Speed is key variable for ice-shelf collapse Dec. 1, 2008 It won't help the Titanic, but a newly derived, simple law may help scientists improve their climate models and glaciologists predict where icebergs will calve off from their parent ice sheets, according to a team of Penn State Univ.
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Nanophotonics spawns a new class of silicon devices Dec. 1, 2008 Science fiction writers have long envisioned sailing a spacecraft by the optical force of the sun's light. But, the forces of sunlight are too weak to fill even the oversized sails that have been tried.
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2009 R&D 100 Awards
R&D Magazine is now accepting entries for the 47th Annual R&D 100 Awards! We will accept entries both by mail and
electronically. Our online entry form is not yet active; please return to RDmag.com or check the R&D Daily e-newsletter for an announcement as to
when this form will open. For now, please download our traditional 2009 entry form for details on how to compete for the distinction of being selected one of
the top 100 products of the year. The deadline for entry is March 6, 2009. Download entry form here
2008 R&D Magazine Scientist of the Year & Innovator of the Year
Our readers voted from among 10 finalists for the top scientist and innovator of the past year. Stay tuned for in-depth
articles on both award winners in the Nov./Dec. issue of R&D Magazine:
2008 Scientist off the Year: Mario Paniccia, Intel Fellow and Director,
Photonics Technology Lab, Intel Corp.
2008 Innovator of the Year: Cameron Piron, Founder and President, Sentinelle Medical Inc.
This Month in R&D
Multi-Tenant R&D Lab Buildings Go Green
Increasingly, developers are building multi-tenant core-and-shell lab buildings in certain growing urban markets where government, research institutions, health-care institutions, and pharmaceutical companies have historically created purpose-built lab buildings. In this market, developers are interested in sustainable design and construction for many reasons.
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The 2008 R&D 100 Awards Issue
Every year, R&D Magazine devotes its September issue to the 100 most important innovations to hit the research and development marketplace. Each technologically significant product is profiled in-depth. From miniature palm-sized chips that can identify bacterial species at any location to an alignment system than can focus 192 high-energy fusion research lasers on the same 10-mm spot, these are the best of the best.
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On this 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day, there is new hope for an end to AIDS. Based on mathematical models performed by scientists at the World Health Organization, once implemented, a new strategy could reduce HIV cases by 95% within 10 years and reduce the prevalence of HIV to less than 1% within 50 years. This strategy involves testing everyone 15 years and older for HIV every year and starting people on antiretroviral therapy (ART) immediately after they are diagnosed HIV+. This means not waiting until their immune systems are depressed, which is the current line of therapy. The cost of implementing such a strategy will be high, but researchers note that by 2032 its cost will be less than that of conventional treatment strategies.
While there are obvious obstacles to implementing this plan, such as persuading people to be tested each year and convincing those HIV+ patients with no symptoms to start an ART regimen, the results of this study are compelling. While HIV is now a manageable condition for many, this new approach combined with prevention strategies could potentially eradicate HIV and AIDS as we know it.
