ScienceDaily Technology Headlines
for Tuesday, November 23, 2010
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Flexible wings driven by simple oscillation may be viable for efficient micro air vehicles (November 23, 2010) -- To avoid some of the design challenges involved in creating micro-scale air vehicles that mimic the flapping of winged insects or birds, researchers propose using flexible wings that are driven by a simple sinusoidal flapping motion. ... > full story
'M8' earthquake simulation breaks computational records, promises better quake models (November 23, 2010) -- Researchers have developed the world's most advanced earthquake shaking simulation. The "M8" simulation represents how a magnitude 8.0 earthquake on the southern San Andreas Fault will shake a larger area, in greater detail, than previously possible, and advances the state-of-the-art in terms of the speed and efficiency at which such calculations can be performed. ... > full story
Students fly in zero gravity to protect satellites from tiny meteoroids (November 22, 2010) -- Researchers have completed the first successful tests in zero gravity of a canopy for CubeSats -- the tiny satellites that hitch rides on rockets sending larger satellites into orbit. The goal is gathering data on what happens when micrometeoroids slam into satellites. Such impacts often knock out electronic equipment on satellites. The encounters are poorly understood, but canopies could be a first step in eventually building "black boxes" for satellites similar to airplane flight recorders. ... > full story
NASA's Stardust spacecraft burns for another comet flyby (November 22, 2010) -- Eighty-six days out from its appointment with a comet, NASA's Stardust spacecraft fired its thrusters to help refine its flight path. The Stardust-NExT mission will fly past comet Tempel 1 next Valentine's Day (Feb. 14, 2011). It will perform NASA's second comet flyby within four months. ... > full story
Electrowetting breakthrough may lead to disposable e-Readers fast enough for video (November 22, 2010) -- A new discovery could revolutionize display technology with e-paper that's fast enough for video yet cheap enough to be disposable. ... > full story
New spinal implant to help people with paraplegia exercise paralyzed limbs (November 22, 2010) -- Engineers have developed a new type of microchip muscle stimulator implant that will enable people with paraplegia to exercise their paralyzed leg muscles. It is the first time that researchers have developed a device of this kind that is small enough to be implanted into the spinal canal and incorporates the electrodes and muscle stimulator in one unit. The implant is the size of a child's fingernail. ... > full story
Jump rope aerodynamics (November 22, 2010) -- Engineers have built a robotic jump rope device and used it to study the underlying physics of jumping rope. ... > full story
Nanoparticles’ effects on plants examined (November 22, 2010) -- Using particles that are 1/100,000 the width of a human hair to deliver drugs to cells or assist plants in fighting off pests may become commonplace in the near future. However, results of studies in animals have also raised concerns about the potential toxicity of nanoparticles. ... > full story
Military experts provide civilian surgeons with guidance on handling bomb blast injuries (November 22, 2010) -- Hospitals all over the world need to be aware of how to treat emergency blast injuries and military surgeons can provide valuable knowledge and advice to their civilian counterparts based on their experience of battlefield injuries. ... > full story
Should airplanes look like birds? (November 22, 2010) -- Airplanes do not look much like birds, but should they? This question is exactly what a pair of engineers inadvertently answered recently in experiments. ... > full story
Disaster spawning new concepts in bridge research, testing and safety (November 22, 2010) -- Civil engineers have developed a new system to better analyze the connections that hold major bridge members together, which may improve public safety, help address a trillion-dollar concern about aging infrastructure around the world, and save lives. When testing is complete and the technology implemented, the system might allow a technician working for a day to produce a better analysis of a bridge's structural condition than a more expensive and highly-trained engineer could do in weeks. ... > full story
New microscope reveals ultrastructure of cells (November 22, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a new X-ray nanotomography microscope. Using their new system, they can reveal the structures on the smallest components of mammalian cells in three dimensions. ... > full story
How hummingbirds fight the wind: Robotic wing may reveal answer (November 22, 2010) -- Hummingbirds rank among the world's most accomplished hovering animals, but how do they manage it in gusty winds? Researchers have built a robotic hummingbird wing to discover the answer. ... > full story
Jet engine too hot? Schedule an MRI (November 22, 2010) -- Researchers are using MRI to improve jet engine efficiency. The technique could also provide insights into other fluid mixing problems, ranging from combustion to the flow of oil through porous rock in a well. ... > full story
Enhancing the efficiency of wind turbines (November 22, 2010) -- New ideas for enhancing the efficiency of wind turbines have been developed. These include a new type intelligent system for turbines operating under many different wind conditions and a way to reduce drag on turbine blades by covering them with tiny grooves. ... > full story
Getting bubbles out of fuel pumps (November 22, 2010) -- When vapor bubbles form and collapse in fluids moving swiftly over steel objects such as those inside fuel pumps, they can damage them. Now researchers detail the results of the first detailed experiments aimed at preventing cavitation damage in jet fuel pumps, which are essential components in modern aircraft. ... > full story
Improving ammonia synthesis could have major implications for agriculture and energy (November 22, 2010) -- Scientists are working on ways to improve the efficiency of the ammonia synthesis process. With between 3-5 percent of the world's natural gas used to create artificial fertilizers, the new research could have major implications for both the agricultural and energy sectors. ... > full story
Painless needles? Self-adminstered skin patches for vaccines under development (November 21, 2010) -- Scientists are developing painless 'needles' self-administration of flu vaccine using patches containing tiny microneedles that dissolve into the skin. ... > full story
Online undergrads learn well without strong class bond, study finds (November 21, 2010) -- No cohesion, community spirit, trust or interaction? No problem. Online college students said they felt less connected and had a smaller sense of classroom community than those who took the same classes in person, but that didn't keep them from performing just as well as their in-person counterparts. ... > full story
WISE image reveals strange specimen in starry sea: Dying star surrounded by fluorescing gas, unusual rings (November 21, 2010) -- A new image from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer shows what looks like a glowing jellyfish floating at the bottom of a dark, speckled sea. In reality, this critter belongs to the cosmos -- it's a dying star surrounded by fluorescing gas and two very unusual rings. ... > full story
Cement-like creation could help the environment (November 21, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a cement-like substance that could help with stormwater management while potentially keeping millions of plastic bottles out of landfills. ... > full story
Conductor paths for marvelous light (November 21, 2010) -- Organic light-emitting diodes are seen as the basis for a new generation of lamps: Large-area lamps that can be randomly shaped and flexibly integrated into interior design. But the "illuminated glass" is still very expensive. Researchers want to optimize the lamps of the future and reduce the price by a new manufacturing process. ... > full story
Hubble captures new star birth in an ancient galaxy (November 20, 2010) -- Elliptical galaxies were once thought to be aging star cities whose star-making heyday was billions of years ago. But new observations with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope are helping to show that elliptical galaxies still have some youthful vigor left, thanks to encounters with smaller galaxies. ... > full story
Orangutans count on stats for survival (November 20, 2010) -- Orangutans threatened with extinction could be brought back from the brink with help from an Australian statistician, who is part of a study to guide efforts for saving the Indonesian primate. ... > full story
Physicists demonstrate a four-fold quantum memory (November 20, 2010) -- Researchers have demonstrated quantum entanglement for a quantum state stored in four spatially distinct atomic memories. ... > full story
Mathematical problems recast as physics questions, provide new tools for old quandaries (November 20, 2010) -- A scientist with an interdisciplinary bent has taken two well-known problems in mathematics and reformulated them as a physics question, offering new tools to solve challenges relevant to a host of subjects ranging from improving data compression to detecting gravitational waves. ... > full story
First successful salivary stone removal with robotics (November 19, 2010) -- Doctors report the first use of a surgical robot guided by a miniature salivary endoscope to remove a 20mm salivary stone and repair the salivary duct of a patient. Giant stones have traditionally required complete removal of the salivary gland. This technique not only saves the salivary gland, but reduces blood loss, scarring, and hospital stay. ... > full story
Physicists study behavior of enzyme linked to Alzheimer's, cancer (November 19, 2010) -- Physicists are using complex computer simulations to illuminate the workings of a crucial protein that, when malfunctioning, may cause Alzheimer's and cancer. Their hope is to one day contribute to developing medication that not only can precisely recognize and target a key that causes Alzheimer's or cancer inside a crowded cell, but also then switch a sick cell like that back to its healthy form of interaction at a molecular level. ... > full story
Most powerful supercomputers rated for capabilities using tough new system (November 19, 2010) -- Nine supercomputers have been tested, validated and ranked by the new "Graph500" challenge. The machines were tested for their ability to solve complex problems involving random-appearing graphs, rather than for their speed in solving a basic numerical problem, today's popular method for ranking top systems. ... > full story
Enigma of missing stars in local group of galaxies may be solved (November 19, 2010) -- In the local group of galaxies that includes the Andromeda Nebula and our Milky Way, there are about 100 billion stars. According to astronomers' calculations, there should be many more. Now, physicists may have found an explanation for this discrepancy. ... > full story
Chemicals' study pinpoints threat to workers' lungs (November 19, 2010) -- Tiny particles used in a range of everyday products from computers to shampoo can adversely affect the lungs in very different ways, a study has shown. Research suggests that industrial manufacturers using nanoparticles should be aware of the risks that different types of nanoparticles pose to workers who handle them. ... > full story
Controlling cursors with thoughts: Faster, simpler, and more accurately; advance helps people regulate their own brain response, with therapeutic implications (November 19, 2010) -- Using a new brain-computer training approach, 14 volunteers learned in only six minutes how to move a screen cursor with their thoughts. Near-instant feedback helped the people quickly master some of their own brain responses. ... > full story
Surprise link between weird quantum phenomena: Heisenberg uncertainty principle sets limits on Einstein's 'spooky action at a distance' (November 19, 2010) -- Researchers have uncovered a fundamental link between two defining properties of quantum mechanics. This link constitutes a dramatic breakthrough in our understanding of nature. Non-locality, also described as "spooky action at a distance," is in fact limited by the uncertainty principle. ... > full story
Spacecraft flew through 'snowstorm' on encounter with comet Hartley 2 (November 19, 2010) -- On its recent trip by comet Hartley 2, the Deep Impact spacecraft took the first pictures of, and flew through, a storm of fluffy particles of water ice being spewed out by carbon dioxide jets coming from the rough ends of the comet. The resulting images and data shed new light on the nature and composition of comets. ... > full story
US falls behind other nations in reducing traffic fatalities and injuries (November 19, 2010) -- The United States is missing significant opportunities to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries, and could save lives by implementing a more rigorous, comprehensive program that adopts successful safety practices from other countries, says a new report. ... > full story
Well-known molecule may be behind alcohol's benefits to heart health (November 19, 2010) -- Many studies support the assertion that moderate drinking is beneficial when it comes to cardiovascular health, and for the first time scientists have discovered that a well-known molecule, called notch, may be behind alcohol's protective effects. Down the road, this finding could help scientists create a new treatment for heart disease that mimics the beneficial influence of modest alcohol consumption. ... > full story
Pushing black-hole mergers to the extreme: Scientists achieve 100:1 mass ratio in simulation (November 19, 2010) -- Scientists have simulated, for the first time, the merger of two black holes of vastly different sizes, with one mass 100 times larger than the other. This extreme mass ratio of 100:1 breaks a barrier in the fields of numerical relativity and gravitational wave astronomy. ... > full story
Where's George? Researchers follow the money to define communities in US (November 19, 2010) -- When travel was local, borders and communities were easy to define, but now our connectivity is more complex. Researchers have taken a look at human mobility and redrawn the borders within the United States, showing the country's most connected areas. Some of the borders in this new map are familiar, but many are not. They used data generated by wheresgeorge.com, a website that tracks dollar bills spent across the country. ... > full story
Accelerator supercomputers dominate newest Green500 List’s Top 10 (November 19, 2010) -- Accelerator-based supercomputers hold eight of the top 10 spots on The Green500 List, just released. These supercomputers use dedicated hardware to perform computations faster than a typical central processing unit (CPU). ... > full story
New breed of space vehicle: Researchers developing conceptual design for a Mars 'hopper' (November 18, 2010) -- Scientists and engineers in the UK are developing a conceptual motor design for a Mars 'hopping' vehicle which should lead to a greater understanding of the Red Planet. ... > full story
What if we used poetry to teach computers to speak better? (November 18, 2010) -- A better understanding of how we use acoustic cues to stress new information and put old information in the background may help computer programmers produce more realistic-sounding speech. ... > full story
One-touch make-up -- for our cells (November 18, 2010) -- A new technique enables scientists to introduce up to 15 fluorescent markers to a mammalian cell in one go, and could help speed up drug development and screening. ... > full story
Planet from another galaxy discovered: Galactic cannibalism brings an exoplanet of extragalactic origin within astronomers' reach (November 18, 2010) -- An exoplanet orbiting a star that entered our Milky Way from another galaxy has been detected by a European team of astronomers using the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile. The Jupiter-like planet is particularly unusual, as it is orbiting a star nearing the end of its life and could be about to be engulfed by it, giving tantalizing clues about the fate of our own planetary system in the distant future. ... > full story
Social networking extends mobile battery life (November 18, 2010) -- A new approach to social networking for mobile devices, such as tablet PCs and smart phones could improve the user experience and boost battery life by up to 70% by exploiting shared data between users in the same location. ... > full story
Nanoscale probe reveals interactions between surfaces and single molecules (November 18, 2010) -- Scientists have developed a tool to study nanoscale interactions. The device is a dual scanning tunneling and microwave-frequency probe that is capable of measuring the interactions between single molecules and the surfaces to which the molecules are attached. The information provided by the probe focuses on what the limits of nanoscale electronics will be, rather than targeting devices for production. ... > full story
Rare earth elements in US not so rare, report finds (November 18, 2010) -- Approximately 13 million metric tons of rare earth elements (REE) exist within known deposits in the United States, according to the first-ever nationwide estimate of these elements. ... > full story
Machine learning technique designed to improve consumer medical searches (November 18, 2010) -- Researchers have created a machine-learning model that enables the medical sites to "learn" dialect and other medical vernacular, thereby improving their performance for users who use such language themselves. ... > full story
How video games stretch the limits of our visual attention (November 18, 2010) -- They are often accused of being distracting, but recent research has found that action packed video games like Halo and Call of Duty can enhance visual attention, the ability that allows us to focus on relevant visual information. This growing body of research suggests that action based games could be used to improve military training, educational approaches, and certain visual deficits. ... > full story
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