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Largest spiral galaxy in known universe

January 14, 2013

largestobject

Astronomers have crowned the spectacular barred spiral galaxy NGC 6872 the largest-known spiral galaxy in the known universe, based on archival data from NASA’s Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) mission, on loan to the California Institute of Technology.

Measuring tip-to-tip across its two outsized spiral arms, NGC 6872 spans more than 522,000 light-years, making it more than five times the size of our Milky Way galaxy. It was formed at least… read more

Topics: Physics/Cosmology | Space

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Have astronomers found chemical precursor to life in gas clouds?

January 14, 2013

star-formation-orion

Astronomers have found tentative traces of a precursor chemical to the building blocks of life near a star-forming region about 1,000 light-years from Earth, Space.com reports.

The signal from the molecule, hydroxylamine, which is made up of atoms of nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen, still needs to be verified. But, if confirmed, it would mean scientists had found a chemical that could potentially seed life on other worlds,… read more

Topics: Biotech | Space

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First nanodiamond arrays created by biological molecules

January 14, 2013

arxiv.orgpdf1301.1871v1.pdf 2013-01-14 03-44-21

An international team has used biological self-assembly to build nanodiamond arrays, MIT Technology Review reports.

One of the most promising ways to capture, generate and manipulate photons for quantum computing is with tiny diamonds. The secret is to create nanodiamonds with a defect in their structure where a nitrogen atom has taken the place of a carbon.

The researchers plan to bind nanodiamonds together with the… read more

Topics: Biotech | Nanotech/Materials Science | Quantum

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PC makers bet on gaze, gesture, voice, and touch

January 11, 2013

eye tracking

Products that could make it common to control a computer, TV, or something else using eye gaze, gesture, voice, and even facial expression were launched at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, MIT Technology Review reports.

The technology promises to make computers and other devices easier to use, let devices do new things, and perhaps boost the prospects of companies reliant on PC sales.… read more

Topics: Computers/Infotech/UI

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Scientists design, control movements of molecular motor

A blueprint for creating machines at the nanoscale
January 11, 2013

ohio_molecular_motor

An international team of scientists has taken the next step in creating nanoscale machines by designing a multi-component molecular motor that can be moved clockwise and counterclockwise.

Although researchers can rotate or switch individual molecules on and off, the new study is the first to create a stand-alone molecular motor that has multiple parts, said Saw-Wai Hla, an Ohio University professor of physics and astronomy,… read more

Topics: Nanotech/Materials Science

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New carbon nanotube fiber acts like textile thread, conducts electricity and heat like a metal wire

Unmatched combination of strength, conductivity, flexibility
January 11, 2013

rice_nanotubes

Scientists from Rice University, the Dutch firm Teijin Aramid, the U.S. Air Force, and Israel’s Technion Institute have unveiled a new carbon nanotube (CNT) fiber that looks and acts like textile thread and conducts electricity and heat like a metal wire.

In this week’s issue of Science, the researchers describe an industrially scalable process for making the threadlike fibers, which outperform commercially available high-performance materials… read more

Topics: Electronics | Nanotech/Materials Science

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Artificial molecular manufacturing machine mimics nature

January 11, 2013

manchester_molecular_machine

An industrial revolution at the nanoscale is taking place in laboratories at The University of Manchester with the development of a highly complex machine that mimics how molecules are made in nature.

The artificial molecular machine developed by Professor David Leigh FRS and his team in the School of Chemistry is the most advanced molecular machine of its type in the world.

Leigh explains:… read more

Topics: Biotech | Nanotech/Materials Science

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Virus caught in the act of infecting a cell

January 11, 2013

virus_injecting

The detailed changes in the structure of a virus as it infects an E. coli bacterium have been observed for the first time.

To infect a cell, a virus must be able to first find a suitable cell and then eject its genetic material into its host.

This robot-like process has been observed in a virus called T7 and visualized by Ian… read more

Topics: Biotech

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Organovo partners with Autodesk research to develop 3D bioprinting software

January 10, 2013

Organovo_NovoGen_MMX_bioprinter

Organovo Holdings, Inc., a creator and manufacturer of functional, 3D human tissues for medical research and therapeutic applications, is working together with researchers at Autodesk, Inc., the leader in cloud-based design and engineering software, to create the first 3D design software for bioprinting.

The software, which will be used to control Organovo’s NovoGen MMX bioprinter, will represent a major step forward… read more

Topics: Biotech | Nanotech/Materials Science

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CES 2013: hands on with the Oculus VR Rift, virtual reality’s greatest hope

January 10, 2013

(Credit: Oculus)

A demo of the Oculus Rift device from Oculus VR. has convinced Will Greenwald of PC Magazine.that it can make first-person games immersive to an unforeseen extent.

“Oculus VR is getting ready to ship developer kits, but the Oculus Rift is a long way from hitting stores. While the technology is there, the combination of stereoscopic vision and head-tracking means games need to be built for the… read more

Topics: VR/Augmented Reality/Computer Graphics

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Drug enables deafened mice to hear again

January 10, 2013

mice_hearing_cells_regrow

All you graying, half-deaf Def Leppard fans, listen up. A drug applied to the ears of mice deafened by noise can restore some hearing in the animals, Science Now reports.

By blocking a key protein, the drug allows sound-sensing “hair cells” damaged by loud noises to regrow. The treatment isn’t anywhere near ready for use in humans, but the advance at least raises the prospect of restoring… read more

Topics: Biomed/Longevity

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UCSD introduces Diego-san, a baby robot with ‘tude

Move over, Roboy, there's a new kidbot in town....
January 10, 2013

diego_san_1

UCSD has introduced Diego-san, a new humanoid robot who mimicks the expressions of a one-year-old child

Demonstrated at CES and in a video, the robot will be used in studies on sensory-motor and social development — how babies “learn” to control their bodies and to interact with other people.

Diego-san’s hardware was developed by two leading robot manufacturers: the head by Hanson… read more

Topics: AI/Robotics

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AXE offers suborbital space flight for 22 contestants

January 10, 2013

AASA

AXE, a hair-products company, has announced the AXE Apollo Space Academy (A.A.S.A) with astronaut Buzz Aldrin. By joining A.A.S.A at AXEApollo.com, you can compete for one of 22 tickets to travel to space on a flight with Space Expedition Corporation (SXC). Deadline: Feb. 3.

Top-voted candidates will qualify for a challenge in their local country (excluding the U.S.), with the ultimate candidates winning… read more

Topics: Space

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One-kilometer-long ‘electric sail’ tether constructed

Propellant-free system could accelerate a 1000 kg spacecraft to more than 67,000 miles per hour in one year
January 10, 2013

electric_solar_sail

The Electronics Research Laboratory at the University of Helsinki has successfully constructed a 1-km-long electric sail (ESAIL), which would interact with the solar wind (charged particles from the sun) to produce long-distance propulsion power for a spacecraft.

Using ultrasonic welding, the feat proves that manufacturing full-size ESAIL tethers is possible. Experts previously considered it impossible to weld together such thin wires.

Invented by Dr. Pekka Janhunen at the Finnish… read more

Topics: Nanotech/Materials Science | Space

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Synthetic and biological nanoparticles combined to produce new metamaterials

January 9, 2013

Two different protein cages, cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (blue) and Pyrococcus furiosus ferritin (red), can be used to guide the assembly of binary nanoparticles superlattices through tunable electrostatic interactions with charged gold nanoparticles (yellow). (Credit: Aalto University)

Aalto University scientists have organized synthetic and biological building blocks in a single structure — combining virus particles (and other protein cages) with inorganic nanoparticles to form crystalline layer structures, or superlattices.

The research aims to develop hierarchically structured nanomaterials with tunable optical, magnetic, electronic and catalytic properties. Such nanomaterials are important for applications in sensing, optics, electronics and drug delivery.

By generating biohybrid 3D superlattices of nanoparticles and proteins,… read more

Topics: Biotech | Nanotech/Materials Science

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