A sprinkle of boron makes for a better fusion reactor recipe

Seeking to improve the tokamak fusion reactor known as ITER, researchers have found a way to stop rogue tungsten atoms from shearing off the walls and messing with the plasma. The finding is another important milestone on fusion’s road to success.Conti… Continue reading A sprinkle of boron makes for a better fusion reactor recipe

Super Magdrive rocket thrusters run on heavy metal

The most abundant metal known to man is iron. It’s everywhere. Not just on Earth, but in space as well. Astro engineers have just figured out how to use iron – or nearly any metal for that matter – as plasma rocket fuel.Continue ReadingCategory: Space,… Continue reading Super Magdrive rocket thrusters run on heavy metal

Valuable “super-black” material derived from plasma-treated wood

Vantablack, which is the world’s darkest material, could be in for some competition. Canadian scientists have created a super-black substance that has the potential to be cheaper, hardier and easier to manufacture … and it’s made out of wood.Continue R… Continue reading Valuable “super-black” material derived from plasma-treated wood

Plasma fireballs from black holes are now being made here on Earth

Supermassive black holes have been known to belch gigantic beams of plasma into space – and now scientists have managed to recreate these fireballs in a lab at CERN.Continue ReadingCategory: Physics, ScienceTags: Black hole, Supermassive black hole, As… Continue reading Plasma fireballs from black holes are now being made here on Earth

Pulsed plasma rocket promises a wild acceleration in space travel

A round trip to Mars – with our current technology – would take about two years: nine months to get there, three months of hangin’ out, waiting for the relative positions of Mars and Earth to line up closely again, then another nine months back. Howe I… Continue reading Pulsed plasma rocket promises a wild acceleration in space travel

Stubborn wounds meet their match in cold plasma jet-charged dressing

Using a cold plasma jet to activate hydrogel, researchers have created a dressing with antibacterial and wound-healing properties. The technology could be used as an alternative to current treatments that rely on antibiotics to treat chronic wounds, su… Continue reading Stubborn wounds meet their match in cold plasma jet-charged dressing