Disorder enables extreme sensitivity in piezoelectric materials
(National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)) A research team working at NIST has found an explanation for the extreme sensitivity to mechanical pressure or voltage of a special class of solid materials called relaxors. The ability to control and tailor this sensitivity would allow industry to enhance a range of devices used in medical ultrasound imaging, loudspeakers, sonar and computer hard drives.
Barack Obama said his plan to end the Iraq war was unchanged and he was puzzled by the sharp reaction to his statement that he might "refine" his timetable for withdrawing U.S. combat troops.
AFP - The United States military wanted to test deadly nerve gases on Australian troops in a remote area of far north Queensland in the 1960s but Canberra refused, a report said Sunday.