689967
story
esocid writes
"Researchers at TU Delft (Netherlands) and the FOM (Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter) have found irrefutable proof that the so-called avalanche effect by electrons occurs in specific semiconducting crystals of nanometer dimensions. This physical effect could pave the way for cheap, high-output solar cells. Solar cells currently have relatively low output, typically 15%, and high manufacturing costs. One possible improvement could derive from a new type of solar cell made of semiconducting nanocrystals and could theoretically lead to a maximum output of 44%, with the added benefit of reducing manufacturing costs. In conventional solar cells, one photon can release precisely one electron. However, in some semiconducting nanocrystals, one photon can release two or three electrons, hence the term 'avalanche effect.' This effect was first measured by researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratories in 2004, and since then the scientific world had raised doubts about the value of these measurements. This current research does in fact demonstrate that the avalanche effect can occur."
668386
story
roice writes
"The crazy hypercubists who created the
4D and
5D Rubik's cubes (here are previous
Slashdot posts on
the 4-D one and
the 5-D one)
have now developed a free
working 4-dimensional software analogue of the
Megaminx puzzle. Composed of
120 dodecahedral cells, the
underlying structure is arguably the most beautiful of 4D geometrical shapes,
with amazing symmetries and no analogue in dimensions higher than 4.
Though some have already begun working on solutions for this 'Hyperminx,' it has
yet to be solved by anyone. Also, when it comes to
number of positions, it dwarfs the previous puzzles by many thousands of
orders of magnitude!"
505440
story
KrispySausage writes
"One of the big features discussed in early speculation of Windows Vista SP1 was the kernel upgrade, which was supposed to bring the operating system into line with the Longhorn kernel used in Windows Server 2008. With Vista SP1 going RTM, there hasn't been so much as a peep from Microsoft about the mooted kernel update. Has it happened? Well the answer is yes it has. Presumably the main reason for Microsoft's silence on the subject is that as they're keen to promote the improvements and enhancements to Vista, rather than placing emphasis on a kernel upgrade, which some people might see as a risk of newly-introduced instability."
