ECN Magazine News

Iron-platinum alloys could be new-generation hard drives

Jason Lomberg — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:30:19 +0000

Meeting the demand for more data storage in smaller volumes means using materials made up of ever-smaller magnets, or nanomagnets.

UC Davis engineers create on-wetting fabric drains sweat

Jason Lomberg — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:24:17 +0000

Waterproof fabrics that whisk away sweat could be the latest application of microfluidic technology developed by bioengineers at the University of California, Davis.

Entrepreneurs need to balance risk of persisting with payoff of succeeding

Jason Lomberg — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:16:28 +0000

In a new business, sometimes the better part of wisdom is knowing when to quit, a new study concludes.

Even though persistence is a key to business success, entrepreneurs might be more successful if they not only knew when to start a business and take risks, but also knew when to abandon it and find something that provides a greater opportunity, researchers said.

It may be human nature to want to make an idea work, but it can also be a poor business decision to stay wedded to an idea if the evidence suggests it's not working as well as another potential opportunity.

Army Ground Combat Systems adopts Sandia tool for choosing future warfighting vehicles

Jason Lomberg — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:09:52 +0000

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Imagine trying to solve this complex problem: You have to modernize a fleet of combat vehicles, such as tanks, tracked howitzers and infantry fighting vehicles, choosing from among more than 50 ways to update them to meet future threats. Each modernization option can be configured differently to meet a variety of missions around the globe. You are constrained by schedule milestones and the costs for research and development and maintenance and operations, and your budget can change without warning.

£1 million project to produce safer oxygen

Jason Lomberg — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:05:55 +0000

Prototype reactor vessel planned in research to make oxygen safer to use in chemical processes

A SAFE way to use oxygen during chemical processes would bring enormous economic benefits to manufacturers in fields such as pharmaceuticals. But the high flammability of oxygen means that the risks often outweigh the advantages.

Building a better team -- on Mars

Jason Lomberg — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:55:33 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Sometime in the next quarter-century, NASA plans to send the first humans to Mars, a mission that will push the boundaries of teamwork for a handful of astronauts who will spend as long as three years together in a tiny capsule.

New study finds blind people have the potential to use their 'inner bat' to locate objects

Jason Lomberg — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:48:45 +0000

New research from the University of Southampton has shown that blind and visually impaired people have the potential to use echolocation, similar to that used by bats and dolphins, to determine the location of an object.

New study recommends using active videogaming ('exergaming') to improve children's health

Jason Lomberg — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:45:55 +0000

Cincinnati, OH, May 17, 2013 -- Levels of physical inactivity and obesity are very high in children, with fewer than 50% of primary school-aged boys and fewer than 28% of girls meeting the minimum levels of physical activity required to maintain health. Exergaming, using active console video games that track player movement to control the game (e.g., Xbox-Kinect, Wii), has become popular, and may provide an alternative form of exercise to counteract sedentary behaviors.

Fueling fitness on the final frontier

Jason Lomberg — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:43:17 +0000

Think keeping in shape is an uphill battle? Try staying fit in space, where living quarters are cramped and prolonged weightlessness withers muscle and bone.

That's the challenge a group of Michigan State University researchers will address with a new three-year, $1.2 million grant from NASA. Their goal is to keep astronauts motivated to exercise during multiyear exploratory missions.

High court upholds FCC power in cell tower disputes

Jason Lomberg — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:40:43 +0000

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court has affirmed the authority of federal regulators to try to speed local government decisions on proposals to build or expand cell phone towers.

The court voted 6-3 Monday to uphold an appeals court ruling in favor the Federal Communications Commission.