In a twist that sounds like science fiction, researchers have modified mouse DNA to include traits that were once found in the extinct woolly mammoth. These <a href="https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Genetic-Engineering" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">genetic engineering</a> efforts highlight growing attempts to make de-extinction a reality for vanished <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-wildlife-day-2025-a-global-call-to-protect-nature/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">species</a>.



This project has yielded small mice bearing a fluffy, woolly coat that echoes features of the Ice Age giant. The lab results have stirred curiosity among scientists and the general public.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-de-extinction-of-lost-species">De-extinction of lost species</h2>



“For us, it’s an incredibly big deal,” said Beth Shapiro, chief science officer at <a href="https://colossal.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Colossal Biosciences</a> in Dallas. Scientists behind this plan envision a future where <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/half-of-the-worlds-heliconia-species-are-at-risk-of-extinction/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">extinct creatures</a> might roam again.&nbsp;



The experts see these tiny rodents as proof that <a href="https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/CRISPR" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CRISPR</a> can modify multiple genes to recreate lost traits. The technology harnesses molecular tools to snip and rearrange DNA inside living cells.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tweaking-the-genes">Tweaking the genes</h2>



To make the mice woolly, the researchers analyzed ancient mammoth genomes alongside elephant DNA. They disabled certain genes tied to hair texture, color, and heat regulation.



They also introduced a unique mutation found in woolly mammoths to see if it would produce thick fur. The resulting offspring exhibited curly coats that surprised many observers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-can-de-extinction-bring-species-back">Can de-extinction bring species back?</h2>



Vincent Lynch, a biology professor at the University at Buffalo, remains unconvinced about bringing back the vanished giants and recently voiced his skepticism. "Mammoths are extinct and cannot be ‘de-extincted’ or resurrected,” he stated.



Critics argue that the time and resources funneled into reviving extinct beasts might be better spent saving <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-forests-rose-again-after-the-planets-most-extreme-extinction/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">creatures</a> that are currently teetering on the brink of extinction. They question whether any environment could truly accommodate the needs of species that disappeared thousands of years ago.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-practical-stumbling-blocks">Practical stumbling blocks</h2>



Even if these genetic tweaks scale up, an elephant’s <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/african-elephant" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gestation</a> lasts nearly two years, which complicates experiments. The size of the mother and the specialized procedures that are required add another layer of difficulty.



Some scientists also worry about how herds of woolly-elephant hybrids might affect fragile ecosystems. These delicate networks of living organisms can be disrupted in ways that are hard to predict.



Others are worried about overshadowing urgent efforts to protect living species. They believe well-tested conservation approaches must not lose momentum.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-concerns-about-unpredictable-mutations">Concerns about unpredictable mutations </h2>



Recreating extinct species raises questions about ethics and responsibility. Some bioethicists warn that modifying living animals to resemble long-lost <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/public-concern-over-species-extinctions-fades-quickly/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">species</a> could create unintended suffering, especially if genetic changes cause health complications. 



Others argue that lab-engineered species might blur the lines between conservation and unnatural interference.



Scientists also face concerns about <a href="https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Genetic-Drift" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">genetic drift</a>, where unpredictable mutations arise over generations. If mammoth-like elephants are introduced into the wild, they may not behave like their Ice Age relatives.



Such changes might influence their ability to interact with the environment as their ancient counterparts did, affecting everything from diet and migration patterns to social structures and survival strategies.



This uncertainty fuels debate over whether reviving extinct species serves scientific curiosity more than real-world ecological benefits.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-of-de-extinction-research">Future of de-extinction research</h2>



Colossal Biosciences aims to produce elephant embryos with mammoth-like traits within a few years. The ambitious timeline hinges on refining gene-editing steps and ensuring safe pregnancies.



In the meantime, these fuzzy rodents serve as a tiny window into how far science can push modifications. The experiment demonstrates a desire to study <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saving-earths-most-endangered-plants-from-extinction-proving-difficult-botanic-gardens/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">extinct</a> adaptations without waiting for a living mammoth to appear.



Many experts remain unconvinced that this venture will lead to practical conservation gains. Others see an inventive effort to better understand genetic traits that once shaped Ice Age creatures.



Supporters argue that advanced editing approaches might shield certain species from threats like habitat loss or disease, whereas critics counter that tinkering with extinct DNA could distract from proven strategies such as habitat restoration.



Debates aside, each step in this research reveals new layers of complexity in de-extinction. We now face the question of how far to push these technologies.



The controversies will likely intensify as the conversation shifts from lab-born mice to massive mammals.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.03.641227v1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bioRxiv</a>.



Image Credit: Colossal Biosciences



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How creating 'woolly mice' in the lab will bring back the woolly mammoth

In a twist that sounds like science fiction, researchers have modified mouse DNA to include traits that were once found in the extinct woolly mammoth. These genetic engineering efforts highlight growing attempts to make de-extinction a reality for vanished species. This project has yielded small mice bearing a fluffy, woolly coat that echoes features of the Ice Age giant. The lab results have stirred curiosity among scientists and the general public. De-extinction of lost species “For us, it’s an incredibly big deal,” said Beth Shapiro, chief science...

In a new study published by <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/">Frontiers</a>, experts have gained new insight into the social networks of cattle based on their <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/chimpanzees-learn-grooming-mothers/">grooming</a> behavior. The research may ultimately improve farm management practices and create healthier living environments for dairy cows.

An international team of scientists from the United States and Chile observed a small herd of dairy cows that had recently given birth. The experts wanted to gain a better understanding of the implications of social grooming behavior, which is also known as allogrooming.

In dairy production systems, cows are often shuffled around into different groups based on factors such as lactation stage, nutrition requirements, and breeding. 

As the cattle form new groups, they have to re-establish their social structure. Previous studies have shown that constant re-grouping causes negative effects on the behavior, health, and productivity of cows.

Allogrooming, which usually involves one cow licking another around the head and neck, is thought to serve a number of social purposes. For example, grooming improves social cohesion and establishes individual bonds among group members.

Study lead author Dr. Gustavo E. Monti is an expert in the Institute of Veterinary Preventive Medicine at the Austral University of Chile.

"Our aim was to understand how social networks are formed by cows after they are reunited at the beginning of the milking period, and what factors may influence these changes. This is important because cattle form strong bonds, which offer them social support and help them cope with the stressors that occur regularly in dairy cows' lives," said Dr. Monti.

Over the course of 30 days, the researchers recorded a total of 1,329 allogrooming events from 38 cows at a pasture-based dairy farm.

The team identified various patterns that were tied to specific attributes, such as a cow's age or social rank. For example, they noted that cows were mutually cooperative, grooming individuals that had previously groomed them. 

The cows also tended to groom individuals of a similar age to theirs, which indicates they had a certain level of familiarity because they grew up together. In addition, older individuals groomed more cows than younger ones, suggesting that allogrooming could be related to seniority.

"Our results indicate that licking behavior is important to make friends and to maintain harmony in the herd. That older cows groom more individuals suggests that they take the role of 'peacemakers' in the herd," said Dr. Monti.

"It is important for farmers to be mindful of the relevance of the social aspects of the lives of cows, animals that form complex emotional relationships within their group. Farmers should be aware that cows frequently grooming each other is a positive sign that means that those cows get along."

"On the contrary, if social grooming declines, it may be a sign of impaired welfare. This new knowledge should be translated into innovative practical strategies that will result in the continued integration of cattle emotional and social needs into management systems."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science">Frontiers in Veterinary Science</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Grooming behavior exposes the complex social lives of dairy cows

In a new study published by Frontiers, experts have gained...

A growing collection of research confirms just how important sleep is to our health, and the extensive benefits include a healthier heart and reduced levels of stress and inflammation. In a new study, researchers have discovered that sleep is what gives us the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/the-brain-devotes-its-limited-energy-to-what-we-focus-on/">brain</a> capacity to continue learning throughout the course of our lifetime.

Experts in the <a href="https://medschool.ucsd.edu/Pages/default.aspx">UC San Diego School of Medicine</a> used computational models to simulate the brain during various states. The researchers investigated how sleep consolidates new memories and prevents damage to old memories.

"The brain is very busy when we sleep, repeating what we have learned during the day. Sleep helps reorganize memories and presents them in the most efficient way," said study lead author Dr. Maksim Bazhenov. "Our findings suggest that memories are dynamic, not static. In other words, memories, even old memories, are not final. Sleep constantly updates them." 

"We predict that during the sleep cycle, both old and new memories are spontaneously replayed, which prevents forgetting and increases recall performance."

Dr. Bazhenov said that memory replay during sleep plays a protective role against forgetting by allowing the same populations of neurons to store multiple interfering memories. 

"We learn many new things on a daily basis and those memories compete with old memories. To accommodate all memories, we need sleep."

"When you play tennis, you have a certain muscle memory. If you then learn how to play golf, you have to learn how to move the same muscles in a different way. Sleep makes sure that learning golf does not erase how to play tennis and makes it possible for different memories to coexist in the brain."

According to the study authors, the restorative value of sleep may be what is lacking in current state-of-the-art computer systems that recognize images with incredible speed and accuracy. These artificial intelligence systems lack the ability to learn continuously, and old knowledge is forgotten when new information is learned. 

"We may need to add a sleep-like state to computer and robotic systems to prevent forgetting after new learning and to make them able to learn continuously."

Dr. Bazhenov said the study results could lead to developing new stimulation techniques during sleep to improve memory and learning, which could be particularly beneficial for older adults or people with learning disabilities.

"While sleep is certainly involved in many important brain and body functions, it may be critical for making possible what we call human intelligence - the ability to learn continuously from experience, to create new knowledge and to adapt as the world changes around us," said Dr. Bazhenov.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://elifesciences.org/">eLife</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;

Sleep gives us the brain capacity to learn continuously 

A growing collection of research confirms just how important sleep...

Seafood consumption has reached an all-time high in 2020, and experts are investigating ways to make aquaculture more sustainable. Half of all the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ecolabeling-global-seafood-fraud/">seafood</a> that is currently consumed now comes from farmed sources, as opposed to fish caught in the world's freshwaters and oceans, and aquaculture is expected to double by 2050.

"Aquaculture is now being more widely recognized as an important part of our global food system, and it will continue to grow," said <a href="https://www.ucsb.edu/">UC Santa Barbara</a> Professor Halley E. Froehlich. "So the question is, how do we plot that course in a more sustainable way?"

Even though aquaculture has improved the livelihoods of millions of people across many low and middle-income nations, this sector is still in need of some major improvements. For example, the fish farming industry faces a range of sustainability challenges, including environmental degradation and the overuse of antibiotics. 

In some regions, aquaculture is also associated with gender inequality and poor labor practices. Regardless of its poor reputation, however, aquaculture has great potential to benefit society. 

One of the biggest advantages of fish farming is its nutrient efficiency. In addition, aquaculture can operate on a smaller footprint than many other forms of food production.

Professor Froehlich has contributed to an evaluation of aquaculture, specifically addressing the complex interactions between the environmental, human and animal health parameters, which is a view that scientists refer to as the One Health framework. 

For the current investigation, a diverse team of scientists, economists, sociologists, and policy specialists led by the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/saf/">Center for Sustainable Aquaculture Futures</a> has collaborated to establish strategies that could be implemented worldwide to improve sustainability as the aquaculture industry expands. 

The experts have examined critically important aspects of sustainable aquaculture such as access to nutritious food and quality employment, the health of wild fish ecosystems, and resilience to climate change.

"The paper results from extensive interaction between a wide range of academic experts in aquaculture, health, environmental and social sciences, economists, industry stakeholders and policy groups," said study senior co-author Charles Tyler from the University of Exeter.

The report not also describes a strategy for developing aquaculture, but also proposes ways that can be used to measure its sustainability and success. 

"This is an important paper, acknowledging that aquaculture is set to deliver most of our seafood by 2050, but also that sustainability must be designed-in at every level," said study lead author Grant Stentiford.

"I hope it will become a blueprint for how government and industry interact on these issues in the future. Most importantly, it considers aquaculture's evolution from a subject studied by specialists to an important food sector - requiring now a much broader interaction with policy and society than arguably has occurred in the past."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natfood">Nature Food</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Aquaculture is the world's fastest growing food sector

Seafood consumption has reached an all-time high in 2020, and...

The poison baits that are used in parts of Australia to wipe out dingoes may actually be making the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/animals-have-a-generic-memory-of-their-ancestral-environments/">animals</a> larger, according to experts at the <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/">University of New South Wales</a>. In recent decades, dingoes have grown up to nine percent larger, but only across regions where poison baiting has been used.

The researchers compared the size of dingoes that lived in three baited regions with the size of dingoes in an unbaited region that stretched from the Northern Territory to South Australia. The investigation was focused on the skull size of nearly 600 specimens.

Study lead author Michael Letnic is a professor in Conservation Biology and Ecosystem Restoration at UNSW Science.

"Skulls from the baited regions grew by about four millimeters since poison baiting was introduced," said Professor Letnic. "This equates to roughly a kilogram in body mass."

Both male and female dingoes had expanded in size, but the effect was much stronger in the females. While male skulls had increased by 3.6 millimeters, female skulls had grown by 4.5 millimeters, which is almost 9 percent body mass. 

Study co-author Professor Mathew Crowther explained that dingoes are most likely growing in poison-baited areas because the individuals that survive baiting campaigns have less competition for food. 

Professor Crowther pointed out that kangaroos, which are dingoes' primary prey, have been shown to increase in numbers when dingo populations are suppressed. "With more food in abundance, dingoes' physical growth is less restricted."

The pesticide sodium fluoroacetate 1080 is commonly used across Australia to control dingoes and other animals that are considered pests. The white powdery poison is usually stuck into meat baits and dropped into dingo hotspots from helicopters. 

Baiting was rolled out in the three study areas - Kalgoorlie, Pilbara and pastoral South Australia - during the 1960s and 70s. By contrast, the experts found that dingoes from the unbaited region had experienced no change in body size. 

According to the researchers, this is not the first time a pesticide has been linked to modifications in animals.

"Our interventions have consequences - and they're actually quite predictable consequences," said Professor Letnic. "Whatever pressures we put on animal populations - be it pesticides or not - there will be side effects."

These impacts have usually been observed in invertebrate pests. For example, cockroaches and some other insects are becoming more resistant to insecticides. The current study is one of the first to show that vertebrates are also changing as a result of pesticides.

"Poison baiting campaigns could be favoring the survival of larger dingoes," said Professor Crowther. "Smaller dingoes need less poison for a lethal dose, so are more likely to be killed by baiting. This leaves the larger dingoes to survive and breed."

The dose of 1080 dose required to kill a dingoes in baited regions has increased over the years as the animals have gradually increased in size.

"The reaction to this finding may be to add more poison to the baits, or to find a new poison," said Professor Letnic. "But, eventually, the cycle will start again."

"Baiting is changing dingoes, so it could be changing other animal populations. Animals respond to human interventions, whether directly or indirectly. The changes could well be adaptive, and we must think about that."

The study is published in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/biolinnean">Biological Journal of the Linnean Society</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Poison intended to kill dingoes is helping them grow larger

The poison baits that are used in parts of Australia...

The worst case scenario should be used in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-extremes-make-reef-fish-less-diverse-and-productive/">climate</a> models to accurately represent C02 emissions through 2050, according to experts at the <a href="https://whrc.org/">Woods Hole Research Center</a>.

In 2005, four scenarios known as Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) were developed to inform the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Assessment Report. The RCP scenarios, which include historical greenhouse gas emissions until 2005, are used in global climate models to project future emissions.

RCP 8.5 represents the highest theoretical use of fossil fuels, which would result in an additional 8.5 watts per square meter of radiative forcing by 2100.

RCP 8.5 has been dismissed by many experts as being a scare tactic that is unrealistic or misleading. However, a team including WHRC President Dr. Philip Duffy has now determined that RCP 8.5 is actually the closest approximation of both historical emissions and the expected outcomes of current global climate policies - tracking within one percent of actual emissions.

"Not only are the emissions consistent with RCP 8.5 in close agreement with historical total cumulative CO2 emissions, but RCP8.5 is also the best match out to mid-century under current and stated policies with still highly plausible levels of CO2 emissions in 2100," wrote the study authors. 

"Not using RCP8.5 to describe the previous 15 years assumes a level of mitigation that did not occur, thereby skewing subsequent assessments by lessening the severity of warming and associated physical climate risk."

The researchers emphasized that while there are signs of progress on bending the global emissions curve and that our emissions picture may change significantly by 2100, focusing on the uncertain and distant future may distort the current debate on these issues. 

"For purposes of informing societal decisions, shorter time horizons are highly relevant, and it is important to have scenarios which are useful on those horizons. Looking at mid-century and sooner, RCP8.5 is clearly the most useful choice," wrote the experts.

"Given the agreement of 2005-2020 historical and RCP8.5 total CO2 emissions and the congruence between current policies and RCP8.5 emission levels to mid-century, RCP8.5 has continued utility, both as an instrument to explore mean outcomes as well as risk. Indeed, if RCP8.5 did not exist, we'd have to create it."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Worst case emissions scenario is the most realistic

The worst case scenario should be used in climate models...

The <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dogs-process-speech-in-the-same-way-as-humans/">human</a> brain can only process so much information at once, which is due to a constant yet limited energy supply, according to expert at <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a>. 

Using a brain imaging technique to measure cell metabolism, the researchers found that the brain dedicates more energy to what we pay attention to and focus on.

Meanwhile, less energy is allocated for processing information outside of our range of focus.

Study senior author Nilli Lavie is a professor in the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience.

"It takes a lot of energy to run the human brain. We know that the brain constantly uses around 20% of our metabolic energy, even while we rest our mind, and yet it's widely believed that this constant but limited supply of energy does not increase when there is more for our mind to process," said Professor Lavie.

"If there's a hard limit on energy supply to the brain, we suspected that the brain may handle challenging tasks by diverting energy away from other functions, and prioritizing the focus of our attention."

"Our findings suggest that the brain does indeed allocate less energy to the neurons that respond to information outside the focus of our attention when our task becomes harder. This explains why we experience inattentional blindness and deafness even to critical information that we really want to be aware of."

A team of cognitive neuroscientists and biomedical engineers used a non-invasive optical imaging method to measure cerebral metabolism. This allowed the experts to investigate how much energy is used by the brain as people focus attention on a task, and how this energy level may change when a task becomes more mentally demanding. 

"In this way, we have managed to connect people's experience of brain overload to what's going on inside their neurons, as high energy demands for one purpose are balanced out by reduced energy use related to any other purpose," said Professor Lavie. 

"If we try to process too much information we may feel the strain of overload because of the hard limit on our brain capacity."

The team measured the oxidation levels of an enzyme that is involved in energy metabolism in the mitochondria of brain cells located in different regions of the visual cortex. 

This technique was performed on 18 participants as they executed visual search tasks that were either complex or simple. The individuals were sometimes presented with a visual distraction that was irrelevant to the task.

&nbsp;

The experts observed elevated cellular metabolism in the brain areas that were responding to the task, and the energy dedicated to the task increased as it became more challenging. This activity directly corresponded with reduced cellular metabolism levels in brain areas responding to irrelevant stimuli.

According to the researchers, the push-pull pattern was closely synchronized, showing a trade-off of limited energy supply between attended and unattended processing.

"By using our in-house developed broadband near-infrared spectroscopy, an optical brain monitoring technology we developed at UCL, we were better able to measure an enzyme in the mitochondria (the power factory of the cells) that plays an integral part in metabolism," said study co-author Professor Ilias Tachtsidis.

"During recent months, we've heard from a lot of people who say they're feeling overwhelmed, with constant news updates and new challenges to overcome," said study first author Merit Bruckmaier.

"When your brain is at capacity, you are likely to fail to process some information. You might not even notice an important email come in because your child was speaking to you, or you might miss the oven timer go off because you received an unexpected work call. Our findings may explain these often-frustrating experiences of inattentional blindness or deafness."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.jneurosci.org/">Journal of Neuroscience</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

The brain devotes its limited energy to what we focus on

The human brain can only process so much information at...

There are some insect species that can actually survive being swallowed by a <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/extinct-dolphin-was-an-apex-predator-25-million-years-ago/">predator</a>, passed through its digestive system, and excreted in feces. As unlikely as it sounds, experts believe this mode of survival usually happens passively, with no action being taken by the prey to escape. 

But in a new study, ecologist Shinji Sugiura of <a href="https://www.kobe-u.ac.jp/en/index.html">Kobe University</a> has shown for the very first time that insects can actively escape from the guts of predators. Sugiura identified a Japanese species of aquatic beetles that can make a quick exit through the vent, or anus, of frogs.

"Here, I report active escape of the aquatic beetle Regimbartia attenuata from the vents of five frog species via the digestive tract," wrote Sugiura. "Although adult beetles were easily eaten by frogs, 90 percent of swallowed beetles were excreted within 6 hours after being eaten and, surprisingly, were still alive."

Sugiura found that the beetles sometimes appeared in the feces in a matter of minutes after consumption, indicating that the beetles are using their legs to move through the digestive tract toward the vent.

Many frog species lack teeth and are unable to kill prey before swallowing it. For this reason, the frogs' digestive systems play an important role in killing their prey. Sugiura set out to investigate how insects may be able to defend themselves after being swallowed whole.

The aquatic beetle R. attenuata and frog species P. nigromaculatus are frequently found in the same paddy fields in Japan. In lab experiments, Sugiura provided juvenile and adult P. nigromaculatus frogs with adult beetles that had a body length of up to five millimeters. 

All of the beetles were easily swallowed by the frogs. However, within six hours, 93.3 percent of the beetles were excreted. Furthermore, all of the excreted beetles were alive and active. 

The observations, which were similar with four additional frog species, indicated that swallowed beetles used their legs to move to the frog vent through the digestive system. 

Sugiura explained that when beetle legs were experimentally fixed with wax, all of the treated beetles were killed in the frogs’ digestive system and finally excreted more than 24 hours after consumption.

Pressure from the frog's sphincter muscle keeps the anus closed, so the beetles would not be able to exit through this vent without manipulating the frog to open it. Sugiura speculates that R. attenuata likely stimulate the frog's gut to promote excretion. 

"This study is the first to document active prey escape from the vent of a predator and to show that prey may promote predator defecation to hasten escape from inside the predator’s body," said Sugiura.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Beetles escape in frog feces after being swallowed

There are some insect species that can actually survive being...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dogs-improve-social-and-emotional-well-being-in-children/">Dogs</a> process speech in a very similar way to humans, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.elte.hu/en/">Eötvös Loránd University</a> (ELTE). The research shows that as dogs are interpreting unknown words based on intonation, or the rise and fall of our voices, they use the same brain region to process this unfamiliar speech.

Experts in the ELTE Faculty of Science used MRI brain imaging to show that dog brains not only derive information from what we say and how we say it, but also use a human-like speech processing system to do so. 

Dogs recognize the meaning of words like "sit," but they also understand the underlying tone and intent of words that they are not familiar with. For example, when dogs are praised in a high pitch voice, they realize that something positive is being expressed. However, little has been known about what is going on in a dog's brain as speech is actually being processed.

To investigate, the researchers measured brain activity with fMRI as dogs heard familiar praise words and unfamiliar words that were expressed in either a neutral or a praising manner.

"Exploring speech processing similarities and differences between dog and human brains can help a lot in understanding the steps that led to the emergence of speech during evolution," said study lead author Anna Gábor. 

"Human brains process speech hierarchically: first, intonations at lower-, next, word meanings at higher stages. Some years ago, we discovered that dog brains, just as human brains, separate intonation and word meaning. But is the hierarchy also similar?"

"To find it out, we used a special technique this time: we measured how dog brain activity decreases to repeatedly played stimuli. During brain scanning, sometimes we repeated words, sometimes intonations. Stronger decrease in a given brain region to certain repetitions shows the region's involvement."

The results showed that dog brains process speech hierarchically just like human brains. Intonation was found to be processed at lower stages - mostly in subcortical regions. Meanwhile, familiar words were processed at higher stages - in cortical regions.

The study also revealed that older dogs distinguished words less than younger dogs.

"Although speech processing in humans is unique in many aspects, this study revealed exciting similarities between us and a speechless species. The similarity does not imply, however, that this hierarchy evolved for speech processing," said study co-author Attila Andics.

"Instead, the hierarchy following intonation and word meaning processing reported here and also in humans may reflect a more general, not speech-specific processing principle." 

"Simpler, emotionally loaded cues (such as intonation) are typically analyzed at lower stages; while more complex, learnt cues (such as word meaning) are analyzed at higher stages in multiple species."

"What our results really shed light on is that human speech processing may also follow this more basic, more general hierarchy."

The study is  published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep">Scientific Reports</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;

Dogs process speech in the same way as humans

Dogs process speech in a very similar way to humans,...

Scientists have taken the concept of remote sensing to an entirely new level, using lidar to peer into the depths of the ocean. The new technique allows the experts to study <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ocean-algae-steal-beneficial-genes-from-bacteria/">algae</a> and ocean composition much farther down in the sea than what has been possible using satellite sensors.

Study co-author Barney Balch is a senior research scientist at the <a href="https://www.bigelow.org/">Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences</a>.

"Traditional satellite remote sensing approaches can collect a wide range of information about the upper ocean, but satellites typically can't 'see' deeper than the top five or 10 meters of the sea," said Balch. "Harnessing a tool that lets us look so much deeper into the ocean is like having a new set of eyes."

Lidar detects and measures the distance to reflective particles like algae in the ocean by illuminating them with laser light. On a research expedition in 2018, study lead author Brian Collister tested the ability of a shipboard lidar system to detect algae and other particles in the deep ocean.

"The lidar approach has the potential to fill some important gaps in our ability to measure ocean biology from space," said Collister, who is a PhD student at Old Dominion University. "This technique will shed new light on the distribution of biology in the upper oceans, and allow us to better understand their role in Earth's climate."

Balch's research team has studied the Gulf of Maine for over two decades. The scientists' experience in finding and identifying algae in this ecosystem provided key knowledge for testing out the lidar system in this area.

The team used lidar to detect and measure particles of the mineral calcium carbonate, and collect information about a bloom of coccolithophores. These algae surround themselves with calcium carbonate plates, which are white in color and highly reflective. This particular coccolithophore bloom turned out to be the largest observed in the region in 30 years.

"This cruise allowed us an ideal opportunity to try the lidar system out with the ability to sample the water and know exactly what species were in it," said Balch. "Lidar has been used in the ocean for decades, but few, if any, studies have been done inside a confirmed coccolithophore bloom, which profoundly changes how light behaves in the environment."

Located throughout the ocean worldwide, coccolithophores have a major influence on the biogeochemical cycles that shape the planet, and studying the algae is key to understanding global ocean dynamics. 

The new research suggests that lidar will make it possible to estimate coccolithophore populations remotely, which could save a lot of time and money that is typically used for field studies.

"It's a huge deal that we are learning to reliably identify particles in the ocean from a lidar system positioned above the water," said study co-author Richard Zimmerman. "This is a significant advance, and it could revolutionize our ability to characterize and model marine ecosystems."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.osapublishing.org/ao/">Applied Optics</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;

Laser technology allows scientists to peer deep into the ocean

Scientists have taken the concept of remote sensing to an...

Experts at the <a href="https://www.unibo.it/en">University of Bologna</a> have developed a method to change the way the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/large-brains-allow-humans-to-master-motor-skills/">brain</a> perceives frightful memories so that they no longer evoke fear. The technique involves a non-invasive procedure known as Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and memory reconsolidation.

"This experimental protocol combining transcranial stimulation and memory reconsolidation allowed us to modify an aversive memory that the participants had learned the day before," said study first author Sara Borgomaneri. "This result has relevant repercussions for understanding how memory works. It might even lead to the development of new therapies to deal with traumatic memories."

The research is primarily focused on the process of memory reconsolidation, which is capable of maintaining, strengthening, or altering events that are already stored in our long-term memory. "Every time an event is recalled in our memory, there is a limited period of time in which it can be altered," explained study co-author Simone Battaglia. "The protocol we developed exploits this short time window and can, therefore, interfere with the reconsolidation process of learned aversive memories."

TMS is a non-invasive procedure that does not require surgery or any action by participants. The technique is widely used for research, as well as in clinical trials and rehabilitation programs.

In the current study, the researchers explored the potential for TMS to "erase" the fear induced by a negative memory. Using an electromagnetic coil placed on an individual's head, TMS creates magnetic fields that can alter the neural activity of a specific site in the brain. 

"With TMS, we could alter the functioning of the prefrontal cortex, which proved to be fundamental in the reconsolidation process of aversive memories," said Borgomaneri. "Thanks to this procedure, we obtained results that, until now, were only possible by delivering drugs to patients."

To develop the new protocol, the experts introduced 98 healthy participants to an aversive memory. 

"First, we created the aversive memory by combining an unpleasant stimulation with some images," said Borgomaneri. "The day after, we presented a group of participants with the same stimulus, which, in their memory, was recorded as aversive. Using TMS immediately afterwards, we interfered with their prefrontal cortex activity."

Some of the participants underwent TMS without their aversive memory being recalled, which meant that no reconsolidation was triggered. Among other participants, TMS stimulated control areas of the brain that are not involved in memory reconsolidation.

The following day, the researchers once again tested how the participants reacted when the aversive memory was recalled. The study revealed that participants who had their prefrontal cortex activity inhibited by TMS showed a reduced psycho-physiological response to the unpleasant stimulus. They could recall the explicit memory, but its negative effect was substantially reduced.

The study was coordinated by Dr. Giuseppe di Pellegrino, who is a professor of Cognitive Neuroscience in the Department of Psychology at the University of Bologna.

"This trial showed that it is feasible to alter the persistence of potentially traumatic memories. This may have crucial repercussions in the fields of rehabilitation and clinical medicine," said Dr. Pellegrino. 

"We're dealing with a new technique that can be employed in different contexts and can assume a variety of functions, starting from treating PTSD, which will be the focus of our next study."

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</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;

Study reveals how fear can be erased from our memories       

Experts at the University of Bologna have developed a method...

Experts at the <a href="https://twin-cities.umn.edu/">University of Minnesota</a> have found a way to alter iron sulfide, also known as "fools gold," into a magnetic material. This is the first time that a completely non-magnetic material has been electrically transformed to become magnetic.

The research, published by <a href="https://www.aaas.org/">AAAS</a>, may ultimately lead to the development of valuable new magnetic materials for more energy-efficient computer memory devices.

"Most people knowledgeable in magnetism would probably say it was impossible to electrically transform a non-magnetic material into a magnetic one. When we looked a little deeper, however, we saw a potential route, and made it happen," said study lead researcher Professor Chris Leighton.

For more than a decade, the team has been investigating the potential for fools gold to be used in solar cells.

Sulfur is a low-cost byproduct of petroleum production that is particularly abundant. Prior to this study, scientists have struggled to make it efficient enough to create low-cost solar cells.

"We really went back to the iron sulfide material to try to figure out the fundamental roadblocks to cheap, non-toxic solar cells," said Professor Leighton. 

"Meanwhile, my group was also working in the emerging field of magnetoionics where we try to use electrical voltages to control magnetic properties of materials for potential applications in magnetic data storage devices. At some point we realized we should be combining these two research directions, and it paid off."

According to Professor Leighton, the goal of the study was to manipulate the magnetic properties of materials with a voltage alone, with very little electrical current, which is important to make magnetic devices more energy-efficient. 

Up until now, scientists had managed to switch on and off ferromagnetism, the most technologically important form of magnetism, in other types of magnetic materials.

The current study has confirmed the capacity for ferromagnetism to be electrically induced in iron sulfide - an entirely non-magnetic material.

The technique used for the investigation was able to successfully magnetize a non-magnetic iron sulfide material and then return it to its non-magnetic state, which means that magnetism can be reversibly switched on and off.

"We were pretty surprised it worked. By applying the voltage, we essentially pour electrons into the material. It turns out that if you get high enough concentrations of electrons, the material wants to spontaneously become ferromagnetic, which we were able to understand with theory. This has lots of potential. Having done it with iron sulfide, we guess we can do it with other materials as well."

Professor Leighton said this approach would have never have imagined or attempted if it was not for his team's research on iron sulfide for solar cells and the work on magnetoionics. "It was the perfect convergence of two areas of research.

The next step, according to Professor Leighton, is to continue research to replicate the process at higher temperatures, which the team's preliminary data suggest is possible. The experts also hope to test their process with other materials to demonstrate the potential of their technique.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</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;

Fools gold may prove valuable for making solar cells

Experts at the University of Minnesota have found a way...

Women with fewer social ties are more likely to struggle with <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/obesity-and-covid-19-death-are-linked-by-a-hormone/">obesity</a>, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia</a> (UBC). By contrast, men have a lower risk of obesity if they have a smaller social network and live alone.

The investigation was focused on data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, including information on the social lives of 28,238 adults between the ages of 45 and 85. The researchers also analyzed data on waist circumference and body mass index to examine the potential link between social ties and obesity.

The study revealed that women who were single, widowed, divorced, or separated had a greater risk of both abdominal and general obesity. Women were also more prone to excessive weight if they were not very socially active. For example, females who lived alone and had limited social participation, such as no recurring monthly activities, were found to have the highest average waist size.

On the other hand, men with a larger social network had a higher average waist size compared to men with a smaller social network. Men who lived with a partner were also found to be more likely to struggle with obesity compared to those who lived alone.

Principal investigator Annalijn Conklin is an assistant professor in the faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UBC and is a researcher with the Center for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences.

"There is a lot of literature suggesting that marriage is health-promoting for men and potentially less so for women, so our results about marital status were kind of surprising," said Professor Conklin. 

"The different types of social ties that we looked at had a more consistent relationship with obesity for women. Those patterns in men were less obvious and seemed to sometimes even be reversed to what we saw in women."

The study was not designed to investigate the underlying cause of the gender differences linked to obesity. However, Professor Conklin believes the findings may be partly due to differing gender roles and the social expectations that come along with those roles.

"You would think that having small social networks would be a kind of social stress and that would have consequences for obesity, but we found that it was potentially protective for men," said Professor Conklin. 

"It could be that managing very large networks becomes a source of stress for men, as research has shown that men often assign to their wives the emotional labour of keeping track of birthdays, special events and organizing family or social gatherings." 

Study lead author Zeinab Hosseini said that further research is needed to understand the factors at play.

"Not only did we find that minimal social participation was associated with obesity in older women, but also that social participation altered the levels of obesity in widowed women," said Hosseini. "These findings call for studies that will follow the participants over time to understand the possible causal links between different social connections and the health of older women and men."

The findings indicate that health care providers should recommend social activities alongside healthy diet and exercise when treating older women who are single, noted the researchers.

"Clinicians could be encouraging older women patients who are non-partnered, especially widowed women, to participate in social community interventions as a way to address obesity," said Hosseini.

"This would require clear implementation strategies, and a focus on social connection interventions by health care researchers and decision-makers."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</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;

Obesity more common among women with fewer social ties

Women with fewer social ties are more likely to struggle...

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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

[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

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Kainji Lake, a reservoir on the Niger River.



In 1968, Kainji Lake was created by the construction of the Kainji Dam. The Niger River, the third longest in Africa, enters the lake in the north.&nbsp;



According to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rivers-in-the-american-west-are-a-lifesaving-resource-for-birds/">ESA</a>, the creation of the lake submerged Foge Island and the town of Bussa and permanently flooded other riverine settlements, leaving around 50,000 people displaced.&nbsp;



Large parts of Foge Island are temporarily exposed during low water tides, and the land is often used by migrating fishermen. Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger River in Niger State of Central Nigeria. 



Wild mammals occur at relatively low densities due to illegal hunting. Lake Kainji has suffered a dramatic decline as a fishery due to the high numbers of artisanal and subsistence fisherfolk using the lake. It has been suggested that a period of closure, together with controlled fishing rights may help improve fish stocks.



Kainji Lake National Park is the oldest of its kind in Nigeria. The park contains three distinct areas: a part of the Kainji Lake, the Borgu Game Reserve to the west of the lake, and the Zugurma Game Reserve to the southeast. The park is home to around 65 mammal species, 350 bird species, and 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. 



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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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.

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.igb.illinois.edu/">Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology</a> reveals how scientists can modify common crops like soybean, rice, and wheat to protect them from heat stress.



“We need to double crop production by 2050 to feed a growing global population, and not only are we not on track to do that, but climate change is further complicating things,” said Amanda Cavanagh, a lecturer at the University of Essex. 



The study is part of Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), an international research project that aims to develop food crops that turn the sun’s energy into food more efficiently.



“Using an engineering approach we designed multiple alternative metabolic pathways to photorespiration. Testing them in the field showed increases in productivity which led Amanda to significantly move the project forward by showing our engineered plants can withstand pretty extreme temperature stress,” said study co-author and RIPE researcher Paul South.&nbsp;



“As the climate changes and temperature stresses increase the pressure on our global food supply, farmers will need every tool available including engineering approaches like the synthetic biology used here to maintain safe and productive harvests.”



The experts tested plants modified to have more efficient photorespiration to see if they were better adapted to warmer temperatures.&nbsp;



The team found that the engineered plants produced 26 percent more biomass than the wild-type plants exposed to the same temperatures, and had 15 percent less yield loss under the higher temperatures.



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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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.

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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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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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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Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes the first comprehensive estimate of carbon density in the Saharan, Sahel, and Sudanian zones of Africa. In an effort to measure the amount of carbon stored across these drylands, a team of scientists used high-resolution satellite images and artificial intelligence to map nearly 10 billion individual trees. 



"The high spatial resolution (50 cm) combined with AI and field measurements used in this study is key to improving tree inventories in drylands," said Pierre Hiernaux, a French researcher working for NASA. "The ever-increasing availability of very high-resolution satellite imagery will make it possible to assess carbon pools and their dynamics at the individual tree level on a global scale."



"This study is exceptional because it is pioneering a type of approach that will revolutionize the monitoring of trees and forests on a global scale: in the short term, it will be possible to map the world's trees from the centre of the Amazon to our schoolyards," said <a href="https://www.inrae.fr/en">INRAE</a> researcher Jean-Pierre Wigneron.



"Many fields of application will become much more efficient and accurate, such as tracking carbon stocks, biodiversity, monitoring logging and protection against illegal forest degradation, in near real time.”



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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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://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> features a visual dataset of.methane emissions from wetlands across the globe. Atmospheric methane levels have reached record highs in recent years, and wetlands are a major source of these emissions.&nbsp;



"Methane is an important greenhouse gas that contributes substantially to global warming. On a molecule by molecule basis, methane is much more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, the main driver of warming," says NASA.



"Though human activities, including agriculture, oil and natural gas production and use, and waste disposal, collectively contribute the majority of methane to the atmosphere, about a third of total methane emissions comes from wetlands."&nbsp;



According to NASA, understanding methane emissions from wetlands and other natural sources is critically important for scientists and policymakers who are working to combat climate change by reducing emissions from human activities.



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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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.

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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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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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes why experts are studying zebrafish to gain a better understanding of how the immune system responds to injury. Zebrafish have the ability to repair and regenerate organs.



“Organ regeneration offers an exciting opportunity for studying the immune system and to inquire why some species can regenerate organs like the heart or missing limbs while others like humans cannot,” explained Dr. Tatjana Piotrowski.



Zebrafish sensory organ hair cells are an ideal system to investigate the pathways and cell types involved in regeneration since they are easily destroyed with antibiotics and begin regenerating within five hours. This enabled the researchers to identify the exact timing and genetic programs for each anti-inflammatory macrophage activation state.&nbsp;



“Our hypothesis is that human macrophages do not receive the proper chemical activation 'cocktail' to instruct pro-regenerative processes,” said Dr. Nicolas Denans. “Identifying the molecular recipe of macrophage activation in zebrafish may one day enable us to design regenerative immunotherapies in humans.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The new evidence is a valuable resource for comparative studies on the genetic programs involved in macrophage-mediated repair and regeneration. In other words, different types of injuries may induce different kinds of inflammatory responses. We want to decipher whether this 'language' is universal or if there are a variety of dialects."



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&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.

How the immune system responds to injury

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes how record-breaking heat expressed itself around the world in 2022.



Scientists have determined that 2022 was the 5th warmest year since 1880. Furthermore, the last nine consecutive years have been the warmest on record.



From devastating floods and wildfires to natural disasters like Hurricane Ian, 2022 showed us yet again how a warming climate affects people across the globe.&nbsp;



"As we look back at 20:22 and years past, we see that each year we better understand the challenges we face and how important it is to meet them," says NASA.



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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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.

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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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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