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Testing New Transistors In Space
Roland Piquepaille writes "Northwestern University researchers have developed new transistors which are currently tested on the International Space Station (ISS) to see how they react to cosmic radiation. These transistors, which are using a new kind of gate dielectric material called a self-assembled nanodielectric (SAND), are exposed to radiation outside the ISS since March 22, 2008, and will stay there for one year. According to the researchers, these new transistors could be used 'on long space missions since early experiments on Earth indicate that the transistors hold up well when exposed to radiation.'"
I'm pretty sure if I stuck some sand out in space, it'll still be sand in a year.
Cool, but I think first contact would be deliciously more awkward if we were still using valves.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, watch it -- I'm huge!
Do it yourself, because no one else will do it yourself. [beta blockade 10-17 Feb]
How about ROCKS: Reduced-Oxide Capacitor Kilowatt Signaling? Or DIRT: Densely-Inductive Resonant Transformers!
Paleotechnologist and connoisseur of pretty shiny things.
As opposed to the old kind of dielectric, silicon dioxide, which is also known as... sand.
Visit the
Because instead of paying for earthquake or flood insurance, something which is well-understood and known to work against hazards which happen infrequently, we want to spend about $10,000 a pound to lift the entire facility into orbit, where it will be exposed to total-loss failure constantly, for the life of the facility. But with the $20 billion terrestrial plant moved into space at the costs of hundreds of billions of dollars, at least it will be secure from floods and earthquakes! We'll just replace the miniscule threat of floods/earthquakes with the threat of, well, whatever kills it will probably be pretty unique -- a miniscule design flaw in a pressure seal, a one-off bug in control code, there are a billion possible things that can go wrong and they all spell TIME FOR A NEW PLANT. And estimating that risk? Well, assuming we're as "successful" protecting the fab plant as we are at protecting our shuttle pilots, there will only be a 2% chance or so of each flight to it blowing up.
And we're doing this to... save money.
Help poke pirates in the eyepatch, arr.
they're called relays.
"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
Yes our new transistor design has held up well after being bombarded with radiation for the past year. Alas our human crew didn't stand up so well. But our space ship survived! Success!
2. Camouflage Patriot Missles with green and yellow paint.
3. ???
4. Profit!
I hope, when they die, cartoon characters have to answer for their sins.