Store Denser, Separate Smaller, and Detect Lighter

Image source: "Scientific American" Sept. 2004
Related article: "Atomic Spin-offs for the 21st Century", September 2004; by W. Wayt Gibbs

There is a collection of articles about the most famous scientist in last century, Albert Einstein, in "Scientific American" this month. (Well, for English version, it's last month.) In those articles, there is one talk about 3 important inventions which based on Einstein's work.

The first is a electronic circuit which can control the spin of electrons by the effect of Relativity. The basic idea of this device is that when high speed electrons pass though the electric field applied form the gate of the circuit, for the electrons, part of the electric field will become magnetic field and that will rotate the direction of spin of the electrons which pass though gate. As the applied electric field is gone, the rotation of spin will stop. Therefore, if we properly control the applied time of electric field, we can "write bit" the direction of spin and by "read bit" by detecting the spin of electrons. And it will become a high density storage method, because more precisely we can detect the direction of spin, more "digital state" of spin we can separate, and that means more densely we can can store. According to the author, scientists can do it quite well by modern technology.

The second is a sorting method which can separate nano-meter-scale bio-molecular by the effect of Browian motion. Small particles in fluid will be strike by many surrounding fluid molecule, then randomly "jump" in the fluid, and this phenomenon is called as Browian motion. The devise, "Browian ratchets", is a micro-channel which many nano-boards with same orientation are within and the samples and fluid flow pass in different direction. As the samples in different sizes pass the micro-channel, the smaller one will jump more by the effect of Browian motion, and there will be more chances, they will guided by the nano-boards. On the contrary, the larger one will not jump as largely as smaller one and pass with the flow. Then, after the trip the micro-channel, the larger and smaller samples will go on different road.

The last is a gravity detector based on Bose-Einstein-condense, which I have heard about that many years age. It's a technology to observe the population distribution of atoms in very low temperature that makes them show the property of Boson.

Above all, I think all those interesting inventions is based on the phenomena of pure physics, and that's why those devices are beautiful. As a philosophizer ever said, "fundamentals are the building blocks of fun!"

Sorry, Thank You, and Please

Image description: A corner of a restaurant in Denver, CO.

對不起，
我不是一個好的演員，
在妳生命的舞台中，沒有適時的退場。
謝謝妳，
如果不是遇見妳，
我將不知道什麼是心醉，什麼是心碎。
請在妳遠行之時，
攜帶著屬於我的祝福，
當妳抵達遠方，所擁有的，才不只是我的思念。

The Phantom in Theaters

Image source: http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com/home.cfm

The famous musical show is going on silver screen! This Christmas, Andrew Lloyd Webber's "the Phantom of the Opera" is in theater! Tough, it's a pity that it seems just in American only...

Actually, it might be the biggest musical show in the world. The original composer, Mr. Webber, is also join the team of the movie production. He is still in charge of the music of this movie, and even the director is chosen by him. So don't worry to expect the music of this movie. Well, the story should be still a traditional romantic seria. From the trial, I'm very surprise they cast Emmy Rossum as Christine. She really matches the image of Christine in my mind, innocent, classical beautiful, but not garish. Any way, the story and casts are not the point of movie.

I first heard this second longest show in Broadway is in high school and "the Music of the Night" is still one of my favorite songs. This musical opera is the first Webber's work I have ever heard and after that I also tried "Cats", and I understood why Mr. Webber is such a famous and popular composer. Of course, there're dozens of versions of "Memory"by different singers.

Hmm, I am not sure when this movie will be in theater in Taiwan, but it will be first movie that make me wanna go into theater just for music.

Charlie Brown and Snoopy

Image sourse: http://www.unitedmedia.com/comics/peanuts/

Since 1950, the first bark on newspaper, the peanut dog has been with us for more than half century. Fortunately, as most characters on comic book, he never get old even he has the age which dogs can not make it.

Snoopy is not just a pet dog. Actually, he is a writer, a air force officer, and even a philosopher. People may think to keep this kind of pets, there must be a special host. On the contrary, Charlie Brown is an unfortunate and a little bite silly kid, but even that he still has a good heart. Although Charlie and Snoopy have such different personalities, unlike Garfield and his owner, Jon, they still are very good friends.

By the way, in this comic, you never hear the words form adults, but it doesn't reduce the depth of the story can tell us. The interesting sentences said form kids and a dog are more impressive due to high contrast.

For a long time, the story of the peanut dog keeps telling us to be a optimist even the condition is bad, to enjoy your life all the time then no life is boring, and to teasure your friends who make us never be alone.