ScienceDaily Technology Headlines
for Thursday, September 16, 2010
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New wave: Spin soliton could be a hit in cell phone communication (September 16, 2010) -- Researchers have found theoretical evidence of a new way to generate the high-frequency waves used in modern communication devices such as cell phones using exotic "soliton" waves in magnetism. The technique might enable wireless technology that would be more secure and resistant to interference than conventional devices. ... > full story
Electron switch between molecules points way to new high-powered organic batteries (September 16, 2010) -- The development of new organic batteries -- lightweight energy storage devices that work without the need for toxic heavy metals -- has a brighter future now that chemists have discovered a new way to pass electrons back and forth between two molecules. ... > full story
Neutrons helping researchers unlock secrets to cheaper ethanol (September 15, 2010) -- New insight into the structure of switchgrass and poplars is fueling discussions that could result in more efficient methods to turn biomass into biofuel. ... > full story
Tiny MAVs may someday explore and detect environmental hazards (September 15, 2010) -- Researchers are developing what could become the next phase of high-performance micro air vehicles for the Air Force. The research is on track to evolve into robotic, insect-scale devices for monitoring and exploration of hazardous environments, such as collapsed structures, caves and chemical spills. ... > full story
Simpler mathematical model for reproducing bacterial growth patterns developed (September 15, 2010) -- The expansion of bacterial colonies is one of the classic research areas in biology. Researchers now consider a new model that uses two parameters to reproduce the growth patterns of these microorganisms. ... > full story
Hydroelectric power reservoirs cleaner than previously feared, new research shows (September 15, 2010) -- A new report is helping to remove the dirty image attributed to climate gas emissions from hydroelectric power reservoirs. ... > full story
Scientists reveal battery behavior at the nanoscale (September 15, 2010) -- As industries and consumers increasingly seek improved battery power sources, cutting-edge microscopy is providing an unprecedented perspective on how lithium-ion batteries function. A research team has developed a new type of scanning probe microscopy called electrochemical strain microscopy (ESM) to examine the movement of lithium ions through a battery's cathode material. ... > full story
Implant blood test: Shape memory alloys are biocompatible, new research shows (September 15, 2010) -- A European team has demonstrated that modern technological materials used in a wide range of medical devices and implants are entirely biocompatible and should not health problems as has previously been suggested. ... > full story
Computer in wrapping-paper form give solar cells a makeover (September 15, 2010) -- Investigators in New York are giving factory production of solar energy cells a modern makeover. Their new approach includes the use of "continuous electronic sheets," something like a computer flattened into wrapping paper. ... > full story
New microfluidic chip for discriminating bacteria (September 15, 2010) -- A new "on-chip" method for sorting and identifying bacteria has been created by biomedical engineers. The discovery may lead to portable devices that could be used for analyzing bacteria-infected blood, finding the causes of urethral irritation, and for screening raw milk and other foods. ... > full story
Bone-anchored leg prostheses improve quality of life, Swedish study finds (September 15, 2010) -- A new study from Sweden shows the results of treatment using prostheses attached to titanium implants in the bones of patients with above-the-knee amputations. It reveals that the treatment improves function and quality of life in nine out of ten patients. ... > full story
ARTEMIS: First Earth-Moon libration orbiter (September 15, 2010) -- In August 1960, NASA launched its first communications satellite, Echo 1. Fifty years later, NASA has achieved another first by placing the ARTEMIS-P1 spacecraft into a unique orbit behind the moon, but not actually orbiting the moon itself. This type of orbit, called an Earth-Moon libration orbit, relies on a precise balancing of the Sun, Earth, and Moon gravity so that a spacecraft can orbit about a virtual location rather than about a planet or moon. The diagrams below show the full ARTEMIS-P1 orbit as it flies in proximity to the moon. ... > full story
How do your crystals grow? (September 15, 2010) -- New research uses fluorescence correlation spectroscopy to investigate the processes at the surface of a growing crystal. This work may help to improve the crystallization of biomolecules -- an important tool in pharmaceutical research and other fields. ... > full story
Many roads lead to superconductivity (September 14, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered a magnetic signature that occurs universally among all iron-based superconductors, even if the parent compounds from which the superconductors are made possess different chemical properties. ... > full story
Playing snooker with atoms (September 14, 2010) -- Scientists speak of sputtering when energy-rich ions hit a solid object and cause atoms to be released from its surface. The phenomenon can be exploited to apply microscopically thin coatings to glass surfaces. A research team has developed a special sputtering technique that greatly increases the efficiency of the coating process. ... > full story
Chandra finds evidence for stellar cannibalism (September 14, 2010) -- Evidence that a star has recently engulfed a companion star or a giant planet has been found using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. The likely existence of such a "cannibal" star provides new insight into how stars and the planets around them may interact as they age. ... > full story
Research will help ID bodies left behind by Chilean earthquake, Pinochet regime (September 14, 2010) -- New research will help medical examiners and others identify human remains of those killed during the recent earthquake in Chile, as well as the bodies of the "disappeared" who were killed during the Pinochet administration. ... > full story
CRISPR critters: Scientists identify key enzyme in microbial immune system (September 14, 2010) -- Using protein crystallography beamlines at Berkeley Lab's Advanced Light Source, a team of researchers has resolved the atomic-scale crystal structure of an enzyme called "Csy4" that plays a key role in a microbial immune system. The research provides important new clues to the fundamental role of RNA in the evolution of life. ... > full story
Supernova shrapnel found in meteorite (September 14, 2010) -- Scientists have identified the microscopic shrapnel of a nearby star that exploded just before or during the birth of the solar system 4.5 billion years ago. ... > full story
Would a molecular horse trot, pace or glide across a surface? Chemists study quadrupedal molecular machines (September 14, 2010) -- To determine how a quadrupedal molecular machine would move across a flat metal surface, chemists studied a class of molecular machines that "walk." Molecular machines can be found everywhere in nature, for example, transporting proteins through cells and aiding metabolism. To develop artificial molecular machines, however, scientists first need to understand the rules that govern mechanics at the molecular or nanometer scale. ... > full story
New artificial skin could make prosthetic limbs and robots more sensitive (September 14, 2010) -- Researchers have developed an ultrasensitive, highly flexible, electronic sensor that can feel a touch as light as an alighting fly. Manufactured in large sheets, the sensors could be used in artificial electronic skin for prosthetic limbs, robots, touch-screen displays, automobile safety and a range of medical applications. ... > full story
The pocket projector is a reality (September 14, 2010) -- The projector of the future -- one cubic centimeter of technology that can be integrated into a portable computer or mobile telephone -- is about to take the market by storm. Many applications have already been identified, in particular in the automobile industry or the operating theater. ... > full story
Informatics = essential MD competency (September 14, 2010) -- Although information underlies all clinical work and despite the growing role that information management and access play in health-care delivery and clinical support, there is a dearth of informatics competency being developed in America's future corps of physicians. ... > full story
Dwarf galaxy evolution: Reionization alone is not able to stop star formation, research shows (September 13, 2010) -- New research suggests that reionization alone is not able to stop star formation in dwarf galaxies, as had been expected. ... > full story
Hubble harvests distant solar system objects (September 13, 2010) -- Beyond the orbit of Neptune reside countless icy rocks known as trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). One of the biggest, Pluto, is classified as a dwarf planet. The region also supplies us with comets such as famous Comet Halley. Most TNOs are small and receive little sunlight, making them faint and difficult to spot. Now, astronomers using clever techniques to cull the data archives of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have added 14 new TNOs to the catalog. Their method promises to turn up hundreds more. ... > full story
How football playing robots have the future of artificial intelligence at their feet (September 13, 2010) -- The new Premier League season has begun and in Madrid the World Cup celebrations are barely over, yet according to researchers, the world's best players may soon be facing a new challenge from football playing robots, which their creators claim will be able to play and beat a human team. The research reveals how building robots to play football is driving the development of artificial intelligence and robotic technology which can be used for roles including search and rescue and home help. ... > full story
Video games lead to faster decisions that are no less accurate (September 13, 2010) -- Cognitive scientists have discovered that playing action video games trains people to make the right decisions faster. The researchers found that video game players develop a heightened sensitivity to what is going on around them, and this benefit doesn't just make them better at playing video games, but improves a wide variety of general skills that can help with everyday activities like multitasking, driving, reading small print, and navigating around town. ... > full story
Funneling solar energy: Antenna made of carbon nanotubes could make photovoltaic cells more efficient (September 13, 2010) -- Using carbon nanotubes (hollow tubes of carbon atoms), chemical engineers have found a way to concentrate solar energy 100 times more than a regular photovoltaic cell. Such nanotubes could form antennas that capture and focus light energy, potentially allowing much smaller and more powerful solar arrays. ... > full story
Emerging technologies may fuel revolutionary launcher (September 13, 2010) -- As NASA studies possibilities for the next launcher to the stars, a team of engineers from Kennedy Space Center and several other field centers are looking for a system that turns a host of existing cutting-edge technologies into the next giant leap spaceward. ... > full story
Tiny rulers to measure nanoscale structures (September 13, 2010) -- Physicists have discovered that nanospheres combined with a nanorod dimer could be used to solve the problem of measurement sensitivity at the nanoscale. ... > full story
Engineers make artificial skin out of nanowires (September 13, 2010) -- Engineers have developed a pressure-sensitive electronic material from semiconductor nanowires that could one day be used as an artificial skin for robots and prosthetic limbs. ... > full story
Glasperlenspiel: Scientists propose new test for gravity (September 13, 2010) -- A new experiment proposed by physicists may allow researchers to test the effects of gravity with unprecedented precision at very short distances -- a scale at which exotic new details of gravity's behavior may be detectable. ... > full story
Deadly tides mean early exit for hot Jupiters (September 13, 2010) -- Bad news for planet hunters: most of the "hot Jupiters" that astronomers have been searching for in star clusters were likely destroyed long ago by their stars. In a new study, researchers offer this new explanation for why no transiting planets (planets that pass in front of their stars and temporarily block some of the light) have been found yet in star clusters. The researchers also predict that the planet hunting being done by the Kepler mission is more likely to succeed in younger star clusters than older ones. ... > full story
Superwind Galaxy NGC 4666 (September 13, 2010) -- The galaxy NGC 4666 takes pride of place at the centre of this new image, made in visible light with the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. NGC 4666 is a remarkable galaxy with very vigorous star formation and an unusual "superwind" of out-flowing gas. It had previously been observed in X-rays by the ESA XMM-Newton space telescope, and the image presented here was taken to allow further study of other objects detected in the earlier X-ray observations. ... > full story
Child's 'mental number line' affects memory for numbers (September 12, 2010) -- As children in Western cultures grow, they learn to place numbers on a mental number line, with smaller numbers to the left and spaced further apart than the larger numbers on the right. Then the number line changes to become more linear, with small and large numbers the same distance apart. Children whose number line has made this change are better at remembering numbers, according to a new study. ... > full story
Mapping new paths for a stressed-out Internet: Collaboration aims to create first accurate geometric map of the Internet (September 12, 2010) -- Researchers have created the first geometric "atlas" of the Internet as part of a project to prevent our most ubiquitous form of communication from collapsing within the next decade or so. ... > full story
Astronomer unveils the mysteries of 'Green Pea' galaxies (September 12, 2010) -- First discovered in 2007 by amateur stargazers, the strange so-called Green Pea galaxies have now been shown to be extraordinary and extremely compact star cities that have low amounts of complex elements after being diluted by streams of gas and strong supernova winds. ... > full story
Public looks at synthetic biology -- cautiously (September 12, 2010) -- A new poll finds that two-thirds of Americans think that synthetic biology should move forward, but with more research to study its possible effects on humans and the environment, while one-third support a ban until we better understand its implications and risks. More than half of Americans believe the federal government should be involved in regulating synthetic biology. ... > full story
Carbon mapping breakthrough (September 12, 2010) -- By integrating satellite mapping, airborne-laser technology, and ground-based plot surveys, scientists have revealed the first high-resolution maps of carbon locked up in tropical forest vegetation and emitted by land-use practices. ... > full story
Land-use expert brings satellite data down to Earth (September 12, 2010) -- By integrating remote satellite imagery with revelations from door-to-door interviews, geographers are exploring the complex conditions that give rise to a broad range of land-use challenges -- from the reforestation of Vietnam to the spread of Lyme disease in Belgium. ... > full story
New model provides more effective basis for biodiversity conservation (September 12, 2010) -- A new mathematical model has been developed that provides a more effective basis for biodiversity conservation than existing frameworks. ... > full story
E. coli engineered to produce biodiesel (September 11, 2010) -- New research is shedding light on how to alter the genetic makeup of E. coli to produce biodiesel fuel derived from fatty acids. ... > full story
Yikes! Sensor measures yoctonewton forces fast (September 11, 2010) -- Physicists have used a small crystal of ions (electrically charged atoms) to detect forces at the scale of yoctonewtons. Measurements of slight forces -- one yoctonewton is equivalent to the weight of a single copper atom on Earth -- can be useful in force microscopy, nanoscale science, and tests of fundamental physics theories. ... > full story
Computer models suggest treatments for fractures that won't heal (September 11, 2010) -- New models, reinforced by in vivo experimentation, show why 5-10 percent of bone fractures don't heal properly, and how these cases may be treated to restart the healing process. Results of the model may benefit the aging population in which the occurrence of bone fractures is expected to rise substantially in the near future. ... > full story
Micro rheometer is latest 'lab on a chip' device (September 11, 2010) -- Researchers have demonstrated a micro-miniaturized device that can make complex viscosity measurements -- critical data for a wide variety of fields dealing with things that have to flow -- on sample sizes as small as a few nanoliters. ... > full story
New CCTV technology to help prevent terror attacks (September 11, 2010) -- Numerous CCTV systems are in use in public places which have the capacity to gather large amounts of image material. For the time being, however, there are no effective ways to analyze the mass of video data automatically and recognize potential risk situations in advance. A new European research project is aimed at developing IT solutions to this end. ... > full story
A Nearby Galactic Exemplar (September 11, 2010) -- ESO has released a spectacular new image of NGC 300, a spiral galaxy similar to the Milky Way, and located in the nearby Sculptor Group of galaxies. Taken with the Wide Field Imager (WFI) at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile, this 50-hour exposure reveals the structure of the galaxy in exquisite detail. NGC 300 lies about six million light-years away and appears to be about two thirds the size of the full Moon on the sky. ... > full story
New model may simplify high-dose radiosurgery planning (September 11, 2010) -- There is yet no straightforward way to determine the optimal dose level and treatment schedules for high-dose radiation therapies such as stereotactic radiation therapy, which is used to treat brain and lung cancer, or for high-dose brachytherapy for prostate and other cancers. Radiation oncology researchers may have solved the problem with a new mathematical model called the Generalized LQ (gLQ) Model that encompasses all dose levels and schedules. ... > full story
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