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Thursday, May 3, 2012

ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

ScienceDaily: Top Technology News


Black hole caught red-handed in a stellar homicide

Posted: 02 May 2012 10:29 AM PDT

Astronomers have gathered the most direct evidence yet of a supermassive black hole shredding a star that wandered too close. Supermassive black holes, weighing millions to billions times more than the Sun, lurk in the centers of most galaxies. These hefty monsters lay quietly until an unsuspecting victim, such as a star, wanders close enough to get ripped apart by their powerful gravitational clutches.

At smallest scale, liquid crystal behavior portends new materials

Posted: 02 May 2012 10:29 AM PDT

Liquid crystals, the state of matter that makes possible the flat screen technology now commonly used in televisions and computers, may have some new technological tricks in store.

First 'microsubmarines' designed to help clean up oil spills

Posted: 02 May 2012 09:34 AM PDT

Scientists are reporting development and successful testing of the first self-propelled "microsubmarines" designed to pick up droplets of oil from contaminated waters and transport them to collection facilities. The report concludes that these tiny machines could play an important role in cleaning up oil spills, like the 2010 Deepwater Horizon incident in the Gulf of Mexico.

Electronic nanotube nose out in front

Posted: 02 May 2012 08:29 AM PDT

A new nanotube super sensor is able to detect subtle differences with a single sniff. For example, the chemical dimethylsulfone is associated with skin cancer. The human nose cannot detect this volatile but it could be detected with the new sensor at concentrations as low as 25 parts per billion.

New method quickly IDs nanomaterials that can cause oxidative damage to cells

Posted: 02 May 2012 06:20 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a novel screening technology that allows large batches of metal oxide nanomaterials to be assessed in a rapid fashion based on their ability to trigger biological responses that are dependent on the electron transfer properties of semiconductor metal oxides. The team discovered that the cells in our bodies contain electronically active molecules that can participate in these electron transfer reactions upon contact with metal oxides.

Artificial muscle: Squid and zebrafish cells inspire camouflaging smart materials

Posted: 02 May 2012 06:19 AM PDT

Researchers have created artificial muscles that can be transformed at the flick of a switch to mimic the remarkable camouflaging abilities of organisms such as squid and zebrafish. They demonstrated two individual transforming mechanisms that they believe could be used in 'smart clothing' to trigger camouflaging tricks similar to those seen in nature.

Sifting through Dust near Orion's Belt

Posted: 02 May 2012 06:19 AM PDT

A new image of the region surrounding the reflection nebula Messier 78, just to the north of Orion's Belt, shows clouds of cosmic dust threaded through the nebula like a string of pearls. The observations, made with the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) telescope[1], use the heat glow of interstellar dust grains to show astronomers where new stars are being formed.

Vibrating suit gives Olympic hopefuls competitive advantage

Posted: 02 May 2012 06:19 AM PDT

Pioneering research has applications in both health and sports. The suit is designed to give wearers feedback about where their body is in space. It does this by focusing on key points in the body, taking relative measurements between them to check the user's position. This data, much more simple to acquire and treat in real time than more complex motion capture systems, is then used to give the wearer feedback in real time about their movement.

Biomimetic polymer synthesis enhances structure control

Posted: 02 May 2012 06:18 AM PDT

A new biomimetic approach to synthesising polymers will offer unprecedented control over the final polymer structure and yield advances in nanomedicine, researchers say.

Patented 'noise sponge' quiets combustion

Posted: 01 May 2012 03:27 PM PDT

Breakthrough technology decreases the noise generated by combustion systems at the source by placing a sponge-like material directly in the flame.

Smart gas sensors for better chemical detection

Posted: 01 May 2012 10:43 AM PDT

Portable gas sensors can allow you to search for explosives, diagnose medical conditions through a patient's breath, and decide whether it's safe to stay in a mine.

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