A round-up of the latest technology news from around the globe.
SOUND PROJECTOR: The Bass Unit is an icosahedral cabinet with 10 built-in speakers. Music bounces off the walls of a room and creates a surround sound effect no matter where you stand. 3D music. What next? More at SciBlogs.
WALK LIGHT: If you add light-sensitive proteins to the nerve cells of mice then you can cause their muscles to contract by shining an LED light on the mouse. In future this discovery could help paralysed people walk, or perhaps stop involuntary muscle movement for people with cerebral palsy. Meanwhile the world's paralysed mice are squeaking with excitement. More at iO9.
SKY SAILORS: Iran's new military open-cockpit flying boat, the
Bavar-2, carries machine guns and surveillance cameras. The engine and
propeller are exposed though, and the underside is an eye-catching
red. Better hope enemy gunners are colour blind. Details at Economist and video on YouTube.
BRAIN WAVE: Brain tumours can be very tricky to reach, so neurosurgeons at Washington University are working with an MRI-guided high-intensity laser probe called the Monteris AutoLITT. It "cooks" cancer cells deep in the brain, but leaves surrounding brain tissue undamaged. It makes previously inoperable tumours accessible. A 'fried' brain could come to be a good thing. More at Physorg.
MOON SHOTS: China's Chang'e-2 probe is on its way to orbit the Moon, testing technology before a planned 2012 uncrewed moon landing. Total travel time to lunar orbit should be around 112 hours. It will orbit 15Km above the moon, taking photos with a resolution of 1.5 metres. Images soon to be seen on Google Moon, I hope. More at English People.
- Miraz Jordan knowit.co.nz
