Disposable, single-use items are used by the general public on an almost daily basis. Whether it’s cups, razors, or cleaning products, the ability to consistently have essentials on hand is a convenience for many around the world. When thinking of disposable items and products, lasers are far from the first thing that pops into one’s […]
Science Fiction or Science Fact: Why Star Trek Opted For Phasers Over Lasers
In the past, we looked at why lightsabers will likely never be holstered to our hips, unless we live in a galaxy far, far away. But what about in “the final frontier”? In the Star Trek universe, phasers are far more commonplace than laser-based weapons and technology. Today, we’re going to look at why the […]
Weekly Wrap Up (May 9, 2016)
This week we profiled Deborah Jin and the Fermionic Condensate. Dr. Deborah Jin is an American physicist and was among the first to study the Bose-Einstein condensate. Dr. Jin and team created the first fermionic condensate, a new form of matter. Unlike a Bose-Einstein condensate, a fermionic condensate contains fermions over bosons. This characterizes […]
Throwback Thursday: The Birth of a Bose-Einstein Condensate
Twenty-one years ago, researchers at University of Colorado put the predictions of Satyendra Nath Bose and Albert Einstein to the test, resulting in the first gaseous condensate. Known now as a Bose-Einstein Condensate, the state of matter refers to a diluted gas of bosons, which are cooled to temperatures close to absolute zero. When exposed […]
Laser Metal Deposition & Laser Metal Fusion: Comparison of Processes & Their Uses
By Frank Geyer Additive manufacturing, especially “3D printing”, is a hot topic for many industries. While 3D printing in plastics has already reached the consumer level, additive manufacturing processes using metals are more complex and require extensive material and process knowledge. To understand 3D printing, it is important to first look at the three categories […]