ScienceDaily: Matter & Energy News

Big box stores could ditch the grid, use natural gas fuel cells instead Posted: 04 Mar 2015 04:02 PM PST Natural gas powered solid oxide fuel cells, located at the point of use to produce electricity for facilities the size of big box stores, could provide economic and environmental benefits, with additional research, according to new study.

New materials discovered to detect neutrons emitted by radioactive materials Posted: 04 Mar 2015 12:26 PM PST A new research paper reveals how specially prepared carbon foam can be used in the detection of neutrons emitted by radioactive materials -- a task of critical importance to homeland security, as well as industry and safety.

New research could lead to more efficient electrical energy storage Posted: 04 Mar 2015 12:26 PM PST Researchers have identified electrical charge-induced changes in the structure and bonding of graphitic carbon electrodes that may one day affect the way energy is stored. The research could lead to an improvement in the capacity and efficiency of electrical energy storage systems, such as batteries and supercapacitors, needed to meet the burgeoning demands of consumer, industrial and green technologies.

Metabolic path to improved biofuel production Posted: 04 Mar 2015 12:26 PM PST Researchers have found a way to increase the production of fuels and other chemicals from biomass fermented by yeast without the need of environmentally harsh pre-treatments or expensive enzyme cocktails.

X-ray imaging of a single virus in 3-D Posted: 04 Mar 2015 10:09 AM PST By imaging single viruses injected into the intense beam of an X-ray free-electron laser, researchers have determined the three-dimensional structure of the mimivirus. The technique could be applied to image other pathogenic viruses like HIV or influenza and, with further improvements, it may allow researchers to tackle smaller biomolecules like proteins. This could enable the study of many important biomolecules that cannot form crystals and thus cannot be investigated by X-ray crystallography.

Treatment guidelines for pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma outlined Posted: 04 Mar 2015 09:41 AM PST A guideline has been issued that outlines the use of 3-D computed tomography (CT)-based radiation therapy planning and volumetric image guidance to more effectively treat pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma and to reduce the radiation dose to normal tissue, thus decreasing the risk of late side effects.

Making night vision, thermal imaging affordable Posted: 04 Mar 2015 09:40 AM PST Researchers have created an electronic device using CMOS technology that detects electromagnetic waves to create images at nearly 10 terahertz, which is the highest frequency for electronic devices. The device could make night vision and heat-based imaging affordable.

New models yield clearer picture of emissions' true costs Posted: 04 Mar 2015 08:04 AM PST New models calculate and compare the true costs of various fuels to health, climate and the environment. Viewed this way, a gallon of gas costs $3.80 more than the pump price. The social cost of a gallon of diesel is about $4.80 more than the pump price; the price of natural gas more than doubles; and coal-fired electricity more than quadruples. Solar and wind power, on the other hand, become cheaper than they initially seem.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions with a more effective carbon capture method Posted: 04 Mar 2015 08:03 AM PST Trapping carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from power plants and various industries could play a significant role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the future. But current materials that can collect CO2 -- from smokestacks, for example -- have low capacities or require very high temperatures to work. Scientists are making progress toward a more efficient alternative that could help make carbon capture less energy intensive.

Energy-generating cloth could replace batteries in wearable devices Posted: 04 Mar 2015 08:03 AM PST From light-up shoes to smart watches, wearable electronics are gaining traction among consumers, but these gadgets' versatility is still held back by the stiff, short-lived batteries that are required. These limitations, however, could soon be overcome. Scientists report the first durable, flexible cloth that harnesses human motion to generate energy. It can also self-charge batteries or supercapacitors without an external power source and make new commercial and medical applications possible.

Pennies reveal new insights on nature of randomness Posted: 04 Mar 2015 07:45 AM PST Researchers have developed an algorithm that creates truly disordered packings of pennies for the first time.

Determining recipes for some of the world's oldest preserved beers Posted: 04 Mar 2015 07:45 AM PST Some breweries have taken to resurrecting the flavors of ages past. Adventurous beer makers are extrapolating recipes from clues that archeologists have uncovered from old and even ancient brews found at historical sites. Now scientists have analyzed some of the oldest preserved beer samples from an 1840s' shipwreck to try to provide insight into how they were made.

Kids and robots learn to write together Posted: 04 Mar 2015 07:45 AM PST Who is the teacher: the student or the machine? By showing a robot how to write letters, children improve their writing skills and gain self-confidence.

Basis for cadmium toxicity uncovered Posted: 04 Mar 2015 07:43 AM PST Research has uncovered how the metal cadmium, which is accumulating in the food chain, causes toxicity in living cells. "Cadmium is a very important industrial metal, but exposure to it results in accumulation in the food chain, leading to toxicity in animals and humans," says the project. "Exposure to cadmium can occur due to poor disposal of industrial or electronics waste, and also through cigarette smoke and ingestion of contaminated food. While the toxicity of cadmium has been known for a long time, how it causes toxicity and damages cells hasn't been understood."

Where you live could mean 'greener' alternatives do more harm than good Posted: 04 Mar 2015 07:43 AM PST Engineers propose a new 600-ton threshold that could indicate when switching to 'low carbon' alternatives may actually increase emissions. Although regions may welcome "green" technology like electric vehicles, high-speed rail and geothermal heating, they aren't green if the electricity to power them creates even more carbon emissions than their oil-driven counterparts, researchers say.

NASA Ames reproduces the building blocks of life in laboratory Posted: 04 Mar 2015 06:35 AM PST NASA scientists studying the origin of life have reproduced uracil, cytosine, and thymine, three key components of our hereditary material, in the laboratory. They discovered that an ice sample containing pyrimidine exposed to ultraviolet radiation under space-like conditions produces these essential ingredients of life.

Flexible sensors turn skin into a touch-sensitive interaction space for mobile devices Posted: 04 Mar 2015 04:52 AM PST If a mobile phone rings during a meeting, its owner often has to dig it out before it can be muted. A more discreet method would be to decline the incoming call by pressing on one of your fingers. Computer scientists are studying the potential use of the human body as a touch sensitive surface for controlling mobile devices. They have developed flexible silicone rubber stickers with pressure-sensitive sensors that fit snugly to the skin. By operating these touch input stickers, users can use their own body to control mobile devices. Because of the flexible material used, the sensors can be manufactured in a variety of shapes, sizes and personalized designs.

New approach to analysis of unresolved controversy over nuclear power Posted: 04 Mar 2015 04:52 AM PST A new article investigates why nuclear energy is still deployed in spite of the negative feedbacks and experiences. The researchers argue that one possible explanation for this controversy is that the scientific information and models used for the governance of this technology seem to be irresponsive to the systemic problems and accidents that arise from experience.

Solar cells to get growth boost, price cut Posted: 04 Mar 2015 04:52 AM PST Researchers have found that growing a type of film used to manufacture solar cells in ambient air gives it a growth boost. The finding could make manufacturing solar cells significantly cheaper.

What happens if we all drive electrical vehicles? Posted: 04 Mar 2015 04:52 AM PST The technology behind the design of electric vehicles is ever improving and the EU predicts that these vehicles could be in mass production by 2020. By developing a completely new way of using information from GPS and location data shown by GSM, the EU DATA SIM project simulated the consequences of a massive switch to electric vehicles, and studied the impact on mobility and electricity distribution networks.

Cities have a memory and interact with their neighbors Posted: 04 Mar 2015 04:52 AM PST Demographic changes in large cities depend on millions of individual decisions, but the population evolves depending on two factors: what 'reminds' them of their recent past and the existence of other urban areas around them. This is the proposal developed by a group of researchers through algorithms, which show how American cities have a 25-year-old memory and interact with others 200 km away while in the case of the Spain these values are 15 years and 80 km.

Researchers discover new material to produce clean energy Posted: 03 Mar 2015 11:17 AM PST Researchers have created a new thermoelectric material, intended to generate electric power from waste heat -- from a vehicle tailpipe, for example, or an industrial smokestack -- with greater efficiency and higher output power than currently available materials.

Democratizing synthetic biology Posted: 02 Mar 2015 10:07 AM PST By replacing highly specialized, expensive equipment with standard lab tools, scientists have made synthetic biology research cheaper, faster, and more accessible. "There's an increasing demand for cost-effective, scalable, highly yielding systems to make proteins," said a synthetic biologist. "We want to address this need, which could help lead to new targeted therapies that attack disease or enzymes that make sustainable chemicals."