Discovery: Scotch tape is X-ray-ted

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: eekid () aol com
Date: October 23, 2008 10:56:48 AM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Discovery: Scotch tape is X-ray-ted

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2008/10/discovery-scotc.html

Discovery: Scotch tape is X-ray-ted


The wonders of duct tape are well known. Now, its clear cousin is  
showing its scientific stuff.

Researchers have discovered that Scotch tape emits X-rays — as long as  
you're peeling it in a vacuum chamber.

"We were very surprised," Juan Escobar, a UCLA graduate student, told  
the Associated Press. "The power you could get from just peeling tape  
was enormous."

He and his colleagues X-rayed a finger (photo), and that might lead to  
development of cheap, portable X-ray machines for paramedics or for  
locations lacking electricity.

But fear not, gift-wrappers of America. "We don't want to scare people  
from using Scotch tape in everyday life," Escobar said in their report  
on the findings, appearing in tomorrow's issue of the journal Nature.

It's not the first time that cello-tape's X-ray power have been  
detected. Soviet scientists reported similar findings more than 50  
years ago when they peeled tape off glass. The current research  
demonstrates the quantity of X-rays that could be produced, the  
authors note.

Read the article and see photos of the glowing tape.

(Photo of finger X-ray by Carlos Camara, Juan V. Escobar and Seth J.  
Putterman of the UCLA Laboratory of Low Temperatures and Acoustics,  
via AP.)





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