Scientists at Caltech have detected an explosion at the far edge of the visible universe that likely close to the time of the Big Bang.

The gamma-ray burst, discovered September 4, likely marked the death of a massive star as it collapsed into a black hole. It comes from an era soon after stars and galaxies first formed, about 500 million to 1 billion years after the Big Bang, which occurred around 13.7 billion years before. At 13 million light years billion light years from earth, it is also the most distant explosion from earth yet detected.

ST Microelectronics has developed a chip that allows doctors to see if you've been infected by -resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus or other sepsis-causing bacteria, or bacteria in the blood.

The chip is essentially a spin on a lab-on-a-chip for testing for genetic diseases ST showed off in 2002. The chip, a microelectromechanical system or MEMS, conducts a blood sample through a series of tubes. The sample is heated and then cells are replicated through the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Typically, the process takes quite a bit of time in standard lab equipment but only takes fifteen minutes or … Read more

Scientists have developed a new ultralight limb that can mimic the movement in a real hand better than any currently available.

"With this hand you can clutch objects such as a ball, you can move the thumb out to one side and grip objects with the index finger in the way you do when opening a lock with a key, and you can wrap your fingers around an object in what we call the power grip--like the one you use when you hold a hammer or a microphone," Dr. Paul Chappell, a medical physicist from the University of … Read more

Researchers at Ohio State have concocted a fuel cell that produced between 300 and 400 millivolts, thanks to microbial action in cow dung. Granted, that's less than the energy produced by a AA battery, but you don't have to go to a convenience store for the basic materials either.

The electricity is produced when microorganisms break down cellulose, making the Ohio State project the first cellulose-based fuel cell, according to the university.

The fuel cell derived from an ongoing study of biofuels at the university. A recent study published by the university found that that the microbes in … Read more

Magnetic resonance images of the human brain indicate that the human mind classifies whether odors are being received from the left or right nostrils, much in the same way that it classifies whether sound comes in from the left ear or the right ear.

This strongly indicates that the human brain localizes smell. While humans may never be able to follow a scent trail the same way bloodhounds can, the principle is the same.

"It seems that we have this ability and that, with practice, you could become … Read more

This could be just the PR boost that the cryogenics industry needs after its last, lamented brush with fame--or infamy--in the tawdry tale of Ted Williams' detour on the way to the afterlife.

Researchers in MIT's Cryogenic Engineering Laboratory have concocted a new method for producing...ice cream. That's according to a page 1 story in the Boston Sunday Globe, which reports that the academics behind the sweet scientific breakthrough have held meetings with unnamed ice cream companies in hopes of commercial follow-through. The inspiration for the pursuit came several years ago from the dairy industry itself.

The … Read more

Being a keen cattleman and keeping a constant watch over the herd means early mornings and no breaks. But new technology could change all that.

Researchers at Australia's University of New England have come up with technology that will let ranchers remotely keep an eye on their livestock and maintain trough levels via a cell phone or the Internet, according to an article posted on The Age. If the trough runs dry or intruders enter the livestock gate, a text message can be sent to alert the rancher of the problem. The researchers hope that eventually the system will … Read more

How long does it take to change a light bulb? Research firm iSuppli says 131 years: that's the number of years between Edison's invention of the light bulb in 1879 and 2010, when light emitting diodes will start being used generally as a light bulb substitute.

The high brightness and low energy consumption of LEDs is leading to demand in limited markets, but the high costs will keep them in limited distribution for a few years.

The market for LEDs for general illumination will expand to $875 million in 2010, rising at 52 percent a year from $94 … Read more

You don't hear the words silicon photonics dropped in casual conversation every day, but the concept is increasingly important to computer designers. Caltech start-up Luxtera, along with Intel and others are trying to produce components for optical communications--wave guides, modulators, etc.--out of silicon.

Historically, optical components are expensive to make. Optical--which transmits data by photons--is far superior in terms of performance to communicating through electrical signals sent over copper wire. Heat and power consumption also copper is one day doomed, said Cary Gunn, Co-Founder, Vice President of Technology

"100 gigabit copper is completely impossible," he said. … Read more