ScienceDaily Technology Headlines
for Sunday, September 26, 2010
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Newly created material resembles cilia (September 25, 2010) -- Scientists recently imitated Mother Nature by developing, for the first time, a new, skinny-molecule-based material that resembles cilia, the tiny, hair-like structures through which organisms derive smell, vision, hearing and fluid flow. ... > full story
New 'light switch' chloride binder developed (September 25, 2010) -- Chemists have designed a molecule that binds chloride ions -- but can be conveniently compelled to release the ions in the presence of ultraviolet light. ... > full story
Cassini makes first dive inside Saturn’s radio aurora (September 25, 2010) -- The Cassini spacecraft has made the first observations from within the radio aurora of another planet than Earth. The measurements, which were taken when the spacecraft flew through an active auroral region in 2008, show some similarities and some contrasts between the radio auroral emissions generated at Saturn and those at Earth. ... > full story
Sensor important to understanding root, seedling development (September 25, 2010) -- A biosensor utilizing black platinum and carbon nanotubes will help give scientists a better understanding of how the plant hormone auxin regulates root growth and seedling establishment. ... > full story
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
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