New Uranium Compound Could Lead to Atomic Hard Drives

[Tom Phoenix]

Putting health concerns aside, does the average user even need that much space? The amount of space offered by modern hard drives is already way more than most people actually require. As such, I fail to see much of a benefit from even larger hard drives, at least not at this point in time.

I'm pretty sure people in the late eighties had that SAME argument, but for megabytes and gigabytes.

I'm really glad we didn't listen to them then, either.

No, I'm preety sure they didn't. Back then, software was developing at an incredible rate, so increasing hardware advances were required. Today, however, the software is lagging far behind the hardware.

 

[martin's a madman]

No need to worry, chemical compounds won't ever give you a nuclear explosion because they are exclusively electron exchanges, sharing, etc. (electrons being outside the nucleus)

Yeah. Plus, U-238 (Depleted Uranium) isn't fissile. It's U-235 that splits when it captures a neutron. To fission U-238 you need really REALLY fast moving neutrons, the kind usually only found in hydrogen bombs and the sun. And even then, the neutrons it gives off when it reacts are too slow to fission more U-238 atoms, so it can't sustain a reaction on its own.

Though I'm sure that won't stop all the concerned mothers from hearing "Uranium" and start mouthing off at Fox News about the 'danger'.

EDIT:
I wonder if there is a way you could use this tech for SRAM chips for ultra-dense storage on pen drives, memory cards, and solid state devices.

You seem to know more or less what you're talking about, can you tell me who I should hate?

 

[true story]

yea this research is for the better part pointless because sdd are getting cheaper and cheaper and sdd are overall the best hard drives until crystal hard drives become feasible

 

[Ironman126]

its not weapons grade uranium so its impossible to detonate but the radition would be an issue. (most people don't realize that lead shielding only stops some forms of radiation.)

And what even more people don't realize is that DEPLETED Uranium (DU) is the least radioactive kind. It emits Alpha particles (I. E. protons) that cannot even penetrate aluminum foil. You can literally sleep on a bed of DU and be completely unharmed. Of course, i wouldn't swallow any, but it's use in things like hard-drives would be safe. However, if you actually read the article, it says that the research is to see if it can be done, not to necessarily make drives using DU.

 

[PiOfCube]

"I am pretty sure depleted uranium is still pretty dangerous to have. From what I've heard a lot of birth defects have occurred in Iraq due to all the depleted uranium from the Gulf War lying around has caused genes to mutate."

Yep, uranium in most forms is highly toxic and can cause serious problems. From what I have read, these birth defects were not caused by radiation but the toxicity of the material (though some argue the birth defects were caused by the very toxic propellants used to fuel the missiles).

Although just because an element is poisonous or dangerous on its own doesn't mean that it is still dangerous when combined with other elements... Look at NaCl, Sodium Chloride... What sort of life would we have if table salt had the combined properties of both elements instead of something very different when they form a compound.

 

[GonzoGamer]

Yeah, that is shady. Even when it is depleted it is still very radioactive.
So i would not want one of those in my house.
If they wanna use them in server-farms to store data be my guest.
But there is already way too much chemical stuff that is bad for your health
in any household and adding depleted uranium would not help it at all.

you need a TINFOIL HAT! My friend. Also a physics lesson.

That said, this product will never reach market, because for everyone willing to ride the edge of SCIENCE! we're gunna have millions of detractors worrying that our Depleted Uranium hardrives are going to nuke baby jesus. And FauxNews.

Maybe they'd do better if they said it was made from 'UnUranium!', no lemon scented kneejerking with UnUranium!

Now THAT sounds like a Cave Johnson quote.
That's what you were going for right?

Do the Japanese know about this?

 

[The Artificially Prolonged]

Brings a whole new meaning to rage-quitting.

lol well done sir, well done.

Just remember keeping your pc cool prevents meltdowns

On topic

Only works at a few degrees above absolute zero, hm I'm going to need a few more fans and a few gallons of liquid nitrogen. Hope they work out a way to get something similar to work at normal room temperatures. Go Science!

 

[FarleShadow]

Now THAT sounds like a Cave Johnson quote.
That's what you were going for right?

Actually no. I was thinking more in the tone of that ZP episode about people who kneejerk any percieved racism. But I've played Portal 2 alot, so maybe it was abit of both. Unintentionally. Cuz I hate people who quote computer games 'to be funni! lol!'

 

[8bitlove2a03]

Why didn't you put the link to Uni of Nottingham's Periodic Table of Videos? Liddle talked about it himself on a recent video.

http://youtu.be/2qZycn7o7Po

 

[McMullen]

Yeah, that is shady. Even when it is depleted it is still very radioactive.
So i would not want one of those in my house.
If they wanna use them in server-farms to store data be my guest.
But there is already way too much chemical stuff that is bad for your health
in any household and adding depleted uranium would not help it at all.

Chances are you already have many things in your house that are more radioactive than these drives would be.

But it's ok, you can go on thinking that anything with uranium, or some other slight amount of radioactivity has some sort of instant death magic woven into it. I've handled uranium ore and eaten a sandwich immediately afterward without washing my hands. That was nearly 11 years ago. I'm still here and cancer-free.

 

[McMullen]

New Uranium Compound Could Lead to Atomic Hard Drives

There are no nuclear reactions involved in the function of these hard drives, so they have nothing to do with atomic technology. This is like saying there was a chemical weapons spill on the dinner table when the salt shaker tipped over, on account of the presence of chlorine in the salt molecules.

The bullshit that consistently appears in your headlines is of such a grade that I think it would be best if its production were criminalized.

 

[yndsu]

Yeah, that is shady. Even when it is depleted it is still very radioactive.
So i would not want one of those in my house.
If they wanna use them in server-farms to store data be my guest.
But there is already way too much chemical stuff that is bad for your health
in any household and adding depleted uranium would not help it at all.

Chances are you already have many things in your house that are more radioactive than these drives would be.

But it's ok, you can go on thinking that anything with uranium, or some other slight amount of radioactivity has some sort of instant death magic woven into it. I've handled uranium ore and eaten a sandwich immediately afterward without washing my hands. That was nearly 11 years ago. I'm still here and cancer-free.

I never said anything about instant death. I know people who were in Chernobyl and were using shovels to throw the radioactive dust off the structures there. Some have died, some are still alive but with many medical issues.
And i am sure that there are radioactive materials in my house already. And chemical substances that do harm human organism. And i was saying that i am not going to buy things
that have uranium or any other radioactive material in it if i can and as long as i absolutely dont need it. And and HDD would be one of those things.

 

[Tom Goldman]

New Uranium Compound Could Lead to Atomic Hard Drives

There are no nuclear reactions involved in the function of these hard drives, so they have nothing to do with atomic technology. This is like saying there was a chemical weapons spill on the dinner table when the salt shaker tipped over, on account of the presence of chlorine in the salt molecules.

The bullshit that consistently appears in your headlines is of such a grade that I think it would be best if its production were criminalized.

Lighten up, bro.

 

[McMullen]

New Uranium Compound Could Lead to Atomic Hard Drives

There are no nuclear reactions involved in the function of these hard drives, so they have nothing to do with atomic technology. This is like saying there was a chemical weapons spill on the dinner table when the salt shaker tipped over, on account of the presence of chlorine in the salt molecules.

The bullshit that consistently appears in your headlines is of such a grade that I think it would be best if its production were criminalized.

Lighten up, bro.

I'll grant that that second paragraph was going a bit overboard, but still, I do not think you are doing your job with diligence or integrity by posting the kinds of headlines you do. And if it was meant to be funny, it fails.

I understand that bigger hard drives by themselves are not big news, even if they use exotic metals, but that just means you should find a different story to write about. Instead you make up stories that are more interesting, but have little connection to reality. The Escapist is filled with articles about the amount of trouble brought on the game industry by news organizations doing much the same thing. I'm surprised at how quick you and other contributors are to follow their approach to journalism.

 

[Tom Goldman]

New Uranium Compound Could Lead to Atomic Hard Drives

There are no nuclear reactions involved in the function of these hard drives, so they have nothing to do with atomic technology. This is like saying there was a chemical weapons spill on the dinner table when the salt shaker tipped over, on account of the presence of chlorine in the salt molecules.

The bullshit that consistently appears in your headlines is of such a grade that I think it would be best if its production were criminalized.

Lighten up, bro.

I'll grant that that second paragraph was going a bit overboard, but still, I do not think you are doing your job with diligence or integrity by posting the kinds of headlines you do. And if it was meant to be funny, it fails.

I understand that bigger hard drives by themselves are not big news, even if they use exotic metals, but that just means you should find a different story to write about. Instead you make up stories that are more interesting, but have little connection to reality. The Escapist is filled with articles about the amount of trouble brought on the game industry by news organizations doing much the same thing. I'm surprised at how quick you and other contributors are to follow their approach to journalism.

Atomic may refer to: Of or relating to the Atom, the smallest particle of a chemical element that retains its chemical properties.

Atomic doesn't mean nuclear. The technique uses molecular magnets, made of two atoms. If the headline is somehow abundantly misleading, I'm failing to see how.

 

[McMullen]

New Uranium Compound Could Lead to Atomic Hard Drives

There are no nuclear reactions involved in the function of these hard drives, so they have nothing to do with atomic technology. This is like saying there was a chemical weapons spill on the dinner table when the salt shaker tipped over, on account of the presence of chlorine in the salt molecules.

The bullshit that consistently appears in your headlines is of such a grade that I think it would be best if its production were criminalized.

Lighten up, bro.

I'll grant that that second paragraph was going a bit overboard, but still, I do not think you are doing your job with diligence or integrity by posting the kinds of headlines you do. And if it was meant to be funny, it fails.

I understand that bigger hard drives by themselves are not big news, even if they use exotic metals, but that just means you should find a different story to write about. Instead you make up stories that are more interesting, but have little connection to reality. The Escapist is filled with articles about the amount of trouble brought on the game industry by news organizations doing much the same thing. I'm surprised at how quick you and other contributors are to follow their approach to journalism.

Atomic may refer to: Of or relating to the Atom, the smallest particle of a chemical element that retains its chemical properties.

Atomic doesn't mean nuclear. The technique uses molecular magnets, made of two atoms. If the headline is somehow abundantly misleading, I'm failing to see how.

Then it is a hard drive with molecular magnets, not an atomic hard drive. The atoms themselves are not the critical components, since the article mentioned that other elements could have been used as well. Something can be called atomic when atoms themselves are the critical component, like in an atomic clock.

In any case, it is very unlikely that that's the real reason you used the word, when nanotechnology would have done just as well. And we have evidence that it was, in fact, misleading because a whole bunch of people are posting comments saying the hard drives are dangerous, some for more than just the fact that uranium is radioactive. Either way, you failed to report the story effectively. If communicating the significance of scientific or technological news is your job, and this is a typical example of your work, you are not good at it. Not resorting to sensationalism is a good way to get better.

 

[Tom Goldman]

New Uranium Compound Could Lead to Atomic Hard Drives

There are no nuclear reactions involved in the function of these hard drives, so they have nothing to do with atomic technology. This is like saying there was a chemical weapons spill on the dinner table when the salt shaker tipped over, on account of the presence of chlorine in the salt molecules.

The bullshit that consistently appears in your headlines is of such a grade that I think it would be best if its production were criminalized.

Lighten up, bro.

I'll grant that that second paragraph was going a bit overboard, but still, I do not think you are doing your job with diligence or integrity by posting the kinds of headlines you do. And if it was meant to be funny, it fails.

I understand that bigger hard drives by themselves are not big news, even if they use exotic metals, but that just means you should find a different story to write about. Instead you make up stories that are more interesting, but have little connection to reality. The Escapist is filled with articles about the amount of trouble brought on the game industry by news organizations doing much the same thing. I'm surprised at how quick you and other contributors are to follow their approach to journalism.

Atomic may refer to: Of or relating to the Atom, the smallest particle of a chemical element that retains its chemical properties.

Atomic doesn't mean nuclear. The technique uses molecular magnets, made of two atoms. If the headline is somehow abundantly misleading, I'm failing to see how.

Then it is a hard drive with molecular magnets, not an atomic hard drive. The atoms themselves are not the critical components, since the article mentioned that other elements could have been used as well. Something can be called atomic when atoms themselves are the critical component, like in an atomic clock.

In any case, it is very unlikely that that's the real reason you used the word, when nanotechnology would have done just as well. And we have evidence that it was, in fact, misleading because a whole bunch of people are posting comments saying the hard drives are dangerous, some for more than just the fact that uranium is radioactive. Either way, you failed to report the story effectively. If communicating the significance of scientific or technological news is your job, and this is a typical example of your work, you are not good at it. Not resorting to sensationalism is a good way to get better.

Let's start judging YouTube videos by the comments people make too. Not sure what's got your goat, but the title and article are just fine.