ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

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• Gigantic ring system around J1407b much larger, heavier than Saturn's
• Electronic circuits with reconfigurable pathways closer to reality
• Swarm of microprobes to head for Jupiter
• Helicopter could be 'scout' for Mars rovers
• Chemists find a way to unboil egg whites: Ability to quickly restore molecular proteins could slash biotechnology costs
• Entanglement on a chip: Breakthrough promises secure communications and faster computers
• Converting olive mash into cash
• These jellyfish aren't just drifters; many swim strongly

Gigantic ring system around J1407b much larger, heavier than Saturn's Posted: 26 Jan 2015 10:52 AM PST Astronomers have discovered that the ring system that they see eclipse the very young Sun-like star J1407 is of enormous proportions, much larger and heavier than the ring system of Saturn.

Electronic circuits with reconfigurable pathways closer to reality Posted: 26 Jan 2015 09:49 AM PST Multitasking circuits capable of reconfiguring themselves in real time and switching functions as the need arises -- this is the promising application stemming from a new discovery. Other potential uses: miniaturizing our electronic devices and developing resilient circuits.

Swarm of microprobes to head for Jupiter Posted: 26 Jan 2015 08:23 AM PST A swarm of tiny probes each with a different sensor could be fired into the clouds of Jupiter and grab data as they fall before burning up in the gas giant planet's atmosphere. The probes would last an estimated 15 minutes according to planetary scientists. Transmitting 20 megabits of data over 15 minutes would be sufficient to allows scientists to get a picture of a large part of the atmosphere of the planet.

Helicopter could be 'scout' for Mars rovers Posted: 26 Jan 2015 07:51 AM PST Getting around on Mars is tricky business. Each NASA rover has delivered a wealth of information about the history and composition of the Red Planet, but a rover's vision is limited by the view of onboard cameras, and images from spacecraft orbiting Mars are the only other clues to where to drive it. To have a better sense of where to go and what's worth studying on Mars, it could be useful to have a low-flying scout.

Chemists find a way to unboil egg whites: Ability to quickly restore molecular proteins could slash biotechnology costs Posted: 26 Jan 2015 06:59 AM PST Chemists have figured out how to unboil egg whites -- an innovation that could dramatically reduce costs for cancer treatments, food production and other segments of the $160 billion global biotechnology industry, according to new findings.

Entanglement on a chip: Breakthrough promises secure communications and faster computers Posted: 26 Jan 2015 06:57 AM PST A team of scientists has developed, for the first time, a microscopic component that is small enough to fit onto a standard silicon chip that can generate a continuous supply of entangled photons.

Converting olive mash into cash Posted: 26 Jan 2015 05:38 AM PST An experimental system to create heat and power with waste from olive oil processing is up-and-running in Spain. The system shows a promising way forward for reducing environmental damage and converting organic waste to energy, scientists say.

These jellyfish aren't just drifters; many swim strongly Posted: 22 Jan 2015 10:31 AM PST Jellyfish might look like mere drifters, but some of them have a remarkable ability to detect the direction of ocean currents and to swim strongly against them, according to new evidence in free-ranging barrel-jellyfish.

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