Click chemistry, spooky action and aDNA – it's Nobel week

+ who and what is a bodhisattva? US Edition - Today's top story: Our *Homo sapiens* ancestors shared the world with Neanderthals, Denisovans and other types of humans whose DNA lives on in our genes [View in browser]( US Edition | 7 October 2022 [The Conversation]( The week Nobel Prizes are announced is always a busy one for the science editors at The Conversation. First we polish off our crystal ball ahead of time to [try to predict winners]( so we can start laying groundwork on how to cover them. This attempt is rarely successful. We also publish Nobel-related pieces in advance that don’t depend on who wins – like this one about how laureates tend to be [interdisciplinary in their approaches]( and this one about [why they’re even called laureates](. The calls from Sweden are placed in what’s still the middle of the night for some of our editors – and our potential authors – so we rely on our colleagues at The Conversation U.K. and their time zone advantage to publish [the first articles that break the news]( about who won and for what. Then we look for unique angles for more in-depth stories that jump off from the winning research. This year we brought you articles about [ancient DNA stretches in your own genes]( and what an [ethical path ahead looks like for paleogenomics](. In the physics category, we filled you in on the [basics of “spooky action at a distance”]( and some [technologies that already rely on quantum entanglement](. And a chemist explained how his lab [uses the Nobel-winning technique in living cells](. We hope our efforts help you understand these Nobel achievements in new ways. We’ll see you next year to do it all again… after a rest. Also today: - [Better air quality in schools improves student performance]( - [A move to recognize the racial diversity of Hispanics]( - [Try this week’s News Quiz!]( Maggie Villiger Senior Science + Technology Editor Hundreds of thousands of years ago, our Homo sapiens ancestors shared the landscape with multiple other hominins. The Washington Post via Getty Images [Our Homo sapiens ancestors shared the world with Neanderthals, Denisovans and other types of humans whose DNA lives on in our genes]( Joshua Akey, Princeton University Ancient DNA helps reveal the tangled branches of the human family tree. Not only did our ancestors live alongside other human species, they mated with them, too. Politics + Society - [A Pennsylvania prison gets a Scandinavian-style makeover – and shows how the US penal system could become more humane]( Jordan Hyatt, Drexel University; Synøve Nygaard Andersen, University of Oslo A pilot project at a Pennsylvania prison is trying out lessons from Scandinavia that could offer some ideas for reforming US prisons. - [Census data hides racial diversity of US ‘Hispanics’ – to the country’s detriment]( Ramona L. Pérez, San Diego State University Countries across the Americas are tweaking their census to better understand their population, allowing them to create more responsive policies. The US still has a ways to go. Ethics + Religion - [What is a bodhisattva? A scholar of Buddhism explains]( Pierce Salguero, Penn State Buddhists believe that bodhisattvas reside in heavenly realms but can also appear on Earth disguised as humans, animals or other types of beings. - [Hijab rules have nothing to do with Islamic tenets and everything to do with repressing women]( Deina Abdelkader, UMass Lowell Imposing restrictions on women has been a way for many countries to demonstrate to the world what policies they want to pursue. - [A month of Jewish holidays celebrating renewal and moral responsibility is not over yet]( Samuel L. Boyd, University of Colorado Boulder A scholar of the Bible explains their history and why they might offer consolation in times of uncertainty. Environment - [New satellite mapping with AI can quickly pinpoint hurricane damage across an entire state to spot where people may be trapped]( Zhe Zhu, University of Connecticut; Su Ye, University of Connecticut Artificial intelligence can spot differences in images from before and after a storm over wide areas in almost real time. It showed Hurricane Ian’s vast damage in Florida. Education - [Investing in indoor air quality improvements in schools will reduce COVID transmission and help students learn]( Patricia Fabian, Boston University; Jonathan Levy, Boston University A lot of federal money is now available for making school buildings healthier. Two environmental health experts explain how school districts can best use it. Science Nobel Prizes - [Nobel-winning quantum weirdness undergirds an emerging high-tech industry, promising better ways of encrypting communications and imaging your body]( - [Nobel prizes most often go to researchers who defy specialization – winners are creative thinkers who synthesize innovations from varied fields and even hobbies]( - [What is quantum entanglement? A physicist explains the science of Einstein’s ‘spooky action at a distance’]( - [Nobel Prize: How click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry are transforming the pharmaceutical and material industries]( - [What’s next for ancient DNA studies after Nobel Prize honors groundbreaking field of paleogenomics]( - [What’s a laureate? A classicist explains the word’s roots in Ancient Greek victors winning crowns of laurel leaves]( The Conversation Quiz 🧠- [The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz]( Here's the first question of this week's edition: The recent death of a young woman in custody has led to widespread protests in what country? - A. India - B. Canada - C. Iran - D. Denmark [Test your knowledge]( From our international editions - [‘Sea monsters’ were real millions of years ago. New fossils tell about their rise and fall]( - [Climate tipping points could lock in unstoppable changes to the planet – how close are they?]( - [‘Astonishing’: global demand for exotic pets is driving a massive trade in unprotected wildlife]( - - About The Conversation: We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. 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