Add BrightSurf on Google Email

Science News for November 2, 2004


Tiny tools carve glass

Researchers create miniature drills and end mills using microelectro discharge machining to produce smooth, curly chips of glass or ceramic. The process can take as long as an hour to produce one dimple a half millimeter in diameter, but is faster than photolithography.

SourcePenn State·JournalJournal of Micromechanics and Microengineering·DateNov 2, 2004

UVic climate research gets super boost

The University of Victoria has received a new vector-based supercomputer to aid in climate research. The machine will enable faster climate simulations and models that represent economic, social, technological, and biogeochemical factors. This is the first such computer in Western Canada, which can speed up simulations by a factor of 20.

Study reveals genetic link to colon cancer

A recent study has revealed a genetic link to colon cancer, identifying the MutY human homologue (MYH) gene as a risk factor. The research found that children of MYH gene carriers have a higher risk of developing the disease, with a 1:2 ratio.

SourceUniversity of Toronto·JournalJNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute·DateNov 2, 2004

Godiva's speedy ride

A new PIM chip called Godiva, designed and prototyped at USC, has successfully integrated into a server and delivered comparable performance to the original-equipment Itanium chip. The Godiva chip uses DDR-DRAM interface and reduces electrical power consumption by one hundredth.