Tech : Science World Report

Mar 29, 2012 09:34 AM EDT

Getting to the Moon on Drops of Fuel

The first prototype of a new, ultra-compact motor that will allow small satellites to journey beyond Earth's orbit is just making its way out of the EPFL laboratories where it was built. The goal of the micro motor: to drastically reduce the cost of space exploration.

Mar 29, 2012 08:48 AM EDT

Volvo Shoots for 165 Mile-per-hour Hybrid-truck Speed Record

'Mean Green', the world's fastest hybrid truck, will attempt to reach speeds in excess of 260 km/h (165 mph) on April 27th at Wendover Airfield in Utah, USA, to try and beat its own world speed records set only last year by 'Mean Green's driver, Boije Ovebrink.

Mar 28, 2012 04:50 PM EDT

NASA Space Network to Begin New Design Phase for Ground Segment

The Space Network Ground Segment Sustainment effort successfully completed its Key Decision Point - B review at NASA allowing the project to proceed into Phase B of its lifecycle, the Mission Definition Phase. During this next phase, lasting approximately eight months, the network will hold its Prel...

Mar 28, 2012 12:03 PM EDT

Building Lightweight Trains

In their efforts to render cars and trains more economical, manufacturers are trying to find lighter materials to replace those currently used. But there is a problem: Lighter materials tend not to be as tough as steel or aluminum, so they cannot simply be used in place of these metals. Rather, it i...

Mar 28, 2012 10:51 AM EDT

Transparent Memory Chips Are Coming

Want a see-through cellphone you can wrap around your wrist? Such a thing may be possible before long, according to Rice University chemist James Tour, whose lab has developed transparent, flexible memories using silicon oxide as the active component.

Mar 28, 2012 09:02 AM EDT

Mars-Bound NASA Craft Adjusts Path, Tests Instruments

NASA's Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft, halfway to Mars, adjusted its flight path today for delivery of the one-ton rover Curiosity to the surface of Mars in August.

Mar 27, 2012 04:07 PM EDT

Boston University Researchers Develop Microfluidic Chip to Stem Flu Outbreaks

The H1N1 flu pandemic in 2009 underscored weaknesses in methods widely used to diagnose the flu, from frequent false negatives to long wait times for results. Now Boston University researchers have developed a prototype of a rapid, low-cost, accurate, point-of-care device that promises to provide cl...

Mar 27, 2012 02:28 PM EDT

Wind Turbines that Learn Like Humans

Depending on the weather, wind turbines can face whispering breezes or gale-force gusts. Such variable conditions make extracting the maximum power from the turbines a tricky control problem, but a collaboration of Chinese researchers may have found a novel solution in human-inspired learning models...

Mar 27, 2012 01:23 PM EDT

Harvardâ€™s Wyss Institute creates Living Human Gut-on-a-chip

Researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University have created a gut-on-a-chip microdevice lined by living human cells that mimics the structure, physiology, and mechanics of the human intestine-even supporting the growth of living microbes within its lumi...

Mar 27, 2012 06:35 AM EDT

A New Dimension for Solar Energy

Intensive research around the world has focused on improving the performance of solar photovoltaic cells and bringing down their cost. But very little attention has been paid to the best ways of arranging those cells, which are typically placed flat on a rooftop or other surface, or sometimes attach...

Mar 26, 2012 03:35 PM EDT

More Energy Efficient Transistors through Quantum Tunneling

Researchers at the University of Notre Dame and Pennsylvania State University have announced breakthroughs in the development of tunneling field effect transistors (TFETs), a semiconductor technology that takes advantage of the quirky behavior of electrons at the quantum level.

Mar 26, 2012 02:52 PM EDT

UC Research Establishes Real-world Wind Turbine Performance Metrics

The production of wind-derived renewable energy is growing, and so, it's important to help wind farm owners operate at higher efficiencies with lower costs.