ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Friday, August 12, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Friday, August 12, 2011

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Smart skin: Electronics that stick and stretch like a temporary tattoo (August 12, 2011) -- Engineers have developed a device platform that combines electronic components for sensing, medical diagnostics, communications and human-machine interfaces, all on an ultrathin skin-like patch that mounts directly onto the skin with the ease, flexibility and comfort of a temporary tattoo. ... > full story

Researchers fight cholera with computer forecasting (August 12, 2011) -- Just as the rainy season is driving a new surge of cholera cases in Haiti, a new computational model could forecast where outbreaks are likely to occur. Researchers hope to target anti-cholera efforts where they are most needed in the earthquake-ravaged country. ... > full story

Steering a beam of 'virtual particles' to manipulate ultra-small-scale particles in real time (August 11, 2011) -- The steady improvement in speed and power of modern electronics may soon hit the brakes unless new ways are found to pack more structures into microscopic spaces. To do this, researchers are looking into precisely steering, in real time, a curve-shaped beam of weird "virtual particles" known as surface plasmons. This technique opens the possibility of even smaller, faster communications systems and optoelectronic devices. ... > full story

Software predicted risk in California West Nile virus epidemic (August 11, 2011) -- A computer model of the spread of West Nile virus was able to predict areas where human cases would be concentrated, especially around Sacramento in 2005. The success of the model, say researchers, depended on its focus on biological factors and on a high volume of reports from members of the public. ... > full story

Shooting light a curve: New tool may yield smaller, faster optoelectronics (August 11, 2011) -- Paving the way for fast-as-light, ultra-compact communication systems and optoelectronic devices, scientists have developed a technique for steering the curved path of plasmonic Airy beams -- combinations of laser light and quasi-particles called surface plasmon polaritons. ... > full story

Wikipedia gender biases revealed (August 11, 2011) -- Computer science researchers have confirmed a substantial gender gap among editors of Wikipedia and a corresponding gender-oriented disparity in the content. ... > full story

Supernovae parents found: Clear signatures of gas outflows from stellar ancestors (August 11, 2011) -- Observations of Type Ia supernovae has led to the discovery that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate and the notion of dark energy. However, astronomers do not know for certain how the explosions take place and whether they all share the same origin. Now, a team of researchers has examine 41 of these objects and concluded that there are clear signatures of gas outflows from the supernova ancestors, which are likely not white dwarfs. ... > full story

High levels of potentially toxic flame retardants in California pregnant women (August 11, 2011) -- Pregnant women in Northern California have the highest PBDE flame retardant exposures reported to date among pregnant women worldwide. A new article describes some of the first evidence from humans that certain flame retardants may interfere with thyroid hormone signaling during pregnancy, which is critical to brain development. ... > full story

Escaping gravity's clutches: Information could escape from black holes after all, study suggests (August 11, 2011) -- New research gives a fresh perspective on the physics of black holes. Conventional thinking asserts that black holes swallow everything that gets too close and that nothing can escape, but a new study suggests that information could escape from black holes after all. ... > full story

Paper money worldwide contains bisphenol A (August 11, 2011) -- The cash register receipts that people place near paper money in billfolds and pockets has led to a worldwide contamination of paper money with bisphenol A (BPA) -- a potentially toxic substance. The amounts of BPA on currencies are higher than in dust, but human intake from currency is at least 10 times less than that from house dust, according to a new study. ... > full story

Quantum computers? Physicists 'entangle' two atoms using microwaves for the first time (August 11, 2011) -- Physicists have for the first time linked the quantum properties of two separated ions (electrically charged atoms) by manipulating them with microwaves instead of the usual laser beams. ... > full story

Working towards replacing platinum in fuel cells: Performance of iron-based catalysts improved (August 11, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new and improved iron-based catalyst capable of generating even more electric power in fuel cells for transportation applications. Previously, only platinum-based catalysts could produce similar performance. ... > full story

Stick-on tattoos go electric: Micro-electronics, elegant design and existing tattoo tech combine to create complex device (August 11, 2011) -- Through a combination of careful theoretical modeling and precise micro-manufacturing, a team of engineers and scientists has developed a new type of ultra-thin, self-adhesive electronics device that can effectively measure data about the human heart, brain waves and muscle activity -- all without the use of bulky equipment, conductive fluids, or glues. ... > full story

Rehab robots lend stroke patients a hand (August 10, 2011) -- Robot-assisted therapy has measurable benefits for patients with a weaker arm following a stroke. ... > full story

Telephone trumps social media when communicating with teens about research (August 10, 2011) -- If you think teenagers prefer social media over the telephone, you may want to think again, at least when it comes to teens involved in research studies. ... > full story

NASA Mars rover arrives at new site on Martian surface (August 10, 2011) -- After a journey of almost three years, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has reached the Red Planet's Endeavour crater to study rocks never seen before. ... > full story

Exotic quantum crystal exists: Researchers discover novel state of crystal matter (August 10, 2011) -- Nature knows two opposite types of solids: One that emerges upon compression from a liquid and a second that appears if the pressure on a liquid is reduced. While the former is typical for substances in our everyday life the latter occurs for example in a dense quantum liquid of electrons (such as in metals) or ions (in exotic white dwarf or neutron stars). Now it has been shown that there exists yet a third form of matter that inherits both of these properties. ... > full story

High energy output found from algae-based fuel, but 'no silver bullet' (August 10, 2011) -- Algae-based fuel is one of many options among the array of possible future energy sources. New research shows that while algae-based transportation fuels produce high energy output with minimal land use, their production could come with significant environmental burdens. ... > full story

Revolutionary material dramatically increases explosive force of weapons (August 10, 2011) -- A revolutionary material that will replace steel in warhead casings will bring added lethality and increase the likelihood of a hit on an enemy target, Navy researchers say. ... > full story

Tactile technology for video games guaranteed to send shivers down your spine (August 10, 2011) -- A new tactile technology called Surround Haptics makes it possible for video game players and film viewers to feel a wide variety of sensations, from the smoothness of a finger being drawn against skin to the jolt of a collision. The technology is based on rigorous psychophysical experiments and new models of tactile perception. ... > full story

Light speed hurdle to invisibility cloak overcome by undergraduate (August 10, 2011) -- An undergraduate student has overcome a major hurdle in the development of invisibility cloaks by adding an optical device into their design that not only remains invisible itself, but also has the ability to slow down light. ... > full story

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

'Data motion metric' needed for supercomputer rankings, experts say (August 10, 2011) -- As we enter the era of data-intensive research and supercomputing, the world's top computer systems should not be ranked on calculation speed alone, according to an expert. ... > 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

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