Fascination Science public lecture Tuesday (30 April) - The light fantastic
Our next lecture in the Fascination Science series will go ahead on Tuesday 30 April 7pm-8.30pm at Massey University's Auckland campus in Albany in the Sir Neil Waters lecture theatre.
Please join Prof. Martin (Bill) Williams from the Palmerston North campus of Massey University for his talk on
The light fantastic: Dizzying interactions between light and matter
Nature provides fascinating examples of nanotechnology, creating functional entities from the bottom-up; from molecules to materials & devices. But this is not the nanotechnology of miniature submarines and nano-bots; it is that of molecular biology, the wet nanotechnology of biopolymers and their assemblies. It is the nanotechnology of DNA condensation and transcription, of protein fibers and molecular motors. It is the physics of the nanoscale that is so elegantly exploited and Brownian motion that brings the dance to life.
In order to take a trip down the rabbit hole of such exquisite molecular machinery scientists need not only to see but also to feel the nanoworld. Optical tweezers (OT), for which Arthur Askin was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2018, are one of the exciting tools that can be used to apply and measure minute forces, and they do so, not using tiny mechanical grippers, but using highly focused beams of light. The talk will describe how OT perform this remarkable task and our journey to implement them in order to stretch a single strand of DNA.
Poll: Are quality products on the decline?
Gift-giving looks a lot different these days when you can pick up super-cheap goods made overseas. But do they last?
Do you have any old items like appliances, electronics or clothing that have stood the test of time? Share below!
-
91.9% Yes
-
7.2% No
-
0.9% Other - I'll share below
Kmart duvet recall
Kmart will be recalling a number of their Anko duvet sets.
What you need to know:
- The recall is involving Christmas-themed duvets: Mrs & Mrs Claus Reversible Queen Size Bed Quilt Cover Set and Christmas Elf Reversible Single Bed Quilt Cover Set
- A recall of the products began in Australia following health concerns from several families.
- One woman said she thought she was having a heart attack after using one of the products which smelt of diesel.
- One customer said she’d purchased the quilt covers and said they smelled like gas. Another mum said hers did not have that smell but claimed her son developed a rash that only went away when he stopped using the product.
- The product is no longer available for purchase on the Kmart website.
Regardless of whether you have experienced an issue, customers who have purchased this item may return the product to store for a refund.
Puzzle Pros of the Neighbourhood, Assemble!
What common English verb becomes its own past tense by rearranging its letters?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
Loading…
