A neat new technology, especially for Star Trek fans

This two and half minute video illustrates how a Japanese researcher has made it possible to "touch" and "feel" and otherwise interact with a hologram. He's still a bit of a ways from building the equivalent of a Star Trek holodeck; but he's demonstrated one way in which doing such a thing is theoretically possible. Very neat! The video doesn't seem to have sound, so it is safe to open at work.

Scroll down once after going to the link below to find the video:

http://www.physorg.com/news168797748.html

Hat tip to Jonah Goldberg of National Review, who posted this on The Corner where he periodically presents a list of weird and interesting links.

I wonder if Scotty gets a refund on his ticket

I also wonder if his last words were, "She's going to blow, Captain."

"The rocket successfully blasted off from the Kwajalein Atoll in the central Pacific near midnight Eastern time Saturday. It was lost two minutes and 20 seconds into launch after the stages failed to separate.

Lost along with the rocket were three small satellites, one for the Department of Defense and two for NASA, including an experimental solar sail, NanoSail-D.
Gone too were the ashes of 208 people including James Doohan, better known as "Scotty" of Star Trek fame, who had paid to have their remains scattered in space."

http://www.sciam.com/blog/60-second-science/post.cfm?id=solar-sail-and-ashes-of-star-treks-2008-08-04