ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

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• New math and quantum mechanics: Fluid mechanics suggests alternative to quantum orthodoxy
• Environmental costs, health risks, and benefits of fracking examined
• Astronomers unveil secrets of giant elliptical galaxies
• Scientists fabricate single-photon sources in solid matter
• NASA identifying candidate asteroids for redirect mission
• NASA's Mars Curiosity rover arrives at Martian mountain
• First map of Rosetta's comet
• Cutting the cord on soft robots: Machine walks through snow, flames and can be run over by cars
• Unraveling mysteries of the Venusian atmosphere
• Alien life search: Spotting atmospheric chemistry of alien worlds devoid of life
• Astrophysicists to probe how early universe made chemical elements
• New ICD-10 coding system may cloud hospital safety
• Liposome research meets nanotechnology to improve cancer treatment
• High Flux Isotope Reactor Named Nuclear Historic Landmark
• Ceramics don't have to be brittle: Incredibly light, strong materials recover original shape after being smashed
• 'Hot Jupiters' provoke their own host suns to wobble
• New species of electrons can lead to better computing
• 'Talking' and 'listening' to atoms: Scientists make acoustic waves couple to an artificial atom
• How salt causes buildings to crumble
• The biomethane market needs clear frame conditions for further growth, experts urge
• Euro creates unified pricing across countries, study finds
• Perfect focus through thick layers may bring better vision to medicine
• Teachers risk role confusion on Facebook
• Microfluidics: Mixing through oscillations
• Ozone nano-bubble water: Potential treatment for severe gum infections
• Experts making maps through Google Earth to predict malaria

New math and quantum mechanics: Fluid mechanics suggests alternative to quantum orthodoxy Posted: 12 Sep 2014 09:06 AM PDT The central mystery of quantum mechanics is that small chunks of matter sometimes seem to behave like particles, sometimes like waves. For most of the past century, the prevailing explanation of this conundrum has been what's called the "Copenhagen interpretation" -- which holds that, in some sense, a single particle really is a wave, smeared out across the universe, that collapses into a determinate location only when observed. But some founders of quantum physics -- notably Louis de Broglie -- championed an alternative interpretation, known as "pilot-wave theory," which posits that quantum particles are borne along on some type of wave. According to pilot-wave theory, the particles have definite trajectories, but because of the pilot wave's influence, they still exhibit wavelike statistics. Now a professor of applied mathematics believes that pilot-wave theory deserves a second look.

Environmental costs, health risks, and benefits of fracking examined Posted: 12 Sep 2014 08:25 AM PDT Rising supplies of natural gas could benefit the environment by replacing coal as a fuel for electricity, but hydraulic fracturing poses dangers for people living near the wells, a new analysis finds.

Astronomers unveil secrets of giant elliptical galaxies Posted: 12 Sep 2014 05:53 AM PDT New findings of how giant elliptical galaxies move have been discovered by an international team of astronomers. Elliptical galaxies have long been considered as essentially being made up of old stars that move randomly within them, like a swarm of bees. This has been challenged in many instances in the past ten-twenty years, but giant elliptical galaxies are still considered as a nearly round and non-rotating group of old stars by astronomers.

Scientists fabricate single-photon sources in solid matter Posted: 11 Sep 2014 06:09 PM PDT A breakthrough in quantum information processing was achieved using state-of-the-art diamond growth technology. A research group has successfully fabricated for the first time in the world single-photon sources of SiV (silicon vacancy) centers – one of the color centers in diamond during the growth of thin film diamond, which have high purity and crystalline quality – by introducing them at extremely low concentrations.

NASA identifying candidate asteroids for redirect mission Posted: 11 Sep 2014 03:53 PM PDT NASA is on the hunt to add potential candidate target asteroids for the agency's Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM). The robotic mission will identify, capture and redirect a near-Earth asteroid to a stable orbit around the moon. In the 2020s, astronauts will explore the asteroid and return to Earth with samples. This will test and advance new technologies and spaceflight experience needed to take humans to Mars in the 2030s.

NASA's Mars Curiosity rover arrives at Martian mountain Posted: 11 Sep 2014 03:30 PM PDT NASA's Mars Curiosity rover has reached the Red Planet's Mount Sharp, a Mount-Rainier-size mountain at the center of the vast Gale Crater and the rover mission's long-term prime destination.

First map of Rosetta's comet Posted: 11 Sep 2014 03:27 PM PDT Scientists have found that the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko -- the target of study for the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission -- can be divided into several regions, each characterized by different classes of features. High-resolution images of the comet reveal a unique, multifaceted world.

Cutting the cord on soft robots: Machine walks through snow, flames and can be run over by cars Posted: 11 Sep 2014 03:07 PM PDT Engineers have developed the world's first untethered soft robot -- and demonstrated that the quadruped, which can literally stand up and walk away from its designers, can walk through snow, fire and even be run over by a car. The hope is that such robots might one day serve as a search and rescue tool following disasters.

Unraveling mysteries of the Venusian atmosphere Posted: 11 Sep 2014 03:07 PM PDT Underscoring the vast differences between Earth and its neighbor Venus, new research shows a glimpse of giant holes in the electrically charged layer of the Venusian atmosphere, called the ionosphere. The observations point to a more complicated magnetic environment than previously thought -- which in turn helps us better understand this neighboring, rocky planet.

Alien life search: Spotting atmospheric chemistry of alien worlds devoid of life Posted: 11 Sep 2014 03:07 PM PDT Astronomers searching the atmospheres of alien worlds for gases that might be produced by life can't rely on the detection of just one type, such as oxygen, ozone, or methane, because in some cases these gases can be produced non-biologically, according to extensive simulations. Researchers have carefully simulated the atmospheric chemistry of alien worlds devoid of life thousands of times over a period of more than four years, varying the atmospheric compositions and star types.

Astrophysicists to probe how early universe made chemical elements Posted: 11 Sep 2014 01:39 PM PDT In the beginning, all was hydrogen -- and helium, plus a bit of lithium. Three elements in all. Today's universe, however, has nearly a hundred naturally occurring elements, with thousands of variants (isotopes), and more likely to come. Figuring out how the universe got from its starting batch of three elements to the menagerie found today is the focus of a new research project.

New ICD-10 coding system may cloud hospital safety Posted: 11 Sep 2014 01:31 PM PDT Changes in how medical diagnoses are coded under the latest international disease classification system – better known as the ICD-10 codes – may complicate the assessment of hospital safety, say researchers.

Liposome research meets nanotechnology to improve cancer treatment Posted: 11 Sep 2014 01:31 PM PDT In treating cancer, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are two of the best weapons in a doctor's arsenal. Reports have shown that ideally, both methods would be employed at the same time. But doing so produces levels of toxicity that often are deadly. To reduce the remote toxicity inherent to chemotherapy, the drugs can be administered into solid tumors by using liposomes, which are nanoscale vesicles made from fats and loaded with anti-cancer drugs, researchers report.

High Flux Isotope Reactor Named Nuclear Historic Landmark Posted: 11 Sep 2014 01:31 PM PDT The High Flux Isotope Reactor, or HFIR, has been designated a Nuclear Historic Landmark by the American Nuclear Society. The reactor was conceived in the late 1950s as a production reactor to meet anticipated demand for transuranic isotopes ("heavy" elements such as plutonium and curium). HFIR today is a DOE Office of Science User Facility and one of the world's sole sources of the radioisotope californium-252, used in industry and medicine.

Ceramics don't have to be brittle: Incredibly light, strong materials recover original shape after being smashed Posted: 11 Sep 2014 10:54 AM PDT Materials scientists have developed a method for creating new structural materials by taking advantage of the unusual properties that solids can have at the nanometer scale. They have used the method to produce a ceramic (e.g., a piece of chalk or a brick) that contains about 99.9 percent air yet is incredibly strong and can recover its original shape after being smashed by more than 50 percent.

'Hot Jupiters' provoke their own host suns to wobble Posted: 11 Sep 2014 10:54 AM PDT Blame the 'hot Jupiters.' These large, gaseous exoplanets can make their suns wobble when they wend their way through their own solar systems to snuggle up against their suns, according to new research.

New species of electrons can lead to better computing Posted: 11 Sep 2014 10:54 AM PDT Electrons that break the rules and move perpendicular to the applied electric field could be the key to delivering next generation, low-energy computers.

'Talking' and 'listening' to atoms: Scientists make acoustic waves couple to an artificial atom Posted: 11 Sep 2014 10:54 AM PDT Scientists have used sound to communicate with an artificial atom. They can thereby demonstrate phenomena from quantum physics with sound taking on the role of light.

How salt causes buildings to crumble Posted: 11 Sep 2014 09:59 AM PDT Salt crystals are often responsible when buildings start to show signs of aging. Researchers have studied salt damage in greater depth and can now predict weathering processes more accurately.

The biomethane market needs clear frame conditions for further growth, experts urge Posted: 11 Sep 2014 09:50 AM PDT Biomethane as a substitute for the fossil energy carrier natural gas offers a variety of options and applications for a sustainable energy supply. Nevertheless, a consequent market penetration is still pending because of a lack of standardized and transnational frame conditions. Scientists have now summarized how the biomethane market developed in the IEA (International Energy Agency) member states and which factors are necessary for further growing.

Euro creates unified pricing across countries, study finds Posted: 11 Sep 2014 09:42 AM PDT New research finds that for many goods, the most important factor in pricing is whether the countries use different currencies.

Perfect focus through thick layers may bring better vision to medicine Posted: 11 Sep 2014 06:47 AM PDT In a first-of-its-kind demonstration, a team of researchers has developed a powerful technique to focus laser light through even the murkiest of surroundings without the need for a guide star. This innovation, a specialized version of an adaptive optics microscope, can resolve a point less than one thousandth of a millimeter across.

Teachers risk role confusion on Facebook Posted: 11 Sep 2014 06:29 AM PDT Using Facebook for class discussions sounds like a great idea, but before teachers mix with their students on social media, they must make sure the roles in a group are clear. A new book features research on how role confusion can create problems – and what can be done to avoid it.

Microfluidics: Mixing through oscillations Posted: 10 Sep 2014 06:37 PM PDT A tiny device produces oscillatory flows that enhance the mixing of viscous fluids for chemical reactions. Devices that manipulate very small volumes of fluids are applied in diverse fields, including printer technology, DNA processing and cooling systems for electronics. For some processes involving fluids, such as mixing, it is useful to generate oscillating flows, but this can be difficult for particularly viscous fluids.

Ozone nano-bubble water: Potential treatment for severe gum infections Posted: 10 Sep 2014 06:37 PM PDT A powerful new antiseptic agent, called ozone nano-bubble water, holds promise for the treatment of periodontitis, or severe gum infections, according to new research.

Experts making maps through Google Earth to predict malaria Posted: 10 Sep 2014 03:59 PM PDT Experts are working to create an online platform that health workers around the world can use to predict where malaria is likely to be transmitted using data on Google Earth Engine. The goal is to enable resource poor countries to wage more targeted and effective campaigns against the mosquito-borne disease, which kills 600,000 people a year, most of them children.

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