The rose, a brilliant red. The sky, a purplish blue. The sunset, a soft magenta. If you are seeing these vivid colors, then you may be looking at the next generation of video screens or computer displays. If you aren't, that means the products aren't commercialized yet. But they are possible, thanks to a new blue laser, developed by Dr. E. Fred Schubert, professor of electrical and computer engineering and a member of the faculty of the Photonics Center at Boston University (Boston, MA). In the February 1998, Issue 4, of Electronic Letters, Schubert describes how he and Dean Stocker, a doctoral candidate in physics, fabricated the world's first gallium nitride (InGaN) double-heterostructure laser from tiny pieces of polished sapphire under even smaller layers of semiconducting crystal. The laser materials were scored with a diamond and then "cleaved"--or broken--along the scratch to produce smooth facets that control the paths of the photons that make up the laser beam. The blue laser may also expand the storage capacity of today's digital video disks up to four times. For more information, contact Joan Schwartz at (617) 353-4626, e-mail: email@example.com.
Some of our culture's most enduring robots appeared in the 80s. The Aliens series produced another evil android, and we saw light robot fare in the form of Short Circuit. Two of the great robots of all time also showed up: The Terminator and RoboCop.
Major global metropolitan areas are implementing a vast number of technology, energy, transportation, and Internet projects to make the metropolis a friendlier, greener, safer, and more sustainable place to be.
Here’s a look at robots depicted in movies and on TV during the 1950s and 1960s. We tried to collect the classics here, omitting the scores of forgettable B movies such as Santa Claus Conquers the Martians and Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine. Stay tuned for slideshows of robot stars from later decades.
Focus on Fundamentals consists of 45-minute on-line classes that cover a host of technologies. You learn without leaving the comfort of your desk. All classes are taught by subject-matter experts and all are archived. So if you can't attend live, attend at your convenience.