The EDGE: ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Friday, February 17, 2012

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Friday, February 17, 2012

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'Honeycombs' and hexacopters help tell story of Mars (February 16, 2012) -- In a rough-and-tumble wonderland of plunging canyons and towering buttes, some of the still-raw bluffs are lined with soaring, six-sided stone columns so orderly and trim, they could almost pass as relics of a colossal temple. The secret of how these columns, packed in edge to edge, formed en masse from a sea of molten rock is encrypted in details as tiny as the cracks running across their faces. To add to this mystery's allure, decoding it might do more than reveal the life story of some local lava: it might help explain the history of Mars. ... > full story

'Mini-cellulose' molecule unlocks biofuel chemistry (February 16, 2012) -- Chemical engineers have discovered a small molecule that behaves the same as cellulose when it is converted to biofuel. Studying this "mini-cellulose" molecule reveals for the first time the chemical reactions that take place in wood and prairie grasses during high-temperature conversion to biofuel. ... > full story

Strange new nano-region can form in quasicrystals (February 16, 2012) -- Researchers have discovered a new type of structural anomaly, or defect, that can appear in quasicrystals, a unique material with some crystal-like properties but a more complex structure. The new defect type occurs under certain circumstances to help balance competing energetic issues. The defect's formation at those times enables higher-energy transition-metal-rich surfaces to be exposed rather than the expected lower-energy aluminum-rich surfaces. ... > full story

Cell phone hackers can track your location without your knowledge (February 16, 2012) -- Cellular networks leak the locations of cell phone users, allowing a third party to easily track the location of the cell phone user without the user's knowledge, according to new research by computer scientists. ... > full story

Gecko feet inspire amazing glue that can hold 700 pounds on smooth wall (February 16, 2012) -- Biologists have long been amazed by gecko feet, which allow 5-ounce lizards to produce an adhesive force equivalent to carrying 9 lbs. up a wall without slipping. Now, a team of polymer scientists and a biologist have invented “Geckskin,” an adhesive device that can hold 700 pounds on a smooth wall. ... > full story

Faculty retention proves a major challenge for universities (February 16, 2012) -- Attracting and retaining the world's brightest students is on the mind of every university official. But a new, unprecedented study in the journal Science suggests leaders in higher education face an understated, even more pressing challenge: The retention of professors. ... > full story

Successful human tests for first wirelessly controlled drug-delivery chip (February 16, 2012) -- About 15 years ago, two professors had the idea to develop a programmable, wirelessly controlled microchip that would deliver drugs after implantation in a patient's body. This week, they reported that they have successfully used such a chip to administer daily doses of an osteoporosis drug normally given by injection. The results represent the first successful test of such a device. ... > full story

Nanoparticles may enhance cancer therapy (February 16, 2012) -- A mixture of current drugs and carbon nanoparticles shows potential to enhance treatment for head-and-neck cancers, especially when combined with radiation therapy, according to new research. ... > full story

Robot reconnoiters uncharted terrain (February 16, 2012) -- Mobile robots have many uses. They serve as cleaners, carry out inspections and search for survivors of disasters. But often, there is no map to guide them through unknown territory. Researchers have now developed a mobile robot that can roam uncharted terrain and simultaneously map it – all thanks to an algorithm toolbox. ... > full story

'Tornados' created inside electron microscopes (February 16, 2012) -- Researchers are pioneering the development of electron microscopes which will allow scientists to examine a greater variety of materials in new revolutionary ways. ... > full story

Quest for sugars involved in origin of life (February 16, 2012) -- Researchers have managed to isolate a sugar – a ribose – in gas phase and to characterize a number of its structures. Sugars give rise to enormous biochemical interest given the importance and diversity of the functions they carry out: they act as an energy storage system and serve as fuel for a number of biological systems; they form part of DNA and of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and, moreover, play a key role in cell processes. Recently interest in sugars has also been increasingly attracting the attention of cosmochemistry, more concretely, in the search for the fundamental matter of the origin of life in interstellar space. ... > full story

Low-carbon technologies 'no quick-fix': May not lessen global warming until late this century (February 16, 2012) -- A drastic switch to low carbon-emitting technologies, such as wind and hydroelectric power, may not yield a reduction in global warming until the latter part of this century, new research suggests. Furthermore, it states that technologies that offer only modest reductions in greenhouse gases, such as the use of natural gas and perhaps carbon capture and storage, cannot substantially reduce climate risk in the next 100 years. ... > full story

First impressions form quickly on the web, eye-tracking study shows (February 16, 2012) -- When viewing a website, it takes users less than two-tenths of a second to form a first impression, according to recent eye-tracking research. But it takes a little longer – about 2.6 seconds – for a user’s eyes to land on that area of a website that most influences their first impression. ... > full story

Video games lead to new paths to treat cancer, other diseases (February 16, 2012) -- The cure for cancer comes down to this: video games. Scientists have made highly realistic video game images that simulate the inner workings of human cells. Playing these 'games' helps medical researchers see exactly how cells live, divide and die. The research opens new paths for tumor-killing drugs to treat cancer and other diseases. ... > full story

Boiling breakthrough: Nano-coating doubles rate of heat transfer (February 15, 2012) -- The old saw that a watched pot never boils may not apply to pots given an ultra-thin layer of aluminum oxide, which researchers have reported can double the heat transfer from a hot surface to a liquid. ... > full story

New 'soft' motor made from artificial muscles (February 15, 2012) -- The electrostatic motor, used more than 200 years ago by Benjamin Franklin to rotisserie a turkey, is making a comeback in a promising new design for motors that is light, soft, and operates without external electronic controllers. ... > full story

Virtual ghost imaging: New technique enables imaging even through highly adverse conditions (February 15, 2012) -- By using some of light's "spooky" quantum properties, researchers have created images of objects that might otherwise be hidden from view. ... > full story

In new mass-production technique, robotic insects spring to life (February 15, 2012) -- A new technique inspired by elegant pop-up books and origami will soon allow clones of robotic insects to be mass-produced by the sheet. Devised by engineers, the ingenious layering and folding process enables the rapid fabrication of not just microrobots, but a broad range of electromechanical devices. ... > full story

Dust from industrial-scale processing of nanomaterials carries high explosion risk (February 15, 2012) -- With expanded production of nanomaterials fast approaching, scientists are reporting indications that dust generated during processing may explode more easily than dust from other common dust explosion hazards. Their article indicates that nanomaterial dust could explode from a spark with only 1/30th the energy needed to ignite sugar dust — cause of the 2008 Portwentworth, Georgia, explosion that killed 13 people, injured 42 people and destroyed a factory. ... > full story

Computer sleuthing helps unravel RNA's role in cellular function (February 15, 2012) -- Computer engineers may have just provided the medical community a new way of figuring out exactly how one of the three building blocks of life forms and functions. They have used a complex computer program to analyze RNA motifs – the subunits that make up RNA. ... > full story

Plasmas torn apart: Discovery hints at origin of phenomena like solar flares (February 15, 2012) -- Using high-speed cameras to look at jets of plasma in the lab, researchers have made a discovery that may be important in understanding phenomena like solar flares and in developing nuclear fusion as a future energy source. ... > full story

Great eruption replay: Astronomers watch delayed broadcast of powerful stellar eruption (February 15, 2012) -- Astronomers are watching a delayed broadcast of a spectacular outburst from the unstable, behemoth double-star system Eta Carinae, an event initially seen on Earth nearly 170 years ago. ... > full story

Black hole came from a shredded galaxy (February 15, 2012) -- Astronomers have found a cluster of young, blue stars encircling the first intermediate-mass black hole ever discovered. The presence of the star cluster suggests that the black hole was once at the core of a now-disintegrated dwarf galaxy. The discovery of the black hole and the star cluster has important implications for understanding the evolution of supermassive black holes and galaxies. ... > full story

Children may have highest exposure to titanium dioxide nanoparticles, found in candy and other products (February 15, 2012) -- Children may be receiving the highest exposure to nanoparticles of titanium dioxide in candy, which they eat in amounts much larger than adults, according to a new study. A new study provides the first broadly based information on amounts of the nanomaterial – a source of concern with regard to its potential health and environmental effects – in a wide range of consumer goods. ... > full story

NASA Landsat's thermal infrared sensor arrives at Orbital (February 15, 2012) -- A new NASA satellite instrument that makes a quantum leap forward in detector technology has arrived at Orbital Sciences Corp. in Gilbert, Ariz. There it will be integrated into the next Landsat satellite, the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM). ... > full story

Teachers fly experiments on NASA reduced gravity flights (February 15, 2012) -- More than 70 teachers had an opportunity to experience what it feels like to float in space as they participated in the Reduced Gravity Education Flight Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston last week. ... > full story

Pocket microscope with accessory for ordinary smart phone (February 15, 2012) -- Engineers have developed an optical accessory that turns an ordinary camera phone into a high-resolution microscope. The device is accurate to one hundredth of a millimeter. Among those who will benefit from the device are the printing industry, consumers, the security business, and even health care professionals. ... > full story

Newborn stars emerge from dark clouds in Taurus (February 15, 2012) -- A new image from the APEX telescope in Chile shows a sinuous filament of cosmic dust more than ten light-years long. In it, newborn stars are hidden, and dense clouds of gas are on the verge of collapsing to form yet more stars. The cosmic dust grains are so cold that observations at wavelengths of around one millimeter are needed to detect their glow. ... > full story

Virtual reality supports planning by architects (February 15, 2012) -- Even the most exact construction plan lacks many details and design options. The building owner needs imagination to obtain an idea of the constructed building. Now, new 3D video glasses provide a true representation in virtual reality. With the help of integrated high-resolution motion sensors, the virtual environment adapts to the natural movement of the head in real time. ... > full story

Proteins in Yellowstone bacteria considered for biofuel inspiration (February 14, 2012) -- Studies of bacteria first found in Yellowstone's hot springs are furthering efforts toward commercially viable ethanol production from crops such as switchgrass. ... > full story

New nano-material combinations produce leap in infrared technology (February 14, 2012) -- Researchers are using new combinations of nano-materials to produce advances in infrared photodetection technology. ... > full story

Tangled up in DNA: New molecule has potential to help treat genetic diseases and HIV (February 14, 2012) -- Chemists have created a molecule that's so good at tangling itself inside the double helix of a DNA sequence that it can stay there for up to 16 days before the DNA liberates itself, much longer than any other molecule reported. ... > full story

Chemists mimic nature to design better medical tests (February 14, 2012) -- Over their 3.8 billion years of evolution, living organisms have developed countless strategies for monitoring their surroundings. Chemists have adapted some of these strategies to improve the performance of DNA detectors. Their findings may aid efforts to build better medical diagnostics, such as improved HIV or cancer tests. ... > full story

Motherhood 'detrimental' to women's scientific careers, study concludes (February 14, 2012) -- Women with advanced degrees in math-intensive academic fields drop out of fast-track research careers primarily because they want children – not because their performance is devalued or they are shortchanged during interviewing and hiring, according to a new study. ... > full story

Best time for a coffee break? There's an app for that (February 14, 2012) -- Caffeinated drinks such as coffee and soda are the pick-me-ups of choice for many people, but too much caffeine can cause nervousness and sleep problems. Caffeine Zone, a new software app developed by researchers, can help people determine when caffeine may give them a mental boost and when it could hurt their sleep patterns. The software takes information on caffeine use and integrates it with information on the effects of caffeine to produce a graph of how the caffeine will affect the users over time. ... > full story

Shear stiffness and friction mechanics of single-layer graphene measured for the first time (February 14, 2012) -- Researchers have measured and identified for the first time the stress and strain shear modulus and internal friction of graphene sheets. ... > full story

Genetics-inspired research prevents cyber attacks (February 14, 2012) -- Leveraging the concept of “survival of the fittest,” researchers are fighting the continual evolution of computer viruses, worms and malware with evolution by developing the first-ever automated computer configurations that adjust as quickly as the threats. ... > full story

The indiscretions of a champagne bubble paparazzi (February 14, 2012) -- The innermost secrets of champagne bubbles are about to be unveiled by a scientist tackling champagne bubbles from both a physics and a chemistry perspective. To understand what appears to be a harmless phenomenon such as the fizz in champagne, the author studied the role of the carbon dioxide throughout its journey from the bottle to the glass. ... > full story

'Invisibility' cloak could protect buildings from earthquakes (February 14, 2012) -- Mathematicians have developed the theory for a Harry Potter style 'cloaking' device which could protect buildings from earthquakes. Scientists have been working on the theory of invisibility cloaks which, until recently, have been merely the subject of science fiction. In recent times, however, scientists have been getting close to achieving 'cloaking' in a variety of contexts. The new work focuses on the theory of cloaking devices which could eventually help to protect buildings and structures from vibrations and natural disasters such as earthquakes. ... > full story

Globular clusters: Survivors of a 13-billion-year-old massacre (February 14, 2012) -- Our Milky Way galaxy is surrounded by some 200 compact groups of stars, containing up to a million stars each. At 13 billion years of age, these globular clusters are almost as old as the universe itself and were born when the first generations of stars and galaxies formed. Now astronomers have conducted a novel type of computer simulation that looked at how they were born -- and they find that these giant clusters of stars are the only survivors of a 13-billion-year-old massacre that destroyed many of their smaller siblings. ... > full story

Nanotechnology may lead to more energy-efficient electronics (February 14, 2012) -- Carbon nanotubes and graphene consist of just a couple of layers of carbon atoms, but they are lighter than aluminium, stronger than steel and can bend like spring-coils. Physicists have been studying the unique properties of the materials, which in future may result in improved electronics and light, strong material. ... > full story

Link between sodium, calcium and heartbeat illuminated (February 13, 2012) -- Researchers have revealed, for the first time, one of the molecular mechanisms that regulates the beating of heart cells by controlling the movement of sodium in out of the cells -- and what calcium has to do with it. ... > full story

Brain-imaging technique predicts who will suffer cognitive decline over time (February 13, 2012) -- Scientists have used a brain imaging tool that effectively tracked and predicted cognitive decline over a two-year period. The team had previously developed this tool that can assess the neurological changes associated with mild cognitive impairment and dementia. ... > full story

Radiation treatment generates cancer stem cells from less aggressive breast cancer cells, study suggests (February 13, 2012) -- Breast cancer stem cells are thought to be the sole source of tumor recurrence and are known to be resistant to radiation therapy and don’t respond well to chemotherapy. Researchers report for the first time that radiation treatment -- despite killing half of all tumor cells during every treatment -- transforms other cancer cells into treatment-resistant breast cancer stem cells. Researchers stressed that breast cancer patients should not be alarmed by the study findings and should continue to undergo radiation if recommended by their oncologists. ... > full story

Large Hadron Collider to run at 4 TeV per beam in 2012 (February 13, 2012) -- CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, has announced that the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will run with a beam energy of 4 TeV this year, 0.5 TeV higher than in 2010 and 2011. ... > full story

Lovelorn liars leave linguistic leads (February 13, 2012) -- Online daters intent on fudging their personal information have a big advantage: most people are terrible at identifying a liar. But new research is turning the tables on deceivers using their own words. ... > full story

Unique testbed soon will be in space (February 13, 2012) -- New and improved ways for future space travelers to communicate will be tested on the International Space Station after a launch later this year from Japan. The SCaN Testbed, or Space Communications and Navigation Testbed, was designed and built at NASA's Glenn Research Center over the last three years. ... > full story

Planck all-sky images show cold gas and strange haze in Milky Way galaxy (February 13, 2012) -- New images from the Planck mission show previously undiscovered islands of star formation and a mysterious haze of microwave emissions in our Milky Way galaxy. The views give scientists new treasures to mine and take them closer to understanding the secrets of our galaxy. ... > full story