ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

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• Capturing black hole spin could further understanding of galaxy growth
• Computer scientists develop 'mathematical jigsaw puzzles' to encrypt software
• How does hydrogen metallize?
• NASA's Chandra sees eclipsing planet in X-rays for first time
• Pulsating star sheds light on exoplanet
• Make it yourself with a 3-D printer and save big time
• Pushing microscopy beyond standard limits
• See-through solar film: Researchers double efficiency of novel solar cell
• Tetrapod nanocrystals light the way to stronger polymers
• Like water for batteries: Water 'likeability' plays role in battery-charged objects
• Heavy cell phone use linked to oxidative stress
• Novel material for cooling of electronic devices discovered
• When fluid dynamics mimic quantum mechanics
• Best of both worlds: Solar hydrogen production breakthrough
• Experimental quest to test Einstein's speed limit
• Cement converted into an electrical conductor

Capturing black hole spin could further understanding of galaxy growth Posted: 29 Jul 2013 08:14 PM PDT Astronomers have found a new way of measuring the spin in supermassive black holes, which could lead to better understanding about how they drive the growth of galaxies.

Computer scientists develop 'mathematical jigsaw puzzles' to encrypt software Posted: 29 Jul 2013 01:19 PM PDT Computer science experts have designed a system to encrypt software so that it only allows someone to use a program as intended while preventing any deciphering of the code behind it. This is known in computer science as "software obfuscation," and it is the first time it has been accomplished.

How does hydrogen metallize? Posted: 29 Jul 2013 01:17 PM PDT Hydrogen is deceptively simple. It has only a single electron per atom, but it powers the sun and forms the majority of the observed universe. As such, it is naturally exposed to the entire range of pressures and temperatures available in the whole cosmos. But researchers still struggle to understand even basic aspects of its various forms under high-pressure conditions. New work makes significant additions to our understanding of this vital element's high-pressure behavior.

NASA's Chandra sees eclipsing planet in X-rays for first time Posted: 29 Jul 2013 01:16 PM PDT For the first time since exoplanets, or planets around stars other than the sun, were discovered almost 20 years ago, X-ray observations have detected an exoplanet passing in front of its parent star. An advantageous alignment of a planet and its parent star in the system HD 189733, which is 63 light-years from Earth, enabled NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the European Space Agency's XMM Newton Observatory to observe a dip in X-ray intensity as the planet transited the star.

Pulsating star sheds light on exoplanet Posted: 29 Jul 2013 01:15 PM PDT Astronomers have devised a way to measure the internal properties of stars —- a method that offers more accurate assessments of their orbiting planets.

Make it yourself with a 3-D printer and save big time Posted: 29 Jul 2013 11:46 AM PDT A new study shows that families can save hundreds if not thousands of dollars by making their own household items with a 3-D printer.

Pushing microscopy beyond standard limits Posted: 29 Jul 2013 10:36 AM PDT Engineers have devised a method to convert a relatively inexpensive conventional microscope into a billion-pixel imaging system that significantly outperforms the best available standard microscope. Such a system could greatly improve the efficiency of digital pathology, in which specialists need to review large numbers of tissue samples. By making it possible to produce robust microscopes at low cost, the approach also has the potential to bring high-performance microscopy capabilities to medical clinics in developing countries.

See-through solar film: Researchers double efficiency of novel solar cell Posted: 29 Jul 2013 10:36 AM PDT Nearly doubling the efficiency of a photovoltaic breakthrough made in 2012, researchers have developed a two-layer, see-through solar film that could be placed on building windows, sunroofs, smartphone displays and other surfaces to harvest energy from the sun.

Tetrapod nanocrystals light the way to stronger polymers Posted: 29 Jul 2013 10:36 AM PDT Researchers have developed advanced opto-mechanical stress probes based on tetrapod quantum dots (tQDs) that allow precise measurement of the tensile strength of polymer fibers with minimal impact on the polymer's mechanical properties. These fluorescent tQDs could lead to stronger, self-repairing polymer nanocomposites.

Like water for batteries: Water 'likeability' plays role in battery-charged objects Posted: 29 Jul 2013 10:35 AM PDT Objects made from graphite -- such as lithium-ion batteries -- are "hydrophobic," meaning that they "dislike" water. For decades this lack of likeability has presented significant challenges in terms of building more durable technological devices made with graphite -- until now.

Heavy cell phone use linked to oxidative stress Posted: 29 Jul 2013 10:35 AM PDT A new study finds a strong link between heavy cell phone users and higher oxidative stress to all aspects of a human cell, including DNA. Uniquely based on examinations of the saliva of cell phone users, the research provides evidence of a connection between cell phone use and cancer risk.

Novel material for cooling of electronic devices discovered Posted: 29 Jul 2013 10:31 AM PDT As microelectronic devices become smaller, faster and more powerful, thermal management becomes a critical challenge. This research provides new insight into the nature of thermal transport at a quantitative level.

When fluid dynamics mimic quantum mechanics Posted: 29 Jul 2013 08:19 AM PDT Researchers expand the range of quantum behaviors that can be replicated in fluidic systems, offering a new perspective on wave-particle duality.

Best of both worlds: Solar hydrogen production breakthrough Posted: 29 Jul 2013 08:19 AM PDT Using a simple solar cell and a photo anode made of a metal oxide, scientists have successfully stored nearly five percent of solar energy chemically in the form of hydrogen. This is a major feat as the design of the solar cell is much simpler than that of the high-efficiency triple-junction cells based on amorphous silicon or expensive III-V semiconductors that are traditionally used for this purpose.

Experimental quest to test Einstein's speed limit Posted: 29 Jul 2013 08:19 AM PDT Special relativity states that the speed of light is the same in all frames of reference and that nothing can exceed that limit. UC Berkeley physicists used a novel experimental system -- the unusual electron orbitals of dysprosium -- to test whether the maximum speed of electrons follows this rule. The answer is yes, to tighter limits than ever before. They plan another experiment a thousand times more sensitive, approaching the realm where theory may break down.

Cement converted into an electrical conductor Posted: 29 Jul 2013 05:32 AM PDT Researchers have developed a cementitious material incorporating carbon nanofibers in its composition, turning cement into an excellent conductor of electricity capable of performing functions beyond its usual structural function.

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