ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

---

• Safeguarding Belize's barrier reef with conservation drones
• Enhanced instrument enables high-speed chemical imaging of tissues
• 3-D-printed tissues advance stem cell research
• Ultrasonically propelled nanorods spin dizzyingly fast
• Technique simplifies creation of high-tech crystals
• Quantum leap in lasers brightens future for quantum computing
• The heart of an astronaut, five years on
• NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory celebrates 15th anniversary
• NASA's Fermi finds a 'transformer' pulsar
• Fill 'er up: Prototype meter test for hydrogen refueling stations developed
• 'Comb on a chip' powers new atomic clock design
• Law of physics governs airplane 'evolution': Constructal law explains progression of passenger jets, sets guidelines for future aircraft
• Fly-inspired sound detector: New device based on a fly's freakishly acute hearing for futuristic hearing aids
• A new multi-bit 'spin' for magnetic random access memory storage
• Hubble traces halo of a galaxy more accurately than ever before: An in-depth look at giant elliptical galaxy Centaurus A
• Creating optical cables out of thin air
• Self-cooling solar cells boost power, last longer
• Low strength brain stimulation may be effective for depression
• High-precision software developed for diagnosing eye sensitivity
• Computer privacy: Share button may share your browsing history, too
• Boosting the force of empty space: Theorists propose way to amplify force of vacuum fluctuations
• Scientists use simple, low cost laser technique to improve properties and functions of nanomaterials
• First total synthesis of madangamine D, a molecule of biomedical interest
• Innovative system anticipates driver fatigue in the vehicle to prevent accidents
• Massive neutrinos and new standard cosmological model: No concordance yet
• Supermaterial gives rejected drugs a new chance

Safeguarding Belize's barrier reef with conservation drones Posted: 22 Jul 2014 12:24 PM PDT Seeking to gain a high-tech edge over illegal fishers, the Government of Belize will use "eyes in the sky" to enforce fishing regulations in the biodiverse Glover's Reef Marine Reserve and other reef systems in what is the first use of conservation drones to monitor marine protected areas.

Enhanced instrument enables high-speed chemical imaging of tissues Posted: 22 Jul 2014 11:25 AM PDT A research team has demonstrated a dramatically improved technique for analyzing biological cells and tissues based on characteristic molecular vibrations. The new technique is an advanced form of Raman spectroscopy that is fast and accurate enough to create high-resolution images of biological specimens, with detailed spatial information on specific biomolecules, at speeds fast enough to observe changes in living cells.

3-D-printed tissues advance stem cell research Posted: 22 Jul 2014 11:24 AM PDT A tissue engineering and vascular biology expert recently won a Faculty Early Career Development Award for his work on 3D tissue printing, and its contribution of the advancement of stem cell research.

Ultrasonically propelled nanorods spin dizzyingly fast Posted: 22 Jul 2014 10:07 AM PDT Vibrate a solution of rod-shaped metal nanoparticles in water with ultrasound and they'll spin around their long axes like tiny drill bits. Why? No one yet knows exactly. But researchers have clocked their speed -- and it's fast. At up to 150,000 revolutions per minute, ten times faster than any nanorotor ever reported.

Technique simplifies creation of high-tech crystals Posted: 22 Jul 2014 10:07 AM PDT Highly purified crystals that split light with uncanny precision are key parts of high-powered lenses, specialized optics and, potentially, computers that manipulate light instead of electricity. But producing these crystals by current techniques, such as etching them with a precise beam of electrons, is often extremely difficult and expensive. Now, researchers have proposed a new method that could allow scientists to customize and grow these specialized materials, known as photonic crystals, with relative ease.

Quantum leap in lasers brightens future for quantum computing Posted: 22 Jul 2014 10:07 AM PDT Scientists have devised a breakthrough laser that uses a single artificial atom to generate and emit particles of light. The laser may play a crucial role in the development of quantum computers, which are predicted to eventually outperform today's most powerful supercomputers.

The heart of an astronaut, five years on Posted: 22 Jul 2014 09:56 AM PDT The heart of an astronaut is a much-studied thing. Scientists have analyzed its blood flow, rhythms, atrophy and, through journal studies, even matters of the heart. But for the first time, researchers are looking at how oxidative stress and inflammation caused by the conditions of space flight affect those hearts for up to five years after astronauts fly on the International Space Station. Lessons learned may help improve cardiovascular health on Earth as well.

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory celebrates 15th anniversary Posted: 22 Jul 2014 09:48 AM PDT Fifteen years ago, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory was launched into space aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. Since its deployment on July 23, 1999, Chandra has helped revolutionize our understanding of the universe through its unrivaled X-ray vision.

NASA's Fermi finds a 'transformer' pulsar Posted: 22 Jul 2014 09:04 AM PDT In late June 2013, an exceptional binary containing a rapidly spinning neutron star underwent a dramatic change in behavior never before observed. The pulsar's radio beacon vanished, while at the same time the system brightened fivefold in gamma rays, the most powerful form of light, according to measurements by NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope.

Fill 'er up: Prototype meter test for hydrogen refueling stations developed Posted: 22 Jul 2014 08:19 AM PDT To support the fair sale of gaseous hydrogen as a vehicle fuel, researchers have developed a prototype field test standard to test the accuracy of hydrogen fuel dispensers. Once the standard is field tested, it will serve as a model for constructing similar devices for state weights and measures inspectors to use.

'Comb on a chip' powers new atomic clock design Posted: 22 Jul 2014 08:19 AM PDT Researchers have demonstrated a novel design for a small atomic clock that is based on a chip-scale frequency comb, or a microcomb.

Law of physics governs airplane 'evolution': Constructal law explains progression of passenger jets, sets guidelines for future aircraft Posted: 22 Jul 2014 08:18 AM PDT Scientists have found that a law of physics predicts the evolution of commercial airliners and also provides guidelines for future designs.

Fly-inspired sound detector: New device based on a fly's freakishly acute hearing for futuristic hearing aids Posted: 22 Jul 2014 08:14 AM PDT The fly can pinpoint the location of a chirping cricket with remarkable accuracy because of its freakishly acute hearing, which relies upon a sophisticated sound processing mechanism that really sets it apart from all other known insects. Researchers have now developed a tiny prototype device that mimics the parasitic fly's hearing mechanism, which may be useful for a new generation of hypersensitive hearing aids.

A new multi-bit 'spin' for magnetic random access memory storage Posted: 22 Jul 2014 08:14 AM PDT Interest in magnetic random access memory (MRAM) is escalating, thanks to demand for fast, low-cost, nonvolatile, low-consumption, secure memory devices. MRAM boasts all of these advantages as an emerging technology, but so far it hasn't been able to match flash memory in terms of storage density. A research team reports an intriguing new multi-bit MRAM storage paradigm with the potential to rival flash memory.

Hubble traces halo of a galaxy more accurately than ever before: An in-depth look at giant elliptical galaxy Centaurus A Posted: 22 Jul 2014 07:22 AM PDT Astronomers have probed the extreme outskirts of the stunning elliptical galaxy Centaurus A. The galaxy's halo of stars has been found to extend much further from the galaxy's center than expected and the stars within this halo seem to be surprisingly rich in heavy elements. This is the most remote portion of an elliptical galaxy ever to have been explored.

Creating optical cables out of thin air Posted: 22 Jul 2014 07:22 AM PDT Imagine being able to instantaneously run an optical cable or fiber to any point on Earth, or even into space. Researchers now report using an 'air waveguide' to enhance light signals collected from distant sources. These air waveguides could have many applications, including long-range laser communications, detecting pollution in the atmosphere, making high-resolution topographic maps and laser weapons.

Self-cooling solar cells boost power, last longer Posted: 22 Jul 2014 07:22 AM PDT Scientists may have overcome one of the major hurdles in developing high-efficiency, long-lasting solar cells -- keeping them cool, even in the blistering heat of the noonday sun. By adding a specially patterned layer of silica glass to the surface of ordinary solar cells, a team of researchers has found a way to let solar cells cool themselves by shepherding away unwanted thermal radiation.

Low strength brain stimulation may be effective for depression Posted: 22 Jul 2014 06:14 AM PDT Brain stimulation treatments, like electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), are often effective for the treatment of depression. Like antidepressant medications, however, they typically have a delayed onset. For example, a patient may receive several weeks of regular ECT treatments before a full response is achieved. Thus, there is an impetus to develop antidepressant treatments that act to rapidly improve mood. Low field magnetic stimulation (LFMS) is one such potential new treatment with rapid mood-elevating effects, report scientists.

High-precision software developed for diagnosing eye sensitivity Posted: 22 Jul 2014 06:14 AM PDT High-precision software for diagnosing eye sensitivity has been developed by researchers. This is a new technology that allows to quantify the degree of opacity in the posterior capsule of the eye caused by the growth of cells in the intraocular lens.

Computer privacy: Share button may share your browsing history, too Posted: 22 Jul 2014 06:14 AM PDT One in 18 of the world's top 100,000 websites track users without their consent using a previously undetected cookie-like tracking mechanism embedded in 'share' buttons. The researchers traced 95 percent of canvas fingerprinting scripts back to a single company.

Boosting the force of empty space: Theorists propose way to amplify force of vacuum fluctuations Posted: 22 Jul 2014 06:14 AM PDT Vacuum fluctuations may be among the most counter-intuitive phenomena of quantum physics. Theorists have now proposed a way to amplify their force. The researchers believe that their proposed enhancement of the power of vacuum fluctuations can have profound implications for understanding Casimir and Van der Waals forces and it may even be used for applications in quantum information processing and other emerging quantum technologies.

Scientists use simple, low cost laser technique to improve properties and functions of nanomaterials Posted: 22 Jul 2014 06:14 AM PDT By 'drawing' micropatterns on nanomaterials using a focused laser beam, scientists could modify properties of nanomaterials for effective applications in photonic and optoelectric applications.

First total synthesis of madangamine D, a molecule of biomedical interest Posted: 22 Jul 2014 06:14 AM PDT Madangamines are a group of polycyclic alkaloids from marine sponges which have biomedical interest due to their cytotoxic activity. Chemists have now completed the first total synthesis of madangamine D, a scientific discovery in the field of organic chemistry.

Innovative system anticipates driver fatigue in the vehicle to prevent accidents Posted: 22 Jul 2014 06:13 AM PDT Scientists have created a devise integrated in smart materials capable of monitoring cardiac and respiratory rhythms in order to prevent drivers from falling asleep.

Massive neutrinos and new standard cosmological model: No concordance yet Posted: 22 Jul 2014 06:13 AM PDT Neutrinos, also known as 'ghost particles' because they barely interact with other particles or their surroundings, are massless particles according to the standard model of particle physics. However, there is a lot of evidence that their mass is in fact non-zero, but it remains unmeasured. In cosmology, neutrinos are suspected to make up a fraction —- small but important -— of the mysterious dark matter, which represents 90% of the mass of the galaxy. Modifying the standard cosmological model in order to include fairly massive neutrinos does not explain all the physical observations simultaneously.

Supermaterial gives rejected drugs a new chance Posted: 22 Jul 2014 06:13 AM PDT More than 80 percent of all drug candidates in the pharma R&D suffer from poor solubility and are therefore rejected early in the drug discovery process. Now researchers show that a new material, Upsalite (R), has great potential for development of new formulations of these rejected drugs. These findings could allow the pharma companies to open up large libraries of potent drug candidates earlier discarded due to solubility problems and try them again.

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