ScienceDaily Technology Headlines
for Wednesday, December 15, 2010
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Hubble spots a celestial bauble (December 15, 2010) -- Hubble has spotted a festive bauble of gas in our neighbouring galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud. Formed in the aftermath of a supernova explosion that took place four centuries ago, this sphere of gas has been snapped in a series of observations made between 2006 and 2010. ... > full story
Experiment hurtled into aurora above Norway by NASA rocket (December 14, 2010) -- Scientists launched an instrument-laden, four-stage sounding rocket from Norway's Andoya Rocket Range into the aurora about 200 miles above Earth early in the morning of Dec. 12, 2010, just before the two-week launch window slammed shut. ... > full story
Two people receive kidney transplants with computerized matching program (December 14, 2010) -- A man in St. Louis and a woman in New Hampshire have received the first kidney transplants made possible through a new national program of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network that uses a new computer algorithm to match transplant candidates with living donors. ... > full story
Sweet and biodegradable: Sugar and cornstarch make environmentally safer plastics (December 14, 2010) -- A new lactide-based variety of catalysts, which initiate or sustain reactions in chemical processes, is improving the production of "green" plastics, making them stronger and more heat-resistant. This research has applications in a variety of manufacturing fields, from car parts to plastic cups -- and is a significant step in the "greening" of the plastics and chemical industries. ... > full story
Post-9/11 security zones blight landscape, create 'architecture of fear' (December 14, 2010) -- A new study says post-9/11 "security zones" in major American cities blight landscape, create "architecture of fear" and safety effects may be negligible. ... > full story
Cassini spots potential ice volcanoes on Saturn's moon Titan (December 14, 2010) -- NASA's Cassini spacecraft has found possible ice volcanoes on Saturn's moon Titan that are similar in shape to those on Earth that spew molten rock. Topography and surface composition data have enabled scientists to make the best case yet in the outer solar system for an Earth-like volcano landform that erupts in ice. ... > full story
Biological computers: Genetically modified cells communicate like electronic circuits (December 14, 2010) -- Genetically modified cells can be made to communicate with each other as if they were electronic circuits. Using yeast cells, a group of researchers has taken a groundbreaking step towards being able to build complex systems in the future where the body's own cells help to keep us healthy. ... > full story
Engineers test underground border security system between US and Mexico (December 14, 2010) -- A unique underground surveillance system tested by researchers could be used to watch the entire US-Mexico border continuously. The border-monitoring system, known as Helios, consists of laser pulses transmitted through fiber-optic cables buried in the ground that respond to movements on the surface above. ... > full story
NASA probe sees solar wind decline en route to interstellar space (December 14, 2010) -- The 33-year odyssey of NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft has reached a distant point at the edge of our solar system where there is no outward motion of solar wind. Now hurtling toward interstellar space some 10.8 billion miles from the sun, Voyager 1 has crossed into an area where the velocity of the hot ionized gas, or plasma, emanating directly outward from the sun has slowed to zero. Scientists suspect the solar wind has been turned sideways by the pressure from the interstellar wind in the region between stars. The event is a major milestone in Voyager 1's passage through the heliosheath, the turbulent outer shell of the sun's sphere of influence, and the spacecraft's upcoming departure from our solar system. ... > full story
Hot stuff: Magma at shallow depth under Hawaii (December 14, 2010) -- Researchers have found a new way to gauge the depth of the magma chamber that forms the Hawaiian Island volcanic chain, and determined that the magma lies much closer to the surface than previously thought. The finding could help scientists predict when Hawaiian volcanoes are going to erupt. It also suggests that Hawaii holds great potential for thermal energy. ... > full story
New evidence that magnetism is driving force behind superconductivity (December 14, 2010) -- Physicists are offering up the strongest evidence yet that magnetism is the driving force behind unconventional superconductivity. Researchers can now describe how collective fluctuations of electrons at the border of magnetism provided more than enough energy to drive superconductivity in recent heavy-fermion experiments. ... > full story
Smartphone technology improves prosthetic limbs (December 14, 2010) -- By combining smartphone technology with artificial limbs, researchers are paving the way for a new generation of prostheses. The technology, called an accelerometer, gives users a better sense of the orientation of their artificial limb – thus making the limb easier to operate. ... > full story
Bioengineers discover how particles self-assemble in flowing fluids (December 14, 2010) -- Bioengineers have been exploring a unique phenomenon whereby randomly dispersed microparticles will self-assemble into a highly organized structure during flow through micro-scale channels. ... > full story
Highly unidirectional 'whispering gallery' microlasers created (December 13, 2010) -- Utilizing a century-old phenomenon discovered in St. Paul's Cathedral, London, scientists have demonstrated, for the first time, highly collimated unidirectional microlasers. The breakthrough elliptical cavity enables a wide range of applications in photonics. ... > full story
Scientists take molecule's temperature (December 13, 2010) -- A new article details a technique that measures the temperature of molecules set between two gold nanowires and heated either by current applied to the wires or laser light. ... > full story
How Saturn's moon Iapetus got its ridge (December 13, 2010) -- Two scientists propose an explanation for the bizarre ridge belting Saturn's moon Iapetus at the equator. At one time Iapetus itself may have had a satellite, created by a giant impact with another body. The satellite's orbit, would have decayed because of tidal interactions with Iapetus, and at some point it would have been ripped apart, forming a ring of debris around Iapetus that would eventually slam into the moon near its equator. ... > full story
Large uncertainty in carbon footprint calculating (December 13, 2010) -- The calculation of carbon footprints for products if often riddled with large uncertainties, particularly related to electronic goods. ... > full story
Webb telescope's actuators: Curving mirrors in space (December 13, 2010) -- NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is a wonder of modern engineering. As the planned successor to the Hubble Space telescope, even the smallest of parts on this giant observatory will play a critical role in its performance. A new video takes viewers behind the Webb's mirrors to investigate "actuators," one component that will help Webb focus on some of the earliest objects in the universe. ... > full story
Contorting batteries: Charging makes nano-sized electrodes swell, elongate and spiral (December 13, 2010) -- New high-resolution images of electrode wires made from materials used in rechargeable lithium ion batteries shows them contorting as they become charged with electricity. The thin, nano-sized wires writhe and fatten as lithium ions flow in during charging. The work suggests how rechargeable batteries eventually give out and might offer insights for building better batteries. ... > full story
Physicists make atoms and dark matter add up (December 13, 2010) -- Physicists have proposed a unified explanation for dark matter and the so-called baryon asymmetry -- the apparent imbalance of matter with positive baryon charge and antimatter with negative baryon charge in the universe. ... > full story
Digital video recorders do not change shopping behavior, study suggests (December 13, 2010) -- Research finds that owning a DVR does not influence the demand for advertised products despite its ad-skipping feature. In fact, only a small percentage of ads were fast-forwarded by DVR users who participated in the study, and even that did not have an adverse effect on sales. ... > full story
Carbon fluxes in the oceans: The strange behavior of small particles at density interfaces (December 13, 2010) -- Researchers have found a remarkable effect while studying how marine particles sink, which could affect the way scientists assess global carbon fluxes. Their question: How fast does organic material and debris clumped together forming porous particles settle to the sea floor? Microbes colonizing these particles degrade the organic matter and release carbon dioxide back to the water. The downward velocity of the particles determines the amount of carbon exported to the deep sea. ... > full story
Improving children's diets using behavior change video games shows promise (December 13, 2010) -- Obesity in youngsters has risen dramatically in recent decades. Fruit and vegetable consumption and increased water intake can lower the risk of obesity, as can increased physical activity, but it is not always easy to convince children to eat better and exercise more. In a new study, researchers found that video games designed to encourage these behaviors were effective. ... > full story
Microbatteries with nanowire hearts (December 13, 2010) -- Researchers have moved a step closer to creating robust, three-dimensional microbatteries that would charge faster and hold other advantages over conventional lithium-ion batteries. They could power new generations of remote sensors, display screens, smart cards, flexible electronics and biomedical devices. ... > full story
Practical, tunable, 3-D microdroplet laser developed (December 13, 2010) -- Scientists have developed a microdroplet 3-D laser system in which laser light shines forth in all directions from dye molecules lodged within spherical drops of helical molecules dispersed in a liquid solution. ... > full story
SpaceX launches success with Falcon 9/Dragon flight (December 13, 2010) -- SpaceX Corp. tested its Falcon 9 and a fully functioning Dragon capsule combination during a brief mission launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Dec. 8, 2010. The uncrewed capsule parachuted back to Earth about three hours after liftoff following maneuvers in orbit, a first for the privately owned company. ... > full story
A swarm of ancient stars (December 12, 2010) -- We know of about 150 of the rich collections of old stars called globular clusters that orbit our galaxy, the Milky Way. A sharp new image of Messier 107 displays the structure of one such globular cluster in exquisite detail. Studying these stellar swarms has revealed much about the history of our galaxy and how stars evolve. ... > full story
Synchrotron study shows how nitric oxide kills (December 12, 2010) -- Nitric oxide is a toxic pollutant, but the human body also creates it and uses it to attack invading microbes and parasites. A new study by researchers in the U.S. and the Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute shows how nitric oxide, attacks an important group of proteins critical to cell survival. ... > full story
'Green' water treatments may not kill bacteria in large building cooling systems (December 12, 2010) -- Non-chemical water treatment systems -- touted as environmentally conscious stand-ins for such chemicals as chlorine -- may allow dangerous bacteria to flourish in the cooling systems of hospitals, commercial offices and other water-cooled buildings. The study is the first to thoroughly investigate the ability of nonchemical treatment devices to control the growth of bacteria in water-based air-conditioning systems found in many large buildings. ... > full story
Wind and water have shaped Schiaparelli impact basin on Mars (December 11, 2010) -- The small crater embedded in the northwestern rim of the Schiaparelli impact basin features prominently in this new image from the European Space Agency's Mars Express. All around is evidence for past water and the great martian winds that periodically blow. ... > full story
Computer-based program may help relieve some ADHD symptoms in children (December 11, 2010) -- An intensive, five-week working memory training program shows promise in relieving some of the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children, a new study suggests. Researchers found significant changes for students who completed the program in areas such as attention, ADHD symptoms, planning and organization, initiating tasks and working memory. ... > full story
Neutron stars and string theory in a lab: Chilled atoms give clues to deep space and particle physics (December 11, 2010) -- Using lasers to contain some ultra-chilled atoms, a team of scientists has measured the viscosity or stickiness of a gas often considered to be the sixth state of matter. The measurements verify that this gas can be used as a "scale model" of exotic matter, such as super-high temperature superconductors, the nuclear matter of neutron stars, and even the state of matter created microseconds after the Big Bang. The results may also allow experimental tests of string theory in the future. ... > full story
Simulations aim to unlock nature's process of biomineralization (December 11, 2010) -- Researchers are leveraging advanced modeling and simulation resources to study the process of biomineralization, nature's ability to form complex structures, such as bones, teeth and mollusk shells. This natural phenomenon, if harnessed, could lead to the design of composite materials and devices for such applications as bone replacement, sensing systems, efficient energy generation and treatment of diseases. ... > full story
WISE sees an explosion of infrared light (December 10, 2010) -- A circular rainbow appears like a halo around an exploded star in a new view of the IC 443 nebula from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE. When massive stars die, they explode in tremendous blasts, called supernovae, which send out shock waves. The shock waves sweep up and heat surrounding gas and dust, creating supernova remnants like the one pictured in the new image. The supernova in IC 443 happened somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 years ago. ... > full story
Odyssey orbiter nears Martian longevity record (December 10, 2010) -- By the middle of next week, NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter will have worked longer at Mars than any other spacecraft in history. Odyssey made its most famous discovery -- evidence for copious water ice just below the dry surface of Mars -- during its first few months, and it finished its radiation-safety check for future astronauts before the end of its prime mission in 2004. The bonus years of extended missions since then have enabled many accomplishments that would not have been possible otherwise. ... > full story
Winter treat for skywatchers as Geminid meteors sparkle in December sky (December 10, 2010) -- On the evening of December 13th and the morning of the 14th, skywatchers across the northern hemisphere will be looking up as the Geminid meteor shower reaches its peak, in one of the best night sky events of the year. And unlike many astronomical phenomena, meteors are best seen without a telescope (and are perfectly safe to watch). ... > full story
World's smallest battery: Real-time observation of nanowire anode to help improve lithium batteries (December 10, 2010) -- A benchtop version of the world's smallest battery -- its anode a single nanowire one seven-thousandth the thickness of a human hair -- has been created by a team of researchers. ... > full story
Bioengineers develop bacterial strain to increase ethanol biofuel production (December 10, 2010) -- Bioengineers have modified a strain of bacteria to increase its ability to produce ethanol. The research reveals how adaptation and metabolic engineering can be combined for strain improvement, a positive development for the biofuel industry. ... > full story
Seeing the invisible: New 'CSI tool' visualizes bloodstains and other substances (December 10, 2010) -- Snap an image of friends in front of a window curtain and the camera captures the people -- and invisible blood stains splattered on the curtain during a murder. Sound unlikely? Chemists are reporting development of a camera with that ability to see the invisible, and more. Called multimode imaging in the thermal infrared, the new technology could find uses in crime scene investigations and elsewhere, they say. ... > full story
New insights into formation of Earth, the Moon, and Mars (December 10, 2010) -- New research reveals that the abundance of so-called highly siderophile, or metal-loving, elements like gold and platinum found in the mantles of Earth, the moon and Mars were delivered by massive impactors during the final phase of planet formation over 4.5 billion years ago. The predicted sizes of the projectiles, which hit within tens of millions of years of the giant impact that produced our moon, are consistent with current planet formation models. They predict that the largest of the late impactors on Earth -- at 1,500 to 2,000 miles in diameter -- potentially modified Earth's obliquity by approximately 10 degrees, while those for the Moon, at approximately 150-200 miles, may have delivered water to its mantle. ... > full story
Perfectly needled nonwoven (December 10, 2010) -- Hardly any other textile is as versatile as nonwoven: it keeps babies' bottoms dry and protects plants from the sun. In the Gulf of Mexico, special nonwovens soaked up the oil washed up on beaches like blotting paper. A new piece of simulation software now makes it possible to produce high-quality, stripe-free nonwoven fabrics. ... > full story
Elusive spintronics success could lead to single chip for processing and memory (December 9, 2010) -- Researchers have shown that a magnetically polarized current can be manipulated by electric fields. This important discovery opens up the prospect of simultaneously processing and storing data on electrons held in the molecular structure of computer chips -- combining computer memory and processing power on the same chip. ... > full story
Online photos may reveal your friendships (December 9, 2010) -- Comparing the locations of photos posted on the Internet with social network contacts, computer scientists have found that as few as three "co-locations" for images at different times and places could predict with high probability that two people posting photos were socially connected. ... > full story
Physicists discover ultrasensitive microwave detector (December 9, 2010) -- Physicists have discovered a way to use one of the information technology industry's mainstay materials -- gallium arsenide semiconductors -- as an ultrasensitive microwave detector that could be suitable for quantum computing. The discovery comes at a time when computer chip engineers are racing both to add nanophotonic devices directly to microchips and to boost processor speeds beyond 10 gigahertz. ... > full story
Astronomers discover, image new planet in planetary system very similar to our own (December 9, 2010) -- An international team of astronomers has discovered and imaged a fourth giant planet outside our solar system, whose discovery strengthens some remarkable resemblances between this planetary system and our own. The astronomers say the planetary system resembles a super-sized version of our solar system. ... > full story
Redrawing the map of Great Britain based on human interaction (December 9, 2010) -- A group of researchers have used one of the world's largest databases of telecommunications records to redraw the map of Great Britain. The research is based on the analysis of 12 billion anonymized records representing more than 95% of Great Britain's residential and business landlines. ... > full story
Bacteria to test water lines: Contained bacteria change color when they contact toxins (December 9, 2010) -- Although drinking water is monitored more strictly than almost anything, our water supply network is still not immune to accidents, wear and tear or targeted attacks. A one-minute warning system for toxins and other substances in water hazardous to health could set off alarms in future if there is a danger. ... > full story
Black holes and warped space revealed by powerful new array of radio telescopes (December 9, 2010) -- A new image shows how the light from a quasar billions of light years away is bent around a foreground galaxy by the curvature of space. This light has been traveling for 9 billion years before it reached the Earth. The quasar is a galaxy powered by a super-massive black hole, leading to the ejection of jets of matter moving at almost the speed of light. ... > full story
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