There have been endless whispers about unidentified flying objects. Some people have tried to push these whispers aside, but the recent attention from public agencies, politicians, and scientists is getting harder to ignore.



The topic is no longer just the domain of enthusiasts lurking in chat rooms. Instead, it has tiptoed into the halls of Congress and the offices of well-respected aerospace experts. 



A few officials acknowledge confusion, while others say there is a need to be patient and practical.



After the second week of careful examination, the details stack up. There are official inquiries, old photos, radar data, and hushed hallway discussions. 



Unexplained shapes appear on military pilots’ screens, then vanish. Lawmakers hold hearings. Eyewitnesses keep coming forward.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-old-program-new-curiosity">Old program, new curiosity</h2>



It was not long ago that reports surfaced about a quiet Pentagon endeavor. According to one source, there were funds tucked away in the Defense Department budget that supported something many never thought possible.



"In the $600 billion annual Defense Department budgets, the $22 million spent on the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/16/us/politics/pentagon-program-ufo-harry-reid.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program</a> was almost impossible to find.” (The New York Times, 12/16/2017).



The idea that a highly organized system might have funded efforts to investigate unusual aerial incidents stirred both amazement and a bit of suspicion.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nasa-steps-in">NASA steps in</h2>



The world’s favorite space agency also took a careful look earlier last year claiming, "<a href="https://smd-cms.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/uap-independent-study-team-final-report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The NASA independent study team did not find any evidence that UAP have an extraterrestrial origin.</a>" (NASA, 2023).



The search for answers does not mean jumping to wild conclusions. <a href="https://www.nasa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a> has always tried to separate facts from fantasies.



Its experts run experiments, analyze data, and present findings plainly. One might say <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nasa-receives-deep-space-laser-message-psyche-mission-140-million-miles-away/">NASA’s</a> presence in this debate encourages patience. 



At the same time, some inside these circles admit that data quality is uneven. "Some NASA employees have privately raised concerns about the reliability of available data." (Shellenberger, 2024).



This, from last month’s congressional hearing where Michael Shellenberger submitted over 200 heavily redacted pages to accompany his testimony at the "<a href="https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Written-Testimony-Shellenberger.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Exposing the Truth</a>" congressional hearing on November 13th. 



Shellenberger asserted: “The United States Department Of Defense and the intelligence community are withholding information about anomalous phenomena from Congress.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-military-voices-sound-off">Military voices sound off</h2>



Pilots have always been a special breed. They do not scare easily, nor do they tend to share tall tales. That is why first-hand accounts from military pilots ring with an unusual tone. 



"<a href="https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/David-Fravor-Statement-for-House-Oversight-Committee.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">I observed an object that accelerated like nothing I have ever seen.</a>" (Fravor, 2023). Such words come from a seasoned individual known for level-headed judgment.



Others point out that current technology is not fully equipped to handle this. "<a href="https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Ryan-HOC-Testimony.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pilot witnesses are credible and they deserve better data collection tools.</a>" (Ryan, 2023).



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-need-for-open-minds">A need for open minds</h2>



Some see this as a moment to admit that science is never finished. "<a href="https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Updated-Testimony-Gallaudet.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">We must remain open to new data and evidence that challenges our assumptions.</a>" (Gallaudet, 2024).



Skeptics say that looking at odd lights in the sky is a fool’s errand, but others say it is wise to keep an open mind. Scientists know how often knowledge evolves.



Each decade brings tools that let us measure, record, and interpret more accurately than before. This steady change in methods may help settle questions that once seemed impossible to answer.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-strange-capabilities">Strange capabilities</h2>



For those who have seen these objects, the standard rules of flight seem to shatter. "<a href="https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Written-Testimony-Elizondo.pdf">These objects demonstrate capabilities that defy our current understanding of aerodynamics.</a>" (Elizondo, 2024). 



Aeronautical experts scratch their heads when objects move without visible propulsion. Yet, no one wants to jump to any wild explanations. Cooler heads say that nature is tricky, people misunderstand what they see, and sensors can fail.



Others say it would be careless to shrug off these reports. "<a href="https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Written-Testimony-Gold.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Understanding UAP may require new thinking.</a>" (Gold, 2024).



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shifts-in-approach">Shifts in approach</h2>



No one agency or organization is expected to solve all of this. Different groups contribute what they can. 



Policymakers consider guidelines that might encourage transparent reporting. Scientists refine collection methods. Analysts look for patterns in the chaos.



Some voices say a nudge toward serious academic study could help. "<a href="https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Dave_G_HOC_Speech_FINAL_For_Trans.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">We must encourage more rigorous scientific inquiry into UAP.</a>" (Dave G., 2023).



When researchers approach this with calm curiosity, the public may feel less tension. If more data is gathered with proper standards, maybe the mysteries will shrink, or at least be categorized in a sensible way.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-topic-that-refuses-to-fade">A topic that refuses to fade</h2>



There are no perfect answers yet. Some find that frustrating. Others sense an opportunity to push knowledge a tiny step forward. 



Watching the slow, but steady spotlight on unidentified objects suggests that the truth is not known by any single person.



In time, it might become an ordinary subject instead of a hush-hush conversation. Officials and experts have started asking new questions. That alone is a small shift. One thing is certain: the subject is not going anywhere, anytime soon.



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NASA shows new interest in UFOs and hidden government files

There have been endless whispers about unidentified flying objects. Some people have tried to push these whispers aside, but the recent attention from public agencies, politicians, and scientists is getting harder to ignore. The topic is no longer just the domain of enthusiasts lurking in chat rooms. Instead, it has tiptoed into the halls of Congress and the offices of well-respected aerospace experts. A few officials acknowledge confusion, while others say there is a need to be patient and practical. After the second week of careful examination,...

Researchers have found that cloudy ocean waters caused by climate change can make it harder for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seabirds-are-damaging-their-health-by-eating-plastic/">seabirds</a> to catch fish. Off the coast of Ireland, on a small island called Little Saltee, the scientists attached trackers to the feathers of Manx shearwaters.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The aim of the study was to understand how underwater visibility affects seabirds’ when foraging for fish and other prey. It is the first study to examine the impact of ocean clarity on seabirds’ diving abilities.



"An increasingly turbid ocean may have negative consequences for oceanic consumers that use visual cues for prey capture," wrote the researchers.



"Some fishes have reduced movement efficiency when foraging in turbid conditions, and one study found that fish biomass in the North Sea was 76–85% positively correlated with water visibility alone, suggesting that visibility is pivotal in the habitat preference of many fish species."



Study lead author Jamie Darby is a marine ecologist in the School of Biological Environmental and Earth Sciences and the MaREI centre at <a href="https://www.ucc.ie/">University College Cork</a>.



“The chemical and physical properties of the planet’s oceans are changing at an unnatural rate, bringing about challenges for marine life. One consequence of climate change is that large areas of our oceans are becoming cloudier," explained Darby.



The research team investigated the diving patterns of the black and white Manx shearwaters in relation to local environmental conditions like cloud cover and water clarity.&nbsp;



Birds dove deeper when sunlight could penetrate further underwater, suggesting that visibility is key when diving for food. As the planet continues to warm, oceans will become cloudier, leaving seabirds to overcome this challenge.&nbsp;



“Our findings support the idea that the birds needed sufficient sunlight to be able to forage at depth," said Darby. "While this study examined one particular seabird. The results can be extended to other animals. Many visually-dependent predators could find themselves struggling to find food as human activities continue to make the oceans murkier."



The study is published in <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2022.0862">Proceedings of the Royal Society B</a>.&nbsp;



---



By <a href="mailto:katherinebucko@gmail.com">Katherine Bucko</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Seabirds struggle to find food in cloudy ocean water

Researchers have found that cloudy ocean waters caused by climate...

Ectothermic animals do not maintain a constant body temperature but, instead, have variable temperatures that largely reflect the ambient temperature of their surroundings. This often makes them dependent on environmental warmth for their metabolic functioning. In warmer conditions, their metabolic rates increase and they become more active and soon need to consume more food in order to support themselves.&nbsp;



Scientists from the <a href="https://www.si.edu/">Smithsonian Institute</a> and Temple University have now conducted a study to establish experimentally whether marine predatory fish are more active and voracious in the warmer oceans of the world, and what the possible consequences of this may be for marine food webs that have existed for millennia but that now face ocean warming.



“It’s taken thousands of years to get to this state, and then suddenly we’re ramping up the temperature at a much higher rate,” said Gail Ashton, lead author of the report and marine biologist with the&nbsp;<a href="https://serc.si.edu/">Smithsonian Environmental Research Center</a>&nbsp;(SERC). “And we don’t really know the implications of that temperature increase.”



Although it seems obvious that predators in tropical waters will be more active and have higher metabolic rates, past research on this topic has led to conflicting findings. And very few studies have tackled the question of how increased predator activity affects prey communities. These are very pertinent issues, given the gradual increases in ocean temperatures measured throughout the world.&nbsp;



“Warmer waters tend to favor animals high in the food chain, which become more active and need more food – and it’s their prey who pay for that increased activity,” said co-author Emmett Duffy, director of the Smithsonian’s&nbsp;<a href="https://marinegeo.si.edu/">Marine Global Earth Observatory</a>&nbsp;network (MarineGEO). “This suggests that warming seas could see big shifts in the life of sensitive seabed habitats.”



In order to investigate these issues, the researchers set up experimental sites, with international partners, at 36 locations along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the Americas. The sites spanned from Alaska in the north to Tierra de Fuego, at the southernmost tip of South America. At each site, the researchers performed the same three experiments on predators and prey.



The first experiment involved attracting predatory fish to bait stations using “squid pops.” Designed by Duffy and the MarineGEO team, squid pops resembled cake pops at coffee shops. They consisted of pieces of dried squid that were attached to a stake and left under water for an hour, after which the researchers checked how many baits had been devoured. The results of this experiment confirmed that predation was more intense at warmer sites while it dropped to near zero where the water was cold (below 68oF or 20oC).



“This temperature threshold represents an ecological tipping point in these coastal marine ecosystems, above which predation intensity increases,” said Amy Freestone, co-author and associate professor of biology at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.temple.edu/">Temple University.</a>&nbsp;“With climate change, more coastal waters will exceed this tipping point, or warm even further, fundamentally changing how these ecosystems function.”&nbsp;



In the second experiment, the researchers tried to quantify the effects of hungrier predators on some of their prey species. They looked at the stationary underwater invertebrates that fish like to feast on, like tunicates and bryozoans, and measured their rates of colonization and growth on underwater plastic panels for three months. Some of the panels were covered by protective cages that allowed normal water circulation but kept the predators out, while other panels were left exposed.&nbsp;



In a final experimental procedure, an entire set of panels was protected from predators for 10 weeks, by means of cages. After this time, half of the panels were uncaged and the prey communities left exposed for the following two weeks, while the other half of the panels remained protected.



The results, published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/">Science</a>, showed that in warmer water, the more voracious appetites of predatory fish had significant impacts on the prey communities. Total prey biomass plunged in the tropics when prey were left unprotected. But in the coldest zones, protecting prey from predators made little difference, suggesting that predators did not have as much of an impact in these conditions.&nbsp;



“We knew from previous work in Panama that predation in the neotropics can be intense,” said Mark Torchin, co-author and marine ecologist with the&nbsp;<a href="https://stri.si.edu/">Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute</a>&nbsp;in Panama. “However, working with our colleagues across the Americas allowed us to test the generality of this and to evaluate how the effects of predation change in colder environments.”



In addition, the researchers found that predation changed the structure of prey communities in their experiments. Predators liked eating solitary, bottle-shaped tunicates (“sea squirts”), so those prey suffered major losses in the tropics when left unprotected. Meanwhile, encrusting bryozoans (“moss animals”) flourished in the newly freed space as fish largely left them alone. Tunicates are prolific filterers of seawater and provide microhabitats for other organisms to become established. Bryozoans do not do this as effectively, meaning that such a change in community structure is likely to result in changes in biodiversity as well.



“As predation changes, some species will be winners and some will be losers,” said co-author Greg Ruiz, head of SERC’s&nbsp;<a href="https://serc.si.edu/labs/marine-invasions-research">Marine Invasions Research Lab</a>. “Some will be defended; others will be vulnerable. But we don’t know exactly how that will play out.”



The findings of the study indicate that, as ocean waters warm, changes in the activity of predators can be expected to bring about changes in the communities of prey species. However, the nature of the changes that may take place in equatorial waters, which are already the warmest in the world, can only be guessed at, as these locations experience temperatures that rise even higher than what we see today.&nbsp;



“We don’t really know what might happen in the tropics, because we don’t have data from those warmer temperatures,” Ashton said.



---



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

Predatory fish become more voracious as waters warm

Ectothermic animals do not maintain a constant body temperature but,...

According to a new report from the <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/who-we-are">World Bank</a>, without immediate action to mitigate climate change, over 216 million people may be forced to migrate to other parts of their countries by 2050. These migration patterns will be caused by the emergence of so-called “climate migration hotspots,” areas that will become inhabitable due to several environmental effects of global warming such as rising sea levels, powerful storms, or lack of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bedrock-may-be-secretly-supplying-trees-with-water/">water</a> availability.



The World Bank researchers claim that the poorest regions of the world will be the ones that are hit the hardest. The scientists estimate that in Sub-Saharan Africa alone, low water availability, crop productivity, sea-level rise, and storm surges may force the migration of 86 million people. South Asia could face the displacement of 40 million inhabitants, while the estimates for East Asia and the Pacific region are up to 49 million.



Such forced movements will put significant stress on both sending and receiving areas, straining urban centers through overpopulation, and will ultimately jeopardize development gains.&nbsp;



According to study co-author Kanta Kumari Rigaud, the World Bank’s leading environmental specialist, the Earth is already locked into dangerous patterns of climate change. Thus, climate migration should be considered a present reality rather than just a future possible problem.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“We have to reduce or cut our greenhouse gases to meet the Paris target, because those climate impacts are going to escalate and increase the scale of climate migration,”&nbsp;said Rigaud.



Although the World Bank report addresses only developing countries, climate migration will certainly be a global phenomenon that also affects higher-income countries. For example, an Artificial Intelligence map designed in 2020 by researchers from the <a href="https://www.usc.edu/">University of Southern California</a> shows that even in the United States, nearly 13 million people might be forced to migrate internally by the end of the 21st century due to sea-level rises on the coastal regions. 



Urgent action needs to be taken to reduce greenhouse emissions, restore natural ecosystems and close developmental gaps between nations. According to Rigaud and his colleagues, if such actions are taken without further delay, climate migration could be reduced by up to 80 percent. 



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By Andrei Ionescu, Earth.com Staff Writer

Global warming will force millions to migrate

According to a new report from the World Bank, without...

A substance that is found in cashew shells can restore damaged <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/music-medications-calm-nerves/">nerves</a>, according to a study from  <a href="https://www.vumc.org/">Vanderbilt University Medical Center</a>. 

In lab experiments, the researchers identified  a chemical compound in the shell of the cashew nut that promotes the repair of myelin, an insulating layer that forms around nerves for protection.

The myelin sheath is made up of protein and fatty substances that allow electrical signals to transmit quickly and efficiently along the nerve cells.

Damage to this protective layer, which is known as demyelination, is a hallmark of multiple sclerosis and other diseases of the central nervous system.

"We see this as an exciting finding, suggesting a new avenue in the search for therapies to correct the ravages of MS and other demyelinating diseases," said study senior author Dr. Subramaniam Sriram.

In previous work, Dr. Sriram showed that a protein called interleukin 33 (IL-33) induced myelin formation. IL-33 is, among other things, an immune response regulator.

Dr. Sriram and team turned their attention to a cashew shell compound called anacardic acid because it is known to inhibit an enzyme involved in gene expression called histone acetyltransferase (HAT). The researchers had already discovered that whatever inhibits HAT triggers the production of IL-33.

The study authors describe a range of new findings that implicate the potential for anacardic acid to be used to treat demyelinating diseases.

For example, an experiment with rat cells in vitro showed that the addition of the compound initiated the production of IL-33 and rapidly increased the expression of myelin genes and proteins.

In a separate experiment based on an animal model of demyelination, anacardic acid was also found to enhance myelination and the increases in myelin were dose-dependent. The results of two additional trials indicate that the compound could even reduce paralysis.

"These are striking results that clearly urge further study of anacardic acid for demyelinating diseases," said Dr. Sriram.

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

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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

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Compound in cashew shells repairs nerve damage

A substance that is found in cashew shells can restore...

After decades of debate, it turns out that water may actually exist on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nasa-finds-the-building-blocks-of-life-on-mars/">Mars</a>. Researchers used a radar to probe the planet's ice caps and detected a lake of liquid water beneath the surface.

The discovery was made using the <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/771614/">Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding</a> (MARSIS) instrument on the Mars Express spacecraft.

According to the scientists, the newly-detected reservoir of water stretches over 20 kilometers in length. 

MARSIS emits radar pulses that penetrate the planet's surface and ice caps. Next, the tool measures how the radio waves are reflected back to the spacecraft. As waves bounce off of the planet's sub-surface features, scientists can gather information about what lies beneath the surface. 

From 2012 to 2015, Roberto Orosei and colleagues used MARSIS to collect 29 sets of radar samples from a region called Planum Australe, which is located in the southern ice cap of Mars. 

The analysis of this data enabled the experts to map out an area which had an extremely sharp discrepancy in its radar signal, measuring around 1.5 kilometers below the surface of the ice and extending sideways about 20 kilometers. 

The profile of this area is similar to radar data of lakes of liquid water found beneath the massive ice sheets of Antarctica and Greenland, indicating the existence of a subglacial lake at this particular location on Mars. 

While the temperature of any water found on Mars would be expected to fall below freezing, the researchers pointed out that dissolved salts of magnesium, calcium, and sodium could be dissolved in the water to form a brine. Combined with the pressure of the overlying ice on the planet’s surface, this formula could lower the melting point of the ice below.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Large lake of water detected beneath the surface of Mars

After decades of debate, it turns out that water may...

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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



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.

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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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



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.

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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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



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.

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



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.

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



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.

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 



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.

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



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 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



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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

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

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



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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



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Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

[sendtonews key="vpljfR2VBX-2560867-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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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



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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

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