ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

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• New characteristics of complex oxide surfaces revealed
• How to power California with wind, water and sun
• Atomic structure of key muscle component revealed
• Artificial intelligence identifies the musical progression of the Beatles
• Fukushima accident underscores need for U.S. to seek out new information about nuclear plant hazards
• Cultural stereotypes may evolve from sharing social information
• Nearly 50 years of lemur, other primates data now available online
• Cost-effective, solvothermal synthesis of heteroatom (S or N)-doped graphene developed
• New mass map of distant galaxy cluster is most precise yet
• Dream come true for chemists? Creating organic zeolites
• Discovery is key to metal wear in sliding parts
• Chemist develops X-ray vision for quality assurance
• Using media as stress reducer can lead to feelings of guilt, failure
• Unleashing the power of quantum dot triplets
• Nano-supercapacitors for electric cars
• Formula calculates thickness of bombproof concrete
• Wireless home automation systems reveal more than you would think about user behavior
• Hubble finds three surprisingly dry exoplanets: 'Hot Jupiters' had only one-tenth to one one-thousandth the amount of water predicted
• Dead body feeding larvae useful in forensic investigations
• New model helps explain how provisions promote or reduce wildlife disease
• Nano-sized chip picks up scent of explosives molecules better than dog's nose

New characteristics of complex oxide surfaces revealed Posted: 24 Jul 2014 02:19 PM PDT A combination of microscopy and data processing has given researchers an unprecedented look at the surface of a material known for its unusual physical and electrochemical properties.

How to power California with wind, water and sun Posted: 24 Jul 2014 11:43 AM PDT New research outlines the path to a possible future for California in which renewable energy creates a healthier environment, generates jobs and stabilizes energy prices.

Atomic structure of key muscle component revealed Posted: 24 Jul 2014 11:16 AM PDT Adding to the growing fundamental understanding of the machinery of muscle cells, a group of biophysicists describe -- in minute detail -- how actin filaments are stabilized at one of their ends to form a basic muscle structure called the sarcomere. With the help of many other proteins, actin molecules polymerize to form filaments that give rise to structures of many different shapes. The actin filaments have a polarity, with a plus and minus end, reflecting their natural tendency to gain or lose subunits when not stabilized.

Artificial intelligence identifies the musical progression of the Beatles Posted: 24 Jul 2014 10:40 AM PDT Computer scientists have developed an artificial intelligence algorithm that can analyze and compare musical styles, which they have used to study the musical progression of the Beatles.

Fukushima accident underscores need for U.S. to seek out new information about nuclear plant hazards Posted: 24 Jul 2014 09:44 AM PDT A new congressionally mandated report concludes that the overarching lesson learned from the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident is that nuclear plant licensees and their regulators must actively seek out and act on new information about hazards with the potential to affect the safety of nuclear plants.

Cultural stereotypes may evolve from sharing social information Posted: 24 Jul 2014 08:26 AM PDT Cultural stereotypes may be an unintended but inevitable consequence of sharing social information, according to research. Information about people that is initially complex and difficult to remember evolves into a simple system of category stereotypes that can be learned easily as it is shared from person to person.

Nearly 50 years of lemur, other primates data now available online Posted: 24 Jul 2014 07:42 AM PDT A 48-year archive of life history data for the world's largest and most diverse collection of endangered primates is now digital and available online. The database allows visitors to view and download data for more than 3600 animals representing 27 species of lemurs, lorises and galagos -- distant primate cousins who predate monkeys and apes -- with more data to be uploaded in the future.

Cost-effective, solvothermal synthesis of heteroatom (S or N)-doped graphene developed Posted: 24 Jul 2014 07:42 AM PDT A research team has developed cost-effective technology to synthesize sulfur-doped and nitrogen-doped graphenes which can be applied as high performance electrodes for secondary batteries and fuel cells.

New mass map of distant galaxy cluster is most precise yet Posted: 24 Jul 2014 07:42 AM PDT Astronomers have mapped the mass within a galaxy cluster more precisely than ever before. Created using observations from Hubble's Frontier Fields observing program, the map shows the amount and distribution of mass within MCS J0416.1-2403, a massive galaxy cluster found to be 160 trillion times the mass of the Sun.

Dream come true for chemists? Creating organic zeolites Posted: 24 Jul 2014 07:41 AM PDT Traditionally, zeolites have been derived from inorganic material like silicon or aluminum. For the past several years, one research team has focused on combining zeolites with organic polymers whose main component is carbon, oxygen, hydrogen or nitrogen. A new technique and the new materials it produces can be immediately useful in catalysis and separations for chemicals production and hydrocarbon conversion for energy applications.

Discovery is key to metal wear in sliding parts Posted: 24 Jul 2014 06:43 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a previously unknown mechanism for wear in metals: a swirling, fluid-like microscopic behavior in a solid piece of metal sliding over another. The findings could be used to improve the durability of metal parts in numerous applications.

Chemist develops X-ray vision for quality assurance Posted: 24 Jul 2014 06:43 AM PDT A researcher has developed a method that uses X-rays for the rapid identification of substances present in an indeterminate powder. The new technique has the capacity to recognize advanced biological molecules such as proteins. The method therefore has enormous potential in both food production and the pharmaceutical industry, where it opens up new opportunities for the quality assurance of protein-based medicines, for example.

Using media as stress reducer can lead to feelings of guilt, failure Posted: 24 Jul 2014 06:42 AM PDT After a long day at work, sometimes you just want to turn on the TV or play a video game to relax. This is supposed to make you feel better. But, a recent study found that people who had high stress levels after work and engaged in television viewing or video game play didn't feel relaxed or recovered, but had high levels of guilt and feelings of failure.

Unleashing the power of quantum dot triplets Posted: 24 Jul 2014 06:40 AM PDT Another step towards faster computers relies on three coherently coupled quantum dots used as quantum information units. Quantum computers have yet to materialize. Yet, scientists are making progress in devising suitable means of making such computers faster. One such approach relies on quantum dots-a kind of artificial atom, easily controlled by applying an electric field. A new study demonstrates that changing the coupling of three coherently coupled quantum dots (TQDs) with electrical impulses can help better control them.

Nano-supercapacitors for electric cars Posted: 24 Jul 2014 06:40 AM PDT Innovative nano-material based supercapacitors are set to bring mass market appeal a good step closer to the lukewarm public interest in Germany. This movement is currently being motivated by the advancements in the state-of-the-art of this device.

Formula calculates thickness of bombproof concrete Posted: 24 Jul 2014 06:40 AM PDT A new type of steel-reinforced concrete protects buildings better from bomb attacks. Researchers have developed a formula to quickly calculate the concrete's required thickness. The material will be used in the One World Trade Center at Ground Zero.

Wireless home automation systems reveal more than you would think about user behavior Posted: 24 Jul 2014 06:36 AM PDT Home automation systems that control domestic lighting, heating, window blinds or door locks offer opportunities for third parties to intrude on the privacy of the inhabitants and gain considerable insight into their behavioral patterns.

Hubble finds three surprisingly dry exoplanets: 'Hot Jupiters' had only one-tenth to one one-thousandth the amount of water predicted Posted: 24 Jul 2014 06:28 AM PDT Astronomers have gone looking for water vapor in the atmospheres of three planets orbiting stars similar to the Sun -- and have come up nearly dry. The three planets, known as HD 189733b, HD 209458b, and WASP-12b, are between 60 and 900 light-years away from Earth and were thought to be ideal candidates for detecting water vapor in their atmospheres because of their high temperatures where water turns into a measurable vapor.

Dead body feeding larvae useful in forensic investigations Posted: 23 Jul 2014 09:39 AM PDT Non-biting blow fly Chrysomya megacephala is commonly found in dead bodies and is used in forensic investigations to determine the time of death, referred to as the post mortem interval. A report of synanthropic derived form of C. megacephala from Tamil Nadu is provided for the first time based on morphological features and molecular characterization through generation of DNA barcoding.

New model helps explain how provisions promote or reduce wildlife disease Posted: 23 Jul 2014 08:12 AM PDT Scientists have long known that providing supplemental food for wildlife, or resource provisioning, can sometimes cause more harm than good. Ecologists have now developed a new mathematical model to tease apart the processes that help explain why. Their research has implications for public health and wildlife conservation.

Nano-sized chip picks up scent of explosives molecules better than dog's nose Posted: 23 Jul 2014 08:11 AM PDT A groundbreaking nanotechnology-inspired sensor picks up the scent of explosives molecules better than a detection dog's nose. The device is mobile, inexpensive, and highly accurate, detecting explosives in the air at concentrations as low as a few molecules per 1,000 trillion. Existing explosives sensors are expensive, bulky and require expert interpretation of the findings.

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