Science X Newsletter Week 40

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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for week 40:

Chemical exposure linked to rising diabetes, obesity risk Emerging evidence ties endocrine-disrupting chemical exposure to two of the biggest public health threats facing society - diabetes and obesity, according to the executive summary of an upcoming Scientific Statement issued today by the Endocrine Society.
	Plastic-eating worms may offer solution to mounting waste, researchers discover Consider the plastic foam cup. Every year, Americans throw away 2.5 billion of them. And yet, that waste is just a fraction of the 33 million tons of plastic Americans discard every year. Less than 10 percent of that total gets recycled, and the remainder presents challenges ranging from water contamination to animal poisoning.
	First optical rectenna—combined rectifier and antenna—converts light to DC current Using nanometer-scale components, researchers have demonstrated the first optical rectenna, a device that combines the functions of an antenna and a rectifier diode to convert light directly into DC current.
	Ancestral background can be determined by fingerprints A proof-of-concept study finds that it is possible to identify an individual's ancestral background based on his or her fingerprint characteristics – a discovery with significant applications for law enforcement and anthropological research.
	New flat transistor defies theoretical limit A team of researchers with members from the University of California and Rice University has found a way to get a flat transistor to defy theoretical limitations on Field Effect Transistors (FETs). In their paper published in the journal Nature, the team describes their work and why they believe it could lead to consumer devices that have both smaller electronics and longer battery life. Katsuhiro Tomioka with Erasmus MC University Medical Center in the Netherlands offers a News & Views article discussing the work done by the team in the same journal edition.
	Scientists identify potential birth control 'pill' for men Two drugs that help suppress the immune system in organ transplant patients may have a future as the long-sought birth control "pill" for men, new research suggests.
	Drug used to treat cancer appears to sharpen memory Can you imagine a drug that would make it easier to learn a language, sharpen your memory and help those with dementia and Alzheimer's disease by rewiring the brain and keeping neurons alive?
	Trade in invasive plants is blossoming Every day, hundreds of different plant species—many of them listed as invasive—are traded online worldwide on auction platforms. This exacerbates the problem of uncontrollable biological invasions.
	NASA confirms evidence that liquid water flows on today's Mars (Update) New findings from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) provide the strongest evidence yet that liquid water flows intermittently on present-day Mars.
	Iron-gallium alloy shows promise as a power-generation device An alloy first made nearly two decades ago by the U. S. Navy could provide an efficient new way to produce electricity. The material, dubbed Galfenol, consists of iron doped with the metal gallium. In new experiments, researchers from UCLA, the University of North Texas (UNT), and the Air Force Research Laboratories have shown that Galfenol can generate as much as 80 megawatts of instantaneous power per square meter under strong impacts. The team describes the findings, which could lead to the development of wireless impact detectors and other applications, in a paper in the Journal of Applied Physics.
	Incident of drunk man kicking humanoid robot raises legal questions A few weeks ago, a drunk man in Japan was arrested for kicking a humanoid robot that was stationed as a greeter at a SoftBank, Corp., store, which develops the robots. According to the police report, the man said he was angry at the attitude of one of the store clerks. The "Pepper robot" now moves more slowly, and its internal computer system may have been damaged.
	Earth-like planets around small stars likely have protective magnetic fields, aiding chance for life Earth-like planets orbiting close to small stars probably have magnetic fields that protect them from stellar radiation and help maintain surface conditions that could be conducive to life, according to research from astronomers at the University of Washington.
	Scientists produce status check on quantum teleportation Mention the word 'teleportation' and for many people it conjures up "Beam me up, Scottie" images of Captain James T Kirk. But in the last two decades quantum teleportation – transferring the quantum structure of an object from one place to another without physical transmission—has moved from the realms of Star Trek fantasy to tangible reality.
	Breakthrough paves way for post-silicon future with carbon nanotube electronics IBM Research today announced a major engineering breakthrough that could accelerate carbon nanotubes replacing silicon transistors to power future computing technologies.
	First observation made of quantum-tunneling diffusion of hydrogen atoms on ice (Phys.org)—As long as the temperature is above absolute zero, gas molecules are always in constant random motion. They may diffuse—or spread out—through three-dimensional space or, in a process called "surface diffusion," along the two-dimensional surface of a solid. The most well-known mechanism to explain surface diffusion is a classical mechanism called thermal hopping, in which gas molecules jump from one adsorption site (the place where the gas molecules attach to the surface) to another at a temperature-dependent rate. So far, thermal hopping is the only mechanism known to explain the surface diffusion of hydrogen atoms on the surface of ice.
	Scientists grow organic semiconductor crystals vertically for first time Our smartphones, tablets, computers and biosensors all have improved because of the rapidly increasing efficiency of semiconductors.
	Tesla's first SUV, the Model X, is finally hitting the road (Update) Electric vehicle maker Tesla Motors has mastered the sporty two-seater and the elegant sedan. Now, it wants to conquer the family hauler.
	Researchers create self-propelled powder to stop bleeding UBC researchers have created the first self-propelled particles capable of delivering coagulants against the flow of blood to treat severe bleeding, a potentially huge advancement in trauma care.
	Twitter behavior can predict users' income level, new research shows The words people use on social media can reveal hidden meaning to those who know where to look.
	Pluto's big moon Charon reveals a colorful and violent history NASA's New Horizons spacecraft has returned the best color and the highest resolution images yet of Pluto's largest moon, Charon – and these pictures show a surprisingly complex and violent history.

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