http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/computers_math/ Computer and Mathematics News. From quantum computers to the value of statistics, read the latest math and computer news. Updated daily. en-us Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:05:01 EST Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/computers_math/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118120309.htm All too often the knowledge acquired by software architects is unnecessarily lost. Moreover, it is difficult to simply and quickly assess the quality of software. According to researchers these problems can, however, be easily resolved. They investigated how architectural knowledge can be better disseminated and retrieved. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118120309.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193809.htm A mathematical model has explained some of the remarkable features of mosquito hearing. In particular, the male can hear the faintest beats of the female's wings and yet is not deafened by loud noises. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193809.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193626.htm Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) have a number of cognitive deficits. Mathematical ability seems particularly damaged in children with FASD. A new study supports the importance of the left parietal area for mathematical abilities in children with FASD. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193626.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193818.htm Most people would like to be able to charge their cell phones and other personal electronics quickly and not too often. A recent discovery made by engineers could lead to carbon nanotube-based supercapacitors that could do just this. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119193818.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119101046.htm Like the paperless office, the smart home has been a long time coming, but a new article suggests that radio tags coupled with mobile communications devices could soon provide seamless multimedia services to the home. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119101046.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119121302.htm A researcher has scientifically quantified the common interpretation of the word "most," finding it to be a measurement of 80 to 95 percent of a sample. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119121302.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118160627.htm Engineering researchers have developed a unique and robust method to prevent cloning of passive radio frequency identification tags. The technology, based on one or more unique physical attributes of individual tags rather than information stored on them, will prevent the production of counterfeit tags and thus greatly enhance both security and privacy for government agencies, businesses and consumers. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118160627.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118101403.htm New research points the way to a technology that might make it possible to harvest much of the wasted heat produced by everything from computer processor chips to car engines to electric power plants, and turn it into usable electricity. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118101403.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120000635.htm Current methods of searching audiovisual content can be a hit-and-miss affair. Manually tagging online media content is time consuming, and costly. But new ‘query by example’ methods, built on peer-to-peer (P2P) architectures, could provide the way forward for such data-intensive content searches, say European researchers. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120000635.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120000140.htm Researchers in Norway have discovered a mechanism that the brain uses to filter out distracting thoughts to focus on a single bit of information. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120000140.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119121306.htm A new statistical technique allows scientists to scan a genome for specific gene-regulatory regions without requiring prior knowledge of the relevant transcription factors. The technique has been experimentally validated in both the mouse genome and the fruit fly genome. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119121306.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119111417.htm Search engine use is not just part of our daily routines; it is also becoming part of our learning process, according to researchers. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119111417.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117202906.htm Money available to treat HIV/AIDS is sufficient to end the epidemic globally, but only if we act immediately to control the spread of the disease, according to new research. This approach defies conventional thinking, which recommends gradual spending over 15-20 years. The study was based on a mathematical model developed by mathematicians and biologists, who recently earned acclaim for a study on how best to handle a planetary invasion by zombies. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117202906.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118133535.htm IBM has announced significant progress toward creating a computer system that simulates and emulates the brain's abilities for sensation, perception, action, interaction and cognition, while rivaling the brain's low power and energy consumption and compact size. Scientists have performed the first near real-time cortical simulation of the brain that exceeds the scale of a cat cortex and contains 1 billion spiking neurons and 10 trillion individual learning synapses. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118133535.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118092628.htm To exploit the quantum world to the fullest, a key commodity is entanglement -- the spooky, distance-defying link that can form between objects such as atoms even when they are completely shielded from one another. Now, physicists have developed a promising new source of entangled photons using quantum dots tweaked with a laser. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118092628.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116094452.htm One-third of Wii sport and Wii fit activities provide energy expenditures equal to moderate-intensity exercise. Active video games may help prevent or improve obesity and lifestyle-related diseases, researchers said. The study was funded by Nintendo. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116094452.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116163220.htm Daily text message reminders appear to increase sunscreen use over a six-week period, according to a new study. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116163220.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117094935.htm The sensor of some optical mice can be used to easily and cheaply detect counterfeit euros, according to a study published by researchers in Spain. Almost 80 percent of counterfeit coins discovered in Europe in 2008 were two-euro coins. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117094935.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116143619.htm It's the year 2060, and 75 percent of drivers in the Greater Los Angeles area have hydrogen fuel cell vehicles that emit only water vapor. Look into Shane Stephens-Romero's crystal ball -- a computer model called STREET -- and find that air quality has significantly improved. Greenhouse gas emissions are more than 60 percent lower than in 2009, and levels of microscopic soot and ozone are about 15 percent and 10 percent lower, respectively. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116143619.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116114530.htm New methods of studying avian influenza strains and visually mapping their movement around the world will help scientists more quickly learn the behavior of the pandemic H1N1 flu virus, Ohio State University researchers say. The researchers linked many powerful computer systems together to analyze enormous amounts of genetic data collected from all publicly available isolated strains of the H5N1 virus -- the cause of avian flu. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116114530.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116204229.htm An upgrade to a Cray XT5 high-performance computing system deployed by the Department of Energy has made the "Jaguar" supercomputer the world's fastest. Located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Jaguar is the scientific research community's most powerful computational tool for exploring solutions to some of today's most difficult problems. The upgrade, funded with $19.9 million under the Recovery Act, will enable scientific simulations for exploring solutions to climate change and the development of new energy technologies. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116204229.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116103709.htm Software tools are being developed that can search and compare patient data at hospitals across Europe to find children with closely matched conditions. The doctors can then study how the matched patients at other hospitals were treated and whether that treatment was successful. The information will greatly improve doctors’ ability to choose the right path for their own patient. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116103709.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116094457.htm East Tennessee is now home to two of the world's three fastest computers, according to new rankings. The Top 500 list of the world's fastest supercomputers places University of Tennessee supercomputer Kraken in third place, where it also holds the title of world's fastest academic supercomputer, while Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Jaguar computer took first place overall. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116094457.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117161131.htm With a bit of leverage, researchers have used a very tiny beam of light with as little as 1 milliwatt of power to move a silicon structure up to 12 nanometers. That's enough to completely switch the optical properties of the structure from opaque to transparent. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117161131.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091115134128.htm Physicists have demonstrated the first "universal" programmable quantum information processor able to run any program allowed by quantum mechanics -- the rules governing the submicroscopic world -- using two quantum bits (qubits) of information. The processor could be a module in a future quantum computer, which theoretically could solve some important problems that are intractable today. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091115134128.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111121358.htm Research into techniques of facial biometrics, carried out by scientists in Spain, has resulted in a system that is able to recognize the facial "DNA" of every individual by determining his/her most noteworthy facial traits, with a of 95% rate of precision. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111121358.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111120759.htm Researchers have created the first integrated semantic search platform that integrates text, video and audio. The system can 'watch' films, 'listen' to audio and 'read' text to find relevant responses to semantic search terms. At last, computers are able to look for meaning in our multimedia searches. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111120759.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029162022.htm Scientists have designed smartphone technology, which includes interactive games and easy-to-use logging features, especially for elderly Chinese diabetics. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029162022.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116103840.htm An experiment into the use of social media has shown that Twitter, an online blogging service, can act as an exceptional communication tool within academia. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116103840.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116103705.htm Scientists have embraced the Grid, but businesses have held back, concerned about complexity and security. Now a European research team has built a platform opening the Grid's vast resources to business users. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116103705.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116103703.htm A new way to access and reuse environmental data from diverse sources has been devised by European researchers. They foresee a future where environmental data and services are offered on the open market. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116103703.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116103529.htm As many software companies work to create programs that will give uniform structure to the way radiological test results are reported, a new study shows that such a system does not improve, but rather decreases the completeness and accuracy of the reports. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116103529.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109142123.htm Researchers are studying blood using computer models that simulate how the fluid and the cells it contains move around. One new study shows how components in blood line up to prepare for healing; another demonstrates the best shape to use for man-made nanoparticles that target cancers -- a surfboard. Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109142123.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110090858.htm A number of US states now use facial recognition technology when issuing drivers licenses. Similar methods are also used to grant access to buildings and to verify the identities of international travelers. Historically, obtaining accurate results with this type of technology has been a time intensive activity. Now, researchers have developed ways to make the technology more efficient while improving accuracy. Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110090858.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111120105.htm Researchers in Egypt have developed a technique to compress DNA sequences of the kind used in medical research so that they take up a lot less space in a computer database but without loss of information. Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111120105.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112191704.htm New software is under development that doctors hope will help them identify brain tumors in children that will grow aggressively. Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112191704.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111123614.htm Scientists in China are reporting for the first time assembly of the largest-ever collection of data about the proteins produced by genes in a single human organ. Their focus was the liver, and their massive database in both protein and transcript levels could become a roadmap for finding possible new biomarkers and treatments for liver disease. Those include hepatitis and liver cancer, which is at epidemic levels in China and affects millions of people worldwide. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111123614.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104101543.htm Researchers are working to develop futuristic communications systems that could help protect frontline troops. Building on work completed recently for the UK Ministry of Defence, the project is aimed at investigating the use of arrays of highly specialized antennas that could be worn by combat troops to provide covert short-range person-to-person battleground communications. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104101543.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112171409.htm Scientists and curiosity seekers who want to know what a partially or completely cloaked object would look like in real life can now get their wish -- virtually. Scientists have created a new visualization tool that can render a room containing such an object, showing the visual effects of such a cloaking mechanism and its imperfections. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112171409.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111115841.htm The explosive growth of video on the internet calls for new ways of sorting and searching audiovisual content. Researchers have developed a groundbreaking solution that is finding commercial applications. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111115841.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111121742.htm A new study suggests that unscrupulous vendors on the online marketplace eBay can easily buy a good reputation and so circumvent recent efforts by the company to prevent feedback fraud. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111121742.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110065917.htm Natural history plans to chart life on earth, yet the discipline risks being buried under a landslide of painstakingly collected data that isn't always used. Now researchers at London's Natural History Museum have created a social networking tool called "Scratchpads" where natural historians can get together and share their data. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110065917.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104140812.htm Physicists have created a quantum gas microscope that can be used to observe single atoms at temperatures so low the particles follow the rules of quantum mechanics, behaving in bizarre ways. The work represents the first time scientists have detected single atoms in a crystalline structure made solely of light, called a Bose Hubbard optical lattice. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104140812.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111101400.htm Mathematicians have created a method to design underground lines whereby a city's historical buildings are unaffected. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111101400.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112103423.htm A new project has resulted in much improved design methods for high performance silicon chips. Leading semiconductor chipmakers, electronic circuit developers and design automation equipment manufacturers worked closely together to tackle a series of problems much earlier in the design phase and so enhance integrated circuit design approaches. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112103423.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110171746.htm Researchers are making progress in developing a new type of transistor that uses a finlike structure instead of the conventional flat design, possibly enabling engineers to create faster and more compact circuits and computer chips. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110171746.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110211037.htm Although often seen as an inconsequential feature of digital technologies, one's self-representation, or avatar, in a virtual environment can affect the user's thoughts, according to new research. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110211037.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110112444.htm When managers issue a forecast of their firm's earnings, they do not always take into account prior forecasting errors, according to new research. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110112444.htm