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Wednesday, June 5, 2013

ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

ScienceDaily: Top Technology News


Saturn's metal-poor 'cousin' discovered with little telescope

Posted: 04 Jun 2013 12:35 PM PDT

Astronomers have discovered a hot Saturn-like planet in another solar system 700 light-years away.

Tiny airplanes and subs could be next hurricane hunters

Posted: 04 Jun 2013 12:33 PM PDT

Scientists envision a day when unmanned vehicles will swarm over, under and through hurricanes to help predict the strength and path of the storms.

Cosmic CSI team focuses on burned-out stars

Posted: 04 Jun 2013 12:33 PM PDT

Like a CSI unit, a team of astronomers at observatories worldwide has been digging around in the innards of dead stars, collecting evidence on how they died. The Whole Earth Telescope is shedding new light on the inner workings of stars.

Spintronics approach enables new quantum technologies

Posted: 04 Jun 2013 12:33 PM PDT

Researchers highlight the power of emerging quantum technologies in two recent articles. New technologies exploit quantum mechanics, the physics that dominates the atomic world, to perform disparate tasks such as nanoscale temperature measurement and processing quantum information with lasers.

Catalyst could jump-start e-cars, green energy

Posted: 04 Jun 2013 10:54 AM PDT

Scientists have designed a new type of nanostructured-carbon-based catalyst that could pave the way for reliable, economical next-generation batteries and alkaline fuel cells, providing for practical use of wind- and solar-powered electricity, as well as enhanced hybrid electric vehicles.

Bringing cheaper, 'greener' lighting to market with inkjet-printed hybrid quantum dot LEDs

Posted: 04 Jun 2013 10:54 AM PDT

It's not easy going green. For home lighting applications, organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) hold the promise of being both environmentally friendly and versatile. Though not as efficient as regular light-emitting diodes (LEDs), they offer a wider range of material choices and are more energy efficient than traditional lights. OLEDs can also be applied to flexible surfaces, which may lead to lights or television displays that can be rolled up and stowed in a pocket.

Roman seawater concrete holds the secret to cutting carbon emissions

Posted: 04 Jun 2013 10:54 AM PDT

Scientists analyzed samples from a Roman breakwater submerged in the Bay of Naples for over two millennia, revealing the secrets of crystal chemistry that allow Roman seawater concrete to resist chemical attack and wave action for centuries. Materials and processes for manufacturing extraordinarily durable Roman maritime concrete released much less carbon than most modern concrete, presenting important opportunities for better quality and reduction of atmospheric carbon.

Wi-Fi signals enable gesture recognition throughout entire home

Posted: 04 Jun 2013 10:42 AM PDT

Researchers have shown it's possible to leverage Wi-Fi signals around us to detect specific movements without needing sensors on the human body or cameras. Using a Wi-Fi router and a few wireless devices in the living room, users could control their electronic devices from any room in the home with a simple gesture.

Hubble maps 3-D structure of ejected material around erupting star

Posted: 04 Jun 2013 09:15 AM PDT

A flash of light from a stellar outburst has provided a rare look at the 3-D structure of material ejected by an erupting nova. Astronomers used NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to observe the light emitted by the close double-star system T Pyxidis, or T Pyx, a recurring nova, during its latest outburst in April 2011.

Quantum model helps solve mysteries of water

Posted: 04 Jun 2013 08:34 AM PDT

Scientists have revealed a major breakthrough in the modeling of water that could shed light on its mysterious properties.

Scientists create novel silicon electrodes that improve lithium-ion batteries

Posted: 04 Jun 2013 06:47 AM PDT

Scientists have dramatically improved the performance of lithium-ion batteries by creating novel electrodes made of silicon and conducting polymer hydrogel, a spongy material similar to that used in contact lenses and other household products. The scientists developed a new technique for producing low-cost, silicon-based batteries with potential applications for a wide range of electrical devices.

Metamaterials: Leading light waves astray

Posted: 04 Jun 2013 06:46 AM PDT

The development of structured synthetic materials with unusual electromagnetic properties, so-called metamaterials, promises to provide access to special physical effects of great technological interest. Metamaterials have already been fabricated that have a negative refractive index for electromagnetic waves -- bending them in the opposite sense to light waves entering water, for instance -- which opens up completely novel opportunities for the manipulation of light. One of these makes it possible, in principle, to create cloaking devices that seem to make objects disappear. Indeed, such an invisibility cloak has already been realized for microwaves.

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