The EDGE: ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Monday, January 23, 2012

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Monday, January 23, 2012

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Cooling semiconductors by laser light (January 23, 2012) -- Researchers have combined two fields -- quantum physics and nano physics -- and this has led to the discovery of a new method for laser cooling semiconductor membranes. Semiconductors are vital components in many electronics, and the efficient cooling of components is important for future quantum computers and ultrasensitive sensors. The new cooling method works quite paradoxically by heating the material. Using lasers, researchers cooled membrane fluctuations to minus 269 degrees C. ... > full story

A baby crystal is born (January 23, 2012) -- Scientists determine the smallest possible cubic lead sulfide cluster that exhibits the same coordination (a key structural property) as bigger bulk crystals. ... > full story

Metal oxide simulations could help green technology (January 23, 2012) -- Researchers have proposed a radical new way of thinking about the chemical reactions between water and metal oxides, the most common minerals on Earth. The new paradigm could lead to a better understanding of corrosion and how toxic minerals leach from rocks and soil. It could also help in the development of "green" technology: new types of batteries, or catalysts for splitting water to produce hydrogen fuel. ... > full story

3-D view of 1-D nanostructures (January 23, 2012) -- Semiconductor gallium nitride nanowires show great promise in the next generation of nano- and optoelectronic systems. Recently, researchers have found new piezoelectric properties of the nanowires that could make them more useful in self-powered nanodevices. ... > full story

Catching a comet death on camera (January 22, 2012) -- On July 6, 2011, a comet was caught doing something never seen before: die a scorching death as it flew too close to the sun. That the comet met its fate this way was no surprise -- but the chance to watch it first-hand amazed even the most seasoned comet watchers. ... > full story

T-rays technology could help develop Star Trek-style hand-held medical scanners (January 22, 2012) -- Scientists have developed a new way to create Terahertz waves (T-rays) that may one day lead to biomedical detective devices similar to the 'tricorder' scanner used in Star Trek. ... > full story

Chemical in personal care products (phthalates) may contribute to child obesity (January 22, 2012) -- Researchers have found an association between exposure to the chemical group known as phthalates and obesity in young children – including increased body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference. ... > full story

In solar cells, tweaking the tiniest of parts yields big jump in efficiency (January 21, 2012) -- By tweaking the smallest of parts, engineers are hoping to dramatically increase the amount of sunlight that solar cells convert into electricity. ... > full story

Theory explains how new material could improve electronic shelf life (January 21, 2012) -- Engineers have discovered that the new material graphene conducts heat about 20 times faster than silicon, making it an option as a semiconductor material that could produce quieter and longer-lasting computers, cellphones and other devices. ... > full story

'Bubblegram' imaging: Novel approach to view inner workings of viruses (January 20, 2012) -- Since the discovery of the microscope, scientists have tried to visualize smaller and smaller structures to provide insights into the inner workings of human cells, bacteria and viruses. Now, researchers have developed a new way to see structures within viruses that were not clearly seen before. ... > full story

Scientists solve mystery of colorful armchair nanotubes (January 20, 2012) -- Researchers have figured out what gives armchair nanotubes their unique bright colors: hydrogen-like objects called excitons. ... > full story

Mysterious flotsam in Gulf of Mexico came from Deepwater Horizon rig (January 20, 2012) -- Using state-of-the-art chemical forensics and a bit of old-fashioned detective work, scientists confirmed that mysterious material found floating in the Gulf of Mexico came from the Deepwater Horizon rig. They further determined that tracking debris from damaged rigs can help forecast coastal impacts and guide response efforts in future spills. ... > full story

Hearty bacteria help make case for life in the extreme (January 20, 2012) -- The bottom of a glacier is not the most hospitable place on Earth, but at least two types of bacteria happily live there, according to researchers. ... > full story

Almost perfect: Researcher nears creation of superlens (January 20, 2012) -- A superlens would let you see a virus in a drop of blood and open the door to better and cheaper electronics. It might, says one researcher, make ultra-high-resolution microscopes as commonplace as cameras in our cell phones. ... > full story

Cheap beads offer alternative solar-heating storage (January 20, 2012) -- A cheap material that can store heat energy collected from the sun during the day that can be released slowly over night has been developed by researchers in the India. The material, based on paraffin wax and stearic acid, could help keep homes warm in sunny parts of the world that get very cold at night without burning wood or fossil fuels. ... > full story

Using Hollywood technology to unlock the secret of pianist's sounds (January 20, 2012) -- University of Southampton academics are pioneering a new way of using motion capture technology to examine the way pianists play the piano. By using a unique kinematic measurement technique, known as HAWK (Hand And Wrist Kinematics), researchers will be able to look at individual pianists' playing technique - giving an insight into the posture of their hands on the keys and the movements they use - hopefully showing how this translates into the unique sound they create. ... > full story

Magnetic actuation enables nanoscale thermal analysis (January 19, 2012) -- In recent years an atomic force microscope-based technique called nanoscale thermal analysis has been employed to reveal the temperature-dependent properties of materials at the sub-100 nm scale. Typically, nanothermal analysis works best for soft polymers. Researchers have now shown that they can perform nanoscale thermal analysis on stiff materials like epoxies and filled composites. ... > full story

Nanoparticles refined for more accurate delivery of cancer drugs (January 19, 2012) -- A new class of nanoparticles, synthesized to prevent premature drug release, holds promise for greater accuracy and effectiveness in delivering cancer drugs to tumors. ... > full story

Slippery when stacked: Theorists quantify the friction of graphene (January 19, 2012) -- Similar to the way pavement, softened by a hot sun, will slow down a car, graphene slows down an object sliding across its surface. But stack the sheets and graphene gets more slippery, say theorists who developed new software to quantify the material's friction. ... > full story

How protein in teardrops annihilates harmful bacteria: Novel technology reveals lysozymes have jaws (January 19, 2012) -- A disease-fighting protein in our teardrops has been tethered to a tiny transistor, enabling scientists to discover exactly how it destroys dangerous bacteria. The research could prove critical to long-term work aimed at diagnosing cancers and other illnesses in their very early stages. ... > full story

Helix Nebula in new colors (January 19, 2012) -- Astronomers have captured a striking new image of the Helix Nebula. A new picture, taken in infrared light, reveals strands of cold nebular gas that are invisible in images taken in visible light, as well as bringing to light a rich background of stars and galaxies. The Helix Nebula is one of the closest and most remarkable examples of a planetary nebula. ... > full story

Snakes improve search-and-rescue robots: New design uses less energy (January 19, 2012) -- Researchers have studied the movements of snakes to create more efficient search-and-rescue robots. ... > full story

Breast cancer cells targeted, then burned, by gold-filled silicon wafers (January 19, 2012) -- By shining infrared light on specially designed, gold-filled silicon wafers, scientists have successfully targeted and burned breast cancer cells. If the technology is shown to work in human clinical trials, it could provide patients a non-invasive alternative to surgical ablation, and could be used in conjunction with traditional cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, to make those treatments more effective. ... > full story

Transparency limits on transparent conducting oxides identified (January 19, 2012) -- Computational materials researchers have used cutting-edge calculations to determine fundamental optical transparency limits in conducting oxide material tin oxide. ... > full story

Most distant dwarf galaxy detected (January 19, 2012) -- Scientists have long struggled to detect the dim dwarf galaxies that orbit our own galaxy. So it came as a surprise on Jan. 18 when a team of astronomers using Keck II telescope's adaptive optics has announced the discovery of a dwarf galaxy halfway across the universe. ... > full story

Optical nanoantennas enable efficient multipurpose particle manipulation (January 19, 2012) -- Researchers have shown that by tuning the properties of laser light illuminating arrays of metal nanoantennas, these nano-scale structures allow for dexterous optical tweezing as well as size-sorting of particles. ... > full story

People behave socially and 'well' even without rules, online avatar study shows (January 19, 2012) -- Millions of online human interactions were assessed during a new study which included actions such as communication, founding and ending friendships, trading goods, sleeping, moving, however also starting hostilities, attacks and punishment. The game does not suggest any rules and everyone can live with their avatar (i.e. with their “game character” in the virtual world) as they choose. ... > full story

Computer simulations revealing how methane and hydrogen pack into gas hydrates could enlighten alternative fuel production and carbon dioxide storage (January 19, 2012) -- For some time, researchers have explored flammable ice for low-carbon or alternative fuel or as a place to store carbon dioxide. Now, a computer analysis of the ice and gas compound, known as a gas hydrate, reveals key details of its structure. The results show that hydrates can hold hydrogen at an optimal capacity of 5 weight-percent, a value that meets the goal of a U.S. Department of Energy standard and makes gas hydrates practical and affordable. ... > full story

Hydrogen advances graphene use (January 19, 2012) -- A dose of hydrogen or helium can render the "super material" graphene even more useful, as shown by physicists. ... > full story

New device creates lipid spheres that mimic cell membranes (January 18, 2012) -- A new way of manipulating fluids on microscopic levels brings us one step closer to "bottom-up" artificial cell constructs. ... > full story

'Quantum critical' theory gets experimental boost (January 18, 2012) -- New evidence supports a theory developed five years ago to explain the electrical properties of unconventional superconductors and other classes of materials that have long vexed scientists. Physicists say the new findings represent an important step toward the ultimate goal of creating a unified theoretical description of quantum effects in electronic materials at the border of magnetism and superconductivity. ... > full story

Faster-than-fast Fourier transform (January 18, 2012) -- Researchers have developed a new algorithm that, in a large range of practically important cases, improves on the fast Fourier transform. Under some circumstances, the improvement can be dramatic -- a tenfold increase in speed. The new algorithm could be particularly useful for image compression, enabling, say, smartphones to wirelessly transmit large video files without draining their batteries or consuming their monthly bandwidth allotments. ... > full story

Quantum uncertainty: Are you certain, Mr. Heisenberg? (January 18, 2012) -- Heisenberg's Uncertainty principle is arguably one of the most famous foundations of quantum physics. It says that not all properties of a quantum particle can be measured with unlimited accuracy. Until now, this has often been justified by the notion that every measurement necessarily has to disturb the quantum particle, which distorts the results of any further measurements. This, however, turns out to be an oversimplification, researchers now say. ... > full story

Advance made in light-slowing techniques (January 18, 2012) -- Scientists have made a significant advance in the field of light-slowing techniques applied to microwave photonics, which open the door to integrating multiple functionalities into optical chips in the short and medium term. ... > full story

Particle-free silver ink prints small, high-performance electronics (January 18, 2012) -- Materials scientists have developed a new reactive silver ink for printing high-performance electronics on ubiquitous, low-cost materials such as flexible plastic, paper or fabric substrates. The reactive ink has several advantages over particle-based inks: low processing temperature, high conductivity, and the ability to print very small features. ... > full story

Some nearby young stars may be much older than previously thought (January 18, 2012) -- New research concludes that the stars of Upper Scorpius are twice as old as previously thought. ... > full story

Ten-second dance of electrons is step toward exotic new computers (January 18, 2012) -- Scientists have achieved a 100-fold increase in the ability to maintain control the spins of electrons in a solid material, a key step in the development of ultrafast quantum computers. ... > full story

Nano research could impact flexible electronic devices (January 18, 2012) -- A new discovery shows that the flexibility and durability of carbon nanotube films and coatings are intimately linked to their electronic properties and could impact flexible electronic devices such as solar cells and wearable sensors. ... > full story

The perfect liquid -- now even more perfect (January 18, 2012) -- How liquid can a fluid be? This is a question particle physicists have been working on. The “most perfect liquid” is nothing like water, but the extremely hot quark-gluon-plasma which is produced in heavy-ion collisions at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. New theoretical results show that this quark-gluon plasma could be even less viscous than was deemed possible by previous theories. ... > full story

New nanotech technique for lower-cost materials repair (January 18, 2012) -- Polymer scientists and engineers have discovered how to make nano-scale repairs to a damaged surface equivalent to spot-filling a scratched car fender rather than re-surfacing the entire part. ... > full story

Algae for your fuel tank (January 18, 2012) -- The available amount of fossil fuels is limited and their combustion in vehicle motors increases atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. The generation of fuels from biomass as an alternative is on the rise. Scientists have now introduced a new catalytic process that allows the effective conversion of biopetroleum from microalgae into diesel fuels. ... > full story

NASA clears the runway for open source software (January 18, 2012) -- The NASA Open Government Initiative has launched a new website to expand the agency's open source software development. Open source development, which invites the public access to view and improve software source code, is transforming the way software is created, improved and used. NASA uses open source code to address project and mission needs, accelerate software development and maximize public awareness and impact of research. ... > full story

Montana students pick winning names for moon craft (January 18, 2012) -- Twin NASA spacecraft that achieved orbit around the moon New Year's Eve and New Year's Day have new names, thanks to elementary students in Bozeman, Mont. Their winning entry, "Ebb and Flow," was selected as part of a nationwide school contest that began in October 2011. ... > full story

Voyager instrument cooling after heater turned off (January 18, 2012) -- In order to reduce power consumption, mission managers have turned off a heater on part of NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft, dropping the temperature of its ultraviolet spectrometer instrument more than 23 degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit). It is now operating at a temperature below minus 79 degrees Celsius (minus 110 degrees Fahrenheit), the coldest temperature that the instrument has ever endured. This heater shut-off is a step in the careful management of the diminishing electrical power so that the Voyager spacecraft can continue to collect and transmit data through 2025. ... > full story

Graphene's piezoelectric promise (January 17, 2012) -- Engineers predict that graphene can be coaxed into acting piezoelectric, merely by punching triangular holes into the material. ... > full story

Neutron scattering provides window into surface interactions (January 17, 2012) -- To better understand the fundamental behavior of molecules at surfaces, researchers are combining the powers of neutron scattering with chemical analysis. ... > full story

Moon-walk mineral discovered in Western Australia (January 17, 2012) -- The last mineral thought to have been unique to the Moon has been discovered in the remote Pilbara region of Western Australia. ... > full story

HokieSpeed is a new powerful supercomputer for the masses (January 17, 2012) -- Virginia Tech crashed the supercomputing arena in 2003 with System X, a machine that placed the university among the world's top computational research facilities. Now comes HokieSpeed, a new supercomputer that is up to 22 times faster and yet a quarter of the size of X. As researchers from around the world have used System X to crack riddles of the blood system and further DNA research, HokieSpeed will be a next-generation research tool for engineers, scientists, and others. ... > full story