Anodizing/anodized aluminum refers to both a specific type of aluminum alloy as well as the process that is used to produce this alloy. The term “anodizing” is used to describe a technique for expanding the natural oxide layer of metals, especially aluminum. Anodizing changes the texture of aluminum by creating a much more porous surface that provides more adhesion for dyes and glues than a smooth surface does. Anodizing also increases aluminum’s wear and corrosion resistance, making the aluminum object much stronger in virtually all environments. How does Anodizing Aluminum Read More

Geothermal energy is a clean and renewable source of energy that comes from the magma typically found underneath the earth's surface. Specifically, the heat of the magma is indirectly utilized to generate large amounts of electricity using modern technology. Geothermal Power Plants Geothermal power plants have a definite advantage over other types of energy production mechanisms in terms of cleanliness and abundance. Since only naturally occurring steam and hot water are needed to generate electricity, almost no hazardous materials are produced by such facilities. As of today, there are 3 Read More

Electrosurgery is the the term used when high-frequency electrical current is used to cut, fulgurate, desiccate, or coagulate tissue with very little blood loss during surgery. The Harmonic scalpel is one of two competing brands in this field that help increase a surgeon’s efficiency and reduce the overall recovery time for patients. The device consists of an electrosurgery system that contains a cutting instrument, hand-held ultrasonic transducer, foot-pedal, and generator. What Is Electrosurgery? Electrosurgery uses a high-frequency current to cut tissue during surgery. Unlike traditional hand-held scalpels, this process allows Read More

A rotameter is a device that measures the flow rate of a liquid or gas in a tube. Karl Kueppers invented the rotameter in 1908, which has been widely used since then for a variety of applications. Rotameters are included in a class of devices known as “variable area meters” that depend on the substance they are measuring to change the area of the test field being measured. How Rotameters Work Rotameters consist of a tube, generally made of glass, and an object known as a “float.” The float is Read More

An ultrasonic welder is a device that uses ultrasonic sound waves to weld metals and plastics. Although most people are unaware, ultrasonic welders are often used to produce, seal, and package many everyday items such as milk jugs, butane lighters, and soda cans. Many different industries, such as the aerospace, automotive, medical, computer, and electrical industries use ultrasonic welders for a wide variety of applications such as cutting, sealing, joining, packaging, or bending. Ultrasonic welding is most often used when an object is too small or delicate to undergo more Read More

The VirtuSphere is essentially a hollow sphere that is fitted with sensors. Because of this, it is capable of providing a user with an immersive virtual reality experience. Inside the VirtuSphere, a user can move about in a virtual reality world by the simple act of walking as he normally would outside of the sphere. The VirtuSphere is mounted on a special platform that enables the sphere to move with the user's movements. Sensors inside this platform provide information on the speed and direction of the user, making it seem Read More

Facial recognition systems are computer programs that are used for automatically identifying a person. Research on this technology started in the mid 1960s. This technology works by using several facial features in a person's image and comparing these with existing images in the database. Facial recognitions systems are used as an additional and mass security measure and are comparable to the other biometric security systems available today such as retina scanners, fingerprint scanners, etc. The Technology behind Facial Recognition Systems The first important factor in facial recognition systems is its Read More

A quartz watch is one that uses a tiny, paper thin piece of quartz to measure the time. An electrical pulse is sent into the quartz which causes it to vibrate. This vibrating is then picked up by the watch and it is measured. Then, the vibrating pulse is sent to the hand which turns the second hand another second. Every sixty seconds, it turns the minute hand. Finally, every sixty minutes, it turns the hour hand. What Makes a Quartz Watch Work The quartz in the watch serves as Read More

Global warming is a very hot topic especially with the high amount of stress put into the need to stop it. The big question is, what causes it to occur? The answer is not so simple and is very difficult to pinpoint. There are several different variables that are thought to be the cause of global warming. The climate is always changing. The Earth goes through cycles where it is warmer than usual and colder than usual. With global warming being a fear on many people’s minds, the question comes up: what are Read More

The Large Hadron Collider, abbreviated as LHC, is an energy particle accelerator or collider instrument. It is the world’s biggest instrument used by scientists to study and examine the smallest identified particles; which are the primary building blocks of everything. The Large Hadron Collider is a worldwide project with UK playing the major part. This project will transform humans understanding about the microscopic world packed with atoms, the elementary laws of physics and the darkest secrets of the Universe. Large Hadron Collider was designed for a purpose of having a Read More