The EDGE: ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Tuesday, February 21, 2012

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Tuesday, February 21, 2012

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Sheep in Wolf-Rayet's clothing: New image of planetary nebula Hen 3-1333 (February 20, 2012) -- It's well known that the universe is changeable: even the stars that appear static and predictable every night are subject to change. A new image from the NASA Hubble Space Telescope shows planetary nebula Hen 3-1333. Planetary nebulae have nothing to do with planets -- they actually represent the death throes of mid-sized stars like the sun. As they puff out their outer layers, large, irregular globes of glowing gas expand around them, which appeared planet-like through the small telescopes that were used by their first discoverers. ... > full story

Preparations continue for launching engine icing research (February 20, 2012) -- NASA scientists are making progress in their preparations to mount a detailed research campaign aimed at solving a modern-day aviation mystery involving the unlikely combination of fire and ice inside a running jet engine. ... > full story

NASA spacecraft reveals recent geological activity on the moon (February 20, 2012) -- New images from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft show the moon's crust is being stretched, forming minute valleys in a few small areas on the lunar surface. Scientists propose this geologic activity occurred less than 50 million years ago, which is considered recent compared to the moon's age of more than 4.5 billion years. ... > full story

Pulsars: The universe's gift to physics (February 20, 2012) -- Pulsars, which already have produced two Nobel Prizes, are providing scientists with unique insights on topics from particle physics to General Relativity. ... > full story

Never forget your keys, phone or lipstick ever again (February 20, 2012) -- RFID tags are becoming ubiquitous, shops, warehouses, libraries and others use them for stock and inventory control and to reduce the risk of theft. Now, a team in Dubai has developed the concept of an IPURSE, a mobile platform that keeps track of tiny RFID tags you stick to or insert into your personal possessions, mobile phone, camera, laptop, keys other gadgets and even mundane objects such as notebooks and cosmetics. ... > full story

Single-atom transistor is end of Moore's Law; may be beginning of quantum computing (February 19, 2012) -- The smallest transistor ever built -- in fact, the smallest transistor that can be built -- has been created using a single phosphorus atom by an international team of researchers. ... > full story

NuSTAR Mated to its Rocket (February 19, 2012) -- NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) was mated, or attached, to its Pegasus XL rocket Feb. 17, 2012 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in central California. The mission's launch is now scheduled for no earlier than March 21 to allow the launch vehicle team an additional week to complete necessary engineering reviews. NuSTAR will probe the hottest, densest and most energetic objects in space, including black holes and the remnants of exploded stars. It will be the first space telescope to capture sharp images in high-energy X-rays, giving astronomers a new tool for understanding the extreme side of our universe. ... > full story

X-rays illuminate the interior of the Moon (February 19, 2012) -- Unlike Earth, the moon has no active volcanoes. This is surprising as liquid magma is believed to exist deep inside the Moon. Scientists have now found that this hot, molten rock could actually be so dense that it is too heavy to rise to the surface. For this experiment, microscopic reproductions of moon rock were put at the extremely high pressures and temperatures found inside the moon and their densities measured with powerful X-rays. ... > full story

'Duet of one' possible with hand-controlled voice synthesizer (February 19, 2012) -- New technology makes it possible for a person to speak or sing just by using their hands to control a speech synthesizer. The new gesture-to-voice-synthesizer technology mirrors processes that human use when they control their own vocal apparatus. ... > full story

Building blocks of early Earth survived collision that created moon (February 18, 2012) -- Unexpected new findings by geochemists show that some portions of the Earth's mantle (the rocky layer between Earth's metallic core and crust) formed when the planet was much smaller than it is now, and that some of this early-formed mantle survived Earth's turbulent formation, including a collision with another planet-sized body that many scientists believe led to the creation of the moon. ... > full story

Who goes there? Verifying identity online (February 17, 2012) -- We are all used to logging into networks where we have a unique identity, verified by the network server and associated with our account for other members of the network to see. Such an identity-based network system is useful because it is relatively simple. However, there are three major drawbacks including loss of anonymity of communicating users, misplaced trust and identity theft. ... > full story

Researchers develop better control for DNA-based computations (February 17, 2012) -- A chemist has found a way to give DNA-based computing better control over logic operations. His work could lead to interfacing DNA-based computing with traditional silicon-based computing. ... > full story

New braille-like texting app lets you text without looking (February 17, 2012) -- Researchers have designed a texting solution that could become a modern substitute for passing notes under the table. BrailleTouch is a prototype texting app that requires only finger gestures to key in letters on touch screen devices – no sight required. ... > full story

Revealed in accurate detail, the underground world of plants (February 17, 2012) -- Plant and computer scientists can now study the underground world of plants with more accuracy and clarity. The revolutionary technique will improve our chances of breeding better crop varieties and increasing yields. ... > full story

A robot sketches portraits (February 17, 2012) -- An industrial robot as artist? A painter made of metal really can sketch faces. Its artistic genius only emerges if someone takes a seat on the model’s stool positioned in front of the robot: first, its camera records an image of its model; then it whips out its pencil and traces a portrait of the individual on its easel. After around ten minutes have passed, it grabs the work and proudly presents it to its public. ... > full story

3-D microscopy to aid in cell analysis (February 17, 2012) -- The understanding of diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's is set to take a step forward following groundbreaking technology which will enable cell analysis using automated 3D microscopy. ... > full story

Nano-technology uses virus' coats to fool cancer cell (February 17, 2012) -- While there have been major advances in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of tumors within the brain, brain cancer continues to have a very low survival rate in part to high levels of resistance to treatment. New research has used Sendai virus to transport Quantum Dots (Qdots) into brain cancer cells and to specifically bind Qdots to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) which is often over-expressed and up-regulated in tumors. ... > full story

Geoscientists use numerical model to better forecast forces behind earthquakes (February 17, 2012) -- Researchers have devised a numerical model to help explain the linkage between earthquakes and the powerful forces that cause them. Their findings hold implications for long-term forecasting of earthquakes. ... > full story

Nanoparticles in food, vitamins could harm human health, researchers warn (February 16, 2012) -- Billions of engineered nanoparticles in foods and pharmaceuticals are ingested by humans daily, and new study warns they may be more harmful to health than previously thought. ... > full story

'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

DNA nanorobot triggers targeted therapeutic responses (February 16, 2012) -- A new robotic device made from DNA could potentially seek out specific cell targets and deliver important molecular instructions, such as telling cancer cells to self-destruct. Inspired by the mechanics of the body's own immune system, the technology represents a major breakthrough in the field of nanobiotechnology and might one day be used to program immune responses to treat various diseases. ... > 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

New robots can continuously map their environment with low-cost camera (February 16, 2012) -- Robots could one day navigate through constantly changing surroundings with virtually no input from humans, thanks to a system that allows them to build and continuously update a three-dimensional map of their environment using a low-cost camera such as Microsoft's Kinect. ... > full story

Arsenic supply at highest risk of shortages (February 16, 2012) -- Modern technology depends on reliable supplies of a wide variety of materials, but there is increasing concern about the dependability of those supplies. ... > full story

Nanosurgery and the fight against cancer (February 16, 2012) -- Researchers have succeeded in changing the genetic material of cancer cells using a brand-new transfection method. This breakthrough in nanosurgery opens the door to new medical applications, among others for the treatment of cancers. ... > full story

Anthrax-killing foam proves effective in meth lab cleanup, study suggests (February 16, 2012) -- A decontamination foam, developed more than a decade ago and used to decontaminate federal office buildings and mailrooms during the 2001 anthrax attacks, is now being used to decontaminate illegal methamphetamine labs. ... > 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

Puzzle play helps boost learning math-related skills (February 16, 2012) -- Children who play with puzzles between ages 2 and 4 later develop better spatial skills, researchers have found. Puzzle play was found to be a significant predictor of cognition after controlling for differences in parents’ income, education and the overall amount of parent language input. ... > 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