Science – Page 354 – Shamskm: A site to exchange knowledge and solutions

Sharpening The Nanofocus: Berkeley Lab Researchers Use Nanoantenna to Enhance Plasmonic Sensing

By Guest PostMay 23, 2011Scienceantenna enhanced gas sensing, berkeley lab, biochemical agents, biosensing, catalytic processes, chemical or biological events, confinement of electromagnetic waves, double electron beam lithography, german ministry of research, Germany, gold nanoantenna, harald giessen, laura na liu, localized surface plasmon resonance, lspr, mario hentschel, metallic nanostructures, ming tang, nanocatalysts, nanofocus, nanoreactors, optical detection, palladium nanoparticle, particle level, paul alivisatos, plasmonics, plasmons, university of california, university of stuttgart, wavelength

Such highly coveted technical capabilities as the observation of single catalytic processes in nanoreactors, or the optical detection of low concentrations of biochemical agents and gases are an important step closer to fruition. Researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), in collaboration with researchers at the University of Stuttgart in Germany, report the first experimental demonstration of antenna-enhanced gas sensing at the single particle level. By placing a palladium nanoparticle on the focusing tip of a gold nanoantenna, they were able to clearly detect changes in the palladium’s optical properties upon exposure to hydrogen. (more…)

Virtual Workout Partners Spur Better Results

By Guest PostMay 23, 2011Science, Technologyabdominal muscles, deborah feltz, department of kinesiology, eye toy camera, health games research, health video games, kohler effect, lack of motivation, michigan state university, motivation, playstation 2, robert wood johnson foundation, same sex virtual partner, virtual partner

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Can’t find anyone to exercise with? Don’t despair: New research from Michigan State University reveals working out with a virtual partner improves motivation during exercise.

The study led by Deborah Feltz, chairperson of MSU’s Department of Kinesiology, is the first to investigate the Kohler effect on motivation in health video games; that phenomenon explains why inferior team members perform better in a group than they would by themselves. (more…)

MU Archeologist Finds Oldest 3-D Statue In Western Hemisphere

By Guest PostMay 21, 2011Culture, Scienceandean people, myth of fox, myths, rising sun, statue, statue in peru, temple in peru

Statue at temple in Peru helps us understand ancient culture, myths

COLUMBIA, Mo. – A University of Missouri archeologist has found a 4,000-year-old statue in Peru that gives new insight into an ancient agricultural society. (more…)

Kartchner Caverns: A Living Microbe Laboratory

By Guest PostMay 20, 2011Sciencecave, colonies of microbes, kartchner caverns, microbe laboratory, microbes, microbes in caves

In the first extensive genetic survey of microbes living in Kartchner Caverns, UA doctoral candidate Marian Ortiz has shown that some of the cave-dwelling microbes may have anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties

In a hole in the ground, there lives a microbe. Actually, there live several microbes. What are they and how do they survive in conditions practically devoid of resources or other forms of life? (more…)

NASA Telescope Helps Confirm Nature of Dark Energy

By Guest PostMay 20, 2011Science3 d map, albert einstein, anglo australian telescope, australia, big bang, caltech, chris blake, christopher martin, constant force, cosmic time, dark energy, dark matter, galaxies, galaxy evolution explorer, gravitational attractions, gravity, how dark energy works, jon morse, melbourne, NASA, siding spring mountain, swinburne university of technology, universe

PASADENA, Calif. — A five-year survey of 200,000 galaxies, stretching back seven billion years in cosmic time, has led to one of the best independent confirmations that dark energy is driving our universe apart at accelerating speeds. The survey used data from NASA’s space-based Galaxy Evolution Explorer and the Anglo-Australian Telescope on Siding Spring Mountain in Australia.

The findings offer new support for the favored theory of how dark energy works — as a constant force, uniformly affecting the universe and propelling its runaway expansion. They contradict an alternate theory, where gravity, not dark energy, is the force pushing space apart. According to this alternate theory, with which the new survey results are not consistent, Albert Einstein’s concept of gravity is wrong, and gravity becomes repulsive instead of attractive when acting at great distances. (more…)

Emerging Explorers Award to WHOI’s Kakani Katija

By Guest PostMay 20, 2011Environment, Nature, Sciencebiogenic ocean mixing, copepods, dian fosseys, edmund hillarys, emerging explorers, engineering diagnostic techniques, jacques cousteaus, kakani katija, motion of oceans, national geographic, ocean currents, oceanographic applications, sea creatures, swarms of tiny krill, swimming animals, terry garcia, tom kleindinst, weather patterns, whoi, winds and tides, woods hole oceanographic institution

Kakani Katija, a postdoctoral scholar at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), has been selected as one of 14 National Geographic Emerging Explorers for 2011 for her investigation into the role swimming animals might play in mixing and moving the oceans and other large bodies of water.

National Geographic’s Emerging Explorers Program recognizes and supports uniquely gifted and inspiring adventurers, scientists and storytellers making a significant contribution to world knowledge through exploration while still early in their careers. The Emerging Explorers each receive a $10,000 award to assist with research and to aid further exploration. The program is made possible in part by the Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation, which has supported the program since its inception in 2004. (more…)

Free-Floating Planets May be More Common Than Stars

By Guest PostMay 19, 2011Scienceastronomers, dark of space, david bennett, earth, gaseous bodies, giant wingless, gravitational microlensing events, jupiter, mario perez, microlensing observations in astrophysics, milky way galaxy, moa, NASA, new zealand, nuclear fuel, ogle, optical gravitational lensing experiment, orphan planets, star, star forming clusters, takahiro sumi, telescope in chile, turbulent solar systems

PASADENA, Calif. — Astronomers, including a NASA-funded team member, have discovered a new class of Jupiter-sized planets floating alone in the dark of space, away from the light of a star. The team believes these lone worlds were probably ejected from developing planetary systems.

The discovery is based on a joint Japan-New Zealand survey that scanned the center of the Milky Way galaxy during 2006 and 2007, revealing evidence for up to 10 free-floating planets roughly the mass of Jupiter. The isolated orbs, also known as orphan planets, are difficult to spot, and had gone undetected until now. The newfound planets are located at an average approximate distance of 10,000 to 20,000 light-years from Earth. (more…)

Scientists Discover Animal-like Urea Cycle in Tiny Diatoms in the Ocean

By Guest PostMay 19, 2011Sciencealisdair fernie, andrew allen, animal like urea cycle, atmosphere, carbon recycling, chris bowler, david garrison, deep ocean, diatoms, environmental health of marine ecosystems, genome, marine diatoms, metazoan, national science foundation, nsf, nutrient, nutrient metabolism in diatoms, pennate diatom, photosynthesis, phytoplankton, rna interference, silica, unique cell walls, urea synthesis

*Cycle enables marine phytoplankton to use carbon and nitrogen from their environment*

Scientists have discovered that marine diatoms, tiny phytoplankton abundant in the sea, have an animal-like urea cycle, and that this cycle enables the diatoms to efficiently use carbon and nitrogen from their environment. (more…)

Category Archives: Science