Prism: a look into Chernobyl clean-up, suicide and cyber bullying, and an underwater bat signal for coral

[Burgold]

This was really cool. Physicist David Grier is using something called a Bessel Beam to create osscilating waves of light to create an honest to goodness working tractor beam. The science and reality behind this is wild. Captain Kirk doesn't have to look over his shoulder yet, but we are definitely approaching the 23rd Century.

I think this ranks so far in my top three science interviews ever.

http://voicerussia.com/radio_broadca.../93871876.html

[China]

Yeah, I read about this a couple of weeks ago. Cool, but impractical on a large scale:

Upgrading the device to move large objects -- a Borg cube or a Klingon Bird of Prey, for instance -- is impractical, since far more energy would be required. In fact, so much energy would be required that the object being moved would be destroyed.

Link

[Destino]

Yeah, I read about this a couple of weeks ago. Cool, but impractical on a large scale:



Link

Death ray. Also cool.

[RansomthePasserby]

Yeah, I read about this a couple of weeks ago. Cool, but impractical on a large scale:

Said the Scientist.

Death ray. Also cool.

The Super Villain replied.

[Kosher Ham]

Destroyed...makes me think of the movie 'The Fly'. with Jeff Goldbloom...

I guess they will continue to experiment though.
Then it would be the greatest invention of all time.

So far only a millimeter of movement. Long, long way to go.

I will listen to the rest of this later. Only four minute in but I am looking at several things right now.

[Burgold]

Yeah, I read about this a couple of weeks ago. Cool, but impractical on a large scale:



Link

We talked about this towards the end of the interview. I asked him to speculate about deflecting an asteroid or meteor coming to earth and said we might be able to give him a couple hundred years to figure it out. He speculated that you probably couldn't use light as it didn't have enough punch, but that sound waves might be a possibility.

This is really a first step... pretty amazing first step, but just a microscopic one nontheless.

[Burgold]

Going deeper into the land of science fiction becoming reality, NYU physicists are teaching inorganic substances to form shapes at the microscopic level. It is one thing to teach something with DNA like a stem cell to build an organ or something it was designed to become... quite a different fete to make molecules become anything you want. It could be the first real step in turning lead to gold...

Very soon we can make something out of nothing.

http://voicerussia.com/radio_broadca.../93352773.html

[Burgold]

Despite the insanity of the week, a fairly interesting though sober Prism this week.

We examine the impact of low dose radiation on leukemia in a longitudinal study involving workers tasked to clean-up after the Chernobyl melt down. Then, we look at how cyberbullying impacts the potential for suicide. Finally, we see a little good in the world as we discover that gopies rush to the rescue of coral when it releases a chemical telling the small fish that it is being attacked by poisonous seaweed.

Tonight at 6 pm EST.

[Burgold]

Here are the links to this week's pieces...

Study: 80 Percent of Cyberbullying Victims Subjected to Regular Bullying Too

http://voicerussia.com/radio_broadca.../94914312.html

Goby Fish Steps in for Coral Reefs to Fight Off Toxic Seaweed

http://voicerussia.com/radio_broadca.../94909952.html

New Study Reveals Increased Risk of Leukemia for Chernobyl Cleaners

http://voicerussia.com/radio_broadca.../94909095.html