Dear Reader ,
Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for week 52:
New circuit design allows for elimination of laptop charger brick
(Phys.org) �Power electronics maker FINsix Corporation has announced the development of what is being called the world's smallest laptop adaptor�one that is just a quarter the size of traditional models and just a sixth the weight�it comes as a standard wall plug, eliminating the "box on the ground" format so familiar to laptop users.
New Study Brings Scientists Closer to the Origin of RNA
(Phys.org) �One of the biggest questions in science is how life arose from the chemical soup that existed on early Earth. One theory is that RNA, a close relative of DNA, was the first genetic molecule to arise around 4 billion years ago, but in a primitive form that later evolved into the RNA and DNA molecules that we have in life today. New research shows one way this chain of events might have started.
Yutu moon rover sets sail for breathtaking new adventures
China's now famous 'Yutu' moon rover has set sail for what promises to be breathtaking new adventures on Earth's nearest neighbor, after completing a final joint portrait session with the Chang'e-3 lander that safely deposited her on the lunar surface only a week ago.
Super rich benefit from 'status quo bias'
(Phys.org) �Income inequality � between the super-rich and the rest of us � and a sorry record of progressive policy initiatives from Congress all can be traced to a built-in "status quo bias" in our political system, according to Cornell's Peter K. Enns and colleagues at three universities.
Epigenetics enigma resolved: First structure of enzyme that removes methylation
Scientists have obtained the first detailed molecular structure of a member of the Tet family of enzymes.
Retrieving an asteroid
(Phys.org) �Asteroids (or comets) whose orbits bring them close to the earth's orbit are called near Earth objects. Some of them are old, dating from the origins of the solar system about four and one-half billion years ago, and expected to be rich in primitive materials. They are of great interest to scientists studying the young solar system. Others, of lower scientific priority, are thought to contain minerals of potential economic value.
Kickstarter project Deltaprintr offers cheap easy to use 3D printer
(Phys.org) �Two college students (Shai Schechter and Andrey Kovalev) have launched a Kickstarter project aimed at bringing an easy to use and affordable 3D printer to the masses�one they have designed themselves. Called the Deltaprintr, the device is a novel pole based design that uses fishing line instead of traditional belts.
Mars may act as a giant planetary pump
(Phys.org) �The surface of Mars is full of activity, with dust storms, dust devils, and drifting dunes in constant motion. Scientists suspect that similarly rich activity may exist underneath the surface, even though it has never been seen. Now in a new study, scientists have found that Mars' low-pressure atmosphere and porous soil provide the perfect conditions for the planet's entire surface to act as a giant gas pump, quickly cycling gas and dust particles a few centimeters above and below the soil.
Laser demonstration reveals bright future for space communication
(Phys.org) �The completion of the 30-day Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration or LLCD mission has revealed that the possibility of expanding broadband capabilities in space using laser communications is as bright as expected.
Cassini sees Saturn and moons in holiday dress
(Phys.org) �This holiday season, feast your eyes on images of Saturn and two of its most fascinating moons, Titan and Enceladus, in a care package from NASA's Cassini spacecraft. All three bodies are dressed and dazzling in this special package assembled by Cassini's imaging team.
Extensive use of antibiotics in agriculture creating public health crisis, researcher says
Citing an overabundance in the use of antibiotics by the agriculture and aquaculture industries that poses a threat to public health, economics professor Aidan Hollis has proposed a solution in the form of user fees on the non-human use of antibiotics.
Scientists build ion-selective membrane for ultra-stable lithium sulfur batteries
Advanced energy storage systems are highly desired to fill the gap between currently available battery systems and high performance electronic devices or even electric vehicles. As the commonly-used lithium ion battery systems are approaching their theoretical energy density value, lithium-sulfur batteries are considered to be one promising candidate, exhibiting much higher theoretical energy density at 2600 Wh/kg (around 3-5 times that of the lithium ion batteries). However, the practical applications of lithium-sulfur batteries are hindered by the complexity of this electrochemical system, especially the insulate nature of sulfur and the so called "shuttle effect", which means the diffusion and reaction of the cathode intermediate polysulfide with the anode side.
Jack-of-all-trades slows down evolutionary tree
All living organisms are tips of an evolutionary tree that emerged over 3.5 billion years from a single common ancestor. Research in the Department of Bionanoscience at Delft University of Technology has provided the first experimental demonstration that the rate at which this tree branches depends on the ecological versatility of the ancestors. The study was published in the scientific journal PNAS.
Human brain development is a symphony in three movements
(Medical Xpress)�The human brain develops with an exquisitely timed choreography marked by distinct patterns of gene activity at different stages from the womb to adulthood, Yale researchers report in the Dec. 26 issue of the journal Neuron.
UK finally pardons computer pioneer Alan Turing
His code breaking prowess helped the Allies outfox the Nazis, his theories laid the foundation for the computer age, and his work on artificial intelligence still informs the debate over whether machines can think.
SCHAFT team tops scores at DARPA Robotics Challenge
(Phys.org) �For those wondering who of 16 competing teams would walk away as top performers in the two-day DARPA Robotics Challenge in Florida over the weekend, the suspense is over. SCHAFT, a Japanese company newly acquired by Google, won the most points, 27 out of a possible 32. SCHAFT outscored some formidable big-name contenders such as MIT, Carnegie Mellon, and NASA. IHMC Robotics placed second. Third place went to Tartan Rescue, from Carnegie Mellon University, and fourth place was awarded to a team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The fifth-place went to RoboSimian, designed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Why it snows so much in the frozen North
(Phys.org) �When it doesn't show signs of stopping, most of us just mumble a few choice words and get out the snow shovel. Scientists, however, wonder where all that snow is coming from, particularly in pristine places like the Arctic. Raymond Shaw and his colleagues may have found an answer.
Enzyme that produces melatonin originated 500 million years ago, study shows
(Phys.org) �An international team of scientists led by National Institutes of Health researchers has traced the likely origin of the enzyme needed to manufacture the hormone melatonin to roughly 500 million years ago.
Genetic discovery points the way to much bigger yields in tomato, other flowering food plants
Every gardener knows the look of a ripe tomato. That bright red color, that warm earthy smell, and the sweet juicy flavor are hard to resist. But commercial tomato plants have a very different look from the backyard garden variety, which can grow endlessly under the right conditions to become tall and lanky. Tomatoes that will be canned for sauces and juice are harvested from plants that stop growing earlier than classic tomato varieties, and are therefore more like bushes. While the architecture of these compact bushy plants allows mechanical harvesters to reap the crop, the early end of growth means that each plant produces fewer fruits than their home garden cousins.
Mars Express heading towards daring flyby of Phobos (w/ Video)
(Phys.org) �Late this month, ESA's Mars Express will make the closest flyby yet of the Red Planet's largest moon Phobos, skimming past at only 45 km above its surface.
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