Science X Newsletter Week 38

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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for week 38:

	Rare 10 million-year-old fossil unearths new view of human evolution Near an old mining town in Central Europe, known for its picturesque turquoise-blue quarry water, lay Rudapithecus. For 10 million years, the fossilized ape waited in Rudabánya, Hungary, to add its story to the origins of how humans evolved.
	Earth warming more quickly than thought, new climate models show Greenhouse gases thrust into the atmosphere mainly by burning fossil fuels are warming Earth's surface more quickly than previously understood, according to new climate models set to replace those used in current UN projections, scientists said Tuesday.
	For kids who face trauma, good neighbors or teachers can save their longterm health New research shows just how important positive childhood experiences are for our long-term health—especially for those who experience significant adversity as a child.
	How gut bacteria negatively influences blood sugar levels Millions of people around the world experience serious blood sugar problems which can cause diabetes, but a world first study is revealing how gut bacteria impact the normally feel good hormone serotonin to negatively influence blood sugar levels.
	Study estimates more than 100,000 cancer cases could stem from contaminants in tap water A toxic cocktail of chemical pollutants in U.S. drinking water could result in more than 100,000 cancer cases, according to a peer-reviewed study from Environmental Working Group—the first study to conduct a cumulative assessment of cancer risks due to 22 carcinogenic contaminants found in drinking water nationwide.
	Student discovers unusual new mineral inside a diamond A Ph.D. student at the University of Alberta has discovered a new and curious mineral inside a diamond unearthed from a mine in South Africa.
	Astronomers detect the most massive neutron star ever measured West Virginia University researchers have helped discover the most massive neutron star to date, a breakthrough uncovered through the Green Bank Telescope in Pocahontas County.
	Alzheimer's breakthrough: Two short strings of amino acids could pave the way to new treatments Two years after discovering a way to neutralize a rogue protein linked to Alzheimer's disease, University of Alberta Distinguished University Professor and neurologist Jack Jhamandas has found a new piece of the Alzheimer's puzzle, bringing him closer to a treatment for the disease.
	Eating cheese may offset blood vessel damage from salt Cheese lovers, rejoice. Antioxidants naturally found in cheese may help protect blood vessels from damage from high levels of salt in the diet, according to a new Penn State study.
	Team closes in on 'holy grail' of room temperature quantum computing chips To process information, photons must interact. However, these tiny packets of light want nothing to do with each other, each passing by without altering the other. Now, researchers at Stevens Institute of Technology have coaxed photons into interacting with one another with unprecedented efficiency—a key advance toward realizing long-awaited quantum optics technologies for computing, communication and remote sensing.
	Scientists discover one of world's oldest bird species at Waipara, New Zealand The ancestor of some of the largest flying birds ever has been found in Waipara, North Canterbury.
	Bridge between quantum mechanics and general relativity still possible Quantum mechanics and the general theory of relativity form the bedrock of the current understanding of physics—yet the two theories don't seem to work together. Physical phenomena rely on relationship of motion between the observed and the observer. Certain rules hold true across types of observed objects and those observing, but those rules tend to break down at the quantum level, where subatomic particles behave in strange ways.
	Researchers build microscopic biohybrid robots propelled by muscles, nerves Researchers have developed soft robotic devices driven by neuromuscular tissue that triggers when stimulated by light—bringing mechanical engineering one step closer to developing autonomous biobots.
	Could Venus have been habitable? Venus may have been a temperate planet hosting liquid water for 2-3 billion years, until a dramatic transformation starting over 700 million years ago resurfaced around 80% of the planet. A study presented today at the EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2019 by Michael Way of The Goddard Institute for Space Science gives a new view of Venus's climatic history and may have implications for the habitability of exoplanets in similar orbits.
	Comet gateway discovered to inner solar system, may alter fundamental understanding of comet evolution A new study led by a University of Central Florida researcher may fundamentally alter our understanding of how comets arrive from the outskirts of the solar system and are funneled to the inner solar system coming closer to Earth.
	Study: Obesity associated with abnormal bowel habits—not diet Obesity affects approximately 40 percent of Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While obesity is known to be associated with increased risk of other health conditions—such as heart disease, diabetes and gastrointestinal diseases—less is known about the relationship between obesity and abnormal bowel habits. In the most comprehensive analysis of the relationship between Body Mass Index (BMI) and bowel habits to date, published today in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, a team of physician-researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) found a strong association between obesity and chronic diarrhea independent of an individual's dietary, lifestyle, psychological factors or medical conditions. The findings could have important implications for how physicians might approach and treat symptoms of diarrhea in patients with obesity.
	'Poor man's qubit' can solve quantum problems without going quantum It may still be decades before quantum computers are ready to solve problems that today's classical computers aren't fast or efficient enough to solve, but the emerging "probabilistic computer" could bridge the gap between classical and quantum computing.
	First glimpse at what ancient Denisovans may have looked like, using DNA methylation data If you could travel back in time 100,000 years, you'd find yourself living among multiple groups of humans, including anatomically modern humans, Neanderthals, and Denisovans. But exactly what our Denisovan relatives might have looked like had been anyone's guess for a simple reason: the entire collection of Denisovan remains includes a pinky bone, three teeth, and a lower jaw. Now, researchers reporting in the journal Cell have produced reconstructions of these long-lost relatives based on patterns of methylation in their ancient DNA.
	New route to carbon-neutral fuels from carbon dioxide discovered If the idea of flying on battery-powered commercial jets makes you nervous, you can relax a little. Researchers have discovered a practical starting point for converting carbon dioxide into sustainable liquid fuels, including fuels for heavier modes of transportation that may prove very difficult to electrify, like airplanes, ships and freight trains.
	Computer simulations show human ancestors would have had an easier time giving birth than modern women A trio of researchers with Boston University and Dartmouth College has found that one of our ancient ancestors likely had a much easier time giving birth than modern humans. In their paper published on the open-access site PLOS ONE, Natalie Laudicina, Frankee Rodriguez and Jeremy DeSilva describe how they created 3-D computer models of some of our ancient ancestors and compared them with modern humans and chimpanzees—and describe what they found.

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