Monthly Archives: April 2011
New robot with caterpillar body can take the form of a treadmill
Already there is robots with form of snake, worm or caterpillar, that take advantage of the advantages that have those animals to climb for difficult places and to pass for very narrow spaces. Nevertheless, to be displaced crawling, without having wheels neither legs, or being these very small, leads to advance slowly, even to open field and in flat surfaces where the legs or roll you would be able to provide a very upper velocity. On the other hand, there are many robots whose wheels permit them to be moved quickly on certain lands, but that are incapable to be introduced for narrow spaces or to climb in the way in which the robots do it.
Improving solar cells by controlling individual molecules
In the career by doing cheaper and efficient to the solar energy, many groups of scientists are taking advantage of the natural molecules that capture the light or well they synthesize them. A new study goes a step beyond: It utilizes tools of the nanotechnology to do that individual molecules react of new ways under the influence of the light.
A disturbed pair of galaxies
The galaxies of this cosmic couple, captured by the Wide Field Imager of the telescope MPG/THAT of 2.2 meters in the Observatory The Chair in Chile, they unfold some curious characteristics that test that both are it sufficiently close as to feel the disruptive gravitational influence of its companion. The gravitational bargaining has twisted the spiral form of one of the galaxies, NGC 3169, and has fragmented the lines of dust of its companion, NGC 3166. In the right lower part, a third smaller galaxy, NGC 3165 observes since first row the gravitational tug of its larger neighbors.
Fewer deaths from malaria
One in three deaths from malaria that occur each year (781,000) could be avoided with artesunate, a drug that costs 1.40 Euros more than quinine, which is now used to treat severe cases of the disease. The WHO and organizations such as Doctors Without Borders has made an international appeal for them to benefit from the 8 million people, mostly children, at risk of death.
Most of the 225 million malaria cases that occur each year are not fatal, but 4% of these, about 8 million, just evolving severe malaria. All deaths were recorded among the latter, with symptoms that affect vital organs like lungs, kidneys or brain.
Use of magma as a source of geothermal energy, toward the volcanic power supply?
Use of magma to generate electricity is a much more ambitious (and dangerous) that the concept that underlying existing geothermal plants. After a recent preliminary study, now reached conclusions focused on practical use of artificially dug wells that reach a mass of magma located deep underground.
Created an optical microscope that goes beyond the theoretical limit of image resolution
The normal optic microscope only permits to see clearly not more small objects of around a micrometer. But now, a new microscope permits to see objects 20 smaller times (of 50 nanómetros) low normal light. This is beyond the theoretical limit of the optical microscopy.
The creators of this microscope, University of Manchester and others have achieved the feat by combining an optical microscope with a transparent bead. The result of the combination is a dramatic improvement in the ability to scrutinize small objects.
New technology to dramatically extend the battery range of portable devices
Making mobile devices we use to make phone calls, listen to music or read, work many hours between recharging its batteries, or use much smaller cells, could be just around the corner thanks to a new development. And it has not been done in batteries but in the digital memory.
A team of engineers at the University of Illinois led by Eric Pop, electronic and computer engineer has developed a form of ultra low power digital memory that is much faster and uses 100 times less power than similar devices available memory.
New and better method to desalinate water
The drinking water is a valuable resource that at times is scarce in places that paradoxically are near of an immense deposit of her: the sea. Desalinizing the seawater would be the ideal solution to supply of enough drinking water zones, but the cost and the efficiency of the existing systems have impeded up to now that this solution apply of way generalized.
The situation could change with the recent development of a desalination process that is faster, better and cheaper through the use of carbon nanotubes. The process uses an innovative architecture for membrane distillation by immobilization of carbon nanotubes in the pores of it.
Insulting prevents pain
Few of us are able to avoid the corresponding yell pain when we hit unexpected or we catch our fingers in the door. Moreover, although the insults that can go out of our mouth at that moment of pain may embarrass the most riotous of the neighborhood, now researchers say that this attitude can also help us cope with pain.
The plants release less water vapor in the atmosphere because of the increasing presence of CO2 in it
The carbon dioxide levels have increased over the past 150 years, and the density of pores that allow plants to breathe has declined by 34 percent, limiting the amount of water vapor that they release into the atmosphere.
This has been made public scientists at Indiana University in Bloomington (USA) and the University of Utrecht (Netherlands).
Data were gathered from various plant species in Florida, including live specimens and samples from herbarium collections and bogs, between 100 and 150 years old.