-----Original Message-----
From: John Colby
Sent: 03 January 2001 23:32
To: glaucus(a)smartgroups.com;
Subject: [glaucus] Research about the Sea Mouse
From BBC News Site
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1099000/1099278.stm
A humble marine worm with a talent for optical engineering may hold the
clue to new communication technologies.
Little is known about the sea mouse but its spines are exciting
physicists
Researchers in the UK and Australia said the technical wizardry of the
lowly sea mouse could be copied to develop hi-tech photonic systems.
The sea mouse, or Aphrodita, has spines that normally appear deep red in
colour. But when light falls on a spine perpendicular to its axis,
stripes of different colours appear - strong blues and greens.
Writing in the journal Nature, the scientists, led by Ross McPhedran,
from the University of Sydney in Australia, said: "The simple structure
responsible for this effect is a remarkable example of photonic
engineering by a living organism."
More on the website
Regards
John
--
John Colby
john.colby at btinternet.comhttp://www.smartgroups.com/groups/glaucus
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