ScienceDaily Technology Headlines
for Monday, October 3, 2011
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Astronomers reveal supernova factory (October 2, 2011) -- A team of astronomers has detected seven previously unknown supernovae in a galaxy 250 million light years away. Never before have so many supernovae been discovered at the same time in the same galaxy. ... > full story
High-performance simulation, neutrons uncover three classes of protein motion (October 2, 2011) -- Molecular motion in proteins comes in three distinct classes, according to researchers. The research team combined high-performance computer simulation with neutron scattering experiments to understand atomic-level motions that underpin the operations of proteins. ... > full story
Single ions -- extremely cool: Single magnesium ion brought to a standstill by means of novel, simple laser cooling (October 2, 2011) -- One of the fundamental questions in the search for the "theory of everything" is whether fundamental constants possibly vary. To prove this in the case of the fine-structure constant, for instance, scientists have to measure the spectral lines of atoms more accurately. Quantum logic spectroscopy provides such a method. Physicists have come one decisive step closer to this goal. ... > full story
Galaxy caught blowing bubbles (October 1, 2011) -- Hubble's famous images of galaxies typically show elegant spirals or soft-edged ellipses. But these neat forms are only representative of large galaxies. Smaller galaxies like the dwarf irregular galaxy Holmberg II come in many shapes and types that are harder to classify. This galaxy's indistinct shape is punctuated by huge glowing bubbles of gas. ... > full story
Pressurized vascular systems for self-healing materials (October 1, 2011) -- Artificial microvascular systems for self-repair of materials damage, such as cracks in a coating applied to a building or bridge, have relied on capillary force for transport of the healing agents. Now, researchers have demonstrated that an active pumping capability for pressurized delivery of liquid healing agents in microvascular systems significantly improves the degree of healing compared with capillary force methods. ... > full story
Hydrogen released to fuel cell more quickly when stored in metal nanoparticles (October 1, 2011) -- Researchers have demonstrated that the size of a metal alloy nanoparticle influences the speed with which hydrogen gas is released when stored in a metal hydride. The smaller the size of the nanoparticle, the greater the speed at which the hydrogen gas makes its way to the fuel cell. ... > full story
Space telescopes reveal secrets of turbulent black hole (September 30, 2011) -- Supermassive black holes at the hearts of active galaxies swallow large amounts of gas. During this feast they spill a lot of their 'food', which is discharged in turbulent outbursts. An international team of astronomers has revealed some striking features of such an outburst around a supermassive black hole in a distant galaxy. They found a very hot 'convertor' corona hovering above the black hole and cold gas 'bullets' in hotter diffuse gas, speeding outwards with velocities up to 700 km/s. ... > full story
Researchers realize high-power, narrowband terahertz source at room temperature (September 30, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a simpler way to generate single-chip terahertz radiation, a discovery that could soon allow for more rapid security screening, border protection, high sensitivity biological/chemical analysis, agricultural inspection, and astronomical applications. ... > full story
Building better catalysts (September 30, 2011) -- Chemists have developed a method to design and test new catalysts, which are substances that speed chemical reactions and are crucial for producing energy, chemicals and industrial products. By using the new method, the chemists also made a discovery that will make it easier to design future catalysts. ... > full story
Engineers 'cook' promising new heat-harvesting nanomaterials in microwave oven (September 30, 2011) -- Waste heat is a byproduct of nearly all electrical devices and industrial processes, from driving a car to flying an aircraft or operating a power plant. Engineering researchers have developed new nanomaterials that could lead to techniques for better capturing and putting this waste heat to work. The key ingredients for making marble-sized pellets of the new material are aluminum and a common, everyday microwave oven. ... > full story
Closing of a collider . . . and opening of a new frontier: Fermilab moves toward new discoveries (September 30, 2011) -- Today, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) will shut down its Tevatron particle accelerator after nearly 30 years in operation. Named one of the top engineering achievements of the past 100 years, the Tevatron accelerated particles to almost the speed of light along its 4-mile ring, smashed them together, and studied the resulting particle showers in order to understand fundamental facts about elementary particles and forces. ... > full story
Scientists release most accurate simulation of the universe to date (September 30, 2011) -- The Bolshoi supercomputer simulation, the most accurate and detailed large cosmological simulation run to date, gives physicists and astronomers a powerful new tool for understanding such cosmic mysteries as galaxy formation, dark matter, and dark energy. ... > full story
Scientists and engineers create the 'perfect plastic' (September 30, 2011) -- Researchers have solved a long-standing problem that could revolutionize the way new plastics are developed. ... > full story
Technique to control light from nanoparticles (September 30, 2011) -- Chemists have discovered a way to use liquid crystals to control light scattered from gold nanorods. The researchers use voltage to sensitively manipulate the alignment of liquid crystal molecules that alternately block and reveal light from the particles; the gold nanorods collect and retransmit light in a specific direction. ... > full story
Researchers produce cheap sugars for sustainable biofuel production (September 30, 2011) -- Researchers have developed technologies to efficiently produce, recover and separate sugars from the fast pyrolysis of biomass. That's a big deal because those sugars can be further processed into biofuels. ... > full story
Financial crisis: Calculating the probability of extreme events (September 30, 2011) -- It had to happen: the property bubble burst and the global financial market experienced its biggest crisis in the last hundred years. In retrospect, many suspected it was coming, but nobody could have known for sure. The traditional investment strategy failed, as all forms of investment suddenly collapsed at the same time. In order to calculate the probability of several such extreme events occurring at the same time, scientists have developed a new method. ... > full story
Cancer detection from an implantable, flexible LED (September 30, 2011) -- Researchers in South Korea have developed a new concept in cancer detection: a biocompatible, flexible gallium nitride (GaN) LED that can detect prostate cancer. ... > full story
Computational modeling can help plan vaccine introduction, study finds (September 30, 2011) -- Proper planning before the introduction of new vaccines into a developing country's active immunization program could prevent storage problems and transportation bottlenecks that decrease the availability of existing vaccines by as much as two-thirds, according to a new study. Computational models can forecast the impact of new vaccine introduction and identify potential disruptions, concluded the study. ... > full story
Smartphones revolutionize psychological experiments (September 30, 2011) -- Researchers have tapped into smartphone technology to carry out psychological experiments, allowing them access to millions of participants at the touch of a button. ... > full story
3-D microscope opens eyes to prehistoric oceans and present-day resources (September 29, 2011) -- A research team has turned their newly developed 3-D microscope technology on ancient sea creatures and hopes to expand its use. ... > full story
NASA space telescope finds fewer asteroids near Earth (September 29, 2011) -- New observations by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, show there are significantly fewer near-Earth asteroids in the mid-size range than previously thought. The findings also indicate NASA has found more than 90 percent of the largest near-Earth asteroids, meeting a goal agreed to with Congress in 1998. ... > full story
Labor-saving way to monitor vast rangelands (September 29, 2011) -- U.S. agricultural scientists have found that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), a tool used by the military, may be suitable for keeping an eye on changing land-use patterns across vast tracts of western rangeland. ... > full story
If you're happy and you know it: Researchers trail Twitter to track world's mood swings (September 29, 2011) -- Using Twitter to monitor the attitudes of 2.4 million people in 84 countries, researchers found that people all over the world awaken in a good mood -- but globally that cheer soon deteriorates once the workday progresses. ... > full story
Orbital observations of Mercury reveal flood lavas, hollows, and unprecedented surface details (September 29, 2011) -- After only six months in orbit around Mercury, NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft is sending back information that has revolutionized the way scientists think about the innermost planet. Analyses of new data from the spacecraft show, among other things, new evidence that flood volcanism has been widespread on Mercury, the first close-up views of Mercury's "hollows," the first direct measurements of the chemical composition of Mercury's surface, and the first global inventory of plasma ions within Mercury's space environment. ... > full story
In unique fire tests, outdoor decks will be under firebrand attack (September 29, 2011) -- NIST will unleash its Dragon, an invention that bellows showers of glowing embers, at a unique wind tunnel test facility in Japan, where researchers will evaluate the vulnerability of outdoor deck assemblies and materials to ignition during wildfires, a growing peril that accounts for half of the nation's 10 most costly fires. ... > full story
Stardust discovered in far-off planetary systems (September 29, 2011) -- Searching for extra-solar planets -- which are planets outside of our solar system -- is very popular these days. About 700 planets are known at the moment, a number that is continuously rising due to refined observational techniques. Astronomers have just made a remarkable discovery: they were able to establish proof of so-called debris discs around two stars. The debris discs are remnants of the formation of the planets. ... > full story
Self-cleaning cotton breaks down pesticides, bacteria (September 29, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a self-cleaning cotton fabric that can kill bacteria and break down toxic chemicals such as pesticide residues when exposed to light. ... > full story
Redefining the kilogram and the ampere (September 29, 2011) -- New research using graphene presents the most precise measurements of the quantum Hall effect ever made, one of the key steps in the process to redefine two Système Internationale d'unités (SI) units. New research is underpinning the biggest change in the SI Units since the system began 50 years ago. ... > full story
Spontaneous combustion in nanobubbles inspires compact ultrasonic loudspeaker (September 29, 2011) -- Nanometer-sized bubbles containing the gases hydrogen and oxygen can apparently combust spontaneously, although nothing happens in larger bubbles. For the first time, researchers have demonstrated this spontaneous combustion. They intend to use the phenomenon to construct a compact ultrasonic loudspeaker. ... > full story
Breath-takingly simple test for human exposure to potentially toxic substances (September 29, 2011) -- The search for a rapid, non-invasive way to determine whether people have been exposed to potentially toxic substances in their workplaces, homes and elsewhere in the environment has led scientists to a technology that literally takes a person's breath away. Their report identifies exhaled breath as an ideal indicator of such exposure. ... > full story
'Molecular wipe': Potential treatment for 'pink eye' epidemic (September 29, 2011) -- Scientists are reporting discovery of a potential new drug for epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC) -- sometimes called "pink eye" -- a highly infectious eye disease that may occur in 15 million to 20 million people annually in the United States alone. Their report describes an innovative new "molecular wipe" that sweeps up viruses responsible for EKC. ... > full story
Testing cookstoves for Haiti (September 29, 2011) -- Scientists have teamed up with students to run a series of efficiency tests comparing the traditional Haiti cookstove with a variety of low-cost, commercially available alternatives. The long-term goal is to find the safest and most fuel-efficient stove -- or to design a new one that would win favor with the cooks of Haiti. ... > full story
Matter shows abrupt escape from flatness: Lead made to undergo a rapid transition from 'pancake' to hemisphere (September 28, 2011) -- At first glance, it seems as if billions of lead atoms have mysteriously disappeared. When exposed to heat, a layer of lead coated onto a nickel surface becomes almost invisible from one moment to the next. In reality, the slightest disturbance causes these atoms to suddenly switch from a broad “flat pancake” shape to a compact hemisphere. Interestingly, this all takes place at a temperature below the melting point of lead. The hemispheres, too, consist of solid lead. So no mass has been lost, the material has simply taken on a different spatial configuration. ... > full story
Copper film could lower touch screen, LED and solar cell costs (September 28, 2011) -- Copper nanowires may be coming to a little screen near you. These new nanostructures have the potential to drive down the costs of displaying information on cell phones, e-readers and iPads, and they could also help engineers build foldable electronics and improved solar cells, according to new research. ... > full story
Light from galaxy clusters confirms general theory of relativity (September 28, 2011) -- All observations in astronomy are based on light (electromagnetic radiation) emitted from stars and galaxies and, according to the general theory of relativity, the light will be affected by gravity. At the same time all interpretations in astronomy are based on the correctness of the theory of relatively, but it has been difficult to accurately test Einstein's theory of gravity on scales larger than the solar system. Now astrophysicists in Denmark have managed to measure how the light is affected by gravity on its way out of galaxy clusters. The observations confirm the theoretical predictions. ... > full story
Method for creating tiny diamond machines improved (September 28, 2011) -- Diamonds may be best known as a symbol of long-lasting love, but semiconductor makers are also hoping they'll pan out as key components of long-lasting micromachines if a new method for carving these tough, capable crystals proves its worth. ... > full story
Feast your eyes on the Fried Egg Nebula (September 28, 2011) -- Astronomers have used ESO's Very Large Telescope to image a colossal star that belongs to one of the rarest classes of stars in the Universe, the yellow hypergiants. The new picture is the best ever taken of a star in this class and shows for the first time a huge dusty double shell surrounding the central hypergiant. The star and its shells resemble an egg white around a yolky center, leading the astronomers to nickname the object the Fried Egg Nebula. ... > full story
Scanner spies document secrets (September 28, 2011) -- A scanner which combines the convenience of a desktop scanner with the functionality of a powerful laboratory imaging device has been developed and is now being commercialized. ... > full story
Like fish on waves, electrons go surfing (September 28, 2011) -- Physicists have succeeded in taking a decisive step towards the development of more powerful computers. They were able to define two little quantum dots (QDs), occupied with electrons, in a semiconductor and to select a single electron from one of them using a sound wave, and then to transport it to the neighboring QD. ... > full story
Quantum teleportation analysed by mathematical separation tool (September 28, 2011) -- Scientists recently gave a theoretical description of teleportation phenomena in sub-atomic scale physical systems. ... > full story
New technique maps twin faces of smallest Janus nanoparticles (September 28, 2011) -- Chemists have developed the first method that can rapidly and accurately map the surfaces of Janus nanoparticles, tiny particles that possess two chemically distinct faces. The findings have broad potential applications ranging from drug delivery to video displays. ... > full story
Device 'sees' beneath the skin to spot circulation problems (September 28, 2011) -- A ground-breaking device which “sees” beneath the skin to spot circulation problems has passed an important milestone on its journey to commercialization. ... > full story
Two-dimensional learning: Viewing computer images causes long-term changes in nerve cell connections (September 28, 2011) -- Viewing two-dimensional images of the environment, as they occur in computer games, leads to sustained changes in the strength of nerve cell connections in the brain. When the researchers presented rats with new spatial environments on a computer screen, they observed long-lasting changes in the communication between nerve cells in a brain structure which is important for long-term memory (hippocampus). Thus, the researchers showed for the first time that active exploration of the environment is not necessary to obtain this effect. ... > full story
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
Research and innovation: New modelling results link natural resources and armed conflicts (September 28, 2011) -- The EU Joint Research Centre (JRC) has developed a statistical modelling tool which allows the risk of conflict occurrence in developing countries to be analyzed. Combining online news reports with geographical satellite data, the tool establishes a link between natural resources and the risk of conflict. A key advance is the very detailed scale of the data (most being gathered to the square kilometer) and the fact that the modelling is based on the seriousness of the conflicts. When tested, the model successfully identified the correlation between resource-rich areas of land and occurrence of conflict. This approach has potential use in the European Commission's development aid planning and crisis prevention. ... > full story
CERN sets course for extra-low-energy antiprotons (September 28, 2011) -- The kick-off meeting for ELENA, the Extra Low Energy Antiproton Ring, has begun at CERN . Approved by CERN Council in June this year, ELENA is scheduled to deliver its first antiprotons in 2016. ... > full story
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