ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

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• Spider's web weaves way to advanced networks and displays
• Ultrafast imaging of complex systems in 3-D at near atomic resolution nears
• Big data may be fashion industry's next must-have accessory
• Switching to spintronics: Electric field switching of ferromagnetism at room temperature
• Satellite sees holiday lights brighten cities
• Lens-free microscope can detect cancer at cellular level
• Surprising theorists, stars within middle-aged clusters are of similar age
• New conversion process turns biomass 'waste' into lucrative chemical products
• Microscopy pencils patterns in polymers at the nanoscale
• 'Perfect storm' quenching star formation around a supermassive black hole
• Scientists open new frontier of vast chemical 'space': As proof-of-principle, the team makes dozens of new chemical entities
• Contrasting views of kin selection assessed
• Researchers' recipe: Cook farm waste into energy
• Watch out Internet meanies: Game could soon be over for you
• Privacy policies good for big business, not so good for consumers
• Amputee makes history controlling two modular prosthetic limbs
• Novel insights into pathogen behavior
• Heat boosts phthalate emissions from vinyl crib mattress covers
• Better focus at the micro world: A low-budget focus stacking system for mass digitization
• Combining social media, behavioral psychology could lead to more HIV testing
• Unraveling the light of fireflies
• Gothic cathedrals blend iron and stone
• Smart window that tints and powers itself invented
• The hot blue stars of messier 47
• Evolution: Complexity key propagating future generations.

Spider's web weaves way to advanced networks and displays Posted: 17 Dec 2014 02:14 PM PST Searching for new ways to develop efficient, flexible networks, physicists discovered the designs of spider webs and leaf venation, refined across thousands of years of evolution, are worthy models for the next generation of optoelectronic applications.

Ultrafast imaging of complex systems in 3-D at near atomic resolution nears Posted: 17 Dec 2014 02:14 PM PST It is becoming possible to image complex systems in 3-D with near-atomic resolution on ultrafast timescales using extremely intense X-ray free-electron laser pulses. One important step toward ultrafast imaging of samples with a single X-ray shot is understanding the interaction of extremely brilliant and intense X-ray pulses with the sample, including ionization rates.

Big data may be fashion industry's next must-have accessory Posted: 17 Dec 2014 02:14 PM PST Big data may be the next new thing to hit the fashion industry's runways, according to a team of researchers.

Switching to spintronics: Electric field switching of ferromagnetism at room temperature Posted: 17 Dec 2014 01:16 PM PST Researchers have used an electric field to reverse the magnetization direction in a multiferroic spintronic device at room temperature, a demonstration that points a new way towards spintronics and smaller, faster and cheaper ways of storing and processing data.

Satellite sees holiday lights brighten cities Posted: 17 Dec 2014 12:40 PM PST Even from space, holidays shine bright. With a new look at daily data scientists have identified how patterns in nighttime light intensity change during major holiday seasons -- Christmas and New Year's in the United States and the holy month of Ramadan in the Middle East.

Lens-free microscope can detect cancer at cellular level Posted: 17 Dec 2014 12:40 PM PST A lens-free microscope that can be used to detect the presence of cancer or other cell-level abnormalities with the same accuracy as larger and more expensive optical microscopes, has been developed by researchers. The invention could lead to less expensive and more portable technology for performing common examinations of tissue, blood and other biomedical specimens. It may prove especially useful in remote areas and in cases where large numbers of samples need to be examined quickly.

Surprising theorists, stars within middle-aged clusters are of similar age Posted: 17 Dec 2014 12:40 PM PST An examination of middle-aged star clusters reveals an unexpectedly narrow age range among their stars, suggesting that large groups of stars evolve differently than previously understood.

New conversion process turns biomass 'waste' into lucrative chemical products Posted: 17 Dec 2014 12:40 PM PST A new catalytic process is able to convert what was once considered biomass waste into lucrative chemical products that can be used in fragrances, flavorings or to create high-octane fuel for racecars and jets. A team of researchers has developed a process that uses a chemical catalyst and heat to spur reactions that convert lignin into valuable chemical commodities.

Microscopy pencils patterns in polymers at the nanoscale Posted: 17 Dec 2014 12:39 PM PST Scientists have used advanced microscopy to carve out nanoscale designs on the surface of a new class of ionic polymer materials for the first time.

'Perfect storm' quenching star formation around a supermassive black hole Posted: 17 Dec 2014 11:10 AM PST Astronomers have discovered that modest black holes can shut down star formation by producing turbulence. High-energy jets powered by supermassive black holes can blast away a galaxy's star-forming fuel, resulting in so-called "red and dead" galaxies: those brimming with ancient red stars yet containing little or no hydrogen gas to create new ones.

Scientists open new frontier of vast chemical 'space': As proof-of-principle, the team makes dozens of new chemical entities Posted: 17 Dec 2014 10:15 AM PST Chemists have invented a powerful method for joining complex organic molecules that is extraordinarily robust and can be used to make pharmaceuticals, fabrics, dyes, plastics and other materials previously inaccessible to chemists.

Contrasting views of kin selection assessed Posted: 17 Dec 2014 10:14 AM PST Researchers have used several different ways of testing Hamilton's rule, the core mathematical formula of kin selection, as an explanation for the evolution of much altruistic behavior in animals. These vary in their realism and their ability to generate predictions. The variety of approaches, as well as different views about what constitutes an explanation, helps explain a divisive debate about the importance of kin selection in evolution. A new criterion of 'causal aptness' could help resolve disputes.

Researchers' recipe: Cook farm waste into energy Posted: 17 Dec 2014 08:36 AM PST Researchers are studying how to make biofuels from farm waste, especially 'wet' waste, such as corn husks, tomato vines and manure, that is typically difficult to use. They have developed a fairly simple procedure, pressure cooking, to transport waste and produce energy from it. Cooking farm waste yields compact, easily transportable material that will not degrade and can be used in energy-producing plants, they say.

Watch out Internet meanies: Game could soon be over for you Posted: 17 Dec 2014 08:36 AM PST Bullies and mean girls have been around forever but, with the arrival of smartphones and social media, meanness has taken on new forms and dramatically extended its reach. Digital abuse is now so widespread, and such are its dramatic effects on victims, that the American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a stern warning about the risks posed by cyberbullying to adolescents' mental health. But 'how much do we really know about how to tackle online bullies?,' asks a new study.

Privacy policies good for big business, not so good for consumers Posted: 17 Dec 2014 08:35 AM PST Research suggests effective self regulation has yet to emerge for the majority of businesses whose privacy policies keep them from sharing consumers' private information, but are not readable by the average consumer.

Amputee makes history controlling two modular prosthetic limbs Posted: 17 Dec 2014 08:35 AM PST A Colorado man made history this summer when he became the first bilateral shoulder-level amputee to wear and simultaneously control two modular prosthetic limbs. Most importantly, the patient, who lost both arms in an electrical accident 40 years ago, was able to operate the system by simply thinking about moving his limbs, performing a variety of tasks during a short training period.

Novel insights into pathogen behavior Posted: 17 Dec 2014 07:13 AM PST New insights into the behavior of an important bacterial pathogen have been provided by researchers. The researchers investigated, using combination of experiments and computational modeling, how bacteria swarm in groups containing millions of cells. "We show in this paper that appendages of this bacterium called 'pili' link together to alter group motion and give swarming groups a form of braking power," an author explained.

Heat boosts phthalate emissions from vinyl crib mattress covers Posted: 17 Dec 2014 07:13 AM PST The US continues to look at the use and regulation of phthalates, which have been associated with health problems. Of particular concern is the safety of these plastic additives to children. A new study aims to improve our understanding of one possible exposure route for babies: vinyl crib mattress covers. Scientists report that as these covers warm up, they emit more phthalates into the air.

Better focus at the micro world: A low-budget focus stacking system for mass digitization Posted: 17 Dec 2014 07:13 AM PST Researchers constructed a focus stacking set-up made of consumer grade products with better end results than high-end solutions and this at only a tenth of the price of current existing systems. Because of the operational ease, speed and the low cost of the system, it is ideal for mass digitization programs involving type specimens.

Combining social media, behavioral psychology could lead to more HIV testing Posted: 17 Dec 2014 06:08 AM PST Social media such as Twitter and Facebook, combined with behavioral psychology, could be a valuable tool in the fight against AIDS by prompting high-risk individuals to be tested, research shows. Though there have been many experimental HIV testing interventions in international settings, none have used social media technologies, said one investigator.

Unraveling the light of fireflies Posted: 17 Dec 2014 04:45 AM PST How do fireflies produce those mesmerizing light flashes? Using cutting-edge imaging techniques, scientists have unraveled the firefly's intricate light-producing system for the first time.

Gothic cathedrals blend iron and stone Posted: 17 Dec 2014 04:43 AM PST Using radiocarbon dating on metal found in Gothic cathedrals, an interdisciplinary team has shown, for the first time through absolute dating, that iron was used to reinforce stone from the construction phase. This study sheds new light on the technical skill and intentions of cathedral builders.

Smart window that tints and powers itself invented Posted: 17 Dec 2014 04:43 AM PST Scientists have developed a smart window which can darken or brighten without the need for an external power source.

The hot blue stars of messier 47 Posted: 17 Dec 2014 04:43 AM PST Messier 47 is located approximately 1600 light-years from Earth, in the constellation of Puppis (the poop deck of the mythological ship Argo). It was first noticed some time before 1654 by Italian astronomer Giovanni Battista Hodierna and was later independently discovered by Charles Messier himself, who apparently had no knowledge of Hodierna's earlier observation. Although it is bright and easy to see, Messier 47 is one of the least densely populated open clusters. Only around 50 stars are visible in a region about 12 light-years across, compared to other similar objects which can contain thousands of stars.

Evolution: Complexity key propagating future generations. Posted: 16 Dec 2014 11:41 AM PST The KISS concept -- keep it simple, stupid -- may work for many situations. However, when it comes to evolution, complexity appears to be key for prosperity and propagating future generations.

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