ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Thursday, May 19, 2011

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Thursday, May 19, 2011

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Potentially toxic flame retardants detected in baby products (May 19, 2011) -- Scientists are reporting detection of potentially toxic flame retardants in car seats, bassinet mattresses, nursing pillows, high chairs, strollers and other products that contain polyurethane foam and are designed for newborns, infants and toddlers. In a new study, they describe hints that one flame retardant, banned years ago in some areas, actually remains in use. ... > full story

Video game playing increases food intake in teens, study confirms (May 19, 2011) -- Male teens playing video games for one hour consume more calories in the short-term than they do after one hour of rest, according to a new study by researchers in New Zealand, Australia and Canada. ... > full story

Nuclear magnetic resonance with no magnets (May 19, 2011) -- Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a powerful tool for chemical analysis and, in the form of magnetic resonance imaging, a valuable technique for medical diagnosis. But its applications have been limited by the need for big, expensive, superconducting magnets producing strong magnetic fields. Now scientists have demonstrated NMR in a zero magnetic field without using any magnets at all. ... > full story

Hospitals misleading patients about benefits of robotic surgery, study suggests (May 19, 2011) -- An estimated four in 10 hospital websites in the United States publicize the use of robotic surgery, with the lion's share touting its clinical superiority despite a lack of scientific evidence that robotic surgery is any better than conventional operations, a new study finds. ... > full story

Why have Murillo’s skies turned grey? Researchers find key to pigment fading (May 19, 2011) -- Smalt was one of the blue pigments the most commonly used by the artists between the 16th and 18th centuries. Unfortunately, this pigment is unstable and tends to fade with time. Researchers found the key of this fading, described for four centuries. These results, obtained through the synchrotron analysis of microsamples of paint from works by Baroque painter Murillo and other artists, have been published. ... > full story

Imaging technology reveals intricate details of 49-million-year-old spider (May 18, 2011) -- Scientists have used the latest computer-imaging technology to produce stunning three-dimensional pictures of a 49-million-year-old spider trapped inside an opaque piece of fossilized amber resin. ... > full story

Do microbes swim faster or slower in elastic fluids? Research answers long-standing question (May 18, 2011) -- A biomechanical experiment has answered a long-standing theoretical question: Will microorganisms swim faster or slower in elastic fluids? For a prevalent type of swimming, undulation, the answer is "slower." ... > full story

Free-floating planets may be more common than stars (May 18, 2011) -- Astronomers, including a NASA-funded team member, have discovered a new class of Jupiter-sized planets floating alone in the dark of space, away from the light of a star. The team believes these lone worlds were probably ejected from developing planetary systems. ... > full story

Invisibility cloak: Scientists achieve optical invisibility in visible light range of spectrum (May 18, 2011) -- Physicists in Germany are refining the structure of an invisibility cloak to such an extent that it is also effective in the visible spectral range. The minute invisibility cloak is smaller than the diameter of a human hair. It makes the curvature of a metal mirror appear flat, as a result of which an object hidden underneath becomes invisible ... > full story

Odds are against ESP: New statistical approach doesn't support claims that extra-sensory perception exists (May 18, 2011) -- Can people truly feel the future? Not according to a new study by researchers in the United States and the Netherlands. Their study uses a novel statistical approach that doesn't support claims that extra-sensory perception exists. ... > full story

Splitting water for renewable energy simpler than first thought? Manganese-based catalyst shows promise (May 18, 2011) -- Scientists have found the key to the hydrogen economy could come from a very simple mineral, commonly seen as a black stain on rocks. ... > full story

Diminutive 3-D printers to enable home manufacturing of custom objects (May 18, 2011) -- New research could turn futuristic 3-D printers into affordable everyday items. Printers, which can produce three-dimensional objects have been available for years. However, a printing device has now been developed, which is much smaller, lighter and cheaper than ordinary 3-D printers. With this kind of printer, everyone could produce small, tailor-made 3-D objects at home, using building plans from the Internet -- and this could save money for expensive custom-built spare parts. ... > full story

Scientists track environmental influences on giant kelp with help from satellite data (May 18, 2011) -- Scientists have developed new methods for studying how environmental factors and climate affect giant kelp forest ecosystems at unprecedented spatial and temporal scales. ... > full story

Sharpening the nanofocus (May 18, 2011) -- Researchers have developed an antenna-enhanced plasmonic sensing technique for the observation of single catalytic processes in nanoreactors, or the optical detection of low concentrations of biochemical agents and gases. ... > full story

Hardware encryption developed for new computer memory technology (May 18, 2011) -- Security concerns are one of the key obstacles to the adoption of new non-volatile main memory (NVMM) technology in next-generation computers, which would improve computer start times and boost memory capacity. But now researchers have developed new encryption hardware for use with NVMM to protect personal information and other data. ... > full story

Diamond aerogel: New form of diamond is lighter than ever (May 18, 2011) -- By combining high pressure with high temperature, researchers have created a nanocyrstalline diamond aerogel that could improve the optics something as big as a telescope or as small as the lenses in eyeglasses. ... > full story

Radiation protection expert criticises comparison of Fukushima to Chernobyl (May 18, 2011) -- In a new editorial, a radiological protection expert from the UK gives a detailed account of events at Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station, and poses several questions that remain unanswered, several weeks on from the earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011. ... > full story

Autonomous robots made to explore and map buildings (May 17, 2011) -- Researchers are giving autonomous robots the ability to work together to explore and map the interior of buildings. Beyond soldiers, the capability could also help firefighters and other first responders. ... > full story

Physicist accelerates simulations of thin film growth (May 17, 2011) -- A researcher has implemented a new mathematical approach to accelerate complex calculations used to simulate micro-thin material formation. He studies the modeling and growth of materials at the atomic level. He leverages Ohio Supercomputer Center resources and Kinetic Monte Carlo methods to simulate the molecular beam epitaxy process, where metals are heated into a gaseous state and then reform as thin films. ... > full story

Reality of 'supersolid' in helium-4 challenged (May 17, 2011) -- The long-held, but unproven idea that helium-4 enters into an exotic phase of matter dubbed a "supersolid" when cooled to extremely low temperatures has been challenged in a new article. ... > full story

Which technologies get better faster? (May 17, 2011) -- A new analysis helps predict which new systems will be on a fast track to improvements in performance. ... > full story

New imaging technology 'sees' camouflaged marine animals in the eyes of their predators (May 17, 2011) -- Despite being colorblind, the cuttlefish can change its skin color to blend into the background with great skill. In a new study, a team of researchers used hyperspectral imaging tools to model what the cuttlefish predator "sees" before and after cuttlefish camouflage. ... > full story

New solar product captures up to 95 percent of light energy (May 17, 2011) -- A chemical engineering researcher is developing a flexible solar sheet that captures more than 90 percent of available light. Today's solar panels only collect 20 percent of available light. ... > full story

Looking inside nanomaterials in 3-D (May 17, 2011) -- Scientists have developed new method for revealing a 3-D picture of the structure inside a material. Most solid materials are composed of millions of small crystals, packed together to form a fully dense solid. The orientations, shapes, sizes and relative arrangement of these crystals are important in determining many material properties. A new method allows 3-D mapping of the crystal structure inside a material down to nanometer resolution. ... > full story

Digital imaging software to create a 'Google Earth' view of the bladder (May 17, 2011) -- A more automated approach to bladder exams could be cheaper, more comfortable and more convenient. The system would use an ultrathin laser endoscope, which is like a thin piece of cooked spaghetti, in combination with software that automatically creates a 3-D panorama of the bladder interior. ... > full story

Child-size mannequin: Hands-on training spares real patients (May 17, 2011) -- Bioengineering students have modified a child-size training mannequin to give medical students hands-on pediatric experience so that real patients can be spared further stress and pain. ... > full story

Third of tested plastic products found to leach toxic substances in Swedish study (May 17, 2011) -- Many plastic products contain hazardous chemicals that can leach to the surroundings. In studies conducted in Sweden, a third of the tested plastic products released toxic substances, including five out of 13 products intended for children. ... > full story

New semantic model improves mobile telephone user experience (May 17, 2011) -- A new semantic model developed by researchers in Spain promises to improve the mobile telephone user experience. ... > full story

When is it worth remanufacturing? Sometimes it saves energy, sometimes it doesn’t — and sometimes it makes things worse (May 16, 2011) -- It seems like a no-brainer: Remanufacturing products rather than making new ones from scratch -- widely done with everything from retread tires to refilled inkjet cartridges to remanufactured engines -- should save a lot of energy, right? Not so fast, says a new study. ... > full story

New SETI survey focuses on Kepler's top Earth-like planets (May 16, 2011) -- Astronomers are searching for evidence of intelligent life on planets identified by the Kepler space telescope team as having Earth-like environments. This search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) targets 86 stars with possible planetary systems. ... > full story

Using war games to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (May 16, 2011) -- Soldiers may benefit from virtual reality applications for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A new study reviews how virtual reality applications are being designed and implemented across various points in the military deployment cycle, to prevent, identify and treat combat-related PTSD. ... > full story

Energy harvesters transform waste into electricity (May 16, 2011) -- Billions of dollars lost each year as waste heat from industrial processes can be converted into electricity with a new technology under development. ... > full story

First habitable exoplanet? Climate simulation reveals new candidate that could support Earth-like life (May 16, 2011) -- The planetary system around the red dwarf Gliese 581, one of the closest stars to the Sun in the galaxy, has been the subject of several studies aiming to detect the first potentially habitable exoplanet. Two candidates have already been discarded, but a third planet, Gliese 581d, can be considered the first confirmed exoplanet that could support Earth-like life, according to a team of scientists in France. ... > full story

Successful first test drive of 'sighted' wheelchair (May 16, 2011) -- Research on an electric wheelchair that can sense it's environment and transmit information to a person who is visually impaired, has just been tested. One of the researchers, himself visually impaired, made the first public test. ... > full story

Next generation gamers: Computer games aid recovery from stroke (May 16, 2011) -- Computer games are not just for kids. New research shows that computer games can speed up and improve a patient's recovery from paralysis after a stroke. ... > full story

'Computer synapse' analyzed at the nanoscale (May 16, 2011) -- Researchers have analyzed in unprecedented detail the physical and chemical properties of an electronic device that computer engineers hope will transform computing. ... > full story

The atom and its quantum mirror image: Physicists experimentally produces quantum-superpositions, simply using a mirror (May 16, 2011) -- A team of physicists experimentally produces quantum-superpositions, simply using a mirror. ... > full story

Scientists looking to burst the superconductivity bubble (May 16, 2011) -- Bubbles are blocking the current path of one of the most promising high-temperature superconducting materials, new research suggests. ... > full story

New properties of supercooled confined water discovered (May 16, 2011) -- A new study suggests that hydrophobic nanoconfinement can alter the thermodynamics of water at supercool temperatures. These findings may have important applications in fields related to conservation at cryogenic temperatures (around minus 100 degrees Celsius) -- for example, in the preservation of stem cells, blood and food products. ... > full story

Evolutionary adaptations can be reversed, but rarely (May 16, 2011) -- Physicists' study of evolution in bacteria shows that adaptations can be undone, but rarely. Ever since Charles Darwin proposed his theory of evolution in 1859, scientists have wondered whether evolutionary adaptations can be reversed. Answering that question has proved difficult, partly due to conflicting evidence. In 2003, scientists showed that some species of insects have gained, lost and regained wings over millions of years. But a few years later, a different team found that a protein that helps control cells' stress responses could not evolve back to its original form. ... > full story

Lasers take the lead in auto manufacturing (May 16, 2011) -- Conserving energy is a top priority for auto manufacturers today. Laser technology can help. Lasers can be used to process thin light-weight components made of fiber-composite materials, as well as to manufacture more efficient engines and more powerful batteries. Scientists have now developed new production technologies. ... > full story

Computer program aids patients in end-of-life planning (May 16, 2011) -- A new program developed by researchers may make it easier for patients with moderate/severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to make critical decisions regarding their care as their disease worsens. The computer-based decision aid (CDA) is designed to educate patients about planning for end-of-life decisions without diminishing hope, according to the researchers. ... > full story

Telemonitoring may not offer improved outcomes for critically ill patients (May 16, 2011) -- Telemonitoring may offer promise for patients in remote locations without access to specially trained intensive care physicians. However, a recent study indicates telemonitoring does not offer improved clinical outcomes compared to patients who receive standard care. ... > full story

Toward faster transistors: Physicists discover physical phenomenon that could boost computers' clock speed (May 15, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a new physical phenomenon that could yield transistors with greatly enhanced capacitance -- a measure of the voltage required to move a charge. And that, in turn, could lead to the revival of clock speed as the measure of a computer's power. ... > full story

Sound safety: Novel device with rock 'n' roll roots may protect listeners from potential dangers of personal listening devices and hearing aids (May 15, 2011) -- Engineers investigating "listener fatigue"-- the discomfort and pain some people experience while using in-ear headphones, hearing aids, and other devices that seal the ear canal from external sound -- have found not only what they believe is the cause, but also a potential solution. ... > full story

Controling robotic arms is child's play (May 15, 2011) -- Move your arm and the robot imitates your movement. This type of intuitive handling is now possible thanks to a new input device that will simplify the control of industrial robots in the future. But that is not all: The sensor system can also help regulate the movements of active prostheses. ... > full story

Moon's rough 'wrinkles' reveal clues to its past (May 15, 2011) -- Researchers have put together the first comprehensive set of maps revealing the slopes and roughness of the moon's surface. These maps are based on detailed data collected by the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) on NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. ... > full story

Crowdsourcing science: Researcher uses Facebook to identify thousands of fish (May 15, 2011) -- During a survey on Guyana's Cuyuni River, researcher Devin Bloom utilized Facebook to help identify thousands of fish specimens in less than 24 hours. ... > full story