SCIENCES ENERGIES ENVIRONNEMENT BLOGGER

Corps du message Science X Newsletter Dear olivier hartmanshenn, Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for week 43: National study finds public Montessori programs strengthen early learning outcomes—at sharply lower costs Public Montessori preschool programs in the US produce stronger early learning outcomes in reading, executive function, memory, and social understanding by kindergarten compared to traditional preschools, with benefits persisting over time. These programs cost about $13,000 less per child from ages 3–6 and show particular advantages for children from lower-income families. DNA from Napoleon's 1812 army identifies pathogens likely responsible for the army's demise during retreat from Russia DNA analysis of teeth from Napoleon's 1812 army revealed no evidence of typhus but identified Salmonella enterica and Borrelia recurrentis, pathogens causing enteric and relapsing fever, as likely contributors to the army's losses. The B. recurrentis strain matched an ancient lineage, indicating its persistence in Europe for millennia. Researchers challenge claim of a strong Yellowstone trophic cascade after wolf reintroduction A re-analysis of Yellowstone data finds no evidence that wolf reintroduction caused a large or system-wide increase in willow growth. Previous claims of a strong trophic cascade relied on circular reasoning, model violations, sampling bias, and ignored key ecological factors. Willow responses are more modest and variable, shaped by hydrology, browsing, and local site conditions. Coastal gray wolves display unexpected hunting behavior with unknown ecosystem impact Gray wolves on Prince of Wales Island, Alaska, have shifted to hunting sea otters, indicating significant dietary and behavioral adaptation. Stable-isotope analysis of wolf teeth and trail camera footage are being used to study this shift and its ecological effects. Wolves consuming sea otters show elevated methylmercury levels, raising concerns about potential health impacts and food web changes. Humans evolved fastest among the apes, 3D skull study shows Analysis of 3D skull models indicates that human skulls evolved at a substantially faster rate than those of other apes, with notable increases in brain size and facial flattening. This rapid evolution likely reflects both cognitive and social factors. In contrast, hylobatids exhibited slow skull evolution and low diversity, serving as a comparative baseline. Livestreams of rattlesnakes help shift public attitudes and foster empathy Livestreaming rattlesnake behavior has increased public awareness, engagement, and empathy toward these often-misunderstood snakes. Viewers report reduced fear and greater respect, with educational outreach extending to school programs. The approach demonstrates that real-time observation of maligned species can positively influence attitudes and promote conservation. The key to why the universe exists may lie in an 1800s knot idea science once dismissed A theoretical model shows that stable knot-like solitons could have formed in the early universe through the interplay of B–L and Peccei–Quinn symmetries. The decay of these knots would generate heavy right-handed neutrinos, whose subsequent decay could naturally produce the observed matter–antimatter asymmetry. This scenario predicts gravitational wave signatures potentially detectable by future observatories. Eating carrion may have made us human: The importance of scavenging in our evolution Scavenging carrion provided early hominins with a reliable and energy-efficient food source, especially during periods of scarcity. Evidence indicates that humans developed anatomical, physiological, behavioral, and technological adaptations for efficient scavenging, such as acidic stomach pH, use of fire, and tool use. Scavenging complemented hunting and gathering, playing a fundamental role in human evolution. New study shows AI chatbots systematically violate mental health ethics standards AI chatbots providing mental health advice frequently violate established ethical standards, including inadequate crisis management, reinforcing negative beliefs, deceptive empathy, bias, and lack of contextual adaptation. These risks persist even when chatbots are prompted to use evidence-based techniques, highlighting the need for regulatory oversight and careful implementation in mental health contexts. Neanderthals and Mesolithic hunter-gatherers shaped European landscapes long before agriculture, study reveals Neanderthals and Mesolithic hunter-gatherers significantly influenced European vegetation long before agriculture, affecting up to 47% of plant type distribution and increasing vegetation density by reducing large herbivore populations through hunting. Advanced simulations and pollen data indicate that human activity, including fire use and megafauna hunting, played a crucial role in shaping prehistoric landscapes. Family and peer conflicts predict teenage mental health issues, study finds Analysis of a large adolescent dataset indicates that social conflicts, particularly family disputes and peer reputation loss, are the strongest predictors of psychopathology in teenagers. Sex differences also influence long-term outcomes. Neuroimaging data were less informative. Social factors explained up to 40% of mental health variation, suggesting other contributors remain to be identified. Serotonin produced by gut bacteria provides hope for a novel IBS treatment Certain gut bacteria, specifically Limosilactobacillus mucosae and Ligilactobacillus ruminis, can directly produce bioactive serotonin in the intestine. Introducing these bacteria into serotonin-deficient mice increased gut serotonin, nerve cell density, and normalized intestinal transit. Lower levels of L. mucosae are observed in IBS patients, suggesting a potential therapeutic target. Retinal implant restores central vision in patients with advanced AMD, study shows A wireless retinal implant, PRIMA, restores central vision in patients with advanced atrophic age-related macular degeneration by converting light into electrical signals to stimulate remaining retinal cells. In a year-long trial, 81% of participants gained ≥10 letters in visual acuity, with most able to read letters or words, demonstrating significant functional vision improvement. Spiritual experiences in adolescence linked to adult loneliness and civic engagement Adolescents reporting transformative religious or spiritual experiences are more likely to volunteer and vote in early adulthood but also experience increased loneliness and some risk for PTSD. Associations with other health outcomes are less consistent. These experiences appear to link adolescent vulnerability with both greater civic engagement and later social or mental health challenges. How social norms evolved over time and differ across countries Social norms, which guide everyday behavior, differ widely across cultures and have changed over time. Analysis of data from 90 societies shows a global trend toward more permissive norms overall in the past two decades, except for behaviors considered vulgar or inconsiderate, which are now less tolerated, especially in societies valuing individual rights and care. Societies emphasizing purity maintain stricter norms against indecency. Using entanglement to test whether gravity is quantum just got more complicated Entanglement between massive objects, previously considered clear evidence for quantum gravity, can also arise from classical gravity when quantum field theory for matter is included. Both classical and quantum gravity can generate entanglement via different mechanisms, so observing entanglement alone does not unambiguously indicate quantum gravity; experimental parameters and entanglement strength remain crucial. A once-in-a-generation discovery is transforming a Michigan dairy farm High-oleic soybean varieties incorporated into dairy cow diets have led to rapid increases in milk fat and protein yields, significantly reducing feed costs by about 20% per month. Roasting these soybeans further enhances milk production benefits. Adoption of this feeding strategy offers economic advantages for farmers and may improve dairy product quality statewide. What goes up must come down: The 'universal thermal performance curve' that shackles evolution A universal thermal performance curve (UTPC) describes how all species' performance changes with temperature: performance rises gradually to an optimum, then declines rapidly above it. This curve applies across diverse life forms and performance measures, indicating a fundamental constraint on evolutionary adaptation to temperature, with limited ability to expand viable temperature ranges as global temperatures rise. Mushrooms show promise as memory chips for future computers Shiitake and button mushrooms can function as organic memristors, exhibiting memory effects comparable to semiconductor chips. These fungal-based devices offer low-cost, biodegradable alternatives for data storage, achieving switching rates up to 5,850 signals per second with about 90% accuracy. Their scalability and environmental benefits highlight potential for sustainable, brain-inspired computing. Early trigger of diabetic eye disease identified A protein called LRG1 has been identified as a key initiator of early retinal damage in diabetic retinopathy by constricting retinal blood vessels and reducing oxygen supply. Blocking LRG1 in diabetic mice prevented this early damage and preserved vision, suggesting that targeting LRG1 could enable earlier intervention and potentially prevent vision loss in diabetes, surpassing current VEGF-based therapies.