TechFlash: News Roundup

By Steven Hershman, Triangle Copy Editor and Sujit S. Datta, Triangle online eMag Editor-in-Chief

Funding For Hubble Servicing Mission Eliminated
According to government and industry sources quoted by Space.com, the White House will no longer be funding a mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope in 2006, and has directed NASA to "focus solely on de-orbiting the popular spacecraft at the end of its life."

("White House Cuts Hubble Servicing Mission from 2006 Budget Request”, Space.com; Jan 21, 2005 and "Sources: Hubble servicing mission cut from budget", CNN.com; Jan 21, 2005)

Genetic Gradient Theory Challenges Commonly Held Evolutionary Theory of Speciation
Researchers at the University of British Columbia in Canada recently published a paper in the journal Science detailing a demonstration of a genetic gradient between two distinct species isolated by distance, thus challenging the prevailing evolutionary theory that species evolve only when separated by a geographical barrier. The findings are expected to have broad implications for current approaches to conservation, biological diversity, and commonly-held evolutionary theories.

(“Speciation by distance in a ring species”, Science; Jan 21, 2005)

Alcohol - Good For Your Brain?
A new study by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health suggests that older women who consume moderate amounts of alcohol score better on cognitive tests, giving rise to the notion that alcohol consumption may in some way boost brainpower. The alcohol in question was both beer and wine; however, researchers caution that "Alcohol has to be regarded as a two-edged sword. The risk of overindulgence is too well known."

(“Booze boosts brainpower”, Nature online; Jan 20, 2005)

Huygens Reports Back From Titan; Mission is a Resounding Success
Data from the Huygens robot probe, beamed back to Earth via NASA's Cassini spacecraft, brought good news, and represents a new and exciting world - that of Titan, Saturn's giant moon. Early analyses of the data sent back by Huygens indicate a truly unique surface, with winding drainage canals cutting through icy highlands, flood plains, methane rivers and rain, and innumerable opportunities.

(Various press releases, NASA Jet Propulsion Lab)

Clusters of Aluminum Atoms Found to Have Properties of Other Elements
Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University and Penn State University recently discovered a new form of Chemistry - that of cluster elements. The team has discovered clusters of aluminum atoms with chemical properties similar to single atoms of metallic and nonmetallic elements when they react with iodine, thus giving rise to speculation about a new 'superatom chemistry' based on a new periodic table of cluster elements. This gives rise to the notion of creating unique compounds with distinctive properties never seen before.

(“Al Cluster Superatoms as Halogens in Polyhalides and as Alkaline Earths in Iodide Salts”, D. E. Bergeron, P. J. Roach, A. W. Castleman, Jr., N. O. Jones, S. N. Khanna, Science; Jan 14, 2005 and Press Release: "Clusters of Aluminum Atoms Found to Have Properties of Other Elements Reveal a New Form of Chemistry", Penn State University; Jan 13, 2005)

Largest Explosion In Universe Discovered
Findings at NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory revealed the largest explosion in the universe, caused by none other than matter falling in, and partly being spewed out, by a supermassive black hole located in a galaxy cluster known as MS 0735.6 + 7421. The explosion has purportedly endured for over 100 million years and generated as much energy as hundreds of millions of gamma-ray bursts. The findings were announced in the journal Nature. The discovery is also revolutionary in that it goes against a previously held notion that larger black holes do not grow as quickly or consume as much matter as smaller ones do.

(“Voracious Black Hole Generates Most Powerful Explosion Known”, Scientific American; Jan 5, 2005)

Newborn Galaxies Sighted
NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer spacecraft (GALEX) recently returned observations of newborn galaxies just two to four billion light-years from the Earth, suggesting that our universe is more fertile than previously thought, and giving researchers an opportunity to study the ancestors to galaxies like our Milky Way in detail. These galaxies are 10 times as bright (in the ultraviolet range) as our own Milky Way, suggesting that they are indeed extremely new. GALEX was launched in April 2003, and its latest results will be appearing in a forthcoming issue of Astrophysical Journal Letters.

(“Sightings of 'Newborn' Galaxies Reveal a Fecund Universe”, Scientific American; Dec 22, 2004)

New Species of Monkey Discovered
Researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Nature Conservation Foundation recently discovered a new species of monkey - the 'Arunachal' monkey, after the region in which it was found - in the mountains of India. The new species is distinguished from other primates of its size by its short tails, in addition to their unusual habitat in the high mountainous regions of India, a good 1,600 - 3,500 meters (5,250 - 11,500 feet) above sea level. A paper on the discovery will be published in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Primatology.

(“New Monkey Species Discovered in India”, Scientific American; Dec 17, 2004)

Beer Bellies For Your Health
Researchers at the University of Western Ontario have found that beer and wine cause the same increase in blood antioxidants in humans. This came as a surprise because wine contains 20 times the concentration of polyphenols, compounds that are believed to have antioxidant properties, than beer. The researchers believe that these extra antioxidants do not play a role because the human body cannot fully process them.

(Press release; “Study shows beer has same benefits as red wine” John Trevithick; Sept 14, 2004)

To Mars and Back in 90 days
Robert Winglee of the University of Washington is leading a project to develop magnetized-beam plasma population, otherwise known as mag-beam for use in spacecraft. Mag-beam propulsion involves sending magnetized particles from a space station towards a spacecraft. These particles would accelerate the spacecraft by interacting with an onboard magnet sail. Using a beam 32 meters wide, Dr. Winglee estimates he can send a spacecraft to Mars in 76 days, significantly shorter than the 2.5 years it would take using traditional technologies, though he hopes to reduce the time to 45 days. One problem with mag-beam technologies is that there must also be a plasma source at the destination in order for the spacecraft to decelerate. If funding continues, the first tests of such systems may happen within five years.

(Press release. “New propulsion concept could make 90-day Mars round trip possible” Vince Stricherz. Oct 14, 2004)

Hot, Hot, Hot Productivity
By increasing an office’s temperature 9 degrees from 68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit, worker productivity can be substantially increased. The report from Cornell University showed that by increasing the temperature in the Insurance Office of America’s headquarters in Orlando, Florida, workers typed at almost double the speed and made less than half the errors at higher temperatures than at lower temperatures. This study is a part of an ongoing effort by Dr. Alan Hedge to find the ideal working environment. More information can be found at http://ergo.human.cornell.edu.

(Press release “Warm Offices Linked to Fewer Typing Errors and Higher Productivity” Oct 19, 2004. Contact Susan S. Lang)

Graphene: The New Carbon Nanotube?
Researchers at the University of Manchester have recently succeeded in fabricating micron-sized pieces of graphene, atom thick sheets of graphite. Graphene is a highly flexible, highly conductive material that has properties that make it an ideal replacement for silicon in the next generation microchips and transistors. This team has already succeeded in using graphene to make an ambipolar field-effect transistor, proof of the possibilities ahead. Graphene is related to carbon nanotubes, which are essentially pieces of graphene rolled into cylinders. With any luck, scientists will be able to refine synthesis techniques for graphene as they did with carbon nanotubes and create inch by inch squares, large enough to use for microchips.

(“Electric Field Effect in Atomically Thin Carbon Films” Novoselov et al. 22 October 2004. Science vol 306)

Heat to Freeze
Marie Plazanet led a team at the Université Joseph Fourier and the Institut Laue-Langevin, both in Grenoble, in the synthesis of a solution that freezes when heated. By mixing ±-cyclodextrine, water and 4-methylpyridine, the researchers were able to make a solution that became solid between 45 and 75oC. This solution is the first liquid known that becomes a solid when heated without undergoing a chemical reaction. The researchers believe this odd behavior is due to the formation of hydrogen bonds.

(M Plazanet et al. 2004 Journal of Chemical Physics 121 5031) or (Physics Web “Law-breaking liquid defines the rules” 24 September 2004)

Apocalyptic Genesis?
On September 8th, 2004, NASA’s Genesis spacecraft crash landed in the Utah desert. The $246 million Genesis project was supposed to collect dust from the Sun, from which scientists could determine the Sun’s current atomic composition. This in turn would allow scientists to infer the universe’s initial atomic composition. Due to the crash landing, many scientists will be skeptical of any data derived from samples from the Genesis probe because of the possibility of contamination of dust from the Utah desert, even though some of the key collectors remain in good condition. NASA believes that faulty switches prevented Genesis’ parachute from deploying, causing the crash landing.

(“Aiming for the sun, crashing to earth” Richard A Kerr. Science Vol 305 17 Sept 2004)

A New Method of HIV Prevention
Researchers at the International Partnership for Microbiocides in Silver Springs, Maryland have discovered that by injecting monkeys with PSC-RANTES, a chemical that blocks one of the suspected sites that HIV uses to infect white blood cells, they were able to prevent 12 out of 15 monkeys from contracting the primate equivalent of HIV after being injected with the virus. This project shows that by blocking only white blood cells, which are most susceptible to HIV, the disease can be warded off for a substantial amount of the time. The use of biocides like PSC-RANTES differs from traditional HIV treatment in that it targets human cells instead of the virus.

(“Microbicide Shuts the Door on HIV” Jon Cohen. Science vol 306 15 Oct 2004)

Batteries to Boost Your Brain
An experiment lead by Dr. Meenakshi Iyer of the National Institutes of Health found that by applying a small current, one two-thousandths of an ampere, across the front of one’s brain causes an increase in verbal ability. Dr. Iyer asked patients to list words that began with a given letter. Normally, patients could name about 20 words in 90 seconds. After receiving a current for 20 minutes, they were able to name about 20% more words. It is believed that the electrical current makes it easier for neurons to fire, which causes an increase in brain activity. This study was a part of a project that looked for alternatives to magnetic fields for treating brain disorders such as dementia.

(“Electric currents boost brain power” Jim Giles 26 October 2004; news@nature.com)

Rat Brains Fly Plane; Report Feelings of Airsickness
Dr. Thomas DeMarse of the University of Florida incubated rat brain cells on top of an electron grid that lay at the bottom of a glass dish. Over time, these cells grew and produced connections, forming a neural network. By attaching this “brain” to an aircraft simulator, Dr. DeMarse was able to “teach” these cells how to fly an F-22 to the point where they can control the pitch and roll in a variety of weather conditions. Using “neural networks” like these, researchers hope to invent unmanned airplanes, advanced search-and-rescue robots and bomb dismantling devices.

(“Brain in a Dish Flies Planes” Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News. Oct 22, 2004)