Science Spinning

‘Self assembled’ CRANN silicon chips are cheaper, and more powerful

seanduke — Mon, 21 May 2012 13:58:21 +0000

A team of researchers at TCD and UCC led by Professor Mick Morris have coaxed atoms to ‘self assemble’ into a microchip, as seen in this image (Credit: Mick Morris).

The public have an insatiable appetite for better laptops, and other electronic devices, but they don’t want to pay more, and ideally they want to pay less than what they paid for their last machine.

This means that the manufacturers of computer chips, such as Intel, and the producers of laptops such as Dell are facing a dilemma.

Up to now microchips that are better than before, could only be produced using expensive engineering tools and methods.

This naturally creates upward pressure on the cost of making microchips, which, in turn, increases the upward pressure on the cost of laptops.

The manufacturers don’t want costs to start to climb for their products. They want the opposite, and to break into new markets as a result.

So, what to do?

Professor Mick Morris, a nanotechnology researcher based at the Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN) at TCD and UCC, may have an answer.

Prof Morris, and his team have just shown that it is possible to manufacture silicon microchips using ‘self assembly’ methods. This involves the use of chemistry to prod groups of atoms to assemble themselves into the desired way.

The use of self-assembly to make microchips is far, far cheaper than using expensive engineering tools. There is no cutting, or other tool work required, and small groups of silicon atoms do all the work for themselves.

This provides a potential way to build future microchips with a lot more power, while also reducing manufacturing costs.

LISTEN: Interview with Mick Morris

This interview was broadcast on Science Spinning on 103.2 Dublin City FM on 17-05-2012

The Secret to Insect Success: The Cuticle

seanduke — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:53:40 +0000

The natural material that covers the entire outer body of this grasshopper and many other insects is cuticle. (Credit: Dr Jan-Henning Dirks)

Insects have been around for hundreds of millions of years, and are found in large numbers even in the harshest climates around the world.

So, what is the secret to their success? Well, one major factor is undoubtedly the cuticle, which covers the outer body of insects, such as the grasshopper pictured here on the right.

Despite the abundance of cuticle – it is the second most common natural material on the planet – no-one had studied its engineering properties in detail.

Until now that is.

Dr Jan-Henning Dirks and Professor David Taylor at the TCD Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering have shown that cuticle is flexible, lightweight, very strong, and crack resistant.

These are properties of interest to many industries, such as airplane manufacturers, for example.

LISTEN: Interview with Jan-Henning Dirks

This interview was broadcast on Science Spinning on 103.2 Dublin City FM on 17-04-2012

TCD’s Ant Man: Dr Colby Tanner

seanduke — Tue, 01 May 2012 15:22:31 +0000

Despite what this picture taken at Dublin Airport suggests, ants are rare in Ireland, and, experts believe, they are becoming rarer (Credit: Jen)

Ants are members of the group of social insects (insects that live together in large colonies) which includes bees and termites. They are fascinating creatures to study.

They organise their societies with precision, every individual has a clear role, they are brilliant builders, ferocious in defending their interests, and have incredible physical and sensory abilities.

Dr Colby Tanner, ant researcher based at the TCD Theoretical Ecology Group would certainly agree that ants are fascinating.

Colby has been working recently in the University of Lausanne with a group using infra-red as a way to track individual ants, in order to find out exactly where they go and what they do, within the colony.

LISTEN: Interview with Colby Tanner

Broadcast on Science Spinning on 103.2 Dublin City FM on 26-04-2012

IQ genes identified at TCD

seanduke — Tue, 01 May 2012 05:35:22 +0000

Scientists have long suspected a link between genes and IQ, but they have been unable to prove it – until TCD scientists, led by Professor Gary Donohoe, recently identified two genes that are important in determining a person’s IQ.

The genetic aspect of IQ is vastly more important than any environmental factors, and Prof Donohoe believes that these are the first of many genes for IQ that will be identified by scientists in coming years.

Dr Emma Rose was part of the TCD team that discovered the link between the two genes and IQ and brain size.

LISTEN: Interview with Emma Rose

Broadcast on Science Spinning on 103.2 Dublin City FM on 03-05-2012

READ: The article below was published in The Sunday Times on 29-04-2012

Social media make people smarter

seanduke — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:55:48 +0000

There may be those that think Twitter and other social media are part of a general ‘dumbing down’ of society, yet the emerging evidence suggests that social media are making people smarter.

Professor Andrew Jackson, of the Theoretical Ecology Group at TCD, and his PhD student, Luke McNally, have devised ingenious methods of testing whether increasing social interactions by media like Twitter, makes us smarter.

They created ‘digital brains’ that played games that replicated how people interact in society, over and over again, for a period of time that equated to 50,000 human generations. The results were fascinating.

LISTEN: Interview with Andrew Jackson

Broadcast on Science Spinning on 103.2 Dublin City FM on 16-04-2012

READ: The article below appeared in The Sunday Times on 12-04-2012

Trinity ‘SMART Arm’ gives stroke survivors hope

seanduke — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:30:30 +0000

As many as 10,000 Irish people each year have a stroke, and the vast majority of that number cannot currently gain benefit from rehabilitation programmes since they don’t have enough movement left in their damaged arm.

SMART Arm, a device invented by Richard Carson, Professor at the Institute of Neuroscience at TCD, and colleagues in Australia, takes the small remaining movement left in the damaged arm of even the most severely affected stroke survivors and enhances that movement electrically. This opens up the possibility of rehab for all stroke survivors.

The article below was published in The Sunday Times on 29-04-2012

When rocks start ‘talking’: The science of geo-chemical fingerprinting

seanduke — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 09:31:59 +0000

Geochemistry can get rocks to ‘talk’ about how they were formed, and when (credit: www.crsbooks.net)

We have all heard of DNA fingerprinting, where the DNA in a person’s blood is identified, for example, at the scene of a crime, or on a victim, leading to a criminal prosecution.

But, what exactly is a geochemical fingerprint? Well, the same principle applies, but this time it concerns rocks. The geochemistry of a rock can provide information about how it formed, when, and what has happened to it since.

It can also be used for a variety of non-geological purposes, such as, for example, determining where a neo-lithic person lived from the examination of the carbon and oxygen isotopes in their teeth enamel.

This provides clues as to what they ate, and what water they drank.

LISTEN: Interview with Professor Balz Kamber

Broadcast on Science Spinning on 103.2 Dublin City FM on 12-04-2012

‘Ambient assisted living’ research at CLARITY can improve life for the elderly

seanduke — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:20:44 +0000

There are a number of ways that devices connected to the web can help improve the quality of life and health of the elderly. This picture depicts a 2012 trial of ‘ambient assisted technology’ by Siemens in the homes of people aged 50 or over in Potsdam, Germany (credit: Siemens)

Technology connected to the web can help improve the quality of life of older people and also act as an important monitor on their health.

That’s according to Professor Gregory O’Hare, based at UCD’s CLARITY: Centre for Sensor Web Technologies.

Ambient assisted living is the term giving to the linking of web-enabled devices that can do everything from sending out a warning to a GP, if an older person hasn’t moved, to reminding them that it’s time to watch their favourite TV show.

LISTEN: Interview with Prof Gregory O’Hare

Broadcast on Science Spinning on 103.2 Dublin City FM on 19-04-2012

DCU scientist comes up with a greener, cheaper way to make drugs

seanduke — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:50:19 +0000

DCU researcher and ‘green chemist’ Dr Nick Gathergood, has developed a cheaper, greener way of producing new antibiotic drugs.

LISTEN: Interview with Dr Nick Gathergood

Broadcast on the weekly Science Spinning show on 103.2 Dublin City FM on 05-04-2012

READ: The article below was published in The Sunday Times, Irish Edition, on 08-04-201

Eye gaze technology helps disabled speak & write

seanduke — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:22:18 +0000

The use of eye gaze technology is helping people that have lost the use of the limbs following spinal injury, or a range of degenerative disorders, to speak and write again, and achieve greater control over their lives in general.

LISTEN: Interview with Dr Mick Donegan

This interview was broadcast on the weekly Science Spinning show on 103.2 Dublin City FM on 12-04-2012

READ: The article below was published in The Sunday Times, Irish edition on 08-04-2012