Number 337
Scientists create hydrogen with no direct CO2 emissions at source
The process reacts hydrogen-rich and sustainably sourced bioethanol taken from agricultural waste with water at just 270°C using a new bimetallic catalyst.
Air inside your home may be more polluted than outside due to everyday chemical products
Nanoparticles form when fragrances interact with ozone triggering chemical transformations that create new airborne pollutants.
Ultra-sensitive method finds bacterial spores in food and hospitals
Bacterial spores can endure extreme environments, including boiling water, common disinfectants and radiation—conditions that would kill most bacteria.
Birds have developed complex brains independently from mammals
Two studies published in the latest issue of Science have revealed that birds, reptiles, and mammals have developed complex brain circuits independently, despite sharing a common ancestor.
Divorce can be predicted by interactions between cultural and personal values, study finds
On average, the rates of divorce worldwide have increased over the past century.
Physicists uncover evidence of two arrows of time emerging from the quantum realm
Imagine that instead of flowing in one direction—from past to future—time could flow forward or backwards due to processes taking place at the quantum level.
How a computer that ‘drunk dials’ videos is exposing YouTube’s secrets
YouTube is about to turn 20. An unusual research method is unveiling statistics about the platform that Google would rather keep hidden.
World’s Largely Unprotected Peatlands Are Ticking ‘Carbon Bomb,’ Warns Study
Bogs and swamps are a colossal carbon store but their continued destruction would blow climate change targets.
3D-printed, bioresorbable implant could help patients regenerate their own heart valves
Valve replacement and repair are the only methods of managing severe valvular heart disease, but both often require repeated surgeries that are expensive, disruptive, and life-threatening.
Scientists reveal how to make dogs pay attention
Struggling to get your dog to fetch your slippers?
== yjc, seen most of what’s in this article before
What is space junk and why does it pose an increasing risk for Earth?
Space junk is anything that humanity has put into low Earth orbit that hasn’t either fallen back to the planet or spun out into space.
Witnessing the birth of planets
Webb telescope provides unprecedented view into PDS 70 system.
Physicists describe the creation of black holes through pure gravity
Arctic cyclones could be missing link in sea ice depletion models
Arctic cyclones are weather phenomena that are tricky to predict and even trickier to incorporate into models.
Masquerading moth deploys specialized nanostructures to evade predators
The forewings of the fruit-sucking moth (Eudocima aurantia) have the appearance of a crumpled leaf—but are in fact flat.
Physicists find deformed nuclei when searching for ‘dark forces’
The international collaboration team was even able to use this data to obtain direct information about the deformation of the atomic nucleus along the ytterbium isotope chain.
Money may have originated through long distance trade, new theory suggests
Two of the most commonly accepted theories for the origin of money are the commodity theory and the chartalist theory.
First Ultra-High-Energy Neutrino Detected
Scientists associated with the Kilometer Cube Neutrino Telescope, or KM3NeT, have reported detection of an ultra-high energy neutrino deep in the Mediterranean sea.
Plain pasta? No, thank you. Study finds cockatoos dunk their snacks in dip for flavour
Birds enthusiastically used noodles to mop up blueberry soy yogurt. Then, they double-dipped.
== yjc
Beginnings of Roman London discovered in office basement
Archaeologists have found a substantial piece of the ancient city’s first basilica - a 2,000 year old public building where major political, economic and administrative decisions were made.
How 3D-printed parts changed the NASCAR Cup Series
Faster, easier, and cheaper.
New algorithm improves how AI can independently learn and uncover patterns in data
It was inspired by the torque balance in gravitational interactions when galaxies merge.
Ancient tree rings uncover climate’s impact on Chinese dynastic history
A study tracking rainfall patterns over thousands of years has found that more arid periods coincided with ages of dynastic turmoil in China.
Does the universe behave the same way everywhere?
Homogeneity and isotropy underlie the Standard Model of Cosmology. It is currently the most robust and consistent model, verified by numerous scientific observations, though not yet perfect.
Greenland ice sheet could fully melt after reaching specific tipping point
ey found that when approximately 230 gigatons of ice is lost in a single year, corresponding to 60% of the surface mass balance compared to pre-industrial times, then this is the pivotal tipping point that could initiate a relatively rapid descent.
== yjc
The Mystery Behind the Best UFO Picture Ever Seen
In August 1990, two hikers sent photos of a strange diamond-shaped aircraft to the press – but the story never appeared. Was it a prank, a hoax, an optical illusion or something else entirely?
Thomson Reuters Wins First Major AI Copyright Case In the US
The Thomson Reuters decision has big implications for the battle between generative AI companies and rights holders.
== yjc
Stripey-faced fish named after warrior princess San
The facial markings of the fish resemble those of San, the warrior princess from Princess Mononoke.
Cerebrospinal biomarker test can detect Alzheimer’s pathology earlier, study shows
Test identifies very early stages of tau tangle formation – up to a decade before any tau clumps can show up on a brain scan.
Nanoscale tin catalyst discovery paves way for sustainable CO2 conversion
Particles of tin on a nano-textured carbon support serve as an effective electrocatalyst for converting CO2 into valuable products.
Cell surface receptor expression abundance is regulated by JAKs.
Microsoft Study Finds AI Makes Human Cognition ‘Atrophied and Unprepared’
Researchers find that the more people use AI at their job, the less critical thinking they use.
Euclid Telescope Captures Einstein Ring Revealing Warping of Space
Dazzling image shows galaxy more than 4bn light years away, whose starlight has been bent due to gravity.
Earth’s inner core may have changed shape, say scientists
Earth’s core is the beating heart of our planet as it produces a magnetic field that protects life from burning up in the Sun’s radiation.
Researchers confirm an exoplanet potentially capable of sustaining life
The new planet, named HD 20794 d, has a mass six times that of Earth and orbits a star similar to our sun, located just 20 light years away.
== rather lengthy read (I did not listen to the podcast)
What Can Birdsong Teach Us About Human Language?
We often consider spoken language to be a feature that distinguishes humans from other forms of animal life. Brain research, however, suggests that other creatures — including certain birds — share some of our neural circuitry related to language.
== yjc, took this one on-line (Harvard) a few years back, it was definitely a fun course
== highly recommend it to one and all
This Was CS50: Crying Poor, Yale To Stop Offering Harvard’s Famed CS50 Course
After a decade of partnership with Harvard, Yale’s CS50 course will no longer be offered starting in fall 2025 due to limited funding and an expanding computer science department.
Twisted Graphene Sheets Reveal ‘Unconventional’ Superconductivity Governed by Quantum Geometry
By determining how readily electron pairs flow through this material, scientists have taken a big step toward understanding its remarkable properties.
New remote scale helps weigh biscuit-eating endangered marmots
It’s part of research on the benefits of providing supplemental food to the endangered species.
Dutch space instrument SPEXone produces world map of aerosols
It shows the distribution of fine and coarse aerosols and of particles that reflect or absorb sunlight.
No quantum exorcism for Maxwell’s demon (but it doesn’t need one).
Simulating particle creation in an expanding universe using quantum computers
A new study simulates particle creation in an expanding universe using IBM quantum computers
Mysterious Radiation Belts Detected Around Earth After Epic Solar Storm
The two new radiation belts persisted for months after the solar storm of May 2024.
Quantum Teleportation Used To Distribute a Calculation
Method allows a single algorithm to be spread across multiple quantum processors.
Whale song shows ‘hallmarks’ of human language
New studies reveal structural similarities to human languages found in whale song.
Surgeons successfully transplant genetically edited pig kidney into U.S. man
‘When I woke up in the recovery room, I was a new man,’ Tim Andrews says.
Single-photon LiDAR delivers detailed 3D images at distances up to 1 kilometer
Researchers have designed a single-photon time-of-flight LiDAR system that can produce high-resolution 3D images of objects and faces that are some distance away.
Large differences in water-seeking ability found in US corn varieties
A corn plant knows how to find water in soil with the very tips of its roots, but some varieties, including many used for breeding high-yielding corn in the U.S., appear to have lost a portion of that ability.
== yjc, couldn’t resist including this
Occult Elvis: was Presley a telepathic demigod who could heal the sick and change the weather?
According to a lively new book, the King of Rock’n’Roll claimed to be a faith healer from Jupiter’s ninth moon.
== paywall?
How the tiny microbes in your mouth could be putting your health at risk
The oral microbiome is being linked to everything from metabolic disease to Alzheimer’s.
Scientists Find That Things Really Do Seem Better In the Morning
UCL study into mental health and wellbeing finds that people generally feel worse at night and on Sundays.
ChatGPT’s Deep Research just identified 20 jobs it will replace. Is yours on the list?
After researching 24 sources in seven minutes, ChatGPT came up with the top jobs that might be on the chopping block.
Everybody knows that the dice are loaded
Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed