The EDGE: ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Friday, May 6, 2011

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Friday, May 6, 2011

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NASA selects investigations for future key missions (May 6, 2011) -- NASA has selected three science investigations from which it will pick one potential 2016 mission to look at Mars' interior for the first time; study an extraterrestrial sea on one of Saturn's moons; or study in unprecedented detail the surface of a comet's nucleus. ... > full story

Mars tribute marks memories of Shepard's flight (May 6, 2011) -- The team exploring Mars via NASA's Opportunity rover for the past seven years has informally named a Martian crater for the Mercury spacecraft that astronaut Alan Shepard christened Freedom 7. On May 5, 1961, Shepard piloted Freedom 7 in America's first human spaceflight. ... > full story

New way to control conductivity: Reversible control of electrical and thermal properties could find uses in storage systems (May 5, 2011) -- A team of researchers has found a way to manipulate both the thermal conductivity and the electrical conductivity of materials simply by changing the external conditions, such as the surrounding temperature. And the technique they found can change electrical conductivity by factors of well over 100, and heat conductivity by more than threefold. ... > full story

Using solar power to sterilize medical instruments (May 5, 2011) -- Engineering students are using the sun to power an autoclave that sterilizes medical instruments and help solve a long-standing health issue for developing countries. ... > full story

Robot engages novice computer scientists (May 5, 2011) -- Learning how to program a computer to display the words "Hello World" once may have excited students, but that hoary chestnut of a lesson doesn't cut it in a world of videogames, smartphones and Twitter. One option to take its place and engage a new generation of students in computer programming is a robot called Finch. The robot was designed specifically to make introductory computer science classes an engaging experience once again. ... > full story

Sharpened focus: Improving the numbers, utility of medical imaging (May 5, 2011) -- The idea of probing the body's interior with radiation stretches back to experiments with X rays in the 1800s, but more than a century later, images taken with radiological scans still are not considered reliable enough to serve as the sole indicator of the efficacy of a cancer treatment. Researchers have now set out to change that. ... > full story

Spitzer detects shadow of 'super-Earth' in front of nearby star (May 5, 2011) -- NASA's Spitzer satellite has detected the crossing of a solid planet in front of a star located at only 42 light-years in the constellation Cancer. Thanks to this detection, astronomers know that this "super-Earth" measures 2.1 times the size of our Earth. This is the smallest exoplanet detected in the neighborhood of our Sun. ... > full story

Better glasses-free 3-D: Mew approach to make 3-D illusions more realistic (May 5, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a fundamentally new approach to glasses-free 3-D, called HR3D, which they say could double the battery life of devices without compromising screen brightness or resolution. Among other advantages, the technique could also expand the viewing angle of a 3-D screen, making it practical for larger devices with multiple users, and it would maintain the 3-D effect even when the screen is rotated -- something that happens routinely with handheld devices. ... > full story

NASA's Gravity Probe B confirms two Einstein space-time theories (May 5, 2011) -- NASA's Gravity Probe B (GP-B) mission has confirmed two key predictions derived from Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity, which the spacecraft was designed to test. The experiment, launched in 2004, used four ultra-precise gyroscopes to measure the hypothesized geodetic effect, the warping of space and time around a gravitational body, and frame-dragging, the amount a spinning object pulls space and time with it as it rotates. ... > full story

World's smallest atomic clock: Tiny laser reduces power consumption 1,000-fold (May 5, 2011) -- A matchbook-sized atomic clock 100 times smaller than its commercial predecessors has been created by researchers. The portable Chip Scale Atomic Clock -- only about 1.5 inches on a side and less than a half-inch in depth -- also requires 100 times less power than its predecessors. Instead of 10 watts, it uses only 100 milliwatts. "It's the difference between lugging around a device powered by a car battery and one powered by two AA batteries," said the lead investigator. ... > full story

Transistors reinvented using new 3-D structure (May 5, 2011) -- Intel Corporation has announced a significant breakthrough in the evolution of the transistor, the microscopic building block of modern electronics. For the first time since the invention of silicon transistors over 50 years ago, transistors using a three-dimensional structure will be put into high-volume manufacturing. Intel will introduce a revolutionary 3-D transistor design called Tri-Gate, first disclosed by Intel in 2002, into high-volume manufacturing at the 22-nanometer (nm) node in an Intel chip codenamed "Ivy Bridge." A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. ... > full story

Hitting target in cancer fight now easier with new nanoparticle platform, scientists say (May 5, 2011) -- Researchers demonstrate mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNP) as an optimal drug delivery platform providing the ability to change the size and surface properties of MSNP to improve the tumor biodistribution and protected delivery of doxorubicin to a cancer xenograft in a nude mice model. ... > full story

Removable 'cloak' for nanoparticles helps them target tumors (May 5, 2011) -- Chemical engineers have designed a new type of drug-delivery nanoparticle that exploits a trait shared by almost all tumors: They are more acidic than healthy tissues. Such particles could target nearly any type of tumor and can be designed to carry virtually any type of drug. ... > full story

Spacecraft Earth to perform asteroid 'flyby' this fall (May 5, 2011) -- Since the dawn of the space age, humanity has sent 16 robotic emissaries to fly by some of the solar system's most intriguing and nomadic occupants -- comets and asteroids. The data and imagery collected on these deep-space missions of exploration have helped redefine our understanding of how Earth and our part of the galaxy came to be. But this fall, Mother Nature is giving scientists around the world a close-up view of one of her good-sized space rocks -- no rocket required. ... > full story

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