University of Michigan activates antimatter ‘gun,’ cartoon supervillians twirl moustaches anew

Scientists create tabletop antimatter 'gun,' cartoon supervillians twirl mustaches anew
At the University of Michigan, an international team of physicists has begun experimenting with its tabletop-sized super laser, modding it into an antimatter “gun.” It’s not quite a black hole-firing pistol, but we’re slightly terrified nonetheless. Up until now, machines capable of creating positrons — coupled with electrons, they comprise the energy similar to what’s emitted by black holes and pulsars — have needed to be as large as they are expensive. Creating these antimatter beams on a small scale will hopefully give astrophysicists greater insight into the “enigmatic features” of gamma ray bursts that are “virtually impossible to address by relying on direct observations,” according to a paper published at arXiv. While the blasts only last fractions of a second each, the researchers report each firing produces a particle-density output level comparable to the accelerator at CERN. Just like that, the Longhorns/Wolverines super-laser arms-race begins again.

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Via: Gizmodo, PhysOrg

Source: arXiv

3D-printed tracheal splint supports baby’s airways, saves life

3Dprinted tracheal splint supports baby's airways, saves life

They say necessity is the mother of invention, and nowhere was it more necessary than in the case of Kaiba Gionfriddo’s life. The infant was born with a condition called tracheobronchomalacia that results in weakened support for the trachea, and his fate seemed all but decided until researchers at the University of Michigan proffered an unlikely solution: a 3D-printed tracheal splint. The splint was custom-made just for the child and designed to hold the trachea in place as the bronchus builds around it, giving it strength. In two to three years, the trachea will be able to stand on its own, and the polycaprolactone biomaterial used to create the splint will be absorbed into the body. After a successful operation, Kaiba was taken off ventilator support — and he hasn’t needed it since. From 3D-printed skull prosthetics to this recent innovation, it’s clear 3D printing has a far more noble future than just making pizza.

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Via: Gizmodo

Source: New England Journal of Medicine

University of Michigan’s GapSense may help WiFi harmonize with wireless neighbors

University of Michigan's GapSense could help WiFi live in harmony with wireless neighbors

WiFi is an unintentional bully in the wireless world: as it has to be powerful and respond quickly, it tends to drown out less demanding protocols like Bluetooth and ZigBee. The University of Michigan’s GapSense software could have the format finally learning to play well with others. By instituting a common set of alerts determined by pulses and gaps, researchers could have every wireless device giving a heads-up to others when data is on the way. The trick would force patience on WiFi devices and offer a higher priority to less aggressive standards. Along with giving every device a chance to breathe, GapSense could improve the performance of WiFi itself — the technology could lower WiFi’s power draw by as much as 44 percent through slowing down the receiver, which would sometimes only have to wait for notice from the transmitter. The university doesn’t have a timetable for practical use of GapSense, but it does want to produce a shipping product. We just might see considerably less wireless gridlock should that research translate to reality.

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Source: University of Michigan

Peacock feathers form basis for reflective displays, could bring color to e-readers soon

color ereaders

Structural color — that’s engineer speak for a reflective display that mimics iridescence. And tech of that very sort could be trickling down into future generations of e-readers, thanks to current research by the University of Michigan. Using the “refined hairline grooves” of a peacock as a template, a research team led by Professor Jay Guo has found success in creating a prototype of one such high-res display by crafting nanoscale metallic grooves on silver-plated glass. Using the CMY color model (cyan, magenta and yellow) as its basis, the team was able to produce blues with a groove measuring 170 x 40 nanometers, reds at 60 nanometers wide and yellows at a width of 90 nanometers — all with reflected sunlight and unaffected by viewing angles. At the moment, only static images can be reproduced, but Guo and his crew hope to add moving images to the format soon. If and when this reflective display makes it to market, you can surely expect e-reader battery life to go even more of a distance.

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Source: University of Michigan

University of Michigan makes silicon from liquid metal, aims for low-cost chips

University of Michigan makes silicon from liquid metal, aims for lowcost chips

Forming silicon normally requires extreme temperatures of more than 2,000F, with the expensive energy to match. The University of Michigan has developed a technique involving liquid metal that could shed most of the heat — and cost. By coating a liquid gallium electrode with silicon tetrachloride, researchers can generate pure silicon crystals through the gallium’s electrons at a comparatively cool 180F. While the crystals are currently small, bigger examples are at least theoretically possible with new metals or other refinements. Any eventual commercial success could lead to much easier, and likely cheaper, manufacturing for processors and solar cells; given that silicon still forms the backbone of most technology, real-world use can’t come quickly enough.

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Via: Phys.org

Source: University of Michigan

University of Michigan’s Computer and Video Game Archive houses over 3,000 different games, roughly 35 unique consoles (video)

University of Michigan's Computer and Video Game Archive houses over 3,000 different games, roughly 35 unique consoles (video)

Systems such as the ColecoVision, TurboGrafx-16 and 3DO may have been ousted from most home entertainment centers long ago, but they still have shelf space at the University of Michigan’s Computer and Video Game Archive. Slashdot caught up with Engineering Librarian and Video Game Archivist Dave Carter and took a look inside the repository, which has curated around 35 classic and current-gen platforms and more than 3,000 different games. Having “one of everything” is the project’s ultimate goal, but the logistics of acquiring every new game make achieving that feat a stretch. “Our realistic goal is to be sort of representative of the history of video games, what was important — what was interesting,” Carter said. “And then, not only to preserve the games, but also to preserve the game playing experience.” As a “useable archive,” patrons of UM’s library can dig in and play at different stations with era-appropriate monitors and displays. While many visit for leisure, students have used the resource to research topics ranging from music composition to the effects of texting while driving (using an Xbox 360 racing title and steering wheel peripheral, of course). You can catch a glimpse of the collection in the video below or visit the archive’s blog at the more coverage link.

Continue reading University of Michigan’s Computer and Video Game Archive houses over 3,000 different games, roughly 35 unique consoles (video)

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University of Michigan’s Computer and Video Game Archive houses over 3,000 different games, roughly 35 unique consoles (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 20:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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University of Michigan connects 3,000 cars for year-long safety pilot

University of Michigan connects 3,000 cars for yearlong safety pilot

Road safety continues to be a major concern for both researchers and car makers alike. Yesterday saw yet another real-world trial kicking off, this time on a much grander scale. A total of 3,000 vehicles in Ann Arbor, Michigan are taking part in a 12-month project run by the state’s Transportation Research Institute. The vehicles have Dedicated Short Range Communications and video recording facilities, which means the cars can communicate with each other, traffic signals, and share data to a central platform — which in turn issues warnings when high risk situations, or if traffic problems occur. Of course, this trial will also create a massive data set, which researchers will be able to plunder, and help the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) better determine the viability of such systems. So while it’s unlikely to lead to self driving cars just yet, it’s a step in the right direction.

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University of Michigan connects 3,000 cars for year-long safety pilot originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 23:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford, GE and University of Michigan team up on sensor to track EV battery life, keep us on the road

Ford Focus Electric hands-on

Believe it or not, EV battery life is still something of a Pandora’s Box, even for automakers: they can tell you the battery pack’s current and voltage, but not how it’s really performing under pressure. Ford, GE and the University of Michigan are uniting to unlock that mystery through a new ARPA-E project. In its role, GE is developing a minuscule sensor array that will track the nuances of battery cells that existing technology misses; it will promptly hand the baton to researchers at the University of Michigan, who plan to both prove that GE’s data is on the mark as well as develop tricks for predicting behavior. Ford handles the last mile, almost literally: it’s planning to fit the GE sensor technology to one of its cars and test in a more realistic environment. Before you fantasize about knowing the lifespan of your Focus Electric’s battery down to the minute, however, the new alliance is stressing that it’s only just getting started — there’s another three years and $3.1 million to go before the project wraps up. If all goes according to plan, though, we’ll have electric cars and plug-in hybrids that can not only tell when they’ve seen better days but can eke out extra miles through smarter battery designs.

Continue reading Ford, GE and University of Michigan team up on sensor to track EV battery life, keep us on the road

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Ford, GE and University of Michigan team up on sensor to track EV battery life, keep us on the road originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Aug 2012 12:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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