Bolak - Slashdot User

Submission + - NIST Ytterbium Atomic Clocks Set Record for Stability (nist.gov)

Submitted by bryanandaimee on Friday August 23, 2013 @11:57AM

bryanandaimee writes: An optical lattice clock like the one discussed earlier on slashdot has broken the stability record. Comparing two OLC's using trapped atoms of Ytterbium, the stability of the clocks was measured to 2 parts per quintillion (10^18). While the previously reported OLC used strontium, these clocks, built by another group, use Ytterbium. Interestingly, while the stability of the clocks is now the best in the world, the accuracy has yet to be measured.

Submission + - NASA Testing Frickin' Laser Communications (itworld.com)

Submitted by itwbennett on Friday August 23, 2013 @10:37AM

itwbennett writes: The lunar laser communications demonstration will be part of the agency's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission, which is scheduled to launch on Sept. 6. Here's how the system will work: When the satellite is in orbit around the moon and visible from Earth, one of three ground stations will shoot a laser towards its approximate location. The laser beam from Earth will scan a patch of sky and should illuminate the spacecraft at some point. When that happens, the spacecraft will begin transmitting its own laser towards the ground station and the two will lock on to each other. The technology should allow an upstream data rate, from the Earth to the spacecraft, of around 20Mbps and a much faster downstream rate of 622Mbps. That's roughly six times the speed that's currently possible with radio-based transmission, said Don Cornwell, mission manager for the lunar laser communications demonstration.

Comment Re:RTFA, Folks. Not a merit badge. (Score 1) 731

by Bolak on Saturday October 21, 2006 @11:15AM (#16528321) Attached to: Boy Scouts Introduce Merit Badge For Not Pirating

In addition, this isnt even a patch for all of BSA, it is for the LA area only. The patch is for a small, limited number of boys(52,000), many of whose families work in the movie industry in some way. This does not reflect on the BSA at all. Its not a nationally recognized award, just a local council thing.

Slashdot Top Deals