Two scientific mysteries solved by Nobel Prize winners | Top 10

+ will the Jan. 6 committee make a difference? 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 | 16 October 2022 [The Conversation]( Welcome to Sunday and the best of The Conversation. Two of the stories our readers liked most this past week involved scientific mysteries and [Nobel Prizes](. Many scientists long believed they’d never know whether early humans interacted and mated with Neanderthals and other hominins during the period when several types of humans roamed the Earth. Joshua Akey explains how Nobel Prize winner Svante Pääbo solved this mystery. Thanks to his work, we now know the answer is yes – and that [DNA from other early human species is part of some modern humans’ genomes](. These genetic differences may explain why some people are more susceptible to long COVID, depression, Type 2 diabetes and celiac disease, Akey writes. But other sequences may prove to be advantageous – for example, by allowing some modern humans to better adapt to high altitudes. More than 40,0000 of our readers also dived into the weird world of quantum physics and specifically how two subatomic particles can be “entangled” – meaning that one affects the other no matter how far apart they are or what lies between them. “Until the 1970s, researchers were still divided over whether quantum entanglement was a real phenomenon,” writes physicist Andreas Muller of the University of South Florida. Einstein called quantum entanglement [“spooky action at a distance](.” Last Thursday, the Jan. 6 committee subpoenaed former President Donald Trump – although it is widely believed that he will refuse to comply, and the House committee can’t force him. So was the subpoena just political theater? In one of this week’s editors’ picks, Claire Leavitt, a scholar of oversight, argues that [the committee’s work will have lasting effects – even if it doesn’t have immediate ones](. Next week, we’ll bring you stories about whether the rules of war are being followed in Ukraine, how to vote by mail and Bob Dylan’s classical influences. Thanks for reading. Emily Costello Managing Editor Readers' picks 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. - [What is quantum entanglement? A physicist explains the science of Einstein’s ‘spooky action at a distance’]( Andreas Muller, University of South Florida A multitude of experiments have shown the mysterious phenomena of quantum mechanics to be how the universe functions. The scientists behind these experiments won the 2022 Nobel Prize in physics. - [Quiet quitting and the great resignation have a common cause – dissatisfied workers feel they can’t speak up in the workplace]( James Detert, University of Virginia Research shows that workers rarely call out unethical behavior or even just operational problems, in large part because they fear serious consequences. - [Russia is enlisting hundreds of thousands of men to fight against Ukraine, but public support for Putin is falling]( Arik Burakovsky, Tufts University While Russian public opinion polls show continued support for the war, there are questions about the polls’ reliability and indications that public approval of Putin is declining. - [‘Great resignation’? ‘Quiet quitting’? If you’re surprised by America’s anti-work movement, maybe you need to watch more movies]( Zen Dochterman, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences A range of films spanning different eras confronts viewers with the same question: ‘What if all that hard work isn’t really worth it?’ Editors' picks A tweet from former President Donald Trump is shown on a screen at the House Jan. 6 committee hearing on June 9, 2022. Jabin Botsford/POOL/AFP via Getty Images [Jan. 6 Committee’s fact-finding and bipartisanship will lead to an impact in coming decades, if not tomorrow]( Claire Leavitt, Smith College A lot of facts have come forward through the efforts of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol. What will its efforts mean to the US? - [It’s taking more time to cast a ballot in US elections – and even longer for Black and Hispanic voters]( Jonathan Coopersmith, Texas A&M University A 2014 US Presidential Commission set a guideline that voters should not have to wait more than 30 minutes to cast their ballots. In some voting districts, it’s taking longer than an hour. - [Rainbow fentanyl – the newest Halloween scare]( Joel Best, University of Delaware Like clockwork, September crime news is often cast as an ominous sign of what could happen on Halloween. - [Brazil’s gun ownership boom and why it’s making a lot of people nervous – podcast]( Gemma Ware, The Conversation; Daniel Merino, The Conversation Jair Bolsonaro put gun ownership at the centre of his political platform and relaxed gun regulations. What does that mean for Brazll? Listent to The Conversation Weekly podcast. - [Native Americans’ decadeslong struggle for control over sacred lands is making progress]( Rosalyn R. LaPier, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Native Hawaiians see Mauna Kea mountain as sacred. Scientists use its summit for research. A new policy called co-management may help resolve this land conflict and similar ones across the US. News Quiz 🧠- [The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz]( Quizmaster, The Conversation This week: questions on Iran, living materials and prison research Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our other weekly emails: [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( 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. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](