ScienceDaily Technology Headlines
for Friday, December 3, 2010
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Researchers find mathematical patterns to forecast earthquakes (December 3, 2010) -- Researchers in Spain have found patterns of behavior that occur before an earthquake on the Iberian peninsula. The team used clustering techniques to forecast medium-large seismic movements when certain circumstances coincide. ... > full story
Three-dimensional chemistry demonstrated by grinding powder (December 3, 2010) -- During the normal grinding of powders in a mortar, the powders can enter into chemical reactions with each other. This phenomenon has been known for years but only now it has become possible to transform in this way three-dimensional clusters of certain chemical compounds into other, also three-dimensional, clusters. The spectacularly easy reaction was conducted by scientists in Poland. The discovery was brought about by the development of a new method of creation of unique compounds that are precursors of nano zinc oxide – a material used, in particular, in modern electronics. ... > full story
Breakthrough chip technology lights path to exascale computing: Optical signals connect chips together faster and with lower power (December 3, 2010) -- IBM scientists have unveiled a new chip technology that integrates electrical and optical devices on the same piece of silicon, enabling computer chips to communicate using pulses of light (instead of electrical signals), resulting in smaller, faster and more power-efficient chips than is possible with conventional technologies. ... > full story
New microscopy tracks molecules in live tissue at video rate; scientists push SRS microscopy to new levels of spatial, temporal precision (December 2, 2010) -- A novel type of biomedical imaging, made possible by new advances in microscopy, is so fast and sensitive it can capture "video" of blood cells squeezing through capillaries. The new technique makes possible label-free chemical movies, with streaming footage at the subcellular level, catching video of proteins, lipids, and water within cells. ... > full story
Online game drives genetic research (December 2, 2010) -- Playing online can mean more than killing time, thanks to a new game developed by a team of bioinformaticians. Now, players can contribute in a fun way to genetic research. ... > full story
Physicists create supernova in a jar (December 2, 2010) -- A team of physicists has mimicked a supernova -- an explosion of a star -- in miniature. In a certain type of supernova, the detonation starts with a flame ball buried deep inside a white dwarf. The flame ball is much lighter than its surroundings, so it rises rapidly making a plume topped with an accelerating smoke ring. In their experiment, the researchers created a smaller version of this process by triggering a special chemical reaction in a closed container that generates similar plumes and vortex rings. ... > full story
Cancer risk from medical radiation may have been overestimated (December 2, 2010) -- The risk of developing radiation-induced cancer from computed tomography may be lower than previously thought, according to a new study. ... > full story
Governments worldwide censor web content: New study analyzes where, why and how access to the web is controlled (December 2, 2010) -- Where you live in the world largely determines how freely you can access the internet. The level of cyber censorship in different countries around the world is directly related to how authoritarian the governing regime is, according to a new comprehensive analysis of the geographical nature of Internet censorship. ... > full story
Cassini returns images of bright jets at Saturn's moon Enceladus (December 2, 2010) -- NASA's Cassini spacecraft successfully dipped near the surface of Saturn's moon Enceladus on Nov. 30. Though Cassini's closest approach took it to within about 48 kilometers (30 miles) of the moon's northern hemisphere, the spacecraft also captured shadowy images of the tortured south polar terrain and the brilliant jets that spray out from it. ... > full story
'Perfumery radar' brings order to odors (December 2, 2010) -- Scientists are announcing development and successful testing of the first "perfumery radar (PR)." It's not a new electronic gadget for homing in on the source of that Eau de Givenchy or Jungle Tiger in a crowded room. Rather, PR is a long-awaited new tool for bringing scientific order to the often arbitrary process of classifying the hundreds of odors that make-up perfumes. ... > full story
Life built with toxic chemical: First known microbe on Earth able to thrive and reproduce using arsenic (December 2, 2010) -- NASA-funded astrobiology research has changed the fundamental knowledge about what comprises all known life on Earth. Researchers conducting tests in the harsh environment of Mono Lake in California have discovered the first known microorganism on Earth able to thrive and reproduce using the toxic chemical arsenic. The microorganism substitutes arsenic for phosphorus in its cell components. ... > full story
Declining energy quality could be root cause of current recession, expert suggests (December 2, 2010) -- An overlooked cause of the economic recession in the US is a decade long decline in the quality of the nation's energy supply, according to an energy expert. Using a new measure of energy quality, energy intensity ratio (EIR), he shows the worst recessions of the past 65 years were preceded by declines in EIR. ... > full story
Hurricanes and other swirling natural phenomena explained (December 2, 2010) -- Scientists can use cylinders as small as teapots to study the mechanisms involved in powerful hurricanes and other swirling natural phenomena. ... > full story
Can engineered bugs help generate biofuels? (December 2, 2010) -- The versatile organism Lactococcus lactis, the workhorse bacterium that helps turn milk into cheese, may also be valuable in the understanding of how microbes turn the organic compound cellulose into biofuels. New research suggests the bacterium can be engineered to transform plant material into biofuels or other chemicals. ... > full story
GPS not working? A shoe radar may help you find your way (December 2, 2010) -- The prevalence of global positioning system (GPS) devices in everything from cars to cell phones has almost made getting lost a thing of the past. But what do you do when your GPS isn't working? Researchers have developed a shoe-embedded radar system that may help you find your way. ... > full story
New psychology theory enables computers to mimic human creativity (December 2, 2010) -- A mathematical model based on psychology theory allows computers to mimic human creative problem-solving, and provides a new roadmap to architects of artificial intelligence. ... > full story
Project pioneers use of silicon-germanium for space electronics applications (December 2, 2010) -- An innovative project has developed a novel approach to space electronics that could change how space vehicles and instruments are designed. The new capabilities are based on silicon-germanium technology. ... > full story
Manufacturing 'made to measure' atomic-scale electrodes (December 2, 2010) -- It is possible to determine and control the number of atoms in contact between a molecule and a metal electrode of copper, at the same time as the electric current passing through the union being recorded. ... > full story
Pits, flows, other scenes in new set of Mars images (December 2, 2010) -- Newly released images from 340 recent observations of Mars by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter show details of a wide assortment of Martian environments. ... > full story
Researchers demystify glasses by studying crystals (December 2, 2010) -- Glass is something we all know about. It's what we sip our drinks from, what we look out of to see what the weather is like before going outside and it is the backbone to our high speed communications infrastructure. But what most people don't know is that "glass transitions," where changes in structure of a substance accompanying temperature change get "frozen in," can show up during cooling of most any material, liquids through metals. ... > full story
CT best at uncovering drug mule payload, study finds (December 1, 2010) -- According to a study, the best way to detect cocaine in the body of a human drug courier, known as a mule, is through computed tomography. ... > full story
Electron 'pairing': Triplet superconductivity proven experientially for first time (December 1, 2010) -- Researchers have made the first experimental breakthrough in quantum physics: Their studies on the 'pairing behavior' of electrons have proven for the first time the existence of electron pairs, so-called Cooper pairs, with parallel spin direction. Cooper pairs cause superconductivity -- this is a particular state of material, in which the electrical resistance disappears. Until now the existence of triplet Cooper pairs has only been predicted theoretically. ... > full story
Super-Earth has an atmosphere, but is it steamy or gassy? (December 1, 2010) -- In December 2009, astronomers announced the discovery of a super-Earth known as GJ 1214b. At the time, they reported signs that the newfound world likely had a thick, gaseous atmosphere. Now astronomers have made the first measurements of GJ 1214b's atmosphere. However, the measurements raise as many questions about the planet's atmospheric composition as they answer. ... > full story
Engineers discover graphene's weakness (December 1, 2010) -- Using quantum theory and supercomputers, scientists have revealed the mechanisms of mechanical failure of pure graphene under tensile stress. They shows that, when graphene is subject to strain equal in all directions, it morphs into a new structure which is mechanically unstable. ... > full story
Cassini finds warm cracks on Saturn's moon Enceladus (December 1, 2010) -- New images and data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft give scientists a unique Saturn-lit view of active fissures through the south polar region of Saturn's moon Enceladus. They reveal a more complicated web of warm fractures than previously thought. ... > full story
Rotating light provides indirect look into the nucleus (December 1, 2010) -- Nuclear magnetic resonance is one of the best tools for gaining insight into the structure and dynamics of molecules and how they behave in a variety of chemical environments. Now researchers have described an alternative way to get this information, by using light to observe nuclei indirectly via the orbiting electrons. ... > full story
Discovery triples number of stars in universe (December 1, 2010) -- Astronomers have discovered that small, dim stars known as red dwarfs are much more prolific than previously thought -- so much so that the total number of stars in the universe is likely three times bigger than realized. ... > full story
World's fastest camera takes a new look at biosensing (December 1, 2010) -- Scientists have developed a Megaframe Imager -- an ultrafast camera capable of recording images at the incredible rate of one million frames. ... > full story
Nano-diamond qubits and photonic crystals: Milestone reached on the path to integrated quantum technology (December 1, 2010) -- Researchers in Germany have successfully fabricated a rudimentary quantum computing hybrid system using electronic excitations in nano-diamonds as qubits and optical nanostructures, so-called photonic crystals with tailored optical properties. This architecture may allow integration of multi-qubit systems on a single micrometer-sized chip for future quantum computers. ... > full story
Astronomers use moon in effort to corral elusive cosmic particles (December 1, 2010) -- Radio telescopes normally can't detect neutrinos, but astronomers aimed Very Large Array antennas at the Moon in an innovative effort to detect radio "flashes" caused by the interaction of cosmic neutrinos with lunar material. ... > full story
Measuring the temperature of nanoparticles (December 1, 2010) -- Scientists have developed a new technique for probing the temperature rise in the vicinity of nanoparticles using fluorescent quantum dots as temperature sensors. The results may have implications for the medical use of nanoparticles. ... > full story
Motorcycle simulator gives new clues to road safety (December 1, 2010) -- New research using a world leading motorcycle simulator to analyze rider behavior has proved that safer doesn't necessarily mean slower and that formal advanced training for bikers can demonstrate improved safety on our roads. ... > full story
Could 135,000 laptops help solve the energy challenge? (December 1, 2010) -- Fifty-seven innovative research projects have been awarded time on supercomputers -- using computer simulations to perform virtual experiments that in most cases would be impossible or impractical in the natural world. ... > full story
Europe’s leading scientists urge creation of a CERN for Mathematics (December 1, 2010) -- Europe needs an Institute of Industrial Mathematics to tighten the link between maths and industry as an enabler of innovation -- putting maths at the heart of Europe's innovation, according to the European Science Foundation in a new report. ... > full story
Searching the heavens for newborn stars: NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy ready to take flight (December 1, 2010) -- SOFIA, NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, is ready to take off into the heavens for its first science flight this week. Astronomers will use the Faint Object InfraRed Camera for the SOFIA Telescope (FORCAST), a mid-spectrum infrared camera, to learn more about star formation from the airborne observatory. ... > full story
Venus holds warning for Earth (November 30, 2010) -- A mysterious high-altitude layer of sulphur dioxide discovered by ESA's Venus Express has been explained. As well as telling us more about Venus, it could be a warning against injecting our atmosphere with sulphur droplets to mitigate climate change. ... > full story
Biofuels production has unintended consequences on water quality and quantity in Mississippi (November 30, 2010) -- More water is required to produce corn than to produce cotton in the Mississippi Delta requiring increased withdrawals of groundwater from the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer for irrigation. This is contributing to already declining water levels in the aquifer. In addition, increased use of nitrogen fertilizer for corn in comparison to cotton could contribute to low dissolved oxygen conditions in the Gulf of Mexico. ... > full story
Cinnamon can replace harmful chemicals used to create nanoparticles (November 30, 2010) -- Scientists have found a method that could replace nearly all of the toxic chemicals required to make gold nanoparticles. The missing ingredient can be found in nearly every kitchen's spice cabinet -- cinnamon. ... > full story
Genomic fault zones come and go: Fragile regions in mammalian genomes go through 'birth and death' process (November 30, 2010) -- The fragile regions in mammalian genomes that are thought to play a key role in evolution go through a "birth and death" process, according to new bioinformatics research. The findings could help researchers identify the current fragile regions in the human genome -- information that may reveal how the human genome will evolve in the future. ... > full story
Thin air: Oxygen atmosphere found on Saturn's moon Rhea (November 30, 2010) -- NASA's Cassini spacecraft has detected a very tenuous atmosphere known as an exosphere, infused with oxygen and carbon dioxide around Saturn's icy moon Rhea. This is the first time a spacecraft has directly captured molecules of an oxygen atmosphere -- albeit a very thin one -- at a world other than Earth. ... > full story
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
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