ScienceDaily Technology Headlines
for Monday, February 8, 2010
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Second 'quantum logic clock' based on aluminum ion is now world's most precise clock (February 8, 2010) -- Physicists have built an enhanced version of an experimental atomic clock based on a single aluminum atom that is now the world's most precise clock, more than twice as precise as the previous pacesetter based on a mercury atom. The new aluminum clock would neither gain nor lose one second in about 3.7 billion years. ... > full story
NASA, GM take giant leap in robotic technology (February 7, 2010) -- Engineers and scientists from NASA and GM are working together to build a new humanoid robot capable of working side by side with people. Using leading edge control, sensor and vision technologies, future robots could assist astronauts during hazardous space missions and help GM build safer cars and plants. ... > full story
Instruments to study space weather set for NASA launch (February 7, 2010) -- A million instrument package set for launch Feb. 9 by NASA should help scientists better understand the violent effects of the sun on near-Earth space weather that can affect satellites, power grids, ground communications systems and even astronauts and aircraft crews. ... > full story
Scientists demonstrate world's fastest graphene transistor; holds promise for improving performance of transistors (February 7, 2010) -- IBM researchers have demonstrated a radio-frequency graphene transistor with the highest cut-off frequency achieved so far for any graphene device -- 100 billion cycles/second (100 GigaHertz). The high frequency record was achieved using wafer-scale, epitaxially grown graphene using processing technology compatible to that used in advanced silicon device fabrication. ... > full story
Sunny Record: Breakthrough for Hybrid Solar Cells (February 7, 2010) -- Scientists in Germany have succeeded in developing a method for treating the surface of nanoparticles which greatly improves the efficiency of organic solar cells. The researchers were able to attain an efficiency of 2 percent by using so-called quantum dots composed of cadmium selenide. These measurements, well above the previous efficiency ratings of 1 to 1.8 percent, were confirmed. ... > full story
Toward safer plastics that lock in potentially harmful plasticizers (February 6, 2010) -- Scientists have published the first report on a new way of preventing potentially harmful plasticizers -- the source of long-standing human health concerns -- from migrating from one of the most widely used groups of plastics. ... > full story
Quantum computing leap forward: altering a lone electron without disturbing its neighbors (February 6, 2010) -- A major hurdle in the ambitious quest to design and construct a radically new kind of quantum computer has been finding a way to manipulate the single electrons that very likely will constitute the new machines' processing components or "qubits." Now, a physicist has discovered how to do just that -- demonstrating a method that alters the properties of a lone electron without disturbing the trillions of electrons in its immediate surroundings. The feat is essential to the development of future varieties of superfast computers with near-limitless capacities for data. ... > full story
Leaves whisper their properties through ultrasound (February 6, 2010) -- The water content of leaves, their thickness, their density and other properties can now be determined without even having to touch them. Researchers in Spain have presented an innovative technique that enables plant leaves to be studied using ultrasound in a quick, simple and noninvasive fashion. ... > full story
Sweet! Sugar plays key role in cell division (February 6, 2010) -- Using an elaborate sleuthing system they developed to probe how cells manage their own division, scientists have discovered that common but hard-to-see sugar switches are partly in control. ... > full story
Where did today's spiral galaxies come from? (February 6, 2010) -- Using data from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have created a demographic census of galaxy types and shapes from a time before the Earth and the sun existed, to the present day. The results show that more than half of the present-day spiral galaxies had peculiar shapes only six billion years ago, which, if confirmed, highlights the importance of collisions and mergers in the recent past of many galaxies. It also provides clues for the unique status of our own galaxy. ... > full story
Craters young and old in southern highlands of Mars (February 6, 2010) -- The Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera has imaged craters both young and old in a new view of the southern highlands of Mars. ... > full story
Super material will make lighting cheaper and fully recyclable (February 6, 2010) -- With the use of the new super material graphene, Swedish and American researchers have succeeded in producing a new type of lighting component. It is inexpensive to produce and can be fully recycled. ... > full story
New system provides hybrid electric autos with power to spare (February 5, 2010) -- An advancement in hybrid electric vehicle technology is providing powerful benefits beyond transportation. ... > full story
'Artificial pancreas' a step nearer for children with type 1 diabetes (February 5, 2010) -- Scientists have made a significant step towards developing a so-called "artificial pancreas" system for managing type 1 diabetes in children. The team has developed and successfully tested a new algorithm, providing a stepping stone to home testing for the artificial pancreas. ... > full story
Madly mapping the universe (February 5, 2010) -- It takes special software to map the universe from noisy data. Scientists have developed a code called MADmap to do just that for the cosmic microwave background, then posted it on the web for other interested sky mappers. Scientists probing the sky with the PACS instrument aboard the Herschel satellite have adapted MADmap to make spectacular images of the infrared universe. ... > full story
Engineers aim to make air travel greener (February 5, 2010) -- Carbon emissions from air travel could be reduced, thanks to a new collaboration between engineers in the UK and the aerospace industry. The million project will investigate new ways of using composite materials for wing panels in aircraft. The research will be using carbon fibres that are curved within flat plates to produce damage-tolerant, buckle-free structures. ... > full story
Computers that use light instead of electricity? First germanium laser created (February 5, 2010) -- Researchers have demonstrated the first laser built from germanium that can emit wavelengths of light useful for optical communications. It's also the first germanium laser to operate at room temperature. Unlike the materials typically used in lasers, germanium is easy to incorporate into existing processes for manufacturing silicon chips. So the result could prove an important step toward computers that move data -- and maybe even perform calculations -- using light instead of electricity. ... > full story
New material absorbs, conserves oil (February 5, 2010) -- Researchers make new material to clean up oil spills in factories or on the ocean, and conserve the oil. ... > full story
Physicists kill cancer with 'nanobubbles' (February 5, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered a way to use lasers and nanoparticles to identify and treat individual diseased cells with tiny vapor "nanobubbles." In a new study, the scientists described how to use the method to explode nanobubbles and kill cancer cells. In laboratory tests, they showed they could tune these nanobubbles for "theranostics," a combined approach that melds diagnosis and treatment into a single procedure. ... > full story
Video of virus in action shows viruses can spread faster than thought possible (February 5, 2010) -- New video footage of a virus infecting cells is challenging what researchers have long believed about how viruses spread, suggesting that scientists may be able to create new drugs to tackle some viruses. ... > full story
Nano imagining takes turn for the better: Photothermal technique provides new way to track nanoparticles (February 5, 2010) -- Scientists researching how nanomaterials align have found a way to use gold nanorods as orientation sensors by combining their plasmonic properties with polarization imaging techniques. ... > full story
New Hubble maps of Pluto show surface changes (February 5, 2010) -- NASA has released the most detailed set of images ever taken of the distant dwarf planet Pluto. The images taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope show an icy and dark molasses-colored, mottled world that is undergoing seasonal changes in its surface color and brightness. ... > full story
Europe seeks alternatives to natural latex from Asia (February 5, 2010) -- Some natural latexes are the main ingredient in the extraction of natural rubber, an indispensable raw material for all kinds of industries and essential for the manufacture of surgical gloves, condoms or tyres. All the latex used in Europe is imported, extracted fundamentally from the the Hevea brasiliensis tree. The largest producers in the world are Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, three Asian countries that have practically the worldwide monopoly of this resource. In order to find alternatives to this commercial dependence and promote the cultivation of latex-producing plant species in the European Union, a research project is being undertaken in which 12 technological centres, universities and companies related to this matter are taking part. ... > full story
New simulation tool could shorten manufacturing design process (February 5, 2010) -- Researchers have demonstrated they were able to speed up SystemC based simulation by factors of 30 to 100 times that of previous performances. SystemC is often used to shorten manufacturing design cycles to improve the time it takes to bring a product to the marketplace. ... > full story
Enlisting a drug discovery technique in the battle against global warming (February 4, 2010) -- Scientists in Texas are reporting that a technique used in the search for new drugs could also be used in the quest to discover new, environmentally friendly materials for fighting global warming. Such materials could be used to capture the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from industrial smokestacks and other fixed sources before it enters the biosphere. ... > full story
New computational tool for cancer treatment (February 4, 2010) -- Researchers have developed an approach for creating new IDO inhibitors by computer-assisted structure-based drug design. ... > full story
Imaging method for eye disease used to eye art forgeries (February 4, 2010) -- Scientists in Poland are describing how a medical imaging technique has taken on a second life in revealing forgery of an artist's signature and changes in inscriptions on paintings that are hundreds of years old. ... > full story
Bionanomotors may be able to transport and manipulate molecules (February 4, 2010) -- Scientists are conducting research that may lead to new ways to move or position single molecules -- a necessary step if man someday hopes to build molecular machines or other devices capable of working at very small scales. They have shown how bionanomotors can be used some day to move and manipulate molecules at the nanoscale. ... > full story
Spherical cows help to dump metabolism law (February 4, 2010) -- Apparently, the mysterious "3/4 law of metabolism" -- proposed by Max Kleiber in 1932, printed in biology textbooks for decades, and described as "extended to all life forms" from bacteria to whales -- is just plain wrong. "Actually, it's two-thirds," says University of Vermont mathematician Peter Dodds. A new paper of his helps overturn almost 80 years of near-mystical belief in a 3/4 exponent used to describe the relationship between the size of animals and their resting metabolism. ... > full story
Learning from climate's sedimental journey (February 4, 2010) -- By analyzing sediments up to 4,000 years old, an environmental scientist is hoping to provide a tool to help predict future climate change. Ancient records of what was happening with climate conditions can be used with regional climate models to tell a story of what happened in the past and to correlate it to the present and the future. Current models typically use data only for the last 100 years or less and may miss wet and dry periods from past millennia. ... > full story
Magnetic nanoparticles show promise for combating human cancer (February 4, 2010) -- Scientists at Georgia Tech and the Ovarian Cancer Institute have further developed a potential new treatment against cancer that uses magnetic nanoparticles to attach to cancer cells, removing them from the body. The treatment, tested in mice in 2008, has now been tested using samples from human cancer patients. ... > full story
Code defends against 'stealthy' computer worms (February 4, 2010) -- Self-propagating worms are malicious computer programs, which, after being released, can spread throughout networks without human control, stealing or erasing hard drive data, interfering with pre-installed programs and slowing, even crashing, home and work computers. Now a new code, or algorithm, created by researchers targets the "stealthiest" of these worms, containing them before an outbreak can occur. ... > full story
Quantum mechanics at work in photosynthesis: Algae familiar with these processes for nearly two billion years (February 4, 2010) -- Chemists have made a major contribution to the emerging field of quantum biology, observing quantum mechanics at work in photosynthesis in marine algae. ... > full story
New class of AIDS drug? Two compounds lay foundation, help combat drug-resistant virus strains (February 4, 2010) -- A team of scientists has identified two compounds that act on novel binding sites for an enzyme used by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS. The discovery lays the foundation for the development of a new class of anti-HIV drugs to enhance existing therapies, treat drug-resistant strains of the disease, and slow the evolution of drug resistance in the virus. ... > full story
Chemists discover how antiviral drugs bind to and block flu virus (February 4, 2010) -- Researchers have determined where an antiviral drug binds to and blocks a channel necessary for the flu virus to spread. The team also discovered that the drug spins in the channel, meaning there could be room for developing drugs that do a better job blocking the channel and stopping the flu. ... > full story
Optical refrigeration expected to enhance airborne and spaceborne applications (February 4, 2010) -- Researchers have created the first-ever all-solid-state cryocooler that can be applied to airborne and spaceborne sensors. ... > full story
Merging galaxies create a binary quasar (February 4, 2010) -- Astronomers have found the first clear evidence of a binary quasar within a pair of actively merging galaxies. Binary quasars, like other quasars, are thought to be the product of galaxy mergers. Until now, however, binary quasars have not been seen in galaxies unambiguously in the act of merging. But images the Magellan telescope in Chile show two distinct galaxies with "tails" produced by their mutual gravitational attraction. ... > full story
Curing more cervical cancer cases may be in the math (February 4, 2010) -- A third of cervical cancer cases respond poorly to standard therapy or experience recurrence, making cure difficult. A new mathematical model using information gathered by magnetic resonance imaging scans may make it possible to identify patients with non-responding tumors much sooner. These patients could then be offered aggressive or experimental therapy midway through treatment, something not possible now. ... > full story
Electronic health records need better monitoring, experts urge (February 4, 2010) -- The push is on for health-care providers to make the switch to electronic health records but it is hard to tell how well these complex health information technology systems are being implemented and used. ... > full story
Secure radio signal for central locking (February 3, 2010) -- Remote central locking is among the most convenient aspects of modern motoring. However, transmission of the radio signal that activates the system is not particularly secure, however. A new encryption technique increases security without draining the key’s battery. ... > full story
Astronomers find rare beast by new means (February 3, 2010) -- Astronomers have found an example of the rare type of supernova thought to produce Gamma Ray Bursts, but through radio, not gamma-ray, observations. The breakthrough, they say, will lead to discovering many more of these objects. ... > full story
Special effects in Avatar made possible thanks to European technology (February 3, 2010) -- Highly effective and scalable digital technology developed originally for television has transformed the production, post-production and viewing experience in high-resolution feature films. A joint UK/German collaboration has helped change film production worldwide, turning a work-intensive craft process into viable global phenomenon that adds a high level of realism to special effects. Results of this work have since won technical Oscars for many of the researchers involved. ... > full story
Reaching for the stars to create music of the universe (February 3, 2010) -- While a supernova can be seen, it can't be heard, as sound waves cannot travel through space. But what if the light waves emitted by the exploding star and other cosmological phenomena could be translated into sound? That's the idea behind a "Rhythms of the Universe," a musical project to "sonify" the universe by Grateful Dead percussionist and Grammy award-winning artist Mickey Hart that caught the attention of Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist George Smoot of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. ... > full story
Applied electric field can significantly improve hydrogen storage properties (February 3, 2010) -- An international team of researchers has identified a new theoretical approach that may one day make the synthesis of hydrogen fuel storage materials less complicated and improve the thermodynamics and reversibility of the system. ... > full story
Eco-friendly way of decomposing BPA-containing plastic (February 3, 2010) -- Just as cooking helps people digest food, pretreating polycarbonate plastic -- source of a huge environmental headache because of its bisphenol A content -- may be the key to disposing of the waste in an eco-friendly way, scientists have found. ... > full story
Hubble catches end of star-making party in nearby dwarf galaxy (February 3, 2010) -- Galaxies throughout the universe are ablaze with star birth. But for a nearby, small spiral galaxy, the star-making party is almost over. Astronomers were surprised to find that star-formation activities in the outer regions of NGC 2976 have been virtually asleep because they shut down millions of years ago. The celebration is confined to a few die-hard partygoers huddled in the galaxy's inner region. ... > full story
Ability to navigate may be linked to genes (February 2, 2010) -- New research for the first time links genes to our ability to orient ourselves to the world around us an then navigate through it. ... > full story
Suspected asteroid collision leaves odd X-pattern of trailing debris (February 2, 2010) -- NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has observed a mysterious X-shaped debris pattern and trailing streamers of dust that suggest a head-on collision between two asteroids. Astronomers have long thought the asteroid belt is being ground down through collisions, but such a smashup has never been seen before. ... > full story
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