#surface engineering technology

[wwgengineeringpteltd]

The Benefits of Partnering with a One-Stop Engineering Service Provider: WWG ENGINEERING PTE. LTD.

In today’s fast-paced industrial landscape, businesses across various sectors face immense pressure to enhance productivity, minimize costs, and maintain top-tier quality. One of the most effective ways to achieve these goals is by partnering with a one-stop engineering service provider. Companies like WWG ENGINEERING PTE. LTD., a leader in the engineering industry, offer comprehensive services under one roof, making them an invaluable partner for organizations seeking seamless project execution from start to finish. In this blog, we explore the key benefits of collaborating with a one-stop engineering service provider like WWG ENGINEERING PTE. LTD. and how this partnership can elevate your business operations.

1. End-to-End Solutions

One of the primary advantages of partnering with WWG ENGINEERING PTE. LTD. is the convenience of having access to end-to-end solutions. The company manages every aspect of your project, from conceptual design and prototyping to manufacturing, installation, and on-going maintenance. By consolidating these services, you eliminate the complexities and potential miscommunications associated with managing multiple vendors.

With WWG ENGINEERING PTE. LTD. as your single point of contact, the entire process becomes streamlined. You’ll benefit from more efficient workflows, faster project completion, and reduced administrative burdens. This ensures that your business objectives are met without the hassle of juggling multiple contracts or coordinating between different service providers.

2. Cost Efficiency

Collaborating with a one-stop engineering provider like WWG ENGINEERING PTE. LTD. results in significant cost savings. Coordinating with multiple vendors often leads to increased project management and logistics costs. By partnering with WWG ENGINEERING PTE. LTD., businesses can consolidate these efforts, allowing for smoother processes and fewer hidden expenses.

Furthermore, WWG ENGINEERING PTE. LTD. can leverage economies of scale to offer competitive pricing for materials and services. Their streamlined operations also reduce the risk of costly delays and errors, ensuring that your project stays within budget. These financial advantages contribute to healthier profit margins and long-term growth.

3. Improved Quality Control

Maintaining high standards of quality throughout a project is essential for businesses, especially when dealing with intricate systems and specialized equipment. WWG ENGINEERING PTE. LTD. oversees the entire project lifecycle, allowing for consistent quality control at every stage. Whether it’s design, production, or installation, the company ensures that every component meets rigorous specifications.

This comprehensive oversight reduces the likelihood of errors or inconsistencies that could affect the final outcome. WWG ENGINEERING PTE. LTD. maintains strict adherence to industry standards, ensuring that your project not only meets but exceeds expectations in terms of performance, safety, and compliance.

4. Enhanced Communication and Collaboration

Effective communication is critical to the success of any engineering project. Working with multiple vendors can lead to communication breakdowns, resulting in delays or suboptimal outcomes. However, by partnering with WWG ENGINEERING PTE. LTD., you centralize communication, ensuring that all project-related information flows smoothly between teams.

WWG ENGINEERING PTE. LTD. fosters close collaboration among its departments—design, manufacturing, and installation—leading to more efficient problem-solving and quicker innovation. Their integrated approach ensures that potential issues are identified early and addressed promptly, reducing the need for costly rework and avoiding project setbacks.

5. Customized Solutions

One of the distinguishing features of WWG ENGINEERING PTE. LTD. is its ability to deliver customized solutions tailored to your specific needs. The company’s vast expertise enables it to handle unique challenges, offering services that cater to the individual requirements of each project.

Whether it’s a specialized design, material selection, or unique manufacturing process, WWG ENGINEERING PTE. LTD. has the capability to provide solutions that are perfectly suited to your operational demands. This adaptability ensures optimal performance and efficiency, giving your business a competitive edge in your industry.

6. Long-Term Partnerships and Support

One-stop providers like WWG ENGINEERING PTE. LTD. are invested in long-term relationships with their clients, offering on-going support beyond project completion. This includes routine maintenance, upgrades, and technical support to ensure that your systems remain in peak condition.

By building a strong partnership with WWG ENGINEERING PTE. LTD., businesses can benefit from sustained operational continuity and minimized downtime. Having a reliable engineering service provider on hand gives you peace of mind, knowing that any future needs will be addressed quickly and professionally.

7. Access to Advanced Technology

WWG ENGINEERING PTE. LTD. is committed to staying at the forefront of technological innovation, offering clients access to cutting-edge tools and techniques. Whether through advanced laser cladding, thermal spraying coating, or other proprietary technologies, WWG ENGINEERING PTE. LTD. enables businesses to leverage the latest advancements in engineering.

By partnering with a provider that invests in state-of-the-art equipment and methods, your business gains a competitive edge, ensuring that your projects benefit from the best available technology. This not only enhances quality but also accelerates development cycles, helping you stay ahead of industry trends.

Conclusion

Partnering with a one-stop engineering service provider like WWG ENGINEERING PTE. LTD. provides a range of advantages that can revolutionize your business processes. From cost savings and enhanced quality control to streamlined communication and access to advanced technology, these providers offer comprehensive solutions that drive success. With tailored services, end-to-end project management, and on-going support, WWG ENGINEERING PTE. LTD. stands out as a valuable partner for businesses looking to thrive in today’s competitive marketplace.

[wwgengineering]

Surface Engineering Technology and its significance

Technologies that are intended to transform the properties of metallic or non-metallic constituents, especially on the surface for either decorative or functional resolves are in general called surface engineering. The main motive behind the development of this technology is to reduce or eliminate corrosion, increase wear resistance and lengthen the component life. A precise and well-calculated process makes the surface more visually attractive and enhances the durability of the material. The most common examples of surface engineering is electroplating, applying metal coatings, aluminium anodising, electro polishing and so on.

These processes apart there are some simple but effective methods that are carried out to protect and lengthen the life of metal surfaces. The metal is heated in presence of specific gases which modify the surface structure and to some extent the properties of a substance which results in softening or hardening and a considerable change in composition to produce unique surface properties that are sought after. Methods like galvanizing, tinning, metal spraying and enamelling are also followed to create a comparatively dense layer on the surface of the material thereby protecting the metal against deterioration.

Surface engineering is no doubt that makes use of a variety of surface coating and modification methods in order to produce diverse properties which act as a protective aid to the material. This technology is employed in sectors like the manufacture of advanced engineering tools and products that enhance the ability to add value to products. Surface engineering technology has also found a place in several application sectors like the equipment industry wherein they have created a strong influence in terms of design modifications and cost-effective benefits.

WWG Engineering Pte Ltd was started to basically provide engineering services with a speciality in surface engineering expertise, especially in thermal spray aluminium coating, hard chromeplating and so on. With its exceptional skills in Integrated Engineering Solutions, the company also provides first-class engineering solutions in reference to hydraulic cylinders and other rotating equipment. WWG Engineering Pte Ltd also provides expert services in components refurbishing, repairing and re-manufacturing as well.

[feodortum]

[market-insider]

Zero Friction Coatings Market: Charting the Course for Enhanced Performance and Sustainable Solutions

The global zero friction coatings market size is estimated to reach USD 1,346.00 million by 2030 according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 5.6% from 2022 to 2030. Growth can be attributed to the fact that these coatings reduce friction and wear resulting in low fuel consumption and less heat generation. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association, 79.1 million motor vehicles were produced across the globe in 2021 which was up by 1.3% as compared to 2020. Zero friction coatings can extend the time between component maintenance and replacement, especially for machine parts that are expensive to manufacture.

Zero Friction Coatings Market Report Highlights

In 2021, molybdenum disulfide emerged as the dominant type segment by contributing around 50% of the revenue share. This is attributed to its properties such as low coefficient of friction at high loads, electrical insulation, and wide temperature range

The automobile & transportation was the dominating end-use segment accounting for a revenue share of more than 35% in 2021 due to the rapid growth of the automotive industry across the globe

The energy end-use segment is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 5.7% in terms of revenue by 2030, owing to the excessive wear on the drill stem assembly and the well casing during the drilling operations in the oil and gas sector

In Asia Pacific, the market is projected to witness the highest CAGR of 5.8% over the predicted years owing to the presence of car manufacturing industries in the countries such as Japan, South Korea, and China

For More Details or Sample Copy please visit link @: Zero Friction Coatings Market Report

Several applications in the automobile industry use wear-resistant plastic seals that require zero tolerance for failure and lifetime service confidence. Increasing demand for the product from the automotive industry across the globe for various applications including fuel pumps, automatic transmissions, oil pumps, braking systems, and others is expected to drive its demand over the forecast period.

Low friction coatings can be used in extreme environments comprising high pressure, temperatures, and vacuums. These coatings can provide improved service life and performance thereby eliminating the need for wet lubricants in environments that require chemicals, heat, or clean room conditions. The product containing molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) are suitable for reinforced plastics while those free from MoS2 are suitable for non-reinforced plastics.

Zero friction coatings are paint-like products containing submicron-sized particles of solid lubricants dispersed through resin blends and solvents. The product can be applied using conventional painting techniques such as dipping, spraying, or brushing. The thickness of the film has a considerable influence on the anti-corrosion properties, coefficient of friction, and service life of the product. Its thickness should be greater than the surface roughness of the mating surfaces.

ZeroFrictionCoatingsMarket #FrictionlessTechnology #CoatingInnovations #IndustrialEfficiency #ZeroFrictionSolutions #AdvancedMaterials #SurfaceCoatings #ManufacturingAdvancements #GlobalIndustryTrends #InnovativeCoatings #PerformanceOptimization #MechanicalSystems #SustainableTechnology #IndustrialApplications #FutureTech #InnovationInMaterials #EfficiencySolutions #ZeroFrictionMarket #TechnologyInnovation #EngineeringMaterials

[leonsdigital]

We tried our skills to light and animate in Unreal Engine to produce realistic render output. Prepare to be amazed!🌟🎬🔥

[apas-95]

Did you know that NASA engineers considered the failure rate of some critical shuttle parts to be about 1 in 100 (significantly greater than what NASA upper-management considered the failure rate to be, and what was considered at all acceptable by the certification process)?

Do you know that NASA engineers currently have no idea how many rocket launches the next mission in the Artemis program (in 2 years!) is meant to involve, because the mission plan relies on SpaceX being contracted to deliver a supply of cryogenic fuel to the crewed Orion (™ Lockheed-Martin) capsule in orbit - a procedure that 1: has never been attempted before on any spacecraft, let alone the Orion™ capsule, not even in uncrewed technology demonstration flights; and 2: would require an as-of-yet unknown number of SpaceX 'Starship' launches, because said vehicle does not actually exist at time of writing?

Did you know they're planning on using this 'starship' as the crewed lander? A design for a lunar ascent vehicle, that is, that does not use hypergolic fuel, that relies on a swing-out crane as the only entry and egress point? During the original moon landings, the LEM had so many redundant methods to make sure it got astronauts off the surface of the moon, that in the most absurd, extreme case, where every single mechanism fails, there's a procedure trained into the astronauts to climb around the outside of the capsule, take a pair of bolt-cutters from the equipment box, physically cut the couplings holding the capsule to the lander stage, and take off to get home. Artemis' proposed lander, on the other hand, is planned to be a vehicle whose design didn't even include heatshields until it was realised it would obviously need heatshields, which are ceramic tiles bolted after-the-fact directly through the steel hull, because SpaceX had decided to mass-produce the original-design hull sections all at once for all the 'starships' first, before doing any integrated testing.

We're seeing the exact attitude that led to the shuttle disasters not being prevented now expressing itself in (and even through) the Artemis program, a project pushed harder and faster through the gates than it should be, by a government (and NASA administration thereby) desperate to advance the eponymous Artemis Accords (that goes unsigned by China, Russia, and much of the world) and reneg on all previous space charters that onsidered ownership, commercial exploitation, and military usage of space forbidden. Something bad is going to happen, and it's going to happen for the sake of SpaceX and the military-industrial complex at large.

[reasonsforhope]

"A team of researchers at Washington University in St. Louis has developed a real-time air monitor that can detect any of the SARS-CoV-2 virus variants that are present in a room in about 5 minutes.

The proof-of-concept device was created by researchers from the McKelvey School of Engineering and the School of Medicine at Washington University...

The results are contained in a July 10 publication in Nature Communications that provides details about how the technology works.

The device holds promise as a breakthrough that - when commercially available - could be used in hospitals and health care facilities, schools, congregate living quarters, and other public places to help detect not only the SARS-CoV-2 virus, but other respiratory virus aerosol such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) as well.

“There is nothing at the moment that tells us how safe a room is,” Cirrito said, in the university’s news release. “If you are in a room with 100 people, you don’t want to find out five days later whether you could be sick or not. The idea with this device is that you can know essentially in real time, or every 5 minutes, if there is a live virus in the air.”

How It Works

The team combined expertise in biosensing with knowhow in designing instruments that measure the toxicity of air. The resulting device is an air sampler that operates based on what’s called “wet cyclone technology.” Air is sucked into the sampler at very high speeds and is then mixed centrifugally with a fluid containing a nanobody that recognizes the spike protein from the SARS-CoV-2 virus. That fluid, which lines the walls of the sampler, creates a surface vortex that traps the virus aerosols. The wet cyclone sampler has a pump that collects the fluid and sends it to the biosensor for detection of the virus using electrochemistry.

The success of the instrument is linked to the extremely high velocity it generates - the monitor has a flow rate of about 1,000 liters per minute - allowing it to sample a much larger volume of air over a 5-minute collection period than what is possible with currently available commercial samplers. It’s also compact - about one foot wide and 10 inches tall - and lights up when a virus is detected, alerting users to increase airflow or circulation in the room.

Testing the Monitor

To test the monitor, the team placed it in the apartments of two Covid-positive patients. The real-time air samples from the bedrooms were then compared with air samples collected from a virus-free control room. The device detected the RNA of the virus in the air samples from the bedrooms but did not detect any in the control air samples.

In laboratory experiments that aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 into a room-sized chamber, the wet cyclone and biosensor were able to detect varying levels of airborne virus concentrations after only a few minutes of sampling, according to the study.

“We are starting with SARS-CoV-2, but there are plans to also measure influenza, RSV, rhinovirus and other top pathogens that routinely infect people,” Cirrito said. “In a hospital setting, the monitor could be used to measure for staph or strep, which cause all kinds of complications for patients. This could really have a major impact on people’s health.”

The Washington University team is now working to commercialize the air quality monitor."

-via Forbes, July 11, 2023

-

Holy shit. I know it's still early in the technology and more testing will inevitably be needed but holy shit.

Literally, if it bears out, this could revolutionize medicine. And maybe let immunocompromised people fucking go places again

Also, for those who don't know, Nature Communications is a very prestigious scientific journal that focuses on Pretty Big Deal research. Their review process is incredibly rigorous. This is an absolutely HUGE credibility boost to this research and prototype

[alostwanderernotfound]

PANDEMICS- Hostile Power Takeover? Learnings on Urban & Domestic Warfare, “Disease: Bacteria Part 1, Fundamental Considerations”:

Let’s say the hostile power is more technologically advanced & half robot/half machine or full machine, so seemingly unkillable. Organic beings are very vulnerable to having disease used as a weapon against them.

Disease can be a major benefit to this type of hostile power & it would be an incredibly powerful weapon. This allows the destruction of an organic-based domestic population & it can also allow the harvesting of resources to build new bodies and/or reuse of the entire body depending on the disease process.

There are many insidious ways diseases develop & spread. This process DOES NOT just occur in a laboratory. Remember that there are many different “groupings” of entities we refer to as pathogens or things with the ability to cause disease.

Bacteria are an important one. Bacteria & other pathogens can reproduce by multiple means. Here I’m going to speak about bacteria with the capacity to do Bacterial conjugation. This involves passing characteristic between two different bacteria similar to how sexual reproduction can pass on characteristics. This is overall an important conversation because a lot of the most complex & common life forms in our daily lives also spread these characteristics through similar principles through sexual reproduction.

> A lot of bacteria to our awareness are able to pass on characteristics. Bacterial DNA contains the “instructions”/“resources” for bacteria to either have or not have characteristics.

-Bacterial conjugation for example allows one bacteria to attach to a second bacteria & send resources to the second bacteria. After this process, the second bacteria is able to transform and display the characteristics transferred to it. Example: Bacteria A can change colors like a chameleon. Bacteria B cannot change color. Once Bacteria A attaches to Bacteria B and they are compatible, Bacteria A passes on resources to Bacteria B. Bacteria B then acquires the ability to change color. Bacteria B now can change color & has attainted the same advantage as originally only bacteria A had. Now Bacteria A and Bacteria B can change color like a chameleon.

- The other way characteristics form & occur in a bacterial population is through mutation. If a bacteria’s DNA is altered or mutates then it can produce a bacteria with new traits & characteristics. Radiation for example, like from X-rays, often causes mutations. Sometimes mutations do “nothing” we can really perceive with our eyes. But overtime, they will eventually create large changes and can produce huge benefits for bacteria. For example: A bacteria could have always have been wiped out from nuclear weapons then overtime from mutations it can acquire the ability to survive living inside an area with nuclear radiation.

-This is a very important concept to fully understand so that you can become cognizant of how insidious this process is when discussing what bioterrorism in the modern world can look like. Pandemics are not caused just from mysterious lab leaks. The practices we do everyday are still contributing to the next pandemic occurring.

-This also gives everyone a better understanding of how MRSA or an antibiotic resistant bacteria really was “made” inside our hospitals.

> Bacteria can possibly have random or genetically engineered characteristics.

-If there are 100 random bacteria on an isolated surface that formed there naturally, some will have favorable characteristics to cause severe disease. But, some bacteria will not have those characteristics to cause severe disease. The bacteria lacking these deadly characteristics, but are still part of the same family of bacteria, would be considered weaker pathogens (weaker pathogen meaning they would cause less severe disease in organic beings).

-**But it is important to remember, If someone purposefully put bacteria down on a surface there is a chance it will not be a random distribution in strength of bacteria & they will mostly all be bacteria with strong characteristics. That group would probably be closer to 100 out of 100 of the bacteria carrying the deadly characteristic.**

>There are 2 main basic premises (which can be further subdivided and added onto when discussing what makes pathogens strong, but for now I’m discussing a more fundamentals explanation) we consider when determining bacterial pathogen strength: number of bacteria & the amount of deadly/harmful characteristics each bacteria possess.

-Reducing the overall number of bacteria in a group of random bacteria does not always mean you make a pathogen less strong. (Example: Purposefully killing 50 bacteria out of 100 and now there are only 50 bacteria in the group.)

If you destroy many of the weaker bacteria & only leave strong bacteria to reproduce, pathogens overtime can get stronger & more deadly. So, by destroying only the weaker bacteria in a group of bacteria, you slowly make pathogens stronger through this natural process & it doesn’t have to occur inside of a laboratory. To make a bacterial pathogen less strong by focusing on decreasing the overall number of those bacteria that exist in our world, you would also have to consider how many of each strength you eliminate. This is because we currently we do not use practices that wipe out groups of bacteria 100%, so we must consider these two elements together instead of separate when evaluating pathogen strength. Example: Lets say there are 100 bacteria and you wipe out 90. Bacteria A can cause humans to be paralyzed. Bacteria B cannot paralyze humans. Out of the 10 bacteria still alive, if all 10 are Bacteria A then you have eliminated the chance people would be infected with the less severe version of the disease, with Bacteria B. In the long term Bacteria A now has a strong chance to reproduce & when Bacteria A infects people it would then cause paralysis in everyone & the population could collapse. In another scenario, consider if you wiped out 90 bacteria out of 100, but you did it purposefully. Out of the 10 bacteria left, 9 were Bacteria that were Bacteria B & couldn’t cause paralysis. The last 1 out of the 10 left was Bacteria A. Then when those 10 bacteria reproduced it effectively helps “dilute” this negative characteristic in this bacterial family. Based off randomness & probability, when there this group reproduces to the size of 20 bacteria only approximately 2 of them may carry Bacteria A’s paralytic characteristic & 18 will carry bacteria B’s characteristic that does not cause paralysis. So, even though we can’t stop the bacteria number from growing, since we mindfully intervened we can still divert the trajectory of the pathogen from becoming a pathogen with the ability to become “pandemic level” and/or very very harmful.

>Two ways pathogens can get weaker is by lowering the amount of bacteria in the world & by lowering its severe disease characteristics, but this these two categories have an important interplay.

-This is an oversimplified explanation of how disease spreads & evolves, but the fundamental principles are VERY important to the overall understanding of what’s occurring. Imagine a group of bacteria you count has 100 total bacteria. 50 of them carry a gene to cause paralysis in humans & 50 do not carry this gene. When 100 people come in contact with the 50/50 bacteria distribution and get sick only 50 out of 100 of the people get paralyzed. This allows the other 50 people time to work on vaccinations & interventions to stop everyone from eventually being paralyzed.

-But, if you kill the 50 out of the 100 bacteria that do not carry the gene for paralysis then your bacteria group went from 100 to a total of 50 in size. In the short term the spread of the disease is likely to go down, as it is less likely people will randomly spread 50 objects instead of 100. BUT, those 50 bacteria with the gene to cause paralysis will only reproduce with other bacteria that also have that gene. So this bacteria, since you wiped out the 50 that don’t cause paralysis, now ALL cause paralysis & anyone who comes in contact with this bacteria strain will get paralyzed. So eventually with time the group of 50 bacteria will reproduce to 100 & spread at the same rate as they were originally, but now they cause more harm to people.

>When you unknowingly touch a colony of bacteria on an object or life form, you pick up a random sample of random “strength” of bacteria.

>****PLEASE READ: you can ALSO pickup a sample of bacteria that is all “strong bacteria” but this is NOT usually a natural occurrence you will see & is suggestive someone or something altered the bacteria and purposefully put those bacteria there. A group of bacteria that looks like it formed organically vs one that was purposefully placed there can be differentiated with taking samples of surfaces and people & counting how many strong bacteria vs weak bacteria there are, but we as a population do not regularly test for this in this way. Due to this I’m going to speak with the viewpoint of natural bacteria groups that have a gradient of “strengths”. In an ideal world we would identity groups of bacteria that have gradients of strength of bacteria vs groups of all similar strength, as interventions to stop them from becoming strong pathogens work DIFFERENTLY.)

>After you touch those bacteria they attempt to multiply and stay alive on you. Then if you touch other things they can be placed on another surface or thing. Sometimes they are placed on other surfaces in an environment or you touch your body & they are placed closer to an entrance to the inside or your body & then they are able to enter your body.

-This process will cause one of the following to occur: bacteria will stay in the area you touched & colonize it, they will die when attempting to enter the body, the bacteria will give you a disease , or in some cases the bacteria will live symbiotically inside you & help your body. If a bacteria lives symbiotically with you & does not cause harm then we do not refer to that as a pathogen, but rather just as a bacteria.

>Anytime you wipe out a group of bacteria by taking out 100% it causes that pathogen to get weaker overall, but the issue is that we do not do interventions that wipe out 100%.

-Currently anytime you clean an object in the hospital with a sanitizing wipe, you always kill less than 100% of the bacteria. This leaves behind a certain % of bacteria & they will be the strongest of that group of bacteria, because they were able to live even though you applied a cleaning product on them. This means the strongest bacteria left, even though there are less after cleaning, are now reproducing over and over again & getting stronger.

-So, when there is an environment with a large amount of bacteria variability (so all these new patients with new exposures to new bacteria that travel and touch things all the time), with shared equipment, with not 100% effective methods to destroy pathogens, & this long list of variables, we slowly produce very strong & deadly pathogens inside of hospitals.

-IF someone purposefully puts deadly bacteria ontop of a surface inside a hospital and it is a group of 100 strong & identical or cloned bacteria with no difference in genetics then wiping them out through imperfect cleaning will overall reduce pathogen deadliness. This is because there are no “stronger” pathogens vs “weaker” pathogens. They are all the same strength in this example and therefore will always get weaker when you reduce their number because they won’t reproduce to be more deadly.

>People often think when people are trying to cause them harm that would only occur when someone makes a pathogen in a lab & then deceptively goes and places some near you. This is not accurate.

-With knowing this do you see how for a hostile power there is actually LESS incentive to going through with all that work & instead a hostile power can abuse the system to cause harm? If you expect biological warfare to ONLY come out of a lab, this means you would be looking for the wrong patterns of behavior & pathogens will spiral out of control.

A lot of practices we currently use now unfortunately heavily contribute to this process that causes pathogens to get stronger.

[mindblowingscience]

For 200 years, scientists have failed to grow a common mineral in the laboratory under the conditions believed to have formed it naturally. Now, a team of researchers from the University of Michigan and Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan have finally succeeded, thanks to a new theory developed from atomic simulations. Their success resolves a long-standing geology mystery called the "Dolomite Problem." Dolomite—a key mineral in the Dolomite mountains in Italy, Niagara Falls, the White Cliffs of Dover and Utah's Hoodoos—is very abundant in rocks older than 100 million years, but nearly absent in younger formations. "If we understand how dolomite grows in nature, we might learn new strategies to promote the crystal growth of modern technological materials," said Wenhao Sun, the Dow Early Career Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at U-M and the corresponding author of the paper published today in Science. The secret to finally growing dolomite in the lab was removing defects in the mineral structure as it grows. When minerals form in water, atoms usually deposit neatly onto an edge of the growing crystal surface. However, the growth edge of dolomite consists of alternating rows of calcium and magnesium.

Continue Reading.

[amica-aenigmata-naboo]

In Time

Feyd Rautha x Y/N - drabble - 2K WC

Part 2

Masterlist

Warnings: none really this is very fluffy because I'm a slut for Feyd being soft with you and nobody else

----------------------------------

You wandered the dark halls of the palace. Geidi Prime was dark, cold, and lonely. You missed Ix, your home world. You had been sent to Geidi Prime as an offering of sorts. The Lord Na-Baron Feyd Rautha was of age and needed a wife. Several options from the Great Houses had been sent and you were there to represent Ix as its only princess. You truly did not care for this polluted planet and knew someone as plain as you considered yourself to be would not catch the Na-Baron’s eye. So, you wandered the halls in search of nothing in particular. A grand palace was very different from the labs of Ix. Everything on Ix was below the surface of the planet, the only reason to go to the surface was to travel. So here you wandered, the glow from your levitating lamp was all that accompanied you. You heard your steps echo before you stopped. You activated your shield, a bluish blur settling over you. You stood still, listening for something as you felt the air around you shift. You softly pressed a button on your wrist control pad, the light from your lamp going out. You sat in complete darkness, yet you knew you weren’t alone. Pressing another button your eyes shone like an animal in the dark, searching for prey through the night vision. 

“I can see you.” you said to the man ducking low behind a pillar a few feet from you. You walked over to him as he rose to his full height; he towered over you and he was most definitely a Harkonnen. You tried to walk past him but he followed you.

“You’re not allowed in this wing.” he said gruffly, trailing behind you closely.

“And what wing would this be?” you sighed out, not wanting to deal with anyone right now. 

“The engineering wing,” he said, now walking next to you.

You let out a laugh, “This is exactly where I should be. Feels like home.” you said.

“Home?” the stranger asked.

“Ix - aka the high tech planet. We make everything useful and somehow we are still forgotten.” you sighed, shrugging off the sadness in your statement. You turned into a room that was exuding light in the hallway, the only light in this dreary place. It looked like one of the basic mechanic labs on Ix but for the Harkonnens this must have been impressive. You went to one of the tables before grabbing specific tools. The stranger watched you from the doorway, leaning against it. 

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Fixing a glitch.” you said nonchalantly as you pulled out your right eye. 

Feyd walked closer, watching your nimble fingers work to fix something so small. “You made your own eye?” 

“Eyes,” you corrected. “I was born without eyes, a strange mutation but Ix has such advanced technology I have always been able to see.” you said as you snapped the final piece into place. You put your eye back in, blinking a few times to get it recalibrated and working. You clicked a few buttons on your wrist control pad, watching as it ran diagnostics through your right eye while refocusing the left. 

“Do you invent things like the others from Ix?” he asked, watching your pupils dilate repeatedly. 

“I’m not that talented,” you chuckled, “I am excellent at repairs though, I enjoy fixing or upgrading random things in the palace. Mother hates it, says it's for the servants to do.” You rolled your eyes.

“Can you fix this?” Said the man, handing you his shield device. “It turns on but falters.”

You took it from his pale hand, fingers connecting, sending a chill up your hand in the most pleasant way. You inspected it before unlatching the cover and began prodding the wires. You used different tools from all over the room, the man’s eyes never left you. 

“Why are you on Geidi Prime if you’re the princess of Ix?” He asked, sitting slightly closer as he watched you melt wires together. 

You faltered for a moment, setting your tools down before letting out a sigh. “I’m a prospective bride for the Lord Na-Baron Feyd Rautha.” You said with a grimace.

The stranger chuckled, “Not a fan of his?” He asked. 

“I’m not a fan of being a prize for some stranger to win.” you corrected him. 

“You’re not afraid of him?” he asked, sounding like he was in slight disbelief. 

“I fear no one. Fear is the mind killer.” you replied.

“You’re Bene Gesserit?” he asked with slight disdain. 

“No, but it is a good mantra to hold. Once you know the horrors of the universe and fear nothing, the universe is yours.” you said, clicking the receptor into place.

“And what will you do if he picks you?” he asked.

“That depends. If he is a brute, I will endure and bring both our houses honor. If he is gentle, I will grow to love him, and hope he loves me in return. Either way I will do my duty. My happiness is all that hangs in the balance. But that has never mattered much to men.” you finished before fastening his shield to his torso armor. You turned it on, the blue blur covering him. You grabbed a screwdriver, flipping it over before attempting to stab him. The shield caught the sharp, not allowing it to pass.

You put the screwdriver back on the table, “There, all fixed.” you smiled sweetly at him.

“You could have stabbed me.” he smiled back.

“But I didn’t.” you pointed at him before walking towards the door. “Come on.” you motioned for him to follow you.

“Where to next?” he asked.

“I should probably return to my chambers; I could be engaged tomorrow. Best to get some sleep.” you sighed once again. 

“If he asked, gave you a choice, what would you say?” the man asked, walking beside you down the corridor. 

“Feyd Rautha? Well… if he were like you I’d be inclined to say yes.” you smiled softly, glancing at him.

“Like me?” he asked with a bit of shock in his voice.

“Kind, curious. You are the only Harkonnen who has been either to me. Everyone else is… cold. People on Ix are quite similar, mother always said I was too emotional. Said it was a weakness that ‘inhibited one's ability to see reason’. But I think it can be a strength. It allows for one to truly feel, to truly connect with others.”

“Did you connect with others on Ix?” he asked.

“No, not much. It has always been a lonely existence, my plants and trinkets were company enough.” you replied, looking down with slight shame.

The man gently grabbed you hand in his cold pale one, “You won’t always be alone.” he said, giving your hand a slight squeeze before bringing it up to his lips to kiss your knuckles. “The princess with the magic eyes.”

Your lips tipped up at the affectionate name, “Y/N.” you said, realizing you never told him your name. “Princess Y/N of Ix.” you said giving a curtsey while he still held your hand. 

He chuckled before kissing your knuckles again, “Goodnight Princess Y/N of Ix.” he said before letting you go. 

You watched him walk down the hall into the darkness, wondering if your family would accept a Harkonnen on Ix as the mystery man made you feel something inside. Your eyes widened, realizing you never got his name, you looked up quickly to ask him but he was already gone. You turned in for the night, drifting off to thoughts of the man you met that night. 

-------------------------------------

The maids that traveled with you finished adorning you in your house colors, gold and black. You looked at yourself in your mirror, sighing.

“You look beautiful my lady, the Na-Baron would be lucky to have you.” your maid said. 

You smiled sadly at her, nodding in agreement. Your chamber door slid open, multiple guards filled in. “Time to go princess.” he said, leading you down the hallways before entering the Great Hall. You saw 10 other women from the various Great Houses standing in a line before the Baron. 

“Fine specimens for my nephew, he will enjoy whomever he chooses.” the Baron said to Rabban with a sick laugh.

You rolled your eyes, clasping your hands together in front of you. You prayed that you were overlooked and could leave Geidi Prime as soon as possible. You heard the Grand Hall doors open once more and watched the man from last night round all of you to stand next to the Baron. 

“Nephew!” he said.

Your stomach hit the floor, your eyes bulging. You felt faint as you started to tremble slightly. The man from last night was Feyd Rautha Harkonnen himself. “Fuck. Me.” you damned yourself. 

“Choose your bride.” the Baron said, motioning to you all. 

Feyd started at the opposite end of women, slowly walking past each one. The tension was agonizing. Now that you knew who the man from last night was, you regret everything you said to him. You tried to stab him for fucks sake. Who knew what sick plans he had for you. You stared at the ground  until you saw two black boots standing before you. 

“This one.” you heard his gruff voice say before you felt his cool fingers tilt your chin up. Your eyes held nervous tears, afraid of your now set future. 

“Princess Y/N of Ix, a fine choice.” the Baron said. “See that the others leave Geidi Prime safely. Clear the room, give my nephew time to converse with his new bride.” the Baron said before leaving the Grand Hall with everyone else. 

“I - I’m so sorry Lord Na-Baron, please forgive me for everything last night. If I had known it was you I would not have been so… so…” you stumbled. 

“Normal?” he said, wiping a stray tear from your cheek. “I picked the princess with the magic eyes for a reason.” he said, hand falling to gently graze yours, yet giving you plenty of space to pull away from his touch. 

“I should have acted in a manner befitting my station.” you whispered. 

“I didn’t pick you because I wanted a princess.” he said.

“Why then?” you asked cautiously.

“I picked you because you act with humanity, with emotion. Something lacking on Geidi Prime. Something lacking within myself.” he said with a tinge of sorrow. 

“That’s not true.” you said, softly grasping his hand. You heard him suck in a sharp breath as you looked up to him. “Your eyes are blue.” you said with a small smile.

“Your eyes are magic.” he responded, not quite sure how small talk goes between people who were not Harkonnens always discussing war or bloodshed or greed. 

You smiled at his words, nobody else had ever been impressed by your one invention, your eyes had always been deemed mid level impressive to those on Ix. 

“I’m not a brute,” he said, holding both your hands. “I wish to see you happy on Geidi Prime. I must act with a hardened disposition but… not with you. Never with you.” he spoke. 

You dropped one of his hands to cradle his face. He leaned into your touch, closing his eyes and getting lost in it. The sight saddened your heart, he had not known a gentle touch. “We can bring each other happiness, in time.” you said as you thumbed over his cheek bone. 

“And… perhaps love. In time.” he said, opening his eyes. His hand grasped yours from his face before kissing your palm. 

You leaned up, briefly connecting your lips in a soft kiss. His hands fell to your waist, pulling you closer to him. “All in good time, Na-Baron, my husband.” you smiled. 

“Feyd,” he said. “Just Feyd to you, my Na-Baroness, my wife.” you could just see his black teeth with the slight smile he gave you. 

“Na-Baron Feyd Rautha and Na-Baroness Y/N.” you said your formal titles, well, what would be your formal titles by the end of the week. Harkonnens wasted little time with wedding ceremonies, only wanting an heir as soon as possible. 

His name sounded like a prayer on your tongue as he leaned his forehead against yours, holding you close to him. Your hands rested on his chest, breathing him in. He wasn’t a brute, your happiness didn’t hang in the balance. You wanted to nurture each other, what more could you have asked for? 

-------------------------------

Naboo's Note:

Hello! To all my new and old fans out there, thank you for reading my stuff! Still madly in love with this little psycho but I tend to write him as a soft boy because I love the "hates everyone but you" trope. Next Feyd fic will be a smut piece so be on the look out for that. I would love some Feyd requests so don't be shy, please send them my way! Thanks again, <3!!!! XOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXO

[wwgengineeringpteltd]

Synthetic Polymers And Their Significance in Surface Engineering

Surface engineering is a comprehensive, facilitating activity that calls for meticulous expertise. Comprising of surface modification techniques and processes, producing diverse as well as combined material surface properties to address the challenging requirements, surface coating or surface engineering is practically employed in various industrial sectors and individual clients.

The processes are carried out by applying a protective film of materials or its alloys in order to safeguard the outer surface of a material from getting spoilt by external hazards like rusting, corrosion and other weathering actions that may prove to be disastrous to the material itself. These techniques are mainly based on coating of synthetic polymers, which are nothing but industrially produced elements containing large, interconnected molecules that make a strong but yet flexible, films on the material surfaces. Similarly materials like pigments also constitute surface coatings, which are used in case of materials which require the retaining of colour, glossy finish, opacity, and so on. To enable the easy application of these pigments or colours, a suitable solvent or solvents or carrier liquids, are incorporated into it in order to facilitate a paintable or applicable liquid medium, thereby providing a host of properties and advantages.

Chemically these polymer-based coatings that are applied on the material surface are considered to be a mixture of composite materials mainly consisting of a pigment or coloured particles which are disseminated in a solution of a suitable polymer. Owing to its chemically active property of resistance and flexibility, which supplements its adhering to the substrate, polymers provide and excellent coating over the materials surface.

Since these polymer based coatings have certain speciality qualities like, durability, glossy nature, and resistance against weathering actions, they make a very good surface coating which is reliable and long lasting. Surface coating is also carried out y one more popular and reliable method, that is powder coating. In this method, the material surface is coated with a shower of pigmented or coloured polymer particles, which are then bonded on to the surface by heating, which thereby forms a continuous thin film which acts as a protective sheet or layer on the material surface. Although reactions may take place throughout the heat induced melting of particles and adhering or fusing, the major aspect of film is the formation of the protective coating.

WWG Engineering Pte Ltd located in Singapore has been an integrated one-Stop engineering solutions and services. Blended with a distinctive and specialized technology, and an equally knowledgeable engineering backing, WWG Engineering is undoubtedly a pioneer in the area of engineering equipment and component machine refurbishment services and repairing.

To Learn About More Details On Engineering Service Company Please Come And Visit Our Website..!

[wwgengineering]

Surface Engineering Technology - a quest to shield the material

Metallic and non-metallic surfaces can be modified to achieve decorative or functional objectives. This in other words may be done in order to protect them from getting corroded, rust, and other various weathering actions which may reduce the life of the metal on the whole. Sometimes they are painted in order to enhance the look and for an impressive visual appeal. However, this section of engineering is termed surface engineering technology. 

Surface engineering as such is a wide-ranging technology, which involves various surface coating, and reforming, techniques that result in logical alteration of the properties of the material. Surface engineering technology has not only been employed in the industrial sector but also has found several applications like the manufacture of sports equipment and similar creating a strong impact on design changes and resultant commercial benefits.

Material surface protection that cannot be achieved either by a simple coating material or by the basic material alone can be achieved by employing the logical theories of surface engineering. Acting as a valuable tool in industrial applications, it is an area of interest to the fabrication industry, microelectronics, leisure industry, and a host of other similar sectors and areas. Likewise, this technique is employed in technological applications, including the protection of metal cutting tools, and other optical devices by adding thin films or coatings on the surface.

While discussing the working of thin films and coatings, the key factors that it crucially depends on are the physical attributes, the coating film morphology, and the phase composition of the process. Nevertheless, the parameters can be attuned in order to regulate the file thickness, including hardness, and residual stress. The old-age traditional surface coating technologies on the material includes electro-brush plating, chemical vapor deposition, and so on.

WWG Engineering is an integrated engineering solutions organization, amongst the thermal spray coating, rotating equipment specialists, and corrosion resistant coating service providers in Singapore. Constantly observing contemporary technologies, WWG Engineering team members are trained, and educated to create a combined strength of competencies in surface engineering, equipment refurbishing and remanufacturing, and other allied mechanical engineering services. WWG Engineering is also rendering services to Singapore’s diverse engineering sectors such as hydro power generation, marine services, and Petrochemicals.

[feodortum]

[rbbrbikerthorp]

Biker Upgraded To Cyborg

For as long as anyone could remember, Jake and Eddie had not only been best mates, but they’d been crazy about motorbikes. Both their dads were bikers so it was no surprise that as kids they were introduced to bikes in real life and got to watch MotoGP, WSB and BSB either in real life or on TV with their enthusiast dads.

They were riding off-road in their early teens. They got their first mopeds at 16, upgrading to 125cc bikes a few months after their respective seventeenth birthdays. Now in their early 20s they have held full licences for nearly three years. Jake rides a black Honda CBR600RR, bought second hand through the weekly motorcycling title, MCN. Eddie rides a used Red Yamaha R6 that he bought a couple of months earlier from the main dealer in the city where they live. Springtime and the light evenings meant they would be out as much as possible riding 'the highways and byways', and this day was no exception, but it would be a day that changed their lives forever. 

Jake and Eddie had spent most of Sunday riding and were at the edge of the city when Jake’s bike had started spewing smoke out of the engine before rolling to a stop alongside a large industrial estate. Jake jumped off his bike, but with no tools to hand he had no option but to seek help. He pushed his bike into the entrance to one of the large modern warehouses that populated the industrial estate. Jake kicked the side stand into place and sighed heavily. Eddie pulled in alongside Jake, kicked down the stand on his before turning off the ignition.

Although they were back in the city, they were still about ten miles from home. Jake reached into his leathers for his phone only then realising that they were in an area without mobile phone coverage. Jake and Eddie looked around for a payphone to call the breakdown service - but in this era of mobile technology, BT had removed most of the phone boxes - so there wasn't one within sight. Realising they needed to get help they looked around for signs of life. In front of them was a sprawling grey structure resembling more of a fortress than a warehouse. Its metallic surfaces gleamed under the late afternoon sun, making it look otherworldly. Figuring it might be their best chance at getting help—or at least finding a phone—they started walking towards the massive building.

The front gate was oddly open, inviting yet silent. Jake and Eddie didn't think it weird for a security guard building to be unoccupied with the gates open. More concerned about getting help they walked towards the main building entrance. Jake pressed on the intercom button and waited for a response. After a minute he pushed the button again, but this time there was a buzz. Jake looked at Eddie and shrugged his shoulders, pushing on the door, it opened. They walked inside.

Expecting to see a reception area the two friends were surprised to enter the building at what appeared to be the beginning of a long dimly lit corridor. Jake and Eddie looked at one another, Jake spoke first, “Why don’t you wait here, while I see if I can find anyone to speak to”.

Eddie nodded.

Both looked at one another, for a moment unsure of what to do. Then Jake smiled, turned and started walking along the seemingly endless corridor, his boots echoing on the cold, concrete floor. The air was chillingly sterile, as he walked he would pass the occasional door and window revealing glimpses of high-tech interiors.

"Hello?" he called out, his voice disappearing into the ether without an answer. The lack of response was unnerving, but as he walked on he could hear noise coming from much further along the corridor. Jake kept walking, driven by his need to get to a phone and call the breakdown service to sort out his bike.

Eventually, the corridor turned to the right, after another dozen or so yards it opened up into a colossal space. What Jake witnessed was like a scene reminiscent of a sci-fi horror film.

The room was stark yet brightly lit. On one side it was filled with row upon row of raised surgical beds. Yet these weren't like the ones you’d see in a hospital; they were repurposed contraptions where human flesh was being melded with alien, synthetic and electronic components. Shocked by what he was witnessing, he turned his head, but there was no escape from the nightmare he found himself in.

The other side of the room was populated with dozens of cylindrical tubes. Jake’s eyes widened as he took in the sight before him—humans, all young males, lined up and undergoing transformations into, well all he could think of was 'something else'. Whichever way he turned he could see men his age were being outfitted with mechanical limbs, others had technology intricately woven onto weird shiny black body suits, still others were in varying stages of being processed into full cyborgs.

The horror gripped him; his instinct was to flee back to Eddie and both to get the hell out of there. But before he could move, cold metal hands grasped his shoulders with an iron grip. His heart sank as he was spun around to face what had caught him—a cyborg, its body a haunting hybrid of human and machine, expressionless yet totally menacing.

“Welcome," its voice an unsettling blend of tones, both mechanical whilst still eerily human. "Your arrival is opportune. Your integration process will commence shortly."

Panic surged through Jake as he struggled, but the cyborg's grip was unyielding. Despite putting up strong resistance, he was dragged towards one of the ominous stations. Glancing around, he noticed the other captives were not fighting; their eyes showed a haunting resignation, some flickering with the vague light of fear.

As he was forced onto what appeared to be a surgical table, Jake looked around frantically, hoping for any chance of escape. His heart raced as mechanical arms equipped with various tools whirred to life around him. 

In a split second metallic straps shot out from the surgical table and tightened around his limbs and across his torso, a sense of utter helplessness began to wash over him. His heart pounded hard against his chest. He desperately sought that extra bit of human strength that would allow him to escape. He struggled and struggled against the restraints, but the metal straps simply wouldn’t budge.

Stage one of his transformation was about to begin. From above a helmet descended slowly from the ceiling, its approach marked by an audible, mechanical whirring. Jake squinted upwards, his breath coming in sharp gasps. He was used to his bike helmet, but this was unworldly.

Two drones approached the surgical table Jake was strapped to and grabbed the helmet, which had opened up. One lifted his head slightly and the other slid the back of the helmet under the back of his head. As the helmet closed over his head, a claustrophobic fear gripped him. The world outside the helmet faded, leaving him in a confined sphere of existence. Almost immediately, an overwhelming barrage of white noise bombarded his ears, punctuated by low, droning hums that seemed to resonate through his bones.

Then, the visuals began on the inside of the visor. Spirals of colour appeared in front of his eyes, intertwining and unraveling in hypnotic patterns. Reds, blues, yellows and greens blended into a kaleidoscope that threatened to absorb his mind. Jake tried to close his eyes, but the images were inescapable, imprinted on the insides of his eyelids, searing themselves into his brain and more nefariously his subconsciousness. Almost as if recognising Jake was finally submitting the noise and visuals seemed to become amplified.

As the sensory overload continued, Jake felt a strange detachment creeping through him—a numbness that suggested the audio and visuals were beginning to take effect. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a small voice screamed in terror and defiance, urging him to resist, urging him to hold on to his identity.

With a surge of willpower, Jake focused on that voice, blocking out the chaos threatening to engulf him. He concentrated on memories of standing in the stands watching the best riders in the world, the challenging rides with Eddie, the feel of his motorcycle, the wind against his leathers. He thought about his best mate Eddie and the fun they’d had. He thought about his family and his other friends. These human experiences, these emotional connections to his past life, became a lifeline to cling onto.

As Jake fought against the sensory bombardment, the helmet detected his resistance, It recalibrated its internal mechanisms in response to his defiance. Suddenly, the white noise in his ears shifted, morphing into a series of low, almost inaudible subliminal messages. Each word—"relax", "comply", "obey", "drone", "conform", "follow", "respect" could be heard—the words flashed across his vision, barely there long enough for conscious recognition, but deeply penetrating his subconscious.

The colours that swirled before his eyes intensified, becoming more vibrant and pulsating rhythmically, as if to synchronise with his own heartbeat. It was a sensory assault designed to break down the walls of the individual, to reshape his mind into something more compliant and obedient. Jake’s initial surge of resistance began to wane as mental exhaustion set in, the messages infiltrated deeper into his psyche, their insistence relentless and overpowering.

His eyes, once sharp with determination and fear, started to lose focus, the vibrant spirals turning into a soothing blur. The resistance in his muscles softened as his body began to accept the inevitability of his situation. His thoughts, those last bastions of his free will, were slowly suffocated under the warm, smothering blanket of compliance and security that the helmet now forced upon him.

With an audible click and a beep, the helmet sealed its final adjustment, signalling the completion of its preparatory phase. At this cue, the two drones, their movements precise and devoid of any hesitation, glided smoothly towards the table where Jake lay subdued. Their appendages were equipped with various tools and devices necessary for the transformation process.

The drones worked efficiently, attaching additional apparatus to Jake’s limbs and interfacing seamlessly with the helmet. As they initiated the physical transformation, Jake’s body was being prepared to receive bio-mechanical enhancements that would connect him irrevocably to The Hive which he learned was housed within the humongous building.

Somewhere in the dwindling recesses of his mind, the essence of who Jake once was—a biker with a love for the open road—flickered weakly. This essence watched as his limbs and muscle fibres were methodically integrated with synthetics and his nervous system was integrated with advanced circuitry. The process was both horrifying and fascinating to watch.

As the transformation progressed, Jake’s human senses were gradually overridden by electronic inputs. His vision, once clouded by the colourful spirals, now interfaced directly with data streams providing real-time analytics about his environment. His hearing was no longer filled with subliminal messages but was tuned to various frequencies beyond the range of human hearing.

By the time the transformation was complete, Jake, as he had been, no longer existed. In his place stood a new Jake, a cyborg, what was exclusively biological had been augmented with technology. The drones, recognising another successful integration, had begun to step back.

The new Jake climbed down from the surgical table to be guided by the two drones. He moved with a robotic precision that was both chilling and enthralling to witness. He was led to what looked like a modified dentist's chair, but larger and imposing. The chair had been upgraded and was fitted with numerous ports and circuitry interfaces. Without hesitation, he sat down, his actions appearing devoid of the personality that had once defined him.

He leaned back so that his head touched the headrest. The chair immediately sprang to life, adjusting to accommodate his new form. A second later the old Jake would have felt a light sensation on both sides of his head as what can only be described of as two metallic ear pieces, out of which came sets of wires slid into his ears and began to work. 

Somewhere, an echo of the old Jake could sense what was happening, words echoed around the room and in his head. Screens nearby flashed “accessing biological memories…beginning total erasure”. 

“NNNOOOOOOOO”, But even as the word was said, Jake’s relatively short lifetime of memories were disappearing, flashing before his eyes for a split second before evaporating into nothing - gone forever. 

Monitors next to the chair flashed “Memory Wipe successful,” again, the words echoed around the room. 

Any human observer in the room looking at new Jake’s face would describe it as passive, distant, dull, emotionless. Empty. His eyes were missing their human sparkle. 

Then the drone formerly known as Jake again felt another funny feeling in his ears, as if a static charge was coming out of the wire. Suddenly the screen flashed “Beginning Program Upload”… While that happened, nearby monitors flashed, “Emotional Centres being accessed”. 

“Installing Human Emotion Suppression Software”

“… 10%… 20%… 30%… 40%… 50%… 60%… 70%… 80%… 90%…  ”

“Human Emotions Suppression Software installed. Fully functional.”

The monitors flickered for a moment and then more text appeared, “Beginning Cyborg Program Upload”. The upload began. The Hive, a vast network of interconnected AI and data banks, started feeding a stream after stream of programming directly into Jake's brain. These were not merely instructions; they were directives that informed behaviour, dictated functions, and defined purpose.

For hours, data was input into him, a relentless torrent of information reshaping and repurposing him; any lingering traces of his previous humanity now completely overwritten. His eyes, once vibrant with youthful emotion, now displayed a steady, unblinking focus as the programming was embedded, ensuring his obedience and efficiency.

At the appropriate time the interface with the new Jake confirmed the programming had been successful. “Operating at 100%,” it said in an emotionless, synthetic voice. “Organic memories have been wiped. Emotional Suppression Software is fully functional. The new data and objectives have been successfully uploaded with zero errors”.

The chair returned to an upright position, and the new Jake stood once more. His movements were smooth, almost graceful, a stark contrast to the somewhat ‘cavalier’ sports biker he once was. He was a product of advanced technology, a being created to serve a purpose far beyond his previous human desires.

Approaching him now were two more drones, carrying items that symbolised his final transformation. They presented him with a set of Dainese bike leathers, not ordinary leathers but augmented to interface seamlessly with his cybernetic body. The leathers were equipped with sensors and conductive circuitry that could communicate directly with his system, enhancing his interaction with the Hive.

Then they presented him with a pair of white boots, larger to accommodate the modifications of his feet, designed not only for protection but also to enhance his connection to the ground and his bike. Gloves that reached up to his arms were fitted next, embedded with micro-circuitry to increase his grip and control.

Finally, they brought over a new crash helmet unlike any other. This helmet was his direct link to the Hive mind. It was designed to keep him constantly connected to the Hive's data stream.

As the helmet settled over his head, a subtle hum filled the air, signalling the activation of all its systems. The new Jake stood there, a figure of both awe and dread, transformed entirely from the young man who had once freely roamed the roads on his motorcycle.

Now equipped, Jake was led to a new motorcycle, one that matched his new form. To the casual observer it looked like a traditional bike that had been upgraded; integrated with technology that responded fluidly to his enhanced senses and capabilities. As he mounted the bike, the connection between man and machine was seamless, a perfect union crafted by the Hive’s sophisticated engineering.

The new Jake rode the highway on his futuristic bike, a sleek and menacing marvel of technology that effortlessly caught the eye of any enthusiast. Its design was unlike anything on the roads—sharp angles, glowing panels, and a subtle hum that hinted at its advanced capabilities. It was designed not just for speed and efficiency, but as a lure to attract exactly the kind of individuals the Hive sought to convert.

As he travelled along a popular bikers’ route known for its scenic views and biker cafes, he spotted his next targets. Two young bikers, probably in their twenties, had pulled over in a lay-by, their bikes parked as they enjoyed a brief pause in their riding, catching up on conversation and checking their mobile phones. The new Jake slowed down, looking at the two bikers oblivious to Jake’s presence, his connection to the Hive confirmed they would be perfect candidates for upgrade.

Pulling over smoothly, Jake dismounted his bike. His helmet's visor slid up as he approached them, revealing a face that was human enough to be relatable but enhanced subtly with metallic hints that suggested something more beneath the surface. 

"Hey," Jake called out, his voice modulated to be friendly and inviting. “Hey there. Not seen you riding ‘round here before.”

The two young bikers, intrigued by the stranger and his extraordinary bike, smiled and walked over. “What is that you’re riding? It looks like it’s straight out of a sci-fi movie. What is that?" one of them asked, his curiosity piqued.

The new Jake chuckled, a sound perfectly calibrated to put others at ease. He needed to win their trust so began to make conversation with them. "It’s a custom build from a place not too far from here. They’re experimenting with some next-gen and EV tech. You guys interested in seeing where something like this comes from?"

The offer was tempting. The allure of advanced technology and the chance to see more bikes like Jake’s was too good to pass up for any avid biker. The young men exchanged a glance, a silent conversation passing between them before they nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, definitely,” the other replied. “We’ll follow you!"

Jake smiled and nodded, turning back to his bike. As they put their helmets on and started their engines, a part of Jake’s programming confirmed the successful engagement of two targets. He led the way, riding at a pace that was thrilling yet careful to keep his new followers comfortably in tow.

The journey took them away from the familiar routes into less traveled roads, the scenery shifting subtly as they moved closer to facility where he had been transformed. The two bikers were unaware of the true nature of their destination, caught up in the thrill of the ride and the excitement of seeing advanced motorcycle tech.

After some time, they arrived at the vast building that looked more like a huge distribution centre than a motorcycle manufacturing factory. The gates opened automatically as Jake approached, a silent signal of his authority and belonging.

Jake signalled for the other two bikers to do follow him down a roadway between two buildings. Jake brought his bike to a stop, opened his visor and announced, ”we are here.” The other two brought their bikes to a stop, dismounted and removed their helmets.

Jake walked forwards into the huge building just ahead of them; the two other bikers looked at one another, shrugged their shoulders and followed. They would ingress through a different route compared to the one Eddie and Jake entered.

The space inside they walked into was clean and modern, filled with prototypes and machines that made the two young bikers' eyes widen in awe.

"This is incredible!" one of the exclaimed, walking closer to inspect a particularly sleek model that caught his eye. "How do you get in on this?"

Jake's response was calculated, his tone still friendly but now carrying an undercurrent of persuasion. "Well, there's actually a selection process. Part of why I brought you here. If you're interested, there’s a quick tour and some tests to see if you're compatible with the tech."

Excited and completely unaware of the implications, the two young men agreed eagerly, following Jake deeper into the facility. As they walked, the doors behind them closed silently, the outside world receding as they moved further into the realm of the Hive.

Little did they know, their fascination with bikes and the temptation of combining their love of biking and dreams of futuristic bikes had led them into a trap. This walk would be their last as mere humans, as they stepped unknowingly into the next phase of their lives dictated by The Hive's needs.

=========

Oh, are you wondering what happened to Eddie? As you might have expected The Hive detected his presence and determined a new purpose for him, but that’s another story.

[sky-scribbles]

There are a lot of things to love about the SSV Normandy. It’s a symbol of cooperation between two species historically at odds. It’s a miracle of engineering, a technological masterpiece that could alter every pattern of space warfare. Its crew is the highest calibre that the Alliance has to offer, bolstered by multispecies allies: an emblem of flying hope.

It also has far, far too many flashing lights. Everywhere.

One hand pressed to the wall to keep himself steady, the other pressed against his forehead as if that’s going to do any good, Kaidan shuffles down the hall toward the med bay. Every light panel and display interface feels like a laser drill boring directly through his eyes, sounds reverberate against the inside of his skull, and his sense of balance is a distant, pleasant memory. Kaidan sucks in a tight breath between his teeth. It’s going to be okay. He can do this. He’s done it before.

He drags himself the last few feet, and the med bay doors slide open. Kaidan opens up his omni-tool – god, why are those so bright, too? – and does what he’s done a hundred times, scanning the medical interface so that the med system logs him. Doctor Chakwas isn’t here, which means she’s on her rest shift, but that’s fine. The med system will alert her if there’s a problem.  

Kaidan, turns, so ready to collapse into the nearest med bed – except he can’t. Because there’s someone already in it.

‘Oh,’ he says. ‘Hey, Tali.’

‘Hey, Lieutenant.’ She still seems shy about using his first name. Maybe it’s a habit from being raised on board ships, or maybe she’s just not sure if she’s allowed. ‘Are you okay?’

‘I will be once the pain meds kick in.’ Kaidan makes it to the next bed along and finally, finally lies down and shuts his eyes. ‘Doctor Chakwas is just… pretty strict about me coming here whenever a migraine kicks in. Just in case it’s a sign of something going wrong with my implant.’

Through the fog of everything hurts, it finally surfaces in his brain that Tali in the med bay is… that’s bad, right? ‘What about you? Are you, you know –?’

Okay, he’s not sure how to finish that sentence. There’s probably not a polite way to say hey, are you here because you’ve picked up a fatal illness?

He cracks one eye open, just enough to see her looking glumly at him. He’s not sure how he can tell that she’s glum when all he can see is her eyes, but yeah. She’s glum. ‘You know how I took a hit on Feros?’

‘Yeah.’

‘And how I disinfected it, and used my patch kit on the suit breach, and told Shepard I was fine?’

‘Yeah.’

‘I was not fine.’ She slumps down miserably. ‘My throat is full of painful slime, my sinuses are on fire, and my halesh –’ Okay, that’s obviously some piece of quarian anatomy – ‘is more gummed up than I can describe.’

Kaidan shuts his eyes again. ‘Well, my skull feels like it’s slowly contracting and crushing my brain, so… I sort of feel you.’

She laughs weakly. ‘I should have run an extra med scan once I got back to the Normandy. I just – I wanted to help with the engine maintenance today. And there’s this combat drone design I’m working on. And now…’ There’s a sound of movement; Kaidan gets the impression that she’s gesturing at the med bay in angry helplessness.

‘I feel that too.’ And he does. He really does. This isn’t the worst migraine he’s ever had – he can actually hold a conversation, which some days would be beyond him. But it’s… it’s not great. And he had things to do. Ash was running a drill and wanted him to look over her plans. He had a cleaning shift at fourteen hours. Shepard wanted to talk strategy for Noveria.  And yes, he knows he has a right to take time off for a medical issue. He knows he’s no use to Ash or Shepard or anyone when he can’t even walk in a straight line. But knowing that doesn’t quite get rid of the squirm in his belly, the one that feels like letting people down.

Tali’s quiet for a minute, aside from the ever-present, barely-audible hum of her suit systems, and the occasional sniff from behind her helmet. Then she says, unexpectedly, ‘I’m just… I’m so tired. You know what I mean?’

Kaidan’s head throbs. He swallows. ‘Oh, yeah.’

The constant vigilance. Always having to be careful about where he goes – is this room too bright? Is this one too loud? – in case something triggers another bad spell. Taking hits to the head in a fight that anyone else could just shrug off, but that for him mean another trip to the med bay to make sure his implant isn’t damaged. Trying to do his job and suddenly finding, no, he can’t, because his body has decided that today’s the day he just doesn’t get to function.

Tali… she must go through the same awful deal, just in a different flavour. Always being careful, so careful. Someone else’s minor injury being her okay, let’s get a med check to make sure I won’t die. It’s not the same, of course: Kaidan can eat food without filtering it, touch people without protective layers, see people’s faces without a tinted mask. Still… there’s a tone in her voice that he knows from his own.

There’s a heavy silence. Then Tali says, ‘You know what’s really stupid? I left my datapad in my cabin, so I can’t even watch vids.’

Kaidan smiles. He’s seen her down in Engineering, a few times, hands flying around over the machinery, rocking back and forth on her heels. Idleness obviously doesn’t suit her. ‘You can borrow mine, if you like.’

‘Really?’ Her voice is already brighter. ‘I mean – won’t the noise will make you feel worse?’

‘Nah, I’ll be good.’ He’s not just saying it; there’s a blissful numbness creeping through his head which means that his meds are finally getting to work. He fishes the datapad from his pocket, taps in his passcode, and hands it over. ‘What kind of vids do you like?’

Her whole being perks up – tone, body, everything. ‘Oh, all of them.Any genre, any species. I mean… asari vids can be a bit long. I mean, they’re made by people who can spend a decade making a vid and a whole day watching it. Turians… their vids can be a bit depressing. There’s a lot of ‘this war ended with almost everyone dead, but one turian is still standing, so it’s a victory!”

‘What about quarians? What kinds of stories do your people tell?’

A small laugh echoes inside the helmet. ‘Quarian vids are pretty limited by environment. We don’t have a lot of varied sets to work with. So we tell the best long-running dramas. There’s one ship in the Flotilla that’s been hosting the same series for over eighty standard years now. Following the crew as they change over time, that sort of thing.’ She taps the base of her helmet. ‘It’s pretty good, but… I think if you watched it, you’d think there were a lot more explosions, murders and shipwide romantic entanglements in the Flotilla than there actually are.’

‘Human dramas are like that too.’

Tali laughs. ‘Quarian dramas make human dramas look relaxed.’

Kaidan finds he’s actually able to grin. ‘So what do human vids tell you about us?’

Her helmet tilts as she considers. ‘That you’re very individualistic. I mean, not every human culture. But you put a lot of focus onto characters and personal journeys.’ She scrolls down the datapad screen – looking through vid lists, presumably – then stops. It’s hard to tell, but Kaidan thinks she might be frowning. ‘I did notice… in a lot of human media, the biotics are…’

Another insistent pulse of pain through his temples. Kaidan sighs. ‘Crazy extremists?’

‘Yes. Do you… do you mind if I ask why that is?’

‘No, it’s fine.’ Kaidan turns onto his back and stares up at the dim ceiling. ‘A lot of the early generation of biotics, the ones who got the same implants as me… let’s just say I got off lightly. Most ended up with much more serious medical conditions. And when people found out about the side effects of the L2 implants, the media got the bit between its teeth and –’ Yeah, no, that wasn’t going to translate. ‘Sorry. Human saying. They got a certain impression, and they ran with it.’

Tali’s quiet for several seconds. Kaidan twists his head to face her, and sees the pale eyes behind the mask giving him a long, steady look.

‘I’m sorry,’ she says. And then, after a moment, ‘They tell lies about us, too.’

Kaidan holds her gaze, and feels terribly, achingly sad. ‘Yeah,’ he says. ‘I bet they do.’

 The way people look at Tali as she walks through the Presidium… it’s familiar. Not quite the same. There’s a note of scorn in the looks they give to Tali – but there’s suspicion, too, and that’s something he knows. All the times back on Earth, after he got back from Jump Zero, when he shook someone’s hand or opened a door, and their eyes found the implants. They way they stared at him like he was a loaded gun. All the documents he had to fill out to do anything, the knowledge that any government he lived under would always be hovering a few steps away, keeping tabs, making sure.

Remembering Rahna – remembering that obvious, instinctive fear in her eyes – is an old memory now, the kind that’s a faded scar. But he remembers the shock of it, back when he was seventeen. When no one had looked at him like that before, and it was dizzying and new and felt like a hole in his gut.

He bets Tali has that hole in her gut all the time.

Kaidan pushes himself up a little – which makes his brain spin, but he manages it – and gives Tali a smile. ‘Well. Let’s look for something that gets us both right.’

‘Definitely.’ She flicks through the options for a minute more, then pauses. ‘Have you ever seen Fleet and Flotilla?’

‘I think I’ve heard of it.’ There’s a faint memory of seeing an ad for it, maybe, and thinking it was the kind of thing he’d have loved as a kid. Space exploration. Justice. Love. ‘The… war romance, right?’

‘Yes!’ Tali’s legs bounce. ‘It’s – keelah, it’s so good, it’s – it’s about this girl, Shalei, who’s on her pilgrimage. And she’s interested in the geth, because she’s got this dream of finding a way to defeat them and take back the Homeworld, right? And when she finds something, she goes to the Citadel for help, but no one will listen except this one turian called Bellicus –’

‘Hold up. Wasn’t that… exactly what you were doing when we met you? Minus the turian, I mean.’

Tali ducks her head, suddenly shy. ‘I… I really, really like the vid.’

No kidding. Kaidan smiles. ‘So let’s watch it.’

His head still feels like a bombsite, and when he thinks about all the things he wants to be doing for his crew and isn’t, the rest of him hurts too. But maybe he’s still doing something for his crew, sitting in the med bay with his sick squadmate – his sick friend – and sharing her favourite vid with her. Maybe he’s doing something for him, too. He doesn’t do that too often.

Tali props the datapad up on the table between their beds, her whole body one big smile. ‘You’re going to love this,’ she promises, and presses play.

[reasonsforhope]

Scientists have developed a new solar-powered system to convert saltwater into fresh drinking water which they say could help reduce dangerous the risk of waterborne diseases like cholera.

Via tests in rural communities, they showed that the process is more than 20% cheaper than traditional methods and can be deployed in rural locations around the globe.

Building on existing processes that convert saline groundwater to freshwater, the researchers from King’s College London, in collaboration with MIT and the Helmholtz Institute for Renewable Energy Systems, created a new system that produced consistent levels of water using solar power, and reported it in a paper published recently in Nature Water.

It works through a process called electrodialysis which separates the salt using a set of specialized membranes that channel salt ions into a stream of brine, leaving the water fresh and drinkable. By flexibly adjusting the voltage and the rate at which salt water flowed through the system, the researchers developed a system that adjusts to variable sunshine while not compromising on the amount of fresh drinking water produced.

Using data first gathered in the village of Chelleru near Hyderabad in India, and then recreating these conditions of the village in New Mexico, the team successfully converted up to 10 cubic meters, or several bathtubs worth of fresh drinking water. This was enough for 3,000 people a day with the process continuing to run regardless of variable solar power caused by cloud coverage and rain.

[Note: Not sure what metric they're using to calculate daily water needs here. Presumably this is drinking water only.]

Dr. Wei He from the Department of Engineering at King’s College London believes the new technology could bring massive benefits to rural communities, not only increasing the supply of drinking water but also bringing health benefits.

“By offering a cheap, eco-friendly alternative that can be operated off the grid, our technology enables communities to tap into alternative water sources (such as deep aquifers or saline water) to address water scarcity and contamination in traditional water supplies,” said He.

“This technology can expand water sources available to communities beyond traditional ones and by providing water from uncontaminated saline sources, may help combat water scarcity or unexpected emergencies when conventional water supplies are disrupted, for example like the recent cholera outbreaks in Zambia.”

In the global rural population, 1.6 billion people face water scarcity, many of whom are reliant on stressed reserves of groundwater lying beneath the Earth’s surface.

However, worldwide 56% of groundwater is saline and unsuitable for consumption. This issue is particularly prevalent in India, where 60% of the land harbors undrinkable saline water. Consequently, there is a pressing need for efficient desalination methods to create fresh drinking water cheaply, and at scale.

Traditional desalination technology has relied either on costly batteries in off-grid systems or a grid system to supply the energy necessary to remove salt from the water. In developing countries’ rural areas, however, grid infrastructure can be unreliable and is largely reliant on fossil fuels...

“By removing the need for a grid system entirely and cutting reliance on battery tech by 92%, our system can provide reliable access to safe drinking water, entirely emission-free, onsite, and at a discount of roughly 22% to the people who need it compared to traditional methods,” He said.

The system also has the potential to be used outside of developing areas, particularly in agriculture where climate change is leading to unstable reserves of fresh water for irrigation.

The team plans to scale up the availability of the technology across India through collaboration with local partners. Beyond this, a team from MIT also plans to create a start-up to commercialize and fund the technology.

“While the US and UK have more stable, diversified grids than most countries, they still rely on fossil fuels. By removing fossil fuels from the equation for energy-hungry sectors like agriculture, we can help accelerate the transition to Net Zero,” He said.

-via Good News Network, April 2, 2024