SCIENCES ENERGIES ENVIRONNEMENT

 

Dear olivier hartmanshenn,

To everyone who has already supported our work—thank you! Your contributions make a real difference and help us continue delivering accurate, reliable science news every day. Knowing that so many readers value what we do motivates us to keep improving and to stay focused on what matters most. If you haven’t had a chance to contribute yet, we’d be grateful for your support. Every donation—no matter the size—helps sustain independent science journalism and keeps our work accessible to all. Make a donation — Ad-free account included. — Andrew Zinin Chief Editor

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for week 27: A holoparasitic plant replaces its own genes with host DNA to survive A holoparasitic plant genus, Lophophytum, shows extensive horizontal gene transfer of mitochondrial DNA from its hosts, with many foreign genes functionally replacing native counterparts. Functional integration is favored for transferred genes retaining native promoters, lacking introns, and requiring minimal RNA editing. These findings clarify constraints and mechanisms shaping plant mitochondrial genome evolution.   Single-atom catalyst turns lignin into valuable chemicals with near-complete conversion A ruthenium single-atom catalyst on N-doped carbon achieves near-complete depolymerization of lignin and model compounds under mild conditions, yielding phenol and other aromatic building blocks. Ru–N₄ sites activate O₂ to cleave C–O and C–C bonds, clarified by combined experiments and modeling. The system enables efficient lignin valorization for sustainable chemical production.   Common mucus-clearing treatments don't help ICU patients breathe easier and may cause harm, clinical trial finds In mechanically ventilated adults with acute respiratory failure and impaired mucus clearance, carbocisteine and hypertonic saline did not reduce duration of ventilation (≈7–8 days) or improve survival or length of stay. Carbocisteine increased upper gastrointestinal bleeding, and hypertonic saline increased bronchoconstriction and hypoxemia, indicating net clinical harm and challenging their routine ICU use.   Unexpected pathway turns water and CO₂ into climate‑neutral methane on nickel–zirconia Nickel on yttria-stabilized zirconia enables concurrent electrochemical CO₂ and H₂O splitting, forming climate-neutral CH₄ via a previously unknown pathway. Carbon initially deposits on Ni, then migrates to zirconia, forming a reactive C–Zr species that reacts with H₂O to yield methane. Zirconia plays an active catalytic role, enabling chemical storage of surplus renewable electricity as methane.   Cognitive flexibility problems may arise months before memory impairment in Alzheimer's In 5xFAD Alzheimer’s models, deficits in cognitive flexibility and reversal learning emerged months before spatial memory impairment. These deficits correlated with hyperactivity in medial prefrontal cortex–striatal circuits and reduced cholinergic interneuron activity. Chemogenetic suppression of this pathway improved flexibility and reduced amyloid-β, indicating early executive dysfunction and circuit hyperexcitability as potential therapeutic targets.   Himalayan pangolin emerges as distinct species, confirmed with DNA from 19th-century specimen Genetic analysis of a 19th‑century type specimen confirms the Himalayan pangolin as a distinct species, Manis aurita, rather than Manis indoburmanica. M. aurita differs subtly in morphology and occupies a separate Himalayan range from the Chinese pangolin. This taxonomic clarification underpins more accurate range mapping, wildlife forensics, and targeted anti‑poaching and reintroduction efforts.   Mammals use the same underlying system—preserved through evolution—to process smells Rodents and humans use homologous neural mechanisms for olfaction, with single voluntary sniffs in both species engaging conserved motor control and rhythmic processing. In mice, brief, intentional food-directed sniffs depend on motor cortex, indicating proactive sensory sampling. In humans, a single sniff elicits olfactory bulb theta oscillations (2–8 Hz) matching rodent sniff rhythms, suggesting evolutionarily preserved temporal coding that may inform understanding of olfactory-related neuropathology.   What science tells us about the algae bloom in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool’s algal blooms arise from eutrophication driven by excess nutrients, warm temperatures, high light, and calm, shallow water. Symptom‑focused interventions (algaecides, nanobubbles, mechanical removal) provide only temporary relief if nutrient inputs persist. Such blooms are widespread globally and function as indicators of underlying ecological imbalance.   Data centers may emit 57% more CO₂ than expected in 2025, study finds Data center CO₂ emissions in 2025 are projected at 286 Mt, 57% above prior IEA estimates, with AI already driving 15–20% of data center electricity use and potentially 40% by 2030. Without grid decarbonization, emissions may more than double by 2030, raising annual climate damages from $68 to $154 billion and AI-related damages above $50 billion, alongside large water demand (1.3–1.8 trillion L) and strong regional variation tied to electricity carbon intensity.   Emerging mRNA vaccine strategies target cancer and pathogenic viruses in potent new ways mRNA–lipid nanoparticle platforms were engineered to selectively target and reprogram cytotoxic CD8 (Teff) cells in vivo by exploiting CX3CR1 and fractalkine conjugation, achieving up to 95% targeting in mice and effective reprogramming in macaques. A related IL‑12–encoding mRNA-LNP vaccine enhanced CD8 responses to viral antigens and improved protection against Listeria, indicating broad therapeutic potential.   400-year-old painting reveals a bat's secret diet A 1611 Jan Brueghel the Elder painting shows a greater noctule bat holding a bird, consistent with modern evidence that this bat preys on songbirds in flight. The depiction suggests early naturalistic awareness of avian predation by this species. Digitized historical artworks may contain additional overlooked biological observations.   A blood protein can flag dementia risk decades before symptoms appear Elevated midlife plasma GDF15, a stress-responsive protein linked to aging and inflammation, predicts increased risk of all-cause—particularly vascular—dementia decades before symptom onset. Higher GDF15 associates with brain atrophy and small-vessel damage and alters immune cell metabolism and antiviral responses, supporting its role as both early biomarker and potential mechanistic contributor to dementia.   Lab-grown retinal cells show promise for new eye therapies Induced pluripotent stem cells were differentiated into human retinal endothelial cells that formed functional retinal vascular tissue in vitro and under disease-like conditions. When transplanted into mouse models with compromised retinal vasculature, the cells integrated into host tissue, restored vascular integrity, and improved retinal function, supporting their use for disease modeling and potential preventive therapies for retinal vascular disorders.   Walkable, greener neighborhoods linked to better physical and mental health across the U.S. Across 28,323 U.S. census tracts, higher walkability, mixed land use, short well-connected blocks, and greater urban greenery were strongly associated with better physical and mental health, independent of socioeconomic factors. Cultural, commercial, and health-care amenities further supported wellness, with design improvements in low-income areas yielding disproportionately larger health gains.   Baker's yeast shows potential in treatment of persistent fungal infection A specific Saccharomyces cerevisiae vaginal isolate markedly inhibits Candida albicans growth, adhesion, and biofilm formation. In vitro and in a mouse model, it reduces inflammatory responses while enhancing immune cell antifungal activity, leading to lower fungal burden and inflammation. These data support development of microbe-based therapies for recurrent vaginal candidiasis.   An iconic spear-throwing device likely wasn't used by prehistoric hunters until around 10,000 years ago Analysis of 66 radiocarbon-dated atlatl and dart specimens from western North America indicates the earliest atlatl use around 9,996 years ago, in the early Holocene. This timing postdates Clovis and likely Folsom cultures, implying these groups used other weapon systems (e.g., thrusting spears, javelins, bows). Atlatl use in North America is thus inferred as a case of convergent technological evolution.   Brain–computer interface detects hidden awareness in unresponsive patients A wearable EEG-based brain–computer interface detected covert awareness in patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness and locked-in syndrome by decoding imagined movements. In 42 participants, 73.8% showed reliable intentional modulation, and multi-session training with feedback increased minimal conscious state detection from 39% to 69% when added to behavioral tests.   The universe is less uniform than we thought—cosmology may need a radical rethink DESI galaxy data show persistent directional alignments and filaments extending over several billion light-years, contradicting the expected large-scale uniformity from the cosmological principle and ΛCDM simulations. These coherent structures appear too large and strong to form within the standard model, implying possible nonstandard dark matter physics or cosmologies with significant large-scale inhomogeneity.   Deadly Venezuela earthquakes raise concern in tremor-prone California Back-to-back Venezuelan earthquakes highlight high seismic risk in California and the limits of prediction. Effective earthquake resilience depends not only on engineered infrastructure and government planning but also on strong local social networks, community drills, and inclusion of vulnerable groups, which can critically shape survival and recovery outcomes.   Super-deep diamond discovery may rewrite Earth's role in preserving the building blocks of life Super-deep diamonds containing tuite and stishovite show that phosphorus can reach ~700 km depth, but only via unusually cold subduction zones (~1100 °C vs. ~1700 °C). Modeling indicates that most subducted phosphorus is released in the shallow mantle rather than sequestered in the lower mantle, maintaining surface phosphorus availability and linking cold-slab dynamics to deep mantle structure and diamond formation.