Monday, October 1, 2012

Phys.Org Newsletter Week 39

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for week 39:

A clock that will last forever: Researchers propose a way to build the first space-time crystal
(Phys.org)�Imagine a clock that will keep perfect time forever, even after the heat-death of the universe. This is the "wow" factor behind a device known as a "space-time crystal," a four-dimensional crystal that has periodic structure in time as well as space. However, there are also practical and important scientific reasons for constructing a space-time crystal. With such a 4D crystal, scientists would have a new and more effective means by which to study how complex physical properties and behaviors emerge from the collective interactions of large numbers of individual particles, the so-called many-body problem of physics. A space-time crystal could also be used to study phenomena in the quantum world, such as entanglement, in which an action on one particle impacts another particle even if the two particles are separated by vast distances.

Data that lives forever is possible: Japan's Hitachi
As Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones prove, good music lasts a long time; now Japanese hi-tech giant Hitachi says it can last even longer�a few hundred million years at least.

Curiosity rover finds old streambed on martian surface
(Phys.org)�NASA's Curiosity rover mission has found evidence a stream once ran vigorously across the area on Mars where the rover is driving. There is earlier evidence for the presence of water on Mars, but this evidence�images of rocks containing ancient streambed gravels�is the first of its kind.

For the first time, astronomers have measured the radius of a black hole
(Phys.org)�The point of no return: In astronomy, it's known as a black hole�a region in space where the pull of gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape. Black holes that can be billions of times more massive than our sun may reside at the heart of most galaxies. Such supermassive black holes are so powerful that activity at their boundaries can ripple throughout their host galaxies.

Will NASA really build a 'gateway' L-2 Moon base?
Over the weekend, The Orlando Sentinel reported that NASA is considering building a hovering outpost beyond the Moon at L-2 (Lagrangian point 2) that will be a 'gateway' to serve as a point for launching human missions to Mars and asteroids. The buzz among the space-related social medias ranged from "this is the greatest idea ever" to "this is make-work for the Space Launch System, (NASA's new rocket.)" The newspaper's report cited a White House briefing given in September by NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, but said "it's unclear whether it has the administration's support. Of critical importance is the price tag, which would certainly run into the billions of dollars."

Global warming slows down world economy: report
Climate change caused by global warming is slowing down world economic output by 1.6 percent a year and will lead to a doubling of costs in the next two decades, a major new report said.

High-Arctic heat tops 1,800-year high, says study
(Phys.org)�Summers on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard are now warmer than at any other time in the last 1,800 years, including during medieval times when parts of the northern hemisphere were as hot as, or hotter, than today, according to a new study in the journal Geology.

Chandra shows Milky Way is surrounded by halo of hot gas
(Phys.org)�Astronomers have used NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory to find evidence our Milky Way Galaxy is embedded in an enormous halo of hot gas that extends for hundreds of thousands of light years. The estimated mass of the halo is comparable to the mass of all the stars in the galaxy.

Study broadens understanding of quantum mechanics
(Phys.org)�Former and current USC Dornsife physicists have led a study that represents the first, quantitative account of the universal features of disordered bosons�or quantum particles�in magnetic materials.

New research findings consistent with theory of impact event 12,900 years ago
(Phys.org)�New research findings published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) are consistent with a controversial theory that an extraterrestrial body � such as a comet � impacted the Earth approximately 12,900 years ago, possibly contributing to the significant climatic and ecological changes that date to that time period.

Buddhist statue, discovered by Nazi expedition, is made of meteorite, new study reveals
It sounds like an artifact from an Indiana Jones film; a 1,000 year-old ancient Buddhist statue which was first recovered by a Nazi expedition in 1938 has been analysed by scientists and has been found to be carved from a meteorite. The findings, published in Meteoritics and Planetary Science, reveal the priceless statue to be a rare ataxite class of meteorite.

MIT spinoff spiffs up desktop 3-D printing with Form 1
(Phys.org)�Up to now, says a new company planning a price/quality upset in the 3-D printing market, people have been able to get affordable, low-end 3-D desktop printers but below the higher quality standards that professional designers seek. The company, Formlabs, says outright that "There are no low-cost 3D printers that meet the quality standards of the professional designer." They have an alternative to expensive but advanced stereolithography devices, They have developed the Form 1, a desktop-sized machine that will be made available at a lower price point but will offer a high-resolution resin system that can produce professional-grade 3-D prints.

New LED packaging technology improves performance
(Phys.org)�Many researchers have reported improvements in LED technology by enhancing the properties of the LED itself. But the packaging that secures and protects the LED also impacts its overall performance. In a new study, researchers from Taiwan have designed a "flip glass substrate" for packaging LEDs, and demonstrated improvements in terms of a wider viewing angle, better color uniformity, and earlier identification of flaws during production compared with other LED packaging methods.

You're far less in control of your brain than you think, study finds
You've probably never given much thought to the fact that picking up your cup of morning coffee presents your brain with a set of complex decisions. You need to decide how to aim your hand, grasp the handle and raise the cup to your mouth, all without spilling the contents on your lap.

Biologist discovers mammal with salamander-like regenerative abilities
(Phys.org)�A small African mammal with an unusual ability to regrow damaged tissues could inspire new research in regenerative medicine, a University of Florida study finds.

Artificially intelligent game bots pass the Turing test on Turing's centenary
An artificially intelligent virtual gamer created by computer scientists at The University of Texas at Austin has won the BotPrize by convincing a panel of judges that it was more human-like than half the humans it competed against.

Signature of long-sought particle that could revolutionize quantum computing
A Purdue University physicist has observed evidence of long-sought Majorana fermions, special particles that could unleash the potential of fault-tolerant quantum computing.

Researchers make old muscles young again in attempt to combat aging
An international team of scientists have identified for the first time a key factor responsible for declining muscle repair during ageing, and discovered how to halt the process in mice with a common drug. Although an early study, the findings provide clues as to how muscles lose mass with age, which can result in weakness that affects mobility and may cause falls.

Hubble goes to the eXtreme to assemble the deepest ever view of the universe
(Phys.org)�Like photographers assembling a portfolio of their best shots, astronomers have assembled a new, improved portrait of our deepest-ever view of the Universe. Called the eXtreme Deep Field, or XDF, the photo was assembled by combining ten years of NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope observations taken of a patch of sky within the original Hubble Ultra Deep Field. The XDF is a small fraction of the angular diameter of the full Moon.

Researchers solve key part of old mystery in generating muscle mass
Working with mice, Johns Hopkins researchers have solved a key part of a muscle regeneration mystery plaguing scientists for years, adding strong support to the theory that muscle mass can be built without a complete, fully functional supply of muscle stem cells.


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