ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

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• Good hair day: New technique grows tiny 'hairy' materials at the microscale
• Off-the-shelf materials lead to self-healing polymers
• Kepler finds a very wobbly planet: Rapid and erratic changes in seasons
• Model predicts growth, death of membership-based websites
• Eyemusic sensory substitution device enables the blind to 'see' colors and shapes
• In vitro innovation: Testing nanomedicine with blood cells on a microchip
• Diamond defect boosts quantum technology
• Primitive artificial cell turned into complex biological materials
• Finding the hidden zombie in your network: Statistical approach to unraveling computer botnets
• Violent video games delay development of moral judgment in teens
• New heart valve deployed without major open surgery
• Gummy material addresses safety concerns of lithium ion batteries
• Death in the digital age: What happens to our status updates and selfies after we've gone?
• Pulp and paper mill wastewater can become biogas
• Robots with insect-like brains: Robot can learn to navigate through its environment guided by external stimuli
• Patterns of particles generated by surface charges: How disorder turns into order
• Identity verification: Body odor as a biometric identifier
• Blue light may fight fatigue around the clock
• New technique could be used to search space dust for life's ingredients
• Simple, at-home test will detect most colorectal cancers
• Facebook: Has it created a generation of 'self-absorbed spin doctors'?
• Telemedicine service may expand access to acute medical care, study finds
• U.S. should revisit media policy on China in light of growing Chinese digital media industry, experts urge
• Diamond film possible without the pressure: Rules for ultrathin 'diamane' devised
• New understanding could result in more efficient organic solar cells
• Stock price movements are predictable during a short window
• Solving a physics mystery: Those 'solitons' are really vortex rings
• Reported oil sands emissions greatly underestimated, report shows
• New technique makes 'biogasoline' from plant waste
• Biostatistics approach to genetics yields new clues to roots of autism
• Private exchanges may drive more informed investors to public markets
• Extreme high speed planes: How safe would planes be traveling at Mach 7 and above?
• How does radioactive waste interact with soil and sediments?
• Quasi-particle swap between graphene layers
• How smartphones help find avalanche victims
• New moisture-buffering plaster 'sucks up' water vapor
• Prototype of single ion heat engine created
• Critically endangered leatherback turtles tracked to reveal danger zones from industrial fishing
• Painting robot lends surgeons a hand in the operating room
• 'Envy-free' algorithm developed for settling disputes from divorce to inheritance
• Big chill to understand quark-gluon plasma of early universe
• Capturing ultrasharp images of multiple cell components at once
• Raindrop research dials in satellite forecasting accuracy
• Making frozen smoke: Commercializing aerogel fabrication process

Good hair day: New technique grows tiny 'hairy' materials at the microscale Posted: 04 Feb 2014 12:46 PM PST Scientists attacked a tangled problem by developing a new technique to grow tiny "hairy" materials that assemble themselves at the microscale. It looks like the way Chia Pets grow in commercials. The key ingredient is epoxy, which is added to a mixture of hardener and solvent inside an electric cell. Then the scientists run an alternating current through the cell and watch long, twisting fibers spring up.

Off-the-shelf materials lead to self-healing polymers Posted: 04 Feb 2014 12:46 PM PST Look out, super glue and paint thinner. Thanks to new dynamic materials, removable paint and self-healing plastics soon could be household products. A slight tweak in chemistry to elastic materials made of polyurea, one of the most widely used classes of polymers in consumer goods, yields materials that bond back together on a molecular level without the need for other chemicals or adhesives.

Kepler finds a very wobbly planet: Rapid and erratic changes in seasons Posted: 04 Feb 2014 10:39 AM PST Imagine living on a planet with seasons so erratic you would hardly know whether to wear Bermuda shorts or a heavy overcoat. That is the situation on a weird, wobbly world found by NASA's planet-hunting Kepler space telescope.

Model predicts growth, death of membership-based websites Posted: 04 Feb 2014 09:36 AM PST Facebook is a proven success in what the late Nobel laureate Herbert Simon called "the marketplace of attention." A new model assesses the viability of websites and social networks in this new attention economy to predict which sites are sustainable and which are not. The model attempts to replicate the dynamics of membership sites, including the role of active users as catalysts of website activity, turning dormant website members into active users and keeping them active.

Eyemusic sensory substitution device enables the blind to 'see' colors and shapes Posted: 04 Feb 2014 09:35 AM PST Using auditory or tactile stimulation, Sensory Substitution Devices (SSDs) provide representations of visual information and can help the blind "see" colors and shapes. SSDs scan images and transform the information into audio or touch signals that users are trained to understand, enabling them to recognize an image without seeing it. Currently SSDs are not widely used within the blind community because they can be cumbersome and unpleasant to use. However, researchers have now developed a novel SSD that transmits shape and color information through a composition of pleasant musical tones, or "soundscapes."

In vitro innovation: Testing nanomedicine with blood cells on a microchip Posted: 04 Feb 2014 09:34 AM PST Scientists have engineered a microchip coated with blood vessel cells to learn more about the conditions under which nanoparticles accumulate in the plaque-filled arteries of patients with atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of myocardial infarction and stroke.

Diamond defect boosts quantum technology Posted: 04 Feb 2014 08:21 AM PST New research shows that a remarkable defect in synthetic diamond produced by chemical vapor deposition allows researchers to measure, witness, and potentially manipulate electrons in a manner that could lead to new "quantum technology" for information processing.

Primitive artificial cell turned into complex biological materials Posted: 04 Feb 2014 08:21 AM PST Imagine starting from scratch with simple artificial microscopic building blocks and ending up with something much more complex: living systems, novel computers or every-day materials. For decades scientists have pursued the dream of creating artificial building blocks that can self-assemble in large numbers and reassemble to take on new tasks or to remedy defects. Now researchers have taken a step forward to make this dream into a reality.

Finding the hidden zombie in your network: Statistical approach to unraveling computer botnets Posted: 04 Feb 2014 07:20 AM PST How do you detect a "botnet," a network of computers infected with malware -- so-called zombies -- that allow a third party to take control of those machines? The answer may lie in a statistical tool first published in 1966 and brought into the digital age, say researchers.

Violent video games delay development of moral judgment in teens Posted: 04 Feb 2014 07:17 AM PST A researcher set out to discover whether there was a link between the types of video games teens played, how long they played them, and the teens' levels of moral reasoning: their ability to take the perspective of others into account.

New heart valve deployed without major open surgery Posted: 04 Feb 2014 07:14 AM PST An artificial heart valve device that does not require major open surgery has received FDA approval. The heart valve is deployed with a catheter, which is inserted in an artery in the groin and guided up to the heart.

Gummy material addresses safety concerns of lithium ion batteries Posted: 04 Feb 2014 04:42 AM PST Researchers have developed a chewing gum-like battery material that could dramatically improve the safety of lithium ion batteries.

Death in the digital age: What happens to our status updates and selfies after we've gone? Posted: 04 Feb 2014 04:40 AM PST Researchers are analyzing the ways in which western mourning practices are changing in the modern world thanks to the increasing amounts of personal data we leave online.

Pulp and paper mill wastewater can become biogas Posted: 04 Feb 2014 04:39 AM PST Wastewater from pulp and paper mills contains large volumes of organic material that can be converted into biogas, according to findings by researchers.

Robots with insect-like brains: Robot can learn to navigate through its environment guided by external stimuli Posted: 04 Feb 2014 04:39 AM PST Scientists have developed a robot that perceives environmental stimuli and learns to react to them. The scientists used the relatively simple nervous system of the honeybee as a model for its working principles. To this end, they installed a camera on a small robotic vehicle and connected it to a computer. The computer program replicated in a simplified way the sensorimotor network of the insect brain.

Patterns of particles generated by surface charges: How disorder turns into order Posted: 04 Feb 2014 04:38 AM PST Tuning the material structure at the nanoscale level can be really hard to achieve -- but what if we had small particles, which assemble all by themselves, creating the required structure? The phenomenon of self-assembly is being investigated by studying inhomogeneously charged particles. Depending on different parameters, they can form gel-like or crystal-like structures. This kind of self-assembly holds great promise for nanotechnology.

Identity verification: Body odor as a biometric identifier Posted: 04 Feb 2014 04:38 AM PST Researchers are making progress on the development of a new biometric technique that would allow us to identify people through their personal odor.

Blue light may fight fatigue around the clock Posted: 03 Feb 2014 04:18 PM PST Researchers have found that exposure to short wavelength, or blue light, during the biological day directly and immediately improves alertness and performance.

New technique could be used to search space dust for life's ingredients Posted: 03 Feb 2014 04:18 PM PST While the origin of life remains mysterious, scientists are finding more and more evidence that material created in space and delivered to Earth by comet and meteor impacts could have given a boost to the start of life. Some meteorites supply molecules that can be used as building blocks to make certain kinds of larger molecules that are critical for life.

Simple, at-home test will detect most colorectal cancers Posted: 03 Feb 2014 04:18 PM PST Tests that require patients to collect a single stool sample at home and then send it to a lab for analysis will detect about 79 percent of colorectal cancers, according to a new evidence review. The review of 19 studies examining eight different fecal immunochemical tests, know as "FITs", also finds that the tests will correctly identify about 94 percent of patients who do not have cancers of the rectum or colon.

Facebook: Has it created a generation of 'self-absorbed spin doctors'? Posted: 03 Feb 2014 04:17 PM PST Like it or loathe it, 10 years on, you can't escape Facebook and for a generation of 20 something digital natives it has helped to create a culture of narcissism, says an academic.

Telemedicine service may expand access to acute medical care, study finds Posted: 03 Feb 2014 02:18 PM PST Interest has grown in telemedicine programs because of a shortage of primary care providers that is likely to become worse as more Americans acquire medical coverage under the Affordable Care Act. The first assessment of a large telemedicine program finds that patients use such services for a wide assortment of acute medical problems such as respiratory illnesses and skin problems. In addition, researchers found little evidence of misdiagnosis or treatment failure among those treated.

U.S. should revisit media policy on China in light of growing Chinese digital media industry, experts urge Posted: 03 Feb 2014 12:52 PM PST Chinese protectionism in the digital media sphere has created a major underdiscussed trade gap between China and the United States, and the US government must place more pressure on the Chinese government to open up the nation's media to foreign competition, according to a new article.

Diamond film possible without the pressure: Rules for ultrathin 'diamane' devised Posted: 03 Feb 2014 12:52 PM PST Theoreticians map a phase diagram for diamane, an atomically thin film of perfect diamond that might be created through chemical means with little or no pressure.

New understanding could result in more efficient organic solar cells Posted: 03 Feb 2014 12:50 PM PST The goal of making cheap organic solar cells may have gotten a little more approachable with a new understanding of the basic science of charge separation presented in a new paper. The research suggests design rules for making more efficient solar cells in the future.

Stock price movements are predictable during a short window Posted: 03 Feb 2014 12:50 PM PST A new study shows evidence that stock price movements are, in fact, predictable for up to 30 minutes after the stock leaves the confines of its bid-ask spread.

Solving a physics mystery: Those 'solitons' are really vortex rings Posted: 03 Feb 2014 12:49 PM PST The same physics that gives tornadoes their ferocious stability lies at the heart of new research, and could lead to a better understanding of nuclear dynamics in studying fission, superconductors and the workings of neutron stars.

Reported oil sands emissions greatly underestimated, report shows Posted: 03 Feb 2014 12:49 PM PST A new comprehensive modeling assessment of contamination in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region indicates that officially reported emissions of certain highly hazardous air pollutants have been greatly underestimated.

New technique makes 'biogasoline' from plant waste Posted: 03 Feb 2014 10:36 AM PST Gasoline-like fuels can be made from cellulosic materials such as farm and forestry waste using a new process. The process could open up new markets for plant-based fuels, beyond existing diesel substitutes.

Biostatistics approach to genetics yields new clues to roots of autism Posted: 03 Feb 2014 10:35 AM PST Researchers have developed a statistical method for genetic screens that improves the classic genome-wide association screen, and, applying to autism, have uncovered genes related to the disorder that had not been suggested in previous analyses. The scientists offer evidence that beginning treatment in infants at the first symptoms could change the course of the disease, possibly preventing the permanent "pruning" of neurons, which occurs during the first two years of life, from cementing autistic symptoms in place.

Private exchanges may drive more informed investors to public markets Posted: 03 Feb 2014 10:15 AM PST A new paper suggests private exchanges actually increase the ratio of well-informed investors participating in public markets.

Extreme high speed planes: How safe would planes be traveling at Mach 7 and above? Posted: 03 Feb 2014 09:27 AM PST It's a sci-fi concept that's at the center of a 25-year exploratory project: building a hypersonic aircraft that takes off from the runway and doesn't need a rest, inspection or repair after it lands -- unlike the space shuttle -- but can zip back around the world within an hour's landing. Researchers are developing the validation metrics that could help predict the success or failure of such a model before it is even built, as test data becomes available from component, to sub-system, to the completely assembled air vehicle.

How does radioactive waste interact with soil and sediments? Posted: 03 Feb 2014 09:25 AM PST Scientists are developing computer models that show how radioactive waste interacts with soil and sediments, shedding light on waste disposal and how to keep contamination away from drinking water.

Quasi-particle swap between graphene layers Posted: 03 Feb 2014 08:21 AM PST Equations used to describe parallel worlds in particle physics can help study the behavior of particles in parallel graphene layers. Scientists have used a particle physics theory to describe the behavior of particle-like entities, referred to as excitons, in two layers of graphene, a one-carbon-atom-thick honeycomb crystal.

How smartphones help find avalanche victims Posted: 03 Feb 2014 08:21 AM PST Not a winter goes by without an avalanche incident. In the search for those buried beneath the snow, every second counts. Now smartphones equipped with functions of an avalanche transceiver should help locate the victims quickly.

New moisture-buffering plaster 'sucks up' water vapor Posted: 03 Feb 2014 08:21 AM PST Water vapor generated by cooking, taking a shower or drying damp clothes can condense on cold walls, encouraging the growth of mildew and microbes. Scientists have now developed a special wall plaster to deal with this problem. Its ability to absorb moisture from the air is significantly better than that of conventional lime plaster and even that of clay rendering.

Prototype of single ion heat engine created Posted: 03 Feb 2014 07:10 AM PST Scientists are working on a heat engine that consists of just a single ion. Such a nano-heat engine could be far more efficient than, for example, a car engine or a coal-fired power plant.

Critically endangered leatherback turtles tracked to reveal danger zones from industrial fishing Posted: 03 Feb 2014 07:10 AM PST One of the biggest threats to critically endangered leatherback turtles is bycatch from industrial fishing in the open oceans. Now, a team of researchers has satellite-tracked 135 leatherbacks with transmitters to determine the turtles' patterns of movement in the Pacific Ocean. Combined with fisheries data, the researchers entered the information into a computer model to predict bycatch hotspots in the Pacific.

Painting robot lends surgeons a hand in the operating room Posted: 03 Feb 2014 07:09 AM PST A robotic painting arm has been developed that could one day lend doctors a hand in practicing complex, robot-assisted surgeries without having to step foot in an operating room.

'Envy-free' algorithm developed for settling disputes from divorce to inheritance Posted: 03 Feb 2014 07:09 AM PST Whether it's season tickets to Green Bay Packers' games or silver place settings, divorce and inheritance have bred protracted disputes over the assignment of belongings. But, now, a trio of researchers has found a method for resolving such conflicts in an envy-free way.

Big chill to understand quark-gluon plasma of early universe Posted: 03 Feb 2014 07:09 AM PST Run 14 at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) will feature a dramatic improvement in machine performance enabling detailed studies of the quark-gluon plasma of the early universe and its transition to the matter we see in the universe today.

Capturing ultrasharp images of multiple cell components at once Posted: 03 Feb 2014 06:38 AM PST A new microscopy method could enable scientists to generate snapshots of dozens of different biomolecules at once in a single human cell. Such images could shed light on complex cellular pathways and potentially lead to new ways to diagnose disease, track its prognosis, or monitor the effectiveness of therapies at a cellular level.

Raindrop research dials in satellite forecasting accuracy Posted: 03 Feb 2014 05:36 AM PST Dialing in the accuracy of satellite weather forecasting is the goal behind basic research into raindrop size and shape now being done.

Making frozen smoke: Commercializing aerogel fabrication process Posted: 03 Feb 2014 05:36 AM PST One day, "frozen smoke" could improve some of our favorite machines, including cars. "When you hold aerogel it feels like nothing -- like frozen smoke. It's about 95 to 97 percent air," said a mechanical engineering.

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