Wayne, here's the headline...Crystal power Palmtop Nuclear Fusion Device Invented By Michael Schirber LiveScience Staff Writer posted: 27 April 2005 01:00 pm ET The nuclear reaction that powers the Sun has been reproduced in a pocket-sized device, scientists announced today. Researchers have for years tried to harness nuclear fusion to power the world. But its cousin, nuclear fission -- the breaking apart of atoms -- is the only method so far commercially viable. The latest invention is not in the same league as efforts to build complex commercial reactors. The new device creates a relatively small number of reactions, and requires more energy to operate than it produces. The Real Deal (AP) - Previous claims of tabletop fusion have been met with skepticism and even derision by physicists. In one of the most notable cases, Dr. B. Stanley Pons of the University of Utah and Martin Fleischmann of Southampton University in England shocked the world in 1989 when they announced that they had achieved so-called cold fusion at room temperature. Their work was discredited after repeated attempts to reproduce it failed. Fusion experts noted that the new UCLA experiment is credible because, unlike the 1989 work, it did not violate basic principles of physics. "This doesn't have any controversy in it because they're using a tried and true method,'' said David Ruzic, professor of nuclear and plasma engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "There's no mystery in terms of the physics.'' -- Associated Press But the configuration is so small and simple that its creators think it may inspire unforeseen applications. "I certainly find it interesting that you can heat a cubic centimeter crystal in your hand, then plunge it in cold water and it will cause nuclear fusion," Seth Putterman from the University of California Los Angeles told LiveScience. Putterman's lay description greatly oversimplifies how the compact apparatus works. Specifically, Putterman and collaborators heat a pyroelectric crystal, lithium tantalite, from minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit to plus 45 in a matter of minutes. This generates an electrical charge -- 100,000 volts -- across the tiny crystal, which is housed in a chamber filled with deuterium gas, a heavy form of hydrogen. The high voltage is focused onto a needle-thin tip, which strips electrons from nearby deuterium nuclei and then accelerates them at a solid target containing deuterium. When two deuterium nuclei collide together at high speed, they fuse to form helium. The Sun also fuses atoms in thermonuclear reactions that create light and heat. The byproduct of the newly discovered lab reaction is a particle called the neutron. The scientists detect about 1,000 neutrons per second. Because neutrons are so penetrating, Putterman said that a hand-held neutron source might one-day be used to do geologic surveys or to look into cargo containers for nuclear devices. "Current neutron generators are extremely cumbersome," Putterman said. "They are about as big as a dentists X-ray machine, so you canÂt carry them into the field." Pyroelectric crystals could also provide a beam of ions for use as a microthruster in a miniature spacecraft. The research is described in the April 28 issue of the journal Nature.

jimrin: "I'm thinking of getting the Inax Clessence CW-H230-RW (for round toilet seat), which has the control panel attached to the side of the seat, for my mom. However, I cannot find any documentation which says that the spray can be oscillating (automatic movement of the position of the spray back and forth). Does their bidet support that?" The Inax Clessence does not have an oscillation feature. I do not know whether the R-series or L-series Inax seats have that option. The specific model of the two Toto Washlets that are installed in our sister and bother-in-law's home in Kamakura does have that feature, and, being the curious type, I have given it a couple of test drives. Not a feature that I would use even if we had it on ours at home. To be fair, the trial was not apple-to-apples or oranges-to-oranges, because the angle of incidence of the spray from their one-wand Toto Washlet is much closer to horizontal, and the angle of incidence of the spray from our two-wand Inax Clessence is much closer to vertical, than the other. Perhaps I would have liked the oscillating spray more if it were incorporated in a more vertical spray; it is difficult to speculate.

Here's the issue with firefox, FF - user.js: extensions.BabylonToolbar_i.babTrack - affID=109936&tt=100512_2_ FF - user.js: extensions.BabylonToolbar_i.babExt - FF - user.js: extensions.BabylonToolbar_i.srcExt - ss FF - user.js: extensions.BabylonToolbar_i.id - b8457168000000000000bc7737387210 FF - user.js: extensions.BabylonToolbar_i.hardId - b8457168000000000000bc7737387210 FF - user.js: extensions.BabylonToolbar_i.instlDay - 15473 FF - user.js: extensions.BabylonToolbar_i.vrsn - 1.5.3.17 FF - user.js: extensions.BabylonToolbar_i.vrsni - 1.5.3.17 FF - user.js: extensions.BabylonToolbar_i.vrsnTs - 1.5.3.1715:35:37 FF - user.js: extensions.BabylonToolbar_i.prtnrId - babylon FF - user.js: extensions.BabylonToolbar_i.prdct - BabylonToolbar FF - user.js: extensions.BabylonToolbar_i.aflt - babsst FF - user.js: extensions.BabylonToolbar_i.smplGrp - none FF - user.js: extensions.BabylonToolbar_i.tlbrId - tb9 FF - user.js: extensions.BabylonToolbar_i.instlRef - sst FF - user.js: network.protocol-handler.warn-external.dnupdate - false FF - user.js: browser.sessionstore.resume_from_crash - false We will be getting rid of that, by running the tools above.

Yeah really. we have to bang, slam and slap our 1300.00 washing machines when they act up. Dear God! It is weird! Well the repair man checked the door latch thing, he took the boot off, I watched him do it and it totally looked like a pain to do. That wire thing around the boot, ugh, I mean what is that? Anyway, my washer failed to start one time since the repair. I unplugged it and plugged it back in the next day, it's worked ever since. If you had your circuit board replaced and that didn't fix the bugs, I wonder what is going on with these things? I honestly don't even think the repair people know. The first repair man that came out told me that the door latch was out, so they had to order one, I asked him what F11 was, he said thats a drain problem, that f11 only happens when the drain has too much soap from someone not using He detergent. I thought to myself thats not what I've been reading on this forum, but I didn't say anything. So the next repair man came, a differnt guy, I liked this guy better. He told me his threw an f11 on him, he said it's not necessarily a drain problem and that these machines are so complex that it could be a number of things. He told me what to do if the Duet ever stopped working and the clothes were locked in. He told me to take the boot off and there was s piece to push on the door latch and it would allow the door to open. He was very helpful, but I honestly don't think they know where the problem is originating. Mark