ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

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• Innovation in renewable-energy technologies is booming
• Quantum conductors benefit from growth on smooth foundations
• Turning vapors into foam-like polymer coatings
• Rust can power up artificial photosynthesis: Chemists produce power boost critical to novel energy harvesting applications
• Uniformity: The secret of better fusion ignition
• Compact optical chips? Photons on demand now possible
• New device harnesses sun and sewage to produce hydrogen fuel
• Mix of graphene nanoribbons, polymer has potential for cars, soda, beer
• Suicidal talk on Twitter mirrors state suicide rates
• Spinning-disk microscope offers window into the center of cell
• Astronomers stumped by 'flyby anomaly': Unexplained variation in spacecraft speeds

Innovation in renewable-energy technologies is booming Posted: 11 Oct 2013 10:53 AM PDT A new study shows that research investments and growing markets have fueled a huge rise in new patents.

Quantum conductors benefit from growth on smooth foundations Posted: 11 Oct 2013 10:50 AM PDT Researchers have developed a speedway for future devices, an exotic type of electrical conductor called a topological insulator (TI). In a new article researchers report that they grew two types of TI materials inside an ultra-high vacuum chamber on both smooth and rough surfaces and then evaluated their abilities to transport electrons.

Turning vapors into foam-like polymer coatings Posted: 11 Oct 2013 07:12 AM PDT A researcher has developed a process to grow highly customizable coatings of foam-like polymers.

Rust can power up artificial photosynthesis: Chemists produce power boost critical to novel energy harvesting applications Posted: 11 Oct 2013 06:39 AM PDT Scientists trying to develop artificial photosynthesis for unique applications, like harvesting solar energy, have focused on narrowing the photovoltage gap between the two principle reactions of oxidation and reduction. Chemists report nearly bridging that gap using inexpensive materials in a process that could lead to new energy applications.

Uniformity: The secret of better fusion ignition Posted: 11 Oct 2013 06:36 AM PDT Theoretical physicists use simulations to investigate the uniformity of irradiation at the ignition stage of thermonuclear fusion reaction. One of the ways to achieve thermonuclear fusion is through a controlled reaction between two light variants of hydrogen, called deuterium and tritium. Scientists have now made theoretical calculations indicating how best to improve the ignition stage of fusion reaction. Their approach involves increasing the uniformity of irradiation using high-power laser beams on the external shell of a spherical capsule containing a mix of deuterium and tritium.

Compact optical chips? Photons on demand now possible Posted: 11 Oct 2013 06:36 AM PDT A breakthrough in photonics that will help create extremely compact optical chips, a hair's width in size and delivering a photon at a time, has been achieved.

New device harnesses sun and sewage to produce hydrogen fuel Posted: 10 Oct 2013 05:53 PM PDT A novel device that uses only sunlight and wastewater to produce hydrogen gas could provide a sustainable energy source while improving the efficiency of wastewater treatment. The hybrid device combines a microbial fuel cell (MFC) and a type of solar cell called a photoelectrochemical cell.

Mix of graphene nanoribbons, polymer has potential for cars, soda, beer Posted: 10 Oct 2013 05:53 PM PDT A discovery aims to make vehicles that run on compressed natural gas more practical and may also enhance food packaging.

Suicidal talk on Twitter mirrors state suicide rates Posted: 10 Oct 2013 07:51 AM PDT Researchers compared tweets with suicide-related content with actual suicide rates across the country. Their findings suggest social platforms could serve as early warning systems.

Spinning-disk microscope offers window into the center of cell Posted: 09 Oct 2013 06:38 PM PDT A new method of imaging cells is allowing scientists to see tiny structures inside the "control center" of the cell for the first time.

Astronomers stumped by 'flyby anomaly': Unexplained variation in spacecraft speeds Posted: 09 Oct 2013 08:11 AM PDT A mystery that has stumped scientists for decades might be one step closer to solution after European Space Agency tracking stations carefully record signals from NASA's Juno spacecraft as it swings by Earth. Engineers hope that the new measurements will unravel the decades-old 'flyby anomaly' -- an unexplained variation in spacecraft speeds detected during some swingbys.

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