ScienceDaily Technology Headlines
for Saturday, September 25, 2010
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A biological solution to animal pandemics (September 24, 2010) -- Using all-natural materials -- flax, hemp, jute and natural resin -- researchers in Poland have developed a new absorbent matting ideal for providing a disinfectant barrier for use in animal housing and other food production sites, both at times of outbreak of contagious disease and for routine hygiene. The matting is cheaper than the synthetic alternatives, both initially and because it is fully biodegradable so does not need special disposal. ... > full story
Mimicking nature, water-based 'artificial leaf' produces electricity (September 24, 2010) -- Scientists have shown that water-gel-based solar devices -- "artificial leaves" -- can act like solar cells to produce electricity. The findings prove the concept for making solar cells that more closely mimic nature. They also have the potential to be less expensive and more environmentally friendly than the current standard-bearer: silicon-based solar cells. ... > full story
Biometric ID technologies 'inherently fallible,' new report finds (September 24, 2010) -- Biometric systems -- designed to automatically recognize individuals based on biological and behavioral traits such as fingerprints, palm prints, or voice or face recognition -- are "inherently fallible," says a new report, and no single trait has been identified that is stable and distinctive across all groups. ... > full story
'Coreshine' sheds light on the birth of stars: Astronomers discover a new phenomenon in molecular clouds (September 24, 2010) -- Science is literally in the dark when it comes to the birth of stars, which occurs deep inside clouds of gas and dust. These clouds are completely opaque to ordinary light. Now, a group of astronomers has discovered a new astronomical phenomenon that appears to be common in such clouds, and promises a new window onto the earliest phases of star formation. The phenomenon -- infra red light that is scattered by unexpectedly large grains of dust, which the astronomers have termed "coreshine" -- probes the dense cores where stars are born. ... > full story
How heating our homes could help reduce climate change (September 24, 2010) -- A radical new heating system where homes would be heated by district centers rather than in individual households could dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions. ... > full story
Video gaming prepares brain for bigger tasks (September 24, 2010) -- Playing video games for hours on end may prepare your child to become a laparoscopic surgeon one day, a new study has shown. Reorganization of the brain's cortical network in young men with significant experience playing video games gives them an advantage not only in playing the games but also in performing other tasks requiring visuomotor skills. ... > full story
Pair of aluminum atomic clocks reveal Einstein's relativity at a personal scale (September 24, 2010) -- Scientists have known for decades that time passes faster at higher elevations, and more slowly when you move faster, curious aspects of Einstein's theories of relativity. Physicists have now used a pair of the world's best clocks to conduct new "time dilation" experiments to measure these effects at heights and speeds on personal, comprehensible scales. ... > full story
New nanomesh material created: Silicon-based film may lead to efficient thermoelectric devices (September 24, 2010) -- Computers, light bulbs and even people generate heat -- energy that ends up being wasted. Thermoelectric devices, which convert heat to electricity and vice versa, harness that energy. But they're not efficient enough for widespread commercial use or are made from expensive or environmentally harmful rare materials. Researchers have just developed a new type of material -- a nanomesh, composed of a thin film with a grid-like arrangement of tiny holes -- that could lead to efficient thermoelectric devices. ... > full story
Robotic arm's big flaw: Patients in wheelchairs say it's 'too easy' (September 24, 2010) -- Researchers thought the ease of the using a robotic arm's automatic mode would be a huge hit. But they were wrong -- many participants in a pilot study didn't like it because it was "too easy." ... > full story
Less expensive low-temperature catalyst for hydrogen purification discovered (September 24, 2010) -- Engineering researchers have demonstrated the low-temperature efficacy of an atomically dispersed platinum catalyst, which could be suitable for on-board hydrogen production in fuel-cell-powered vehicles of the future. ... > full story
Insight into the impacts of too much communication (September 24, 2010) -- Individuals within a networked system coordinate their activities by communicating to each other information such as their position, speed, or intention. At first glance, it seems that more of this communication will increase the harmony and efficiency of the network. However, scientists have found that this is only true if the communication and its subsequent action are immediate. ... > full story
Computer simulations of real earthquakes made available to worldwide network (September 24, 2010) -- A research team has developed the capability to produce realistic movies of earthquakes based on complex computer simulations that can be made available worldwide within hours of a disastrous upheaval. ... > full story
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