Tag Archives: Atoms

Visualized: a hydrogen bond seen for the first time

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Visualized a hydrogen bond seen for the first time

Chalk one up for atomic force microscopy. As detailed in a paper published recently in the journal Science, researchers in China have used the imaging technique (as opposed to scanning tunnelling microscopy) to capture an image of a hydrogen bond for the very first time. As io9 explains, hydrogen bonding is common in nature -- responsible for the properties of water and the link between the two strands of DNA's double helix -- and it's something that chemists have long been able to visualize, albeit only on a theoretical level. According to Chemistry World, while there remains much to learn about the nature of hydrogen bonds, the researchers hope that this latest development will help lead to atomic force microscopy (or AFM) being used as a routine tool to examine molecules and offer a clearer picture of them.

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Via: io9, The Verge

Source: Science

Extreme closeup! IBM makes ‘world’s smallest movie’ using atoms (video)

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DNP IBM

After taking a few shadowy pictures for the scientific world's paparazzi, the atom is now ready for its closeup. Today, a team of IBM scientists are bypassing the big screen to unveil what they call the "world's smallest movie." This atomic motion picture was created with the help of a two-ton IBM-made microscope that operates at a bone-chilling negative 268 degrees Celsius. This hardware was used to control a probe that pulled and arranged atoms for stop-motion shots used in the 242-frame film. A playful spin on microcomputing, the short was made by the same team of IBM eggheads who recently developed the world's smallest magnetic bit. Now that the atom's gone Hollywood, what's next, a molecular entourage?

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Hands-on with Atoms: a Kickstarter-funded ‘modular robotic toy’

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Handson with Atoms a kickstarterfunded 'modular robotic toy'

Sitting apart from the abundance of health-tracking apps and gadgets on display here at the CES 2013 Bluetooth SIG event is a toy made for the creative-minded geek: Atoms. Fueled by a successful kickstarter campaign, these intelligent building blocks veer away from the intimidating halo surrounding other DIY entries like Raspberry Pi which require a certain level of programming proficiency, allowing any user to pick up a kit, then plug and play. Color-coded according to their usage -- blue for sensors, green for action and red for connectors -- the modules offer users an 'unlimited' number of applications (think: weaving these into clothing).

But not everyone's going to be brimming with ideas and to that end the company's created four separate packages that'll begin shipping in June. On the low-end, there's a $29 prankster kit, which incorporates an exploding block, a $49 monster set that includes eight different modules, including one for voice recording and playback, a $59 magic wand set and, finally, on the high-end, a $79 iOS tank set. Compared to the number of pieces allocated to the cheaper sets, the two motors included in this latter iOS option may not seem like much, but it does also come bundled with a Bluetooth 4.0 brick and companion app for literal remote control. If you're looking to dig deeper into the Atoms experience, you'll be able to purchase each individual module à la carte. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait until this summer to get your own hands-on with Atoms, but in the meanwhile, check out our gallery below and be sure to check back for a brief video demo.

Gallery: Atoms hands-on

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Researchers capture a single atom’s shadow, has implications for quantum computers

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Researchers capture a single atom's shadow, has implications for quantum computers

A very small atom can cast a very large shadow. Well, not literally, but figuratively. Researchers at Griffith University have managed to snap the first image of a single atom's shadow and, while the dark spot may be physically small, the implications for the field of quantum computing are huge. The team of scientists blasted a Ytterbium atom suspended in air with a laser beam. Using a Fresnel lens, they were able to snap a photograph of the dark spot left in the atom's wake as the laser passed over it. The practical applications could improve the efficiency of quantum computers, where light is often used to transfer information. Since atoms have well understood light absorption properties, predictions can be made about the depth of a shadow cast, improving communication between the individual atoms performing calculations. The research could even be applied to seemingly mundane and established fields like X-Ray imaging, by enabling us to find the proper intensity levels to produce a quality image while minimizing damage to cells. For more info, check out the current issue of Nature.

Researchers capture a single atom's shadow, has implications for quantum computers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Jul 2012 11:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sensitive scales can weigh individual atoms, ensure perfect recipes

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Those of you who have navigated beyond using an Easy-Bake Oven will know that weighing out ingredients is a chore. Then again, it's nothing compared to the sort of balancing that takes place at the Catalan Institute of Nanotechnology, where a team has developed a method of weighing individual protons. Using heated, shortened carbon nanotubes in a vacuum, the scale vibrates at different frequencies depending on what molecules are balanced on top. The Yoctogram-scale will enable scientists to diagnose health conditions by finding differences in mass, identifying elements in chemical samples that only differ at the atomic level and ensuring you never over-flour your batter mix again.

Sensitive scales can weigh individual atoms, ensure perfect recipes originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Apr 2012 07:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink io9, New Scientist  |  sourceNature  | Email this | Comments