You are browsing the archives of 2008 September.

(Photo: Sunrise Solar)

My neighbor recently picked up a couple of “solar” outdoor planters/urns at a discount center. What’s a solar urn? Turns out that each urn has about six tiny LEDs around its rim that are visible at nighttime, and each had a little external solar panel that could be plugged in to charge the urn’s batteries. Kinda cute, but a little weak in the “wow” solar factor. But, then again, the neighbor did pick them up at a steep discount. Now we get news of a “Solar Bric” being marketed that could either be another “solar” gewgaw like the urn or a landscaping alternative to the ubiquitous low-voltage lighting systems lining suburban patios everywhere. (more…)

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Researchers, entrepreneurs, students, professors, business people - MS&T is the place for the latest buzz on materials applications, innovation, supplies and production. Seriously. The dates are Oct 5-9 and the place is Pittsburgh. The deadline for registration is coming up very quickly, so put down the cup-o-joe and click on that MS&T’08 box on the left (or go here).

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Are you a writer and/or scientist and/or materials wonk who wants to spread the word on the enormous number of innovations going on in ceramics, glass, fuel cells, hydrogen solar, bioceramics, nanotechnology and related materials and areas? Well, we are looking for you. It’s time for this blog to grow just a little bigger. Interested? (more…)

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Momma, forget the ginsu. This week’s video examines outstanding durability and sharpness of a line of ceramic knives developed by Kyocera. Incredibly sharp, chemically inert and resilient to dulling, these blades are somewhat pricey but are being adopted by professional chefs despite some hesitations about whether the blades will chip.

This really isn’t surprising since advanced ceramic materials can be formed that are second only to diamond in hardness. Regarding the chips, Kyocera offers an incredibly cheap resharpening service ($10) but also notes:

Ceramic starts out sharper–and stays sharper–longer. In time, you may notice micro nicks on the blade’s edge. This is the normal process by which any hard material blade will dull. The existence of microchips does not necessarily mean the knife is dull. You will find that it performs well for quite some time.

And, subsequently I have learned of a blog that is dedicated to ceramic knives. How sharp is that?

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E. coli (Credit: FDA)

Nanotechnology is key to the development of a new paint that reportedly has the ability to kill antibiotic-resistant superbugs, according to a report from Manchester Metropolitan University researcher Lucia Caballero at a September 2008 meeting of the Society for General Microbiology. Caballero reports that, when exposed to fluorescent light or the sun’s ultraviolet rays, paints containing nanoparticles of titanium dioxide can kill potentially fatal bacteria. The particles do this, the researcher says, by absorbing the light and producing active molecules that “clean up the painted surfaces.” (more…)

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