The EDGE: ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Saturday, June 23, 2012

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Saturday, June 23, 2012

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Proximity of new planets stuns even astronomers (June 21, 2012) -- One is a rocky planet 1.5 times the size of Earth. The other is a gaseous world nearly four times Earth's size. Together they form a spectacular system in which two planets orbit closer to each other than any yet discovered. ... > full story

Study of phase change materials could lead to better computer memory (June 21, 2012) -- Memory devices for computers require a large collection of components that can switch between two states, which represent the ones and zeros of binary language. Engineers hope to make next-generation chips with materials that distinguish between these states by physically rearranging their atoms into different phases. Researchers have now provided new insight into how this phase change happens, which could help engineers make memory storage devices faster and more efficient. ... > full story

Researchers tune the strain in graphene drumheads to create quantum dots (June 21, 2012) -- Researchers have shown that they can tune the strain in graphene suspended like drumheads over microscopic holes in a substrate of silicon oxide using the tip of an advanced scanning probe microscope and a conducting plate below the substrate. Tuning the strain enabled the group to create areas in the graphene where electrons behaved as though they were confined to quantum dots. ... > full story

Could Mars have sustained life? Extensive water in Mars' interior (June 21, 2012) -- Until now, Earth was the only planet known to have vast reservoirs of water in its interior. Scientists analyzed the water content of two Martian meteorites and found that the amount of water in places of the Martian mantle is vastly larger than previous estimates and is similar to that of Earth's. The results affect our understanding about Martian geologic history, how water got to the Martian surface, and whether Mars could have sustained life. ... > full story

Lab-engineered kidney project reaches early milestone (June 21, 2012) -- Regenerative medicine researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have reached an early milestone in a long-term project that aims to build replacement kidneys in the lab to help solve the shortage of donor organs. ... > full story

Nano-infused paint can detect strain (June 21, 2012) -- Nanotube-infused paint can reveal strain in materials by its fluorescence. The material holds promise for detecting strain in aircraft, bridges and buildings. ... > full story

Graphene Research: Trapping light in a carbon net (June 21, 2012) -- Graphene, an ordered monolayer of carbon, is the thinnest substance known, and yet has extraordinary mechanical strength. A new study shows that its two-dimensional network of atoms can even trap light. ... > full story

Microelectronics: Two at a time (June 21, 2012) -- A new design reduces the areal footprint of nanowire transistors by a factor of two. Scientists have now integrated two transistors onto a single vertical silicon nanowire, pushing the areal density limit of nanowire transistors even further. ... > full story

Scientists gain understanding of self-cleaning gecko foot hair (June 20, 2012) -- Wall-climbing robots, bioadhesives or other sticky substances can benefit greatly from a recent discovery about the self-cleaning and reuse abilities of a gecko. The sticky yet clean attribute of this discovery is the gecko toe pad and its ability to repeatedly attach and detach to a surface. ... > full story

Asymmetry may provide clue to superconductivity (June 20, 2012) -- Physicists are reporting intriguing new details regarding the quirky electronic properties of high-temperature superconductors (HTS). They discovered an asymmetric electronic order that extends into the superconducting temperature range in a recently discovered iron-based HTS. The asymmetric feature also bears a striking resemblance to the "pseudogap" order found in copper-based HTSs. ... > full story

Researchers estimate ice content of crater at moon's south pole (June 20, 2012) -- NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft has returned data that indicate ice may make up as much as 22 percent of the surface material in a crater located on the moon's south pole. The team of NASA and university scientists using laser light from LRO's laser altimeter examined the floor of Shackleton crater. They found the crater's floor is brighter than those of other nearby craters, which is consistent with the presence of small amounts of ice. This information will help researchers understand crater formation and study other uncharted areas of the moon. ... > full story

Soon after the Big Bang, heavier elements emerge: Tin-100, a doubly magic nucleus (June 20, 2012) -- A few minutes after the Big Bang the universe contained no other elements than hydrogen and helium. Physicists have now succeeded in producing tin-100, a very unstable yet important element for understanding the formation of heavier elements. ... > full story