Scientists remain in an ongoing quest to validate the Big Bang theory tracing the early history of the universe. The NASA Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite was designed to study radiation patterns from the first few moments after the universe was formed, in an effort to unravel the mystery of the Big Bang.

Researchers at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center have made progress in unlocking the secrets behind the Fragile X syndrome, the most common cause of inherited mental retardation and the most common genetic cause of autism. "I think we've discovered a core mechanism underlying Fragile X syndrome," said Dr. Kimberly...

A permanent magnet alloy being developed by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, promises high- temperature performance for next-generation drive motors for electric vehicles. The alloy retains much of its magnetic strength at 200°C to help make electric drive motors more efficient...

Objet Geometries, Billerica, MA, has introduced the Connex500™ multi-material 3D printer based on the company's PolyJet Matrix™ technology, which provides simultaneous jetting of multiple model materials. The system, which was named NASA Tech Briefs' Product of the Month for January, enables the printing of parts and...

An improved ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) for industrial proximity sensor applications provides ease of programmability, embedded trimming capability, and dual slope temperature compensation. This ASIC design enables inductive proximity sensor/switches to be easily programmed after full assembly in production or...

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have successfully fabricated high- performance field effect transistors using thin films of Carbon 60, also known as fullerene. The new devices - which have electron- mobility values higher than amorphous silicon, low threshold voltages, large on-off ratios, and high operational...

US Patents for Sale High-Speed Technique for Noise Reduction, Compression & Pattern Recognition. Three issued US patents for sale. Click here for more info. Digital Video Encoding and Transmission System. Two issued US patents for sale. Click here for more info.

An international team of researchers, led by Professor Akintundle Ibitayo Akiniwande, are developing a tiny sensor that could be used to detect minute quantities of hazardous gases, including toxic industrial chemicals and chemical warfare agents, more quickly than current devices. A key factor in the team's success is their ability to...

A company is looking for technologies to prevent garbage bags from falling into garbage cans during usage. The technology should be economical and appropriate for a low-cost, high-volume consumer product. Possible approaches include adhesives that do not leave behind residue, electrostatic approaches, frames at the top of the...

Magnetic therapy is an alternative method for treating multiple conditions. Thomas Skalak, a biomedical engineering professor at the University of Virginia, has been researching its effectiveness. Skalak's lab focuses on microcirculation research - the study of blood flow through the body's tiniest blood vessels. Skalak set out to...

Researchers at the University of Minnesota Center for Drug Design and Minneapolis VA Medical Center have discovered a fast-acting antidote to cyanide poisoning that can potentially save the lives of firefighters, industrial workers, and others exposed to the chemical. Developed by Steven Patterson, principal investigator and...

Memory capacity has undergone impressive advances in recent years, but could take a quantum leap thanks to advanced nanolasers now under development in laboratories such as at the University of California in Riverside. Led by associate professor of engineering Sakhrat Khizroev, the research team is exploring using tiny lasers...

An embedded passive integration technology allows the integration of passive components into the printed circuit board (PCB). Applied for power converters, these embedded passive integrated circuits reduce size and thus improve power density. It comprises several layers of passive functions to achieve a highly automated, low-cost...

Purdue University researchers have developed a modeling technique to study and design miniature biosensors, which could help industry perfect lab-on-a-chip technology for uses ranging from medical diagnostics to environmental monitoring. Biosensors represent a class of portable sensors designed to capture and detect specific...

Using concentrated solar energy, researchers at Sandia National Laboratories are building a prototype device that can chemically re-energize carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide. The carbon monoxide can then be used to produce hydrogen or help synthesize a liquid combustible fuel such as methanol, gasoline, diesel, or jet...

Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a method to detect and destroy proteins, including dangerous ones such as anthrax, using light. The process exposes the proteins to invisible, near-infrared light, rendering them harmless. The technique lends itself to creating new antibacterial and...

A GPS receiving technology can take any signals from both GPS and GLONASS, besides European Satellites such as WAAS and EGNOS. Called ARGO-16, the GPS technology has 16 universal channels in ARGO-16 that can receive and process either GPS or GLONASS satellite signals. It produces high performance with satellite coverage for...

Anyone who has worked with programs such as Linux, Firefox, and Open Office is familiar with the concept of open-source software. Essentially, open-source software distributes programs and all of the underlying code for free. It's an interesting concept that has become quite popular in the engineering world but, until now, is...