The EDGE: ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Saturday, July 9, 2011

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Saturday, July 9, 2011

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World War II bombing raids offer new insight into the effects of aviation on climate (July 8, 2011) -- Climate researchers have turned to the Allied bombing raids of the Second World War for a unique opportunity to study the effect thousands of aircraft had on the English climate at a time when civilian aviation remained rare. The study reveals how civilian and military records can help assess the impact of modern aviation on the climate today. ... > full story

Recycling: A new source of indispensible 'rare earth' materials mined mainly in China (July 8, 2011) -- That axiom of sustainability -- "recycle and reuse" -- could help ease concerns about a reliable supply of substances, indispensable for a modern technological society, that are produced almost exclusively in the Peoples' Republic of China. That's the conclusion of a study on these so-called "rare earth" elements. ... > full story

NASA's final space shuttle mission begins with Atlantis' launch (July 8, 2011) -- Space shuttle Commander Chris Ferguson and his three crewmates are on their way to the International Space Station after launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 11:29 a.m. EDT Friday. STS-135 is the final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. ... > full story

Robotics: Safety without protective barriers (July 8, 2011) -- The modern working world is no longer conceivable without robots. They assist humans in manufacturing, laboratories or medicine. In the future, a new projection and camera-based system will prevent collisions between robots and humans working together, German researchers say. ... > full story

Power from the air: Device captures ambient electromagnetic energy to drive small electronic devices (July 8, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a way to capture energy transmitted by such sources as radio and television transmitters and cell phone networks. By scavenging this ambient energy from the air around us, the technique could provide a new way to power networks of wireless sensors or other devices. ... > full story

Chips hold the key to understanding the human brain (July 8, 2011) -- Scientists have taken a key step towards producing a high-performance computer which aims to create working models of human brain functions. ... > full story

‘Cling-film’ solar cells could lead to advance in renewable energy (July 8, 2011) -- A scientific advance in renewable energy which promises a revolution in the ease and cost of using solar cells, has just been announced. A new study shows that even when using very simple and inexpensive manufacturing methods - where flexible layers of material are deposited over large areas like cling-film - efficient solar cell structures can be made. ... > full story

Nano detector for deadly anthrax (July 8, 2011) -- An automatic and portable detector that takes just fifteen minutes to analyze a sample suspected of contamination with anthrax is being developed by U.S. researchers. The technology amplifies any anthrax DNA present in the sample and can reveal the presence of just 40 microscopic cells of the deadly bacteria Bacillus anthracis. ... > full story

Using vital signs to predict severity of illness in children (July 8, 2011) -- Combining three vital signs (heart rate, temperature and oxygen saturation) in a simple score can identify children at risk of serious illness, according to a new study. Although this type of score cannot easily be calculated by hand, it could be incorporated into existing smart phone apps. ... > full story

Big step forward for SKA radio telescope (July 8, 2011) -- The discovery potential of the future international SKA radio telescope has been glimpsed following the commissioning of a working optical fiber link between CSIRO's Australian SKA Pathfinder telescope in Western Australia, and other radio telescopes across Australia and New Zealand. ... > full story

Graphene: What can go wrong? New studies point to wrinkles, process contaminants (July 8, 2011) -- Using a combination of sophisticated computer modeling and advanced materials analysis techniques at synchrotron laboratories, a research team has demonstrated how some relatively simple processing flaws can seriously degrade the otherwise near-magical electronic properties of graphene. ... > full story

Coating boosts nanowire efficiency and sensitivity: Promise for photodetectors and solar cells (July 7, 2011) -- By applying a coating to individual silicon nanowires, researchers have significantly improved the materials' efficiency and sensitivity. The findings suggest that the coated wires hold promise for photodetectors and energy harvesting technologies like solar cells. ... > full story