The EDGE: ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Tuesday, August 7, 2012

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Tuesday, August 7, 2012

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Extreme plasma theories put to the test (August 6, 2012) -- The first controlled studies of extremely hot, dense matter have overthrown the widely accepted 50-year-old model used to explain how ions influence each other's behavior in a dense plasma. The results should benefit a wide range of fields, from research aimed at tapping nuclear fusion as an energy source to understanding the inner workings of stars. ... > full story

Researchers unlock secret of the rare 'twinned rainbow' (August 6, 2012) -- Scientists have yet to fully unravel the mysteries of rainbows, but a group of researchers have used simulations of these natural wonders to unlock the secret to a rare optical phenomenon known as the twinned rainbow. ... > full story

USGS science goes to Mars (August 6, 2012) -- With the Mars rover Curiosity's successful landing Sunday, Aug. 5, at 10:32 p.m. PDT, U.S. Geological Survey scientists continue their strategic role in the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), the most advanced mission yet to explore whether the Red Planet has ever offered environmental conditions favorable for microbial life. ... > full story

NASA's Curiosity rover caught in the act of landing (August 6, 2012) -- An image from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured the Curiosity rover still connected to its 51-foot-wide (almost 16 meter) parachute as it descended towards its landing site at Gale Crater. ... > full story

Increased productivity, not less energy use, results from more efficient lighting (August 6, 2012) -- Improvements in lighting -- from candles to gas lamps to electric bulbs -- historically have led to increased light consumption rather than lower overall energy use by society, researchers argue in a new article. ... > full story

Airborne technology helps manage elephants (August 6, 2012) -- For years, scientists have debated how big a role elephants play in toppling trees in South African savannas. Tree loss is a natural process, but it is increasing in some regions, with cascading effects on the habitat for many other species. Using high resolution 3-D mapping, scientists have for the first time quantitatively determined tree losses across savannas of Kruger National Park. They found that elephants are the primary agents. ... > full story

New approaches needed for uncovering, identifying, and treating buried chemical warfare material (August 6, 2012) -- The current approach for identifying and destroying buried chemical munitions and related chemical warfare materials uncovered during environmental remediation projects is neither reliable enough nor has the capability to efficiently tackle large-scale projects, says a new report. ... > full story

Seeing through walls: Laser system reconstructs objects hidden from sight (August 6, 2012) -- Researchers combined bouncing photons with advanced optics to enable them to "see" what's hidden around the corner. ... > full story

Quantum physics: New insights into the remote control of quantum systems (August 6, 2012) -- Physicists shine new light on the question of the resources required for achieving quantum information processing. The scientists demonstrate that less demanding resources, which are easier to prepare and to control, can be used for quantum-enhanced technologies. In the experiment, researchers achieve remote quantum state preparation without requiring entanglement as a resource. ... > full story

Touch your philodendron and control your computer: Technology turns any plant into an interactive device (August 6, 2012) -- Any houseplant -- real or artificial -- could control a computer or any digital device with new technology, called Botanicus Interactus. ... > full story

Cyberbullying less frequent than traditional bullying (August 6, 2012) -- Traditional in-person bullying is far more common than cyberbullying among today’s youth and should be the primary focus of prevention programs, according to new research. ... > full story

Hydraulic fracturing poses substantial water pollution risks, analysts say (August 6, 2012) -- Researchers find multiple potential threats to water sources posed by hydraulic fracturing as the jobs-producing practice expands. ... > full story

Microswimmers: Micron-scale swimming robots could deliver drugs and carry cargo using simple motion (August 6, 2012) -- Researchers have used complex computational models to design micro-swimmers that could overcome the challenges of swimming at the micron scale. These autonomous micro-robots could carry cargo and navigate in response to stimuli such as light. ... > full story

Information advantage gained from surprising quantum source (August 6, 2012) -- New research lends hope that a phenomenon called quantum discord could be harnessed to bring quantum technologies within easier reach than expected. ... > full story

NASA's new Mars rover sends higher-resolution image (August 6, 2012) -- About two hours after landing on Mars and beaming back its first image, NASA's Curiosity rover transmitted a higher-resolution image of its new Martian home, Gale Crater. Mission Control at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., received the image, taken by one of the vehicle's lower-fidelity, black-and-white Hazard Avoidance Cameras -- or Hazcams. ... > full story

Car-size rover Curiosity lands on Mars: Two-year mission to investigate Red Planet begins (August 6, 2012) -- NASA's most advanced Mars rover Curiosity has landed on the Red Planet. The one-ton rover, hanging by ropes from a rocket backpack, touched down onto Mars at 1:31 a.m. EDT Monday (Aug. 6, 2012) to end a 36-week flight and begin a two-year investigation. The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft that carried Curiosity succeeded in every step of the most complex landing ever attempted on Mars, including the final severing of the bridle cords and flyaway maneuver of the rocket backpack. ... > full story

Curiosity rover just hours from Mars landing (August 5, 2012) -- NASA's Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft is healthy and right on course for a landing in several hours that will be one of the most difficult feats of robotic exploration ever attempted. ... > full story

Mars tugging on approaching NASA rover Curiosity (August 4, 2012) -- The gravitational tug of Mars is now pulling NASA's car-size geochemistry laboratory, Curiosity, in for a suspenseful landing in less than 40 hours. ... > full story

NASA investigates proton radiation effects on cells (August 4, 2012) -- A team of researchers has found radiation from protons could further enhance a process that occurs during tumor progression. This information may help lead to better methods to protect astronauts from the harmful effects of radiation in space, as well as help cancer researchers on Earth better understand the effects of radiation treatment on the human body. ... > full story

Hubble sees a ten billion year stellar dance (August 4, 2012) -- The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope offers a delightful view of the crowded stellar encampment called Messier 68, a spherical, star-filled region of space known as a globular cluster. Mutual gravitational attraction amongst a cluster's hundreds of thousands or even millions of stars keeps stellar members in check, allowing globular clusters to hang together for many billions of years. ... > full story

Signs changing fast for Voyager at solar system edge (August 4, 2012) -- Two of three key signs of changes expected to occur at the boundary of interstellar space have changed faster than at any other time in the last seven years, according to new data from NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft. ... > full story

Memory improves for older adults using computerized brain fitness program (August 3, 2012) -- Researchers found that older adults who regularly used a brain fitness program played on a computer demonstrated significantly improved memory and language skills. ... > full story

New generation of virtual humans helping to train psychologists (August 3, 2012) -- New technology has led to the creation of virtual humans who can interact with therapists via a computer screen and realistically mimic the symptoms of a patient with clinical psychological disorders, according to new research. ... > full story

Researchers invent new tool to study single biological molecules (August 3, 2012) -- Researchers have developed new microscope technology to study single biological molecules with unprecedented accuracy and precision. ... > full story

Relaxors: Nanoscale properties of materials that can be used in electronic devices to change temperature or shape (August 3, 2012) -- Physicists have determined important information about the nanoscale properties of materials called relaxors, which can be used in electronic devices to change temperature or shape. The discoveries may help maximize efficient use of relaxors to create better medical ultrasound, sensors and heart implants. ... > full story

Supernova progenitor found? New research identifies star system that may explode (August 3, 2012) -- Type Ia supernovae are violent stellar explosions. Observations of their brightness are used to determine distances in the universe and have shown scientists that the cosmos is expanding at an accelerating rate. But there is still too little known about the specifics of the processes by which these supernovae form. New research identifies a star system, prior to explosion, which will possibly become a type Ia supernova. ... > full story

NASA announces next steps in effort to launch Americans from U.S. soil (August 3, 2012) -- NASA has announced new agreements with three American commercial companies to design and develop the next generation of U.S. human spaceflight capabilities, enabling a launch of astronauts from U.S. soil in the next five years. Advances made by these companies under newly signed Space Act Agreements through the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) initiative are intended to ultimately lead to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services for government and commercial customers., ... > full story

Hitchhiking sensors capture Curiosity's entry (August 3, 2012) -- Screaming through the thin Martian atmosphere at hypersonic speed, the Mars Science Laboratory is about to experience heat and pressure up to three times more intense than when a space shuttle returned to Earth, and NASA engineers hope to soon have the data to prove it. ... > full story

Newest NASA Mars Mission Connects Past and Future (August 3, 2012) -- NASA's newest Mars mission, landing in three days, will draw on support from missions sent to Mars years ago and will contribute to missions envisioned for future decades. ... > full story

Major step taken towards 'unbreakable' message exchange (August 3, 2012) -- Single particles of light, also known as photons, have been produced and implemented into a quantum key distribution (QKD) link, paving the way for unbreakable communication networks. ... > full story

Novel double-stranded DNA structure produced through mechanical stretching (August 3, 2012) -- Researchers’ findings address a scientific debate that had lasted for 16 years over the existence of a double-stranded DNA structure. ... > full story

'Cry' of a shredded star heralds a new era for testing relativity (August 2, 2012) -- Last year, astronomers discovered a quiescent black hole in a distant galaxy that erupted after shredding and consuming a passing star. Now researchers have identified a distinctive X-ray signal observed in the days following the outburst that comes from matter on the verge of falling into the black hole. ... > full story

Making mobile better: Mobile computing devices may overtake personal computer for internet use in 2013 (August 2, 2012) -- Mobile computing devices will probably overtake the personal computer as the most common means for accessing the Internet worldwide sometime in 2013 and it may not be a seamless transition, according to experts. ... > full story

Vaporizing Earth in computer simulations to aid search for super-Earths (August 2, 2012) -- Scientists have vaporized the Earth -- if only by simulation, that is mathematically and inside a computer. They weren't just practicing their evil overlord skills. By baking model Earths, they are trying to figure out what astronomers should see when they look at the atmospheres of super-Earths in a bid to learn the planets' compositions. ... > full story

Animation research could offer unparalleled control of characters without skeletons (August 2, 2012) -- Computer-generated characters have become so lifelike in appearance and movement that the line separating reality is almost imperceptible at times. But while bipeds and quadrupeds have reigned supreme in CG animation, attempts to create and control their skeleton-free cousins using similar techniques has proved time-consuming and laborious. Researchers have found a possible solution to this challenge by developing a way to simulate and control movement of computer-generated characters without a skeletal structure. ... > full story

Data storage: Keeping things in place (August 2, 2012) -- Fluid dynamics simulations aim to better predict how air circulating in a hard disk drive perturbs the vibrating read/write head. ... > full story

Photonics: Sensing on the way (August 2, 2012) -- Hollow optical fibers containing light-emitting liquids hold big promises for biological sensing applications. ... > full story

Data storage: Memory that does it all (August 2, 2012) -- Using the correct annealing temperature is key to making fast, non-volatile computer memory. ... > full story

Unique anti-reflective and self-cleaning plastic films to be ramped up for industry use (August 2, 2012) -- Scientists are developing, prototyping and conducting pilot large scale manufacturing of nanoimprinted materials with better performance and at potentially lower cost than current production methods. ... > full story

Research could lead to improved oil recovery, better environmental cleanup (August 2, 2012) -- Researchers have taken a new look at an old, but seldom-used technique developed by the petroleum industry to recover oil, and learned more about why it works, how it could be improved, and how it might be able to make a comeback not only in oil recovery but also environmental cleanup. ... > full story

Fingering the culprit that polluted the Solar System (August 2, 2012) -- For decades it has been thought that a shock wave from a supernova explosion triggered the formation of our Solar System. The shock wave also injected material from the exploding star into a cloud of dust and gas, and the newly polluted cloud collapsed to form the Sun and its surrounding planets. New work provides the first fully three-dimensional models for how this process could have happened. ... > full story

Anti-aging elixir for solar cells (August 2, 2012) -- Photovoltaic modules deliver power without risks to the environment and climate. But solar-power is expensive. Therefore, it is imperative that the modules last as long as possible, 25 years or more. Researchers are now investigating materials to protect solar cells from environmental influences to meet that goal. ... > full story

Within reach: Engineers to add arms and hands to unmanned aerial vehicles (August 2, 2012) -- Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), such as those used by the military for surveillance and reconnaissance, could be getting a hand –- and an arm -– from engineers as part of a project to investigate adding dexterous limbs to the aircrafts. The project, whose subject harkens to the hovering android iconography of sci-fi movies, could be a step toward the use of UAVs for emergency response and search and rescue scenarios. ... > full story

Detecting thyroid disease by computer (August 2, 2012) -- Researchers in India have developed an improved expert system for the diagnosis of thyroid disease. ... > full story

Smart wirelessly controlled power outlets (August 2, 2012) -- Many homeowners dream of being able to wash a load of laundry when the photovoltaic panels on the roof are delivering a maximum of electricity, even when they are not at home. A new Internet-enabled power outlet will soon allow users to control household appliances via their smartphone, and reduce their energy costs into the bargain. ... > full story

The science of running: Follow the bouncing ball (August 2, 2012) -- Muscle size, genetics and training are among the countless factors that separate Olympic sprinters from the average person. On a fundamental level, however, the mechanics of running are the same for all humans. In fact, they’re basically identical for animals too. ... > full story

Usain Bolt could break his own record with the help of altitude and the wind (August 2, 2012) -- Imagine the following situation. The 100 meters finals in the London Olympic Games. The Jamaican Usain Bolt wins. Up to this point everything sounds normal except for the fact that he would break his own record again with a time of 9.48 seconds. According to the New Zealand researchers, this would be his record if there were a two meter per second tailwind (maximum allowable wind) and the race took place at an altitude of 999 meters. The 100 meter final will take place on Sunday at London 2012. ... > full story

How do you make the perfect sandcastle? A little water can give you a five meter high castle (August 2, 2012) -- All children who build sandcastles on the beach know that in addition to sand you also need to add a little water to prevent the structure from collapsing. But why is this? The function of water in sandcastles is to form small 'bridges' which make the grains of sand stick together, thus increasing the solidity of the structure. The researchers show that the optimum amount of water is very small (only a few per cent). If this optimum concentration is used, sandcastles reaching five meters in height can be built. ... > full story