ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

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• Cool, new views of Andromeda galaxy
• Bioinspired fibers change color when stretched
• One in, two out: Simulating more efficient solar cells
• Safer way to vaccinate? Polymer film that gradually releases DNA coding for viral proteins may beat traditional vaccines
• Mysteries of spider silk strength unraveled
• Progressive optics for side mirrors ends automobile blind spots without distorting view, experts say
• Researchers break million-core supercomputer barrier
• Nanophotonics enables new kind of optical spectrometer
• Novel materials: Smart and magnetic
• Lane-swapping helps autonomous vehicles avoid collisions

Cool, new views of Andromeda galaxy Posted: 28 Jan 2013 07:41 PM PST Two new eye-catching views from the Herschel space observatory are fit for a princess. They show the elegant spiral galaxy Andromeda, named after the mythical Greek princess known for her beauty.

Bioinspired fibers change color when stretched Posted: 28 Jan 2013 12:19 PM PST Materials scientists have invented a new fiber that changes color when stretched. Based on the "bastard hogberry" plant, the new fiber could lend itself to the creation of smart fabrics that visibly react to heat or pressure.

One in, two out: Simulating more efficient solar cells Posted: 28 Jan 2013 11:29 AM PST Using an exotic form of silicon could substantially improve the efficiency of solar cells, according to computer simulations.

Safer way to vaccinate? Polymer film that gradually releases DNA coding for viral proteins may beat traditional vaccines Posted: 28 Jan 2013 08:39 AM PST Researchers have described a new type of vaccine-delivery film that holds promise for improving the effectiveness of DNA vaccines.

Mysteries of spider silk strength unraveled Posted: 28 Jan 2013 07:47 AM PST Scientists are celebrating their recent success on the path to understanding what makes the fiber that spiders spin -- weight for weight -- at least five times as strong as piano wire. They have found a way to obtain a wide variety of elastic properties of the silk of several intact spiders' webs using a sophisticated but non–invasive laser light scattering technique.

Progressive optics for side mirrors ends automobile blind spots without distorting view, experts say Posted: 28 Jan 2013 07:47 AM PST A new optical prescription for automobile side-view mirrors may eliminate the dreaded "blind spot" in traffic without distorting the perceived distance of cars approaching from behind. Objects viewed in a mirror using the new design appear larger than in traditional side-view mirrors, so it's easier to judge their following distance and speed.

Researchers break million-core supercomputer barrier Posted: 28 Jan 2013 07:46 AM PST A new record in computational science has been set by using a supercomputer with more than one million computing cores to solve a complex fluid dynamics problem -- the prediction of noise generated by a supersonic jet engine.

Nanophotonics enables new kind of optical spectrometer Posted: 28 Jan 2013 07:44 AM PST By bringing nanophotonics technology to traditional optical spectroscopy, a new kind of optical spectrometer with functions of sensing and spectral measurement has been recently demonstrated.

Novel materials: Smart and magnetic Posted: 28 Jan 2013 05:19 AM PST Varying magnetic fields and temperature conditions help to elucidate smart materials' transitory magnetic disorder.

Lane-swapping helps autonomous vehicles avoid collisions Posted: 28 Jan 2013 05:15 AM PST Autonomous, driverless vehicles look set to hit the streets in the near future and become increasingly common, so UK researchers have investigated algorithms that could help developers include escape maneuvers to allow such vehicles to quickly and safely switch lanes to avoid collisions with other road users.

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