Futurity.org » University of Michigan

First boson laser could save power

Bjorn Carey-Stanford — Fri, 24 May 2013 14:47:14 +0000

STANFORD (US) — Scientists have demonstrated a revolutionary electrically driven polariton laser that could significantly improve the efficiency of lasers.

The physics powering lasers has remained relatively unchanged through 50 years of use. The new system, however, makes use of the unique physical properties of bosons, subatomic particles that scientists have attempted to incorporate into lasers for decades.

“We’ve solidified our physical understanding, and now it’s time we think about how to put these lasers into practice,” says physicist Na Young Kim, a member of the Stanford University team, which was led by Yoshihisa Yamamoto, professor of electrical engineering and of applied physics. “This is an exciting era to imagine how this new physics can lead to novel engineering.”

Depressed people’s body clocks ‘out of sync’

U. Michigan — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:19:13 +0000

U. MICHIGAN (US) — A new brain study reveals that the circadian clocks of people with depression are altered at the cellular level.

Every cell in our bodies runs on a 24-hour clock, tuned to the night-day, light-dark cycles that have ruled us since the dawn of humanity. The brain acts as timekeeper, keeping the cellular clock in sync with the outside world so that it can govern our appetites, sleep, moods, and much more.

Fracking’s rewards come with risks, survey shows

Greta Guest-Michigan — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:55:02 +0000

U. MICHIGAN (US) — Most Michigan and Pennsylvania residents say hydrofracking is good for the economy, but also have concerns about chemicals used and other environmental risks, a new survey shows.

Fracking is the common term for hydraulic fracturing, which involves injecting a mixture of water, sand, and chemicals deep into the ground through encased wells at high pressure to create and expand fractures in the shale rock to release trapped oil and natural gas.

Why pear shape may explain matter vs. antimatter

Nicole Casal Moore-Michigan — Mon, 13 May 2013 19:50:23 +0000

U. MICHIGAN (US) — The first direct evidence of pear-shaped nuclei in exotic atoms may help explain why the Big Bang created more matter than antimatter.

“If equal amounts of matter and antimatter were created at the Big Bang, everything would have annihilated, and there would be no galaxies, stars, planets, or people,” says Tim Chupp, professor of physics and biomedical engineering at the University of Michigan.

Antimatter particles have the same mass but opposite charge from their matter counterparts. Antimatter is rare in the known universe, flitting briefly in and out of existence in cosmic rays, solar flares, and particle accelerators like CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, for example.

Food ads fire up the teenage brain

Jared Wadley-Michigan — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:01:42 +0000

U. MICHIGAN (US) — Watching TV commercials of people munching on French fries or cereal resonates more with teens than advertisements about cell phones or the latest car.

Regardless of their body weight, teens’ brain activity is higher during food commercials than nonfood commercials, according to new research published in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience.

Bonding with avatar can shift perception

Matthew Swayne-Penn State — Thu, 02 May 2013 16:26:15 +0000

PENN STATE / U. MICHIGAN (US) — People who customized an avatar and saw it wearing a backpack overestimated the heights of virtual hills, just as people in real life tend to overestimate heights and distances while carrying extra weight.

“You exert more of your agency through an avatar when you design it yourself,” says S. Shyam Sundar, professor of communications and co-director of the Media Effects Research Laboratory at Penn State, who worked with University of Michigan doctoral student Sangseok You.

Workplace ethics rub off on employees

Greta Guest-Michigan — Wed, 01 May 2013 19:51:17 +0000

U. MICHIGAN (US) — Your boss and co-workers may be more important than your morals in deciding whether or not you report unethical behavior at work.

The harsh reality, researchers say, is that those who speak up about unethical conduct are often ignored, or worse, retaliated against. So given the risks associated with blowing the whistle, when an employee witnesses unethical behavior will he or she report it?

Arteries may thicken faster in polluted air

Laurel Thomas Gnagey-Michigan — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:32:13 +0000

U. MICHIGAN (US) — Long-term exposure to air pollution appears to speed up hardening of the arteries, a condition linked to heart attacks and strokes.

A new study shows that higher concentrations of fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) are linked to a faster thickening of the inner two layers of the common carotid artery—an important blood vessel that provides blood to the head, neck, and brain. Conversely, reductions of fine particulate air pollution over time are linked to slower progression of the blood vessel thickness.

Snail fossils show when Earth turned icy

Jim Erickson-Michigan — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:24:49 +0000

U. MICHIGAN (US) — Fossil snail shells offer new clues to an abrupt climate shift that transformed the planet nearly 34 million years ago.

At that time, the Earth switched from a warm, “greenhouse” state to the variable climate of the modern “icehouse” world. Massive ice sheets grew across the Antarctic continent, major animal groups shifted, and ocean temperatures decreased by up to 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit).

Clues point to toxic protein in Fragile X mystery

Kara Gavin-U. Michigan — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:34:49 +0000

U. MICHIGAN (US) — A twist on the usual way proteins are made may explain mysterious symptoms in the grandparents of some children with mental disabilities.

Researchers say the discovery may lead to better treatments for older adults with a recently discovered genetic condition that causes shakiness and balance problems and is often misdiagnosed as Parkinson’s disease.