Technology, Science News!

Electric cars are going places in the Harz region Electric cars have many merits: They are quieter and require less maintenance than cars with internal combustion engines. A network of smartly located charging stations covering the entire Harz region is bound to make electric cars a regional feature.

Using magnetic toys as inspiration, researchers tease out structures of self-assembled clusters Less symmetrical and more complex patterns occur due to entropy

Breakthrough heart scanner will allow earlier diagnosis An innovative cardiac scanner will dramatically improve the process of diagnosing heart conditions.The portable magnetometer is being developed at the University of Leeds, with funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council playing a key role.

New simulation tool could shorten manufacturing design process Researchers have demonstrated they were able to speed up SystemC based simulation by factors of 30 to 100 times that of previous performances. SystemC is often used to shorten manufacturing design cycles to improve the time it takes to bring a product to the marketplace.

Secure radio signal for central locking Remote central locking is among the most convenient aspects of modern motoring. Transmission of the radio signal that activates the system is not particularly secure, however. A new encryption technique increases security without draining the key's battery.

Geothermal power could be solution for Indiana's abandoned coal mines Vacant coal mines in southwest Indiana could once again generate energy, not from coal, but from the water reservoirs now found on their surface and deep underground.

Mismatched alloys are a good match for thermoelectrics Employing some of the world's most powerful supercomputers, scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have shown that mismatched alloys are a good match for the future development of high performance thermoelectric devices.

DOE Awards Over a Billion Supercomputing Hours to Address Scientific Challenges The U.S. Department of Energy announced today that approximately 1.6 billion supercomputing processor hours have been awarded to 69 cutting-edge research projects through the Innovative and Novel Computational Impact on Theory and Experiment (INCITE) program.

Insectlike robots 'microids' might walk, run, work in colonies A new approach in the design of miniature, insectlike robots could lead to "microids" the size of ants that move their tiny legs and mandibles using solid-state "muscles."

Advanced engine-control system reduces biodiesel fuel consumption and emissions Researchers have developed an advanced "closed-loop control" approach for preventing diesel engines from emitting greater amounts of smog-causing nitrogen oxides when running on biodiesel fuels.