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Conductive Concrete Offers Building Security
zdburke writes: "In a slightly different spin on the electromagnet-protected server room in Stephenson's Cryptonomicon, the folks at the National Research Council have developed concrete that conducts electricity, or 'percolates,' allowing it to serve as an electromagnetic shield. Current uses lean toward heated loading docks, non-freezing bridges, and grounding large-scale electrical equipment, but the counter-espionage idea is cool. The NYTimes has a brief story, and the folks at UN Omaha have some great pictures. It's not exactly new (it won a Popular Science prize in 1997) but it's still cool stuff."
Anyone remember the name of that psychologist that put dogs in a room with an electrified floor? I wonder if they'll start putting this stuff into jail cells and mental hospitals. You know, the prisoner/patient/subject mouths off they can give them a jolt. All in the name of science, of course.
So this stuff can conduct electricity, meaning it could generate a magnetic field, right? So you could theoretically generate a magnetic field to hold a concrete structure made from this stuff in the air. Does this mean that my goal of making a floating castle like all the bad guys in RPG video games have is finally within reach?
That unomaha site has one of the worst web designs I'ver ever seen. I guess it's not that important that scientist be designers, but readability would be a good thing to strive for. I don't need every paragraph to be a different color. Is this a side effect of too much exposure to conductive concrete?
Starsucks
How about drywall transistors and logic-gate carpets?
I wont be happy till my split-level serves pr0n.
(2,3-Benzopyrrole)
It looks like we may have found the perfect material for building theaters!
First day here, huh?
This next song is very sad. Please clap along. -- Robin Zander
Good For The Truckers- Bad For the Homeless.
I worked in a grocery store and there was a vent down at the bottom of our dock. Hot air came out of it so a homeless guy started sleeping down there.
One night a truck backed down in to make a delivery while he slept....
.
It's hard to believe that's how Micronians are made. Why don't we see it right now by having you both kiss one another?
Are they related to those dumbass, cargo-pants weaing, PDA using, Slashdot-reading, Honda-driving, 30-something, "Hey, Raj, look at us! We're geeks!" weenies who can't be bothered to turn off their cell phones, pagers, PDAs and notebooks in the movies?