ScienceDaily Technology Headlines
for Thursday, June 10, 2010
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New software to measure emotional reactions to Web (June 10, 2010) -- A group of Canadian scientists is developing software that can actually measure emotional responses to the Web. ... > full story
Sleep may help you become a 'Guitar Hero' (June 10, 2010) -- The improvement in performance accuracy on "Guitar Hero III" was greater after a night of sleep than after a similar length of daytime wakefulness. At acquisition participants played about 61 percent of the notes correctly. Performance accuracy improved to 63 percent in the wake condition and 68 percent in the sleep condition. The study involved 15 college students -- 13 women and two men -- with a mean age of 20 years. ... > full story
Walls falling faster for solid-state memory (June 9, 2010) -- Researchers have found that flaws in the structure of magnetic nanoscale wires play an important role in determining the operating speed of novel devices using such nanowires to store and process information. ... > full story
TRAPPIST telescope to scout the sky and uncover exoplanets and comets (June 9, 2010) -- A new robotic telescope has had first light at the European Southern Observatory’s La Silla Observatory, in Chile. TRAPPIST (TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope) is devoted to the study of planetary systems through two approaches: the detection and characterization of planets located outside the Solar System (exoplanets) and the study of comets orbiting around the Sun. ... > full story
Understanding the mechanisms of liver regeneration through computer simulation (June 9, 2010) -- How does the liver manage to regenerate itself even after severe damage? Seeking to find an answer to this significant medical question, scientists in Germany have gained new insights into the underlying processes involved in the regeneration of liver lobules using computer simulation and laboratory experiments. ... > full story
X-ray diffraction microscope reveals 3-D internal structure of whole cell (June 9, 2010) -- Three-dimensional imaging is dramatically expanding our ability to examine biological specimens enabling a peek into internal structures. Recent advance in X-ray diffraction method has greatly extended the limit of this approach. Method can be applied to organelles, viruses and cells and could impact treatment of human diseases. ... > full story
Detecting tumors faster (June 9, 2010) -- To diagnose cancer reliably, doctors usually conduct a biopsy including tissue analysis, which is a time-consuming process. A microscopic image sensor, fitted in an endoscope, is being developed for in vivo cancer diagnosis, to speed up the detection of tumors. ... > full story
Artificial aurora created to help predict space weather (June 9, 2010) -- For more than 25 years, our understanding of terrestrial space weather has been partly based on incorrect assumptions about how nitrogen, the most abundant gas in our atmosphere, reacts when it collides with electrons produced by energetic ultraviolet sunlight and solar wind. Now scientists have fired electrons of differing energies through a cloud of nitrogen gas to measure the ultraviolet light emitted by this collision. ... > full story
First images of sub-nano pore structures captured (June 9, 2010) -- Moore's law marches on: In the quest for faster and cheaper computers, scientists have imaged pore structures in insulation material at sub-nanometer scale for the first time. Understanding these structures could substantially enhance computer performance and power usage of integrated circuits, say scientists. ... > full story
Self-healing air mattresses based on plant wound healing? (June 9, 2010) -- No living organism is better at healing wounds than plants. Researchers have now succeeded in using the healing process of the woody climbing plant liana as a model to create self-healing membranes. ... > full story
Computational model sheds light on how the brain recognizes objects (June 9, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a new mathematical model to describe how the human brain visually identifies objects. The model accurately predicts human performance on certain visual-perception tasks, which suggests that it's a good indication of what actually happens in the brain, and it could also help improve computer object-recognition systems. ... > full story
'Nanocoax' solves solar cell 'thick and thin' dilemma (June 9, 2010) -- Researchers report developing a "nanocoax" technology that can support a highly efficient thin film solar cells. The nanocoax structures prove to be thick enough to absorb a sufficient amount of light, yet thin enough to extract current with increased efficiency. ... > full story
Working toward the next battery breakthrough: Scientist brings fresh perspective to the nation's electrical grid (June 9, 2010) -- If battery-making is an art, then University at Buffalo scientist Esther Takeuchi is among its most prolific masters, with more than 140 US patents, all in energy storage. Takeuchi developed the battery that made possible the first implantable cardiac defibrillators, a feat that was recognized last fall with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation from President Obama. Millions of heart patients worldwide have benefited from the implantable cardiac defibrillators powered by Takeuchi's silver vanadium oxide battery. With funding from the National Institutes of Health, she is developing new cathode materials for improved implantable cardiac defibrillator batteries. ... > full story
Applying tomographics to the quantum world (June 9, 2010) -- Scientists in Spain have demonstrated the validity of tomographic representation of quantum states, which can help quantum technologies transmit information more safely and efficiently. ... > full story
European Space Agency makes first GOCE dataset available (June 9, 2010) -- The first products based on GOCE satellite data are now available online through the European Space Agency’s Earth observation user services tools. ESA launched the satellite in March 2009 on a mission to map Earth's gravity with unprecedented accuracy and spatial resolution. ... > full story
Will the new World Cup soccer ball bend? (June 8, 2010) -- Physics experts believe the new ball created for the 2010 World Cup, called the Jabulani, will play "harder and faster," bending more unpredictably than its predecessor. ... > full story
Radioactive optical imaging and 'quantum dot' nano-imaging at the forefront of molecular medicine (June 8, 2010) -- Researchers have presented the results of a multidisciplinary study involving the capture of radiation luminescence and radioactive-excited nanoparticles to help detect subtle signs of disease. Currently, nuclear medicine agents and imaging technology image the behavior of particles at the cellular, molecular and atomic levels, but radioactive materials also emit barely visible light that can be detected with highly sensitive optical imaging technology. This discovery could lead to new, state-of-the-art imaging techniques. ... > full story
Polymer-based filter successfully cleans water, recovers oil in Gulf of Mexico test (June 8, 2010) -- In response to the massive oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, an engineering professor has developed a technique for separating oil from water via a cotton filter coated in a chemical polymer that blocks oil while allowing water to pass through. The researcher reports that the filter was successfully tested off the coast of Louisiana and shown to simultaneously clean water and preserve the oil. ... > full story
No place to hide: New 360-degree video surveillance system uses image stitching technology that is perfectly detailed edge to edge (June 8, 2010) -- The US Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate new Imaging System for Immersive Surveillance is as detailed as 50 full-HDTV movies playing at once, with optical detail to spare. ... > full story
Chemists report promising advance in fuel-cell technology (June 8, 2010) -- Chemists have come up with a promising advance in fuel-cell technology. The team has demonstrated that a nanoparticle with a palladium core and an iron-platinum shell outperforms commercially available pure-platinum catalysts and lasts longer. The finding could move fuel cells a step closer to reality. ... > full story
New yeast can ferment more sugar, make more cellulosic ethanol (June 8, 2010) -- Scientists have improved a strain of yeast that can produce more biofuel from cellulosic plant material by fermenting all five types of the plant's sugars. ... > full story
Gulf oil spill could widen, worsen 'dead zone' (June 8, 2010) -- While an out-of-control gusher deep in the Gulf of Mexico fouls beaches and chokes marshland habitat, another threat could be growing below the oil-slicked surface. The nation's worst oil spill could worsen and expand the oxygen-starved region of the Gulf labeled "the dead zone" for its inhospitality to marine life, suggest scientists. ... > full story
'Psychedelic' maize may help increase crop and biofuel yields (June 8, 2010) -- Scientists have identified new genes in maize which promote carbohydrate export from leaves. These genes are called psychedelic because of the yellow and green streaks they cause in the plant's leaves. Manipulating these genes may increase crop yields and the amount of biofuel that can be derived from each plant. ... > full story
Cyclotrons could alleviate medical isotope shortage (June 8, 2010) -- The most widely used medical radioisotope, Technetium-99m (Tc-99m), is essential for an estimated 70,000 medical imaging procedures that take place daily around the world. Aging reactors, production intermittencies and threats of permanent reactor closures have researchers striving to develop alternative methods of supply. In a comparative study, researchers show that medical cyclotrons could be capable of producing this medical isotope. ... > full story
NASA's FASTSAT satellite readies for shipment to Alaska (June 8, 2010) -- NASA has successfully completed a comprehensive pre-shipment review of the Fast, Affordable, Science and Technology Satellite, or FASTSAT, a small, microsatellite class spacecraft bus that will carry six experiment payloads to low-Earth orbit. ... > full story
Earth and Moon formed later than previously thought, new research suggests (June 7, 2010) -- Astronomers have theorized that the planet Earth and the Moon were created as the result of a giant collision between two planets the size of Mars and Venus. Until now, the collision was thought to have happened when the solar system was 30 million years old, or approximately 4,537 million years ago. But new research shows that Earth and the Moon must have formed much later -- perhaps up to 150 million years after the formation of the solar system. ... > full story
New 'microbead' radiotherapy more effective with molecular imaging (June 7, 2010) -- Research may change the way that a novel form of radiotherapy is set up and tested prior to treatment. This technique, known as radiomicrosphere therapy, involves the injection of tiny highly radioactive beads that "nestle up" with cancerous tumors and destroy them with precision. ... > full story
NASA rover finds clue to Mars' past and environment for life (June 7, 2010) -- Rocks examined by NASA's Spirit Mars Rover hold evidence of a wet, non-acidic ancient environment that may have been favorable for life. Confirming this mineral clue took four years of analysis by several scientists. ... > full story
Life on Titan? New clues to what's consuming hydrogen, acetylene on Saturn's moon (June 7, 2010) -- Two new papers based on data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft scrutinize the complex chemical activity on the surface of Saturn's moon Titan. While non-biological chemistry offers one possible explanation, some scientists believe these chemical signatures bolster the argument for a primitive, exotic form of life or precursor to life on Titan's surface. According to one theory put forth by astrobiologists, the signatures fulfill two important conditions necessary for a hypothesized "methane-based life." ... > full story
Untangling the mystery of knotted flex: Mass experiment to investigate one of the banes of everyday life (June 7, 2010) -- A UK scientist believes his "Loop Conjecture" theory can prevent knots in everything from simple flex through to mountain and sailing ropes and potentially DNA structure. ... > full story
New technique turns proteins into glass: Could lead to new ways to deliver medication (June 7, 2010) -- Researchers have devised a method to dry and preserve proteins in a glassified form that seems to retain the molecules' properties as workhorses of biology. ... > full story
Next generation CT scanner views whole organs in a heartbeat (June 7, 2010) -- A next generation CT scanner allows doctors to image an entire organ in less than a second or track blood flow through the brain or to a tumor -- all with less radiation exposure to patients. ... > full story
Sowing seeds with new agricultural carbon accounting tool (June 7, 2010) -- Carbon dioxide emissions from agricultural activity in the United States can now be tracked with unprecedented resolution, thanks to a recently developed carbon accounting tool. ... > full story
Hold the salt: Engineers develop revolutionary new desalination membrane (June 7, 2010) -- Researchers have unveiled a new class of reverse-osmosis membranes for desalination that resist the clogging which typically occurs when seawater, brackish water and waste water are purified. The highly permeable, surface-structured membrane can easily be incorporated into today's commercial production system, the researchers say, and could help to significantly reduce desalination operating costs. ... > full story
Silver nanoparticles mitigate the cell damage caused by ethanol, study suggests (June 7, 2010) -- In a new study, researchers in Spain describe how nanoparticles formed by very small numbers of silver atoms can protect against the cell damage caused by ethanol. ... > full story
New approach to finding and removing defects in graphene (June 7, 2010) -- Scientists have pinpointed the noncarbon atoms that create defects when graphene is produced through a technique called graphene-oxide reduction. The researchers have also proposed how to make that technique more efficient by precisely applying hydrogen -- rather than heat -- to remove the impurities. ... > full story
Robots big and small showcase their skills (June 6, 2010) -- Two robotics events were designed to prove the viability of advanced technologies for robotic automation of manufacturing and microrobotics. ... > full story
Scientists break barrier to creating potential therapeutic molecules (June 6, 2010) -- Scientists have created a novel technique that for the first time will allow the efficient production of a molecular structure that is common to a vast array of natural molecules. This advance provides a means to explore the potential of this molecular substructure in the search for new therapies. ... > full story
New antenna to aid rural emergency workers developed (June 6, 2010) -- To overcome the challenges of rural communication, engineers have developed a sturdy lightweight antenna that provides a strong, clear, reliable channel even while moving. ... > full story
Yangtze River’s ancient origins revealed (June 6, 2010) -- The Yangtze River began to cut the Three Gorges area around 45 million years ago, making it much older than previously believed, according to new evidence from minerals. ... > full story
Could life survive on Mars? Yes, expert says (June 5, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered that methane-eating bacteria survive in a highly unique spring located on Axel Heiberg Island in Canada's extreme North. Microbiologists explain that the Lost Hammer spring supports microbial life, that the spring is similar to possible past or present springs on Mars, and that therefore they too could support life. ... > full story
Video game research project to help blind children exercise (June 5, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a motion-sensing-based tennis and bowling "exergame" that will help the visually impaired, especially children become more physically active. ... > full story
An extra driver behind the wheel (June 5, 2010) -- When the steering wheel starts vibrating strongly, your car is too close to the edge of the road. WayPilot, a new Norwegian product, helps to keep it where it should be in the driving lane. ... > full story
Biomechanics of information: Going more miles per gallon with your brain (June 5, 2010) -- The hunting strategy of a slender fish from the Amazon is giving researchers more insight into how to balance the metabolic cost of information with the metabolic cost of moving around to get that information. ... > full story
Outcrop of long-sought rare rock on Mars found (June 4, 2010) -- A mineral-scouting instrument has found an outcrop of rock rich in carbonate minerals in the Columbia Hills of Gusev Crater on Mars. ... > full story
Electric fields make ceramic production quicker, cheaper, better (June 4, 2010) -- Researchers have found that applying a small electric field results in faster formation of ceramic products during manufacture at lower temperatures, and enhances the strength of the ceramic itself. ... > full story
Early Earth haze likely provided ultraviolet shield for planet (June 4, 2010) -- A thick organic haze that enshrouded early Earth several billion years ago may have been similar to the haze now hovering above Saturn's largest moon, Titan, and would have protected primordial life on the planet from the damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation. ... > full story
Soccer-playing robots get creative with physics-based planning (June 4, 2010) -- Robot soccer players are warming up to compete in this month's RoboCup 2010 world championship in Singapore. A new algorithm will help newly created robots to predict the ball's behavior based on physics principles. ... > full story
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