An active galactic nucleus (AGN) is a region at the center of a galaxy where a supermassive black hole is actively consuming surrounding material. 



As this matter spirals toward the black hole, it forms a hot, glowing disk called an accretion disk, which emits enormous amounts of energy across the electromagnetic spectrum. This process makes AGNs some of the brightest and most energetic objects in the universe.



Now, astronomers at the University of Arizona and the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy have captured the sharpest infrared images ever taken of an AGN.



Using the Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer (LBTI), the researchers observed the AGN in NGC 1068 - one of the closest active galaxies to the Milky Way. 



The images reveal new details about how black holes interact with their surroundings.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-capabilities-of-an-extremely-large-telescope">Capabilities of an extremely large telescope </h2>



The&nbsp;Large Binocular Telescope (<a href="https://www.lbto.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LBT</a>), located on&nbsp;Mount Graham in Arizona, features two 8.4-meter mirrors mounted side by side. When combined through interferometry, they function as a single, extremely large telescope.



"The Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer can be considered the first extremely large telescope, so it's very exciting to prove this is possible," said&nbsp;Jacob Isbell, postdoctoral researcher at <a href="https://astro.arizona.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Steward Observatory</a> and lead author of the study.



The LBTI&nbsp;has already demonstrated its ability to capture incredibly detailed images of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/many-supermassive-black-holes-are-hidden-by-gas-and-dust/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">celestial objects</a>. One of its most notable achievements was studying&nbsp;volcanoes on Jupiter’s moon Io, where it provided unprecedented observations of volcanic activity on another world.



Building on this success, scientists decided to apply the same imaging technique to studying&nbsp;active galactic nuclei. They believed that if the interferometer could capture fine details on Io, it could also reveal new insights about the structure and behavior of AGN. 



This decision led to the highest-resolution infrared images ever taken of an AGN, marking a major step forward in understanding how supermassive black holes interact with their surroundings.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-closer-look-at-an-active-galactic-nucleus">Closer look at an active galactic nucleus</h2>



Supermassive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/evidence-of-massive-early-universe-black-hole-stuns-astronomers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">black holes</a> sit at the center of many galaxies, but they are not always "active." A black hole becomes active when it pulls in a significant amount of surrounding material, such as gas and dust. 



The more material that enters the spinning accretion disk, the hotter and brighter it becomes, emitting intense light.



In galaxies like&nbsp;NGC 1068, the accretion disk is extremely bright, indicating that the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massive-black-hole-is-seen-taking-a-nap-after-eating-too-much/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">black hole</a> is actively consuming matter. This brightness is a key sign of an&nbsp;active galactic nucleus, meaning the black hole is in a feeding phase, releasing vast amounts of energy that can affect its surrounding galaxy.



"The AGN within the galaxy NGC 1068 is especially bright, so it was the perfect opportunity to test this method," Isbell said. "These are the highest resolution direct images of an AGN taken so far."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-images-capture-black-hole-behavior">Images capture black hole behavior </h2>



The new images of the active galactic nucleus from <a href="https://www.arizona.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Arizona</a> and the <a href="https://www.mpia.de/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Max Planck Institute for Astronomy</a> revealed multiple cosmic processes occurring at the same time.



One of these is&nbsp;radiation pressure and dusty winds, where the intense light from the accretion disk pushes surrounding dust outward, creating a wind of tiny particles. This phenomenon occurs because the powerful radiation from the black hole exerts pressure on the dust, forcing it to move away.



Another process observed is&nbsp;radio jet feedback, where a powerful jet of radiation and particles emitted by the black hole collides with nearby clouds of molecular gas and dust. This collision heats the gas to temperatures much higher than expected, significantly impacting the surrounding environment.



In previous studies, lower-resolution images could not separate these distinct processes, making them appear as a single blended effect.



However, the exceptional clarity of the&nbsp; LBTI&nbsp;has now allowed astronomers to distinguish between these individual <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mysterious-x-ray-flashes-are-accelerating-in-a-black-hole/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">phenomena</a>, providing a much clearer understanding of how AGN interact with their host galaxies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-expanding-the-frontiers-of-astronomy">Expanding the frontiers of astronomy </h2>



The observations mark a major step forward in AGN research and set the stage for future discoveries with even larger telescopes, like the Giant Magellan Telescope (<a href="https://giantmagellan.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GMT</a>) in Chile.



"This type of imaging can be used on any <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-do-black-holes-become-supermassive/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">astronomical object</a>," Isbell said. "We've already started looking at disks around stars or very large, evolved stars, which have dusty envelopes around them."



As telescope technology advances, scientists will gain an even deeper understanding of black holes and their influence on galaxies. The new tools and their images will help unravel the mysteries of how black holes shape the universe, leading to groundbreaking discoveries in astrophysics.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-024-02461-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Astronomy</a>.



Image Credit: European Southern Observatory



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Infrared images reveal how black holes affect the space around them

An active galactic nucleus (AGN) is a region at the center of a galaxy where a supermassive black hole is actively consuming surrounding material. As this matter spirals toward the black hole, it forms a hot, glowing disk called an accretion disk, which emits enormous amounts of energy across the electromagnetic spectrum. This process makes AGNs some of the brightest and most energetic objects in the universe. Now, astronomers at the University of Arizona and the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy have captured the sharpest infrared images...

Researchers at <a href="https://duke.edu/">Duke University</a> have discovered that glassfrogs make themselves transparent by hiding most of their red blood cells in their liver. According to the experts, this strategy allows the frogs to attain transparency when they are the most vulnerable.



"There are more than 150 species of known glassfrogs in the world, and yet we’re really just starting to learn about some of the really incredible ways they interact with their environment," said study co-lead author Jesse Delia.



"Transparency in animals is a complex form of camouflage involving mechanisms that reduce light scattering and absorption throughout the organism," wrote the study authors.



"In vertebrates, attaining transparency is difficult because their circulatory system is full of red blood cells (RBCs) that strongly attenuate light. Here, we document how glassfrogs overcome this challenge by concealing these cells from view."



The northern glassfrog Hyalinobatrachium fleischmanni is only a few centimeters in length and is most active at night, when the frogs are better able to blend with the surrounding landscape. During the day, glassfrogs become transparent to protect themselves while they sleep.



“When glassfrogs are resting, their muscles and skin become transparent, and their bones, eyes and internal organs are all that’s visible,” said study co-first author Carlos Taboada. “These frogs sleep on the bottoms of large leaves, and when they’re transparent, they can perfectly match the colors of the vegetation.”



The researchers explained that in vertebrates, attaining transparency is difficult because their circulatory system is full of red blood cells that strongly attenuate light. Glassfrogs are some of the only terrestrial vertebrates that can achieve transparency.&nbsp;



“If these frogs are awake, stressed or under anesthesia their circulatory system is full of red blood cells and they are opaque,” explained Delia. “The only way to study transparency is if these animals are happily asleep, which is difficult to achieve in a research lab. We were really banging our heads against the wall for a solution.”



"Using photoacoustic imaging to track RBCs in vivo, we show that resting glassfrogs increase transparency two- to threefold by removing ~89% of their RBCs from circulation and packing them within their liver," wrote the study authors.



Photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) involves shooting a safe laser beam of light into tissue, which is converted into sound waves to create biomedical images of the molecules.&nbsp;



“PAM is the ideal tool for non-invasive imaging of red blood cells because you don’t need to inject contrast agents, which would be very difficult for these frogs,” explained Professor Junjie Yao.&nbsp;



“The red blood cells themselves provide the contrast, because different types of cells absorb and reflect different wavelengths of light. We could optimize our imaging systems to specifically look for red blood cells and track how much oxygen was circulating in the frog’s bodies.”



“The primary result is that whenever glassfrogs want to be transparent, which is typically when they're at rest and vulnerable to predation, they filter nearly all the red blood cells out of their blood and hide them in a mirror-coated liver - somehow avoiding creating a huge blood clot in the process,” said study co-author Sönke Johnsen. “Whenever the frogs need to become active again, they bring the cells back into the blood stream, which gives them the metabolic capacity to move around.”



The researchers said that this process raises questions about how the frogs can safely store almost all their red blood cells in their liver without clotting or damaging their peripheral tissues. They noted that one potential next step is to study this mechanism and how it could one day apply to vascular issues in humans.&nbsp;



“Our successful collaboration has been a great example of how multiple disciplines can jointly advance science in the most synergistic way,” said Professor Yao. “We are extremely excited about the future interactions between the biology and engineering teams. With all the strength on board, the sky is the limit.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abl6620">Science</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Glassfrogs achieve transparency by hiding their red blood cells

Researchers at Duke University have discovered that glassfrogs make themselves...

On an uninhabited island in Alaska, scientists have discovered that wolves are preying on sea otters after nearly wiping out the local deer population. Researchers from <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a> and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game believe this is the first case of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-otters-have-a-secret-ability-to-generate-heat/">sea otters</a> becoming the primary food source for a land-based predator.



"Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) and wolves (Canis lupus) are two apex predators with strong and cascading effects on ecosystem structure and function. After decades of recovery from near extirpation, their ranges now overlap, allowing sea otters and wolves to interact for the first time in the scientific record," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



The research was focused on Pleasant Island, which is located near Glacier Bay about 40 miles west of Juneau. In this region, sea otters were wiped out from fur trade hunting in the 1800s and 1900s.&nbsp;



Sea otters are now legally protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). They were reintroduced to the Pleasant Island area in the 2000s, and wolves were introduced in 2013.



"After wolf colonization, we quantified shifts in foraging behavior with DNA metabarcoding of 689 wolf scats and stable isotope analyses, both revealing a dietary switch from Sitka black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus), the terrestrial in situ primary prey, to sea otters," wrote the study authors.



"Here we show an unexpected result of the reintroduction and restoration of sea otters, which became an abundant marine subsidy for wolves following population recovery. The availability of sea otters allowed wolves to persist and continue to reproduce, subsequently nearly eliminating deer."



The researchers determined that in 2015, deer made up 75 percent of the wolves' diet, while sea otters made up 25 percent. By 2017, the wolves were primarily feeding on sea otters, while deer made up only seven percent of their diet. This pattern continued through the end of the study period in 2020.



“Sea otters are this famous predator in the near-shore ecosystem and wolves are one of the most famous apex predators in terrestrial systems,” said study co-author Professor Taal Levi. “So, it’s pretty surprising that sea otters have become the most important resource feeding wolves. You have top predators feeding on a top predator.”



“The thing that really surprised me is that sea otters became the main prey of wolves on this island,” said study co-author Gretchen Roffler. “Occasionally eating a sea otter that has washed up on the beach because it died, that is not unusual. But the fact that wolves are eating so many of them indicates it has become a widespread behavior pattern throughout this pack and something that they learned how to do very quickly.



“And from the work we are doing investigating kill sites, we are learning that wolves are actively killing the sea otters. So, they aren’t just scavenging sea otters that are dead or dying, they are stalking them and hunting them and killing them and dragging them up onto the land above the high tide line to consume them.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Clash of the top predators: wolves are eating sea otters

On an uninhabited island in Alaska, scientists have discovered that...

In a recent study from <a href="https://www.ecu.edu.au/">Edith Cowan University</a>, experts report that the frequency of exercise seems to be much more important than the duration. The research suggests that a little bit of physical activity could be the most beneficial approach to exercise, particularly when it comes to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-hibernating-bears-could-help-humans-prevent-muscle-loss/">muscle</a> strength.



In collaboration with experts at Niigata University and Nishi Kyushu University, the researchers designed a four-week training study in which three groups of participants performed an arm resistance exercise. The experts measured changes in muscle strength and muscle thickness, which is an indicator of muscle size.



The exercise consisted of "maximal voluntary eccentric bicep contractions." During these contractions, muscles were lengthened as the participants lowered a heavy dumbbell in a bicep curl.



Two groups were asked to perform 30 contractions per week - with one group doing six contractions a day, five days a week (6x5 group). The third group performed 30 contractions in a single day, once a week (30x1 group).&nbsp;



In addition, a control group performed six contractions one day per week. After four weeks, the control group did not show any changes in muscle strength or muscle thickness.



Individuals who were assigned to complete 30 contractions on a single day did not show any increase in muscle strength. The thickness of their muscles, however, increased by 5.8 percent.



Meanwhile, the 6x5 group saw increases in muscle strength of more than 10 percent, with a similar improvement in muscle thickness as the 30x1 group.&nbsp;



According to Professor Ken Nosaka, the study suggests that very manageable amounts of exercise- done regularly - can have a real effect on people’s strength. “People think they have to do a lengthy session of resistance training in the gym, but that’s not the case. Just lowering a heavy dumbbell slowly once or six times a day is enough.”



Professor Nosaka noted that while the study required participants to exert maximum effort, early findings from current, ongoing research indicated similar results could be achieved without needing to push as hard as possible.



“We only used the bicep curl exercise in this study, but we believe this would be the case for other muscles also, at least to some extent. Muscle strength is important to our health. This could help prevent a decrease in muscle mass and strength with aging," said Professor Nosaka.



“A decrease in muscle mass is a cause of many chronic disease such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, dementia, plus musculoskeletal problems such as osteoporosis.”



While it is not yet clear why resistance exercises with eccentric contractions are more effective in smaller doses, Professor Nosaka said it may relate to how often the brain is asked to make a muscle perform in a particular manner. However, he also emphasized the critical importance of resting muscles throughout training.



“In this study, the 6x5 group had two days off per week. Muscle adaptions occur when we are resting; if someone was able to somehow train 24 hours a day, there would actually be no improvement at all," explained Professor Nosaka.



“Muscles need rest to improve their strength and their muscle mass, but muscles appear to like to be stimulated more frequently.”



Professor Nosaka said there needed to be more emphasis on the importance of making exercise a daily activity, rather than hitting a weekly minute goal.



“If you’re just going to the gym once a week, it’s not as effective as doing a bit of exercise every day at home."&nbsp;



"This research, together with our previous study, suggests the importance of accumulating a small amount of exercise a week, than just spending hours exercising once a week.



“We need to know that every muscle contraction counts, and it’s how regularly you perform them that counts.”



The study is published in the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/16000838">Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports</a>.



---



By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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It's not how much, but how often we exercise that counts

In a recent study from Edith Cowan University, experts report...

Common,European,Adder,(vipera,Berus)

By using a large genomic dataset, and cutting-edge computer modeling technology, a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.helsinki.fi/en">University of Helsinki</a> in Finland has managed to recently reconstruct the evolutionary tree of a major group of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/modern-snakes-evolved-from-just-a-few-surviving-species/">snakes</a>, Elapoidea, an extremely diverse group of snakes spread all over the world, and including some of the deadliest known species. Moreover, the experts discovered an entirely new family within this group, consisting of four or five species found in the Levant region and in Eastern and Northeastern Africa.



Among the myriad snakes roaming the Earth, the elapoid snakes are some of the richest and diverse groups, consisting of over 700 species divided into several families. These snakes evolved in the early Cenozoic era (so-called “the Eocene”), around 50 to 45 million years ago. Currently, this group encompasses some of the most dangerous and deadly snake species, such as mambas and cobras, as well as several harmless yet bizarre species like the African shovel-nose snakes, or the venomous burrowing asps that can bite without opening their mouths.



By generating a gigantic genomic dataset of nearly 4,600 genes and using micro- and nano-computed tomographic scans for several elapoid snake species, the researchers managed to shed more light on the emergence and development of this important group.&nbsp;



“We estimate that Elapoidea originated in the early Eocene and rapidly diversified into all the major lineages during this epoch. Ecological opportunities presented by the post-Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction event may have promoted the explosive radiation of elapoid snakes,” the authors explained.



In addition, they also identified a new Afro-Asian family of snakes, the Micrelapidae, which is a rare event in Vertebrate Biology, occurring usually once a century. Until now, four or five species have been included in this family, all of them living in Eastern and Northeastern Africa and the Levant region.



“Snakes are not just diverse, but they are very important ecologically. The venomous snakes are important medically as well.&nbsp;What would happen if the knowledge on the evolution and classification of such an important group were in tatters?” said study lead author Sunandan Das, a doctoral student in Wildlife Biology at Helsinki.



“Everything would then get seriously impeded: From communication among scientists to research into the evolution of venom, venom delivery systems etc., from understanding the tempo and mode of the evolution of a big chunk of the global snake diversity to popular scientific work on such group. Until now, this has exactly been the case with elapoid snakes - they are a textbook example of ‘ancient, rapid radiation’ and, as such, a tough nut to crack,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107700">Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Diverse group of snakes has a new evolutionary tree

By using a large genomic dataset, and cutting-edge computer modeling...

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-evidence-suggests-earths-inner-core-is-rotating/">Earth’s inner core</a> – a scorching ball of solid iron located three thousand miles below the surface inside a liquid outer core – generates electric currents that turn into a magnetic field surrounding out planet and protecting living organisms from the most damaging cosmic radiation.&nbsp;



While in the mid-1990s scientists discovered that the inner core is spinning at its own pace, slightly faster than the rest of the planet, a team of researchers led by <a href="https://english.pku.edu.cn/">Peking University</a> in China has now found that around 2009, the core slowed its rotation, becoming similar with that of the surface for a while, and is now lagging behind it.&nbsp;



According to the scientists, a similar phenomenon seems to have happened in the late 1960s and early 1970s, suggesting that it could represent a 70-year cycle of the inner core’s speeding up and slowing down.



Since the core is buried deep between the Earth’s mantle and crust, it cannot be visualized directly. However, scientists can use seismic waves triggered by earthquakes to infer what is happening in our planet’s deepest parts. Since these waves travel at different speeds that depend on the temperature and density of the rock, they act as a type of X-ray for the Earth.&nbsp;



By examining seismic waves traveling from specific sites of earthquakes to the opposite side of the planet, and passing through the core on their way, the researchers analyzed time lags and perturbations in these waves which offered them indirect information about the core.



The analysis revealed that the core has recently slowed its rotation. “Most of us assumed that the inner core rotated at a steady rate that was slightly different from the Earth,” said Paul Richards, a seismologist at <a href="https://www.columbia.edu/">Columbia University</a>. “The evidence accumulates, and this paper shows that the evidence for [faster] rotation is strong before about 2009, and basically dies off in subsequent years.”



Although the reasons of this shift are not yet clearly understood – and the change itself is debated by some scientists – the behavior of the core appears to be connected to small changes in the length of the day, which has been growing by milliseconds over the past centuries because of other forces too, such as the moon’s pull on our planet. However, after removing predictable fluctuations in the length of a day due to moon’s forces, the scientists found that there are changes appearing to track with the 70-year oscillation in the inner core’s rotation.



Further research is needed to precisely understand the core’s behavior in order to shed more light on the Earth’s formation and how its innermost layers affect life on its surface.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-022-01112-z">Nature Geoscience</a>.&nbsp;



—



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Earth’s inner core is slowing down

The Earth’s inner core – a scorching ball of solid...

Alzheimer’s disease is a common neurodegenerative disorder which mostly affects older humans, leading to memory loss, confusion, and forgetfulness. However, a new study published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.15900">European Journal of Neuroscience</a> has found evidence that other species of animals may also suffer from this debilitating condition. 



By conducting postmortem studies on 22 odontocetes, or toothed whales – a group of cetaceans included <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dolphins-have-accents-that-vary-by-region/">dolphins</a>, porpoises, and other species of whales possessing teeth – the experts discovered hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease in the brains of three species of dolphins found stranded along the Scottish coast.



The scientists examined specimens from five species: Risso’s dolphins, long-finned pilot whales, white-beaked dolphins, harbor porpoises, and bottlenose dolphins. “Critically, we examined the whole brains to provide lesion (abnormality) profiles using more markers of Alzheimer’s disease,” said study senior author Mark P. Dagleish, an expert in Anatomic Pathology at the <a href="https://www.gla.ac.uk/">University of Glasgow</a>.



The analysis revealed that three aged dolphins - a long-finned pilot whale, a white-beaked dolphin, and a bottlenose dolphin – presented brain lesions associated with Alzheimer’s disease in humans. More specifically, these animals seemed to have accumulated phospho-tau and glial cells and formed amyloid-beta plaques, or the clumping of a protein found in the brains of humans suffering from this disease.



According to Dagleish, these findings are&nbsp;“the closest anyone has been able to show that any animals develop the Alzheimer’s disease-associated lesions spontaneously,” which scientists thought could only develop in humans.&nbsp;However, while the similar neuropathology of the aged dolphins and humans with Alzheimer’s suggests that these marine mammals have a susceptibility to the disease too, a clear diagnosis could only be made if clear cognitive deficits are also identified – which is of course impossible in postmortem studies.



“The simultaneous occurrence of amyloid-beta plaques and hyperphosphorylated tau pathology in the brains of odontocetes shows that these three species develop AD-like neuropathology spontaneously. The significance of this pathology with respect to the health and, ultimately, death of the animals remains to be determined. However, it may contribute to the cause(s) of unexplained live-stranding in some odontocete species and supports the ‘sick-leader’ theory whereby healthy conspecifics in a pod mass strand due to high social cohesion,” the authors concluded.



—



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Dolphins may also suffer from Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease is a common neurodegenerative disorder which mostly affects...

Many scientists are currently worried about the negative effects <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/screen-time-damages-childrens-health-reduces-well-being/">screen time</a> – defined as time spent on tablets, phones, computers, or television devices – has on the development of children worldwide.&nbsp;Now, a team of researchers led by <a href="https://www.osaka-u.ac.jp/ja">Osaka University</a> in Japan has found that, although more screen time at age two is correlated with poorer communication and daily living skills at age four, these negative effects can be significantly reduced if children play more outside.



The scientists followed a cohort of 885 children from 18 months to four years of age and examined the relationship among three key features: the average amount of screen time per day at age two, the amount of outdoor play at two years and eight months, and neurodevelopmental outcomes (communication, daily living skills, and socialization) at age four.



“Although both communication and daily living skills were worse in four-year-old children who had had more screen time at age two, outdoor play time had very different effects on these two neurodevelopmental outcomes,” reported study lead author Kenji J. Tsuchiya, a professor of Child Mental Development at Osaka University.&nbsp;



“We were surprised to find that outdoor play didn’t really alter the negative effects of screen time on communication—but it did have an effect on daily living skills.”



The analysis revealed that nearly one-fifth of the effects of screen time on daily living skills were mediated by outdoor activities, meaning that increasing outdoor play can reduce these negative effects by almost 20 percent.&nbsp;



Moreover, the researchers also discovered that, although it was not associated with screen time, socialization was better in four-year-olds who spent more time playing outside at two years and eight months of age.



“Taken together, our findings indicate that optimizing screen time in young children is really important for appropriate neurodevelopment,” said senior author Tomoko Nishimura, an expert in Child Development at Osaka.&nbsp;



“We also found that screen time is not related to social outcomes, and that even if screen time is relatively high, encouraging more outdoor play time might help to keep kids healthy and developing appropriately.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.5356">JAMA Pediatrics</a>.



—



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Negative effects of screen time offset by outdoor play

Many scientists are currently worried about the negative effects screen...

According to a new study published in the <a href="https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/xge/">Journal of Experimental Psychology</a>, adolescent <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chimpanzees-use-surprisingly-complex-vocal-sequences/">chimpanzees</a> exhibit similar risk-taking behaviors as human teenagers, but they may be less impulsive than their human counterparts. These findings shed more light on the age-old nature versus nurture debates regarding whether adolescents take more risks due to biological predispositions or environmental influences.



“Adolescent chimpanzees are in some sense facing the same psychological tempest that human teens are,” said study lead author Alexandra Rosati, an associate professor of Psychology and Anthropology at the <a href="https://umich.edu/">University of Michigan</a>. “Our findings show that several key features of human adolescent psychology are also seen in our closest primate relatives.”



The scientists conducted two tests involving food rewards with 40 wild-born chimpanzees in Congo. In the first test, adolescent and adult chimpanzees had to choose between two containers in a gambling task. While one container was filled with peanuts – a food that chimps somewhat like – the other contained either a cucumber slice, which the apes dislike, or a banana slice (their favorite food). The animals could “play it safe” and get the peanuts, or take a chance for the coveted banana at the risk of ending up with the cucumber.&nbsp;



The chimps’ emotional reactions and vocalizations were recorded, and saliva sample were collected for tracking their hormonal levels. During several reiterations of the experiment, adolescent chimpanzees took the risky option more often than the adult ones, but had similar negative reactions when receiving the unwanted cucumber.



In a second test – modeled after the famous “marshmallow test” initially conducted with human children – chimpanzees could receive a slice of banana immediately or wait for one minute to get three slices, thus showing an ability for delayed gratification. In this case, both adolescent and adult chimps choose the greater delayed reward. By contrast, human teens tend to be more impulsive than adults, and are more likely to take the immediate reward.



“Prior research indicates that chimpanzees are quite patient compared with other animals, and our study shows that their ability to delay gratification is already mature at a fairly young age, unlike in humans,” Rosati explained. Thus, although risk-taking behavior in both adolescent chimpanzees and humans seem to be biologically ingrained, increases in impulses behavior may be specific to human teens.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Young chimpanzees take risks like human teens

According to a new study published in the Journal of...

New research led by the <a href="https://www.nioz.nl/en">Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research</a> (NIOZ) has found that a type of bacteria (Rhodococcus ruber) can eat and actually digest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-pollution-is-a-planetary-emergency/">plastic</a> particles. By using a model study with plastic in artificial seawater in the laboratory, the experts calculated that bacteria can break down about one percent of the fed plastic per year into carbon dioxide and other harmless substances.



“But this is certainly not a solution to the problem of the plastic soup in our oceans. It is, however, another part of the answer to the question of where all the ‘missing plastic’ in the oceans has gone,” said study lead author Maaike Goudriaan, a doctoral student in Microbiology and Biogeochemistry at NIOZ.



For these experiments, the scientists manufactured a special type of plastic with a distinct form of carbon (13C) in it. When fed to the bacteria after pretreatment with UV radiation mimicking sunlight in a bottle of simulated seawater, the special version of carbon appeared as CO2 above the water. “The treatment with UV light was necessary because we already know that&nbsp;sunlight partially breaks down plastic&nbsp;into bite-sized chunks for bacteria,” Goudriaan explained. “This is the first time we have proven in this way that bacteria actually digest plastic into CO2&nbsp;and other molecules.”



While scientists already knew that this bacterium&nbsp;can form a so-called biofilm on plastic in nature, and that the plastic disappears under that biofilm, this study is the first to prove that the bacteria actually digest the plastic.



By calculating the total breakdown of plastic into CO2, the researchers found that the bacteria can break down about one percent of the available plastic per year. “That’s probably an underestimate,” Goudriaan said. “We only measured the amount of carbon-13 in CO2, so not in the other breakdown products of the plastic. There will certainly be&nbsp;13C in several other molecules, but it’s hard to say what part of that was broken down by the UV light and what part was digested by the bacteria.”



However, as Goudriaan stresses, microbial digestion is far from being a solution to the major problem of plastic pollution. “These experiments are mainly a proof of principle. I see it as one piece of the jigsaw, in the issue of where all the plastic that disappears into the oceans stays. If you try to trace all our waste, a lot of plastic is lost. Digestion by bacteria could possibly provide part of the explanation.”



Further research is needed to investigate whether bacteria&nbsp;also eat plastic “in the wild,” with some promising results already arising from experiments with real sea water and sediment collected from the Wadden Sea floor. “The first results of these experiments hints at plastic being degraded, even in nature. A new PhD student will have to continue that work. Ultimately, of course, you hope to calculate how much plastic in the oceans really is degraded by bacteria. But much better than cleaning up, is prevention. And only we humans can do that,” Goudriaan concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114369">Marine Pollution Bulletin</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Bacteria can eat and digest plastic

New research led by the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea...

Despite the existence of many mechanisms that prevent reproduction between two different species in nature, hybridization is a widespread phenomenon that has shaped the genomes many of today’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/more-than-350-new-species-discovered-in-2022/">species</a>, humans included. When the genomes of two different species are combined through successful reproduction, this provides a source of genetic novelties that can be crucial in helping populations adapt to changing environments. Understanding the evolution of hybrid genomes is therefore important because it can shed light on how species barriers become established, on the costs and benefits of hybridization, and on the function of genes and their interactions.&nbsp;



Researchers at the <a href="https://www.helsinki.fi/en">University of Helsinki</a> were aware that two species of wood ants, Formica aquilonia&nbsp;and&nbsp;F.&nbsp;polyctena have bred and formed populations of hybrids in several different locations in Finland. The researchers took advantage of these known hybrid populations to measure how rapid and predictable the evolution of genomes is in the wild, after hybridization has taken place. In this case, predictability applies to the genetic outcome after hybridization, and the question of whether, if one could redo the same hybridization, the genetic results would be similar.&nbsp;



The scientists collected 39 ants from the three different hybrid populations in the forests in southern Finland, close to the Tvärminne Zoological Station. They then generated whole-genome DNA sequences from these individuals and compared them with genomes from 10 individual ants of both parent species, found within and outside the ranges where the hybrids and parental species overlap. In order to do this, they collaborated with scientists from Scotland and Portugal, and used supercomputers from the Finnish IT center for science (CSC). In total, the researchers analyzed about 1.6 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms from locations throughout the ant genomes.



The results, published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001914">PLOS Biology</a>, showed that, for the three different hybrid populations, hybridization between the two ant species occurred only about 125 years ago, which equates to 50 ant generations. After hybridization, the three distinct hybrid populations evolved independently towards the same genetic outcome. This means that, today, the genomes of ants from the hybrid populations are remarkably similar to one another in terms of their genetic composition, even though they started out being dissimilar at the time of hybridization.&nbsp;



To explain this unexpected finding, the researchers tested for evidence of gene flow between the hybrid populations, and between hybrids and parental species. They found no evidence of gene flow and concluded that other mechanisms must be involved to explain this rather rapid evolution of the three hybrid populations towards a similar genome. They suggest that natural selection against deleterious genes in the hybridizing species with the lowest effective population size&nbsp;(and presumably higher load of disadvantageous alleles) could explain how the hybrid populations became genetically similar over such a short time.



When asked whether these results represented a small step or giant leap in knowledge, researcher Pierre Nouhaud, from the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences at the University of Helsinki responded, “A bit of both! Finnish wood ants give the opportunity to observe multiple, very recent hybridization events, and the amount of predictability we found, despite this recency, is remarkably high, which is quite novel. In the meantime, our study also confirms previous results obtained in a handful of species, including humans, suggesting the patterns we see in wood ants are quite general.”&nbsp;



“On an evolutionary timescale, we are dealing with recent events, less than 50 ant generations, which had very little time to leave footprints in DNA sequences,” adds Nouhaud. “This means it can be hard to distinguish between competing hypotheses. In our study we performed computer simulations considering different evolutionary scenarios to take this uncertainty into account and ensure our results are robust.”



The researchers emphasize that hybrid genomes provide powerful insights into evolution because they are exposed to strong, and often opposing, selective forces. In this way, evolution has shaped the hybrid genomes in a predictable manner, such that the genomes of the different hybrid populations are now similar. This indicates that selective pressures were similar for each hybrid population and this led to the removal of deleterious genes from the genomes.



“Since hybridization is also frequent in many other species than ants, our results could help understand its consequences more generally,” concludes docent Jonna Kulmuni, from the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki. “On the long term, our work would help better apprehend the impact of hybridization in the wild and assess whether it could help species cope with changing environments,” she says.&nbsp;



Next, the ant research group will monitor the genetic composition of hybrid populations over multiple years to find evidence for adaptation and test whether hybrids can combine temperature ranges from both species, which might help wood ants deal with warming climate. According to Nouhaud this could be quite important because wood ants are key species of boreal forests: they provide food for many species, contribute to nutrient cycling, and hunt many other insects. Without them, Finnish forests would certainly look quite different.



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Hybrid ants evolve rapidly to remove deleterious genes

Despite the existence of many mechanisms that prevent reproduction between...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.elte.hu/en/">Eötvös Loránd University&nbsp;</a>(ELTE) in Hungary has investigated whether companion <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-are-more-aware-of-actions-than-objects/">dogs</a> and pigs would show their owners the location of a food reward that is out of reach for them, but accessible to the owners.&nbsp;



The experts discovered that only if the owners were present in the room, pigs paid them as much attention as dogs did. However, when the reward was also in the room, only dogs tried to direct the attention of the owners to the location of the reward. The findings suggest that directing humans’ attention to relevant locations may not be something that every domestic animal can do.



Referential communication is the act of directing someone’s attention to a specific object in the environment. Humans use this type of communication regularly through language and gestures. Scientists have long pondered whether some species of animals have similar capacities.



“Domestic animals seem especially predisposed to referentially communicate with humans,” said study lead author Paula Pérez Fraga, a doctoral student in the Neuroethology of Communication at ELTE. “However, some human-socialized wild animals can do this as well, thus domestication might not be key for this communicative ability to emerge after all. We noticed that a shared characteristic among these species is that they use many visual signals when communicating with their conspecifics. Could this be a necessary characteristic&nbsp;for animals to engage in referential communication with humans?”



In order to test this hypothesis, the scientists compared the behavior of similarly raised companion dogs and pigs. The animals entered a room where they were either alone with the owner, alone with a hidden food reward, or together with the owner and the reward. While dogs are known to rely heavily upon visual communications, pigs are less visually-oriented creatures.



“We expected an increase of referential communicative behaviors when both the owner and the food reward were present, meaning that the animal was directing the attention of the human to the food location,” said study senior author Attila Andics, an expert in Ethology at ELTE. “We found that when pigs and dogs were alone with their owners, they paid similar attention to her/him. However, after the experimenter hid the reward, only dogs tried to show their owners where it was. Pigs, in contrast, just tried to find the way to take it themselves.”



"We suggest that pigs might lack important characteristics that are crucial for the emergence of this sort of communication. Although we know that dogs are especially skillful in communicating with humans, other animals like horses, cats, and even kangaroos can referentially communicate with us, and all of them rely heavily upon visual communication when interacting with their mates. Pigs, on the contrary, don’t,” Pérez Fraga concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-26503-5">Nature Scientific Reports</a>.&nbsp;



—



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Pigs lack the skills for referential communication

A new study led by the Eötvös Loránd University&nbsp;(ELTE) in...

Keeping domestic cats indoors is best for their health and the environment, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.umd.edu/">University of Maryland</a>. The experts report that humans are primarily responsible for the risks associated with free-roaming cats, such as threats to native animal populations and the potential for disease transmission.



"Free-roaming domestic cats (Felis catus) are known to pose threats to ecosystem health via transmission of zoonotic diseases and predation of native wildlife," wrote the study authors. "Likewise, free-roaming cats are also susceptible to predation or disease transmission from native wildlife."



The researchers analyzed data from the D.C. Cat Count, a survey that included 60 wildlife cameras across 1,500 sites. The cameras revealed where the cats frequently overlapped with native wildlife.



“We discovered that the average domestic cat in D.C. has a 61% probability of being found in the same space as racoons - America’s most prolific rabies vector - 61% spatial overlap with red foxes, and 56% overlap with Virginia opossums, both of which can also spread rabies,” explained study lead author Daniel Herrera. “By letting our cats outside we are significantly jeopardizing their health.”



The survey cameras also revealed the native animals that were commonly preyed upon by domestic cats, including grey squirrels, chipmunks, cottontail rabbits, groundhogs, and white footed mice. The experts noted that by hunting these animals, cats can reduce biodiversity and degrade ecosystem health.



“Many people falsely think that cats are hunting non-native populations like rats, when in fact they prefer hunting small native species,” explained Herrera. “Cats are keeping rats out of sight&nbsp; due to fear, but there really isn’t any evidence that they are controlling the non-native rodent population. The real concern is that they are decimating native populations that provide benefits to the D.C. ecosystem.”



Overall, the study showed that the presence of cats increased with human population density, yet decreased with tree cover and other natural features that are associated with a greater presence of wildlife. Herrera said that these associations run counter to arguments that free-roaming cats are simply stepping into a natural role in the ecosystem by hunting wildlife.



“These habitat relationships suggest that the distribution of cats is largely driven by humans, rather than natural factors,” noted Professor Travis Gallo. “Since humans largely influence where cats are on the landscape, humans also dictate the degree of risk these cats encounter and the amount of harm they cause to local wildlife.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.1048585">Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Humans are responsible for the risks of free-roaming cats

Keeping domestic cats indoors is best for their health and...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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How does salt makes things taste better?

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Santiago, Chile in South America

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Spiral,Galaxy,,Illustration,Of,Milky,Way

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Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



"Together with the provinces of Huesca and Teruel, Zaragoza formed the old kingdom of Aragon. Its capital, also called Zaragoza (not visible in this image) is home to around half of Aragon’s population," says ESA.



"The Ebro River can be seen winding its way through the province from west to east in this image. Between its source in the Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest and its delta on the Mediterranean coast, the Ebro River is fed by more than 200 tributaries as it flows 910 km across much of northern Spain."



Since rainfall is very scarce in this region, irrigation in the Ebro basin is critically important. In the valleys surrounding the Ebro River, many fields are used for growing crops such as corn, wheat, and barley.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes a new map of Mars that is providing insight into the planet’s watery past. The map also reveals where future missions could safely land on Mars.&nbsp;



The map has been created over the last decade using observations of water-rich rocks and mineral deposits. The images were captured by ESA’s Mars Express and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.



"A big surprise is the prevalence of these minerals, with the map revealing hundreds of thousands of water-affected locations in the oldest parts of the planet," says ESA. "The new data will help answer exciting questions about Mars’ climate history, whether water was globally persistent or confined to short, intense episodes, and whether the conditions were ever suitable for life."



"Specifically, the map shows the locations and abundances of aqueous minerals. These are from rocks that have been chemically altered by the action of water in the past, and have typically been transformed into clays and salts."



According to John Carter of the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), our collective understanding of Mars has been oversimplified. He explained that planetary scientists have tended to think that only a few types of clay minerals on Mars were created during its wet period, then as the water gradually dried up, salts were produced across the planet.



The new map shows that the composition of Mars is much more complicated than what we thought. For example, while many salts formed after Martian clays, there are some salts that are presumed to be older than some of the clays.&nbsp;



“The evolution from lots of water to no water is not as clear cut as we thought, the water didn’t just stop overnight. We see a huge diversity of geological contexts, so that no one process or simple timeline can explain the evolution of the mineralogy of Mars. That’s the first result of our study. The second is that if you exclude life processes on Earth, Mars exhibits a diversity of mineralogy in geological settings just as Earth does,” said Carter.



Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes how cavefish adapted to a sedentary lifestyle over tens of thousands of years. 



The experts found that the muscle metabolism of cavefish has been genetically reprogrammed over time. As a result, the animals have experienced major changes in their morphology and behavior. Despite these changes, however, the cavefish remain healthy and fit.



The research may provide new clues about the evolutionary consequences of prolonged physical inactivity in humans.&nbsp;



“It’s no surprise that people are moving less and less as technology has advanced,” said Rohner. “With cavefish, we have a unique system where we can study what might happen if people remained couch potatoes over very, very long periods of time.”



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> some of the most incredible waves in the world, as seen by Landsat satellites.



"With more than 370,000 miles of coastline on Earth, there are plenty of places where epic waves build up, curl over, and hurtle toward the shore.- much to the thrill of surfers," says NASA. "There are some places where these waves are so magnificent that they can be seen from space."



"With the broad perspective of satellites, we can see how these iconic waves develop into the world’s tallest, longest, fastest, and heaviest."



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes why satellite images and measurements of our planet have become "essential to our survival, offering a new outlook of our world."&nbsp;



Rising sea levels pose one of the biggest societal threats associated with climate change. According to ESA, satellite altimeter missions such as Copernicus Sentinel-6 are essential in monitoring global and regional changes in sea level.



"Unbeknown to many, the island of Crete, Greece, plays an important role in the Copernicus satellite altimetry constellation and on an international stage," reports ESA.



"Satellite altimetry data have to be continuously monitored at the ESA’s Permanent Facility for Altimetry Calibration where different techniques have pioneered the use of transponders to provide the best measurements to validate satellite altimeters in space soon after launch."



Dr. Craig Donlon explains that, by understanding planet Earth through satellite measurements, we are able to find evidence of change.&nbsp;



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Satellites have become essential to our survival

[sendtonews key="761m2QQvR1-2035772-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...