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Rice Contracted to Provide NASA's Quantum Wire

Posted by timothy on from the soon-will-be-in-vending-machines-for-a-nickel dept.

geekman writes "NASA is paying Rice University $11 million to build a prototype quantum wire that can conduct electricity 10 times better than traditional copper cables at one-sixth the weight. Rice has four years to build a one-meter-long quantum wire, which will be made out of carbon nanotubes. Seems like a lot of money for a little wire, but then again, all the rocket scientists at Los Alamos have only ever been able to put together a four-centimeter nanotube."

2 of 211 comments (clear)

  1. nano-Virgin by EmbeddedJanitor · · Score: 0, Troll
    Putting an XPrize bounty on this is a great idea. It sounds exactly like the sort of thing Sir Richard would go for.

    A University is even worse than NASA and other govt institutions when it comes to delivering. Give the job to to the private sector.

    --
    Engineering is the art of compromise.
  2. Government spending... by jahraven · · Score: 0, Troll

    I can buy 10 meters of 12 awg copper primary for $2.07 USD (rate >= 4000ft).
    They are spending just over 5.32E+6 fold what that jumper cable is worth.