Doctor Who's Sonic Screwdriver
Doctor Who's sonic screwdriver opens locks, heals wounds, controls the TARDIS, and even -- on occasion -- tightens and loosens screws. His multi-purpose device may no longer be a fiction thanks to engineers in Britain who have developed a device capable of moving and manipulating objects using only ultrasonic sound waves.
The prototype "sonotweezers" vibrate tiny crystals to create an ultrasonic shockwave, which can be used to move around particular sizes of cells. The device could be used to separate diseased cells from healthy ones or separate dangerous materials such as anthrax from other powder.
Ultimately, the technology could lead to devices capable of turning screws and and assembling delicate components.
Professor Bruce Drinkwater, an ultrasonics engineer at the University of Bristol, explained in an interview with The Telegraph:
“If we can increase the ultrasonic force and create a rotational force, then we could potentially undo screws. Essentially what you are doing is using the ultrasonic sound wave to twirl the air around to create an miniature tornado.”
Read more at The Telegraph
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