DuPont business Pioneer Hi-Bred introduced Laser-Assisted Seed Selection to farmers attending the Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, as the newest tool in its Accelerated Yield Technology (AYT) toolbox. The technology promises to increase the size and scope of the Pioneer breeding program five fold in the next three years.
Laser-Assisted Seed Selection uses a 120-watt carbon dioxide laser to score a small slice from a seed to capture its genetic information while maintaining the seed’s viability for planting. Molecular breeding techniques are used to identify desirable genetic combinations within each individual scored seed slice. Seeds identified to have superior genetics are selected for planting and advancement through the Pioneer research program.
DuPont Unveils Advanced Laser Technology in Accelerating Higher Yield Development.
Thursday Aug 28, 2008 13:21:23 EDT
The laser-guided Joint Direct Attack Munition made its combat debut in Iraq earlier this month, the Air Force announced Wednesday.
The 500-pound bomb, also known as the GBU-54, joined the war when an F-16 Fighting Falcon from the 77th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Joint Base Balad, used it to strike a moving enemy vehicle in Diyala province. The pilot was working with a joint terminal attack controller on the ground.
Laser-guided bomb makes first strike in Iraq - Air Force News, news from Iraq - Air Force Times.
Graffiti Research Lab’s [James Powderly] along with 9 other Tibet supporters were deported from China during the Olympic’s closing ceremonies. Detained on the 19th, the activists were to serve a 10 day sentence, but the Chinese government buckled under international pressure and deported them early. This brings the total number of deported activists to 53 since the start of the games.
Graffiti Research Lab is well known for its laser tagging research.
via: hackaday
Using lasers to spot troubled teethbeforecavities form, researchers hope to turn the dentist’s drill into a relic of the 20th century.
The technology, called “Raman spectroscopy” (RS), is not brand new. In fact, scientists in other fields have long been using it to distinguish between various chemicals, based on their unique molecular fingerprints.
But this is the first time RS has been used to identify teeth in the very earliest stages of decay, the British research team said.
“The technique we are working with can tell the difference between [healthy] enamel and decaying enamel, and so in the future, if this technology is further developed, a dentist could identify early decay using it,” explained study co-author Frances Downey, a graduate student with the Biomaterials, Biomimetics & Biophotonics Research Group operating out of the Dental Institute of King’s College London.
Laser Technology Spots Cavities Before They Start - washingtonpost.com.
Rochester police have a new tool to solve crime. The city is testing a new 3D laser scanner. The scanner made by Leica Geosystems is on loan from the A & E Television Network. It is part of the Rochester Police Departments agreement to participate in the reality drama “Crime 360″.
Rochester is one of only six departments in the entire country to use the scanner. Basically, it allows police to take a 3D picture of a scene. “When you have a live scan and you can recreate the scene the way it was right after it happened, the chances of solving the crime increase,” said Sgt. Mike Coon, Rochester Police Department. More at News10NBC.com
ABC News: Forestry Tasmania has found laser beams can more accurately map forest terrain, to help identify which trees should be protected for their carbon stores.
