ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

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• Video games could dramatically streamline educational research
• Miranda: An icy moon deformed by tidal heating
• A more efficient, lightweight and low-cost organic solar cell: Researchers broke the 'electrode barrier'
• World population to keep growing this century, hit 11 billion by 2100
• New insights into the world of quantum materials
• Toward quantum computing, spintronic memory, better displays: Nuclear spins control current in plastic LED
• CASIS research set for launch aboard SpaceX mission to space station
• NASA HS3 instrument views two dimensions of clouds
• NASA Ames to launch science experiments to space station on SpaceX rocket
• Everything in moderation: Micro-8 to study regulating pathogens in space
• Dawn spacecraft operating normally after safe mode triggered
• NASA Mars spacecraft ready for Sept. 21 orbit insertion
• Smartphone app reveals users' mental health, performance, behavior
• Germanium tin could mean better and cheaper infrared cameras in smartphones, and faster computer chips
• Pulse of a dead star powers intense gamma rays
• NASA's wind-watching ISS-RapidScat ready for launch
• Comet landing mission: 'J' marks the spot for Rosetta's lander
• 'Honeybee' robots replicate swarm behavior
• New microscopy technique yields fresh data on muscular dystrophy
• How do neutron bells toll on the skin of the atomic nucleus? Vibrations of the surface of a heavy nucleus observed
• Researchers observe a new kind of disbandment in the atomic nuclei rich in protons
• Unforeseen dioxin formation in waste incineration
• Carbon dioxide converted into a valuable resource
• Crowdsourcing could lead to better water in rural India
• PET-CT predicts lymphoma survival better than conventional imaging
• Getting water from fog: Shorebird's beak inspires research on water collection
• NASA releases IRIS footage of X-class flare
• Space: The final frontier ... open to the public
• CT scan is no more accurate than ultrasound to detect kidney stones, study finds
• Smooth combustion and learning how engine knock develops
• American-made wind turbine blades
• Doing science just got cheaper -- and faster: 3-D printing leads to another advance in make-it-yourself lab equipment
• Oxides could advance memory devices
• Rooting out horse-meat fraud in the wake of a recent food scandal
• Toward making lithium-sulfur batteries a commercial reality for a bigger energy punch
• Mobility model is closely linked to the city's characteristics
• Car hacking: The security threat facing our vehicles
• Plant-based battery: Testing and improving with help of neutrons, simulation
• New instruments to learn about hurricane form and strength

Video games could dramatically streamline educational research Posted: 18 Sep 2014 06:01 PM PDT Scientists have figured out a dramatically easier and more cost-effective way to do research on science curriculum in the classroom -- and it could include playing video games. Called 'computational modeling,' it involves a computer 'learning' student behavior and then 'thinking' as students would. It could revolutionize the way educational research is done.

Miranda: An icy moon deformed by tidal heating Posted: 18 Sep 2014 01:22 PM PDT Miranda, a small, icy moon of Uranus, is one of the most visually striking and enigmatic bodies in the solar system. Despite its relatively small size, Miranda appears to have experienced an episode of intense resurfacing that resulted in the formation of at least three remarkable and unique surface features -- polygonal-shaped regions called coronae.

A more efficient, lightweight and low-cost organic solar cell: Researchers broke the 'electrode barrier' Posted: 18 Sep 2014 11:14 AM PDT For decades, polymer scientists and synthetic chemists working to improve the power conversion efficiency of organic solar cells were hampered by the inherent drawbacks of commonly used metal electrodes, including their instability and susceptibility to oxidation. Now for the first time, researchers have developed a more efficient, easily processable and lightweight solar cell that can use virtually any metal for the electrode, effectively breaking the 'electrode barrier.'

World population to keep growing this century, hit 11 billion by 2100 Posted: 18 Sep 2014 11:14 AM PDT The chance that world population in 2100 will be between 9.6 billion and 12.3 billion people is 80 percent, according to the first such United Nations forecast to incorporate modern statistical tools.

New insights into the world of quantum materials Posted: 18 Sep 2014 11:12 AM PDT A team of physicists has experimentally observed how the anisotropic properties of particles deform the Fermi surface in a quantum gas. The work provides the basis for future studies on how the geometry of particle interactions may influence the properties of a quantum system.

Toward quantum computing, spintronic memory, better displays: Nuclear spins control current in plastic LED Posted: 18 Sep 2014 11:11 AM PDT Physicists read "spins" in hydrogen nuclei and used the data to control current in a cheap, plastic LED – at room temperature and without strong magnetic fields. The study brings physics a step closer to practical "spintronic" devices: superfast computers, more compact data storage and plastic or organic LEDs, more efficient than those used today in display screens for cell phones, computers and televisions.

CASIS research set for launch aboard SpaceX mission to space station Posted: 18 Sep 2014 10:05 AM PDT This fall marks another commercial cargo flight to the International Space Station. In September, SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to blast off to the orbital laboratory carrying supplies and investigations as part of the company's fourth contracted mission to the complex.

NASA HS3 instrument views two dimensions of clouds Posted: 18 Sep 2014 10:03 AM PDT NASA's Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL) instrument, flying aboard an unmanned Global Hawk aircraft in this summer's Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel, or HS3, mission, is studying the changing profile of the atmosphere in detail to learn more about how hurricanes form and strengthen.

NASA Ames to launch science experiments to space station on SpaceX rocket Posted: 18 Sep 2014 09:28 AM PDT NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California, will launch four life science experiments to the International Space Station aboard NASA's next commercial cargo resupply flight of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. The research missions include a microbiology study of yeast, a fruit fly study designed and built by students, a plant biology investigation and the maiden voyage of NASA's new rodent research system.

Everything in moderation: Micro-8 to study regulating pathogens in space Posted: 18 Sep 2014 09:26 AM PDT Candida albicans, an opportunistic yeast pathogen and model organism for research, is common and usually doesn't damage our healthy personal ecosystem. However, when our immune system is stressed on Earth or in space, such as during long-duration space travel, C. albicans can grow out of control and potentially cause infections. Scientists want to address controlling these outbreaks with the next round of cellular growth experiments on the International Space Station -- Micro-8.

Dawn spacecraft operating normally after safe mode triggered Posted: 18 Sep 2014 09:24 AM PDT The Dawn spacecraft has resumed normal ion thrusting after the thrusting unexpectedly stopped and the spacecraft entered safe mode on September 11. That anomaly occurred shortly before a planned communication with NASA's Deep Space Network that morning. The spacecraft was not performing any special activities at the time.

NASA Mars spacecraft ready for Sept. 21 orbit insertion Posted: 18 Sep 2014 09:22 AM PDT NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft is nearing its scheduled Sept. 21 insertion into Martian orbit after completing a 10-month interplanetary journey of 442 million miles (711 million kilometers).

Smartphone app reveals users' mental health, performance, behavior Posted: 18 Sep 2014 09:14 AM PDT Researchers have built the first smartphone app that automatically reveals college students' mental health, academic performance and behavioral trends. In other words, your smartphone knows your state of mind -- even if you don't -- and how that affects you. The StudentLife app, which compares students' happiness, stress, depression and loneliness to their academic performance, also may be used in the general population -- for example, to monitor mental health, trigger intervention and improve productivity in workplace employees.

Germanium tin could mean better and cheaper infrared cameras in smartphones, and faster computer chips Posted: 18 Sep 2014 09:13 AM PDT Researchers have fabricated a new semiconductor material that can be used to build better and less expensive infrared cameras for smartphone and automobiles.

Pulse of a dead star powers intense gamma rays Posted: 18 Sep 2014 09:08 AM PDT NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, is helping to untangle the mystery of what powers high-energy gamma rays emanating from supernova. The observatory's high-energy X-ray eyes were able to peer into a particular site of powerful gamma rays and confirm the source: A spinning, dead star called a pulsar.

NASA's wind-watching ISS-RapidScat ready for launch Posted: 18 Sep 2014 09:04 AM PDT The fourth SpaceX cargo mission to the International Space Station (ISS) under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services contract, carrying the ISS-RapidScat scatterometer instrument designed and built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, is scheduled to launch Saturday, Sept. 20, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The one-day adjustment in the launch date was made to accommodate preparations of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and was coordinated with the station's partners and managers.

Comet landing mission: 'J' marks the spot for Rosetta's lander Posted: 18 Sep 2014 09:00 AM PDT The European Space Agency's Rosetta's lander, Philae, will target Site J, an intriguing region on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko that offers unique scientific potential, with hints of activity nearby, and minimum risk to the lander compared to the other candidate sites. The 220-pound (100-kilogram) lander is scheduled to reach the surface on November 11, where it will perform in-depth measurements to characterize the nucleus. Rosetta is an international mission spearheaded by the European Space Agency with support and instruments provided by NASA.

'Honeybee' robots replicate swarm behavior Posted: 18 Sep 2014 08:11 AM PDT Computer scientists have created a low-cost, autonomous micro-robot which in large numbers can replicate the behavior of swarming honeybees.

New microscopy technique yields fresh data on muscular dystrophy Posted: 18 Sep 2014 06:14 AM PDT A new microscopy technique yields resolution an order of magnitude better than previously possible. Through this new technique, the researchers showed that dystrophin was responsible for regulating tiny molecular fluctuations in calcium channels while muscles are in use. The discovery suggests that a lack of functional dystrophin alters the dynamics of ion channels -- helping to cause the defective mechanical responses and the calcium imbalance that impair normal muscle activity in patients with muscular dystrophy.

How do neutron bells toll on the skin of the atomic nucleus? Vibrations of the surface of a heavy nucleus observed Posted: 18 Sep 2014 06:13 AM PDT Physicists have observed -- for the first time with such precision -- vibrations of the surface of a heavy nucleus, lead 208Pb. Through their extremely accurate measurements this team has unraveled the details of neutron oscillations in the atomic nucleus and determined how many neutrons on the surface, or 'skin', of the nucleus participate in unique vibrations known as pygmy resonances. If an accelerated ion of high energy impacts on the nucleus of a heavy element, it makes the nucleus vibrate in a very special manner: all of its neutrons begin to oscillate collectively with respect to all of its protons.

Researchers observe a new kind of disbandment in the atomic nuclei rich in protons Posted: 18 Sep 2014 06:12 AM PDT Scientists have observed an exotic disbandment mode in the beta disbandment of the 56Zn. Beta disbandment is one of the most usual kinds of radioactive disbandment and it allows the nucleus to transform a neutron into a proton or a proton into a neutron when there is too much abundance of one of them.

Unforeseen dioxin formation in waste incineration Posted: 18 Sep 2014 06:10 AM PDT Dioxins forms faster, at lower temperatures and under other conditions than previously thought. This may affect how we in the future construct sampling equipment, flue gas filtering systems for waste incineration and how to treat waste incineration fly ash.

Carbon dioxide converted into a valuable resource Posted: 18 Sep 2014 06:10 AM PDT Researchers have opened a pilot plant that converts carbon dioxide and slag, the by-product of steel manufacturing, into a valuable mineral product. The product, Precipitated Calcium Carbonate (PCC), is used in e.g. plastics, papers, rubbers and paints. The innovative plant represents the next stage prior commercialization of a new process that consumes carbon dioxide in order to convert a low-value by-product into a highly valuable resource for industry.

Crowdsourcing could lead to better water in rural India Posted: 18 Sep 2014 06:07 AM PDT A novel environmental crowdsourcing technique for assessing water quality in India is being evaluated by a three-continent research consortium. The technique relies on 53-cent test kits and the nation's ubiquitous mobile phone service.

PET-CT predicts lymphoma survival better than conventional imaging Posted: 17 Sep 2014 06:16 PM PDT Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET-CT) is more accurate than conventional CT scanning in measuring response to treatment and predicting survival in patients with follicular lymphoma, and should be used routinely in clinical practice, according to new research.

Getting water from fog: Shorebird's beak inspires research on water collection Posted: 17 Sep 2014 02:33 PM PDT An engineering professor and his doctoral student have designed a device based on a shorebird's beak that can accumulate water collected from fog and dew. The device could provide water in drought-stricken areas of the world or deserts around the globe.

NASA releases IRIS footage of X-class flare Posted: 17 Sep 2014 02:32 PM PDT On Sept. 10, 2014, NASA's newest solar observatory, the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, or IRIS, joined other telescopes to witness an X-class flare -- an example of one of the strongest solar flares -- on the sun.

Space: The final frontier ... open to the public Posted: 17 Sep 2014 02:32 PM PDT Historically, spaceflight has been reserved for the very healthy. Astronauts are selected for their ability to meet the highest physical standards to prepare them for any unknown challenges. However, with the advent of commercial spaceflight, average people can now fly. The aerospace medicine community has had little information about what medical conditions should be considered particularly risky in the spaceflight environment, as most medical conditions have never been studied for risk in space -- until now.

CT scan is no more accurate than ultrasound to detect kidney stones, study finds Posted: 17 Sep 2014 02:32 PM PDT To diagnose painful kidney stones in hospital emergency rooms, CT scans are no better than less-often-used ultrasound exams, according to a clinical study conducted at 15 medical centers. "Ultrasound is the right place to start," researchers said. "Radiation exposure is avoided, without any increase in any category of adverse events, and with no increase in cost."

Smooth combustion and learning how engine knock develops Posted: 17 Sep 2014 02:30 PM PDT High-fidelity simulations to help determine how engine knock develops and assist in predicting how the transition from smooth combustion to knocking occurs.

American-made wind turbine blades Posted: 17 Sep 2014 02:29 PM PDT New research is helping makers of wind turbine blades improve the labor productivity associated with blade fabrication and finishing. This improved productivity makes US blades more cost competitive with blades from countries that pay workers lower wages.

Doing science just got cheaper -- and faster: 3-D printing leads to another advance in make-it-yourself lab equipment Posted: 17 Sep 2014 11:14 AM PDT A new open-source design library lets researchers make their own syringe pumps and save hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Syringe pumps are used to dispatch precise amounts of liquid, as for drug delivery or mixing chemicals in a reaction. They can also cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Oxides could advance memory devices Posted: 17 Sep 2014 10:18 AM PDT The quest for the ultimate memory device for computing may have just taken an encouraging step forward. Researchers have discovered new complex oxides that exhibit both magnetic and ferroelectric properties.

Rooting out horse-meat fraud in the wake of a recent food scandal Posted: 17 Sep 2014 09:10 AM PDT As the United Kingdom forms a new crime unit designed to fight food fraud -- in response to an uproar last year over horse meat being passed off as beef -- scientists are reporting a technique for detecting meat adulteration.

Toward making lithium-sulfur batteries a commercial reality for a bigger energy punch Posted: 17 Sep 2014 09:10 AM PDT A fevered search for the next great high-energy, rechargeable battery technology is on. Scientists are now reporting they have overcome key obstacles toward making lithium-sulfur batteries, which have the potential to leave today's lithium-ion technology in the dust.

Mobility model is closely linked to the city's characteristics Posted: 17 Sep 2014 09:07 AM PDT The massive use of motor vehicles leads to a whole host of problems, such as pollution, noise, accidents, occupation of space and others, which need to be tackled in two ways, according to the authors of new research: by improving the offer of public transport and properly managing the mobility demand.

Car hacking: The security threat facing our vehicles Posted: 17 Sep 2014 09:07 AM PDT The car of the future will be safer, smarter and offer greater high-tech gadgets, but be warned without improved security the risk of car hacking is real, according to a road safety expert.

Plant-based battery: Testing and improving with help of neutrons, simulation Posted: 17 Sep 2014 09:05 AM PDT Lignin, a low-cost byproduct of the pulp, paper and biofuels industries, could be transformed into a cheaper version of highly engineered graphite through a simple and industrially scalable manufacturing process.

New instruments to learn about hurricane form and strength Posted: 16 Sep 2014 03:22 PM PDT NASA's Cloud Physics Lidar instrument, flying aboard an unmanned Global Hawk aircraft in this summer's Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel, or HS3, mission, is studying the changing profile of the atmosphere in detail to learn more about how hurricanes form and strengthen.

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