Candidates

I don't do much political stuff in this blog, but here is my sentiments on the upcoming election in November.

Robert F. Christy - R.I.P.

Robert F. Christy, one of the last remaining "big names" on the Manhattan Project, has passed away at the age of 96.  There are just eleven or so of the old guard left.  In Oak Ridge, Tennessee, photographer Ed Westcott is still around.  Christy had a falling out with Edward Teller in the 1950s after Teller's testimony was instrumental in getting Robert Oppenheimer's security clearance pulled.

The iPhone 5 Is a Miracle

Don't let the glitch in Apple Maps lead you to the wrong conclusions, the new iPhone 5 has been built with an unprecedented level of quality.  The author if this article is amazed about how it "feels."  Read the whole article.

Tesla Motors Unveils a New Fast Charging Station

Tesla Motors has announced a plan to install about 100 rapid charging stations around the nation in the next year or so.  This stations will utilize solar voltaic cells to a large extent.  This is a bold step but necessary if electric vehicles ever make an impact on our highways.

Underground Nuclear Test in Mississippi

Here is an interesting historical tidbit.  In 1964 and 1966 a couple of underground nuclear tests were conducted near Hattiesburg, MS in a salt dome.

Cutting Photovoltaic Solar Cell Cost By 75%

RTI International has developed a new low cost, high efficiency solar technology using semiconductor particles known as colloidal quantum dots.  This is a fairly signifcant breakthrough.

Mysterious Bacteria on Nuclear Fuel

Savannah River Site scientists are puzzled about a strange collection of bacteria that has been growing on spent nuclear fuel.  The growth appears to be cobweb like and no one can determine where the bacteria get their source of foo.  Spent nuclear fuel is kept is ultra-pure filtered water and a food soure is not at all apparent.  Similar growths have been observed at other nuclear sites over the years, such as Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant.  It is amazing to me that the bacterial DNA is able to withstand the dense gamma radiation.