Lifeboat Foundation

A good astrophotography lens is one that has a wide focal length and a wide maximum aperture. Normally, this would be a prime lens, but one of Canon’s next major lenses might buck that trend.

Canon Rumors is reporting that an RF 14-21mm f/1.4L USM lens is currently being tested by photographers, after a patent emerged for such a lens early last year. A super-wide aperture ultra-wide angle lens is a ton of fun to shoot with; in fact, when I reviewed the Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art, I called it one of the most fun lenses I have shot with, an evaluation that holds true to this day. Beyond the fun aspect, no doubt, such a lens would be tremendously useful for astrophotographers. At this time, the widest full frame f/1.4 lens is the Sigma 20mm f/1.4 Art, a prime lens. Not only would the rumored RF lens offer a significantly wider field of view at the same maximum aperture, it would also offer a very useful zoom range for astrophotography and nighttime landscape and cityscape work.

There is no word on price or availability yet, but such a lens would definitely be popular among both astrophotographers and event shooters. Would you be interested in one?

A team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light and Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen has found a way to prove a theory suggesting the possibility of cloaking a nanoparticle using a single molecule—by nearly doing it with a gold nanoparticle and a dibenzoterrylene molecule. In their paper published in the journal Physical Review Letters, the group describes their experiments with coupled nanoparticles and molecules, and what they learned from them.

For several years, scientists have been experimenting with coupling nanoparticles and molecules. In most such work, the nanoparticle (which is generally larger than the molecule) serves as an antenna of sorts, funneling light to the molecule. The goal has been to boost the emissions from the molecule or to absorb the light they receive—both of which can be used to detect biomolecules under certain circumstances. In other work, researchers have looked into the possibility of controlling the emissions coming from the molecule to match the wavelength of the incoming light. In theory, if they are in phase, the nanoparticle’s shadow should dissipate or disappear completely—a form of cloaking. In this new effort, the researchers sought to prove this theory by carrying out experiments with nanoparticles and molecules.

The work involved first getting a130-nm-wide gold nanoparticle to couple with a dibenzoterrylene molecule. This involved placing several of the gold nanoparticles on a surface and then covering them with a solution containing dibenzoterrylene molecules. The setup was then chilled to the point that the solution solidified. The team then used a laser to look for a test nanoparticle-molecule pairing until they found a pair that had closely coupled. They then focused a near-infrared beam on the pair, from the direction of the molecule.

The Jet Capsule isn’t an ugly duckling by any means, but designer Pierpaolo Lazzarini imagines a beautiful swan with his latest creation, the Avanguardia. The mega-yacht would feature a small watercraft that would serve as a removable cockpit in this ambitious conceptual project.

The Avanguardia (Vanguard in English) is inspired by an unspecified Japanese Manga from the 1970s and its defining feature is that long “neck.” The idea is that the neck would serve as a crane and could be used to safely deposit a smaller craft in the water when anchor’s dropped, allowing it to be used to reach shore, for example. Interestingly, the neck would actually be placed in a lowered back position while sailing – so presumably the raised position depicted above would end up mostly being used for showing off at port.

“Due to an extendable crane/bridge located in the bow (front) in this case named ‘neck,’ the head can be dropped off and used as an auxiliary 16-meter [52-ft] boat,” explains Lazzarini Design Studio. “During the sailing, the head ‘control tower cockpit’ adjusts its position by lowering in the middle of the mega-yacht body (like a swan, the neck goes in the middle of the wings).”

Mid-infrared lasers have been widely used in imaging, detection, diagnostics, environmental monitoring, medicine, industry, defense and others. For mid-infrared laser systems, low phonon energy gain materials are key factors.

Among these mid-infrared materials, Er³⁺-doped CaF₂ transparent ceramics are promising candidate materials because of their ultra-low phonon energy as well as excellent physical, chemical, and optical properties, which quickly attract the attention of researchers. However, traditional preparation methods can’t obtain high-quality Er³⁺-doped CaF₂ transparent ceramics.

Recently, a research team led by Prof. Zhang Long from the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a high quality Er³⁺-doped CaF₂ transparent ceramics by single crystal ceramization. Their study was published in Journal of the European Ceramic Society.

Circa 2018 o,.o!

Dental fillings may soon be left in the ash heap of history, thanks to a recent discovery about a drug called Tideglusib.

Developed for and trialled to treat Alzheimer’s disease, last year scientists found the drug also happens to promote the natural tooth regrowth mechanism in mice, allowing the tooth to repair cavities.

Continue reading “An Alzheimer’s Drug Has Been Shown to Help Teeth Repair Cavities Naturally” »

It’s a bit of a stretch.

WASHINGTON — Northrop Grumman announced it will not move forward with the development of the OmegA rocket. The vehicle was designed for the sole purpose of competing for a National Security Space Launch contract award but didn’t make the cut.

“We have chosen not to continue development of the OmegA launch system at this time,” Northrop Grumman spokeswoman Jennifer Bowman said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing to play a key role in National Security Space Launch missions and leveraging our OmegA investments in other activities across our business.”

Bowman said the company will not be protesting the U.S. Space Force’s decision to select United Launch Alliance and SpaceX for the NSSL contracts.

The pandemic has worsened the plight of postdoctoral researchers. Funders need to be offering more than moral support.

One of the most consumed drugs in the US – and the most commonly taken analgesic worldwide – could be doing a lot more than simply taking the edge off your headache, new evidence suggests.

Acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol and sold widely under the brand names Tylenol and Panadol, also increases risk-taking, according to a new study that measured changes in people’s behaviour when under the influence of the common over-the-counter medication.

“Acetaminophen seems to make people feel less negative emotion when they consider risky activities – they just don’t feel as scared,” says neuroscientist Baldwin Way from The Ohio State University.