ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Wednesday, August 3, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Wednesday, August 3, 2011

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Engineers develop one-way transmission system for sound waves (August 3, 2011) -- While many hotel rooms, recording studios, and even some homes are built with materials to help absorb or reflect sound, mechanisms to truly control the direction of sound waves are still in their infancy. However, researchers have now created the first tunable acoustic diode -- a device that allows acoustic information to travel only in one direction, at controllable frequencies. ... > full story

Special software helps researchers identify individual animals when studying behavior in the wild (August 3, 2011) -- With the aim of better protecting endangered species, game wardens are studying the behavior of surviving great apes in the wild. This is often painstaking work because it is difficult to distinguish between different individuals. A new software system will make things easier by analyzing the animals' faces for individual identification. ... > full story

A simple slice of energy storage (August 3, 2011) -- Turning graphite oxide (GO) into full-fledged supercapacitors turns out to be simple. But until a laboratory figured out how, it was anything but obvious. ... > full story

RIBA-II: The next generation care-giving robot (August 3, 2011) -- A new robot using high-precision tactile sensors and flexible motor control technology has taken Japan one step closer to its goal of providing high-quality care for its growing elderly population. The new robot can lift a patient up to 80 kilograms in weight off floor-level bedding and into a wheelchair, freeing care facility personnel of one of their most difficult and energy-consuming tasks. ... > full story

The origin of comet material formed at high temperatures (August 2, 2011) -- Comets are icy bodies, yet they are made of materials formed at very high temperatures. Where do these materials come from? Researchers have now provided the physical explanation behind this phenomenon. They have demonstrated how these materials migrated from the hottest parts of the solar system to its outer regions before entering the composition of comets. ... > full story

A bit of boron, a pinch of palladium: One-stop shop for the Suzuki reaction (August 2, 2011) -- Thanks to chemists in Munich, a crucial type of intermediate in the so-called Suzuki reaction can now be synthesized using an economical "one-pot" strategy. These compounds are used on an industrial scale to make the carbon scaffolds that form the basis of useful drugs and innovative materials. ... > full story

Avoiding Nemesis: Does impact rate for asteroids and comets vary periodically with time? (August 2, 2011) -- Is Earth more likely or less likely to be hit by an asteroid or comet now as compared to, say, 20 million years ago? Several studies have claimed to have found periodic variations, with the probability of giant impacts increasing and decreasing in a regular pattern. Now a new analysis shows those simple periodic patterns to be statistical artifacts. The results indicate either that Earth is as likely to suffer a major impact now as it was in the past, or that there has been a slight increase impact rate events over the past 250 million years. ... > full story

Solar cells get a boost from bouncing light (August 2, 2011) -- A new twist on an old solar cell design sends light ricocheting through layers of microscopic spheres, increasing its electricity-generating potential by 26 percent. ... > full story

Digital photos can animate a face so it ages and moves before your eyes (August 2, 2011) -- Computer scientists have created a way to take images from the web or personal photos collections and in seconds create an animation of a person's face. The tool can make a face appear to age over time, or gradually change the expression from a smile to a frown. ... > full story

Dream screens from graphene: Indium-free transparent, flexible electrodes developed (August 2, 2011) -- Flexible, transparent electronics are closer to reality with the creation of graphene-based electrodes. Researchers have created thin films that could revolutionize touch-screen displays, solar panels and LED lighting. ... > full story

Engineers fly world's first 'printed' aircraft (August 2, 2011) -- Engineers have designed and flown the world's first 'printed' aircraft, which could revolutionize the economics of aircraft design. ... > full story

Exposure to magnetic fields in pregnancy increases asthma risk, study suggests (August 2, 2011) -- Women with high exposure to magnetic fields during pregnancy may have a higher risk of asthma in their children, according to a new study. ... > full story

Mission to Jupiter: Gas giant may hold keys to understanding solar system formation, evolution (August 2, 2011) -- NASA's Juno Mission to Jupiter is slated for launch Aug. 5 from Florida's Kennedy Space Center. The primary goal of the mission is to understand the origin and evolution of the massive gas planet. The data should reveal not only the conditions of the early solar system, but also help scientists to better understand the hundreds of planetary systems recently discovered around other stars, she said. ... > full story

Computers: The art of magnetic writing (August 2, 2011) -- Miniaturization in computer hard drives allows us to store vast amounts of digital data in a very small space, but it has created numerous problems that physicists and engineers are struggling to solve. The process of writing information on tiny magnetic bits one by one, as fast as possible, and with little energy consumption, represents one of the biggest hurdles in this field. Now, scientists in Europe have discovered a new method to write magnetic data that fulfills all of these requirements. ... > full story

Bionic microrobot mimics the 'water strider' and walks on water (August 2, 2011) -- Scientists are reporting development of a new aquatic microrobot that mimics the amazing water-walking abilities of the water strider -- the long-legged insect that scoots across the surface of ponds, lakes and other waterways. The bionic microrobot incorporates improvements over previous devices of this kind that position it as a prime candidate for military spy missions, water pollution monitoring, and other applications, the scientists say. ... > full story

Restoring blood flow after a heart attack: Nanostructure promotes growth of new blood vessels, mimics natural protein (August 2, 2011) -- Tissue deprived of oxygen (ischemia) is a serious health condition that can lead to damaged heart tissue following a heart attack and, in the case of peripheral arterial disease in limbs, amputation, particularly in diabetic patients. Now researchers have developed a novel nanostructure that promotes the growth of new blood vessels and shows promise as a therapy for conditions where increased blood flow is needed to supply oxygen to tissue. ... > full story

New sensor promises rapid detection of dangerous heavy metal levels in humans (August 2, 2011) -- Researchers have developed the first lab-on-a-chip sensor to provide fast feedback regarding levels of the heavy metal manganese in humans. The sensor is both environmentally and child friendly, and will first be field tested in Marietta, Ohio, where researchers arae leading a long-term health study on the potential health effects of heavy metals. ... > full story

A new catalyst for ethanol made from biomass: Potential renewable path to fuel additives, rubber and solvents (August 2, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new catalyst material that could replace chemicals currently derived from petroleum and be the basis for more environmentally friendly products including octane-boosting gas and fuel additives, bio-based rubber for tires and a safer solvent for the chemicals industry. ... > full story

Artificial nanoparticles influence heart rate and rhythm, study finds (August 2, 2011) -- Artificial nanoparticles are becoming increasingly pervasive in modern life. However, their influences on our health remain largely shrouded in mystery. Using a so-called Langendorff heart, a team of scientists in Germany has now for the first time shown that selected artificial nanoparticles have a direct effect on heart rate and heart rhythm. ... > full story

Sugar doesn't melt -- it decomposes, scientists demonstrate (August 2, 2011) -- Flying in the face of years of scientific belief, researchers have demonstrated that sugar doesn't melt, it decomposes. This discovery is important to food scientists and candy lovers because it will give them yummier caramel flavors and more tantalizing textures. It even gives the pharmaceutical industry a way to improve excipients, the proverbial spoonful of sugar that helps your medicine go down. ... > full story

In the battle to relieve back aches, researchers create bioengineered spinal disc implants (August 1, 2011) -- Engineers and doctors have created a biologically based spinal implant that could someday spell relief for these countless back and neck pain sufferers. ... > full story

NASA's Dawn spacecraft begins science orbits of Vesta (August 1, 2011) -- NASA's Dawn spacecraft, the first ever to orbit an object in the main asteroid belt, is spiraling towards its first of four intensive science orbits. That initial orbit of the rocky world Vesta begins Aug. 11, at an altitude of nearly 1,700 miles (2,700 kilometers) and will provide in-depth analysis of the asteroid. Vesta is the brightest object in the asteroid belt as seen from Earth and is thought to be the source of a large number of meteorites that fall to Earth. ... > full story

Nobel Prize winner’s unfinished symphony (August 1, 2011) -- When Robert Burns Woodward passed away in 1979 he left 699 pages of handwritten notes. Because R.B. Woodward was a Nobel Laureate (Chemistry, 1965) his family had carefully preserved his notes for posterity. An extensive study has now uncovered hidden treasures in these notes. ... > full story

Oxygen molecules found in nearby star-forming cloud (August 1, 2011) -- The European Space Agency's Herschel Space Observatory has found molecules of oxygen in a nearby star-forming cloud. This is the first undisputed detection of oxygen molecules in space. It concludes a long search but also leaves questions unanswered. ... > full story

New composite material may restore damaged soft tissue (August 1, 2011) -- Biomedical engineers have developed a new liquid material that in early experiments in rats and humans shows promise in restoring damaged soft tissue relatively safely and durably. The material, a composite of biological and synthetic molecules, is injected under the skin, then "set" using light to form a more solid structure, like using cold to set gelatin in a mold. The researchers say the product one day could be used to reconstruct soldier's faces marred by blast injuries. ... > full story

Greenhouse gas impact of hydroelectric reservoirs downgraded (August 1, 2011) -- Scientists have amassed the largest data set to date on greenhouse gas emissions from hydroelectric reservoirs. Their analysis posits that these human-made systems emit about one-sixth of the carbon dioxide and methane previously attributed to them. ... > full story

Cold electrons to aid better design of drugs and materials (August 1, 2011) -- A new source of very cold electrons will improve the quality and speed of nanoimaging for drug and materials development, to a trillionth of a second. ... > full story

Helping children learn to understand numbers: It's all in the way we speak to them (August 1, 2011) -- Most people know how to count, but the way we master this ability remains something of a puzzle. Now a formal model of the cognitive basis of counting has been developed. ... > full story

Manipulating light at will: Research could help replace electronic components with optical technology (August 1, 2011) -- Electrical engineers have developed a material that allows them to manipulate light in much the same way that electronics manipulate flowing electrons. The researchers say the results of their latest proof-of-concept experiments could lead to the replacement of electrical components with those based on optical technologies. Light-based devices would enable faster and more efficient transmission of information, much in the same way that replacing wires with optical fibers revolutionized the telecommunications industry. ... > full story

In the pursuit of dangerous clumps: Customized surfaces help reveal the causes of diseases (August 1, 2011) -- When normal proteins form protein clumps in the body, then alarm bells start ringing. Such clumps, called "amyloids," are closely associated with Alzheimer's disease and Type 2 diabetes. If doctors knew how these proteins form clumps, then they might be able to treat such diseases more efficiently. Researchers in Germany and Denmark have now succeeded in taking a major step in that direction. ... > full story

'Wonder material' graphene tapped for electronic memory devices (August 1, 2011) -- Hailed as the new "wonder material," graphene is being tapped to help overcome issues associated with increasing the storage density and speed of electronic memory devices. ... > full story

Chemists transform acids into bases: Research offers vast family of new catalysts for use in drug discovery, biotechnology (August 1, 2011) -- Chemists have accomplished in the lab what until now was considered impossible: transform a family of compounds which are acids into bases. Their research shows it is possible to replace phosphorus ligands in catalysts with boron ligands. While phosphorus is toxic, boron is not. The research makes possible a vast array of chemical reactions -- such as those used in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, manufacturing new materials and research academic institutions. ... > full story

Scientists build battery in a nanowire: Hybrid energy storage device is as small as it can possibly get (August 1, 2011) -- Scientists have packed an entire lithium ion energy storage device into a single nanowire. The researchers believe their creation is as small as such devices can possibly get, and could be valuable as a rechargeable power source for new generations of nanoelectronics. ... > full story

Engineering innovative hand-held lab-on-a-chip could streamline blood testing worldwide (August 1, 2011) -- Biomedical engineering professors have developed an innovative strategy for an integrated microfluidic-based diagnostic device that can perform complex laboratory assays, with such simplicity that these tests can be carried out in the most remote regions of the world. Successfully tested in Rwanda, the mChip diagnoses diseases like HIV and syphilis at patients' bedsides. ... > full story

Elliptical galaxies are not dead (August 1, 2011) -- Initial results from research carried out as part of the Atlas3D project on two elliptical galaxies could, if they are confirmed, call into question the current model of the formation of galaxies. ... > full story

Electronic tongue identifies cava wines (August 1, 2011) -- Researchers have developed an electronic tongue which can identify different types of cava wines, thanks to a combination of sensor systems and advanced mathematical procedures. The device automatically produces classifications similar to those of a sommelier and can be useful in detecting defects during the elaboration of these wines. ... > full story

Possible association between maternal exposure to magnetic fields and development of asthma in children (August 1, 2011) -- Children whose mothers had high exposure to magnetic fields (MF) during pregnancy appear to have an increased risk of developing asthma, according to a new study. ... > full story

Debating the safety of cell phone use (August 1, 2011) -- The dangers of cell phones have led to preventive policies in France, Israel, Finland and India, and there are simple ways to minimize the health risks associated with exposure to the radiation energy they emit, according to researchers. ... > full story

NASA's Dawn spacecraft views dark side of Vesta (August 1, 2011) -- Dawn took a new image over Vesta's northern hemisphere after the spacecraft completed its first passage over the dark side of the giant asteroid. It is northern hemisphere winter on Vesta now, so its north pole is in deep shadow. ... > full story

Herschel telescope detects oxygen molecules in space (August 1, 2011) -- The Herschel Space Observatory's large telescope and state-of-the-art infrared detectors have provided the first confirmed finding of oxygen molecules in space. The molecules were discovered in the Orion star-forming complex. Individual atoms of oxygen are common in space, particularly around massive stars. But molecular oxygen, which makes up about 20 percent of the air we breathe, has eluded astronomers until now. ... > full story

Discovery of Alfvén waves in the corona of the Sun (August 1, 2011) -- For the very first time, powerful Alfvén waves -- magnetic plasma waves -- have been observed in the Sun’s corona. The plasma in the observed waves moves at speeds of 20 km/s and the waves themselves propagate at high speeds of 200 to 250 km/s. The discovery of these powerful Alfvén waves is important because they may explain the high temperatures in the sun’s corona and the high speeds of solar wind. ... > full story

Sun-free photovoltaics: Materials engineered to give off precisely tuned wavelengths of light when heated (July 31, 2011) -- A new photovoltaic energy-conversion system can be powered solely by heat, generating electricity with no sunlight at all. While the principle involved is not new, a novel way of engineering the surface of a material to convert heat into precisely tuned wavelengths of light -- selected to match the wavelengths that photovoltaic cells can best convert to electricity -- makes the new system much more efficient than previous versions. ... > full story

Discovery of a new magnetic order (July 31, 2011) -- Physicists have discovered a regular lattice of stable magnetic skyrmions -- radial spiral structures made up of atomic-scale spins -- on a surface instead of in bulk materials. Such tiny formations could one day form the basis of a new generation of smaller and more efficient data storage units in the field of information technology. ... > full story

Warmed-up organic memory transistor has larger memory capacity (July 30, 2011) -- Scientists show that non-volatile memory made from a sandwich of silver nanoparticle-laced plastic retains its on/off state over a wider voltage range when operating at toasty temperatures. ... > full story

Motorcycle helmets hard on hearing (July 30, 2011) -- Motorcycle helmets, while protecting bikers' brains, may also be contributing to hearing loss. Scientists mapped the airflow and noise patterns to find out why. ... > full story

Averting bridge disasters: New technology could save hundreds of lives (July 30, 2011) -- Millions of US drivers cross faulty or obsolete bridges every day, highway statistics show, but it's too costly to fix these spans or adequately monitor their safety, says a researcher who's developed a new, affordable early warning system. This wireless technology could avert the kind of fatal disaster along Minneapolis' I-35W on Aug. 1, 2007, he says -- and do so at one-one-hundredth the cost of current wired systems. ... > full story

Powerful fluorescence tool lights the way to new insights into RNA of living cells (July 30, 2011) -- The ability to tag proteins with a green fluorescent light to watch how they behave inside cells so revolutionized the understanding of protein biology that it earned the scientific teams who developed the technique Nobel Prizes in 2008. Now, researchers have developed a similar fluorescent tool that can track the mysterious workings of the various forms of cellular RNA. ... > full story

Study of golf swings pinpoints biomechanical differences between pros and amateurs (July 30, 2011) -- When it comes to hitting a golf ball hard, researchers have identified several biomechanical factors that appear to separate the duffers from the pros. ... > full story