Transparent Aluminum Is Here

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Posted by ryuzaki0 on Monday August 23, 2004 @02:09AM from the like-blue-LEDs dept.

Alien54 writes "Scientists in the US have developed a novel technique to make bulk quantities of glass from alumina for the first time. (link includes a picture of samples) Anatoly Rosenflanz and colleagues at 3M in Minnesota used a "flame-spray" technique to alloy alumina (aluminium oxide) with rare-earth metal oxides to produce strong glass with good optical properties. The method avoids many of the problems encountered in conventional glass forming and could, say the team, be extended to other oxides (see also: A Rosenflanz et al. 2004 Nature 430 761). Scotty would be pleased."

35 of 625 comments (clear)

Scotty would be pleased. by inertia187 · 2004-08-23 02:10 · Score: 5, Funny

Yes. It seems that he didn't pollute the time-line after all.

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1. Re:Scotty would be pleased. by zackeller · 2004-08-23 02:12 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Of course he did. It just took 28 years for them to figure out the formula.
2. Re:Scotty would be pleased. by Silburn_Luke · 2004-08-23 02:21 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Are you kidding? Where do you think these bozos got the idea from in the first place?
  
  I'll lay odds a burly guy with a dodgy scottish brogue was around their head office trying to use a mouse as a dictaphone not too long ago....
  
  Regards
  Luke
  
  --
  #include witty_one_liner.h
3. Re:Scotty would be pleased. by Picass0 · 2004-08-23 02:25 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Double Dumb-ass on you!
4. Re:Scotty would be pleased. by essreenim · 2004-08-23 02:26 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Computer. Hello computer.
  Oh, a keyboard, how quaint.
  
  !
5. Re:Scotty would be pleased. by fitten · 2004-08-23 02:27 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Are you sure this isn't a time for a colorful metaphor?
6. Re:Scotty would be pleased. by AKAImBatman · 2004-08-23 02:28 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Excuse me! Can you direct me to d'he nearest nuclear wessel in Alameda?
  
  (The amusing part about that statement is that the Russian language has no 'W' sound!)
  
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7. Re:Scotty would be pleased. by AKAImBatman · 2004-08-23 02:40 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  he was later understood to have remarked,
  
  "A Windows Key. How quaint!"
  
  A Windows Key? On a Mac?!?
  
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  Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
8. Re:Scotty would be pleased. by jettoblack · 2004-08-23 02:40 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  I suggest you say "Tea." before "Earl Gray. Hot," otherwise you might end up with a flaming Duke. ;-)
9. Re:Scotty would be pleased. by pomakis · 2004-08-23 02:45 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  It just took 28 years for them to figure out the formula.
  
  You mean 18! (or are you posting to Slashdot... from the future! (*GASP!*))
10. Re:Scotty would be pleased. by AKAImBatman · 2004-08-23 03:20 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  You forgot:
  
  7) Jokes usually need a grain of truth or a plausible premise in order to be funny.
  
  e.g. "3 girls jumped off a building. Which one hits last? The one who stopped to ask for directions!"
  
  That's not funny because it's a ridiculous situation with no roots in reality. On the other hand,
  
  "A Blonde, a Brunette, and a Red Head all jump off a building. Which one hits last? The Blond! She had to stop and ask for directions!"
  
  That is funny because the premise for the joke is a commonly held belief that blonds are dumb. Of course, such suppositions are often flawed and allow for an equally amusing joke that makes the exact counter point:
  
  "So a Blond walks into a bank and asks for a two week loan of $10,000. Dubious of the Blond's motives, the bank manager asks for collateral. The Blond replies that she could always put her Mercedes up as collateral, since it was worth far more than her loan. The bank manager agrees, and drives her car into the bank garage after loaning her the money.
  
  "In two weeks the Blonde returns with the $10,000, plus the $5.00 interest on the loan. As the manager returns the keys to her car, he asks, 'I did some checking while you were away. It seems you're loaded with money! Why did you need a loan for two weeks?' To which the Blonde replies, 'Where else in New York can I park my car for two weeks and only pay $5.00!'"
  
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11. Re:Scotty would be pleased. by jellomizer · 2004-08-23 03:44 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  If you are sending this from the future please send me the specs on how to send messages back in time. I have some interesting algorhitms I want to test.
  
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12. Re:Scotty would be pleased. by AviLazar · 2004-08-23 04:21 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  replicators. "Earl Gray. Hot."
  
  You would think with all that technology, and thousands of terrabytes of hard drive space that the retarded ass computer would remember Picards drink. He always gets his Earl Gray hot!. If I was him I would say "Give me my damn tea you stupid excuse for a computer. Hell even Windows remembers my preferences!" :)
  
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13. Re:Scotty would be pleased. by StalinsNotDead · 2004-08-23 05:13 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Wouldn't that be
  
  1. Recieve message from future self.
  2. ???
  3. Profit!
  4. Send message to past self.
  
  --
  Thanks to the internet, we can now all die alone together! -SomeWoman
woohho by obli · 2004-08-23 02:11 · Score: 5, Funny

The whales will have a safe journey home!
1. Re:woohho by dave1791 · 2004-08-23 02:18 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Do you know what happens to people who ask such questions?
Transparent aluminum foil by SammysIsland · 2004-08-23 02:11 · Score: 5, Funny

Now I can watch as the food in the fridge turns green... Ye-hah!
1. Re:Transparent aluminum foil by noidentity · 2004-08-23 02:27 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Now I can watch as the food in the fridge turns green
  
  More importantly, I can wear my improved tinfoil hat in public without getting weird looks.
2. Re:Transparent aluminum foil by NoData · 2004-08-23 02:33 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Tinfoill hat are made of tin.
  Like, duh!
  
  Paranoid kook n00b :)
Begin Star Trek comments in.... by nitehawk214 · 2004-08-23 02:14 · Score: 4, Funny

Oh who am I kidding, there are already a bunch of them by now...

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Re:Future echoes by abb3w · 2004-08-23 02:16 · Score: 4, Funny

Don't forget the Mark I Tricorder.

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Re:It's not aluminum, it's alumina. by Ba3r · 2004-08-23 02:26 · Score: 4, Funny

woah! transparent hydrogen! Maybe they can make superstrong containers to transport toxic dihydrogen oxide.

I mean, after the tiger-repelling rock, I thought i learned not to misunderestimate science!
Re:Submitter - Not Silly by PatrickThomson · 2004-08-23 02:35 · Score: 4, Funny

Yeah, and that reminds me, there's this horrific new danger-chemical being given to children, it's made from hydrogen, the most flammable gas in existence, and oxygen, the pure essense of burning, I mean the safety implications are enormous! stop DHMO now!

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purdy pieces! by nanimo · 2004-08-23 02:37 · Score: 5, Funny

"Attractive optical properties" must be nerd talk for "pretty"...
PowerBook by "Zow" · 2004-08-23 02:45 · Score: 5, Funny

Somehow, I get the feeling that Apple is going to use this for the next gen of PowerBooks.

(It's a joke -- all the materials scientists don't need to correct me.)

-"Zow"
Re:Future echoes by justanyone · 2004-08-23 02:46 · Score: 4, Funny
I like your list. But, what about the things we haven't invented yet?
- Defensive shields (no, Mark Shields doesn't count)
- Andorian Brandy
- Warp drive
- subspace communicators
- reliable space probes
- orbiting dry docks
- artificial gravity
- cheap fusion power
- drugs that combat radiation sickness
- a 'sterile field' for doing operations
- funny little plasma torches they're always using
- antimatter containment
- Theme music that plays when something bad is about to happen
- Doors that swish open when you walk towards them
- Computers that play __3-D chess__ !
- (People that play 3-D chess)
- Food dispensers that assemble the food from component molecules as needed
- Shuttlecraft that go into orbit without dropping any parts off during the ascent
- Spacesuits that don't look like medieval suits of armor
- Deflector shields that work on uncharged objects
- Glasses (or contacts) that automatically fog up when looking at a beautiful foreign woman that you're destined to seduce and abandon
Of course, I'm probably forgetting lots of stuff. Anyone have further things I've missed??
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I sence a great disterbence in the force.. by sjwt · 2004-08-23 02:47 · Score: 5, Funny

As If a million Startrek geeks cryed out in joy.

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Re:Future echoes by Patrik_AKA_RedX · 2004-08-23 02:55 · Score: 4, Funny

reliable space probes
Now how long are the voyager probes doing their thing? Quite long IIRC. I'd call that reliable.

Doors that swish open when you walk towards them
Never been to a supermarket I presume?
"Making large sheets of ruby and sapphires" by anactofgod · 2004-08-23 02:59 · Score: 4, Funny

Now that's a headline I'd get excited about.

I'd love a pair of sapphire-lensed sunglasses.

--

---anactofgod---

"Equal opportunity swindling - *that* is the true test of a sustainable democracy."
Shouldn't we be doing something... constructive? by Riff6809 · 2004-08-23 03:25 · Score: 5, Funny

"Rosenflanz and colleagues at 3M in Minnesota" One of those colleagues wouldn't happen to be named Guildenstein, would they?
Never understood that. by Gordonjcp · 2004-08-23 03:36 · Score: 4, Funny

It's *TEA*, it's *supposed* to be hot! Why the un-necessary "Hot" at the end of Picard's request?

Presumably he had a run of bad tea-machine experiences like this:

"Tea, Earl Grey." <sip> "Awww fuck my old boots, it's half-cold and stewed you fucker"
1. Re:Never understood that. by Hard_Code · 2004-08-23 04:09 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  "Tea, Earl Grey." "Awww fuck my old boots, it's half-cold and stewed you fucker"
  
  Oh man, what I wouldn't give to actually hear Jonathan Stewert proclaim that!
  
  MAKE IT SO BITCH!
  
  --
  
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2. Re:Never understood that. by Xentor · 2004-08-23 04:48 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Oh man, what I wouldn't give to actually hear Jonathan Stewert proclaim that!
  *cough*Patrick Stewart*cough*
  
  Come on, what kind of geek are you? :)
  
  --
  "The amount of intelligence on this planet is a constant. The population is growing." -Cole's Axiom
3. Re:Never understood that. by nacturation · 2004-08-23 05:53 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Jonathan Stewart? Is this some freaky future episode where Jonathan Frakes (Riker) and Patrick Stewart (Picard) have a son together?
  
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*I* sense a great disturbance in... by whats_a_zip · 2004-08-23 05:31 · Score: 4, Funny

Your spell checker!