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Tuesday, February 28, 2012

ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

ScienceDaily: Top Technology News


Salty soil can suck water out of atmosphere: Could it happen on Mars?

Posted: 27 Feb 2012 05:49 PM PST

The frigid McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica are a cold, polar desert, yet the sandy soils there are frequently dotted with moist patches in the spring despite a lack of snowmelt and no possibility of rain. A new study has found that that the salty soils in the region actually suck moisture out of the atmosphere, raising the possibility that such a process could take place on Mars or on other planets.

Ultra-fast outflows help monster black holes shape their galaxies

Posted: 27 Feb 2012 01:28 PM PST

A curious correlation between the mass of a galaxy's central black hole and the velocity of stars in a vast, roughly spherical structure known as its bulge has puzzled astronomers for years. Astronomers have now identified a new type of black-hole-driven outflow that appears to be both powerful enough and common enough to explain this link.

Solving a spintronic mystery: Researchers resolve controversy over gallium manganese arsenide that could boost spintronic performance

Posted: 27 Feb 2012 12:27 PM PST

Scientists appear to have resolved a long-standing controversy regarding the semiconductor gallium manganese arsenide, one of the most promising materials for spintronic technology. They've determined the source of the ferromagnetic properties that make gallium manganese arsenide such a hot commodity for the smaller, faster and much cheaper data storage and processing of spintronic devices.

Record-speed wireless data bridge demonstrated: Takes high-speed communications the 'last mile'

Posted: 27 Feb 2012 08:14 AM PST

Scientists have created a new way to overcome many of the issues associated with bringing high-speed digital communications across challenging terrain and into remote areas, commonly referred to as the "last mile" problem. The researchers developed a record-speed wireless data bridge that transmits digital information much faster than today's state-of-the-art systems.

Dwarf galaxy questions current galaxy formation models

Posted: 27 Feb 2012 08:12 AM PST

Researcher observed the dwarf galaxy I Zw 18, and found that much of what is known about galaxy formation and evolution might need substantial revision.

Reduction in U.S. carbon emissions attributed to cheaper natural gas

Posted: 27 Feb 2012 08:12 AM PST

Lower emission from power plants in 2009 was driven by competitive pricing of natural gas versus coal, researchers say.

60-year-old definition of surface tension on solids revised

Posted: 27 Feb 2012 08:12 AM PST

Researchers have shown that surface tension on a solid material is unconnected to the energy required to create a new surface. Consequently, surface tension on a solid does not exist in its conventional meaning.

Quantum microphone captures extremely weak sound

Posted: 27 Feb 2012 06:39 AM PST

Scientists have demonstrated a new kind of detector for sound at the level of quietness of quantum mechanics. The result offers prospects of a new class of quantum hybrid circuits that mix acoustic elements with electrical ones, and may help illuminate new phenomena of quantum physics.

Finding explosives with laser beams: New method detects chemicals -- even if enclosed in containers -- over long distances

Posted: 27 Feb 2012 06:39 AM PST

People like to keep a safe distance from explosive substances, but in order to analyze them, close contact is usually inevitable. A new method has now been developed to detect chemicals inside a container over a distance of more than a hundred meters. Laser light is scattered in a very specific way by different substances. Using this light, the contents of a nontransparent container can be analyzed without opening it.

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