ASHOKE SEN-nominated for the most richest prize

          As an indian,it  is a great news for us that Ashoke Sen, a indian physicist ,who is selected for the Fundamental Physics Prize of this year.I think most of the people are unaware of that prize,because it is started from this year only.the prize money is 16.75 crore.

           Ashoke Sen is a professor in physics of Harischandra Research institution,Allahabad.and he(56) is
a former student of presidency college and iit kanpur.he is associated with String theory.

m.n.saha

Latest Reasearch on Making Electric Currents Visible

A research group in Kobe University’s Graduate School of Science, led by Associate Professor Kenji Kimura, has developed a magnetic imaging device that makes electric currents visible. The device will go on sale in summer 2012.

“This device gives a picture showing where electric currents are flowing in a circuit. In some cases, we’ve actually converted the images to measurements. When you charge a battery, electricity accumulates inside, and using this device, you can see where it accumulates. When a battery’s been used for a long time, it ages, and it can’t be charged anymore. This device shows where inside the battery is damaged and can’t be charged. You can do diagnostics, like with X-rays and MRI in hospitals, but for batteries instead. That’s the kind of device we’re actually presenting here.”

Also, in the near future, the researchers plan to start developing medical diazgnostic equipment.

“At hospitals, MRI and CT scans are done inside a chamber. For MRI, the patient has to keep still for 20 minutes or so. With our method, internal imaging is done by measuring magnetism from the surface. We think that, using this method, abnormalities inside the body could be detected very fast – and with high resolution.”

This device will be marketed and manufactured by Integral Geometry Instruments, a Kobe University venture. The company aims to tie up with electronics companies and automakers, and in due course, with medical instrument manufacturers. The price for this system hasn’t been decided yet, but it’s expected to be 20-30 million yen ($250,000-375,000).

Electrical Clothing

One of the future inventions that could greatly impact our lives are nanoribbons.

Rubber films developed by engineers at Princeton University could power mobile devices and other electronic devices.

The silicone sheets are embedded with ceramic nanoribbons (piezoelectric ribbons) that generate electricity when flexed, converting mechanical energy to electrical energy.

Materials made of this material, such as shoes, would harvest electrical energy created from walking and power everything from an ipod to a pacemaker.

The nanoribbon strips are so narrow that 100 strips fit side-by-side in a space of a millimeter. The strips are then embedded into clear sheets of silicone rubber to create a chip.

These sheets could be woven into fabric and placed against any moving area on the body to create electricity.

For example, a vest made from this material could take advantage of breathing motions to generate energy.

Nanoribbons are highly efficient in converting about 80% of mechanical power into electricity.

Self-Heating Roads Save Cars From Icy Conditions

When it comes unpredictable winter weather, maintaining safe driving conditions is a major concern. Luckily, over the past few years researchers at the University of Houston have made some great strides in turning the threat of icy roads into a worry of the past. Their self-heating roads are embedded with sheets of carbon nanofiber that are warmed by an electrical element. It only takes two hours and 6 watts of power to take a block of concrete from -10 to 0 C. We probably won’t see streets across the states upgraded with the technology come December, but areas known for having dangerously icy conditions could be prime candidates for the first installations.

Artificial Muscles to Propel Nanobots Through the Body

Nanotechnology has already had a significant impact on the world of medical science – however the next generation of nano-scale medical technology will blow your mind. For example, researchers from the University of British Columbia are currently working on a line of nanobots that will aim to diagnose and heal the body from the inside. In order to accomplish this amazing feat they have developed artificial muscles that are extremely flexible and strong enough to rotate objects a thousand times their own weight. By spinning carbon nanotubes into helical yarns, researchers were able to control the yarn with an electrochemical charge that causes them to twist and untwist. The muscle can be incorporated into bots with artificial flagella, or tiny tails that would rotate to propel them.

Nanotech Water Purifying Tea Bag

Millions of people around the world have limited access to drinking water – and diseases caused by contaminated water sources kill 1.8 million people each year. As both private and public entities continue to look for viable solutions to the problem, one promising development comes to us from South Africa, where researchers have used nanotechnology to create a water-purifying tea bag that costs just half a cent. In order to activate the tea bag, the user places it into the neck of a water bottle and then drinks water that passes through it. The design is portable and instantly effective! However, none of this would be possible without the help of nanotechnology – researchers have combined ultra-thin, nano-scale fibers with grains of activated carbon to filter harmful contaminants and kill bacteria.