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Apple 's killing the optical disk format, bit by bit--just as we suspected . When the computer maker

Scientists today reported that the tiny light-sensing cells known as rods have been clearly and directly imaged in the living eye for the first time. Using adaptive optics (AO), the same technology astronomers use to study distant stars and galaxies, scientists can see through the murky distortion of the outer eye, revealing the eye's cellular structure with unprecedented detail. This innovation, described in two papers in the Optical Society's (OSA) open access journal Biomedical Optics Express, will help doctors diagnose degenerative eye disorders sooner, leading to quicker intervention and more effective treatments.

Vanderbilt University engineers have created a "spongy" silicon biosensor that shows promise not only for medical diagnostics, but also for the detection of dangerous toxins and other tiny molecules in the environment. This innovation was originally designed to detect the presence of particular DNA sequences, which can be extremely helpful in identifying whether or not a person is predisposed to heart disease or certain kinds of cancer. The new sensor is described in the Optical Society's open access journal, Optics Express.

(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists in the Optical Sciences Division at the Naval Research Laboratory, report a successful demonstration of a novel high-efficiency ceramic laser that is both, light-weight and compact for use in both military and civilian applications.

In the latest twist on optical knots, New York University physicists have discovered a new method to create extended and knotted optical traps in three dimensions.

(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers from Swinburne University and the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology have for the first time ever demonstrated a reversal of the optical ‘Doppler Effect’ – an advance that could one day lead to the development of 'invisibility cloak' technology.