It’s the thinnest material ever and could revolutionise computers and medicine!!

link to www.timesonline.co.uk

Scientists have created the thinnest material in the world and predict that it will revolutionise computing and medical research. A layer of carbon has been manufactured in a film only one atom thick that defies the laws of physics. Placed in layers on top of each other it would take 200,000 membranes to reach high enough to match the thickness of a human hair.

The substance, graphene, was created two years ago but could be made only when stuck to another material. Researchers have now managed to manufacture it as a film suspended between the nanoscale bars of scaffolding made from gold. Such a feat was held to be impossible by theorists, backed up by experimentation, because it is in effect a two-dimensional crystal that is supposed to be destroyed instantly by heat.

Background

The nano state is here Troops to test liquid armour Leading article: Nanoo, nanoo The crystalline membrane, comprising carbon atoms formed into hexagonal groups of six to create a honeycomb pattern, is thought to be able to exist because rather than lying flat it undulates slightly. Un- dulation provides the structure with a third dimension that gives it the strength to hold together, the researchers have reported in the journal Nature. The graphene membrane has proved to be so stable that it holds together in vacuums and at room temperature. All other known materials oxidise, decompose and become unstable at sizes ten times the thickness. It was created by scientists at the University of Manchester, working with the Max Planck Institute in Germany.

“This is a completely new type of technology — even nanotechnology is not the right word to describe these new membranes,” said Professor Andre Geim, of the University of Manchester. “We have made proof-of-concept devices and believe that the technology transfer to other areas should be straightforward. The real challenge is to make such membranes cheap and readily available for large-scale applications.”

Kostya Novoselov, of the University of Manchester, said that its main applications were expected to be in vastly increasing the speed at which computers could make calculations and in researching new drugs. The membrane could also be used as a microscopic sieve to separate gases into their constituent parts. In medical research the membrane, which at single atom thickness measures 0.35 nanometres, could be used as the support for molecules being analysed by electron microscopes. At present the definition of the images provided by electron microscopes is limited by the thickness of the material that the sample molecules rest on.

The thinness of graphene membranes is such that the electrons would have much less irrelevant material to pass through and so be able to give a clearer picture of the structure of molecules, especially the proteins believed to hold the key to a generation of medicines. Graphene membranes could eventually replace silicon because they have the potential to be a far more effective transistor. Used as a transistor, essentially a switch that stops or lets in an electric current, they have proved to be faster than silicon and use less power.

The transistor experiments were reported in the journal Nature Materials. Leonid Ponomarenko, of the University of Manchester, is optimistic that it can be turned into a commercial success.

“The technology has managed to progress steadily from millimetre-sized transistors to current microprocessors with individual elements down to ten nanometres in size. The next logical step is true nanometre-sized circuits.”

damn does this guy tell the truth or WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!

Could Iran's New "Oil Bourse" Spark a War with the US or Israel?If tiny bubbles floating up from the ocean floor could tell tales, we might learn a thing or two on the surface. On the heels of Iran announcing the grand opening of its new "Oil Bourse," not many US financial institutions are cutting colorful ribbons or breaking Champaign bottles in celebration over this announcement.

In fact, Wall Street is painfully developing acid reflex because this could very well be the beginning of the end for monopolizing "Texas Tea" exclusively being sold using only American dollars. In truth, this could very well plummet the American dollar deeper into the abyss of nothingness.

Having said that, strange things are surreptitiously happening on the ocean floor with scant reporting in the US corporate mainstream news media...sneaky little devils. Since the end of January – nine (or more) major fiber optic cables – on the ocean floors have suspiciously been cut, disrupting most or all telecommunications/internet capabilities for the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. From Egypt to India and most points in between, cable cuts in the Persian Gulf, Egypt, Malaysia and France have predominately affected Muslim nations. Bottom line, this is keeping them "off-the-communication grid" slowing their international markets for trade and commerce to a standstill.

And, this has delayed the grand opening for the Oil Bourse. To no surprise in these days of worthless news reporting competing with Hollywood Bimbo Slut alerts, little attention was afforded in the corporate media about this little tidbit. And when it was mentioned or ticker-taped, a few lame excuses were offered, such as...

1) Was this a multiple million to one natural caused anomaly?

2) Was it a multiple ship mishap coincidently dragging their anchors along the ocean floor causing the breaks?

3) (the unmentioned) Was it a blatant ocean espionage mission orchestrated to prevent Iran from opening their new Oil Bourse? Gee, I'm so undecided... Well, after much skull scratching on my itchy, analytical head, and after a simple internet search giving detail how the US Navy has many sophisticated submarine teams specially out-rigged with cable cutting capability (for doable secret covert espionage missions such as this), those tiny little bubbles floating to the surface truly found their voice for me.

However, I have to admit, I do believe part of the "bogus anchor-drag-fairytale." It truly is unfortunate for us that real soon, US war ships will probably start launching smart missiles and mini nukes at Iran because of nervous Wall Street investors and crazy war hawks...and that in itself is an "anchor drag" of magnanimous misfortune for everyone involved.

I guess you could say the proverbial periscope is now fully topside for all the world to see! Just another day in the corporate hood watching US imperialism run amuck practically caught with cutting torches in their hand. So much for fairness in the spirit of competition for Iran (or others) to freely sell their goods in the global marketplace with a currency of their choosing. Indeed, how dare they fairly compete against US interests with an oil tycoon at the helm holding a cash register in his lap wanting to make another war killing at our expense!

King Junior will have no part of that! So says He! Just like Iraq, I'm sure the good Lord did not whisper a soft-spoken message into the village idiot's dementia ear for him to quickly open the Bombay doors, yet again -- heck, I can almost hear the psycho's celestial conversation -- Yes my Lord, the communication cables are cut and our war machine is gearing up for the wonderful crusade.

Yes God, keep the pearly gate ajar for the many floaters coming to heaven. Yes Sir, the nukes are ready to fly like angels in the mist. Yes Lord, The targets were laser-tagged by our Special Ops and Israel's Mossad agents (your favored ones) over a year ago...yes my Holiness, the twins wrote a sweet little prayer on the first fifty missiles ready to launch. They would have done a hundred (as requested) but, the darn pen ran out of holy ink. Also Lord, Please excuse my little dumplings many misspellings...but it's the thought that counts? Right Lord? Humorous?

I wish it was, but this a very serious matter at hand. And we're not the only ones gearing up for the next war. Israel's been banging the war drum for some time now, and seems adamant in taking precautionary defense measures for it as well. The USS San Jacinto, an Anti Missile AEGIS cruiser is scheduled to dock in Haifa, Israel, in the next day or so. Logic would suggest that such a measure would only be necessary if you expect some incoming missiles to be launched at you from say...Iran or North Korea?

I wonder how our Commander and Thief dreamed this one up -- Hey Dick, how will we get this wrecking-ball swinging on Iran? So many darn false-flag operations to choose from! I wonder if some dead incubator babies floating on the open seas would stir em up? It worked pretty good for pops, except the little suckers weren't floating in the Persian Gulf. Or maybe I'll just order a similar bogus Gulf of Tonkin incident with a Mediterranean twist? Hey, that's a keeper! I think I'll name my next drink after that one. Or perhaps, I'll just keep the press corps bombarding the sheeple with more of the same recycled rhetoric about how Iran is sending arms to Iraq to kill US soldiers?

Ha, ha, Yeah, that's the ticket -- plus I'll keep repeating how they're enriching uranium for launching nuclear bombs at Israel. Hmm, so much poison to choose from, I'll have to drink another six pack of Lonestar (hic) to get my decision-cap on for this one. Gee, being a war president is so much work (burp). Ah heck with it -- I think I'll just let Israel start the darn war -- it was after all, their idea in the first place! I'll just let their bombers sneak in through Iraqi airspace and get this going as suggested from ol' Ehud Olmert...

Laughable cynicism?

Seriously though, history has proven time and again that the politics of repeated fear molds foreign policy and US aggressiveness quite effectively. Yeah, think about it, we always were suckers for a good hate object to embrace -- Kooks, Chinks, Japs...Kill a commie for mommie...a good rag-head is dead rag-head, etc. Anything to get those daddy war bucks flowing into the war-chest. It's called the prep-rally factor, and it works like a charm every time. I used to have a little hope that with all the millions of people who live in this great country, surely by now, we would have found the grit to rise up and stop these guys. But that was simply not the case.

So why should this next fiasco be any different? Heck, we've already swallowed so much hubris, it's sickening. For example, look how fast we accepted the inside demolition job of September 11, 2001! And what a superb cover-up to boot!Truth is, I'm sure Mr. FOX news watcher will march quite orderly for Sir Dubya. I guess we better suck-it-up and get ready to digest the next chapter of this grand canard for Bush's famous war legacy.

Hmm, are we the land of gas guzzling simpletons who love to play games at anyone's expense? Perhaps. Games? Simon says -- attack our own nation. Done deal. Simon says -- blame others for it. Done. Simon says -- launch two false wars. Done. Simon says -- start a third one called "the war on terror."

Checkmate.

Are we enjoying this yet? I wonder, because we have allowed these vicious power brokers to murder with impunity three thousand innocent Americans here at home, and thousands more soldiers abroad with hundreds of thousands civilians wiped-out globally. Can you feel the warm embrace of Old Glory caressing your wholesome servitude? Is Uncle Sam making you proud yet as our glorious bombs bust in air over civilian targets? Are the power freaks among us feeling erections as the Bombay doors get ready to open yet again in Iran and elsewhere?

How pathetic...Point blank -- painful as it may be, my once honored America has become a disgraceful nation. My soul is worn thin from all of this -- and my participation in any future activism is winding down for anything short of a revolution.

I'm sad to say – I hope we pay dearly for allowing this rampage to continue unabated for so long. And I would add, we are dead as a nation, and deservingly so. I'm tired of beating my head against this keyboard night after night trying to convince my fellow citizens how stupid we are for letting these guys get away with this crap. I truly am ashamed of myself and others. We are now the land of the enslaved.

But get ready to reap what we have sowed. A pissed-off world is recoiling at our inaction in controlling our own leaders. And by God, we deserve it. I welcome the world's combined effort to plummet our economy. I welcome their victory over us.

May it be harsh and swift leaving us penniless.

Only then will this greedy nation full of soggy-bottom do-nothing brainwashed minions evolve into something more deserving of such amenities as freedom, democracy, wealth and honor.

Only then, will the cycle of war perish within our midst and the chains of corporate slavery be broken.

Only after reaping the global whirlwinds from a vengeful world taking us down in disgust, will we finally learn our lesson.

Perhaps, after the many stings of worldly whips have left their painful scars will we sink to our knees and beg for forgiveness to live with others in peace and harmony without selfishness as our sole motivation for survival. God speed my world. May we pay dearly for forcing our unfettered capitalism under the black banner of free trade to steal your lands. Forgive us for the many brilliant social experiments in other nations we destroyed that may have evolved, had we not intervened and meddled. Let the heavy hammer of hard justice punish my America in the name of peace for the sanctity of world survival.

"Vincent L Guarisco is a freelance writer from Bullhead City AZ., a contributing writer for many web sites, and a lifetime founding member of the Alliance of Atomic Veterans. Reprint permission is given as long as article content is not altered or changed and credit is given to the author. Replies welcomed at: vincespainting1@hotmail.com

( editorial note... I don't know Vincent, but his word do indeed strike me as having a ring of truth )

An ode to the sacrifices of the past...

and I wonder of the reality we have created...

I had a dream the other night, I did not understand.

There was a figure walking through the mist with a flintlock in his hand.

His clothes were torn and tattered, as he stood there by my bed.

He took off his three cornered hat, and speaking low, he said: "We fought a revolution to secure our liberty, and we wrote the constitution as a shield from tyranny.

For our future generations, this legacy we gave, in this the land of the free, and home of the brave.

The freedom we secured for you, we hoped you'd always keep. But tyrants labored endlessly while your parents were asleep.

Your freedom gone, your courage lost, you're no more than a slave in this land of the free and home of the brave.

You buy "permits" to travel, and "permits" to own a gun, "permits" to start a business, and "permits" to build a home.

You live on land you believe to be your own, but you pay a yearly rent, just to keep a home.

Your children attend a school that doesn't educate, and your moral values can't be taught, according to the state.

You read about news in a very biased press, and you pay a tax you do not owe to please the IRS.

Your money is no longer made of silver or of gold; you have traded your wealth for paper, so your life can be controlled.

You are just a number, there's no family honor that you hold.

You've given government control, to those who do you harm, as they padlock your businesses and steal the family farm.

Can you regain the freedom for which we fought and died?

Or don't you have the courage, or the faith to stand with pride?

Just what would you fight to save?

Aren't you sick of being just a government slave?

Sons of the Republic, arise and take a stand! Defend our Constitution, the supreme law of the land.

Preserve our great republic, and each God given right!

And pray to God to keep the torch of freedom burning bright."As I awoke he vanished in a mist from whence he came.

His words were true, we are not free, and we have ourselves to blame.

For even now as tyrants trample our God given rights, we only stand and tremble, too afraid to stand and fight.

If he stood by your bedside in a dream while you were asleep, and asked you what had happened to the rights he died to keep, What would be your answer if he called out from the grave?

"Is This Still The Land Of The Free And The Home Of The Brave?"

This poem written by Thelen Paulk.