ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

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• Diamonds, nanotubes find common ground in graphene
• Scientists develop CO2 sequestration technique
• Shape-shifting nanoparticles flip from sphere to net in response to tumor signal
• Beer-pouring robot programmed to anticipate human actions
• Just how secure is quantum cryptography?
• Einstein's 'spooky action' common in large quantum systems
• Have health effects from the Chernobyl accident been overestimated?
• 'Ultraselective' process to make valuable chemical from biomass
• Crystal-clear method for distinguishing between glass and fluids
• Hubble sees a swirl of star formation
• Models from big molecules captured in a flash
• Brittle material toughened: Tungsten-fiber-reinforced tungsten
• Self-assembled nanostructures for hostile environments
• Hydrogen atoms under the magnifying glass: Nodal structures of electronic states of hydrogen atom directly observed
• Helicopter light-beams: New tool for quantum optics

Diamonds, nanotubes find common ground in graphene Posted: 28 May 2013 01:09 PM PDT What may be the ultimate heat sink is only possible because of yet another astounding capability of graphene. The one-atom-thick form of carbon can act as a go-between that allows vertically aligned carbon nanotubes to grow on nearly anything, including diamonds.

Scientists develop CO2 sequestration technique Posted: 28 May 2013 11:37 AM PDT Scientists have discovered and demonstrated a new technique to remove and store atmospheric carbon dioxide while generating carbon-negative hydrogen and producing alkalinity, which can be used to offset ocean acidification.

Shape-shifting nanoparticles flip from sphere to net in response to tumor signal Posted: 28 May 2013 11:37 AM PDT Tiny spherical particles float easily through the bloodstream after injection, then assemble into a durable scaffold within diseased tissue. An enzyme produced by a specific type of tumor can trigger the transformation of the spheres into netlike structures that accumulate at the site of a cancer.

Beer-pouring robot programmed to anticipate human actions Posted: 28 May 2013 11:36 AM PDT Understanding when and where to pour a beer or knowing when to offer assistance opening a refrigerator door can be difficult for a robot because of the many variables it encounters while assessing the situation. Researchers have created a solution: a robot that has learned to foresee human action in order to step in and offer a helping hand.

Just how secure is quantum cryptography? Posted: 28 May 2013 09:24 AM PDT Unlike classical encryption, quantum communication systems are known to offer the promise of virtually unbreakable encryption. Now, new research on this topic is shaking up the long-held notion that quantum communications are 100 percent secure. Researchers have recently demonstrated that quantum encryption may be susceptible to hacking.

Einstein's 'spooky action' common in large quantum systems Posted: 28 May 2013 09:24 AM PDT Mathematician have shown that entanglement -- what Einstein termed "spooky action at a distance" -- is actually prevalent in large quantum systems and have identified the threshold at which it occurs.

Have health effects from the Chernobyl accident been overestimated? Posted: 28 May 2013 09:23 AM PDT The impact of the Chernobyl nuclear accident has been seriously overestimated, while unfounded statements presented as scientific facts have been used to strangle the nuclear industry, according to Russian researchers. New research suggests that the health effects of food contamination in particular have been distorted in anti-industry propaganda.

'Ultraselective' process to make valuable chemical from biomass Posted: 28 May 2013 09:22 AM PDT Chemical engineers have discovered a new chemical process to make p-xylene, an important ingredient of plastics for products such as soda bottles and packaging, at 90 percent yield from lignocellulosic biomass, the highest yield achieved to date.

Crystal-clear method for distinguishing between glass and fluids Posted: 28 May 2013 07:59 AM PDT Many solids are produced from melting. Depending on how quickly they cool off, invariably, internal tensile stresses begin to build up. However, until now, our understanding of the unique characteristics exhibited by the condition of the glass as compared with a tough molten mass was spotty at best. Now, scientists have offered a surprisingly simple model to explain the difference between glass and molten materials.

Hubble sees a swirl of star formation Posted: 28 May 2013 07:51 AM PDT The Hubble Space Telescope has captured the image of an unusual galaxy -- a beautiful, glittering swirl named, rather un-poetically, J125013.50+073441.5. A glowing haze of material seems to engulf the galaxy, stretching out into space in different directions and forming a fuzzy streak in this image. It is a starburst galaxy -- a name given to galaxies that show unusually high rates of star formation. The regions where new stars are being born are highlighted by sparkling bright blue regions along the galactic arms.

Models from big molecules captured in a flash Posted: 28 May 2013 07:02 AM PDT The structures of most of the two million proteins in the human body are still unknown, even at low resolution. A new algorithm solves the convoluted shapes of large molecules by using images of numerous individual samples, all caught simultaneously in a split-second flash of x-rays from a free-electron laser. The technique promises efficient information about the shapes of many more large biological molecules in their native, fluid state.

Brittle material toughened: Tungsten-fiber-reinforced tungsten Posted: 28 May 2013 06:16 AM PDT Tungsten is particularly suitable as material for highly stressed parts of the vessel enclosing a hot fusion plasma, it being the metal with the highest melting point. A disadvantage, however, is its brittleness, which under stress makes it fragile and prone to damage. A novel, more resilient compound material has now been developed. It consists of homogeneous tungsten with coated tungsten wires embedded. A feasibility study has just shown the basic suitability of the new compound.

Self-assembled nanostructures for hostile environments Posted: 28 May 2013 06:14 AM PDT Scientists in Japan have developed a new self-assembled nanostructure that can survive very hot or saline environments.

Hydrogen atoms under the magnifying glass: Nodal structures of electronic states of hydrogen atom directly observed Posted: 27 May 2013 07:05 AM PDT Researchers have succeeded in building a microscope that allows magnifying the wave function of excited electronic states of the hydrogen atom by a factor of more than 20,000, leading to a situation where the nodal structure of these electronic states can be visualized on a two-dimensional detector.

Helicopter light-beams: New tool for quantum optics Posted: 27 May 2013 07:04 AM PDT A light wave oscillates perpendicular to its propagation direction -- that is what students learn in school. However, scientists in Austria have now performed atomic physics experiments with light oscillating in the longitudinal direction.

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