ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Thursday, May 26, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Thursday, May 26, 2011

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Carrying humans into deep space: NASA announces key decision for next deep space transportation system (May 26, 2011) -- NASA has reached an important milestone for the next U.S. transportation system that will carry humans into deep space. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden announced May 25, 2011 that the system will be based on designs originally planned for the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle. Those plans now will be used to develop a new spacecraft known as the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV). ... > full story

Violent video games reduce brain response to violence and increase aggressive behavior, study suggests (May 26, 2011) -- Scientists have known for years that playing violent video games causes players to become more aggressive. The findings of a new study provide one explanation for why this occurs: the brains of violent video game players become less responsive to violence, and this diminished brain response predicts an increase in aggression. ... > full story

Electron is surprisingly spherical, say scientists following 10-year study (May 25, 2011) -- Scientists have made the most accurate measurement yet of the shape of the humble electron, finding that it is almost a perfect sphere. The experiment suggests that if the electron were magnified to the size of the solar system, it would still appear spherical to within the width of a human hair. ... > full story

Trash to treasure: Turning steel-mill waste into bricks (May 25, 2011) -- Scientists are reporting development and successful testing of a promising new way of using a troublesome byproduct of the global steel industry as raw materials for bricks that can be used in construction projects. ... > full story

Cosmic explosion is new candidate for most distant object in the universe (May 25, 2011) -- A gamma-ray burst detected by NASA's Swift satellite in April 2009 has been newly unveiled as a candidate for the most distant object in the universe. At an estimated distance of 13.14 billion light years, the burst lies far beyond any known quasar and could be more distant than any previously known galaxy or gamma-ray burst. ... > full story

Sustainable 'bio-derived' jet fuel industry is achievable (May 25, 2011) -- Establishing an economically and environmentally beneficial, "bio-derived" Australian and New Zealand aviation fuels industry is a viable proposition, according to a new report. ... > full story

Using microbes to generate electricity? (May 25, 2011) -- Using bacteria to generate energy is a significant step closer following a breakthrough discovery. Researchers now demonstrate for the first time the exact molecular structure of the proteins which enable bacterial cells to transfer electrical charge. ... > full story

NASA's Spirit Rover completes mission on Mars (May 25, 2011) -- NASA has ended operational planning activities for the Mars rover Spirit and transitioned the Mars Exploration Rover Project to a single-rover operation focused on Spirit's still-active twin, Opportunity. ... > full story

New bandwidth management techniques boost operating efficiency in multi-core chips (May 25, 2011) -- Researchers have developed two new techniques to help maximize the performance of multi-core computer chips by allowing them to retrieve data more efficiently, which boosts chip performance by 10 to 40 percent. ... > full story

Brilliant but solitary superstar discovered in nearby galaxy (May 25, 2011) -- An extraordinarily bright isolated star has been found in a nearby galaxy -- the star is three million times brighter than the Sun. All previous similar "superstars" were found in star clusters, but this brilliant beacon shines in solitary splendor. The origin of this star is mysterious: did it form in isolation or was it ejected from a cluster? Either option challenges astronomers' understanding of star formation. ... > full story

Improving health assessments with a single cell: Portable microchip for immune monitoring and clinical applications (May 25, 2011) -- There's a wealth of health information hiding in the human immune system. Accessing it, however, can be very challenging, as the many and complex roles that the immune system plays can mask the critical information that is relevant to addressing specific health issues. Now, research has shown that a new generation of microchips can quickly and inexpensively assess immune function. ... > full story

Kepler's astounding haul of multiple-planet systems (May 25, 2011) -- NASA's Kepler spacecraft is proving itself to be a prolific planet hunter. Within just the first four months of data, astronomers have found evidence for more than 1,200 planetary candidates. Of those, 408 reside in systems containing two or more planets, and most of those look very different than our solar system. ... > full story

Hips take walking in stride, ankles put best foot forward in run (May 25, 2011) -- In a first-of-its-kind study comparing human walking and running motions -- and whether the hips, knees or ankles are the most important power sources for these motions -- researchers show that the hips generate more of the power when people walk, but the ankles generate more of the power when humans run. Knees provide approximately one-fifth or less of walking or running power. ... > full story

Simple method of dealing with harmful radioactive iodine discovered (May 25, 2011) -- A novel way to immobilize radioactive forms of iodine using a microwave has been discovered. Iodine radioisotopes are produced by fission of uranium fuel in a nuclear reactor. Radioactive iodine is of concern because it is highly mobile in the environment and selective uptake by the thyroid gland can pose a significant cancer risk following long term exposure. ... > full story

Seeing an atomic thickness (May 25, 2011) -- Scientists in the UK and Sweden have shown that regions of graphene of different thickness can be easily identified in ambient conditions using electrostatic force microscopy. ... > full story

Once thought a rival phase, antiferromagnetism coexists with superconductivity (May 25, 2011) -- Using neutron scattering and scanning tunneling microscopy, an international team of researchers found that antiantiferromagnetism co-exists -- rather than exclusively competing -- with superconductivity, according to a new study. The findings add further evidence to the team's earlier discovery that spin excitations play a crucial role in superconductivity. ... > full story

Expanded Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope flexing new scientific muscle (May 25, 2011) -- The famous Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope has become the Expanded VLA -- a completely new scientific instrument with dramatically improved capabilities. Results from early users show these new capabilities can impact nearly the entire breadth of astronomical research. ... > full story

A new system increases network communication security and anonymity (May 25, 2011) -- Researchers have developed an anonymous system with automatic routing management. The system sets up a data transmission communication environment whose users are unidentifiable. This safeguards user privacy, as well as improving information exchange security, making both data sending and receiving more effective. To do this, it uses multipoint software based on client-server applications. ... > full story

How to learn a star's true age (May 24, 2011) -- For many movie stars, their age is a well-kept secret. In space, the same is true of the actual stars. Like our sun, most stars look almost the same for most of their lives. So how can we tell if a star is one billion or 10 billion years old? Astronomers may have found a solution -- measuring the star's spin. ... > full story

Biomedical engineering students fight hypothermia on the battlefield (May 24, 2011) -- A team of biomedical engineering students is developing a new device to combat hypothermia among wounded soldiers. ... > full story

Too easy to steal cargo from transport networks: Research points to solutions (May 24, 2011) -- Each year, billions of euros worth of goods are being stolen from European transport networks. A discouraged transport and logistics sector has more or less chosen to tolerate the problem. But there are solutions, according to one researcher. ... > full story

Universe's not-so-missing mass (May 24, 2011) -- An Australian student has made a breakthrough in the field of astrophysics, discovering what has until now been described as the universe's "missing mass." Amelia Fraser-McKelvie, working within a team of physicists, conducted a targeted X-ray search for the matter and within just three months found it – or at least some of it. ... > full story

Mathematically ranking ranking methods (May 24, 2011) -- In a world where everything from placement in a Google search result to World Cup eligibility depends on ranking and numerical ratings of some kind, it is becoming increasingly important to analyze the algorithms and techniques that underlie such ranking methods in order to ensure fairness, eliminate bias and tailor them to specific applications. A new paper three commonly used ranking methods. ... > full story

Nearby supernova factory ramps up (May 24, 2011) -- A local supernova factory has recently started production, according to a wealth of new data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory on the Carina Nebula. This discovery may help astronomers better understand how some of the Galaxy's heaviest and youngest stars race through their lives and release newly-forged elements into their surroundings. ... > full story

New way to analyze a bloody crime scene: Chicken wing sauce and trigonometry brought to bear on CSI enigma (May 24, 2011) -- Physicists have worked out a system that can often determine exactly where blood spatters originate, a critical piece of evidence in not only solving a crime but securing a conviction. ... > full story

Common fire retardant harmful to aquatic life (May 24, 2011) -- Environmental health researchers found that zebra fish exposed to several different technical mixtures of polybrominated diphenyl ethers -- a common fire retardant -- during early development can have developmental malformations, changes in behavior and death. ... > full story

Violence doesn't add to children's enjoyment of TV shows, movies (May 24, 2011) -- Despite growing concern about the effects of media violence on children, violent television shows and movies continue to be produced and marketed to them. A new research study concludes that violence doesn't add anything to their enjoyment of such programs and their characters. ... > full story

Novel artificial material could facilitate wireless power (May 24, 2011) -- Electrical engineers have determined that unique artificial materials should theoretically make it possible to improve the power transfer to small devices, such as laptops or cell phones, or ultimately to larger ones, such as cars or elevators, without wires. ... > full story

Hubble views the star that changed the universe (May 24, 2011) -- Though the universe is filled with billions upon billions of stars, the discovery of a single variable star in 1923 altered the course of modern astronomy. And, at least one famous astronomer of the time lamented that the discovery had shattered his world view. The star goes by the inauspicious name of Hubble variable number one, or V1, and resides in the outer regions of the neighboring Andromeda galaxy, or M31. ... > full story

Particle trap paves way for personalized medicine (May 24, 2011) -- Researchers have trapped individual charged particles in an aqueous solution using a method called "Paul trapping," which uses oscillating electric fields to confine the particles to a space only nanometers in size. The technique paves the way for DNA trapping and sequencing, which would allow for diagnostic testing, therapies and treatments based on each patient's individual genetic makeup. ... > full story

Supercapacitors: Cheaper, greener, alternative energy storage (May 24, 2011) -- Students are working on a supercapacitor that will allow us to harness more solar energy through biochar electrodes for supercapacitors, resulting in a cleaner, greener planet. ... > full story

New device could reduce surgical scarring (May 24, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a special wound dressing that they report was able to significantly reduced scar tissue caused by incisions. ... > full story

Ants give new evidence for interaction networks (May 24, 2011) -- Social networks may function differently than previously thought, researchers have discovered by taking clues from ant colonies. ... > full story

'Surrogates' aid design of complex parts and controlling video games (May 24, 2011) -- Researchers have defined a new class of software, calling it "surrogate interaction," which enables designers and video gamers to more easily change features of complex objects like automotive drawings or animated characters. ... > full story

NASA's two lunar-bound spacecraft, vacuum-packed (May 24, 2011) -- NASA's two Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (Grail) spacecraft have completed all assembly and testing prior to shipment to Florida. ... > full story

Poorer reading skills following changed computer habits of children (May 24, 2011) -- Sweden and the US are two countries in which increased leisure use of computers by children can lead to poorer reading ability, according to a new analysis. ... > full story

California's energy future: Aggressive efficiency and electrification needed to cut emissions (May 24, 2011) -- In the next 40 years, California's demand for energy is expected to double. So can it really reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, as required by an executive order? Scientists who authored a new report on California's energy future are optimistic that the target can be achieved, though not without bold policy and behavioral changes as well as some scientific innovation. ... > full story

World record in ultra-rapid data transmission (May 23, 2011) -- Scientists in Germany have succeeded in encoding data at a rate of 26 terabits per second on a single laser beam, transmitting the data over a distance of 50 kilometers, and decoding the information successfully. This is the largest data volume ever transported on a laser beam. The process enables the transmission of 700 DVDs' worth of content in just one second. ... > full story

Used football faceshields are susceptible to breaking on impact (May 23, 2011) -- Game-worn football faceshields are more susceptible to breaking when subjected to high-velocity impact than are new faceshields, according to new research. Researchers shot baseballs at new and used polycarbonate faceshields. All of the new shields withstood the strongest impact tested, which was designed to match the force of a kick to the face. More than a third of the game-worn faceshields fractured in response to the testing, which included lower forces of impact as well. ... > full story

High performance electric motorcycle developed (May 23, 2011) -- Engineers have developed a prototype of a high-performance electric motorcycle, which has recently participated in the first electric motorcycle world championship. ... > full story

Just four percent of galaxies have neighbors like the Milky Way (May 23, 2011) -- How unique is the Milky Way? To find out, astrophysicists compared the Milky Way to similar galaxies and found that just four percent are like the galaxy Earth calls home. ... > full story

Portable hydrogen reactor for fuel cells (May 23, 2011) -- Chemical engineering students have developed a portable microreactor that converts liquid fuels into hydrogen for fuel cell batteries. ... > full story

Genomics and social network analysis team up to solve disease outbreaks (May 23, 2011) -- Combining the cutting-edge technology of whole genome sequencing of bacteria with social networking analysis, public health officials can get a more detailed picture of disease outbreaks that will better help track and stop them, say researchers say. ... > full story

Black holes spin faster and faster (May 23, 2011) -- Astronomers have found that the giant black holes in the center of galaxies are on average spinning faster than at any time in the history of the universe. Scientists made the new discovery by using radio, optical and X-ray data. ... > full story

Species reemergence after collapse: Possible but different, mathematical model shows (May 23, 2011) -- Species pairs that disappear through hybridization after human-induced changes to the environment can reemerge if the disturbance is removed, according to a new mathematical model that shows the conditions under which reemergence might happen. ... > full story

To bluff, or not to bluff? Modern-day game theory techniques sheds light on legendary military bluffs (May 23, 2011) -- In a new article, an economist has used game theory to explore two of the most famous military bluffs in history. ... > full story

New green technology for hydrogen production (May 23, 2011) -- A researcher has completed a proof-of-concept for a new and clean technology to produce high purity hydrogen from natural gas. This allows hydrogen to be produced in an elegant technique at much lower temperatures, and without releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. ... > full story

Scientists present Large Hadron Collider findings at Quark Matter 2011 Conference (May 23, 2011) -- Scientists have presented findings from three Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiments that study lead ion collisions at the annual Quark Matter conference, held this year in Annecy, France. The results are based on analysis of data collected during the last two weeks of the 2010 LHC run, when the LHC switched from protons to lead-ions. ... > full story

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