July 2008 in science

July 31 2008 (Thursday)

Phoenix has confirmed water on Mars when ice accidentally managed to get into an oven. At 32°C water molecules were detected as the ice melted. Higher temperature tests can be done to look for carbon compounds and the signs of life. (AP)

A new way to create lithium iron phosphate may lead to lower cost and safer lithium-ion batteries which currently use more expensive lithium cobalt oxide. Potential applications are laptops and hybrid vehicles. (TechReview)
The first commercial tidal power system was installed in Northern Ireland, with two 16 meter turbines generating up to 1.2 megawatts. (TechReview)

Virgin Galactic unveils the first stage of its launch platform – WhiteKnightTwo – to take tourists to the edge of space for $200,000 a seat. (Wired)
University of Sydney demonstrate a cheap optical chip that can route data 60 times faster than current electronic routers, with the promise of increasing it to 100 times faster soon, making it a possible solution to increasing internet congestion. (POPSCI)

Code taking advantage of a weakness in the Domain Name System is circulating online, permitting phishing gangs to redirect an infected computer to any website they wish without the users knowledge. (BBC)
Microsoft researchers have miniaturized telescopic optics for a new display that allows 36 percent of the backlight through – liquid crystal displays (LCD) are only 10 percent – and is six times faster than LCD. (IEEE)
China surpasses the United States online citizens with 253 million by the end of June, an increase of 56 percent from last year. (AHN)
Google has indexed over 1 trillion web pages on the internet for the first time. (GoogleBlog)

Google opens Knol to the public after a 7-month trial. Articles are written by a known author and can earn money with more views. (ABC)
Scientists reveal magnetic explosions approximately one-third of the way to the moon are the likely cause of the northern lights movement. (AP)
Advanced thermoelectrics may permit a 10 percent fuel savings for cars by removing the need for an alternator and generating electricity from exhaust heat. (TechReview)

Scientists have created a way to make an antifreeze protein that Canadian snow fleas use to survive winter temperatures. This could result in better organ preservation and smoother ice cream. (Physorg)

A study comparing a traditional low-fat diet, Mediterranean diet and low-carb diets found the low-carb was most effective for men and lowered cholesterol levels; contradicting conventional wisdom. (Physorg)
Researchers control the position one electron in circuit and can make it be in two places at the same time. This could facilitate the creation of a practical quantum computer. (TechReview)
Materials scientists have confirmed that graphene is the strongest material ever tested and resistant to heat. Providing further evidence it is an ideal material for future computers. (TechReview)

New evidence from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter indicate Mars was awash in water. (Telegraph)

A HIV vaccine may be close with an abzyme that can destroy protein gp120, which all HIV variants use to attach to host cells. The abzyme is derived from lupus patients and people who naturally resist HIV infection. (Physorg)
HP and Sony develop the DAT 320 tape storage format. Promising double the storage on cartridges and lower energy requirements. (TechNewsWorld)

Scientists at Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne make a potential breakthrough in curing Malaria. (BBC)
The International Development Design Summit, a collaboration to find cost effective technology solutions for the third world, begins at MIT. (IDDS)

The iPhone 3G launches internationally, but many users become frustrated as full activation is not possible because of an iTunes server glitch. (AP)
Cosmonauts successfully extract an explosive bolt from the Soyuz capsule on the ISS during a six hour spacewalk. This was done as part of the ballistic reentry investigation. (BBC)
MIT researchers make colored glass efficiently redirect light to the edges of the pane where it can be converted into electricity. This reduces the cost of the solar panel and permits standard windows to be converted into solar arrays. (CNet)

Wikipedia will host the Gene Wiki which will create stubs of all human genes for future collaboration between scientists and online community. (ITNews)
Evidence from volcanic glass recovered from the moon decades ago has revealed elements of water, challenging the dominant notion the moon is perfectly dry. (Reuters)

Fossils found in several museums have filled the evolutionary gap on how flatfish developed to have both eyes on one side of its face in adulthood. (Reuters)

Researchers at University of California have developed a nanoparticles/anti-cancer-drug "smart bomb" to specifically target metastasis in mouse pancreatic and kidney cancer. It permits using 15 times less chemotherapy drugs during treatment. (EurekAlert)

Stanford electrical engineers unveil techniques on how to manufacture computer chips using carbon nanotubes on a mass scale. (Nanowerk)

NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft has resolved some mysteries of Mercury, such as the existence of active volcanos. (MSNBC)
Sony removes firmware update 2.40 for the PlayStation 3 as it causes crashing and freezing for some systems. (BetaNews)
Volkswagen has moved up limited production of its One-Litre Car concept vehicle (1 litre per 100 kilometers or 235 mpg) from 2012 to 2010. As it uses expensive advanced lightweight materials, such as carbon monocoque, Volkswagen has been waiting for prices to come down. (Wired)
Nitrogen trifluoride a gas used in making flat screen TV's is 17,000 times more powerful than carbon dioxide for global warming with a half life of 550 years. (NewScientist) (ABC)

See: Wikipedia:Current science and technology sources.