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Shrinking Atmospheric Layer Linked To Low Levels Of Solar Radiation

admin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:59:11 +0000

(NSF, August 26, 2010) Large changes in the sun’s energy output may drive unexpectedly dramatic fluctuations in Earth’s outer atmosphere. Results of a study published today link a recent, temporary shrinking of a high atmospheric layer with a sharp drop in the sun’s ultraviolet radiation levels. The research, led by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colo., and the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU), indicates that the sun’s magnetic cycle, which produces differing numbers of sunspots over an approximately 11-year cycle, may vary more than previously thought. The results, published this week in the American Geophysical Union journal Geophysical Research Letters, are funded by NASA and by the National Science Foundation (NSF), NCAR’s sponsor. Click here to read more…

Development Of World’s Highest Performance Thin-Film Condenser

admin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:58:19 +0000

(Nanowerk News, August 30, 2010) A research group headed by MANA Scientist Dr. Minoru Osada and Principal Investigator Dr. Takayoshi Sasaki of the International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA) at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) discovered a new high-k dielectric nanosheet with a molecular level thickness (∼1.5 nm), and successfully developed the world’s highest performance thin-film condenser by a solution-based bottom-up nanotechnology. Condensers based on dielectric thin films are a key component of electronic devices, where they perform essential functions such as storing electrical charge, and blocking direct current while allowing alternating currents to propagate. Because condensers are the largest components in our electronic equipments such as cell phones, personal computers, etc., extensive efforts are directed at the developments of high performance condensers with smaller size and higher capacitance. Click here to read more…

A Greener Champagne Bottle

admin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:51:15 +0000

By Liz Alderman – (New York Times, September 1, 2010) Deep below a lush landscape of ripening Champagne grapes, Thierry Gasco, the master vintner for Pommery, ran his finger over the shoulders of a dark green bottle that looked just like the thousands of others reposing in his chilly subterranean cellars. But to the practiced hand and eye, there is a subtle, if potentially significant, difference. “This is how we’re remaking the future of Champagne,” he said, pointing to the area just below the neck. “We’re slimming the shoulders to make the bottle lighter, so our carbon footprint will be reduced to help keep Champagne here for future generations.” The Champagne industry has embarked on a drive to cut the 200,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide it emits every year transporting billions of tiny bubbles around the world. Producing and shipping accounts for nearly a third of Champagne’s carbon emissions, with the hefty bottle the biggest offender. Click here to read more…

Edible Nanostructures: Compounds Made From Renewable Materials Could Be Used For Gas Storage, Food Technologies

admin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:40:50 +0000

(ScienceDaily, September 2, 2010) — Sugar, salt, alcohol and a little serendipity led a Northwestern University research team to discover a new class of nanostructures that could be used for gas storage and food and medical technologies. And the compounds are edible. The porous crystals are the first known all-natural metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) that are simple to make. Most other MOFs are made from petroleum-based ingredients, but the Northwestern MOFs you can pop into your mouth and eat, and the researchers have. “They taste kind of bitter, like a Saltine cracker, starchy and bland,” said Ronald A. Smaldone, a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern. “But the beauty is that all the starting materials are nontoxic, biorenewable and widely available, offering a green approach to storing hydrogen to power vehicles.” Click here to read more…

Human Tests Set For Stem Cells

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 22:40:24 +0000

By Rob Stein

(The Washington Post, August 30, 2010) Even as supporters of human embryonic stem cell research are reeling from last week’s sudden cutoff of federal funding, another portentous landmark is quietly approaching: the world’s first attempt to carefully test the cells in people. Scientists are poised to inject cells created from embryonic stem cells into some patients with a progressive form of blindness and others with devastating spinal cord injuries. That’s a welcome step for researchers eager to move from the laboratory to the clinic and for patients hoping for cures. But beyond being loathsome to those with moral objections to any research using cells from human embryos, the tests are worrying many proponents: Some argue that the experiments are premature, others question whether they are ethical, and many fear that the trials risk disaster for the field if anything goes awry. Click here to read more…