the parent who is responsible for the main care of the offspring lives longer. In humans, gorillas, and chimpanzees, females live longer than males, and it is mainly the females who take care of the children. Owl-faced marmosets and jumping monkeys, whose males take over these cares, have a longer average lifespan for males than for females. ... >>

Three-legged driver with four arms 12.09.2000

On the test site of the company "Volkswagen" circle after circle makes an experimental model of a new car model. But behind the wheel - not a man, but a three-legged and four-armed robot named Klaus. His feet are on the gas, brake and clutch pedals, two hands hold the steering wheel, the third switches gears, the fourth turns the ignition key, switches the light and performs other small tasks. The test robot successfully replaces a person in this rather dangerous profession, winding thousands of kilometers along a closed road at a speed of up to 180 kilometers per hour. A satellite navigation device, a radar, a stereo camera and a laser locator help him not to go astray and slow down in time in front of an unexpected obstacle. Experts believe that the further development of such robots will eventually create a car that will drive itself. ... >>

Inflatable gloves 11.09.2000

One of the Canadian firms has started production of inflatable gloves for those who work with pneumatic hammers and vibration tools. On the wrist of the glove there is a pump in the form of a small rubber bubble with a valve. After 50-60 pressures on the bladder, the air chambers in the glove inflate and absorb 40 to 60 percent of the vibrations. During the day, you have to do a few more pressures on the pump to compensate for leaks. ... >>

Why do dinosaurs have a long neck 10.09.2000

Both artists and filmmakers usually depict long-necked lizards - diplodocus in the pose of a giraffe, when the giant stretches its small head to the tops of trees, eating juicy foliage and other gifts of flora. But is this how these communities were fed? Two researchers from the University of Oregon (USA) argue that dinosaurs fed in a completely different way, and their long necks did not serve them in order to get food sent by nature "from above". It is likely that the computer model created by scientists will help put an end to the protracted paleontological dispute. Previously, it was believed that, for example, sauropods had a curved neck, and they carried their heads high above the ground. There was a dispute about how the blood supply to the giant's head was carried out. One of the hypotheses even said that such lizards had several hearts, which by common efforts raised blood to a great height. However, now computer simulations have shown that the long-necked lizards were most comfortable with their necks parallel to the ground, even slightly lower, with ... >>

Asteroid found 09.09.2000

Astronomers have again discovered an asteroid that was discovered almost 90 years ago and has not been in the field of view of their telescopes since then. The asteroid Albert was discovered on October 3, 1911 by the Austrian astronomer Johann Palisa and named after Baron Albert Rothschild, sponsor of the Vienna Observatory. But Palisa was unable to accurately determine the parameters of the orbit, and since then Albert has not been observed. However, on May 1, 2000, American astronomer Jeff Larsen discovered a faintly luminous object moving a little further from the Sun than the Earth, in a highly elongated and inclined orbit. A computer database search showed that the orbit was in perfect agreement with the 1911 observations. It is calculated that Albert goes around the Sun in 4,28 years and every 30 years comes relatively close to the Earth - 40 million kilometers. The next such event is expected in September 2001. In total, 14 asteroids are now known, and there are no more "lost" ones among them. ... >>

Vertical keyboard 07.09.2000

The computer keyboard, which works roughly like a harmonica, vertically, was invented by Cornell University ergonomics professor Alan Hedge. Tests have shown that a vertical keyboard reduces the risk of carpal tunnel. The horizontal keyboard has been the norm since the invention of the typewriter. When working on it, the wrists bend, and the tunnel through which the nerves pass to the hand is compressed. This compression causes the so-called tunnel syndrome. If left untreated, it can lead to loss of sensation in the fingers and even loss of the ability to move the fingers. The two-piece vertical keyboard puts your wrists in a safer position. Typing on such a keyboard, of course, is possible only in a blind way, because the keys are not visible during operation. ... >>

Weeds as fuel 06.09.2000

It has long been noticed that weeds grow much faster than cultivated plants, are not afraid of pests, diseases, drought and do not require fertile soils. Spain intends to use this vital force of harmful plants. In two provinces in the north of the country, by 2002, they are going to build power plants that will use thistles as fuel for their boilers. Each of the two thermal power plants will need one hundred thousand tons of weed per year. To do this, they plan to sow thistles on 5000 hectares of waste arid land where nothing else can grow. Moreover, the Spaniards intend to use a specially bred giant variety of prickly weed: its stems are up to three meters high, and the roots go seven meters into the soil. Breeders from the Agricultural Institute in Madrid at first failed: the bred thistle variety was too sweet, and its sprouts were willingly eaten by field mice. Then a gene that gives bitterness was introduced into the plant, and the mice fell behind. ... >>

Cancer magnet 03.09.2000

The magnetic method for the destruction of certain types of malignant tumors was tested in the large Berlin clinic "Charite". A suspension of the smallest particles of iron oxide is injected directly into the tumor - the diameter of individual particles is only a few millionths of a millimeter. The patient is then subjected to an alternating magnetic field. At the same time, iron particles are heated to 45-47 degrees Celsius, this temperature is enough to kill tumor cells. The remaining tissues of the body, where there are no magnetic particles, do not heat up. So far, the method has been successfully tested in mice, and testing in humans should begin soon. ... >>

Power plant on bacteria 02.09.2000

A group of biochemists from the University of Michigan (USA) has assembled a fuel cell that runs on bacteria. Bacteria, like other living cells, decompose glucose and convert the resulting energy into adenosine triphosphate, the universal energy currency of the cell. In the course of this process, a flow of electrons arises, which activates all the systems of the cell. Biochemists have introduced molecules into the outer membrane of bacteria that divert part of the electron flow to themselves. A fuel cell fueled by a glucose solution generates a voltage of 0,6 volts at a current of up to 17 milliamps. After some improvement, it is supposed to use such batteries in portable communications equipment. Meanwhile, in one of the universities in Israel, a method is being developed to divert part of the energy from human cells in a similar way. Then it will be possible to feed with its own electricity, for example, an implanted hearing aid or a heart pacemaker. ... >>

Cigarette with built-in fire extinguisher 01.09.2000

A bill has been submitted to the US Senate requiring cigarette manufacturers to make their products fire-safe. Every year, in New York State alone, several hundred fires start from a thrown cigarette butt or from a cigarette falling from the mouth of a sleepy smoker. About 50 people die in these fires every year. The new law requires the cigarette to go out by itself if the smoker does not puff within two to three minutes. The design of a self-extinguishing cigarette has already been proposed: instead of tissue paper, a thicker one was taken, and in addition, it has rings made of paper impregnated with fire-extinguishing salts. By the way, matches have been impregnated with such salts (as a rule, ammonium compounds) for about a century and a half, slightly departing from the head, so that the thrown match itself goes out. ... >>

Judge in a suitcase 25.08.2000

In one of the science fiction works, an electronic judge appeared - a huge computer that contained in its memory a complete set of laws and precedents and formed its sentence based on mathematical logic. Now this fantasy has been realized in Brazil. Brazilian traffic police patrols are now equipped with an electronic judge - a laptop computer with an artificial intelligence program. True, this judge is competent only in one, rather narrow area - he is able to sort out the conflict between the drivers of colliding cars. The idea does not claim to fully automate the verdict, it only helps to somewhat relieve the country's judicial system of many simple cases that, according to the law, need to be tried. Data measured by a policeman on the road, the results of a survey of participants in the incident and their sobriety test are entered into the laptop. The computer can issue fines, issue an invoice for damages, and even recommend a deadline. ... >>

black box in space 18.08.2000

Having lost two spacecraft bound for Mars exploration due to technical and ground personnel errors, NASA decided to supply such vehicles with a "black box" in the future. This recorder, similar to an aircraft recorder, will be installed on the descent module. If the module crashes during landing, the "black box" will be preserved and will transfer its records about the causes of the accident to the orbital part of the device, and from there the data will go to Earth. Aviation recorders can withstand a fall with a negative acceleration of up to 3400 g, and space recorders can withstand 15-20 thousand. The first sample has already been created, it will soon be tested by firing it from a cannon. ... >>

Will chickens save Canada? 17.08.2000

Last summer, the West Nile virus made a lot of noise, having entered New York in not entirely clear ways. This disease, which mainly affects birds, infected 46 people, seven died. The city had to spend about $10 million to kill mosquitoes that transmit the virus. It is suspected that he entered the United States with some exotic bird imported from Africa. In order to notice the penetration of the West Nile virus in time, the Canadian authorities intend to place many small chicken coops on the southern border, along its entire length (2500 kilometers). When infected mosquitoes appear, the chickens will be the first to get sick, and the veterinarians watching them will raise the alarm. ... >>

And in the ice age there were warming 13.08.2000

As geologists have shown, having studied sediments at the bottom of lakes in New England (USA), periodic warming of water in the Pacific Ocean occurred during the ice age. The thickness of the layers deposited annually on the bottom of American lakes varies with temperature. The thicker the layer, the warmer the weather was in the area where the lake is located. It turned out that during the last ice age, 13 to 500 years ago, the weather was warmer every 17 to 500 years. This is happening now under the influence of the El Niño phenomenon - a warm current that periodically appears in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Ecuador and Peru, the influence of which extends to a significant part of North America. ... >>

Seals get the flu too 12.08.2000

Epidemiologists have long known that the type A influenza virus is the culprit in all major influenza pandemics, occurring not only in humans, but also in many other mammals, as well as in birds, such as ducks. Another virus, type B, has so far only been found in humans. Virologist Albert Osterhaus, working at the University of Amsterdam (Holland), recently found influenza type B virus in seals from the North Sea. More precisely, the virus was found in one seal, and in the other - only antibodies to it, but this indicates that the organism of the sea animal has already met with this disease. The strain of the virus found is almost identical to the one that caused an epidemic among humans in 1995. It seems that it was then that the virus was also introduced to seals, since blood samples from North Sea seals collected before 1995 and stored in a special freezer do not contain the virus, and out of 391 samples taken later, the virus was found in eight. Blood samples are regularly taken from seals in order to monitor marine pollution and have material for comparison on the sea. ... >>

Corals don't tan 11.08.2000

Employees of the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences have created a new, highly effective sunscreen based on substances secreted by corals. Since it uses natural compounds, it does not cause allergies. Coastal corals, staying on dry land for several hours twice a day at low tide, might suffer greatly from the sun's ultraviolet rays, but they secrete special compounds that protect against burns. These so-called mycosporine-like amino acids effectively absorb and scatter ultraviolet light. But their molecules are very unstable. It took almost ten years to work on obtaining similar, but stable compounds. In the molecules of mycosporin-like amino acids, chemists alternately replaced some of the atoms, striving to preserve the beneficial properties of the molecules and eliminate the instability. After testing hundreds of versions of the molecules, this was achieved. The release of the new cream has already been launched by an Australian cosmetics company. ... >>

spider robot 09.08.2000

In the laboratory of the Japanese company "Mitsubishi" a robot has been created, which in appearance and mode of movement resembles a spider. It consists of four rows of articulated metal balls with a diameter of four centimeters, in each of the balls an electric motor is hidden. The engines are controlled by wires by a computer (in the future, the "spider" will carry the computer on itself). The whole structure, measuring 85 by 35 centimeters and weighing 6,3 kilograms, runs briskly not only on a flat floor, but also on stairs, resembling a huge karakurt in habits. The robot can also move sideways. It is supposed to be used to inspect the corners of nuclear power plants inaccessible to humans. ... >>

fungus against drugs 06.08.2000

At an experimental agronomic station in the Hawaiian Islands, a species of Fusarium fungus was found that affects coca bushes, from the foliage of which cocaine is obtained. Fusarium is notorious for the owners of suburban areas, it parasitizes the roots of many cultivated plants and can completely destroy the crop. The spores of the fungus can survive for years in the soil. The possibility of dispersing them from aircraft over those areas of Colombia where the population lives mainly on coca cultivation is being considered. It is not yet clear whether the fungus will also attack other plants, but greenhouse experiments have shown that 50 other plant species do not succumb to this Fusarium strain. However, there are other reasons for reflection: some experts believe that the farmers, for whom coca cultivation is the only and not very labor-intensive source of income, will simply move their plantations deeper into the impenetrable rainforest. ... >>

prominence model 03.08.2000

A model of solar prominences has been implemented at the Department of Applied Physics of the California Institute of Technology (USA). Prominences are plasma - a hot gas of free electrons and positive ions. For a long time it was not known why these emissions of the solar atmosphere take such a variety of forms. It is now believed that the shape, size and speed of prominences (and they sometimes reach the Earth) are determined by the interaction of magnetic fields and electric currents in a conducting plasma. Physicists have simulated the development of a prominence by passing a current of about 6000 volts and a force of up to 60 kiloamperes through the plasma in a vacuum chamber, simultaneously applying a magnetic field that is several thousand times more intense than the Earth's magnetic field. ... >>

Origin of emeralds 01.08.2000

The main deposits of emeralds are located in Colombia (the highest quality stones are mined there), in Egypt, in the Urals, in India, Pakistan and in two or three other regions of our planet. Until now, one could only guess where certain emeralds mined in ancient times come from. Swiss mineralogist Dietmar Schwartz found a way to determine the birthplace of these gems by the isotopic composition of oxygen in them. Emerald is a beryllium aluminum silicate and contains oxygen. Schwartz sends a stream of cesium ions accelerated to high speed onto the stone, which evaporates several molecules of the crystal lattice, leaving a completely microscopic dent in the emerald with a diameter of 20 micrometers and a depth of fractions of a micrometer. The mass spectrometer immediately determines the composition of the evaporated atoms. The set of oxygen isotopes in each deposit is unique. Using this method, it was possible to determine that emeralds from Pakistan were inserted into earrings made in Ancient Rome. ... >>

Computer mouse will prevent stress 30.07.2000

British researchers have developed a new generation of information input device. The mouse, designed by two students from Lockborough University, is able to detect the user's mood by the force of a button press and send signals to a computer for further processing. Thus, the user is warned about the possibility of a stressful state, which, according to the developers, should help improve mood. ... >>

Molecular switches 29.07.2000

Researchers at the University of Illinois (USA) have developed a unique method for preparing a silicon wafer substrate for the deposition of organic molecules. This allows you to create "molecular switches" with an accuracy of individual atoms. According to the developers, crystalline silicon wafers produced today are quite suitable for the manufacture of switching matrices operating at frequencies up to 100 THz. If the pre-prepared wafer is treated with suitable organic molecules, the surface is covered with a matrix of uniformly rotating memory elements, each simulating the operation of a transistor that switches with each revolution. The processes of reading and writing information are carried out electrically, but the active element itself is a mechanical device, albeit of an ultra-small size. ... >>

Home appliances controlled via the Internet 28.07.2000

The Swedish company Vattenfall has developed a system for controlling household appliances using a cell phone and the Internet. By purchasing a portable device, the consumer gets the ability to remotely control household appliances, such as a microwave oven or VCR, from a cell phone or from a personal web page. In addition, he can monitor the state of his home by receiving data from automatic security systems on a cell phone or computer. ... >>

An hour and a half of music on your mobile phone 27.07.2000

The new model of Samsung SGH-M100 mobile phones has a built-in flash memory that allows you to store half an hour of music in MPXNUMX format, images and other files. This model allows you to download music files from the Internet and listen to them through headphones. ... >>

Handheld power generator will recharge the mobile phone 26.07.2000

At an exhibition in Geneva, the Spanish inventor J. Perez demonstrated a hand-held electric generator resembling an ordinary coffee grinder with a handle, which is designed to recharge mobile phone batteries. ... >>

False nails glow with mobile phone call 25.07.2000

The Japanese company Sunshine has introduced a new product, Optil, which will undoubtedly become popular among young people. "False nails" are equipped with small sensors, which, when receiving a signal on a "mobile phone", begin to shimmer in different colors. The number of "mobile nails" sets sold per month exceeded 7. ... >>

Identification of the owner of a mobile phone by fingerprint 24.07.2000

In South Korea, Samsung Electronics and PASS21 have jointly developed a special mobile phone with an integrated microchip that stores the owner's fingerprints. The latter also performs the functions of a regular credit card, which is used by hundreds of millions of people on the planet. With the help of Samsung specialists, a special sensor is additionally installed in a phone from which you can call anywhere, which allows you to determine the owner by sweat microparticles emitted by the fingertips. To use the novelty, it is necessary to connect store cash registers that read data from VISA, MasterCard or American Express credit cards with special electronic prefixes ("black boxes") worth only $10. The buyer approaches the cash register, opens the phone, puts his finger on the small window. The touch microchip automatically identifies the owner and issues an electronic signal to the "black box", after which the cash register withdraws money ... >>

Internet broadcast of digital video 23.07.2000

Cisco is the first to broadcast a feature-length, two-hour digital movie over the Internet. This was done using the Cisco New World IPSec Virtual Private Network, a highly secure broadband fiber optic backbone, Cisco 12000 routers and Cisco 7140 VPNs with an integrated firewall, and Triple DES encryption hardware. Data from the CyberCenter (Qwest Communications, Los Angeles) was sent to the Woodruff Arts Center (Atlanta), where the animated film TITAN A.E. was shown. Twentieth Century Fox film studios. ... >>

Personal Internet TV 22.07.2000

The Internet is increasingly being considered as a universal tool for the implementation of modern technologies. For example, the British firm IchooseTV recently launched a service that it calls the world's first personal Internet television. It will show original TV programs on demand. The company offers an interactive program guide composed of works by independent producers and studios. Users can independently choose interesting programs by compiling their own programs. One of the advantages of the service is the ability for advertisers to communicate with well-defined user groups. ... >>

Toshiba water cooled laptop 21.07.2000

Toshiba recently introduced the new Portege 3440CT laptop, which is just 1,9 cm thick and weighs 1,54 kg. For the first time, the PC is equipped with a processor water cooling system and comes with an additional lithium-ion battery, which allows you to increase the operating time without recharging up to 9 hours (the main battery life is 2,5 hours). The system is a "super-cooling heat pipe" that connects directly to the processor. This cooling system uses low-pressure water vapor to remove heat from the processor. The notebook has a low-voltage Pentium 111/500 MHz mobile processor, 11,3-inch TFT LCD, 100 MB PC64 SDRAM and S3 Savage IX graphics accelerator. ... >>

New polymer will speed up data transfer 20.07.2000

Researchers from the University of Washington and Southern California (USA) have developed a new polymer material that will significantly speed up the process of data transmission in telecommunications networks. The polymers act as modulators - intermediate devices between fiber optic networks and existing electronic devices (computers, televisions, etc.). "Optical chips" based on new polymers are capable of converting electrical signals into light at a speed 10 times faster than existing lithium-based devices. By changing the shape of polymer molecules, scientists managed to solve a long-standing problem - the elimination of the generation of electromagnetic fields that occur when working in the polymer itself. ... >>

Magneto-optical disk stores up to 1 GB of information 19.07.2000

Japanese companies Sony and Sharp have jointly developed a new magneto-optical (MO) disk with a diameter of 5 cm. The disk has a thickness of 0,5 mm and can store up to 1 GB of information. Sharp also plans to release a digital video camera for the new media by next spring. According to experts, the quality of MO video recording practically does not depend on the number of times a disc is played. Experts believe that the mass production of equipment with an MO disk will lead to the end of the era of video recorders and video cameras, where magnetic cassettes are used as a source of information. ... >>

digital refrigerator 18.07.2000

LG announced the development of a "digital refrigerator" that can receive information via the Internet and play MP15,1 files. The Digital Dios refrigerator is equipped with a 2000" LCD color screen and a network port. Sales are expected in the first half of XNUMX. ... >>

Taiwan makes more and more motherboards 17.07.2000

Analysts estimate that the cumulative share of motherboards manufactured in Taiwan this year accounted for more than 78,9% of the global market. This figure is expected to grow further - last year it was about 70%. ... >>

New ATX specification from Intel 16.07.2000

Intel Corporation has announced the release of the new ATX Riser Card VI .0 specification, which concerns the design of motherboards. The specification enables the creation of low-profile (short-height) reduced-format, cost-effective solutions based on the ATX family of motherboards (ATX, microATX, and FlexATX). The specification describes how to use existing components in the ATX family of formats to create low-profile desktop computers for POS, corporate, and home use. The ATX Riser Card specification allows the creation of passive or active additional riser cards (riser cards) containing 2x11 slots (2 x 11 in size) and using the sixth Slot 6 PCI slot on ATX, microATX and FlexATX motherboards. The specification is designed for a board with two or three connectors, although it allows the creation of designs with a large number of connectors. In addition, the specification regulates the maximum height, mechanical ... >>

Computer in a baby's cradle 15.07.2000

According to the London magazine New Scientist, a computerized baby cradle has been created in Japan. The device is equipped with several hundred sensors and is currently being tested at the Tokyo National Children's Hospital. According to the developers, such devices will help prevent the sudden death of babies during sleep. ... >>

Self-constructed systems 14.07.2000

Researchers Hod Lipson and Jordan Pollak decided to experiment with self-constructing systems. Neural networks and genetic algorithms were used as a decision-making device. To simplify the task (the system was supposed to create a device through successive experiments that could move on one leg with the help of one electric motor), the available elements were limited to cylinders of different lengths and ball joints. The motor could only move the cylinders linearly. Since neural networks are capable of self-learning, through successive approximations, prototypes were gradually obtained that were most adapted to the task. To test the functioning of the robot, a 30-printer was used, sequentially applying layers of thermoplastic that form the frame of the device. After the printer worked, the robot was ready for operation, into which it was only necessary to insert the motor. The result exceeded all expectations, however, ... >>

The car recognizes the owner by fingerprint 13.07.2000

Institute of Industrial Installations and Structural Technologies. Fraunhofer (Berlin) and the Bavarian automotive concern BMW have begun joint testing of a new anti-theft device. Driver identification is performed by fingerprint. First, control fingerprints of all persons entitled to drive this vehicle are entered into the memory of the on-board computer. To start the engine, the driver must put his finger on a special sensor installed in the cabin before turning the ignition key. The PC scans the papillary pattern and compares it with the existing control database (DB). If the recognition results match, the ignition is unlocked. The computer also sets the driver's seat height, the position of the rear-view mirrors, the tilt of the steering column and even his favorite radio station - all this information is stored in the database along with samples of "fingers". According to the developers, the new anti-theft device is convenient and reliable. ... >>

Anti-theft car radio 12.07.2000

To protect against theft of car audio equipment, motorists usually either take the radio with them or purchase models with removable panels. But Kenwood has developed a special "anti-theft" system with a swivel front panel Mask. The front panel of this "mask" automatically turns over and hides immediately after the ignition is turned off. ... >>

The device monitors the health of the pilot 11.07.2000

The Russian Systems Corporation has developed a unique device - an informer about the critical condition of the pilot (IKSL), designed to save the lives of combat aviation pilots and prevent air crashes, due to the so-called "human factor". In case of deviation in the behavior of the pilot from the established norms, the device gives the pilot warning signals. If the pilot does not react, the relevant information is sent to ground control services, and the aircraft control functions are taken over by the on-board computer. An experimental batch of devices has already been produced (the cost of each for Russian enterprises is about $55-60 thousand). It is planned that IKSL will be installed on the export models of the Su-30MKI and Su-30MKK. ... >>

Black box for coal mines 10.07.2000

To ensure the safety of work in mines, the Donetsk Innovation Center proposed a "black box" similar to those used in aviation. The device is a powerful steel capsule with a built-in multi-channel tape recorder. Such a completely autonomous "registrar" captures the operation of all mechanisms, the signals of ore gas sensors and even, as planned in the future, the location of each worker in the face. ... >>

spy beetle 09.07.2000

American scientists have developed another "representative" of electronic intelligence. An iron spy beetle (weight about 60 g, length 7,5 cm) was created at Vanderbilt University by order of the US military. The device is able to move in any direction and transmit an image and information about the objects surrounding it. Unfortunately, neither the "volatility" nor the complete superminiature of the "beetle", which has the shape of one of the largest insects - the giant rhinoceros beetle, has yet been achieved. The propulsion system of the mini-spy uses piezoelectric ceramics, which actuates the 6 legs of the beetle, spending a minimum amount of energy on this. The speed of the robot is 30 cm/h, the "payload" is 28 g of equipment (2 microvideo cameras weighing 14 g each). ... >>

Helping color blind people 08.07.2000

According to Deutsche Welle, the American geographer S. Brewer of the University of Pennsylvania has developed a special color scale for colorblind people, on the basis of which a computer can recolor maps, replacing one color with another in accordance with the individual characteristics of the user's color perception. The novelty should help people suffering from color vision disorders and having difficulty reading maps and atlases. ... >>

The talking scanner will speak the text 07.07.2000

An interesting novelty - Scan Talk Reader - is a joint development of the Japanese newspaper Asahishinbun and one of the largest manufacturers of optical equipment Omenkus. Publishers encode the text with special icons that the device recognizes and instantly "voices". The "talking" scanner will be on sale in the near future and will cost 8000 yen (about $76), which is much cheaper than a computer with screen reader software. ... >>

Computer for visually impaired people 06.07.2000

Scientists have long been working on the creation of various systems that can help people with visual impairments. In New Zealand, the Palais Data firm, which specializes in electronic devices for the blind, has developed a special Braille Notebook for using the Internet. It allows not only to reproduce text by voice, but is also equipped with a special 32-character panel, on which the content of a website page or an e-mail box is displayed with Braille icons designed specifically for the blind. Such devices will undoubtedly solve the problem of storing "oversized" books for the blind. The cost of a PC with a panel is about $5000, a model with a "reduced" screen of 16 characters costs $3300. ... >>

Destruction under given conditions 05.07.2000

Is it difficult to cut a block in the shape of, for example, a cube from a rock? Until recently, it was very difficult: in any case, in quarries. Today the situation has changed: at the International Institute of Applied Physics and High Technologies (Moscow) a prototype of the UEM-200 mobile electric discharge facility has been created. The principle of its operation - electro-hydraulic (electric discharge) - is that when a powerful current pulse passes in a liquid medium, an electrical breakdown is formed, and in it an expanding gas cavity, which creates a hydraulic shock of great destructive force. This method itself was discovered by the Leningrad inventor L. Yutkin back in the late 40s, but now, in an era of aggravation of all environmental problems, it attracts special attention. The destruction produced by hydraulic shock is not accompanied by either shock or seismic waves, or the release of any toxic substances. That is why the problem of using electric discharge technologies ... >>

The military protect nature 03.07.2000

Many species of the fauna of the Lower Volga region have been preserved due to the existence of strategic missile ranges in this region. This conclusion was made by the staff of the Center for the Conservation and Study of Biodiversity of the Volgograd Branch of the Russian Ecological Academy. On the territories of these polygons, which occupy an area of ​​hundreds of square kilometers, birds, insects and other animals still live, as well as many plant communities that have long been included in the Red Book and a number of international catalogs. If populations of cranes survived in the areas of military training grounds in the Far East, then in the steppe part of Russia - bustards and little bustards. Entire sections of the original feather grass stele turned out to be untouched. Within the same territory, located in the semi-desert Pallasovsky district of the Volgograd region, the well-known military training ground "Kapustin Yar" and the little blue mouse will continue to coexist. It is impossible to do without it - an important element of biological diversity, and ... >>

Liquid crystals for tumor diagnostics 02.07.2000

Another application for liquid crystals was found by specialists from the S. I. Vavilov State Optical Institute and the Military Medical Academy (St. Petersburg). A method has been developed that allows using these crystals (more precisely: one of their three varieties) to objectively diagnose malignant tumors. Liquid crystals are fluid substances that have some of the characteristics of crystals. Including - anisotropy: the physical properties of these substances (for example, the speed of light) are different in different directions. This is explained by. that the molecules of liquid crystals are elongated, arranged in parallel and generally more or less ordered. In the smallest - in nematic liquid crystals. In them, the molecules are randomly shifted relative to each other, although they are oriented in the same direction. If this substance is applied to any surface, then its molecules will be oriented in a certain way on it, and if the surface ... >>

Lynx in the water 01.07.2000

The amphibious hovercraft service boat was created by the joint efforts of specialists from the Neptune Central Design Bureau and the Almaz shipbuilding company (St. Petersburg). Thanks to ingenious design solutions, this boat can be operated in the most adverse conditions. At a speed of about 60 km / h, it moves through shallow water and swamps, through snow and over ice (including broken ice). along hummocks and along rivers during ice drift and freeze-up, along water areas overgrown with algae and reeds. Its air cushion is 0,7 meters. The vessel is even capable of climbing a long slope with a steepness of up to 5 degrees and overcome individual obstacles up to 0.5 meters high. . Even in the event of damage to both propulsion systems, the boat can be easily towed in hover mode. ... >>

Audio system via wiring 28.06.2000

Experts from the German Institute of Electronic Systems. Fraunhofer developed a technology that allows you to connect a stereo system to all rooms in an apartment or house through standard electrical wiring. For this, the signal, for example, from a CD player or PC is transmitted to a special decoder. The latter processes it and sends it to the home electrical network via a modem. Thus, each home socket can serve as a "source" of sound when connected to it with special mini-speakers. ... >>

New product labeling technology 27.06.2000

International Paper and Motorola have proposed a fundamentally new "Smart package" product labeling technology, which should become widespread and replace the usual bar coding in the future. To do this, they use Motorola's radio frequency identification (RFID) in conjunction with two particles of conductive ink, between which there is a miniature chip. Among the main advantages of the new technology is the small size of the marker, which can be placed anywhere and is almost invisible. Unlike a conventional barcode, information can be written on it that is not copied by typography. The RF method does not require line of sight for reading/writing, it is much cheaper than conventional RF markers and is resistant to damage. ... >>

Reliable black box cameras 26.06.2000

The German company Vidair has developed a portable video camera designed for the cockpits of passenger aircraft. Her information is automatically entered into the "black box". It is planned that by 2005 the planes of all airlines in the country will be equipped with such devices. The idea of ​​an "all-seeing eye", in whose field of view there would be not only technology, but also people, has existed for a long time. But the lack of a reliable film capable of withstanding the monstrous force of impact and high temperatures hampered development. Now that such a material (metal-based film) has appeared, the image can be preserved under the most extreme conditions. ... >>

New life for airships 21.06.2000

It is possible that long-forgotten airships will appear in the air in the near future. By order of the European Space Agency, a project has been created for a new aircraft, the scope of which should be observation and aerial photography of the area, relaying communication signals and conducting rescue operations. One of the advantages of the new apparatus is the low cost of its construction and operation, which should make the use of the apparatus profitable. "Suspended" over a densely populated area, the device can replace television towers and partially satellites for relaying a communication signal over an area of ​​100 km2. The airship will resemble the shape of the German "zeppelins" - huge cigar-shaped cylinders 220 m long and 55 m in diameter with a cabin below. It, unlike the devices of the early 20th century, will be able to rise to a height of over XNUMX km without interfering with either aircraft or satellites. The apparatus will not have a rigid internal structure. The lifting force will be provided by an elastic reservoir made of special ... >>

Laser flash is not a hindrance to the sensor 20.06.2000

Florida State University has invented a device that can protect the photosensitive elements of various sensors from high-power laser radiation. The device is an "electronic shutter" capable of making a transparent screen opaque at a very high speed, so that the impact of a powerful laser flash does not have time to damage the sensors. The screen consists of thousands of miniature slits (up to 50 microns in size) that can close and open up to 10 times per second. The novelty has a wide range of applications - from military to household video cameras and sunglasses. ... >>

Mountain bike for a geologist 19.06.2000

The American company WK Dickson, which specializes in cartographic surveys, has developed a special mountain bike that facilitates surveying. The bike is equipped with an antenna and a global positioning device, a laser rangefinder and a PC. The cost of a "complete set" with a bicycle is about $30000. As it turned out, computerized bicycle shooting is much more effective than traditional one. The new method can also be used for accurate mapping of various elements of urban utilities. ... >>

Radio bug monitors the child 18.06.2000

In Ireland, a special "baby bug" has been developed that will allow parents to track the whereabouts of their child around the clock. To do this, just turn on the computer or mobile phone and see the location of the child on the screen. The 4 cm device is attached to the child's clothing. It allows you to determine its location with an accuracy of 1,5 m using a satellite navigation system. ... >>

Wireless pen 17.06.2000

The Swedish companies Ericsson and Anoto have developed a special fountain pen that writes with ordinary ink on special paper. These recordings are then digitized and transmitted using mobile phones or the Internet. Inside the handle is a miniature video camera and a radio transmitter. The movement of the pen on the paper and its position relative to the dots on the paper are stored in the memory of the pen and then sent to the mobile phone using Bluetooth wireless technology. Mass production of new items is scheduled for mid-2001. ... >>

Planes against pigeons 16.06.2000

British biologists suspect that "thunder" from planes crossing the sound barrier is causing carrier pigeons to go astray. According to one hypothesis, pigeons use infrasounds that are not audible to humans, created by sea waves and surf, for navigation. Sonic booms from jet aircraft temporarily stun the birds, after which they lose their bearings. So, in June 1997, 60 thousand English pigeons were released from Nantes (France), but almost a third did not return home, and the rest were late. It turned out that their flight coincided with the flight of the supersonic Concorde. ... >>

Whey car 15.06.2000

Every year, German cheese dairies pour about ten million tons of whey left over from cheese production down the drain. True, a certain amount of this turbid liquid containing proteins, fats, carbohydrates, calcium and phosphorus goes to the production of baby food and medicines. But the sewage treatment plants can hardly cope with the rest. It takes as much oxygen to treat the wastewater of a large cheese factory as it does to neutralize the wastewater of a town of 24 people. Employees of the Institute of Biotechnology at the University of Stuttgart have proposed a method for processing whey into raw materials for washing powder or diesel fuel. Serum after filtration and purification enters the bioreactor, where it is treated with two yeast strains. From a liter of waste, 400 grams of environmentally friendly detergent is obtained. Moreover, with a slight change in technology, whey can be used to make diesel fuel, similar to ... >>

Frankincense as medicine 13.06.2000

Traditional Indian medicine has long used frankincense, known to us only as an incense, as an anti-inflammatory agent. One of the clinics in Mannheim (Germany) has begun testing frankincense resin on a hundred patients with chronic ulcerative colitis. Known anti-inflammatory agents such as aspirin, ibuprofen, corticoid drugs are used in the treatment of this disease, but they all produce unpleasant side effects. It turned out that Indian incense tablets work at least as well as European remedies. Pharmacologists already know how frankincense resin works: it contains so-called boswellic acids, which block a certain enzyme that triggers inflammation. It is assumed that in other inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatism, bronchitis, incense should help. And recently found that boswellic acids in laboratory experiments are able to destroy the cells of some tumors. ... >>

Hybrid motorcycle with car 12.06.2000

The Dutch firm Brink Dynamics is testing a prototype three-wheeled vehicle for two people. A four-cylinder engine with a capacity of 65 horsepower accelerates the car to 100 kilometers per hour in nine seconds. The sliding roof provides comfort and protection from the rain. The start of mass production is scheduled for this autumn. ... >>

Bananas in containers 11.06.2000

One of the German shipbuilding companies handed over to the customer - the American company "Dole" two of the world's largest container ships for the transport of bananas from Costa Rica. Each of the 205-metre-long ships carries thirty thousand tons of bananas loaded into a thousand containers (twice as many as the largest banana carriers in existence). The ship's speed is 21 knots (about 40 kilometers per hour). On the way, bananas are cooled, and the total capacity of refrigerators is about 15 megawatts. The banana car is supplied with electricity from five diesel generators. ... >>

Breathing easier in the Carboniferous 10.06.2000

Why aren't there ants the size of dogs? Because insects do not have lungs in which the blood is saturated with oxygen, and then carries it throughout the body. Insects are supplied with oxygen by "forced ventilation": thin air tubes-tracheas fit all organs, and even individual cells. Of these, oxygen diffuses into the tissues. This inefficient way of breathing prevents insects from becoming larger than 10-15 centimeters. However, the imprints of giant dragonflies in coal seams have long been known. Their wingspan was 50-70 centimeters, like a fairly large aircraft model. How could such giants breathe? Robert Berner of Yale University measured the content of certain carbon and sulfur isotopes in Carboniferous deposits. The accumulation of these isotopes depends on the concentration of oxygen in the air. According to Berner's calculations, 250-350 million years ago, the Earth's atmosphere contained 35 percent oxygen instead of the current 21 percent. That's why the creatures could ... >>

Battery wrench 09.06.2000

The American Joe Piccone created a sliding wrench, the opening of the sponges of which is changed by pressing a button: the screw that rearranges the movable sponge is rotated by a micromotor. Two one and a half volt batteries are hidden in the key handle. It's only a prototype for now, but Piccone plans to start production in less than a year. ... >>

Bloodhounds of mercury 07.06.2000

Sweden trains police dogs to sniff out mercury. A few years ago, the Swedish parliament decided that all old, unwanted stocks of mercury and waste containing this dangerous metal should be neutralized by 2001. There is a lot of mercury in old manometers, barometers, thermometers, but they are relatively easy to find. It is more difficult to detect mercury in elbow siphons under washstand sinks in dentists (mercury amalgams are used to make dental fillings), as well as under the floor in chemical and other laboratories, where it could accumulate for years from small, randomly falling droplets. It is found by dogs that react to the smell of even one milligram of mercury. Each shepherd checks up to 110 siphons per day. In two years, two trained shepherd dogs found 10 tons of mercury, of which 1,3 tons were found in schools, where mercury was used relatively recently in demonstration experiments, and even in laboratory work of students. It is assumed that there are still about 40 tons left to be found, mainly in industrial ... >>

truck x-ray 07.06.2000

At US customs, the installation of new X-ray machines has begun, which work not on X-ray transmission, but on their reflection and can view anything - from a living person to a multi-ton truck. The computer processes data on the energy of X-rays scattered from the object, and builds an image of everything that is inside a suitcase or truck: hidden weapons, drugs, explosives, illegal passengers. On the new device, just in case, every 10th passenger arriving at US international airports is scanned. The dose of radiation received in this case is not more than the dose of cosmic rays per minute of flight in an airplane at an altitude of XNUMX kilometers. ... >>

foam paper 06.06.2000

Styrofoam is widely used for packaging fragile products - a porous plastic used to make packaging inserts for boxes with equipment and balls or flakes poured into such boxes to soften shocks. However, the synthesis of styrofoam consumes a non-renewable raw material - oil, gases that are dangerous for the Earth's ozone layer are used in its production, and the used packaging practically does not decompose, accumulating in nature. The German inventor Friedrich Pries from Hamburg founded a small company that produces foamed packaging material from waste paper using the technology he developed. Waste paper is finely cut, then ground into individual fibers, which are mixed with starch. Granules are pressed from this mass. They are subjected to high pressure in a sealed apparatus with superheated water vapor, and then the pressure is abruptly released. The granules foam, forming porous balls that absorb shocks better than styrofoam. They also receive packing inserts. ... >>

Electricity on cards 04.06.2000

In two hundred houses in the German city of Hannover, electric meters are being tested that allow you to pay for electricity without leaving your home. The new Siemens meter shows electricity consumption directly in German marks, and takes into account the cheap nightly tariff. Under the dial of the counter there is a slot where the owner of the apartment or house inserts a credit card from which the corresponding amount is debited. You can use a special "electric" card, which the consumer buys in advance at the bank, supermarket or gas station. A similar system is already widespread in England, where it is used by about four million households. In Switzerland, the "card" counter is being tested in 400 houses and apartments. In total, about twenty million home electricity meters are used in Germany, and if the experiment is successful, they will be gradually replaced. ... >>

temperature to taste 03.06.2000

As physiologists from the Yale School of Medicine (USA) have shown, temperature changes act on taste buds. Rapid cooling of the tongue produces a sour or salty taste in many, while heating the tip of the tongue produces a sweet taste. In a series of experiments, the tongues of volunteers were cooled below normal body temperature. When the temperature of the tongue fell below 20 degrees Celsius, many subjects in the mouth appeared salty or sour taste. When the temperature of the tongue was raised from 20 to 35 degrees Celsius, almost everyone noticed a sensation of sweetness, especially at the tip of the tongue. When cooling its central part, some felt bitterness. In general, two-thirds of people mistake changes in tongue temperature for changes in taste, although sensations can vary from bitter to sweet. The point, apparently, is that the nerves that transmit taste signals to the brain are also sensitive to temperature. Many of us will be able to reproduce this effect at home: if you touch the tip of your tongue to ... >>

phone-computer 02.06.2000

The Swedish company Ericsson presented a prototype of a folding cellular video phone, which also has some functions of a portable computer. If the owner of the phone just needs to talk, he does not unfold the device. If you want to see the interlocutor during the conversation, the device opens, and inside are a color screen, a miniature TV camera and a computer keyboard. You can surf the Internet, receive or send e-mail from this machine. Such a device, according to its creators, deserves a special name, it is proposed to call it "communicator". ... >>

laser tennis 28.05.2000

Tiger Electronics has developed a new version of table tennis. A source of laser radiation is installed above the table. Its beam plays the role of a tennis ball. The players' rackets have a special coating that reflects the incident beam onto the other half of the table. All this is accompanied by sound effects imitating the impact of the "ball" on the racket and the surface of the table. ... >>

Electronic matchmaker 23.05.2000

The cunning Japanese have developed and put on sale a very original device - an electronic matchmaker. The small-sized device (9x4 cm) is equipped with a microprocessor and a transceiver with a range of about 20 m. Having bought such a toy, men and women program it by entering their main "parameters", as well as requirements for a partner. In addition, they indicate the purpose of dating from an innocent desire to chat to serious marital intentions. Then the owner of the toy turns it on, puts it in his pocket and goes outside. The girl of his dreams comes towards him with the same electronic device. The devices enter into communication and, if their programs coincide, they give an audible signal. And then everything develops according to the eternal laws of nature. The instrument has become popular. They are also interested in some European countries. So we are on the threshold of a new revolution in the field of communication between people. ... >>

Device for the fight against domestic rodents and insects 22.05.2000

Recently, with the help of radio electronics, a terrible blow was dealt to harmful domestic insects and rodents. An American firm has put on sale a device that makes cockroaches, ants, spiders, ticks, flies, mice and rats leave the house. The fight against the enemy is being waged on two fronts at once. First, an electromagnetic field is induced in the room wiring of the house. Secondly, the blow to the enemy is applied acoustically. Two powerful speakers emit ultrasonic vibrations with a level of 120 dB. Their frequency is not perceived by the human ear, but the uninvited inhabitants of the house are forced to flee away. Interestingly, the speakers turn on at random intervals. According to the company, this is what prevents insects and rodents from "getting used to" ultrasound. An important detail is that cats, dogs and other pets do not scatter along with mice and cockroaches. And it should also be noted the special humanity of the device - it does not destroy the enemy, but simply forces him to retreat to new positions. Where? Well, on ... >>

Radar in the hands of a rescuer 21.05.2000

A German firm has released a portable radar to search for living people covered by an avalanche or buried under the rubble of buildings after an earthquake. The operation of the device is based on the frequency shift of ultrashort radio waves when they are reflected from moving objects (Doppler effect). If a collapsed person is breathing, if his heart is beating, these small movements are enough for the reflected wave to acquire a slightly different frequency (and length) than that emitted by the radar. It takes half a minute to find the victim. A dog trained to search for people under avalanches smells a person through a two-meter thickness of snow, and a radar through an eight-meter one. The device can also be used to search for people illegally crossing the border in the trunk of a car or in a cargo container. ... >>

Smoke prevents the rain 18.05.2000

After studying data from a special satellite that measures the amount of clouds and precipitation in the Earth's tropical zone, Israeli geophysicist Daniel Rosenfeld came to the conclusion that smoke interferes with the formation of rain. After severe forest fires in Indonesia in the spring of 1998, rainfall decreased in the area. The fact is that the rain begins when small droplets in the cloud merge into larger ones, which can no longer stay in the air and begin to fall. To do this, the droplets must be larger than 25-28 microns in diameter. However, smoke is made up of tiny soot particles, providing a convenient place for moisture to condense. Droplets much smaller than necessary to start coalescence condense around the smoke particles and do not tend to coalesce. Rosenfeld believes that polluted city air also interferes with the formation of large water droplets in clouds. ... >>

Dry ice vs fog 16.05.2000

Dry ice powder has long been used to disperse clouds, and now German meteorologists are trying to use it to disperse fog on the ground. Last November, fine grains of dry ice were sprayed on an airfield shrouded in dense fog near the city of Cottbus. At first, visibility only worsened. But a minute later, small ice crystals hung in the air, which soon fell to the ground. After four minutes, the fog within a radius of 50 meters completely disappeared. A larger-scale experiment of this kind is being prepared this year. ... >>

Noise curtains 15.05.2000

Anti-noise fabric, which is a multi-layered, but rather thin sandwich of sound-absorbing materials, was created at the Georgia Institute of Technology Research (USA). New fabric drapes reduce street noise by seven decibels (a 3 decibel reduction means it is halved). Some American hospitals have already equipped their wards with such protection. ... >>

Jet engine puts out fires 13.05.2000

The idea, proposed back in the GDR, is being implemented in united Germany: a jet engine can put out fires. More than ten years ago, as part of the conversion in the GDR, turbines from the MIG, which had exhausted their resource, were put on a decommissioned tank. Water was injected into the nozzles of the running turbines. Caught up by a powerful stream of exhausts, the water turned into the thinnest fog, quickly and effectively extinguishing the fire. Such installations were first used in extinguishing oil wells in Kuwait after the Gulf War. Now the fire department of the chemical company BASF has independently developed its own version of such an installation. Two turbines from fighters are mounted on a powerful truck. Their exhaust jets carry water, foaming mixture or extinguishing powder up to 130 meters away. The fuel supply is enough for an hour, while spraying almost half a million liters of water. When tested, an artificial fire in a kilometer-long tunnel was extinguished in a minute. An area the size of a football field is covered ... >>

Diagnostic shirt 11.05.2000

This shirt was invented by American engineer Marvin Sackner. Woven into the fabric of the shirt, which resembles a turtleneck, are six types of sensors, the same ones that monitor the condition of patients in an intensive care unit, but greatly miniaturized. The shirt registers up to 40 vital parameters of the person wearing it. Both common medical indicators are measured: blood pressure, pulse, cardiogram, temperature, and less commonly used, for example, the difference in the movements of the left and right halves of the chest during breathing (this difference may indicate the accumulation of fluid in the lungs). The experience of monitoring the health of cosmonauts was used. A thin cable from the shirt is connected to a pocket computer, which accumulates the collected data. Through the computer keyboard, the patient can also enter subjective data about their feelings, such as pain or dizziness. From time to time, the wearer of the shirt sends all the collected information via the Internet to doctors who, in the same way, give him ... >>

Feather plastic 08.05.2000

American researcher Walter Schmidt proposes to make plastic from chicken feathers, the mass of which accumulates in all countries with developed poultry farming, especially after the manufacturers of pillows and featherbeds have switched to modern synthetic materials. The material of feathers (as well as the material of wool, hair, horns and hooves) is mainly keratin protein, which is not inferior in strength to synthetic fibers. Only feather barbs are suitable for making plastic. To separate them, a rather complex process has been developed, which involves cutting the feathers and then fractionating them using sophisticated instruments such as a spectrometer and a differential scanning calorimeter. The barbs are then pressed with moderate heat. It turns out a material suitable, for example, as thermal insulation for houses. Keratin fibers from chicken feathers can also be used to make fine paper. As suggested by the English magazine The Economist, which told about this invention, writing on such paper is probably best. ... >>

Life at a minimum 05.05.2000

Having taken up the simplest known cellular organism - the bacterium Mycoplasma genitalium, which has only 517 genes, the employees of the American Institute for Genomic Research began to extract one gene after another from it one by one. It turned out that without visible damage, a bacterial cell can lose almost half of its genes. She does not stop living, eating and sharing even when only 265-350 genes remain in her. Scientists have concluded that it will soon be possible to create a primitive artificial organism with two to three hundred synthetic genes, literally create a living thing from an inanimate one. However, this possibility creates many ethical, religious and social problems. Note that in each human cell there are about a hundred thousand genes. ... >>

Heated microphone 04.05.2000

The new subminiature microphone of the German company "Sennheiser" does not have a membrane. The sensing element is two very thin platinum wires heated by an electric current passed through them. Sound vibrations in the air slightly cool the wires, their resistance drops, and these resistance vibrations are amplified and converted into sound. ... >>

The largest dinosaurs 02.05.2000

Argentine paleontologists have found fragments of a skeleton in Patagonia that belonged to the largest dinosaur known so far. This herbivorous giant lived 105 million years ago, weighed twice as much as a large elephant (nine tons) and was 47-50 meters long. This is 5-8 meters more than the Argentinosaurus, which was still considered the largest of the pangolins. True, the Argentinosaurus was ten times heavier. Giant bones - a cervical vertebra two meters long and a femur - were found by peasants 1000 kilometers southwest of Buenos Aires and called in scientists. Excavations are not over yet, and the giant has not yet received an official scientific name. Meanwhile, the remains of an aquatic dinosaur that looks like a giraffe have been found in the Sahara. He was 18 meters high (of which the neck was 12), and weighed 60 tons. The lizard is named Sauroposeidon. Paleontologists who found the giant's neck vertebrae first mistook them for fossilized tree trunks. ... >>

New technology of optical signal transmission over long distances 28.04.2000

At the Fiber Optic Manufacturers Conference in Baltimore, Canada's Nortel Networks (NT) unveiled advanced technology for long distance optical transmission. Called ULTRA, the technology was developed by Qtera, which Nortel acquired in December 1999. It allows the transmission of a signal over fiber optic networks over 2,5 miles (4000 km) without costly regeneration. Current technologies provide signal transmission without regeneration for distances up to 400 miles (640 km). The speed of equipment based on ULTRA technology is 10 Gbps. ... >>

Global Positioning and Navigation System GNSS 25.04.2000

The European Space Agency (ESA), the European Commission and the European Aviation Safety and Navigation Authority (Eurocontrol) are currently building the Global Positioning and Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). The GNSS system is planned to be implemented in two stages. The first is the GNSS-1 system, which will operate using signals from the American GPS satellites currently in orbit and the Russian Glonass satellites, the second is the second-generation GNSS-2 system, which will provide ordinary users with an expanded set of services for positioning and navigation. ... >>

Navigation system for the blind 22.04.2000

In the cities of France will soon have a navigation system for the blind. Eosat (Lyon) has launched a special "box" that can be attached to the collar of a guide dog. The device, equipped with a microprocessor and a radio beacon, allows you to determine the location of a blind person in the city with an accuracy of up to 5 m, thanks to a radar network that compares data received by the satellite and small transceivers. To quickly determine the location of a person, it is enough for him to call the system operator by phone, who will determine the location of the interlocutor by the code of the "box". The navigation system has already passed preliminary testing in January this year in Chambéry. The radar device is still too big - a little more than a kilogram package of washing powder. In the near future, Eosat plans to significantly reduce the locator to the size of a matchbox, which will allow you to carry it in your pocket. ... >>

artificial vision 21.04.2000

A group of American scientists led by W. Dobell created an artificial vision system for people who have completely lost their sight. The artificial eye is a miniature television camera attached to the right lens of dark glasses. The image from it enters a laptop computer and is converted into electrical impulses, which are transmitted via cable directly to the brain through implanted electrodes. For the development of the device, a patient named Jerry, who lost his sight after a head injury, was "used" for a long time. Experiments with him began in 1978, when 68 platinum electrodes were implanted into his brain. As a result of 20 years of efforts, it was possible to find safe voltages of electrical impulses sent to the brain, to adjust their frequency and shape so that a stable image was formed in the head of a blind person. The patient can read letters 5 cm high at a distance of up to 2 m. The glasses have a laser distance sensor that reduces the brightness of the ... >>

The body amplifies the sound 20.04.2000

Specialists from the Center for Microelectronics at the University of Kaiserslautern have developed a new Hi-Fi loudspeaker design. The device, called "bodybass", consists of a special electronic circuit and a powerful but compact woofer and serves as an addition to conventional headphones, allowing you to significantly expand the frequency range of sound reproduction at the expense of the lower part of the spectrum. The speaker is mounted on the chest and the listener's lungs and bronchi are used as a resonator, and the trachea and upper respiratory tract are used as a sound transmission channel to the hearing organs. ... >>

Device for the treatment of mosquito bites 19.04.2000

Closer to summer, a variety of "tweeters" to repel mosquitoes are in great demand. However, many believe that such devices do not completely solve the problem. Perhaps this circumstance forced representatives of the German "Society of Applied Technologies" to develop an electronic device for healing mosquito bites. When touched on affected areas of the skin, the device sends out a thermal impulse that destroys mosquito venom and instantly relieves itching and subsequent redness of the skin. Approximate price of the device in Germany DM50. ... >>

Color TV with plastic screen 18.04.2000

For almost 2 years, the English company Cambridge Display Technology, together with Seiko-Epson, has been preparing for the release of the first color TV with a plastic screen. In the production of flexible screens on light-emitting polymers, materials developed by CDT were used (the latter are applied to the film using Seiko-Epson inkjet printing technology). The first presentation of a flexible monochrome display by Seiko-Epson and CDT took place in February 1998. Subsequently, a color version was developed based on it. The flexible display has a 180° viewing angle, no high-voltage electrical circuits, and is suitable for use in televisions and computer monitors. ... >>

Computer mouse will evaluate health 17.04.2000

The latest innovation from Almaden Research Center is the Emotion Mouse. The device is an ordinary mouse with a copper coating on the buttons and an IR source. Thanks to these "additions", the mouse allows you to determine the heart rate, temperature and electrical conductivity of the skin, as well as register the micro-movements of the user's fingers, whose psycho-emotional state is determined by a special program. To obtain the final result, the user must solve puzzles and view computer comics for half an hour. ... >>

Small glasses for a big picture 16.04.2000

Sony's new development, the Glasstron Personal LCD Monitor (PLM-A35), is a special glasses that uses concave mirrors to transfer a small image from a liquid crystal monitor directly to the eye's retina. The size of the generated high-quality image is equivalent to a 52-inch screen viewed from a distance of about 2 m. ... >>

Copper instead of aluminum in chips 15.04.2000

Semiconductor manufacturers from the United States, Taiwan and Germany have announced their intention to join forces to develop a new chip manufacturing technology. The companies intend to replace the currently used aluminum with copper. This will not only increase the performance of processors (copper conducts electricity better than aluminum) and reduce the cost of manufacturing logic devices, but also reduce the size of the devices themselves. The thickness of the "wires" in the chips will decrease to 0,1-0,13 microns. It is planned that 0,13-micron technology will be developed by the end of this year, and 0,1-micron - by 2002. Among the participants in the project, IBM, United Microelectronics Corp. and the German company Infineon Technologies. ... >>

Liver stones and sports 14.04.2000

Exercising two to three hours a week reduces the chances of you needing surgery to remove a gallbladder full of stones by 20 percent. The medical records of more than 60 employees of American hospitals and clinics, mainly service personnel, were studied (from these people, who are always "at hand" with doctors, it is easier to obtain both consent to the examination and all the necessary information about lifestyle). It turned out that among those who had to remove the gallbladder (and there were 3257 people), leading a sedentary lifestyle prevailed. Moreover, in order to avoid an operation, it is not necessary to seriously engage in physical education and sports, it is enough, for example, to walk 2-3 hours a week. So far, there is no indisputable explanation for this dependence, but it is assumed that active muscle movements prevent stagnation of bile in the bladder, and hence the formation of stones. ... >>

House delivered by helicopter 12.04.2000

The German firm "Evrohouse" has begun production of family cottages, which are delivered to the place by helicopter. An ordinary stone house of this size weighs over a hundred tons, but the use of modern materials borrowed from the aircraft industry has reduced the weight of the cottage to 25 tons. At the installation site, a concrete foundation must be prepared with communications embedded in it - pipes and cables. The helicopter lowers its load onto the foundation, and after a few hours the house is ready to be lived in. When moving to another city, your home can be transferred by air to a new place in the same way. "Air Houses" are planning to produce on the conveyor. ... >>

Storks in flight 11.04.2000

Last autumn, French ornithologists observed the flight of black storks, which usually leave European villages at the end of summer and fly to Africa for the winter, ending their journey in mid-October. Sixteen storks were equipped with radio beacons, which made it possible to track their position several times a day using satellite. The flight of storks to Africa lasted 20 days, they covered 350 kilometers a day at a speed of 60 kilometers per hour. There were many obstacles on the way, for example, the Pyrenees, which were overcome at an altitude of more than 2000 meters, the sea and the desert, through which they had to fly for three days. Data about the flight was sent to the Internet, so scientists and ordinary bird lovers all over the world could follow the storks. ... >>

First sight 10.04.2000

Sixty-two-year-old American Jerry N. is able to read the house number on the wall, does not bump into objects, watches TV, knows how to surf the Internet, does not miss hanging his hat on a nail ... This would not be surprising if he had not lost his sight over 20 years ago. The fact is that Jerry N. received an artificial vision system, on which a group of engineers led by R. Dobell worked for more than 30 years. A miniature television camera is mounted on the glasses of the former blind man, the signals from which are fed into a computer mounted on his belt. After processing, these signals go directly to the brain, to the visual cortex, through 68 platinum electrodes implanted there. Artificial vision is much weaker than natural, but still allows you to lead an almost normal life.' Serial production of such "artificial eyes" may begin this year. ... >>

Why is there no coal in Antarctica? 08.04.2000

In the Cretaceous period, when the whole Earth was warm, almost the entire planet was covered with lush tropical forests. On all continents since those times there were deposits of coal. Except for Antarctica, where only a few small and thin strata have been found. At the same time, it is known that Antarctica was also covered with deciduous forests. Why didn't coal form here? According to computer simulations of the ancient climate of Antarctica by David Burling of the University of Sheffield (England), the water balance of the Antarctic forests was very tight. How much water the trees received from the rains, so much evaporated. Therefore, the groundwater level was low, and swamps could not have arisen in Antarctica. And the formation of coal begins precisely with a peat bog: for tens of thousands of years, the dead remains of plants turn first into peat, then into brown coal, and finally into stone. As shown by the computer model, small swamps could appear only a few meters away. ... >>

The roof of Africa has become lower 07.04.2000

An expedition of 22 German surveyors climbed the top of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to accurately measure the height of this extinct volcano using artificial Earth satellites. Kilimanjaro, the continent's highest peak, is often referred to as the "roof of Africa". The global satellite positioning system, consisting of 27 satellites, allows you to accurately determine the position of any point on the surface of the Earth. The most accurate atomic clocks are installed on the satellites, periodically giving a radio signal. By picking up signals from several satellites with a special receiver and noting the difference in the time of their arrival, it is possible to calculate the exact position of the receiver. Having installed an antenna on the top, the expedition measured the height of the mountain with an accuracy of three centimeters. If we consider the height of the deviation of the top of the mountain from the geoid - the complex geometric figure that the Earth represents, then the height of Kilimanjaro is 5891 meters 76 centimeters. If we count from the sea level mark adopted in Tanzania, then ... >>

About the benefits of walking 06.04.2000

Steve Bird and his colleagues from the Department of Physical Therapy at the Medical College in Kent (UK) proved that walking affects the composition of the blood. They selected 56 sedentary volunteers and divided them into four groups. One group had to take a walk lasting 20-40 minutes daily, the second - two walks of 10-15 minutes, the third - three of 5-10 minutes. The fourth group sat at home in front of the TV. Before the start of the experiment, the blood levels of lipoproteins were measured in all of them - compounds of proteins with fat that contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. This continued for 18 weeks, after which the analysis of blood fats was repeated. For those who walked for a relatively long time, the content of the most harmful lipoprotein fell by 50 milligrams, for the "intermediate" this drop was twice as modest, and for those who walked three times, but little by little, the content of the dangerous substance was reduced by only 10 milligrams. So long walks are most effective. The "sedentary" content of lipopes ... >>

Foldable keyboard 05.04.2000

You have to enter text into a pocket computer by drawing letters on its screen with a special pen, and the device understands far from every handwriting: you only need to write in a special computer font. An American firm began producing a foldable keyboard that doubles the size of a PDA but makes it almost as comfortable to use as a larger one. ... >>

Smell left and right 03.04.2000

As psychologists from the University of California (USA) have shown, the perception of smell depends on which nostril to inhale it. Thirty-two volunteers were given eight common scents to smell, including lemon and mint. The subjects had to answer questions about the pleasantness or unpleasantness of the smell and what it actually smells like. The snuff was taken first with one nostril, then the other. It turned out that the right nostril tends to evaluate odors more positively than the left. But the left nostril more accurately determines the origin of the smell. Experimenters believe that the differences found are associated with long-known differences in the activity of the two hemispheres of the brain. Each nostril sends signals to its own hemisphere. The left is more rational, reasonable, the right is more emotional. In accordance with this, the nostrils evaluate odors. ... >>

The biggest truck in the world 02.04.2000

A dump truck operating in one of the coal mines in Wyoming (USA) is considered the largest truck in the world. The total mass of the giant is 500 tons, and 330 tons of coal or waste rock are placed in its body. Engine power - 3000 horsepower, it rotates an electric generator, and electric motors are mounted in the wheel hubs. ... >>

Sterilization by ultraviolet 01.04.2000

The French Center for New Methods of Storage of Agricultural Products is conducting experiments on sterilizing products with flashes of ultraviolet rays. The discharge of a xenon lamp, which produces ultraviolet radiation 20 times more powerful than solar radiation, lasts from one tenth to one millionth of a second. This allows you to destroy microbes on the surface, for example, fruits, but not change their color and taste. Industrial installations of this kind should appear in France this year. It is supposed to sterilize by ultraviolet and surgical instruments. ... >>

Mass storage media 31.03.2000

Canadian scientists have developed a new ferromagnetic material from which it will be possible to manufacture high-capacity data drives. Based on polymers and iron, ferromagnetic ceramics were obtained. When this material is heated, iron atoms begin to move and begin to migrate, merging and forming so-called nanoclusters. The larger the clusters, the stronger the magnetism of the material. Thus, the magnetic properties of the material can be controlled within certain limits. ... >>

New video discs store up to four hours of video on each side 29.03.2000

In 2001, new videodiscs will be available for sale, which can record up to four hours of video on one side. The currently offered DVD-RAM discs allow you to record up to two hours of information on one side. New video discs are coated with a dosed mixture of antimony, germanium and tellurium. When recording or rewriting (up to 1000 times without quality degradation), the laser beam melts the composition, orients the crystals, which then harden. During playback, a beam of lower power reads digital information on the crystallized areas of the coating. In the new advanced technology, the disc is coated with two layers of compound, the top of which is transparent to the laser. It is enough to concentrate the beam on the lower layer so that the recording goes to it, and then goes to the upper layer. ... >>

There is a need to simplify the use of cell phones 23.03.2000

Ukraine and Belarus remain, perhaps, the last European countries where the registration of cell phones is required. And although the issue of eliminating such a permit is already being discussed, it is now rather difficult to say whether any changes will occur in the near future. But even if such an order is adopted, it most likely will not apply to GSM900 standard equipment. After all, it is at this frequency that air navigation systems operate in Ukraine. In Europe, other frequencies are allocated for this, and permission for such equipment is not required there. ... >>

Alternative energy for the space station 21.03.2000

A unique experiment is planned to be carried out at the Mir orbital station. A metal cable 6 km long will be suspended from the space object (tentatively the cable will be delivered to the station in May this year). The experiment will be financed by the international corporation "Gold and Apple". The peculiarity of the experiment is that in the metal cable, which, during the flight of the station, crosses the lines of force of the Earth's magnetic field, an emf arises. This gratuitous electricity will be removed by the station itself and used for its own needs. ... >>

Portable portable radar station 19.03.2000

To increase the efficiency of the work of specialists in rescuing victims of natural and man-made disasters, scientists from the Institute of Radiophysics and Electronics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine have created a portable portable radar station. It helps rescuers find living people in the rubble that arose during the destruction of buildings, among stones and rock fragments. The range of the radar is 10 m. ... >>

Mobile phone for navigation systems 18.03.2000

NTT Mobile Communications Network (NTT DoCoMo) has developed a Digital Mova P502i HYPER iMode mobile phone that can work with car navigation systems. By connecting your phone to a navigation device that supports iMode, you can see all available information on the navigator screen. The device also allows you to send and receive e-mail and is equipped with a monochrome LCD display. Estimated price $330. ... >>

Radio bug in a cigarette 17.03.2000

The need to obtain important information forced Russian scientists from the foreign intelligence service to develop a unique listening device - a "bug", which cannot be detected even with the most modern search tools. The "bug" does not have a battery, but instead uses a combustible thermocouple hidden in the tobacco of a cigarette. The "bug" microphone is mounted in the filter. After the Russian James Bond lights a cigarette, the thermocouple will generate current, the transmitter microphone will turn on and begin to broadcast all the words that sound within a radius of several meters. The disadvantage of the "bug" is its fragility: the cigarette-bug is suitable for single use. However, if you wish, you can save the cigarette butt and install the "bug" in a new cigarette later. The cost of "bug" on the black market is about $500. ... >>

When Europe Was Deserted 16.03.2000

As new studies by paleobotanists and geologists from the University of Utrecht (Netherlands) have shown, about 250 million years ago some kind of catastrophe occurred in Europe, due to which the huge coniferous forests that covered the continent before died out. In geological deposits, the number of fungal spores that live on dead wood has greatly increased. And again, living trees did not appear until five million years later. The cause of this mass extinction remains a mystery, although it is known that at that time the level of the oceans dropped dramatically and temperatures rose. Numerous volcanoes ejected about two million cubic kilometers of lava, which covered much of Siberia. Not only forests died, but 95 percent of all species of organisms - more than in the extinction of dinosaurs, which occurred 65 million years ago. Perhaps almost all life was killed by suffocating volcanic gases. ... >>

Flute, which is nine thousand years old 14.03.2000

Six flutes made from the bones of a crowned crane have been found in a burial dating back to the early Neolithic in the Chinese province of Henan. One of the flutes is perfectly preserved, without a single crack. It is not the oldest musical instrument known, but it is the oldest that can still be played. Musicians were able to extract sounds from it that the human ear had not heard for the past nine millennia. Now Chinese musicologists are studying the flute system, trying to understand what melodies could be played on it. The oldest Chinese scales were recorded "only" three thousand years ago. ... >>

Lynx perfume 12.03.2000

American zoologist John Weaver came up with a new way to study lynxes. He nails pieces of hard carpet to the trees, moistened with a specially formulated "perfume" that is attractive to the lynx. This aromatic composition consists of lynx pheromones and extracts of several plants, including valerian. Attracted by the scent, the cat rubs its head against the carpet, leaving its hair on it. Lures are checked every two weeks. From the DNA extracted from a single hair, you can find out the type of lynx (there are two in North America), sex, age, and even family ties of the animal: whether a whole family of lynxes rubbed against the bait or unrelated individuals that came up at different times. This method has already managed to find at least seven lynxes in the state of Washington, where they were considered extinct. The new method is also used to account for other American cats: ocelot, jaguar, cougar. A lure for a tiger has been developed, and work is underway on perfumes for grizzly bears. ... >>

Tobacco and carrots are incompatible 11.03.2000

Studies conducted at the University of Bologna (Italy) and the University of Texas (USA) have shown that beta-carotene, contained in carrots, tomatoes and other vegetables and usually protecting cells from malignant degeneration, is harmful to smokers. In recent years, beta-carotene has been available in tablet form, on its own or in addition to vitamins, and doctors recommend taking such tablets. It turned out that beta-carotene reacts in the smoker's body with carcinogens present in tobacco smoke, and itself turns into a carcinogen. A study of 29 smokers found that those who took beta-carotene were 18 percent more likely to develop cancer. ... >>

artificial sky 10.03.2000

The largest artificial sky was created at the University of Cardiff (England). It is a dome with a diameter of eight meters, seated with electric lamps in the amount of about a thousand. The brightness of each lamp is individually adjustable. All together they simulate light from a clear or cloudy sky, and one of them, more powerful, replaces the Sun. This original installation is intended for architects. Models of designed buildings and entire blocks are placed under the dome on a scale from 1/20 to 1/4. In a few minutes, a light picture is recreated at any time of the day in any weather in any city on the Earth, and you can see how these structures are illuminated, whether the houses will shade each other. ... >>

Noise vs Noise 08.03.2000

A 700-square-meter site near Paris Orly Airport will be protected from aircraft noise with the same noise, but in the opposite phase. Microphones mounted around the protected area on seven-metre-high lampposts will pick up the noise, then the computer will reverse its phase by 180 degrees, and this altered sound will be played back by a network of 500 loudspeakers. Two sounds that are opposite in phase cancel each other out. The system was tested at another airfield, and the noise was reduced by a factor of XNUMX. ... >>

Jetty with suction cups 06.03.2000

Two New Zealand inventors are testing their idea: in the port, large rubber suction cups are attached to the quay wall. The mooring ship leans sideways against the pier, the pumps start to work, and the suction cups tightly grab the board. The suction cups are reinforced in such a way that they can move up and down and sideways, depending on the level of the tide and waves. The new system allows a large ferry that runs between New Zealand's islands to dock at the touch of a button in four seconds, while the old one, with bollards tossed, requires the hard work of 12 sailors for 15 minutes. ... >>

sleeping clock 05.03.2000

The Japanese company Seiko has released an electronic wrist watch that, after lying somewhere in a box for up to four years, can continue to accurately indicate the current time. If the watch is not in motion for more than three days, its hands stop, but the internal memory continues to keep track of the time. Battery consumption is reduced by 75 percent. It is enough to take the watch in your hands so that the hands start up and indicate the exact time. ... >>

Kinescope on Chernobyl 04.03.2000

Every year, German viewers throw into the landfill about half a million used kinescopes weighing from 10 to 30 kilograms. Burying them is a big problem. Firstly, the phosphor that covers the screen from the inside contains cadmium and is therefore poisonous. Secondly, the cone of the kinescope is made of lead glass, which is also unsafe for burial (this glass absorbs X-rays that occur when the TV is in operation). And it is also difficult to melt it into new kinescopes, because the screen itself is made of another, barium-strontium glass, which also absorbs radiation. For secondary use, these varieties would have to be separated. The Munich company "Stratecon" proposes to use German kinescopes for shielding the Chernobyl sarcophagus. The idea is to build something like a rack of steel corners around the sarcophagus, on which to place old kinescopes in two layers, alternately - neck or screen first. You can also fill them with some material that absorbs radiation. Sweat ... >>

sensitive road 02.03.2000

If carbon fibers are mixed into concrete, such a road surface will change its electrical conductivity under the influence of the weight of cars passing on it. Deborah Chang from the University of Buffalo (USA), who discovered this effect, suggests using it to make roads sensitive to the movement of cars and even bicycles. It will be possible to measure the weight of heavy vehicles on the move (and charge them a fare corresponding to the weight), determine the location and speed of individual vehicles, use their signals to switch traffic lights. ... >>

Doctor in your pocket 01.03.2000

The American company "Aprex" began to produce jars for medicines with built-in computer memory. Such a jar remembers the time and date when it was opened to take a pill. From time to time, the jar can be connected to a computer and receive a printout of all the terms of taking the medicine. If the patient's condition has not improved, the doctor can determine whether the medication was taken regularly. In the future, the company intends to provide this package with a sound signal that will remind you of the need to take the medicine. ... >>

Samsung continues to support Rambus 28.02.2000

Samsung continues to support Rambus, whose position has been shaken since Intel's latest admission. Evidence of this is the fact that Avo Kanadjian, vice president of marketing for Samsung Semiconductor Americ, has moved to Rambus to lead the marketing department. In addition, Samsung announced the completion of the development of 288 Mbit RDRAM chips, becoming the first manufacturer to reach this mark. The company does not promise their mass production yet and is silent about the price. ... >>

Intel retires Direct Rambus DRAM (DR DRAM) 27.02.2000

Intel abandoned the public promotion of the Direct Rambus DRAM (DR DRAM) memory standard, which it started back in October 1997 at the Microprocessor Forum. Then Intel and Rambus announced their intention to bring this technology to market in 1999. Intel admitted that it was a mistake to impose the wrong ideology on the market and recognized the Double Date Rate DRAM (DDR DRAM) memory standard that had developed on the market. Now Intel has made an effort to create a new memory architecture and is leading the development of the post-DDR II memory standard by major memory manufacturers (Samsung Electronics, Hyundai MicroElectronics, Micron Technology, Infineon Technologies, NEC-Hitachi Memory Inc.). Like DR DRAM, the new memory standard will be licensed to other memory manufacturers not on the list of developers for a fee. Mass production of the new memory standard will begin in 2004-2005. ... >>

Joshua by VIA 26.02.2000

VIA postponed to the beginning of 2000 the release of its "dark horse" - the entry-level microprocessor Joshua for Socket 370: the slowest in terms of clock frequency (only 333-400 MHz) and the leader in terms of L2 cache (256 kB). ... >>

AMD discontinues 500MHz Athlon processors 26.02.2000

AMD discontinued production of the junior processor of the seventh generation Athlon at 500 MHz and on January 6, 2000 officially announced the release of the next processor in this line - Athlon 800. ... >>

AMD drops K6-III 26.02.2000

Having released only two models of K6-III microprocessors at frequencies of 400 and 450 MHz, AMD refused to continue developing microprocessors of this line. The latter were considered analogues of Intel's Pentium III. In the first quarter of 2000, a new, similar line of sixth-generation K6-2+ microprocessors is released, starting with the 500 MHz model. ... >>

New Pentium III Processors 25.02.2000

On December 20, 1999, Intel introduced the 800 and 750 MHz Pentium III processor models (at 100 and 133 MHz FSB). New models of processors, like all other modifications of the Pentium III Coppermine, are manufactured according to the 0,18 micron production technology. They feature Level 2 Advanced Transfer Cache and Advanced System Buffering technology. Mass deliveries of new processor models will begin in the 1st quarter of 2000. ... >>

Broadcasts to order 24.02.2000

In a number of cities in the United States went on sale pocket radio "Command Audio". It allows you to choose programs of your choice from a variety of programs - news, weather, sports, literary and musical programs, etc. Through a special programming channel, the receiver constantly receives encoded data about the programs of radio stations. With the help of these signals, the receiver switches from channel to channel in a timely manner, satisfying the tastes and preferences of its owner. True, for the use of the programming channel you have to pay 15 dollars a month. And the cost of the receiver itself is 200 dollars. In those areas where the mentioned programming channel is not available, the receiver operates in the normal manual tuning mode. ... >>

Cold hands, hot head 23.02.2000

The National Institute of Applied Sciences (France) has developed an ultra-precise thermometer, the sensor of which is glued to the temple and measures the temperature of the brain. An interesting result has already been obtained with the help of this unique device. It turns out that when doing mental calculations, the temperature of the brain rises by a few hundredths of a degree, and the temperature of the skin drops by 0,3 degrees Celsius. This is due to the fact that with increased mental activity, the vessels of the skin narrow. As a result, blood flow through the skin is reduced, it cools less and arrives at the brain a little warmer. ... >>

Alcohol is good for the liver 22.02.2000

Physiologists from the University of the Canadian province of Manitoba compared the rate of liver regeneration after injury in three groups of rats: those who drank only pure water, received a rather large amount of alcohol with water, and those who were poured a weak solution of alcohol into the drinker. It turned out that small doses of alcohol, in terms of per person corresponding to the consumption of up to one and a half liters of beer per day, accelerate the healing of the liver. Doctors emphasize that, firstly, these experiments need to be verified by other laboratories, and secondly, not everything that is useful to rats is equally useful to humans. ... >>

ultrasonic fertilizer 21.02.2000

American Dan Carlson sprays a solution of mineral fertilizers (phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen) on the leaves of plants, and then irradiates them with ultrasound at a frequency of three to five kilohertz. As a result, the yield increases by 20-100 percent. According to the author of the idea, ultrasound opens stomata - pores of adjustable diameter, which are present on the lower surface of the leaves and serve for gas and water exchange with the atmosphere. With his method, Carlson grows three-meter-high corn and one-and-a-half-meter-diameter pumpkins. These achievements have already entered the Guinness Book of Records. ... >>

To decipher the human genome 20.02.2000

At the end of last year, biologists working around the world to read the entire "text" of human hereditary information noted two important events. On November 22, the first billion "letters" were read - nucleotides that record hereditary information. The billionth was the letter G, that is, guanine. It took ten years of intensive work in different countries of the world, including Russia, to achieve this milestone. There are still two billion left, but as the pace of research continues to increase, the entire human genome will be read in two or three years. In early December, the complete decoding of the 800nd human chromosome was completed, it contains about 33,5 genes and 23 million nucleotides. There are XNUMX more chromosomes left to read. ... >>

Cardiograph in your pocket 16.02.2000

The German firm "Medisana" has started production of a pocket cardiograph. By pressing your thumbs on the contacts on the sides of a small box, after a few seconds you can see your electrocardiogram on the display. True, the device is by no means capable of replacing a real, large cardiograph. The result depends, for example, on the pressure applied to the contacts. The instructions say in bold type: "An abnormal ECG does not necessarily mean that you have serious heart disease. On the other hand, a normal ECG does not mean that you do not have serious, sometimes even dangerous, heart disease." That is, each owner of the device can interpret the results as he wishes. For nervous and suspicious people, as German doctors point out, such a cardiograph in your pocket can even be harmful. ... >>

Loose boots 15.02.2000

Why do boots get stuck in the mud? Because when a walker wants to take a step, dense mud, covering the boot from all sides, does not allow air to rush into the resulting void and atmospheric pressure does not allow the sole to be torn off the ground. By the way, the mechanism of suction of any objects by swamp swamp or quicksand is the same. The English inventor Cliff Cogger proposed boots that were not subject to this effect. In the boot of his system there is a tube with a valve leading from the sole to the trim of the top. It does not allow a vacuum to form under the sole, and the boot easily crawls out of any dirt. The detachments of the English coast guard and some fire brigades are already shod in non-binding boots, a new type of footwear is being tested in the American army. ... >>

Forced braking of cars 14.02.2000

An international conference was held in Germany, where a new system for automatically limiting the speed of cars was discussed. Already now, many cars in Europe have a computer navigation system. Using special navigation satellites, the car's on-board computer determines its location, and detailed maps are stored in the computer's memory. The driver needs to enter the destination into the computer, and then follow the instructions that appear on the screen or spoken aloud from the computer, how to quickly and easily drive to the right place. If you indicate sections with speed limits on electronic maps, it is easy to make sure that when entering such a section, the car automatically slows down. British traffic control experts believe that it is enough to equip 60 percent of cars with such equipment and other drivers will also be more careful to comply with the restrictions. But although from a technical point of view everything is quite simple, legal moments are questionable. ... >>

Skin profilometry 11.02.2000

Employees of the Laboratory of Friction and System Dynamics from Lyon (France) have created a laser device that allows cosmetologists to accurately track the effect of creams, masks, lotions and other products that eliminate wrinkles. The thinnest laser beam glides over the surface of the skin, its reflection is captured by four photodiodes. The result is a three-dimensional map of the skin area with relief lines every 10 micrometers. By repeating such measurements, one can evaluate the effectiveness of a cosmetic product not by eye, as has been done so far, but in exact numbers. ... >>

Inflatable motorcyclist vest 10.02.2000

The Japanese firm "Mugen Danko" is launching a life jacket for motorcyclists, which is similar in principle to a marine inflatable vest. It is fastened to the motorcycle with a cable, which is connected to the valve of a canister charged with compressed carbon dioxide. If the motorcyclist starts to fall from his car, the cable is pulled and opens the valve, the vest instantly inflates and protects its wearer from injury. ... >>

Companion on a string 09.02.2000

As every schoolchild knows, when a conductor moves in a magnetic field, a voltage difference arises at the ends of the conductor, and if the conductor is closed, a current will occur. Thus, if a piece of wire is lowered from a satellite flying in the Earth's magnetic field, a current will appear in it, and the satellite will slow down and fall lower. That is, in order to leave the orbit, it is not necessary to turn on the brake engines and waste fuel - it is enough to unwind the coil with the wire. The reverse process is also possible: by passing current, for example, from solar panels, through a conductive "tail", it is possible to push the satellite up. Moreover, both methods have a higher efficiency than a jet engine. The fuel stored on the satellite for deorbiting (this process is usually provided after the end of its service life, so as not to litter the near space with "dead" devices), can be up to 20 percent of the mass of the satellite. The mass of the braking wire will be only two percent, due to which it is possible to increase ... >>

Mouse under the table 07.02.2000

Thirteen-year-old German schoolboy Moritz Pletzing invented the computer mouse for legs. It is placed under the table. The left foot adjusts the horizontal movement of the cursor on the screen, the right foot - vertical. The "foot" mouse is connected in addition to the usual one. It is convenient because the hand does not need to be torn off the keyboard, as a result of which the speed of work on the computer is significantly increased. The schoolchild's invention, shown at the traditional 34th exhibition of works by young scientists and inventors, will also be useful to disabled people. ... >>

American Roulette 04.02.2000

Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have designed a tape measure, from the measurements made by which, the computer immediately builds on the screen a three-dimensional image of the room measured by the tape measure. It looks like an ordinary roulette, but a little larger. Built-in sensors determine the length of the stretched tape when measuring, the compass registers the direction in which the roulette body was turned, and another sensor determines the angle to the horizontal at which the measurement was carried out. All these parameters are transmitted by radio to a portable computer, which is included in the tape measure kit, and a perspective plan of the measured room appears on the display screen. ... >>

striped rabbit 03.02.2000

The jungles of Vietnam and Laos apparently hide quite a few animal species unknown to science. Since the early 90s, a new species of rhino, a small deer and an animal that is a cross between an antelope and a goat have been discovered here. It was called "saola" - that's what local hunters call it. And now a new species of rabbit has been discovered in Laos - the striped one. Back in 1995, scientists noticed three carcasses of unknown rabbits in a Lao market, but only last year an automatic camera trap installed in the Vietnamese Pu Mat reserve photographed such a rabbit alive. The new rabbit is similar to the already known striped species from the island of Sumatra, but its DNA is different. ... >>

It's raining diamonds on Uranus 01.02.2000

A group of physicists led by R. Bendetti from the University of California at Berkeley (USA) subjected a mixture of methane, ammonia and water vapor to a pressure of 10-50 gigapascals at temperatures of two to three thousand Kelvin. Long chain hydrocarbons, amorphous carbon, and small diamonds emerged. It is these conditions that prevail in the depths of the atmosphere of Uranus and Neptune. Therefore, it is assumed that the solid cores of these planets are constantly raining diamond crystals. ... >>

Smart DVRs 21.01.2000

Two very "smart" digital video recorders - "Thibault" and "Ripley" - went on sale. Both provide very high quality picture and sound, as well as multi-speed fast forward and rewind "Thibaut" fixes in memory those TV programs that his owner loves. They are automatically recorded in his absence. The duration of the recording is up to 30 hours. "Ripley" must receive an order from the owner to record certain programs, and you can specify the name of your favorite artist or director. The tape recorder will find them in a detailed electronic version of the program, and then record them on its own. Recording duration 28 hours. ... >>

Computer Clarion for cars 20.01.2000

Released personal computer "Clarion", designed specifically for cars. It allows you to control your car receiver with your voice. You can tune in to the desired station, change the volume and switch the CD player. The driver gets the opportunity to communicate with a specific cellular subscriber by simply calling his number. The computer reads all e-mails and messages sent to the pager while driving. The computer memory contains a map of the area, all points of which are tied to a specific starting point. In addition, the kit includes a global navigation system receiver. By voice request, the computer tells you how to get to a particular place. In addition to voice information, the display shows an arrow indicating the direction in which the vehicle is turning. ... >>

Eye instead of display 19.01.2000

Employees of the Human Interface Technology Laboratory (HIT lab.) at the University of Washington have proposed a fundamentally new way to obtain an image directly on the retina by scanning a laser beam. The aim of the work was to obtain a full-color, bright, high quality three-dimensional image. Several models of such a device, called the Virtual Retinal Display (VRD), have already been manufactured - a virtual eye display. This is a very light, small and comfortable design, reminiscent of glasses. It has a field of view of more than 120 degrees, a resolution of about an arc second (almost the same as that of the eye) and much better color reproduction than standard monitors. The image is voluminous and very realistic: the deflector has two projection systems, separately for the left and right eyes, forming a stereo pair. And high brightness allows you to work with the display in daylight, watching a computer picture over objects in the field of view. In the design of ... >>

Micromotors 17.01.2000

The American company Micromo Electronics, in cooperation with German designers, has developed and mass-produces motors with a diameter of 1,9 mm. This micro-electric motor provides a torque of 50 to 300 micronewtons and a speed of up to 20 rpm. For a short time, it can develop 000 rpm. Replaceable gearboxes are attached to the motor, reducing the speed by 50 and 000 times. The gearboxes have the same diameter as the motor itself, and their length is from 4,12 to 47 millimeters. In the manufacture of microelectric motors, microlithography methods are used, as in the creation of computer circuits. Such dwarfs are used in cameras for automatic focusing of the lens, for moving magnetic heads in computer hard drives and in other precision instruments. ... >>

Europe in sulfuric acid 15.01.2000

Great hopes were pinned on one of the satellites of Jupiter - Europa. Pictures from the US spacecraft "Galileo" showed that the planet is covered by the ocean. On its surface is an ice crust with intersecting cracks. There was an assumption that some primitive life could exist in the depths of the ocean. And some enthusiasts even saw roads or pipelines laid by intelligent beings in the pattern of cracks. Now, however, those hopes appear to have been dashed. The same "Galileo" received infrared spectra, which indicate the presence of fairly concentrated sulfuric acid on Europa. Selecting in the laboratory various aqueous solutions that give an infrared spectrum closest to that obtained with Galileo, American scientists discovered that a solution of sulfuric acid gives such a picture. Where does it come from? According to one hypothesis, it is thrown out from the depths of Europe by underwater volcanoes, according to another, sulfur ions come from space, from the neighboring satellite of Jupiter - Io. They act on it ... >>

Two years on the phone 14.01.2000

A papier-mâché head filled with ethylene glycol-laced salt water will spend the next two years with a cell phone turned on to its ear. The sensors will show what proportion of the energy emitted by the phone is absorbed inside the head by a liquid mixture that mimics the human brain in terms of its electromagnetic properties. According to already available data, after a 15-minute conversation on a cell phone, the surface of the brain heats up by one tenth of a degree. An experiment conducted at the University of Bristol (England) should provide the basis for a pan-European standard for the safety of mobile phones. ... >>

Recharging with light 11.01.2000

A small device - a heart stimulator transplanted under the skin - saved the lives of many, but every few years the operation has to be repeated in order to change a dead battery. Osaka University (Japan) is experimenting with a stimulator recharged by light. A solar battery is introduced under the skin - a thin plate measuring two by two centimeters. By illuminating it with a laser beam for two hours, you can recharge the stimulator for 22 hours of operation. The laser is infrared, with a wavelength of 860 nanometers: this invisible light penetrates the skin well. The laser power is 30 percent of the permissible sanitary standards for human exposure. About 200 people in Japan wear pacemakers. Heart disease is getting younger, more and more middle-aged Japanese have to connect a stimulator, which means that throughout life they will either have to undergo operations with changing the battery many times, or find a way to recharge it. ... >>

long fingers of depression 10.01.2000

Men with unusually long ring fingers are more likely to suffer from depression than others. This was shown by a survey conducted by scientists from the University of Liverpool (England). They measured the finger length and height of 102 men, after which they underwent psychological tests for a tendency to depression. It turned out that those who have a higher ratio of finger length, especially the ring finger, to height, are more likely to become depressed than others. In other words, if a man's fingers are unusually long for his height (and usually, the taller the man, the longer his fingers), then he is prone to depression. In order not to mess around with measurements, you can use a rough guideline: in those prone to depression, the ring finger is noticeably longer than the average. Scientists suggest that the relationship between the length of the fingers and emotional disturbances is laid down in the embryo during development and is formed as a result of the action of the male sex hormone testosterone. The hormone affects the growth of long bones as well as the development of the brain. ... >>

Radioactivity in the Egyptian pyramids 08.01.2000

Egyptian and American experts measured the content of radioactive gas radon in the interior of the Egyptian pyramids. In three of the seven studied pyramids, an increased content of radon was found - from 816 to 5809 becquerels per cubic meter of air. Radon is produced by the decay of uranium found in many rocks, especially granite. This gas is often found in the basements of residential buildings, and even in rooms if the house is on rocky ground. Levels up to 200 becquerels per cubic meter are considered safe, and if there is more radon, enhanced ventilation is necessary. The radioactive gas can cause lung cancer. Tour guides work with tourists inside the pyramids for about four hours a day, and the radiation dose they receive is almost half the allowable dose. For tourists, a short stay in the pyramid is harmless. ... >>

Corks need to be fried 07.01.2000

Expert tasters say that about five percent of the time a good wine can be spoiled by a cork. Cork tones are woven into the bouquet of a noble drink, greatly reducing its price. This specific smell of cork is produced by fungi and microbes that have settled in its pores. For wines that are not intended for long-term storage, this does not matter much, they can even be plugged with a plastic cork, since nothing will pass from the cork into the wine in a few months. But for expensive collection wines aged for several decades, this is a problem. Corks are sterilized by heating, but in the depth of the material a temperature of no higher than 50 degrees Celsius is reached, which is not enough to destroy microorganisms. Employees of the Institute of Viticulture in Neustadt (Germany) suggested heating the corks with microwaves before corking. The institute has created a tunnel microwave oven with 70 generators, past which traffic jams pass on the conveyor. Next year, such stoves will ... >>

Each cashier - a lie detector 05.01.2000

The "lie detector" is widely known - a device that measures the pulse rate, respiration, blood pressure and skin resistance of the interrogated person during interrogation. When a person lies, he gets worried, and the first three indicators go up and the last one goes down. An idea has been patented in the USA: to equip every bank teller with such sensors. In the event of a robbery, the cashier will not have to discreetly press the button to call the police - the alarm will be raised by the system, which noted the extraordinary excitement of the employee. ... >>

Motorcycle record 03.01.2000

The English team of motorcycle racers set the national speed record for motorcycles on a jet racing motorcycle "Jillette-Mach-3". The two-wheeled projectile-like vehicle reached an average speed of 348,5 kilometers per hour in three runs. The races were held on the runway of an abandoned airfield in the north of England. Next year, the team intends to break the world record of 534,5 kilometers per hour and owned by the Americans. The designers of the car believe that its limit is at least 800 kilometers per hour. Three rocket engines provide 6000 horsepower. Acceleration from 0 to 160 kilometers per hour takes one and a half seconds. Wheel rims - metal. Parachutes are thrown out for braking. ... >>

Winding flashlight 01.01.2000

Baigen is an English company that makes clockwork lanterns. The battery is charged from a speaker hidden in the case. Twisting the knob for 20 seconds gives you four minutes of light. If you charge the battery from the mains, the flashlight shines for two hours. There is also a XNUMX volt DC socket for connecting other portable devices that can run on battery power. ... >>

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