Knowledge Bites: Nov 17, 2012

Most distant galaxy discovered:
Scientists at the NASA have discovered the farthest known galaxy in our universe. Named MACS0647-JD, the galaxy was formed 420 million years after the big bang, which is supposed to have happened 13.7 billion years ago. The light from the galaxy has taken 13.3 billion years to reach Earth and researchers are hopeful about it offering clues on the baby universe.

New touch-sensitive self-healing polymer can replace your skin:
A team of scientists at the Stanford University have created a new polymer material that is not only touch-sensitive, but also with the ability to heal itself in 30 minutes under room temperature when damaged. The material, also boasting of more longevity, has been developed by adding nickel particles to a plastic polymer.

New invisibility cloak devised:
A new demonstration of invisibility cloak has successfully cloaked an object, a centimetre-scale cylinder, making it invisible to microwaves. Though the illusion is considered flawless, it is said to be working from only one direction and difficult to achieve with visible light. The scientists developed a diamond-shaped cloak to render the object invisible.

Rogue planet found wandering the universe:
A rogue planet by the name CFBDSIR2149, the closest to our Solar System, has been discovered by astronomers using the Very Large Telescope and the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Rogue planets are orbitless and hence don't revolve around a star and just keep wandering in the galaxy. They are formed when  they are ejected from a solar system or when they don't have enough mass to become a star. The fact this rogue planet is so close to us (about 100 light years away) gives astronomers an opportunity to study them in great detail.

Bacteria free textiles:
Researchers in Spain have developed bacteria killing textiles that can possibly put an end to the spread of bacterial and fungal infections within hospitals. The textiles are embedded with antimicrobial nanoparticles using adhesive enzymes under ultrasonic radiation. The fabrics retain their antimicrobial properties even after 70 washes and also can inhibit growth of any new microbes.

Comments