New Self-healing Plastics Developed
Karlsruhe, Germany (SPX) Apr 17, 2014 -
Scratches in the car finish or cracks in polymer material: Self-healing materials can repair themselves by restoring their initial molecular structure after the damage. Scientists of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Evonik Industries have developed a chemical crosslinking reaction that ensures good short-term healing properties of the material under mild heating. The research results ha ...
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"RoboClam" hits new depths as robotic digger
London, UK (SPX) Apr 17, 2014 -
A digging robot inspired by the unique mechanisms employed by the Atlantic razor clam has been created by a group of researchers in the US. The robot, dubbed RoboClam, is able to dig with extreme efficiency by transforming the surrounding soil from a solid into a liquid, and could have a variety of applications from anchoring underwater robots to subsea cable installation and mine neutralization ...
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Scientists Capture Ultrafast Snapshots of Light-Driven Superconductivity
Upton NY (SPX) Apr 17, 2014 -
A new study pins down a major factor behind the appearance of superconductivity-the ability to conduct electricity with 100 percent efficiency-in a promising copper-oxide material.
Scientists used carefully timed pairs of laser pulses at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory's Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) to trigger superconductivity in the material and immediately take x-ray snapshot ...
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Tech giants look to skies to spread Internet
New York (AFP) April 16, 2014 -
The shortest path to the Internet for some remote corners of the world may be through the skies.
That is the message from US tech giants seeking to spread the online gospel to hard-to-reach regions.
Google took a step in that direction this week with the acquisition of Titan Aerospace, a maker of solar-powered drones that can help boost Internet access to remote areas.
"It's still ea ...
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SpaceX launches Dragon capsule to ISS
Washington (AFP) April 18, 2014 -
Private US firm SpaceX launched its unmanned Dragon capsule to the International Space Station on Friday, its third trip carrying supplies and equipment to the orbiting lab.
After three delays, the Falcon 9 rocket and its Dragon capsule finally blasted off as planned at 3:25 pm (1925 GMT) from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
About 10 minutes after liftoff, the capsule separated from the seco ...
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B3: the vitamin from outer space
Greenbelt, Md. (UPI) Apr 18, 2013 -
Vitamin B3, also called nicotinic acid or niacin, is the precursor to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) - vital to metabolism and a key to the development of ancient life. And though its possible B3 developed non-biologically on ancient Earth, scientists say it's likely carbon-rich meteorites peppering the planet millions of years ago offered an extra dose of niacin.
In studying ...
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New Study Outlines 'Water World' Theory of Life's Origins
Pasadena CA (JPL) Apr 19, 2014 -
Life took root more than four billion years ago on our nascent Earth, a wetter and harsher place than now, bathed in sizzling ultraviolet rays. What started out as simple cells ultimately transformed into slime molds, frogs, elephants, humans and the rest of our planet's living kingdoms. How did it all begin?
A new study from researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Cal ...
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