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Spring 2009

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ReSoURCeS Foam Condom http://www.bcbmcn.com/Products/p_l_02.htm A Chinese company called blue Cross bio-Medical is offering a foam condom made with silver "nanotech" particles. The female spray-on condom comes in a can with a plastic applicator. After the foam spray is squirted into the vagina it forms a physical membrane that prevents conception and protects against infection. The spray, using as its base material polyvinyl alcohol resin infused with nano-silver, provides both a spermicide and an antiseptic lubricant that helps prevents sexually transmitted diseases. The "nano-silver" condom is part of a growing list of consumer products built with so-called nanotech components. Some of these include wrinkle-free sheets clothing detergents, cosmetic products, toothpastes, air and water purifi cation machines, water sealants, and electronics parts. While nanotechnology (generally defi ned as dealing with structures 100 nanometers or smaller) was little more than a twinkle in Richard Feynman's eye 50 years ago, products like the nano-foam condom show that nanotech is becoming increasingly relevant to industrial manufacturing, and consequentially our lives — even in places as seemingly low- tech as the bedroom. Foam Condom For Women Tristan Guillford nAno 14 Feb 2009 AI bIo enhAnCeD nAno neURo hUMoR FoReVeR YoUng A generator designed to mimic the motion of fi sh has the potential to transform energy production in both the developed and developing worlds. "VIVACe" (Vortex Induced Vibrations for Aquatic Clean energy), developed by engineers at the University of Michigan, turns potentially destructive vibrations caused by vortices in water — as well as the fl ow of water itself — into usable electricity. Professor Michael bernitsas, the lead developer, claims that a fully developed VIVACe system should be able to generate power at about 5.5 cents per kilowatt-hour, a price comparable to wind and coal. The transformative aspect of VIVACe is that it works in currents moving at under two knots. existing hydrokinetic systems, capturing the energy of waves, currents, and tides, require fl ow speeds of fi ve or six knots to operate effi ciently, but the majority of available currents run at three knots or slower. VIVACe works by oscillating a cylinder on springs between alternating vortices caused by the shape of the system in the water — the back-and-forth motion of the cylinder generates power. Although the system doesn't look much like a fi sh, the underlying concept comes from observations of how fi sh move in turbulent water. The VIVACe system is compact, and scales well. A few cylinders would be enough to power a small village, while an array of VIVACe devices the area of a running track and about two stories high would produce enough electricity to power 100,000 homes. And because the system works slowly, VIVACe shouldn't threaten marine life. ReSoURCeS http://www.vortexhydroenergy.com/html/technology.html Something Fishy This Way Comes To The Rescue JAMAIS CASCIo

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