Science & Technology
Science & Technology - Oct 22, 2009 17:08 - 0 Comments
Patchy particles show promise for drug delivery
U. PENN (US)—A team of physicists, chemists, and engineers has demonstrated a novel method for the controlled formation of patchy particles, using charged, self-assembling molecules. The particles may one day serve as drug-delivery vehicles and perhaps be used in small batteries that store and release charge. (more…)
Earth & Environment, Science & Technology - Oct 22, 2009 16:43 - 0 Comments
New clues in quest for liquid methane
UNC-CHAPEL HILL/U. WASHINGTON (US)—Researchers have taken an important step in converting methane gas to a liquid, potentially making it more useful as a fuel and as a source for making other chemicals. (more…)
Science & Technology - Oct 21, 2009 17:05 - 3 Comments
Playing hide and seek with exoplanets
U. COLORADO (US)—A precise “laser ruler” is being developed to look for Earth-like planets around other stars. The device will measure tiny changes in infrared light caused by the gravitational wobble of small, cool stars as they are tugged back and forth by their rocky planets. (more…)
Health & Medicine, Science & Technology - Oct 21, 2009 14:15 - 0 Comments
What do asteroids have to do with autism?
CORNELL (US)—A custom-built suite of science-fiction-themed video games may help researchers uncover clues to the chaotic nature of autism. (more…)
Science & Technology - Oct 20, 2009 16:53 - 2 Comments
Geo-maps help preserve Egyptian tombs
PENN STATE (US)—Photography and detailed geological mapping may help curators protect ancient Egyptian tombs, some of which lie on fracture traces that are natural entry points for water—and potential flood damage. (more…)
Science & Technology - Oct 20, 2009 11:00 - 0 Comments
Cassini reshapes view of solar system
JOHNS HOPKINS (US)—It turns out that the solar system may look more like a basketball than a comet. Images from one of the sensors on NASA’s Cassini spacecraft suggest that the heliosphere—the region of our sun’s influence—may not have the comet-like shape predicted by existing models. (more…)
Science & Technology - Oct 8, 2009 15:29 - 0 Comments
Predicting when cells will be unpredictable
DUKE (US)—Scientists have discovered a quirky trait that makes some bacteria zig when others zag. The finding could help bioengineers fine-tune the development of synthetic “circuits”—designed to produce a myriad of useful proteins and chemicals. (more…)
Science & Technology - Oct 6, 2009 17:00 - 2 Comments
‘Mad-cow’ proteins differ unexpectedly
VANDERBILT (US)—The first direct information about the molecular structure of prions, the infectious proteins responsible for “mad cow” disease, reveals surprisingly large structural differences between natural prions and the closest synthetic analogs created in the lab. (more…)
Science & Technology - Oct 5, 2009 18:00 - 1 Comment
3-D printed glass melds art, science
U. WASHINGTON (US)—A team of engineers and artists has developed a way to create glass objects using a conventional 3-D printer. The technique allows a new type of material to be used in such devices. (more…)
Science & Technology - Oct 5, 2009 12:34 - 0 Comments
Flip of switch illuminates cell function
UC BERKELEY (US)—A new way to select and switch on one cell type in an organism using light has helped answer a long-standing question about the function of one class of enigmatic nerve cells in the spinal cord. (more…)
Science & Technology - Oct 5, 2009 12:01 - 0 Comments
Model suggests it’s raining rocks on exoplanet
WASHINGTON-ST. LOUIS (US)—An exoplanet discovered last February by the COROT space telescope is close enough to its star that its “day-face” is hot enough to melt rock. Theoretical models suggest the planet has a gaseous-rock atmosphere and boiling oceans on its surface. (more…)
Science & Technology - Oct 2, 2009 16:11 - 0 Comments
Bitemark evidence less reliable than DNA
U. BUFFALO (US)—A new study challenges the commonly held belief that every bitemark can be perpetrator identified, and concludes that bitemarks should be very carefully evaluated in criminal investigations where perpetrator identity is the focus of a case. (more…)
Science & Technology - Oct 2, 2009 12:55 - 0 Comments
Map helps quantum dots go ‘designer’
U. MICHIGAN (US)—The creation of the first atomic-scale maps of quantum dots may speed progress toward the goal of producing “designer dots” that can be tailored for specific applications. (more…)
Science & Technology - Oct 1, 2009 11:16 - 0 Comments
Brain implants coated with nanotubes
U. MICHIGAN (US)—Newly developed brain implants that can more clearly record signals from surrounding neurons in rats may lead to more effective treatment of disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and paralysis. (more…)
Science & Technology - Sep 30, 2009 12:41 - 1 Comment
‘Beautiful’ stellar jet recreated in lab
U. ROCHESTER (US)—Certain stars stream vast amounts of matter into space, creating some of the most beautiful—and inexplicable—objects in the universe. Now, astrophysicists have replicated the physics of a stellar jet in a laboratory. (more…)
Science & Technology - Sep 29, 2009 11:52 - 0 Comments
Messenger makes final Mercury flyby
U. COLORADO (US)—NASA’s Messenger spacecraft will zip by Mercury for the third and final time today, September 29, cruising within 142 miles of the planet’s surface at more than 100,000 mph. Messenger will take high-resolution color images of the surface terrain before making a clever gravity-assist maneuver that will steer it into orbit around the rocky planet beginning in March 2011. (more…)
Science & Technology - Sep 29, 2009 10:59 - 2 Comments
Team solves tricky triangle problem
NYU (US)—An international team of mathematicians has resolved the first one trillion cases of an ancient problem on congruent numbers. The quantity of numbers involved in this calculation is significant—if their digits were written out by hand, they would stretch to the moon and back. (more…)
Science & Technology - Sep 28, 2009 18:21 - 1 Comment
Monkey brain signals mental wanderlust
DUKE (US)—Knowing when to stay with what’s familiar or when to search for something new can be tricky, especially for those with conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. Using brain scans, researchers are able to predict when monkeys will switch from exploiting a known resource to exploring their options. (more…)
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