A team of researchers at Lancaster University has developed a new kind of Wi-Fi that transmits data with the help of nuclear radiation. The researchers transferred data using “fast neutrons” from a radioactive isotope called californium-252, as per a press release from the university.
Information such as words and random numbers were encoded into the neutron field and successfully transmitted to a laptop, where it was later decoded. A paper of the study has been published in the journal Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. While radioactive Wi-Fi sounds unrealistic, researchers say there could several potential real-life applications to it.
Will this Wi-Fi ever become mainstream?
“We demonstrate the potential of fast neutron radiation as a medium for wireless communications for applications where conventional electromagnetic transmission is either not feasible or is inherently limited,” Professor Malcolm Joyce, lead author of the study, said in the press release.
Joyce said that fast neurons provide reliable data transmissions in “safety-critical scenarios” where structures for internet cabling can’t be created easily. In such cases, the neutrons would still manage to transmit information and “negate the need for such penetrations.”
It might sound cool, but this radioactive Wi-Fi might not become available commercially – which is probably for the best to avoid any mishap.
Using nuclear reactors to reduce carbon emissions
Researchers are trying to figure out ways to use nuclear reactors to reduce carbon emissions. But is it safe for long-term use? Well, there might be a solution to this. China is planning to develop the first “clean” commercial nuclear reactor by making use of liquid thorium and molten salt.
The first prototype reactor might be ready by August this year, with the first tests slated to start in September. A full-scale commercial reactor is believed to be finished by 2030. The technology should not only reduce emissions but mitigate some political controversy.
