Top TechTop Tech #138: Chip Self-Destructs, Light Communicates, Material Heals
Important innovations in science and technology
By Paul Worthington
Thursday’s Top Tech:
• This chip will self-destruct in 10 seconds
• Disney communicates with light
• Material heals itself
This chip will self-destruct in 10 seconds
A glass chip will shatter within 10 seconds after unauthorized access, keeping data secure.
Developed by Xerox PARC for DARPA, it’s fabricated from a version of Corning’s Gorilla Glass susceptible to heat, and has a self-destruct circuit triggered by laser, IDG News reports.
It’s part of the “Vanishing Programmable Resources” program developing electronic systems capable of physically disappearing in a controlled, triggerable manner, Spectrum adds here.
Disney communicates with light
As LEDs can be switched on and off at high rates faster than you can perceive, the diodes can be used for wireless communication services by modulating the intensity of the emitted light, Disney Research says — and LEDs “can also be used as receivers just like photodiodes.”
The scientists “call this concept Visible Light Communication” with LED-to-LED networking, no WiFi required. The result may be “opportunities for low-cost, safe, and environmentally friendly wireless communication solutions.”
It being Disney, they’re showcasing magic wands that light up princess dresses, and toy cars.
(Wonder how it all might tie in to the camera network Disney is also working on…)
Disney’s work is here. Spectrum reports further here.
Material heals itself
New materials may all-but heal by themselves in a few seconds.
Developed at NASA’s Langley Research Center, the self-healing materials work in extreme temperatures, and may protect craft from debris in space. When punctured, it can rapidly form it’s own plug.
Yes, they shot it with a bullet.
The research paper notes that “autonomously healing materials that utilize thiol–ene polymerization initiated by an environmentally borne reaction stimulus are demonstrated by puncturing trilayered panels, fabricated by sandwiching thiol–ene–trialkylborane resin formulations between solid polymer panels, with high velocity projectiles; as the reactive liquid layer flows into the entrance hole, contact with atmospheric oxygen initiates polymerization, converting the liquid into a solid plug.” Phew.
Relax in Nature
It’s a good time to get out of your crowded city to enjoy the natural beauty of a private home in the Sierra Nevada, and leisurely explore nearby Yosemite National Park.
You’ll be comfortable in a large and fully-stocked house with a great view from the deck, a sunroom patio with an indoor hot tub, an outdoor pool, all on 15 acres of mountain forest.
All for less than $200 per night.
