UK To Get £50m Graphene Research Hub 40
twoheadedboy writes "The UK Government has made a big commitment to the development of the 'wonder material' graphene, the most likely candidate to replace silicon in computing chips in the future. A £50 million Graphene Global Research and Technology Hub was announced by Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne. It is hoped the facility will help commercialize graphene. The University of Manchester, where the material was discovered, welcomed the announcement and will be one of the possible locations of the hub. Right now, universities will be getting ready to apply for their chance to host the graphene hub."
Space elevator (Score:2)
I hope they find a way to make it strong enough for a space elevator.
Re: (Score:1)
And I hope there isn't a horrible accident with a 526 B30.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Transparent flexible LCD screens would be nice. No more indium metal...
Re: (Score:1)
Has anyone considered a space escalator instead of a space elevator? Just keep your space-boot laces away from the yellow lines.
Re: (Score:1)
Well, I am working on a Space-Trebuchet. You seem like an excellent testing candidate.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Apparently aluminium oxynitride [wikipedia.org] is pretty close.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
It's a 2D structure, so no.
Re: (Score:1)
It can be rolled up into nanotubes.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
One big failing with the idea of a space elevator. Do you know what a guitar string is and how it works, now consider one kilometres and under enormous tension, definitely not good, good, good, vibrations. It would be interesting to see how destructive those resonant effects on that scale would be though.
Re: (Score:1)
It's very hard for a standing wave to form on a 36000km long string, whose tension also varies with height. Vibration can cause problems but hopefully we will find a way to dampen it.
They should build it at Nottingham (Score:3)
They should give it to Nottingham, because then we'll get to see updates on all the great research being done. If you haven't already I suggest subscribing to their awesome YouTube channels:
http://www.youtube.com/periodicvideos [youtube.com] ( http://www.periodicvideos.com/ [periodicvideos.com] for the table you can click on to see each elements video)
http://www.youtube.com/user/BackstageScience [youtube.com]
http://www.youtube.com/user/sixtysymbols [youtube.com]
http://www.youtube.com/user/nottinghamscience [youtube.com]
http://www.youtube.com/user/PhilosophyFile [youtube.com]
Re: (Score:2)
They should give it to Nottingham, because then we'll get to see updates on all the great research being done.
Do you mean that at Nottingham someone would steal it and give it to the poor?
Re: (Score:2)
the government is operating almost literally on a month-to-month basis, just barely avoiding financial default and shutdown. Its house majority a collection of pot-bellied reactionary bureaucrats who dismiss everything from climate science to alternative energy and evolution.
But on the plus side, their Slashdot stories aren't accompanied by a Mary Poppins apples and pears fucking cup o' tea shine yer shoes guvnor patronising horseshit fucking telephone booth icon.
Heh, that made me chuckle. What should the icon be, though? A double decker bus, a pint of real ale, a cup of tea and a cigarette? I'm struggling here to think of a symbol that represents all of us Brittanites.
Re: (Score:2)
The month to month this is just politics. It'll be wrapped up in thirteen months. At the rate we are going that is only four to five last minute averted government shutdowns. By time there are elections it is going to be overwhelmingly one sided for someone.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
Um...he may be born into money but I don't think you know much else about the guy. Heck, his first job was a boring data entry job for the NHS [wikipedia.org].
It also looks like he's got some good ideas about how to run an economy, which is a nice change from the last couple of chancellors we've had. As much as I hate Tory policy you can't deny that they know how to make a healthy economy, and right now that's what we need.
Re: (Score:2)
Meh. The government is hardly in trouble. A cut here or a cut there and we can throw a billion dollars at graphene research too. It's convincing the distinguished and respected senators where to make those cuts -- therein lies the problem.
This is good because... (Score:1)
We are having some problems with our silicon...
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Analysts-claim-worldwide-supply-shortage-of-silicon-wafers-this-year.50214.0.html [notebookcheck.net]
Good idea not to keep all the eggs in one basket, not a good idea to keep 7/10 of them in 1 basket either when it comes to a fundamental that keeps our technology spiraling forward.
So this is more of a reaction than a proactive move by the UK government ftw.
Re: (Score:2)
We should definitely not keep all of our computing eggs in one basket, lest the fate of Ringworld become ours.
Smart move (Score:1)
Nice investment for the future. A bigger investment would be to find replacements for the materials the world has become so reliant on China for. Maybe some other AAA country will focus their attention in that direction.
What is Graphene? (Score:1)
Here's a very simple but accessible explanation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX8ClPVkD1g
Re: (Score:1)
millipounds? (Score:2)
50 millipounds seems like a tiny budget. 50M pounds seems more appropriate.