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      The World's Smallest Radio

      A single carbon nanotube can function as a radio that detects and plays songs

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      The World's Smallest Radio
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      Credits: Shelter Productions (photo); Kursten Bracchi (prop styling); Anthony Isambert for Halley Resources (grooming)

      The World's Smallest Radio

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      • Search and Rescue Insect-size robots equipped with nano gas sensors and miniaturized cameras alert rescuers by a nanoradio signal about the presence of toxic carbon monoxide and the location of survivors in a collapsed mine... George Retseck
      • Drug Delivery Drug-containing capsules equipped with nanoradios home to cancer cells and release their payloads on receipt of a signal from outside the patient’s body. George Retseck
      • Demodulation The vibrating nanotube alters the current in a way that retains just the audio frequencies of the radio wave. George Retseck
      • Amplification A large flow of electrons from the nanotube tip amplifies the signal in the presence of a small voltage from a battery. George Retseck
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      • Tuning Strength of an electric field can be adjusted to let the nanotube be tensioned like a guitar string so that it vibrates only at the proper frequency. George Retseck
      • Reception Antenna of nanodimensions detects a radio wave by vibrating at the same frequency as the rapidly oscillating signal. George Retseck
      • Nanotube Radio George Retseck
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      • Search and Rescue
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      • Demodulation
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      • Nanotube Radio
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