ScienceDaily Technology Headlines
for Wednesday, July 28, 2010
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Researchers' 'Posseidon' adventure could save shipping industry millions (July 28, 2010) -- Researchers could save the world’s shipping industry millions of pounds in repairs to broken down vessels after developing a computerized warning system which keeps the ‘lifeblood’ of a ship flowing. The Posseidon system, a new sensor-based processing unit, can continuously monitor the ship’s lubricated system, allowing crews on board to predict any deterioration or contamination in the oil, anticipate problems, allowing them to take action before damage and failure occurs. ... > full story
Not as Web savvy as you think? Young people give Google, other top brand search results too much credibility, study finds (July 28, 2010) -- College students trust Google so much that a study has found many students only click on websites that turn up at the top of Google searches to complete assigned tasks. If they don't use Google, researchers found that students trust other brand-name search engines and brand-name websites to lead them to information. ... > full story
Multifunctional nanoparticle enables new type of biological imaging (July 28, 2010) -- By combining a nanoparticle's magnetic and thermal properties, researchers have created a new technique that virtually eliminates the background noise from non-radioactive medical imaging. ... > full story
Researchers investigate effects of lightning strikes on aircraft (July 28, 2010) -- Scientists in the UK are researching the potential for damage posed by lightning for carbon fibre composites (CFCs), which are increasingly being used in aircraft manufacture, with a view to reducing damage and minimizing repair costs. ... > full story
The more frequently you log on, the more weight you can keep off, study finds (July 28, 2010) -- The more people used an interactive weight management website, the more weight loss they maintained, according to a new study. ... > full story
Data sorting world record falls: Computer scientists break terabyte sort barrier in 60 seconds (July 27, 2010) -- Computer scientists from the University of California, San Diego broke "the terabyte barrier" -- and a world record -- when they sorted more than one terabyte of data (1,000 gigabytes or 1 million megabytes) in just 60 seconds. During this 2010 "Sort Benchmark" competition -- the "World Cup of data sorting" -- the computer scientists from the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering also tied a world record for fastest data sorting rate. ... > full story
Who gives a tweet? Nuanced feedback for microbloggers (July 27, 2010) -- Researchers are launching a study to understand what aspects of Twitter content are considered valuable, and how that impacts presentation and perception of online identity. ... > full story
Invention enables people with disabilities communicate and steer a wheelchair by sniffing (July 27, 2010) -- Neurobiologists and electrical engineers have invented a new technology that lets the severely disabled communicate or steer a wheelchair by sniffing. Sniffing is a precise motor skill that is controlled, in part, by the soft palate -- the flexible divider that moves to direct air in or out through the mouth or nose. ... > full story
Promise for nuclear fusion test reactors, findings show (July 27, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered mechanisms critical to interactions between hot plasma and surfaces facing the plasma inside a thermonuclear fusion reactor, part of work aimed at developing coatings capable of withstanding the grueling conditions inside the reactors. ... > full story
Native-like spider silk produced in metabolically engineered bacteria (July 27, 2010) -- Biomolecular engineers have developed technology to artificially create spider dragline silk proteins that can be used to make ultra-strong synthetic fibers and bulletproof vests. ... > full story
More accurate than Heisenberg allows? Uncertainty in the presence of a quantum memory (July 27, 2010) -- Quantum cryptography is the safest way to encrypt data. It utilizes the fact that transmitted information can only be measured with a strictly limited degree of precision. Scientists have now discovered how the use of a quantum memory affects this uncertainty. ... > full story
Radical new computer memory? Emergent resistance network suggests mechanism for colossal magnetoresistance (July 27, 2010) -- Research has revealed new clues on the microscopic processes by which resistance in certain materials is dramatically altered by the presence of magnetic fields. The discovery provides fundamental insights toward the development of radically new memory and switching devices. ... > full story
NASA tests launch abort system at supersonic speeds (July 27, 2010) -- Aerospace engineers at NASA's Ames Research Center are conducting a series of wind tunnel tests to develop technology for future human space exploration. Using a six percent scale Orion model, featuring complex moving parts, engineers are simulating various launch abort conditions the spacecraft might encounter during ascent to characterize the effects of launch abort and control motor plumes on the aerodynamics of the Orion spacecraft. ... > full story
Potentially hazardous asteroid might collide with the Earth in 2182 (July 27, 2010) -- The potentially hazardous asteroid ‘(101955) 1999 RQ36’ has a one-in-a-thousand chance of impacting the Earth, and more than half of this probability indicates that this could happen in the year 2182, according to a new study. Knowing this fact may help design in advance mechanisms aimed at deviating the asteroid’s path. ... > full story
For platinum catalysts, smaller may be better (July 27, 2010) -- Researchers have studied platinum catalysts at the atomic scale under actual industrial reaction conditions and discovered why nanoparticle clusters of platinum potentially can out-perform the single crystals of platinum now used in fuel cells and catalytic converters. ... > full story
Seeing the forest and the trees reveals heart problems (July 27, 2010) -- A statistical analysis of publicly available heart rate data using three classification tools -- Random Forests, Logistic Model Tree and Neural Network -- could lead to a rapid and precise way to diagnose heart problems, according to new research. ... > full story
Delayed time zero in photoemission: New record in time measurement accuracy (July 27, 2010) -- Physicists have discovered a time delay when using light pulses to emit electrons from atoms. Until now, it has been assumed that the electrons start moving out of the atom immediately after the impact of the photons. This delay is the shortest time interval measured to date. ... > full story
Keeping trains on track: Early-warning hazard system for the world's railways (July 27, 2010) -- Researchers are collecting high-tech sensing data from satellites, airplanes, magnetic and soil sensors, and unmanned aircraft to devise a solution that will provide a reliable early-warning system for train operators. ... > full story
Experiments narrow allowed mass range for Higgs boson (July 26, 2010) -- New constraints on the elusive Higgs particle are more stringent than ever before. Scientists of the CDF and DZero collider experiments at the US Department of Energy's Fermilab have revealed their latest Higgs search results, which rule out a significant fraction of the allowed mass range established by earlier experiments. ... > full story
Arctic voyage illuminating ocean optics (July 26, 2010) -- During NASA's ICESCAPE voyage to the Arctic, scientists have been looking at the phytoplankton in the Arctic's Chukchi Sea -- how many, how big and at what depths they are found. But there are other ways of looking at these small life forms. ... > full story
What does your avatar say about you? (July 26, 2010) -- Old or young, beautiful or sinister - the choices are endless when designing an avatar or a virtual alter ego. In the end, do people choose one that is really different from themselves? Usually not, according to new research that shows in most cases, avatars reflect the personality of their creators. The study has implications for real-life companies who would like to reach both the virtual and real-world markets. ... > full story
Noninvasive MR imaging of blood vessel growth in tumors using nanosized contrast agents (July 26, 2010) -- Scientists have incorporated nanotechnology, material science, and the clinical imaging modality MRI, to create a nanosized probe capable of noninvasively visualizing and quantifying the blood vessel growth in tumors in a preclinical model. Studies in cell and preclinical animal models showed increase uptake of vascular targeted-nanoprobes over non-targeted nanoprobes. ... > full story
Position-based quantum cryptography: New method for securing location-sensitive data (July 26, 2010) -- Computer scientists have proved that cryptography, the practice and study of hiding information, based solely on location is possible by using quantum mechanics. This allows one to encrypt and decrypt data without pre-sharing any cryptographic keys that can be used to lock and unlock sensitive information. The idea behind location-based cryptography is that only a recipient at a precise geographic location can receive an encrypted message. ... > full story
An alchemist’s dream: Lead-free electronics (July 26, 2010) -- It’s been said that the typical mobile phone contains roughly half of all elements found on the Periodic Table. One of the most problematic substances used in phones and other electronics is lead. But making lead-free electronics has proved problematic – until now. Researchers have now developed a method that enables the industrial production of a substance that can be used to replace lead in many electronic applications. ... > full story
Largest particle accelerator 'rediscovers' fundamental subatomic particles (July 26, 2010) -- The world's largest particle accelerator -- Europe's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) -- has yielded its first measurements of fundamental subatomic particles, so far confirming physicists' Standard Model but also paving the way to future discoveries that may offer new insights into the forces that govern the universe. ... > full story
Storm elves and sprites recorded on video (July 26, 2010) -- A team of Spanish researchers has made a high-speed recording of elves and sprites in storms, fleeting and luminous electric phenomena produced in the upper layers of the atmosphere. ... > full story
New antibacterial material for bandages, food packaging, shoes (July 26, 2010) -- A new form of paper with the built-in ability to fight disease-causing bacteria could have applications that range from antibacterial bandages to food packaging that keeps food fresher longer to shoes that ward off foot odor. The new material consists of the thinnest possible sheets of carbon. ... > full story
A plane that lands like a bird (July 26, 2010) -- Everyone knows what it's like for an airplane to land: the slow maneuvering into an approach pattern, the long descent, and the brakes slamming on as soon as the plane touches down, which seems to just barely bring it to a rest a mile later. Birds, however, can switch from barreling forward at full speed to lightly touching down on a target as narrow as a telephone wire. Why can't an airplane be more like a bird? ... > full story
Organic nanoelectronics a step closer (July 26, 2010) -- Scientists have effectively discovered a way to order the molecules in the PEDOT, the single most industrially important conducting polymer. ... > full story
Simpler method for building varieties of nanocrystal superlattices (July 26, 2010) -- Researchers have created a simple and inexpensive method to rapidly grow centimeter-scale membranes of binary nanocrystal superlattices, or BNSLs, by crystallizing a mixture of nanocrystals on a liquid surface. ... > full story
Stop or speed through a yellow light? That is the question (July 26, 2010) -- Are you, as a driver, more likely to stop or to speed through a yellow light? ... > full story
Toward a new generation of superplastics (July 25, 2010) -- Scientists are reporting an in-depth validation of the discovery of the world's first mass producible, low-cost, organoclays for plastics. The powdered material, made from natural clay, would be a safer, more environmentally friendly replacement for the compound widely used to make plastics nanocomposites. ... > full story
3-D gesture-based interaction system unveiled (July 25, 2010) -- Touch screens such as those found on the iPhone or iPad are the latest form of technology allowing interaction with smart phones, computers and other devices. However, scientists in Germany have developed the next generation non-contact gesture and finger recognition system. The novel system detects hand and finger positions in real-time and translates these into appropriate interaction commands. Furthermore, the system does not require special gloves or markers and is capable of supporting multiple users. ... > full story
Researchers calculate the cost of CO<sub>2</sub> emissions, call for carbon tax (July 25, 2010) -- Researchers are calling on policymakers to encourage the transition from coal-based electricity production to a system based on natural gas through a carbon tax. ... > full story
Graphene oxide gets green: Environmentally friendly ways to make it in bulk, break it down (July 25, 2010) -- Scientists have found a way to synthesize graphene oxide in bulk in an environmentally friendly way, eliminating toxic and explosive chemicals from the process. They have also found a class of common bacteria breaks down graphene oxide into environmentally benign graphene. ... > full story
Predicting nanoparticle structures: Standard chemical reactions show the way (July 25, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered a way to predict the organization of nanoparticles in larger forms by treating them much the same as ensembles of molecules formed from standard chemical reactions. ... > full story
Nanowick at heart of new system to cool 'power electronics' (July 25, 2010) -- Researchers have shown that an advanced cooling technology being developed for high-power electronics in military and automotive systems is capable of handling roughly 10 times the heat generated by conventional computer chips. ... > full story
Nanoparticles in English ivy may hold the key to making sunscreen safer and more effective (July 25, 2010) -- Researchers have found that nanoparticles in ivy may protect skin from UV radiation at least four times better than the metal-based sunblocks found on store shelves today. ... > full story
Graphene organic photovoltaics: Flexible material only a few atoms thick may offer cheap solar power (July 24, 2010) -- A research team has produced flexible transparent carbon atom films that the researchers say have great potential for a new breed of solar cells. ... > full story
Virtual reality gives insight on protein structures (July 24, 2010) -- To understand a protein, it helps to get inside of it, and a professor has now figured out a way to do so. A new computer software program and projection system lets a person look at larger-than-life, 3-D structures of proteins in virtual reality. This allows scientists to walk inside, through or around the protein of interest for investigating its structure and function. ... > full story
NASA spacecraft camera yields most accurate Mars map (July 24, 2010) -- A camera aboard NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft has helped develop the most accurate global Martian map ever. Researchers and the public can access the map via several websites and explore and survey the entire surface of the Red Planet. ... > full story
Charging up electric car batteries in environmentally-friendly way (July 24, 2010) -- Electromobility makes sense only if car batteries are charged using electricity from renewable energy sources. But the supply of green electricity is not always adequate. An intelligent charging station can help, by adapting the recharging times to suit energy supply and network capacity. ... > full story
Out of the gait: Robot ranger sets untethered 'walking' record at 14.3 miles (July 23, 2010) -- The loneliness of the long-distance robot: A robot named Ranger walked 14.3 miles in about 11 hours, setting an unofficial world record. A human -- armed with nothing more than a standard remote control for toys -- steered the untethered robot. ... > full story
Cancer-metabolism link runs deep in humans, novel network algorithm suggests (July 23, 2010) -- Eighty years ago, the medical establishment believed cancer was caused by a dysfunction of metabolism, but the idea went out of vogue. Now, scientists are again looking at metabolism and its role in cancer and other common diseases. ... > full story
Supercomputer reproduces a cyclone's birth, may boost forecasting (July 23, 2010) -- Scientists have employed NASA's Pleiades supercomputer and atmospheric data to simulate tropical cyclone Nargis -- with the first model to replicate the formation of the tropical cyclone five days in advance. ... > full story
How do cells die? Biophotonic tools reveal real-time dynamics in living color (July 23, 2010) -- Apoptosis, programmed cell death, is essential to normal development, healthy immune system function, and cancer prevention. The process dramatically transforms cellular structures but the limitations of conventional microscopy methods have kept much about this structural reorganization a mystery. ... > full story
Nanoparticles as destructive beacons to zap tumors (July 23, 2010) -- A group of researchers is developing a way to treat cancer by using lasers to light up tiny nanoparticles and destroy tumors with the ensuing heat. ... > full story
New technique for studying dark energy (July 23, 2010) -- A new but technically challenging observational "shortcut" will help make large-scale cosmic maps that can yield clues to to the nature of the mysterious "dark energy" that pervades the universe. ... > full story
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