ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Monday, September 5, 2011

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Monday, September 5, 2011

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Rock rafts could be 'cradle of life' (September 4, 2011) -- Floating rafts of volcanic pumice could have played a significant role in the origins of life on Earth, scientists from have suggested. ... > full story

Rush hour in a coffee stain: Transition from order to disorder (September 4, 2011) -- A remarkable effect never witnessed before has been discovered in the ring-shaped stains of tiny dissolved particles ('coffee stains') that develop after a liquid has evaporated. While the particles on the outside of the ring are neatly organized, chaos reigns on the inside of the ring where the particles seem to have collected in a great hurry. ... > full story

Adding hydrogen triples transistor performance in graphene (September 4, 2011) -- A technique that uses hydrogen to improve transistor performance on real-world graphene devices has been demonstrated on the wafer-scale. Researchers have demonstrated a 3x improvement in electron mobility of epitaxial graphene grown on the silicon face of a 100 mm silicon carbide wafer, as well as a similar improvement in radio-frequency transistor performance. ... > full story

Robots learn to handle objects, understand new places (September 4, 2011) -- Infants spend their first few months learning to find their way around and manipulating objects, and they are very flexible about it: Cups can come in different shapes and sizes, but they all have handles. So do pitchers, so we pick them up the same way. Now researchers are teaching robots to manipulate objects and find their way around in new environments. ... > full story

Advertising in violent video games results in poor recall, negative brand perception (September 4, 2011) -- Embedding advertisements in violent video games leads to lower brand recall and negative brand attitudes suggesting advertisers should think twice about including such ads in a media campaign, according to new research. ... > full story

Rare Martian lake delta spotted by Mars Express (September 3, 2011) -- The European Space Agency's Mars Express has spotted a rare case of a crater once filled by a lake, revealed by the presence of a delta. The delta is an ancient fan-shaped deposit of dark sediments, laid down in water. It is a reminder of Mars' past, wetter climate. ... > full story

Understanding next-generation electronic devices: Smallest atomic displacements ever (September 3, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a novel X-ray technique for imaging atomic displacements in materials with unprecedented accuracy. They have applied their technique to determine how a recently discovered class of exotic materials -- multiferroics -- can be simultaneously both magnetically and electrically ordered. Multiferroics are also candidate materials for new classes of electronic devices. The discovery is a major breakthrough in understanding multiferroics. ... > full story

Engineers test effects of fire on steel structures, nuclear plant design (September 2, 2011) -- Ten years after Sept. 11, researchers are continuing work that could lead to safer steel structures such as buildings and bridges and also an emerging type of nuclear power plant design. ... > full story

Hiding objects with a terahertz invisibility cloak (September 2, 2011) -- Researchers have created a new kind of cloaking material that can render objects invisible in the terahertz range. Though this design can't translate into an invisibility cloak for the visible spectrum, it could have implications in diagnostics, security, and communication. ... > full story

NASA's Mars rover Opportunity begins study of Martian crater (September 2, 2011) -- The initial work of NASA's Mars rover Opportunity at its new location on Mars shows surface compositional differences from anything the robot has studied in its first 7.5 years of exploration. ... > full story

Physicists capture microscopic origins of thinning and thickening fluids (September 2, 2011) -- In things thick and thin: Physicists now explain how fluids -- such as paint or paste -- behave by observing how micron-sized suspended particles dance in real time. Using high-speed microscopy, the scientists unveil how these particles are responding to fluid flows from shear -- a specific way of stirring. ... > full story

New microscope might see beneath skin in 4-D (September 2, 2011) -- Other devices can take 3-D pictures of tissue below the surface of skin, but a new microscope adds an extra dimension: a spectroscopic "fingerprint" that measures the wavelength (or color) of light reflected off each point within a sample in a single snapshot. Researchers hope this innovation may one day be used for early detection of skin cancer. ... > full story

Biological 'computer' destroys cancer cells: Diagnostic network incorporated into human cells (September 2, 2011) -- Researchers have successfully incorporated a diagnostic biological "computer" network into human cells. This network recognizes certain cancer cells using logic combinations of five cancer-specific molecular factors, triggering cancer cells destruction. ... > full story

Digital quantum simulator developed (September 2, 2011) -- Physicists in Austria have come considerably closer to their goal to investigate complex phenomena in a model system: They have developed a digital, and therefore, universal quantum simulator in their laboratory, which can, in principle, simulate any physical system efficiently. ... > full story

To clear digital waste in computers, 'think green,' researchers say (September 2, 2011) -- A digital dumping ground lies inside most computers, a wasteland where old, rarely used and unneeded files pile up. Such data can deplete precious storage space, bog down the system's efficiency and sap its energy. Computer scientists now propose adapting a real-world approach to the cleanup effort. ... > full story

Hubble movies reveal solar-system-sized traffic jams: Giant jets spewing from newborn stars revealed in telescope's images (September 2, 2011) -- Using Hubble Space Telescope images, astronomers have created time-lapse movies that offer astronomers their first glimpse of the dynamic behavior of stellar jets, huge torrents of gas and particles that spew from the poles of newborn stars. The movies are forcing astronomers to rethink the late stages of star birth. The researchers are also using lasers to recreate small-scale versions of the jets. ... > full story

Hydrogen powered prototype vessel for inland waterways: Canal boat runs on fuel cell drive (September 2, 2011) -- Researchers have been operating a canal boat with a fuel cell drive for three years now. In the world of shipbuilding, however, different rules apply than those in the automobile manufacturing industries. Weight is of practically no significance, but the propulsion plant must have an operating lifetime as long as that of the boat itself. The hydride storage system -- the hydrogen tank -- must meet this challenging requirement. ... > full story

Physicists demonstrate quantum integrated circuit that implements quantum von Neumann architecture (September 2, 2011) -- A new paradigm in quantum information processing has been demonstrated. Physicists have developed a quantum integrated circuit that implements the quantum von Neumann architecture. In this architecture, a long-lived quantum random access memory can be programmed using a quantum central processing unit, all constructed on a single chip, providing the key components for a quantum version of a classical computer. ... > full story

New salts for chemical 'soups' (September 2, 2011) -- Organozinc reagents are an important class of organometallic compounds with a wide range of applications. Chemists have now developed a novel route for the synthesis of so-called organozinc pivalates in a stable powdered form. They promise to be extremely useful in many industrial contexts. ... > full story

Zero-gravity experiments (September 2, 2011) -- Researchers will be floating high above the Gulf of Mexico this month to conduct zero-gravity testing of an experimental DNA analysis instrument that could benefit future NASA astronauts. ... > full story

From a flat mirror, designer light: Bizarre optical phenomena defies laws of reflection and refraction (September 1, 2011) -- Exploiting a novel technique called phase discontinuity, researchers have induced light rays to behave in a way that defies the centuries-old laws of reflection and refraction. The discovery has led to a reformulation of the mathematical laws that predict the path of a ray of light bouncing off a surface or traveling from one medium into another -- for example, from air into glass. ... > full story

Insect gut microbe with a molecular iron reservoir: Researchers analyze the structure of an iron storage protein (September 1, 2011) -- Iron plays an important role in almost every life form. Low iron can lead to deficiency symptoms and reduced growth, whereas too much iron may harm biomolecules like DNA. Researchers in Germany have now elucidated the spatial structure of a bacterial enzyme in Microbacterium arborescens which is able to accumulate several hundred iron ions in its center -- depending on the iron supply situation in its environment: for example in the larval gut of the beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua. ... > full story

NASA's Chandra finds nearest pair of supermassive black holes (September 1, 2011) -- Astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory discovered the first pair of supermassive black holes in a spiral galaxy similar to the Milky Way. Approximately 160 million light years from Earth, the pair is the nearest known such phenomenon. ... > full story

Faster diagnostics through cheap, ultra-portable blood testing (September 1, 2011) -- Current blood testing procedures are expensive and time-consuming, while sophisticated test equipment is bulky and difficult to transport. A team of researchers has addressed all these drawbacks in a new low-cost, portable blood testing technique using surface plasmon resonance. The technique could help in a wide range of medical sensing applications, including diagnosing diseases like cancer and diabetes long before clinical symptoms arise. ... > full story

'Plastic bottle' solution for arsenic-contaminated water threatening 100 million people (September 1, 2011) -- With almost 100 million people in developing countries exposed to dangerously high arsenic levels in their drinking water, and unable to afford purification technology, scientists described a simple, inexpensive method for removing arsenic based on chopped up pieces of plastic beverage bottles coated with a nutrient found in many foods and dietary supplements. ... > full story

A 'nano,' environmentally friendly, and low toxicity flame retardant protects fabric (September 1, 2011) -- The technology in "fire paint" used to protect steel beams in buildings and other structures has found a new life as a first-of-its-kind flame retardant for children's cotton sleepwear, terrycloth bathrobes and other apparel, according to new report. ... > full story

Iron 'veins' are secret of promising new hydrogen storage material (September 1, 2011) -- Scientists have a new approach to the problem of safely storing hydrogen in future fuel-cell powered cars -- molecular scale 'veins' of iron permeating grains of magnesium like a network of capillaries. ... > full story

Communication via electron spin: Scientists propose new kind of information technology (September 1, 2011) -- Is it time for a communications paradigm shift? Scientists calculate that encoding and sending information via electron spin, instead of voltage changes, may mean tiny chips could transmit more information and consume less power. ... > full story

The star that should not exist (September 1, 2011) -- A team of European astronomers has used the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) to track down a star in the Milky Way that many thought was impossible. They discovered that this star is composed almost entirely of hydrogen and helium, placing it in the "forbidden zone" of a widely accepted theory of star formation, meaning that it should never have come into existence. ... > full story

Magnetic memories manipulated by voltage, not heat (September 1, 2011) -- Using voltage to encode magnetic data could lead to smaller, faster memory devices -- but not if heat is doing all the work. Fortunately, it is the voltage itself, and not the side effect of heating, that modifies the magnets' properties. ... > full story

Cutting soot emissions: Fastest, most economical way to slow global warming? (September 1, 2011) -- A new study of dust-like particles of soot in the air -- now emerging as the second most important, but previously overlooked, factor in global warming -- provides fresh evidence that reducing soot emissions from diesel engines and other sources could slow melting of sea ice in the Arctic faster and more economically than any other quick fix. ... > full story

Down to the wire: Inexpensive technique for making high quality nanowire solar cells (September 1, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a solution-based technique for fabricating core/shell nanowire solar cells using the semiconductors cadmium sulfide for the core and copper sulfide for the shell. These inexpensive and easy-to-make nanowire solar cells hold great promise for future solar cell technology. ... > full story

New insight into how disordered solids deform (September 1, 2011) -- In solid materials with regular atomic structures, figuring out weak points where the material will break under stress is relatively easy. But for disordered solids, like glass or sand, their disordered nature makes such predictions much more daunting tasks. Now, a collaboration combining a theoretical model with a first-of-its kind experiment has demonstrated a novel method for identifying "soft spots" in such materials. ... > full story

Computer model for testing heart-disease drugs: Simulations solve decades-old mystery of failed anti-arrhythmia therapy (September 1, 2011) -- Researchers have developed an accurate computer model to test the effects of medications for arrhythmia, or abnormal heart rhythm, before they are used in patients. ... > full story

First flaws in the Advanced Encryption Standard used for internet banking identified (September 1, 2011) -- Researchers have found a weakness in the AES algorithm used worldwide to protect internet banking, wireless communications, and data on hard disks. They managed to come up with a clever new attack that can recover the secret key four times easier than anticipated by experts. However the attack has no practical implications on the security of user data due to various complexities. ... > full story

Cryogenic catering truck comes to the ALMA observatory (September 1, 2011) -- The superconducting receivers of ALMA's telescopes in the Chilean Andes now have their own cryogenic catering service -- a customized truck, inspired by airline catering vehicles, that cuts maintenance disruptions to the upcoming astronomy schedule and greatly reduces ALMA's carbon footprint. ... > full story

Ion armageddon: Measuring the impact energy of highly charged ions (August 31, 2011) -- Much like a meteor impacting a planet, highly charged ions hit really hard and can do a lot of damage, albeit on a much smaller scale. And much like geologists determine the size and speed of the meteor by looking at the hole it left, physicists can learn a lot about a highly charged ion's energy by looking at the divots it makes in thin films. Researchers have now measured the energy of highly charged ion impacts on a thin film surface for the first time in detail. ... > full story

Tiny oxygen generators boost effectiveness of anticancer treatment (August 31, 2011) -- Researchers have created and tested miniature devices that are implanted in tumors to generate oxygen, boosting the killing power of radiation and chemotherapy. ... > full story

Solar industry responsible for lead emissions in developing countries, research finds (August 31, 2011) -- Solar power heavily reliant on lead batteries has the potential to release more than 2.4 million tons of lead pollution in China and India, according to new research. ... > full story

Hubble movies provide unprecedented view of supersonic jets from young stars (August 31, 2011) -- Astronomers have combined two decades of Hubble observations to make unprecedented movies revealing never-before-seen details of the birth pangs of new stars. This sheds new light on how stars like the Sun form. ... > full story

New tests for dangerous 'legal marijuana,' 'bath salts' and other emerging designer drugs (August 31, 2011) -- Scientists report the development of much needed new tests to help cope with a wave of deaths, emergency room visits and other problems from a new genre of dangerous designer drugs sold legally in stores and online that mimic the effects of cocaine, ecstasy and marijuana. ... > full story

Graphene's shining light could lead to super-fast Internet (August 31, 2011) -- Internet connection speeds could be tens of times faster than they currently are, thanks to new research by scientists using wonder material graphene. By combining graphene with metallic nanostructures, they show a twenty-fold enhancement in harvesting light by graphene, which paves the way for advances in high-speed internet and other communications. ... > full story

Panda poop may be a treasure trove of microbes for making biofuels (August 31, 2011) -- Panda feces contains bacteria with potent effects in breaking down plant material in the way needed to tap biomass as a major new source of "biofuels" produced not from corn and other food sources, but from grass, wood chips and crop wastes, scientists report. ... > full story

New light shed on pulsars (August 31, 2011) -- Astronomers have made an important breakthrough in the understanding of how pulsars work. Using a new inverse mapping or reverse engineering approach, researchers were able to establish for the first time that most of the light from the pulsar comes from close to the star's surface. This is contrary to most pulsar models and points to a new way of analysing observational data from pulsars. ... > full story

Jupiter-bound space probe captures Earth and Moon (August 31, 2011) -- On its way to the biggest planet in the solar system -- Jupiter, NASA's Juno spacecraft took time to capture its home planet and its natural satellite -- the moon. ... > full story

What's really in that luscious chocolate aroma? (August 31, 2011) -- The mouth-watering aroma of roasted cocoa beans -- key ingredient for chocolate -- emerges from substances that individually smell like potato chips, cooked meat, peaches, raw beef fat, human sweat, earth and an improbable palate of other distinctly un-cocoa-like aromas. That's among the discoveries emerging from an effort to identify the essential aroma and taste ingredients in the world's favorite treat. ... > full story

Mobile phone data help track populations during disasters (August 31, 2011) -- Mobile phone positioning data can be used to monitor population movements during disasters and outbreaks, according to a new study. The study finds that reports on the location of populations affected and in need of assistance can be generated within hours of receiving data. ... > full story

Monitoring ground-level ozone from space (August 30, 2011) -- Satellite views of the Midwestern United States show that ozone levels above 50 parts per billion along the ground could reduce soybean yields by at least 10 percent, costing more than billion in lost crop production, according to scientists. ... > full story