ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

---

• Mars: Gusev Crater once held a lake after all
• Scalable, universal quantum computer? Quantum information processed with system comprising optical photon and trapped atom
• win-win situation: Growing crops on photovoltaic farms
• Synthetic collagen promotes natural clotting
• New 'switch' could power quantum computing: Light lattice traps atoms, builds networks of quantum information transmitters
• Genetic circuits: Bacterial 'FM radio' created
• See what a child will look like using automated age-progression software
• Recycling astronaut urine for energy and drinking water
• Toward a faster, more accurate way to diagnose stroke
• Cancer cells may respond to mechanical force
• Chance meeting creates celestial diamond ring
• Refrigerant in car air conditioners: Refreshingly cool, potentially toxic
• Tiny step edges, big step for surface science
• Proprioceptive feedback helps rehab patients learning to operate robotic prosthetic
• Novel ultra-fast electrical circuits use light-generated tunneling currents
• Scale model WWII craft takes flight with fuel from the sea concept
• Images from NASA Mars rover include bright spots
• North America to experience total lunar eclipse
• 'RoboClam' hits new depths as robotic digger
• New twist makes for better steel: Greater strength without loss of ductility
• Consumer, be aware: Quality of health-related internet searches varies
• 3-D printing trials of unmanned aircraft broaden possibilities for this emergent technology
• Domain walls in nanowires cleverly set in motion
• Researchers measure smartphone malware infection rates and explore ways to identify infection with previously unknown malware
• Why auditory pitch and spatial elevation get high together: Shape of human ear may have evolved to mirror acoustics in natural world
• Graphene nanoribbons as electronic switches
• Researching materials to optimize lithium-ion battery performance

Mars: Gusev Crater once held a lake after all Posted: 09 Apr 2014 12:57 PM PDT Evidence for an ancient 'Lake Gusev' on Mars has come and gone several times. That lake is looking pretty good today, thanks to new research. New research suggests floodwaters entered the crater through the huge valley that breaches Gusev's southern rim. These floods appear to have ponded long enough to alter the tephra, producing briny solutions. When the brines evaporated, they left behind residues of carbonate minerals. As the lake filled and dried, perhaps many times in succession, it loaded Comanche and its neighbor rocks with carbonates.

Scalable, universal quantum computer? Quantum information processed with system comprising optical photon and trapped atom Posted: 09 Apr 2014 12:57 PM PDT When it comes to recognizing complex patterns or to decoding encrypted messages, conventional computers reach their limits. A whole new quality in the communication and processing of data is expected from a technology that exploits the special properties of quantum particles such as superposition and entanglement. Scientists around the world pursue a variety of different concepts towards the development of such a quantum computer. One professor follows the strategy of combining two rather dissimilar techniques: quantum communication using photons, and information processing using stationary atoms. His team has now for the first time realized a quantum logic gate between a single photon and a single atom.

win-win situation: Growing crops on photovoltaic farms Posted: 09 Apr 2014 11:39 AM PDT A new model for solar farms that 'co-locates' crops and solar panels could result in a harvest of valuable biofuel plants along with solar energy. This co-location approach could prove especially useful in sunny, arid regions such as the southwestern United States where water is scarce, researchers said.

Synthetic collagen promotes natural clotting Posted: 09 Apr 2014 10:49 AM PDT Synthetic collagen may help wounds heal by directing the natural clotting of blood. The material, KOD, mimics natural collagen, a fibrous protein that binds cells together into organs and tissues. It could improve upon commercial sponges or therapies based on naturally derived porcine or bovine-derived collagen now used to aid healing during or after surgery.

New 'switch' could power quantum computing: Light lattice traps atoms, builds networks of quantum information transmitters Posted: 09 Apr 2014 10:47 AM PDT Using a laser to place individual rubidium atoms near the surface of a lattice of light, scientists have developed a new method for connecting particles -- one that could help in the development of powerful quantum computing systems. The new technique allows researchers to couple a lone atom of rubidium, a metal, with a single photon, or light particle.

Genetic circuits: Bacterial 'FM radio' created Posted: 09 Apr 2014 10:47 AM PDT A team of biologists and engineers has developed a 'rapid and tunable post-translational coupling' for genetic circuits.

See what a child will look like using automated age-progression software Posted: 09 Apr 2014 10:46 AM PDT Researchers have developed software that automatically generates images of a young child's face as it ages through a lifetime. The technique is the first fully automated approach for aging babies to adults that works with variable lighting, expressions and poses.

Recycling astronaut urine for energy and drinking water Posted: 09 Apr 2014 07:34 AM PDT On the less glamorous side of space exploration, there's the more practical problem of waste -- in particular, what to do with astronaut pee. But rather than ejecting it into space, scientists are developing a new technique that can turn this waste burden into a boon by converting it into fuel and much-needed drinking water. Their report could also inspire new ways to treat municipal wastewater.

Toward a faster, more accurate way to diagnose stroke Posted: 09 Apr 2014 07:33 AM PDT When someone suffers from a stroke, a silent countdown begins. A fast diagnosis and treatment can mean the difference between life and death. Scientists are working on a new blood test that one day could rapidly confirm whether someone is having a stroke and what kind. They built a device that can process whole blood and isolate genetic material for two potential stroke biomarkers within minutes. Keeping in mind that identifying more biomarkers could aid in diagnosis, they designed their device so it can analyze a total of four biomarkers at the same time.

Cancer cells may respond to mechanical force Posted: 09 Apr 2014 06:43 AM PDT The processes and cellular pathways that allow cells to move, stiffen, and react to physical stresses has been identified through new research. This knowledge, researchers hope, could reveal the causes of cancer and help develop treatments, including therapies for a variety of diseases. "In the cancer context, mechanical force is important because tumor cells will generate force as they are invading, pulling on other cells," said one researcher. "They are pulling on the cells they are attached to as they are trying to get away."

Chance meeting creates celestial diamond ring Posted: 09 Apr 2014 06:42 AM PDT Astronomers have captured an eye-catching image of planetary nebula PN A66 33 -- usually known as Abell 33. Created when an aging star blew off its outer layers, this beautiful blue bubble is, by chance, aligned with a foreground star, and bears an uncanny resemblance to a diamond engagement ring. This cosmic gem is unusually symmetric, appearing to be almost circular on the sky.

Refrigerant in car air conditioners: Refreshingly cool, potentially toxic Posted: 09 Apr 2014 06:40 AM PDT The refrigerant R1234yf is being considered for use in air conditioning systems in cars. Chemists now show that, in the event of a fire, it releases the highly poisonous carbonyl fluoride, and urge that its safety be reassessed.

Tiny step edges, big step for surface science Posted: 09 Apr 2014 06:39 AM PDT New experiments can explain the behavior of electrons at tiny step edges on titanium oxide surfaces. This is important for solar cell technology and novel, more effective catalysts.

Proprioceptive feedback helps rehab patients learning to operate robotic prosthetic Posted: 09 Apr 2014 06:36 AM PDT Proprioception significantly improved prosthetic control in the absence of vision, new research has shown. When patients are fitted with a robotic prosthetic limb, they gain control over their prosthesis with the help of a communication pathway provided by a brain-computer interface, or BCI, implanted in the brain. However, BCI-controlled prosthetics currently operate without somatosensory feedback.

Novel ultra-fast electrical circuits use light-generated tunneling currents Posted: 09 Apr 2014 06:36 AM PDT Scientists have successfully designed and fabricated electrical circuits that can operate at hundreds of terahertz frequencies, which is tens of thousands times faster than today's state-of-the-art microprocessors.

Scale model WWII craft takes flight with fuel from the sea concept Posted: 09 Apr 2014 04:59 AM PDT Navy researchers at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), Materials Science and Technology Division, demonstrate proof-of-concept of novel NRL technologies developed for the recovery of carbon dioxide and hydrogen from seawater and conversion to a liquid hydrocarbon fuel.

Images from NASA Mars rover include bright spots Posted: 08 Apr 2014 06:51 PM PDT Images taken by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover on April 2 and April 3 include bright spots, which might be due to the sun glinting off a rock or cosmic rays striking the camera's detector.

North America to experience total lunar eclipse Posted: 08 Apr 2014 06:36 PM PDT When people in North America look up at the sky in the early morning hours of April 15, they can expect the moon to look a little different. A total lunar eclipse is expected at this time, a phenomenon that occurs when the Earth, moon and sun are in perfect alignment, blanketing the moon in the Earth's shadow.

'RoboClam' hits new depths as robotic digger Posted: 08 Apr 2014 06:35 PM PDT A digging robot inspired by the unique mechanisms employed by the Atlantic razor clam has been created by a group of researchers in the US. The robot, dubbed RoboClam, is able to dig with extreme efficiency by transforming the surrounding soil from a solid into a liquid, and could have a variety of applications from anchoring underwater robots to subsea cable installation and mine neutralization.

New twist makes for better steel: Greater strength without loss of ductility Posted: 08 Apr 2014 12:44 PM PDT In steelmaking, two desirable qualities -- strength and ductility -- tend to be at odds: stronger steel is less ductile, and more ductile steel is not as strong. Engineers have now shown that pre-treating steel cylinders by twisting then can improve strength without sacrificing ductility.

Consumer, be aware: Quality of health-related internet searches varies Posted: 08 Apr 2014 12:42 PM PDT If you're like most people, you've gone online to find out what's causing that ringing in your ears or whether a gluten-free diet is worth considering. Be careful. Researchers have found that, as with so much on the Internet, the quality of the information you dig up may depend on what you ask for and the results could be hazardous to your health.

3-D printing trials of unmanned aircraft broaden possibilities for this emergent technology Posted: 08 Apr 2014 08:14 AM PDT Engineers have successfully printed a 1.5m-wide prototype unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for a research project looking at 3D printing of complex designs. The engineers said the polymer craft could form the basis of cheap and potentially disposable UAVs that could be built and deployed in remote situations potentially within as little as 24 hours.

Domain walls in nanowires cleverly set in motion Posted: 08 Apr 2014 08:14 AM PDT Researchers have achieved a major breakthrough in the development of methods of information processing in nanomagnets. Using a new trick, they have been able to induce synchronous motion of the domain walls in a ferromagnetic nanowire. This involved applying a pulsed magnetic field that was perpendicular to the plane of the domain walls.

Researchers measure smartphone malware infection rates and explore ways to identify infection with previously unknown malware Posted: 08 Apr 2014 08:14 AM PDT Researchers measure smartphone malware infection rates and explore ways to identify infection with previously unknown malware. Smartphones are now ubiquitous, personal and have a lot of personal information about their users. Calls and messaging cost money to users, and smartphones are also used increasingly for more direct financial transactions. Therefore, one of the great fears about smartphone use is the possibility of large-scale viral infection.

Why auditory pitch and spatial elevation get high together: Shape of human ear may have evolved to mirror acoustics in natural world Posted: 08 Apr 2014 08:14 AM PDT Have you ever wondered why most natural languages invariably use the same spatial attributes -- high versus low -- to describe auditory pitch? Or why, throughout the history of musical notation, high notes have been represented high on the staff? According to neuroscientists, high pitched sounds feel 'high' because, in our daily lives, sounds coming from high elevations are indeed more likely to be higher in pitch.

Graphene nanoribbons as electronic switches Posted: 08 Apr 2014 04:48 AM PDT A new theoretical study shows the conductivity conditions under which graphene nanoribbons can become switches in externally controlled electronic devices. One of graphene's most sought-after properties is its high conductivity. Physicists have now successfully calculated the conditions of the transport, or conductance mechanisms, in graphene nanoribbons.

Researching materials to optimize lithium-ion battery performance Posted: 08 Apr 2014 04:48 AM PDT Creating environment friendly energy storage systems, non-explosive and with charge/discharge long-term cycles, motivated a group of scientists to research which polymeric materials have the properties to maintain the highest level of energy in a lithium - ion battery.

You are subscribed to email updates from Top Technology News -- ScienceDaily To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610