Rabu, 10 Agustus 2011

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Wednesday, August 10, 2011

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Wednesday, August 10, 2011

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Hybrid solar system makes rooftop hydrogen (August 10, 2011) -- While roofs across the world sport photovoltaic solar panels to convert sunlight into electricity, an engineer believes a novel hybrid system can wring even more useful energy out of the sun's rays. Instead of systems based on standard solar panels, an engineer proposes a hybrid option in which sunlight heats a combination of water and methanol in a maze of glass tubes on a rooftop. After two catalytic reactions, the system produces hydrogen much more efficiently than current technology without significant impurities. The resulting hydrogen can be stored and used on demand in fuel cells. ... > full story

Solar flares: What does it take to be X-class? Sun emits an X-Class flare on August 9, 2011 (August 9, 2011) -- Solar flares are giant explosions on the sun that send energy, light and high speed particles into space. These flares are often associated with solar magnetic storms known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The number of solar flares increases approximately every 11 years, and the sun is currently moving towards another solar maximum, likely in 2013. That means more flares will be coming, some small and some big enough to send their radiation all the way to Earth. ... > full story

New way to manage energy in the smart grid (August 9, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a mechanism which uses smart computerized agents to control energy storage devices in the home, resulting in energy savings of up to 16 per cent. ... > full story

Scientists pioneer new method for nanoribbon production (August 9, 2011) -- Researchers are pioneering a new method of studying and making molecules. The work could pave the way for the production of nanomaterials for use in a new generation of computers and data storage devices that are faster, smaller and more powerful. ... > full story

When atoms are surfing on optical waves (August 9, 2011) -- Researchers are working on a next-generation computer: They made cold atoms interact with miniature gold wires as small as a thousandth of a millimeter. Illuminating the wires with laser light in a special way, the physicists concentrated the light field at the surface of the wires and, by that, generated so-called surface plasmons. These are bound light fields which might enable the construction of devices for optical computing and for quantum information. Circuits based on these devices would be much faster and more efficient than present technologies. ... > full story

DNA building blocks can be made in space, NASA evidence suggests (August 9, 2011) -- NASA-funded researchers have evidence that some building blocks of DNA, the molecule that carries the genetic instructions for life, found in meteorites were likely created in space. The research gives support to the theory that a "kit" of ready-made parts created in space and delivered to Earth by meteorite and comet impacts assisted the origin of life. ... > full story

Research outlines math framework that could help convert 'junk' energy into useful power (August 9, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a mathematical framework that could one day form the basis of technologies that turn road vibrations, airport runway noise and other "junk" energy into useful power. ... > full story

Body-mounted cameras turn motion capture inside out (August 9, 2011) -- Traditional motion capture techniques use cameras to meticulously record the movements of actors inside studios, enabling those movements to be translated into digital models. But by turning the cameras around -- mounting almost two dozen, outward-facing cameras on the actors themselves -- scientists have shown that motion capture can occur almost anywhere -- in natural environments, over large areas and outdoors. ... > full story

Like superman's X-Ray vision, new microscope reveals nanoscale details (August 9, 2011) -- Physicists have developed a new kind of X-ray microscope that can penetrate deep within materials like Superman's fabled X-ray vision and see minute details at the scale of a single nanometer, or one billionth of a meter. ... > full story

Technique to stimulate heart cells may lead to light-controlled pacemakers (August 9, 2011) -- Researchers used light to control the electrical activity of heart muscle cells. The research raises the possibility of light-controlled pacemakers to treat heart rhythm problems. ... > full story

NASA Mars rover Opportunity approaches long-term goal (August 9, 2011) -- The NASA Mars rover Opportunity has gained a view of Endeavour crater from barely more than a football-field's distance away from the rim. The rim of Endeavour has been the mission's long-term goal since mid-2008. ... > full story

Modified metals change color in the presence of particular gases (August 9, 2011) -- Modified metals that change color in the presence of particular gases could warn consumers if packaged food has been exposed to air or if there's a carbon monoxide leak at home. ... > full story

Biology, materials science get a boost from robust imaging tool: Collaborators give a new view of macromolecular systems (August 9, 2011) -- Shape and alignment are everything. How nanometer-sized pieces fit together into a whole structure determines how well a living cell or an artificially fabricated device performs. A new method to help understand and predict such structure has arrived with the successful use a new imaging tool. ... > full story

Cosmic superbubble carved by stellar winds from bright young stars and supernova shockwaves (August 9, 2011) -- ESO's Very Large Telescope captured a striking view of the nebula around the star cluster NGC 1929 within the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of our own Milky Way. A colossal example of what astronomers call a superbubble dominates this stellar nursery. It is being carved by the winds from bright young stars and the shockwaves from supernova explosions. ... > full story

Putting it all together on Saturn's moon Titan (August 9, 2011) -- Three of the major surface features on Saturn's moon Titan -- dunes, craters and the enigmatic Xanadu -- appear in a new radar image from NASA's Cassini spacecraft. ... > full story

Live from the scene -- biochemistry in action: New microscope follows single molecules by the millisecond (August 9, 2011) -- Researchers can now watch molecules move in living cells, literally millisecond by millisecond, thanks to a new microscope developed by scientists in Germany. The new technique provides insights into processes that were so far invisible. ... > full story

Improved electrical conductivity in polymeric composites (August 9, 2011) -- Researchers have studied the electrical percolation of carbon nanotubes in a polymer matrix and shown the percolation threshold - the point at which the polymer composite becomes conductive - can be considerably lowered if small quantities of a conductive polymer latex are added. ... > full story

Most Canadians can be uniquely identified from their date of birth and postal code; New research unveils privacy risks (August 9, 2011) -- There are increasing pressures for health care providers to make individual-level data readily available for research and policy making. But Canadians are more likely to allow the sharing of their personal data if they believe that their privacy is protected. A new report suggests that Canadians can be uniquely identified from their date of birth, postal code, and gender. This means if this triad of data exists in any database, even if it has no names or other identifying information, it would be possible to determine the identity of those individuals. ... > full story

Scientists develop new technique to protect photographers from persecution (August 9, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a new technique that may help photographers protect their anonymity. This idea came from a technology expert, after seeing how public authorities had used pictures of demonstrations to hunt down those people that had been carrying cameras. The new technique makes location detection of a photographer considerably more difficult. ... > full story

Light unlocks fragrance in laboratory (August 8, 2011) -- A research team is working on building organic magnets, as well as systems using light to release chemicals, including fragrances. ... > full story

Tracking crime in real time (August 8, 2011) -- Professors have developed a high-powered context-based search algorithm to analyze digital data on-the-fly to support ongoing criminal investigations. The research not only gives crime-fighters a new tool, but also may be used for more legitimate location-based marketing. ... > full story

Researchers use neutrons to spy on the elusive hydronium ion: Unprecedented proof of ion's role in enzymatic process (August 8, 2011) -- A research team has harnessed neutrons to view for the first time the critical role that an elusive molecule plays in certain biological reactions. The effort could aid in treatment of peptic ulcers or acid reflux disease, or allow for more efficient conversion of woody waste into transportation fuels. ... > full story

You can count on this: Math ability is inborn, new research suggests (August 8, 2011) -- We accept that some people are born with a talent for music or art or athletics. But what about mathematics? Do some of us just arrive in the world with better math skills than others? It seems we do, at least according to the results of a new study. The research indicates that math ability in preschool children is strongly linked to their inborn and primitive "number sense," called an "Approximate Number System" or ANS. ... > full story

Discovery points way to graphene circuits: Materials scientists find new way to control electronic properties of graphene 'alloys' (August 8, 2011) -- Materials scientists have made a fundamental discovery that could make it easier for engineers to build electronic circuits out of the much-touted nanomaterial graphene. In a new study, the researchers describe the findings that could make it possible for nanoelectronic designers to use well-understood chemical procedures to precisely control the electronic properties of "alloys" that contain mixtures of white and black graphene. ... > full story

Flowing structures in soft crystals (August 8, 2011) -- A liquid does not have to be a disordered bunch of particles. Researchers in Austria have discovered intriguing structures formed by tiny particles floating in liquids. Under mechanical strain, particle clusters in liquids can spontaneously form strings and dramatically alter the properties of the liquid. ... > full story

Increase in tornado, hurricane damage brings call for more stringent building standards (August 8, 2011) -- Researchers have examined some of last spring's massive tornado damage and conclude in a new report that more intensive engineering design and more rigorous, localized construction and inspection standards are needed to reduce property damage and loss of life. ... > full story

New conducting properties discovered in bacteria-produced wires (August 8, 2011) -- The discovery of a fundamental, previously unknown property of microbial nanowires in the bacterium Geobacter sulfurreducens that allows electron transfer across long distances could revolutionize nanotechnology and bioelectronics, says a team of physicists and microbiologists. Their findings may one day lead to cheaper, less toxic nanomaterials for biosensors and solid state electronics that interface with biological systems. ... > full story

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

Meteorites: Tool kits for creating life on Earth (August 8, 2011) -- Meteorites hold a record of the chemicals that existed in the early solar system and that may have been a crucial source of the organic compounds that gave rise to life on Earth. Since the 1960s, scientists have been trying to find proof that nucleobases, the building blocks of our genetic material, came to Earth on meteorites. New research indicates that certain nucleobases do reach the Earth from extraterrestrial sources, by way of certain meteorites, and in greater diversity and quantity than previously thought. ... > full story

CERN supports European Year of Volunteering through Citizen Cyberscience Centre (August 8, 2011) -- Researchers at CERN have begun public testing of a new version of the popular volunteer computing project LHC@home. This version allows volunteers to participate for the first time in simulating high-energy collisions of protons in CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC). ... > 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


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