ScienceDaily Technology Headlines
for Friday, July 30, 2010
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Best hope for saving Arctic sea ice is cutting soot emissions, say researchers (July 30, 2010) -- Soot from the burning of fossil fuels and solid biofuels contributes far more to global warming than has been thought, according to a new study. But, unlike carbon dioxide, soot lingers only a few weeks in the atmosphere, so cutting emissions could have a significant and rapid impact on the climate. Controlling it may be the only option for saving the Arctic sea ice before it all melts. ... > full story
Graphene exhibits bizarre new behavior well suited to electronic devices (July 30, 2010) -- Graphene, a sheet of pure carbon, has been touted as a possible replacement for silicon-based semiconductors because of its useful electronic properties. Now, physicists have shown that graphene has another unique and amazing property that could make it even more suitable for future electronic devices. When contorted in a specific way it sprouts nanobubbles in which electrons behave as if they are moving in a strong magnetic field. ... > full story
Polarstern expedition: Autonomous underwater vehicle dives under the Arctic ice (July 30, 2010) -- The Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in the Helmholtz Association for the first time sent its Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) on an under-ice mission at about 79° North. The four-metre-long, torpedo shaped underwater vehicle was deployed from the research icebreaker Polarstern under heavy pack ice. The vehicle was subsequently recovered by helicopter. ... > full story
Laboratory in microdrops: Credit card-size microflow system handles thousands of experiments (July 29, 2010) -- Tens of thousands of chemical and biochemical experiments may be conducted daily with the use of a microflow system of the size of a credit card, developed by scientists in Poland. The device has already been tested in research on the effectiveness of antibiotic mixtures. ... > full story
Sensing wind speed with kites (July 29, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a way to use a kite itself to measure wind speed. The instrument consists of a 2-meter-long and 1-meter-wide Rokkaku-type kite. ... > full story
Brilliant star in a colorful neighborhood (July 29, 2010) -- A spectacular new image shows the brilliant and unusual star WR 22 and its colorful surroundings. WR 22 is a very hot and bright star that is shedding its atmosphere into space at a rate many millions of times faster than the Sun. It lies in the outer part of the dramatic Carina Nebula from which it formed. ... > full story
Quantum fractals at the border of magnetism (July 29, 2010) -- Physicists are reporting new results from experiments on the perplexing class of materials that includes high-temperature superconductors. The team reports the unexpected discovery of a simple fractal form of electronic excitations in ultra-low-temperature quantum magnets at the border of magnetism. ... > full story
Planets found in unusually intimate dance around dying star (July 29, 2010) -- Astronomers have found two extrasolar planetary systems with gas giant planets locked in an orbital embrace. In one system -- a planetary pair orbiting the massive, dying star HD 200964, located roughly 223 light-years from Earth -- the intimate dance is closer and tighter than any previously seen. ... > full story
NASA simulates space exploration at remote Arctic crater site (July 29, 2010) -- NASA personnel are among a group of international researchers who are in the Canadian Arctic assessing concepts for future planetary exploration as part of the Haughton-Mars Project, or HMP-2010. Scientists are using the arid, rocky environment of the Haughton Crater on Devon Island, Canada to simulate conditions that might be encountered by explorers on other planetary bodies. The latest edition of the HMP-2010 began July 19 and includes three weeks of crew and mission control activities and robotic testing. ... > full story
Can't place that face? (July 29, 2010) -- Researchers are trying to understand the mechanisms at work in the face area of the brain called the "fusiform gyrus" by combining cognitive psychology with techniques like brain imaging and electrophysiology. This research may help business executives better match names with faces, and can lead to better facial recognition software to identify terrorists or criminals. ... > full story
Quantum phenomenon observed: Atoms form organized structure from unorganized one (July 29, 2010) -- Physicists have experimentally observed a quantum phenomenon, where an arbitrarily weak perturbation causes atoms to build an organized structure from an initially unorganized one. ... > full story
New tool for improving switchgrass (July 29, 2010) -- Scientists have developed a new tool for deciphering the genetics of a native prairie grass being widely studied for its potential as a biofuel. The genetic map of switchgrass is expected to speed up the search for genes that will make the perennial plant a more viable source of bioenergy. ... > full story
Diabetes care: Implanted glucose sensor works for more than a year in animal studies (July 29, 2010) -- Bioengineers have developed an implantable glucose sensor and wireless telemetry system that continuously monitors tissue glucose and transmits the information to an external receiver. A new article describes the use of this glucose-sensing device as an implant in animals for over one year. After human clinical trials and FDA approval, the device may be useful to people with diabetes as an alternative to finger sticking and short-term, needle-like glucose sensors that have to be replaced every three to seven days. ... > full story
Polymer passage takes time: New theory aids researchers studying DNA, protein transport (July 29, 2010) -- Researchers have created a theoretical method to calculate the time it takes long-chain polymers to pass through nano-sized pores in membranes. The researchers studied how membrane pore geometry affects the translocation of long polymers. They say the new method, works for pores of any geometry, whether they're straight, conical or made of joined cylinders of different sizes. ... > full story
Talking touchscreens aid patients (July 29, 2010) -- Multimedia talking touchscreens, housed in computer kiosks at clinics and hospitals, are helping researchers and clinicians at local health care centers enhance patient-centered care for patients with diverse language, literacy and computer skills. ... > full story
Penalty points system driver's license reduces accidents on a temporary basis, Spanish study finds (July 29, 2010) -- Researchers have determined that after the implementation in 2006 of the penalty points system driver's license in Spain, there has been a reduction of 12.6 percent in the number of deaths in highway accidents. However, the effect on fatal accidents lasted only two years. ... > full story
Three-year investigation of military munitions sea disposal site in Hawaii completed (July 29, 2010) -- The University of Hawaii at Manoa's School of Ocean Earth Science and Technology completed a three-year long investigation of Sea Disposal Site Hawaii Number 5, a deep-water military munitions disposal site in US coastal waters approximately 5 miles south of Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii. This complex investigation required the use of high-resolution sidescan sonar and remotely operated underwater vehicles to locate sea disposed munitions in water as deep as 1,500 feet. ... > full story
Nanomaterials poised for big impact in construction (July 28, 2010) -- Nanomaterials are poised for widespread use in the construction industry, where they can offer significant advantages for a variety of applications ranging from making more durable concrete to self-cleaning windows. But widespread use in building materials comes with potential environmental and health risks when those materials are thrown away. Those are the conclusions of a new study. ... > full story
Nanotechnology for water purification (July 28, 2010) -- Researchers in India are investigating the use of several nanotechnology approaches to water purification. Water purification using nanotechnology exploits nanoscopic materials such as carbon nanotubes and alumina fibers for nanofiltration ... > full story
Novel algorithm cuts the risks of choosing ineffectual team members (July 28, 2010) -- Choosing team members is a risky business whether the field is world-class soccer management or car manufacture. Researchers describe a novel algorithm that can cut the risks associated with choosing ineffectual members and so bolster success in any field involving teamwork. ... > full story
Clean technology in 'hot water' (July 28, 2010) -- What if work performed in space could improve the treatment of household and nuclear waste on Earth? That's what investigators are hoping to do with the results of a fluid physics study in progress on the International Space Station. The experiment, called DECLIC-HTI, is studying supercritical water that could lead to spin-offs in the field of clean technologies for treating waste here on Earth. ... > full story
Artificially controlling water condensation leads to 'room-temperature ice' (July 28, 2010) -- Researchers in Spain have studied the underlying mechanisms of water condensation in the troposphere and found a way to make artificial materials to control water condensation and trigger ice formation at room temperature. ... > full story
First step toward electronic DNA sequencing: Translocation through graphene nanopores (July 28, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a new, carbon-based nanoscale platform to electrically detect single DNA molecules. Using electric fields, the tiny DNA strands are pushed through nanoscale-sized thin pores in a graphene nanopore platform that ultimately may be important for fast electronic sequencing of the four chemical bases of DNA based on their unique electrical signature. ... > full story
Unexplained pattern of cosmic rays discovered (July 28, 2010) -- Researchers saw an unusual pattern when they looked at a "skymap" of the relative intensity of cosmic rays directed toward the Earth's Southern Hemisphere, with an excess of cosmic rays detected in one part of the sky and a deficit in another. A similar lopsidedness, called "anisotropy," has been seen from the Northern Hemisphere by previous experiments, but its source is still a mystery. ... > full story
Fly eye paves the way for manufacturing biomimetic surfaces (July 28, 2010) -- Rows of tiny raised blowfly corneas may be the key to easy manufacturing of biomimetic surfaces, surfaces that mimic the properties of biological tissues, according to researchers. ... > full story
Where do the drugs go? (July 28, 2010) -- Drug delivery inside the body is a complicated process. Compounds travel through a maze of aqueous solutions, lipid membranes, and barriers between the blood and tissues like the brain. New research presents a theoretical model that accurately predicts the hydration free energy (HFE) of a wide variety of organic compounds. ... > full story
Two catalysts made to work together: May lead to pharmaceuticals with less chemical waste (July 28, 2010) -- Much like two children in the back seat of a car, it can be challenging to get two catalysts to cooperate for the greater good. Now chemists have gotten two catalysts to work together -- something easily done by nature but a difficult thing to do in the laboratory. The findings will allow medicinal chemists to invent new reactions and produce valuable bioactive compounds faster with less impact on the environment. ... > full story
Engineers prove space pioneer's 25-year-old theory (July 28, 2010) -- When American space pioneer, Dr. Robert L. Forward, proposed in 1984 a way of greatly improving satellite telecommunications using a new family of orbits, some claimed it was impossible. But now engineers in Scotland have proved that Forward was right. ... > full story
Getting a step ahead of pathogens (July 28, 2010) -- A recent article examines the possibility of using epistasis to predict the outcome of the evolutionary processes, especially when the evolving units are pathogens such as viruses. ... > full story
Waste fat from frying fuels hydrogen economy (July 28, 2010) -- Don't pour that dirty fat from the fryer down the sink -- it could be used to make the fuel of the future. ... > full story
New drug delivery technique: Nanoblasts from laser-activated nanoparticles move molecules, proteins and DNA into cells (July 28, 2010) -- Using chemical "nanoblasts" that punch tiny holes in the protective membranes of cells, researchers have demonstrated a new technique for getting therapeutic small molecules, proteins and DNA directly into living cells. ... > full story
Latest 'green' packing material? Mushrooms; Packing foam engineered from mushrooms and agricultural waste (July 28, 2010) -- A new packing material that grows itself is now appearing in shipped products across the country. The composite of inedible agricultural waste and mushroom roots is called Mycobond, and its manufacture requires just one eighth the energy and one tenth the carbon dioxide of traditional foam packing material. ... > full story
Urine: Waste product or future power source? (July 28, 2010) -- Researchers in the UK are looking into the use of urine as the ‘fuel’ for microbial fuel cells (MFCs), which use bacterial cultures to break down ‘food’ to create power. MFCs are a developing technology used to power autonomous robots. ... > full story
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
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