The EDGE: ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Tuesday, June 7, 2011

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Tuesday, June 7, 2011

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Compaction bands in sandstone are permeable: Findings could aid hydraulic fracturing, other fluid extraction techniques (June 7, 2011) -- When geologists survey an area of land for the potential that gas or petroleum deposits could exist there, they must take into account the composition of rocks that lie below the surface. Previous research had suggested that compaction bands might act as barriers to the flow of oil or gas. Now, researchers have analyzed X-ray images of sandstone and revealed that compaction bands are actually more permeable than earlier models indicated. ... > full story

Scientists use super microscope to pinpoint body’s immunity 'switch' (June 7, 2011) -- Using super-resolution fluorescence microscopy, medical scientists have been able for the first time to see the inner workings of T-cells, the front-line troops that alert our immune system to go on the defensive against germs and other invaders in our bloodstream. The discovery overturns prevailing understanding, identifying the exact molecular "switch" that spurs T-cells into action -- a breakthrough that could lead to treatments for a range of conditions from autoimmune diseases to cancer. ... > full story

Virtual water cannot remedy freshwater shortage (June 7, 2011) -- The implementation of virtual water into trading deals has been suggested as a realistic solution to solving the global inequality of renewable freshwater, but new research suggests that it may not be as revolutionary as first thought. ... > full story

Nanotechnologists must take lessons from nature (June 6, 2011) -- Accepting and understanding natural variability is the key for engineers seeking to make nanoscale devices that are as efficient as living microorganisms. ... > full story

Low-cost wireless sensor networks open new horizons for the Internet of things (June 6, 2011) -- The ESNA project enables high effective networking based on cheap wireless sensors in a wide range of business applications – from more comfortable and energy-efficient environmental controls to precision monitoring of agricultural resources. ... > full story

New supernova shows signs of atypical composition (June 6, 2011) -- An exploding star, in nearby galaxy M51, shows signs of an unusual composition. The material thrown into space in the explosion contains a wide variety of elements -- a mix that is atypical of supernova events at such an early stage of the explosion, researchers say. ... > full story

Tiny talk on a barnacle's back: Scientists use new imaging technique to reveal complex microbial interactions (June 6, 2011) -- Researchers report using a new form of imaging mass spectrometry to dramatically visualize multiplex microbial interactions. ... > full story

Perfect welds for car bodies (June 6, 2011) -- Surface welding instead of penetration welding, allows a laser to produce a weld that is only visible on one side. But how do you control the laser power to prevent it burning a hole through the sheets of metal? A new camera system analyzes thermal images in real time -- and ensures a perfect weld. ... > full story

Kinder, gentler video games may actually be good for players (June 6, 2011) -- While violent video games may lead to more aggression and anger in players, a new study shows that the opposite is also true: relaxing video games can make people happier and more kind. "With all the evidence about the dangers of violent video games, it's good to know that game players can choose games that will provide a positive experience," researchers said. ... > full story

Material turns hard or soft at the touch of a button (June 6, 2011) -- A world premiere: A material which changes its strength, virtually at the touch of a button. This transformation can be achieved in a matter of seconds through changes in the electron structure of a material; thus hard and brittle matter, for example, can become soft and malleable. What makes this development revolutionary, is that the transformation can be controlled by electric signals. ... > full story

Applying conductive nanocoatings to textiles (June 6, 2011) -- Imagine plugging a USB port into a sheet of paper, and turning it into a tablet computer. It might be a stretch, but ideas like this have researchers examining the use of conductive nanocoatings on simple textiles -- like woven cotton or even a sheet of paper. ... > full story

New solar system formation models indicate that Jupiter's foray robbed Mars of mass (June 6, 2011) -- Planetary scientists have long wondered why Mars is only about half the size and one-tenth the mass of Earth. As next-door neighbors in the inner solar system, probably formed about the same time, why isn't Mars more like Earth and Venus in size and mass? A new paper provides the first cohesive explanation and, by doing so, reveals an unexpected twist in the early lives of Jupiter and Saturn as well. ... > full story

First polymer solar-thermal device heats home, saves money (June 6, 2011) -- A new polymer-based solar-thermal device is the first to generate power from both heat and visible sunlight -- an advance that could shave the cost of heating a home by as much as 40 percent. ... > full story

New communication systems to bring order to air traffic chaos (June 6, 2011) -- Averting chaos in Europe’s skies will require replacing systems that are up to 50 years old. Air traffic throughout Europe is being reorganized to meet the challenges ahead. Whereas pilots currently communicate verbally with air traffic controllers, this information will be digitalized in the future. One purpose is to make the information available to multiple user groups, such as ground crews. Passengers may see prices drop a bit, and find that their journeys take less time overall thanks to the new technology. ... > full story

Wikipedia improves students' work: Students become much more concerned with accuracy when their research is posted online, study finds (June 6, 2011) -- A student writing an essay for their teacher may be tempted to plagiarize or leave facts unchecked. A new study shows that if you ask that same student to write something that will be posted on Wikipedia, he or she suddenly becomes determined to make the work as accurate as possible, and may actually do better research. ... > full story

Major step in improving forecasts of weather extremes such as floods and droughts (June 6, 2011) -- Moisture and heat fluctuations from the land surface to the atmosphere form a critical nexus between surface hydrology and atmospheric processes, especially those relevant to rainfall. While current theory has suggested that soil moisture has had a positive impact on precipitation, there have been very few large-scale observations of this. Now, a team of researchers has demonstrated that evaporation from the land surface is able to modify summertime rainfall east of the Mississippi and in the monsoonal region in the southern U.S. and Mexico. ... > full story

It all depends on the coffee: The eco-balance of coffee capsules (June 6, 2011) -- Exactly how environmentally friendly are the various capsule systems and other ways of making coffee? Swiss researchers have taken a close look at the ecological balances of the various systems currently in use. The result: it all depends on the contents. The choice of coffee has a much stronger effect on the environmental friendliness than the capsule system, type of machine or method of preparation. ... > full story

Optical control of magnetic effects at the nanoscale (June 6, 2011) -- Magneto-optical effects, which exploit the interaction between light and magnetic materials, have only been relevant for fundamental research and up to now rarely used for applications. Plasmons – electronic excitations in metals with dimensions at the nanoscale – recently opened a new way to concentrate light at nanoscale. ... > full story

Jupiter's youthful travels redefined solar system (June 6, 2011) -- Jupiter's travels profoundly influenced the solar system, changing the nature of the asteroid belt and making Mars smaller than it should have been. These details are based on a new model of the early solar system developed by an international team that includes NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. ... > full story

Graphene-based polarizer can broaden bandwidth of optical fiber-based telecommunications (June 6, 2011) -- Researchers in Singapore have invented a graphene-based polarizer that can broaden the bandwidth of prevailing optical fiber-based telecommunication systems. The research team invented an ultra-slim broadband polarizer that uses graphene, a single-atomic-layer crystallized carbon, to convert light beam into polarized light. This is the first experimental demonstration of using graphene as an ultrathin waveguide to couple and modulate light. ... > full story

No significant difference in car fuel consumption between E10 and E5 petrol grades, Finnish study finds (June 6, 2011) -- A study conducted by Finnish researchers indicates that there is practically no difference between commercial petrol grades 95E10 and 98E5 sold in Finland as regards fuel consumption in normal driving. The finding is based on driving tests using six used cars of different make under laboratory conditions. ... > full story

Robotic mine vehicles successfully reanimated by engineering students using industry support (June 5, 2011) -- Engineering students, with some help from regional industry, rebuilt and successfully tested autonomous robotic vehicles for eventual use in remote areas or underground mines where conditions are too extreme for human workers. ... > full story

Physicists store antimatter atoms for 1,000 seconds -- and still counting (June 5, 2011) -- Physicists with the international ALPHA Collaboration at CERN in Geneva have succeeded in storing a total of 309 antihydrogen atoms, some for as long as 1,000 seconds (almost 17 minutes) or even longer -- more than enough time to perform meaningful scientific experiments on confined anti-atoms. ... > full story

Noise research to combat 'wind turbine syndrome' (June 5, 2011) -- Australian acoustics researchers are investigating the causes of wind turbine noise with the aim of making them quieter and solving "wind turbine syndrome." ... > full story

Developing advanced biofuels: Researchers counteract biofuel toxicity in microbes (June 5, 2011) -- Researchers have created a library of microbial efflux pumps that reduce toxicity and boost production of biofuels in engineered strains of microbes. This library and the bioprospecting strategy behind it should serve as valuable new tools for the development of advanced biofuels and other areas of biotechnology as well. ... > full story

CERN experiment traps antimatter atoms for 1000 seconds (June 5, 2011) -- In a new paper, the ALPHA experiment at CERN reports that it has succeeded in trapping antimatter atoms for over 16 minutes: long enough to begin to study their properties in detail. ALPHA is part of a broad programme at CERN’s antiproton decelerator investigating the mysteries of one of nature’s most elusive substances. ... > full story

CERN group traps antihydrogen atoms for more than 16 minutes (June 5, 2011) -- The ALPHA experiment at CERN last year reported trapping 38 antihydrogen atoms for 0.1 seconds each. They've gotten better. In a run late last year, they captured more than 100 for up to 1,000 seconds each, enough to start long-awaited experiments to determine the energy levels of antiatoms. They also plan gravitational experiments to see if matter and antimatter have the same properties. ... > full story

Upping the anti: Canadian researchers instrumental in game-changing antimatter study (June 5, 2011) -- Science fiction is fast approaching science fact as researchers are progressing rapidly toward "bottling" antimatter. Physicists with the ALPHA experiment at CERN report that they have succeeded in storing antimatter atoms for over 16 minutes. ... > full story

DNA can discern between two quantum states, research shows (June 4, 2011) -- Do the principles of quantum mechanics apply to biological systems? Until now, both biologists and physicists have considered quantum systems and biological molecules to be like apples and oranges. But new research shows that a biological molecule -- DNA -- can discern between quantum states known as spin. ... > full story

Building a better dam map: New database of reservoirs and dams for sustainable river-flow management (June 4, 2011) -- The culmination of a four-year collaboration by a team of scientists from around the globe has produced the Global Reservoir and Dam database (GRanD), a unique, geographically explicit, high-resolution global database of large dams and reservoirs. ... > full story

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity passes small crater and big milestone (June 3, 2011) -- A drive of 482 feet (146.8 meters) on June 1, 2011, took NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity past 30 kilometers (18.64 miles) in total odometry during 88 months of driving on Mars. That's 50 times the distance originally planned for the mission and more than 12 times the distance racehorses will run at the Belmont Stakes. ... > full story

Weight loss success in a 3-D virtual world (June 3, 2011) -- Participants in two weight-loss programs -- one at a health club, the other delivered in a virtual world -- lost similar amounts of weight and body fat, but the online contingent reported significantly greater gains in behaviors that could help them live healthier and leaner lives. ... > full story

New sound synchronization technology holds the key to earlier diagnosis of heart disease (June 3, 2011) -- Innovative technology is contributing to the development of a revolutionary digital stethoscope that could make it easier for doctors to spot the first signs of heart disease. ... > full story

Lasers used to form 3-D crystals made of nanoparticles (June 3, 2011) -- Physicists have used the electric fields generated by intersecting laser beams to trap and manipulate thousands of microscopic plastic spheres, thereby creating 3-D arrays of optically induced crystals. ... > full story

Quantum physics first: Physicists measure without distorting (June 3, 2011) -- Quantum mechanics is famous for saying that a tree falling in a forest when there's no one there doesn't make a sound. Quantum mechanics also says that if anyone is listening, it interferes with and changes the tree. And so the famous paradox: how can we know reality if we cannot measure it without distorting it? An international team of researchers has found a way to do just that by applying a modern measurement technique to the historic two-slit interferometer experiment in which a beam of light shone through two slits results in an interference pattern on a screen behind. ... > full story

Researchers build largest biochemical circuit out of small synthetic DNA molecules (June 3, 2011) -- In many ways, life is like a computer. An organism's genome is the software that tells the cellular and molecular machinery -- the hardware -- what to do. But instead of electronic circuitry, life relies on biochemical circuitry -- complex networks of reactions and pathways that enable organisms to function. Now, researchers have built the most complex biochemical circuit ever created from scratch. ... > full story

Researchers map, measure brain's neural connections (June 3, 2011) -- Computer scientists have created software to examine neural circuitry in the human brain. The 2-D neural maps combine visual clarity with a Web-based digital map interface, and users can view 2-D maps together with 3-D images. The program aims to better understand myelinated axons, which have been linked to pathologies such as autism. ... > full story

Phase change memory-based 'Moneta' system points to the future of computer storage (June 3, 2011) -- Researchers are about to demonstrate a first-of-its kind, phase-change memory solid state storage device provides performance thousands of times faster than a conventional hard drive and up to seven times faster than current state-of-the-art solid-state drives. ... > full story

Mathematical models provide insights into cholera vaccination strategies for Zimbabwe (June 3, 2011) -- Mathematical models analyzing how a cholera outbreak spread in Zimbabwe are providing new insights into the most effective vaccination strategies for preventing future cholera epidemics, according to researchers. ... > full story

Examining the brain as a neural information super-highway (June 3, 2011) -- A new article demonstrates how tools for modeling traffic on the Internet and telephone systems can be used to study information flow in brain networks. ... > full story

Solar inverters: Losses are cut in half (June 3, 2011) -- A switching trick makes it possible to cut the losses of a series-production inverter in half and increase the efficiency from 96 to 98 percent. The new technology makes it possible to achieve a world-record efficiency of more than 99 percent. ... > full story

Single-crystal arrays of graphene: Advance in efforts to develop a replacement for silicon in high-performance electronics (June 2, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a method for creating single-crystal arrays of the material graphene, an advance that opens the possibility of a replacement for silicon in high-performance computers and electronics. Graphene is a one-atom-thick layer of carbon that was first fabricated in 2004. Single-crystal arrays of the material could be used to create a new class of high-speed transistors and integrated circuits that use less energy than silicon electronics because graphene conducts electricity with little resistance or heat generation. ... > full story

Leakage of private information from popular web sites is common, new study finds (June 2, 2011) -- A study of more than 100 popular web sites has found that three-quarters leak either private information or users' unique identifiers to third-party tracking sites. The study showed how such leakage could permit tracking sites to link bits of information to create detailed profiles of individuals. Efforts to date to curb such leakage and linkage of personal information, including proposals made in a 2010 Federal Trade Commission report, would be largely ineffective, the study concluded. ... > full story

Microscopic worms could help open up travel into deep space (June 2, 2011) -- A space flight by millions of microscopic worms could help us overcome the numerous threats posed to human health by space travel. The Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) have also given experts an insight into how to block muscle degradation in the sick and elderly. ... > full story

Heartbeat of nanoparticles made visible (June 2, 2011) -- Even tiny gold nanoparticles, with a diameter of only 40 millionths of a millimeter, have something like a heartbeat. When focusing a short laser pulse on the particles they heat up very briefly and start to vibrate. But even the best microscopes can not resolve these nanoparticles, which are therefore very difficult to study. ... > full story

'Hot body' could help ships reduce drag (June 2, 2011) -- New research into drag reduction has the potential to help industries such shipping to reduce energy use and carbon emissions. ... > full story

New technology could inspire brain implant for detecting and treating seizures (June 2, 2011) -- Tiny electrodes have been coated with a drug-loaded polymer in an attempt to design an implant capable of detecting a number of neurological symptoms, such as those associated with an epileptic seizure, and treating them simultaneously. ... > full story

World Wars camouflage technique could have benefits in modern warfare (June 2, 2011) -- Painting army vehicles with high contrast geometric patterns -- "dazzle camouflage" -- affects the perception of their speed and thus could make them less susceptible to rocket propelled grenade attacks, according to new research from the UK. ... > full story