First Liquid-Cooling Laser Could Advance Biological Research (washington.edu)

Zothecula writes: In a world where lasers are sci-fi's weapon of choice for melting away an enemy spaceship, researchers at the University of Washington have swum against the current and produced the first laser capable of cooling liquids. " They demonstrated that the laser could refrigerate saline solution and cell culture media that are commonly used in genetic and molecular research. To achieve the breakthrough, the UW team used a material commonly found in commercial lasers but essentially ran the laser phenomenon in reverse. They illuminated a single microscopic crystal suspended in water with infrared laser light to excite a unique kind of glow that has slightly more energy than that amount of light absorbed. This higher-energy glow carries heat away from both the crystal and the water surrounding it." The technology could be especially useful for slowing down single cells and allowing scientists to study biological processes as they happen.

Comments

Re:A freeze ray?

[knarfling]

but essentially ran the laser phenomenon in reverse

Are you telling me that reversing the polarity actually WORKS??!!

Re:Typical Liberal Thinking

[Adriax]

Billy, if you're going to play you have to submit a character sheet for your character before you start roleplaying. You can't just jump in like this.
Besides, there are already a lot of level 1 trolls running around. Maybe try another class, like druid or scholar.

Ive worked on some of this research.

[nimbius]

Originally we'd set out for a liquid cooled laser that could be affixed to a large mobile rigging and dynamically targeted while immersed in a saline coolant. this proved difficult due to budgetary and logistics constraints (our director was none too pleased.) However we found a similar biomedical project had succeeded in mounting a laser to a subspecies of the Dicentrarchus labrax with only mild side effect of distemperment.