Daily Blog 05/13/2011
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New nanosensor sniffs bombs, one molecule at a time (Wired UK)
Imagine a piece of metal 30,000 times thinner than one of the hairs on your head. Mixed with a little protein from bee venom, that microscopic filament becomes the most powerful explosives-detection system in history, able to detect a single molecule of dangerous chemicals.
Now imagine having that in an airport. No need for taking a pornographic photograph or having your genitals massaged by the Transportation Security Agency. And a nanotechnology specialist may have hastened that happy day for homeland security.
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Why ‘green’ doesn’t have to mean expensive (Wired UK)
“Greener” products don’t have to be more expensive for consumers, according to industrial designer Yves BĂ©har.
At a meeting this week with Wired.co.uk, he explained that there is a big misconception that it costs more to create products with a lower carbon footprint. He says: “We have been told that doing things in a green way will cost more. This doesn’t work. People don’t want to pay more for something just because it’s green.”