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Nanoscale Crystals May Be The Future of Silicon

Wire Tap writes: "With all the talk about how silicon is nearing its physical limits in computer systems, and other data processing applications, I found this article quite interesting. "[Brian] Korgel and chemical engineering professor Keith Johnston have found a method to make stable microscopic nanocrystals out of silicon that can emit light. And by toying with the size of the silicon nanostructures, they can change the color of the light that shines through. It can make essentially faster memory and generate less heat and radiate less power.""

12 of 99 comments (clear)

  1. fp! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    hehe :-)

  2. I love Katy! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    And Lum!

  3. Re:Down already? by Wire+Tap · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Awesome sig. Quantum Leap was a great show. Science without the contempt. Anyhow, the site seems to be working for me. Maybe it's your ISP.

    --

    Man is born free; and everywhere he is in chains.

  4. Is the US the most free country on Earth? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Is the United States the most free country on the face of the Earth?

    I read the earlier postings on that topic and that's what I want to say based on them and what I have been thinking about it.

    By the way, I'm from the former Soviet Union and a visitor here, but I have been familiar with America and Americans for many years.

    A few facts:

    Americans themselves (overwhelming majority) believe that US is the freest country in the world, jealously guarding this notion (however vague it is for themselves) and generally confuse their feeling well and FREE in that country (and feeling well and feeling free are too very similar feelings, no?) with actual quantity and quality of freedom here.

    Most of those Americans never travelled outside the country and every foreigner knows how curtailed, slanted and incoherent is information about the rest of the world from mass media in America (and mass media is the main source of information for the man in the street here). In other words, Americans, en masse, know very little about the world, except the worst things hapenning in the less fortunate countries, that trickle through the same mass media.

    They also do not give a damn about what the world thinks about America and Americans.

    Keeping with the logic, Americans are simply not qualified to judge their freedom in comparison with other world (which, again, is very diversified and has room for more freedom and less freedom(s) than in America).

    And of course, US is not such free country because of numerous laws, rules and regulations.

    From this point of view the freest countries are those with little government if at all, torn by civil wars, living in the stone age, uninhabited islands etc.

    As for the fact that so many people strive to come and stay in the US is not an indicator of a freer society, but of a society where a "salary man", a man in the street has much more chance of dignified living through having a job, and even being kept afloat having none.

    So, in a nutshell, America is a rich country with many opportunities for modest and hard working living, and even better opportunity for somebody that does not want to work at all.

    That dynamism we see in America, lots of flashy ads, seeming freedom to buy anything you want (as long as you have money, but even if you don't, that's alright, just use your umpteenth credit card until you are ready to file bancruptcy); anybody having a car to hop in and go SOMEWHERE, doesn't really matter where, cool music and relaxed, hip, FREE speak on stupid talk shows, radio DJ music programs etc. etc.; that all creates a sense of freedom that does not necessarily have anything to do with freedom as such.

    Where is real freedom?

    Well, there is no absolute freedom and there will probably never be. But some time in the future, hopefully, people living a quality life, in quality environment, in more harmonic ties with the society will have more and more of it, more than the surrogate currently available in the US.

    Vladimir

  5. Quit Slashdot Today! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    As we all know, slashdot sucks. And I mean it really, really sucks ass. And not just a tight, narrow fourteen-year-old's ass, but an ass as big as Hemos'.

    You can do something about it. Just read this page to see the alternatives.

  6. If I have to read one more post... by Compulawyer · · Score: 1, Offtopic
    saying "Imagine a Beowulf cluster of these..." I think I will scream.

    On the other hand, if properly configured....

    --

    Laws affecting technology will always be bad until enough techies become lawyers.

  7. Re:So all this time... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Before you ask, I already have a boyfriend and he's more of a man than you'll ever be.

    No you don't.

    I took a shit in the middle of this post.

  8. Re:So all this time... by Shoeboy · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Hey,
    Knock that shit off.
    --Shoeboy

  9. This Sounds All Fine and Dandy.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    But will it help me with my impotency?

  10. A Slashbot replies... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    Silicon != Silicone

    Silicon is a semiconducting material used to make integrated circuits, and silicone is a gel used to make breast implants. They are different materials!

    I think you will agree that, by correcting your error, I am far more intelligent than you. Slashdot needs more people (like myself) to pounce on this sort of factual inaccuracy which is ruining Slashdot.

  11. So all this time... by Kara+B. · · Score: 2, Offtopic

    Breast implants were made of silicone , not silicon.

    I've been feeling up my computer for no good reason?
    That's depressing.
    --Shoeboy

    --
    --Kara
    Before you ask, I already have a boyfriend and he's more of a man than you'll ever be.
  12. Re:This will revolutionize strip clubs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to titty TV! sorry. it had to be said.