UCLA Builds Working X-Ray Machine Using Scotch-Tape

[thebobman]

This is hands-down the craziest thing I've read about in weeks:

First off: Peeling Scotch-Tape off of glass in a vacuum produces X-Rays. Blurb about this on CNN.com
Now one would assume that you wouldn't get much in the way of usable x-rays from this process, but it turns out, this bat-shit crazy science is actually applicable: UCLA Pair X-Ray Finger with Scotch-Tape X-Ray Machine @ Wired.com

So essentially, these guys figured out how to make an x-ray machine that run on Scotch-Tape, and very little else. What makes this that much crazier is the fact that the current method for producing X-rays is less than 0.1% efficient, meaning 99.9% of the energy that's used to produce the x-rays is lost making portable x-rays based on existing technology a complete pipe dream. This new method opens the door to cheap, portable x-ray machines. I'm betting that alone will totally revolutionize emergency medical care as well as medical care in remote or poor areas.

[Some dude]

What they need to do is man the fuck up and just use a stick (or tube) of a radioactive isotope instead of all that fancy-pants electron beam bullshit.

They don't say how much of a vacuum is needed, and that's kinda critical to whether or not this technology is practical.

[-evil-duerr-]

what are you guys scientists?

[SEAN!]

Originally Posted by Some dude

What they need to do is man the fuck up and just use a stick (or tube) of a radioactive isotope instead of all that fancy-pants electron beam bullshit.

They don't say how much of a vacuum is needed, and that's kinda critical to whether or not this technology is practical.

a vaccum is a vaccum, theres no degrees of vaccumation.

i created a new werd yea me