ScienceDaily: Matter & Energy News

Deep Space Climate Observatory to provide 'EPIC' views of Earth Posted: 07 Jan 2015 01:23 PM PST NASA has contributed two Earth science instruments for NOAA's space weather observing satellite called the Deep Space Climate Observatory or DSCOVR, set to launch in Jan., 2015. One of the instruments called EPIC or Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera will image the Earth in one picture, something that hasn't been done before from a satellite. EPIC will also provide valuable atmospheric data.

'Seeing' hydrogen atoms to unveil enzyme catalysis that may play key role in cancer drug development Posted: 07 Jan 2015 12:07 PM PST Scientists have used a new instrument to map an enzyme that could play an important role in anti-cancer drug development.

Wave energy integration costs should compare favorably to other energy sources Posted: 07 Jan 2015 11:08 AM PST A new analysis suggests that large-scale wave energy systems developed in the Pacific Northwest should be comparatively steady, dependable and able to be integrated into the overall energy grid at lower costs than some other forms of alternative energy, including wind power.

Which fossil fuel reserves must stay in the ground to avoid dangerous climate change? Posted: 07 Jan 2015 10:14 AM PST A third of oil reserves, half of gas reserves and over 80% of current coal reserves globally should remain in the ground and not be used before 2050 if global warming is to stay below the 2°C target agreed by policy makers, according to new research.

Shedding light on why blue LEDS are so tricky to make Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:39 AM PST Scientists have uncovered the mystery of why blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are so difficult to make, by revealing the complex properties of their main component -- gallium nitride -- using sophisticated computer simulations.

Cheap asphalt provides 'green' carbon capture Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:31 AM PST Scientists have turned asphalt into an effective, environmentally friendly carbon-capture material for use at natural gas wellheads.

Oil sand mining is not polluting Athabasca Delta, new sampling method reveals Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:31 AM PST A new study into the pre-industrial baseline levels of heavy metals in sediment carried by the Athabasca River shows that emissions from the Alberta oil sands and other human activities have not yet increased the concentrations traveling to the Athabasca Delta around 200 kilometers from the oil sands.

A potential long-lasting treatment for sensitive teeth Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:31 AM PST Rather than soothe and comfort, a hot cup of tea or cocoa can cause people with sensitive teeth a jolt of pain. But scientists are now developing a new biomaterial that can potentially rebuild worn enamel and reduce tooth sensitivity for an extended period. They have tested the material on dogs.

What's in the grime tarnishing the Taj Mahal? Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:29 AM PST Every several years, workers apply a clay mask to India's iconic but yellowing Taj Mahal to remove layers of grime and reveal the white marble underneath. Now scientists are getting to the bottom of what kinds of pollutants are discoloring one of the world's celebrated wonders. Their findings could help inform efforts to protect the mausoleum and other surfaces from pollution.

Nanowire clothing could keep people warm, without heating everything else Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:29 AM PST To stay warm when temperatures drop outside, we heat our indoor spaces -- even when no one is in them. But scientists have now developed a novel nanowire coating for clothes that can both generate heat and trap the heat from our bodies better than regular clothes. They now report on their technology, which could help us reduce our reliance on conventional energy sources.

Levitation recreates nature's dumbbells Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:25 AM PST Using magnetic levitation to imitate weightlessness, physicists have manufactured solid wax models of splash form tektites. "These wax models provide the first direct experimental validation for numerical models of the equilibrium shapes of spinning droplets. This research is of importance to fundamental physics and also to study of tektite formation," an author said.

Foot-powered cell phone charger for world's needy Posted: 07 Jan 2015 09:24 AM PST Engineering students are field-testing their foot-powered cell phone charger in rural villages of the Kingdom of Lesotho. The sophomores hope to sell chargers which use ratchet mechanics.

New light shed on electron spin flips Posted: 07 Jan 2015 07:11 AM PST Researchers have derived a new set of equations that allows for calculating electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) transition probabilities with arbitrary alignment and polarization of the exciting electromagnetic radiation.

Doing more with less: Steering a quantum path to improved internet security Posted: 07 Jan 2015 05:22 AM PST New research may lead to greatly improved security of information transfer over the internet. Physicists have demonstrated the potential for 'quantum steering' to be used to enhance data security over long distances, discourage hackers and eavesdroppers and resolve issues of trust with communication devices.

Responsive material could be the 'golden ticket' of sensing Posted: 07 Jan 2015 05:22 AM PST A new responsive material 'glued' together with short strands of DNA, and capable of translating thermal and chemical signals into visible physical changes, could underpin a new class of biosensors or drug delivery systems.

Mode of action of protein channelrhodopsin-2 decoded: Findings facilitate manufacture of optogenetic tools Posted: 07 Jan 2015 05:17 AM PST Researchers have shed light upon the mode of action of the light-controlled channelrhodopsin-2 with high spatiotemporal resolution. This biomolecule is used in optogenetic applications, which is deployed to control the activity of living cells with light. "The model we developed makes it possible to create customized optogenetic tools for individual applications," says one researcher.

Better dam planning strategies Posted: 06 Jan 2015 01:19 PM PST When dams are built they have an impact not only on the flow of water in the river, but also on the people who live downstream and on the surrounding ecosystems. By placing data from close to 6,500 existing large dams on a highly precise map of the world's rivers, an international team of researchers has created a new method to estimate the global impacts of dams on river flow and fragmentation.

DNA origami could lead to nano 'transformers' for biomedical applications Posted: 05 Jan 2015 12:10 PM PST If the new nano-machines built at The Ohio State University look familiar, it's because they were designed with full-size mechanical parts such as hinges and pistons in mind. The project is the first to prove that the same basic design principles that apply to typical full-size machine parts can also be applied to DNA--and can produce complex, controllable components for future nano-robots.