Science X Newsletter Week 04

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Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for week 04:

	Equation shows that large-scale conspiracies would quickly reveal themselves If you're thinking of creating a massive conspiracy, you may be better scaling back your plans, according to an Oxford University researcher.
	Carbon dioxide captured from air can be directly converted into methanol fuel (Phys.org)—For the first time, researchers have demonstrated that CO2 captured from the air can be directly converted into methanol (CH3OH) using a homogeneous catalyst. The benefits are two-fold: The process removes harmful CO2 from the atmosphere, and the methanol can be used as an alternative fuel to gasoline. The work represents an important step that could one day lead to a future "methanol economy," in which fuel and energy storage are primarily based on methanol.
	Why a new physics theory could rewrite the textbooks Scientists are closer to changing everything we know about one of the basic building blocks of the universe, according to an international group of physics experts involving the University of Adelaide.
	Einstein put to the test with two precision laser experiments in space According to Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, all bodies in a vacuum regardless of their properties are accelerated by the Earth's gravity at the same rate. This principle of equivalence applies to stones, feathers and atoms alike. Under conditions of microgravity, very long and precise measurements can be carried out to determine whether different atoms of different mass actually "fall equally fast".
	Scientists to announce "Doomsday Clock" time Scientists behind a "Doomsday Clock" that measures the likelihood of a global cataclysm are set to announce Tuesday whether civilization is any closer or farther from disaster.
	Bringing time and space together for universal symmetry New research from Griffith University's Centre for Quantum Dynamics is broadening perspectives on time and space.
	Increasing oil's performance with crumpled graphene balls When an automobile's engine is improperly lubricated, it can be a major hit to the pocketbook and the environment.
	MIT wins design competition for Elon Musk's Hyperloop MIT student engineers won a competition to transform SpaceX and Tesla Motors co-founder Elon Musk's idea into a design for a Hyperloop to move pods of people at high speed.
	Theorists propose a new method to probe the beginning of the universe How did the universe begin? And what came before the Big Bang? Cosmologists have asked these questions ever since discovering that our universe is expanding. The answers aren't easy to determine. The beginning of the cosmos is cloaked and hidden from the view of our most powerful telescopes. Yet observations we make today can give clues to the universe's origin. New research suggests a novel way of probing the beginning of space and time to determine which of the competing theories is correct.
	The Milky Way's clean and tidy galactic neighbor IC 1613 is a dwarf galaxy in the constellation of Cetus (The Sea Monster). This VST image shows the galaxy's unconventional beauty, all scattered stars and bright pink gas, in great detail.
	Werner Herzog blasts 'stupid' social media at Sundance German filmmaker Werner Herzog on Monday blasted social media as a forum for "stupidity" as he presented his new documentary about the Internet at the Sundance Film Festival.
	Graphene shown to safely interact with neurons in the brain Researchers have successfully demonstrated how it is possible to interface graphene - a two-dimensional form of carbon - with neurons, or nerve cells, while maintaining the integrity of these vital cells. The work may be used to build graphene-based electrodes that can safely be implanted in the brain, offering promise for the restoration of sensory functions for amputee or paralysed patients, or for individuals with motor disorders such as epilepsy or Parkinson's disease.
	Scientists propose high-efficiency wireless power transfer system (Phys.org)—Currently, commercial wireless power transfer is limited mainly to charging pads for phones: instead of plugging your phone directly into the wall, simply place it on top of a wireless charging pad. In the future, the same concept could be extended to much larger distances and higher transfer efficiencies, enabling entire rooms and even buildings to serve as wireless charging zones for phones, computers, and other electronic devices.
	Scientists prove key aspect of evolutionary theory Evolutionary theory predicts that pairs of chromosomes within asexual organisms will evolve independently of each other and become increasingly different over time in a phenomenon called the 'Meselson effect'.
	Moon was produced by a head-on collision between Earth and a forming planet The moon was formed by a violent, head-on collision between the early Earth and a "planetary embryo" called Theia approximately 100 million years after the Earth formed, UCLA geochemists and colleagues report.
	Researchers create first self-assembled superconductor Building on nearly two decades' worth of research, a multidisciplinary team at Cornell has blazed a new trail by creating a self-assembled, three-dimensional gyroidal superconductor.
	Antarctic fungi survive Martian conditions on the International Space Station European scientists have gathered tiny fungi that take shelter in Antarctic rocks and sent them to the International Space Station. After 18 months on board in conditions similar to those on Mars, more than 60% of their cells remained intact, with stable DNA. The results provide new information for the search for life on the red planet. Lichens from the Sierra de Gredos (Spain) and the Alps (Austria) also travelled into space for the same experiment.
	Earthquake power laws emerge in bamboo chopsticks (w/ video) (Phys.org)—Whereas a dry twig can be broken with a single snap, breaking a bamboo chopstick produces more than 400 crackling sounds. In a new study, researchers have found similarities between the complex acoustic emission of breaking a bamboo chopstick and the three famous power laws that describe earthquake activity. The scientists also propose that the underlying mechanism behind these laws may be simpler than currently thought.
	Rapid, affordable energy transformation possible, study says The United States could slash greenhouse gas emissions from power production by up to 78 percent below 1990 levels within 15 years while meeting increased demand, according to a new study by NOAA and University of Colorado Boulder researchers.
	New pen-sized microscope could ID cancer cells in doctor's offices and operating rooms Surgeons removing a malignant brain tumor don't want to leave cancerous material behind. But they're also trying to protect healthy brain matter and minimize neurological harm.

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