SCIENCES ENERGIES ENVIRONNEMENT

 

Dear olivier hartmanshenn,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for week 29: How Gravity from Entropy theory connects the second law of thermodynamics with the emergence of cosmic structure Gravity from Entropy (GfE) models gravity as emerging from quantum geometric relative entropy between physical and matter-induced metrics. In Friedmann–Robertson–Walker spacetimes, GfE yields thermodynamic laws where dynamical dark energy acts as internal energy and QGRE as entropy density. As cosmic volume grows, total entropy increases while entropy per unit volume decreases, enabling structure formation without violating the second law.   Could vitamin B3 prevent silent thief from stealing vision? New study finds protective effects against glaucoma Nicotinamide use in patients with ocular hypertension was associated with a substantially lower incidence of primary open-angle glaucoma over 3.7 years (3.5% vs 9%) and reduced need for pressure-lowering eye drops and laser therapy. As an observational analysis, causality, optimal dosing, safety, and long-term effects remain uncertain and require confirmation in controlled trials.   New process turns mixed plastic waste directly into hydrogen fuel without sorting Alkaline thermal treatment converts mixed PET, PE, and PP waste directly into >90% pure H2 at temperatures 300–400 °C below conventional gasification. A mild thermal oxidation pretreatment activates PE and PP, enabling efficient decomposition. Carbon is captured as solid carbonate, with minimal gaseous emissions, offering simultaneous plastic valorization and CO2 sequestration.   Physicists confirm 20-year-old theory that could boost quantum technology Physicists experimentally realize a 20-year-old proposal for autonomous distributed entanglement by engineering a quantum bath of correlated microwave photons that continuously stabilizes entangled states of distant superconducting qubits. The method passively transfers about 10% of the bath’s entanglement to the qubits, keeps entanglement available beyond qubit lifetimes, and offers a scalable route toward modular quantum processors and networks.   New tool makes immune therapy more effective in prostate cancer Prostate tumors classified as immune cold show shortened SPSB1 mRNA, increased SPSB1 protein, loss of MHC-I, and poor T‑cell infiltration. An RNA-targeting CRISPR-Cas13 tool was engineered to re-lengthen SPSB1 mRNA, reducing SPSB1, restoring MHC-I, and enhancing immune checkpoint therapy efficacy in mouse prostate cancer models without detectable off-target effects.   Physicists create first room-temperature quantum material A plasmonic “quantum statistical metacrystal” made from gold meta-atoms on a chip operates at room temperature, selectively transmitting and routing distinct quantum states of light. It functions as a quantum statistical filter, preserving quantum coherence and enabling robust transport without cryogenic cooling. The work supplies a general design principle for engineered quantum materials with potential applications in quantum information and improved solar energy conversion.   T. rex babies were born ready to run and feed themselves Tyrannosaurus rex hatchlings were small (~1.7 kg, ~75 cm) but showed bone remodeling and tooth wear consistent with early locomotion and active predation on vertebrate prey, indicating highly precocial behavior. Estimated clutch sizes of at least 15–30 eggs suggest reproductive and parental strategies intermediate between modern reptiles and birds.   World's first superconducting quantum heat engine offers path to larger quantum computers A superconducting cyclic quantum heat engine was realized using a transmon qubit, resonator, and a tunable quantum-circuit refrigerator operated near absolute zero. The device implements an Otto cycle in which controlled heat flow through the qubit produces measurable positive work. This demonstrates practical quantum thermodynamic energy conversion and suggests a route to autonomous on-chip components for scalable quantum computing architectures.   What one of Emperor Hadrian's latrines is telling us about the durability of Roman concrete Roman concrete from Hadrian’s latrine shows long-term durability arises not only from pozzolanic reactions of volcanic ash and lime but also from carbonation, which forms calcite that progressively seals pores and microcracks. Volcanic rock fragments further react with lime to generate additional cementitious phases, collectively enhancing density, durability, and self-healing behavior.   Doughnut‑shaped topology reveals new way to classify knitting, crochet and other textiles A knot-theoretic framework represents knitted and crocheted textiles as periodic loop networks, analyzes defect propagation, and maps patterns onto a torus to test if they reduce to trivial knots or links. This distinguishes knittable loop-based textiles from other structures and links defect-spread control to tunable damage resistance. The approach generalizes to other entangled materials.   Study links sea level to Earth's carbon thermostat Over the past 60 million years, sea level–driven changes in phosphate availability modulated marine productivity, organic carbon burial, and thus atmospheric CO₂ and climate. Falling sea level narrowed and positioned oxygen minimum zones over organic-rich shelves, enhancing phosphate recycling and carbon burial, whereas high sea level suppressed this feedback, favoring higher CO₂ and warmer conditions.   A new stellar census strengthens the case for a 13.8-billion-year-old universe Analysis of 155,600 Milky Way subgiant stars yields a maximum stellar age of ~13.73 Gyr (+0.18/−0.15 Gyr), implying a universe age consistent with ΛCDM and the CMB-inferred value of ~13.8 Gyr. This age is incompatible with a globally high Hubble constant giving ~12.5–12.9 Gyr, favoring “late-time” or local explanations for the Hubble tension.   Breakdown of immune cells' interaction is key driver in aging, study finds Aging-associated elevation of PGE₂–EP2 signaling in tissue-resident macrophages impairs clearance of senescent neutrophils, driving chronic systemic inflammation and multi-organ decline in mice. Genetic or pharmacologic EP2 blockade restores macrophage phagocytosis, reduces senescent neutrophil accumulation, preserves organ function and cognition, and maintains youthful blood protein profiles. Human liver data show parallel age-related increases in neutrophil senescence and EP2 activity.   Ocean acidification emerging as a planetary signal linking today's carbon emissions to Earth's deep-time memory Ocean acidification is framed as a long-lived planetary signal encoding human-driven carbon-cycle disruption in marine sediments and carbonate chemistry. Modern CO₂ emissions occur >10× faster than during the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum, outpacing slow geological buffers such as carbonate dissolution and silicate weathering. Resulting chemical changes will persist for millennia as a durable record of the Anthropocene.   Study reports the first detection of a sugar in interstellar space Erythrulose, a four-carbon ketose sugar, was detected for the first time in the interstellar medium toward molecular cloud G+0.693−0.027 using ultrasensitive radio spectroscopy. Twelve spectral lines match laboratory spectra, and erythrulose is at least eight times more abundant than comparable three-carbon sugars. Modeling indicates formation in interstellar ices from two-carbon precursors. Estimated delivery of 0.5–50 million metric tons to early Earth suggests an exogenous source of prebiotic sugars.   Quantum teleportation could reduce photon loss in long-distance communications An all-optical heralded entanglement scheme prepares high-fidelity EPR photon pairs that circumvent most channel loss and serve as a resource for quantum teleportation over a ~1% transmission channel. Teleportation of photonic qubits achieved nearly threefold higher efficiency than direct transmission, even with optimal quantum cloning, indicating an unconditional advantage for long-distance quantum communication and future quantum networks.   Listening to 'ringing' black holes unlocks future gravitational-wave astronomy Black hole ringdown gravitational waves encode quasinormal modes whose frequencies determine mass and spin and test general relativity in strong gravity. Current observations are consistent with general relativity but sensitivity is limited. Future detectors should resolve multiple modes, overtones, and nonlinear features, enabling stringent tests of gravity, dark matter, and quantum-scale effects near horizons.   Webb telescope discovers hidden planet in famous star system The James Webb Space Telescope identified a new giant exoplanet, Beta Pictoris d, in the well-studied Beta Pictoris system using atmospheric spectroscopy rather than direct imaging. The planet is at least twice Jupiter’s mass, orbits at ~30 AU, and lies within a bright debris disk. Detection of CO, H2O, and CH4 confirms its planetary nature and demonstrates a powerful method for finding and characterizing exoplanets in dusty environments.   Atoms tell different stories when light hits a molecule in trillionths of a second Ultrafast tr-XPS with XFEL pulses tracked energy redistribution in photoexcited 3-fluoropyridine across a conical intersection on picosecond scales. Different atomic sites encoded distinct dynamics: fluorine primarily reported vibrational relaxation, while nitrogen reflected coupled electronic and nuclear motion. The method enables site-specific, real-time mapping of photochemical processes.   Naked mole-rat queens produce an odorous chemical that ensures that only they can reproduce Naked mole-rat queens emit the volatile compound isopropyl myristate, which via olfactory signaling elevates prolactin, suppresses progesterone, and induces reversible infertility in other females. The scent alone, without the queen’s presence, maintains social stability and reproductive suppression, and is produced only during the queen’s pregnancy, linking chemical signaling to eusocial hierarchy.