Monday 12 May 2014

Profiles in Science | Geoffrey W. Marcy: Finder of New Worlds

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An astronomer’s long look at the stars has led to distant planets, and personally trying times.















via New York Times

A Very High-Flying Scotsman

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Virgin Galactic’s David Mackay, the chief pilot for the world’s first airline to space, has kept working his way there despite growing up in a country without a space program.















via New York Times

Nanoparticles replace needle and thread

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Stopping bleeding, closing wounds, repairing organs—these are everyday challenges in medical and surgical practice. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, French researchers have now introduced a new method that employs gluing by aqueous nanoparticle solutions to effectively control bleeding and repair tissues. In animal tests, their approach proved easy to apply, rapid and efficient even in situations when conventional methods are traumatic or fail. Sutures and staples are efficient tools for use in surgery and treating wounds. However, the usefulness of these methods can be limited in inaccessible parts of the body or in minimally invasive surgeries. In addition, stitching damages soft tissues such as liver, spleen, kidney, or lung. A good adhesive could be a useful alternative. The problem is that the adhesion must take place in a wet environment and that the repaired area is immediately put under strain. Previous adhesive technologies have had problems, including insufficient strength, inflammation due to toxic substances, or complicated implementation because a chemical polymerization or cross-linking reaction must be carried out in a controlled manner. Read more at: Phys.org

The post Nanoparticles replace needle and thread has been published on Technology Org.

 
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Sombrero Galaxy - M104 - poster/print

Here's a great poster featuring a beautiful image from deep space


tagged with: sombrero, galaxy, space, astronomy, hubble, telescope, sombrero galaxy, hubble space telescope, skies, nasa, horseshoes3

This floating ring is the size of a galaxy. In fact, it is part of the photogenic Sombrero Galaxy, one of the largest galaxies in the nearby Virgo Cluster of Galaxies. The dark band of dust that obscures the mid-section of the Sombrero Galaxy in optical light actually glows brightly in infrared light. The above image shows the infrared glow, recently recorded by the orbiting Spitzer Space Telescope, superposed in false-color on an existing image taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope in optical light. The Sombrero Galaxy, also known as M104, spans about 50,000 light years across and lies 28 million light years away. M104 can be seen with a small telescope in the direction of the constellation Virgo. This image is in the public domain

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3D-printed ultrasound cast could save us costly surgeries

Science Focus

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Osteoid

Last year the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) approved a low-intensity ultrasound system, known as Exogen, for use in the NHS on bone fractures that fail to heal after nine months. Now, Turkish industrial designer Deniz Karasahin wants to make that healing a more beautiful, and patient-friendly experience.

"The process started itself, somehow," Karasahin told Wired.co.uk of his Osteoid cast development. "I was asked to make a small informative presentation about 3D technologies at the Izmir Chamber of Commerce. At the time I was also following the growth of the industry very closely and wanted to contribute. The cast idea was the most promising area because it added the most benefit compared with contemporary applications."

3D printing hearts and livers might be in the early development stages, but 3D printing medical devices and parts has been ongoing for years—in 2013, iLab Haiti began using MakerBot printers to create umbilical cord clamps on the spot. And if anything is ripe for disruption, it's the sweaty, stinky, itchy plaster cast that has remained relatively unchanged for decades.

Read 16 remaining paragraphs | Comments

 
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 » see original post http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/science/~3/Xnj0-x2hfDM/
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Micro-macro entangled ‘cat states’ could one day test quantum gravity

Science Focus

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Proposed setup for generating optomechanical “cat states,” a form of micro-macro entanglement in which the quantum states of photons and phonons are in superposition. Credit: R. Ghobadi, et al. ©2014 American Physical Society In Schrödinger’s famous thought experiment, a cat’s quantum state becomes entangled with the quantum state of a decaying nucleus, resulting in the odd situation that the cat is both alive and dead at the same time. The thought experiment was originally intended to convey the absurdity of applying quantum mechanics to macroscopic objects, but recently physicists have been questioning whether “quantum” effects such as entanglement and superposition may apply on all scales. In order to extend quantum effects to the macroscopic level, physicists are working on creating entanglement between a macroscopic and microscopic system. This situation is very similar to that of the entanglement between the quantum state of the macroscopic cat and that of the microscopic decaying nucleus. So far, micro-macro entanglement has been experimentally demonstrated in optical systems, and is currently being pursued in other areas, such as electro-mechanical and opto-mechanical systems. In a new study published in Physical Review Letters, physicists Roohollah Ghobadi, et al., have proposed a method for generating optomechanical micro-macro entanglement. One of the most intriguing outcomes of bringing

The post Micro-macro entangled ‘cat states’ could one day test quantum gravity has been published on Technology Org.

 
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 » see original post http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TechnologyOrgPhysicsNews/~3/3Oi_5hUxEEU/
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Name, Crab Nebula in Taurus outer space picture Gift Wrap Paper

Get your out-of-this-world gift wrap here! Perfect for Christmas gifts for anyone who is fascinated by what the universe holds in store for us!


tagged with: messier 1, neutron stars, star ejecta, pulsars, supernovae explosions, supernova remnant, crbneb, astronomy pictures, outer space images, crab nebula, heavens, european southern observatory, eso, vista

Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series A great outer space picture featuring a three colour composite of the well-known Crab Nebula (also known as Messier 1), as observed with the FORS2 instrument in imaging mode in the morning of November 10, 1999.
It's the remnant of a supernova explosion at a distance of about 6,000 light-years, observed almost 1,000 years ago, in the year 1054. It contains a neutron star near its center that spins 30 times per second around its axis (see below).
In this picture, the green light is predominantly produced by hydrogen emission from material ejected by the star that exploded. The blue light is predominantly emitted by very high-energy ("relativistic") electrons that spiral in a large-scale magnetic field (so-called synchrotron emission). It's believed that these electrons are continuously accelerated and ejected by the rapidly spinning neutron star at the centre of the nebula and which is the remnant core of the exploded star.
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image code: crbneb

ESO/J. Emerson/VISTA www.eso.org
Reproduced under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.

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Tadpole Nebula, Auriga Constellation Star Stickers

Here's a great sheet of stickers featuring a beautiful image from deep space


tagged with: envelope sealers, star forming activity, awesome astronomy images, tnitac, tadpole nebula, auriga constellation, new born stars, hot young stars, star nursery, dust clouds, interstellar gas clouds

Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series An awesome outer space picture featuring the Tadpole Nebula, a star forming hub located about 12000 light years away in the Auriga constellation.
This nebula is brimming with new-born stars, many as young as only a million years of age. It's called the Tadpole nebula because the masses of hot, young stars are blasting out ultraviolet radiation that has etched the gas into two tadpole-shaped pillars, called Sim 129 and130, the yellow forms that seem to be swimming away from the three red stars close to the centre of the picture.

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image code: tnitac

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA

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Illustris Simulation of the Universe

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Zazzle Space Gifts for young and old

First view of nature-inspired catalyst after ripping hydrogen apart provides insights for better, cheaper fuel cells

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Neutron crystallography shows this iron catalyst gripping two hydrogen atoms (red spheres). This arrangement allows an uncommon dihydrogen bond to form between the hydrogen atoms (red dots). Credit: PNNL/Liu et al 2014 Like a hungry diner ripping open a dinner roll, a fuel cell catalyst that converts hydrogen into electricity must tear open a hydrogen molecule. Now researchers have captured a view of such a catalyst holding onto the two halves of its hydrogen feast. The view confirms previous hypotheses and provides insight into how to make the catalyst work better for alternative energy uses. This study is the first time scientists have shown precisely where the hydrogen halves end up in the structure of a molecular catalyst that breaks down hydrogen, the team reported online April 22 in Angewandte Chemie International Edition. The design of this catalyst was inspired by the innards of a natural protein called a hydrogenase enzyme. “The catalyst shows us what likely happens in the natural hydrogenase system,” said Morris Bullock of the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. “The catalyst is where the action is, but the natural enzyme has a huge protein surrounding the catalytic site. It would be hard to see what we have

The post First view of nature-inspired catalyst after ripping hydrogen apart provides insights for better, cheaper fuel cells has been published on Technology Org.

 
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A moon and a planet align

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Space science image of the week: Mars Express watches moon Phobos dart in front of Jupiter

via ESA Space Science

http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2014/Phobos_and_Jupiter_align

Astronomical Clock In Praque Posters

Here's a great poster featuring a beautiful image from deep space


tagged with: astrology sign, astrological, star sign signs, symbols, symbol, ancient, antique, antiques, european, famous, history, time, astronomy, landmarks, details, city, town, astro, stars, star, planets, planet, science, scientific, measures, measurements, customizable, customise, customisable

detailed color colour photography of a historical, medieval landmark of an old astronomical clock in prague in europe with blue, orange, and brown colors colours with astrology signs and roman numerals

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Flexible supercapacitor raises bar for volumetric energy density; Could be woven into clothes to power devices

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Scientists have taken a large step toward making a fiber-like energy storage device that can be woven into clothing and power wearable medical monitors, communications equipment or other small electronics. Their supercapacitor packs an interconnected network of graphene and carbon nanotubes so tightly that it stores energy comparable to some thin-film lithium batteries.

via Science Daily

Name, Dumbbell Nebula, Intriguing Outer Space Gift Wrap

Get your out-of-this-world gift wrap here! Perfect for Christmas gifts for anyone who is fascinated by what the universe holds in store for us!


tagged with: inspirational, dmbblneb, vulpecula constellation, intense ultraviolet radiation, heavens, dumbbell nebula, star galaxies, the fox constellation, outer space, astronomy pictures, european southern observatory, messier 27 ngc 6853, eso, vista

Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series A great photo from deep space featuring the Dumbbell Nebula - also known as Messier 27 or NGC 6853. It's a typical planetary nebula and is located in the constellation Vulpecula (The Fox).
The distance is rather uncertain, but is believed to be around 1,200 light-years. It was first described by the French astronomer and comet hunter Charles Messier who found it in 1764 and included it as no. 27 in his famous list of extended sky objects.
Despite its class, the Dumbbell Nebula has nothing to do with planets. It consists of very rarefied gas that has been ejected from the hot central star (well visible on this photo), now in one of the last evolutionary stages. The gas atoms in the nebula are excited (heated) by the intense ultraviolet radiation from this star and emit strongly at specific wavelengths.
This image is the beautiful by-product of a technical test of some FORS1 narrow-band optical interference filters. They only allow light in a small wavelength range to pass and are used to isolate emissions from particular atoms and ions.
In this three-colour composite, a short exposure was first made through a wide-band filter registering blue light from the nebula. It was then combined with exposures through two interference filters in the light of double-ionized oxygen atoms and atomic hydrogen. They were colour-coded as “blue”, “green” and “red”, respectively, and then combined to produce this picture that shows the structure of the nebula in “approximately true” colours.
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image code: dmbblneb

ESO/J. Emerson/VISTA www.eso.org
Reproduced under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.

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North American and Pelican Nebulae Stickers

Here's a great sheet of stickers featuring a beautiful image from deep space


tagged with: envelope sealers, nanpn, pelican nebula, north american nebula, emission nebulae, billowing interstellar gas clouds, awesome astronomy images, hydrogen clouds, stellar winds, star nurseries, dust clouds, star forming activity, star nursery

Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series A gorgeous picture from outer space featuring the North American and Pelican emission nebulae in the constellation of Cygnus, The Swan. The red, green and yellow areas all highlight the cloud of interstellar ionised hydrogen.
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image code: nanpn

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

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Light Echo from Star V838 Wall Sticker

Here's a great wall decal featuring a beautiful image from deep space


tagged with: le0018, nasa, etoiles, les etoiles, astronomy, nebula, space, hubble, science, scientific, outer space, deep space, sky, hst, hubble telescope, nebulae, reflection, nova, v838, monocerotis, light echo, hubble space telescope, red, orange, black, beautiful, pretty, inspiring, celestial

"[This is] the most recent NASA Hubble Space Telescope view of an unusual phenomenon in space called a light echo. Light from a star that erupted nearly five years ago continues propagating outward through a cloud of dust surrounding the star. The light reflects or "echoes" off the dust and then travels to Earth."

(qtd. from HubbleSite.org NewsCenter release STScI-2006-50)

Credit: NASA, ESA, and H. Bond (STScI)

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