Thursday, December 28, 2006

Israelis Invent A Molecule-Sized Padlock

When the Jews aren't busy running the world, oppressing unfortunate terrorists and terrorist-supporting neighbors, dominating the entertainment industry, and counting all the cash they get from all these endeavors, they find time to invent things.

LiveScience reported yesterday that Israeli scientists have invented a new padlock and key.

Scientists have created a keypad lock a single molecule in size. This lock only activates when exposed to the correct password, a sequence of chemicals and light.

Researchers suggest their device could in the future lead to a new level of safeguards for secret information. This lock might also serve to recognize when certain sequences of chemicals are released in the body--for instance, after exposure to Sarin or another deadly chemical or biological weapon.

Organic chemist Abraham Shanzer and his colleagues at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovat, began with a molecule named FLIP. At its core is a component dubbed a "linker" that mimics a bacterial compound that binds to iron. Attached to it are two molecules that respectively can glow either blue or green.

There are essentially three "buttons" that scientists can use with this molecular kedypad lock. These are an acidic molecule, an alkaline compound, and ultraviolet light.

When the lock is exposed to one sequence of chemicals and light--the alkaline molecule, followed by ultraviolet light--it will emit blue light. When the lock is given another "password"--the acid, then the alkaline, and finally ultraviolet light--it will glow green.

These reactions only take place if each input is given within three minutes of each other, or the lock will essentially reset. Any other combination will have relatively little to no effect.

This sounds really great. Top secret documents would stay secret, leading the New York Times to go out of business. The devices could be used for detecting chemical/biological/nuclear weapons or components in airports and shipyards and government buildings and at the border. Since they're only a molecule's size, lots of them could fit in the metal detectors at the airport security check locations, checking for a wide variety of ill-intended substances.

One question, though. Why is it that the Jews, especially in Israel, manage to invent things that help mankind, but the Arab world only manages to invent or improve the weapons they use against Israel and the West? Just curious.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Obviously the ACLU won't stand for this latest invention.

And your first paragraph left out "kidnapping children and eating their flesh."

"Why the Israelis" is a much harder question than "Why not the Arabs."

Great Post.

SkyePuppy said...

Chris,

My officemate and I talked about that question a bit.

The Arabs and Israelis are both descendants of Abraham. The Israelis are children of the Promise (Isaac), and the Arabs are not (Ishmael). Somehow, the blessings God gave Isaac's descendants were used for good ("You shall be a blessing to all the people"). And the blessings He gave Ishmael's descendants (vast reserves of oil under all their dirt) are being used for destruction.

It's a shame to see such ancient history still playing itself out today.