The dream of free-energy is still alive!

Get out your teleporting suit Rachna!

 

Science News Online

Week of Jan. 21, 2006; Vol. 169, No. 3

Thermonuclear Squeeze: Altered method extends bubble-fusion claim Peter Weiss A technique that some scientists claim generates thermonuclear fusion in a benchtop apparatus works even without its controversial neutron trigger. So say the researchers who, since 2002, have reported that nuclear-fusion reactions can occur in a vat of chilled solvent agitated by ultrasound (SN: 3/6/04, p. 149: Available to subscribers at http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20040306/fob5.asp). If this method of sparking fusion proves to be valid—a big if, critics insist—it could lead to a remarkably simple, cheap, inexhaustible power source. Fusion reactions take place in the vat because clusters of bubbles form and then violently collapse, explains nuclear engineer and team leader Rusi P. Taleyarkhan of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. A neutron or another energetic particle triggers a bubble to form in a low-pressure trough of the ultrasound waves, he says. Then, high pressure from the wave crushes the orb to an enormous density and temperature that fuse some atomic nuclei of the bubble's gas. Taleyarkhan and his colleagues have measured neutron emissions as a sign of fusion reactions. Because the group had used neutron pulses to trigger the process, other researchers have been skeptical of its neutron readings. In an upcoming Physical Review Letters, Taleyarkhan's team presents evidence of fusion in bubbles initiated by a uranium-based trigger that emits alpha particles instead of neutrons. "We got away from the idea of using neutrons to produce neutrons," Taleyarkhan notes. Nonetheless, the findings still face intense skepticism. Criticisms range from doubts about experimental procedures to quarrels with interpretations of the data. "I simply do not find the results significant and/or believable," comments physicist Dan Shapira of Oak Ridge (Tenn.) National Laboratory. Critics note that Taleyarkhan's team admits in its report that its experimental outcomes vary greatly, many of them producing no evidence of fusion. Yet to D. Felipe Gaitan of Impulse Devices in Grass Valley, Calif., the uneven outcomes are encouraging. They "could explain our inability, and that of other researchers so far, to replicate [Taleyarkhan's] results consistently," says Gaitan. Impulse Devices plans to commercialize bubble fusion. Lawrence A. Crum of the University of Washington in Seattle says that the new work "increases the credibility" of bubble fusion. But "unless it's reproduced in someone else's lab, I'm not going to believe it," he adds. Taleyarkhan claims that his team's findings were independently verified last year by other Purdue researchers, whom he guided. Other physicists are unconvinced. A welcome consequence of the latest results, Crum adds, is that other researchers should find the uranium-based triggering method easier to reproduce than the neutron one. So, he says, the new work "is an important step toward determining if the results of Rusi's experiments are true." If you have a comment on this article that you would like considered for publication in Science News, send it to editors@sciencenews.org. Please include your name and location. To subscribe to Science News (print), go to https://www.kable.com/pub/scnw/ subServices.asp. To sign up for the free weekly e-LETTER from Science News, go to http://www.sciencenews.org/pages/subscribe_form.asp. References: Shapiro, D., and M. Saltmarsh. 2002. Nuclear fusion in collapsing bubbles—is it there? An attempt to repeat the observation of nuclear emissions from sonoluminescence. Physical Review Letters 89(Sept. 2):104302. Abstract available at http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v89/e104302. Taleyarkhan, R.P., et al. In press. Nuclear emissions during self-nucleated acoustic cavitation. Physical Review Letters. Taleyarkhan, R.P., et al. 2004. Additional evidence of nuclear emissions during acoustic cavitation. Physical Review E 69():036109. Abstract available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.69.036109. Taleyarkhan, R.P., et al. 2002. Evidence for nuclear emissions during acoustic cavitation. Science 295(March 8):1868-1873. Available at http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/295/5561/1868. Xu, Y., and A. Butt. 2005. Confirmatory experiments for nuclear emissions during acoustic cavitation. Nuclear Engineering and Design 235:1317-1324. Further Readings: Weiss, P. 2005. Brutal bubbles: Collapsing orbs rip apart atoms. Science News 167(March 5):147. Available at http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20050305/fob1.asp. ______. 2004. Bubble fusion: Once-maligned claim rebounds. Science News 165(March 6):149. Available to subscribers at http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20040306/fob5.asp. ______. 2002. Violent chemistry saps sonobubble energy. Science News 162(Aug. 24):125. Available to subscribers at http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20020824/note15.asp. ______. 2002. Star in a jar? Hints of nuclear fusion found—maybe. Science News 161(March 9):147. Available at http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20020309/fob1.asp. Sources: Lawrence A. Crum Center for Industrial and Medical Ultrasound Applied Physics Laboratory University of Washington 1013 NE 40th Street Seattle, WA 98105 D. Felipe Gaitlin Impulse Devices, Inc. Grass Valley Corporate & Research Office 13366 Grass Valley Avenue, Unit H Grass Valley, CA 95945 Dan Shapira Oak Ridge National Laboratory P.O. Box 2008 Mailstop Code 6368 Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6368 Rusi P. Taleyarkhan School of Nuclear Engineering 400 Central Drive Purdue University W. Lafayette, IN 47907-2017

http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20060121/fob7.asp

From Science News, Vol. 169, No. 3, Jan. 21, 2006, p. 38.

Copyright (c) 2006 Science Service. All rights reserved.

An emerging emergent?

Surely someone has used that before, but I haven't so I did. Joanna will be so proud of me, as I have attended my first "emergent" (though they pronounce it "e-mergent" not "m-ergent" like you, but it is Iowa after all) meeting, or I'm not sure what to call it. So I just thought I would write about it.

Because I am a sap...

"I wish I could remember that first day,
First hour, first moment of your meeting me,
If dim or bright the season, it might be
Summer or winter for aught I can say;
So unrecorded did it slip away,
So blind was I to see and to foresee,
So dull to mark the budding of my tree
That would not blossom yet for many a May.
If only I could recollect it, such
A day of days! I let it come and go
As traceless as a thaw of bygome snow;
It seemed to mean so little, meant so much;
If only I could now recall that touch,
First touch of hand in hand-did one but know!

- "The First Day" by Christina Rossetti

For Joanna...

"We are all strangers in a strange land, longing for home, but not quite knowing what or where home is. We glimpse it sometimes in our dreams, or as we turn a corner, and suddenly there is a strange, sweet familiarity that vanishes almost as soon as it comes." - Madeleine L'Engle (please read her sci-fi books)

Some of my favorite websites

www.WebElements.com - an online periodic table, but not just any online periodic table, as this one has funny cartoons with some of the elements! Two that made me laugh! (yes, I am as geeky as you think I am)

www.BlackMask.com - FREE books online! All pre
http://www.adobe.com/epaper/ebooks/ebookmall/main.html - Another site that tells you where to find free books!
www.ScienceNews.org - They definitely have some presuppositions about certain topics (for example, they tend to side with large corporation food industry) so you have to read carefully to see where they are basing their articles on opinion rather than truth, but somewhat interesting nonetheless.
www.Boundless.org - Relevant articles about culture & life
www.NashBar.com - a very good place to buy bike things
www.Oriland.com - fun origami site

Making money with your blog?

I'm sure all of the real bloggers know about this already, but did you know you can make money on your blog by placing ads?  (see: http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=1217).  First, I wonder if this might be annoying to the 1 or 2 people that actually visit my blog.  But then then I think it would be neat to make money, but then I would be supporting materialism/commercialism/blah.  Hmmm.  So something I haven't thought of before, have you?

 

 

Congratulations to Josephina!

As she has received an award for best blog of the year :)

Kindred Food Experience

I was at the local health-food store last night (buying ingredients for the organic fudge I'm going to make for my family, yes I know, "organic" and "fudge" probably don't go together, but I thought it would be better for us than traditional chemical-laden fudge...) and the man at the register saw my chocolate chips and asked, "So, are you going to use those in something or just eat them?  Because I always keep a bag in the freezer and have some every time I pass by."  And I thought I was the only one! 

If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life...

What would it be?  I have thought about this as I observe dogs eat.  They get so excited each day for the same thing.  Is there one food that I could get really excited about every day?  I suppose it would be difficult to find something that was nutritionally complete though.

I am officially the biggest dork I know

Yes, really. I received an email today from someone at my church saying that "college and young adult people" would be watching a football game at the church (our home-town college is at some super-championship thing). Now, going somewhere where I don't know anyone to watch a football game (I don't like football) terrifies me, but I thought it would be good to make some friends and pretend to be social. I even made some guacamole to bring (which I admit was kind of a security blanket...holding guacamole makes me feel secure, yes I have problems). So I get there, set down my guacamole and have a set. After 15 minutes it becomes clear that everyone is either in junior high, high school or early college. There are a few older people there, but everyone is watching the game. So whatever prospect of meeting people seemed somewhat hopeless at that point. And so I leave! I know, I shouldn't have left, that was stupid of me, but I got scared and didn't know what else to do. A complication: my guacamole was in one of my housemate's bowls, but I couldn't take my food (that I just brought) with me, so I left it there, went to Wal-Mart and bought a new bowl. Yes, that is why I am the biggest dork I know.

Bible Fun

In Song of Solomon 6:6 the handsome lover is talking about some of the reasons he finds his bride-to-be so lovely:

 

"Your teeth are like a flock of ewes that have come up from the washing; all of them bear twins; not one among them has lots its young."

 

Isn't that the most romantic way you've ever heard someone say, "Your white teeth are great, and none of them are missing!" 

 

So anyway, I just thought that was funny.

Two websites about Biblical manhood/womanhood with free articles to read

http://www.cbeinternational.org/ 

http://www.cbmw.org/

 

SpongeBob Cake

Good comment response

I wanted to thank the good commenters of my last post, I appreciated all of them.  And it was especially exciting to see that someone other than Joanna or Rachna has visited my blog!  It is good to hear about how other churches are.  I think I have been disappointed and cynical about the one I am currently attending lately. 

Blog for my Faithful Readers

I thought since Josephina has a link to me, I should write every now and then…

I am sorry to disappoint, but I just don't have very many thoughts to share.  However, I thought of something I have been thinking about lately that I could write down.

The other day at church, the minister/pastor/person-at-the-front was commenting on how energy costs would be increasing this winter and how everyone would probably have to expect to pay more money for their heating bills.  This is what I was thinking in my head, "Soon they will mention a way for people to be supported during this difficult winter - perhaps a special offering to help pay for heating bills or something like that."  Therefore I was not expecting what would come next, "Since heating costs will rise this winter, we need to make sure to be ever-faithful in our tithing, because we also need to heat the church."  (Not exactly what they said, but the same idea).  Yikes that frustrated me. 

Why is it necessary for people to help pay to heat a (very) large building that is probably only used maybe 20 hours a week?  Most homes have someone (maybe only a pet) in them most of the day long while I have had sanctuary lights turn off on me while conversing with a fellow church-goer after church so they could lock the doors and close up shop! 

Now, this issue would not be an issue if another idea of mine was implemented.  A short story to illustrate my point:

        It is a cold Saturday evening, with first snowflakes of winter beginning to swirl about the streetlights.  Walking down the empty street is a (homeless man/teenager kicked out of home for the night/poor college student/enter needy person of choice here).  Hands in the pockets of his too-thin coat, he walks quickly down the street, aiming for no particular destination but simply to keep warm.  He sees a woman ahead, small plastic letters at her feet.  She seems to be putting them on a signboard of some sort.  "First Christian Church" the signboard says.  Not wanting attention, he puts his head further down into his chest and starts counting the sidewalk cracks. 

        "Good evening!"  the letter woman calls out.  Disappointed he has been noticed, the man raises his head slightly, still hoping it was someone else the woman was talking to.  "You, sir?"  She tries again.  He has definitely been found out and looks up once more and meets the gaze of this woman, putting letters on the signboard.  "It sure is a cold one tonight, isn't it?"  she says, looking at his hands in his pocket.  He nods, acknowledging her but continuing to walk quickly, hoping to pass her and the conversation he doesn't want to have.  "You know, I was putting up this sign, I meant to do it earlier, but have been busy all day.  It's about a special service we are having tomorrow morning.  It's going to be great!  We're even having a potluck lunch afterwards."  He nods again, trying to walk more quickly, still hoping she will stop talking soon so he can continue on his journey.  "Maybe you would be interested in coming sir?  It starts at 8 AM.  Oh, and don't be worried about dressing up, we're very open here and welcome all types, not that you are any particular type.  It's just, we want everyone to feel welcome.  You know, it's supposed to be a cold day tomorrow too, so even if you stop by just to have lunch or want to be in a warm place with other people, please feel welcome to come." 

Well, I'm not very good at story telling so I will stop there, but basically, wouldn't it be nice if the church could actually be open to people in need at all times, not just on Sunday morning?  Someone is paying to heat these huge buildings week-round and no one gets to use it!  Very disappointing.  I think they should offer "free housing" for anyone who wants it.  Tenants could work for their rent, maybe 5-10 hours a week, cleaning, kitchen duty, I don't know.  I'm sure there is opportunity to be taken advantage of, of course, but it still seems like a better display of God's love in action than what I currently see.

Well that probably wasn't very well formed…but those are some thoughts from today...

A nychthemeron in the life of Julia

4:30 AM   –   wake up and realize I still have 1.5 hours to sleep!

6:00 AM   –   wake up & hit the snooze button :(

6:15 AM   –   Get up

6:30 AM   –   travel to work

7:30 AM   –   start working

10:00 AM –   start blog entry for today upon learning new word, nychthemeron

First sock day :(

Today was the first day (since probably May) that I have worn socks :(  Fall has officially begun. 

Goodbye tanned toes!

Farewell foot freedom...

Plucky woman victorious again!

I rode my bike across the state of Indiana last Saturday, 168 miles!!  Wee-hoo!  It is pretty amazing to see what this weak body can accomplish.  God has been so gracious to me, as I learn to be healthy... 

New books to read...

The Female Cyclist

        Apparently I, too, can become a world-class cyclist!

Beyond Sex Roles by Gilbert Bilezikian

I was interested in this book when I bought it, but I am not sure if it will address current questions I have.  I plan to read it anyway in my “spare time”

Captivating by the John and Stasi Eldridge

        I am skeptical about this one...the cover is pretty and I would like to be captivating, but I’m just not sure about it...

I have a few others too, but cannot remember their names :( 

       

New baby!

Carson T. was born on June 26! I got to watch the birth also! It was very amazing and exciting. I am very proud of my sister, she didn’t need an epidural! Well, I wanted to share... :) I am trying to add a picture..but don't see it...