Water worlds and origami lenses

Source: PhysOrg Scientists have predicted the existence of ocean worlds: planets completely covered in water as much as 100-km deep. In fact, they predict that such worlds should be more common than those like earth. With the upcoming launch of the Kepler spacecraft in 2008, along with data collected from CoRoT and ground-based observations, such worlds should soon be detectable within the habitable zones of nearby stars, if such planets even exist.

Source: Nature Scientists gave an amputee the ability to feel "touch" using her prosthetic by rewiring nerves from her shoulder to sensory nerves in her chest, which acted as surrogates for the sensory nerves in the lost limb. This surgery is allowed her to regain her sense of touch and temperature, enhancing the functionality of her prosthetic. To the amputee, the feeling actually appear to come from missing limb because the information is following the original neural pathway through the shoulder. In addition to the sensory nerves, they rewired her control nerves to muscles in her chest. After several months, the muscles begin responding to the new sensory input. Add MEG (muscle motion sensors) and signal processing, and she is now able to control here arm using the same mental instructions she using the same mental commands she used to control the original limb.

Source: PhysOrg Researchers have harnessed the power of folding to create a 5-mm thick flat lens with the resolving power of a 38-mm standard lens. The trick is in collecting light over a wide area and re-reflecting it within the lens until the light reaches the photodetector array. This lens could be used in the next generation of light, thin, high-resolution imaging systems.

Source: PhysOrg Scientists have developed a "portable" (size of a small moving van) generator that converts food, paper, and plastic waste into electricity. Although initially designed for the military, an extension of this technology may find its way into businesses or homes as a way to convert certain types of waste into energy.

Source: PhysOrg Researchers at Brown University have developed a high-resolution, high-speed system for imaging bones while they are in motion. This should have immediate benefit to orthopedic surgeons and physiotherapists who can finally observe exactly what bones are doing during certain activities. The picture shown here is a duck flying in a wind tunnel, being x-rayed in real-time.

Hidden plasma and other images

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