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LY DD © oF VEN? LET THERE BE LIGHT COMPUTERS! Sir virtual-computers which use light-beams in place of wires and circuitry should soon become a reality, thanks to Australian research. Light beams are better than conventional electronics for com- puting and communications because nothing travels faster, and because they have no mass and suffer less from interference. They can even pass through each other without distortion. It means scientists will soon be able to cre- ate transparent computers the size of a sugar cube with millions of components and circuits all con- sisting of light alone. Research by professors Allan Snyder and John Mitchell, at the Centre for —_ believes the work will lead to viable new the Mind at the Australian National technology. University, is leading the world in optical "Light controls its own destiny," Prof. computing. Professors Snyder and Snyder said. "The question remains Mitchell base their work on light waves _ whether we can harness it to control ours." called "solitons" which are the building (Source: © Mark Thornton, alanthor@net - blocks of the technology required to make —_info.com.au) light guide light. Professor Snyder calls solitons the "ulti- | NUKE WASTE MAY BE RECYCLED mate surfer's wave" because they go on INTO CONSUMER GOODS and on without losing shape or form. controversial Directive passed by the Normally, light-waves dissipate and need European Council of Ministers in optical fibres to contain them, but solitons 1996 will allow the nuclear industry to create their own channels. Previously it | dump radioactive waste in landfill tips, was thought that only high-powered lasers _ burn it, or recycle it into consumer goods. could guide other light sources, but the The Directive Euratom 96/29, when it ANU team has shown that an ordinary —__ becomes law by the year 2000, will permit light bulb can also work in this way. the release into the environment or the The ANU research will make it possible recycling of nuclear waste without any for engineers to conceive and design __ need for reporting or authorisation, so long experimental models. Professor Snyder as the concentration of radioactive sub- HOME ADPRESS NET ADORESS stances in the waste is below thresh- olds set out in the Directive. You guessed it: the thresholds are ridiculously lax, up to a million times more so than present law in the UK permits. To find out more, phone the Low- Level Radiation Campaign in the UK on +44 (0)1970 824771 or visit its Internet website, www.IIrc.org. (Source: Brochure issued by the Low-Level Radiation Campaign, Ammondale, Spa Road, Llandrindod, Wells, Powys LDI SEY, UK) US FDA REFUSES BAN ON ANIMAL ORGAN TRANSPLANTS D2 increasing evidence that animal viruses are capable of infecting human cells, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will not ban the transplantation of animal organs into humans. Xenotransplantation at this stage primar- ily involves the transplanting of organs from genetically altered pigs into humans. The pigs are genetically altered so as to make the human body unlikely to reject the pig organs. However, leading researchers are contin- uing to find pig retroviruses capable of infecting human cells (Nature 389:681-82, 16 October 1997) and are thus calling for a moratorium. "Will there be a moratorium? No, we do not plan to do that," Michael Friedman, acting FDA commissioner recently told a meeting held near Washington, DC, to dis- cuss the issue. (Sources: Australian Doctor, 5 December 1997; New Scientist, 24 & 31 January 1998) believes the work will lead to viable new technology. "Light controls its own destiny," Prof. Snyder said. "The question remains whether we can harness it to control ours." (Source: © Mark Thornton, alanthor@net - info.com.au) NUKE WASTE MAY BE RECYCLED INTO CONSUMER GOODS controversial Directive passed by the European Council of Ministers in 1996 will allow the nuclear industry to dump radioactive waste in landfill tips, burn it, or recycle it into consumer goods. The Directive Euratom 96/29, when it becomes law by the year 2000, will permit the release into the environment or the recycling of nuclear waste without any need for reporting or authorisation, so long as the concentration of radioactive sub- US WEAPONS CONTRACTS IN JEOPARDY IN S-E ASIA O: the surface, the 12-day tour of Asia in January by US Defense Secretary William Cohen appeared to convey his government's commitment to stability and security in South-East Asia. Beneath the surface, however, one realises that the real purpose of Cohen's visit was to shore up arms contracts in danger of collapse due to the regional economic crisis. US arms exports are tipped to total US$16 billion in 1998, with a quarter of this destined for Asia. The falling value of Asian currencies in recent months has seen Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, 6 = NEXUS APRIL - MAY 1998