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 Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:05:03 EST Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:05:03 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/2010/02/100201102020.htm "Duck and cover!" should now be updated to "Scan and protect!" according to a new research article. Experts cite individual users as the weakest link in the nation's cybersecurity, and call for a new phase of civil defense. Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100201102020.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100208211928.htm Use of most electronic media is not associated with headaches, at least not in adolescents. A study of 1,025 13- to 17-year-olds found no association between the use of computer games, mobile phones or television and the occurrence of headaches or migraines. However, listening to one or two hours of music every day was associated with a pounding head. Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100208211928.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100209191445.htm A new study by a top ecological forecaster says it is harder than experts thought to predict when sudden shifts in Earth's natural systems will occur -- a worrisome finding for scientists trying to identify the tipping points that could push climate change into an irreparable global disaster. Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100209191445.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100209152221.htm It is widely known that genetic mutations cause disease. What are largely unknown are the mechanisms by which these mutations wreak havoc at the molecular level, giving rise to clinically observable symptoms in patients. Now a new study using bioinformatics reports the ability to predict the molecular cause of many inherited genetic diseases. These predictions have led to the creation of a web-based tool available to academic researchers who study disease. Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100209152221.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205120215.htm Researchers in Ireland have analyzed 50 non-documentary movies from the last four decades featuring hackers and come to some intriguing conclusions about the hacker stereotype with implications for policy makers and education. Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205120215.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100204101738.htm An approach to decision making based on soft metrics could allow problems to be solved where no definitive "yes-no" answer is possible in fields as diverse as health care, defense, economics, engineering, public utilities and science. Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100204101738.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100208144850.htm When metals are shaped, the materials they are made of are often damaged in the process. One cause of this is excessive press force, which cracks and perforates the material. By running simulations on a PC, research scientists can now calculate how to avoid component defects. Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100208144850.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205110636.htm Engineers and scientists from NASA and GM are working together to build a new humanoid robot capable of working side by side with people. Using leading edge control, sensor and vision technologies, future robots could assist astronauts during hazardous space missions and help GM build safer cars and plants. Sun, 07 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205110636.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205113551.htm IBM researchers have demonstrated a radio-frequency graphene transistor with the highest cut-off frequency achieved so far for any graphene device -- 100 billion cycles/second (100 GigaHertz). The high frequency record was achieved using wafer-scale, epitaxially grown graphene using processing technology compatible to that used in advanced silicon device fabrication. Sun, 07 Feb 2010 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205113551.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205162953.htm A major hurdle in the ambitious quest to design and construct a radically new kind of quantum computer has been finding a way to manipulate the single electrons that very likely will constitute the new machines' processing components or "qubits." Now, a physicist has discovered how to do just that -- demonstrating a method that alters the properties of a lone electron without disturbing the trillions of electrons in its immediate surroundings. The feat is essential to the development of future varieties of superfast computers with near-limitless capacities for data. Sat, 06 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205162953.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100204101826.htm It takes special software to map the universe from noisy data. Scientists have developed a code called MADmap to do just that for the cosmic microwave background, then posted it on the web for other interested sky mappers. Scientists probing the sky with the PACS instrument aboard the Herschel satellite have adapted MADmap to make spectacular images of the infrared universe. Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100204101826.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100204144555.htm Researchers have demonstrated the first laser built from germanium that can emit wavelengths of light useful for optical communications. It's also the first germanium laser to operate at room temperature. Unlike the materials typically used in lasers, germanium is easy to incorporate into existing processes for manufacturing silicon chips. So the result could prove an important step toward computers that move data -- and maybe even perform calculations -- using light instead of electricity. Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100204144555.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100209091840.htm Scientists have observed electrons in a semiconductor on the brink of the metal-insulator transition for the first time. Caught in the act, the electrons formed complex patterns resembling those seen in turbulent fluids, confirming some long-held predictions and providing new insights into how semiconductors can be turned into magnets. The work also could lead to the production of smaller and more energy-efficient computers. Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100209091840.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205115951.htm European researchers have created a development platform that will enable applications to tackle the enormous and increasing complexity of modern computer science. It promises better quality at a lower price. Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205115951.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205115949.htm Work by European researchers means that software is about to get the assembly line treatment. It offers a powerful new paradigm for software development. Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205115949.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205102603.htm Health information written by a doctor is rated as more credible when it appears on a website than in a blog or a homepage, according to a study of college students. Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205102603.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205102600.htm Researchers have developed a fast and easy-to-use search technologies for mobile devices. Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205102600.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100129151756.htm Researchers have developed an approach for creating new IDO inhibitors by computer-assisted structure-based drug design. Thu, 04 Feb 2010 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100129151756.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100203101124.htm Apparently, the mysterious "3/4 law of metabolism" -- proposed by Max Kleiber in 1932, printed in biology textbooks for decades, and described as "extended to all life forms" from bacteria to whales -- is just plain wrong. "Actually, it's two-thirds," says University of Vermont mathematician Peter Dodds. A new paper of his helps overturn almost 80 years of near-mystical belief in a 3/4 exponent used to describe the relationship between the size of animals and their resting metabolism. Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100203101124.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100201113758.htm Self-propagating worms are malicious computer programs, which, after being released, can spread throughout networks without human control, stealing or erasing hard drive data, interfering with pre-installed programs and slowing, even crashing, home and work computers. Now a new code, or algorithm, created by researchers targets the "stealthiest" of these worms, containing them before an outbreak can occur. Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100201113758.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100129092016.htm A third of cervical cancer cases respond poorly to standard therapy or experience recurrence, making cure difficult. A new mathematical model using information gathered by magnetic resonance imaging scans may make it possible to identify patients with non-responding tumors much sooner. These patients could then be offered aggressive or experimental therapy midway through treatment, something not possible now. Thu, 04 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100129092016.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100203161434.htm The push is on for health-care providers to make the switch to electronic health records but it is hard to tell how well these complex health information technology systems are being implemented and used. Thu, 04 Feb 2010 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100203161434.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100204144819.htm Online programs that provide information and tips about fruits and vegetables may be the key to getting more Americans to eat healthier, say researchers. Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100204144819.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100202103754.htm Remote central locking is among the most convenient aspects of modern motoring. However, 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. Wed, 03 Feb 2010 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100202103754.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100202144202.htm Highly effective and scalable digital technology developed originally for television has transformed the production, post-production and viewing experience in high-resolution feature films. A joint UK/German collaboration has helped change film production worldwide, turning a work-intensive craft process into viable global phenomenon that adds a high level of realism to special effects. Results of this work have since won technical Oscars for many of the researchers involved. Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100202144202.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100129164526.htm While a supernova can be seen, it can't be heard, as sound waves cannot travel through space. But what if the light waves emitted by the exploding star and other cosmological phenomena could be translated into sound? That's the idea behind a "Rhythms of the Universe," a musical project to "sonify" the universe by Grateful Dead percussionist and Grammy award-winning artist Mickey Hart that caught the attention of Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist George Smoot of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100129164526.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100201171920.htm New research for the first time links genes to our ability to orient ourselves to the world around us an then navigate through it. Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100201171920.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100201145445.htm Painting the roofs of buildings white has the potential to significantly cool cities and mitigate some impacts of global warming, a new study indicates. The research, which is the first computer modeling study to simulate the impacts of white roofs on urban areas worldwide, suggests there may be merit to an idea advanced by US Energy Secretary Steven Chu and other policymakers that white roofs can be an important tool to help society adjust to climate change. Tue, 02 Feb 2010 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100201145445.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100202111746.htm Pin-sharp projections, light that’s whiter than white, varnishes that make sounds if the temperature changes: at nano tech 2010 in Tokyo, researchers present nanotechnology that is a veritable feast for the senses. Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100202111746.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100202103625.htm Silicon is the most prevalent material in electronics, whether for mobile phones, solar cells or computers. Nanometer-sized wires made of silicon have a large potential for a completely new chip architecture. But this requires a detailed investigation and understanding of their electronic properties which is technologically challenging due to the ultra-small size of the nanowires. Researchers were able to describe the electrical resistance and current flow inside individual silicon nanowires. Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100202103625.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100126175815.htm New software allows for 3-D images of the heart's arteries during cardiac catheterization. Still in the testing phase, this technology may provide more information on the width and length of artery blockages, while exposing patients to less dye and radiation. Mon, 01 Feb 2010 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100126175815.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100131215530.htm Researchers have produced 100mm diameter graphene wafers, a key milestone in the development of graphene for next generation high frequency electronic devices. Graphene is a 2-dimensional layer of tightly bound carbon atoms arranged in hexagonal arrays. Sheets of graphene are the building blocks of graphite. Due to its phenomenal electronic properties, graphene has been considered as a leading material for next generation electronic devices in the multibillion dollar semiconductor industry. Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100131215530.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100131142436.htm Scientists have created a new computational model that can be used to predict gene function of uncharacterized plant genes with unprecedented speed and accuracy. The network, dubbed AraNet, has over 19,600 genes associated to each other by over 1 million links and can increase the discovery rate of new genes affiliated with a given trait tenfold. It is a huge boost to fundamental plant biology and agricultural research. Mon, 01 Feb 2010 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100131142436.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100129082916.htm New guidance sets out how personal information from clinical trials should be shared to help minimize risks to patient privacy. Mon, 01 Feb 2010 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100129082916.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100202111752.htm Intelligent machines that not only think for themselves but also actively learn are the vision of researchers who have been co-ordinating the European Union research project “Brain-i-Nets” (Novel Brain Inspired Learning Paradigms for Large-Scale Neuronal Networks). The scientists want to design a new generation of neuro-computers based on the principles of calculation and learning mechanisms found in the brain, and at the same time gain new knowledge about the brain’s learning mechanisms. Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100202111752.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100201091630.htm Researchers at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center are incorporating radiation dose exposure reports into the electronic medical record, an effort that they hope will lead to an accurate assessment of whether any cancer risk is associated with low-dose radiation exposure from medical imaging tests, according to a new article. The electronic medical record allows for the storage, retrieval, and manipulation of one's medical records. Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100201091630.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100127095918.htm Researchers have developed a digital signature for Internet telephony that allows the legally binding archiving of calls. Fri, 29 Jan 2010 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100127095918.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100125122101.htm For the first time, researchers have developed a transistor that can mimic the main functionalities of a synapse. This organic transistor, based on pentacene and gold nanoparticles and known as a NOMFET (Nanoparticle Organic Memory Field-Effect Transistor), has opened the way to new generations of neuro-inspired computers, capable of responding in a manner similar to the nervous system. Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100125122101.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100125150643.htm Researchers have developed an ultra-small and fast electrically pumped all-optical memory on a silicon chip with record low power consumption. This result paves the way for optical packet switching with drastically reduced overall power consumption in high-speed, high-data rate optical telecommunication systems. Fri, 29 Jan 2010 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100125150643.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100128091742.htm Workers with rheumatoid arthritis were comparable to non-impaired individuals in keyboarding speed, according to a new study. Individuals who were trained in touch typing demonstrated faster typing speeds than those using a visually-guided ("hunt and peck") method, regardless of impairment. Fri, 29 Jan 2010 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100128091742.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100127211857.htm Light is better than radio waves when it comes to some wireless communications, according to a group of engineers. Optical communications systems could provide faster, more secure communications with wider bandwidth and would be suitable for restricted areas like hospitals, aircraft and factories. Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100127211857.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100127085544.htm An innovative computational technique that draws on statistics, imaging and other disciplines has the capability to detect errors in sensitive technological systems ranging from satellites to weather instruments. Thu, 28 Jan 2010 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100127085544.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100126220327.htm Researchers devise formula to examine just what types of change occur over time among complex and integrated structures. Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100126220327.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100127085540.htm A new approach for managing bugs in computer software has been developed by researchers in Switzerland. The latest version of Dimmunix, available for free download, enables entire networks of computers to cooperate in order to collectively avoid the manifestations of bugs in software. Thu, 28 Jan 2010 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100127085540.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100126141638.htm Researchers are designing a 21st century electronic toolkit to speed learning for children with dyslexia. Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100126141638.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100125123235.htm Scientists have automated the measurement of a vital part of the knee in images with a computer program that performs much faster and just as reliably as humans who interpret the same images. Having more precise information about wear and tear on this portion of the knee -- a blend of fibrous tissue and cartilage called the meniscus -- could lead to its use as a biomarker in predicting who is at risk for developing osteoarthritis. Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100125123235.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100125150459.htm Computer scientists in the UK have developed a new way of making life-like animations of trees using video footage of the real thing. Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100125150459.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100125110910.htm Preventing deadly ruptures of the blood vessels in the brain is the aim of a new project to help radiologists detect aneurysms with far greater speed and accuracy. Wed, 27 Jan 2010 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100125110910.htm