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Subcategory: Technology
'Wet' Computing Systems to Boost Processing Power
Jan 13 2010 - ScienceDaily
new kind of information processing technology inspired by chemical processes in living systems is being developed by researchers at the University of Southampton.
Pi Calculated to Record Number of Digits
Jan 6 2010 - BBC News
A computer scientist claims to have computed the mathematical constant pi to nearly 2.7 trillion digits, some 123 billion more than the previous record.
Science Goes Back to Basics on AI
Dec 9 2009 - BBC News
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has begun a project to re-think artificial intelligence research. The Mind Machine Project will return to the basics of AI research to re-examine what lies behind human intelligence.
Scientists Say Paper Battery Could Be in the Works
Dec 8 2009 - Reuters
Ordinary paper could one day be used as a lightweight battery to power the devices that are now enabling the printed word to be eclipsed by e-mail, e-books and online news.
Experts: Man Controlled Robotic Hand with Thoughts
Dec 2 2009 - Yahoo! News
A group of European scientists say they have successfully connected a robotic hand to a man who had lost an arm, allowing him to feel sensations in the artificial hand and control it with his thoughts.
Shared Supercomputing and Everyday Research
Nov 23 2009 - The New York Times (requires free registration)
A drop in the price of supercomputers and other advances are pulling down the high walls around computing-intensive research, possibly democratizing the field.
China Joins Supercomputer Elite
Nov 16 2009 - BBC News
China has become one of a handful of nations to own one of the top five supercomputers in the world. The machine packs more than 70,000 chips and can compute 563 trillion calculations per second (teraflops).
Mini Space Elevator Races for $900K Prize
Nov 12 2009 - Voice of America News
A team from Washington state has won $900,000 from NASA for building a miniature space elevator. The competition asked entrants to build a prototype of a machine that could one day shuttle people from the Earth's surface into outer space along a cable tethered to an orbiting satellite.
Mobile App Sees Science Go Global
Sep 16 2009 - BBC News
A mobile phone application will help professional and "citizen" scientists collect and analyze data from "in the field," anywhere in the world.
Scientists Worry Machines May Outsmart Man
Jul 27 2009 - The New York Times (requires free registration)
Impressed and alarmed by advances in artificial intelligence, a group of computer scientists is debating whether there should be limits on research that might lead to loss of human control over computer-based systems that carry a growing share of society's workload, from waging war to chatting with customers on the phone.
Science Takes to the Ice
Jun 24 2009 - The New York Times (requires free registration)
Science is aiming to help ice skaters meet the sport's physical challenges without sacrificing their health.
"Five Dimensional" Discs with a Storage Capacity 2,000 Times That of Current DVDs
May 21 2009 - ScienceDaily
Futuristic discs with a storage capacity 2,000 times that of current DVDs could be just around the corner, thanks to new research from Swinburne University of Technology in Australia.
Photography and Microscopes: New Technique that Scrambles Light May Lead to Sharper Images, Wider Views
Apr 22 2009 - ScienceDaily
A new imaging method developed by Princeton researchers could lead to lenses that show all parts of the scene at once in the same high detail. The new method could help build more powerful microscopes and other optical devices.
Robotic Scientists Make First Discoveries
Apr 6 2009 - ScienceNow Daily News
In recent decades, robots have replaced millions of manual laborers; now they're moving in on scientists, too. A fully automated robotic laboratory can design its own molecular biology experiments and has even made its first discoveries, a multidisciplinary team reports.
CO2 Monitoring Satellite Fails
Feb 24 2009 - ScienceInsider
A $280 million NASA satellite designed to monitor carbon-dioxide emissions failed early this morning. The Orbiting Carbon Observatory was a critical part of the space agency's effort to gather data on climate change, and the probe's failure is a major blow to Earth scientists eager to collect more accurate data on carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas.
Girls Have the Edge in New Technologies, New Report Reveals
Jan 21 2009 - ScienceDaily
A new report, co-authored by a University of Hertfordshire academic, reveals that girls are more likely to have new technologies at home than boys and it is mothers rather than fathers who assist them.
Wireless Microgrippers Grab Living Cells in "Biopsy" Tests
Jan 13 2009 - ScienceDaily
Researchers have invented dust-particle-size devices that can be used to grab and remove living cells from hard-to-reach places without the need for electrical wires or tubes.
Computer Puzzle May Ease Post-Traumatic Stress
Jan 8 2009 - Reuters
Playing Tetris, rated one of the greatest video games of all time, immediately after traumatic events appears to reduce flashbacks that plague sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a British study.
Solar Refrigeration: A Hot Idea for Cooling
Oct 22 2008 - Scientific American
Fishermen in the village of Maruata, located on the Mexican Pacific coast 18 degrees north of the equator, have no electricity. But for the past 16 years they have been able to store their fish on ice: Seven ice makers, powered by nothing but the scorching sun, churn out a half ton of ice every day.
Robot with a Biological Brain
Aug 14 2008 - ScienceDaily
Researchers have developed a robot that is controlled by a biological brain formed from cultured neurons. This cutting-edge research is the first step to examine how memories manifest themselves in the brain, and how a brain stores specific pieces of data.
Eye Spy: U.S. Scientists Develop Eye-Shaped Camera
Aug 7 2008 - ABC News
Borrowing one of nature's best designs, U.S. scientists have built an eye-shaped camera using standard sensor materials and say it could improve the performance of digital cameras and enhance imaging of the human body. The device might even lead to the development of prosthetic devices including a bionic eye, they said.
Herculean Device for Molecular Mysteries
Jul 11 2008 - The New York Times (requires free registration)
A privately financed team of scientists and engineers is nearing completion of a special-purpose supercomputer intended to offer more than a thousandfold increase in performance for complex molecular simulations.
Palm-Reading Devices Get Smart about Security
Jun 25 2008 - Scientific American
A new biometrics system uses the blood network in the palms of your hand to ID individuals.
Honda Makes First Hydrogen Cars
Jun 16 2008 - BBC News
Japanese car manufacturer Honda has begun the first commercial production of a zero-emission, hydrogen fuel-cell powered vehicle. The car runs on electricity produced by hydrogen and emits water vapor. Honda plans to produce 200 of the cars, which are initially available only to lease, over the next three years. One of the biggest obstacles standing in the way of wider adoption of fuel-cell vehicles is the lack of hydrogen fuelling stations.
Electronics' "Missing Link" Found
May 1 2008 - BBC News
Details of an entirely new kind of electronic device, which could make chips smaller and far more efficient, have been outlined by scientists. The new components, described by scientists at Hewlett-Packard, are known as "memristors."
Real-Life Iron Man: A Robotic Suit That Magnifies Human Strength
May 1 2008 - Scientific American
An exoskeleton robotic suit may help workers lift heavy loads and patients move damaged and prosthetic limbs.
Tiny Torrents
Mar 18 2008 - National Science Foundation
Researchers have produced a silent, microchip-sized "fan" that has no moving parts, yet produces enough wind to cool a laptop.
Camera "Looks" Through Clothing
Mar 10 2008 - BBC News
A camera that can "see" explosives, drugs, and weapons hidden under clothing from 25 meters has been invented. The system could be deployed at airports, railway stations, or other public spaces. It is based on so-called "terahertz," or T-ray, technology, normally used by astronomers to study dying stars. Although it is able to see through clothes it does not reveal "body detail" or subject people to harmful radiation, according to the designers.
Brain Imaging May Let Us "See" What Others See
Mar 7 2008 - MSNBC
Brain imaging may make it possible to someday see what others are seeing, researchers report. Such a device would make it possible to decode brain signals and track attention. It may even be possible to "see" someone else's dream, the team at the University of California Berkeley said.
Water Filtration System in a Straw
Feb 27 2008 - Scientific American
Sometimes, it's the simplest technologies that have the greatest potential impact on people's lives. The Vestergaard Frandsen Group's mobile personal filtration system, otherwise known as LifeStraw. It is a powder-blue plastic tube, much thicker than an ordinary straw, containing filters that make water teeming with typhoid-, cholera- and diarrhea-causing microorganisms drinkable.
Biofuel, Partly From Nuts, Is Tested on an Airline Flight
Feb 25 2008 - New York Times (requires free registration)
The British carrier Virgin Atlantic Airways tested a jumbo jet on Sunday that was partly powered by a biofuel made from babassu nuts and coconut oil, a first for a commercial aircraft. The jet, which took off from London and landed in Amsterdam, had one unmodified engine running on a mix of about 25% biofuel with the rest coming from standard jet kerosene. Researchers tested a number of biofuels before choosing coconut and babassu because they were suitable in initial tests and would not compete with staple food supplies or cause deforestation.
Plastic (Not) Fantastic: Food Containers Leach a Potentially Harmful Chemical
Feb 20 2008 - Scientific American
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a ubiquitous compound in plastics. First synthesized in 1891, the chemical has become a key building block of plastics from polycarbonate to polyester. But experts are split on the potential health hazards to humans. The FDA has approved its use and the EPA does not consider it cause for concern. One U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) panel agreed, but another team of government scientists last year found that the amount of BPA present in humans exceeds levels that have caused ill effects in animals. They also found that adults' ability to tolerate it does not preclude damaging effects in infants and children.
Is "Beam Me Up, Scotty" Possible?
Feb 15 2008 - ABC News
While teleportation has figured prominently in science fiction, physicists say that teleportation is possible now, at least on a small scale, and the applications for the future are far from fictitious. But pop culture's depictions of "beaming" people from one place to another have significantly mangled the perception of what's actually possible under the laws of physics. According to physicists, teleportation in its most basic sense is not about sending matter, but about sending information.
Bluetooth to Piggyback on Wi-Fi
Feb 12 2008 - MSNBC
The popular wireless technology known as Bluetooth could get a lot faster next year by taking advantage of Wi-Fi technology already built into many gadgets. Linking Bluetooth and Wi-Fi may make it easier and faster to transfer large amounts of music between computers and cell phones, or send pictures from a camera phone to a printer, or video from a camcorder to a TV.
Taking People Power to a New Level
Feb 8 2008 - The New York Times (requires free registration)
Researchers have developed an electrical generator mounted on the knee that turns walks into watts. The device, which in its current form looks a little like a simple knee brace with cyborg bling, harnesses power from part of the stride. One device on each leg can produce about five watts of electricity, which is enough to run 10 cellphones, or potentially, medical devices like insulin pumps or prosthetic limbs. The power generated could be stored in a battery.
Researchers Make Tiny Radio from Nanotubes
Jan 30 2008 - MSNBC
Transistor radios tinier than a grain of sand, made using nanotechnology, can not only tune in to the traffic report, but may end up outperforming current silicon-based electronics. Researchers made microscopic radios out of carbon nanotubes tiny strands of carbon atoms) and say in theory they could lead to faster devices. They overcame a series of obstacles that have defeated efforts to make nanoradios, including getting amplification, by making their devices on quartz wafers. They said the devices are meant to showcase a new way of making carbon nanotubes in perfectly aligned rows, much like strands of silky hair that have been combed flat. These strands are a hundred thousand times smaller than the width of a human hair, forming a thin layer of semiconductor material that can be used in electronic devices and circuits.
Solar Cells of the Future
Dec 19 2007 - Solar Daily
A new material called nano flakes could revolutionize the transformation of solar energy into electricity. “We believe that the nano flakes have the potential to convert up to 30% of the solar energy into electricity and that is twice the amount that we convert today,” explained Martin Aagesen, a doctoral student at the Nano-Science Center and the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen, who discovered the material. If Aagesen’s work proves successful, the economy and the environment would benefit from the research.
Nanotube-Producing Bacteria Show Manufacturing Promise
Dec 10 2007 - Science Daily
Scientists have made a discovery that could help create a new generation of nanoelectronic devices. Researchers at the University of California, Riverside, have found semi-conducting nanotubes produced by living bacteria. Researchers believe this is the first time nanotubes have been shown to be produced by biological rather than chemical means. Scientists note the various electronic devices used in society today depend on chemical manufacturing processes. However, they note there is a growing movement to find ways to produce semi-conductors in more ecologically-friendly ways.
Laser Fingerprint Scanner Does Away With Dusting
Nov 16 2007 - NewScientist.com
Indian scientists have created a portable device that could scan fingerprints in microseconds. Optical coherence tomography is like an optical version of ultrasound imaging. The technique is routinely used in medicine, but now has a forensic application. Researchers explain the system promises to be better than existing fingerprint detection methods since it does not require chemical processing.
Microscopic Radio Sets Miniaturization Record
Nov 2 2007 - MSNBC.com
Researchers have developed a working radio from a single carbon nanotube 10,000 times thinner than a human hair. Fixed between two electrodes, the nanotube vibrates and performs the critical roles required to receive radio waves. Power is supplied to the radio by streaming electrons from an attached battery. The radio has already been used to broadcast two songs. Researchers note the radio could also be used to create radio-controlled devices capable of swimming in the human bloodstream and other novel applications.
New Miniature Microsensor is Developed
Sep 18 2007 - Science Daily
Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology have created a tiny sensor that uses polymer membranes on a silicon disk to measure pollutants in aqueous or gaseous environments. Since the new sensor allows water and air samples to be analyzed in the field, the researchers noted the device is an improvement over classical techniques that require samples to be returned to the laboratory for analysis.
Nanoscale Printing Has Big Implications for Science and Technology
Sep 12 2007 - Scientific American
Researchers have developed a new printing process than can manipulate nanosize particles to create larger images. The new technology promises to allow scientists, technologists, and medical professionals to place particles smaller than 100 nanometers precisely where they are needed for the first time.
New Undersea Cable Will Link Ocean to Internet
Aug 28 2007 - National Geographic News
Scientists plan to create the world’s first regional cabled ocean observatory. NEPTUNE Canada will connect hundreds of oceanographic instruments to the internet by way of a 500-mile long fiber optic cable. Scientists have a limited ability to observe what is taking place in the world’s oceans. NEPTUNE Canada’s continuous data stream will allow scientists to study the ocean in unprecedented detail and help answer questions about earthquakes and climate change.
Harvesting Power from the Ocean
Aug 23 2007 - ABC News
Although technology for harnessing the ocean’s energy already exists, researchers have created a new system that could be cheaper and more reliable. The system uses an artificial muscle to generate power from the motion of a buoy riding up and down on ocean waves. “It’s very exciting,” Ray Baughman, a chemistry professor at the University of Texas, Dallas, said of the new system. “It’s a promising direction for harvesting energy, not only for remote devices in the ocean but also perhaps for larger scale energy harvesting.”
Nanotubes Turn Paper Into a Power Source
Aug 14 2007 - NewScientist.com
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed an energy source out of paper containing carbon nanotubes. The paper, which can be bent, twisted, and folded, could be used in flexible electronic devices, according to the scientists. Joel Schindall, an electrical engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology calls the new paper a “promising development.” But he noted cost and reliability issues will have to be overcome.
Scientific Discovery for 3-D Imaging
Aug 13 2007 - NSTA News
Scientists who want to view fast moving images of the tiniest droplet or the smallest structure have been able to view them as two-dimensional. But thanks to a new discovery, they can now see these images as three-dimensional.
Nanotechnology Impacts Film Science
Aug 9 2007 - Science Daily
A research team from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, has created a simple, inexpensive way of measuring the properties of ultra-thin materials used in cosmetics, coatings, and other industries. The new technology can provide information about the mechanical properties of nanoscopically thin layers of material that are deposited onto a metal, ceramic, or semiconductor base. Before the new technology, determining the mechanical properties of such thin films was either an expensive and time consuming effort or a process involving uncertain assumptions.
Scientists Create Nano-sized Light Source
Jul 30 2007 - NSTA News
Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California at Berkeley have invented a bio-friendly nano-sized light source capable of emitting coherent light across the visible spectrum. “This nanowire light source is like having a tiny flashlight that we can potentially scan across a living cell, visualizing the cell while mechanically interacting with it,” explains Jan Liphardt, a biophysicist who holds a joint appointment with Berkeley Lab’s Physical Biosciences Division and the university’s physics department. Liphardt co-authored a paper on the light source, which appears in the journal Nature.
Check on Checkers: In Perfect Game, There is No Winner
Jul 27 2007 - Science News
Since 1994, computers have been able to beat people at the game of checkers. Now new research shows computers can play a flawless game of checkers. The research is based on a calculation that shows if both players make perfect moves, the game will be a draw every time.
Software Finds Learning Langauge Child's Play
Jul 25 2007 - NewScientist.com
New research published in the journal of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences discusses a computer program that could shed new light on how humans acquire the ability to talk. Expanding on existing ideas about infant learning, researchers developed a model that mimics the brain processes a baby uses when learning to recognize speech. The model decodes vowel sounds in a particular language by analyzing the repetition of these speech sounds. Researchers note the computer model supports the idea that babies systematically sort through sounds until they understand the structure of a language.
Technology Winners Named
Jul 19 2007 - Science Daily
Five people have been named as winners of the 2006 National Medals of Technology. Established by Congress in 1980, the Medal of Technology is given annually to individuals, teams, and companies for outstanding contributions to the nation’s economic, environmental, and social well-being through technological innovation and development.
Scientists Test Technology Using Turtles
Jul 5 2007 - CBS News
In an experiment taking place on the Deerfield River in western Massachusetts, two unrelated groups of researchers are working together to test a new wireless communications network using turtles. The idea behind the technology is to create a network of constantly moving devices that record and store information, transmit data from one device to another, then relay all the save information to a central location while running on self-charging batteries. “A lot of the existing technology works great as long as you are not moving around and you have stable networks and people who could recharge batteries,” observed Jacob Sorber, a doctoral candidate in computer science, who designed the network named TurtleNet, a project funded by National Science Foundation grants.
Video Games Impact Students' Homework, Not Family
Jul 3 2007 - NewScientist.com
Boys who play video games on school days spend 30% less time reading, while girls spend 34% less time doing homework if they play video games, according to a new study. But the report’s authors note that video games do not appear to interfere significantly with time spent with family and friends. The findings come as doctors voice growing concerns about the long-term effects of video games.
Scientists Create Nanofibers
Jul 2 2007 - Science Daily
Ohio State University researchers have created plastic nanofibers that might lead to diverse technologies, such as self-cleaning surfaces and transparent electronics. The technology consists of a method for growing a bed of fibers of a specific length, and using chemical treatments to tailor the fibers’ properties, noted Professor Arthur Epstein, who led the research. “We are very excited about where this kind of development can take us,” Epstein added.
Scientists Demonstrate First Use of Nanotechnology to Enter Plant Cells
May 17 2007 - Space Mart News
Iowa State University plant scientists and materials chemists have successfully used nanotechnology to penetrate plant cell walls and simultaneously deliver a gene and a chemical that triggers its expression with controlled precision. The breakthrough brings nanotechnology to plant biology and agricultural biotechnology, creating a powerful new tool for targeted delivery into plant cells. For more information on Plants, NSTA members can refer to the May 2007 issues of Science Class.
Scientists Study Silver Nanoparticles
May 11 2007 - Science Daily
A group of scientists is about to launch a study of silver nanoparticles in an effort to determine the materials’ environmental impact. The University of Missouri, Columbia, researchers say silver nanoparticles are emerging as one of today’s fastest growing nanomaterials. But the scientists, led by Assistant Professor Zhiqiang Hu, said little is known about any adverse effects of silver nanoparticles to human health and ecological systems.
Are You a High Tech "Omnivore"?
May 7 2007 - CBS News
A broad survey about the technology people have, how they use it, and what they think about it shatters assumptions and reveals where companies might be able to expand their audiences. The Pew Internet and American Life Project found that adult Americans are broadly divided into three groups: 31% are raid users of technology, 20% are moderate users, and the remainder demonstrate minimal or no usage of the internet or cell phones. Some of the findings may not exactly be news—the heaviest users of technology are the youngest—but people’s comfort levels with the devices that have seemingly become inextricable from our daily activities is revealing.
Mathematicians Design Invisible Tunnel
May 4 2007 - Scientific American
New calculations show how to make an electromagnetic “wormhole,” a tube that is invisible from the sides, allowing light to shine down the center unseen. The concept is a twist on a spherical cloak of invisibility proposed last year. Such a device would be made of metamaterial, a thicket of metal rings or other shapes that bends light in funny ways. A hollow shell of metamaterial could in principle channel a single frequency of light around its inner space without the slowing the light down, rendering that hole invisible to the outside world at that frequency.
Plastic Sheet Delivers Wireless Power
Apr 29 2007 - Nature News
Annoyed by the tangle of power cords under your desk? A sheet of plastic invented by researchers in Japan could one day make for tables and walls that power devices placed on them, without any need for wires and plugs.
Tiny Scale Can Weigh Living Bacteria, Cells
Apr 26 2007 - MSNBC.com
With a tiny, high-tech scale, researchers can now weigh living bacteria and immune cells for the first time. The technique could assist researchers in developing inexpensive, portable diagnostic devices that could help health workers in developing countries.
Scientists Create Flexible Electronics
Apr 3 2007 - Science Daily
Scientists are developing flexible electronic structures with the potential to bend, expand, and manipulate electronic devices. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Illinois said such flexible structures could find applications as sensors and as electronic devices that can be integrated into artificial muscles or biological tissues.
Skeletons Fly: 3-D Video Traces Bird Evolution
Feb 22 2007 - MSNBC.com
Scientists are filming alligators as they trot along treadmills and pigeons on the fly in wind tunnels. But rather than a view of flesh and muscles, a new three-dimensional video technique peeks beneath the skin to show skeletons on the move. Brown University scientists are using this approach to understand how the biomechanics of flight evolved.
Nanotechnology Safety is Studied
Jan 31 2007 - Science Daily
A doctoral student is investigating nanotechnology safety by testing how nanoparticles might affect living cells, organisms, and the environment. “We don’t want to look back in 50 years if something bad has happened and say ‘Why didn’t we ask these questions,’” explains University of Florida chemical engineering student Maria Palazuelos. Palazuelos is a member of the university’s Nanotoxicology Group, which includes faculty members and students from the university’s engineering, medical, and veterinary colleges.
Researchers Demonstrate Direct Brain Control of a Humanoid Robot
Jan 22 2007 - NSTA News
A classic science fiction scene shows a person wearing a metal skullcap with electrodes sticking out to detect the person’s thoughts. Another science fiction movie standard depicts robots doing humans’ bidding. These two images have now been combined, thanks to University of Washington researchers who have controlled the movement of a humanoid robot with signals from a human brain.
Brain Activity Provides Novel Biometric Key
Jan 16 2007 - NewScientist.com
European scientists are testing an electronic security system that identifies people by monitoring the unique pattern of electrical activity within their brain. This novel biometric system should be difficult to forge, making it suitable for high-security applications, according to the researchers. For more information about Science and the Brain, NSTA members can refer to the January 2007 issue of The Science Teacher.
2006: The Year in Videos
Dec 28 2006 - New Scientist
This year New Scientist provided readers, or viewers, with many video clips to accompany their daily stories. This article provides a round-up of some of the articles and video clips from the past 12 months.
Ultra-Intense Laser Blast Creates True ‘Black Metal’
Dec 26 2006 - NSTA News
Scientists at the University of Rochester have created a way to change the properties of almost any metal to render it, literally, black. The process, using an incredibly intense burst of laser light, holds the promise of making everything from fuel cells to a space telescope’s detectors more efficient.
Nanotube Coating Promises Ice Free Windscreens
Dec 21 2006 - NewScientist.com
Researchers claim a transparent lacquer containing carbon nanotubes could clear car windscreens or mirrors by acting as a heater. Thicker, opaque versions of the coating could turn entire floors of buildings into radiators. For more information on nanotechnology or Small Science, NSTA members can refer to the December 2006 issue of The Science Teacher.
Carbon Nanotube Aquatic Dispersal Studied
Dec 20 2006 - Science Daily
U.S. scientists have issued another warning about nanomaterials, saying some show significant potential for dispersal in aquatic environments. For more information on nanotechnology or Small Science, NSTA members can refer to the December 2006 issue of The Science Teacher.
Nanocables Convert Light Into Electricity
Dec 15 2006 - NewScientist.com
Nanocables that convert light into electricity could one day be used to power nanorobots, according to a team of Japanese researchers. For more information on nanotechnology or Small Science, NSTA members can refer to the December 2006 issue of The Science Teacher.
An Ancient Computer Surprises Scientists
Nov 29 2006 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
The Antikythera Mechanism, sometimes called the world’s first computer, has now been examined with the latest in high-tech resolution imaging systems and three-dimensional X-ray tomography. A team of British, Greek, and American researchers was able to decipher many inscriptions and reconstruct the gear functions, revealing, they said, “an unexpected degree of technical sophistication for the period.”
Address Nanotechnology Concerns, Experts Urge
Nov 16 2006 - MSNBC.com
Urgent research into the potential dangers of nanotechnology needs to be carried out in order to convince the public of its future value in fields, such as medicine and computing, scientists say.
"Smart Dust" Sensors to Be Used for Eco Detection
Nov 14 2006 - National Geographic News
Dust is usually a nuisance. But “smart dust” could revolutionize how we monitor and understand the world around us. Smart dust is the name researchers have given to the idea of having handfuls of tiny, cheap sensors called motes that can be scattered around to measure all sorts of things in the environment, from chemicals in the soil to scents in the air.
Engineers Propose Way to Cut Power Outages
Oct 26 2006 - Science Daily
Engineers with the University at Buffalo’s Energy Systems Institute have been considering the use of tiny, nanoscale sensors to make power systems more resilient. “Until now, we have had to do everything with wires and that makes it very expensive,” explains W. James Sarjeant, an electrical engineering professor and director of the institute. “What we are proposing is to use wireless communications, by embedding tiny sensors at every point in the system.”
Scientists Scan Mona Lisa
Oct 19 2006 - NSTA News
Scientists from Canada’s National Research Council have created a three–dimensional scan of Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous painting, the Mona Lisa. The work represents the most important scientific study ever completed of the portrait.
'DNA Computer' is Unbeatable at Tic-Tac-Toe
Oct 17 2006 - NewScientist.com
A computer that uses strands of DNA to perform calculations has mastered the game tic-tac-toe. MAYA–II, developed by researchers at the University of New Mexico and Columbia University, uses a system of DNA logic gates to calculate its moves. Scientists have already developed DNA computers capable of various similar simple calculations. But the researchers behind MAYA–II say their design should prove particularly useful for exploring ways to identify the genetic markers associated with certain diseases.
Study Says U.S. Has Lead in Nanotechnology
Sep 27 2006 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
The United States continues to lead the world in nanotechnology research, but the influence of the government’s multibillion investment in the field may take decades to become apparent, according to an assessment of the National Nanotechnology Initiative conducted for Congress. The National Research Council’s hopeful, but guarded analysis fulfills a requirement in a 2003 law that the initiative be reviewed every three years.
'Fab Labs' Deliver High-Tech Tools
Sep 27 2006 - Christian Science Monitor
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has developed a new program dubbed “Fab Labs.” Known as fabrication laboratories, this program aims to help developing communities find innovative solutions to local needs. Students also benefit by gaining exposure to the world of technology.
Scientists Go Right to the Core of Things
Sep 20 2006 - Science Daily
University of Miami scientists have obtained a high–tech tool to study historic climate changes. The researchers say the X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) Core Scanner is only the second such tool to make its way to the United States. Researchers will use the tool to investigate the chemical composition of sediments deposited on the ocean’s floor. “By measuring the concentration of specific elements in these sediments, the XRF Core Scanner can help us document the history of dramatic climate variations and past geological events, giving us more of an idea of the current and future state of our environment,” said Larry Peterson, a marine geology professor whose lab houses the scanner.
40% of 135 Technologies Predicted in 1960 Now Reality
Aug 29 2006 - The Yomiuri Shimbun (Japan)
A new report shows 40% of the 135 advanced technologies that scientists predicted would become a reality at the beginning of the 21st century have actually done so. Examples of the 54 technologies that have come true include mobile phones, microwave ovens, and a voice–activated typewriter capable of recognizing spoken words and turning them into text. The Institute for Future Technology and other science organizations released the report.
Device May Help People With Tunnel Vision
Aug 29 2006 - Science Daily
Scientists at Harvard Medical School’s Schepens Eye Research Institute say a visual aid they have invented may help people with tunnel vision. In the first study to evaluate the small high-tech device, researchers reported a significant increase in the effectiveness and speed with which visually impaired people found objects. They said the apparatus, which combines a tiny camera, pocket-sized computer and transparent computer display on a pair of glasses, might offer the most effective assistance to date for visually impaired individuals.
New Device Offers 'Sight' Through Sound
Aug 17 2006 - NewScientist.com
People could soon use sound to help them see. A portable navigational aid that transmits soft, low–pitched beeps directly to the inner ear has been designed by scientists to help blind people navigate their way around cities or guide firefighters through smoke–clogged buildings. The system guides users with beeps that appear to come from whatever direction the person needs to head in. “We have the user simply walk towards the sound,” explains Bruce Walker of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, who created the device with colleague Frank Dellaert.
Scientists Work on Mind-Reading Computers
Jun 26 2006 - MSNBC.com
British and American scientists are working together to create an “emotionally aware” computer. “The system we have developed allows a wide range of mental states to be identified just by pointing a video camera at someone,” explains Professor Peter Robinson of the University of Cambridge in England. Robinson and his colleagues believe the mind-reading computers’ applications could range from improving people’s driving skills to helping companies tailor advertising to people’s moods. The device could also be useful in online teaching to show whether someone understands what is being explained and in improving road safety, the scientists said.
Touch Sensor is as Sensitive as Your Fingertip
Jun 9 2006 - NewScientist.com
Scientists have created an artificial touch sensor as sensitive as a human fingertip. Researchers at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, made the sensor from a film of nanoparticles of gold and cadmium sulphide. Ravi Saraf, a member of the research team, notes that the device could one day be used to make new kinds of medical instruments. The sensor could also be used to give robots a more delicate touch.
Translator Lets Computers 'Understand' Experiments
Jun 7 2006 - NewScientist.com
Academics have developed a framework for translating written reports of experiments into a format that can be processed by computers. Called EXPO, the software code can provide a descriptive framework or ontology to represent different stages of an experiment and the relationships between these stages. The software also includes ways to define the hypothesis tested, the way results are analyzed, and the conclusion reached. Researchers say the new tool could revolutionize the way scientific papers are written and help enhance scientists’ work.
Scientists Create World's Smallest Brush
May 16 2006 - CBS News
A group of nanotechnology experts from universities in Hawaii and New York have invented the world’s smallest brush, a device containing bristles a thousand times finer than a strand of human hair. Mehrdad Ghasemi-Nejhad, a mechanical engineering professor from the University of Hawaii, said the device might be used to sweep nano dust, paint small microtubes and clean pollutants in water. The invention has earned the group a spot in the 2007 Guinness Book of World Records.
Cellphone Masts Can Measure Rainfall
May 5 2006 - NewScientist.com
Cellphone masts could provide a cheap yet accurate way for weather forecasters to receive information about rainfall. Israeli researchers say monitoring the way rain interferes with the signals routinely sent between phone masts provides an accurate picture of rainfall over an area. The researchers note the same technique could also be used one day to measure pollution.
Scientists Figure Out Why Mona Lisa Smiles
Dec 15 2005 - ABC News
The mysterious half-smile that has intrigued viewers of the Mona Lisa for centuries is not really that difficult to interpret, according to Dutch researchers. Scientists from the University of Amsterdam say the Mona Lisa was smiling because she was happy 83% of the time. The researchers scanned a reproduction of Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece and subjected it to cutting-edge “emotion recognition” software developed in collaboration with the University of Illinois to discover their finding.
More Research Urged on Nanoparticle Risk
Dec 11 2005 - ABC News
Those stain-resistant khakis you just picked up at the mall, the tennis ball that holds its bounce longer, and sunscreen that's clear instead of white have something in common: nanotechnology. Scientists manipulating matter at the molecular level have improved on hundreds of everyday products in recent years and are promising dramatic breakthroughs in medicine and other industries as billions of dollars a year are pumped into the nascent sector. But relatively little is known about the potential health and environmental effects of the tiny particles, just atoms wide and small enough to easily penetrate cells in lungs, brains, and other organs.
Sounds of Typing Give Messages Away
Sep 19 2005 - Scientific American
The clickety-clack of your keyboard might be enough to spill your secrets. A team of researchers in California has successfully decoded what was typed into a computer from an audio recording. The researchers, from the University of California, Berkeley, plan to present their results at the Association for Computer Machinery Conference on Computer and Communications Security in November.
Nanotech Researchers Report Big Breakthrough
Aug 19 2005 - USA Today
Texas and Australia researchers have created industry-ready sheets of materials made from nanotubes, an advance that could lead to the development of artificial muscles, super-strong electronic cars, or wallpaper-thin electronics. The researchers, however, have suggested the first use of the nanotube sheets be for transparent antennae on cars or as electrically heated windows. An expert not associated with the team noted the applications were “impressive,” but cautioned more time is needed to see what the impact would be and whether it would work in commercial technology.
Microscope Looks at Atomic World
Sep 21 2004 - CBS News
Researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory are peering into the atomic world with record clarity, developing an electron microscope image than can distinguish the individual, dumbbell-shaped atoms of a silicon crystal. The scientists note being able to see how materials bond together at an atomic level could prove a significant benefit to the semiconductor industry, chemistry, and in the development of new materials.
New Approach Could Lead to Improved Semiconductors
Aug 26 2004 - Scientific American
Japanese researchers report in the Aug. 26 issue of the journal Nature they have improved the seeds on which good Silicon carbide crystals form. Scientists note this new effort could help boost the performance of semiconductors. Silicon carbide semiconductors will be put into practical use in the next six to eight years, according to the study’s authors.
Nanotechnology Material May Supercharge Internet
Aug 19 2004 - National Geographic News
Canadian scientists have discovered a nanotechnology that could be used to improve the speed of the Internet. Researchers have developed a new polymer material by manipulating buckyballs or carbon atoms that resemble soccer balls. The technology could be used to create optical switches to replace electronic network switches, which could lead to an Internet based entirely on light.
Team Creates 'Robot Scientist'
Jan 15 2004 - The Washington Post
British scientists have created a robot scientist capable of performing experiments and evaluating results. Ross King, the project’s leader and a University of Wales computer scientist, noted that “some philosophers have argued that it is impossible for a robot to do science. What we have done may not be particularly sophisticated, but it is certainly evidence that a computer can do it.” Pat Langley, a Stanford University computer scientist who did participate in the project, described the effort as “good work.” He noted, however, this is not the first time a fully integrated robot scientist has been built.
Bell "Did Not Invent Telephone"
Dec 1 2003 - BBC News
"... and then he [George Washington] said, 'I didn't cut down the cherry tree. And by the way, Alexander Graham Bell didn't invent the telephone.' Then he hung up." Thus spake our imaginary informer, who pointed us to the myth-busting story we link to above. Further evidence that, when the time is ripe, the same idea can pop up in various spots around the globe "independently."
Smaller Computer Chips Built Using DNA as Template
Nov 21 2003 - New York Times (requires free registration)
They make it sound so simple: "What we've done is to bring biology to self-assemble an electronic device in a test tube," said Dr. Erez Braun, a professor of physics at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel. In an advance that might provide a practical method for making molecular-size circuits (which would be the smallest circuits possible), Braun's team used strands of DNA to create tiny transistors that can literally build themselves.
Scientists Tout the Potentials of Nanoscience
Aug 18 2003 - The Kansas City Star
How is nanoscience—the study of anything on a scale of one to 100 nano-meters—changing the world? From designing stain-free pants to making equipment lighter and more durable, this article explores some of the benefits of nanoscience and how it can make an impact in society.
Cutting-Edge Science Creates Stain-Free Pants
Jul 23 2003 - Yahoo-Reuters
Imagine wearing stain-free pants and having a molecule-sized computer at your desk. All of this could be possible in the future as a result of a promising new scientific field. Nanotechnology, the science of manipulating materials billionths of a meter wide, could lead to stunning advances in years to come, according to scientists.
Nanotech for New Organs
Jul 9 2003 - Scientific American
Scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard Medical School have taken a key step toward creating human organs. Researchers from the two schools recently constructed a microscopic device that can supply oxygen and nutrients to organ cells. Although the scientists have only experimented with single-layer devices, “the ultimate goal is to make whole, functional organs,” noted Kaazempur-Mofrad, an MIT scientist who worked on the project.
Scientists Fabricate Pliable Electronic Display
May 8 2003 - Scientific American
Scientists are one step closer to their goal of developing an electronic newspaper. Researchers report in the May 8 issue of the journal Nature the creation of a flexible electronic ink display that can be viewed from almost any angle. The new device contains a thin film transistor array and an electricity-conducting layer of clear fluid. Scientists hope to use the new display to replace traditional ink and paper, but note it will be several years before consumers will be able to purchase digital newspapers.
Scientists Develop 'Brain Chip'
Mar 13 2003 - BBC News
Scientists from California claim a silicon chip might be able to replace the hippocampus, the part of the brain that stores memory. Researchers plan to start testing the device on the brains of rats in the coming months. If successful, scientists will conduct human trials of the device before declaring the silicon chip as the first brain prosthesis.
New DNA Computer Functions Sans Fuel
Feb 25 2003 - Scientific American
Scientists in Israel have created a new model of a DNA computer they developed in 2001. The new computer no longer requires an external energy source and is 50 times faster than the previous model, which performed a billion transactions per second. The Guinness Book of World Records has labeled the new computer “the world’s smallest biological computing device.”
A Glimpse of a Future in a New Kind of Light
Feb 11 2003 - The New York Times (Requires free registration)
The days of incandescent bulbs, neon tubes, and fluorescent lamps will soon be gone, thanks to a new technology in the world of lights. Light-emitting diodes (LED’S) are already being used to illuminate the Nasdaq sign in Times Square, the Goodman Theater in Chicago, as well as traffic lights, brake lights, and exit signs. The general home and office market will start using the light-emitting microchips in 2007. Lighting experts note this new technology will result in billions of dollars being saved in energy and maintenance costs.
Scientists of Very Small Draw Disciplines
Feb 10 2003 - The New York Times (Requires free registration)
Government, academic, and industry researchers are hoping to combine nanotechnology, biotechnology, electronics, and brain research into a new field of science that could play a significant role in the nation’s security and economy. The new field, called NBIC for nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology, and cognitive science, would benefit the curriculums of the nation’s schools with research grants. Advocates who want to combine the four disciplines plan to ask the Bush administration for funding to encourage a NBIC technology program.
Manatees' Manners: Scientists Hope Tracking Study Will Aid Animals' Protection
Dec 17 2002 - The Miami Herald
A high-tech research project on manatees is under way this week in Tampa Bay, Florida. More than 40 scientists there are capturing the first of 15 wild manatees and fitting them with the latest satellite tracking equipment. Researchers hope the equipment will enable manatee experts to create improved methods of protecting the animals.
Iceland Invents Energy-from-water Machine
Oct 23 2002 - BBC News
A new device uses an old idea to translate the difference between the temperature of hot and cold water into energy. According to the inventor, "In between the hot and the cold side are crystals made of semiconductors. As the heat is transferred through these crystals part of it is converted from heat energy into electric energy."
Implant May Help Blind to See
Oct 3 2002 - BBC News Online
US scientists are developing a light-sensitive chip that will be implanted into the eyes of blind people to restore some of their vision. The idea is to use a tiny camera and radio-frequency transmitter in the frame of a pair of eyeglasses to transmit information and power to chips placed within the eyeball. The chips will be linked to retinal nerves that will send electrical impulses to the brain for processing.
Controlling Robots with the Mind
Sep 17 2002 - Scientific American
An owl monkey named Belle was able to control a robot arm from a distant room purely by imagining her own arm moving through three-dimensional space. This feat, and others like it, have been made possible by advances in microwires that can be implanted in the motor cortex and by the development of algorithms that translate the electrical activity of brain neurons into commands able to control mechanical devices. This article addresses the prospects of humans eventually being able to control mechanical and electronic machines purely by "thinking through," or imagining, the motions.
Top Scientists Urge Terrorism Defense
Jun 26 2002 - National Academies
The United States should take advantage of its scientific and engineering strengths to detect, thwart, and respond to terrorist attacks more effectively, says a National Academies report that was released yesterday. "Our report gives the government a blueprint for using current technologies and creating new capabilities to reduce the likelihood of terrorist attacks and the severity of their consequences," one of the authors said. Click above for the Academies' press release, or click here to go to the full report.
Scientists Fashion First Single-Molecule Transistors
Jun 13 2002 - Scientific American
How small and fast can electronic devices get? Two teams of researchers working in the field of "nanotechnology" report in today's Nature that it is indeed possible to create transistors from single molecules. While challenges remain, it is hoped that molecular-scale transistors might one day serve as the building blocks for a new generation of electronic components, resulting in exponential increases in computing speed.
Scientists "Drive" Rats by Remote Control
May 2 2002 - National Geographic News
Eeeek, there goes another robo-rat! Using an intricate "virtual cue and virtual reward" system, a team of neuroscientists has trained rats to respond to signals from a laptop computer, enabling a human operator to remotely guide the rats through an obstacle course. Such remote-controlled animals, the researchers write in this week's issue of Nature, could be used for a multitude of important tasks, including pest control, military surveillance, and dangerous search-and-rescue missions. Find out more...
Japanese Scientist Makes Frog Eyes
Mar 27 2002 - Yahoo - AP
Some three decades after starting research on organ regeneration, Makoto Asashima last year successfully transplanted an eye formed in a test tube, restoring the sight of a blinded tadpole. Technology that Asashima is developing could eventually help doctors use stem cells from humans to regenerate or replace damaged or destroyed human organs, eliminating the need for donor transplants. But Asashima concedes it's a big step from regenerating frog organs to doing the same for humans. Frogs produce many more embryos than humans - the number of stem cells available for research on humans would be more limited. Another factor is political opposition to research using human stem cells.
Sniffing Out Dirty Nukes
Mar 12 2002 - ABC News.com
In the fight against terrorism, the U.S. government has a new tool: "smart" radiation detectors. In contrast to traditional Geiger counters, smart detectors, also called gamma ray detectors, use exotic chemicals to determine precisely what nuclear material may be in a terrorist's radiological weapon. This gives special response teams a more accurate idea of the threat they are facing. Find out more...
The Bionic Human: When Mind Meets Machine
Feb 8 2002 - MSNBC--Science
Will bionic devices someday help the blind see, the deaf hear, and those with paralysis move freely? As reported in a special bionics issue of the journal Science, published today, the idea of engineering replacement parts for the human body is making its way toward reality. And while techniques to restore vision, hearing, and mobility are at different stages of development, the primary challenge is the same: to improve communication between mind and machine.
For Deaf Signers, a Glove That Translates
Feb 7 2002 - New York Times (requires free registration)
The above article profiles Ryan Patterson, a high school senior who won first prize at the recent Siemens Westinghouse Science and Technology Competition for his design of sensor glove that can take the finger movements of American Sign Language and translate them into text on a small display screen. "I thought this might be a way for [deaf people] to be more independent," he said. Click above to read more about this remarkable young man and his remarkable invention...
In Biotech Breakthrough, Scientists Create Artificial Spider Silk
Jan 18 2002 - National Geographic
Spider silk is nature's miracle fiber: strong, elastic, biodegradable, and a good candidate for a broad range of medical and industrial applications. Unfortunately, it has also been extremely difficult to manufacture. But now, a biotech company in Canada has developed a method for producing artificial spider silk by inserting the genes for spider silk into the cells of mammals, which in turn secrete proteins that can be mechanically “spun” into silk fibers. While these fibers are not quite as strong as the real thing, biotech scientists are already busy searching for ways to improve their technique. “Mother Nature knows what she’s doing, and our goal is to bio-mimic her creations,” one scientist said.
Magnetic Trains Gather Momentum
Dec 27 2001 - National Geographic
Is it the train of the future? Instead of clacking along steel rails, magnetic-levitation (maglev) trains would ride on a cushion of magnetic fields at speeds of up to 300 miles an hour, propelled by manipulating the magnets' attraction and repulsion. Research on maglev trains has been under way for decades, and in some countries--including China, Japan, Germany, and the U.S.--maglev is beginning to move from the test track to the main line. But the question remains: Will maglev technology render wheeled trains a thing of the past?
A Practical Way to Make Power from Wasted Heat
Nov 28 2001 - New York Times (requires free registration)
Scientists at M.I.T. and a small company in Utah announced yesterday that they have advanced a technique for transforming heat pollution into electricity, claiming that they have built "thermoelectric" devices that improve the efficiency of the conversion process by more than half above current technology. It is hoped that such devices might one day significantly increase the electrical output of existing power plants or power the electrical systems of automobiles. "The underlying technology is really very simple. It should be a very practical, relatively cheap technology," one of the scientists involved in the research said.
Scientists Check Coral Reef Health From Above
Oct 11 2001 - National Geographic News
With the aid of an aerial device called a spectrographic imager, scientists can now rapidly assess the health of the world's coral reefs without ever stepping foot in the water. Unfortunately, the data they collect are not always encouraging. According to the new World Atlas of Coral Reefs, the world's remaining coral is considerably less than was thought to exist, underscoring the need for immediate preservation efforts.
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