ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Saturday, October 29, 2011

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Saturday, October 29, 2011

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Printed protection: Low-cost paper-based wireless sensor could help detect explosive devices (October 28, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a prototype wireless sensor capable of detecting trace amounts of a key ingredient found in many explosives. The device, which employs carbon nanotubes, is printed on paper or paper-like material. ... > full story

Astronomers pin down galaxy collision rate with Hubble data (October 28, 2011) -- A new analysis of Hubble surveys, combined with simulations of galaxy interactions, reveals that the merger rate of galaxies over the last 8 billion to 9 billion years falls between the previous estimates. ... > full story

Shaken, not stirred: Scientists spy molecular maneuvers (October 28, 2011) -- By shaking not stirring their solutions, researchers have been able to engineer two-dimensional, biomimetic nanosheets with atomic precision for a wide range of applications, including the creation of platforms for sensing molecules or membranes for filtration. To enable this self-assembly of 2D nanosheets they have developed a programmable vial rocking device they call a "SheetRocker." ... > full story

Celestial compass obscured by urban light pollution for some nocturnal animals (October 28, 2011) -- Urban light pollution has been shown to reduce the visibility of not only the stars, but also of an important navigational signal for some nocturnal animals. During clear moonlit nights, a compass-like pattern of polarized light that is invisible to the human eye stretches across the sky. The nighttime skyglow over major cities renders this celestial compass unobservable over large areas, according to a new study. ... > full story

Graphene grows better on certain copper crystals (October 28, 2011) -- New observations could improve industrial production of high-quality graphene, hastening the era of graphene-based consumer electronics. By combining data from several imaging techniques, engineers found that the quality of graphene depends on the crystal structure of the copper substrate it grows on. Copper with higher index numbers tends to have lower-quality graphene growth. Two common crystal structures, numbered (100) and (111), have the worst and the best growth, respectively. ... > full story

Quantum computer components 'coalesce' to 'converse' (October 28, 2011) -- A team of physicists has shown for the first time how very different types of photons can be made to share "quantum state" information. Such unlike photon links are likely to be an important feature of future quantum computers, where different types of components will need to share information with one another, just like the memory and logic circuits in today's computers. ... > full story

Starburst captured: Students photograph exploding star in pinwheel galaxy (October 28, 2011) -- In the Pinwheel Galaxy some 21 million light years from Earth, a supernova beams brightly, out-shining its cosmic neighbors and causing a stir among starwatchers. ... > full story

Restraint improves dielectric performance, lifespan (October 28, 2011) -- Just as a corset improves the appearance of its wearer by keeping everything tightly together, rigidly constraining insulating materials in electrical components can increase their energy density and decrease their rates of failure. Engineers have demonstrated that rigidly constraining dielectric materials can greatly improve their performance and potentially lengthen their lifespans. This insight follows their discovery earlier this year of the exact mechanism that causes soft dielectric materials to break down in the presence of electricity. ... > full story

Europe's top microscope for creating tomorrow's materials (October 28, 2011) -- Europe's most precise electron microscope is now in use in Sweden. The 80-300 transmission electron microscope has been adjusted so it now provides a resolution of less than 0.7 Å (about half the distance between two atoms in a silicon crystal). ... > full story

Quantum dots cast light on biomedical processes (October 27, 2011) -- The light emitted by quantum dots is both more intense and longer lasting than that produced by the fluorescent markers commonly used in medical and biological applications. Yet these nano-scale light sources still suffer from one major drawback: they do not dissolve in water. Researchers in the Netherlands and Singapore have found a way to remedy this. They have developed a coating which allows quantum dots to be used inside the human body, even inside living cells. ... > full story

Three new planets and a mystery object discovered outside our solar system (October 27, 2011) -- Three planets -- each orbiting its own giant, dying star -- have now been discovered by a team led by Alexander Wolszczan, the discoverer of the first planets ever found outside our solar system. One of these stars has another mystery object orbiting it. The research is expected to shed light on the evolution of planetary systems around dying stars and the influence of metal content on the behavior of dying stars. ... > full story

High-quality white light produced by four-color laser source; Diode lasers could challenge LEDs for home and industrial lighting supremacy (October 27, 2011) -- The human eye is as comfortable with white light generated by diode lasers as with that produced by increasingly popular light-emitting diodes, according to new tests. Both technologies pass electrical current through material to generate light, but the simpler LED emits lights only through spontaneous emission. Diode lasers bounce light back and forth internally before releasing it. ... > full story