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Perfect Crystals Grown by Cancelling Out Gravity on Earth

Posted by Zonk on from the hippies-across-the-globe-cheer dept.

willatnewscientist writes "Researchers in the Netherlands and Japan have found a way to grow perfect crystals in 'zero gravity' here on Earth. By exploiting the way a powerful magnet influences diamagnetic materials they have been able to grow protein crystals without the defects normally introduced as a result of gravity (The same trick has been used to levitate a frog before). Normally, such crystals are grown in space, such as aboard the International Space Station."

6 of 83 comments (clear)

  1. So all that's left is Tang? by joshv · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Now that we can make perfect crystals on the ground that leaves, let's see.... Tang and zero-G pens as the sole benefit of manned space flight.

  2. hmmm... by nowhere.elysium · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    am i alone in finding the levitating frog cooler? or is it just the weed talking again?

    --
    http://xkcd.com/313/
  3. Null Gravity by hansamurai · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    The enemy's gate is down!

    --
    Reviewing just the first hour of video games.
  4. Re:Yes, but... by primeblend · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    this is funny how? mods, please.

  5. Perfect Crystals by proxy318 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Wasn't that the name of a tv show in the 80s?

    --
    Saying your "phone ran out of batteries" is like saying your "car ran out of gas tanks".
  6. Nah. by jd · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Even if we could grow 12' wafers that were pure enough to be used as single, gigantic wafer-scape processors, you'll never get Vista to work well. Besides, if Microsoft charged per core, you'd be bankrupt.

    --
    It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)