SciTech Daily

February 2, 2012

Researchers Use Sanitation Techniques to Boost Sap Production

Researchers at Cornell University are using workshops and webinars to advocate sanitation techniques in maple sap production. The researchers found that by replacing spouts and drop lines, you can reduce the microbial contamination that occurs at the tap hole, which has resulted in substantial production gains. The secret to success for maple syrup producers may [...]

February 2, 2012

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Chemistry Might Influence Habitable Zones Around Extrasolar Systems

Trace elements in extrasolar systems might influence the evolution of habitable zones around their stars, where carbon-based life as we know it might dwell. Most stars are made up of hydrogen and helium gas, but there still remain traces of heavier elements, like metals, that are inherited from the remnants of older stars or forged [...]

February 2, 2012

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The Bolshoi Simulation: Boxing the Universe

The Bolshoi simulation is the most accurate cosmological simulation of the evolution of the large-scale structure of the universe. Larger simulations, including the BigBolshoi and Multidark, run at a volume 64 times bigger than Bolshoi and have just been publicly made available to astronomers and astrophysicists. The Bolshoi simulation used data from the Wilkinson Microwave [...]

February 1, 2012

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NASA’s GRAIL Mission Returns Video from Far Side of the Moon

Earth's Moon South pole as seen from Ebb spacecraft

The first images and video from NASA’s GRAIL mission of the far side of the moon were captured on January 19, 2012 by the MoonKAM onboard the lunar spacecraft Ebb as part of a test. The video captures unique images of Mare Orientale, a 560-mile-wide impact basin, and views of the far side of the [...]

February 1, 2012

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NASA’s Newest CERES Instrument Scans Earth

Image from NASA's Newest CERES Instrument

The Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) on board NASA’s Suomi NPP satellite began taking Earth-viewing data just a few days ago. The CERES FM-5 instruments will help scientists to determine the Earth’s energy balance by monitoring minute changes in the Earth’s energy budget, the difference between incoming and outgoing energy. The doors [...]

February 1, 2012

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Human Brains Take Longer to Wire Up Than Simian Ones

Human brains make synaptic connections throughout much of childhood, and the brain’s plasticity enables humans to slowly wire them based upon experiences, contrary to how chimpanzees develop. Humans and chimpanzees share 98.8% of the same genes, but scientists have been looking for what drives the unique cognitive and social skills of humans. A new study, [...]

February 1, 2012

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Smart Spider Silk Might Lead to Carbon Nanotubes Strong Enough for Space Elevators

It’s a well-known fact that spider silk is stronger than steel and tougher than Kevlar, yet flexible enough to be made into a variety of different shapes. A new study has also shown that the material is also smart. Spider silk has a way of softening and then being stiff that is essential for it [...]

February 1, 2012

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Physicists at SLAC Are One Step Closer to Creating Fully Coherent X-rays

Physicists working on the Echo-7 experiment at SLAC’s Next Linear Collider Test Accelerator (NLCTA) reached a new milestone while taking steps towards creating a fully coherent X-ray laser beam. By reducing the ratio of energy modulation to energy spread, the team was able provide the first evidence that EEHG could indeed generate the higher harmonics [...]

February 1, 2012

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Researchers Use fMRI to Study How Humor Activates Kids’ Brain Regions

Researchers at the Stanford School of Medicine examined which brain regions were active as children watched funny videos. Through the use of a functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner, doctors hoped to gain a better understanding of how positive emotions could affect a child’s well-being. Early findings suggest that the network that responds to humorous stimuli [...]

February 1, 2012

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Scientists Develop “PV Value” to Accurately Appraise PV Systems

Sandia National Laboratories develop a tool that can appraise photovoltaic installations on homes and businesses

Scientists at Sandia National Laboratories and Solar Power Electric teamed together to develop a tool to appraise homes and commercial buildings with photovoltaic (PV) installations. Dubbed PV Value, this electronic form will serve as a standard methodology for appraisers, real estate agents and mortgage underwriters that need to accurately value PV systems. ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico [...]

February 1, 2012

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Sea Cucumbers Counter Negative Effects of Ocean Acidification

Sea cucumbers counter the negative effects of ocean acidification

Researchers studying the effects of climate change on coral reefs at One Tree Island found that sea cucumbers play a vital role in reducing the harmful impact of ocean acidification on coral growth. By ingesting sand, sea cucumbers supply coral reefs with calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and are an important component of the natural calcium carbonate [...]

February 1, 2012

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Research Suggests First Plants Triggered Ice Ages

first plants 470 million years ago triggered a series of ice ages

By studying modern moss, researchers from the Universities of Exeter and Oxford reveal how the arrival of the first plants 470 million years ago triggered a series of ice ages by causing a dramatic reduction in atmospheric carbon. The research suggests that these plants caused the weathering of rocks and the Earth’s surface, which led [...]