ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

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• Asteroid nudged by sunlight: Most precise measurement of Yarkovsky effect
• Metamaterials, quantum dots show promise for new technologies
• Discarded data may hold the key to a sharper view of molecules
• Nanoparticles seen as artificial atoms
• First direct observation of oriented attachment in nanocrystal growth
• Organic carbon from Mars, but not biological
• Physicists set new record for graphene solar cell efficiency
• Beam Me Up: 'Tractor beams' of light pull small objects towards them
• Robots will quickly recognize and respond to human gestures, with new algorithms
• Engineered materials: Custom-made magnets
• Newly modified nanoparticle opens window on future gene editing technologies
• Exotic particles, chilled and trapped, form giant matter wave

Asteroid nudged by sunlight: Most precise measurement of Yarkovsky effect Posted: 24 May 2012 06:53 PM PDT Scientists on NASA's asteroid sample return mission have measured the orbit of their destination asteroid, 1999 RQ36, with such accuracy they were able to directly measure the drift resulting from a subtle but important force called the Yarkovsky effect -- the slight push created when the asteroid absorbs sunlight and re-emits that energy as heat.

Metamaterials, quantum dots show promise for new technologies Posted: 24 May 2012 11:35 AM PDT Researchers are edging toward the creation of new optical technologies using "nanostructured metamaterials" capable of ultra-efficient transmission of light, with potential applications including advanced solar cells and quantum computing.

Discarded data may hold the key to a sharper view of molecules Posted: 24 May 2012 11:35 AM PDT There's nothing like a new pair of eyeglasses to bring fine details into sharp relief. For scientists who study the large molecules of life from proteins to DNA, the equivalent of new lenses have come in the form of an advanced method for analyzing data from X-ray crystallography experiments.

Nanoparticles seen as artificial atoms Posted: 24 May 2012 11:34 AM PDT Observing the formation of nanorods in real-time, researchers found that nanoparticles become attached to form winding chains that eventually align, attach end-to-end, straighten and stretch into elongated nanowires. This supports the theory of nanoparticles acting like artificial atoms during crystal growth and points the way to future energy devices.

First direct observation of oriented attachment in nanocrystal growth Posted: 24 May 2012 11:34 AM PDT Researchers have reported the first direct observation of nanoparticles undergoing oriented attachment, the critical step in biomineralization and the growth of nanocrystals. A better understanding of oriented attachment in nanoparticles is a key to synthesizing new materials with remarkable structural properties.

Organic carbon from Mars, but not biological Posted: 24 May 2012 11:34 AM PDT Molecules containing large chains of carbon and hydrogen -- the building blocks of all life on Earth -- have been the targets of missions to Mars from Viking to the present day. While these molecules have previously been found in meteorites from Mars, scientists have disagreed about how this organic carbon was formed and whether or not it came from Mars. A new paper provides strong evidence that this carbon did originate on Mars, although it is not biological.

Physicists set new record for graphene solar cell efficiency Posted: 24 May 2012 10:46 AM PDT Doping may be a no-no for athletes, but researchers say it was key in getting unprecedented power conversion efficiency from a new graphene solar cell created in their lab.

Beam Me Up: 'Tractor beams' of light pull small objects towards them Posted: 24 May 2012 10:45 AM PDT 'Tractor beams' of light that pull objects towards them are no longer science fiction. Scientists have now demonstrated how a tractor beam can in fact be realized on a small scale.

Robots will quickly recognize and respond to human gestures, with new algorithms Posted: 24 May 2012 10:45 AM PDT New intelligent algorithms could help robots to quickly recognize and respond to human gestures. Researchers have created a computer program which recognizes human gestures quickly and accurately, and requires very little training.

Engineered materials: Custom-made magnets Posted: 24 May 2012 10:45 AM PDT A novel approach to designing artificial materials could enable magnetic devices with a wider range of properties than those now available. Researchers have now extended the properties and potential uses of metamaterials by using not one but two very different classes of nanostructures, or metamolecules.

Newly modified nanoparticle opens window on future gene editing technologies Posted: 24 May 2012 09:32 AM PDT Researchers are using nanoparticles to simultaneously deliver proteins and DNA into plant cells. The technology could allow more sophisticated and targeted editing of plant genomes. And that could help researchers develop crops that adapt to changing climates and resist pests.

Exotic particles, chilled and trapped, form giant matter wave Posted: 24 May 2012 08:25 AM PDT Physicists have trapped and cooled exotic particles called excitons so effectively that they condensed and cohered to form a giant matter wave, a signature of a state called a Bose-Einstein condensate. A first for subatomic particles, rather than whole atoms, the feat will facilitate study of the physical properties of excitons, which exist only fleetingly yet offer promising applications as diverse as efficient solar energy and ultrafast computing.

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