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Physicists Watch Individual Electrons Flow

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the going-with-the-flow dept.

SG writes "Physicists at the Tokyo Institute of Technology have developed the world's most sensitive ammeter yet. The device allows current to be measured at the attoampere level and is expected to be of use in nanoelectronics, calibration devices, quantum computation and biology."

19 of 120 comments (clear)

  1. Picture by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Here's a picture of the ammeter in action.

  2. Re:WHY!? by Ant+P. · · Score: 3, Funny

    For the likes of Intel, this is the hardware equivalent of gdb.

  3. Cool! by Crazyscottie · · Score: 5, Funny

    So now ol' Ben Franklin can finally see which direction electrons really flow!

    --
    Just because it can't be explained doesn't mean it isn't true. Science fits into reality... not the other way around.
  4. Re:WHY!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's alright. I'm sure there is no electrical activity in your brain. You're safe. :-)

  5. Look at that one go! by vldragon · · Score: 5, Funny

    Before you read any of the article and just say the headline: "Physicists Watch Individual Electrons Flow" did anyone think of a bunch of guys in white lab coats looking down at a table with money in their fists betting on electron races? Because I did... And boy was it disturbing... Gambling physicists can be very rude. (At least the ones in my head are)

    --
    Eating the brains of your enemies does not make you smarter. But it's still fun.
    1. Re:Look at that one go! by Cheapy · · Score: 5, Funny

      "Damnit Jones! You altered the race event by observing it!"

      --
      Would you kindly mod me +1 insightful?
    2. Re:Look at that one go! by Ignominious+Cow+Herd · · Score: 5, Funny

      "Who won the race!?"

      "I dunno, but there's a dead cat in this box over here."

      --
      Lump lingered last in line for brains, and the ones she got were sorta rotten and insane.
  6. Tokyo Institute of Technology ?!? by crazyvas · · Score: 1, Funny

    Am I the only one to notice that that would be full of TITs ?!?!

    Sigh...I need to get some soon.

  7. Re:Current, tunneling ? by yincrash · · Score: 4, Funny

    what?

  8. Re:WHY!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    get over it, hippy. the original poster should get modded to negative two and have his right to post on slashdot taken away. so should yours.

  9. For an unknow reason by this+great+guy · · Score: 4, Funny

    For an unknow reason, their device automatically falls into sleep mode after having counted too many electrons.

  10. Re:Shweet by kfg · · Score: 3, Funny

    Can't dowse for shit with one of those.

    KFG

  11. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 2, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  12. god damn! by x2A · · Score: 2, Funny

    You changed the results my measuring it!

    --
    The revolution will not be televised... but it will have a page on Wikipedia
  13. Re:To: MODS -- next time click the link by karnal · · Score: 2, Funny

    You must be new here.

    --
    Karnal
  14. Self Discovery by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Finally!

    Something I can measure it with!

    Thank you, God!

    Muhaha!
    It's alive! It's alive!

  15. Exciting as watching... by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 4, Funny
    Physicists Watch Individual Electrons Flow

    ...paint dry.

    Ahh, the wayward electron...

    An Electron's Longings
    The electron
    at the edge of the valence band
    said:

    I stand upon the edge
    Condemned by fate's cruel hand
    To lie in a state of perpetual freeze
    With energy lacking to do a trapeze
    Across to freedom's higher land

    There are many who have risen beyond
    Coulombic forces. They blisfully exist
    Unshelled. Their orbitals know no bond.
    With carefree abandon they diffuse and drift.

    Will no photon shine a light ?
    Will no dopant lend a hand ?
    To conquer Fermi's improbable height
    To leap into the conduction band !
    --
    It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
  16. Re:still can not validate US electronic elections by KDR_11k · · Score: 2, Funny

    No but it can accurately calculate your power bill.

    --
    Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
  17. I can do it for cheaper. by zindorsky · · Score: 1, Funny

    What a waste of money. The other night I drank one $7 bottle of sake and I was able to see individual quarks moving.

    --
    If the geiger counter does not click, the coffee, she is not thick.