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Researchers were able to build the printer with off-the-shelf commodity parts for $7K.MIT researchers, using off-the-shelf components, have built a 3D printer capable of building with 10 photopolymer materials at once. And the school's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) said the researchers were able to build the printer for less than $7,000. That compares to systems that print with just three materials at one time and can cost $250,000. The MultiFab 3D printer works by mixing together microscopic droplets of photopolymers that are then extruded through inkjet printheads similar to those in office printers. The printing process is...

And it could be the key to understanding one of the biggest mysteries in physics today - high-temperature superconductors.An international team of scientists has announced the discovery of a new state of matter in a material that appears to be an insulator, superconductor, metal and magnet all rolled into one, saying that it could lead to the development of more effective high-temperature superconductors. Why is this so exciting? Well, if these properties are confirmed, this new state of matter will allow scientists to better understand why some materials have the potential to achieve superconductivity at a relativity high critical temperature...

Graphene, a material formed of a mesh of hexagonal carbon atoms, has, according to ExtremeTech author Ryan Whitwam, “many fantastic properties that could change the course of human civilization. It’s chemically stable, highly conductive, and incredibly strong.” In a recent New Yorker article, John Colapinto stated graphene “may be the most remarkable substance ever discovered.” One thing graphene is not, however, is magnetic. Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have developed a way to induce magnetism in graphene while preserving its electronic properties. The research team did this by bringing a single sheet of graphene into close proximity to...

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County school board members voted Tuesday evening to ban all religious materials from being distributed at public schools. In 2014, a group put Bibles in Orange County schools for one day, and another group was able to provide atheist materials. But it was when the satanic temple tried to put its own book in schools that the district's policy became an issue. The policy previously permitted the groups to leave religious materials on tables at schools at the beginning of the year on a nationally recognized freedom day. At Tuesday's meeting, board members voted 7-1...

The Korean government will focus their efforts to promote 270 degree movies, thermoplastics, and fuel cells, according to an announcement from the third public-private meetings of the ‘Creative Economy.’ The meeting was held to draft a plan for a second flagship project. The flagship project concept was initiated by the government to accelerate private businesses that have large growth potential. The first flagship project, which dealt with carbon fiber and energy storage systems, was initiated in May 2014. According to plans for the second flagship project, the government will support the development of a new cinema system that shows movies...

Judicial Watch obtained Defense Department training materials on Friday that described conservative and civil liberties organizations as “hate groups.” The training materials used by the Air Force were created to help students “recognize extremists ideologies.” The materials identified conservative values, such as individual liberties and states’ rights, as recruiting rhetoric used by “extremists.” According to Judicial Watch: Under a section labeled “Extremist Ideologies” the document states, “In U.S. history, there are many examples of extremist ideologies and movements. The colonists who sought to free themselves from British rule and the Confederate states who sought to secede from the Northern states...

A Detroit entrepreneur surprised university engineers here recently, when he invented a heat-treatment that makes steel 7 percent stronger than any steel on record in less than 10 seconds. In fact, the steel, now trademarked as Flash Bainite, has tested stronger and more shock-absorbing than the most common titanium alloys used by industry. Now the entrepreneur is working with researchers at Ohio State University to better understand the science behind the new treatment, called flash processing. What they've discovered may hold the key to making cars and military vehicles lighter, stronger, and more fuel-efficient. In the current issue of the...

Shock Audio: New Black Panther Leader Reveals Collusion at NYC Meeting With Ahmadinejad to Build Alliance, Secure Raw Materials and Overthrow America http://www.theblaze.com/stories/shock-audio-new-black-panther-leader-reveals-collusion-at-nyc-meeting-with-ahmadinejad-to-build-alliance-secure-raw-materials-and-overthrow-america/

• According to government, industry, and academic officials, the use of rare earth materials is widespread in defense systems. These include, among others, • precision-guided munitions, • lasers, • communication systems, • radar systems, • avionics, • night vision equipment, and • satellites. • Officials emphasized the significance of the widespread use of commercial-off-the-shelf products in defense systems that include rare earth materials, such as computer hard drives. Objective 2: Rare Earth Materials Are Widely Used and Lack Substitutes Page 27

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq, Dec. 29, 2009 – Twelve soldiers and three sailors conducted a 10-day Toxic Industrial Chemical Protection and Detection Equipment training exercise here recently. Army Staff Sgt. Timothy Price is scrubbed off as he makes his way through the decontaminating process during a Toxic Industrial Chemical Protection and Detection Equipment training exercise on Contingency Operating Base Basra, Iraq, Dec. 15, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Samantha M. Stryker   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “You never know what could pop up,” said Army Capt. Leann Yi, 17th Fires Brigade Chemical, Biological, Radiological...

KABUL, Nov. 10, 2009 – Afghan National Police and international forces seized 250 tons of suspected bomb-making material and detained 15 people in a Nov. 8 raid in southeastern Afghanistan, military officials reported. Based on reliable information, the combined force searched a warehouse in Kandahar province, where they seized 1,000 100-pound bags of ammonium nitrate fertilizer and detained 15 people. They found an additional 4,000 100-pound bags of fertilizer at a nearby compound, and also seized 5,000 components used in improvised explosive devices. Ammonium nitrate fertilizer is a key ingredient in IEDs and is illegal in Afghanistan. “This was a...

Industrial Materials Shine As Global Economy Seen TurningCitigroup analysts envision near-60% EPS gain in materials sector next year Kate Gibson MarketWatch Nov. 9, 2009, 3:23 p.m. EST NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- With industrial materials among the first to benefit as the global economy turns, the sector ranks as the No. 2 performer among the S&P 500's 10 industry groups so far this year -- and Citigroup analysts now see nearly a 60% earnings-per-share rebound as likely for the sector in 2010. Bankers' Clients Want More Love, More MoneyBonds of trust between investment banks and their clients have in some cases...

A research group in Germany has discovered a semiconducting material that can switch its semiconducting properties -- turning from one type of semiconductor to another -- via a simple change in temperature. This intriguing behavior may make the material useful in efforts to create better performing integrated circuits, which form the backbone of almost all electronic devices. Semiconductors are essential to integrated circuits, and any significant advances in semiconductor materials could mean big changes for the future of electronic technologies. For example, this new finding may further developments in data-storage technology. At a more fundamental level, the material could change...

Some home builders already struggling in Florida's dismal housing market are facing another headache: The Chinese-made drywall they used is causing unpleasant odors and possibly leading to electric problems in dozens of homes constructed during the housing boom.

New ways of squeezing out greater efficiency from solar photovoltaic cells are emerging from computer simulations and lab tests conducted by a team of physicists and engineers at MIT. Using computer modeling and a variety of advanced chip-manufacturing techniques, they have applied an antireflection coating to the front, and a novel combination of multi-layered reflective coatings and a tightly spaced array of lines — called a diffraction grating — to the backs of ultrathin silicon films to boost the cells’ output by as much as 50 percent. The carefully designed layers deposited on the back of the cell cause the...

HAVANA – Cuba has turned down U.S. storm relief handouts, but is asking for trade restrictions to be lifted so it can buy American materials to assist in its recovery from Hurricane Ike, officials said Thursday. "Cuba hasn't asked the United States government to give it anything," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement ...

By mimicking a brick-and-mortar molecular structure found in seashells, University of Michigan researchers created a composite plastic that's as strong as steel but lighter and transparent. It's made of layers of clay nanosheets and a water-soluble polymer that shares chemistry with white glue. Engineering professor Nicholas Kotov almost dubbed it "plastic steel," but the new material isn't quite stretchy enough to earn that name. Nevertheless, he says its further development could lead to lighter, stronger armor for soldiers or police and their vehicles. It could also be used in microelectromechanical devices, microfluidics, biomedical sensors and valves and unmanned aircraft. Kotov...

BAGHDAD – Iraqi army and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers detained two terrorists and discovered bomb-making materials south of Baghdad Sunday night. Soldiers from 5th Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, reported a drive-by shooting at their checkpoint at approximately 8:45 p.m.; the soldiers returned fire, causing the terrorists to flee their vehicle on foot. A quick reaction force from Company C, 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, responded to the checkpoint and captured the two terrorists. In the vehicle, the Soldiers seized various bomb-making materials. -30- FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS RELEASE,...

Chilly chip shatters speed record The world's fastest silicon-based microchip has been demonstrated by scientists in the US.The prototype operates at speeds up to 500 gigahertz (GHz), more than 100 times faster than desktop PC chips. To break the world record, the researchers from IBM and the Georgia Institute of Technology had to super-cool the chip with liquid helium. The team believes the device could eventually speed up wireless networks and develop cheaper mobile phones. "Faster and faster chips open up new applications and reduce costs for existing products," said Professor David Ahlgren of IBM. Exotic chips At the...

Latonia Wilson says she was only trying to do something nice for jurors. “I just thought it would be fun,” she said. “Especially at Christmastime.” Ken Clark, though, thought it was an obvious effort to buy campaign materials with taxpayers’ money. “I’m just amazed that she would even try it,” he said. Wilson is a Democrat who will be seeking her second term next year as district clerk. Clark is a Republican who will be seeking a third term as Precinct 4 commissioner. “Everything is going to be looked at politically,” Wilson said. “I’m not sure what the issue necessarily...