The EDGE: ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Sunday, June 19, 2011

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Sunday, June 19, 2011

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Chirality: New method to consistently make left-handed or right-handed molecules (June 18, 2011) -- Many organic molecules are non-superimposable with their mirror image. The two forms of such a molecule are called enantiomers and can have different properties in biological systems. The problem is to control which enantiomer you want to produce -- a problem that has proved to be important in the pharmaceutical industry. Researchers have now come up with a new method to control the process. ... > full story

'Ultrawideband' could be future of medical monitoring (June 18, 2011) -- New research has confirmed that an electronic technology called "ultrawideband" could hold part of the solution to an ambitious goal in the future of medicine -- health monitoring with sophisticated "body-area networks." Such networks would offer continuous, real-time health diagnosis to reduce the onset of degenerative diseases, save lives and cut health care costs. ... > full story

Phobos slips past Jupiter (June 18, 2011) -- Earlier this month, ESA's Mars Express performed a special maneuver to observe an unusual alignment of Jupiter and the martian moon Phobos. The impressive images of this rare event are now available.. ... > full story

Spectacular Hubble view of Centaurus A (June 17, 2011) -- The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has produced a close-up view of the galaxy Centaurus A. Hubble's out-of-this-world location and world-class Wide Field Camera 3 instrument reveal a dramatic picture of a dynamic galaxy in flux. ... > full story

Coming to TV screens of the future: A sense of smell (June 17, 2011) -- In a new paper, engineers demonstrate that it is possible to generate odor, at will, in a compact device small enough to fit on the back of your TV with potentially thousands of odors. ... > full story

ATV preparing for fiery destruction (June 17, 2011) -- ATV Johannes Kepler has been an important part of the International Space Station since February. Next week, it will complete its mission by undocking and burning up harmlessly in the atmosphere high over an uninhabited area of the Pacific Ocean. ... > full story

Poor 'gut sense' of numbers contributes to persistent math difficulties (June 17, 2011) -- Having a poor "gut sense" of numbers can lead to a mathematical learning disability and difficulty in achieving basic math proficiency. This inaccurate number sense is just one cause of math learning disabilities, according to researchers. ... > full story

Stretchable electronics: Wireless sensor measures and inputs intense body movements to computer (June 17, 2011) -- Electronics that can be bent and stretched might sound like science fiction. But scientists have devised a wireless sensor that can stand to be stretched. For example, the sensor can measure intensive body movements and wirelessly send information directly to a computer. ... > full story

Graphene may gain an on-off switch, adding semiconductor to long list of material's achievements (June 17, 2011) -- A team of researchers has proposed a way to turn the material graphene into a semiconductor, enabling it to control the flow of electrons with a laser "on-off switch." ... > full story

Noninvasive brain implant could someday translate thoughts into movement (June 17, 2011) -- A brain implant developed at the University of Michigan uses the body's skin like a conductor to wirelessly transmit the brain's neural signals to control a computer, and may eventually be used to reactivate paralyzed limbs. ... > full story

Taking the 3-D measure of macromolecules (June 17, 2011) -- Researchers have developed the world's first three-dimensional plasmon rulers, capable of measuring nanometer-scale spatial changes in macromolecular systems. These 3-D plasmon rulers could provide unprecedented details on such critical dynamic events in biology as the interaction of DNA with enzymes, the folding of proteins, the motion of peptides or the vibrations of cell membranes. ... > full story

New sensor to measure structural stresses can heal itself when broken (June 17, 2011) -- Researchers have designed a sensor that can measure strain in structural materials and is capable of healing itself -- an important advance for collecting data to help us make informed decisions about structural safety in the wake of earthquakes, explosions or other unexpected events. ... > full story