Gizmag: Research Watch

Diamonds boost processing speeds in quantum computers

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:19:51 -0600

Scientists at UC Santa Barbara have made important advances in the field of spintronics by demonstrating the ability to electrically manipulate, at room temperatures, the quantum states of electrons trapped in the atomic structural defects of diamond crystals. Despite previous indications to the contrary, such quantum states can be manipulated very quickly, even at gigahertz frequencies, paving the way to significantly faster quantum computing...

Tags: Computers, Diamonds, quantum computing, Spintronics, UCSB

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New maps suggests Red Planet was blue

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:42:57 -0600

Could it be that Mars - the dry, red planet - once had an ocean so huge it covered around one-third of its surface … and that rain created it? New research by scientists from Northern Illinois University (NIU) and the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston would indicate that could be the case. Using an innovative computer program to produce a highly detailed global map of the valley networks on Mars, their findings indicate the networks are more than twice as extensive (2.3 times longer in total length) as had been previously shown in the only other planet-wide map of the valleys. These valley networks roughly form a belt around the planet between the equator and mid-southern latitudes, which would indicate the presence of a long-gone ocean...

Tags: Mars, NASA, Ocean, Planet, Water

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Corporate R&D spend up despite global recession

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 06:47:12 -0600

Despite (or because of) the global financial crisis, a survey by global management consulting firm Booz & Company has shown that the top 1,000 public corporate research and development spenders increased their outlay in 2008. While sales were up only 6.5 percent, R&D expenditure rose 5.7 percent to US$532 billion with leading companies recognizing the importance of focusing on R&D in order to take advantage of competitors in the coming upturn. As Booz & Company Partner Barry Jaruzelski succinctly puts it: “Reducing efforts on innovation would be similar to unilateral disarmament in wartime.”..

Tags: Business, Research

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Light resonators used to move nano-sized objects

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:55:28 -0600

Scientists at Cornell University report they can now use a light beam carrying a single milliwatt of power to move objects and even change the optical properties of silicon from opaque to transparent at the nanometric scale. Such an advancement could prove very useful for the future of micro-electromechanical (MEMS) and micro-optomechanical (MOMS) systems...

Tags: Cornell, Mechanical, MEMS, Nano, Nanoscale, Research, Resonators

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New inexpensive method to clean oil from water

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:46:55 -0600

The rainbow effect caused by varying thicknesses of oil film on water’s surface might be pretty to look at but is indicative of polluted water. This “oil sheen” proves especially difficult to remove, even when the water is aerated with ozone or filtered through sand. But now a University of Utah engineer has developed an inexpensive new method to remove oil sheen by repeatedly pressurizing and depressurizing ozone gas, creating microscopic bubbles that attack the oil so it can be removed by sand filters...

Tags: environment, Environmental, Filters, Oil, Pollution, Water

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Researchers push miniaturization even further with finFET transistors

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:29:00 -0600

Researchers at Purdue University have reported important progress in developing finFETs, a type of transistor that some say will eventually substitute the silicon-based kind because it allows engineers to push miniaturization even further in the perpetual effort to validate the predictions of Moore's Law...

Tags: Aluminum, Nano, Purdue University, Research

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Eureka! NASA strikes water on lunar surface

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:16:40 -0600

Scientists have long speculated about the source of significant quantities of hydrogen that have been observed at the moon's lunar poles, and just a few months ago NASA announced that water molecules were indeed present, but in relatively small amounts. Now the Lunar CRater Observing and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) that was employed to shed some more light on the presence of water on the moon, looks like it has done just that with preliminary data indicating the mission successfully uncovered water in a permanently-shadowed crater. ..

Tags: Detect, LCROSS, Lunar, Moon, NASA, Research, Satellite, Space, Spacecraft, Water

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The 2009 Corruption Perceptions Index – civilization’s report card looks bleak

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:29:44 -0600

Transparency International’s annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) was released yesterday, the only realistic report card available each year on the governments of the world. The CPI measures domestic and public sector corruption and once again highlights how poorly most countries’ governments go about their business and how no region is immune to the perils of corruption, bribery, cartels and other practices which undermine competition and contribute to the diminution of resources. There’s some wonderful interactive visualization multimedia available on this subject which is well worth a look...

Tags: Corruption, Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), Governments, Transparency, Visualization

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Teflon mark II to weather the storm in space

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:34:40 -0600

If you think the weather at your place is bad there’s no way it can compare with “space weather.” The International Space Station (ISS), which travels at about 27,700 kph (17,212 mph), is exposed to extreme levels of ultraviolet radiation and temperatures ranging from -40 to 60 degrees Celsius (-40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit). These extreme conditions might not make for great holiday weather, but it does provide a good way to test the performance of new nanomaterials. That’s why samples of new nanocomposites - including an improved form of Teflon - will be mounted onto the ISS’s outer hull in a Passive Experiment Carrier (PEC), and exposed to the rigors of outer space...

Tags: Experimental, nanomaterials, Research, Space, Teflon

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What invisible objects will actually look like

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:52:23 -0600

Over the last few years we’ve covered the development of “invisibility cloaks” using metamaterials – man-made structured composite materials exhibiting optical properties not found in nature that can guide light to achieve cloaking and other optical effects. In 2006, scientists at Duke University demonstrated in the laboratory that an object made of metamaterials can be partially invisible to particular wavelengths of light - not visible light, but rather microwaves. A few groups have even managed to achieve a microscopically-sized carpet-cloak. Now researchers have developed software that can show what such a cloaked object will actually look like...

Tags: Cloaking, Invisibility, Invisible, Metamaterial, Metamaterials, Optical, Software, Visualization

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Spider webs hold the key to stronger bioadhesives

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:45:01 -0600

Spiders are remarkable animals: with over 40,000 classified species, they are among the most diverse known to man and can adapt to the most radical climatic conditions. The silky substance they produce to spin webs has been extensively studied and is known to rival steel in strength: a less-known fact, however, is that the "glue" that holds it all together is just as remarkable, and could soon become the key to producing stronger bioadhesives to replace petroleum-based products...

Tags: Evolution, Glue, Research, University of Wyoming

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Software to detect objects inside videos

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:57:05 -0600

Researchers at the University of Missouri (MU) are developing software that would enable computers to perform video analysis tasks, such as alerting emergency services if a video surveillance camera detects a person falling and not getting up. The software could also be used to search inside videos and look for certain objects, such as basketballs or footballs, hence reducing the time taken to locate a certain game or scene...

Tags: Detect, Search, Software, Surveillance, Video

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Producing carbon nanotubes on an industrial scale

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:54:58 -0600

Carbon nanotubes promise to revolutionize everything from medicine to electronics and power generation. Unfortunately nanotubes are notoriously hard to work with and chemists worldwide have struggled for years to even make them. Now researchers have unveiled a method for the industrial-scale processing of pure carbon nanotube fibers that builds upon the tried-and-true processes that chemical firms have used for decades to produce plastics...

Tags: Carbon, Nano, Nanotubes, Processing

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World’s faster supercomputer models origins of the unseen universe

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:10:53 -0500

Scientists have for some time postulated that "dark matter" could partially account for evidence of missing mass in the universe, while the hypothetical form of energy known as "dark energy" is the most popular way to explain recent observations that the universe appears to be expanding at an accelerating rate and accounts for 74 percent of the total mass-energy of the universe according to the standard model of cosmology. To better understand these two mysterious cosmic constituents scientists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) are using Roadrunner, the world’s fastest supercomputer, to model one of the largest simulations of the distribution of matter in the universe...

Tags: Cosmic, Matter, Supercomputer, Universe

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Nano-particle coating prevents ice buildup on roads and power lines

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:00:13 -0500

Like most things, ice can be a blessing or a burden depending on the circumstances. It’s perfect crushed in a drink on a hot summer’s day, but can wreak havoc when it collects on roads, power lines and aircraft in freezing temperatures. A University of Pittsburgh-led team has found a way to reduce these dangers by developing a nanoparticle-based coating that can be easily applied to impede the buildup of ice on solid surfaces...

Tags: Hydrophobic, Ice, Nanoparticles, Road, Safety, Surfaces

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New spintronics breakthrough paves the way to faster computing

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:30:32 -0500

A team of researchers from the University of Cincinnati have achieved control of the spin of electrons traveling on a wire by simply regulating an electrical voltage. This is a major milestone in the brief history of spintronics, the emerging technology that uses the spin of electrons to store and manipulate digital information with much higher speeds and efficiency...

Tags: Efficiency, Electronics, Research, Spintronics

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Cell batteries could power nano devices

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:38:04 -0500

Synthetic cells that act as a battery could one day be used to power nanotech devices. Scientists from Yale University and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) created a very simple cell model in order to study the way certain real cells generate electric voltages. In the process they produced a minute working battery that converts chemical energy into electrical energy at an efficiency of about 10 per cent - a figure that's high enough to make cell batteries a practical alternative as a nano power source...

Tags: Batteries, Cells, Nanotechnology, NIST

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Good vibrations: Lotus leaf's secrets revealed

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:13:00 -0500

The ancient lotus leaf has natural properties that scientists believe could prove beneficial in today's modern world. Already Gizmag has featured articles about the lotus leaf surface, including a self-cleaning cup and a transparent coating for space suits. Recently, though, in an effort to improve the efficiency of modern engineering systems, such as power plants and some electronic equipment that must be cooled by removing heat through water evaporation and condensation, engineers at Duke University have been studying the lotus leaf. Using an ultra high-speed camera, a powerful microscope and an audio speaker, scientists were able to observe water as it condensed on the leaf's surface, and more importantly, how the water condensate disappeared...

Tags: Cooling, Leaf, Lotus, Self-cleaning, System

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Newly developed nanomaterial could boost data storage density and cars' fuel efficiency

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:00:50 -0500

By manipulating matter at the nanoscale level, engineers from North Carolina State University led by Dr. Jagdish Narayan have developed a new material that could make it possible to manufacture terabyte memory chips the size of a fingernail, boost vehicles' fuel economy significantly and reduce heat dissipated by semiconductors, with applications ranging from spintronics to solar panel technology...

Tags: Electronics, Fuel efficiency, Research, Spintronics, Storage

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Plasmonics breakthrough promises faster computers and communications

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:14:27 -0500

Plasmonics is a promising emerging technology that attempts to put together the best of two worlds — optics and electronics — to achieve faster computation and communication by making optical devices significantly smaller. In recent research, a team of European scientists has solved a long-standing problem in this field by sending signals over a long distance in a breakthrough that brings this technology much closer to mass production...

Tags: Communications, Plasma, Plasmonics, Processing, Research

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MIT's one-way road for microwave light makes efficient lightwave circuits closer

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:13:26 -0500

Light normally bounces off obstacles in its way, and the part of the beam that is reflected back and captured by our eyes contributes to our perception of the world around us. However, every reflection dissipates a small part of the beam's energy, and can eventually weaken it significantly. A team of MIT researchers have developed an innovative waveguide that allows microwave light to travel one way only and without reflections, paving the way to much more efficient lightwave circuits and connections...

Tags: Light, Lightwave, MIT, Optical, Research, Transmission

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Gel sensors to detect bomb chemicals and illegal drugs in seconds

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:26:19 -0500

Sensors that quickly detect chemicals used to make bombs are being developed by scientists at Queen’s University, Belfast. The devices will use special gel pads to "swipe" a person or crime scene to gather a sample which is then analyzed by a scanning instrument that can detect the presence of chemicals within seconds, much quicker than current analysis methods. This will allow better, faster decisions to be made in response to terrorist threats. The team is also working on devices that detect illegal drugs and will hopefully be deployed by police as roadside drug "breathalyzers"...

Tags: Alcohol, Bombs, Breathalyzers, Chemicals, Detect, Drugs, Queens University, Sensors

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Replicating nano structure of butterfly wings could lead to better solar cells

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 22:19:30 -0500

Researchers have developed a technique to replicate biological structures, such as butterfly wings, on a nano scale. They focused on the tiny nano-sized photonic structures that are found in the insects’ cuticle, and which give insects their iridescence - that slightly metallic sheen that also seems to shift in color depending on the viewing angle. By replicating the biotemplate of butterfly wings, the researchers hope to be able to make various optically-active structures, such as optical diffusers or coverings that maximize solar cell absorption...

Tags: Butterfly, Insect, Nano, Optical, Pennsylvania State University

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A nuclear battery the size and thickness of a penny

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 05:01:58 -0500

They might sound dangerous, but nuclear batteries have been safely powering devices such as pace-makers, satellites and underwater systems for years. They have an extremely long life and high energy density compared to chemical batteries. However, they are costly and also very large and heavy. Now researchers at the University of Missouri (MU) are developing a nuclear battery that is smaller, lighter and more efficient...

Tags: Battery, Electricity, Nuclear, University of Missouri

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Speedy communication takes a quantum leap towards reality

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:15:25 -0500

Quantum computing is expected to revolutionize electronics over the course of the next few decades, but a number of outstanding issues still remain. One such problem is that "qubits," the basic building blocks of quantum information, are very fragile and can be easily destroyed when sent on a fiber optics cable, due to the surrounding noise. Working on this issue, a team from Stockholm's KHT University, led by Magnus Rådmark, has developed a new method for combining six photons to obtain a robust qubit that is resistant to noise and is, therefore, able to travel long distances without interference...

Tags: KHT University, Quantum, quantum computing, Research, Transmission

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