Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - September/October 2011 - (Page 9)

Looking for energy solutions For decades, humans have been trying to kick the fossil fuel habit. Physicists are testing new methods of energy generation and refining older methods that might help us finally move beyond fossil fuels. Today’s nuclear energy comes from fission—reactors break atomic nuclei apart to release huge amounts of energy—but fusion is the dream. Fusion combines two hydrogen atoms, readily available in water molecules, to form helium. Fusion generates even more energy than fission while producing little harmful waste. The problem is that human-built reactors currently use more power than they produce because they can’t coax the reaction to continue on its own. A new international research project called ITER (pronounced ee-ter), is trying to work out that secret. Meanwhile, some physicists are turning their attention to the fusion reactor we already have: the sun. To harness its plentiful energy, scientists are trying to devise solar panels that use durable, efficient—and affordable—materials. www.cty.jhu.edu/imagine imagine 9 SHUTTErSTOCK IS... Bringing science fiction to life If you could have a superpower, what would it be? Among physicists, invisibility is experiencing a surge in popularity, with teams around the world working to make the fabled invisibility cloak a reality. Objects are visible to us when light reflects off them, so these physicists use specially engineered metamaterials to precisely control how light is bent. These materials can guide light around an object so that the object doesn’t seem to be there at all. Unlike the lightweight invisibility cloaks of Harry Potter fame, the cloaking technology being researched today takes the forms of solid crystal blocks that hide objects in small chambers on one side, metamaterial cylinders surrounding an object, and metamaterial carpets that conceal the bumps of small items placed underneath them. Most work only for some wavelengths of light, but researchers are working hard to extend invisibility to the whole spectrum. Applications could range from military uses to eliminating blind spots in cars. DrEAMSTIME` http://www.cty.jhu.edu/imagine

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - September/October 2011

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - September/October 2011
Contents
Big Picture
In My Own Words
Physics Is…
Making the Team
Nuclear by Nature
Physics: The Next Generation
Telescopic Views
Exploring the Mysterious Lives of Stars
Around the Universe in Three Weeks
Selected Opportunities & Resources
Book Buddies
Meeting the (Economics) Challenge
Off the Shelf
Word Wise
Exploring Career Options
One Step Ahead
Planning Ahead for College
Students Review
Creative Minds Imagine
Mark Your Calendar
Knossos Games

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - September/October 2011