Making Fire With Ice

The prospect of making fire with ice is relatively simple, but how do you make ice with fire?  With the ice you can convert the clear material into a lens that then acts as a magnifying glass of the sun's rays, but the prospect of making ice using fire is much more difficult.  Scientists, have, however, discovered a way piquing the curiosity of many and establishing the truly mysterious nature of water.

If water is kept in a completely smooth container without any other bubbles or dust, it can drop its temperature several degrees beneath its normal freezing point without forming the crystal formations required to bring about ice formations that grow as any other crystal does off of one central point.  If, however, an imperfection is formed in the still water by bumping the bottle filled with liquid, or piercing it with a needle the liquid will turn to ice fairly quickly.

Scientist Igor Lubomirsky of Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science has used another method, implementing the use of quasi-amorphous pyroelectric films.  The surface of these films change depending on the surface temperature of the material, and therefore if heated (as with fire) can change form from liquid to solid.  Positively charged surfaces are far easier to form ice on than a negatively charged one.  For example, a surface of charged lithium tantalate will freeze immediately when the surface is raised to a temperature of 17.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

Another curious trait discovered is that a surface of negatively charged ions would freeze from the top and move down in the direction of gravitational pull while positively charged ions would freeze from the bottom up.  The reason for this is the positively charged atoms of oxygen naturally point toward negatively charged surfaces while negatively charged atoms point in the opposite direction.  The reverse is true of hydrogen.

If changing the freezing point of water doesn't seem like a terribly important concept, imagine the potential applications for cryonics.  Normally one of the greatest hurdles current cryogenics run into is the propensity for frozen solid state water to expand when cooled.  As a result, organic tissue within these states will often expand as it solidifies, damaging cells.  Imagine a bag of frozen vegetables and how their texture seems different from that of a fresh bag.  Though the tissues are a little different in this case, it's similar in principle.  Current cryonics make it difficult for delicate tissue to survive the process, adding yet another condition for the technological achievements required to revive such a damaged vessel.

In addition, there are potential applications for rescuing animals that require incredibly cold conditions to survive in, but cannot themselves be contained in containers because the cold water would freeze.  It is also an important component in triggering cloud formation.  These principles could in the end result in vast strides in science and technology.  If liquid could remain so despite temperature and then be later turned to ice, there are several possibilities, particularly since water is one of few compounds that expands when freezing and contracts when it cools.

Your hand is a touch screen

Imagine a world where your computer is not only at your fingertips, but directly controlled and interfaced on them. As technology got smaller, unfortunately screen size also suffered, but a new projection technology recently developed hopes to turn the viewing area on computers and personal devices such as cell phones into the user's own glowing skin. The technology was offered as a solution to problems many computer and personal device users have of small screens on smaller devices.

The world of technology is bringing out new breakthroughs that hold the potential to make life both easier in some ways and more inconvenient in others. Social networking sites have made communication far easier, yet at the same time more difficult in several ways, MP3 players have made the average walk down the street less connected with other people, yet opened another world within, and the internet has harbored in a new age of information with informative sites that serve to inform readers honestly and without compromise from multi-million dollar industries at great cost to those industries. But as technology changes, the medium itself must change as well. And what better part of consistency is there than the user the technology hopes to serve?


It's called "skinput." One example sees a tiny LED projector on the wrist pouring out a detailed phone pad onto the hand of a user so they can use their other hand to dial a phone. As each "button" on the display is pressed, a wave is sent up the hand in reaction, and an advanced sensor detects the waves and sends a signal to the tiny processor on the Skinput computer where it is measured and quickly estimated into an exact point of contact on the skin. It's a principle similar to how dolphins use sonar to navigate sea floors and keep an eye out for potential predators as well as food. As the sensors got more advanced, as they were being developed, it became more accurate and therefore more applicable. Essentially a "skinput" device would be exactly like any other touch screen device, except rather than touching a screen, you would be touching your own hand glowing from the projector mounted on your wrist.


As gadgets get smaller, so too must the screens used on them. Fortunately, the problem of a screen too small to see, as well as buttons and interface too small for those with larger hands to use is remedied as the screens will be directly proportional always to the size of the user's hand. In addition, it will be as easy to look at as it is to hold your own hand up to your face. Since the device doesn't need to be held to use, it will be far less likely to be forgotten, lost, or dropped.


Will skinput be able to have military applications as well? Researcher Chris Harrison from Carnegie Mellon institute said the system worked equally well whether running, walking, or standing still. Currently there are limited points of detection for it, however, which will have to be worked out before we find ourselves staring into our empty hands trying to make a phone call.

New Electricity Production Method

A new method of creating electrical energy has been developed by scientists studying nano-technology at MIT through the use of a previously undiscovered phenomena wherein microscopic wires can be used in certain formations to produce electricity at a scale that may lead to a breakthrough in future ultra-small electronic devices.

The basic mechanics involve latticed layered wires known as carbon nanotubes.  The carbon nanotubes are incredibly small hollow tubes that are coated in a layer of ultra high powered fuel that produces energy through decomposition.  The catalyst is a small laser or high voltage spark that travels through the wires using a phenomenon known as thermopower.  The discovery, according to researchers at MIT has opened up a new area of energy research, which is understandably rare.  The wave of electrons is pushed through the lattice work  like a tsunami after a large shelf falls into the ocean, each individual electron pushing the next one out, while the high yield output actually amplifies the electrical output using the fuel hidden within the carbon nanotubes.  Currently the potential power output for a typical Alkaline battery such as a AAA is merely 1/100th of the potential power input of a Nanotube battery of the same weight.  Imagine a tiny battery cell that actually has a power output of 100 times that of a typical AAA battery.  Imagine three large 6 volt batteries put together, and you have almost the amount of power output potential of one AAA battery sized Nanotube battery as it currently is.  In a world where many limitations on green energy rest on the potential keeping power of batteries, the Nanotube battery has the potential to bring about a technological revolution the likes of which has not been seen in several years not only for its potential power output, but its limited size.

Of course an incredible amount of research must still be done before these batteries are ready for application in larger systems, but as it currently stands there are already several potential applications for smaller systems that will hopefully be coming out in the near future.  The downside, of course, is there is still much time and work that must be put into these projects and several different avenues of research before these systems could be economically viable.  One potential application, according to the scientists who first discovered the property, is to have several tiny sensors with these energy systems to be released into the atmosphere to observe changes and transmit data on potential climate change.  If the battery systems turn out to have larger applications, however, they could in time be perfected and used in robotics systems as well as a number of space faring ventures as well as nanotechnology which is currently limited by the current energy storage and output.  As technology gets smaller, energy will be a larger concern, but with Nanotube batteries, hopefully the next generation of computers (or possibly those two generations from now) and gadgets will have high yield batteries that will make them all the more viable and marketable.

"God Helmet"

In the University of Sudbury, Canada, there is a device that reportedly synthesizes paranormal experiences by manipulating the brain by using electromagnetic stimulation at specific and complex frequencies and patterns. Test subjects report with relative consistency that their experiences using the "God Helmet" are so profoundly spiritual that they feel absolutely real. But does this make illegitimate the experiences of those who simply had the experiences outside of Dr. Michael Persinger's lab?

It's a deeply important and prevalent question. Is the paranormal an internal or an external force? And would the discovery of an internal source for consistent paranormal activity cause said activity to lose its paranormal "edge" and immediately cause it to become mundane? To examine the subject, let's take a look at the concept of near death experiences. Throughout time, near death experiences have manifest to people of all religious backgrounds, ages, and lifestyles with some regularity. Often these experiences are seen as sharing several themes in which the subject appears to see concepts and objects beyond their understanding along with strong emotions that either trigger inescapable fear and dispair or equally dramatic peace and understanding with the universe around them. It is the intensity of these emotions that often give them cause to change their entire lives (generally in a way they would consider to be better) and give hope to not only them, but those with whom they communicate. And there has been an incredibly thorough study of what exactly causes this going on since the 1970's. And Dr. Michael Persinger thinks he has the answer. Unfortunately, it is not one many want to hear.


An out of body experience is one where a person who is near death perceives themselves leaving their body and stepping outside of it into a room where they quickly find themselves drawn to a tunnel with a light at the end of it. As they travel down this tunnel, they are often met with spiritual imagery that is significant to them. Usually it's positive and hopeful, but occasionally it is negative and terrifying. As they go through the experience they often are told at the end that they must return to Earth for reasons beyond the understanding of the patient having the experience, and they awaken shortly thereafter. Is this a Jungian concept of death and transformation manifest into a dream state brought on by incredible trauma and stress? Or is the brain perceiving an external world which is triggered by this stress and trauma?


Dr. Persinger's study has shown that those wearing the "god helmet," a motorcycle with electrodes attached to it that bombard areas of the brain with specific magnetic frequency, can manifest any number of hallucinations ranging from speaking with dead relatives to seeing ghosts to actually feeling death and the experiences that follow.


But to say the god helmet can consistently explain the paranormal as a hallucination would be comparable to claiming that a television proves that the people on it were fictional. Is it not possible for the experiences to parallel real experiences without necessarily proving or disproving the existence of these concepts outside of the self?

Exorcism Via Internet

A Brazilian man claiming to be possessed by a dybbuk, or spirit, sought the spiritual guidance of Rav Chaim Kanievsky through friends of his. What he received was the first documented case of an exorcism performed via the internet telephone program Skype. It was a far different scene from exorcisms performed in films and was the first such "remote" exorcism performed by a Rabbi using the internet.

When Rav Chaim first heard the pleas of a small group of friends who said their friend was possessed, he asked several questions in order to ascertain whether this was indeed a dybbuk or merely mental illness manifesting as some form of supernatural oppression complex. When he ascertained that the demon appeared to be real, he recommended they speak with a more expert Rabbi on the subject of dybbuks. He recommended Rav Shteinman who forwarded them to Rav Dovid Batzri who is a well respected expert in the field of exorcisms. Unfortunately Rav Batzri was in Israel far from the Brazilian man's home. The solution? Patch Rav Batzri in through a live Skype feed and attempt the exorcism remotely.


As the exorcism began through live video, they did not connect with the entity and the exorcism failed. Of course this was no surprise to Kanievsky, who declared that remote exorcism would not be more successful via video phone as the person's presence was required for the ritual to succeed. Curently the Brazilian man is recovering from the exorcism, but it is unknown if the ritual was a success. After the Skype experiment failed, his friends arranged for him to travel to Israel where the exorcism took place under the guidance of myriad Rabbis, but including Kanievsky and Shteinman.


The inability of Rabbis to perform an exorcism may sound like bad news, but consider this: If an exorcism fails through an internet connection it would stand to reason that evil spirits (using a generalized editorial term) cannot travel directly via information but require some form of vessel in order to transport themselves. This may be good news for those who genuinely believe themselves afflicted by the ghosts of haunted websites or email chain letters. So this would put to rest the concept of spectral negative energy traveling through email altogether.


It may sound laughable, but the sheer number of chain letters traveling through the information superhighway at any given moment driven by superstition is absolutely staggering. If the experiment performed by Rav Batzri was any indicator of ghostly transferal through the electronic medium then these were sent out of false fears "just to be safe."


On the other hand, every medium throughout history that developed also evolved mystically. First it was images, hieroglyphs, and runes that were magically imbued or likewise cursed. Then it was the spoken word, incantations, and chants that held magical power. After that it was books, such as the Egyptian book of the dead. Film has now been likewise magically imbued, but it is now the internet that appears to become an almost haunted spectral place. How do we know the images of ghosts we so casually transmit from one place to another and the texts we have running through the very space around us and encompassing everywhere a wireless internet port is available isn't likewise haunted somehow?

Regeneration

Scientists have discovered that there is a gene within us all that prevents fast healing and limb regeneration, and that it can be turned "off" in some mice.  The discovery hopes to harbor in a new age where organ donation will not be required for patients to recover from damaged tissue, and we could grow our arms and legs back even if they were crippled beyond repair or removed entirely.

The P21 Gene, as it is called, was first discovered in creatures such as flatworms, which can turn from one organism into two if cut in half.  Could scientists one day sever an arm and hope to recover an entire human from the tissue?  Academics from the Wistar Institute have many speculating that this science fiction theory may one day soon become a reality.

The primary difference between a damaged animal with typical healing associated with those with the P21 gene and those lacking the gene has to do with how cell tissue forms after the damaged tissue begins the healing process.  Traditionally, the P21 gene results in damaged tissue turning into a scar, and closing up a wound in the simplest way possible.  The P21 gene, when turned off, allows for the development of a blastema, which is a source of rapid cellular development.  The structure allows all cells of damaged animals to behave more like embryonic stem cells than typical cells of adult humans.  The embryonic cells have within them the blueprints for the greater whole and move to make that whole more like the original.  Scientists hope to be able to deactivate the P21 gene after birth temporarily and be able to allow for a cellular re-growth of damaged limbs and organs that could result in life long after normal cellular regeneration would stop.

Imagine losing a finger in a carpentry accident.  Normally the wound would have to be cauterized and/or succored, then the area where the wound was would eventually close up leaving scar tissue.  But you would in the end be minus a finger.  With the P21 cellular regeneration, DNA from the healing cells would regenerate the finger slowly and re-grow it complete with bones, nerve endings, and all other required elements into what would eventually become a new digit just like the first.

There is, however, a downside to creatures with an inactive P21 gene.  The P21 gene is used largely to prevent cancer.  Luckily, mice with reported inactive P21 genes have not reported any increase in cancer.  Hopefully this trend will continue as research is done on humans.  Cellular division on this scale is virtually unprecedented in humans.  If scientists can find a way to render the P21 inactive, it could revolutionize the medical industry forever.  As with most things, however, many people fear that the technology will not be developed if there is no money in it.  But there are incredibly potent avenues for research to become quite profitable, as the process itself would no doubt be a very expensive one.  In the future, we may no longer have to worry about losing organs and/or limbs if this research becomes as fruitful as scientists hope.

James Cameron to direct Black Eyed Peas 3D movie

Avatar director James Cameron will make a 3D tour documentary with Black Eyed Peas, according to will.i.am.

The singer says the film will be shot in South America, and is scheduled for release in 2011.

Speaking to Vibe magazine he said: "We have the biggest director, because we are the biggest group on the planet.

"People will be able to see us in the theatre with the 3D glasses and everything."

Further details

Further details of the documentary remain under wraps but will.i.am said that along with footage of the band playing live, the film will have a "dope" storyline, devised by Cameron.

Currently midway through their The E.N.D world tour, the foursome have shows scheduled in Europe, Canada and north America.

Last month Black Eyed Peas reached the digital landmark of being the first artists to sell a million downloaded singles in the UK with their track I Gotta Feeling.

As for James Cameron, Avatar is the fastest film ever to reach $1 billion (£625.6 million) in ticket sales following its release in December 2009.