affinite
Well-known member
Dont think the link will work (subscription required) but an interesting article in The Times caught my eye today ...
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/science/article4262846.ece
Extract
"An astrophysicist who has spent his career studying black holes and dark matter has come up with a radical invention aimed at eradicating malaria.
Szabolcs Márka, based at Columbia University in New York, has developed an “optical bed net”, a curtain of light that repels mosquitoes instantly.
“Binary black holes are beautiful, but we wanted to put some time into things that could help people,” said Dr Márka, who has received a $1 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to develop the technology.
It works by producing a sheet of infrared light, which acts as a barrier to keep mosquitoes out of a specific area. A series of specially designed beams of light are positioned along the top of the doorframe, while a conical “curtain” is created above a bed by using a rotating infrared beam."
.....
"Their prototype cost several hundred dollars but the team is aiming for a retail price of about $10. Even in places unaffected by malaria there could be a market for keeping mosquitoes out of bedrooms."
Id love a few of these on my boat ... Imagine an infra red mosquito curtain around the cockpit - Mrs Affinite would be in heaven !
Maybe those of us who cruise in mosquito areas should lobby AngusMcDoon for a YAPP along these lines
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/science/article4262846.ece
Extract
"An astrophysicist who has spent his career studying black holes and dark matter has come up with a radical invention aimed at eradicating malaria.
Szabolcs Márka, based at Columbia University in New York, has developed an “optical bed net”, a curtain of light that repels mosquitoes instantly.
“Binary black holes are beautiful, but we wanted to put some time into things that could help people,” said Dr Márka, who has received a $1 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to develop the technology.
It works by producing a sheet of infrared light, which acts as a barrier to keep mosquitoes out of a specific area. A series of specially designed beams of light are positioned along the top of the doorframe, while a conical “curtain” is created above a bed by using a rotating infrared beam."
.....
"Their prototype cost several hundred dollars but the team is aiming for a retail price of about $10. Even in places unaffected by malaria there could be a market for keeping mosquitoes out of bedrooms."
Id love a few of these on my boat ... Imagine an infra red mosquito curtain around the cockpit - Mrs Affinite would be in heaven !
Maybe those of us who cruise in mosquito areas should lobby AngusMcDoon for a YAPP along these lines