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Gamma-Ray Bending Opens New Door For Optics

Posted by Soulskill on from the it's-hard-to-do-optics-work-through-doors dept.

sciencehabit writes "Lenses are a part of everyday life—they help us focus on words on a page, the light from stars, and the tiniest details of microorganisms. But making a lens for highly energetic light known as gamma rays had been thought impossible. Now, physicists have created such a lens, and they believe it will open up a new field of gamma-ray optics for medical imaging, detecting illicit nuclear material, and getting rid of nuclear waste."

1 of 65 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Wrong superhero by lobiusmoop · · Score: 4, Informative

    Actually, gamma rays can be used to cure cancer rather than give you it - they are part of some radiotherapy regimes.
    When I had a month of radiotherapy many years ago, it had a kind-of reverse Hulk effect though - rather than turning green, bulking up and gaining mega-strength, I went sunburn-red, dropped 30 pounds and needed to sleep up to 16 hours a day.

    --
    "I bless every day that I continue to live, for every day is pure profit."