Word: plasticity
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...chosen--welcomes seven fighters into a room lined with worn sofas. Despite the steady whoomp-whoomp of circling U.S. helicopters, the insurgents sit back, chain-smoking and chatting about weapons, tactics, the long lines to get gasoline, whose children are starting to crawl. A young man spreads a plastic sheet on the floor and lays out plates of roasted chicken, rice, bean soup and boiled vegetables. As the men eat, the talk is jovial, full of laughter and noisy boasting. The presence of a reporter for a U.S. magazine does not seem to faze them. "American soldier very afraid," roars...
...science of solar cells with the science of nanotechnology, which manipulates items as small as an atom to do everything from switching electricity to storing data to sensing the movement of a bridge that is beginning to weaken. Thanks to this, Nanosys can already embed microscopic photovoltaic crystals into plastic sheeting. One prefabricated Nanosys roof could generate enough electricity to run all the appliances in a typical home, including the washing machine, the toaster, the PC and the entertainment center. Electricity generated during the day can be stored in batteries for use at night...
...single square meter of the solar-ready plastic will cost about $100 and last about 20 years, so a complete roof would cost a few thousand dollars. Nanosys' co-founder and head of business development, Stephen Empedocles, says that's a good investment, since the tiles will generate electricity at a cost of about 4¢ per kW-h, well below the 20¢ to $1 for traditional solar panels...
...hard lessons about focusing. Although Alien once concentrated on flexible computer screens, it is now putting all its efforts behind radio-frequency-identification (RFID) tags. The key to both flexible screens and RFID tags is Alien's patented manufacturing process, which allows chips to be generously sprinkled onto thin plastic sheets that can be easily attached to almost any type of product. Once fastened to a pack of razor blades, for example, a RFID chip emits a radio signal that allows the manufacturer or retailer to track if and when the product has been sold. Alien is the market leader...
...Thailand's best hotels, free golf at a slew of courses, free spa treatments, fast-track immigration, free limousine transfers and a 24-hour concierge service. And why do millionaires need discounts? "We all want a bargain," Thaksin, a telecommunications billionaire, said before doling out the black-and-gold plastic...