Scientists 'bind light together' to create new state of matter resembling lightsabers

A group of scientists from Harvard and MIT have created a state of matter that until now has only been found in the realms of science fiction.

The physicists were exploring the properties of photons – an elementary particle that is the most basic constituent of light and all other types of electromagnetic radiation – when they managed to create molecules formed from photons bound together.

The discovery is startling as it goes against what scientists have previously believed to be the signature quality of photons: that they are massless particles that do not interact with each other. The capacity to create molecules out of photons has been described by the physicists involved as “pushing the frontiers of science”.

"Most of the properties of light we know about originate from the fact that photons are massless, and that they do not interact with each other," said Harvard Professor of Physics Mikhail Lukin in a press release published at phys.org.

"What we have done is create a special type of medium in which photons interact with each other so strongly that they begin to act as though they have mass, and they bind together to form molecules.”

Polymer Heals Itself Independent of Outside Triggers

A team of Spanish scientists have developed the world's first self-healing polymer capable of mending itself independent of an outside trigger.

Nicknamed the "terminator" polymer after the shape-shifting, molten T-1000 robot from "Terminator 2," the substance is capable of an impressive 97 percent healing efficiency in just two hours, rendering it impossible to manually separate.

In the past, triggers such as heat, light or specific environmental conditions, such as pH, have been required in order to set this healing process in motion. The new substance, technically a "permanently cross-linked poly(urea-urethane) elastomeric network," works independently in room temperature as a velcro-like sealant.

Ibon Odriozola, the lead researcher, and his team from the CIDETEC Center for Electrochemical Technologies previously came close to creating a substance capable of mending itself independently in the development of self-healing silicone elastomers. External pressure was needed to begin the process and an expensive silver component was required, however.

The new polymer, in contrast, makes use of commercially available materials, allowing for a high degree of scalability.

Pilot projects bury carbon dioxide in basalt

Basalt formations, such as these towers on the Columbia River in Washington state, could be used to trap carbon dioxide.

Two experiments test viability of sequestering emissions in porous layers of hard rock.

By early August, scientists will have pumped 1,000 tonnes of pure carbon dioxide into porous rock far below the northwestern United States. The goal is to find a permanent home for the carbon dioxide generated by human activities.

Researchers at the US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, Washington, began the injections into the Columbia River Basalt formation near the town of Wallula on 17 July. The rock contains pores created as many as 16 million years ago, when magma flowed across what is now the Columbia River Basin. Bubbles of CO2 migrated to the edges of the magma as it cooled, forming layers of holes sandwiched between solid rock.

In pumping emissions back underground, “we are returning the carbon dioxide from whence it came”, says Pete McGrail, an environ­mental engineer at the PNNL who is heading the experiment, part of a larger energy-department programme on ways to sequester carbon.

The Wallula project is the second of two worldwide to target basalt formations, which scientists hope can hold — and permanently mineralize — vast quantities of gas. In basalt, dissolved CO2 should react with calcium and magnesium to form limestone over the course of decades. Until the gas is locked away, the porous basalt layers are capped by solid rock that will prevent leaking. That should eliminate concerns about leakage that have dogged other proposals to store CO2 deep underground, often in sandstone reservoirs.

The basalt reactions are part of a natural weathering process that has helped to regulate atmospheric CO2 levels throughout geological time. Scientists have analysed mineralization in the lab, but it is only now being tested in the field.

Latest interesting inventions 2013 (Part 2)

6. TrakDot Luggage

No more lost bags! Slip this gadget into your luggage and stay informed about its location via text message, email or an app. Get notified when your suitcase arrives in your destination city, for example, or program TrakDot to alert you when it’s on the baggage carousel. Available in April. $49.95, plus $8.99 to activate and a $12.99 annual service fee; TrakDot.com

7. CordCruncher

Untangling earbuds after they’ve been stuffed in a purse, gym bag or pocket can be a pain. CordCruncher prevents knots by keeping the cord straight within an elastic sleeve. Pull the earbuds out from one side when you’re ready to use them, and then drag the sleeve back over the cord for easy storage. $25; CordCruncher.com

Latest interesting inventions 2013 (Part 1)

Sometimes all it takes is a smart product to save your sanity. We rounded up some of our favorite new developments that are either out now or hitting shelves in the next few months. From high-tech devices to simple, wish-we’d-thought-of-that tools, these low-cost innovations (most under $50!) can help you feel healthier, safer or more prepared—all the while easing everyday life.

1. Parrot Flower Power

Soon you won’t need a green thumb to keep houseplants happy. Just insert this battery-operated sensor into indoor soil to track light, humidity and temperature. Choose the type of potted plant you want to monitor from a library of 6,000 species via an app, and you’ll be alerted when it needs more water, sun or fertilizer. Available later this year. Price to be determined; Parrot.com

2. Revlon File ’N Peel 6-in-1

Ditch those worn-out nail files at the bottom of your purse! The File ’N Peel features layers you can lift and discard when they get dull to reveal fresh surfaces underneath. Three shaping layers and three smoothing layers keep nails pretty; one clever product keeps clutter at bay. And the layers last up to three months, assuming one to two uses per week. Translation: A single File ’N Peel can outlast a regular file three times over. $4.49; Revlon.com