I Want a Tricorder!
And it looks like we’re getting closer to one. I just read that some Purdue scientists have created a device that can identify the chemical composition of objects, rather like a tricorder. It can also detect trace elements on a surface.
Not identical, of course. It sprays a fine mist of water, which I don’t recall seeing a tricorder do on Star Trek. The water clings to the particles, which can then be analyzed.
The technology combines two existing technologies - the desorption electrospray ionization and a handheld spectrometer. It sounds like it’s not a lightweight device, since handheld spectrometers weigh in at about 20 pounds, but that’s still far lighter than the 300 pounds of a laboratory model.
It’s fun seeing life imitate Star Trek at times. Now all we need is a nice warp drive, some aliens… uhh, let’s skip the Borg and other warlike species. I’d like to actually survive out there.
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