SCIENCES ETC /PROGRAMME DE LA SEMAINE

 

Dear olivier hartmanshenn,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for week 23:

	First detection of secondary supermassive black hole in a well-known binary system Supermassive black holes that weigh several billion times the mass of our sun are present at the centers of active galaxies. Astronomers observe them as bright galactic cores where the galaxy's supermassive black hole devours matter from a violent whirlpool called accretion disk. Some of the matter is squeezed out into a powerful jet. This process makes the galactic core shine brightly across the entire electromagnetic spectrum.
	Remains of an extinct world of organisms discovered Newly discovered biomarker signatures point to a whole range of previously unknown organisms that dominated complex life on Earth about a billion years ago. They differed from complex eukaryotic life as we know it, such as animals, plants and algae in their cell structure and likely metabolism, which was adapted to a world that had far less oxygen in the atmosphere than today.
	UK hobbyist stuns math world with 'amazing' new shapes David Smith, a retired print technician from the north of England, was pursuing his hobby of looking for interesting shapes when he stumbled onto one unlike any other in November.
	Study explains the evolutionary origins and advantages of masturbation Masturbation is common across the animal kingdom but is especially prevalent among primates, including humans. Historically, this behavior was considered to be either pathological or a by-product of sexual arousal, and recorded observations were too fragmented to understand its distribution, evolutionary history, or adaptive significance. New research published in Proceedings of The Royal Society B finds that, perhaps surprisingly, this behavior seems to serve an evolutionary purpose.
	Experiment halted in Norway after whale drowns A controversial research project in Norway on whales' hearing was suspended after a whale drowned, researchers said on Wednesday, as activists slammed the "cruel and pointless" experiments.
	Webb Space Telescope detects universe's most distant complex organic molecules Researchers have detected complex organic molecules in a galaxy more than 12 billion light-years away from Earth—the most distant galaxy in which these molecules are now known to exist. Thanks to the capabilities of the recently launched James Webb Space Telescope and careful analyses from the research team, a new study lends critical insight into the complex chemical interactions that occur in the first galaxies in the early universe.
	Researchers 'split' phonons in step toward new type of quantum computer When we listen to our favorite song, what sounds like a continuous wave of music is actually transmitted as tiny packets of quantum particles called phonons.
	Devastating heart condition can be reversed, study shows for the first time Three men who had heart failure caused by the build-up of sticky, toxic proteins are now free of symptoms after their condition spontaneously reversed in an unprecedented case described by a team at UCL (University College London) and the Royal Free Hospital.
	AI clones made from user data pose uncanny risks Imagine, if you will, a digital doppelgänger. A clone that looks, talks and behaves just like you, created from the depths of artificial intelligence, reflecting your every mannerism with eerie precision. As thrilling as it might sound, how would you feel about it?
	Researchers discover that COVID-19 can cause brain cells to fuse Researchers at The University of Queensland have discovered viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 can cause brain cells to fuse, initiating malfunctions that lead to chronic neurological symptoms.
	Researchers: We've created a new lens that could take thermal cameras out of spy films and put them in your back pocket Like something out of a spy movie, thermal cameras make it possible to "see" heat by converting infrared radiation into an image. They can detect infrared light given off by animals, vehicles, electrical equipment and even people—leading to specialized applications in a number of industries.
	A documented case of a crocodile virgin birth A team of entomologists and reptile specialists from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, the Chiricahua Desert Museum, the Illinois Natural History Survey, Reptilandia Reptile Lagoon and Parque Reptilandia has documented a case of a virgin crocodile laying viable eggs. In their paper published in the journal Biology Letters, the group describes their surprise at the discovery of a clutch of eggs laid by an American crocodile who had been kept alone in an enclosure at Parque Reptilandia park in Costa Rica for 16 years prior to laying the eggs.
	Researchers discover chemical evidence for pair-instability supernova from a very massive first star The first stars illuminated the universe during the Cosmic Dawn and put an end to the cosmic "dark ages" that followed the Big Bang. However, the distribution of their mass is one of the great unsolved mysteries of the cosmos.
	Lingering effects of Neanderthal DNA found in modern humans Recent scientific discoveries have shown that Neanderthal genes comprise some 1 to 4% of the genome of present-day humans whose ancestors migrated out of Africa, but the question remained open on how much those genes are still actively influencing human traits—until now.
	Resolving a mathematical puzzle in quarks and gluons in nuclear matter The building blocks of atomic nuclei are protons and neutrons, which are themselves made of even more fundamental particles: quarks and gluons. These particles interact via the strong force, one of the four fundamental forces of nature. They make up the nuclei at the heart of every atom. They also make up forms of hot or dense nuclear matter that exhibit exotic properties.
	Quantum materials: Electron spin measured for the first time An international research team has succeeded for the first time in measuring the electron spin in matter—i.e., the curvature of space in which electrons live and move—within "kagome materials," a new class of quantum materials.
	Development of communication in chimpanzees echoes that of human infants Young chimpanzees combine different gestures, vocalizations and facial expressions in a way which echoes the development of communication in human infants, according to new research.
	Synthetic species created without biochemistry operate according to Darwinian evolutionary principles Imagine the possibility of life forms on other planets that don't resemble any on Earth. What might they look like, and why would they be so different?
	Searching for new particle: Discovering axions could help answer one of the most puzzling questions in physics One of the most high-profile mysteries in physics today is what scientists refer to as the "Strong CP Problem." Stemming from the puzzling phenomenon that neutrons do not interact with electric fields despite being made up of quarks—smaller, fundamental particles that carry electric charges—the Strong CP Problem puts into question the Standard Model of physics, or the set of theories scientists have been using to explain the laws of nature for years.
	Scientists discover that water molecules define the materials around us For decades, the fields of physics and chemistry have maintained that the atoms and molecules that make up the natural world define the character of solid matter. Salt crystals get their crystalline quality from the ionic bond between sodium and chloride ions, metals like iron or copper get their strength from the metallic bonds between iron or copper atoms, and rubbers get their stretchiness from the flexible bonds within polymers that constitute the rubber. The same principle applies for materials