LARGEST LED SCULPTURE
Taking the form of a giant Christmas tree ball decoration
consisting of 23,120 LED lights, the biggest LED sculpture
was created by LLC ZodiacElectro (RUS) in Moscow, Russia,
on 12 Dec 2015. It was created as part of the run-up to the
Russian New Year celebrations.First evidence of
an antibiotic produced
by a bacterium in
the human body
Discovered by researchers
from the University of
Tübingen, Germany,
in Jul 2 016, lugdunin
is an antibiotic that
can be produced
by Staphylococcus
lugdunensis – a bacterium
present in the human nose.
Antibiotics are compounds
that can inhibit the growth
of bacteria or even kill
them. They are now seen
as essential for human
well-being, since some
infections caused by
bacteria are lethal. Some
bacteria (commonly referred
to as “superbugs”) are
able to develop resistance
to standard antibiotics.
Because of this, scientists
have been looking for new
and alternative antibiotics.
Lugdunin is active against
several bacteria, including
MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant
Staphylococcus aureus)- one of the antibiotic-
resistant superbugs.
Largest stellarator
The Wendelstein 7-X is
a type of experimental
nuclear fusion reactor.
Its purpose is to maintain
a controlled nuclear-
fusion reaction, although
by means of a different
technique to tokamak
fusion reactors (see
opposite). It measures
15 m (49 ft 2 in) across,
weighs 725 tonnes
(799 tons) and has an
internal plasma volumeof 30 m^3 (1,059.4 cu ft).
Known as a stellarator,
it uses superconducting
magnetic coils to contain
plasma with temperatures
of up to 130,000,000 K
(1 2 9,9 9 9,7 2 7 ° C;
233,999,540°F). Its
main construction was
completed in Apr 2014,
and the reactor produced
its first plasma on 10 ec
2015, when 1 mg of helium
was heated to 1,000,000°C
(1,800,032°F) for 0.1 sec.
The Wendelstein 7-X is
located at the Max Planck
Institute of Plasma Physics
in Greifswald, Germany.Smallest extracellular
needle-electrodes
On 25 Oct 2016, scientists
at the Toyohashi
University of Technology
in Japan announced
that they had created
extracellular needle-
electrodes measuring
just 5 micrometres in
diameter. A micrometre
is one-millionth of a
metre. Mounted on 1- xLIGHTEST
COMMERCIALLY
AVAIL ABLE
14-INCH LAPTOP
Made by LG Electronics
(KOR), the LG Gram 14
weighed 826 g (1 lb 13 oz)
when compared with
competitors by SGS Testing
Services on 14 Dec 2016.
LG Electronics also
makes the lightest
commercially available
15-in laptop. It weighs
980 g (2 lb 2.5 oz),
according to research by
Frost & Sullivan published
on 29 Jun 2016.SMALLEST GAME BOY
Designed and built by
Jeroen Domburg (NLD),
this diminutive Game Boy
is 54 mm (2.12 in) long, as
confirmed in ]hanghai,
China, on 15 Dec 2016. It
fits on a ºey chain, and
boasts a selection of the
original Game Boy games.
Jeroen’s creation is
nearly 19 times shorter
than the largest Game
Boy, which is 1.01 m (3 ft
3.7 in) tall, 0.62 m (2 ft
0.4 in) wide and 0.2 m
(7.8 in) deep. Made by
Ilhan Ünal (BEL), it was
measured in Antwerp,
Belgium, on 13 Nov 2016.SCI-TECH & ENGINEERING100%
HIGHEST BRIDGE
The cable-stayed
Beipanjiang Bridge Duge
in Dugexiang, Guizhou,
China, has a clearance
at mean high water of
565 m (1,854 ft) above
the Beipan River. That’s
taller than the CN Tower
in Toronto, Canada. It
opened to traĆc on
29 Dec 2016, becoming
not only the highest
bridge but also the first
bridge ever to surpass
a height of 500 m
(1,640 ft). It is also the
first cableȗstayed bridge
to become the world’s
highest bridge.LONGEST SOLAR-POWERED ROAD
On 22 Dec 2016, French authorities opened 1 km (0.62 mi)
of road in the village of Tourouvre-au-Perche, Normandy,
that was paved with 2,880 photovoltaic panels. At a cost of
about €5 m ($5.2 m; £4.2 m), it is expected to carry some
2,000 vehicles each day. Tests will be carried out over two
years to see if the solar-powered road can generate enough
electricity to power street lamps in the village.The concrete,
four-lane road bridge
has an overall length
of 1,341 m (4,400
a total height of 269^ ft) and
(883 ft). Its longest span^ m
stretches for 720
(2,362^ m^(^) ft).
1-mm (0.03- x 0.03-in)
blocks, these silicon
needles, which are
small enough to be used
in the narrow spaces
between brain tissue,
are expected to advance
brain research and may
help in the development
of a fully working brain-
machine interface.
Thinnest
photodetector
A photodetector converts
light into electrical
energy. On 9 Nov 2016,
scientists at the Center for
Integrated Nanostructure
Physics – part of the
Institute for Basic
Science in South Korea –
announced that they had
created a photodetector
1.3 nanometres (nm)
thick. A nanometre is
0.000000001 m, or some
50,000 times smaller
than the width of a hair.
Featuring molybdenum
sandwiched between
graphene, it can be used
in smart devices and
wearable electronics.
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