Technology Policy
Just one flight: Impending loss in shuttle family
June 3, 2011 12:29 pm | by Seth Borenstein, AP Science Writer | News | CommentsWith Wednesday's landing of Endeavour, just one more space shuttle flight remains, putting an end to 30 years of Florida shuttle launches and more than 535 million miles of orbits controlled at Houston's Johnson Space Center. Now a sense of melancholy has permeated the community that calls itself "the space shuttle family."
NETL licensing agreement results in new start-up company
June 3, 2011 5:26 am | by Shelley Martin | News | CommentsThe National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has executed an exclusive licensing agreement with the newly formed Pyrochem Catalyst Corp. for two NETL-developed technologies related to a novel fuel-reforming catalyst. This agreement marks the first time that an NETL-licensed technology has been used as a basis for the creation of a start-up company.
U.S. says no new cybersecurity treaty needed
June 1, 2011 12:15 pm | by Paisley Dodds, Associated Press | News | CommentsAmerica's new cyber czar said Wednesday, ahead of an international cybersecurity summit in London, that international law and cooperation--not another treaty--was enough to tackle cybersecurity issues for now. Christopher Painter’s comments were in response to the urging of Michael Rake, chairman of one of the world's largest telecommunications companies, to begin forming a cyber nonproliferation treaty.
Detector array may at last complete Einstein’s jigsaw puzzle
May 27, 2011 7:05 am | News | CommentsAll evidence for the existence of gravitational radiation has been indirect, but researchers now say that the addition of just one of the proposed detectors for the global network of gravitational radiation monitors would give them a much better chance at capturing these elusive, theoretical waves. Gravitational waves factor heavily in Einstein’s physics, and detecting these are the only way to directly observe a black hole.
Sandia and Cray to tackle 'big data' in new supercomputing institute
May 27, 2011 4:38 am | News | CommentsSandia National Laboratories and supercomputer manufacturer Cray Inc. are forming an institute focused on data-intensive supercomputers. The Supercomputing Institute for Learning and Knowledge Systems (SILKS), to be located at Sandia in Albuquerque, will take advantage of the strengths of Sandia and Cray by making software and hardware resources available to researchers who focus on a relatively new application of supercomputing.
New tape: JFK fretted moon program was tough sell
May 25, 2011 6:33 am | by Jay Lindsay, Associated Press | News | CommentsAfter setting a soaring vision to land a man on the moon, President John F. Kennedy struggled with how to sell the public on a costly space program. In a scenario that echoes today, he and NASA Administrator James Webb worried about preserving funding amid what Webb calls a "driving desire to cut the budget.”
In making innovation happen, does place matter?
May 20, 2011 1:01 pm | News | CommentsDo scientists' job locations have any impact on the way their work spreads? According to a study co-authored by an MIT economist, yes, it does, even in the Internet age. Frequent job and location switches, for example, can increase citation frequency for published works. But what happens with patents is entirely different.
Expert: China to lose manufacturing edge by 2016
May 20, 2011 5:56 am | News | CommentsDespite its reputation as a manufacturing powerhouse, China’s dominance in this area appears to be at risk, according to an analyst at the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association. Steeply rising wages, a shrinking cost advantage, and a dependence on producing cheaper goods indicate that China may be at less of an advantage than countries like the U.S. and Germany.
Recent studies on EVs may inform makers of both policy and autos
May 19, 2011 12:46 pm | by Elizabeth Boyle | News | CommentsWhile engineers are still tinkering with the electric vehicles’ real-world practicality, economics researchers are also taking a close look at EVs. New research sheds light on the priorities of potential customers and the actual economic impact on different types of drivers. The reports hold some surprises.
Radiation expert criticizes comparison of Fukushima to Chernobyl
May 18, 2011 7:25 am | News | CommentsIn rating the severity of the Fukushima accident as a Level 7 major accident, the highest possible level, the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale has prompted another kind of fallout. Richard Wakefield, a radiological protection specialist at the Univ. of Manchester’s Dalton Nuclear Institute, is questioning the accuracy of the system, which also placed Chernobyl at Level 7 despite that reactor's much greater release of radiation, and thinks media confusion will result.
Mars landing sites narrowed down to final 4
May 16, 2011 6:23 am | by Alicia Chang, AP Science Writer | News | CommentsScientists in the close-knit Mars research community will get one last chance to make their case this week when they gather before the "judges"—the team running the $2.5 billion mission that will soon suggest a landing site to NASA. The result will determine where Curiosity will touch down after launching in November.
Northwest power surplus may halt wind energy
May 16, 2011 6:17 am | by Tim Fought, Associated Press | News | CommentsLast Friday, the manager of most of the electricity in the Pacific Northwest put wind farms on notice that they may be shut down on short notice. A cold, wet spring has given hydroelectric dams so much potential energy that the energy grid is at capacity. The move could precipitate a legal battle between wind farm owners and the U.S. government.
Japan to scrap plan to boost nuke energy to 50 percent
May 11, 2011 5:02 am | by Mari Yamaguchi, Associated Press | News | CommentsPrior to the Sendai earthquake, nuclear plants supplied about 30% of Japan's electricity, and the government had planned to raise that to 50% by 2030. Now, however, the country will pursue wind, solar, and biomass energy sources as an alternative to what has come to be seen as a risky choice for meeting the country’s energy needs.
Chinese tech giants fight over 4G phones
May 5, 2011 10:01 am | by Joe McDonald, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsA patent battle between two technology heavyweights, Huawei Technologies and ZTE Corp., has entered court as they try to stake their territory in the European mobile phone market. The dispute centers on alleged patent infringement by ZTE on Huawei’s fourth-generation mobile technology. At stake are billions of dollars in future sales.
Russia's space chief promises new spaceship
April 13, 2011 5:36 am | by Vladimir Isachenkov, Associated Press | News | CommentsRussia will test a next-generation spacecraft, build a new cosmodrome and even consider a manned mission to Mars after 2035, the nation's space chief said Wednesday. Plans include a new launch pad in far east Russia, nuclear rocket engines, and a new spacecraft named Rus.
World's first certified reference material for nanoparticle size analysis
February 18, 2011 5:31 am | News | CommentsThe European Commission's Joint Research Centre has recently developed the world's first certified nanoparticle reference material based on industry-sourced nanoparticles. ERM-FD100 consists of 20 nm dia silica nanoparticles, and nominal size was measured in collaboration with 33 laboratories from 11 different countries. Silica is among the world’s most widely dispersed nanoparticles.
China announces shakeup of rare earths industry
February 16, 2011 4:53 am | by Joe McDonald, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsRare earths are a group of 17 minerals that are used in products such as flatscreen TVs and lightweight batteries for mobile phones and hybrid cars. China accounts for almost all production of rare earths, and now plans to tighten control over producers and restrict output in a five-year development strategy.
What Obama’s proposed budget means for R & D
February 15, 2011 6:29 am | News | CommentsAnalysis of the $3.8 trillion proposed budget is beginning to flow, and early reports of its impact on research and innovation is positive, at least from the perspective of scientists. The president placed priorities on energy and medical research, which explains why standout winners in the budget plan include the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and U.S. Dept of Energy.
New life cycle assessment report highlights challenges of biofuels
February 9, 2011 7:09 am | by Lynn Yarris | News | CommentsThe Energy Biosciences Institute has this week released “Grand Challenges for Life-Cycle Assessment of Biofuels”, a new report that analyzes and organizes the roadblocks facing the advancement and practical use of biofuels. The report was created by Berkeley Lab, UC Berkeley, the Univ. of Illinois, and BP energy corporation.
IBM, Samsung sign patent cross-license deal
February 8, 2011 3:47 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsIBM and Samsung Electronics Co. announced this week they have signed a patent cross-license agreement, which means each will license its respective patent portfolios to the other. In 2010, IBM was the top producer of new patents in the U.S., while South Korea's Samsung was also among the top 10.
IRI reports dramatic turnaround for R & D investment
February 8, 2011 4:26 am | News | CommentsFifty-three percent of medium to large U.S. companies who responded to a recent survey by The Industrial Research Institute (IRI) say they are planning to increase their R&D budgets in 2011. This and other survey results, including positive hiring expectations, have led IRI to describe a level of optimism not seen since 2008.
Rush for patents is choking U.S. stem cell research
February 1, 2011 6:59 am | by Kerry Sheridan (AFP) | News | CommentsCures for paralysis, blindness and diabetes could all be in reach with embryonic stem cell research, but the pursuit of medical progress is being choked by the U.S. rush to secure patents, experts say.
New report urges management best practices for energy and efficiency R & D
February 1, 2011 5:06 am | News | CommentsThe report from Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, called “Best Practices in Merit Review”, is calling for reform of all of processes supporting the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy research and development effort to reflect a sense of urgency.
IBM study: Midsize businesses invest in more analytics and cloud computing
January 19, 2011 5:50 am | News | CommentsMore than half of midsize companies are planning to increase their information technology budgets over the next 12 to 18 months, according to an IBM global study of more than 2,000 midsize companies representing more than 20 countries. Two-thirds are adopting cloud technologies, and almost as many are pursuing analytics for greater insight and efficiency.
Records broken in patent totals for 2010
January 10, 2011 12:26 pm | News | Comments2010 patent grants hit an all-time high, 31% over 2009. Once again, IBM tops the list as the first company to break 5,000 patents in a single year, and it did so handily. Other notable filers include Apple, Qualcomm, NEC, and SAP, all of which saw 70+% gains in patents this year.
