The EDGE: ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Wednesday, September 28, 2011

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Wednesday, September 28, 2011

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New advanced biofuel identified as an alternative to diesel fuel (September 28, 2011) -- Researchers have identified a terpene called bisabolane as a potential biofuel for replacing diesel fuel. The researchers have also engineered two strains of microbes -- a bacteria and a yeast -- that can be used in the biosynthetic production of this clean, green, renewable and domestic alternative to diesel fuel. ... > full story

Successful rainwater harvesting systems should combine new technology with old social habits (September 28, 2011) -- A combination of modern engineering and ancient social principles makes large-scale rainwater harvesting feasible in a time of drought, and could reduce deadly flash flooding common to parts of Texas, a new article argues. ... > full story

Chemists make first molecular binding measurement of radon (September 28, 2011) -- Even in trace quantities, the radioactive gas radon is very dangerous; it is second only to cigarette smoking as a cause of lung cancer deaths in the United States. The expense and precautions necessary to study it safely have limited research into its properties. Now, chemists have for the first time measured how well radon binds to a molecule, paving the way for future research on it and other noble gasses. ... > full story

Venus weather not boring after all, scientists discover (September 27, 2011) -- At first glance, a weather forecaster for Venus would have either a really easy or a really boring job, depending on your point of view. The climate on Venus is widely known to be unpleasant -- at the surface, the planet roasts at more than 800 degrees Fahrenheit under a suffocating blanket of sulfuric acid clouds and a crushing atmosphere more than 90 times the pressure of Earth's. However, higher up, the weather gets more interesting, according to a new study of old data by NASA and international scientists. ... > full story

Researchers use carbon nanotubes to make solar cells affordable, flexible (September 27, 2011) -- Researchers have found that metallic carbon nanotubes are 50 times more effective than semiconducting ones when used as transparent conductors in organic solar cells. ... > full story

New nanostructure-based process will streamline production of magnetic materials (September 27, 2011) -- Scientists report for the first time designing a simpler method of preparing ordered magnetic materials than ever by coupling magnetic properties to nanostructure formation at low temperatures. The process allows them to create room-temperature ferromagnetic materials that are stable for long periods more effectively and with fewer steps than more complicated existing methods. ... > full story

Sneaking up on the glassy transition of water (September 27, 2011) -- Researchers claim to have settled a long-standing debate over the exact temperature at which water transforms into an exotic glass-like substance believed to be present in comets and other icy objects in the outer solar system, as well as in the coldest regions of the Earth's atmosphere. ... > full story

New 'FeTRAM' is promising computer memory technology (September 27, 2011) -- Researchers are developing a new type of computer memory that could be faster than the existing commercial memory and use far less power than flash memory devices. The technology combines silicon nanowires with a "ferroelectric" polymer. ... > full story

Tracing an elusive killer parasite in Peru (September 27, 2011) -- Despite what Hollywood would have you believe, not all epidemics involve people suffering from zombie-like symptoms -- some can only be uncovered through door-to-door epidemiology and advanced mathematics. Researchers are now in the trenches combining tried-and-true epidemiological approaches with new statistical methods to learn more about the course of a dangerous, contagious disease epidemic. ... > full story

Compression experiments lead to shocking results (September 27, 2011) -- Using acceleration one trillion times faster than a jet fighter in a maximum turn, researchers have gained new insight into dynamic compression of aluminum at ultra-high strain rates. ... > full story

Frankenstein’s moon: Astronomers vindicate account of masterwork (September 27, 2011) -- Victor Frankenstein's infamous monster led a brief, tragic existence, blazing a trail of death and destruction that prompted mobs of angry villagers to take up torches and pitchforks against him on the silver screen. Now, a team of astronomers has applied its unique brand of celestial sleuthing to a long-simmering controversy surrounding the events that inspired author Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley to write her legendary novel Frankenstein. Their results shed new light on the question of whether or not Shelley's account of the episode is merely a romantic fiction. ... > full story

Giant star expels multiple dust shells, astronomers find (September 27, 2011) -- An international team of astronomers has discovered not less than a dozen cold dust arcs around the giant star CW Leo. The team used the sensitive PACS instrument on board the Herschel Space Observatory to detect for the first time arcs of dust far away from the star. CW Leo has expelled these shells of dust in different epochs in its life. The faintest shell we can see now was, according to the team, expelled about 16,000 years ago. In the mean time it has drifted away from the star over more than 7,000 billion kilometers. ... > full story

Handling nanoscale particles: 'Next-generation' optical tweezers trap tightly without overheating (September 27, 2011) -- Engineers have created a device that may make it easier to isolate and study tiny particles such as viruses. Their plasmonic nanotweezers use light from a laser to trap nanoscale particles. The new device creates strong forces more efficiently than traditional optical tweezers and eliminates a problem that caused earlier setups to overheat. ... > full story

Catalyst discovery potential has to revolutionize chemical industry (September 27, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a remarkably active catalyst that has the potential to revolutionize the chemical industry. ... > full story

Shape memory materials ready for mass production (September 27, 2011) -- Materials that can remember their shape and switch from one form to another may sound like science fiction, they are actually real and already in use all around us. But the alloy used to produce shape memory materials, based on nickel and titanium is expensive. Some researchers have started looking for cheaper options. ... > full story

New method cleans up textile industry’s most dangerous chemicals (September 27, 2011) -- Textile dying is one of the most environmentally hazardous aspects of the textile industry. During dying, harmful chemicals that are difficult to break down are released, all too often into rivers and agricultural land. However, a researcher in Sweden has developed a new, environmentally friendly purification process which leaves only clean water. ... > full story

Reducing costs of metal casting with plasma technology (September 27, 2011) -- Researchers in Spain are undertaking the innovation of casting processes with its "plasma torch." This new system enables great precision when heating the metal, thus reducing operational costs, enhancing metallurgical quality and saving energy. ... > full story

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory launches TacSat-4 to augment communications needs (September 27, 2011) -- A less expensive, small-sat class system satellite with newer and more flexible technologies, TacSat-4's highly elliptical orbit augments existing geosynchronous satellites by providing near continuous communications to forward deployed forces in the high latitudes. ... > full story

European experts follow satellite reentry (September 27, 2011) -- The European Space Agency closely monitored the Sept. 24, 2011 reentry of the UARS observation satellite. The Agency’s Space Debris Office worked with NASA and international partners in a coordinated prediction and risk-assessment exercise. ... > full story

Bimetallic nanoantenna separates colors of light (September 26, 2011) -- Researchers have built a very simple nanoantenna that directs red and blue colors in opposite directions, even though the antenna is smaller than the wavelength of light. The findings can lead to optical nanosensors being able to detect very low concentrations of gases or biomolecules. ... > full story

Researchers develop optimal algorithm for determining focus error in eyes and cameras (September 26, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered how to extract and use information in an individual image to determine how far objects are from the focus distance, a feat only accomplished by human and animal visual systems until now. ... > full story

How graphene's electrical properties can be tuned (September 26, 2011) -- Graphene is ideally suited for creating components for semiconductor circuits and computers. Now, an accidental discovery in a physicist's laboratory, provides a unique route for tuning the electrical properties of graphene. The researchers found that stacking up three layers of graphene, like pancakes, significantly modifies the material's electrical properties. This simple and convenient "tuning knob" holds great promise for replacing silicon with graphene in the microchip industry. ... > full story

Public image of chemistry: Breaking chemistry's bad rap (September 26, 2011) -- A new show "Breaking Bad" makes chemistry entertaining but is not improving chemistry's tarnished public image, according to a new article. ... > full story

Cheap and efficient solar cell made possible by linked nanoparticles (September 26, 2011) -- Researchers have demonstrated that electrons can move freely in layers of linked semiconductor nanoparticles under the influence of light. This new knowledge will be very useful for the development of cheap and efficient quantum dot solar cells. ... > full story

Better lithium-ion batteries are on the way (September 26, 2011) -- Lithium-ion batteries power everything from smart phones to electric cars, but especially when it comes to lowering the cost and extending the range of all-electric vehicles, they need to store a lot more energy. The critical component for energy storage is the anode, and scientists have developed a new anode material that can absorb eight times the lithium and has far greater energy capacity than today's designs. ... > full story

Structure of a molecular copy machine: How mitochondrial genes are transcribed (September 26, 2011) -- Mitochondria are compartments within cells and have their own DNA. The key protein required for the expression of the genetic information in this DNA is the mitochondrial RNA polymerase enzyme. Its three-dimensional structure has now been determined in atomic detail. ... > full story

E-textiles get fashion upgrade with memory-storing fiber (September 26, 2011) -- In the future when you upgrade your computer, you may also be upgrading your wardrobe as researchers create novel new textiles that pull double-duty as fabrics and electronics. ... > full story

Gold nanowires in engineered patches enhance electrical signaling and contraction (September 26, 2011) -- A team of physicians, engineers and materials scientists have used nanotechnology and tiny gold wires to engineer cardiac patches, with cells all beating in time, that could someday help heart attack patients. ... > full story

Hints of universal behavior seen in exotic three-atom states (September 26, 2011) -- A novel type of inter-particle binding predicted in 1970 and observed for the first time in 2006, is forming the basis for an intriguing kind of ultracold quantum chemistry. A new experiment observing the four 3-atom cesium states reports that the states' sizes are roughly the same. This has taken theorists by complete surprise. ... > full story

Hog waste producing electricity and carbon offsets (September 26, 2011) -- A pilot waste-to-energy system constructed by Duke University and Duke Energy this week garnered the endorsement of Google Inc., which invests in high-quality carbon offsets from across the nation to fulfill its own carbon neutrality goals. The system, on a hog finishing facility 25 miles west of Winston-Salem, converts hog waste into electricity and creates carbon offset credits. ... > full story

Rotating magnetic moments: Spin pumping effect demonstrated for first time (September 26, 2011) -- Physicists have demonstrated the spin pumping effect in magnetic layers for the first time experimentally. The behavior of the spin pumping had previously only been predicted theoretically. Scientists have now succeeded in measuring the effect using ultrafast X-ray scattering with picosecond resolution. Through their rotation of the magnetic moments, the so-called magnetic precession, single electrons can mutually influence each other's rotation (spin) through a non-magnetic intermediate layer. ... > full story

Ceramics researchers shed light on metal embrittlement (September 26, 2011) -- Liquid metal embrittlement, or LME, has baffled metallurgists for a century. Now, ceramics researchers have obtained atomic-scale images of unprecedented resolution of the grain boundaries, or internal interfaces, where LME occurs. ... > full story

Strong solar storm reaching Earth (September 26, 2011) -- NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center -- the nation's official source of warnings and alerts about space weather and its impacts on Earth -- issued a warning for a strong, G3 geomagnetic storm on Earth resulting from a significant explosion from the sun's corona Saturday morning (Sept. 24, 2011). G-scale solar storms range from G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme). ... > full story

Sunspot 1302 continues to turn toward Earth (September 26, 2011) -- A strong-to-severe (Kp=8) geomagnetic storm is in progress following the impact of a coronal mass ejection (CME) at approximately 8:15a.m. EDT (12:15 UT) on Sept. 26. The Goddard Space Weather Lab reported a strong compression of Earth's magnetosphere. Simulations indicate that solar wind plasma has penetrated close to geosynchronous orbit starting at 9am. Geosynchronous satellites could therefore be directly exposed to solar wind plasma and magnetic fields. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras after nightfall. ... > full story

Journalists prefer Twitter, according to a new study (September 26, 2011) -- New research analyzing how Spanish journalists use the main social networks shows that Twitter is the most widely used, particularly to disseminate information. ... > full story

Research leads to enhanced kit to improve design and processing of plastics (September 26, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a new pvT (pressure-volume-temperature) and thermal conductivity test kit. The kit is based on more than nine years of extensive research. It can be used to help improve the design and processing of plastics, including the injection molding process used to make specialized polymers and everyday plastic items such as CDs. ... > full story

Edible carbon dioxide sponge: All-natural nanostructures could address pressing environmental problem (September 25, 2011) -- A year ago chemists published a recipe for a new class of nanostructures made of sugar, salt and alcohol. Now, the same team has discovered the edible compounds can efficiently detect, capture and store carbon dioxide. The porous crystals -- known as metal-organic frameworks -- are made from all-natural ingredients and simple to prepare, giving them a huge advantage over other MOFs, which are usually prepared from materials derived from crude oil. ... > full story

Ultrasonic instrument may be helpful for rhinoplasty, study finds (September 25, 2011) -- The ultrasonic bone aspirator, which uses sound waves to remove bone without damage to surrounding soft tissue or mucous membranes, may be a useful tool for surgeons performing cosmetic rhinoplasty (cosmetic surgery of the nose), according to a new study. ... > full story

Racing against time: New tool available for rapidly rescuing those trapped beneath concrete (September 25, 2011) -- When the World Trade Center's Twin Towers collapsed on Sept. 11, 2011, one of the most critical challenges that first responders faced was cutting through concrete to get to victims trapped. A new tool has been developed to help rescue those trapped beneath concrete. ... > full story

From the comfort of home, web users may have found new planets (September 25, 2011) -- Since the online citizen science project Planet Hunters launched last December, 40,000 web users from around the world have been helping professional astronomers analyze the light from 150,000 stars in the hopes of discovering Earth-like planets orbiting around them. ... > full story

Amazing electrical properties in polymers discovered (September 25, 2011) -- Crystals and ceramics pale when compared to a material researchers discovered that has 10 times their piezoelectric effect, making it suitable for perhaps hundreds of everyday uses. ... > full story

Nature shows the way: Self-healing membranes (September 24, 2011) -- The plant liana, whose stabilization rings of woody cells heal spontaneously after suffering damage, serves as a natural example to bionic experts of self-repairing membranes. Such membranes could find use, for example, in rubber dinghies. Researchers have borrowed this trick from nature and developed a polymer foam surface coating with a closed cell construction which not only reduces the pressure loss after the membrane is damaged but also makes the inflatable structure more resistant and giving it a longer operational life. ... > full story

NASA's UARS satellite re-enters Earth's atmosphere (September 24, 2011) -- NASA's decommissioned Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) fell back to Earth between 11:23 p.m. EDT Friday, Sept. 23 and 1:09 a.m. Sept. 24, 20 years and nine days after its launch on a 14-year mission that produced some of the first long-term records of chemicals in the atmosphere. The precise re-entry time and location of debris impacts have not been determined. During the re-entry period, the satellite passed from the east coast of Africa over the Indian Ocean, then the Pacific Ocean, then across northern Canada, then across the northern Atlantic Ocean, to a point over West Africa. The vast majority of the orbital transit was over water, with some flight over northern Canada and West Africa. ... > full story

Nature offers key lessons on harvesting solar power, say chemists (September 24, 2011) -- Clean solutions to human energy demands are essential to our future. While sunlight is the most abundant source of energy at our disposal, we have yet to learn how to capture, transfer and store solar energy efficiently. According to a new study, the answers can be found in the complex systems at work in nature. ... > full story

NASA to demonstrate communications via laser beam (September 24, 2011) -- It currently takes 90 minutes to transmit high-resolution images from Mars, but NASA would like to dramatically reduce that time to just minutes. A new optical communications system that NASA plans to demonstrate in 2016 will lead the way and even allow the streaming of high-definition video from distances beyond the moon. ... > full story

Researchers pinpoint the cause of MRI vertigo: Machine's magnetic field pushes fluid in the inner ear's balance organ (September 23, 2011) -- A team of researchers says it has discovered why so many people undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), especially in newer high-strength machines, get vertigo, or the dizzy sensation of free-falling, while inside or when coming out of the tunnel-like machine. ... > full story

New source of super-chilled neutrons provides tools for understanding fundamental physics concepts (September 23, 2011) -- Research into fundamental constants of nature and the search for new particles will benefit from new production method for ultra-cold neutrons. ... > full story

Cloaking magnetic fields: First antimagnet developed (September 23, 2011) -- Spanish researchers have designed what they believe to be a new type of magnetic cloak, which shields objects from external magnetic fields, while at the same time preventing any magnetic internal fields from leaking outside, making the cloak undetectable. ... > full story