ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Monday, August 8, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Monday, August 8, 2011

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Nanoscale secret to stronger alloys: Scientists find nanoparticle size is readily controlled to make stronger aluminum alloys (August 8, 2011) -- Researchers have solved the mystery of one of the most promising aluminum alloys ever for strength, hardness, lightness, and resistance to corrosion and heat. The secret is the formation of core-shell nanoparticles all nearly the same size. ... > full story

Stress protection: How blue-green algae hoard energy (August 8, 2011) -- Under normal conditions, cyanobacteria, also termed blue-green algae, build up energy reserves that allow them to survive under stress such as long periods of darkness. They do this by means of a molecular switch in an enzyme. By removing this switch, researchers now show that it is possible to use the excess energy of the bacteria for biotechnological purposes such as hydrogen production, without the bacteria suffering. ... > full story

What do Facebook and Rembrandt have in common? Everything (August 8, 2011) -- Facebook and artists like Rembrandt have much in common, says one researcher. ... > full story

Solar energy: Smart energy management systems help store power for later use (August 8, 2011) -- Storing power is complicated and expensive, but very often, especially far away from the regular power grids, there is no way around large batteries for grid-independent electricity consumers. It would make more sense to use the electricity when it is generated. This becomes possible with the help of a smart energy management system. ... > full story

Human influence on the 21st century climate: One possible future for the atmosphere (August 8, 2011) -- New computer modeling work in the journal Climatic Change shows that by 2100, if society wants to limit carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to less than 40 percent higher than it is today, the lowest cost option is to use every available means of reducing emissions. This includes more nuclear and renewable energy, choosing electricity over fossil fuels, reducing emissions through technologies that capture and store carbon dioxide, and even using forests to store carbon. ... > full story

Dealing with the cyberworld's dark side (August 8, 2011) -- People who are cyberstalked or harassed online experience higher levels of stress and trauma than people who are stalked or harassed in person, according to a new presentation. ... > full story

Four unusual views of the Andromeda Galaxy (August 7, 2011) -- The Andromeda Galaxy is revealed in unprecedented detail in four archive observations. They show stars and structure in the galaxy's disc, the halo of stars that surrounds it, and a stream of stars left by a companion galaxy as it was torn apart and pulled in by the galaxy's gravitational forces. ... > full story

Electrons and lattice vibrations: A strong team in the nano world (August 7, 2011) -- Using a newly developed type of spectroscopy, researchers have shown that electrons in a semiconductor are best described as a cloud with a size of a few nanometer (one nanometer is one billionth of one meter). The cloud size is determined by the interaction of the electron with vibrations in the crystal lattice. ... > full story

Social networking's good and bad impacts on kids (August 7, 2011) -- Social media present risks and benefits to children but parents who try to secretly monitor their kids' activities online are wasting their time, according to a new presentation. ... > full story

Spotting weaknesses in solid wood (August 5, 2011) -- Is there a hairline crack in the oak table? Was the window frame glued badly? Ultrasound thermography can reliably identify material defects during the production of wooden items. This allows rejects to be caught quickly and eliminated, and faulty goods to be repaired in good time. ... > full story

NASA's Juno spacecraft launches to Jupiter (August 5, 2011) -- NASA's solar-powered Juno spacecraft lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Aug. 5, 2011 to begin a five-year journey to Jupiter. Juno's detailed study of the largest planet in our solar system will help reveal Jupiter's origin and evolution. As the archetype of giant gas planets, Jupiter can help scientists understand the origin of our solar system and learn more about planetary systems around other stars. ... > full story

Mars' northern polar regions in transition (August 5, 2011) -- A newly released image from the European Space Agency's Mars Express shows the north pole of Mars during the red planet’s summer solstice. All the carbon dioxide ice has gone, leaving just a bright cap of water ice. ... > full story

Better desalination technology key to solving world's water shortage (August 5, 2011) -- Over one-third of the world's population already lives in areas struggling to keep up with the demand for fresh water. By 2025, that number will nearly double. A new Yale University study argues that seawater desalination should play an important role in helping combat worldwide fresh water shortages -- once conservation, reuse and other methods have been exhausted -- and provides insight into how desalination technology can be made more affordable and energy efficient. ... > full story

Wireless network in hospital monitors vital signs, even as patients move about (August 5, 2011) -- A clinical warning system undergoing a feasibility study will include wireless sensors that take blood oxygenation and heart-rate readings from at-risk patients once or twice a minute. The data and lab results in the electronic medical record will be continually scrutinized by a machine-learning algorithm looking for signs of clinical deterioration. If any such signs are found, the system will call a nurse on a cellphone, alerting the nurse to check on the patient. ... > full story

How to eliminate motion sickness on tilting trains (August 5, 2011) -- Scientists have found that motion sickness on tilting trains can be essentially eliminated by adjusting the timing of when the cars tilt as they enter and leave the curves. They found that when the cars tilt just at the beginning of the curves instead of while they are making the turns, there was no motion sickness. ... > full story

Researchers uncover new catalysis site (August 5, 2011) -- A new study details for the first time a new type of catalytic site where oxidation catalysis occurs, shedding new light on the inner workings of the process. ... > full story

Web search is ready for a shakeup, says computer scientist (August 5, 2011) -- On the 20-year anniversary of the World Wide Web, computer scientist Oren Etzioni has published a two-page commentary in the journal Nature that calls on the international academic and industry communities to take a bolder approach when designing how people find information online. ... > full story

It’s official: Computerized trading agents do beat humans in foreign exchange markets (August 5, 2011) -- Robot trading agents, which already dominate the foreign exchange markets, have now been definitively shown to beat human traders at the same game. ... > full story

Engineers solve longstanding problem in photonic chip technology: Findings help pave way for next generation of computer chips (August 5, 2011) -- Stretching for thousands of miles beneath oceans, optical fibers now connect every continent except for Antarctica. But although optical fibers are increasingly replacing copper wires, carrying information via photons instead of electrons, today's computer technology still relies on electronic chips. Now, researchers are paving the way for the next generation of computer-chip technology: photonic chips. ... > full story

Designing diamond circuits for extreme environments (August 5, 2011) -- There is a new way to design computer chips and electronic circuitry for extreme environments: make them out of diamond. ... > full story

Theft protection developed for virtual machines (August 5, 2011) -- Scientists have found a way to promptly detect hacker attacks on virtual machines. Companies and government agencies that employ virtual machines can thus protect data stored on them against theft. ... > full story

Soft spheres settle in somewhat surprising structure (August 4, 2011) -- Latex paints and drug suspensions such as insulin or amoxicillin that do not need to be shaken or stirred may be possible thanks to a new understanding of how particles separate in liquids, according to chemical engineers, who have developed a method for predicting the way colloidal components separate based on energy. ... > full story

Physicists show that quantum ignorance is hard to expose (August 4, 2011) -- No one likes a know-it-all but it turns out that a quantum know-it-all is the worst. New research has shown that the quantum world allows you to answer questions correctly when you don't even have all the information you should need. ... > full story

One box of Girl Scout Cookies worth billion: Lab shows troop how any carbon source can become valuable graphene (August 4, 2011) -- Scientists can make graphene out of just about anything with carbon -- even Girl Scout Cookies. Graduate students in the Rice University lab of chemist James Tour proved it when they invited a troop of Houston Girl Scouts to their lab to show them how it's done. ... > full story

First opal-like crystals discovered in meteorite (August 4, 2011) -- Scientists have found opal-like crystals in the Tagish Lake meteorite, which fell to Earth in Canada in 2000. This is the first extraterrestrial discovery of these unusual crystals, which may have formed in the primordial cloud of dust that produced the sun and planets of our solar system 4.6 billion years ago. ... > full story

Making runways safer (August 4, 2011) -- Airplanes undergo significant stresses during take-off and landing, and parts often become detached, putting subsequent runway users at risk. Until now, airport staff have had to monitor runways without technical assistance -- an activity that is prone to errors. A new radar system is set to increase safety at airports. ... > full story

Scientists invent heat-regulating building material (August 4, 2011) -- A new material that can retain and release heat according to specific temperature requirements could make a significant difference to the cost of heating and cooling buildings, scientists say. ... > full story

Water flowing on Mars, NASA spacecraft data suggest (August 4, 2011) -- Observations from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have revealed possible flowing water during the warmest months on Mars. ... > full story

Accident protection device for small cars (August 4, 2011) -- Driver-assistance systems help prevent accidents. Quite simply, the more a car knows about its surroundings, the more intelligently it can respond to them. Researchers have now developed an optical sensor for the windshield that can even tell the difference between fog and darkness. ... > full story

DNA strands that select nanotubes are first step to a practical 'quantum wire' (August 4, 2011) -- DNA, a molecule famous for storing the genetic blueprints for all living things, can do other things as well. In a new paper, researchers describe how tailored single strands of DNA can be used to purify the highly desired "armchair" form of carbon nanotubes. Armchair-form single wall carbon nanotubes are needed to make "quantum wires" for low-loss, long distance electricity transmission and wiring. ... > full story

Gold nanoparticles used to diagnose flu in minutes (August 4, 2011) -- Arriving at a rapid and accurate diagnosis is critical during flu outbreaks, but until now, physicians and public health officials have had to choose between a highly accurate yet time-consuming test or a rapid but error-prone test. A new detection method however, offers the best of both worlds. ... > full story

'Watermark ink' device identifies unknown liquids instantly (August 4, 2011) -- Materials scientists and applied physicists have invented a new device that can instantly identify an unknown liquid. ... > full story

Mindful eating: Researchers are making every bite count (August 4, 2011) -- Two researchers seek to make diners mindful of mindless eating. A psychology professor and an electrical and computer engineering professor have created the Bite Counter, a measurement device that will make it easier for people to monitor how much they eat. ... > full story

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

New paper examines future of seawater desalinization (August 4, 2011) -- Researchers have made a critical review of the state of seawater desalination technology. ... > full story

Breakthrough in photonic chip research paves way for ultrafast information sharing (August 4, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a way to prevent light signals on a silicon chip from reflecting backwards and interfering with its operation. Otherwise, the light beams would interfere with lasers and other photonic components on the chip and make the chip unstable. The breakthrough marks a significant achievement in the development of integrated photonic chips that could replace electronic chips as the backbone of information technology. ... > full story

Briny water may be at work in seasonal flows on Mars (August 4, 2011) -- Dark, narrow features running down slopes in the warmer regions of Mars point to the possibility of salty water as the causing agent. Never observed before and strongly associated with the warmer seasons on Mars, the features show growth, suggesting they may form near the surface today in rare times and places.Never observed before and strongly associated with the warmer seasons on Mars, the features show growth, suggesting they may form near the surface today in rare times and places. ... > full story

Protection against falling rock (August 4, 2011) -- In the mountains, rock falls occur at the end of fall and beginning of spring, when thermal variation is the greatest. Rockfall nets and other types of structures can be installed to protect the buildings and roads below. However, field observations have revealed that mountain forests play a protective role. They slow and can even stop the downward progression of rocks, thus constituting an ecological and economic alternative to man-made structures. ... > 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