Encode information in fire!

A burning strip of carefully cut flash paper can encode information, which is then read by an optical sensor.  I'd like to determine if it's possible to perform computations with nothing but flash paper -- using the shape of the paper as data and program, and the flame as the readout.

Hamamatsu S7815 photodiode -- might be discontinued:
https://www.google.com/#q=hamamatsu+s7815

Harvard Infofuse project:
http://scienceblogs.com/notrocketscience/2009/05/26/the-infofuse-encoding-messages-using-colourful-fire/
http://gmwgroup.harvard.edu/research/index.php?page=17
http://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/12967828/84853636.pdf?sequence=1

Source for flash paper and flash cotton:
http://www.dreamlandmagic.com/flash-paper.html

Subscribe to my channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/bkraz333

SEM data files and image generation script

I've posted some sample data files from my SEM, and also the MATLAB/Octave script that I use to convert them into images:

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B4YXWiqYWB99RGJsTjBtR0YxUzg&usp=sharing

Let me know if you have any questions.

This is the support structure underneath a single DLP mirror.  The width of each mirror is about 10 microns.

Ben answers your questions #1

I experiment with zinc oxide in a vacuum chamber, and answer your questions from the previous video.  If this format is successful, I'll do another Q/A session in the future.

Color-changing Zinc Oxide -- and submit your questions for Ben

Submit your questions for Ben in the comments section for a Q and A session next week.

Heating zinc oxide with a blow torch causes it to turn from a white powder into a golden yellow.  The process reverses when the substance cools back down to room temperature.  The heat drives out some oxygen from the ZnO lattice, cause some locations to have a Zinc metal ion.  This disruption in the lattice is able to absorb more blue and violet light, causing the overall substance to look yellow.

How a Crookes radiometer works

A Crookes radiometer is driven by a thermal gas effect, and not "light pressure" as often thought.  I demonstrate the radiometer in a vacuum chamber and explain its optimal running pressure.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crookes_radiometer