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from the more-ways-for-TSA-to-look-at-people dept.
Terahertz radiation is touted to open up many wondrous possibilities. T-ray technology could allow security officials to detect concealed weapons from a distance, provide accurate medical imaging, and allow high-speed wireless data communication.
One of the challenges in making the technology viable, though, has been developing a compact, efficient, and powerful terahertz source. The sources used today are bulky and costly. Some, such as quantum cascade lasers, require cryogenic temperatures.
A team of physicists now proposes a way to convert DC electric fields into terahertz radiation. They have come up with a seemingly simple nanoscale device—it relies on complex physics, mind you—that consists of a pair of two-dimensional material layers placed on top of a thicker conductor. When a DC electric current is passed through the conductor or the 2-D layer, the device should spontaneously emit terahertz radiation, the researchers say. They report the design this week in the Journal of Applied Physics.
...
The device's underlying mechanism is surface plasmon resonance: the collective oscillations of conducting electrons. The DC field causes plasmon resonance at the thick conductor's surface and at the interface between the two 2-D layers. The two plasmons couple together and cause an instability in the oscillations, which induces the emission of THz radiation. Terahertz waves range in frequency from 300GHz–3 THz, corresponding to wavelengths between 1 mm to 0.1 mm.
More information on the device's design in the article. One step closer to real tricorders?
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 07 2015, @03:46AM
Nope, never going to happen. And why not? Scientists are intelligent enough to know that constitutional rule of law does not exist in America today. Why not refuse to perform any research that they absolutely know for sure will be used to violate civil rights? Why? I'll tell you why. Pride. Scientists are egotistical, selfish, prideful, attention whores. Scientists are totally amoral and will do anything, say anything, and publish anything for more attention. And it isn't even a question of funding either, because funding is just a concrete measurable form of attention. Attention is the thing that all scientists want all the time. All of them. Scientists can't resist doing evil to get attention. Their pride demands it.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 07 2015, @03:52AM
Your civil rights are long dead and buried. The scientists can slide into the ruling class and benefit from their discoveries, eventually seeking eternal life. It's not evil to look out for #1 because there is no such thing as evil - just you and the people who rule over you.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 07 2015, @03:57AM
You're envious of the rich, aren't you? Hey, you know how you can get lots of money and become rich real fast? Murder everyone and take their money. Do it. Do it now. Do it just to find out how many people will declare that you are evil.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 07 2015, @04:00AM
That's the money making advice of a whining loser, so no.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 07 2015, @04:03AM
You'd murder everyone if a rich person told you to do it, wouldn't you? That's how Obama convinces poor people to kill in his name, right? You love Obama, don't you, because you follow the winner!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 07 2015, @04:09AM
Presidents and poor people are just tools to be used. Your Obama complex keeps you occupied while the real power brokers do their work.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by anubi on Friday August 07 2015, @04:20AM
This reply is offtopic as hell as regards to the original story submission, but I just have to reply to my parent who asks would I kill in Obama's name.
When one researches our own psychology, we find many of us, maybe even most, are recruitable as hitmen for the rich.
This part of our human condition is no joke. Its terrifying when we realize what happens when we become someone else's agent, and accountable to their command.
Stanley Milgram studied this aspect of our lives in depth [explorable.com]
I found what he uncovered most unsettling.
I have disobeyed orders before... got labeled "not a team player".
Paid dearly for that too.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 07 2015, @04:49AM
I would tell Milgram to go to hell, I never obey orders, and I immediately leave any social circle that expects me to be a team player. Also I don't use Facebook.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 07 2015, @09:41AM
What color is the carpet in your mom's basement?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 07 2015, @05:50PM
Want some money making advice?
Buy this fund or one like it.
https://personal.vanguard.com/us/funds/snapshot?FundId=0854&FundIntExt=INT [vanguard.com]
It tracks the market pretty closely and has a low cost with a mediocre ROI.
Got the advice right from Warren Buffet himself. As I do not have the float of an insurance company to buyout multinational companies like he does.
His advice is about spot on. In my 401K I turned 100k into 500k in about 10 years.
Investing is about long term. Short term is gambling.
(Score: 2) by kurenai.tsubasa on Friday August 07 2015, @08:34PM
The scientists can slide into the ruling class
Oh! I just saw that movie [imdb.com] last night! Sequel's coming down on torrent now.