Science & Technology - Oct 20, 2011 9:41 - 1 Comment

Food safety starts with clean seeds

U. ILLINOIS (US) —The secret to keeping radish, broccoli, alfalfa, and other sprouts free from food-borne bacteria lies in the cleanliness of their seeds. (more…)

Science & Technology - Oct 20, 2011 8:20 - 0 Comments

Skype flaw exposes users’ location, identity

NYU (US) — Flaws in Skype and similar Internet phone systems could potentially disclose the identities, locations, and even digital files of hundreds of millions of users, a new study finds. (more…)

Science & Technology - Oct 19, 2011 10:58 - 0 Comments

Did massive stars blow away cosmic fog?

U. MICHIGAN (US) — High-energy light from massive stars may have cleared the dense fog that existed between galaxies in the early universe, new research suggests. (more…)

Science & Technology - Oct 19, 2011 10:37 - 5 Comments

Turn any surface (skin!) into touchscreen

CARNEGIE MELLON (US) — A wearable projection system turns paper, walls, and even skin into an iPad-like touchscreen. (more…)

Science & Technology - Oct 14, 2011 11:16 - 0 Comments

Brainy robot gets an ‘A’ in biology

VANDERBILT / CORNELL (US) — Engineers have demonstrated for the first time that a computer can take raw experimental data and solve a complex biological modeling problem from scratch. (more…)

Science & Technology - Oct 14, 2011 11:00 - 0 Comments

New proof: Black holes rip apart stars

NYU (US) — Astrophysicists have found evidence of black holes destroying stars, a long-sought phenomenon that provides a new window into general relativity. (more…)

Science & Technology - Oct 14, 2011 10:07 - 3 Comments

To see illusion, imagine ‘duck eats rabbit’

U. ILLINOIS (US) — Looking at a classic psychology experiment in a new way suggests that our visual systems are more flexible than previously thought. (more…)

Science & Technology - Oct 13, 2011 16:52 - 2 Comments

Big batteries not always best for hybrids

CARNEGIE MELLON U. (US) — Thinking about buying a new plug-in vehicle? You may want to check the size of its battery first. (more…)

Science & Technology - Oct 13, 2011 12:08 - 1 Comment

‘Super-Earth’ found orbiting Kepler 18

U. TEXAS-AUSTIN (US) — A “super-Earth” and two Neptune-sized planets have been discovered orbiting Kepler 18, a star that is 10 percent larger than the Sun with 97 percent of the Sun’s mass. (more…)

Science & Technology - Oct 13, 2011 11:43 - 0 Comments

Equation explains forces that repel water, oil

UC SANTA BARBARA (US) — A new equation is the first to predict the hydrophobic interactions of molecules. Such interactions explain why oil and water don’t mix, how proteins are structured, and what holds biological membranes together. (more…)

Science & Technology - Oct 12, 2011 15:30 - 0 Comments

Early Mars likely warm and wet

CALTECH (US) — Researchers have directly determined the surface temperature of early Mars for the first time, providing evidence that’s consistent with a warmer and wetter Martian past. (more…)

Science & Technology - Oct 12, 2011 12:05 - 2 Comments

Snails hitch a ride on mucus bubbles

U. MICHIGAN (US) — Instead of using slime to get around, a species of ocean-dwelling snail spends its life upside down, surfing on mucus bubbles that evolved from egg carriers to raft-like flotation devices. (more…)

Science & Technology - Oct 12, 2011 12:02 - 1 Comment

What do pendulums and elastic film share?

U. CHICAGO (US) — A coupled line of swinging pendulums has nothing apparently in common with an elastic film that buckles and folds under compression while floating on a liquid, but scientists have discovered a connection between the two. (more…)

Science & Technology - Oct 12, 2011 11:49 - 0 Comments

Babies know fair vs. unfair by 15 months

U. WASHINGTON (US) — Babies as young as 15 months have a basic sense of fairness and know the difference between equal and unequal sharing, according to a new study. (more…)

Science & Technology - Oct 12, 2011 11:12 - 0 Comments

Monkeys move virtual avatar with brain

DUKE (US) — In a first-ever demonstration of a two-way interaction between a primate brain and a virtual body, two monkeys employ brain power alone to move an avatar hand and identify the texture of virtual objects. (more…)

Science & Technology - Oct 12, 2011 10:34 - 0 Comments

Gamma rays from pulsar defy explanation

MCGILL U. (CAN) — Astrophysicists have detected pulsed gamma-ray emission from the Crab pulsar at energies far beyond what current theoretical models of pulsars can explain. (more…)

Science & Technology - Oct 11, 2011 11:25 - 1 Comment

‘Hot hands’ keep athletes on win streak

YALE (US) — Athletes on a winning streak are likely to stay on one, according to new evidence that supports the “hot hand” phenomenon. (more…)

Science & Technology - Oct 10, 2011 11:25 - 0 Comments

Petri dish takes pics with cell phone camera

CALTECH (US) — The imaging sensor chips that form the heart of built-in cell phone cameras are helping engineers transform the way cell cultures are imaged by serving as the platform for a “smart” petri dish. (more…)

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