Monday, September 27, 2010

PhysOrg Newsletter Week 38

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized PHYSorg.com Newsletter for week 38:

PhysOrg.com is the official media sponsor of the 25th Anniversary of the Buckyball Disovery

Rice University is celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Buckminsterfullerene Discovery presented by Lockheed Martin on October 10-14, 2010. Starting Monday, October 11, the Smalley Institute is hosting the Buckyball Discovery Conference. The first session Monday morning is a fireside chat with the buckyball discovery team including Nobel Laureates Robert Curl and Harold Kroto and then students Jim Heath and Sean O'Brien. You can get more details and register for the various events at http://buckyball.smalley.rice.edu or contact us at nanoevent@rice.edu

Large Hadron Collider scientists spot potential new discovery: CERN
Scientists at the world's biggest atom smasher said Tuesday they appeared to have discovered a previously unobserved phenomenon in their quest to unravel the deepest secrets of the universe.

Pair of aluminum atomic clocks reveal Einstein's relativity at a personal scale
Scientists have known for decades that time passes faster at higher elevations—a curious aspect of Einstein's theories of relativity that previously has been measured by comparing clocks on the earth's surface and a high-flying rocket.

Child rearing practices of distant ancestors foster morality, compassion in kids, research says
Ever meet a kindergartener who seemed naturally compassionate and cared about others' feelings? Who was cooperative and didn't demand his own way? Chances are, his parents held, carried and cuddled him a lot; he most likely was breastfed; he probably routinely slept with his parents; and he likely was encouraged to play outdoors with other children, according to new research findings from the University of Notre Dame.

Introducing Stringbike: the bike with no chain (w/ Video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- Hungarian bicycle designers have unveiled their new Stringbike in Padova, Italy. The design replaces the traditional chain with a symmetrical rope and pulley system, which they say is more efficient, makes for a more comfortable ride, and provides improved maneuverability around winding streets.

Quantum physicists turn waste heat into power
(PhysOrg.com) -- University of Arizona physicists have discovered a new way of harvesting waste heat and turning it into electrical power. Taking advantage of quantum effects, the technology holds great promise for making cars, power plants, factories and solar panels more efficient.

Spaceplane that takes off from airport runway could be ready in 10 years
(PhysOrg.com) -- An unpiloted, air-breathing spaceplane that takes off from an airport runway, carries up to 30 passengers, and costs less than one-tenth to launch into space compared to a conventional rocket could be ready to fly in 10 years, according to its developers, Reaction Engines of Oxfordshire, UK. Although the spaceplane is currently in the proof-of-concept phase, the country's new UK Space Agency is hosting a workshop this week to discuss developing the spaceplane commercially. If successful, the spaceplane could be the first single-stage-to-orbit craft to reach orbit.

Human-powered ornithopter becomes first ever to achieve sustained flight (w/ Video)
Aviation history was made when the University of Toronto's human-powered aircraft with flapping wings became the first of its kind to fly continuously.

Neanderthals more advanced than previously thought
For decades scientists believed Neanderthals developed `modern' tools and ornaments solely through contact with Homo sapiens, but new research from the University of Colorado Denver now shows these sturdy ancients could adapt, innovate and evolve technology on their own.

Paper-thin supercapacitor has higher capacitance when twisted than any non-twisted supercapacitor
(PhysOrg.com) -- In an effort to develop wearable electronics, researchers have designed a new ultra-thin supercapacitor that has a capacitance that is six times higher than that of any current commercial supercapacitor. What's more, the new supercapacitor was tested in a twisted state to demonstrate its good electrochemical properties with high flexibility.

Physicists find evidence of new state of matter in a simple oxide
Symmetry is a fundamental concept in physics. Our 'standard model' of particle physics, for example, predicts that matter and anti-matter should have been created in equal amounts at the big bang, yet our existing universe is mostly matter. Such a discrepancy between the symmetry of known physical laws, and what we actually observe, are often the inspiration for realizing that new interactions are important or that new phases of matter can exist.

Psychologist shows why we 'choke' under pressure -- and how to avoid it
(PhysOrg.com) -- A star golfer misses a critical putt; a brilliant student fails to ace a test; a savvy salesperson blows a key presentation. Each of these people has suffered the same bump in mental processing: They have just choked under pressure.

Nano antenna concentrates light: Intensity increases 1,000-fold
(PhysOrg.com) -- Everybody who's ever used a TV, radio or cell phone knows what an antenna does: It captures the aerial signals that make those devices practical. A lab at Rice University has built an antenna that captures light in the same way, at a small scale that has big potential.

Universal, primordial magnetic fields discovered in deep space
Scientists from the California Institute of Technology and UCLA have discovered evidence of "universal ubiquitous magnetic fields" that have permeated deep space between galaxies since the time of the Big Bang.

Groundwater depletion rate accelerating worldwide
In recent decades, the rate at which humans worldwide are pumping dry the vast underground stores of water that billions depend on has more than doubled, say scientists who have conducted an unusual, global assessment of groundwater use.

Livermore lab nears launch of fusion quest
Within the next week at a high-security building in Livermore, Calif., the size of a football stadium, scientists will hunker down to conduct an experiment backed by billions of dollars and promises to change the world's energy supply.

Vegetative state patients may soon be able to communicate
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers from Cambridge University in the UK have been able to communicate with brain-injured patients in "locked states" commonly referred to as persistent vegetative states (PVS). They predict such patients will soon be able to communicate and perhaps even move themselves around in motorized wheelchairs.

New ultracapacitor recharges in under a millisecond
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new ultracapacitor or electric double-layer capacitor (DLC) design has been announced in the journal Science this week, and could pave the way for smaller and lighter portable electronics devices.

Certain doped-oxide ceramics resist Ohm's Law
For months, Anthony West could hardly believe what he and his colleagues were seeing in the lab -- or the only explanation for the unexpected phenomena that seemed to make sense.

Avoid swimming in interplanetary lakes: Research confirms oily 'water' on Saturn's moon
Titan, one of Saturn's moons, is the only moon in the solar system with an atmosphere -- ten times denser than the atmosphere of Earth. Five years ago, the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn, a collaboration between the European Space Agency and NASA, sent a probe through Titan's atmosphere, revealing that Titan is home to a landscape that includes hills, valleys and most notably lakes.

America losing brainpower advantage: report
The United States' ability to compete globally in science and technology is on a "perilous path," said a new report delivered Sept. 23 on Capitol Hill to a bipartisan group of policymakers, industry leaders, and academics.


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