ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

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• Robotic-assisted ultrasound imaging: From trans-Atlantic evaluation to help in day-to-day practice
• Follow the radio waves to find hidden exomoons
• Therapy for ultraviolet laser beams: Hydrogen-treated fibers
• Comets forge organic molecules in their dusty atmospheres
• Astrophysicists detect destruction of three stars by supermassive black holes
• How fast you drive might reveal exactly where you are going
• Nanocubes get in a twist
• All-you-can-eat at the end of the universe: How early black holes could have grown to billions of times the mass of our sun
• 'Seeing' through virtual touch is believing
• Quantum simulators explained
• Western Wall wearing away? Discovery of extreme erosion process could guide new preservation techniques
• Keeping filler ingredients out of your cup of coffee
• Expert panel calls for public health research on natural gas drilling
• Pairing old technologies with new for next generation electronic devices

Robotic-assisted ultrasound imaging: From trans-Atlantic evaluation to help in day-to-day practice Posted: 11 Aug 2014 03:02 PM PDT While in Germany a surgeon used a computer to perform a robot-assisted trans-Atlantic ultrasound examination on a person in Boston. In another study, a scientist showed how a cardiologist's video e-consultation, coupled with a remote robot-assisted echocardiogram test, dramatically reduces the waiting time for a diagnosis faced by heart failure patients.

Follow the radio waves to find hidden exomoons Posted: 11 Aug 2014 02:02 PM PDT Scientists hunting for life beyond Earth have discovered more than 1,800 planets outside our solar system, or exoplanets, in recent years, but so far, no one has been able to confirm an exomoon. Now, physicists believe following a trail of radio wave emissions may lead them to that discovery.

Therapy for ultraviolet laser beams: Hydrogen-treated fibers Posted: 11 Aug 2014 12:16 PM PDT Scientists have known for years that hydrogen can alter the performance of optical fibers, which are often used to transmit or even generate laser light in optical devices. Now researchers have put this to practical use to make optical fibers that transmit stable, high-power ultraviolet laser light for hundreds of hours without damage.

Comets forge organic molecules in their dusty atmospheres Posted: 11 Aug 2014 12:11 PM PDT Scientists have made incredible 3D images of the ghostly atmospheres surrounding comets ISON and Lemmon. These new observations provided important insights into how and where comets forge new chemicals, including intriguing organic compounds.

Astrophysicists detect destruction of three stars by supermassive black holes Posted: 11 Aug 2014 09:51 AM PDT Researchers have reported registering three possible occasions of the total destruction of stars by supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies.

How fast you drive might reveal exactly where you are going Posted: 11 Aug 2014 09:50 AM PDT Some drivers are letting auto insurance companies monitor their driving habits in return for a premium discount, but these drivers may not know that the information could reveal where they are driving. Engineers have shown that even without GPS or other location-sensing technology, a driver could reveal where he or she traveled with no more information than a starting location and a steady stream of data that shows how fast the person was driving.

Nanocubes get in a twist Posted: 11 Aug 2014 09:49 AM PDT Nanocubes are anything but child's play. Scientists have used them to create surprisingly yarn-like strands: They showed that given the right conditions, cube-shaped nanoparticles are able to align into winding helical structures. Their results reveal how nanomaterials can self-assemble into unexpectedly beautiful and complex structures.

All-you-can-eat at the end of the universe: How early black holes could have grown to billions of times the mass of our sun Posted: 11 Aug 2014 09:48 AM PDT A new model shows how early black holes could have grown to billions of times the mass of our sun. These giant bodies -- quasars -- feed on interstellar gas, swallowing large quantities of it non-stop. Thus they reveal their existence: The light that is emitted by the gas as it is sucked in and crushed by the black hole's gravity travels for eons across the Universe until it reaches our telescopes. Looking at the edges of the Universe is therefore looking into the past. These far-off, ancient quasars appear to us in their "baby photos" taken less than a billion years after the Big Bang: monstrous infants in a young Universe.

'Seeing' through virtual touch is believing Posted: 11 Aug 2014 09:48 AM PDT Surprising results research could lead to new ways to help the visually impaired better navigate everyday life. A handheld torch uses infra-red sensors to "see" objects in front of it. When the torch detects an object, it emits a vibration -- similar to a cellphone alert -- through an attached wristband. The gentle buzz increases in intensity as the torch nears the object, letting the user make judgments about where to move based on a virtual touch.

Quantum simulators explained Posted: 11 Aug 2014 09:46 AM PDT Everything you ever wanted to know about quantum simulators summed up in a new review. A quantum simulator is a device that actively uses quantum effects to answer questions on model systems. This review outlines various approaches used in quantum simulators.

Western Wall wearing away? Discovery of extreme erosion process could guide new preservation techniques Posted: 11 Aug 2014 09:46 AM PDT Researchers have investigated erosion in the different kinds of limestone in the Western Wall at the foot of Jerusalem's Temple Mount. Stones made up of large crystals were almost unchanged in 2000 years, while limestone with small crystals eroded much faster and in some places had receded by tens of centimeters, potentially weakening the wall's structure. The researchers describe an accelerated erosion process that  explains why some rocks are more weathered than others, and showed that chemo-mechanical erosion extends down to the tiny micron scale.

Keeping filler ingredients out of your cup of coffee Posted: 11 Aug 2014 09:43 AM PDT Coffee drinkers beware: Surprise ingredients may be hiding in your coffee, and growing shortages may well increase the chance of having more fillers in the future. A new test may quickly find them before the beverage reaches stores and restaurants.

Expert panel calls for public health research on natural gas drilling Posted: 11 Aug 2014 09:41 AM PDT A group of environmental health researchers has published recommendations for public health research associated with unconventional natural gas drilling operations. Groundwater and air quality testing before, during, and after natural gas drilling -- which includes hydraulic fracturing -- should be key components of efforts to ensure the safety of communities near these sites, according to these experts

Pairing old technologies with new for next generation electronic devices Posted: 10 Aug 2014 06:38 PM PDT A new method to efficiently generate and control currents based on the magnetic nature of electrons in semi-conducting materials has been developed by researchers, offering a radical way to develop a new generation of electronic devices.

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