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    New technique could Speed up the Development of Acoustic Lenses, Impact-resistant Films and other Futuristic Materials

    November 17, 2023, Categories  Physics

    Seven tall, rectangular columns stand against a black background. The columns are made of a lattice-like pattern and some of them tilt at the top. In the center of the image, a green beam of light reaches between the top of the image and the middle column.
    Caption: This optical micrograph shows an array of microscopic metamaterial samples on a reflective substrate. Laser pulses have been digitally added, depicting pump (red) and probe (green) pulses diagnosing a sample in the center. The LIRAS technique sweeps through all samples on the substrate within minutes.
    Credits:Credit: Courtesy of the researchers

    Metamaterials are products of engineering wizardry. They are made from everyday polymers, ceramics, and metals. And when constructed precisely at the microscale, in intricate architectures, these ordinary materials can take on extraordinary properties.

    With the help of computer simulations, engineers can play with any combination of microstructures to see how certain materials can transform, for instance, into sound-focusing acoustic ...

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    James Webb Space Telescope detects Water Vapor, Sulfur Dioxide and Sand Clouds in the Atmosphere of a nearby Exoplanet

    November 17, 2023, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    A transmission spectrum of the warm Neptune exoplanet WASP-107b, captured by the Low Resolution Spectrometer (LRS) of the Mid InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) on board JWST, reveals evidence for water vapour, sulfur dioxide, and silicate (sand) clouds in the planet’s atmosphere.

    European astronomers, co-led by researchers from the Institute of Astronomy, KU Leuven, used recent observations made with the James Webb Space Telescope to study the atmosphere of the nearby exoplanet WASP-107b. Peering deep into the fluffy atmosphere of WASP-107b they discovered not only water vapour and sulfur dioxide, but even silicate sand clouds. These particles reside within a dynamic atmosphere that exhibits vigorous transport of material.

    Astronomers worldwide are harnessing the advanced capabilities of...

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    Scientists 3D-Print Hair Follicles in Lab-Grown Skin

    November 16, 2023, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    Image
    Pankaj Karande, left, and Carolina Catarino, right

    The technique represents an important step in engineering skin grafts, drug testing. A team led by scientists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has 3D-printed hair follicles in human skin tissue cultured in the lab. This marks the first time researchers have used the technology to generate hair follicles, which play an important role in skin healing and function.

    The finding, published in the journal Science Advances, has potential applications in regenerative medicine and drug testing, though engineering skin grafts that grow hair are still several years away.

    “Our work is a proof-of-concept that hair follicle structures can be created in a highly precise, reproducible way using 3D-bioprinting...

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    This 3D Printer can Watch Itself Fabricate Objects

    November 16, 2023, Categories  Physics, Chemistry/Nanotechnology

    Rendering shows a six-legged robot, standing against a black background, in the process of being 3D-printed. Near the back of the robot, floating black spheres are assembled and then cured by a blue UV light beaming down from above. On top, cameras point down to scan the action.
    Caption: This rendering shows a robot being built layer-by-layer using the new process. The black spheres represent the material that the printer uses. The material is then cured by UV light, represented in blue. At the top of the image are the cameras that scan the procedure and adjust accordingly.
    Credits:Image: Moritz Hocher

    Computer vision enables contact-free 3D printing, letting engineers print with high-performance materials they couldn’t use before. With 3D inkjet printing systems, engineers can fabricate hybrid structures that have soft and rigid components, like robotic grippers that are strong enough to grasp heavy objects but soft enough to interact safely with humans.

    These multimaterial 3D printing systems utilize thousands of nozzles to deposit tiny droplets of resin, ...

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