Society and Technology

Matter-Antimatter Engine

NASA maybe a few years away from developing a matter-antimatter engine.  A matter-antimatter engine would be the most efficient engine ever to be created because it turns 100% of the matter and antimatter and turns it into energy by colliding matter and antimatter.  The energy released by their annihilation releases about 10 billion times the energy that chemical energy in a combustion engine.  Matter-antimatter reactions are 1,000 times more powerful than nuclear fission and it is 300 times more powerful than nuclear fusion energy.  This means if a space shuttle was built with a matter-antimatter engine then it could travel farther and faster in space because not only do you need less fuel with a matter-antimatter engine but also the engine produces more energy than a combustion engine would thus giving you more power and speed.

The basic design of a matter-antimatter engine would be that it features a magnetic ring that will store and keep the antimatter moving until it is needed.   Then it would need some time of feeding system so that it can take fuel when need.  Finally it needs to have some kind of particle collider so that it can collide matter and antimatter and releasing the energy.  In conclusion, A matter-antimatter engine could be the engine for the future but for now we have to stick to our combustion engines.

Posted at 10:19AM Dec 12, 2008 by Robert Earle in General  |  Comments[2]

Messerschmitt BF-109

The Messerschmitt BF-109 was one of the best WWII fighter aircraft of the German Luftwaffe.  It was also the first true modern fighter plane in that it had an all-metal monocoque construction.  The Messerschmitt BF-109 was designed by Willie Messerschmitt in the early 1930s.   The aircraft was put into service in 1937, after winning a competition against other German aircraft.  What really made the BF-109 stand out among the other competing aircraft was the fact that the test pilots were in complete control of the aircraft while doing manuevers like dives, rolls, spins, etc.

The Messerschmit BF-109 was rugged fighter plane and was the workhorse of the Luftwaffe.  There were many variants for this one aircraft because it could serve multiple roles.  Evne though the BF-109 was a great fighter plane that remained competitive with allied aircraft even towards the end of the war, it was not with its short-comings.  For instance, it had a short range, it was difficult to land and take off because of its steep ground angle which made visibility poor while on the ground, and it featured a sideways hinged cockpit canopy which could not be opened in flight.  Nonetheless the Messerschmitt BF-109 was a great aircraft and a true fighter.

 Here's a link to a video of a real Messerschmitt BF-109 in action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nj77mJlzrc

Posted at 09:52AM Dec 12, 2008 by Robert Earle in General  |  Comments[0]

AK-47

The AK-47 assault rifle is one of the most recognizable weapons in the world and has become more than what it was intended for.   An assault rifle is a gun with a smaller cartige than a rifle allowing for a softer blowback, but still utilizes a powerful enough cartige for long distance shooting.  The Allies of WWII became really interested in assualt rifles when they saw how the Germans utilized the STG-44 assault rifle.  Thus after the war, Mikhail Kalishnikov began on the design for an assualt rifle for the Soviet Union.  Then in 1949, Mikhail Kalishnikov came out with the design for the AK-47.

The AK-47 was an innovative piece of military technology when it first came out.  As time went on other countries produced assault rifles of their own, and the AK-47 became less effiecent.  Nonetheless it was rugged and cheap, so many third world countries were able to purchase these guns for their armies.  Because of this, the AK-47 has become a symbol of revolution because many revolutionary parties, that used frce to attain power, used an AK-47.  No better example of this can be seen with Ernesto "Che" Guevara, who brought revolution to Latin America with the use of force and the use of the AK-47.

Posted at 06:42AM Dec 12, 2008 by Robert Earle in General  |  Comments[18]

Heart made to order

It's amazing how far we have come in medical technology, but of course with such advancement comes many ethical questions.  When people hear the words "stem cells" people think of the controversy over human embryonic stem cell research, but what people fail to realize is that human embryonic stem cell research is only a branch of stem research.  Stem cell research has a very promising future that could help save countless lives.   One such branch that could be very promising is adult stem cell research.  Not only is the use of adult stem cell more ethical because it does not involve the destruction of a human embryo, but also patients will not reject the organs made from the adult stem cells because the stem cells are usually taken from the patient.

Even though stem research is relatively new there have already been some accomplishments made.  Recently British doctors have grown the first successful human heart valve using stem cells from bone marrow.  The stem cells are placed into collagen moulds so they can grow into 3cm heart valves.  Afterwards the tissues are implanted into animals and monitored for side effects.  Scientist hope that withing a decade they will be able to grow an entire human heart.  So far the technology seems very promising and the fact that we may be able to effectively fight off heart disease is great news.

Posted at 04:11AM Dec 12, 2008 by Robert Earle in General  |  Comments[0]