http://www.physorg.com/ en-us Physorg.com internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Naval Research Laboratory have developed a new way to introduce magnetic impurities in a semiconductor crystal by prodding it with a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). Detailed in a recent paper, this technique will enable researchers to selectively implant atoms in a crystal one at a time to learn about its electrical and magnetic properties on the atomic scale. http://www.physorg.com/news178978543.html Nanotechnology Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:16:57 EST news178978543 (AP) -- A group of European scientists said Wednesday they have successfully connected a robotic hand to an amputee, allowing him to feel sensations in the artificial limb and control it with his thoughts. http://www.physorg.com/news178976346.html Medicine & Health Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:39:47 EST news178976346 Looks can be deceiving, but certain bird species have figured out that a voice can tell them most of what they need to know to find the right mate. http://www.physorg.com/news178976123.html Biology Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:36:15 EST news178976123 (PhysOrg.com) -- Using the latest technology, researchers are uncovering evidence of exactly how major a role activity plays in the battle to keep obesity at bay. In new report published in the British Medical Journal, scientists have shown that it`s the type of exercise you do, rather than the amount, that's most important. http://www.physorg.com/news178975986.html Medicine & Health Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:33:33 EST news178975986 (PhysOrg.com) -- Hydrogen is a promising alternative energy carrier that can be efficiently converted into electrical energy in fuel cells. One hurdle to the introduction of sustainable hydrogen technology is the fact that the large-scale industrial production of hydrogen through reforming processes is still largely based on fossil fuels, and thus is not carbon neutral. http://www.physorg.com/news178969673.html Chemistry Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:30:01 EST news178969673 (PhysOrg.com) -- Sometimes friends can become enemies and enemies become friends, and it`s difficult to understand exactly how or why the changes took place. A new study shows that when the shifting of alliances and rivalries is interpreted using principles from social psychology, the overall behavior can be modeled as arising from an energy minimization process. The work is part of a growing line of research that uses tools from physics to analyze complex social systems. http://www.physorg.com/news178954961.html Physics Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:50:04 EST news178954961 (PhysOrg.com) -- A team of Anglo-French scientists studying sedimentary deposits in the Bay of Biscay have concluded that Britain and France were separated by a "super-river" during three periods of glaciations, and they have produced a more complete picture of the process of separation than previously available. http://www.physorg.com/news178954083.html Space & Earth Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:30:01 EST news178954083 (PhysOrg.com) -- Chemistry professor Harry Frank led an international group of researchers that identified the molecules in algae which direct the organisms to convert sunlight into oxygen. The findings may ultimately help in developing new solar energy conversion devices. http://www.physorg.com/news178964604.html Chemistry Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:24:06 EST news178964604 (PhysOrg.com) -- A new study, aimed at estimating the prevalence of Down Syndrome in newborns, children and teenagers in 10 areas of the U.S., has found an increase in prevalence of more than 30 percent over the last 24 years. http://www.physorg.com/news178953188.html Medicine & Health Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:20:02 EST news178953188 San Francisco and Amsterdam set an online stage for an environmental rivalry regarding which city is more nature-friendly. http://www.physorg.com/news178952100.html Space & Earth Wed, 02 Dec 2009 04:55:55 EST news178952100 Google, under fire from Rupert Murdoch and some other newspaper owners, said it will let publishers set a limit on the number of articles people can read for free through its search engine. http://www.physorg.com/news178909169.html Technology Wed, 02 Dec 2009 04:48:47 EST news178909169 Researchers in Japan have found that female mice produced by using genetic material from two mothers but no father live significantly longer than mice with the normal mix of maternal and paternal genes. Their findings provide the first evidence that sperm genes may have a detrimental effect on lifespan in mammals. http://www.physorg.com/news178919114.html Medicine & Health Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:50:19 EST news178919114 (PhysOrg.com) -- The bodywork on motor vehicles must be sufficiently stable, but processing the high-strength steels involved -- for example punching holes in them -- can prove something of a challenge. A new steel-cutting process will save time, energy and money in the future. http://www.physorg.com/news178914974.html Technology Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:10:02 EST news178914974 If cellphones with built-in video projectors are going to take the country by storm, then Dallas will be at the eye of the hurricane. http://www.physorg.com/news178916956.html Electronics Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:09:37 EST news178916956 (PhysOrg.com) -- iPhones are being used as musical instruments in a new course at the University of Michigan. http://www.physorg.com/news178915531.html Technology Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:46:06 EST news178915531 Glial cells, which help neurons communicate with each other, can leave the central nervous system and cross into the peripheral nervous system to compensate for missing cells, according to new research in the Dec. 2 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. The animal study contributes to researchers' basic understanding of how the two nervous systems develop and are maintained, which is essential for the effective treatment of diseases such as multiple sclerosis. http://www.physorg.com/news178910103.html Medicine & Health Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:00:02 EST news178910103 Northwestern University researchers have achieved a breakthrough in quantum cascade laser output power, delivering 120 watts from a single device at room temperature. http://www.physorg.com/news178907017.html Physics Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:00:01 EST news178907017 (PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter put itself into a safe standby mode on Saturday, Nov. 28, and the team operating the spacecraft has begun implementing careful steps designed to resume Odyssey's science and relay operations within about a week. http://www.physorg.com/news178907664.html Space & Earth Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:34:56 EST news178907664 This year, many of college football's biggest rivalry games take place over Thanksgiving weekend. A win earns bragging rights for the year. Visiting teams are often thought to be at a considerable disadvantage, especially in the disruptive environment of a rival's home stadium. http://www.physorg.com/news178906935.html Other Sciences Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:23:16 EST news178906935 (PhysOrg.com) -- The Web site Neuroanthropology asks visitors to complete this quote, "One of the difficulties in understanding the brain is ...". In addition to the typical facetious remarks, such as "so few of us seem to have one" and "the damn thing is smart enough to realize what you are doing, and contrary enough to change the way it reacts just to spite you...," there are more serious ones, such as "... it's not a computer" and the methods we have available "are not enough accurate in saying how neural mechanisms correlates to behavior." http://www.physorg.com/news178906562.html Physics Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:16:45 EST news178906562 (PhysOrg.com) -- As the world`s seawater becomes more acidic due to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide, some shelled marine creatures may actually become bigger and stronger, according to a new study. http://www.physorg.com/news178904818.html Space & Earth Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:51:26 EST news178904818 Johan Wesselink of the University of Twente, The Netherlands, has developed a device to actively combat noise nuisance. This invention curtails sound waves and vibrations by producing anti-noise. The researcher is confident that his device will be used in the transport and industrial sectors within a matter of years. http://www.physorg.com/news178903738.html Technology Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:29:47 EST news178903738 A series of newly discovered pits in the bottom of the Hudson Canyon, 100 miles southeast of New York Harbor, may be a key ingredient for the abundant and diverse marine ecosystem in and around the canyon, according to research by scientists from Rutgers University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. http://www.physorg.com/news178903141.html Space & Earth Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:20:30 EST news178903141 Toddlers are distractible. Their minds flit constantly here and there, and they have a terrible time concentrating on even the most stimulating project. They might be fascinated by a colorful new toy, but only until the next best toy comes along. This can be maddening for parents or teachers, who often try to rein in a toddler's impulsivity. http://www.physorg.com/news178903032.html Medicine & Health Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:17:44 EST news178903032 (PhysOrg.com) -- A whole microcosm of various bizarrely shaped life forms opens up when you look at diatoms, the primary component of ocean plankton, under a microscope. The regularly structured silica shells of these tiny individual life forms have attracted scientists because they are particularly interesting examples of natural hybrid materials and also demonstrate unusual mechanistic and optical properties. The mechanisms of the underlying biomineralization process are not yet fully understood, but the silica shells often provide inspiration for the synthesis of man-made nanostructures. http://www.physorg.com/news178901054.html Chemistry Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:51:39 EST news178901054 The research group of Professor Magdalena Gotz of Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munich (Germany) has made a significant advance in understanding regeneration processes in the brain. The researchers discovered progenitor cells which can form new glutamatergic neurons following injury to the cerebral cortex. http://www.physorg.com/news178899595.html Medicine & Health Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:30:41 EST news178899595 On Earth, we tend to find dust nothing more than a nuisance that blankets our furniture and causes us to sneeze. Cosmic dust can also be a hindrance to astronomers because cameras using visible light cannot see through it. However, studying cosmic dust in detail helps astronomers to pin down the ingredients of the raw mixture that eventually gives birth to stars. http://www.physorg.com/news178899301.html Space & Earth Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:16:51 EST news178899301 Antennas aren't just for listening to the radio anymore. They're used in everything from cell phones to GPS devices. Research from North Carolina State University is revolutionizing the field of antenna design - creating shape-shifting antennas that open the door to a host of new uses in fields ranging from public safety to military deployment. http://www.physorg.com/news178897908.html Technology Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:52:19 EST news178897908 (AP) -- Media companies need to deliver compelling information on a variety of electronic devices and overcome readers' resistance to paying for material online, news executives said Tuesday at a government-sponsored journalism conference. http://www.physorg.com/news178896377.html Technology Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:26:45 EST news178896377 In July the scientists, one from the United States, the other from Canada, put the satellite collar on Brutus, the leader of his wolf pack, on remote Ellesmere Island, only 600 miles from the North Pole. Their goal - to finally find out what these "North Pole wolves" do in the long, dark days of winter in one of the harshest areas of the world. http://www.physorg.com/news178892666.html Biology Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:10:04 EST news178892666