Features Table of Contents

June 2001

feature articles

the cold reality of power
Advances in cryogenic refrigeration are spurring superconductivity applications.

small packages
Reducing energy systems to the mesoscopic scale may one day yield fuel reformers for electric cars, 20 times the portable energy of batteries, or perhaps a visit to Mars.

space cadets
Microgravity experiments seek to test the equations for predicting flame behavior. In other words: How does a fire burn during an adventure?

let light be there
Brighter automotive beams, though they pierce the dark, can rob other drivers of night vision. Lighting experts see the problem from both sides.

electronic spelunkers
Manufacturers might choose shared access to virtual-reality technologies.

keener eyes for beowulf
Maintaining the country's nuclear weapons—without a shot being fired—requires flexible computer power and ever-expanding images of data.

stretching dollars
Georgia Tech researchers have developed technologies to lower maintenance costs for the Navy and automate tasks at the factory.

rethinking lithium
A national laboratory proposes a solid-electrolyte version of a rechargeable battery.