ScienceDaily Technology Headlines
for Tuesday, November 30, 2010
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Fire forecast technology could help rescue teams save lives (November 30, 2010) -- Fires in homes and offices could be tackled more efficiently using technology that predicts how a blaze will spread. ... > full story
Astronomers probe 'sandbar' between islands of galaxies (November 30, 2010) -- Astronomers have caught sight of an unusual galaxy that has illuminated new details about a celestial "sandbar" connecting two massive islands of galaxies. The research was conducted in part with NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. ... > full story
Methane-powered laptops? Materials scientists unveil tiny, low-temperature methane fuel cells (November 29, 2010) -- With advances in nanostructured devices, lower operating temperatures, and the use of an abundant fuel source and cheaper materials, researchers are increasingly optimistic about the commercial viability of methane-powered laptops. ... > full story
Tuning an 'ear' to the music of gravitational waves (November 29, 2010) -- A team of scientists and engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has brought the world one step closer to "hearing" gravitational waves -- ripples in space and time predicted by Albert Einstein in the early 20th century. ... > full story
Shrouded burst of stars: Spitzer reveals a buried explosion sparked by a galactic train wreck (November 29, 2010) -- Astronomers using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope have found a stunning burst of star formation that beams out as much infrared light as an entire galaxy. The collision of two spiral galaxies has triggered this explosion, which is cloaked by dust that renders its stars nearly invisible in other wavelengths of light. ... > full story
To be or not to be a pair: Giant molecules in a quantum superposition (November 29, 2010) -- In human relationships, the question of being a couple or not has a yes-or-no answer: either one is a couple or not. Quantum physics offers an interesting alternative. There, the couples are pairs of atoms that are held together by binding forces to form molecules. Quantum mechanics allows another loophole: a superpostion of free and bound state, where the two atoms are bound and free at the same time. Although this is impossible in our classical world, it is a well known property for quantum mechanical states. Such superpositions have now been observed for weakly bound ultralong-range molecules. ... > full story
Earth and space science missions have fewer risks if conducted by a single government agency, report finds (November 29, 2010) -- Earth and space science missions developed and implemented by federal agencies in collaboration typically result in additional complexity and cost and increased risks from divided responsibilities and accountability, says a new report from the National Research Council. ... > full story
Quartz crystal microbalances enable new microscale analytic technique (November 28, 2010) -- A new chemical analysis technique uses the shifting ultrasonic pitch of a small quartz crystal to test the purity of only a few micrograms of material. ... > full story
Cassini back to normal, ready for Enceladus (November 28, 2010) -- NASA's Cassini spacecraft resumed normal operations Nov. 24. All science instruments have been turned back on, the spacecraft is properly configured and Cassini is in good health. Mission managers expect to get a full stream of data during next week's flyby of the Saturnian moon Enceladus. ... > full story
NASA's savory sea salt sensor to get cooked, chilled (November 28, 2010) -- A team of scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., and the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., is flying down to Brazil to "cook" a salty NASA instrument that's sure to spice up studies of Earth's climate after its launch late next spring. ... > full story
Whale sharks use geometry to avoid sinking (November 27, 2010) -- They are the largest fish species in the ocean, but the majestic gliding motion of the whale shark is, scientists argue, an astonishing feat of mathematics and energy conservation. Marine scientists now reveal how these massive sharks use geometry to enhance their natural negative buoyancy and stay afloat. ... > full story
Large Hadron Collider experiments bring new insight into primordial universe (November 27, 2010) -- After less than three weeks of heavy-ion running, the three experiments studying lead ion collisions at CERN's Large Hadron Collider have already brought new insight into matter as it would have existed in the very first instants of the Universe's life. ... > full story
A new electromagnetism can be simulated through a quantum simulator (November 27, 2010) -- A quantum simulator is a variant of a quantum computer that allows us to outperform classical computers in the understanding of complex quantum systems. ... > full story
A high-yield biomass alternative to petroleum for industrial chemicals (November 26, 2010) -- Chemical engineers report that they have developed a way to produce high-volume chemical feedstocks including benzene, toluene, xylenes and olefins from pyrolytic bio-oils, the cheapest liquid fuels available today derived from biomass. The new process could reduce or eliminate industry's reliance on fossil fuels to make industrial chemicals worth an estimated 0 billion annually. ... > full story
First evidence for magnetic field in protostar jet: Magnetism common to all cosmic jets? (November 26, 2010) -- Highly-sensitive observations with the Very Large Array show the first-ever evidence for a magnetic field in the jet of a young star. This gives such protostellar jets a common characteristic with jets from quasars and microquasars. ... > full story
Gender gap in physics exams reduced by simple writing exercises, study finds (November 26, 2010) -- Women are underrepresented and on average perform more poorly than men in introductory physics. But a recent study finds that this gap arises predominantly from differential preparation prior to college and psychological factors, rather than differences in ability. ... > full story
Pulsating star mystery solved in rare alignment of Cepheid variable and another star (November 26, 2010) -- By discovering the first double star where a pulsating Cepheid variable and another star pass in front of one another, an international team of astronomers has solved a decades-old mystery. The rare alignment of the orbits of the two stars in the double star system has allowed a measurement of the Cepheid mass with unprecedented accuracy. The new result shows that the prediction from stellar pulsation theory is spot on, while the prediction from stellar evolution theory is at odds with the new observations. ... > full story
When Belgium sneezes, the world catches a cold (November 26, 2010) -- As the Eurozone continues to wobble, a new analysis of countries' economic interconnectedness finds that some of the countries with the greatest potential to cause a global crash have surprisingly small gross domestic production. ... > full story
New guidance issued for first responders collecting suspected biothreat agents (November 26, 2010) -- The US National Institute of Standards and Technology and a coalition of federal, state and local agencies and other organizations have updated a standard and provided overall guidance and recommendations to help the nation's first responders and law enforcement agencies deal with collecting and managing samples of suspicious powders. ... > full story
Imaging with neutrons: Magnetic domains shown for the first time in 3-D (November 25, 2010) -- Although they exist in almost every magnetic material, you cannot see them: magnetic domains are microscopically small regions of uniform magnetization. Scientists have now developed a method by which they can image the full spatial structure of magnetic domains -- even deep within materials. ... > full story
Massive galaxies formed when universe was young, new findings suggest (November 25, 2010) -- Scientists have found a number of very massive, highly luminous galaxies that existed almost 12 billion years ago when the universe was only about 1.5 billion years old. These findings appear to disagree with the latest predictions from models of galaxy formation and evolution. ... > full story
Short, on-chip light pulses will enable ultrafast data transfer within computers (November 25, 2010) -- Electrical engineers generated short, powerful light pulses on a chip -- an important step toward the optical interconnects that will likely replace the copper wires that carry information between chips within today's computers. Electrical engineers recently developed the first ultra compact, low power pulse compressor on a silicon chip to be described in the scientific literature. ... > full story
The physics of coffee rings (November 25, 2010) -- Researchers have analyzed the stain patterns left behind by coffee droplets on a surface and have presented their "coffee ring" models. ... > full story
New imaging technique accurately finds cancer cells, fast (November 25, 2010) -- The long, anxious wait for biopsy results could soon be over, thanks to a new tissue-imaging technique. Researchers have demonstrated the novel microscopy technique, called nonlinear interferometric vibrational imaging, on rat breast-cancer cells and tissues. It produced easy-to-read, color-coded images of tissue, outlining clear tumor boundaries, with more than 99 percent confidence -- in less than five minutes. ... > full story
Optimizing large wind farms (November 25, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a model to calculate the optimal spacing of wind turbines for the very large wind farms of the future. ... > full story
Scientists crack materials mystery in vanadium dioxide (November 25, 2010) -- A systematic study of phase changes in vanadium dioxide has solved a mystery that has puzzled scientists for decades. ... > full story
City of Vancouver sets transportation records during 2010 Winter Games (November 25, 2010) -- Vancouver residents and visitors set records for sustainable travel during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, more than doubling the number of trips typically taken by public transit, biking or walking, according to a new study completed for the City of Vancouver. ... > full story
Google -- an engine of knowledge creation? (November 25, 2010) -- Search engines like Google have become part of everyday life, not least in the academic context. But if knowledge is power, then search engines themselves are gaining ground as power nodes in their own right. Academic users need to raise their awareness of exactly how search engines operate, to ensure it is quality and not just popularity that drive their selection of sources, according to experts. ... > full story
Self-assembly of nano-rotors (November 24, 2010) -- Scientists have managed to direct the self-assembly of rod-shaped molecules into rotors only few nanometers in size. The tiny systems serve the study of forces that act on molecules on surfaces and in cage-like structures. ... > full story
Physicists create new source of light: Bose-Einstein condensate 'super-photons' (November 24, 2010) -- Physicists in Germany have developed a completely new source of light, a so-called Bose-Einstein condensate consisting of photons. Until recently, expert had thought this impossible. This method may potentially be suitable for designing novel light sources resembling lasers that work in the X-ray range. Among other applications, they might allow building more powerful computer chips. The scientists are reporting on their discovery in the upcoming issue of the journal Nature. ... > full story
Software allows interactive tabletop displays on web (November 24, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a new type of software that enables people to use large visual displays and touch screens interactively over the Internet for business and homeland security applications. ... > full story
'Russian doll' galaxy reveals black holes' true power (November 24, 2010) -- Following a study of what is in effect a miniature galaxy buried inside a normal-sized one -- like a Russian doll -- astronomers have concluded that massive black holes are more powerful than we thought. ... > full story
Jellyfish-inspired pumps: Researchers investigate next-generation medical and robotic devices (November 24, 2010) -- To some researchers, the undulations of the simple invertebrate jellyfish hold secrets that may make possible a new generation of tiny pumps for medical applications and soft robotics. ... > full story
Heating nanoparticles to kill tumor cells (November 24, 2010) -- Magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH) is a promising new cancer treatment that essentially "fries" cells inside tumors. Nanoparticles are heated, cancer cells die with no adverse effects to the surrounding healthy tissue. ... > full story
Age estimation from blood has immediate forensic application (November 24, 2010) -- Scientists have devised a method that would allow them to estimate the age of crime suspects or missing persons from blood collected at the scene of a crime. In principle, the new profiling method could be put to immediate practical use by law enforcement, according to researchers. They have already begun the required validation of the test, which is designed to assure that quality standards are met. ... > full story
Making stars: How cosmic dust and gas shape galaxy evolution (November 24, 2010) -- Galaxy formation is one of the biggest remaining questions in astrophysics, one that's closer to being answered thanks to a combination of new observations and supercomputer simulations. ... > full story
World first to provide building blocks for new nano devices (November 24, 2010) -- Scientists have made a major breakthrough that could help shape the future of nanotechnology, by demonstrating for the first time that 3-D molecular structures can be built on a surface. ... > full story
Novel fuel cell catalyst lowers need for precious metal (November 24, 2010) -- A test performed in Copenhagen proves that a new catalyst might show the way to cheap and easy fuel cells. ... > full story
Saving our data from digital decay (November 23, 2010) -- An old-school alternative to digital storage has a modern spin that could save us from future information loss as technology changes and today's state of the art devices become tomorrow's museum pieces. ... > full story
Early universe was a liquid, nuclei collisions at the Large Hadron Collider show (November 23, 2010) -- In an experiment to collide lead nuclei together at CERN's Large Hadron Collider physicists have discovered that the very early Universe was not only very hot and dense but behaved like a hot liquid. ... > full story
Hybrid tugboat cuts emissions (November 23, 2010) -- A new study of what is believed to be the world's only hybrid electric tugboat found that the vessel is effective in reducing emissions at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. ... > full story
Flying snakes, caught on camera (November 23, 2010) -- New video analysis and mathematical modeling by engineers reveals how certain types of snakes can "fly" by flinging themselves off their perches, flattening their bodies, and sailing from tree to tree. ... > full story
Ultrathin alternative to silicon for future electronics (November 23, 2010) -- There's good news in the search for the next generation of semiconductors. Researchers have successfully used ultra-thin layers of the semiconductor indium arsenide to create a nanoscale transistor with excellent electronic properties. The technique could be applied to other III-V semiconductors for future high-speed, low-power electronic devices. ... > full story
Heart health: Implanted devices as effective in 'real world' as in clinical trial settings (November 23, 2010) -- Survival rates for patients with implanted defibrillators and resynchronization devices in the general population are similarly high as rates in clinical trial settings. Remote monitoring of the devices over a network is linked to improved survival odds. ... > full story
Fighting antibiotic-resistant bacteria by treating municipal wastewater at higher temperatures (November 23, 2010) -- New findings by civil engineering researchers show that treating municipal wastewater solids at higher temperatures may be an effective tool in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. ... > full story
Astronomers find 'Rosetta Stone' for T-dwarf stars (November 23, 2010) -- Astronomers have discovered a unique and exotic star system with a very cool methane-rich (or T-) dwarf star and a 'dying' white dwarf stellar remnant in orbit around each other. The system is a 'Rosetta Stone' for T-dwarf stars, giving scientists the first good handle on their mass and age. ... > full story
Gene find could lead to healthier food, better biofuel production (November 23, 2010) -- Scientists have found the last undiscovered gene responsible for the production of the amino acid phenylalanine, a discovery that could lead to processes to control the amino acid to boost plants' nutritional values and produce better biofuel feedstocks. ... > full story
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
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