Chronos is one of the many Smalltalk-related blogs syndicated on Planet Smalltalk
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Discussion of the Essence# programming language, and related issues and technologies.

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2008-06-27

Unknown molecule opens the door to quantum computing


Unknown molecule opens the door to quantum computing from PhysOrg.com

The odd behavior of a molecule in an experimental silicon computer chip has led to a discovery that opens the door to quantum computing in semiconductors.

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2008-06-19

Trap and zap: Harnessing the power of light to pattern surfaces on the nanoscale


Trap and zap: Harnessing the power of light to pattern surfaces on the nanoscale from PhysOrg.com

Princeton engineers have invented an affordable technique that uses lasers and plastic beads to create the ultrasmall features that are needed for new generations of microchips.

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2008-06-16

Stem cell researchers give old muscle new pep


Stem cell researchers give old muscle new pep from PhysOrg.com

Old muscle got a shot of youthful vigor in a stem cell experiment by bioengineers at the University of California, Berkeley, setting the path for research on new treatments for age-related degenerative conditions such as muscle atrophy or Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

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2008-06-12

Physicists produce quantum-entangled images


Physicists produce quantum-entangled images from PhysOrg.com

Using a convenient and flexible method for creating twin light beams, researchers at the Joint Quantum Institute of the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology and the University of Maryland have produced "quantum images," pairs of information-rich visual patterns whose features are "entangled," or inextricably linked by the laws of quantum physics. In addition to promising better detection of faint objects and improved amplification and positioning of light beams, the researchers' technique for producing quantum images—unprecedented in its simplicity, versatility, and efficiency—may someday be useful for storing patterns of data in quantum computers and transmitting large amounts of highly secure encrypted information. The research team, led by JQI's Paul Lett, describes the work in the June 12 edition of Science Express.

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2008-06-11

'N-variant' microchips could protect intellectual property, enable new services


'N-variant' microchips could protect intellectual property, enable new services from PhysOrg.com

Rice University computer engineers have created a way to design integrated circuits that can contain many multiple selves. The chips can assume one identify or a subset of identities at a time, depending on the user's needs. New research shows that multiple "personalities" in an integrated circuit can be even a more powerful security mechanism that can be used for a variety of digital rights management tasks as well as for circuit optimization and customization without sacrificing the related power, delay and area metrics.

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'Nanoglassblowing' Seen as Boon to Study of Individual Molecules


'Nanoglassblowing' Seen as Boon to Study of Individual Molecules from PhysOrg.com

While the results may not rival the artistry of glassblowers in Europe and Latin America, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and Cornell University have found beauty in a new fabrication technique called “nanoglassblowing” that creates nanoscale (billionth of a meter) fluidic devices used to isolate and study single molecules in solution—including individual DNA strands. The novel method is described in a paper posted online this week in the journal Nanotechnology.

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Researchers untangle quantum quirk


Researchers untangle quantum quirk from PhysOrg.com

Quantum computing has been hailed as the next leap forward for computers, promising to catapult memory capacity and processing speeds well beyond current limits. Several challenging problems need to be cracked, however, before the dream can be fully realized.

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2008-06-10

'Saucy' software update finds symmetries dramatically faster


'Saucy' software update finds symmetries dramatically faster from PhysOrg.com

Computer scientists at the University of Michigan developed open-source software that cuts the time to find symmetries in complicated equations from days to seconds in some cases.

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2008-06-02

Microrobots dance on something smaller than a pin's head


Microrobots dance on something smaller than a pin's head from PhysOrg.com

Microscopic robots crafted to maneuver separately without any obvious guidance are now assembling into self-organized structures after years of continuing research led by a Duke University computer scientist.

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Scientists show quantum systems could flout physics law (Thermodynamics)


Scientists show quantum systems could flout physics law from PhysOrg.com

Scientists in the Weizmann Institute's Faculty of Chemistry, together with colleagues in Germany, have made a startling prediction: Simply 'taking the temperature' of certain quantum systems at frequent intervals might cause them to disobey a hard and fast rule of thermodynamics.

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A computer that can 'read' your mind


A computer that can 'read' your mind from PhysOrg.com

For centuries, the concept of mind readers was strictly the domain of folklore and science fiction. But according to new research published today in the journal Science, scientists are closer to knowing how specific thoughts activate our brains. The findings demonstrate the power of computational modeling to improve our understanding of how the brain processes information and thoughts.

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