Science X Newsletter Week 02

Dear Reader ,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for week 02:

	Water ice found on the surface of comet 67P For the first time, scientists have spotted large patches of water ice on the surface of a comet, thanks to instruments aboard the European Space Agency's Rosetta orbiter.
	Gravitational wave rumors ripple through science world Rumors are rippling through the science world that physicists may have detected gravitational waves, a key element of Einstein's theory which if confirmed would be one of the biggest discoveries of our time.
	Internet set to cut cord with US government this year A plan to end a key US government oversight role on the Internet is on track for completion this year, the head of the online address gatekeeper said, in a symbolic move towards asserting the independence of the web.
	Odor biomarker for Alzheimer's disease A new study from the Monell Center, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and collaborating institutions reports a uniquely identifiable odor signature from mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. The odor signature appears in urine before significant development of Alzheimer-related brain pathology, suggesting that it may be possible to develop a non-invasive tool for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.
	How photonics can reshape the spectrum of light, and rehabilitate Edison's light bulb along the way Traditional light bulbs, thought to be well on their way to oblivion, may receive a reprieve thanks to a technological breakthrough.
	More people in Europe are dying than are being born More people in Europe are dying than are being born, according to a new report co-authored by a Texas A&M University demographer. In contrast, births exceed deaths, by significant margins, in Texas and elsewhere in the U.S., with few exceptions.
	Dogs really can tell how their owners are feeling, new study shows Can dogs tell when we are happy, sad or angry? As a dog owner, I feel confident not only that I can tell what kind of emotional state my pets are in, but also that they respond to my emotions. Yet as a hard-headed scientist, I try to take a more rational and pragmatic view. These personal observations seem more likely to result from my desire for a good relationship with my dogs.
	World's largest canyon could be hidden under Antarctic ice sheet The world's largest canyon may lie under the Antarctic ice sheet, according to analysis of satellite data by a team of scientists, led by Durham University.
	Physicists posit quantum gravity's rainbow When white light is passed through a prism, the rainbow on the other side reveals a rich palette of colors. Theorists from the faculty of physics, University of Warsaw have shown that in models of the universe using any of the quantum theories of gravity there must also be a 'rainbow' of sorts, composed of different versions of spacetime. The mechanism predicts that instead of a single, common spacetime, particles of different energies essentially sense slightly modified versions thereof.
	New theory of secondary inflation expands options for avoiding an excess of dark matter Standard cosmology—that is, the Big Bang Theory with its early period of exponential growth known as inflation—is the prevailing scientific model for our universe, in which the entirety of space and time ballooned out from a very hot, very dense point into a homogeneous and ever-expanding vastness. This theory accounts for many of the physical phenomena we observe. But what if that's not all there was to it?
	Human-made climate change may be suppressing the next ice age (Update) Humanity has become a geological force capable of suppressing the beginning of the next ice age, according to a study published in the journal Nature. Cracking the code of glacial inception, scientists of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research found that the relation of insolation and CO2 concentration in the atmosphere explains the last eight glacial cycles in Earth history. At the same time, their results illustrate that even moderate human interference with the planet's natural carbon balance might postpone the next glacial inception by 100,000 years.
	Fuel cell breakthrough: Team reports success with low-cost nickel-based catalyst "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" is a popular comedy from the 1980s, but there's nothing funny about the amount of energy consumed by our nation's transportation sector.
	Researchers investigate how light behaves in curved space To investigate the influence of gravity on the propagation of light, researchers usually have to examine astronomical length scales and huge masses. However, physicists at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Friedrich Schiller University Jena have shown that there is another way. In a recent issue of the journal Nature Photonics they find the answers to astronomical questions in the laboratory, shifting the focus to a previously underappreciated material property - surface curvature.
	New battery made of molten metals may offer low-cost, long-lasting storage for the grid A novel rechargeable battery developed at MIT could one day play a critical role in the massive expansion of solar generation needed to mitigate climate change by midcentury. Designed to store energy on the electric grid, the high-capacity battery consists of molten metals that naturally separate to form two electrodes in layers on either side of the molten salt electrolyte between them. Tests with cells made of low-cost, Earth-abundant materials confirm that the liquid battery operates efficiently without losing significant capacity or mechanically degrading—common problems in today's batteries with solid electrodes. The MIT researchers have already demonstrated a simple, low-cost process for manufacturing prototypes of their battery, and future plans call for field tests on small-scale power grids that include intermittent generating sources such as solar and wind.
	Researchers attempt to uncover the origins of water's unusual properties (Phys.org)—In many ways, water behaves very differently than other liquids do, and with important consequences: It's widely thought that water's unusual properties were essential for the development of life on Earth. One prime example is the fact that ice floats. Unlike other substances, frozen water is less dense than liquid water, and this anomaly allows fish and other aquatic lifeforms to survive in the water under a frozen layer of protective ice during cold periods. Water also has a high heat capacity, meaning it can absorb and release a large amount of heat while undergoing very little change in temperature. This property helps many living organisms maintain a relatively stable body temperature, and it also provides a pleasant climate in Europe due to the warm Gulf Stream current.
	Nano-hybrid materials create magnetic effect Developing novel materials from the atoms up goes faster when some of the trial and error is eliminated. A new Rice University and Montreal Polytechnic study aims to do that for graphene and boron nitride hybrids.
	Signs of second largest black hole in the Milky Way: Possible missing link in black hole evolution Astronomers using the Nobeyama 45-m Radio Telescope have detected signs of an invisible black hole with a mass of 100 thousand times the mass of the Sun around the center of the Milky Way. The team assumes that this possible "intermediate mass" black hole is a key to understanding the birth of the supermassive black holes located in the centers of galaxies.
	SpaceX to launch ocean satellite, try water return Sunday A $180 million satellite to study the world's oceans in a changing climate will blast off Sunday atop a Falcon 9 rocket, which SpaceX will try to land on a floating platform after launch.
	A new way to print 3-D metals and alloys A team of Northwestern University engineers has created a new way to print three-dimensional metallic objects using rust and metal powders.
	Graphene plasmons used to create tunable terahertz laser (Phys.org)—A team of researchers working at the University of Manchester in the U.K has developed a tunable teraherz laser using the unique properties of graphene plasmons. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes their approach, the four prototypes they produced, how well the lasers worked and the direction they plan to take to fashion the new technology into a usable device. Marco Polini with Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, gives a Perspective piece on the work done by the team in the same journal issue and offers some comments regarding where the technology may lead.

---

This email is a free service of Phys.org
You received this email because you subscribed to our list.
If you no longer want to receive this email use the link below to unsubscribe.
https://sciencex.com/profile/nwletter/
You are subscribed as jmabs1@gmail.com