The EDGE: ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Saturday, December 31, 2011

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Saturday, December 31, 2011

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Are superluminal neutrinos possible? Pions don't want to decay into faster-than-light neutrinos, study finds (December 30, 2011) -- Physicists have put their finger on a problem with the now-famous OPERA experiment that reported faster-than-light, or superluminal, neutrinos. They raise theoretical considerations that would make the creation of superluminal neutrinos impossible. ... > full story

2012: Shadow of the Dark Rift (December 29, 2011) -- One of the most bizarre theories about 2012 has built up with very little attention to facts. This idea holds that a cosmic alignment of the sun, Earth, the center of our galaxy -- or perhaps the galaxy's thick dust clouds -- on the winter solstice could for some unknown reason lead to destruction. Such alignments can occur but these are a regular occurrence and can cause no harm (and, indeed, will not even be at its closest alignment during the 2012 solstice.) ... > full story

Subtle electronic effect in magnetite discovered: Long-standing puzzle in study of magnetism finally solved (December 29, 2011) -- A fundamental problem that has long puzzled scientists has been solved after more than 70 years. An international team of researchers has discovered a subtle electronic effect in magnetite, the most magnetic of all naturally occurring minerals. The effect causes a dramatic change to how this material conducts electricity at very low temperatures. ... > full story

Badwater Basin: Death Valley microbe may spark novel biotech and nanotech uses (December 28, 2011) -- Nevada, the "Silver State," is well-known for mining precious metals. But some scientists do a different type of mining. They sluice through every water body they can find, looking for new forms of microbial magnetism. ... > full story

2012: Fear no supernova (December 28, 2011) -- Given the incredible amounts of energy in a supernova explosion -- as much as the sun creates during its entire lifetime -- another erroneous doomsday theory is that such an explosion could happen in 2012 and harm life on Earth. However, given the vastness of space and the long times between supernovae, astronomers can say with certainty that there is no threatening star close enough to hurt Earth. ... > full story

Time for a change? Overhauling the calendar (December 28, 2011) -- Time can stand still, or at least look the same from year to year, two calendar reform advocates say. ... > full story

NASA conducts Orion parachute testing for orbital test flight (December 28, 2011) -- NASA successfully conducted a drop test of the Orion crew vehicle's parachutes high above the Arizona desert Tuesday, Dec. 20, in preparation for its orbital flight test in 2014. Orion will carry astronauts deeper into space than ever before, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and ensure a safe re-entry and landing. ... > full story

Complex polymer rings with breathtaking nanoscale architecture revealed (December 27, 2011) -- Scientists have uncovered how nature minimises energy costs in rings of liquids with an internal nanostructure made of two chemically discordant polymers joined with strong bonds, or di-blocks, deposited on a silicon surface, in a new article. ... > full story

Keeping our beaches safe from fecal contamination (December 27, 2011) -- Fecal contamination of public beaches caused by sewage overflow is both dangerous for swimmers and costly for state and local economies. Current methods to detect Escherichia coli, a bacterium highly indicative of the presence of fecal matter in water, typically require 24-48 hours to produce a result. A new, accurate, and economical sensor-based device capable of measuring E. coli levels in water samples in less than 1-8 hours could serve as a valuable early warning tool. ... > full story

'Nanoantennas' show promise in optical innovations (December 26, 2011) -- Researchers have shown how arrays of tiny "plasmonic nanoantennas" are able to precisely manipulate light in new ways that could make possible a range of optical innovations such as more powerful microscopes, telecommunications and computers. ... > full story

New way to assess risk from chemicals (December 26, 2011) -- Approximately 80,000 industrial chemicals are in use and about 700 new chemicals are introduced to commerce each year in the United States, according to the US Government Accountability Office. To assess human health risks from exposure to harmful substances, an expert is proposing a new technique that is more efficient than current methods. ... > full story

Christmas comet Lovejoy captured at Paranal Observatory in Chile (December 25, 2011) -- The recently discovered Comet Lovejoy has been captured in stunning photos and time-lapse video taken from the European Southern Observatory's Paranal Observatory in Chile. The comet graced the southern sky after it had unexpectedly survived a close encounter with the Sun. ... > full story