http://www.nature.com.ezp.lib.unimelb.edu.au/nature/journal/v514/n7521/full/nature13752.html
Health: The weighty costs of non-caloric sweeteners
A new study shows that metabolic changes induced by non-caloric artificial sweeteners (NAS) (e.g. elevated fasting glucose) are induced by (and can be directly induced by) changes to gut bacteria.
Include human demonstration.
Further hypotheses: (1) Increase in bacteria that break down dietary components, esp. energy extraction including fats. (2) Suppression of particular species (cf. obese mice both suppress particular species and have increased the production of metabolites that contribute to insulin resistance).
[Since the altered flora can be transplanted to induce changes, therefore the mechanism is not dependent on the NAS (e.g. hypothesizing that NAS modifies flora behaviour – i.e. this is wrong, or at least not necessary for the effects).
http://www.nature.com.ezp.lib.unimelb.edu.au/nature/journal/v514/n7521/full/nature13759.html
Animal behaviour: Incipient tradition in wild chimpanzees
Study (using statistics and network analysis) showing the diffusion of new behaviour – forming a sponge of moss and using it to drink. (Cf. a recent study that showed transmission of a seemingly useless ‘fad’ – sticking a blade of grass into the ear).
A good example of cultural transmission in non-human primates. And thus also sheds light on the origins of human cultural transmission.
http://www.nature.com.ezp.lib.unimelb.edu.au/nature/journal/v514/n7521/full/514174a.html
Particle physics: The mass of a top
Measurement of the top quark (which was plentiful at the beginning of the universe, but in experiments lasts for less than a trillionth of a trillionth of a second) accurate to 0.5%.
http://www.nature.com.ezp.lib.unimelb.edu.au/news/large-hadron-collider-the-big-reboot-1.16095
Large Hadron Collider: The big reboot
Updates on its progress to open next year.
Amazing how much data is and will produce. In its first run produced 15 petabytes in a year (1E15 bytes) (more than annual youtube uploads. Next year will be 30 pb (about 1gb/sec). Plan to have 110 pb/year by 2020, and eventually 400 pb/year. Data is shared and used via a Worldwide Computing Grid that has (13) primary and (150) secondary tiers (mostly universities). A physicist sends a program to these to be run.
http://www.nature.com.ezp.lib.unimelb.edu.au/nature/journal/v514/n7521/full/514170a.html
Archaeology: Art on the move
Finding cave art in Indonesia dating to around the same time as those in Europe (c.40tya) (nb. it had been believed that cave art originated in Europe).
Note the technique which involves dating (trace uranium in) calcite which grows over the artwork.
http://www.nature.com.ezp.lib.unimelb.edu.au/news/does-evolutionary-theory-need-a-rethink-1.16080
Does evolutionary theory need a rethink?
Not an article. Two reviews, one for and one against.
Related (interesting) references: [Evo-devo and constraints on evolution].
http://www.nature.com.ezp.lib.unimelb.edu.au/nature/journal/v514/n7521/full/514171a.html
Ultraluminous X-ray sources: Small field with a large impact
New astronomical data. The link includes background information about this subject of which I know nothing.
