stanford university

Reading the electronic-media narrative as it plays out in many popular tech and news blogs, one would think we are hurtling toward a future where paper is all but unnecessary. But a new development in battery technology could bring paper right back around to its former place of prominence, using it to power the very digital devices -- smartphones, Kindles, laptops, etc. -- that are increasingly replacing print.

The headline couldnt be more attractive—A Laptop 40-Hour Battery? Alas, all this is just speculation raised from some juiced theoretical prototypes at the moment. Regardless, in the ScienceNOW article by Robert Service, a research team, lead by Yi Cui, a materials scientist at Stanford University, is cited as developing a battery anode from nanowire strands of silicon which can hold a charge up to 10 times longer than conventional carbon anodes. Whats holding this technology back from reaching your laptops battery? Designing a cathode that is equally able to hold a charge that is 10 times greater than current technology. Lets just hope that these new 10x batteries dont produce 10x-sized laptop fires.—Dave Prochnow

Dear PopSci readers:

Welcome to yet another of the PopSci blog's fantastic new features!
Every Tuesday, starting now, contributing troubadour Jonathan Coulton
will beam down an episode of his "Podcast from the Moon," along with a
witty commentary on what the heck he was thinking when he called Dr.
So-and-so (always a scientist or investigator featured in this month's issue
of Popular Science) and teased him about his research. Just
click on the "subscribe" button after the post below to get free episodes delivered to
your iTunes account each week.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Do you find it hard to stay away from the Internet for several days at
a time? Do you stay online longer than intended often or very often?
Yeah, me too. I used to have a problem with the Internet, but then I
got a phone that can be used as a Bluetooth modem: problem solved! I said, "Problem solved!" Is this thing on?

This week I rationalize my way out of my addiction to the Web. Some researchers at Stanford University conducted a study to find out whether there is such a thing, and their results suggest that at least some of us may want to scale back a bit. (Hey Agathon of Gorgamosh! Put down the broadsword and pick up your baby, OK?)

Sometimes I think this office-on-the-moon business might work against me. Maybe it's because they're "serious about their work" or whatever, but the scientists who ran the study didn't really want to answer my tough questions or laugh politely at my feeding-tube jokes. Instead I spoke to PopSci contributor Jebediah Reed (who was more than happy to do both) about his take on their results. —Jonathan Coulton

Subscribe and listen:

Lessig at Wikimania 2006. Photo by Gus Freedman.Homepage photo: Lessig.org

A few weeks ago I was in Boston for Wikimania 2006, the second annual conference where wiki-folk of all types come together to talk about whats new and exciting in the wiki-world. As you can imagine, it was a veritable Woodstock for the free culture movement—the ongoing mission to provide free and unrestricted access to precious informational commodities (including encyclopedias, textbooks and software) on the Internet.

One of the movements most noteworthy proponents is Lawrence Lessig, a professor of cyberlaw at Stanford University and the founder of the nonprofit organization Creative Commons. His speech at Wikimania was among the more inspiring calls to action I have ever witnessed [you can watch it on Google Video below]. Simply put, if youre reading this blog (or any blog, for that matter), you should know Lawrence
Lessig.

To that end, PopSci.com is giving you the chance to become better acquainted with one of the Internets greatest thinkers. Were sitting down with Lessig on Thursday, August 24, and would love to present him with questions from our readers. Add them in the comments section below, or e-mail them to [email protected] by Wednesday, August 23. Lessigs responses will be made available on PopSci.com next week. —John Mahoney

Links:
Lessigs speech at Wikimania 2006 (Google Video or MP3 audio).
Lawrence Lessig: Wikipedia
Lessig.org

The squat, four-wheeled Robot driving itself through densely wooded terrain looks too macho to be cute, but it's too small to be threatening (picture a cross between R2-D2 and a Jeep). "You start to associate personalities with each of them," says Mark Del Giorno, of his 'bots. But still, Del Giorno, the vice president for engineering at General Dynamics Robotic Systems, which built this machine for the Army, insists that he doesn't anthropomorphize his robots: "You realize that the 'personality' comes from, say, the steering being a little loose.

LYDIA KAVRAKI
Computer Science, Rice University



Lydia Kavraki credits her parents with instilling in her a desire to understand how the world works when she was still a schoolgirl on the Greek isle of Crete. They didn't want her to think only mechanically, however; they also taught her that "technology should serve humans, and in the best possible way."