Non-Linear Thinking Brings Breakthrough Chemical Sensor

FutureTracker| Science Daily reports on a new sensor that exploits the traditional weakness of nano devices. It’s believed that this new ‘sniffer’ will achieve a detection level that approaches the theoretical limit, surpassing other state-of-the-art chemical sensors.

In reading about this device — which is a masterpiece of intelligent engineering — a line fit us, right between the eyeballs. We’ve come to the conclusion that one of the greatest challenges to climate change research is the lack of holistic thinking or interactive models, in which A influences B and C, therefore causing D …  While this non-linear thinking makes the job of research scientists enormously challenging, Mother Nature acts this way in real life every day.

Perhaps inspired by principles of biomimicy or design inspired by nature, we read about the development of this new chemical sensor:

“While the research community has been avoiding the nonlinearity associated with the nanoscale mechanical oscillators, we are embracing it,” said co-developer Nickolay Lavrik, a member of the Department of Energy lab’s Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences Division. “In the end, we hope to have a device capable of detecting incredibly small amounts of explosives compared to today’s chemical sensors.” Read on New sensor exploits traditional weakness of nano devices.

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