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Tomorrow
in Brief
edited by Cindy Wagner
Power from Nanolight
Tiny rings of light called optical vortices may one day be harnessed as power sources
for microelectromechanical devices (MEMs). The optical vortices rapidly spin microscopic
spheres in surrounding fluid. Since they have no moving parts, they are a better option
for MEMs motors than electrostatic or magnetic drives, which move slowly and wear out
quickly, says physicist David Grier of the University of Chicago. The devices could be
used to drive nanorobots and other microdevices.
|
Particles trapped in spinning optical vortices, creating a
mixer assembled and driven entirely by light. |
Source: University of Chicago News Office, 5801 South Ellis
Avenue, Room 200, Chicago, Illinois 60637. Telephone 1-773-702-8360; Web site www-news.uchicago.edu.
See also griergroup.uchicago.edu/~grier/hot.
|
Alternatives to Eye Drops
People with glaucoma or other eye diseases may soon be able to do away with eye drops,
thanks to an innovative drug-delivery system using contact lenses. Nanoscopic
medicine-filled particles in the lenses would release drugs slowly and steadily into the
eye without being diluted by tears and drained into the nasal cavity--a problem many
people experience with eye drops. The lenses could also prove an alternative to eye
surgery for diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma, suggest Anuj Chauhan, assistant
professor of chemical engineering, and doctoral student Derya Gulsen, the University of
Florida researchers developing the techniques for encapsulating the drugs into
nanoparticles.
Source: University of Florida, News and Public Affairs, 207 Tigert Hall, P.O. Box
113075, Gainesville, Florida 32611. Web site www.ufl.edu.
Tarantulas Aid Rain-Forest Watchers
Fifty members of two tarantula species have been surgically tagged to help researchers
track changes in the rain forest in Belize. One species, the Mexican redrump tarantula,
lives in forested areas, while the other, the cinnamon tarantula, prefers open clearings.
By studying the population dynamics of the two species over time, the researchers hope to
monitor changes in their environments, particularly the effects of slash-and-burn
deforestation. Tarantulas are uniquely qualified to help in such a long-term study, as
their life spans can stretch to 20 years or more. The research is being led by Memphis Zoo
biologist Steve Reichling.
Source: "Digging for Insights into Tarantulas" by Steven B. Reichling, Biologist
(April 2003). Institute of Biology, 20 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2DZ, United Kingdom.
Web site www.iob.org.
www.iob.org.
Turning Lake Gas into Power Source
Vast quantities of dissolved gases in Rwanda's Lake Kivu are a disaster waiting to happen.
But a plan to pump out methane from the lake could reduce the risk of a massive
explosion--and potentially provide enough electricity for 400 years, according to engineer
Michel Halbwachs of the University of Savoie in France. Halbwachs's plan is to pump
gas-filled water from the lake and separate the methane out, so it could be burned for
electricity. As a result, Rwanda would have an alternative to burning wood, which
currently supplies 90% of the country's energy--and contributes to a 4% annual
deforestation rate.
Source: "Lake Methane Could Power Entire Nation" by Nicola Jones, New
Scientist (March 1, 2003). Reed Business Information Ltd., 151 Wardour Street, London
W1F 8WE, United Kingdom. Web site www.newscientist.com.
Eyeglasses with Computers
Miniature computer screens incorporated into the sidepieces of eyeglasses bring futuristic
mobile-wearable computing into the commercially viable present. The Eyetop glasses,
developed by France-based Ingineo, allow the user to view the computer's monitor and still
see straight ahead. Eyetop can be connected to a variety of digital devices with video or
audio output (cameras, digital jukeboxes, etc.) in addition to personal computers and
digital assistants. And, since the screen is so close to the wearer's eye, road warriors
need not fear strangers peeking at their PDAs in public.
Sources: Eyetop: www.eyetop.net. French Technology Press Office, One East
Wacker Drive, Suite 3740, Chicago, Illinois 60601. Telephone 1-312-222-1235.
Sexual Health Crisis in Britain
With an upsurge in sexually transmitted infections and a lack of progress on reducing
teenage pregnancy over the past decade, England faces a potential public-health crisis.
Cases of infectious syphilis have skyrocketed by 374% since 1997, and the number of
HIV/AIDS cases is expected to double between 1997 and 2005. The teen-pregnancy rate of 8.3
per 1,000 in 2000 is far off the government's goal of 4.8 per 1,000 set out in 1992.
Health clinics are becoming overwhelmed with patients, according Michael Adler, a
professor at Royal Free and University College Medical School in London, who calls for
increased government investment in its own sexual-health strategies.
Source: "Sexual Health--Health of the Nation" by Michael Adler, Sexually
Transmitted Infections (2003, 79:85-87). British Medical Association, BMA House,
Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9JP, United Kingdom. Web site www.stijournal.com.
www.stijournal.com.
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