The EDGE: ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Sunday, December 18, 2011

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Sunday, December 18, 2011

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Meteorite shockwaves trigger dust avalanches on Mars (December 17, 2011) -- Dust avalanches around impact craters on Mars appear to be the result of the shock wave preceding the actual impact, according to a new study. Small impacts might therefore be more important in shaping the Martian surface than previously thought. ... > full story

Functionalized graphene oxide plays part in next-generation oil-well drilling fluids (December 17, 2011) -- Graphene's star is rising as a material that could become essential to efficient, environmentally sound oil production. Researchers are taking advantage of graphene's outstanding strength, light weight and solubility to enhance fluids used to drill oil wells. ... > full story

Detecting the 'heartbeat' of smallest black hole candidate (December 16, 2011) -- Astronomers have identified a candidate for the smallest-known black hole using data from NASA's Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). The evidence comes from a specific type of X-ray pattern, nicknamed a "heartbeat" because of its resemblance to an electrocardiogram. The pattern until now has been recorded in only one other black hole system. ... > full story

Twisting molecules by brute force: A top-down approach (December 16, 2011) -- Researchers have found they can use a macroscopic brute force to impose and induce a twist in an otherwise non-chiral molecule. ... > full story

Discovery of a 'dark state' could mean a brighter future for solar energy (December 16, 2011) -- The efficiency of conventional solar cells could be significantly increased, according to new research on the mechanisms of solar energy conversion. ... > full story

'Fantastic voyage' through the body, with precision control (December 16, 2011) -- Scientists have devised a method to guide endoscopic "capsules" on a more precise course through the small intestine to detect difficult-to-diagnose tumors or wounds, or allow for biopsies or drug delivery. The ability to manipulate the capsule, he says, will not only lead to better diagnosis capabilities, but a less invasive and quicker procedure as well. ... > full story

How granular materials become solid: Discovery may be boon to engineers, manufacturers (December 16, 2011) -- What is it is that makes granular materials change from a flowing loose state to a "jammed," or solid, state? Researchers can now explain how granular materials are transformed when force is applied at a particular angle, a process known as shearing. ... > full story

Tool detects patterns hidden in vast data sets (December 16, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a tool that can tackle large data sets in a way that no other software program can. Part of a suite of statistical tools called MINE, it can tease out multiple patterns hidden in health information, statistics amassed from a season of major league baseball, data on the changing bacterial landscape of the gut, and more. ... > full story

Lead levels in drinking water spike when copper and lead pipes joined: Levels linked to galvanic corrosion, disinfectants, pH (December 16, 2011) -- Lead pipes once used routinely in municipal water distribution systems are a well-recognized source of dangerous lead contamination, but new research suggests that the partial replacement of these pipes can make the problem worse. The research shows that joining old lead pipes with new copper lines using brass fittings spurs galvanic corrosion that can dramatically increase the amount of lead released into drinking water supplies. ... > full story

New research could lead to enhanced MRI scans (December 16, 2011) -- New research could lead to enhanced MRI scans, producing brighter and more precise images, and potentially allowing the detection of cancerous cells before they cause health problems. ... > full story

First low-mass star detected in globular cluster (December 16, 2011) -- Even the most powerful high-tech telescopes are barely able to record remote low-mass and thus faint stars. Astrophysicists have now detected a low-mass star in globular cluster M22 for the first time through microlensing. The result indicates that the overall mass of globular clusters might well be explained without enigmatic dark matter. ... > full story

Biofuel research boosted by discovery of how cyanobacteria make energy (December 15, 2011) -- Research expected to help scientists to discover new ways of genetically engineering bacteria to manufacture biofuels overturns a generally accepted 44-year-old assumption about how certain kinds of bacteria make energy and synthesize cell materials. With this better understanding of how cyanobacteria make energy, it might be possible to genetically engineer a cyanobacterial strain to synthesize 1,3-butanediol -- an organic compound that is the precursor for making not only biofuels but also plastics. ... > full story