ScienceDaily: Computers & Math News

Bionimbus protected data cloud to enable researchers to analyze cancer data

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:32:32 EDT

The University of Chicago has launched the first secure cloud-based computing system that enables researchers to access and analyze human genomic cancer information without the costly and cumbersome infrastructure normally needed to download and store massive amounts of data.

Competition in the quantum world

Sun, 19 May 2013 19:48:48 EDT

Physicists have gained a deep insight into the nature of quantum mechanical phase transitions. Scientists have simulated the competition between two rival dynamical processes at a novel type of transition between two quantum mechanical orders.

Electric and magnetic characteristics of a material which could be used in spintronics: Promising doped zirconia

Fri, 17 May 2013 09:46:46 EDT

Materials belonging to the family of dilute magnetic oxides (DMOs) - an oxide-based variant of the dilute magnetic semiconductors - are good candidates for spintronics applications.

New study recommends using active videogaming ('exergaming') to improve children's health

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:58:58 EDT

Levels of physical inactivity and obesity are very high in children, with fewer than 50 percent of primary school-aged boys and fewer than 28 percent of girls meeting the minimum levels of physical activity required to maintain health. Exergaming, using active console video games that track player movement to control the game, has become popular, and may provide an alternative form of exercise to counteract sedentary behaviors.

Can math models of gaming strategies be used to detect terrorism networks?

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:26:26 EDT

Mathematicians have developed a mathematical model to disrupt the flow of information in a complex real-world network, such as a terrorist organization, using minimal resources.

Scientific insurgents say 'Journal Impact Factors' distort science

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:25:25 EDT

An ad hoc coalition of unlikely insurgents -- scientists, journal editors and publishers, scholarly societies, and research funders across many scientific disciplines -- today posted an international declaration calling on the world scientific community to eliminate the role of the journal impact factor in evaluating research for funding, hiring, promotion, or institutional effectiveness.

Fast and painless way to better mental arithmetic? Yes, there might actually be a way

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:39:39 EDT

In the future, if you want to improve your ability to manipulate numbers in your head, you might just plug yourself in. So say researchers who report on studies of a harmless form of brain stimulation applied to an area known to be important for math ability.

New insights into how materials transfer heat could lead to improved electronics

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:56:56 EDT

Researchers have published new insights into how materials transfer heat, which could lead eventually to smaller, more powerful electronic devices.

New record in wireless data transmission

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:53:53 EDT

Researchers have achieved the wireless transmission of 40 Gbit/s at 240 GHz over a distance of one kilometer. Researchers say that their most recent demonstration sets a new world record and ties in seamlessly with the capacity of optical fiber transmission. In the future, such radio links will be able to close gaps in providing broadband internet by supplementing the network in rural areas and places which are difficult to access.

Most math being taught in kindergarten is old news to students

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:51:51 EDT

Kindergarten teachers report spending much of their math instructional time teaching students basic counting skills and how to recognize geometric shapes -— skills the students have already mastered before ever setting foot in the kindergarten classroom, new research finds.

First direct proof of Hofstadter butterfly fractal observed in moiré superlattices

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:15:15 EDT

Scientists have directly observed a rare quantum effect that produces a repeating butterfly-shaped energy spectrum, confirming the longstanding prediction of this quantum fractal energy structure called Hofstadter's butterfly.

Catching graphene butterflies: Dramatically changing electronic properties of world's thinnest material

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:15:15 EDT

A large international team of researchers has shown that when graphene placed on top of insulating boron nitride, or 'white graphene', the electronic properties of graphene change dramatically revealing a pattern resembling a butterfly. The pattern is referred to as the elusive Hofstadter butterfly that has been known in theory for many decades but never before observed in experiments.

Collecting DNA for human rights: How to help while safeguarding privacy

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:50:50 EDT

DNA databases might help identify victims of crime and human trafficking, but how do we safeguard the personal privacy of innocent victims and family members? A new report identifies a number of key challenges to consider as experts develop such programs.

Making frequency-hopping radios practical

Wed, 15 May 2013 11:39:39 EDT

New hardware could lead to wireless devices that identify and exploit unused transmission frequencies, using radio spectrum much more efficiently.

Electronics comes to paper: Paper, being light and foldable, works well for electrically conducting structures

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:52:52 EDT

Paper, being a light and foldable raw material, is a cost-efficient and simple means of generating electrically conducting structures.

First precise MEMS output measurement technique unveiled

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:27:27 EDT

The commercial application of MEMS, or micro-electro-mechanical systems, will receive a major boost today following the presentation of a brand new way to accurately measure the power requirements and outputs of all existing and future devices.

New software spots, isolates cyber-attacks to protect networked control systems

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:29:29 EDT

Researchers have developed a software algorithm that detects and isolates cyber-attacks on networked control systems -- which are used to coordinate transportation, power and other infrastructure across the United States.

IT industry ignores silver surfers at its peril: Design for seniors to tap market, industry urged

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:14:14 EDT

Hardware and software vendors are foolish to ignore the needs of the growing population of older computer and information technology users, the so-called "silver surfers." US researchers offer convincing evidence that from the business perspective, seniors represent a rapidly growing sector of the market with the most disposable income to spend on these companies' products.

Common myths about digital piracy busted

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:14:14 EDT

The results of a large-scale, analysis of BitTorrent file-sharing of computer games, focusing on using open methodologies, bust some of the common myths about digital piracy.

Scientists use crowd-sourcing to help map global carbon dioxide emissions

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:50:50 EDT

Climate science researchers from Arizona State University are launching a first-of-its-kind website to better understand and track greenhouse gas emissions from global power plants.

When deciding how to bet, less detailed information may be better

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:33:33 EDT

People are worse at predicting whether a sports team will win, lose, or tie when they bet on the final score than when they bet on the overall outcome, according to a new study.

Data storage: Synchronized at the 'write time'

Mon, 13 May 2013 11:49:49 EDT

Numerical simulations show how to avoid imperfections in the next generation of high-density data storage.

Photonic quantum computers: A brighter future than ever

Mon, 13 May 2013 10:38:38 EDT

Harnessing the unique features of the quantum world promises a dramatic speed-up in information processing as compared to the fastest classical machines. Scientists have succeeded in prototyping a new and highly resource efficient model of a quantum computer -- the boson sampling computer.

New model to recommend media content according to your preferences

Mon, 13 May 2013 08:31:31 EDT

Researchers have developed a model capable to recommend audiovisual content to each user based on their own media consumption and intrinsic features of images and videos.

Nano-breakthrough: Solving the case of the herringbone crystal

Sun, 12 May 2013 14:12:12 EDT

Leading nanoscientists created beautiful, tiled patterns with flat nanocrystals, but they were left with a mystery: Why did some sets of crystals arrange themselves in an alternating, herringbone style? To find out, they turned to experts in computer simulation.

Flawed diamonds promise sensory perfection: Electron spin extended for incredibly tiny magnetic detectors

Fri, 10 May 2013 10:21:21 EDT

By extending the coherence time of electron states to over half a second, scientists have improved the performance of one of the most potent sensors of magnetic fields on the nanoscale -- a diamond defect no bigger than a pair of atoms called a nitrogen vacancy center. The achievement is important news for nanoscale sensors and quantum computing.

With the right mortgage, home ownership builds wealth

Thu, 09 May 2013 18:46:46 EDT

The Great Recession, characterized by devastating mortgage defaults, has challenged the conventional wisdom that home ownership is a good investment, particularly for those with low and moderate incomes. But the conventional wisdom on the benefits of owning vs. renting still holds when done right, according to a newly published study.

Heady mathematics: Describing popping bubbles in a foam

Thu, 09 May 2013 14:21:21 EDT

Two applied mathematicians have found a way to mathematically describe the evolution and disappearance of a foam. Using these equations, they were able to generate a movie that shows the complex draining, popping and rearrangement of these bubbles as the foam vanishes.

Local health departments find Twitter effective in spreading diabetes information

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:33:33 EDT

The web-based social media site Twitter is proving to be an effective tool for local health departments in disseminating health information — especially in promoting specific health behaviors.

Device for portable, ultra-precise clocks and quantum sensors developed

Thu, 09 May 2013 09:08:08 EDT

Researchers have developed a portable way to produce ultracold atoms for quantum technology and quantum information processing.

Research critical of European regulation of mergers and state aid for banks

Thu, 09 May 2013 09:08:08 EDT

The European Commission’s approach to bank mergers during the financial crisis of 2007-10 was “blinkered” and suppressed competition, according to researchers.

No holes in Swiss online networking theory

Thu, 09 May 2013 09:08:08 EDT

Often, it's not what you know, but who you know when it comes to business and research success and that still applies even in the age of online social networking, according to new results.

Benefit vs. risk of facial recognition technology

Wed, 08 May 2013 21:32:32 EDT

Law enforcement agencies are using facial recognition software as a crime-fighting tool. Now businesses are looking to use the technology to reach customers. But a professor questions whether customers are ready for it.

Spintronics discovery: Scientists find new 'magic' in magnetic material

Wed, 08 May 2013 17:19:19 EDT

Researchers have reported a fundamental finding that will help advance the development of next-generation electronics called "spintronics."

People organize daily travel efficiently: Population-level study discovers small-scale details about individuals' choices

Wed, 08 May 2013 13:31:31 EDT

Studies of human mobility usually focus on either the small scale -- determining the origins, destinations and travel modes of individuals' daily commutes -- or the very large scale, such as using air-travel patterns to track the spread of epidemics over time. The large-scale studies, most of which are made possible by the vast data generated and collected by new technologies like sensors and cellphones, are very good at describing the big picture, but don't provide much detail at the individual level. Smaller-scale studies have the opposite characteristic: Their findings generally can't be scaled up from the individual to be applied broadly to populations. But a new study bridges that gap.

Early math and reading ability linked to job and income in adulthood

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:31:31 EDT

Math and reading ability at age 7 may be linked with socioeconomic status several decades later, according to new research. The childhood abilities predict socioeconomic status in adulthood over and above associations with intelligence, education, and socioeconomic status in childhood.

Speed test of quantum versus conventional computing: Quantum computer wins

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:28:28 EDT

A quantum computer system is “thousands of times faster” than conventional computing in solving an important problem type, a computer science professor finds.

Mathematical model measures hidden HIV

Wed, 08 May 2013 09:30:30 EDT

A new mathematical modeling technique reveals HIV virus may be replicating in body even when undetectable in the blood.

An electronic nose can tell pears and apples apart

Wed, 08 May 2013 09:28:28 EDT

Engineers have created a system of sensors that detects fruit odors more effectively than the human sense of smell. For now, the device can distinguish between the odors compounds emitted by pears and apples. Scientists have created an electronic nose with 32 sensors that can identify the odors given off by chopped pears and apples.

New robotic instruments to provide real-time data on Gulf of Maine red tide

Tue, 07 May 2013 15:50:50 EDT

A new robotic sensor deployed coastal waters may transform the way red tides or harmful algal blooms are monitored and managed in New England. The instrument was launched at the end of last month, and a second such system will be deployed later this spring.

Ice Age ancestors might have used words in common with us

Tue, 07 May 2013 07:46:46 EDT

New research shows that Ice Age people living in Europe 15,000 years ago might have used forms of some common words including I, you, we, man and bark, that in some cases could still be recognized today.

Internet content is looking for you

Mon, 06 May 2013 18:17:17 EDT

"Contextual search" is improving so gradually the changes often go unnoticed, and we may soon forget what the world was like without it, according to a technology expert.

More than a good eye: Robot uses arms, location and more to discover objects

Mon, 06 May 2013 11:40:40 EDT

A robot can struggle to discover objects in its surroundings when it relies on computer vision alone. But by taking advantage of all of the information available to it -- an object's location, size, shape and even whether it can be lifted -- a robot can continually discover and refine its understanding of objects, say researchers.

Improving materials that convert heat to electricity and vice-versa: Turning waste heat into electricity

Sun, 05 May 2013 14:59:59 EDT

Thermoelectric materials can be used to turn waste heat into electricity or to provide refrigeration without any liquid coolants, and new study has found a way to nearly double the efficiency of a particular class of them that's made with organic semiconductors.

Cyberbullying rampant among high school students: Nearly one-third of youths also report playing video/computer games for more than 3 hours a day

Sun, 05 May 2013 07:37:37 EDT

Step into a class of 30 high school students and look around. Five of them have been victims of electronic bullying in the past year. What's more, 10 of those students spend three or more hours on an average school day playing video games or using a computer for something other than school work, according to a new study.

Mathematicians help unlock brain function

Fri, 03 May 2013 13:29:29 EDT

Mathematicians will bring researchers one step closer to understanding how the structure of the brain relates to its function in two recently published studies.

Monkey math: Baboons show brain's ability to understand numbers

Fri, 03 May 2013 13:27:27 EDT

Opposing thumbs, expressive faces, complex social systems: it's hard to miss the similarities between apes and humans. Now a new study with a troop of zoo baboons and lots of peanuts shows that a less obvious trait -- the ability to understand numbers -- also is shared by humans and their primate cousins.

Computer simulations reveal the energy landscape of ion channels

Fri, 03 May 2013 10:51:51 EDT

Ion channels are important drug targets. A young team of researchers investigated the opening and closing mechanisms of these channels. The time consuming calculations were performed using the high performance computer cluster, which is currently the fastest computer in Austria.

How to frustrate a quantum magnet: 16 atomic ions simulate a quantum antiferromagnet

Fri, 03 May 2013 10:50:50 EDT

Frustration crops up throughout nature when conflicting constraints on a physical system compete with one another. The way nature resolves these conflicts often leads to exotic phases of matter that are poorly understood. In a new article, researchers describe how to frustrate a quantum magnet composed of sixteen atomic ions -- to date the largest ensemble of qubits to perform a simulation of quantum matter.

Violent video games have lower effects on highly-exposed teens

Fri, 03 May 2013 10:50:50 EDT

Teenagers who are highly exposed to violent video games —- three or more hours per day -— show blunted physical and psychological responses to playing a violent game, reports a new study.

Robots take part in a space simulation

Fri, 03 May 2013 09:41:41 EDT

The two robots Flobi and Nao worked full time for three weeks in an isolation study in Cologne. Scientists were studying how these intelligent assistance systems can help astronauts to keep fit – both physically and mentally. However, it was not just the people who were on trial, but the robots as well. The scientists were testing both their suitability and their durability. The experiment ended on Saturday.

Cyberthreats must require governments and businesses to be 'cyberrisk intelligent'

Thu, 02 May 2013 14:26:26 EDT

In an age where cybersecurity is of foremost interest for governments and businesses, public and private organizations must deploy risk-intelligence governance to secure their digital communications and resources from eavesdropping, theft or attack, according to a new article.

Robotic insects make first controlled flight

Thu, 02 May 2013 14:26:26 EDT

In the very early hours of the morning, in a Harvard robotics laboratory last summer, an insect took flight. Half the size of a paperclip, weighing less than a tenth of a gram, it leaped a few inches, hovered for a moment on fragile, flapping wings, and then sped along a preset route through the air. This demonstration of the first controlled flight of an insect-sized robot is the culmination of more than a decade's work.

How graphene and friends could harness the Sun's energy hitting walls

Thu, 02 May 2013 14:25:25 EDT

Combining wonder material graphene with other stunning one-atom thick materials could create the next generation of solar cells and optoelectronic devices, scientists have revealed. Researchers have shown how building multi-layered heterostructures in a three-dimensional stack can produce an exciting physical phenomenon exploring new electronic devices. The breakthrough, published in Science, could lead to electric energy that runs entire buildings generated by sunlight absorbed by its exposed walls; the energy can be used at will to change the transparency and reflectivity of fixtures and windows depending on environmental conditions, such as temperature and brightness.

New, more accurate way of imaging lung cancer tumors

Thu, 02 May 2013 11:55:55 EDT

Scientists have devised a new computational method for assessing lung cancer tumors using CT, PET or MRI diagnostic technologies. The method, called single click ensemble segmentation (SCES), uses a new computer algorithm developed by the researchers to help segment and extract features of a tumor. The new approach not only improves diagnosis and prognosis assessments, but also saves time and health care dollars.

How to get more followers on Twitter

Thu, 02 May 2013 11:55:55 EDT

What do all Twitter users want? Followers – and lots of them. Looking at a half-million tweets over 15 months, a first-of-its-kind study has revealed a set of reliable predictors for building a Twitter following.

Bonding with your virtual self may alter your actual perceptions

Thu, 02 May 2013 08:22:22 EDT

When people create and modify their virtual reality avatars, the hardships faced by their alter egos can influence how they perceive virtual environments, according to researchers.

Printable functional 'bionic' ear melds electronics and biology

Wed, 01 May 2013 19:32:32 EDT

Scientists used off-the-shelf printing tools to create a functional ear that can "hear" radio frequencies far beyond the range of normal human capability. The researchers' primary purpose was to explore an efficient and versatile means to merge electronics with tissue. The scientists used 3-D printing of cells and nanoparticles followed by cell culture to combine a small coil antenna with cartilage, creating what they term a bionic ear.

Gamers recognize college football players in video games

Wed, 01 May 2013 19:29:29 EDT

Paying college athletes is a contentious issue and the subject of a lawsuit challenging the use of their likenesses in video games. A new study found that many video gamers recognize athletes in the video games.

Want to slow mental decay? Play a video game

Wed, 01 May 2013 19:29:29 EDT

A new study shows that older people can put off the aging of their minds by playing a simple game that primes their processing speed skills. The research showed participants' cognitive skills improved in a range of functions, from improving peripheral vision to problem solving.