A small cavity made of near-perfect mirrors can trap a photon whose frequency is in tune with the cavity. Adding a single atom to the mix can produce a coherent quantum system in which the photon strongly couples the atom to the cavity. Adapted from Science , April 7, 1998. Airline meals have a bad reputation, but so long as they stay on the plate I can deal with them. Recently however on a flight from Hong Kong to Sydney the meal reached my face without the assistance of a fork.
Unexpected turbulence can turn an ordinary airline meal into a soggy projectile.
It was an uncomfortable experience, but it could have been much worse. Every year hundreds of passengers are seriously hurt due to clear air turbulence. Very rarely, death can result. Clearly airlines need to find a technology that can detect this kind of mid-air disturbance before it is too late. Enter a new airborne laser system that may just do the trick.