New Zealand scientests develop technology able to photograph single atom - Polidicks

(I can never remember the code for proper hyperlinking, so here's the source: [url]http://www.3news.co.nz/Kiwi-scientists-make-atomic-breakthrough/tabid/1160/articleID/178407/Default.aspx[/url]) [quote]In what is believed to be a world first, a team of Otago University scientists have perfected a technique to trap and photograph a single atom. The development is being touted as a major step towards building next generation, ultra fast, quantum logic computers. Mikkel Anderson's school teacher once told him it was impossible to see a single atom through a microscope. But he's lived to see her long-held scientific theory proved wrong and he and his team have gone further. They are believed to be the first in the world to repeatedly capture fast moving single atoms on camera. “We of course are very, very excited so we certainly think that this is the biggest thing we have done in our career here,” says Mr Anderson. They have every right to be excited, Mr Anderson and his team have been working on the project for three years. They developed a technique to slow atoms down then isolated them with laser beams. “Physics is an endurance discipline rather than a sprint to the finish so there was a lot of long hours a lot of things that go wrong you get a new appreciation of Murphy ’s Law,” says fellow physicist Andrew Hilliard. They are now seeing the atoms exactly where they want them 83 percent of the time, a development that’s got the physics world buzzing. “A number of our colleagues say this is the breakthrough they've been waiting for, for years,” says Mr Anderson. The team have already fielded calls from people keen to get their hands on the technology. [b]“People are trying to build what we call quantum computers these will be ultra fast computers that can do certain tasks very efficiently that normal computers struggle to do,” he says. [/b] For now though, Mr Anderson and his team will continue to perfect their project in their Dunedin laboratory.[/quote] [img]http://www.3news.co.nz/Portals/0-Articles/178407/atom_600.jpg?width=300[/img] Here's the pic for those of you too lazy to click the source. Just goes to show what can happen with enough funding and time. Edit: Rate me bad spelling.

Wow. So much progress in such little time.

Pics or GTFO

First plasma drives now atomic microscopes? Next, self-microwaving Bavarian cream hot dogs!

Well, where is the goddamn photograph?!

I assumed New Zealand scientists were too busy bumping uglies with sheep to have time for proper science. I guess I was wrong.

What do they mean when they say "photograph"? Do they mean the captured the light emitted by a single atom? Because RTMs give us pictures of electron-densities in atomic dimensions for several years now.

[QUOTE=Dr Kevorkian;25085495]I assumed New Zealand scientists were too busy bumping uglies with sheep to have time for proper science. I guess I was wrong.[/QUOTE] why does everyone assume new zealanders have sex with sheep?

[QUOTE=xKAZUYAx;25085685]why does everyone assume new zealanders have sex with sheep?[/QUOTE] Not all new zealanders have sex with sheep ...just most of them

Single Atoms bru!

[QUOTE=Dr Kevorkian;25085495]I assumed New Zealand scientists were too busy bumping uglies with sheep to have time for proper science. I guess I was wrong.[/QUOTE] Was looking for a sheep fucker joke. :lol:

The picture looks not very different to the uranium atoms decades ago: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_hF9zq4QXU[/media] Now we have a single blob with sharper resolution. I don't say it's not great, but it just isn't new. [quote]They developed a technique to slow atoms down then isolated them with laser beams.[/quote] They did not invent it, they just were using it. "Radiation-pressure cooling of bound resonant absorbers" (1978) [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_cooling[/url] "Trapping of neutral sodium atoms with radiation pressure" (1987) [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magneto-optical_trap[/url] It's just I don't like sensation journalism with half-assed research. Nonetheless it is great what was achieved by this team, cheers.

Wow, something actually happened in this little corner.