ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

Mars has right ingredients for present-day microbial life beneath its surface, study finds

Posted: 22 Apr 2021 12:04 PM PDT

New research suggests that rocks in the Martian crust could produce the same kind of chemical energy that supports microbial life deep beneath Earth's surface.

Ground and satellite observations map building damage after Beirut explosion

Posted: 22 Apr 2021 09:36 AM PDT

Days after the 4 August 2020 massive explosion at the port of Beirut in Lebanon, researchers were on the ground mapping the impacts of the explosion in the port and surrounding city. The goal was to document and preserve data on structural and façade damage before rebuilding.

The science of spin: Asteroseismologists confirm older stars rotate faster than expected

Posted: 22 Apr 2021 09:36 AM PDT

Stars spin faster than expected as they age according to a new study which uses asteroseismology to shed new light on this emerging theory.

Using exoplanets as dark matter detectors

Posted: 22 Apr 2021 09:36 AM PDT

In the continuing search for dark matter in our universe, scientists believe they have found a unique and powerful detector: exoplanets. Astrophysicists suggest dark matter could be detected by measuring the effect it has on the temperature of exoplanets, which are planets outside our solar system.

Fighting harmful bacteria with nanoparticles

Posted: 22 Apr 2021 09:36 AM PDT

Multi-resistant pathogens are a serious and increasing problem in today's medicine. Where antibiotics are ineffective, these bacteria can cause life-threatening infections. Researchers are currently developing nanoparticles that can be used to detect and kill multi-resistant pathogens that hide inside our body cells. The team published the study in the current issue of the journal Nanoscale.

Mars' changing habitability recorded by ancient dune fields in Gale crater

Posted: 22 Apr 2021 07:29 AM PDT

An international team has found evidence of ancient dunes on Mars that could help explain ancient surface conditions.

The future looks bright for infinitely recyclable plastic

Posted: 22 Apr 2021 07:28 AM PDT

Plastics are ubiquitous, but they're not practical. Less than 10% are recycled, and the other approximately 8 billion tons are creating a pollution crisis. Researchers are determined to change that. A new analysis shows producing and recycling their game-changing new plastic could be easy and cheap enough to leave old plastics in the dust.

Artificial intelligence model predicts which key of the immune system opens the locks of coronavirus

Posted: 22 Apr 2021 06:39 AM PDT

A new artificial intelligence (AI) method is helping researchers link immune cells to their targets and, for example, uncouple which white blood cells recognize SARS-CoV-2. The tool has broad applications in understanding the function of the immune system in infections, autoimmune disorders, and cancer.

Faster air exchange in buildings not always beneficial for coronavirus levels

Posted: 22 Apr 2021 06:38 AM PDT

Vigorous and rapid air exchanges might not always be a good thing when it comes to levels of coronavirus particles in a multiroom building, according to a new modeling study. Particle levels can spike in downstream rooms shortly after rapid ventilation.

ALMA discovers rotating infant galaxy with help of natural cosmic telescope

Posted: 22 Apr 2021 06:38 AM PDT

Using ALMA, astronomers found a rotating baby galaxy 1/100th the size of the Milky Way at a time when the Universe was only seven percent of its present age. Thanks to assistance by the gravitational lens effect, the team was able to explore for the first time the nature of small and dark 'normal galaxies' in the early Universe, which greatly advances our understanding of the initial phase of galaxy evolution.

Average-risk individuals may prefer stool-based test over colonoscopy for cancer screening

Posted: 22 Apr 2021 06:38 AM PDT

When given a choice, most individuals with an average risk of colorectal cancer said they would prefer a stool-based screening test for colorectal cancer over colonoscopy, the method most often recommended by health care providers.

Astronomers release new all-sky map of Milky Way's outer reaches

Posted: 21 Apr 2021 07:22 PM PDT

The highlight of the new chart is a wake of stars, stirred up by a small galaxy set to collide with the Milky Way. The map could also offer a new test of dark matter theories.

Collaborative research could help fine-tune the production of antimalarials, chemo drugs

Posted: 21 Apr 2021 05:01 PM PDT

Much of common pharmaceutical development today is the product of laborious cycles of tweaking and optimization. In each drug, a carefully concocted formula of natural and synthetic enzymes and ingredients works together to catalyze a desired reaction. But in early development, much of the process is spent determining what quantities of each enzyme to use to ensure a reaction occurs at a specific speed.

Detailed look at intriguing property of chiral materials

Posted: 21 Apr 2021 01:00 PM PDT

A new study is advancing scientists' understanding of magneto-chiral dichroism. The research focuses on light-matter interactions in chiral materials under a magnetic field.

Using floodwaters to weather droughts

Posted: 21 Apr 2021 12:12 PM PDT

Using a new computer framework, scientists are able to project future floodwaters under a changing climate. The approach could help California water managers plan for and redirect floodwaters toward groundwater aquifers, alleviating both flood and drought risks.

Scientists capture image of an electron's orbit within an exciton

Posted: 21 Apr 2021 12:12 PM PDT

Researchers have captured an image showing the internal orbits, or spatial distribution, of particles in an exciton - a goal that had eluded scientists for almost a century.

Mechanical engineers develop new high-performance artificial muscle technology

Posted: 21 Apr 2021 12:12 PM PDT

Researchers have developed a new, high-performance artificial muscle technology. The new technology enables more human-like motion due to its flexibility and adaptability, but outperforms human skeletal muscle in several metrics.

Aerial photos uncover an invisible fault in Chinese city

Posted: 21 Apr 2021 12:12 PM PDT

Decades-old aerial photos of Yudong District, Datong City in Shanxi Province, Northern China have helped researchers in their search for a fault hidden underneath the city's buildings and cement roads, researchers said.

'Fingerprint' for 3D printer accurate 92% of time

Posted: 21 Apr 2021 09:47 AM PDT

New research shows 3D printers can be identified by thermodynamic properties, which could could aid intellectual property, security.

A growing problem of 'deepfake geography': How AI falsifies satellite images

Posted: 21 Apr 2021 09:46 AM PDT

Using satellite photos of three cities and drawing upon methods used to manipulate video and audio files, a team of researchers set out to identify new ways of detecting fake satellite photos and warn of the dangers of falsified geospatial data.

Pepper the robot talks to itself to improve its interactions with people

Posted: 21 Apr 2021 09:46 AM PDT

Ever wondered why your virtual home assistant doesn't understand your questions? Or why your navigation app took you on the side street instead of the highway? Researchers have now designed a robot that 'thinks out loud' so that users can hear its thought process and better understand the robot's motivations and decisions.

Jane Austen quote encoded in a polymer

Posted: 21 Apr 2021 09:46 AM PDT

Using a novel molecular-data-storage technique, researchers have encoded a quote from Jane Austen's classic novel Mansfield Park in a series of oligomers, which a third party could read back without prior knowledge of the structures that encoded the passage.