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According to a study conducted by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), proposals to offset global warming by artificially seeding the stratosphere with sulfate particles could do more harm than good by having a negative impact on Earth's protective ozone layer. Such a plan might not only delay recovery of the ozone...

Robert Fisher and Cal Jordan of the Flash Center are among a team of scientists who will expend 22 million computational hours during the next year on the Blue Gene/P supercomputer at Argonne National Laboratory. The Flash Center will devote its computer allocation to studying Type Ia supernovas, in which temperatures reach billions...

Sponsored by COMSOL Recorded February 27, 2008 In this podcast, COMSOL Branch Manager, David Kan, speaks with NASA Tech Briefs Editorial Director, Linda Bell, about the wide range of challenging design problems that can now be easily tackled by applying multiphysics modeling and simulation techniques. Learn how...

Activation of the brain enzyme CaMKK2 is one step in the appetite stimulation pathway located in the hypothalamus section of the brain. Duke University Medical Center researchers blocked CaMKK2 in mice to tone down appetite, promote weight loss, and manage blood sugar. The researchers blocked the enzyme with a specialized molecule...

The Keyence PX Series rugged photoelectric sensors from Keyence Corp. of America have been selected as NTB's Product of the Month for May. The sensors feature an IP-69K environmental rating for high pressure (1,400 psi) applications at temperatures to 176 degrees F. They feature stainless steel casings, sensor heads backfilled...

A process to transmit medical images via cellular phones, developed by Hebrew University of Jerusalem researcher Prof. Boris Rubinsky, could provide sophisticated radiological diagnoses and treatment to most of the world's population lacking access to such technology. Designed to replace stand-alone medical imaging systems,...

“You can be sure if it’s Westinghouse.” Raise your hand if you recall that signature line from Westinghouse TV commercials, or if you grew up in a household with Westinghouse appliances. A lot of hands, I’m sure. Far fewer if I were to ask how many still used Westinghouse products today. As pieces of...

For years, scientists have known about silver's ability to kill harmful bacteria and, recently, have created consumer products containing silver nanoparticles. Now, a University of Missouri researcher has found that silver nanoparticles also may destroy benign bacteria that are used to remove ammonia from wastewater treatment...

A new study using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory indicates that globular clusters might be surprisingly less mature in their development than previously thought. Globular clusters are dense bunches of up to millions of stars that are found in the outskirts of galaxies, including the Milky Way. Understanding the nature of...

Westinghouse is a fascinating new feature-length documentary about the life and times of George Westinghouse, one of America's greatest inventors, entrepreneurs, and industrialists. Listen to our interview with the writer and director, Mark Bussler, as he discusses this "forgotten giant" --...

Every ounce of weight brought to the lunar surface costs 40 to 60 times that in fuel needed at liftoff from the Earth. Part of that weight penalty is due to wires, but the cost of wires is much more than weight. Wired connectivity drives up the price of design...

Proprietary microbial systems use naturally occurring microbes in lieu of chemicals in fertilizers, microbial inoculants, cleaning products, and pond treatments. Products are based on incorporating beneficial micro-organisms with a variety of task-specific organic surfactants,...

Technology is needed to generate a change in the ambience of a given space. The technology must interpret a number of sensory changes within a room in order to change other parameters. Of specific interest is software that interprets multi-sensor data and the consequence hardware to...

A food company seeks ways of objectively measuring and analyzing taste, mouth feel, texture, flavor, and eating quality of foods, leading to an analysis method that is accurate and repeatable across many foods and across time. Respond to this TechNeed at: www.techbriefs.com/tn/200805d.html Email:...