The EDGE: ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Friday, February 10, 2012

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Friday, February 10, 2012

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

Hydrogen from acidic water: Potential low cost alternative to platinum for splitting water (February 9, 2012) -- A technique for creating a new molecule that structurally and chemically replicates the active part of the molybdenite catalyst paves the way for developing catalytic materials that can serve as effective low-cost alternatives to platinum for generating hydrogen gas from water. ... > full story

Chemists harvest light to create 'green' tool for pharmaceuticals (February 9, 2012) -- Researchers have created a new, “green” method for developing medicines. The researchers used energy from a light bulb to create an organic molecule that may be useful in the treatment of Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases. ... > full story

Seismic resistance: Model analyzes shape-memory alloys for use in earthquake-resistant structures (February 9, 2012) -- Recent earthquake damage has exposed the vulnerability of existing structures to strong ground movement. Researchers are now analyzing shape-memory alloys for their potential use in constructing seismic-resistant structures. ... > full story

New battery could lead to cheaper, more efficient solar energy (February 9, 2012) -- Scientists have found that a new type of battery has the potential to improve the efficiency and reduce the cost of solar power. ... > full story

Nanotube therapy takes aim at breast cancer stem cells (February 9, 2012) -- Researchers have again shown that injecting multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into tumors and heating them with a quick, 30-second laser treatment can kill them. ... > full story

Mobile launcher tests confirm designs, NASA analysis concludes (February 9, 2012) -- The 355-foot-tall mobile launcher, or ML, behaved as expected during its move to Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida in November 2011, an analysis of multiple sensors showed. The top of the tower swayed less than an inch each way. ... > full story

NASA small explorer mission celebrates 10 years and 40,000 X-ray flares (February 9, 2012) -- On February 5, 2002, NASA launched what was then called the High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (HESSI) into orbit. Renamed within months as the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) after Reuven Ramaty, a deceased NASA scientist who had long championed the mission, the spacecraft's job was to observe giant explosions on the sun called solar flares. Ten years since its launch, RHESSI has observed more than 40,000 X-ray flares, helped craft and refine a model of how solar eruptions form, and fueled additional serendipitous science papers on such things as the shape of the sun and thunder-storm-produced gamma ray flashes. ... > full story

Mars-bound NASA rover carries coin for camera checkup (February 9, 2012) -- The camera at the end of the robotic arm on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has its own calibration target, a smartphone-size plaque that looks like an eye chart supplemented with color chips and an attached penny. When Curiosity lands on Mars in August, researchers will use this calibration target to test performance of the rover's Mars Hand Lens Imager, or MAHLI. MAHLI's close-up inspections of Martian rocks and soil will show details so tiny, the calibration target includes reference lines finer than a human hair. This camera is not limited to close-ups, though. It can focus on any target from about a finger's-width away to the horizon. ... > full story

NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer in standby mode (February 9, 2012) -- NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer, or Galex, was placed in standby mode Feb. 7, 2012 as engineers prepare to end mission operations, nearly nine years after the telescope's launch. The spacecraft is scheduled to be decommissioned -- taken out of service -- later this year. The mission extensively mapped large portions of the sky with sharp ultraviolet vision, cataloguing millions of galaxies spanning 10 billion years of cosmic time. ... > full story

New views show old NASA Mars landers (February 9, 2012) -- The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter recorded a scene on Jan. 29, 2012, that includes the first color image from orbit showing the three-petal lander of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit mission. Spirit drove off that lander platform in January 2004 and spent most of its six-year working life in a range of hills about two miles to the east. ... > full story

Sound rather than sight can activate 'seeing' for the blind, say researchers (February 8, 2012) -- Scientists have tapped onto the visual cortex of the congenitally blind by using sensory substitution devices (SSDs), enabling the blind in effect to "see" and even describe objects. SSDs are non-invasive sensory aids that provide visual information to the blind via their existing senses. For example, using a visual-to-auditory SSD in a clinical or everyday setting, users wear a miniature video camera connected to a small computer (or smart phone) and stereo headphones. The images are converted into "soundscapes," using a predictable algorithm, allowing the user to listen to and then interpret the visual information coming from the camera. ... > full story

New image captures 'stealth merger' of dwarf galaxies (February 8, 2012) -- New images of a nearby dwarf galaxy have revealed a dense stream of stars in its outer regions, the remains of an even smaller companion galaxy in the process of merging with its host. The host galaxy, known as NGC 4449, is the smallest primary galaxy in which a stellar stream from an ongoing merger has been identified and studied in detail. ... > full story

Milky Way's black hole found grazing on asteroids (February 8, 2012) -- The giant black hole at the center of the Milky Way may be vaporizing and devouring asteroids, which could explain the frequent flares observed, according to astronomers. ... > full story

Report on Texas fire urges firefighters to consider wind effects (February 8, 2012) -- Wind conditions at a fire scene can make a critical difference on the behavior of the blaze and the safety of firefighters, even indoors, according to a new report. ... > full story

New 'cell assay on a chip:' Solid results from simple means (February 8, 2012) -- A research engineer combined a glass slide, plastic sheets and double-sided tape to build a "diffusion-based gradient generator", a tool to rapidly assess how changing concentrations of specific chemicals affect living cells. ... > full story

Octagonal window of opportunity for carbon capture (February 8, 2012) -- Scientists have gathered new insight into the performance of a material called a zeolite that may filter carbon dioxide far more efficiently than current industrial "scrubbers" do. ... > full story

Timing capability added to living cell sensors (February 8, 2012) -- Individual cells modified to act as sensors using fluorescence are already useful tools in biochemistry, but now they can add good timing to their resume. ... > full story

Flipping a light switch in the cell: Quantum dots used for targeted neural activation (February 8, 2012) -- By harnessing quantum dots, researchers have developed a new and vastly more targeted way to stimulate neurons in the brain. Being able to switch neurons on and off and monitor how they communicate with one another is crucial for understanding -- and, ultimately, treating -- a host of brain disorders. ... > full story

Unusual 'collapsing' iron superconductor sets record for its class (February 8, 2012) -- Scientists have found an iron-based superconductor that operates at the highest known temperature for a material in its class. The discovery inches iron-based superconductors closer to being useful in many practical applications. ... > full story

Arsenic criticality poses concern for modern technology (February 8, 2012) -- Risks related to the critical nature of arsenic -- used to make high-speed computer chips that contain gallium arsenide -- outstrip those of other substances in a group of critical materials needed to sustain modern technology, a new study has found. Scientists evaluated the relative criticality of arsenic and five related metals. ... > full story

'Shish kebab' structure provides improved form of 'buckypaper' (February 8, 2012) -- Scientists are reporting development of a new form of buckypaper, which eliminates a major drawback of these sheets of carbon nanotubes -- 50,000 times thinner than a human hair, 10 times lighter than steel, but up to 250 times stronger -- with potential uses ranging from body armor to next-generation batteries. ... > full story

Bubble-powered microrockets zoom have potential to zoom through the human stomach, other acidic environments (February 8, 2012) -- Scientists have developed a new kind of tiny motor -- which they term a "microrocket" -- that can propel itself through acidic environments, such as the human stomach, without any external energy source, opening the way to a variety of medical and industrial applications. Their report describes the microrockets traveling at virtual warp speed for such devices. A human moving at the same speed would have to run at a clip of 400 miles per hour. ... > full story

Scientists make iron transparent: For first time, experiment shows that atomic nuclei can become transparent (February 8, 2012) -- At the high-brilliance synchrotron light source PETRA III, scientists have succeeded in making atomic nuclei transparent with the help of X-ray light. At the same time they have also discovered a new way to realize an optically controlled light switch that can be used to manipulate light with light, an important ingredient for efficient future quantum computers. ... > full story

Carbonized coffee grounds remove foul smells (February 8, 2012) -- In research to develop a novel, eco-friendly filter to remove toxic gases from the air, scientists found that a material made from used coffee grounds can sop up hydrogen sulfide gas, the chemical that makes raw sewage stinky. ... > full story

Most detailed infrared image of the Carina Nebula ever (February 8, 2012) -- ESO's Very Large Telescope has delivered the most detailed infrared image of the Carina Nebula stellar nursery taken so far. Many previously hidden features, scattered across a spectacular celestial landscape of gas, dust and young stars, have emerged. This is one of the most dramatic images ever created by the VLT. ... > full story

Fall of Communism changed mathematics in US (February 7, 2012) -- The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1992 brought an influx of Soviet mathematicians to US institutions, and those scholars' differing areas of specialization have changed the way math is studied and taught in this country, according to new research. ... > full story

Scientists develop biological computer to encrypt and decipher images (February 7, 2012) -- Scientists have developed a "biological computer" made entirely from biomolecules that is capable of deciphering images encrypted on DNA chips. ... > full story

Discovery uses 'fracture putty' to repair broken bone in days (February 7, 2012) -- Broken bones in humans and animals are painful and often take months to heal. New research shows promise to shorten healing time significantly and revolutionize the course of fracture treatment. ... > full story

Mars Express radar yields strong evidence of ocean that once covered part of Red Planet (February 7, 2012) -- ESA's Mars Express has returned strong evidence for an ocean once covering part of Mars. Using radar, it has detected sediments reminiscent of an ocean floor within the boundaries of previously identified, ancient shorelines on Mars. ... > full story

Innovation promises expanded roles for microsensors (February 7, 2012) -- Researchers have learned how to improve the performance of sensors that use tiny vibrating microcantilevers to detect chemical and biological agents for applications from national security to food processing. ... > full story

A bronze Russian doll: The metal in the metal in the metal (February 7, 2012) -- Just like in the Russian wooden toy, a hull of 12 copper atoms encases a single tin atom. This hull is, in turn, enveloped by 20 further tin atoms. Scientists have now generated these spatial structures built up in three layers as isolated metal clusters in alloys. With their large surfaces these structures can serve as highly efficient catalysts. ... > full story

New tool for analyzing solar-cell materials (February 7, 2012) -- An online tool called "Impurities to Efficiency" (known as I2E) allows companies or researchers exploring alternative manufacturing strategies to plug in descriptions of their planned materials and processing steps. After about one minute of simulation, I2E gives an indication of exactly how efficient the resulting solar cell would be in converting sunlight to electricity. ... > full story

Hard drive breakthrough: New magnetic recording technique uses heat to process information much faster than current technology (February 7, 2012) -- Scientists have demonstrated a revolutionary new way of magnetic recording which will allow information to be processed hundreds of times faster than by current hard drive technology. The researchers found they could record information using only heat -- a previously unimaginable scenario. They believe this discovery will not only make future magnetic recording devices faster, but more energy-efficient too. ... > full story

Facebook use elevates mood, new study shows (February 7, 2012) -- People visit social networking sites such as Facebook for many reasons, including the positive emotional experience that people enjoy and want to repeat, according to a new article. ... > full story

An electronic green thumb (February 7, 2012) -- If sensors are supposed to communicate with each other to compare the measured data and to secure them, then, in the future, a network of distributed sensor nodes will aid in that: the network ensures problem-free communication between the sensors. For example, they can be used to reliably monitor the watering of plants. ... > full story

Engineers boost computer processor performance by over 20 percent (February 7, 2012) -- Researchers have developed a new technique that allows graphics processing units (GPUs) and central processing units (CPUs) on a single chip to collaborate – boosting processor performance by an average of more than 20 percent. ... > full story

Fall monitoring device could help keep seniors safer (February 7, 2012) -- It’s a scenario played out all too frequently: Adult children, worried about the safety of their aging parents, foist devices on them to monitor their safety. And their parents, resentful of having their privacy invaded and losing their independence, resist fiercely. A tiny new devise should overcome these problems. ... > full story

Metabolic 'breathalyzer' reveals early signs of disease (February 6, 2012) -- The future of disease diagnosis may lie in a “breathalyzer”-like technology currently under development. ... > full story

NASA's Juno spacecraft refines its path to Jupiter (February 6, 2012) -- NASA's solar-powered Juno spacecraft successfully refined its flight path Feb. 1 with the mission's first trajectory correction maneuver. The maneuver is the first of a dozen planned rocket firings that, over the next five years, will keep Juno on course for its rendezvous with Jupiter. ... > full story

More environmental rules needed for shale gas, says geophysicist (February 6, 2012) -- In his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama praised the potential of the country's tremendous supply of natural gas buried in shale. But the "Halliburton exclusion" passed by Congress says gas companies don't have to disclose the chemicals used in fracturing fluids. That was a real mistake because it makes the public needlessly paranoid, says a geophysicist. ... > full story

PET techniques provide more accurate diagnosis, prognosis in challenging breast cancer cases (February 6, 2012) -- Researchers are revealing how molecular imaging can be used to solve mysteries about difficult cases of breast cancer. One recent article focuses on an imaging agent that targets estrogen receptors in estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer patients with formerly inconclusive assessments, and the second highlights a different imaging agent's ability to help predict the prognosis for patients undergoing chemotherapy for a very aggressive type of breast cancer. ... > full story

Grading the online dating industry (February 6, 2012) -- The report card is in, and the online dating industry won't be putting this one on the fridge. A new scientific report concludes that although online dating offers users some very real benefits, it falls far short of its potential. ... > full story

Nanorod-assembled order affects diffusion rate and direction (February 6, 2012) -- Scientists studied the movements of a spherical probe amongst static nanorods. They found that the particles sometimes diffused faster in a nematic environment than in a disordered environment. That is, the channels left open between the ordered nanorods don't just steer nanoparticles along a direction, they also enable them to speed right through. ... > full story

The butterfly effect in nanotech medical diagnostics (February 6, 2012) -- Tiny metallic nanoparticles that shimmer in the light like the scales on a butterfly's wing are set to become the color-change components of a revolutionary new approach to point-of-care medical diagnostics, according to a new study. ... > full story

Playing RFID tag with sheets of paper (February 6, 2012) -- Researchers in France have developed a way to deposit a thin aluminum RFID tag onto paper that not only reduces the amount of metal needed for the tag, and so the cost, but could open up RFID tagging to many more systems, even allowing a single printed sheet or flyer to be tagged. ... > full story

Engineers weld nanowires with light (February 6, 2012) -- At the nano level, researchers have discovered a new way to weld together meshes of tiny wires. Their work could lead to exciting new electronics and solar applications. To succeed, they called upon plasmonics. ... > full story

New virtual tool may provide more accurate diagnosis of genetic mutations (February 6, 2012) -- DNA sequencing to detect genetic mutations can aid in the diagnosis and selection of treatment for cancer. Current methods of testing DNA samples, Sanger sequencing and pyrosequencing, occasionally produce complex results that can be difficult or impossible to interpret. Scientists have now developed a free software program, Pyromaker, that can more accurately identify such complex genetic mutations. ... > full story

Materials for first optical fibers with high-speed electronic function are developed (February 5, 2012) -- For the first time, researchers have developed crystalline materials that allow an optical fiber to have integrated, high-speed electronic functions. The potential applications of such optical fibers include improved telecommunications and other hybrid optical and electronic technologies, improved laser technology, and more-accurate remote-sensing devices. ... > full story