New Technology 3D Prints Glass Microstructures with Rays of Light

3D-printed glass lattices, displayed in front of a U.S. penny for scale. Credit: Joseph Toombs

Researchers at UC Berkeley have developed a new way to 3D-print glass microstructures that is faster and produces objects with higher optical quality, design flexibility and strength, according to a new study published in the April 15 issue of Science.

Working with scientists from the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, Germany, the researchers expanded the capabilities of a 3D-printing process they developed three years ago—computed axial lithography (CAL)—to print much finer features and to print in glass. They dubbed this new system “micro-CAL.”

Glass is the preferred material for creating complex microscopic objects, including lenses in compact, high-quality cameras used in sm...

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Low-Dose Lithium May Slow Kidney Aging

Best known therapeutically as a treatment for bipolar disorder, lithium has long intrigued researchers with its potential age-defying properties.

The element has been shown in lab experiments to extend the lifespan of fruit flies and roundworms, while observational studies have suggested tap water naturally laced with trace amounts of lithium might improve human longevity.

Researchers at The University of Toledo have recently found that low-dose lithium acts as a powerful anti-aging agent in the kidneys.

“Lithium’s effect on aging has been a hot topic, with several intriguing observations coming out in recent years,” said Dr. Rujun Gong, UToledo professor of medicine. “As people are living longer than ever, it’s crucial we find ways to slow or halt kidney aging...

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Nova Outbursts are apparently a source for Cosmic Rays

The binary star system RS Ophiuchi: Matter flows from the red giant onto the white dwarf. The newly added stellar envelopes explode in a bright nova about every 15 years.
© superbossa.com / MPP

The MAGIC telescopes have observed the nova RS Ophiuchi shining brightly in gamma rays at extremely high energy. The Gamma rays emanate from protons that are accelerated to very high energies in the shock front following the explosion. This suggests that novae are also a source of the ubiquitous cosmic radiation in the universe which consists mainly of protons rich in energy, which race through space at almost the speed of light.

Light on, light off — this is how one could describe the behavior of the nova, which goes by the name RS Ophiuchi (RS Oph)...

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Hybrid Quantum Bit based on Topological Insulators

Chip with hybrid qubits
Copyright: Forschungszentrum Jülich / Ralf-Uwe Limbach

With their superior properties, topological qubits could help achieve a breakthrough in the development of a quantum computer designed for universal applications. So far, no one has yet succeeded in unambiguously demonstrating a quantum bit, or qubit for short, of this kind in a lab. However, scientists from Forschungszentrum Jülich have now gone some way to making this a reality. For the first time, they succeeded in integrating a topological insulator into a conventional superconducting qubit. Just in time for “World Quantum Day” on 14 April, their novel hybrid qubit made it to the cover of the latest issue of the journal Nano Letters.

Quantum computers are regarded as the computers of the future...

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