ScienceDaily Technology Headlines
for Monday, November 15, 2010
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Updated software uses combination testing to catch bugs fast and easy (November 15, 2010) -- Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have released an updated version of a computer system testing tool that can cut costs by more efficiently finding flaws. A tutorial on using the tool accompanies the new release. ... > full story
Researchers develop light technology to combat hospital infections (November 15, 2010) -- A pioneering lighting system that can kill hospital superbugs -- including MRSA and C. difficile -- has been developed by researchers in Scotland. The technology decontaminates the air and exposed surfaces by bathing them in a narrow spectrum of visible-light wavelengths, known as HINS-light. ... > full story
Proteins in motion: World’s largest video database of proteins for the pharmaceutical industry published (November 15, 2010) -- After four years of conducting intensive supercomputer calculations, scientists in Spain have presented the world’s largest database of protein motions. Called MoDEL, this new database holds more than 1,700 proteins and is partially accessible through the Internet to researchers worldwide. MoDEL has been developed to study the basic biology of proteins and to accelerate and facilitate the design of new pharmaceutical agents. ... > full story
Coronal mass ejections: Scientists unlock the secrets of exploding plasma clouds on the Sun (November 14, 2010) -- The Sun sporadically expels trillions of tons of million-degree hydrogen gas in explosions called coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Such clouds are enormous in size (spanning millions of miles) and are made up of magnetized plasma gases, so hot that hydrogen atoms are ionized. Now, using data from the twin-satellite STEREO mission, scientists have demonstrated for the first time that the observed motion of erupting plasma clouds driven by magnetic forces can be correctly explained by a theoretical model. ... > full story
Mathematical equation calculates cost of walking for first time (November 14, 2010) -- Why do tall people burn less energy per kilogram when walking than shorter ones do, and how much energy does walking require? These are basic questions that doctors, trainers, fitness buffs and weight-watchers would all like to have answered, and now researchers from Texas have derived a fundamental equation to calculate how much energy walkers use, based simply on height and weight, which has direct applications across all walks of life. ... > full story
Mathematical model of the life cycle of red blood cells may predict risk of anemia (November 14, 2010) -- Mathematicians have developed a mathematical model reflecting how red blood cells change in size and hemoglobin content during their four-month lifespan. The model, which uses data from routinely performed blood tests, may be able to predict the development of anemia up to two months before it can be detected by standard measurements. ... > full story
Nanostructured materials repel water droplets before they have a chance to freeze (November 14, 2010) -- Engineers have designed and demonstrated ice-free nanostructured materials that literally repel water droplets before they even have the chance to freeze. The finding could lead to a new way to help keep airplane wings, buildings, powerlines, and even entire highways free and clear of ice during the worst winter weather. ... > full story
X-ray imaging advances efforts to harness nuclear fusion: More accurate simulations could lead to 'break-even' fusion (November 14, 2010) -- A new X-ray imaging capability has taken pictures of a critical instability at the heart of Sandia's huge Z accelerator. The effort may help remove a major impediment in the worldwide, multi-decade, multi-billion dollar effort to harness nuclear fusion to generate electrical power from sea water. ... > full story
Discovery could reveal secrets of ancient Martian and terrestrial atmospheres (November 13, 2010) -- Chemists have uncovered a new chemical reaction on tiny particulates in the atmosphere that could allow scientists to gain a glimpse from ancient rocks of what the atmospheres of the Earth and Mars were like hundreds of millions years ago. ... > full story
Quantum computers easier to build: Can tolerate faulty or missing components, researchers say (November 13, 2010) -- Quantum computers should be much easier to build than previously thought, because they can still work with a large number of faulty or even missing components, according to researchers. This surprising discovery brings scientists one step closer to designing and building real-life quantum computing systems -- devices that could have enormous potential across a wide range of fields, from drug design, electronics, and even code-breaking. ... > full story
New forms of highly efficient, flexible nanogenerator technology (November 12, 2010) -- Can a heart-implanted micro-robot operate permanently? Can cell phones and tiny robots implanted in the heart operate without having their batteries charged? Such advances may be possible in the near future, thanks to new forms of highly efficient, flexible nanogenerator technology. ... > full story
Formation of bulge on far side of moon explained (November 12, 2010) -- A new study shows that the lunar far side highlands may be the result of tidal forces acting early in the moon's history when its solid outer crust floated on an ocean of liquid rock. ... > full story
All-optical transistor: Controling the flow of light with a novel optical transistor (November 12, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered a method for coupling photons and mechanical vibrations that could have numerous applications in telecommunications and quantum information technologies. ... > full story
Scientists ping key material in sonar, closes gap on structural mystery (November 12, 2010) -- Using a neutron beam as a probe, researchers have begun to reveal the crystal structure of a compound essential to technologies ranging from sonar to computer memory. Their recent work provides long-sought insight into just how a widely used material of modern technology actually works. ... > full story
'Toxic toy crisis' requires fresh solutions, experts say (November 12, 2010) -- Manufacturer recalls of toys, promotional drinking glasses, and other children's products constitute an ongoing "toxic toys crisis" that requires banning potentially harmful ingredients in these products and other changes in policy and practices, a new analysis concludes. ... > full story
Brass devices in plumbing systems can create serious lead-in-water problems (November 12, 2010) -- A new research study highlights problems with some brass products in plumbing systems that can leach high levels of lead into drinking water, even in brand new buildings -- and suggests that such problems may often go undetected. ... > full story
New ultra-clean nanowires have great potential in solar cell technology and electronics (November 12, 2010) -- New ultra-clean nanowires will have a central role in the development of new high-efficiency solar cells and electronics on a nanometer scale. ... > full story
New highly stable fuel-cell catalyst gets strength from its nano core (November 12, 2010) -- Scientists have developed a new electrocatalyst that uses a single layer of platinum and minimizes its wear and tear while maintaining high levels of reactivity during tests that mimic stop-and-go driving. The research may greatly enhance the practicality of fuel-cell vehicles and may also be applicable for improving the performance of other metallic catalysts. ... > full story
Detailed dark matter map yields clues to galaxy cluster growth (November 12, 2010) -- Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope took advantage of a giant cosmic magnifying glass to create one of the sharpest and most detailed maps of dark matter in the universe. Dark matter is an invisible and unknown substance that makes up the bulk of the universe's mass. ... > full story
Mind is a frequent, but not happy, wanderer: People spend nearly half their waking hours thinking about what isn’t going on around them (November 12, 2010) -- People spend 46.9 percent of their waking hours thinking about something other than what they're doing, and this mind-wandering typically makes them unhappy. So says a study that used an iPhone web app to gather 250,000 data points on subjects' thoughts, feelings, and actions as they went about their lives. ... > full story
Softening crystals without heat: Using terahertz pulses to manipulate molecular networks (November 12, 2010) -- As if borrowing from a scene in a science fiction movie, researchers in Japan have successfully developed a kind of tractor beam that can be used to manipulate the network of the molecules. In a new paper, the team has demonstrated a technique using terahertz pulses that could have broad applications in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. ... > full story
Graphene's strength lies in its defects (November 11, 2010) -- Materials engineers have found that the juncture at which graphene sheets meet does not compromise the material's strength. These so-called grain boundaries are so strong, in fact, that the sheets are nearly as strong as pure graphene. The trick lies in the angles at which the individual sheets are stitched together. ... > full story
Step by step towards tomorrow’s nanomaterial: Swiss researchers fabricate graphene-like materials using surface chemical route (November 11, 2010) -- Graphene is a promising material for tomorrow's nanoelectronics devices. Precise and upscaleable methods to fabricate graphene and derived materials with desired electronic properties are however still searched after. To overcome the current limitations, Swiss researchers have fabricated graphene-like materials using a surface chemical route and clarified in detail the corresponding reaction pathway. ... > full story
Supercomputer warfare: New research provides effective battle planning (November 11, 2010) -- New research from the UK, to be presented at the world’s largest supercomputing conference, pits China’s new No. 1 supercomputer against alternative US designs. The work provides crucial new analysis that will benefit the battle plans of both sides, in an escalating war between two competing technologies. ... > full story
Sugar and slice make graphene real nice: Table sugar, metallic sheets produce pristine graphene in one step (November 11, 2010) -- Rice researchers have learned to make pristine sheets of graphene, the one-atom-thick form of carbon, from plain table sugar and other carbon-based substances. They do so in a one-step process at temperatures low enough to make graphene easy to manufacture. ... > full story
Oil spill vacuum cleaner uses bark for spills (November 11, 2010) -- Cleaning up oil spills is a time consuming, difficult process. But a novel approach developed by researchers in Norway uses a new kind of vacuum cleaner that blows bark or other absorbent material onto oil spills, and then sucks the material up again. ... > full story
Leaking underground CO<sub>2</sub> storage could contaminate drinking water, study finds (November 11, 2010) -- Leaks from carbon dioxide injected deep underground to help fight climate change could bubble up into drinking water aquifers near the surface, driving up levels of contaminants in the water tenfold or more in some places, according to a new study. ... > full story
Primordial dry ice fuels comet jets (November 11, 2010) -- One of the biggest comet findings coming out of the amazing images and data taken by the EPOXI mission as it zipped past comet Hartley 2 last week is that dry ice is the 'jet' fuel for this comet and perhaps many others. ... > full story
Out-sniffing bomb-sniffing dogs (November 11, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a small, portable sensor based on recent advances in nanotechnology that's more sensitive and reliable at detecting explosives than any sniffer dog. In the future it may also be used to detect toxins and other biological threats, such as anthrax, cholera or botulinum, the team reports. ... > full story
Tetris effect: Classic computer game may have special ability to reduce flashbacks after viewing traumatic images (November 11, 2010) -- The computer game Tetris may have a special ability to reduce flashbacks after viewing traumatic images not shared by other types of computer game, scientists have discovered in a series of experiments. ... > full story
Novel type of magnetic wave discovered: Findings could improve wiring in national electrical grid systems (November 11, 2010) -- A team of international researchers has made a significant breakthrough in an effort to understand the phenomenon of high-temperature superconductivity in complex copper oxides. ... > full story
Atoms-for-Peace: A galactic collision in action (November 11, 2010) -- European Southern Observatory astronomers have produced a spectacular new image of the famous Atoms-for-Peace galaxy. This galactic pile-up, formed by the collision of two galaxies, provides an excellent opportunity for astronomers to study how mergers affect the evolution of the universe. ... > full story
Saturn is on a cosmic dimmer switch, Cassini reveals (November 11, 2010) -- Like a cosmic light bulb on a dimmer switch, Saturn emitted gradually less energy each year from 2005 to 2009, according to observations by NASA's Cassini spacecraft. But unlike an ordinary bulb, Saturn's southern hemisphere consistently emitted more energy than its northern one. On top of that, energy levels changed with the seasons and differed from the last time a spacecraft visited in the early 1980s. ... > full story
Novel metamaterial vastly improves quality of ultrasound imaging (November 11, 2010) -- A new copper "metamaterial" can overcome some of the limitations of acoustic microscopes and imagers, including ultrasound imagers. Researchers have designed and built a metamaterial that improves the picture quality of sonography by a factor of 50. The material, composed of copper tubes, resonantly channels evanescent acoustic waves to a detector, capturing more detail than is carried by propagating sound waves. ... > full story
Cancer news articles may contribute to confusion about cancer (November 10, 2010) -- New research shows that most online news stories about cancer contain language that likely contributes to public uncertainty about the disease -- a significant finding, given that at least one-third of Americans seek health information online. ... > full story
Computer-automated monitoring system may help identify medical devices with potential safety risks (November 10, 2010) -- Implementation in Massachusetts of a computer-automated safety surveillance system of clinical outcomes registries for cardiovascular devices resulted in the identification of a drug-releasing stent that had significantly higher rates of major adverse cardiac events than similar stents, according to a new study. ... > full story
Nanopore array allows simultaneous tests in search for new drugs (November 10, 2010) -- A novel nanopore array structure can be used to monitor the transport kinetics of membrane proteins by fluorescence microscopy. Due to the parallel design of the nanopore chip, a large number of samples can be analyzed simultaneously. ... > full story
Astronomers find 'snooker' star system (November 10, 2010) -- Astronomers have discovered an unusual star system which looks like, and may even once have behaved like, a game of snooker. ... > full story
Couple's numeracy skills linked to greater family wealth, study finds (November 10, 2010) -- Couples who score well on a simple test of numeracy ability accumulate more wealth by middle age than couples who score poorly on such a test, according to a new study of married couples in the United States. ... > full story
Oil will run dry 90 years before substitutes roll out, study predicts (November 10, 2010) -- At the current pace of research and development, global oil will run out 90 years before replacement technologies are ready, says a new study based on stock market expectations. ... > full story
How the dragon got its 'snap': Computer modeling and experimental genetics combined to work out complex shapes of organs (November 10, 2010) -- Scientists are pioneering a powerful combination of computer modelling and experimental genetics to work out how the complex shapes of organs found in nature are produced by the interacting actions of genes. Their findings will influence our thinking about how these complex shapes have evolved. ... > full story
Portable microwave sensors for measuring vital signs (November 10, 2010) -- Current medical techniques for monitoring the heart rate and other vital signs use electrodes attached to the body, which are impractical for patients who want to move around. Researchers in Japan have developed a new technique to disconnect people from their electrodes by using microwaves. ... > full story
Researchers aim to harvest solar energy from pavement to melt ice, power streetlights (November 10, 2010) -- The heat radiating off roadways has long been a factor in explaining why city temperatures are often considerably warmer than nearby suburban or rural areas. Now a team of engineering researchers is examining methods of harvesting that solar energy to melt ice, power streetlights, illuminate signs, heat buildings and potentially use it for many other purposes. ... > full story
Global warming reduces available wind energy, new research finds (November 10, 2010) -- A switch to wind energy will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions -- and reduce the global warming they cause. But there's a catch, according to a new study: rising temperatures decrease wind speeds, making for less power bang for the wind turbine buck. ... > full story
New method for simple fabrication of microperforated membranes (November 10, 2010) -- Microscopically porous polymer membranes have numerous applications in microfluidics, where they can act as filters, masks for surface patterning, and even as components in 3-D devices. A simple new method allows chemists to fabricate free-standing polymer membranes with neatly patterned holes as small as 10 microns. ... > full story
Taking movies beyond Avatar -- for under £100 (November 10, 2010) -- A new development in virtual cameras at the University of Abertay Dundee is developing the pioneering work of James Cameron’s blockbuster Avatar using a Nintendo Wii-like motion controller – all for less than £100. ... > full story
Foucault revisited: Argentinean scientists show how to build a pendulum for any classroom (November 10, 2010) -- A Foucault pendulum is a simple device for observing the Earth's rotation. While such pendulums have been around for more than 150 years and are a staple of the modern science museum, they are generally large and unwieldy. Now a group of researchers from Argentina has developed a new type of compact pendulum. ... > full story
Why New York City is 'average': Researchers want to improve how we determine urban exceptionality (November 10, 2010) -- Turns out many of the cities we typically think of as great ones probably wouldn't show up near the top of most rankings, if Luis Bettencourt of the Santa Fe Institute has his way. He and his colleagues believe traditional per-capita measures are not very useful for determining what makes one city better or worse than another because they don't treat separately the roles population size and local character play in making it so. ... > full story
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