Smart Crystals. (really smart crystals)

Researchers in Japan have discovered organic crystals that change shape when illuminated with ultraviolet light and then return to their original form under visible light. In an April 11 Nature paper, they show that the crystals can go back and forth between the two different shapes up to 100 times before cracking. The crystals could lead to tiny machines that are driven by light, similar to today’s microelectromechanical systems used in microfluidics chips and optical communications systems, which are driven by electricity.

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Weihenstephaner Kristall Beer Review

My boss called me into his office the other day and told me he had an important assignment for me. He presented me with a bottle of Weihenstephaner Kristall Weissbier and told me to drink it at home (not at my desk) and write a review of the beer. This is the type of homework assignment I could not argue with.

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