Space travel, a concept which was once believed to be a dream for the common man has now, finally, turned into reality. Now, not only astronauts, but anyone and everyone can travel into space and experience the marvelous phenomena there. And this has been made possible by the Virgin Galactic, a company within Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin group which plans to provide Space trips to the people who aspire to see life above the sky.

MotherShip

The White Knight Two is a special aeroplane that functions as the mother-ship and launch-platform for the spacecraft SpaceShip Two.  It gives the Spacecraft more initial speed and altitude than if it were launched from the ground.  The design of the mothership is very simple and practical yet modern. It has a large fixed-wing aircraft, with two hulls, linked together by a central wing. Here’s a video that demonstrates the launching :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vh7HOu5-o10

SpaceShip Two

SpaceShip Two uses all the same basic technology, carbon composite construction and design as SpaceShipOne. However, it is around twice as large as that vehicle and will carry six passengers and two pilots. It is 60ft long with a 90 diameter cabin which is similar in size to a Falcon 900 executive jet albeit with no floor dissecting the cabin allowing maximum room for the astronauts to float in zero gravity. Each passenger gets the same seating position with two large windows: one side window and one overhead, so that, if you don’t want to float free in space, and you’d rather just remain in your seat, you still get a great chance to see the view. No more squabbling over for whosoever, since everyone has amazing seats! My intended major being Mechanical Engineering, I take deep interest in discussing about the mechanical and technical aspects of things. This spaceship is an air- launched glider powered by a hybrid rocket motor. It requires aerodynamic forces to provide itself stability and control, which, it has only when it is in the atmosphere. It follows a purely ballistic trajectory once it’s in space.

Spaceport America

A successful business requires an apt workplace and Virgin Galactic will just have that at Spaceport America in New Mexico. Virgin Galactic will establish its headquarters and operate its space flights from Spaceport America, the world’s first purpose built commercial spaceport which is now under construction. Spaceport America will provide cutting edge facilities and a wonderful location for fledgling astronauts to realize their dreams. The facility has been designed by world renowned, UK based Foster + Partners who won an international competition to build the first private spaceport in the world. The shape of the building and its interior design seeks to capture the drama and mystery of space flight itself. It’ll provide a feel of space and most of the showcasings inside will be of black color.Local materials and regional construction techniques are being used to build the Spaceport, which will in turn be both sustainable and sensitive to the surroundings.

This is, indeed, a very big leap in each and every sphere, be it design, sustainable methods and most importantly, it showcases the great progress of mankind over such a short period of time. This is what Virgin Galactic has in mind and plans to do it in sometime: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Tc_vlQSKpM#t=28

Virgin Galactic is doing whatever it can to promise a thrilling experience, So have you booked your ticket to space?

Reference List:

1. Freudenrich, C. How Virgin Galactic Works. Retrieved from http://science.howstuffworks.com/virgin-galactic.htm

2. Kluger, J. (2013). Virgin Galactic: The Hour is Nigh For Tourists in Space. Retrieved from  http://science.time.com/2013/09/25/virgin-galactic-the-hour-is-nigh-for-tourists-in-space/

3. Daileda, C. (2013). Richard Branson: Commercial Space Travel is Coming in 2014. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2013/09/25/richard-branson-space/

 

All of us are familiar with computers. Computers are very useful and can be referred to as a necessity in today’s world. Most of us must be knowing that the main basic components of computers consist of a semiconductor; Silicon. But recently, a team of super smart engineers from Stanford University have successfully invented a carbon nanotube computer, the very first of its kind.

“Carbon nanotubes are allotropes of carbon with extraordinary thermal conductivity, mechanical and electrical properties. Owing to their eco- sustainable properties, carbon nanotubes find their applications in forming materials of baseball bats, golf clubs and car parts.” (Source- Wikipedia.org) There is no doubt that carbon nanotubes have long been hailed as a next-gen wonder material capable of creating everything from space elevators to better batteries. The world’s first carbon nanotube computer whose central processor is entirely based on carbon nanotubes, is small and simple but its creators feel that carbon nanotubes are a viable potential replacement for silicon. The carbon nanotube processor is comparable in capabilities to the Intel 4004, that company’s first microprocessor, which was released in 1971, says , Subhasish Mitra, an electrical engineer at Stanford and one of the project’s co-leaders.The computer works on a simple software instruction set called MIPS. It can switch between multiple tasks like counting and sorting numbers and keep track of them, and it can fetch data from and send it back to an external memory. The nanotube processor is made up of 178 transistors, each of which contains carbon nanotubes that are about 10 to 200 nanometers long. When the carbon nanotubes are placed into transistors, they are small enough that engineers can fit many more of them onto a single chip compared to silicon transistors. Their size, combined with other properties of the nanotubes — including high conductivity and rapid on-off ability — would mean enhanced speed and energy efficiency.

But their path to the peak wasn’t easy. The team of engineers had to face two daunting challenges. Carbon nanotubes tend to self-assemble unpredictably, and that assembly process also yields some nanotubes with metallic properties, which will cause a transistor to short-circuit. And this in turn, will hinder the functioning of the computer. The team had to work hard to align the nanotubes in the way they wanted, so as to make the computer as energy efficient as possible.

The design of this computer is very subtle. Rather, more emphasis has been laid on the design of the circuits of the central processor. The shape, size and alignment of the nanotubes determine a large part of the design of the processor. To overcome the above mentioned challenges, the Stanford team used what they’ve named as an “imperfection- immune design”. This method uses electricity to vaporize metallic nanotubes during the fabrication process, and relies on an algorithm to create circuit designs that function despite any misalignment of the nanotubes. According to Mitra, such methods can prove to be beneficial in the industrial manufacturing of carbon nanotube transistors in the future. “You can’t expect to make these transistors one-by-one,” he said. “I think what this shows is that we can actually start to compete with silicon.”

With this amazing breakthrough, I don’t think that they could’ve improved on this as they’ve already engineered the product to its optimum performance. But there’s always scope for betterment, and with the enhancement of technology and guidance of other brilliant scientists, the Stanford team has the potential to make changes and make it more energy efficient, faster and cooler.

With the invention of this coming of age computer, we’ve certainly taken a big leap towards a better eco- friendly future and I have no qualms in mentioning that, “Maybe one day, Silicon Valley will become Carbon Valley.”

Reference List:

1. Mack, E. (2013). First carbon nanotube computer to help extend Moore’s Law? Retrieved from http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57604663-1/first-carbon-nanotube-computer-to-help-extend-moores-law/

2. Trader, T. (2013). Stanford Debuts First Carbon Nanotube Computer. Retrieved from  http://www.hpcwire.com/hpcwire/2013-09-27/stanford_debuts_first_carbon_nanotube_computer.html

3. Stoye, E. (2013). First carbon nanotube computer. Retrieved from http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/2013/09/carbon-nanotube-computer

4. Singh, T. (2013). Stanford University Builds The World’s First Carbon Nanotube Computer. Retrieved from http://inhabitat.com/stanford-university-builds-the-worlds-first-carbon-nanotube-computer/

When it comes to one person being confused on whether to buy a Mac or a Windows operating system, there are numerous people who come up with their own point of views and suggestions. Well, actually, the debate whether Mac is better or Windows, has been going on since sometime. And I, with this second blog of mine, am going to discuss the design and other features of Mac and Windows.

Firstly, lets look at some important aspects of both these software giants.

1) Hardware: Many feel the cost of a Mac is too high for what you get, but others justify the heftier price tag by citing top-tier support, higher quality hardware, and the benefits of the Apple ecosystem. Mac hardware does come with a number of limitations when it comes to specifications.

2) Software: Everyone knows that Windows has tons of software, maybe too much of it. The Windows store has a lot of apps, even more than 50,000, while the mac store has only about 14,000 of them. In terms of software and programming alone, Windows is a clear winner, and it really depends from person to person about their choice and preference.

3) Viruses and Safety: It is an obvious fact that Windows has a lot of viruses, and due to its extensive programming, is more susceptible to viruses and requires a lot of maintenance to keep it safe from attacks. On the other hand, Mac, with its lesser extent of programming, gets almost no viruses, and is much safer and easier to use.

4) Design: In terms of designing , both platforms work well, and offer their own array of choices for varied types of people. Even though Windows is more easy to use, Mac is more appealing and fresh in terms of design. Designers, specifically, these days prefer Mac over Windows because of its better graphic user interface, core animation and designer friendly built in tools.

Microsoft Windows 8.

The Bottom Line

PROS for Macs:

1) Macs are more straightforward.

2) They have fewer viruses, and require a lot less maintenance.

3) They make the user experience more enjoyable.

PROS for Windows:

1) Windows PCs provide lots of flexibility and customization (both hardware and software).

2) Windows PCs offer support for cutting-edge hardware.

3) Windows has more software available than any other platform.

4) Windows offers great backwards-compatibility.

5) Windows provides a great gaming experience, thanks to great hardware support and lots of   games.

6) Windows offers better options for music production.

As far as improvements are concerned, Apple can expand its horizons by producing Laptops and PC’s with a more programmer friendly perspective and better gaming facilities. Whereas, Windows needs to work on its Graphic User Interface as a whole and improvements on Virus protection.

So, in the end, the choice is yours. A better, more intuitive GUI or over 40,000 apps at your finger tips?

Reference List: 

1. Herrman, J. (2013). Mac Vs. PC: Ultimate Laptop Lab Test. Retrieved from http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/reviews/mac-vs-pc-ultimate-laptop-lab-test#slide-1

2. Jennings, M. (2013). Windows 8 vs Mac OS. Retrieved from http://www.itpro.co.uk/desktop-software/20273/windows-8-vs-mac-os-x-head-head-review

 

 

The most magnificent man made structure in the recent times has to be the Burj Khalifa. Located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Burj Khalifa which is also known as the Khalifa Tower, is 830 meters tall. The Burj Khalifa, which is the tallest structure in the world as of now, is primarily known for its height, location and mesmerizing architecture. The skyscraper has been designed by the very popular architect Adrian Smith who is also known for his earlier projects like Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai and AT&T Corporate Centre in Chicago. But the designing and construction of the Burj Khalifa has by far been Adrian Smith’s most ambitious project. When one thinks of the Burj Khalifa, only one thing comes to the mind- that it is the tallest structure in the world. But other than its height, there’s much more to the Burj Khalifa.

 

Burj Khalifa was designed not with the intention of gaining accolades for the tallest building in the world but with the intention of having almost everything within one single building. The Burj Khalifa, a true masterpiece, is an incorporation of more than 20,000 homes, various hotels, corporate suites, residential towers and shopping centres within one building. Also, in the viscinity of the Burj Khalifa are the Dubai mall, more than 2 hectares of parkland and 12 hectares of a man made Burj Khalifa lake. With the execution of Burj Khalifa, Dubai has surely become the centre of attraction of the world. Mr. Mohamed Alabbar, Chairman, Emaar Properties, said: “Burj Khalifa goes beyond its imposing physical specifications. In Burj Khalifa, we see the triumph of Dubai’s vision of attaining the seemingly impossible and setting new benchmarks.”

 

Architect Adrian Smith has incorporated various patterns from different spheres of design. Firstly, he has provided the traditional Islamic architectural look to the building. The Burj Khalifa’s basic base structure is similar to the orientation of a desert flower named Hymenocallis. Just like this flower whose petals protrude of its stem, the wings of the Khalifa tower extend from its central core. There are a total of 163 floors in the building, which makes it the building with the maximum number of floors in the world. The interior design of the building shows a stark yet moderated contrast and a smooth transition from the traditional Arab world to the modern and sleek infrastructure of the 21^st century. The interior design of the building has been done in such a way that people realize that even after years of progress and evolution of the arab world, the citizens of UAE still hold onto their traditional and cultural values. The contrast can been seen as one enters the lift and goes to the top most floor of the building. The lift, which travels at a speed of  600 m/min, while travelling showcases a traditional moving presentation with pictures of traditional Bedouin nomadic lifestyles, hence, showing the bond that the citizens hold with their roots even after such progress. While designing and construction of the Burj Khalifa, a constant effort was made to use environment friendly methods, and these methods are still being used while it is functioning. It saves 3200KW of power per day. It also uses solar panels to heat 140,000 litres of water everyday which is distributed in homes and other commercial entities in the building. From eco sustainable methods to amazing art work, the Burj Khalifa is a blend of an amazing depiction of the old arab tradition and modern day architecture.