While a microphone is useful for many things, you probably wouldn’t guess that it could help make movies of molecules or measure physical and chemical properties of a material at the nanoscale with just one poke.
Georgia Tech researchers have created a highly sensitive atomic force microscopy (AFM) technology capable of high-speed imaging 100 times faster than current AFM. This technology could prove invaluable for many types of nano-research, in particular for measuring microelectronic devices and observing fast biological interactions on the molecular scale, even translating into movies of molecular interactions in real time.
“From just one scan, we can get topography, adhesion, stiffness, elasticity, viscosity — pretty much everything.”
For instance, FIRAT is capable of scanning integrated circuits for mechanical and material defects. And in biomolecular measurement applications, FIRAT can scan the surface quickly enough for a researcher to observe molecular interactions in real time.
Wow! Forty-eight years ago, I worked in a non-ferrous metals testing lab with an awesome metallographer named Billy Hogg. Our greatest flights of fancy never imagined anything with this kind of capabilitiy.
Wow indeed, that is an incredible jump in technology. Perhaps this will enable much faster processors can be manufatured eventually.
The ear is remarkably good at noticing deviations from the norm, and should probably be used for data testing more often. Many years ago I learned that the fastest way to proofread music sheets that were typed into the computer by hand, was to listen to a computer-generated output from the music.
– precision blogger
48 years ago? holy sh*t you are OLD.