Science on Bald Engineer

Stuff from Tokyo

Fri, 24 Jan 2014 12:00:50 +0000

It’s been a little quiet on the blog because I spent the last three weeks in Asia. There’s some electronics enginerd stuff coming next week. Until then, I hope you’ll excuse this rare off-topic post. While in Tokyo I saw a number of awesome things and thought I’d share 2 of them: ASIMO at the Miraikan Museum and a dinner show at the Robot Restaurant. Click Read More to check out some pictures and videos.

One million ARM cores to simulate brain at Manchester

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:22:28 +0000

The lead hardware designer of both the original ARM core and the BBC Micro Computer, Professor Steve Furber, is leading an effort to simulate the human brain with ARM cores. Custom chips with 18 cores each will be used. Check out the story at Electronics Weekly for more information: One million ARM cores to simulate brain at Manche`ster - 7/8/2011 - Electronics Weekly.

Space Shuttle Infographic

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 15:23:53 +0000

Space Shuttle Infographic A long time fan of the NASA Space program, the last shuttle going up is a little bit sad. Artist Alberto Cuadra has put together this infographic about the shuttle. Originally created by the Houston Chronicle. (Citation missing, please comment if you have one!)

NASA Space Shuttle Owner's Workshop Manual Book Review

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:33:30 +0000

Over at Universe Today, there is a review of the book titled “NASA Space Shuttle Owner’s Workshop Manual.” When I first started using the Internet (over dial-up at 28.8kps), I came across JPL’s website. It lead me to the Operations Manual and Reference Guide for the Space Shuttle. At the time I couldn’t believe such information was available to the public. Then I realized, didn’t the public buy those machines in the first place? It is a shame we are garaging them.

IBM's 2010: 5 for 5

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 15:24:13 +0000

From the company that brought us, “There is a worldwide need for no more than 5 computers”. IBM is announcing 5 Innovative Technologies we will see over the next 5 years. In summary they are: 3D Communications Batteries that use air to recharge Citizen Scientists (Sensors Everywhere!) Personalized Commuter Information Smarter Energy Grid

EDN: ICs could run on heat waste

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 20:05:39 +0000

Joseph Heremans and Roberto Meyrs at the Ohio State University have been studying materials that could be used to turn heat from ICs into electricity. The research is focused on thermo-electricity and spintronics. In theory, this could mean mutual benefits to heavy processing: more effective heat removal from processors while generating the electricity they need to operate. “All of the computers we have now could actually run much faster than they do, but they’re not allowed to - because if they did, they would fail after a short time,” Myers said in the statement. “So a huge amount of money in the semiconductor industry is put toward thermal management.”

EW: True Random Numbers from a handful of gates

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 02:54:27 +0000

Random numbers are a relative concept. In general, random numbers used in digital electronics are called Psuedo-Random sequences. There is a defined algorithm that is used to generate the sequence and does not actually occur in nature. In applications like Flashing a LED, this method is fine. However, for any level of encryption this is unacceptable. Steve Buch at Electronics Weekly writes about how researchers Dr. Marie O’Neill and Dr. Jiang Wu at the University’s Institute of Electronics and Communications Information Technology (ECIT) has developed methods to generate true random bits digitally.

Lighting up fiber with Darkness

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 14:43:25 +0000

Electronic communications systems are made up of three basic components: a transmitter, a receiver, and a transmission medium. Use a video game system with a wired controller as an example. The controller is a transmitter, while the console is a receiver, and the wire that connects the two is the transmission medium. This wire is typically made up of copper. The distance from a couch to your tv is relatively short compared to the distance two continents separated by an ocean. For this distance fiber optic cables are used. Instead of electrical signals being transmitted, lasers are used to generate light across fibers of glass.