Science X Newsletter Week 46

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

	New derivation of pi links quantum physics and pure math In 1655 the English mathematician John Wallis published a book in which he derived a formula for pi as the product of an infinite series of ratios. Now researchers from the University of Rochester, in a surprise discovery, have found the same formula in quantum mechanical calculations of the energy levels of a hydrogen atom.
	For a happier life, give up Facebook, study says Always envious? Got a non-existent social life and struggle to concentrate? All this might be down to Facebook if you believe a study showing those who go a week without using the social network feel happier than others.
	5400mph winds discovered hurtling around exoplanet Winds of over 2km per second have been discovered flowing around planet outside of the Earth's solar system, new research has found.
	520-million-year-old arthropod brains turn paleontology on its head Science has long dictated that brains don't fossilize, so when Nicholas Strausfeld co-authored the first ever report of a fossilized brain in a 2012 edition of Nature, it was met with "a lot of flack."
	Study: Dispersants did not help oil degrade in BP spill The chemical sprayed on the 2010 BP oil spill may not have helped crucial petroleum-munching microbes get rid of the slick, a new study suggests.
	First 'porous liquid' invented Scientists at Queen's University Belfast have made a major breakthrough by making a porous liquid - with the potential for a massive range of new technologies including 'carbon capture'.
	NIST team proves 'spooky action at a distance' is really real Einstein was wrong about at least one thing: There are, in fact, "spooky actions at a distance," as now proven by researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
	Fermi mission finds hints of gamma-ray cycle in an active galaxy Astronomers using data from NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope have detected hints of periodic changes in the brightness of a so-called "active" galaxy, whose emissions are powered by a supersized black hole. If confirmed, the discovery would mark the first years-long cyclic gamma-ray emission ever detected from any galaxy, which could provide new insights into physical processes near the black hole.
	Astronomers discover oldest stars ever seen An international team of astronomers, led researchers from the University of Cambridge and the Australian National University, have identified some of the oldest stars in our galaxy, which could contain vital clues about the early Universe, including an indication of how the first stars died.
	Device can theoretically trap a light 'bit' for an infinite amount of time (Phys.org)—Researchers have designed a nanoscale device that, under ideal conditions, can confine a "bit" of light (that is, light with a single precise energy value) for an infinite amount of time. Although a physically realized device would inevitably lose some of the trapped light due to material imperfections, the researchers expect that it should be possible to completely compensate for this loss by incorporating some form of optical gain like that used in lasers, so that in principle the lifetime can be infinitely large even in a real device.
	Doomed quasar is heading for a powerful explosion (Phys.org)—PKS 1302-102 is one of the few known quasars with a pair of black holes within its accretion disc. It is also a curious case for astronomers as it will produce a powerful explosion when these two black holes merge. The scientists trying to determine the scale of this merger estimate that it could result in an enormous release of energy.
	Ice volcanoes, twirling moons: Four months after Pluto flyby, New Horizons yields wealth of discovery From possible ice volcanoes to twirling moons, NASA's New Horizons science team is discussing more than 50 exciting discoveries about Pluto at this week's 47th Annual Meeting of the American Astronomical Society's Division for Planetary Sciences in National Harbor, Maryland.
	Fitter legs linked to a 'fitter' brain Researchers at King's College London have found that muscle fitness as measured by power in the legs is strongly associated with an improved rate of ageing in the brain.
	Research team invents efficient shockwave-based process for desalination of water As the availability of clean, potable water becomes an increasingly urgent issue in many parts of the world, researchers are searching for new ways to treat salty, brackish or contaminated water to make it usable. Now a team at MIT has come up with an innovative approach that, unlike most traditional desalination systems, does not separate ions or water molecules with filters, which can become clogged, or boiling, which consumes great amounts of energy.
	DNA from Inca boy sacrificed 500 years ago shows how humans spread to South America It sounds like something straight out of a "Hunger Games" novel: The rulers of a sprawling empire select beautiful children from throughout their vast territories and kill them in a ritualistic event to reinforce their power.
	A 'nervous system' for ant colonies? Colony responds to predation simulation as a 'superorganism' Colonies of ants are incredibly complex, and at the same time intensely cooperative, so much so that they are often referred to as single 'superorganisms'. But to what extent do they actually behave as a single entity?
	Lasers could rapidly make materials hotter than the Sun Lasers could heat materials to temperatures hotter than the centre of the Sun in only 20 quadrillionths of a second, according to new research.
	Invention of forge-proof ID to revolutionise security Scientists have discovered a way to authenticate or identify any object by generating an unbreakable ID based on atoms.
	Asteroid ripped apart to form star's glowing ring system The sight of an asteroid being ripped apart by a dead star and forming a glowing debris ring has been captured in an image for the first time.
	Astronomers spot most distant object in solar system Astronomers have discovered a mysterious dwarf planet that is three times farther away than Pluto and believed to be the most distant object in our solar system.

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