ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

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• Thumbs-up for mind-controlled robotic arm
• Are video gaming systems a safe Christmas present?
• MESSENGER data suggest recurring meteor shower on Mercury
• Real-time radiation monitor can reduce radiation exposure for medical workers
• NASA Goddard instrument makes first detection of organic matter on Mars
• The simplest element: Turning hydrogen into 'graphene'
• Carbon-trapping 'sponges' can cut greenhouse gases
• Scientists trace nanoparticles from plants to caterpillars: Are nanoparticles getting in our food?
• Exact solution to model Big Bang and quark gluon plasma
• Comparing state solar policies to determine equation for solar market success
• Diagnostic screening: Microwave imaging of the breast may be better and safer
• First steps for Hector the robot stick insect
• Future batteries: Lithium-sulfur with a graphene wrapper
• Researchers generate tunable photon-pair spectrum using room-temperature quantum optics silicon chip
• Composite plane life cycle assessment shows lighter planes are the future
• Is the Higgs Boson a piece of the matter-antimatter puzzle?
• Self-repairing subsea material
• Techniques for minimizing environmental impacts of fracking

Thumbs-up for mind-controlled robotic arm Posted: 16 Dec 2014 06:20 PM PST A paralyzed woman who controlled a robotic arm using just her thoughts has taken another step towards restoring her natural movements by controlling the arm with a range of complex hand movements.

Are video gaming systems a safe Christmas present? Posted: 16 Dec 2014 06:20 PM PST Nintendo video gaming systems are common Christmas presents, but how safe are they? Early reports included seizures (dubbed "Nintendo epilepsy") and two cases of Nintendo related incontinence in children who were so engrossed in Super Mario Bros that they ignored their urge to go to the toilet.

MESSENGER data suggest recurring meteor shower on Mercury Posted: 16 Dec 2014 03:37 PM PST The closest planet to the sun appears to get hit by a periodic meteor shower, possibly associated with a comet that produces multiple events annually on Earth. The clues pointing to Mercury's shower were discovered in the very thin halo of gases that make up the planet's exosphere, which is under study by NASA's MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) spacecraft.

Real-time radiation monitor can reduce radiation exposure for medical workers Posted: 16 Dec 2014 01:14 PM PST It's a sound that saves. A "real-time" radiation monitor that alerts by beeping in response to radiation exposure during cardiac-catheterization procedures significantly reduces the amount of exposure that medical workers receive, researchers found.

NASA Goddard instrument makes first detection of organic matter on Mars Posted: 16 Dec 2014 11:41 AM PST Scientists have made the first definitive detection of organic molecules at Mars. The surface of Mars is currently inhospitable to life as we know it, but there is evidence that the Red Planet once had a climate that could have supported life billions of years ago.

The simplest element: Turning hydrogen into 'graphene' Posted: 16 Dec 2014 09:38 AM PST New work delves into the chemistry underlying some surprising recent observations about hydrogen, and reveals remarkable parallels between hydrogen and graphene under extreme pressures.

Carbon-trapping 'sponges' can cut greenhouse gases Posted: 16 Dec 2014 09:38 AM PST In the fight against global warming, carbon capture -- chemically trapping carbon dioxide before it releases into the atmosphere -- is gaining momentum, but standard methods are plagued by toxicity, corrosiveness and inefficiency. Using a bag of chemistry tricks, materials scientists have invented low-toxicity, highly effective carbon-trapping 'sponges' that could lead to increased use of the technology.

Scientists trace nanoparticles from plants to caterpillars: Are nanoparticles getting in our food? Posted: 16 Dec 2014 09:38 AM PST In one of the most comprehensive studies of its kind, scientists tracked uptake and accumulation of quantum dot nanoparticles from water to plant roots, plant leaves and leaf-eating caterpillars.

Exact solution to model Big Bang and quark gluon plasma Posted: 16 Dec 2014 09:38 AM PST Scientists have published an exact solution that applies to a wide array of physics contexts and will help researchers to better model galactic structure, supernova explosions and high-energy particle collisions, such as those studied at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Switzerland.

Comparing state solar policies to determine equation for solar market success Posted: 16 Dec 2014 08:30 AM PST Scientists have used statistical analyses and detailed case studies to better understand why solar market policies in certain states are more successful. Their findings indicate that while no standard formula for solar implementation exists, a combination of foundational policies and localized strategies can increase solar photovoltaic installations in any state.

Diagnostic screening: Microwave imaging of the breast may be better and safer Posted: 16 Dec 2014 08:30 AM PST Although currently available diagnostic screening systems for breast are effective at detecting early signs of tumors, they are far from perfect, subjecting patients to ionizing radiation and sometimes inflicting discomfort on women who are undergoing screening because of the compression of the breast that is required to produce diagnostically useful images. New research suggests a better, cheaper, and safer way to look for the telltale signs of breast cancer may be with microwaves.

First steps for Hector the robot stick insect Posted: 16 Dec 2014 08:29 AM PST A research team has succeeded in teaching the only robot of its kind in the world how to walk.The robot is called Hector, and its construction is modeled on a stick insect. Inspired by the insect, Hector has passive elastic joints and an ultralight exoskeleton. What makes it unique is that it is also equipped with a great number of sensors and it functions according to a biologically inspired decentralized reactive control concept: the Walknet.

Future batteries: Lithium-sulfur with a graphene wrapper Posted: 16 Dec 2014 08:27 AM PST What do you get when you wrap a thin sheet of the "wonder material" graphene around a novel multifunctional sulfur electrode that combines an energy storage unit and electron/ion transfer networks? An extremely promising electrode structure design for rechargeable lithium-sulfur batteries.

Researchers generate tunable photon-pair spectrum using room-temperature quantum optics silicon chip Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:07 AM PST A team of researchers have demonstrated a way to emit and control quantum light generated using a chip made from silicon -- one of the most widely used materials for modern electronics.

Composite plane life cycle assessment shows lighter planes are the future Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:05 AM PST A global fleet of composite planes could reduce carbon emissions by up to 15 percent, but the lighter planes alone will not enable the aviation industry to meet its emissions targets, according to new research.

Is the Higgs Boson a piece of the matter-antimatter puzzle? Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:04 AM PST Several experiments, including the BaBar experiment have helped explain some – but not all – of the imbalance between matter and antimatter in the universe. Now theorists have laid out a possible method for determining if the Higgs Boson is involved. Why there's more matter than antimatter is one of the biggest questions confounding particle physicists and cosmologists, and it cuts to the heart of our own existence.

Self-repairing subsea material Posted: 16 Dec 2014 05:24 AM PST Embryonic faults in subsea high voltage installations are difficult to detect and very expensive to repair. Researchers believe that self-repairing materials could be the answer. The vital insulating material which encloses sensitive high voltage equipment may now be getting some 'first aid'.

Techniques for minimizing environmental impacts of fracking Posted: 15 Dec 2014 07:16 AM PST Natural gas power plants emit less carbon dioxide than coal power plants, but must be carefully managed to prevent air and water pollution.

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