Nanotechnology at Chemovation 2010

  Jyothi Kiran, Tuesday, March 2, 2010 | Category: Academic, Events        Comments (2)

What does the retired World War II vessel INS Vikrant have to do with the National Symposium of Chemovation 2010?

INS Vikrant might be an old war ship that now sits idly in the Mumbai museum. But it had its days of glory when nearly 18-20 war crafts would alight on the deck. It earned its crew two Mahavir Chakras and 12 Vir Chakras during the wars against Pakistan and East Pakistan in 1965 and 1971.

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Bloom Or Gloom Box?

  Jyothi Kiran, Friday, February 26, 2010 | Category: Energy, Products        Comments (2)

The debate between power optimists and power pessimists whether the Bloom box is the ultimate answer to energy shortage or if it is just another big time hoax continues to make news in the energy circle.

What the heck is a bloom box anyway?

Bloom box is electricity in a box, an idea concieved by K.R. Sridhar, a former NASA engineer. The bloom box generates power wirelessly through a combination of oxygen and a fossil fuel such as bio-gas. It is supposed to be more fuel efficient than the photovoltaic cells because unfortunately, sunlight is not availiable 24/7.

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Law needs to keep pace with innovation

  Jyothi Kiran, Tuesday, January 12, 2010 | Category: Culture        Comments (0)

Even as I am getting ready to post about nanoantennas that are revolutionizing high-speed networks, there’s news of Andy Pag, the green traveller of Biotruckexpedition arrested for carrying Sat phone banned in India! To put it in a nutshell, technology can help you cross the borders but you also run the risk of losing your freedom!! We are back to square one, aren’t we!!!

Nanoantennas for high-speed data networks
More than 120 years after the discovery of the electromagnetic character of radio waves by Heinrich Hertz, wireless data transmission dominates information technology. Higher and higher radio frequencies are applied to transmit more data within shorter periods of time.

According to the Labspaces report, Some years ago, scientists found that light waves might also be used for radio transmis-sion. So far, however, manufacture of the small antennas has required an enormous expenditure. KIT scientists have now succeeded for the first time in specifically and reproducibly manufacturing smallest optical nanoantennas from gold.

Are You Worth the nano in your cosmetic bottle that promises the magic it claims?

  Jyothi Kiran, Tuesday, December 8, 2009 | Category: Products        Comments (2)

The European Union is to make the labeling of nanomaterials in cosmetics mandatory according to Chemistry World.

“The cosmetic regulation states that all ingredients present in the product in the form of nanomaterials should be clearly indicated in the list of ingredients, by inserting the word ‘nano’ in brackets after the ingredient listing. The ruling defines nanomaterial as ‘an insoluble or biopersistant and intentionally manufactured material with one or more external dimensions, or an internal structure, on the scale from 1 to 100 nm’.

The cosmetic regulation states that all ingredients present in the product in the form of nanomaterials should be clearly indicated in the list of ingredients, by inserting the word ‘nano’ in brackets after the ingredient listing. The ruling defines nanomaterial as ‘an insoluble or biopersistant and intentionally manufactured material with one or more external dimensions, or an internal structure, on the scale from 1 to 100 nm’.

Navigate the cosmos on winds of starlight

  Jyothi Kiran, Wednesday, November 11, 2009 | Category: Culture, Energy        Comments (1)

American Scientist has recently posted a story that talks about ‘navigating the cosmos on the winds of starlight’.

“Sailing on light is the only technology that can someday take us to the stars.” according to Louis Friedman, director of the Planetary Society, the worldwide organization of space enthusiasts. Nanomaya had already posted a story how during some 2000 years ago the world’s first Hi-tech Aircraft, a starship that could refuel itself from the sun’s energy is mentioned in the “Vimana Shastra”.

It seems like every civilization reaches its peak of renaissance and eventually fades away into lost terrains because of some catastrophy either nature driven or because of manmade irrevocable decisions. And then in bits and parts it rediscovers again to reinvent itself and how it seems astonished at the relics as seen in the in the pyramids and other historical evidences that suddenly come to light.

Read more about the latest starship LightSail-1 in the American scientist as it is dubbed, it will not make it to Neverland. At best the device will sail a few hours and gain a few miles in altitude. But those hours will mark a milestone for a dream that is almost as old as the rocket age itself, and as romantic: to navigate the cosmos on winds of starlight the way sailors for thousands of years have navigated the ocean on the winds of the Earth.
 

Can Nanotechnologies rid world’s water borne diseases like diarrhoea?.

  Jyothi Kiran, Sunday, September 20, 2009 | Category: Health        Comments (0)

98 % of the children in the developing world are dying due to water borne diseases. The people most at risk of arsenic poisoning are in Bangladesh, India and Nepal area. And it is mostly the children who succumb to water-related deaths due to diarrhoea.

Can nanotechnologies really help solve water problems in developing countries? There are two positive signs that they will, according to David J. Grimshaw, head of Practical Action’s international programme in new technologies and new technologies consultant for SciDev.Net.

First, water professionals and scientists are increasingly including local communities in dialogues to understand the problems with, and opportunities for, applying nanotechnology to water improvements.

Second, since the commercialization of nanotechnology is at an early stage, we can hope that such discussions — between researchers, communities and industry — will encourage scientists and businesses to develop appropriate business models to exploit their inventions.

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