News
New additive offers near-perfect results as nucleating agent for organic semiconductors
June 12, 2013 4:46 pm | by EurekAlert! | CommentsPixie dust may be the stuff of fanciful fiction, but for scientists at UC Santa Barbara's Department of Materials, a commonly used sugar-based additive has been found to have properties that are near magical. By adding minute amounts of it during the fabrication of organic semiconductors...
Renewable energy: World invests $244 billion in 2012; shift to developing countries underway
June 12, 2013 4:33 pm | by EurekAlert! | CommentsFor only the second time since 2006, global investments in renewable energy in 2012 failed to top the year before, falling 12% mainly due to dramatically lower solar prices and weakened US and EU markets. However, 2012 was the second highest year ever for renewable energy investments, which total $1.3 trillion since 2006.
Challenges to phone records face legal obstacles
June 12, 2013 4:00 pm | by MARK SHERMAN - Associated Press - Associated Press | CommentsThe government's massive collection of Americans' phone records is drawing protests and lawsuits from civil liberties groups, but major legal obstacles stand in the way. Among them are government claims that national security secrets will be revealed if the cases are allowed to proceed, and...
An ultrasensitive molybdenum-based image sensor
June 12, 2013 3:25 pm | by EurekAlert! | CommentsA new material has the potential to improve the sensitivity of photographic image sensors by a factor of five. In 2011, an EPFL team led by Andras Kis discovered the amazing semi-conducting properties of molybdenite (MoS2), and they have been exploring its potential in various technological applications ever since.
Carnegie Mellon method uses network of cameras to track people in complex indoor settings
June 12, 2013 3:16 pm | by EurekAlert! | CommentsResearchers at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a method for tracking the locations of multiple individuals in complex, indoor settings using a network of video cameras, creating something similar to the fictional Marauder's Map used by Harry Potter to track comings and goings at the Hogwarts School.
Survey of physicians suggests tablets more useful than smartphones
June 12, 2013 3:09 pm | by EurekAlert! | CommentsTwo reports from AmericanEHR Partners based on a survey of nearly 1,400 physicians suggests that tablets are of greater use for clinical purposes than smartphones. "Mobile Usage in the Medical Space 2013" and "Tablet Usage by Physicians 2013" reveal that the most common activity of physicians who use an electronic health record (EHR)...
Controlling magnetic clouds in graphene
June 12, 2013 3:04 pm | by EurekAlert! | CommentsIn a report published in Nature Communications, a University of Manchester team led by Dr Irina Grigorieva shows how to create elementary magnetic moments in graphene and then switch them on and off. This is the first time magnetism itself has been toggled, rather than the magnetization direction being reversed.
IBM said to be shedding jobs in Vermont, elsewhere
June 12, 2013 2:53 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsState officials said Wednesday that IBM Corp. had notified them that a national reorganization would result in job losses in Vermont. The company said it would not comment on the report. IBM spokesman Jeff Couture said in a statement that "some level of workforce remix is a constant requirement...
Filmmaking magic with polymers
June 12, 2013 2:29 pm | by EurekAlert! | CommentsThink about windows coated with transparent film that absorbs harmful ultraviolet sunrays and uses them to generate electricity. Consider a water filtration membrane that blocks viruses and other microorganisms from water, or an electric car battery that incorporates a coating to give it extra long life between charges.
The secrets of another Japanese success story
June 12, 2013 2:19 pm | by EurekAlert! | CommentsJapanese manufacturers have practically cornered the world market on components for lithium-ion batteries, films for LCDs and other advanced materials — with almost no competition from abroad. The secrets to their success are the topic of the cover story in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN).
Hands-free talking and texting are unsafe
June 12, 2013 2:06 pm | by EurekAlert! | CommentsUsing hands-free devices to talk, text or send e-mail while driving is distracting and risky, contrary to what many people believe, says a new University of Utah study issued today by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. "Our research shows that hands-free is not risk-free," says University of Utah psychology Professor David Strayer, lead author of the study....
Nuclear plant closures show industry's struggles
June 12, 2013 1:55 pm | by RAY HENRY and MICHAEL R. BLOOD, Associated Press | CommentsThe decision to close California's San Onofre nuclear plant is the latest setback for an industry that seemed poised for growth not long ago. In Wisconsin, a utility shuttered its plant last month after it couldn't find a buyer. In Florida - and now California - utilities decided it was cheaper to close plants....
Executives admit that TV isn't everywhere yet
June 12, 2013 1:43 pm | by RYAN NAKASHIMA, AP Business Writer | CommentsTV was supposed to be everywhere by now - watchable anytime, anywhere, on your smartphone or tablet. But four years into the industry's effort, network executives readily admit: TV isn't everywhere. The promise of "TV Everywhere" has been a key strategy in the cable and satellite TV industry's fight to retain customers in the face of challenges from online video providers such as Netflix.
Yale researchers unravel genetics of dyslexia and language impairment
June 12, 2013 1:42 pm | by Yale UniversityYale University | CommentsA new study of the genetic origins of dyslexia and other learning disabilities could allow for earlier diagnoses and more successful interventions, according to researchers at Yale School of Medicine. Many students now are not diagnosed until high school, at which point treatments are less effective....
Data highways for quantum information
June 12, 2013 12:13 pm | by Vienna University of Technology | CommentsResearchers at the Vienna University of Technology quantum mechanically couple atoms to glass fiber cables. Now, they have shown that their technique enables storage of quantum information over a sufficiently long period of time to realize global quantum networks based on optical fibers.
