The EDGE: ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Wednesday, January 11, 2012

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Welcome to another edition of ScienceDaily's email newsletter. You can change your subscription options or unsubscribe at any time.

El Gordo: A 'fat' distant galaxy cluster (January 11, 2012) -- An extremely hot, massive young galaxy cluster is the largest ever seen in the distant universe. The newly discovered galaxy cluster has been nicknamed El Gordo -- the "big" or "fat one" in Spanish. It consists of two separate galaxy subclusters colliding at several million kilometres per hour, and is so far away that its light has travelled for seven billion years to reach Earth. ... > full story

'Google Flu Trends' is a powerful early warning system for emergency departments (January 11, 2012) -- Monitoring Internet search traffic about influenza may prove to be a better way for hospital emergency rooms to prepare for a surge in sick patients compared to waiting for outdated government flu case reports. ... > full story

Quick-cooking nanomaterials in microwave to make tomorrow's air conditioners (January 10, 2012) -- Engineering researchers have developed a new method for creating advanced nanomaterials that could lead to highly efficient refrigerators and cooling systems requiring no refrigerants and no moving parts. The key ingredients for this innovation are a dash of nanoscale sulfur and a normal, everyday microwave oven. ... > full story

Fusion plasma research helps neurologists to hear above the noise (January 10, 2012) -- Fusion plasma researchers and neuroscientists are significantly improving our understanding of the data obtained from noninvasive study of the fast dynamics of networks in the human brain. ... > full story

Before they were stars: New image shows space nursery (January 10, 2012) -- The stars we see today weren't always as serene as they appear, floating alone in the dark of night. Most stars, likely including our sun, grew up in cosmic turmoil -- as illustrated in a new image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The image shows one of the most active and turbulent regions of star birth in our galaxy, a region called Cygnus X. ... > full story

Satellite imagery detects thermal 'uplift' signal of underground nuclear tests (January 10, 2012) -- A new analysis of satellite data from the late 1990s documents for the first time the "uplift" of ground above a site of underground nuclear testing, providing researchers a potential new tool for analyzing the strength of detonation. The findings provide another forensic tool for evaluation, especially for the potential explosive yield estimates. ... > full story

Farthest developing galaxy cluster ever found (January 10, 2012) -- NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has uncovered a cluster of galaxies in the initial stages of construction — the most distant such grouping ever observed in the early universe. In a random sky survey made in near-infrared light, Hubble spied five tiny galaxies clustered together 13.1 billion light-years away. They are among the brightest galaxies at that epoch and very young, existing just 600 million years after the universe's birth in the big bang. ... > full story

Light makes write for DNA information-storage device (January 10, 2012) -- Researchers have demonstrated a write-once-read-many-times information-storage device, made of DNA embedded with silver nanoparticles, that uses ultraviolet light to encode data. ... > full story

Robotic therapy may provide lasting gains for immobilized stroke survivors (January 10, 2012) -- Adding robotic assistance to standard rehab was more effective than traditional methods in helping severely impaired stroke survivors regain the ability to walk. The additional therapy was not beneficial for those with less impairment. ... > full story

Astronomers reach new frontiers of dark matter (January 10, 2012) -- For the first time, astronomers have mapped dark matter on the largest scale ever observed. New findings reveal a Universe comprising an intricate cosmic web of dark matter and galaxies spanning more than one billion light years. ... > full story

The path less traveled: Research is driving solutions to improve unpaved roads (January 10, 2012) -- To improve the quality of unpaved roads, a graduate student is working with lignin, a sustainable material found in all plants. Lignin's adhesive properties make it good for binding soil particles together and protecting unpaved roads from erosion. ... > full story

Relay race with single atoms: New ways of manipulating matter (January 9, 2012) -- A relay reaction of hydrogen atoms at a single-molecule level has been observed in real-space. This way of manipulating matter could open up new ways to exchange information between novel molecular devices in future electronics. ... > full story

Mystery of car battery's current solved (January 9, 2012) -- Chemists have solved the 150 year-old mystery of what gives the lead-acid battery, found under the bonnet of most cars, its unique ability to deliver a surge of current. ... > full story

Clearest picture yet of dark matter points the way to better understanding of dark energy (January 9, 2012) -- Scientists have independently made the largest direct measurements of the invisible scaffolding of the universe, using the gravitational lensing effect known as "cosmic shear" to build maps of the distribution of dark matter. Their methods show that surveys with ground-based telescopes can measure cosmic shear with enough accuracy to aid in better understanding the mysterious space-stretching effects of dark energy. ... > full story

Graphene reveals its magnetic personality (January 9, 2012) -- Can organic matter behave like a fridge magnet? Scientists have now shown that it can. Researchers took nonmagnetic graphene and then either 'peppered' it with other nonmagnetic atoms like fluorine or removed some carbon atoms from the chicken wire. The empty spaces, called vacancies, and added atoms all turned out to be magnetic, exactly like atoms of, for example, iron. ... > full story

First hint of the Higgs boson particle (January 8, 2012) -- The answer to one of the most exciting questions in particle physics seems almost close enough to touch: Scientists have observed first signs of the Higgs boson and now believe that they will soon be able to prove the existence of the elementary particle they have been trying so hard to isolate. ... > full story

Sensor improvement brings analysis method into mainstream (January 8, 2012) -- An advance in sensor design could unshackle a powerful yet high-maintenance technique for exploring material, expanding the scope of neutron interferometry from a test of quantum mechanics to a tool for industry. ... > full story

Hybrid silkworms spin stronger spider silk (January 7, 2012) -- Silk produced by transgenically engineered silkworms in the lab exhibit the highly sought-after strength and elasticity of spider silk. This stronger silk could possibly be used to make sutures, artificial limbs and parachutes. ... > full story

Graphene rips follow rules (January 7, 2012) -- Researchers may give science and industry a new way to manipulate graphene, which naturally rips along armchair and zigzag paths. ... > full story

Down to the wire for silicon: Researchers create a wire four atoms wide, one atom tall (January 6, 2012) -- The smallest wires ever developed in silicon -- just one atom tall and four atoms wide -- have been shown by a team of researchers to have the same current-carrying capability as copper wires. ... > full story

Now you see it, now you didn't: Researchers cloak a moment in time (January 6, 2012) -- Think Harry Potter movie magic: Researchers have demonstrated a "temporal cloak" -- albeit on a very small scale -- in the transport of information by a beam of light. ... > full story

New system may one day steer microrobots through blood vessels for disease treatment (January 6, 2012) -- Researchers use a magnetic field to generate both side-to-side and corkscrew-like motions of tiny robots. ... > full story

Traditional social networks fueled Twitter's spread (January 6, 2012) -- Researchers who studied the growth of the newly hatched Twitter from 2006 to 2009 say the site's growth in the United States actually relied primarily on media attention and traditional social networks based on geographic proximity and socioeconomic similarity. In other words, at least during those early years, birds of a feather flocked -- and tweeted -- together. ... > full story

Nanotechnology may speed up drug testing (January 6, 2012) -- Testing the effectiveness of new pharmaceuticals may get faster thanks to a new technique incorporating quantum dots. ... > full story

Scientists find structure of gene-editing protein (January 6, 2012) -- In the two and a half years since scientists discovered how a class of proteins find and bind specific sequences in plant genomes, researchers worldwide have moved fast to use this discovery. Now, the next step has been taken by determining the 3-D structure of a TAL effector bound to DNA. ... > full story

New technology tightens cyber security (January 6, 2012) -- A revolutionary new technology helps with cyber security. ... > full story

Mars rover to spend winter at 'Greeley Haven' (January 6, 2012) -- NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity will spend the next few months during the coldest part of Martian winter at Greeley Haven, an outcrop of rock on Mars recently named informally to honor Ronald Greeley, a professor of planetary geology, who died Oct. 27, 2011. ... > full story

One of the most porous materials ever discovered (January 5, 2012) -- The delivery of pharmaceuticals into the human body or the storage of voluminous quantities of gas molecules could now be better controlled, thanks to a new study. Chemists have posed an alternative approach toward building porous materials. ... > full story

Extracellular matrix could lead to advances in regenerative medicine (January 5, 2012) -- Scientists have created a functional model of the native extracellular matrix that provides structural support to cells to aid growth and proliferation. The model could lead to advances in regenerative medicine. The extracellular matrix provides the physical and chemical conditions that enable the development of all biological tissues. It is a complex nano-to-microscale structure made up of protein fibers and serves as a dynamic substrate that supports tissue repair and regeneration. ... > full story

New materials remove carbon dioxide from smokestacks, tailpipes and even the air (January 5, 2012) -- Scientists are reporting discovery of an improved way to remove carbon dioxide -- the major greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming -- from smokestacks and other sources, including the atmosphere. The process achieves some of the highest carbon dioxide removal capacity ever reported for real-world conditions where the air contains moisture. ... > full story

Shearing triggers odd behavior in microscopic particles (January 5, 2012) -- Microscopic spheres form strings in surprising alignments when suspended in a viscous fluid and sheared between two plates, a finding that will affect the way scientists think about the properties of such wide-ranging substances as shampoo and futuristic computer chips. ... > full story

New bandage spurs, guides blood vessel growth (January 5, 2012) -- Researchers have developed a bandage that stimulates and directs blood vessel growth on the surface of a wound. The bandage, called a "microvascular stamp," contains living cells that deliver growth factors to damaged tissues in a defined pattern. After a week, the pattern of the stamp "is written in blood vessels," the researchers report. ... > full story

Hips that function better and last longer: Lubricant in metal-on-metal hip implants found to be graphite, not proteins (January 5, 2012) -- Engineers and physicians have made a surprising discovery that offers a target for designing new materials for hip implants that are less susceptible to the joint's normal wear and tear. The team found that graphitic carbon is a key element in a lubricating layer that forms on metal-on-metal hip implants. The lubricant is more similar to the lubrication of a combustion engine than that of a natural joint. ... > full story

Smart way of saving lives in natural disasters (January 5, 2012) -- Smartphones could help save hundreds of thousands of lives in the aftermath of a disaster or humanitarian crisis, new research has found. ... > full story

Older, cheaper vacuum cleaners release more bacteria and dust (January 5, 2012) -- Some vacuum cleaners -- those basic tools for maintaining a clean indoor environment in homes and offices -- actually contribute to indoor air pollution by releasing into the air bacteria and dust that can spread infections and trigger allergies, researchers report in a new study. ... > full story

New computer model explains lakes and storms on Saturn's moon Titan (January 4, 2012) -- Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is an alien world covered in a thick atmosphere with abundant methane. Titan boasts methane clouds and fog, as well as rainstorms and plentiful lakes of liquid methane. The origins of many of these features, however, remain puzzling to scientists. Now, researchers have developed a computer model of Titan's atmosphere and methane cycle that, for the first time, explains many of these phenomena in a relatively simple and coherent way. ... > full story

New technology removes air pollutants, may reduce energy use in animal agricultural facilities (January 4, 2012) -- Researchers have developed a new technology that can reduce air pollutant emissions from some chicken and swine barns, and also reduce their energy use by recovering and possibly generating heat. ... > full story

Magnetically levitated flies offer clues to future of life in space (January 4, 2012) -- Using powerful magnets to levitate fruit flies can provide vital clues to how biological organisms are affected by weightless conditions in space, researchers say. ... > full story

'Nanowiggles:' Scientists discover graphene nanomaterials with tunable functionality in electronics (January 4, 2012) -- Scientists have used supercomputers to uncover the properties of a promising form of graphene, known as graphene nanowiggles. What they found was that graphitic nanoribbons can be segmented into several different surface structures called nanowiggles. Each of these structures produces highly different magnetic and conductive properties. The findings provide a blueprint that scientists can use to literally pick and choose a graphene nanostructure that is tuned and customized for a different task or device. ... > full story

What if if Virginia lifts ban on uranium mining? Report identifies health and environmental issues (January 4, 2012) -- A number of health and environmental issues and related risks need to be addressed when considering whether to lift the almost 30-year moratorium on uranium mining in Virginia, a new report says. ... > full story

Leaping lizards and dinosaurs inspire robot design (January 4, 2012) -- A new study of how lizards use their tails when leaping through the trees shows that they swing the tail upward to avoid pitching forward after a stumble. Theropod dinosaurs -- the ancestors of birds -- may have done the same. A robot model confirms the value of an actively controlled tail, demonstrating that adding a tail can stabilize robots on uneven terrain and after unexpected falls -- critical to successful search and rescue operations. ... > full story

Nanotechnology: Nanomechanical measurements of unprecedented resolution made on protein molecules (January 4, 2012) -- Physicists have made nanomechanical measurements of unprecedented resolution on protein molecules. The new measurements are approximately 100 times higher in resolution than previous mechanical measurements, a nanotechnology feat which reveals an isolated protein molecule, surprisingly, is neither a solid nor a liquid. ... > full story

Blogging may help teens dealing with social distress (January 4, 2012) -- Blogging may have psychological benefits for teens suffering from social anxiety, improving their self-esteem and helping them relate better to their friends, according to new research. ... > full story

Smoky pink core of Omega Nebula (January 4, 2012) -- A new image of the Omega Nebula, captured by ESO's Very Large Telescope, is one of the sharpest of this object ever taken from the ground. It shows the dusty, rose-colored central parts of this famous stellar nursery and reveals extraordinary detail in the cosmic landscape of gas clouds, dust and newborn stars. ... > full story

Prototype device measures absolute optical power in fiber at nanowatt levels (January 4, 2012) -- Researchers have demonstrated the first prototype device that measures optical power delivered through optical fiber at nanowatt levels. ... > full story

Nanotechnology: The art of molecular carpet-weaving (January 4, 2012) -- Stable two-dimensional networks of organic molecules are important components in various nanotechnology processes. However, producing these networks, which are only one atom thick, in high quality and with the greatest possible stability currently still poses a great challenge. Scientists have now successfully created just such networks made of boron acid molecules. ... > full story

Through hardship to the stars (January 4, 2012) -- "Humanity's adventurous, stubborn, mad and glorious aspiration to reach the stars," is the subject of a new article. ... > full story

Quadrantids meteor shower will create brief, beautiful show on Jan. 4 (January 3, 2012) -- The 2012 Quadrantids, a little-known meteor shower named after an extinct constellation, will present an excellent chance for hardy souls to start the year off with some late-night meteor watching. ... > full story