ScienceDaily Technology Headlines
for Tuesday, December 15, 2009
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Theorists propose a new way to shine -- and a new kind of star: 'electroweak' (December 15, 2009) -- Physicists propose there may be a new stage for some dying stars. Dubbed electroweak stars, they are fueled by the conversion of quarks to leptons, which prevents or staves off collapse into a black hole. ... > full story
Universal quantum mechanism: Physicists find reappearing quantum trios (December 14, 2009) -- Using atoms at temperatures colder than deep space, physicists have delivered overwhelming proof for a 1970 theory that was largely scoffed at when it first appeared. They offers experimental proof of a universal quantum mechanism that causes trios of particles to appear and reappear at higher energy levels in an infinite progression. The triplets, or trimers, form in special cases where pairs cannot. ... > full story
NASA's WISE Eye on the Universe Begins All-Sky Survey Mission (December 14, 2009) -- NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, lifted off over the Pacific Ocean Dec. 14 on its way to map the entire sky in infrared light. WISE will see the infrared colors of the whole sky with sensitivity and resolution far better than the last infrared sky survey, performed 26 years ago. ... > full story
Chemists Create Class Of Carbenes Used To Make Catalysts (December 14, 2009) -- Researchers have successfully created in the laboratory a class of carbenes used to make catalysts. Until now, chemists believed these carbenes, called "abnormal N-heterocyclic carbenes" or aNHCs, were impossible to make. The aNHCs are stable at room temperature both in the solid state and in solution, which means their application as metal-free catalysts is extremely wide, greatly benefiting industry by making possible scores of new chemical reactions. ... > full story
Rapid cardiac biomarker testing system developed; cuts testing time from 6 hours to 45 minutes (December 14, 2009) -- A new rapid and sensitive integrated system tests simultaneously for specific cardiac biomarkers in finger prick amount of blood. It could help physicians quickly arrive at the right diagnosis for timely medical intervention in patients suspected of having heart attacks. ... > full story
New light vision goggles light up the night (December 14, 2009) -- Vanderbilt LifeFlight is now using technology once reserved for military operations or secret spy missions. With the ability to enhance light 10,000 times, the air ambulance service's new night vision goggles essentially turn night into day. ... > full story
Texting, tweeting ought to be viewed as GR8 teaching tools, scholar says (December 14, 2009) -- Carol L. Tilley, a professor of library and information science at Illinois, says that critics who equate texting with literary degradation are wrong, and that they also overlook the bigger role that texting and its distant cousin, "tweeting," could play in education and research. ... > full story
Ethanol-powered vehicles generate more ozone than gas-powered ones (December 14, 2009) -- Vehicles running on ethanol will generate higher concentrations of ozone than those using gasoline, especially in the winter, researchers have found. That could create new health concerns in areas where ozone hasn't been a significant problem before. ... > full story
First super-Earths discovered orbiting Sun-like stars (December 14, 2009) -- Planet hunters have discovered as many as six low-mass planets around two nearby Sun-like stars, including two "super-Earths" with masses 5 and 7.5 times the mass of Earth. These detections indicate that low-mass planets are quite common around nearby stars, according to researchers. ... > full story
3-D microchips for more powerful and environmentally friendly computers (December 14, 2009) -- Scientists are working on 3-D microprocessors cooled from the inside through channels with a liquid coolant. The method is expected to boost the performance of future computers. ... > full story
Magnetic power revealed in gamma-ray burst jet (December 14, 2009) -- A specialized camera on a telescope operated by UK astronomers has made the first measurement of magnetic fields in the afterglow of a gamma-ray burst. ... > full story
Black hole found to be much closer to Earth than previously thought (December 14, 2009) -- Astronomers have accurately measured the distance from Earth to a black hole for the first time. Without needing to rely on mathematical models the astronomers came up with a distance of 7800 light years, much closer than had been assumed until now. The researchers achieved this breakthrough by measuring the radio emissions from the black hole and its associated dying star. ... > full story
New approach to emissions makes climate and air quality models more accurate, major study finds (December 14, 2009) -- It's no secret that the emissions leaving a car tailpipe or factory smokestack affect climate and air quality. Even trees release chemicals that influence the atmosphere. But until now, scientists have struggled to know where these organic molecules go and what happens to them once they leave their source, leading to models for predicting climate and air quality that are incomplete or less than accurate. ... > full story
Nanosensors used to measure cancer biomarkers in blood for first time (December 14, 2009) -- Researchers have used nanosensors to measure cancer biomarkers in whole blood for the first time. Their findings could dramatically simplify the way physicians test for biomarkers of cancer and other diseases. ... > full story
More 20 mph zones in London would prevent 100 killed or seriously injured casualties each year (December 14, 2009) -- Traffic speed zones with a limit of 20 miles per hour reduce casualties by 41.9 percent with the greatest reduction in child casualties, according to new British research. ... > full story
Bacteria provide new insights into human decision making (December 13, 2009) -- Scientists studying how bacteria under stress collectively weigh and initiate different survival strategies say they have gained new insights into how humans make strategic decisions that affect their health, wealth and the fate of others in society. ... > full story
Understanding ocean climate (December 13, 2009) -- High-resolution computer simulations are helping to describe the inflow of North Atlantic water to the Arctic Ocean and how this influences ocean climate. ... > full story
Absorbing hydrogen fluoride gas to enhance crystal growth (December 13, 2009) -- Scientists have developed a method to control the buildup of hydrogen fluoride gas during the growth of precision crystals needed for applications such as superconductors, optical devices, and microelectronics. The invention could lead to more efficient production and improved performance of these materials. ... > full story
First known binary star is discovered to be a triplet, quadruplet, quintuplet, sextuplet system (December 13, 2009) -- Alcor and Mizar, were the first binary stars -- a pair of stars that orbit each other -- ever known. Now, astronomers have made the surprise discovery that Alcor is also actually two stars, and is apparently gravitationally bound to the Mizar system, making the whole group a sextuplet. ... > full story
Synthetic protein mimics structure, function of metalloprotein in nature (December 13, 2009) -- Scientists have designed a synthetic protein that is both a structural model and a functional model of a native protein, nitric-oxide reductase. ... > full story
Brightest-ever 'blazar' flare from distant galaxy spotted by NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (December 12, 2009) -- A galaxy located billions of light-years away is commanding the attention of NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and astronomers around the globe. Thanks to a series of flares that began September 15, the galaxy is now the brightest source in the gamma-ray sky -- more than ten times brighter than it was in the summer. ... > full story
Older dental fillings contain form of mercury unlikely to be toxic, study finds (December 12, 2009) -- A new study on the surface chemistry of silver-colored, mercury-based dental fillings suggests that the surface forms of mercury may be less toxic than previously thought. ... > full story
Elusive 'hot' electrons captured in ultra-thin solar cells (December 12, 2009) -- Harnessing the power of "hot" electrons for solar energy has been held as a theoretical possibility. Now researchers report observing the hot electron effect in an ultra-thin solar cell for the first time and collecting the elusive charges, which are typically lost in less than one-trillionth of a second in traditional solar cells. ... > full story
Lightning-produced radiation a potential health concern for air travelers (December 12, 2009) -- New information about lightning-emitted X-rays, gamma rays and high-energy electrons during thunderstorms is prompting scientists to raise concerns about the potential for airline passengers and crews to be exposed to harmful levels of radiation. ... > full story
VISTA: Pioneering new survey telescope starts work (December 12, 2009) -- A new telescope -- VISTA (the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy) -- has just started work at ESO's Paranal Observatory and has made its first release of pictures. VISTA is a survey telescope working at infrared wavelengths and is the world's largest telescope dedicated to mapping the sky. Spectacular new images of the Flame Nebula, the center of our Milky Way galaxy and the Fornax Galaxy Cluster show that it is working extremely well. ... > full story
Suzaku catches retreat of a black hole's disk (December 12, 2009) -- Studies of one of the galaxy's most active black-hole binaries reveal a dramatic change that will help scientists better understand how these systems expel fast-moving particle jets. ... > full story
Super-massive black holes observed at the center of galaxies (December 11, 2009) -- An international team of scientists has observed four super-massive black holes at the center of galaxies, which may provide new information on how these central black hole systems operate. ... > full story
Astronaut balancing act: Training to help explorers adapt to a return to gravity (December 11, 2009) -- Challenges associated with long-duration spaceflight do not end with landing. Astronauts often suffer from balance problems that lead to dizziness and difficulty standing, walking and turning corners when they return to normal gravity. Researchers are developing techniques, using a treadmill and simulated balance disturbances, to help astronauts adapt to a new gravity environment. The techniques could also have benefits for Earth-bound populations such as the elderly. ... > full story
Old math reveals new thinking in children's cognitive development (December 11, 2009) -- Five-year-olds can reason about the world from multiple perspectives simultaneously, according to a new theory by researchers in Japan and Australia. Using an established branch of mathematics called Category Theory, the researchers explain why specific reasoning skills develop in children at certain ages, particularly at age five. The new theory shows that these reasoning skills have similar profiles of development because they involve related sorts of processes. ... > full story
Surgery on beating heart thanks to robotic helping hand (December 11, 2009) -- If you've been waiting for the day to arrive when computers actually start performing surgery, that moment might soon be upon us. Scientists have developed a computerized 3-D model that allows surgeons to use robotics to operate on a beating heart. ... > full story
Earth's atmosphere came from outer space, scientists find (December 11, 2009) -- The gases which formed the Earth's atmosphere -- and probably its oceans -- did not come from inside the Earth but from outer space, according to a new study. ... > full story
Real human bone grown in tissue culture (December 11, 2009) -- Researchers have created a process that grows real human bone in tissue culture, which can be used to investigate how bones form, grow and fracture. ... > full story
Bacteria engineered to turn carbon dioxide into liquid fuel (December 11, 2009) -- Global climate change has prompted efforts to drastically reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas produced by burning fossil fuels. In a new approach, researchers have genetically modified a cyanobacterium to consume carbon dioxide and produce a liquid fuel precursor to isobutanol, which holds great potential as a gasoline alternative. The reaction is powered directly by energy from sunlight, or photosynthesis. ... > full story
'Fighting' IED attacks with SCARE technology (December 11, 2009) -- Researchers have developed and successfully tested new computer software and computational techniques to analyze patterns of improvised explosive device attacks in Iraq, Afghanistan or other locations and predict the locations of weapons caches that are used by insurgents to support those attacks. ... > full story
U.S. forests and soils store equivalent of 50 years of nation's CO<sub>2</sub> emissions, new estimates find (December 11, 2009) -- The first phase of a groundbreaking national assessment estimates that US forests and soils could remove additional quantities of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as a means to mitigate climate change. ... > full story
Dark side of a Saturnian moon: Iapetus is coated with foreign dust (December 11, 2009) -- Iapetus is often called Saturn's most bizarre moon, due to its starkly contrasting hemispheres -- one black as coal, the other white as snow. Images taken by the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft, orbiting Saturn since 2004, offer the most compelling evidence to date of why and how the moon got its yin-yang appearance, as well as clues to how other such satellites might have formed in the early universe. ... > full story
Swiss scientists measure glacial melting with light (December 11, 2009) -- The glaciers in Switzerland have been melting for years. Researchers now want to know more precisely how much ice is being lost -- and they are using the aid of light. ... > full story
Knowing goalkeeper’s movements in a penalty increases success rate and reduces kicker’s decision time (December 11, 2009) -- A study shows that knowing the anticipatory movements of a goalkeeper before kicking the penalty reduces the decision time and increases the success rate when choosing the direction of the shot in football (soccer). ... > full story
Scientists take theoretical research on 'nasty' molecule to next level (December 11, 2009) -- Some atoms don't always follow the rules. Take the beryllium dimer, a seemingly simple molecule made up of two atoms. For decades, scientists believed the two atoms that compose the beryllium dimer repelled each other. Scientists have now confirmed a 12th and highest vibrational level for the beryllium molecule. ... > full story
Ubiquitous health: Enabling telemedicine to cut hospital visits, save money (December 11, 2009) -- A ubiquitous health monitoring system that automatically alerted the patient's family or physician to problematic changes in the person's vital signs could cut hospital visits and save lives, according to Japanese researchers. ... > full story
XMM-Newton celebrates decade of discovery (December 10, 2009) -- ESA’s XMM-Newton X-ray observatory is celebrating its 10th anniversary. During its decade of operation, this remarkable space observatory has supplied new data for every aspect of astronomy. From our cosmic backyard to the further reaches of the Universe, XMM-Newton has changed the way we think of space. ... > full story
Safer space vehicles thanks to optic fiber sensors (December 10, 2009) -- A research team has developed a new protection system for the European Space Agency that is designed to enhance the safety of space vehicles. ... > full story
Measuring impact of climate change from space: Gravity measurements shed light on key questions (December 10, 2009) -- What is the impact of climate change on the ice-covered regions of Earth? How does deglaciation affect global sea level changes? These questions are being addressed by scientists from Germany and Australia, who are investigating space-borne gravity measurements provided by the GRACE satellite mission. As a result, they found out that the Greenland glaciers shrunk continuously in the last few years; above all, they estimated the changes not to be linear in time but accelerating. On average, recent Greenland ice-mass decline caused an annual sea-level rise of about 0.5 millimeters. ... > full story
Supportive materials to help regenerate heart tissue (December 10, 2009) -- Bioengineers are developing new regenerative therapies for heart disease. The work could influence the way in which regenerative therapies for cardiovascular and other diseases are treated in the future. ... > full story
Formula to detect an author’s literary ‘fingerprint’ (December 10, 2009) -- Using literature written by Thomas Hardy, DH Lawrence and Herman Melville, physicists in Sweden have developed a formula to detect different authors’ literary ‘fingerprints’. ... > full story
First submersible robot glider to cross Atlantic makes landfall in Spain (December 10, 2009) -- The Scarlet Knight, the first submersible robot glider to cross the Atlantic, made its formal entrance into the port of Baiona Dec. 9, received by Spanish and American government officials, school children and the people of the town. ... > full story
Faint star orbiting the Big Dipper's Alcor discovered (December 10, 2009) -- New observations of Alcor, one of the stars that makes the constellation known as the Big Dipper's, have uncovered a smaller companion star named Alcor B. Project 1640 was able to show that the two stars moved together using "common parallactic motion." ... > full story
Electromagnetic fields as cutting tools (December 10, 2009) -- The bodywork on motor vehicles must be sufficiently stable, but processing the high-strength steels involved -- for example punching holes in them -- can prove something of a challenge. A new steel-cutting process will save time, energy and money in the future. ... > full story
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