SCIENCES ENERGIES ENVIRONNEMENT

 

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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for week 24: How often do people pass gas? There's now an app for that Most people pass gas five times daily on average, with men doing so slightly more often than women. Flatulence frequency peaks between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., aligning with higher calorie and fiber intake. Nearly 80% of individuals pass gas two to seven times per day, and younger participants report fewer episodes than older groups.   California's tectonic stress has reached record level, earthquake model reveals Tectonic stress along the southern San Andreas and San Jacinto faults, particularly at Cajon Pass, has reached or exceeded the highest levels observed in the past 1,000 years. The alignment of high stress on both faults increases the likelihood of a joint rupture, which could result in a larger, more damaging earthquake affecting densely populated regions. The findings highlight the importance of updated hazard assessments and preparedness but do not predict the timing of future earthquakes.   Scientists discover collagen, the human body's most abundant protein, is liquid-like inside cells Collagen precursors inside the endoplasmic reticulum form dynamic liquidlike condensate droplets rather than rigid rods, preventing premature fibril formation that would damage cells. TANGO1 positions these droplets at ER exit sites, supporting a “liquid extrusion” model of collagen secretion. This mechanism may inform strategies to modulate fibrosis and tumor extracellular matrix.   A popular joint pain supplement may accelerate dementia Glucosamine use is associated with a 25% increased risk of progression from mild cognitive impairment to dementia and a 25% higher mortality risk in patients with established dementia. Mechanistically, glucosamine may exacerbate Alzheimer's pathology by enhancing protein glycosylation, a metabolic process found to be overactive in Alzheimer's brains and linked to worsened memory deficits in mouse models.   Single high dose of psilocybin temporarily restores lost abilities in an 80-year-old Alzheimer's patient A single high oral dose of psilocybin in an 80-year-old patient with advanced Alzheimer's disease temporarily restored lost abilities, including speech, mobility, emotional responsiveness, bladder control, and self-care. These improvements appeared within hours and persisted for weeks, suggesting that some functional capacities may remain latent in late-stage Alzheimer's and can be transiently reactivated.   Entirely new way of making espresso shakes up the coffee world Ultrasonic sound waves enable espresso-strength coffee extraction at room temperature, reducing energy consumption by up to 75% compared to traditional hot-water methods. Blind taste tests showed no significant sensory differences between ultrasonic and conventional espresso, while ultrasound-brewed filter coffee was preferred for its bitterness. The process offers rapid brewing and potential industrial scalability.   Scientist creates 'mini‑universe' to measure time without a clock A closed quantum system of 24,000 ultracold atoms was engineered to act as a “mini-universe,” in which an internal, entropic notion of time emerges without reference to an external clock. Changes in particle distribution define a time parameter that has a direction, orders events, and can speed up or slow down. A Schrödinger-like dynamics can be formulated in this entropic time, providing an experimental test bed for quantum cosmology and quantum gravity concepts.   Decades-old puzzle solved as scientists uncover cause of inflammatory bowel disease A subset of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients produce neutralizing autoantibodies against interleukin-10 (IL-10), disrupting immune regulation and leading to uncontrolled inflammation. This autoimmunity is strongly associated with the HLA-DRB1*01:03 genetic variant, explaining a key genetic risk factor for IBD. The findings support more precise diagnosis and targeted treatment for this subgroup.   One daily drink no longer looks harmless, as alcohol's risks rewrite moderate drinking rules Alcohol consumption above one drink per day is associated with increased risks of mortality, disability, and chronic diseases, including cancer and heart disease. No significant protective health effects were observed at any level of alcohol intake, and risks outweigh potential benefits even at low consumption. The findings provide a quantitative benchmark, indicating that even moderate drinking elevates health risks.   First global map of mycorrhizal fungi reveals true scale of underground networks across the planet Global mapping of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, based on >16,000 soil cores and machine-learning models, estimates ~110 quadrillion km of AM hyphae containing ~300 Mt C. AM networks, crucial for plant nutrition and soil carbon, are densest in wild grasslands, while croplands show about half the density. Most AM biodiversity and biomass lie outside protected areas, indicating major conservation gaps.   Popular joint pain supplement might increase Alzheimer's risk, study says Glucosamine supplementation was associated with ~25% higher odds of progression from mild cognitive impairment to dementia and increased mortality in patients with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Mechanistically, glucosamine enhanced protein glycosylation, promoted memory deficits in mice, and was linked to elevated protein sugar-tagging in human Alzheimer’s brain tissue, implicating altered metabolism in disease progression.   Human evolution was messy and gradual, not an abrupt revolution, argues archaeologist Evidence from fossils, genetics, and archaeology indicates that the emergence of modern human anatomy and behavior was gradual, regionally variable, and lacked a single revolutionary event. Complex behaviors and anatomical features appeared sporadically and at different times across Africa, challenging the notion of a sudden "Human Revolution." Dating uncertainties and methodological limitations further complicate the timeline, emphasizing the need for integrating multiple lines of evidence and critical evaluation. Human evolution is best understood as a complex, mosaic process rather than an abrupt transition.   CRISPR enzyme precisely detects and shreds DNA in cancer mutations once considered 'undruggable' CRISPR-Cas12a2, programmed with guide RNAs to recognize cancer-specific mutations such as those in TP53 and EGFR, selectively destroys chromatin in targeted cancer cells without affecting healthy cells. Delivery of Cas12a2 via lipid nanoparticles in mice reduced tumor size and slowed cancer progression, demonstrating a potential strategy to target previously undruggable cancer mutations.   Why restoring rivers isn't enough: New research shows fish are evolving in response to human-made rivers Human-altered rivers drive rapid evolutionary change in fish traits, which in turn modify sediment transport, channel morphology, and flood risk. The proposed eco‑evo‑hydraulics framework links engineering, ecology, and evolution, arguing that river management must incorporate evolutionary dynamics. Static “natural state” restoration is insufficient under ongoing climate and infrastructure pressures.   Why birds ignore Newton: New theory could sharpen models of flocks, crowds and cells A generalized theoretical framework maps nonreciprocal interactions in active matter (e.g., flocks, crowds, cells) onto reciprocal ones by introducing auxiliary degrees of freedom. This recasting enables exact description and efficient, high-precision simulations of nonreciprocal many-body systems using standard methods, improving quantitative modeling of collective motion and related biological processes.   A lack of sex held back life's diversity for millions of years, fossil study finds Asexual reproduction in early Ediacaran animals limited competition and constrained evolutionary diversification for millions of years. The transition to sexual reproduction, driven by increased environmental stress and competition, enabled greater dispersal and accelerated evolutionary diversity, contributing to the subsequent rapid expansion of animal life during the Cambrian period.   Human understanding of AI can't keep up with its advancement, researchers say AI capabilities are outpacing human understanding, driven by AI-designed AI, opaque multi-agent interactions, and adaptive systems that model human behavior in detail. This growing opacity risks ungovernable systems, erosion of autonomy, and reduced scrutiny as AI shapes preferences. The authors call for prioritizing interpretability, dynamic evaluation, and mechanisms that preserve human agency and critical oversight.   How a shape-shifting tiny rover inspired by Japanese toys autonomously explored the moon A palm-sized, shape-shifting lunar rover (LEV-2/SORA-Q) autonomously explored the Moon for ~108 minutes after deployment from SLIM. Its transformable spherical design, offset-axis wheels, and low-power “buddy” relay via LEV-1 enabled effective mobility on loose regolith and local decision-making, demonstrating feasible autonomous surface operations with extremely compact robotic platforms.   Collapsing stars could spawn mini-universes, offering new path to gravastars Very massive collapsing stars could avoid forming black holes and instead produce gravastars: ultra-compact objects with dark-energy-filled interiors and no singularity or event horizon. A new dynamic general relativity solution shows that collapse can generate an expanding mini-universe inside the star, whose dark-energy-driven expansion balances gravity and stabilizes the gravastar.   Why this $10 spectrometer chip could bring real-time chemical sensing to wearables A new convolutional spectrometer, implemented on a silicon nitride photonic chip, achieves laboratory-grade precision in a compact, low-cost ($10) form factor suitable for wearables. It operates across a wide near-infrared range (1,200–1,700 nm), with high resolution, strong noise tolerance, and rapid processing. The device demonstrated accurate material classification and noninvasive biomarker sensing, maintaining stability across extreme temperatures, and enabling scalable,