Issue # 171 _ May 2010
S&T Policy
Computer Sciences

International exposure
Researchers from Microsoft Research-FAPESP Institute show their projects in the USA
By Fabrício MarquesScience
Neurophysiology

The paths of fear
Fear due to different reasons activates different parts of the brain
By Ricardo ZorzettoOceanography

Polluted paradise
Canal opened in 1855 has made it easier for heavy metals to spread along southern São Paulo coast
By Francisco BicudoPhysics

Flashing dust
Study explains why electrical discharges occur in clouds of sand or volcanic ash
By Marcos PivettaTechnology
New materials

Concrete made from ash
Waste from burning sugar cane bagasse may substitute part of the sand used in civil construction
By Yuri VasconcelosNew materials

Bactericidal fiber
Mixture of sugar cane pulp and chitosan results in a fiber that has medicinal properties
By Yuri VasconcelosNanotechnology

Squeezing electricity
Researchers develop a material that generates electricity under pressure
By Evanildo da SilveiraElectrical engineering

Plastic from light
Luminous polymers are being quoted as substitutes for LCD screens
By Evanildo da Silveira