Thursday, September 10, 2009 LONDON: The University of Bristol has opened a state of the art centre for nanoscience research, featuring what is claimed to be the world's quietest room.The $18 million Centre for Nanoscience and Quantum Information (NQSI) features specialised laboratories where vibration and acoustic noise levels are among the lowest ever achieved, despite being located in the centre of Bristol City. The basement houses the low noise area with a suite of ultra-low vibration nanoscience laboratories that are anchored to the rock below.Because of the size of the materials involved - between one and 100 nanometers - complete stillness is essential to an experiment's success. There is virtually no air movement inside the lab.
Sunday, February 28, 2010 HAVANA: Hundreds of wealthy merchants and cigar aficionados from all parts of the world gathered in Havana this week to bid high stakes for humidors full of premium cigars. Cuba's annual Habanos festival ended on Friday night with an auction of ornate humidors of cedar and mahogany stacked with hand-rolled stogies that raised 800,000 euros ($1.09 million dollars). Habanos S.A. executives this month said cigar sales fell 8 percent to $360 million in 2009, so they have created the Julieta, a smaller, milder version of the Romeo y Julieta cigar, aimed specifically at female smokers. Women now make up only 5 to 10 percent of customers for Habanos. But even with the creation of the Julieta, Garcia said Habanos has only modest hopes for 2010 sales, due largely to a weak economy in Spain, the biggest market for Cuban cigars. The flavor of premium tobacco relies on the soil and climate in which it is grown. The western province of Pinar Del Rio, famous fo...
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