http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Ever driven through a car wash? Going through a Better Place battery-switching station is like that - minus the soap suds, of course. http://phys.org/news256400582.html Technology Wed, 16 May 2012 16:00:02 EST news256400582 People respond to facial cues and this affects their level of trust, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research that looks at the way consumers react to morphed photo images. http://phys.org/news256398849.html Other Sciences Wed, 16 May 2012 15:30:05 EST news256398849 In August, NASA's Mars Science Laboratory will reach the Red Planet and begin its search for habitats that could have supported life. http://phys.org/news256400065.html Space & Earth Wed, 16 May 2012 15:30:01 EST news256400065 The Big Apple may not have California's weather, but tech fans at New York Internet Week say that in every other way the city is on course to become Silicon Valley 2.0. http://phys.org/news256398750.html Technology Wed, 16 May 2012 15:20:01 EST news256398750 Apple has begun preparing to launch an iPhone with a larger screen than its previous models, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. http://phys.org/news256399944.html Electronics Wed, 16 May 2012 15:13:03 EST news256399944 When the iPad debuted two years ago, there was lots of talk about whether people beyond the iPhone and Mac faithful would use such a thing. http://phys.org/news256399876.html Technology Wed, 16 May 2012 15:11:35 EST news256399876 Although it is tempting to use the word "we" to make consumers feel like part of the family, people react negatively when brands overstep their boundaries, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. http://phys.org/news256398878.html Other Sciences Wed, 16 May 2012 15:00:01 EST news256398878 People who feel good about themselves are less likely to choose an attractive product than a functional one, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. But choosing highly aesthetic products may make people more open-minded. http://phys.org/news256398792.html Other Sciences Wed, 16 May 2012 14:53:22 EST news256398792 Sony Pictures Entertainment on Wednesday said that the Academy Award winning screenwriter behind "The Social Network" will write the script for a film about Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. http://phys.org/news256398705.html Technology Wed, 16 May 2012 14:52:04 EST news256398705 Among Islamists, certain global brands can be considered threats to Muslim identity, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. http://phys.org/news256395372.html Other Sciences Wed, 16 May 2012 14:10:01 EST news256395372 Scientists are reporting development and testing of a new series of drugs that could finally stop the fox tapeworm — which causes a rare but life-threatening disease in humans — dead in its tracks. The report, which appears in ACS' Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, shows that specific organometallic substances that help combat cancer are also the surprising best new hope for a treatment against tapeworm infection. http://phys.org/news256394645.html Chemistry Wed, 16 May 2012 14:00:09 EST news256394645 Most consumers want to fit in while still asserting their individuality—and they balance these conflicting desires when choosing products, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. http://phys.org/news256395287.html Other Sciences Wed, 16 May 2012 13:54:52 EST news256395287 With epidemics of Type 2 diabetes looming in rural India, China and other areas of the world where poverty limits the availability of health care, scientists are reporting development of an inexpensive and easy-to-use urine test ideally suited for such areas. The report describing the paper-based device, which also could be adapted for the diagnosis and monitoring of other conditions and the environment, appears in ACS' journal Analytical Chemistry. http://phys.org/news256395203.html Chemistry Wed, 16 May 2012 13:53:37 EST news256395203 Returning extra medicine to the pharmacy for disposal might not be worth the extra time, money or greenhouse gas emissions, according to a University of Michigan study that is the first to look at the net effects of so-called take-back programs. http://phys.org/news256394511.html Space & Earth Wed, 16 May 2012 13:42:47 EST news256394511 Growing demand among baby boomers and others for "enhanced cosmetics" that marry cosmetics and active ingredients to smooth wrinkled skin and otherwise improve appearance is fostering research on micro-capsules and other technology to package those ingredients in creams, lotions and other products. That boom in research on encapsulation and other delivery technology is the topic of the cover story in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society. http://phys.org/news256394379.html Chemistry Wed, 16 May 2012 13:39:49 EST news256394379 Leading Japanese mobile operator NTT DoCoMo on Wednesday unveiled its first smart phone specially designed for elderly users, as the company bids to tap into an ageing consumer population. http://phys.org/news256394100.html Electronics Wed, 16 May 2012 13:35:04 EST news256394100 Google on Wednesday began making its search engine smarter, in what the Internet giant called a major upgrade that looks beyond query words to figure out what people are actually seeking online. http://phys.org/news256394007.html Technology Wed, 16 May 2012 13:33:41 EST news256394007 The early April earthquake of magnitude 8.6 that shook Sumatra was a grim reminder of the devastating earthquakes and tsunami that killed tens of thousands of people in 2004 and 2005. http://phys.org/news256391992.html Space & Earth Wed, 16 May 2012 13:01:01 EST news256391992 Black carbon aerosols and tropospheric ozone, both manmade pollutants emitted predominantly in the Northern Hemisphere's low- to mid-latitudes, are most likely pushing the boundary of the tropics further poleward in that hemisphere, new research by a team of scientists shows. http://phys.org/news256391061.html Space & Earth Wed, 16 May 2012 13:00:29 EST news256391061 A landmark effort to sequence the genome of a South American butterfly has revealed the key behind its unusual ability to mimic other butterflies. http://phys.org/news256391176.html Biology Wed, 16 May 2012 13:00:21 EST news256391176 The Asian Development Bank said Wednesday it had sold $339 million worth of bonds to help fund investment in more environmentally-friendly power projects in the region. http://phys.org/news256390200.html Technology Wed, 16 May 2012 12:30:06 EST news256390200 (Phys.org) -- By combining the light of three powerful infrared telescopes, an international research team has observed the active accretion phase of a supermassive black hole in the center of a galaxy tens of millions of light years away, a method that has yielded an unprecedented amount of data for such observations. The resolution at which they were able to observe this highly luminescent active galactic nucleus (AGN) has given them direct confirmation of how mass accretes onto black holes in centers of galaxies. http://phys.org/news256390147.html Space & Earth Wed, 16 May 2012 12:29:32 EST news256390147 Funeral directors need to be aware of the needs of non-religious people. A unique investigation into the subject funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) provides a snapshot of a defining aspect of life - or indeed death. http://phys.org/news256390039.html Other Sciences Wed, 16 May 2012 12:27:23 EST news256390039 Baby galaxies from the young Universe more than 12 billion years ago evolved faster than previously thought, shows new research from the Niels Bohr Institute. This means that already in the early history of the Universe, there was potential for planet formation and life. The research results have been published in the scientific journal, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Letters. http://phys.org/news256389912.html Space & Earth Wed, 16 May 2012 12:26:11 EST news256389912 A team of Israeli and German scientists from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) and the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces have found an enamel-like layer in the mandibles of freshwater crayfish, according to an article in Nature Communications titled "Enamel-like Apatite Crown Covering Amorphous Mineral in a Crayfish Mandible." http://phys.org/news256389558.html Biology Wed, 16 May 2012 12:20:13 EST news256389558 Football fans heading to Ukraine and Poland for Euro 2012 can now take a digital stroll through the tournament stadiums and host cities on Google Street View, organisers said Wednesday. http://phys.org/news256388993.html Technology Wed, 16 May 2012 12:10:06 EST news256388993 US mobile carrier Sprint said Wednesday it was delaying the introduction of an Android smartphone from Taiwan's HTC after the devices were blocked by US customs. http://phys.org/news256388683.html Technology Wed, 16 May 2012 12:09:13 EST news256388683 China Mobile, the world's biggest mobile operator by subscribers, said Wednesday the company is in talks with Apple to offer the popular iPhone to its users in the Asian nation. http://phys.org/news256388513.html Technology Wed, 16 May 2012 12:04:27 EST news256388513 (AP) -- Nokia has been bumped off its 14-year top spot as the world's largest cellphone company by Samsung, according to a British research firm. http://phys.org/news256388454.html Technology Wed, 16 May 2012 12:01:05 EST news256388454 Scientists from the University of Southampton have discovered a previously unrecognised volcanic process, similar to one that is used in chocolate manufacturing, which gives important new insights into the dynamics of volcanic eruptions. http://phys.org/news256386646.html Space & Earth Wed, 16 May 2012 11:30:54 EST news256386646