Star Trek Was Right: Transparent Alumium Created!

[parasearchers]

Oxford scientists have created a transparent form of aluminium by bombarding the metal with the world’s most powerful soft X-ray laser. 'Transparent aluminium' previously only existed in science fiction, featuring in the movie Star Trek IV, but the real material is an exotic new state of matter with implications for planetary science and nuclear fusion.

''What we have created is a completely new state of matter nobody has seen before,’ said Professor Justin Wark of Oxford University’s Department of Physics, one of the authors of the paper. ‘Transparent aluminium is just the start. The physical properties of the matter we are creating are relevant to the conditions inside large planets, and we also hope that by studying it we can gain a greater understanding of what is going on during the creation of 'miniature stars' created by high-power laser implosions, which may one day allow the power of nuclear fusion to be harnessed here on Earth.’

http://parasearcher.blogspot.com/2009/08/oxford-scientists-have-created.html

[dipsydoodle]

1. A new state -

Jim.

[parasearchers]

2. Computer...Hello computer? oh a mouse..how quaint..

[John1956PA]

3. Ha, Ha, from "Star Trek: The Voyage Home"

But, I think Scotty said, "A keyboard, how quaint." He then flexed his fingers and began to type.

Also, as you implied, the movie has significance to the OP since Scotty was providing the 20th century scientist with the knowledge how to manufacture invisible aluminum.

[parasearchers]

4. Whoops! you are right! :)

But yes, that was the Sequence I was thinking of :)

[zbdent]

5. I just saw it recently ...

Scotty didn't mention what piece of computer equipment it was.

Ironically, it was McCoy who offered him the mouse first. When the "present day" engineer offered the keyboard, then Scotty said "How quaint!" ... then did "hunt and peck" which reached astonishing speeds ...

and, it was a Mac ...

[sakabatou]

6. Real Starfleet personnel choose Mac as their computer.

[IndianaGreen]

7. You never saw the Enterprise computer screens turn blue

They were Macs for sure!

[krispos42]

11. Actually, they did use Macs in "Next Generation" to make all the displays

Just FYI.

[John1956PA]

8. Good catch, zbdent. Help refresh us on this exchange Scotty had with Chekov.

I think that it was Chekov with whom Scotty had this exchange:

Chekov: "Do you think it's right to disrupt the time line by revealing the structure of invisible (or transparent) aluminum?"

Scotty: "Who's to say that he's not the one who invented it?"

Even though it has been many years since I have seen that movie, I still smile whenever I recall that scene.

[Orrex]

9. That exchange was between McCoy and Scotty, but you're basically correct!

I believe it was something like:

McCoy: You realize that by giving him the formula, we're altering the future?
Scotty: How do we know he didn't invent the thing?

In any case, it has always annoyed me how Scotty immediately turned into a virtuoso Mac user as soon as he realized that he had to use the mouse.


That would be like having someone who works in a modern textile mill instantly cranking out a sweater on a spinning wheel.

[Greyskye]

10. "the invisible effect lasted for only an extremely brief period - an estimated 40 femtoseconds"

http://www.physorg.com/news167925273.html

This article is a bit more informative, if not nearly as sensational.

[whyverne]

12. Beer, ummmm. In an invisible can. n/t

[centristgrandpa]

13. Great thought whyverne, how about ladies swimwear too? nt