ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

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• Mysterious hot spots observed in cool red supergiant
• Nothing bugs these NASA aeronautical researchers
• New battery design could help solar and wind power the grid
• What planets are made of: Findings establish counterintuitive potential planet-forming materials
• Looking for life by the light of dying stars
• Supertough, strong nanofibers developed
• Recipe for low-cost, biomass-derived catalyst for hydrogen production
• New LED streetlight design curbs light pollution
• New matter-antimatter difference observed in LHCb experiment at CERN
• Battery and Memory Device in One

Mysterious hot spots observed in cool red supergiant Posted: 24 Apr 2013 07:24 PM PDT Astronomers have released a new image of the outer atmosphere of Betelgeuse – one of the nearest red supergiants to Earth – revealing the detailed structure of the matter being thrown off the star.

Nothing bugs these NASA aeronautical researchers Posted: 24 Apr 2013 02:01 PM PDT A team of scientists at NASA's Langley Research Center in Virginia are studying ways to prevent the remains of insect impacts from adhering to the wing of an aircraft in flight. While the effort is undeniably a goldmine for puns, the research is serious and positive results could help NASA's aeronautical innovators achieve their goals for improving the fuel efficiency of aircraft cruising across the country.

New battery design could help solar and wind power the grid Posted: 24 Apr 2013 11:06 AM PDT Researchers have designed a low-cost, long-life battery that could enable solar and wind energy to become major suppliers to the electrical grid.

What planets are made of: Findings establish counterintuitive potential planet-forming materials Posted: 24 Apr 2013 09:54 AM PDT Scientists have made a startling prediction that challenges existing chemical models and current understanding of planetary interiors -- magnesium oxide, a major material in the formation of planets, can exist in several different compositions.

Looking for life by the light of dying stars Posted: 24 Apr 2013 08:23 AM PDT Astronomers have now demonstrated that with the advanced technology available in the next decade we should be able to detect biomarkers like oxygen and methane in the planets that orbit dead stars called "white dwarfs" -- and to find new forms of life on those planets.

Supertough, strong nanofibers developed Posted: 24 Apr 2013 08:23 AM PDT Materials engineers have developed a structural nanofiber that is both strong and tough, a discovery that could transform everything from airplanes and bridges to body armor and bicycles.

Recipe for low-cost, biomass-derived catalyst for hydrogen production Posted: 24 Apr 2013 07:31 AM PDT Researchers have described details of a low-cost, stable, effective catalyst that could replace costly platinum in the production of hydrogen. The catalyst, made from renewable soybeans and abundant molybdenum metal, produces hydrogen in an environmentally friendly, cost-effective manner, potentially increasing the use of this clean energy source.

New LED streetlight design curbs light pollution Posted: 24 Apr 2013 07:31 AM PDT Recent innovations in light emitting diodes (LEDs) have improved the energy efficiency of streetlights, but, until now, their glow still wastefully radiated beyond the intended area. A team of researchers has developed a new lighting system design that harnesses high-efficiency LEDs and ensures they shine only where they're needed, sparing surrounding homes and the evening sky from unwanted illumination.

New matter-antimatter difference observed in LHCb experiment at CERN Posted: 24 Apr 2013 06:45 AM PDT Researchers at CERN are reporting the first observation of matter-antimatter asymmetry in the decays of the particle known as the B0s. It is only the fourth subatomic particle known to exhibit such behavior.

Battery and Memory Device in One Posted: 24 Apr 2013 05:10 AM PDT Conventional data memory works on the basis of electrons that are moved around and stored. However, even by atomic standards, electrons are extremely small. It is very difficult to control them, for example by means of relatively thick insulator walls, so that information will not be lost over time. This does not only limit storage density, it also costs a great deal of energy. For this reason, researchers are working feverishly all over the world on nanoelectronic components that make use of ions, i.e. charged atoms, for storing data. Ions are some thousands of times heavier that electrons and are therefore much easier to 'hold down'. In this way, the individual storage elements can almost be reduced to atomic dimensions, which enormously improves the storage density.

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