All Articles Tagged As: electronics

The Photonic Beetle: Nature Builds Diamond-like Crystals for Future Optical Computers (5/21/2008)

Researchers have been unable to build an ideal "photonic crystal" to manipulate visible light, impeding the dream of ultrafast optical computers. But now, University of Utah chemists have discovered that nature already has designed photonic crystals with the ideal, diamond-like structure: They are found in the shimmering, iridescent green scales of a beetle from Brazil. ...> Full Article

Research Focuses on Building 'Smart' Radar Systems (2/13/2008)

Engineers are looking to bats as role models for advanced radar systems. ...> Full Article

From moths and cicadas come improvements to solar cells (10/24/2007)

Designing better solar cells might seem a question of electronics or chemistry, but for one University of Florida engineer, it starts with bugs. ...> Full Article

Nature leads the way for the next generation of paints, cosmetics and holograms (10/4/2007)

A plant-like micro-organism mostly found in oceans could make the manufacture of products, from iridescent cosmetics, paints and fabrics to credit card holograms, cheaper and 'greener'. ...> Full Article

Wobbly Polarity Is Key To Preventing Magnetic Avalanches On Disk Drives (7/19/2007)

Push two magnets together and you'll set off an avalanche of activity, forcing atoms on each magnet to align their polarity with the intruding magnetic field. It may sound like a party trick for physicists, but you do it every time you press "Save" on your computer. ...> Full Article

Using Individual Atoms to Create Molecular Circuits (7/12/2007)

The electronics industry believes that when it comes to circuits, smaller is better -- and many foresee a future where electrical switches and circuits will be as tiny as single molecules. ...> Full Article