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

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Tuesday, August 21, 2012

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Symbiotic Nodulation in a Reduced Gravity Environment: Plant research reaps two-fold benefits (August 20, 2012) -- What can we learn from sending codependent bacteria and plants into space? Quite a bit, it would appear. An experiment with the tongue-twisting name Symbiotic Nodulation in a Reduced Gravity Environment, or SyNRGE for short, could yield benefits on Earth as well as space. ... > full story

Radiation Belt Storm Probes: Fundamental physics to benefit life on Earth, in space (August 20, 2012) -- Encircling Earth's equator are two concentric, wide rings of high-intensity particles known as the Van Allen radiation belts. This dynamic region changes in response to the sun, with the potential to affect GPS satellites, satellite television and more. NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) mission aims to study this ever-changing environment in greater detail than ever before. ... > full story

New NASA mission to take first look deep inside Mars (August 20, 2012) -- NASA has selected a new mission, set to launch in 2016, that will take the first look into the deep interior of Mars to see why the Red Planet evolved so differently from Earth as one of our solar system's rocky planets. The new mission, named InSight, will place instruments on the Martian surface to investigate whether the core of Mars is solid or liquid like Earth's, and why Mars' crust is not divided into tectonic plates that drift like Earth's. Detailed knowledge of the interior of Mars in comparison to Earth will help scientists understand better how terrestrial planets form and evolve. ... > full story

Voyager at 35: Break on through to the other side (August 20, 2012) -- Thirty-five years ago Aug. 20, NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft, the first Voyager spacecraft to launch, departed on a journey that would make it the only spacecraft to visit Uranus and Neptune and the longest-operating NASA spacecraft ever. Voyager 2 and its twin, Voyager 1, that launched 16 days later on Sept. 5, 1977, are still going strong, hurtling away from our sun. Mission managers are eagerly anticipating the day when they break on through to the other side -- the space between stars. ... > full story

Curiosity stretches its arm (August 20, 2012) -- NASA's Mars rover Curiosity flexed its robotic arm Aug. 20, 2012 for the first time since before launch in November 2011. The 7-foot-long (2.1-meter-long) arm maneuvers a turret of tools including a camera, a drill, a spectrometer, a scoop and mechanisms for sieving and portioning samples of powdered rock and soil. ... > full story

First evidence discovered of planet's destruction by its star (August 20, 2012) -- The first evidence of a planet's destruction by its aging star has been discovered by an international team of astronomers. A similar fate may await the Earth and other inner planets in our solar system, when the sun expands all the way out to Earth's orbit some five-billion years from now. ... > full story

Nanoparticles added to platelets double internal injury survival rate: Early lab study hold promise for trauma cases (August 20, 2012) -- Naonparticles tailored to latch onto blood platelets rapidly create healthy clots and nearly double the survival rate in the vital first hour after injury lab research shows. ... > full story

Information overload in the era of 'big data' (August 20, 2012) -- The ability of botanists and other scientists to generate data quickly and cheaply is surpassing their ability to access and analyze it. Scientists facing too much information rely on computers to search large data sets for patterns that are beyond the capability of humans to recognize. New tools called ontologies provide the rules computers need to transform information into knowledge, by attaching meaning to data, thereby making those data more retrievable and understandable. ... > full story

Scientists examine effects of manufactured nanoparticles on soybean crops (August 20, 2012) -- Sunscreens, lotions, and cosmetics contain tiny metal nanoparticles that wash down the drain at the end of the day, or are discharged after manufacturing. Those nanoparticles eventually end up in agricultural soil, which is a cause for concern, according to a group of environmental scientists that recently carried out the first major study of soybeans grown in soil contaminated by two manufactured nanomaterials. ... > full story

Toward a portable emergency treatment for stopping life-threatening internal bleeding (August 20, 2012) -- Progress is being made toward a new emergency treatment for internal bleeding - counterpart to the tourniquets, pressure bandages and Quick Clot products that keep people from bleeding to death from external wounds. ... > full story

Boon to fusion: New way to predict heat layer troublemaker (August 20, 2012) -- Researchers at a recent worldwide conference on fusion power have confirmed the surprising accuracy of a new model for predicting the size of a key barrier to fusion. ... > full story

Cleaner fuel for cruise ships and other big vessels from ingredients in detergents, medicines (August 20, 2012) -- Scientists have developed a new fuel mixture to ease the major air pollution and cost problems facing cruise ships, oil tankers and container ships. These vessels tend to burn the cheapest and most highly polluting form of diesel fuel. ... > full story

Electrifying success in raising antioxidant levels in sweet potatoes (August 20, 2012) -- Already ranked by some as number one in nutrition among vegetables, the traditional sweet potato can be nutritionally supercharged with a simple, inexpensive electric current treatment that increases its content of healthful polyphenols or antioxidants by 60 percent, scientists have said. This is believed to be the first electrical enhancement of sweet potatoes, a dietary staple since prehistoric times. ... > full story

Patterning defect-free nanocrystal films with nanometer resolution (August 20, 2012) -- A new process could enable better LED displays, solar cells and biosensors -- and foster basic physics research. ... > full story

Teaching a microbe to make fuel (August 20, 2012) -- A genetically modified organism could turn carbon dioxide or waste products into a gasoline-compatible transportation fuel. ... > full story

Powerful new chip helps diagnose disease, analyzes protein interactions (August 20, 2012) -- Researchers have synthesized a grid-like array of short pieces of a disease-associated protein on silicon chips normally used in computer microprocessors. ... > full story

Scientists shed light on glowing materials (August 20, 2012) -- Researchers have succeeded in mapping how light behaves in complex photonic materials inspired by nature, like iridescent butterfly wings. Scientists have broken the limit of light resolution at the nanoscale and delivered a fundamental insight into how light and matter interact, which could lead to the development of enhanced bio-sensors for healthcare and more efficient solar cells and displays. ... > full story

Next generation 3-D theater: Optical science makes glasses a thing of the past (August 20, 2012) -- Even with current digital technology, the latest Hollywood blockbusters still rely on clunky glasses to achieve a convincing 3-D effect. New optics research offers the prospect of glasses-free, 3-D display technology for commercial theaters. Their new technique uses space more efficiently and is cheaper than current 3-D projection technology. ... > full story

High-definition fiber tractography is major advance in brain imaging (August 20, 2012) -- A technique called high-definition fiber tractography (HDFT) provides a powerful new tool for tracing the course of nerve fiber connections within the brain—with the potential to improve the accuracy of neurosurgical planning and to advance scientific understanding of the brain's structural and functional networks. ... > full story

Fueling the future with renewable gasoline and diesel (August 20, 2012) -- A new process for converting municipal waste, algae, corn stalks and similar material to gasoline, diesel and jet fuel is showing the same promise in larger plants as it did in laboratory-scale devices, the developers have reported. ... > full story

Genetically engineered algae for biofuel pose potential risks (August 20, 2012) -- Algae are high on the genetic engineering agenda as a potential source for biofuel, and they should be subjected to independent studies of any environmental risks that could be linked to cultivating algae for this purpose, two prominent researchers say. ... > full story

Imprisoned molecules 'quantum rattle' in their cages (August 20, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered that a space inside a special type of carbon molecule can be used to imprison other smaller molecules such as hydrogen or water. ... > full story

Neural interface for hand prosthesis can restore function in brain areas responsible for motor control (August 20, 2012) -- Amputation disrupts not only the peripheral nervous system but also central structures of the brain. While the brain is able to adapt and compensate for injury in certain conditions, in amputees the traumatic event prevents adaptive cortical changes. A group of scientists reports adaptive plastic changes in an amputee's brain following implantation of multielectrode arrays inside peripheral nerves. ... > full story

New oil spill dispersant made from ingredients in peanut butter, chocolate, ice cream (August 20, 2012) -- With concerns about the possible health and environmental effects of oil dispersants in the Deepwater Horizon disaster still fresh in mind, scientists have developed a new dispersant made from edible ingredients that both breaks up oil slicks and keeps oil from sticking to the feathers of birds. ... > full story

Big Bang theory challenged by big chill (August 20, 2012) -- The start of the Universe should be modeled not as a Big Bang but more like water freezing into ice, according to a team of theoretical physicists. ... > full story

Why aren't there more stars? (August 20, 2012) -- Astronomers may have found the answer to a universal question: Why aren’t there more stars? ... > full story

Evidence that new biomimetic controlled-release capsules may help in gum disease (August 20, 2012) -- Scientists are trying to open a new front in the battle against gum disease, the leading cause of tooth loss in adults and sometimes termed the most serious oral health problem of the 21st century. They have developed a new treatment approach. ... > full story

New biorefinery finds treasure in Starbucks' spent coffee grounds and stale bakery goods (August 20, 2012) -- With 1.3 billion tons of food trashed, dumped in landfills and otherwise wasted around the world every year, scientists have described development and successful laboratory testing of a new "biorefinery" intended to change food waste into a key ingredient for making plastics, laundry detergents and scores of other everyday products. ... > full story

Your wireless router could save lives in an emergency (August 20, 2012) -- An emergency communications system that could automatically piggyback on domestic wireless routers connected in urban locations could help first responders stay in touch even if cell phone towers and networks are down. ... > full story

Rover's laser instrument zaps first Martian rock (August 19, 2012) -- NASA's Mars rover Curiosity fired its laser for the first time on Mars, using the beam from a science instrument to interrogate a fist-size rock called "Coronation." The mission's Chemistry and Camera instrument, or ChemCam, hit the fist-sized rock with 30 pulses of its laser during a 10-second period. Each pulse delivers more than a million watts of power for about five one-billionths of a second. ... > full story

Researchers make quantum processor capable of factoring a composite number into prime factors (August 19, 2012) -- Computing prime factors may sound like an elementary math problem, but try it with a large number, say one that contains more than 600 digits, and the task becomes enormously challenging and impossibly time-consuming. Now, a group of researchers has designed and fabricated a quantum processor capable of factoring a composite number -- in this case the number 15 -- into its constituent prime factors, 3 and 5. Factoring very large numbers is at the heart of cybersecurity protocols, such as the most common form of encoding, known as RSA encryption. ... > full story

Inspired by genetics, chemistry finally takes hold of its own code: Chemists can attain more complex supramolecular structures? (August 19, 2012) -- Nature proves every day that it is both complex and efficient. Organic chemists are envious of it; their conventional tools confine them to simpler achievements. These limitations could become a thing of the past. New research offers a new kind of code to chemists, allowing them to access new levels of complexity. ... > full story

'DNA wires' could help physicians diagnose disease (August 19, 2012) -- Scientists have found that Mother Nature uses DNA as a wire to detect the constantly occurring genetic damage and mistakes that can result in diseases like cancer. DNA wires are potentially useful in identifying people at risk for certain diseases. ... > full story

A new route to dissipationless electronics (August 19, 2012) -- A team of researchers has demonstrated a new material that promises to eliminate loss in electrical power transmission. The surprise is that their methodology for solving this classic energy problem is based upon the first realization of a highly exotic type of magnetic semiconductor first theorized less than a decade ago - a magnetic topological insulator. ... > full story

New space-age insulating material for homes, clothing and other everyday uses (August 19, 2012) -- A major improvement in the world’s lightest solid material and best solid insulating material may put more of this space-age wonder into insulated clothing, refrigerators with thinner walls that hold more food, building insulation and other products. ... > full story

New technology combats global pandemic of drug counterfeiting (August 19, 2012) -- Drug counterfeiting is so common in some developing countries that patients with serious diseases in Southeast Asia and elsewhere have been more likely to get a fake drug than one with ingredients that really treat their illness, a scientist involved in combating the problem says. ... > full story

Simple new test to combat counterfeit drug problem in developing countries (August 19, 2012) -- In a thrust against the major problem of counterfeit medicines sold in developing countries, which causes thousands of illnesses and deaths annually, scientists have developed a simple, paper-strip test that people could use to identify counterfeit versions of one of the most-frequently faked medicines in the world. ... > full story

Artificial intelligence allows automated worm sorting (August 19, 2012) -- Scientists have demonstrated an automated system that uses artificial intelligence and cutting-edge image processing to rapidly examine large numbers of individual nematodes -- a species widely used in biological research. ... > full story

Hubble sees a lonely galactic island (August 18, 2012) -- In terms of intergalactic real estate, our solar system has a plum location as part of a big, spiral galaxy, the Milky Way. Numerous, less glamorous dwarf galaxies keep the Milky Way company. Many galaxies, however, are comparatively isolated, without close neighbors. One such example is the small galaxy known as DDO 190, snapped in a new image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. ... > full story

As smart electric grid evolves, engineers show how to include solar technologies (August 17, 2012) -- Scientists have developed an economically feasible way to store solar energy in existing residential power networks. ... > full story

NASA Curiosity team pinpoints site for first drive on Mars (August 17, 2012) -- The scientists and engineers of NASA's Curiosity rover mission have selected the first driving destination for their one-ton, six-wheeled mobile Mars laboratory. The target area, named Glenelg, is a natural intersection of three kinds of terrain. The choice was described by Curiosity Principal Investigator John Grotzinger of the California Institute of Technology during a media teleconference on Aug. 17. ... > full story

Writing the book in DNA: Geneticist encodes his book in life's language (August 17, 2012) -- Using next-generation sequencing technology and a novel strategy to encode 1,000 times the largest data size previously achieved in DNA, a geneticist encodes his book in life's language. ... > full story

New 'microthrusters' could propel small satellites: As small as a penny, these thrusters run on jets of ion beams (August 17, 2012) -- A penny-sized rocket thruster may soon power the smallest satellites in space. The device bears little resemblance to today’s bulky satellite engines, which are laden with valves, pipes and heavy propellant tanks. ... > full story

Cholesterol test with only a photo of patient's hand (August 17, 2012) -- Researchers have developed a total cholesterol test that uses a digital camera to take a snapshot of the back of the patient's hand rather than a blood sample. The image obtained is cropped and compared with images in a database for known cholesterol levels. ... > full story

Computer-simulated knitting goes right down to the yarn (August 17, 2012) -- A new method for building computer-simulated knitted fabric out of an array of individual stitches has just been developed. The innovation creates a 3-D model of a single stitch and then combine multiple copies into a mesh, like tiles in a mosaic. ... > full story

Molecular 'movies' may accelerate anti-cancer drug discovery (August 17, 2012) -- Using advanced computer simulations, researchers have produced moving images of a protein complex that is an important target for anti-cancer drugs. ... > full story

Taking the edge off a pipe bomb -- literally (August 17, 2012) -- A new device for dismantling pipe bombs may look like a tinkerer's project, but it's sophisticated enough to do the job and preserve the forensic evidence. ... > full story

Aerospace materials used to build 'endless' pipeline (August 17, 2012) -- Carbon fiber fabric and lightweight honeycomb materials, plus a mobile manufacturing platform, make infinite pipeline technology cheaper and greener while boosting local economies. ... > full story