ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Friday, February 11, 2011

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Friday, February 11, 2011

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How much information is there in the world? (February 11, 2011) -- Think you're overloaded with information? Not even close. A new study calculates how much information humankind can handle. ... > full story

New method for reporting solar data (February 11, 2011) -- A straightforward new way to calculate, compile, and graphically present solar radiation measurements in a format that is accessible to decision makers and the general public has been developed. ... > full story

Robot therapy can improve arm, shoulder mobility after stroke (February 10, 2011) -- Robotic-assisted rehabilitation therapy, combined with standard rehabilitation, can improve upper extremity mobility in stroke patients with paralysis on one side. Patients with severe paralysis were more likely to be aided by robotic therapy. ... > full story

Revolutionary microchip technology? (February 10, 2011) -- Scientists have made the world’s first junctionless transistor even smaller. The transistor is the building block of the microchip. ... > full story

Engineers study hybrid systems to design robust unmanned vehicles (February 10, 2011) -- Aerospace and mechanical engineers are studying bird and bee flight to develop unmanned vehicles that stay aloft longer and cope with sudden and severe changes in airflow. ... > full story

Race against time to find Apollo 14's lost voyagers: 'Moon trees' (February 10, 2011) -- In communities all across the US, travelers that went to the moon and back with the Apollo 14 mission are living out their quiet lives. The voyagers in question are not astronauts. They're "moon trees." ... > full story

Paperweight for platinum: Bracing catalyst in material makes fuel cell component work better and last longer (February 10, 2011) -- A new combination of nanoparticles and graphene results in a more durable catalytic material for fuel cells, according to new research. The catalytic material is not only hardier but more chemically active as well. The researchers are confident the results will help improve fuel cell design. ... > full story

Nanonets give rust a boost as agent in water splitting's hydrogen harvest (February 10, 2011) -- Coating a lattice of tiny wires called Nanonets with iron oxide creates an economical and efficient platform for the process of water splitting -- an emerging clean fuel method that harvests hydrogen from water, researchers report. ... > full story

New method takes snapshots of proteins as they fold (February 10, 2011) -- Using a sophisticated version of the stroboscopic photography Eadweard Muybridge used to prove in 1877 that a horse takes all four hooves off the ground when it gallops, scientists have now caught proteins in the act of folding, a process that can take less than thousandths of a second. ... > full story

New solar cell self-repairs like natural plant systems (February 10, 2011) -- Researchers are creating a new type of solar cell designed to self-repair like natural photosynthetic systems in plants by using carbon nanotubes and DNA, an approach aimed at increasing service life and reducing cost. ... > full story

New technology in human trials to spot cardiac disease, cancer, drug abuse: Diagnostic chip may help hearts, cut costs (February 10, 2011) -- Heart disease is a silent killer, but new microchip technology is expected to advance the art of diagnosis. ... > full story

The 'new' kilogram is approaching (February 10, 2011) -- With the aid of a single crystal of highly enriched 28Si, the Avogadro constant has now been measured as exactly as never before. Within the scope of the redefinition of the kilogram, the value permits the currently most exact realization of this unit. ... > full story

Stardust-NExT: Heading into the bonus round -- in space (February 9, 2011) -- A bonus round is something one usually associates with the likes of a TV game show, not a pioneering deep space mission. "We are definitely in the bonus round," said Stardust-NExT Project Manager Tim Larson of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "This spacecraft has already flown by an asteroid and a comet, returned comet dust samples to Earth, and now has almost doubled its originally planned mission life. Now it is poised to perform one more comet flyby." ... > full story

Microsponges from seaweed may save lives (February 9, 2011) -- Microsponges derived from seaweed may help diagnose heart disease, cancers, HIV and other diseases quickly and at far lower cost than current clinical methods. ... > full story

Girls' interest in computing science piqued by making video games (February 9, 2011) -- For high-school girls the fun is in making video games, not just playing them, according to a new study. Their study shows that if you want to get more females interested in computing science, you have to rewrite the program, so to speak. ... > full story

Hydrogels used to make precise new sensor (February 9, 2011) -- Researchers are developing a new type of biological and chemical sensor that has few moving parts, is low-cost and yet highly sensitive, sturdy and long-lasting. The "diffraction-based" sensors are made of thin stripes of a gelatinous material called a hydrogel. ... > full story

Greener process for key ingredient for everything from paint to diapers (February 9, 2011) -- Scientists are reporting discovery of an environmentally friendly way to make a key industrial material -- used in products ranging from paints to diapers -- from a renewable raw material without touching the traditional pricey and increasingly scarce petroleum-based starting material. ... > full story

World's first programmable nanoprocessor: Nanowire tiles can perform arithmetic and logical functions (February 9, 2011) -- Scientists have developed and demonstrated the world's first programmable nanoprocessor. The groundbreaking prototype computer system represents a significant step forward in the complexity of computer circuits that can be assembled from synthesized nanometer-scale components. ... > full story

Ultrafast quantum computer closer: Ten billion bits of entanglement achieved in silicon (February 9, 2011) -- Scientists have made a significant step towards an ultrafast quantum computer by successfully generating 10 billion bits of quantum entanglement in silicon for the first time -- entanglement is the key ingredient that promises to make quantum computers far more powerful than conventional computing devices. ... > full story

Neutron analysis reveals 'two doors down' superconductivity link (February 9, 2011) -- Neutron scattering analysis of two families of iron-based materials suggests that the magnetic interactions thought responsible for high-temperature superconductivity may lie "two doors down": the key magnetic exchange pairings occur in a next-nearest-neighbor ordering of atoms, rather than adjacent atoms. ... > full story

Successful operation of carbon nanotube-based integrated circuits manufactured on plastic substrates (February 9, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a simple and fast process to manufacture high-quality carbon nanotube-based thin film transistors (TFT) on a plastic substrate, enabling them to manufacture the world's first sequential logic circuits using carbon nanotubes. The technology could lead to the development of high-speed, roll-to-roll manufacturing processes to manufacture low-cost flexible devices such as electronic paper in the future. ... > full story

Jatropha: Green biodiesel from African tree (February 9, 2011) -- Jatropha has been championed as a major environmental opportunity for developing countries with a semi-arid climate and marginal soil. Scientists have been investigating whether this small, hardy and relatively pest-free tree lives up to its billing. ... > full story

Stardust NExT set to meet its second comet (February 9, 2011) -- It's been 12 years since Stardust was launched and seven years since it encountered a comet called Wild 2 out beyond Mars. Next Monday the probe will make history again when it meets its second comet, Tempel 1. ... > full story

Challenges for biofuels: New life cycle assessment report (February 9, 2011) -- A new report presents seven grand challenges for addressing the social, economic and environmental issues that must be confronted before advanced biofuels can replace gasoline on a widescale basis. ... > full story

Innovative iPhone app developed to carry out psychological and social research (February 9, 2011) -- An international team of researchers is developing a new way of conducting psychological and social research. Instead of bringing people into laboratories the team has launched an iPhone/iPad app that people can download for free in English, French and Dutch. ... > full story

Stardust celebrates 12 years with rocket burn (February 9, 2011) -- NASA's Stardust spacecraft marked its 12th anniversary in space on Monday, Feb. 7, with a rocket burn to further refine its path toward a Feb. 14 date with a comet. ... > full story

Generic drug may improve the effectiveness of cancer nanotherapies (February 8, 2011) -- Low doses of losartan, an FDA-approved generic hypertension medication, may improve the results of nanotherapeutic approaches to cancer treatment by modifying the network of abnormal collagen fibers that characterizes most solid tumors. ... > full story

Tool makes search for Martian life easier: Red Planet a good fit for laser-ion funnel mass spectrometry (February 8, 2011) -- Newly developed ion funnel technology could make finding life on Mars's surface easier when coupled with a laser and a mass spectrometer that are placed directly on the robotic arm of a space rover. ... > full story

Fingerprint makes computer chips counterfeit-proof (February 8, 2011) -- Product counterfeiters are increasingly targeting computer chips and electronic components, with attacks on hardware modules becoming commonplace. Tailor-made security technology utilizes a component's individual material properties to generate a digital key. This provides components with an identity -- since their unique structure cannot be copied. ... > full story

Helping drivers cut fuel use (February 8, 2011) -- Ever wonder how much fuel you can save by avoiding stop-and-go traffic, closing your window, not using air conditioning or coasting toward stops? ... > full story

Conceptualizing cancer cells as ancient 'toolkit' (February 8, 2011) -- In a new paper, astrobiology researchers seek to explain why cancer cells deploy so many clever tricks in such a coherent and organized way. ... > full story

Researchers predict future of electronic devices, see top ten list of expected breakthroughs (February 8, 2011) -- In the first published critical review of technical developments related to electronic paper devices (i.e., e-readers like the Amazon Kindle), experts review the next generation of these devices. ... > full story

Bound neutrons pave way to free ones: Scientists extract information about internal structure of free neutrons (February 8, 2011) -- A study of bound protons and neutrons has allowed scientists, for the first time, to extract information through experimentation about the internal structure of free neutrons, without the assistance of a theoretical model. ... > full story

New technique controls sizes of nanoparticle clusters for environmental, health and safety studies (February 8, 2011) -- Researchers have demonstrated for the first time a method for producing nanoparticle clusters in a variety of controlled sizes that are stable over time. The technique can be used in studies on the environmental, health and safety impacts of nanoparticle clusters. ... > full story

Atom-thick sheets unlock future technologies (February 8, 2011) -- A new way of splitting layered materials, similar to graphite, into sheets of material just one atom thick could lead to revolutionary new electronic and energy storage technologies. ... > full story

Digital signal processing helps researchers get a grip on nervous system's receptors (February 8, 2011) -- A digital signal processing technique long used by statisticians to analyze data is helping scientists understand the roots of memory and learning, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases and stroke. ... > full story

Math may help calculate way to find new drugs for HIV and other diseases (February 8, 2011) -- Using mathematical concepts, researchers have developed a method of discovering new drugs for a range of diseases by calculating which physical properties of biological molecules may predict their effectiveness as medicines. ... > full story

Laser welding in the right light (February 8, 2011) -- Laser welding is on the advance, but it also has its limits: it has been impossible to fuse two transparent plastic components together -- up until now. Researchers have now succeeded in circumventing this hurdle -- by choosing the right wavelength. The new welding process is revolutionizing bioanalytics. ... > full story

Aluminum to replace copper as a conductor in on-board power systems (February 7, 2011) -- Currently copper is the conductor of choice for electric power and electronics in all kinds of vehicles. But in comparison to aluminum, copper is heavy and expensive. A switch to cheaper and lighter aluminum would be an interesting option, particularly for fully electric vehicles. Scientists have now found out what tricks can make it possible to replace copper with aluminum. ... > full story

Language may play important role in learning the meanings of numbers (February 7, 2011) -- New research conducted with deaf people in Nicaragua shows that language may play an important role in learning the meanings of numbers. ... > full story

Engineers grow nanolasers on silicon, pave way for on-chip photonics (February 7, 2011) -- Engineers have found a way to grow nanolasers directly onto a silicon surface, an achievement that could lead to a new class of faster, more efficient microprocessors, as well as to powerful biochemical sensors that use optoelectronic chips. ... > full story

Low-cost, nanometer-sized drug holds promise for treatment of chronic diabetes and burn wounds (February 7, 2011) -- A low cost, nanometer-sized drug to treat chronic wounds, such as diabetic foot ulcers or burns, has been developed by a group of scientists from Israel, the U.S. and Japan. ... > full story

DNA engine observed in real-time traveling along base pair track (February 7, 2011) -- In a complex feat of nanoengineering, a team of scientists has succeeded in creating a programmable molecular transport system, the workings of which can be observed in real time. The results open the door to the development of advanced drug delivery methods and molecular manufacturing systems. ... > full story

Clay-armored bubbles may have formed first protocells: Minerals could have played a key role in the origins of life (February 7, 2011) -- A team of applied physicists has demonstrated the formation of semipermeable vesicles from inorganic clay. The research shows that clay vesicles provide an ideal container for the compartmentalization of complex organic molecules. ... > full story

Roaches inspire robotics: Researchers use common cockroach to fine-tune robots of the future (February 7, 2011) -- The study of cockroaches, locusts, and caterpillars is inspiring new frontiers in advanced robotics. New research delves deep into the neurological functioning of the cockroach, giving engineers the information they need to design more compact, versatile and efficient robots -- for both earthbound missions and those in outer space. ... > full story

Normal air could halve fuel consumption (February 7, 2011) -- Every time a car brakes, energy is generated. At present this energy is not used, but new research shows that it is perfectly possible to save it for later use in the form of compressed air. It can then provide extra power to the engine when the car is started and save fuel by avoiding idle operation when the car is at a standstill. ... > full story

First ever STEREO images of the entire sun (February 7, 2011) -- NASA has released the first complete view of the sun's entire surface and atmosphere. Seeing the whole sun front and back simultaneously will enable significant advances in space weather forecasting for Earth, and improve planning for future robotic or crewed spacecraft missions throughout the solar system. ... > full story

Better turbine spacing for large wind farms (February 7, 2011) -- Large wind farms are being built around the world as a cleaner way to generate electricity, but operators are still searching for the most efficient way to arrange the massive turbines that turn moving air into power. For maximum efficiency in power generation, operators of large wind farms should space their turbines farther apart, researchers say. ... > full story