Crack Detective
Under the enormous strain of daily use, the materials used for jet engine turbines and high-pressure bolts can develop fine cracks that lead to disaster. Researchers can identify most of these defects via neutron radiography, a technique similar to x-ray photography; but some cracks are too fine to register. An alternative method, called phase-contrast imaging, can detect even more subtle features, but it requires special equipment running in stringent environmental conditions such as complete isolation from vibration. Recently, however, physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the University of Melbourne and the University of Missouri, Columbia, have produced high-resolution neutron radiographs using conventional apparatus. The technique works by combining the data from two standard neutron radiographs taken from different angles, then extracting the phase contrast using a computer algorithm. The technique may also be used to study biological tissues: for example, to better visualize tumor boundaries. -E. Jonietz
Keep Reading
Most Popular
Large language models can do jaw-dropping things. But nobody knows exactly why.
And that's a problem. Figuring it out is one of the biggest scientific puzzles of our time and a crucial step towards controlling more powerful future models.
The problem with plug-in hybrids? Their drivers.
Plug-in hybrids are often sold as a transition to EVs, but new data from Europe shows we’re still underestimating the emissions they produce.
How scientists traced a mysterious covid case back to six toilets
When wastewater surveillance turns into a hunt for a single infected individual, the ethics get tricky.
Google DeepMind’s new generative model makes Super Mario–like games from scratch
Genie learns how to control games by watching hours and hours of video. It could help train next-gen robots too.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.