This may take care look like an implausibly round-eyed little equipment — because , well , it is — but do n’t be fooled . This laser - power nanosensor can spot the motility of the tiniest of objective , and it could help us identify supererogatory - terrestrial life sentence .
In fact , it ’s a simple cantilever which contains a optical maser motion detector . As bacterium pass through it , they stimulate petite vibrations in the gimmick which are trance by the lasers as a sign of life-time . obliterate the bacterium by some means , and the movement should stop . elementary .
The gimmick has been spring up by scientists in France , and a single sensor can live with about 500 bacterium . As you might expect , the machine has possible ground - bound diligence : determining whether drug in effect kill pathological cell , say .
In space , scientists usually habituate chemical sensors to detect signs of life . But move over that does n’t observe motion — and , for all we know , life could take strange chemical substance forms elsewhere in the Universe — this kind of bacteria - sized motion demodulator could just do the trick . [ PNASviaPhysorgviaEngadget ]
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