Stoping light in quantum leap

Perhaps not 'stoping' so much as slowing it down. Again, I am amazed. Who would've thought you can slow light down?

Naturally, it's not that simple. Nothing is simple, or common sense, in the quantum world. It seems they use a vocabulary that's similar to our normal day-to-day language (be that english or south eastern mongolian, I suspect), but differs from it in crucial aspects. Differs just enough to be most confusing. It helps to remember that when the word 'quantum' is used in a scientific report, then the meanings of all other words in the report (including 'the' and 'a', or 'stop' for that matter) should be interpreted with that in mind. The meanings of these words also seem to enter the non-intuitive realm of quantum mechanics. Okay, I won't get any more lyrical on the subject. You get the idea.

The article relates to quantum computing, rather than to slowing down light. The techniques used here will pave the way, theoretically, to quantum computer memory. From what I understand, this is a very big step towards the reality of quantum computers.

Researchers from the Laser Physics Centre in the Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering used a modified crystal to ‘stop’ light for over a second, more than 1000 times longer than earlier attempts.

“Stopping light is not just a neat trick, it is the basis of a quantum memory — a device capable of storing and recalling the quantum states of light. This is one of many quantum computing components under development in our lab,” Dr Sellars said.

“We have gone out on a limb pursuing our unique approach to quantum computing. What our new record shows is that we are on the right track,” Dr Longdell said. “Now, if we can store a single photon we will have demonstrated the world’s first quantum memory.”

I'll keep an eye on this thread...and then perhaps I can add it to the 'quantum computer timeline' in the wikipedia

USATODAY.com - Nanotech researchers report big breakthrough

They've finally come up with sheets of nanotubes:

The team has developed an automated process that produced 2 ¾-inch-wide strips of nanotubes at a rate of about 47 feet per minute. Other methods take much longer to create nanotube sheets.

And what's important:

"The technique is most elegant and the applications they've shown are quite impressive," says nanotube expert Shalom Wind of Columbia University in New York. Industry and academic researchers are already regarding nanotubes with avid interest, he adds.

Common Sense vs Uncommon Sense

I'm not going to add anything to this. Just read Horgan's thesis and then further down the page Susskind's counter argument.

Boffins create zombie dogs | The Other Side | Breaking News 24/7 - NEWS.com.au (27-06-2005)

The dogs are rendered comatose by replacing their blood with a cold saline solution. In this state the dogs are considered dead as they don't breathe and have no heart or brain activity. Then, three hours later, they are revived by replacing the solution in their veins with their blood and giving them an electric shock. They come out of this, I presume, as good as...well...as good as they went into it.

During the procedure blood is replaced with saline solution at a few degrees above zero. The dogs' body temperature drops to only 7C, compared with the usual 37C, inducing a state of hypothermia before death.

Although the animals are clinically dead, their tissues and organs are perfectly preserved.

Tests show they are perfectly normal, with no brain damage.

The technique will be useful, not so much for the scifi purpose of travelling lightyears, but to save lives:

But even this should be enough to save lives such as battlefield casualties and victims of stabbings or gunshot wounds, who have suffered huge blood loss.

I can imagine this can help hospitals cope with large numbers of casualties from some catastrophic event.