The EDGE: ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Wednesday, November 30, 2011

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Wednesday, November 30, 2011

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FLEX-ible insight into flame behavior (November 30, 2011) -- Whether free-burning or smoldering, uncontrolled fire can threaten life and destroy property. On Earth, a little water, maybe some chemicals, and the fire is smothered. In space, where there is no up or down, flames behave in unconventional ways. And when your entire world is the size of a five-bedroom home like the International Space Station, putting out even a small fire quickly is a life-and-death matter. Since March 2009, NASA's Flame Extinguishment Experiment, or FLEX, has conducted more than 200 tests to better understand the fundamentals of flames and how best to suppress fire in space. The investigation is currently ongoing aboard the space station. ... > full story

Growing knowledge in space: Studying what effects microgravity has on plant cell walls, root growth patterns and gene regulation (November 30, 2011) -- Plants are critical in supporting life on Earth, and with help from an experiment that flew onboard space shuttle Discovery's STS-131 mission, they also could transform living in space. NASA's Kennedy Space Center partnered with the University of Florida, Miami University in Ohio and Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation to perform three different experiments in microgravity. The studies concentrated on the effects microgravity has on plant cell walls, root growth patterns and gene regulation within the plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Each of the studies has future applications on Earth and in space exploration. ... > full story

First U.S. large demonstration-scale injection of CO<sub>2</sub> from a biofuel production facility begins (November 30, 2011) -- The Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium has begun injecting carbon dioxide for the first million-tonne demonstration of carbon sequestration in the United States. The CO2 will be stored permanently in the Mt. Simon Sandstone more than a mile beneath the Illinois surface at Decatur. ... > full story

Graphene lights up with new possibilities: Two-step technique makes graphene suitable for organic chemistry (November 29, 2011) -- The future brightened for organic chemistry when researchers found a highly controllable way to attach organic molecules to pristine graphene, making the miracle material suitable for a range of new applications. ... > full story

NASA's Nanosail-D 'sails' home -- mission complete (November 29, 2011) -- After spending more than 240 days "sailing" around Earth, NASA's NanoSail-D -- a nanosatellite that deployed NASA's first-ever solar sail in low-Earth orbit -- has successfully completed its Earth orbiting mission. Launched to space Nov. 19, 2010 as a payload on NASA's FASTSAT, a small satellite, NanoSail-D's sail deployed on Jan. 20. The flight phase of the mission successfully demonstrated a deorbit capability that could potentially be used to bring down decommissioned satellites and space debris by re-entering and totally burning up in Earth's atmosphere. The team continues to analyze the orbital data to determine how future satellites can use this new technology. ... > full story

E. coli bacteria engineered to eat switchgrass and make transportation fuels (November 29, 2011) -- Strains of E. coli bacteria were engineered to digest switchgrass biomass and synthesize its sugars into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. The switchgrass, which is among the most highly touted of the potential feedstocks for advanced biofuels, was pre-treated with ionic liquid, a key to the success of this study. ... > full story

Tiny levers, big moves in piezoelectric sensors (November 29, 2011) -- Scientists have succeeded in integrating a new, highly efficient piezoelectric material into a silicon microelectromechanical system. This development could lead to significant advances in sensing, imaging, and energy harvesting. ... > full story

'Fool's gold' aids discovery of new options for cheap, benign solar energy (November 29, 2011) -- Pyrite, better known as "fool's gold," was familiar to the ancient Romans and has fooled prospectors for centuries -- but has now helped researchers discover related compounds that offer new, cheap and promising options for solar energy. These new compounds, unlike some solar cell materials made from rare, expensive or toxic elements, would be benign and could be processed from some of the most abundant elements on Earth. ... > full story

First system developed for assessing the odds of life on other worlds (November 29, 2011) -- A modeling expert has proposed a new system for classifying exoplanets using two different indices -- an Earth Similarity Index for categorizing a planet's more earth-like features and a Planetary Habitability Index for describing a variety of chemical and physical parameters that are theoretically conducive to life in more extreme, less Earth-like conditions. ... > full story

New technique puts chemistry breakthroughs on the fast track (November 29, 2011) -- Scientists can now take that "a-ha" moment to go with a new method developed -- and successfully tested -- to accomplish "accelerated serendipity" and speed up the chances of an unexpected yet groundbreaking chemical discovery. ... > full story

Stabilizing entangled spaghetti-like materials: Controling forces between oppositely charged polymers opens new route for gene therapy vectors (November 29, 2011) -- Gene therapy can only be effective if delivered by a stable complex molecule. Now, scientists have determined the conditions that would stabilize complex molecular structures that are subject to inherent attractions and repulsions triggered by electric charges at the surfaces of the molecules. ... > full story

NASA develops new game-changing technology (November 29, 2011) -- Two NASA California centers have been selected to develop new space-aged technologies that could be game-changers in the way we look at planets from above and how we safely transport robots or humans through space and bring them safely back to Earth. ... > full story

Mask-bot: A robot with a human face (November 29, 2011) -- Robotics researchers have developed an ingenious technical solution that gives robots a human face. By using a projector to beam the 3D image of a face onto the back of a plastic mask, and a computer to control voice and facial expressions, the researchers have succeeded in creating Mask-bot, a startlingly human-like plastic head. ... > full story

Carbon mitigation strategy uses wood for buildings first, bioenergy second (November 29, 2011) -- A new study is first to focus on the extra carbon savings that can be squeezed from trees when wood not suitable for long-term building materials is used for bioenergy: Depending on the process used, ethanol from woody biomass emits less greenhouse gas than an equivalent amount of gasoline, between 70 percent and a little over 100 percent less. In contrast, corn ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions 22 percent on average. ... > full story

Enzymatic synthesis of pyrrolysine, the mysterious 22nd amino acid (November 28, 2011) -- With few exceptions, all known proteins are built up from only twenty amino acids. 25 years ago scientists discovered a 21st amino acid, selenocysteine and ten years ago a 22nd, the pyrrolysine. However, how the cell produces the unusual building block remained a mystery. Now researchers have elucidated the structure of an important enzyme in the production of pyrrolysine. ... > full story

One promising puzzle piece for confirming dark matter now seems unlikely fit (November 28, 2011) -- In 2008, the Italian satellite PAMELA detected a curious excess of antimatter positrons -- a startling discovery that could have been a sign of the existence of dark matter. With assistance from the Earth's magnetic field, the Fermi Gamma-ray Telescope confirms a cosmic excess of antimatter positrons, but not the spike expected if evidence of dark matter. ... > full story

In the heart of Cygnus, NASA's Fermi reveals a cosmic-ray cocoon (November 28, 2011) -- The constellation Cygnus, now visible in the western sky as twilight deepens after sunset, hosts one of our galaxy's richest-known stellar construction zones. Astronomers viewing the region at visible wavelengths see only hints of this spectacular activity thanks to a veil of nearby dust clouds forming the Great Rift, a dark lane that splits the Milky Way, a faint band of light marking our galaxy's central plane. ... > full story

On the road to plasmonics with silver polyhedral nanocrystals: Researchers find simpler approach to making plasmonic materials (November 28, 2011) -- Researchers may have opened the door to a simpler approach for the fabrication of plasmonic materials -- one of the hottest new fields in high tech -- by inducing polyhedral-shaped silver nanocrystals to self-assemble into three-dimensional millimeter-sized supercrystals of the highest possible density. ... > full story

Graphene foam detects explosives, emissions better than today's gas sensors (November 28, 2011) -- A new study demonstrates how graphene foam can outperform leading commercial gas sensors in detecting potentially dangerous and explosive chemicals. The discovery opens the door for a new generation of gas sensors to be used by bomb squads, law enforcement officials, defense organizations, and in various industrial settings. ... > full story

Insect cyborgs may become first responders: Search and monitor hazardous places (November 28, 2011) -- New developments may lead to insects monitoring hazardous situations before humans are sent in. The principal idea is to harvest the insect's biological energy from either its body heat or movements. The device converts the kinetic energy from wing movements of the insect into electricity, thus prolonging the battery life. The battery can be used to power small sensors implanted on the insect (such as a small camera, a microphone or a gas sensor) in order to gather vital information from hazardous environments. ... > full story

Possible therapy for radiation sickness identified (November 28, 2011) -- Researchers found a combination of two drugs may alleviate radiation sickness in people who have been exposed to high levels of radiation, even when the therapy is given 24 hours after the exposure occurred. ... > full story

Genome-scale network of rice genes to speed the development of biofuel crops (November 28, 2011) -- Researchers have developed the first genome-scale model for predicting the functions of genes and gene networks in a grass species. Called RiceNet, this systems-level model of rice gene interactions should help speed the development of new crops for the production of advanced biofuels, as well as help boost the production and improve the quality of one of the world's most important food staples. ... > full story

Charge separation in a molecule consisting of two identical atoms: Size matters (November 28, 2011) -- Physicists have now shown the first experimental proof of a molecule consisting of two identical atoms that exhibits a permanent electric dipole moment. This observation contradicts the classical opinion described in many physics and chemistry textbooks. ... > full story

Looking for job on Internet reduces unemployment time, study finds; Better job boards, technology benefit job seekers (November 28, 2011) -- A new study shows that using the Internet to look for a job reduces the time spent unemployed by an average of 25 percent. ... > full story

Supercool: Water doesn't have to freeze until -48 C (-55 F) (November 28, 2011) -- We drink it, bathe in it and are made mostly of it, yet common water poses major mysteries. Now, chemists may have solved one enigma by showing how cold water can get before it absolutely must freeze: 48 degrees below zero Celsius (minus 55 Fahrenheit). ... > full story

When it comes to churning out electrons, metal glass beats plastics (November 28, 2011) -- By adding carbon nanotubes to a glass-like metal compound, researchers have devised a new breed of field emission electrodes. This technology, which produces a stream of electrons, may have promising applications in the consumer electronics industry. ... > full story

Emerging new properties at oxide interfaces (November 28, 2011) -- Researchers discovered a collective electronic state not seen before in the bulk of either two individual insulating oxides, thus demonstrating that electrons at their interface can now exhibit ferromagnetism. ... > full story

Peering inside the 'deflagration-to-detonation transition' of explosions (November 28, 2011) -- Explosions of reactive gases and the associated rapid, uncontrolled release of large amounts of energy pose threats of immense destructive power to mining operations, fuel storage facilities, chemical processing plants, and many other industrial applications. To gain a better understanding of what's going on during these explosions, researchers have studied the deflagration-to-detonation (DDT) transition, which can occur in environments ranging from experimental and industrial systems on Earth to astrophysical thermonuclear supernovae explosions. ... > full story

Nanoparticle electrode for batteries could make grid-scale power storage feasible (November 27, 2011) -- Researchers have used nanoparticles of a copper compound to develop a high-power battery electrode that is so inexpensive to make, so efficient and so durable that it could be used to build batteries big enough for economical large-scale energy storage on the electrical grid -- something researchers have sought for years. ... > full story

Smart phone power consumption cut by more than 70 percent (November 27, 2011) -- Researchers have designed a network proxy that can cut the power consumption of 3G smart phones up to 74 percent. This device enhances performance and significantly reduces power usage by serving as a middleman for mobile devices to connect to the Internet and handling the majority of the data transfer for the smart phone. Historically, the high energy requirements of mobile phones have slowed the adoption of mobile Internet services in developing countries. ... > full story

Astronomers take a photograph of the youngest supernova right after its explosion (November 27, 2011) -- Astronomers have obtained a never-before achieved radio astronomical photograph of the youngest supernova. Fourteen days after the explosion of a star in the galaxy Galàxia del Remolí (M51) last June, coordinated telescopes around Europe have taken a photograph of the cosmic explosion in great detail – equivalent to seeing a golf ball on the surface of the moon. ... > full story

Mars Science Laboratory: NASA launches most capable and robust rover to Red Planet (November 26, 2011) -- NASA began a historic voyage to Mars with the Nov. 26 launch of the Mars Science Laboratory, which carries a car-sized rover named Curiosity. Liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard an Atlas V rocket occurred at 10:02 a.m. EST (7:02 a.m. PST). ... > full story

Mechanism of wine swirling explained (November 25, 2011) -- Wine drinkers know that swirling a good vintage around in a glass aerates the wine and releases its bouquet. Just how the process -- known as "orbital shaking" -- works, however, has been something of a mystery. ... > full story

Physicists set strongest limit on mass of dark matter (November 24, 2011) -- Physicists have set the strongest limit for the mass of dark matter, the mysterious particles believed to make up nearly a quarter of the universe. The researchers report that dark matter must have a mass greater than 40 giga-electron volts. The distinction is important because it casts doubt on recent results from underground experiments that have reported detecting dark matter. ... > full story

Thanksgiving in space may one day come with all the trimmings (November 24, 2011) -- Future astronauts spending Thanksgiving in space may not have to forgo one of the most traditional parts of the day's feast: fresh sweet potatoes. Agricultural researchers have now developed methods for growing sweet potatoes that reduce the required growing space while not decreasing the amount of food that each plant produces. ... > full story

Blocked holes can enhance rather than stop light going through (November 23, 2011) -- Conventional wisdom would say that blocking a hole would prevent light from going through it, but engineers have discovered the opposite to be true. A research team has found that placing a metal cap over a small hole in a metal film does not stop the light at all, but rather enhances its transmission. ... > full story

NASA flies robotic lander prototype to new heights (November 23, 2011) -- NASA successfully completed the final flight in a series of tests of a new robotic lander prototype at the Redstone Test Center's propulsion test facility on the U.S. Army Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala. Data from this test series will aid in the design and development of a new generation of small, smart, versatile robotic landers capable of performing science and exploration research on the surface of the moon or other airless bodies in the solar system, such as asteroids or the planet Mercury. ... > full story

New strategy could lead to dose reduction in X-ray imaging (November 23, 2011) -- For more than a century, the use of X-rays has been a prime diagnostic tool when it comes to human health. As it turns out, X-rays also are a crucial component for studying and understanding molecules, and a new approach may dramatically improve what researchers can learn using the technique. ... > full story

Tiny flame shines light on supernovae explosions (November 23, 2011) -- Starting from the behavior of small flames in the laboratory, a team of researchers has gained new insights into the titanic forces that drive Type Ia supernova explosions. These stellar explosions are important tools for studying the evolution of the universe, so a better understanding of how they behave would help answer some of the fundamental questions in astronomy. ... > full story

New design for mechanical heart valves (November 23, 2011) -- The heart's valves are asymmetrical. Mechanical heart valves, are symmetrical. Could an asymmetric design improve blood flow? ... > full story

Highly efficient method for creating flexible, transparent electrodes developed (November 22, 2011) -- Researchers demonstrate a new method for making transparent electrodes from nanomaterials. By fusing AgNWs with metal oxide nanoparticles and organic polymers, highly transparent conductors were produced that could provide an alternative to the ITO. The research team has also built solar cells using the new electrodes and found that the performance of the cell is comparable to that of solar cells made with indium tin oxide. ... > full story

Robojelly gets an upgrade: Underwater robot learns to swim more like the real thing (November 22, 2011) -- Engineers have developed a robot that mimics the graceful motions of jellyfish so precisely that it has been named Robojelly. Developed for the U.S. Office of Naval Research in 2009, this vehicle was designed to conduct ocean underwater surveillance, enabling it potentially to detect chemical spills, monitor the presence of ships and submarines, and observe the migration of schools of fish. ... > full story

New material can enhance energy, computer, lighting technologies (November 22, 2011) -- Researchers have created a new compound crystal material that promises to help produce advances in a range of scientific and technological pursuits. The material, called erbium chloride silicate, can be used to develop the next generations of computers, improve the capabilities of the Internet, increase the efficiency of silicon-based photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight into electrical energy, and enhance the quality of solid-state lighting and sensor technology. ... > full story

Health check while driving the car (November 22, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a sensor system integrated into the steering wheel that can monitor the driver's state of health while driving. The driver can use his time behind the wheel for a minor health check. The device might also be used to recognize the onset fainting spells or heart attacks. ... > full story

Carbon nanotube forest camouflages 3-D objects (November 22, 2011) -- Researchers demonstrate that a carbon nanotube coating can absorb light nearly perfectly, making structural details disappear into a black background. ... > full story

Smart swarms of bacteria inspire robotics: Adaptable decision-making found in bacteria communities (November 22, 2011) -- Scientists have now discovered how bacteria collectively gather information to learn about their environment and find an optimal path to growth. This research will allow scientists to design a new generation of "smart robots" that can form intelligent swarms and aid in the development of medical micro-robots used to treat diseases in the human body. ... > full story

Unearthing a new quantum state of matter: Quantum physics discoveries could change face of technology (November 22, 2011) -- Researchers have made advances in better understanding correlated quantum matter that could change technology as we know it, according to a new study. ... > full story

Cassini chronicles life of Saturn's giant storm (November 22, 2011) -- New images and animated movies from NASA's Cassini spacecraft chronicle the birth and evolution of the colossal storm that ravaged the northern face of Saturn for nearly a year. ... > full story