ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Wednesday, September 21, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Wednesday, September 21, 2011

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NASA's Dawn collects a bounty of beauty from asteroid Vesta (September 21, 2011) -- A new video from NASA's Dawn spacecraft takes us on a flyover journey above the surface of the giant asteroid Vesta. The data obtained by Dawn's framing camera, used to produce the visualizations, will help scientists determine the processes that formed Vesta's striking features. It will also help Dawn mission fans all over the world visualize this mysterious world, which is the second most massive object in the main asteroid belt. ... > full story

Social media for dementia patients (September 21, 2011) -- Research scientists in Norway are developing a "Facebook Light" -- with a user interface suitable for the elderly and people with dementia -- to promote important social contact. Both research and experience show that social contact enables people with dementia to maintain their level of functioning longer. ... > full story

Sifting out genetic defects from mounds of data (September 21, 2011) -- Within a decade, a combination of advanced measurement techniques and statistics will enable scientists to develop methods to diagnose serious diseases caused by genetic defects. Ten years after that, there may be medicines available to repair these defects, researchers predict. ... > full story

Autonomous car navigates the streets of Berlin (September 20, 2011) -- Researchers from Berlin traveled 80 km in total as passengers during a test drive of their autonomous car "MadeInGermany" over the weekend. The car is driven by computers - the safety driver behind the steering wheel only monitors the car's behavior. The autonomous car is a conventional VW Passat modified for "drive by wire." Electronic commands from the computer are passed directly to the accelerator, the brakes, and the steering wheel of the vehicle. ... > full story

Lasers light the path to neuron regeneration (September 20, 2011) -- Lasers have been used to fabricate tiny scaffolds to be used as delivery vehicles to drop cells off at damaged locations and help treat diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. ... > full story

Shaping up: Controlling a stem cell's form can determine its fate (September 20, 2011) -- New research reinforces the idea that stem cells can be induced to develop into specific types of cells solely by controlling their shape. The results may be important to the design of materials to induce the regeneration of lost or damaged tissues in the body. ... > full story

Researchers create first human heart cells that can be paced with light (September 20, 2011) -- Researchers have for the first time engineered human heart cells that can be paced with light using a technology called optogenetics. In the near term, say the researchers, the advance will provide new insight into heart function. In the long term, however, the development could lead to an era of novel, light-based pacemakers and genetically matched tissue patches that replace muscle damaged by a heart attack. ... > full story

Researchers make visible the structure of the smallest crystals (September 20, 2011) -- A radical new way of making structures visible at the nano level has now been developed. This new method makes it possible to determine with precision the arrangement of atoms and molecules in a diverse range of materials from cement to pharmaceuticals. The procedure, which is still in its infancy, comes from the field of electron microscopy and can resolve the structure of the tiniest crystals. ... > full story

Big step towards redefining the kelvin: Scientists find new way to determine Boltzmann constant (September 20, 2011) -- Scientists in Germany have succeeded in re-determining the Boltzmann constant. Physicists expect that in the next two years they will be able to reduce the uncertainty to such an extent that a redefinition of the kelvin will be possible. The advance represents a major step toward basing the temperature unit on an unchangeable fundamental constant. ... > full story

NASA's WISE raises doubt about asteroid family believed responsible for dinosaur extinction (September 20, 2011) -- Observations from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission indicate the family of asteroids some believed was responsible for the demise of the dinosaurs is not likely the culprit, keeping open the case on one of Earth's greatest mysteries. ... > full story

New imaging technique visualizes cancer during surgery (September 20, 2011) -- Scientists have now deployed a new imaging technology using laser light to detect cancer based on molecular signatures, leading to the localization of even small cancer cell nests that surgeons might otherwise overlook during surgery. The technique has now been successfully tested on nine patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer. There are plans to apply this imaging concept also to minimally invasive and endoscopic procedures. ... > full story

Engineers use short ultrasound pulses to reach neurons through blood-brain barrier (September 20, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new technique to reach neurons through the blood-brain barrier and deliver drugs safely and noninvasively. Up until now, scientists thought long ultrasound pulses, which can inflict collateral damage, were required. This new study shows that extremely short pulses of ultrasound waves can open the blood-brain barrier -- with the added advantages of safety and uniform molecular delivery -- and the molecule injected systemically could reach and highlight the targeted neurons noninvasively. ... > full story

Monitoring patients using intelligent T-shirts (September 20, 2011) -- Scientists in Spain have developed an 'intelligent' T-shirt that monitors the human body (temperature, heart rate, etc.) and locates patients within the hospital, as if it were a GPS system that works in closed spaces. It can even determine if the subject is seated, lying down, walking or running. ... > full story

Saving electricity while playing online game (September 20, 2011) -- The federal government of Germany has decided to accelerate change in energy policy. But the transition will succeed only with the help of the consumers. They are called upon to use the energy from renewable resources in a more efficient fashion. A new online game shows how energy can be saved. ... > full story

Researchers reinforce gas hydrate strategy: New study goes deeper in proving simple technique to pinpoint valuable energy source (September 20, 2011) -- A new study expands upon previous research to locate and quantify the amount of methane hydrates -- a potentially vast source of energy -- that may be trapped under the seabed by analyzing shallow core samples. The paper should silence the skeptics, the researchers said. ... > full story

Fast switching and printable transistor invented (September 20, 2011) -- A fully functional, fast switching and printable transistor in cheap plastic has just been invented. ... > full story

No safe level of radiation exposure? Researcher points to suppression of evidence on radiation effects by Nobel Laureate (September 20, 2011) -- Environmental toxicologist Edward Calabrese, whose career research shows that low doses of some chemicals and radiation are benign or even helpful, says he has uncovered evidence that one of the fathers of radiation genetics, Nobel Prize winner Hermann Muller, knowingly lied when he claimed in 1946 that there is no safe level of radiation exposure. ... > full story

NRL TacSat-4 spacecraft encapsulated (September 20, 2011) -- Encapsulated into the nose cone of an Orbital Sciences Corporation Minotaur-IV+ launch vehicle, TacSat-4 is scheduled to launch from the Alaska Aerospace Corporation's Kodiak Launch Complex into a highly elliptical orbit, providing multiple combatant commanders around the globe an additional outlet for data transmission and communications on the move. ... > full story

Scientists solve long-standing plant biochemistry mystery (September 19, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered how an enzyme "knows" where to insert a double bond when desaturating plant fatty acids. Understanding the mechanism may lead to new ways to engineer plant oils as a renewable replacement for petrochemicals. ... > full story

Unzipping DNA mysteries: Physicists discover how a vital enzyme works (September 19, 2011) -- With an eye toward understanding DNA replication, researchers have learned how a helicase enzyme works to actually unzip the two strands of DNA. ... > full story

Black hole, star collisions may illuminate universe's dark side (September 19, 2011) -- Researchers have unveiled a ready-made method for detecting the collision of stars with an elusive type of black hole that is on the short list of objects believed to make up dark matter. Such a discovery could serve as observable proof of dark matter and provide a much deeper understanding of the universe's inner workings. ... > full story

Catching a breath -- wirelessly: Noninvasive method to watch for SIDS, help surgery patients (September 19, 2011) -- Engineers who built wireless networks that see through walls now are aiming the technology at a new goal: noninvasively measuring the breathing of surgery patients, adults with sleep apnea and babies at risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). ... > full story

Self-steering automated tractor offers more precision in the field (September 19, 2011) -- A farmer rising at the crack of dawn to till his fields in a tractor all day? This could soon become a thing of the past. Scientists have now engineered a fully automated, self-steering robotic tractor. ... > full story

Brightest gamma ray on Earth -- for a safer, healthier world (September 19, 2011) -- The brightest gamma ray beam ever created -- more than a thousand billion times more brilliant than the sun -- has been produced in research that could open up new possibilities for medicine. Physicists have discovered that ultra-short duration laser pulses can interact with ionized gas to give off beams that are so intense they can pass through 20 cm of lead and would take 1.5 m of concrete to be completely absorbed. The ray could have several uses, such as in medical imaging, radiotherapy and radioisotope production for PET (positron emission tomography) scanning. The source could also be useful in monitoring the integrity of stored nuclear waste. ... > full story

Volcanic ash and aircraft safety (September 19, 2011) -- A pioneering technology to study volcanic ash will help advise the aircraft industry as to whether it is safe to fly following an explosive volcanic eruption. ... > full story

'Inexhaustible' source of hydrogen may be unlocked by salt water, engineers say (September 19, 2011) -- A grain of salt or two may be all that microbial electrolysis cells need to produce hydrogen from wastewater or organic byproducts, without adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere or using grid electricity, according to engineers. ... > full story

Why carbon nanotubes spell trouble for cells (September 19, 2011) -- Carbon nanotubes and other long nanomaterials can spell trouble for cells. The reason: Cells mistake them for spheres and try to engulf them. Once they start, cells cannot reverse course, and complete ingestion never occurs. Researchers detail for the first time how cells interact with carbon nanotubes, gold nanowires and asbestos fibers. ... > full story

Sequencing 'dark matter' of life: Elusive genomes of thousands of bacteria species can now be decoded (September 19, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new method to sequence and analyze the 'dark matter' of life -- the genomes of thousands of bacteria species previously beyond scientists' reach, from microorganisms that produce antibiotics and biofuels to microbes living in the human body. ... > full story

Colloidal quantum dots: Performance boost next-generation solar cell technology (September 19, 2011) -- Researchers have created the most efficient solar cell ever made based on colloidal quantum dots (CQD). Quantum dots are nanoscale semiconductors that capture light and convert it into an energy source. Because of their small scale, the dots can be sprayed on to flexible surfaces, including plastics. This enables the production of solar cells that are less expensive to produce and more durable than the more widely known silicon-based version. In a new study, the researchers demonstrate how the wrappers that encapsulate the quantum dots can be shrunk to a mere layer of atoms. ... > full story

Put down that game controller: Researcher suggests video games may not boost cognition (September 19, 2011) -- Wouldn't it be nice if all those hours kids spent glued to their PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 or Nintendo DS video games actually resulted in something tangible? Better grades, perhaps? Improved concentration? Superior driving skills? Over the past decade, many studies and news media reports have suggested that action video games such as Medal of Honor or Unreal Tournament improve a variety of perceptual and cognitive abilities. But in a new paper, psychologists critically reevaluate those claims. ... > full story

Gamers succeed where scientists fail: Molecular structure of retrovirus enzyme solved, doors open to new AIDS drug design (September 19, 2011) -- Online gamers have solved the structure of a retrovirus enzyme whose configuration had stumped scientists for over a decade. This is the first instance that researchers are aware of in which gamers solved a longstanding scientific problem. The discovery was achieved through Foldit, which allows players to collaborate and compete in predicting protein molecule structures. Foldit is an example of engaging the public in scientific discovery by using games to solve hard problems that can't be solved by either people or computers alone. ... > full story

First fluorescence-guided ovarian cancer surgery (September 19, 2011) -- The first fluorescence-guided surgery on an ovarian cancer patient was performed using an imaging agent attached to a modified form of the vitamin folic acid, which acts as a "homing device" to seek out and attach to ovarian cancer cells. Surgeons were able to see clusters of cancer cells as small as one-tenth of a millimeter -- 30 times smaller than the smallest they could detect using standard techniques. ... > full story

Quantum behavior with a flash: Laser pulses can reveal quantum features of large objects (September 19, 2011) -- Just as a camera flash illuminates unseen objects hidden in darkness, a sequence of laser pulses can be used to study the elusive quantum behavior of a large "macroscopic" object, scientists report. This method enables experiments that push the boundaries of the quantum world to larger and larger scales. ... > full story

Ground glass solution for cleaner water (September 19, 2011) -- British science has led to a use for waste glass that cannot be recycled that could help clean up polluted waterways by acting as an ion-exchange filter to remove lead, cadmium and other toxic metals. ... > full story

Fukushima: Reflections six months on (September 19, 2011) -- When the Tohoku earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station on March 11, 2011, the world witnessed the largest nuclear incident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. In a special Fukushima issue of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, published today by SAGE, experts examine the current and future impact of Fukushima, what might have been done to lessen the scale of the accident, and the steps we need to take both in Japan and worldwide to prevent another nuclear tragedy. ... > full story

Tests under way on the sunshield for NASA's Webb Telescope (September 19, 2011) -- NASA is testing an element of the sunshield that will protect the James Webb Space Telescope's mirrors and instruments during its mission to observe the most distant objects in the universe. The sunshield will consist of five tennis court-sized layers to allow the Webb telescope to cool to its cryogenic operating temperature of minus 387.7 degrees Fahrenheit (40 Kelvin). ... > full story

NASA's Webb Telescope completes mirror-coating milestone (September 19, 2011) -- NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has reached a major milestone in its development. The mirrors that will fly aboard the telescope have completed the coating process at Quantum Coating Inc. in Moorestown, N.J. The telescope's mirrors have been coated with a microscopically thin layer of gold, selected for its ability to properly reflect infrared light from the mirrors into the observatory's science instruments. The coating allows the Webb telescope's "infrared eyes" to observe extremely faint objects in infrared light. ... > full story

Robots are coming to aircraft assembly (September 19, 2011) -- Up to now, aircraft have been put together in huge assembly cells, but to build the necessary facilities is expensive and time-consuming. That is why researchers have come up with a flexible assembly-line concept that features robots working in the same way they do in automotive production. One of this future assembly line's elements is a versatile component gripper made of lightweight CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic). ... > full story

New light on detection of bacterial infection: Polymers fluoresce in the presence of bacteria (September 18, 2011) -- Researchers have developed polymers that fluoresce in the presence of bacteria, paving the way for the rapid detection and assessment of wound infection using ultra-violet light. ... > full story

Safer skies: New algorithm could help prevent midair collisions (September 18, 2011) -- The FAA has mandated that by 2020, all aircrafts must be equipped with a new tracking system that broadcasts GPS data, providing more accurate location information than ground-based radar. Researchers now have early result of an investigation, a new algorithm that uses data from the tracking system to predict and prevent collisions between small aircraft. ... > full story

Lasers could be used to detect roadside bombs (September 18, 2011) -- Scientists have just developed a laser that could detect roadside bombs. The laser potentially has the sensitivity and selectivity to canvas large areas and detect improvised explosive devices -- weapons that account for around 60 percent of coalition soldiers' deaths. ... > full story

3-D face models that give animators intuitive control of expressions (September 18, 2011) -- Flashing a wink and a smirk might be second nature for some people, but computer animators can be hard-pressed to depict such an expression realistically. Now scientists have created computerized models derived from actors' faces that reflect a full range of natural expressions while also giving animators the ability to manipulate facial poses. ... > full story

Opportunity on verge of new discovery: Mars rover poised on rock that may yield yet more evidence of a wet Red Planet (September 17, 2011) -- The Mars rover Opportunity, which was designed to operate for three months and to rove less than a mile, has now journeyed more than seven years crossing more than 21 miles. Today, it is poised at the edge of a heavily eroded impact basin, the possible location of clay minerals formed in low-acid wet conditions on the red planet. ... > full story

Gamma-ray bursts shed light on the nature of dark energy (September 17, 2011) -- Dark energy is the basic constituent of the today's Universe, one that is responsible for its accelerated expansion. Although astronomers observe the cosmological effects of the impact of dark energy, they still do not know exactly what it is. A new method for measuring the largest distances in the Universe helps solve the mystery. A key role is played by the most powerful cosmic explosions -- gamma-ray bursts. ... > full story

How single stars lost their companions (September 16, 2011) -- Not all stars are loners. In our home galaxy, the Milky Way, about half of all stars have a companion and travel through space in a binary system. But explaining why some stars are in double or even triple systems while others are single has been something of a mystery. Now a team of astronomers think they have the answer -- different stellar birth environments decide whether a star holds on to its companion. ... > full story

Biochemical cell signals quantified: Data capacity much lower than expected, scientists find (September 16, 2011) -- Just as cell phones and computers transmit data through electronic networks, the cells of your body send and receive chemical messages through molecular pathways. The term "cell signaling" was coined more than 30 years ago to describe this process. For the first time, scientists have quantified the data capacity of a biochemical signaling pathway and found a surprise -- it's lower than a dial-up modem. ... > full story

Shake, rattle and … power up? New device generates energy from small vibrations (September 16, 2011) -- Today's wireless-sensor networks can do everything from supervising factory machinery to tracking environmental pollution to measuring the movement of buildings and bridges. Working together, distributed sensors can monitor activity along an oil pipeline or throughout a forest, keeping track of multiple variables at a time. While uses for wireless sensors are seemingly endless, there is one limiting factor to the technology -- power. A new tiny energy harvester picks up a wider range of vibrations than current designs, and is able to generate 100 times the power of devices of similar size. ... > full story

Smartphone battery life could dramatically improve with new invention (September 16, 2011) -- A new "subconscious mode" for smartphones and other WiFi-enabled mobile devices could extend battery life by as much as 54 percent for users on the busiest networks. ... > full story

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