Tree Lobsters, Green Flame Retardants, Printable Batteries: 6/29 KQED Science News Roundup

Colorful light at the end of the tunnel for radiation detection | e! Science NewsRelated images(click to enlarge) A team of nanomaterials researchers at Sandia National Laboratories has developed a new technique for radiation detection that could make radiation detection in cargo and baggage more effective and less costly for homeland security inspectors. Known as spectral shape discrimination (SSD), the method takes advantage of a new class of nanoporous materials known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).

Futurity.org - Melanin may power eco-friendly electronicsThe researchers say the potential applications include medical sensors and tissue stimulation treatments. Led by Professor Paul Meredith and Associate Professor Ben Powell at the University of Queensland, an international team of scientists has published a study that offers new insight into the electrical properties of the pigment and its biologically compatible "bioelectronic" features.

US Navy's High-Resolution Radar Can See Individual Raindrops In a Storm - Slashdot"The US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) researchers said recently that a Navy very high-resolution Doppler radar can actually coondoggie writes spot individual raindrops in a cloudburst, possibly paving the way for new weather monitoring applications that could better track or monitor weather and severe storms. According to an NRL release, the very high-resolution 'Mid-Course Radar' was used to retrieve information on the internal cloud flow and precipitation structure.

Novel coating may point way to next-generation green flame retardants | R&D MagIn searching for better flame retardants for home furnishings, NIST researchers defied the conventional wisdom and literally hit a wall, one made of clay. It wasn' t a dead end, but rather a surprising result that may lead to a new generation of nonhalogenated, sustainable flame retardant technology for polyurethane foam.

Leap Second on Saturday Will Cause 61-Second MinuteThe transition from June to July will be delayed by circumstances beyond everyone's control. Time will stand still for one second on Saturday evening (June 30) because a "leap second" will be added to let a lagging Earth catch up to super-accurate clocks. International Atomic Time is a very accurate and stable time scale.

Bone-eating worms drill with acidDeep sea worms use acid to eat the bones of seabed skeletons, according to US scientists. The so-called "zombie worms" of the Osedax family are known to bore into bones and remove nutrients. Fresh analysis of the root-like tissues the worms use to attach to bones has identified acid-secreting enzymes.

New Scientist TV: World's thinnest screen created from soap bubbleWe've shown you computer screens made of water and even a touchscreen built out of ice. But now Yoichi Ochiai from the University of Tokyo and colleagues have created the world's thinnest screen from a soap bubble that can display vivid images that are either flat, textured or 3D.

Color-Enhancing Glasses Let Doctors See Disease and Emotion - Technology - GOODThe ability to see the world in a broad spectrum of colors is more than just a wonderful gift-it's a survival mechanism that humans evolved in order to identify both threats and food. But color vision also helps us read each other.

Critically Endangered 'Tree Lobsters' Hatched at ZooOne of the 3 critically endangered insects called Lord Howe Island stick insects, or tree lobsters, hatched at the San Diego Zoo. CREDIT: Tammy Spratt, San Diego Zoo Three critically endangered insects called Lord Howe Island stick insects, also known as tree lobsters, have been hatched at the San Diego Zoo for the first time.

Rice researchers develop paintable batteryTechnique could turn any surface into a lithium-ion battery; may be combined with solar cells Researchers at Rice University have developed a lithium-ion battery that can be painted on virtually any surface. The rechargeable battery created in the lab of Rice materials scientist Pulickel Ajayan consists of spray-painted layers, each representing the components in a traditional battery.

Colorful light at the end of the tunnel for radiation detection | e! Science NewsRelated images(click to enlarge) A team of nanomaterials researchers at Sandia National Laboratories has developed a new technique for radiation detection that could make radiation detection in cargo and baggage more effective and less costly for homeland security inspectors. Known as spectral shape discrimination (SSD), the method takes advantage of a new class of nanoporous materials known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).