The EDGE: ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Wednesday, December 14, 2011

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Wednesday, December 14, 2011

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Tycho's star shines in gamma rays, NASA's Fermi shows (December 14, 2011) -- In early November 1572, observers on Earth witnessed the appearance of a "new star" in the constellation Cassiopeia, an event now recognized as the brightest naked-eye supernova in more than 400 years. It's often called "Tycho's supernova" after the great Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, who gained renown for his extensive study of the object. Now, years of data collected by NASA's Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope reveal that the shattered star's remains shine in high-energy gamma rays. ... > full story

High-energy physicists set record for network data transfer (December 14, 2011) -- Researchers have set a new world record for data transfer, helping to usher in the next generation of high-speed network technology. They transferred data in opposite directions at a combined rate of 186 gigabits per second (Gbps) in a wide-area network circuit. The rate is equivalent to moving two million gigabytes per day, fast enough to transfer nearly 100,000 full Blu-ray disks -- each with a complete movie and all the extras -- in a day. ... > full story

NASA developing comet harpoon for sample return (December 14, 2011) -- The best way to grab a sample of a rotating comet that is racing through the inner solar system at up to 150,000 miles per hour while spewing chunks of ice, rock and dust may be to avoid the risky business of landing on it. Instead, researchers want to send a spacecraft to rendezvous with a comet, then fire a harpoon to rapidly acquire samples from specific locations with surgical precision while hovering above the target. Using this "standoff" technique would allow samples to be collected even from areas that are much too rugged or dangerous to permit the landing and safe operation of a spacecraft. ... > full story

First electronic optical fibers with hydrogenated amorphous silicon are developed (December 14, 2011) -- A new chemical technique for depositing a non-crystalline form of silicon into the long, ultra-thin pores of optical fibers is the first of its kind to use high-pressure chemistry for making well-developed films and wires of this particular kind of silicon semiconductor. The research will help scientists to make more-efficient and more-flexible optical fibers. ... > full story

Early black holes grew big eating cold, fast food (December 13, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered what caused the rapid growth of early supermassive black holes -- a steady diet of cold, fast food. Computer simulations show that thin streams of cold gas flow uncontrolled into the center of the first black holes, causing them to grow faster than anything else in the universe. ... > full story

New device uses gold nanoparticles to test for lung cancer (December 13, 2011) -- A new device clearly distinguishes between the volatile organic compounds in cancer patients' exhaled breath compared to the breath of a control group. Subjects simply exhale into a bag, and the breath is analyzed by an array of gold nanoparticle sensors. ... > full story

Trillion-frame-per-second video: Researchers have created an imaging system that makes light look slow (December 13, 2011) -- Researchers have created a new imaging system that can acquire visual data at a rate of one trillion exposures per second. That's fast enough to produce a slow-motion video of a burst of light traveling the length of a one-liter bottle, bouncing off the cap and reflecting back to the bottle's bottom. ... > full story

Nighttime images help track disease from the sky (December 13, 2011) -- Satellite images of nighttime lights normally used to spot where people live can help keep tabs on the diseases festering among them, too. ... > full story

Possible hints of Higgs boson remain in latest analyses, physicists say (December 13, 2011) -- Two experiments at the Large Hadron Collider have nearly eliminated the space in which the Higgs boson could dwell, scientists announced in a seminar held at CERN Dec. 13. However, the ATLAS and CMS experiments see modest excesses in their data that could soon uncover the famous missing piece of the physics puzzle. Theorists have predicted that some subatomic particles gain mass by interacting with other particles called Higgs bosons. The Higgs boson is the only undiscovered part of the Standard Model of physics, which describes the basic building blocks of matter and their interactions. ... > full story

Visual tour of Earth's fires (December 13, 2011) -- NASA has released a series of new satellite data visualizations that show tens of millions of fires detected worldwide from space since 2002. ... > full story

Space weather prediction model improves forecasting (December 13, 2011) -- NOAA is now using a sophisticated forecast model that substantially improves predictions of space weather impacts on Earth. Better forecasts offer additional protection for people and the technology-based infrastructure we use daily. ... > full story

Reliable nuclear device to heat, power Mars Science Lab (December 13, 2011) -- NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission has the potential to be the most productive Mars surface mission in history. That's due in part to its nuclear heat and power source. The rover Curiosity's scientific instruments will get their lifeblood from a new radioisotope power system. ... > full story

Elusive ultrafine indoor air contaminants yield to analysis (December 13, 2011) -- Researchers spent 75 days on the job carrying out some very important homework -- measurements in a 'typical dwelling' of the release, distribution and fate of nanoscale particles emitted by gas and electric stoves, hair dryers, power tools and candles. ... > full story

Targeted proton transfer within a molecule: Smallest conceivable switch (December 13, 2011) -- For a long time miniaturization has been the magic word in electronics. Physicists have now presented a novel molecular switch. Decisive for the functionality of the switch is the position of a single proton in a porphyrin ring with an inside diameter of less than half a nanometer. The physicists can set four distinct states on demand. ... > full story

World record for one-loop calculations (December 13, 2011) -- Physicists have significantly improved the calculation method for scattering experiments in particle physics. This kind of calculation is used to predict the outcome of accelerator experiments in which high-energy particles collide with one another. However, the calculations become increasingly difficult the greater the number of orders the physicists wish to calculate. Scientists have now developed an algorithm which is far faster and requires less computing capacity than other algorithms. ... > full story

Robotic telescope network with access via Internet to be built (December 13, 2011) -- Internauts will be able to connect to 17 telescopes on four continents to share observation time. A world network of robotic telescopes is to be developed as part of a European citizen science project that has just kicked off in Spain. The network, to which any citizen will be able to connect and share observation time, will offer free open access via the Internet. ... > full story

NASA Mars-bound rover begins research in space (December 13, 2011) -- NASA's car-sized Curiosity rover has begun monitoring space radiation during its 8-month trip from Earth to Mars. The research will aid in planning for future human missions to the Red Planet. Curiosity launched on Nov. 26 from Cape Canaveral, Fla., aboard the Mars Science Laboratory. The rover carries an instrument called the Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) that monitors high-energy atomic and subatomic particles from the sun, distant supernovas and other sources. These particles constitute radiation that could be harmful to any microbes or astronauts in space or on Mars. The rover also will monitor radiation on the surface of Mars after its August 2012 landing. ... > full story

Portraits of Saturn moons captured by Cassini (December 13, 2011) -- NASA's Cassini spacecraft successfully completed its closest-ever pass over Saturn's moon Dione on Dec. 12, slaloming its way through the Saturn system on its way to a close flyby of Titan. Cassini is expected to glide about 2,200 miles (3,600 kilometers) over the Titan surface on Dec. 13. ... > full story

New biometric data standard adds DNA, footmarks and enhanced fingerprint descriptions (December 12, 2011) -- The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology has published a revised biometric standard that vastly expands the type and amount of information that forensic scientists can share across their international networks to identify victims or solve crimes. ... > full story

Women are best at being social on social media (December 12, 2011) -- Results of extensive study reveals gender divide in use of social media -- and how celebrities exploit social media to connect with their fans. Young women are leaders of change in styles of storytelling in the new digital economy, a social media expert has found. ... > full story

Study debunks myths about gender and math performance (December 12, 2011) -- A major study of recent international data on school mathematics performance casts doubt on some common assumptions about gender and math achievement -- in particular, the idea that girls and women have less ability due to a difference in biology. ... > full story

Powerful detectors on Hawaiian telescope to probe origins of stars, planets and galaxies (December 12, 2011) -- The world's largest submillimeter camera -- based on superconducting technology -- is now ready to scan the universe, including faint and faraway parts never seen before. ... > full story

A dash of physics thrown into the cocktail mix (December 12, 2011) -- Top-end bartenders are ditching trial and error for a more measured, controlled and scientific approach to the art of cocktail making, according to experts. ... > full story

Diamonds and dust for better cement (December 12, 2011) -- Scientists are seeking ways to use cement more efficiently and reduce the carbon emissions associated with its manufacture have revealed new properties of the mineral tobermorite. Using X-ray-diffraction to probe its crystalline structure, which corresponds to Portland cement's most important component, they squeezed the mineral in a diamond anvil cell to pressures equivalent to 100 miles deep in the Earth. ... > full story

Evolution reveals missing link between DNA and protein shape (December 12, 2011) -- Using evolutionary genetic information, an international team of researchers has taken major steps toward solving a classic problem of molecular biology: Predicting how a protein will fold in three dimensions. ... > full story

Researchers design Alzheimer’s antibodies: Surprisingly simple method to target harmful proteins (December 12, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new method to design antibodies aimed at combating disease. The surprisingly simple process was used to make antibodies that neutralize the harmful protein particles that are believed to lead to Alzheimer's disease. ... > full story

Star explosion leaves behind a rose (December 12, 2011) -- About 3,700 years ago, people on Earth would have seen a brand-new bright star in the sky. It slowly dimmed out of sight and was eventually forgotten, until modern astronomers later found its remains, called Puppis A. In this new image from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), Puppis A looks less like the remains of a supernova explosion and more like a red rose. ... > full story

Study finds failure points in firefighter protective equipment (December 12, 2011) -- In fire experiments conducted in uniformly furnished, but vacant Chicago-area townhouses, researchers uncovered temperature and heat-flow conditions that can seriously damage facepiece lenses on standard firefighter breathing equipment, a potential contributing factor for first-responder fatalities and injuries. ... > full story

World's smallest steam engine: Heat engine measuring only a few micrometers works as well as its larger counterpart, although it sputters (December 12, 2011) -- What would be a case for the repair shop for a car engine is completely normal for a micro engine. If it sputters, this is caused by the thermal motions of the smallest particles, which interfere with its running. Researchers have now observed this with a heat engine on the micrometer scale. They have also determined that the machine does actually perform work, all things considered. Although this cannot be used as yet, the experiment shows that an engine does basically work, even if it is on the microscale. This means that there is nothing, in principle, to prevent the construction of highly efficient, small heat engines. ... > full story

Scientists assess radioactivity in the ocean from Japan nuclear power facility (December 12, 2011) -- With current news of additional radioactive leaks from the Fukushima nuclear power plants, the impact on the ocean of releases of radioactivity from the plants remains unclear. ... > full story

Shampoo formulation puzzle solved (December 12, 2011) -- A research team has demonstrated quantitatively the science behind an anomaly in the surface tension of polyelectrolyte/surfactant mixtures. Their findings show that the dramatic increase in surface tension that affects the production of various pharmaceutical and cosmetic formulations is caused by the comprehensive aggregation of active ingredients. They have outlined a way to reload interfaces with functional components simply by tuning the way the materials are handled. ... > full story

Nanowrinkles, nanofolds yield strange hidden channels (December 12, 2011) -- Wrinkles and folds, common in nature, do something unusual at the nanoscale. Researchers have discovered that wrinkles on super-thin films have hidden long waves. The team also found that folds in the film produce nanochannels, like thousands of tiny subsurface pipes. The research could lead to advances in medicine, electronics and energy. ... > full story

New solar-powered classroom brings science to schools in developing countries (December 12, 2011) -- An innovative project is using solar generators to provide IT resources and 'hands-on' science for students in developing countries. ... > full story

Multi-purpose photonic chip paves the way to programmable quantum processors (December 12, 2011) -- A multi-purpose optical chip which generates, manipulates and measures entanglement and mixture -- two quantum phenomena which are essential driving forces for tomorrow's quantum computers -- has now been developed. This work represents an important step forward in the race to develop a quantum computer. ... > full story

A hidden order unraveled: Microscopic views on quantum fluctuations (December 12, 2011) -- Fluctuations are fundamental to many physical phenomena in our everyday lives. Using a high resolution microscope, scientists have now been able to image quantum-correlated particle-hole pairs in a gas of ultracold atoms. This has allowed the physicists to unravel a hidden order in the crystal. ... > full story

Cassini to make a double play (December 12, 2011) -- In an action-packed day and a half, NASA's Cassini spacecraft will be making its closest swoop over the surface of Saturn's moon Dione and scrutinizing the atmosphere of Titan, Saturn's largest moon. ... > full story

Synthetic cricket pricks up its 'ears' (December 11, 2011) -- The tiny hairs on the abdomen of a cricket have inspired researchers to make a new type of sensor which is ultra sensitive to air flows. These synthetic cricket hairs can now also be tuned very precisely for a certain range of frequencies: the hairs are 10 times more sensitive in this range. ... > full story

Slow road to stability for emulsions (December 11, 2011) -- Physical equilibrium, assumed to be almost instant, may take months or years for particles in oil-water mixtures. By studying the behavior of tiny particles at an interface between oil and water, researchers have discovered that stabilized emulsions may take longer to reach equilibrium than previously thought. ... > full story

Carving at the nanoscale (December 10, 2011) -- Researchers have successfully demonstrated a new method for producing a wide variety of complex hollow nanoparticles. The work applies well known processes of corrosion in a novel manner to produce highly complex cage-like nanoscale structures with potential applications in fields from medicine to industrial processing. ... > full story

Computerized method for matching images in photos, paintings, sketches created (December 10, 2011) -- Computers can mimic the human ability to find visually similar images, such as photographs of a fountain in summer and in winter, or a photograph and a painting of the same cathedral, by using a technique that analyzes the uniqueness of images, say researchers. The research team found that their surprisingly simple technique performed well on a number of visual tasks that normally stump computers, including matching sketches of automobiles with photographs of cars. ... > full story

Researchers develop a way to monitor engineered blood vessels as they grow in patients (December 9, 2011) -- New research describes how by using magnetic resonance imaging and nanoparticle technology, scientists can monitor the growth of laboratory-engineered blood vessels after implantation in patients. This is an important step toward ensuring that blood vessels, and tissues engineered from a patient's own biological material, are taking hold and working as expected. This is the first method for monitoring the growth and progress of engineered tissues once they are implanted. ... > full story

Microscopic worms could hold the key to living life on Mars (December 9, 2011) -- The astrophysicist Stephen Hawking believes that if humanity is to survive we will have up sticks and colonize space. But is the human body up to the challenge? Scientists believe that Caenorhabditis elegans, a microscopic worm which has biologically similarities to human beings, could help us understand how humans might cope with long-duration space exploration. ... > full story

Extraordinary long gaseous tails in two groups of galaxies (December 9, 2011) -- An international group of astronomers has discovered extraordinary long one-sided gaseous tails in two groups of galaxies that are amongst the longest structures ever observed in such environments. The tails emanate from CGCG 097-026 and FGC1287, two spiral galaxies in small groups in the outskirts of the galaxy cluster known as Abell 1367 in the constellation of Leo, at a distance of 300 million light years. The new work could lead to a major shift in our understanding of galaxy evolution. ... > full story

Catching terrorists: Backpacks, not the bombs inside, key to finding DNA (December 9, 2011) -- Catching terrorists who detonate bombs may be easier by testing the containers that hide the bombs rather than the actual explosives, according to pioneering research. ... > full story

Atoms dressed with light show new interactions, could reveal way to observe enigmatic particle (December 9, 2011) -- Physicists have found a way to manipulate atoms' internal states with lasers that dramatically influences their interactions in specific ways. Such light-tweaked atoms can be used as proxies to study important phenomena that would be difficult or impossible to study in other contexts. ... > full story

For Midwesterners, more boxcars mean cleaner air (December 9, 2011) -- Shifting a fraction of truck-borne freight onto trains would have an outsized impact on air quality in the Midwest, according to researchers. ... > full story

NMR used to determine whether gold nanoparticles exhibit 'handedness' (December 9, 2011) -- Scientists have successfully used NMR to analyze the structure of infinitesimal gold nanoparticles, which could advance the development and use of the tiny particles in drug development. Their approach offers a significant advantage over routine methods for analyzing gold nanoparticles because it can determine whether the nanoparticles exist in a both right-handed and left-handed configuration, a phenomenon called chirality. ... > full story

Making factories smarter so they can react to changes on their own (December 9, 2011) -- The time it takes for new products to come to market is getting ever shorter. As a consequence, goods are being produced using manufacturing facilities and IT systems that were designed with completely different models in mind. Developers want to make factories smarter so they can react to changes of their own accord. ... > full story