Friday, December 19, 2003
Science's Breakthrough Of The Year: Illumination Of The Dark, Expanding Universe
In 2003, new evidence cemented the bizarre idea that the universe is made mostly of mysterious "dark matter," being stretched apart by an unknown force called "dark energy." This set of discoveries claims top honors as the Breakthrough of the Year, named by Science and its publisher, AAAS, the nonprofit science society.
These insights into our "dark" universe plus nine other research advances make up Science's top ten scientific developments in 2003, chosen for their profound implications for society and the advancement of science. The Top Ten list appears in the journal's 19 December issue.
This year, information from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) satellite and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) telescopes confirmed some of cosmologists' strangest proposals about the fate of the universe.
"The implications of these discoveries about the universe are truly stunning. Cosmologists have been trying for years to confirm the hypothesis of a dark universe. Science is glad to recognize their success in this effort as the Breakthrough of the Year for 2003," said Don Kennedy, Editor-in-Chief of Science. Full Article>>>
These insights into our "dark" universe plus nine other research advances make up Science's top ten scientific developments in 2003, chosen for their profound implications for society and the advancement of science. The Top Ten list appears in the journal's 19 December issue.
This year, information from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) satellite and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) telescopes confirmed some of cosmologists' strangest proposals about the fate of the universe.
"The implications of these discoveries about the universe are truly stunning. Cosmologists have been trying for years to confirm the hypothesis of a dark universe. Science is glad to recognize their success in this effort as the Breakthrough of the Year for 2003," said Don Kennedy, Editor-in-Chief of Science. Full Article>>>
Swedish firm to offer 100Mbit/s broadband
A SWEDISH SUPPLIER will introduce an amazing 100Mbit/sec broadband connection for 895 kroner in April next year.
That's about £70 a month, and that speed is in both directions.
Bredbandsbolaget will cap downloads to 300GB as part of the service it's offering.
Right now, Bredbandsbolaget is offering bi-directional 10MB connections for 330 kroner a month without limits on the download Full Article>>>
That's about £70 a month, and that speed is in both directions.
Bredbandsbolaget will cap downloads to 300GB as part of the service it's offering.
Right now, Bredbandsbolaget is offering bi-directional 10MB connections for 330 kroner a month without limits on the download Full Article>>>
Nanotubes break semiconducting record
Semiconducting carbon nanotubes are significantly better at conducting electricity at room temperature than any other known material, according to recent tests at the University of Maryland.
The findings are the latest evidence that nanotubes could form the basis for future generations of powerful electronics.
The electrical conductivity properties of nanotubes--a synthetic material with the potential to revolutionize industries from plastics to computer chips--have been well known for some time. But the results from the university's Center for Superconductivity Research indicate that carbon nanotubes may make even better semiconductors than previously thought.
A team of researchers, led by Michael Fuhrer, head of the university's Nanoelectronics Research Group, were able to fabricate a semiconducting nanotube transistor with mobility almost 25 percent higher than any previous semiconducting material, and more than 70 times higher than the mobility of computer chip silicon, the university said. Mobility is a measurement of how well a semiconductor conducts electricity. Full Article>>>
The findings are the latest evidence that nanotubes could form the basis for future generations of powerful electronics.
The electrical conductivity properties of nanotubes--a synthetic material with the potential to revolutionize industries from plastics to computer chips--have been well known for some time. But the results from the university's Center for Superconductivity Research indicate that carbon nanotubes may make even better semiconductors than previously thought.
A team of researchers, led by Michael Fuhrer, head of the university's Nanoelectronics Research Group, were able to fabricate a semiconducting nanotube transistor with mobility almost 25 percent higher than any previous semiconducting material, and more than 70 times higher than the mobility of computer chip silicon, the university said. Mobility is a measurement of how well a semiconductor conducts electricity. Full Article>>>
