A newer lightweight metal that scientists propose is the strongest among all metals, yet lightweight, has been created that could be used to make future ground and airline vehicles.

The research team based out of the University of Los Angles used materials that have a stiffness to weight ratio which exceeds other metals that engineers have relied on for centuries in manufacturing, according to Newsweek.com.  The engineers have combined ceramic silicon carbide nanoparticles and magnesium to achieve this super strong metal. Another feature of the lightweight metal is that it can withstand high levels of heat without becoming warped or damaged in any way.

Nanoparticles are microscopic in nature and their chemical and physical properties are altered when scaled to a small size. According to the engineers, the silicon carbide nanoparticles were infused into a molten magnesium zinc. They said that their nanocomposite metal is composed of 14 percent silicon carbide and 86 percent magnesium by weight.

Since magnesium is readily available in large quantities, the engineers are confident that no harm will come to the environment  and that production of the metal would be easy.

“It’s been proposed that nanoparticles could really enhance the strength of metals without damaging their plasticity, especially light metals like magnesium,” said Xiaochun Li, a professor of manufacturing and engineering at UCLA, in a press statement. “But no groups have been able to disperse ceramic nanoparticles in molten metals until now.”

Vehicles are currently manufactured using the load bearing magnesium, although it is “a weaker version,” according to the engineering team.

A light structural metal that is especially strong has been created by researchers from the UCLA Henry Samuel School of Engineering and Applied Science.  The metal’s components are magnesium infused with a dense and even dispersal of ceramic silicon carbide nanoparticles.

This according to phys.org. Although it  is lighter, this new metal could be instrumental in manufacturing lighter automotives, including cars, aircraft and airplanes, while increasing their fuel efficiency.

To come up with this metal, the research team discovered a method to disperse and stabilize nanoparticles in molten metals.  Their findings, published in Nature, indicated they developed a manufacturing method that could introduce more delicate, yet high performance metals.

“It’s been proposed that nanoparticles could really enhance the strength of metals without damaging their plasticity, especially light metals like magnesium, but no groups have been able to disperse ceramic nanoparticles in molten metals until now,” said Xiaochun Li, the principal investigator on the research and Raytheon Chair in Manufacturing Engineering at UCLA. “With an infusion of physics and materials processing, our method paves a new way to enhance the performance of many different kinds of metals by evenly infusing dense nanoparticles to enhance the performance of metals to meet energy and sustainability challenges in today’s society.”

Structural metals are strength bearing metals that have the capacity to withstand the brawn of buildings and machinery used in vehicles. The research team’s ability to incorporate a vast number of silicon carbide particles less than 100 nanometers into magnesium added increased strength and durability, firmness and plasticity under extremely high temperatures.

Images from Mars are giving scientists an up close look at the Martian dunes so that further studies can eventually tell whether life formations are possible on the Red Planet. It has been something that has marveled not only scientists but most of the world’s population for decades.

The Curiosity Rover is now settled onto the land mass and provides images of the Red Planet as it makes its treks, capturing pictures all by its lonesome. A report by engadet said Curiosity Rover is traveling through the High Dune on the northwest side of Mars and retrieving samples which will be analyzed right there. Curiosty is equipped with its own laboratory.

The exploration of High Dune is a part of Bagnold Dunes and has the Curiosity located in the Northwest side of Mars.  Curiosity captured a series of images and transmitted them back to Earth November 27, making for an early Thanksgiving celebration.

Curiosity had already presented images from a distance before its arrival at the High Dune area. At that time, in August, petrified sand dunes were spotted in the images. However, its presence there, now, has given researchers an up close view, as the images are sharper and more recognizable.

From previous images, “NASA already observed from orbit that edges of the dunes move as much at three feet (one meter) per Earth year.”Curisoity was initially launched from Cape Canaveral four years ago. Its November 26 journey to Mars took eight months.  Its mission has been to investigate the planet’s environmental conditions in preparation for future exploration by humans.

Computers that can mimic the human language are being developed and will be full steam ahead, in the not too distant future. Actually it is the code that is being developed that some scientists think is an an advancement over previous programs.

According to Mashable, scientists at New York University are currently developing a language that will program computers to mimic the language of humans, in the form of drawings and symbols.  Currently computers have the capacity to arrive at conclusions after being programmed with a multitude of responses.

However, this new advancement will make it difficult to distinguish the computer’s language from humans. Researchers have, according to Science magazine, created a Bayesian Program Learning algorithm. Known as BPL, this extensive database teaches computers a vast assortment of visual concepts from one representative example.

The learning base will continue from previously programs. For example, once it learns one language, another will be easier based on prior knowledge. While this idea may seem fascinating to some, others may feel edgy about the advancements. However, researchers admit the language still lacks “the level of structural details as humans.”

They conceded, “it lacks explicit knowledge of parallel lines, symmetry, optional elements such as cross bars in ‘7’s, and connections between the ends of strokes and other strokes.” So for now, the components needed before the computers are fully adaptive, are still years away from becoming fully functional.

Still, with regard to artificial intelligence innovations, the BPL technology could have positive impacts on future endeavors, such as robotics.