SCIE?NCES ENERGIES ENVIRONNEMENT

 

• Dear olivier hartmanshenn,

  Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for week 51:

  	Commercial tea bags release millions of microplastics, entering human intestinal cells UAB research has characterized in detail how polymer-based commercial tea bags release millions of nanoplastics and microplastics when infused. The study shows for the first time the capacity of these particles to be absorbed by human intestinal cells, and are thus able to reach the bloodstream and spread throughout the body.
  	Scientists observe 'negative time' in quantum experiments Scientists have long known that light can sometimes appear to exit a material before entering it—an effect dismissed as an illusion caused by how waves are distorted by matter.
  	Dark energy 'doesn't exist' so can't be pushing 'lumpy' universe apart, physicists say One of the biggest mysteries in science—dark energy—doesn't actually exist, according to researchers looking to solve the riddle of how the universe is expanding.
  	Old moon, young crust: Violent volcanism may mean the moon is much older than previously thought After its formation, the moon may have been the scene of such immense volcanic activity that its entire crust melted several times and was completely churned through. At that time, the moon orbited significantly closer to Earth than today. The resulting tidal forces heated up its interior and thus powered the violent volcanism. Only Jupiter's moon Io, by far the most volcanically active body in the solar system, offers comparable conditions.
  	Study claims all observables in nature can be measured with a single constant: The second A group of Brazilian researchers has presented an innovative proposal to resolve a decades-old debate among theoretical physicists: How many fundamental constants are needed to describe the observable universe? Here, the term "fundamental constants" refers to the basic standards needed to measure everything.
  	World's oldest mammalian ancestor discovered in Mallorca An international research team led by the Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP) and the Museu Balear de Ciències Naturals (MUCBO | MBCN) have described a fossil animal that lived between 270 and 280 million years ago in present-day Mallorca.
  	More than 1,300 prehistoric burial mounds in western Azerbaijan systematically surveyed for the first time Spanning more than 1,000 kilometers in length and up to 5,600 meters in height, the mountain ranges of the Caucasus stretch between the Black and Caspian Seas. What appears to be a huge natural barrier was actually an important contact and exchange zone between the highlands of West Asia and the Southeast European steppes for thousands of years. Despite its importance, archaeological data from the Caucasus and neighboring regions remains fragmentary.
  	Model suggests Earth's subsurface may hold up to 5.6 × 10⁶ million metric tons of natural hydrogen A pair of geologists with the U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, has created a model that shows Earth's subsurface may hold up to 5.6 × 106 million metric tons of natural hydrogen. In their study, published in the journal Science Advances, Geoffrey Ellis and Sarah Gelman added factors to a geological model to produce estimates regarding the likely amount of hydrogen in parts of the Earth.
  	JWST uncovers massive grand-design spiral galaxy in early universe Indian astronomers report the detection of a new grand-design galaxy with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The newfound galaxy, which received designation A2744-GDSp-z4, is relatively large and massive. The finding was detailed in a paper published Dec. 6 on the pre-print server arXiv.
  	The genomic journey of modern and archaic humans may be older than we thought Research conducted at the Department of Biology, University of Padova, has identified critical genomic milestones in the evolution of Homo sapiens, including key chromosomal rearrangements and specific gene variants that contributed to the development of current modern human traits.
  	Team presents first demonstration of quantum teleportation over busy internet cables Northwestern University engineers are the first to successfully demonstrate quantum teleportation over a fiberoptic cable already carrying internet traffic.
  	Tiny particle, huge potential: Scientists discover new type of quasiparticle present in all magnetic materials Researchers recently made a groundbreaking discovery on the nanoscale: a new type of quasiparticle found in all magnetic materials, no matter their strength or temperature. These new properties shake up what researchers previously knew about magnetism, showing it's not as static as once believed.
  	CO₂-eating bacteria can recycle carbon from chimney smoke directly into new products Researchers from Aarhus University (AU) have developed a new technology that uses microorganisms to convert the CO2 in flue gas directly for new purposes—for example fuels or substances for the chemicals industry.
  	First-ever binary star found near our galaxy's supermassive black hole An international team of researchers has detected a binary star orbiting close to Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy. It is the first time a stellar pair has been found in the vicinity of a supermassive black hole.
  	Were Neanderthals cold-adapted or were they just ready for anything? Ribcage reconstruction may hold the answer Researchers at the Department of Paleobiology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales in Madrid report that analysis of a Neanderthal ribcage from a cave in Iraq exhibits a "bell-shaped" thorax configuration typical of Neanderthals elsewhere, differing from that of modern humans.
  	Carnivorous squirrels documented in California A ground squirrel with cheeks stuffed with nuts, seeds or grains is a common sight. But a new study provides the first evidence that California ground squirrels also hunt, kill and eat voles. The study, led by the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and University of California, Davis, is the first to chronicle widespread carnivorous behavior among squirrels.
  	What is metformin's secret sauce? New study shows how 'wonder drug' works in living animals Millions of people take metformin, a type 2 diabetes medication that lowers blood sugar. The "wonder drug" has also been shown to slow cancer growth, improve COVID outcomes and reduce inflammation. But until now, scientists have been unable to determine how, exactly, the drug works.
  	How a newly examined gut microbe drives the gut-lung axis A team led by University of Toronto researchers has discovered a new communication pathway between the gut and lung.
  	The brain's processing paradox: Study quantifies the speed of human thought Caltech researchers have quantified the speed of human thought: a rate of 10 bits per second. However, our bodies' sensory systems gather data about our environments at a rate of a trillion bits per second, which is 100 billion times faster than our thought processes. This new study raises major new avenues of exploration for neuroscientists, in particular: Why can we only think one thing at a time while our sensory systems process thousands of inputs at once?
  	Denali Fault found to have torn apart ancient joining of two landmasses New research shows that three sites spread along an approximately 620-mile portion of today's Denali Fault were once a smaller united geologic feature indicative of the final joining of two land masses. That feature was then torn apart by millions of years of tectonic activity.