ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Thursday, August 4, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Thursday, August 4, 2011

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Ninety-six star clusters discovered hidden behind dust of Milky Way (August 4, 2011) -- Astronomers have discovered 96 new open star clusters hidden by the dust in the Milky Way. These tiny and faint objects were invisible to previous surveys, but they could not escape the sensitive infrared detectors of the world's largest survey telescope, which can peer through the dust. This is the first time so many faint and small clusters have been found at once. ... > full story

Evolutionary computation offers flexibility, insight (August 4, 2011) -- A professor recently developed an evolutionary computation approach that offers researchers the flexibility to search for models that can best explain experimental data derived from many types of applications, including economics. ... > full story

New high-speed 3-D imaging system holds potential for improved cancer screening (August 4, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new imaging system that enables high-speed, three-dimensional (3-D) imaging of microscopic pre-cancerous changes in the esophagus or colon. The new system is based on an emerging technology called optical coherence tomography, which offers a way to see below the surface with 3-D, microscopic detail in ways that traditional screening methods can't. ... > full story

Italian academia: A family business? Statistical analysis points to high frequency of last names in disciplines, institutions (August 4, 2011) -- Unusually high clustering of last names within Italian academic institutions and disciplines indicates widespread nepotism in the country's schools, according to a new computational analysis. ... > full story

Scientists find way to identify synthetic biofuels in atmosphere (August 3, 2011) -- Chemists have discovered a technique to track urban atmospheric plumes, thanks to a unique isotopic signature found in vehicle emissions. ... > full story

Novel coatings show great promise as flame retardants in polyurethane foam (August 3, 2011) -- Gram for gram, novel carbon nanofiber-filled coatings outperformed conventional flame retardants used in the polyurethane foam of upholstered furniture chairs, and mattresses by at least 160 percent and perhaps by as much as 1,130 percent. ... > full story

Getting to the heart of the appeal of video games (August 3, 2011) -- People spend 3 billion hours a week playing video games but little is known scientifically about why they are actually fun in the first place. ... > full story

'Big splat' may explain the moon's mountainous far side (August 3, 2011) -- The mountainous region on the far side of the moon, known as the lunar farside highlands, may be the solid remains of a collision with a smaller companion moon, according to a new study. ... > full story

Simulated atmosphere research to help NASA interpret data from Juno mission to Jupiter (August 3, 2011) -- In August of 2016, when NASA's Juno Mission begins sending back information about the atmosphere of the planet Jupiter, research done by engineers using a 2,400-pound pressure vessel will help scientists understand what the data means. ... > full story

Is our universe inside a bubble? First observational test of the 'multiverse' (August 3, 2011) -- The theory that our universe is contained inside a bubble, and that multiple alternative universes exist inside their own bubbles -- making up the "multiverse" -- is, for the first time, being tested by physicists. ... > full story

Ethanol-loving bacteria accelerate cracking of pipeline steels (August 3, 2011) -- US production of ethanol for fuel has been rising quickly. Researchers now caution that ethanol, and especially the bacteria sometimes found in it, can dramatically degrade pipelines. ... > full story

Lattice of magnetic vortices: Researchers find magnetic skyrmions in atomically thin metal film (August 3, 2011) -- Physicists in Germany have found for the first time a regular lattice of magnetic skyrmions -- cycloidal vortex spin structures of exceptional stability -- on a surface. The researchers discovered the magnetic skyrmions, which consist of 15 atoms, in an atomic layer of iron on the surface of an iridium crystal. This discovery could give new impetus to the area of spintronics. ... > full story

Researchers develop webcam tool to improve office worker posture (August 3, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a new training method using a desktop webcam to improve ergonomic posture and reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) among office workers using computers. The results showed that both training methods provided effective short-term posture improvement; however, sustained improvement was only attained with the photo-training method. ... > full story

Researchers propose Internet consumer 'nutrition label' (August 3, 2011) -- When it comes to broadband speeds, US Internet service providers largely deliver on their promises, says a new report, but "throughput" is only one of several metrics listed in the report that affect network performance. ISPs should provide a broadband "nutrition label" -- easy-to-understand information about service-limiting factors -- and users need better ways of measuring the performance their ISPs are delivering, concludes a new study. ... > full story

Juno to show Jupiter's magnetic field in high-def (August 3, 2011) -- When it comes to magnetic fields, Jupiter is the ultimate muscle car. It's endowed with the biggest, brawniest field of any planet in the solar system, powered by a monster engine under the hood. ... > full story

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

Nanotechology's impact on mass spectrometry (August 3, 2011) -- A move toward smaller and smaller sample sizes is leading to a new generation of mass spectrometry instrumentation. ... > full story

Researchers create a successful scheduling method for umpires in Major League Baseball (August 3, 2011) -- Scheduling umpire crews in Major League Baseball can be a daunting task. However, a professor of management science and his collaborators have created a novel solution. The team developed an efficient method to generate high-quality schedules for the MLB. ... > full story

New computer hardware prototyping board designed in Crete successfully tested (August 3, 2011) -- A new computer hardware prototyping board, designed in Crete, has been successfully tested. Sixty four copies of it are currently being built, to be subsequently interconnected to each other, in order to make a prototype of a future architecture -- a half-a-thousand-processor parallel "manycore" computer. The board, called Formic, is of general interest: it is a low-cost prototyping platform that features eight high-speed communication links -- quite more than what one finds on other similar-cost boards. ... > 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

IT solution to improve hospital workflow and schedules (August 2, 2011) -- A new customized IT business management system capable of improving the scheduling of resources and workflow in surgical theaters has been successfully demonstrated in a German hospital. ... > 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