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	Berkeley Lab Researchers Propose a New Breed of Supercomputers for Improving Global Climate Predictions NEW May 06, 2008 Three researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have proposed an innovative way to improve global climate change predictions by using a supercomputer with low-power embedded microprocessors, an approach that would overcome limitations posed by today’s conventional supercomputers.	Scientific Frontline® RSS Feeds Scientific Frontline® The Comm Center The E.A.R.® World News Report SFL Gallery Cassini Gallery Mars Gallery Missions Gallery Exploration Gallery Space Weather Alerts Stellar Nights® Events Directors Chair Scientific Frontline® Is supported in part by “Readers Like You”
	Record-Setting Laser May Aid Searches for Earth-like Planets NEW May 06, 2008 Scientists at the University of Konstanz in Germany and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated an ultrafast laser that offers a record combination of high speed, short pulses and high average power. The same NIST group also has shown that this type of laser, when used as a frequency comb—an ultraprecise technique for measuring different colors of light—could boost the sensitivity of astronomical tools searching for other Earth-like planets as much as 100 fold.
	Researcher Examines the Physics of Carbon Nanotubes May 01, 2008 Carbon nanotubes, described as the reigning celebrity of the advanced materials world, are all the rage. Recently researchers at Rice University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute used them to make the “blackest black” — the darkest known material, reflecting only 0.045 percent of all light shined on it. Sandia National Laboratories is also in on the carbon nanotube game, with research led by physicist François Léonard. Léonard has considerable experience in the subject.
	NASA tests HYTHIRM at Sandia’s Solar Tower Apr. 30, 2008 HYTHIRM is a collection of systems NASA wants to use to plan and execute missions. It includes a suite of radiometric infrared imaging systems, mission planning capabilities such as a radiance prediction methodology, and other systems with an understanding of atmospheric effects. NASA test director Kamran Daryabeigi says planners will use HYTHIRM to evaluate the performance of the participating sensor systems and associated image processing algorithms.
	Engineers Harness Cell Phone Technology for use in Medical Imaging Apr. 30, 2008 With an innovative concept developed by engineers at the University of California, Berkeley, the ubiquitous cell phone could one day be used to make medical imaging accessible to billions of people around the world. According to the World Health Organization, some three-quarters of the world's population has no access to ultrasounds, X-rays, magnetic resonance images, and other medical imaging technology used for a wide range of applications, from detecting tumors to confirming tuberculosis infections....
	New Design to Keep Drivers in Suspense Apr. 29, 2008 A new form of suspension that promises to revolutionize the experience of people who drive heavy goods vehicles has been designed by a Cambridge academic. The novel E-shaped suspension will enhance driver control, improve comfort and increase safety. It will also reduce fuel consumption and cut the cost of fitting specialist equipment to vehicles so that they can cope with different loads.
	Saliva Can Help Diagnose Heart Attack Apr. 16, 2008 Early diagnosis of a heart attack may now be possible using only a few drops of saliva and a new nano-bio-chip, a multi-institutional team led by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin. The nano-bio-chip assay could some day be used to analyze a patient's saliva on board an ambulance, at the dentist’s office or at a neighborhood drugstore, helping save lives and prevent damage from cardiac disease. The device is the size of a credit card and can produce results in as little as 15 minutes.
	New Flash-Bang Safer For Law Enforcement, Military Apr. 15, 2008 Sandia National Laboratories recently licensed its safer fuel air diversionary device technology to Defense Technology Corporation of America, located in Casper, Wyo. Diversionary devices — also called stun grenades or flash-bangs — are a less-than-lethal device used in a wide variety of law enforcement and military operations. Like a grenade, the device is activated by pulling a pin. When thrown, the flash-bang creates a loud sound and bright flash of light to temporarily distract or disorient an adversary.
	Brown Chemists Find Platinum Nanocube Improves Fuel Cells Apr. 10, 2008 Two great obstacles to hydrogen-powered vehicles lie with fuel cells. Fuel cells, which like batteries produce electrical power through chemical reactions, have been plagued by their relatively low efficiency and high production costs. Scientists have tested a wide assortment of metals and materials to overcome the twin challenge.
	Needle-Size Device Created to Track Tumors, Radiation Dose Apr. 08, 2008 Engineers at Purdue University are creating a wireless device designed to be injected into tumors to tell doctors the precise dose of radiation received and locate the exact position of tumors during treatment. The information would help to more effectively kill tumors, said Babak Ziaie, an associate professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and a researcher at Purdue's Birck Nanotechnology Center.
	Smart Brake Light System Would Provide More Information To Drivers Mar. 26, 2008 The solution is an intelligent brake light system that communicates slowing and urgent stopping – rather than simply that the brake pedal is being touched. “A driver could be tapping his foot in time to music and the brake lights would blink. Or, a driver can rest her foot on the pedal and the lights would glow. It’s not enough information for the following driver,” said Hennage.
	Tell Them Where it Hurts Mar. 18, 2008 For statues, stress injuries come from standing in place for hundreds of years. Using a novel technique, researchers have now developed a way to predict such fracturing, applying the procedure to Michelangelo's David in an analysis that proved simpler, faster and more accurate than previous methods. In applying the technique to other objects -- including human bones -- the researchers are also gaining new perspective on how these structures are likely to fail.
	Ultra-fast, Ultra-intense Laser Has Clean-Cut Advantage Mar. 13, 2008 Many people equate lasers with a sci-fi battle in a galaxy far, far away or, closer to home, with grocery store scanners and compact disc players. However, an ultra-fast, ultra-intense laser, or UUL, with laser pulse durations of one quadrillionth of a second, otherwise known as one femtosecond, could change cancer treatments, dentistry procedures, precision metal cutting, and joint implant surgeries.
	Carbon Nanotubes Outperform Copper Nanowires as Interconnects Mar. 13, 2008 Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have created a road map that brings academia and the semiconductor industry one step closer to realizing carbon nanotube interconnects, and alleviating the current bottleneck of information flow that is limiting the potential of computer chips in everything from personal computers to portable music players.
	RFID Improves Inventory Accuracy, University of Arkansas Study Finds Mar. 13, 2008 A preliminary analysis of the effect of radio frequency identification on retail-inventory accuracy demonstrated that an automated, RFID-enabled inventory system improved accuracy by about 13 percent in test stores compared to control stores. The investigation, conducted by researchers in the RFID Research Center, a research unit of the Information Technology Research Institute in the Sam M. Walton College of Business.
	VISUALISE set to enhance the spectator experience Mar. 07, 2008 Spectators at many large-scale live events miss a lot of the action - until now. A team of engineers at Bristol University working closely with industrial partners have developed a way of providing spectators with near real-time access to events as they unfold via Smart mobile phones.