Science X Newsletter Week 46

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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for week 46:

	Comet probe sends back science treasure in final hours Europe's science probe Philae sent home a treasure trove of data from a comet heading towards the Sun before falling silent as its power ran out, mission control said Saturday.
	A billion holes can make a battery Researchers at the University of Maryland have invented a single tiny structure that includes all the components of a battery that they say could bring about the ultimate miniaturization of energy storage components.
	Astronomers thrilled by extreme storms on Uranus The normally bland face of Uranus has become increasingly stormy, with enormous cloud systems so bright that for the first time ever, amateur astronomers are able to see details in the planet's hazy blue-green atmosphere.
	Cosmic first: European spacecraft lands on comet (WATCH LIVE) Landing with a bounce after traveling 4 billion miles, a European spacecraft made history Wednesday by successfully reaching the icy, dusty surface of a speeding comet—a cosmic first designed to answer big questions about the universe.
	The geographic origin of AIDS is now known A study published in Science magazine reveals for the first time where, when and how the world's AIDS pandemic originated. Thanks to a statistical analysis of all the genetic data available on the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), an international research team has just confirmed that the scourge broke out in 1920 in Kinshasa, the capital of what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. By comparing this result with historical data, researchers explain how, from a single contamination by a chimpanzee, HIV spread to humans.
	Warmest oceans ever recorded "This summer has seen the highest global mean sea surface temperatures ever recorded since their systematic measuring started. Temperatures even exceed those of the record-breaking 1998 El Niño year," says Axel Timmermann, climate scientist and professor, studying variability of the global climate system at the International Pacific Research Center, University of Hawaii at Manoa.
	Lighter, cheaper radio wave device could transform telecommunications Researchers at the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin have achieved a milestone in modern wireless and cellular telecommunications, creating a radically smaller, more efficient radio wave circulator that could be used in cellphones and other wireless devices, as reported in the latest issue of Nature Physics.
	Researchers identify first steps in formation of pancreatic cancer Researchers at Mayo Clinic's campus in Jacksonville say they have identified first steps in the origin of pancreatic cancer and that their findings suggest preventive strategies to explore.
	Magnetic fields frozen into meteorite grains tell a shocking tale of solar system birth The most accurate laboratory measurements yet made of magnetic fields trapped in grains within a primitive meteorite are providing important clues to how the early solar system evolved. The measurements point to shock waves traveling through the cloud of dusty gas around the newborn Sun as a major factor in solar system formation.
	Comet probe uploads last-minute data from 'alien world' Robot probe Philae uploaded a slew of data to Earth Friday from a deep-space comet that it drilled into long after its onboard battery was feared to have died.
	Clues revealed about hidden interior of Uranus (Phys.org) —Long believed to be one of the blandest regions of any of the giant gas planets, the southern hemisphere of Uranus indicates a flurry of previously unknown atmospheric phenomena, hinting at an unusual feature in the interior of the planet.
	Controlling genes with your thoughts Researchers led by ETH Zurich professor Martin Fussenegger have constructed the first gene network that can be controlled by our thoughts. The inspiration for this development was a game that picks up brainwaves in order to guide a ball through an obstacle course.
	Space agency says Philae completes primary mission The pioneering lander Philae completed its primary mission of exploring the comet's surface and returned plenty of data before depleted batteries forced it to go silent, the European Space Agency said Saturday.
	Giant sunspot returns – and it's bigger and badder than ever The largest sunspot seen in 24 years is rotating back to face the Earth, and it looks to have grown even bigger.
	Preparing for alien life At a recent event sponsored by NASA and the Library of Congress, a group of scientists and scholars explored how we might prepare for the inevitable discovery of life beyond Earth.
	New map shows frequency of small asteroid impacts, provides clues on larger asteroid population (Phys.org) —A map released today by NASA's Near Earth Object (NEO) Program reveals that small asteroids frequently enter and disintegrate in the Earth's atmosphere with random distribution around the globe. Released to the scientific community, the map visualizes data gathered by U.S. government sensors from 1994 to 2013. The data indicate that Earth's atmosphere was impacted by small asteroids, resulting in a bolide (or fireball), on 556 separate occasions in a 20-year period. Almost all asteroids of this size disintegrate in the atmosphere and are usually harmless. The notable exception was the Chelyabinsk event which was the largest asteroid to hit Earth in this period. The new data could help scientists better refine estimates of the distribution of the sizes of NEOs including larger ones that could pose a danger to Earth.
	A look at who supports legal marijuana The United States is experiencing a drastic change in attitudes towards marijuana and marijuana policy.
	Comet probe in race against time to crown stellar feat (Update) Europe's deep-space robot lab Philae worked against the clock Friday, attempting to drill into a comet 510 million kilometres (320 million miles) from Earth to crown a historic exploration before its battery runs out.
	X-ray telescopes find black hole may be a neutrino factory (Phys.org) —The giant black hole at the center of the Milky Way may be producing mysterious particles called neutrinos. If confirmed, this would be the first time that scientists have traced neutrinos back to a black hole.
	Philae lander on comet may communicate again European space scientists are hoping that they succeeded in maneuvering comet lander Philae into the sun and that it will resume communicating Saturday with recharged batteries.

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