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Jul 1, 2009 | 4
When it comes to mapping the ocean floor, lasers can capture fine details even better than the sonar. However, while sound waves excel at cutting through dense materials, light waves move best through empty space, making it difficult for lasers to penetrate the ocean's murky depths.
Researchers from Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute think it's possible to overcome the problems of undersea laser imaging by deploying swarms of automated robots to do the job.
Working together, these bots could function as a giant laser-imaging network and provide broader, faster coverage of the ocean's bottom. The approach could aid in the identification of objects (such as mines) that endanger shipping and military operations, researchers say.
These robotic laser networks may also provide a more holistic view into the ecology of endangered coral reef habitats, says Fraser Dalgleish, the project's principal investigator and an assistant research professor at Harbor Branch in Fort Pierce, Fla.
May 26, 2009
Now that President Obama has named Sonia Sotomayor as his choice for the nation's highest court, he is expected to this week select a "cyber czar" to act as the U.S.'s highest-ranking cyber security official, The Washington Post reports today. The person assuming this newly created position will be responsible for protecting the country's government-run and private computer networks and will likely get a seat on the National Security Council.
Obama announced today that he is folding White House staff focusing on homeland security and counterterrorism into the National Security Council, The Boston Globe reports. The cyber czar will likely report both to the national security adviser and the senior White House economic adviser, a move that would indicate a desire to protect private networks without threatening economic growth, according to the Post, citing anonymous sources.
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