The EDGE: ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Wednesday, December 7, 2011

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Wednesday, December 7, 2011

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Engineers devise shoe sampling system for detecting trace amounts of explosives (December 7, 2011) -- The ability to efficiently and unobtrusively screen for trace amounts of explosives on airline passengers could improve travel safety -- without invoking the ire of inconvenienced fliers. Toward that end, researchers have developed a prototype air sampling system that can quickly blow particles off the surfaces of shoes and suck them away for analysis. ... > full story

Confidence is key to women's spatial skills, study suggests (December 7, 2011) -- Boosting a woman’s confidence makes her better at spatial tasks, scientists have found, suggesting skills such as parking and map-reading could come more easily if a woman is feeling good about herself. ... > full story

Measuring living cells' mechanical properties: Technology could diagnose human disease, shed light on biological processes (December 7, 2011) -- Researchers are making progress in developing a system that measures the mechanical properties of living cells, a technology that could be used to diagnose human disease and better understand biological processes. ... > full story

Big success with tiny crystals (December 7, 2011) -- A little piece of iron wire is magnetic – just like a huge iron rod. When it comes to material properties, size usually does not matter. Surprisingly, researchers from Austria and India have now discovered that some materials show very unusual behavior, when they are studied in the form of tiny crystals. This could now lead to new materials with tailor-made electronic and magnetic properties. ... > full story

Random noise helps make signals clearer; Model shows that signal clarity only improves if specific energy conditions are met (December 6, 2011) -- Scientists have shown the energy conditions, under which a weak signal supplied to a physical system emerges as a stronger signal at the output thanks to the presence of random noise (a process known as stochastic resonance). ... > full story

NASA's Voyager hits new region at solar system edge (December 6, 2011) -- NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft has entered a new region between our solar system and interstellar space. Data obtained from Voyager over the last year reveal this new region to be a kind of cosmic purgatory. In it, the wind of charged particles streaming out from our sun has calmed, our solar system's magnetic field is piled up, and higher-energy particles from inside our solar system appear to be leaking out into interstellar space. ... > full story

Virtual childbirth simulator improves safety of high-risk deliveries (December 6, 2011) -- Newly developed computer software combined with magnetic resonance imaging of a fetus may help physicians better assess a woman's potential for a difficult childbirth. ... > full story

S-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g electrical conductance to the limit (December 6, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a method for mechanically controlling the geometry of a single molecule, situated in a junction between a pair of gold electrodes that form a simple circuit. The manipulations produced over tenfold increase in conductivity. ... > full story

Proton beam experiments open new areas of research (December 6, 2011) -- By focusing proton beams using high-intensity lasers, a team of scientists has discovered a new way to heat material and create new states of matter in the laboratory. In a new report, researchers unveiled new findings about how proton beams can be used in myriad applications. ... > full story

New NASA Dawn visuals show Vesta's 'color palette' (December 6, 2011) -- Vesta appears in a splendid rainbow-colored palette in new images obtained by NASA's Dawn spacecraft. The colors, assigned by scientists to show different rock or mineral types, reveal Vesta to be a world of many varied, well-separated layers and ingredients. Vesta is unique among asteroids visited by spacecraft to date in having such wide variation, supporting the notion that it is transitional between the terrestrial planets -- like Earth, Mercury, Mars and Venus -- and its asteroid siblings. ... > full story

Plasma-based treatment goes viral (December 6, 2011) -- Life-threatening viruses such as HIV, SARS, hepatitis and influenza, could soon be combated in an unusual manner as researchers have demonstrated the effectiveness of plasma for inactivating and preventing the replication of adenoviruses. ... > full story

Record massive black holes discovered lurking in monster galaxies (December 6, 2011) -- Astronomers using the Keck, Gemini and MacDonald observatories have discovered the largest black holes to date: Two monsters with masses equivalent to 10 billion suns that are threatening to consume anything, even light, within a region five times the size of our solar system. These monsters may be the remains of quasars that brightened the early universe. ... > full story

Scientists propose new names for elements 114 and 116 (December 6, 2011) -- The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry has recommended new proposed names for elements 114 and 116, the latest heavy elements to be added to the periodic table. Scientists proposed the names are Flerovium for element 114 and Livermorium for element 116. ... > full story

'Squeezed' quantum vacuum filled with atoms (December 6, 2011) -- Quantum theory is known for its peculiar concepts that appear to contradict the fundamental principles of traditional physics. Researchers have now succeeded in creating a special quantum state between two mesoscopic gases with approximately 500 atoms. The state is known as a “squeezed“ vacuum, in which measuring one gas affects the results of the measurement on the other. To produce these results the team had to develop a novel detection technique to measure values in atomic gases that were previously unobtainable. ... > full story

Efficiency metrics for energy storage devices need standardization (December 6, 2011) -- Solving the mystery of prematurely dead cell phone and laptop batteries may prove to be a vital step toward creating a sustainable energy grid according to researchers. Scientists now call for a new, standardized gauge of performance measurement for energy storage devices. ... > full story

Global carbon emissions reach record 10 billion tons, threatening 2 degree target (December 6, 2011) -- Global carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels have increased by 49 percent in the last two decades, according to the latest figures by an international team of scientists. ... > full story

'Label-free' imaging tool tracks nanotubes in cells, blood for biomedical research (December 6, 2011) -- Researchers have demonstrated a new imaging tool for tracking structures called carbon nanotubes in living cells and the bloodstream, which could aid efforts to perfect their use in biomedical research and clinical medicine. ... > full story

Giant super-Earths made of diamond are possible, study suggests (December 5, 2011) -- A planet made of diamonds may sound lovely, but you wouldn't want to live there. A new study suggests that some stars in the Milky Way could harbor "carbon super-Earths" – giant terrestrial planets that contain up to 50 percent diamond. But if they exist, those planets are likely devoid of life as we know it. ... > full story

Chemists become molecular sculptors, synthesizing tiny, molecular traps (December 5, 2011) -- Using clever but elegant design, chemists have synthesized tiny, molecular cages that can be used to capture and purify nanomaterials. ... > full story

Laser heating: New light cast on electrons heated to several billion degrees (December 5, 2011) -- A new class of high power lasers can effectively accelerate particles like electrons and ions with very intense, short laser pulses. Physicists have developed a new theoretical model for predicting the density and temperature of hot electrons which surpasses existing models in accurately describing experimental results and simulations. ... > full story

NASA's Kepler confirms its first planet in habitable zone outside our solar system (December 5, 2011) -- NASA's Kepler mission has confirmed its first planet in the "habitable zone," the region around a star where liquid water could exist on a planet's surface. Kepler also has discovered more than 1,000 new planet candidates, nearly doubling its previously known count. Ten of these candidates are near-Earth-size and orbit in the habitable zone of their host star. Candidates require follow-up observations to verify they are actual planets. ... > full story

Unique geologic insights from 'non-unique' gravity and magnetic interpretation (December 5, 2011) -- In many fields of applied science, such as geology, there are often tensions and disagreements between scientists who specialize in analyses of problems using mathematical models to describe sets of collected data, and those that rely on on-the-ground observations and empirical analyses. ... > full story

Astronomers find fastest rotating star (December 5, 2011) -- The European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope has picked up the fastest rotating star found so far. This massive bright young star lies in our neighboring galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud, about 160,000 light-years from Earth. Astronomers think that it may have had a violent past and has been ejected from a double star system by its exploding companion. ... > full story

New insights into responses of Yellowstone wolves to environmental changes (December 5, 2011) -- A study of the wolves of Yellowstone National Park has improved predictions of how these animals will respond to environmental changes. The study, which is part of the Yellowstone Wolf Project, involved tracking changes in various characteristics of the wolves of Yellowstone National Park ever since these animals were reintroduced to the park in 1995. ... > full story

First molybdenite microchip (December 5, 2011) -- After having revealed the electronic advantages of molybdenite, researchers in Switzerland have now taken the next definitive step. The researchers have made a chip, or integrated circuit, confirming that molybdenite can surpass the physical limits of silicon in terms of miniaturization, electricity consumption, and mechanical flexibility. ... > full story

'Graphene earns its stripes': New nanoscale electronic state discovered on graphene sheets (December 5, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered electronic stripes, called ‘charge density waves’, on the surface of the graphene sheets that make up a graphitic superconductor. This is the first time these stripes have been seen on graphene, and the finding is likely to have profound implications for the exploitation of this recently discovered material, which scientists believe will play a key role in the future of nanotechnology. ... > full story

Homegrown designs sprout for NASA's Commercial Crew Program (December 5, 2011) -- The expression goes, "Necessity is the mother of invention." And right now there is a need for NASA and the United States to have reliable access to low Earth orbit from homegrown sources. So, NASA's Commercial Crew Program and a number of American-led private companies are working together on new and innovative plans to do just that. ... > full story

Orion continues to make a splash (December 5, 2011) -- Testing continues at NASA Langley Research Center as the 18,000-pound (8,164.6 kg) Orion test article took its seventh splash into the Hydro Impact Basin Dec. 1. Orion, NASA's next deep space exploration vehicle, will carry astronauts into space, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel, and ensure safe re-entry and landing. ... > full story

In the dragonfish's mouth: The next generation of superstars to stir up our galaxy (December 4, 2011) -- Astronomers have found the most numerous batch of young, supermassive stars yet observed in our galaxy: hundreds of thousands of stars, including several hundreds of the most massive kind -blue stars dozens of times heavier than our Sun. The light these newborn stars emit is so intense it has pushed out and heated the gas that gave them birth, carving out a glowing hollow shell about a hundred light-years across. ... > full story

Instant nanodots grow on silicon to form sensing array (December 4, 2011) -- Scientists have shown that it is now possible to simultaneously create highly reproductive three-dimensional silicon oxide nanodots on micrometric scale silicon films in only a few seconds. Scientists were able to create a square array of such nanodots, using regularly spaced nanoindents on the deposition layer, that could ultimately find applications as biosensors for genomics or bio-diagnostics. ... > full story

What's that sparkle in Cassini's eye? (December 3, 2011) -- The moon Enceladus, one of the jewels of the Saturn system, sparkles peculiarly bright in new images obtained by NASA's Cassini spacecraft. The images of the moon, the first ever taken of Enceladus with Cassini's synthetic aperture radar, reveal new details of some of the grooves in the moon's south polar region and unexpected textures in the ice. These images, obtained on Nov. 6, 2011, are the highest-resolution images of this region obtained so far. ... > full story

Thinner thermal insulation (December 3, 2011) -- Insulation panels that are both thin and effective are expensive. At present these high-end products are built into energy-saving refrigerators. Innovative components and production techniques are now set to sink the costs – so that private home-builders can also benefit from the new technology. Researchers in Germany are now developing films for a material that will insulate homes without much additional structural alteration: vacuum isolation panels, VIPs for short. The panels are only two centimeters thick and yet perform just as well as a classic 15-centimeter-thick insulation layer made from polyurethane foam. The inner workings of the VIPs are made mostly from pyrogenic silica. A high-tech film holds the material together and makes it air-tight. ... > full story

Astronomers find 18 new planets: Discovery is the largest collection of confirmed planets around stars more massive than the sun (December 2, 2011) -- Discoveries of new planets just keep coming and coming. A team of astronomers has found 18 Jupiter-like planets in orbit around massive stars. The discoveries further constrain theories of planet formation. ... > full story

Sharp decline in pollution from U.S. coal power plants, NASA satellite confirms (December 2, 2011) -- A team of scientists have used the Ozone Monitoring Instrument on NASA's Aura satellite to confirm major reductions in the levels of a key air pollutant generated by coal power plants in the eastern United States. The pollutant, sulfur dioxide, contributes to the formation of acid rain and can cause serious health problems. ... > full story

Swiss scientist prove durability of quantum network (December 2, 2011) -- Scientists and engineers have proven the worth of quantum cryptography in telecommunication networks by demonstrating its long-term effectiveness in a real-time network. Their international network, created in collaboration with ID Quantique and installed in the Geneva metropolitan area and crossing over to the site of CERN in France, ran for more than one-and-a-half years from the end of March 2009 to the beginning of January 2011. ... > full story

Course excellent, adjustment postponed: Mars Science Laboratory mission status report (December 2, 2011) -- Excellent launch precision for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission has forestalled the need for an early trajectory correction maneuver, now not required for a month or more. ... > full story

More promising natural gas storage? (December 2, 2011) -- A research team has developed a computational method that can save scientists and engineers valuable time in the discovery process. The new algorithm automatically generates and tests hypothetical metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), zeroing in on the most promising structures. These MOFs then can be synthesized and tested in the lab. The researchers quickly identified more than 300 different MOFs that are predicted to be better than any known material for methane storage. ... > full story

Scientists use laser imaging to assess safety of zinc oxide nanoparticles in sunscreen (December 2, 2011) -- Ultra-tiny zinc oxide (ZnO) particles are among the ingredients list of some commercially available sunscreen products, raising concerns about whether the particles may be absorbed beneath the outer layer of skin. To help answer these questions, a team of scientists from Australia and Switzerland have developed a way to optically test the concentration of ZnO nanoparticles at different skin depths. ... > full story

Astronomers look to neighboring galaxy for star formation insight (December 2, 2011) -- An international team of astronomers has mapped in detail the star-birthing regions of the nearest star-forming galaxy to our own, a step toward understanding the conditions surrounding star creation. They found a large number of relatively low-mass clouds of molecular hydrogen -- material for star forming -- and found a correlation between young massive stars and molecular clouds. ... > full story

'Pacman' nebula gets some teeth (December 2, 2011) -- To visible-light telescopes, this star-forming cloud appears to be chomping through the cosmos, earning it the nickname the "Pacman" nebula, like the famous Pac-Man video game that debuted in 1980. When viewed in infrared light by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, the Pacman takes on a new appearance. In place of its typical, triangle-shaped mouth is a new set of lower, sharp-looking teeth. The Pacman is located at the top of the picture, taking a bite in the direction of the upper left corner. ... > full story

New switch could improve electronics (December 2, 2011) -- Researchers have invented a new type of electronic switch that performs electronic logic functions within a single molecule. The incorporation of such single-molecule elements could enable smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient electronics. ... > full story

New magnetic-field-sensitive alloy could find use in novel micromechanical devices (December 2, 2011) -- A multi-institution team of researchers has combined modern materials research and an age-old metallurgy technique to produce an alloy that could be the basis for a new class of sensors and micromechanical devices controlled by magnetism. ... > full story

Bobsled runs -- fast and yet safe (December 2, 2011) -- They should prove a challenge for the athletes, but not put them in danger: bobsled runs have to be simulated before being built. This simulation is based on the friction levels of the runners on the ice. Now it has become possible to measure these levels accurately. These results will help build the run for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. ... > full story

Violent video games alter brain function in young men (December 1, 2011) -- A functional magnetic resonance imaging analysis of long-term effects of violent video game play on the brain has found changes in brain regions associated with cognitive function and emotional control in young adult men after one week of game play. ... > full story

Controlled disorder: Scientists find way to form random molecular patterns (December 1, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered a way to control how tiny flat molecules fit together in a seemingly random pattern. ... > full story

Strange new 'species' of ultra-red galaxy discovered (December 1, 2011) -- In the distant reaches of the universe, almost 13 billion light-years from Earth, a strange species of galaxy lay hidden. Cloaked in dust and dimmed by the intervening distance, even the Hubble Space Telescope couldn't spy it. It took the revealing power of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope to uncover not one, but four remarkably red galaxies. And while astronomers can describe the members of this new "species," they can't explain what makes them so ruddy. ... > full story

China's demand for oil will equal US demand by 2040, study predicts (December 1, 2011) -- Despite aggressive demand-management policies announced in recent years, China's oil use could easily reach levels comparable to today's US levels by 2040, according to a new energy study. ... > full story

Researchers' new recipe cooks up better tissue 'phantoms' (December 1, 2011) -- The precise blending of tiny particles and multicolor dyes transforms gelatin into a realistic surrogate for human tissue. These tissue mimics, known as "phantoms," provide an accurate proving ground for new photoacoustic and ultrasonic imaging technologies. ... > full story

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