The EDGE: ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Tuesday, May 10, 2011

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Tuesday, May 10, 2011

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Airborne pollutants: New view of how water and sulfur dioxide mix (May 10, 2011) -- High in the sky, water in clouds can act as a temptress to lure airborne pollutants such as sulfur dioxide into reactive aqueous particulates. Although this behavior is not incorporated into today's climate-modeling scenarios, emerging research provides evidence that it should be. ... > full story

Hydrogen opens the road to graphene ... and graphane (May 10, 2011) -- An international research team has discovered a new method to produce belts of graphene called nanoribbons. By using hydrogen, they have managed to unzip single-walled carbon nanotubes. The method also opens the road for producing nanoribbons of graphane, a modified and promising version of graphene. ... > full story

Electromechanics also operates at the nanoscale (May 10, 2011) -- What limits the behavior of a carbon nanotube? This is a question that many scientists are trying to answer. Physicists have now shown that electromechanical principles are valid also at the nanometer scale. In this way, the unique properties of carbon nanotubes can be combined with classical physics -- and this may prove useful in the quantum computers of the future. ... > full story

More effective and less risky when you paint the hull of your boat (May 10, 2011) -- Every boat owner recognizes the dilemma: environmentally friendly paint or effective paint. Researchers have now found a way of reconciling these two almost unattainable aims. By using smart combinations of the most environmentally friendly biocides in the paint, it is possible to both reduce the total quantity of biocides and dramatically reduce the environmental impact. ... > full story

Astronomers find newly discovered asteroid is Earth's companion (May 9, 2011) -- Astronomers have found that a recently discovered asteroid has been following the Earth in its motion around the Sun for at least the past 250,000 years, and may be intimately related to the origin of our planet. ... > full story

Direct removal of carbon dioxide from air likely not viable, report suggests (May 9, 2011) -- Technologies for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere are unlikely to offer an economically feasible way to slow human-driven climate change for several decades, according to a new report. ... > full story

Caught in the act: Herschel detects gigantic storms sweeping entire galaxies clean (May 9, 2011) -- With observations the Herschel space observatory, scientists have found gigantic storms of molecular gas gusting in the centres of many galaxies. Some of these massive outflows reach velocities of more than 1000 kilometers per second -- thousands of times faster than in terrestrial hurricanes. The observations show that the more active galaxies contain stronger winds, which can blow away the entire gas reservoir in a galaxy, thereby inhibiting both further star formation and the growth of the central black hole. This finding is the first conclusive evidence for the importance of galactic winds in the evolution of galaxies. ... > full story

High temperature milestone achieved in silicon spintronics (May 9, 2011) -- Researchers have demonstrated that spin accumulation in silicon -- semiconductor spintronics -- is viable as a basis for practical devices relying on electron spin rather than electron charge, providing higher performance, lower power consumption and less heat dissipation. ... > full story

Battery-less chemical detector developed (May 9, 2011) -- Unlike many conventional chemical detectors that require an external power source, researchers have now developed a nanosensor that relies on semiconductor nanowires, rather than traditional batteries. ... > full story

Measurement of 'hot' electrons could have solar energy payoff; Nanoantennas hold promise for infrared photovoltaics (May 9, 2011) -- Basic scientific curiosity paid off in unexpected ways when researchers investigating the fundamental physics of nanomaterials discovered a new technology that could dramatically improve solar energy panels. ... > full story

Antibody-based biosensor can guide environmental clean-ups, provide early warning system for spills (May 9, 2011) -- Researchers have developed an antibody-based biosensor that can detect marine pollutants like oil much faster and more cheaply than current technologies. ... > full story

Electronic life on the edge: Scientists discover the edge states of graphene nanoribbons (May 9, 2011) -- Scientists have used new techniques to confirm the existence of long-predicted edge states in graphene nanoribbons, opening new prospects for characterizing and controlling the electronic, spintronic, magnetic, and optical properties of nanoscale devices. ... > full story

Toward optical computing in handheld electronics: Graphene optical modulators could lead to ultrafast communications (May 9, 2011) -- Researchers have shown that graphene, a one-atom-thick layer of crystallized carbon, can be tuned electrically to modify the amount of photons absorbed. This ability to switch light on and off is the fundamental characteristic of a network modulator, opening the door to optical computing in handheld electronics. ... > full story

A renewable twist on fossil fuels (May 9, 2011) -- Pulling valuable fuels out of thin air? It sounds like magic, but a chemist is now working to transform carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, into gas for your car and clean-energy future fuels. ... > full story

Ethics of biofuels: Framework outlined (May 9, 2011) -- A new article outlines a framework for evaluating biofuels in order to address ethical issues surrounding the rapidly evolving race to develop biofuels. ... > full story

'Swiss cheese' design enables thin film silicon solar cells with potential for higher efficiencies (May 8, 2011) -- A bold new design for thin film solar cells that requires significantly less silicon -- and may boost their efficiency -- is the result of a new Sw1ss-Czech collaboration. ... > full story

New online mechanism for electric vehicle charging (May 8, 2011) -- Researchers have designed a new pricing mechanism that could change the way in which electric vehicles are charged. It is based on an online auction protocol that makes it possible to charge electric vehicles without overloading the local electricity network. ... > full story

Pentagonal tiles pave the way towards organic electronics (May 8, 2011) -- New research paves way for the nanoscale self-assembly of organic building blocks, a promising new route towards the next generation of ultra-small electronic devices. ... > full story

Engineers patch a heart: Tissue-engineering platform enables heart tissue to repair itself (May 7, 2011) -- Engineering researchers have established a new method to patch a damaged heart using a tissue-engineering platform that enables heart tissue to repair itself. The breakthrough is an important step forward in combating cardiovascular disease, one of the most serious health problems of our day. ... > full story

Computers sing to a better tune (May 7, 2011) -- Would you dance to a synthetic song? Scientists are reporting on a new approach to making computer-generated vocals more human sounding. ... > full story

New mineral discovered: One of earliest minerals formed in solar system (May 7, 2011) -- A team of scientists has discovered a new mineral -- krotite, one of the earliest minerals formed in our solar system. It is the main component of an unusual inclusion embedded in a meteorite (NWA 1934), found in northwest Africa. These objects, known as refractory inclusions, are thought to be the first planetary materials formed in our solar system, dating back to before the formation of Earth and the other planets. ... > full story

Advanced instrument analyzes immune cells in far more detail: Technology promises more effective prescription drug therapies (May 6, 2011) -- Researchers have taken a machine already in use for the measurement of impurities in semiconductors and used it to analyze immune cells in far more detail than has been possible before. The new technology lets scientists take simultaneous measurements of dozens of features located on and in cells, whereas the existing technology typically begins to encounter technical limitations at about a half-dozen. ... > full story

Comet Elenin: Preview of a coming attraction (May 6, 2011) -- You may have heard the news: Comet Elenin is coming to the inner-solar system this fall. Comet Elenin (also known by its astronomical name C/2010 X1), was first detected on Dec. 10, 2010 by Leonid Elenin, an observer in Lyubertsy, Russia, who made the discovery "remotely" using the ISON-NM observatory near Mayhill, New Mexico. At the time of the discovery, the comet was about 647 million kilometers (401 million miles) from Earth. Over the past four-and-a-half months, the comet has -- as comets do -- closed the distance to Earth's vicinity as it makes its way closer to perihelion (its closest point to the sun). As of May 4, Elenin's distance is about 274 million kilometers (170 million miles). ... > full story

Mars Express sees deep fractures on Mars (May 6, 2011) -- Newly released images from the European Space Agency's Mars Express show Nili Fossae, a system of deep fractures around the giant Isidis impact basin. Some of these incisions into the martian crust are up to 500 m deep and probably formed at the same time as the basin. ... > full story

Quantum simulation with light: Frustrations between photon pairs (May 6, 2011) -- Researchers have used a quantum mechanical system in the laboratory to simulate complex many-body systems. This experiment promises future quantum simulators with enormous potential insights into unknown quantum phenomena. ... > full story

Scientists afflict computers with 'schizophrenia' to better understand the human brain (May 6, 2011) -- Computer networks that can't forget fast enough can show symptoms of a kind of virtual schizophrenia, giving researchers further clues to the inner workings of schizophrenic brains, researchers have found. ... > full story

EEG headset with flying harness lets users 'fly' by controlling their thoughts (May 6, 2011) -- Students have created a system that pairs an EEG headset with a 3-D theatrical flying harness, allowing users to "fly" by controlling their thoughts. The "Infinity Simulator" will make its debut with an art installation in which participants rise into the air -- and trigger light, sound, and special effects -- by calming their thoughts. ... > full story

Forecast calls for nanoflowers to help return eyesight: Physicist leads effort to design fractal devices to put in eyes (May 6, 2011) -- A researcher is on a quest to grow flowers that will help people who've lost their sight by designing nano-sized flowers whose fractal shapes on implants will engage with neurons to carry light to the optic nerve. ... > full story

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