The EDGE: ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Wednesday, May 4, 2011

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Wednesday, May 4, 2011

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Robots learn to share: Why we go out of our way to help one another (May 4, 2011) -- Using simple robots to simulate genetic evolution over hundreds of generations, Swiss scientists provide quantitative proof of kin selection and shed light on one of the most enduring puzzles in biology: Why do most social animals, including humans, go out of their way to help each other? ... > full story

Curtains that block noise (May 4, 2011) -- Researchers have developed lightweight, translucent curtain materials, which are excellent at absorbing sound. This is a combination that has been lacking until now in modern interior design. ... > full story

Explaining the behavior of latest high-temp superconductors (May 4, 2011) -- Physicists now describe how the magnetic properties of electrons in two dissimilar families of iron-based high-temperature superconductors could give rise to superconductivity. The researchers examine similar behaviors in two families of materials called "pnictides," including a new variety created late last year in China that has sparked renewed interest in the mysterious phenomenon of high-temperature superconductivity. ... > full story

Formidable fungal force counters biofuel plant pathogens (May 3, 2011) -- An international team of researchers has compared two rust fungal genomes to identify the characteristics by which these pathogens can invade their plant hosts and to develop biocontrol methods. ... > full story

Webcam technology used to measure medications' effects on the heart (May 3, 2011) -- A common component in webcams may help drug makers and prescribers address a common side-effect of drugs called cardiotoxicity, an unhealthy change in the way the heart beats. Researchers have used the basic webcam technology to create a tool to look at the effects of medications in real time on heart cells, called cardiomyocytes. ... > full story

Hydrogen fuel tech gets boost from low-cost, efficient catalyst (May 3, 2011) -- Scientists have engineered a cheap, abundant alternative to the expensive platinum catalyst and coupled it with a light-absorbing electrode to make hydrogen fuel from sunlight and water. The discovery is an important development in the worldwide effort to mimic the way plants make fuel from sunlight, a key step in creating a green energy economy. ... > full story

Researchers find more efficient way to steer laser beams (May 3, 2011) -- For many practical applications involving lasers, it's important to be able to control the direction of the laser beams. Researchers have come up with a very energy-efficient way of steering laser beams that is precise and relatively inexpensive. ... > full story

An atomic electrical field sensor (May 3, 2011) -- Electrical fields play a pivotal role in numerous cases in both nature and technical areas: by changing the electrical field, impulses of nerves are transmitted and modern data storage operates by saving electrical charges in flash memory devices. An ultra-precise reading of electrical fields, however, is still a challenge for physical measurement techniques. Researchers have succeeded in measuring electrical fields with the aid of one single defect center in diamond. ... > full story

Global warming won't harm wind energy production, climate models predict (May 3, 2011) -- The production of wind energy in the US over the next 30-50 years will be largely unaffected by upward changes in global temperature, say a pair of scientists who analyzed output from several regional climate models to assess future wind patterns in America's lower 48 states. ... > full story

Graphene's varying conductivity levels pinpointed (May 3, 2011) -- Graphene is often touted as the latest "wonder material," and may be the electronics industry's next great hope for the creation of extremely fast electronic devices. Researchers have found one of the first roadblocks to utilizing graphene by proving that its conductivity decreases significantly when more than one layer is present. ... > full story

Germ Genie kills keyboard germs -- even C. difficile, scientists find (May 3, 2011) -- Scientists who proved the effectiveness of Germ Genie, a tool to prevent infections from keyboards, have now found that it can kill C. difficile. ... > full story

Blueprint of a trend: How does a financial bubble burst? (May 2, 2011) -- A new study sheds new light on the formation of financial bubbles and crashes. The study reveals a general empirical law quantifying market behavior near bubbles and crashes. ... > full story

Plasmoids and sheaths mean success or failure for solar eruptions (May 2, 2011) -- Our Sun experiences regular eruptions of material into space, but solar physicists still have difficulty in explaining why these dramatic events take place. Now scientists think they have the answer: clouds of ionized gas (plasma) constrained by magnetic fields and known as ‘plasmoids’ that struggle to break free of the Sun’s magnetic field. ... > full story

Advanced CT with 3-D scanning improve detection of drug trafficking and other contraband smuggling (May 2, 2011) -- With the high prevalence of drug abuse and trafficking in major cities throughout the world, one new study shows how advanced CT with 3-D scanning can help radiologists better identify ingested or hidden contraband items more effectively. ... > full story

Single atom stores quantum information (May 2, 2011) -- A powerful quantum computer could be designed with an incredibly tiny memory. Researchers wrote the quantum state of single photons, i.e. particles of light, into a rubidium atom and read it out again after a certain storage time. This technique can be used in principle to design powerful quantum computers and to network them with each other across large distances. ... > full story

Solar-thermal flat-panels that generate electric power: Researchers see broad residential and industrial applications (May 2, 2011) -- By using a nanostructured material with improved thermoelectric properties inside a vacuum-sealed flat panel, researchers report adding the capacity to generate electricity to solar-thermal energy technology. ... > full story

Media multitasking is really multi-distracting (May 2, 2011) -- In the battle for the attention of the multitasker, the computer beats the television. But a new study reveals the physical nature of distraction people experience as they increasingly use both devices simultaneously. ... > full story

Measuring the distant universe in 3-D using light from 14,000 quasars (May 2, 2011) -- The biggest 3-D map of the distant universe ever made, using light from 14,000 quasars over 10 billion light years away to show the distribution of intergalactic clouds of gas, has been announced. The result proves that the technique, never attempted before, can be used to study dark energy in the early universe. ... > full story

New material could improve safety for first responders to chemical hazards (May 2, 2011) -- Carbon nanofibers with the same chemical properties as the activated charcoal used in respirators have a similar ability to absorb chemical pollutants. Their photonic structure means that they will change color as pollutants accumulate, a warning that the filter canister has lost effectiveness. Researchers describe how they made the microsensors and demonstrate their ability to detect volatile organic compounds. ... > full story

Physicists create quantum twin atoms (May 2, 2011) -- Sophisticated chips have been used to create pairs of quantum mechanically connected twin atoms. Until now, similar experiments were only possible using photons. ... > full story

Several baffling puzzles in protein molecular structure solved with new method (May 2, 2011) -- A protein's molecular structure shapes its function. The structures of many protein molecules however, remain unsolved even after experts apply an extensive array of approaches. An international collaboration has led to a new, high-performance method that rapidly determined the structure of protein molecules in several cases where previous methods had failed. Protein structure information is useful in disease research, nanotechnology, and drug design, among other fields. ... > full story

Discovery of structure of radio source from a pulsar orbiting a massive star (May 2, 2011) -- For the first time the morphology of an extended radio source in a binary system formed of a pulsar and a massive star has been determined. In a few such systems, the strong interactions of the stellar winds produces high-energy gamma radiation, up to 10 million times more energetic than visible light. The results show for the first time the effect of the winds colliding and support existing theoretical models of radiation emitted by this type of high-energy binary systems, known as gamma-ray binaries. ... > full story

College students' use of Kindle DX points to e-reader’s role in academia (May 2, 2011) -- A nine-month study of how University of Washington graduate students did or did not use the large-format Amazon Kindle DX in their course reading provides information on the potential future for e-readers in academia. ... > full story

Spiders in space: Researchers observe arachnid habits in a microgravity environment (May 1, 2011) -- The very idea of spiders in space brings to mind campy, black and white horror films involving eight-legged monsters. In actuality, it is a scientific investigation called Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus Science Insert-05 or CSI-05, in which researchers observe arachnid habits in a microgravity environment. This is the second spider investigation on the International Space Station -- the first was CSI-03 -- and researchers have high hopes that the sequel will eclipse the original. ... > full story

Inverting a standard experiment sometimes produces different results (May 1, 2011) -- The standard experimental setup for measuring the cellular uptake of nanoparticles is to place cells in a well on a culture plate and cover them with culture medium containing nanoparticles. The assumption underlying these experiments is that the particles remain well-dispersed. But when a scientist turned cell cultures upside down, he discovered that this assumption doesn't always hold. Some experiments preparing for the clinical use of nanoparticles may therefore need to be redone. ... > full story

Cells send signals via membrane nanotubes (May 1, 2011) -- A new research discovery may help to explain how cells cooperate to develop tissue in the embryo and how wounds heal. Last year researchers discovered that electrical signals were being passed through nanotubes from one cell to another at high speed (roughly 1-2 m/sec). Now the scientists are seeking answers as to why the cells send signals to each other in this way. The process could explain how cells are coordinated during embryo growth, researchers say. ... > full story

NASA building instrument to study magnetic reconnection (May 1, 2011) -- Whether it's a giant solar flare or a beautiful green-blue aurora, just about everything interesting in space weather happens due to a phenomenon called magnetic reconnection. Several spacecraft have already sent back tantalizing data when they happened to witness a magnetic reconnection event in Earth's magnetosphere. However, there are no spacecraft currently dedicated to the study of this phenomenon, yet. Scientists and engineers are now working on a crucial element of the Magnetospheric Multiscale instrument suite: the Fast Plasma Instrument. ... > full story

Chemist designs new polymer structures for use as 'plastic electronics' (May 1, 2011) -- A chemistry professor is designing new organic polymer structures that conduct electricity and could be useful in solar cells, light-emitting diodes and thin-film transistors. She and her research group are doing fundamental studies of the relationship between the polymer structures and their electronic, physical and optical properties. ... > full story

Video games may help clear airway of cystic fibrosis patients (May 1, 2011) -- Video games controlled by the player's breath can encourage youths with cystic fibrosis to use techniques that can help keep their airways clearer, according to a new study. ... > full story

Spinstars: First polluters of the universe? Imprints of fast rotating massive stars in Milky Way's bulge (April 30, 2011) -- From the analysis of the chemical composition of some of the oldest stars in our galaxy, an international team of astronomers presents new clues on the nature of the first stellar generations in our universe. ... > full story

Electron ping pong in the nano-world (April 30, 2011) -- Researchers in Germany have succeeded in controlling and monitoring strongly accelerated electrons from nano-spheres with extremely short and intense laser pulses. The researchers report how strong electrical fields (near-fields) build up in the vicinity of the nanoparticles and release electrons. The new insights into this light-controlled process can help to generate energetic extreme ultraviolet (XUV) radiation. ... > full story

Understanding how glasses 'relax' provides some relief for manufacturers (April 30, 2011) -- Researchers have used computer simulations to gain basic insights into a fundamental problem in material science related to glass-forming materials, offering a precise mathematical and physical description of the way temperature affects the rate of flow in this broad class of materials -- a long-standing goal. ... > full story

New solar cell technology greatly boosts efficiency (April 29, 2011) -- With the creation of a 3-D nanocone-based solar cell platform, scientists have boosted the light-to-power conversion efficiency of photovoltaics by nearly 80 percent. ... > full story

A better imaging agent for heart disease and breast cancer (April 29, 2011) -- Scientists are reporting development of a process for producing large quantities of a much-needed new imaging agent for computed tomography scans in heart disease, breast cancer and other diseases, and the first evidence that the material is safe for clinical use. The imaging agent is a tantalum oxide nanoparticle, which is inexpensive, and stays in the body long enough to image many different organs. ... > full story

NASA's Swift and Hubble probe asteroid collision debris (April 29, 2011) -- Late last year, astronomers noticed an asteroid named Scheila had unexpectedly brightened, and it was sporting short-lived plumes. Data from NASA's Swift satellite and Hubble Space Telescope showed these changes likely occurred after Scheila was struck by a much smaller asteroid. ... > full story

Fine chemical processes safer and more efficient with new type of reactor (April 29, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a unique chemical reactor, the ‘spinning disc reactor’. This is a cylinder containing a rotor that increases the safety and efficiency of chemical production processes involving gases, liquids and solids through its very high mass transfer rate. This new reactor is particularly beneficial for the pharmaceutical and fine chemical industries. ... > full story

NASA technology looks inside Japan's nuclear reactor (April 29, 2011) -- Design techniques honed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., for Mars rovers were used to create the rover currently examining the inside of Japan's nuclear reactors, in areas not yet deemed safe for human crews. ... > full story

Astronomers unveil portrait of 'exotic super-Earth:' Densest known rocky planet (April 29, 2011) -- Astronomers have revealed details of a "super-exotic" exoplanet that would make the planet Pandora in the movie Avatar pale in comparison. The planet, named 55 Cancri e, is 60 percent larger in diameter than Earth but eight times as massive. Twice as dense as Earth -- almost as dense as lead -- it is the densest solid planet known. ... > full story

Shielding body protects brain from 'shell shocking' blast injuries: Even mild blast exposure damages nerve cells in mice, study shows (April 29, 2011) -- Stronger and tougher body armor to shield the chest, abdomen and back may be just what soldiers fighting in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars need to better protect their brains from mild injuries tied to so-called "shell shock," results of a new study in mice suggest. ... > full story

New microchip revolutionizes medical approach for monitoring for risk of sudden infant death syndrome (April 29, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a microchip sensor that can detect a person's respiratory rate without any contact with the person under observation. The chip allows for constant monitoring of babies in cot beds, hospital patients and other people at risk of obstructive apneas including, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). It can be used also for the early detection of sudden sleep of vehicle drivers. ... > full story

Romance is not dead: Digital puts the spark back into relationships (April 29, 2011) -- Few people mull over a text message, however heartfelt, in the same way as a handwritten declaration of love. But researchers in the UK are looking to prove that using digital communication doesn't necessarily mean that romance is dead. ... > full story

Will it fall? Scientists show how the brain's estimate of Newton's laws affects perceived object stability (April 29, 2011) -- Newton's laws of motion predict that an object will fall when its centre-of-mass lies beyond its base of support. But how does your brain know whether the tower will fall or not? Scientists in Germany recently reported that although the physical laws governing object stability are reasonably well represented by the brain, you are a better judge of how objects fall when you are upright than when you lay on your side. ... > full story

Voyager probes set to enter interstellar space (April 29, 2011) -- More than 30 years after they left Earth, NASA's twin Voyager probes are now at the edge of the solar system. Not only that, they're still working. And with each passing day they are beaming back a message that, to scientists, is both unsettling and thrilling. ... > full story

Andromeda’s coat of many colors (April 29, 2011) -- The European Space Agency's fleet of space telescopes has captured the nearby Andromeda Galaxy, also known as M31, in different wavelengths. Most of these wavelengths are invisible to the eye and each shows a different aspect of the galaxy's nature. ... > full story

Improved recovery of samples from biohazard events (April 29, 2011) -- In a recent paper, Researchers studied different methods for collecting, extracting and quantifying microbial spores from indoor surfaces to estimate parameters that should be considered in the development of a standard biological sampling protocol. A precise and reliable recovery system is critical to evaluating the success of cleanup efforts following an accidental biohazard contamination or bioterrorist attack (such as the aanthrax spore-laden letters sent to Congress and elsewhere in 2001). ... > full story

Online social network members donate personal data for public health research (April 29, 2011) -- Using a combination of Facebook-like tools and personally controlled health records, researchers have engaged members of an online diabetes social network as participants in public health surveillance. Researchers say that health-focused social networks can be viable resources for chronic disease surveillance. ... > full story

Artificial retinal implants must adapt to unique features of human eye to be effective, experts say (April 28, 2011) -- A professor of physics, psychology and art warns that artificial retinal implants -- a technology fast becoming a reality -- must adapt to the unique features of the human eye in order to become an effective treatment. ... > full story

Electronics: A step toward valleytronics (April 28, 2011) -- Valley-based electronics, also known as valleytronics, is one step closer to reality. Researchers have now shown that the valley degree of freedom in graphene can be polarized through scattering off a line defect. Unlike previously proposed valley filters in graphene, which rely on confined structures that have proven hard to achieve experimentally, the present work is based on a naturally occurring line defect that has already been observed. ... > full story