ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

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• Optical materials: Holey gold
• Microscopy: A glance from the nanoworld
• NASA's Spitzer finds first objects burned furiously
• 'Nanocable' could be big boon for energy storage
• Slashing energy needs for next-generation memory
• Quantum computers move closer to reality, thanks to highly enriched and highly purified silicon
• Armored caterpillar could inspire new body armor
• Tabletop X-Ray to Image Nanoworld: All the colors of a high-energy rainbow, in a tightly focused beam
• How black holes change gear
• New twist on old chemical process could boost energy efficiency significantly
• Steel-strength plastics: Durable plastic may replace metals
• Driving without a blind spot may be closer than it appears
• Breaking the limits of classical physics: Light's quantum mechanical properties demonstrated
• Spin structure reveals key to new forms of digital storage, study shows
• Slime moulds work on computer games
• Understanding complex relationships: How global properties of networks become apparent locally

Optical materials: Holey gold Posted: 07 Jun 2012 04:07 PM PDT Imaging nanoporous metals with beams of electrons provides deep insights into the unusual optical properties of these materials.

Microscopy: A glance from the nanoworld Posted: 07 Jun 2012 04:07 PM PDT A new patterning technique produces a faithful reproduction of grayscale images down to the micrometer level.

NASA's Spitzer finds first objects burned furiously Posted: 07 Jun 2012 01:13 PM PDT The faint, lumpy glow given off by the very first objects in the universe may have been detected with the best precision yet, using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. These faint objects might be wildly massive stars or voracious black holes. They are too far away to be seen individually, but Spitzer has captured new, convincing evidence of what appears to be the collective pattern of their infrared light. The observations help confirm the first objects were numerous in quantity and furiously burned cosmic fuel.

'Nanocable' could be big boon for energy storage Posted: 07 Jun 2012 12:41 PM PDT Researchers have created a coaxial nanocable capacitor that outperforms previously reported microcapacitors. The three-layer, 100-nanometer-wide cable was produced with techniques pioneered in the nascent graphene field and could be used to build next-generation energy-storage systems.

Slashing energy needs for next-generation memory Posted: 07 Jun 2012 12:41 PM PDT Researchers have unveiled a new data-encoding scheme that slashes more than 30 percent of the energy needed to write data onto memory cards that use "phase-change memory" -- a competitor to flash memory that has big backing from industry heavyweights.

Quantum computers move closer to reality, thanks to highly enriched and highly purified silicon Posted: 07 Jun 2012 12:41 PM PDT Scientists have made the next step towards making quantum computing a reality -- through the unique properties of highly enriched and highly purified silicon.

Armored caterpillar could inspire new body armor Posted: 07 Jun 2012 11:23 AM PDT Military body armor and vehicle and aircraft frames could be transformed by incorporating the unique structure of the club-like arm of a crustacean that looks like an armored caterpillar, according to new findings.

Tabletop X-Ray to Image Nanoworld: All the colors of a high-energy rainbow, in a tightly focused beam Posted: 07 Jun 2012 11:23 AM PDT For the first time, researchers have produced a coherent, laser-like, directed beam of light that simultaneously streams ultraviolet light, X-rays, and all wavelengths in between. One of the few light sources to successfully produce a coherent beam that includes X-rays, this new technology is the first to do so using a setup that fits on a laboratory table.

How black holes change gear Posted: 07 Jun 2012 11:22 AM PDT Black holes are extremely powerful and efficient engines that not only swallow up matter, but also return a lot of energy to the universe in exchange for the mass they eat. When black holes attract mass they also trigger the release of intense X-ray radiation and power strong jets. But not all black holes do this the same way. This has long baffled astronomers. By studying two active black holes researchers have now gathered evidence that suggests that each black hole can change between two different regimes, like changing the gears of an engine.

New twist on old chemical process could boost energy efficiency significantly Posted: 07 Jun 2012 11:22 AM PDT An unappreciated aspect of chemical reactions on the surface of metal oxides could be key in developing more efficient energy systems, including more productive solar cells or hydrogen fuel cells efficient enough for automobiles.

Steel-strength plastics: Durable plastic may replace metals Posted: 07 Jun 2012 11:16 AM PDT Chemists have been working hard to develop a more biodegradable plastic to reduce pollution and protect the environment. Now a researcher has taken a different approach -- creating plastics as strong and durable as steel.

Driving without a blind spot may be closer than it appears Posted: 07 Jun 2012 09:22 AM PDT A side mirror that eliminates the dangerous "blind spot" for drivers has now received a U.S. patent. The subtly curved mirror, invented by a mathematics professor, dramatically increases the field of view with minimal distortion. designed his mirror using a mathematical algorithm that precisely controls the angle of light bouncing off of the curving mirror, similar to manipulating the direction of each tiny mirror face on a disco ball to make a smooth, nonuniform curve.

Breaking the limits of classical physics: Light's quantum mechanical properties demonstrated Posted: 07 Jun 2012 07:58 AM PDT With simple arguments, researchers show that nature is complicated! Researchers have made a simple experiment that demonstrates that nature violates common sense. The experiment illustrates that light does not behave according to the principles of classical physics, but that light has quantum mechanical properties. The new method could be used to study whether other systems behave quantum mechanically.

Spin structure reveals key to new forms of digital storage, study shows Posted: 07 Jun 2012 06:27 AM PDT A synthetic compound long known to exhibit interesting transition properties may hold the key to new, non-magnetic forms of information storage, say researchers. The latest findings shed light on the complex relationship between a compound's electron spin arrangement and its transport properties, an area researchers have long struggled to understand.

Slime moulds work on computer games Posted: 07 Jun 2012 06:26 AM PDT British computer scientists are taking inspiration from slime to help them find ways to calculate the shape of a polygon linking points on a surface. Such calculations are fundamental to creating realistic computer graphics for gaming and animated movies. The quicker the calculations can be done, the smoother and more realistic the graphics.

Understanding complex relationships: How global properties of networks become apparent locally Posted: 07 Jun 2012 06:26 AM PDT Scientists have shown how global properties of networks become apparent in local characteristics. From infections spreading around the globe to the onset of an epileptic seizure in the brain: Many phenomena can be seen as the effects of network activity. Often it is vitally important to understand the properties of these networks. However, they are often too complex to be described completely. Scientists have now been able to show how global features of complex networks can be discovered in local statistical properties – which are much more accessible for scientific investigation.

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