The EDGE: ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Thursday, May 5, 2011

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Thursday, May 5, 2011

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Evolutionary lessons for wind farm efficiency (May 5, 2011) -- Evolution is providing the inspiration for computer science research in Australia to find the best placement of turbines to increase wind farm productivity. ... > full story

Attention, please: How innovations and Nobel Prize winners make it (May 5, 2011) -- "The rich-get-richer effect" is famous not only in sociology. It applies to the success of innovators as well. But if attention is paid only to people who are already at the top, how are scientific revolutions possible? A new publication investigating careers of Nobel Prize winners gives insight into this stunning phenomenon. ... > full story

In therapy with avatars: Virtual technology to combat phobias, psychotic disorders (May 5, 2011) -- Virtual technology is being used to combat phobias and psychotic disorders. Researchers in the Netherlands show how this method can provide solutions for such problems as fear of flying and, in the longer term, possibly also for social disorders. ... > full story

Ranking research: Using social bookmarking tools to extract relevance (May 5, 2011) -- A new approach to evaluating research papers exploits social bookmarking tools to extract relevance. ... > full story

Estimated costs of environmental disease in children at .6 billion per year (May 5, 2011) -- In three new studies, researchers reveal the staggering economic impact of toxic chemicals and air pollutants in the environment, and propose new legislation to mandate testing of new chemicals and also those already on the market. ... > full story

Supernova and star birth in the Meathook Galaxy (May 4, 2011) -- The Meathook Galaxy, or NGC 2442, has a dramatically lopsided shape. One spiral arm is tightly folded in on itself and host to a recent supernova, while the other, dotted with recent star formation, extends far out from the nucleus. The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope have captured two contrasting views of this asymmetric spiral galaxy. ... > full story

Economic analysis updated for the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (May 4, 2011) -- The US Geological Survey assessment on the economic recoverability of undiscovered, conventional oil and gas resources within the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska and adjacent state waters is now available. Economically recoverable resources are those that can be sold at a price that covers the costs of discovery, development, production and transportation to the market. The new economic analysis estimates that approximately 273 million barrels of undiscovered oil are economically recoverable at an oil price of per barrel (comparable to per thousand cubic feet of gas). About 500 million barrels of undiscovered oil are economically recoverable at per barrel (comparable to per thousand cubic feet of gas). ... > full story

Revolutionary new paper computer shows flexible future for smartphones and tablets (May 4, 2011) -- The world's first interactive paper computer is set to revolutionize the world of interactive computing. The computer looks, feels and operates like a small sheet of interactive paper. Users interact with it by bending it into a cell phone, flipping the corner to turn pages, or writing on it with a pen. ... > full story

Natural protection against radiation (May 4, 2011) -- In the midst of ongoing concerns about radiation exposure from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan, scientists are reporting that a substance similar to resveratrol -- an antioxidant found in red wine, grapes and nuts -- could protect against radiation sickness. ... > full story

Portable tech might provide drinking water, power to villages (May 4, 2011) -- Researchers have developed an aluminum alloy that could be used in a new type of mobile technology to convert non-potable water into drinking water while also extracting hydrogen to generate electricity. ... > full story

Dawn spacecraft reaches milestone approaching asteroid Vesta (May 4, 2011) -- NASA's Dawn spacecraft has reached its official approach phase to the asteroid Vesta and will begin using cameras for the first time to aid navigation for an expected July 16 orbital encounter. The large asteroid is known as a protoplanet -- a celestial body that almost formed into a planet. ... > full story

Cola detectives test natural flavoring claims for pricey soft drinks (May 4, 2011) -- Scientists are reporting development and successful testing of a new way to determine whether cola drinks -- advertised as being made with natural ingredients and sold at premium prices -- really do contain natural flavoring. ... > full story

Revolution in wound care? Cotton candy-like glass fibers appear to speed healing in initial venous stasis wound trial (May 4, 2011) -- Imagine a battlefield medic or emergency medical technician providing first aid with a special wad of cottony glass fibers that simultaneously slows bleeding, fights bacteria (and other sources of infection), stimulates the body's natural healing mechanisms, resists scarring, and-because it is quickly absorbed by surrounding tissue -- may never have to be removed in follow-up care. Or, imagine diabetics with hard-to-heal wounds finding a source of relief from the battle against infections and limb amputation. Those scenarios are the hope of the developers of a revolutionary borate glass nanofiber material. ... > full story

'I'm a tumor and I'm over here!' Nanovaults used to prod immune system to fight cancer (May 4, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered a way to wake up the immune system to fight cancer by delivering an immune system-stimulating protein in a nanoscale container called a vault directly into lung cancer tumors, harnessing the body's natural defenses to fight disease growth. ... > full story

Using social networking to tap collective intelligence of online study groups (May 4, 2011) -- Taking their cue from social media, educators have developed a social networking application called Classroom Salon that engages students in online learning communities that effectively tap the collective intelligence of groups. ... > full story

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