Weighing An Attogram

Posted by timothy on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @05:06AM from the more-than-a-soul dept.

Roland Piquepaille writes "Researchers at Cornell University have reached a new level of precision by measuring objects with a mass of less than an attogram (10^-18 gram). They used a silicon cantilever oscillator to measure small dots of gold. But their real goal is to detect and identify viruses. The team also wants to reduce the size of the cantilever, extending the sensitivity well into the zeptogram (10^-21 gram) range. This summary contains more details and an image of a small gold dot resting on the silicon cantilever they used to achieve this breakthrough."

3 of 42 comments (clear)

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

Frosty? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-02-25 05:09 · Score: -1, Offtopic

Another one today? After yesterday's hat trick? -scc
Re:Hey, by Anonymous Coward · 2004-02-25 06:05 · Score: -1, Offtopic

heh
Zeptogram? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-02-25 06:43 · Score: -1, Offtopic

And people complain that the Imperial system doesn't make any sense... How many micrometers per zeptoliter does your car get?