ScienceDaily Technology Headlines
for Wednesday, October 20, 2010
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Long distance, top secret messages: Critical component of quantum communication device may enable cryptography (October 20, 2010) -- When the military needs to send the key to encrypted data across the world, it can't necessarily rely on today's communication lines, where the message could be covertly intercepted. But physicists are developing a new, more secure way to send such information across far distances, using existing cables and the laws of quantum mechanics. ... > full story
Video games can be highly effective training tools, study shows: Employees learn more, forget less, master more skills (October 20, 2010) -- Long derided as mere entertainment, new research now shows that organizations using video games to train employees end up with smarter, more motivated workers who learn more and forget less. ... > full story
One-way Martian colonization missions: Proposal would cut costs dramatically, ensure long-term commitment (October 20, 2010) -- Would you sign on for a one-way flight to Mars? It's a question that gives pause to even a physicist and cosmologist who argue for precisely such a one-way manned mission to Mars in a new article. ... > full story
Study of tiny magnets may advance their use in microelectronics (October 20, 2010) -- Researchers in China have announced progress in understanding the single-molecule magnet, which combines the classical macroscale properties of a magnet with the quantum properties of a nanoscale entity. ... > full story
Bioelectrical signals turn stem cells' progeny cancerous; Newly discovered 'instructor cells' can deliver deadly directions (October 19, 2010) -- Biologists have found that a change in membrane voltage in newly identified "instructor cells" can cause stem cells' descendants to trigger melanoma-like growth in pigment cells a considerable distance away. This metastatic transformation is due to changes in serotonin transport. Discovery of this novel bioelectric signal and cell type could help prevent and treat diseases like cancer and vitiligo as well as birth defects. ... > full story
Making the Internet faster (October 19, 2010) -- Weaknesses in the architecture behind the Internet mean that surfing can sometimes lead to slow speeds and a tiresome wait for a video to load. Redeveloping the whole architecture of the Internet is an option recently discussed even by Internet pioneers. However, a group of European engineers decided to go the opposite way and to monitor traffic and tailor services to meet demand. ... > full story
'Drivel' on Facebook more valuable than we think (October 19, 2010) -- Superficial contacts on Facebook, apparently unnecessary comments, and banal status updates may be more worthwhile than we think. A new report predicts the new social media will ultimately lead to more individual entrepreneurs. ... > full story
Sniffing out shoe bombs: A new and simple sensor for explosive chemicals (October 19, 2010) -- Chemists have developed a simple sensor to detect an explosive used in shoe bombs. It could lead to inexpensive, easy-to-use devices for luggage and passenger screening at airports and elsewhere. The detector uses a printed array, smaller than a postage stamp, of pigments that change color in the presence of TATP. ... > full story
'Virtual satellite dish' thanks to lots of simple processors working together (October 19, 2010) -- Satellite TV without having to set up a receiver dish. Digital radio on your mobile phone without your batteries quickly running flat. The advanced calculations needed for these future applications are made possible by a microchip with relatively simple processors that can interact and communicate flexibly. ... > full story
New biological sensor detects and analyses DNA sequences (October 19, 2010) -- Researchers in Spain have created a new DNA-based biological sensor that has potential applications in the field of genetic diagnostics. The sensors are able to use logical rules to autonomously run logical inference processes on genetic input signals and reach accurate diagnoses. ... > full story
The hair brush that reads your mind (October 19, 2010) -- One of the main techniques for measuring and monitoring mental activity, called functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), can often be impaired because a person's hair gets in the way. But now, thanks to a team of researchers, a novel device called a "brush optrode" is providing increased sensitivity with fiber tips designed to thread through hair to enhance scalp contact. ... > full story
Astronomers find weird, warm spot on an exoplanet (October 19, 2010) -- Observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope reveal a distant planet with a warm spot in the wrong place. The gas-giant planet, named upsilon Andromedae b, orbits tightly around its star, with one face perpetually boiling under the star's heat. It belongs to a class of planets termed hot Jupiters, so called for their scorching temperatures and large, gaseous constitutions. ... > full story
Plastic monitors itself (October 19, 2010) -- A new polymer-metal material that has sensory properties makes it possible to produce plastic component parts that monitor themselves. This material can be combined with various others and used in a variety of different ways. ... > full story
Breakthrough in nanocrystals growth (October 19, 2010) -- For the first time, scientists have been able to watch nanoparticles grow from the earliest stages of their formation. Nanoparticles are the foundation of nanotechnology and their performance depends on their structure, composition, and size. Researchers will now be able to develop ways to control conditions under which they are grown. The breakthrough will affect a wide range of applications including solar-cell technology and chemical and biological sensors. ... > full story
Eyetracker warns against momentary driver drowsiness (October 19, 2010) -- Car drivers must be able to react quickly to hazards on the road at all times. Dashboard-mounted cameras help keep drivers alert. ... > full story
Underwater robot to explore ice-covered ocean and Antarctic ice shelf (October 19, 2010) -- Researchers in Canada are deploying an underwater robot to survey ice-covered ocean in Antarctica. The mission will study the effect of ice shelves on the mixing of sea water. ... > full story
Watching violent TV or video games desensitizes teenagers and may promote more aggressive behavior, new study finds (October 19, 2010) -- Watching violent films, TV programs or video games desensitizes teenagers, blunts their emotional responses to aggression and potentially promotes aggressive attitudes and behavior, according to new research. ... > full story
Plastics and nanoparticles -- the perfect combination (October 19, 2010) -- These days, plastic components are vital to many fields of industry – lightweight construction, automobile manufacturing and electrical engineering, to name but a few. Now researchers have found ingenious ways to combine plastics with nanoparticles and endow them with new properties. Thanks to these innovative materials, aircraft could in future be better protected against lightning strikes. ... > full story
ORNL's research reactor revamps veteran neutron scattering tool (October 19, 2010) -- The Cold Triple Axis spectrometer, a new addition to Oak Ridge National Laboratory's High Flux Isotope Reactor and a complementary tool to other neutron scattering instruments at ORNL, has entered its commissioning phase. ... > full story
NASA technology could aid in interpretation of mammograms, ultrasound, other medical imagery (October 18, 2010) -- NASA software used to enhance Earth Science Imagery could one day aid in the interpretation of mammograms, ultrasounds and other medical imagery. ... > full story
From handwritten CAPTCHAs to 'smart rooms,' tech solutions start with pattern recognition (October 18, 2010) -- Buy something online, enter your credit card number and mailing address. Simple. Then you come to the box with the CAPTCHA, the "completely automated public Turing test to tell computers and humans apart." Here, the website attempts to confirm that you're a human, not some robot about to commit a cybercrime. Biometrics that researchers are studying for "smart room" applications, beyond CAPTCHAS and handwritten words include hand gestures as well as the more common biometrics of facial, voice and gait recognition. ... > full story
Unexpected magnetic order among titanium atoms discovered (October 18, 2010) -- Theoretical work has provided a key to understanding an unexpected magnetism between two dissimilar materials. The results have special significance for the design of future electronic devices for computations and telecommunications. ... > full story
The many infrared 'personalities' of the Sculptor galaxy (October 18, 2010) -- The Sculptor galaxy is shown in different infrared hues, in a new mosaic from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE. The main picture is a composite of infrared light captured with all four of the space telescope's infrared detectors. ... > full story
SpamBot wants to be your friend (October 18, 2010) -- Social network sites such as Facebook, mySpace or Twitter are gaining popularity. But the web 2.0 faces us with new dangers. Researchers in Austria, who have been detecting and studying security hazards of social network sites, now provide advice on how to increase your safety on the web. ... > full story
Lastest graphene research could lead to improvements in bluetooth headsets and other devices (October 18, 2010) -- Researchers have built and successfully tested an amplifier made from graphene that could lead to more efficient circuits in electronic chips, such as those used in Bluetooth headsets and toll collection devices in cars. ... > full story
Moving monopoles caught on camera: Researchers make visible movement of monopoles in assembly of nanomagnets (October 18, 2010) -- For decades, researchers have been searching for magnetic monopoles -- isolated magnetic charges, which can move around freely in the same way as electrical charges. Magnetic poles normally only occur in pairs. Now a team of researchers has managed to create monopoles in the form of quasiparticles in an assembly of nanoscale magnets and to observe how they move using a microscope at the Swiss Light Source to make the magnetic structures visible. ... > full story
From biomass to ethanol and methane: New enzyme may lead to cheaper biofuel (October 18, 2010) -- Logging residue, branch clippings and even prawn shells may serve as raw materials for cheaper biofuels -- thanks to a new enzyme that breaks down biomass more quickly. What's more, this could help to curtail the current practice of using valuable food plants for fuel production. ... > full story
For future chips, smaller must also be better (October 18, 2010) -- A group of researchers in China and France has fabricated and tested tiny high-frequency capacitors made from a complex manmade mineral: barium strontium titanate. The work paves the way toward future high-frequency microwave applications. ... > full story
MRI zooms in on microscopic flow (October 18, 2010) -- Through a combination of remote instrumentation, JPEG-style image compression and other key enhancements, researchers have been able to apply Magnetic Resonance Imaging to materials flowing through microfluidic "lab-on-a-chip" devices with unprecedented spatial and time resolutions. ... > full story
Model unfolds proteins gently (October 18, 2010) -- Protein molecules inside cells are constantly reorganizing themselves, driven by very tiny forces exerted by all the other molecules in their crowded environment. Most experimental techniques and theoretical/computational models are necessarily built around much greater driving forces. A new theoretical model investigates the unfolding of fibronectin under gentler conditions. ... > full story
Building a smaller, lighter future: Understanding polymer behaviors below one nanometer (October 18, 2010) -- Knowing how to build nanosized assemblies of polymers (long molecular chains) holds the key to improving a broad range of industrial processes -- from the production of nanofibers, filters, and new materials to the manufacture of low-energy, nanoscale circuits and devices. A recent paper sheds light on key behaviors of polymers in specially engineered confined spaces, opening the door to a level of control that has previously been impossible. ... > full story
Higher education curricula not keeping pace with societal, tech changes (October 18, 2010) -- As universities are being restructured to best serve the society of tomorrow, are their curricula reflecting these changes and the development of new and possibly even unformulated new disciplines and areas of inquiry? Some educators say "no." ... > full story
Physicists pave the way for graphene-based spin computer; First to achieve 'tunneling spin injection' (October 17, 2010) -- Physicists have taken an important step forward in developing a "spin computer" by successfully achieving "tunneling spin injection" into graphene. In their experiments they found a dramatic increase in the efficiency of how spins were being injected by quantum tunneling across an insulator and into graphene. The first to demonstrate tunneling spin injection into graphene, the researchers now have world record values for spin injection efficiency into graphene. ... > full story
Measurement scientists set a new standard in 3-D ears (October 17, 2010) -- Scientists have developed a means of representing a 3-D model ear, to help redefine the standard for a pinna simulator (the pinna is the outer part of the ear) -- used to measure sound in the way we perceive it. ... > full story
Mini-sensor traces faint magnetic signature of human heartbeat (October 17, 2010) -- Researchers have used a miniature atom-based magnetic sensor to successfully track a human heartbeat, confirming the device's potential for biomedical applications. ... > full story
Complex quantum dot-dopamine interactions unraveled (October 17, 2010) -- Scientists recently reported a detailed study of the interactions of water soluble semi-conductor quantum dots with the electro-active neuro-transmitter dopamine. ... > full story
Planet hunters no longer blinded by the light: New way to see faint planets previously hidden in their star's glare (October 17, 2010) -- Astronomers have developed a way to see faint planets in faraway solar systems previously invisible to Earthly eyes. The technique promises to open new doors in planet discovery. ... > full story
New class of highly electronegative chemical species discovered (October 17, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered a new class of highly electronegative chemical species called hyperhalogens, which use superhalogens as building blocks around a metal atom. The new chemical species may have application in many industries. ... > full story
How to weigh a star using a moon (October 16, 2010) -- How do astronomers weigh a star that's trillions of miles away and way too big to fit on a bathroom scale? In most cases they can't, although they can get a best estimate using computer models of stellar structure. An astrophysicist says that in special cases, we can weigh a star directly. ... > full story
Unsung hero: Researchers produce high-res model of Ndc80 in action (October 16, 2010) -- Scientists have used cryo-electron microscopy and three-dimensional image reconstruction to create a subnanometer resolution image of Ndc80, a protein complex that helps prevent chromosomal distribution mistakes during mitosis that can lead to birth defects, cancer and other disorders. ... > full story
New look at multitalented protein sheds light on mysteries of HIV (October 15, 2010) -- New insights into the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection process, which leads to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), may now be possible through a research method that allows scientists to glimpse an important protein molecule's behavior with unprecedented clarity. ... > full story
Cancer screening made simple, thanks to micro-fluidic technology (October 15, 2010) -- Current cervical cancer screening is time consuming and expensive, but now new breakthrough technology developed by European researchers should allow large-range screening by non-medical personnel with almost immediate results and at a much lower cost. ... > full story
Eat safer: Novel approach detects unknown food pathogens (October 15, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a novel approach to automated detection and classification of harmful bacteria in food. The investigators have designed and implemented a sophisticated statistical approach that allows computers to improve their ability to detect the presence of bacterial contamination in tested samples. ... > full story
Changing the color of single photons emitted by quantum dots (October 15, 2010) -- Researchers have demonstrated for the first time the conversion of single photons produced by a true quantum source to a near-visible wavelength. The ability to change the color of single photons may aid in the development of hybrid quantum systems for applications in quantum communication, computation and metrology. ... > full story
Computers to read your body language? (October 15, 2010) -- Can a computer read your body language? A consortium of European researchers thinks so, and has developed a range of innovative solutions from escalator safety to online marketing. ... > full story
Mysterious pulsar with hidden powers discovered (October 15, 2010) -- Dramatic flares and bursts of energy -- activity previously thought reserved for only the strongest magnetized pulsars -- has been observed emanating from a weakly magnetized, slowly rotating pulsar. Astrophysicists who made the discovery believe that the source of the pulsar's power may be hidden deep within its surface. ... > full story
Improved 'molecular fingerprinting' for trace gas detection unveiled (October 15, 2010) -- Scientists have demonstrated an improved laser-based "molecular fingerprinting" technique that picks out traces of key molecules from a billion other particles in a gas in just 30 seconds or less. ... > full story
New materials could replace costly gold in electrical applications (October 15, 2010) -- Researchers have modeled and developed new classes of materials with contact properties near those of pure gold. With the price of gold currently hovering around ,340 per ounce, manufacturers across the globe are scrambling for alternatives to the costly noble metals that are widely used in electronic applications, including gold, platinum, rhodium, palladium and silver. ... > full story
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