Science X Newsletter Week 45

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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for week 45:

	String field theory could be the foundation of quantum mechanics Two USC researchers have proposed a link between string field theory and quantum mechanics that could open the door to using string field theory—or a broader version of it, called M-theory—as the basis of all physics.
	A possible alternative to antibiotics Scientists from the University of Bern have developed a novel substance for the treatment of severe bacterial infections without antibiotics, which would prevent the development of antibiotic resistance.
	Maybe it wasn't the Higgs particle after all Last year CERN announced the finding of a new elementary particle, the Higgs particle. But maybe it wasn't the Higgs particle, maybe it just looks like it. And maybe it is not alone.
	Astronomers solve puzzle about bizarre object at the center of our galaxy (Phys.org) —For years, astronomers have been puzzled by a bizarre object in the center of the Milky Way that was believed to be a hydrogen gas cloud headed toward our galaxy's enormous black hole.
	Dark matter may be massive: Theorists suggest the Standard Model may account for the stuff The physics community has spent three decades searching for and finding no evidence that dark matter is made of tiny exotic particles. Case Western Reserve University theoretical physicists suggest researchers consider looking for candidates more in the ordinary realm and, well, more massive.
	Mathematicians settle 30-year-old resonance controversy In the early '80s, several researchers were working to determine the location of atomic and molecular resonances, which are the frequencies at which atoms and molecules prefer to oscillate. Two groups of researchers (Rittby, et al., and Korsch, et al.), each using a different method, came up with different locations for these resonances. Settling the dispute proved to be extremely difficult due to the fact that neither method could predict the actual resonances, but instead simply gave approximations. In fact, at the time there was no way to locate resonances with absolute certainty.
	Ancient DNA shows earliest European genomes weathered the Ice Age A ground-breaking new study on DNA recovered from a fossil of one of the earliest known Europeans - a man who lived 36,000 years ago in Kostenki, western Russia - has shown that the earliest European humans' genetic ancestry survived the Last Glacial Maximum: the peak point of the last ice age.
	Physicists propose identification of a gravitational arrow of time (Phys.org) —A trio of physicists is proposing a new direction for understanding the concept of time. In their paper published in the journal Physical Review Letters, Julian Barbour, of College Farm in the U.K., Tim Koslowski of the University of New Brunswick in Canada and Flavio Mercati of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics also in Canada, describe their new ideas beginning with the suggestion that initial conditions don't necessarily need to be imposed on time-symmetric law when attempting to describe solutions to behaviors that define an "arrow of time."
	Jet-fueled electricity at room temperature: New fuel cell can run without high heat University of Utah engineers developed the first room-temperature fuel cell that uses enzymes to help jet fuel produce electricity without needing to ignite the fuel. These new fuel cells can be used to power portable electronics, off-grid power and sensors.
	Chemical engineers borrow technique to store solar energy (Phys.org) —Chemical engineers at Stanford have designed a catalyst that could help produce vast quantities of pure hydrogen through electrolysis – the process of passing electricity through water to break hydrogen loose from oxygen in H2O.
	Berkeley Lab scientists identify new driver behind Arctic warming Scientists have identified a mechanism that could turn out to be a big contributor to warming in the Arctic region and melting sea ice.
	Physicists hit milestone in accelerating particles with plasma Scientists from the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and the University of California, Los Angeles have shown that a promising technique for accelerating electrons on waves of plasma is efficient enough to power a new generation of shorter, more economical accelerators. This could greatly expand their use in areas such as medicine, national security, industry and high-energy physics research.
	European satellite could discover thousands of planets in Earth's galaxy A recently launched European satellite could reveal tens of thousands of new planets within the next few years, and provide scientists with a far better understanding of the number, variety and distribution of planets in our galaxy, according to research published today.
	Caltech rocket experiment finds surprising cosmic light Using an experiment carried into space on a NASA suborbital rocket, astronomers at Caltech and their colleagues have detected a diffuse cosmic glow that appears to represent more light than that produced by known galaxies in the universe.
	SolaRoad: World's first solar cycle path to open in the Netherlands Imtech, in conjunction with the Province of Noord-Holland, Ooms Civiel, has developed the world's first solar road located in Krommwnie, Holland. The solar cycle path will be connected to the national grid to meet increasing energy demands and to advance of renewable energy use in Holland. It will be open to the public on Wednesday the 12th November.
	'Direct writing' of diamond patterns from graphite a potential technological leap (Phys.org) —What began as research into a method to strengthen metals has led to the discovery of a new technique that uses a pulsing laser to create synthetic nanodiamond films and patterns from graphite, with potential applications from biosensors to computer chips.
	Europe set to make space history with comet landing One of the biggest gambles in space history comes to a climax on Wednesday when Europe attempts to make the first-ever landing on a comet.
	Very Large Telescope Interferometer detects exozodiacal light By using the full power of the Very Large Telescope Interferometer an international team of astronomers has discovered exozodiacal light close to the habitable zones around nine nearby stars. This light is starlight reflected from dust created as the result of collisions between asteroids, and the evaporation of comets. The presence of such large amounts of dust in the inner regions around some stars may pose an obstacle to the direct imaging of Earth-like planets.
	Ghost illusion created in the lab: Neuroscientists awaken 'ghosts' hidden inside the cortex (w/ Video) Ghosts exist only in the mind, and scientists know just where to find them, an EPFL study suggests. Patients suffering from neurological or psychiatric conditions have often reported feeling a strange "presence". Now, EPFL researchers in Switzerland have succeeded in recreating this so-called ghost illusion in the laboratory.
	Discovery may revolutionise diabetes treatment Research published in the journal Nature Medicine on Monday by my team provides hope for a new approach to treating type 2 diabetes. In animal models of the disease, our treatment restores natural control of blood sugar.

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