ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

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• Experiments show initial gain in fusion fuel
• First global geologic map of Jupiter's largest moon Ganymede details an icy world
• Motion-capture cameras, computer software assist skaters with jumps
• Technology decodes more information from single photons
• Plastic shopping bags make a fine diesel fuel
• The physics of curly hair
• Madagascar sells first forest carbon credits to Microsoft
• Stirring-up atomtronics in a quantum circuit: What’s so 'super' about this superfluid?
• Herding robots: New system combines control programs so fleets of robots can collaborate
• How stellar death can lead to twin celestial jets
• Physicists reveal novel magnetoelectric effect
• Four unknown galaxy clusters containing thousands of galaxies discovered 10 billion light years from Earth
• Helping preserve independent living for seniors
• New way to measure electron pair interactions
• Tech products can turn 'uncool' when they become too popular
• Gold and silica nanostars imitate the two faces of the god Janus
• New MRI/Ultrasound Imaging Improves Prostate Cancer Detection, Treatment

Experiments show initial gain in fusion fuel Posted: 12 Feb 2014 11:46 AM PST Ignition – the process of releasing fusion energy equal to or greater than the amount of energy used to confine the fuel – has long been considered the "holy grail" of inertial confinement fusion science. A key step along the path to ignition is to have "fuel gains" greater than unity, where the energy generated through fusion reactions exceeds the amount of energy deposited into the fusion fuel.

First global geologic map of Jupiter's largest moon Ganymede details an icy world Posted: 12 Feb 2014 11:45 AM PST Scientists have crafted the first global geologic map of Ganymede, illustrating the varied geologic character of the solar system's largest moon.

Motion-capture cameras, computer software assist skaters with jumps Posted: 12 Feb 2014 11:45 AM PST Physicists studying skating know that proper air position is critical to successful jumps. A computer simulation now enables skaters and their coaches to observe an athlete's actual movements on a computer screen and then see how those movements can be manipulated to improve jumping technique.

Technology decodes more information from single photons Posted: 12 Feb 2014 10:29 AM PST It's not quite Star Trek communications. Yet. But long-distance communications in space may be easier now that researchers have designed a clever detector array that can extract more information than usual from single particles of light.

Plastic shopping bags make a fine diesel fuel Posted: 12 Feb 2014 10:28 AM PST Plastic shopping bags, an abundant source of litter on land and at sea, can be converted into diesel, natural gas and other useful petroleum products, researchers report. The conversion produces significantly more energy than it requires and results in transportation fuels -- diesel, for example -- that can be blended with existing ultra-low-sulfur diesels and biodiesels.

The physics of curly hair Posted: 12 Feb 2014 10:28 AM PST The heroes and villains in animated films tend to be on opposite ends of the moral spectrum. But they're often similar in their hair, which is usually extremely rigid or -- if it moves at all -- is straight and swings to and fro. It's rare to see an animated character with bouncy, curly hair, since computer animators don't have a simple mathematical means for describing it. But now, researchers have developed the first detailed model for a 3-D strand of curly hair.

Madagascar sells first forest carbon credits to Microsoft Posted: 12 Feb 2014 10:26 AM PST The Government of Madagascar has approved carbon sales with Microsoft and its carbon offset partner, The CarbonNeutral Company, and Zoo Zurich.

Stirring-up atomtronics in a quantum circuit: What’s so 'super' about this superfluid? Posted: 12 Feb 2014 10:26 AM PST Atomtronics is an emerging technology whereby physicists use ensembles of atoms to build analogs to electronic circuit elements. Using lasers and magnetic fields, atomic systems can be engineered to have behavior analogous to that of electrons, making them an exciting platform for studying and generating alternatives to charge-based electronics. Using a superfluid atomtronic circuit, physicists have demonstrated a tool that is critical to electronics: hysteresis. This is the first time that hysteresis has been observed in an ultracold atomic gas.

Herding robots: New system combines control programs so fleets of robots can collaborate Posted: 12 Feb 2014 08:27 AM PST A new system combines simple control programs to enable fleets of robots -- or other "multiagent systems" -- to collaborate in unprecedented ways.

How stellar death can lead to twin celestial jets Posted: 12 Feb 2014 08:23 AM PST Astronomers know that while large stars can end their lives as violently cataclysmic supernovae, smaller stars end up as planetary nebulae -- colorful, glowing clouds of dust and gas. In recent decades these nebulae, once thought to be mostly spherical, have been observed to often emit powerful, bipolar jets of gas and dust. But how do spherical stars evolve to produce highly aspherical planetary nebulae?

Physicists reveal novel magnetoelectric effect Posted: 12 Feb 2014 08:21 AM PST New research reveals a novel magnetoelectric effect that may provide a route for using multiferroic materials for the application of RAM in computers and other devices.

Four unknown galaxy clusters containing thousands of galaxies discovered 10 billion light years from Earth Posted: 12 Feb 2014 05:24 AM PST Four unknown galaxy clusters each potentially containing thousands of individual galaxies have been discovered some 10 billion light years from Earth. An international team of astronomers used a new way of combining data from the two European Space Agency satellites, Planck and Herschel, to identify more distant galaxy clusters than has previously been possible. The researchers believe up to 2000 further clusters could be identified using this technique, helping to build a more detailed timeline of how clusters are formed.

Helping preserve independent living for seniors Posted: 12 Feb 2014 05:19 AM PST Single seniors lead a risky life: after a fall, they often lie on the floor several hours before their awkward predicament is discovered. A sensor system detects these emergency situations automatically and sends an emergency signal.

New way to measure electron pair interactions Posted: 11 Feb 2014 11:41 AM PST Measuring electron pair emission measurements has always been difficult because it was traditionally done using highly expensive synchrotron light sources, which are available in only a few laboratories worldwide. Now a team of researchers has developed a new way to measure the emission of electron pairs directly by combining two common laboratory instruments called time-of-flight spectrometers.

Tech products can turn 'uncool' when they become too popular Posted: 11 Feb 2014 11:11 AM PST In the tech world, coolness takes more than just good looks. Technology users must consider a product attractive, original and edgy before they label those products as cool, according to researchers.

Gold and silica nanostars imitate the two faces of the god Janus Posted: 11 Feb 2014 05:39 AM PST Researchers have designed nanoparticles with one half formed of gold branches and the other of silicon oxide. They are a kind of Janus particle, so-called in honor of the Roman god with two faces, which could be used in phototherapy in the future to treat tumors.

New MRI/Ultrasound Imaging Improves Prostate Cancer Detection, Treatment Posted: 10 Feb 2014 10:58 AM PST A new combination MRI-ultrasound imaging system can result in fewer biopsies and better treatment decisions for prostate cancer patients. The technology fuses MRI images with ultrasound to create a detailed, three-dimensional view of the prostate.

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