ScienceDaily Technology Headlines
for Sunday, December 13, 2009
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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
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