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...

The family of viruses that gave rise to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/severity-of-covid-19-can-be-predicted-by-the-immune-system/">COVID-19</a> has been circulating in horseshoe bats for decades, and this lineage includes other viruses with the ability to infect humans, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Penn State</a>. 

An international team of researchers has traced the evolutionary history of SARS-CoV-2, and the findings may help to prevent future pandemics that could emerge from this lineage.

"Coronaviruses have genetic material that is highly recombinant, meaning different regions of the virus's genome can be derived from multiple sources," said study co-author Professor Maciej Boni. "This has made it difficult to reconstruct SARS-CoV-2's origins." 

"You have to identify all the regions that have been recombining and trace their histories. To do that, we put together a diverse team with expertise in recombination, phylogenetic dating, virus sampling, and molecular and viral evolution."

The team used three different approaches to identify and remove the recombinant regions within the SARS-CoV-2 genome. This enabled the experts to reconstruct and compare phylogenetic histories for the non-recombinant regions to pinpoint which viruses have been involved in recombination events in the past. 

The study revealed the evolutionary relationships between SARS-CoV-2 and its closest known bat and pangolin viruses. 

The family of viruses that includes SARS-CoV-2 was found to have diverged from other bat viruses about 40 to 70 years ago. 

Bat coronavirus RaTG13 was sampled from a Rhinolophus affinis horseshoe bat in 2013 in Yunnan province, China. While SARS-CoV-2 shares about 96 percent of the genetic makeup of this particular virus, the researchers determined that it diverged from RaTG13 in 1969.

"The ability to estimate divergence times after disentangling recombination histories, which is something we developed in this collaboration, may lead to insights into the origins of many different viral pathogens," said study co-author Philippe Lemey.

The analysis showed that one of the older traits SARS-CoV-2 shares with its relatives is the receptor-binding domain (RBD) located on the Spike protein, which enables the virus to detect and bind to receptors on human cells.

"This means that other viruses that are capable of infecting humans are circulating in horseshoe bats in China," said study co-author David L. Robertson.

Furthermore, it has not been confirmed that the viruses will require an intermediate host to jump to humans. According to Robertson, for SARS-CoV-2, other research groups incorrectly proposed that key evolutionary changes occurred in pangolins.

"SARS-CoV-2's RBD sequence has so far only been found in a few pangolin viruses," said Robertson. "Furthermore, the other key feature thought to be instrumental to SARS-CoV-2's ability to infect humans - a polybasic cleavage site insertion in the Spike protein - has not yet been seen in another close bat relative of the SARS-CoV-2 virus." 

"Yet, while it is possible that pangolins may have acted as an intermediate host facilitating transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to humans, no evidence exists to suggest that pangolin infection is a requirement for bat viruses to cross into humans." 

"Instead, our research suggests that SARS-CoV-2 likely evolved the ability to replicate in the upper respiratory tract of both humans and pangolins."

The experts concluded that preventing future pandemics will require better sampling within wild bats. Prevention will also require the implementation of human disease surveillance systems that are able to instantly identify unknown pathogens.

"The key to successful surveillance, is knowing which viruses to look for and prioritizing those that can readily infect humans. We should have been better prepared for a second SARS virus," said Robertson.

"We were too late in responding to the initial SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, but this will not be our last coronavirus pandemic," said Professor Boni. "A much more comprehensive and real-time surveillance system needs to be put in place to catch viruses like this when case numbers are still in the double digits."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nmicrobiol">Nature Microbiology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Viruses related to SARS-CoV-2 could cause future pandemics

The family of viruses that gave rise to COVID-19 has...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/study-reveals-how-underwater-volcanoes-become-explosive/">Volcanoes</a> that consistently  produce small basaltic lava eruptions may be harboring magmas with the potential to generate explosive activity, according to a new study.

Working in the Galápagos Islands, an international team of volcanologists discovered chemically diverse magmas hiding beneath seemingly predictable volcanoes.

"This was really unexpected," said study lead author Dr. Michael Stock of <a href="https://www.tcd.ie/">Trinity College Dublin</a>. "We started the study wanting to know why these volcanoes were so boring and what process caused the erupted lava compositions to remain constant over long timescales. Instead we found that they aren't boring at all - they just hide these secret magmas under the ground."

Many volcanoes in places like Hawaii and the Galápagos Islands produce slow-moving lava flows for millions of years. While the long streams of fire are very destructive, they are not usually life-threatening because they move at a walking pace. 

The research was focused on two Galápagos volcanoes that have consistently erupted basaltic lava flows at the Earth's surface throughout their entire history. Based on the composition of microscopic crystals in the lava, the experts derived the chemical characteristics of magmas stored underground beneath the volcanoes. 

The hidden magmas were found to be extremely diverse. They also contained compositions similar to those erupted at Mt. St. Helens.

The researchers theorize that volcanoes consistently erupt compositionally uniform basaltic lavas when the amount of magma flushing through the ground beneath the edifice is high enough to "overprint" any chemical diversity. For example, this could occur when a volcano is located close to a hot spot, where plumes of magma rise from deep within the Earth.

Regardless, the chemically diverse magmas identified in the study could become mobile and rise toward the surface under certain conditions, producing unexpected activity.

"Although there's no sign that these Galápagos volcanoes will undergo a transition in eruption style any time soon, our results show why other volcanoes might have changed their eruptive behavior in the past," said Dr. Stock. 

"The study will also help us to better understand the risks posed by volcanoes in other parts of the world - just because they've always erupted a particular way in the past doesn't mean you can rely on them to continue doing the same thing indefinitely into the future."

"This discovery is a game-changer because it allows us to reconcile apparently divergent observations, such as the presence of explosive deposits at several Galápagos volcanoes," said study co-author Dr. Benjamin Bernard. "It also allows us to better understand the behavior of these volcanoes, which is essential for volcano monitoring and hazard assessment."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms">Nature Communications</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Scientists discover explosive magmas hidden under tame volcanoes

Volcanoes that consistently  produce small basaltic lava eruptions may be...

In response to rising temperatures and extremely dry conditions, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/organisms-steal-water-from-rocks-to-survive-desert-conditions/">desert</a> plants are forced to adapt in order to survive. A new study from the <a href="https://www.utah.edu/">University of Utah</a> has found that one shrub in the Mojave Desert, the brittlebush, is exceptionally talented when it comes to adaptation. 

Over the last four decades, the brittlebush has more than doubled its water use efficiency. The research suggests that some desert plants have the resiliency to endure future climate change.

"We were able to directly relate changes in plant ecophysiology to changing climate over a relatively short timescale," said study lead author Avery Driscoll. "This shows us that desert shrubs can and do acclimate to changing environmental conditions."

The study was focused on decades of data from two long-term research sites in Death Valley and near Oatman, Arizona. 

Professor Jim Ehleringer, who established the sites in the 1980s, led a team to survey the vegetation and collect plant samples every spring for 39 years.

Brittlebush, Encelia farinosa, is commonly found throughout the Southwest and northern Mexico. The shrub has bright yellow flowers and silvery leaves, and can live for more than 30 years. 

The leaves of brittlebush contain a record of the climate in carbon isotopes that make up the tissue. These isotopes can be used to assess a plant's water use efficiency.

The researchers found that the brittlebushes sampled for the study increased their water use efficiency by 53 to 58 percent over the 39-year study period.

Driscoll noted that the temperature is rising and humidity is dropping in the Mojave Desert."This increase in water use efficiency shows that the leaf physiology of these plants has adjusted in response to this added water stress and increased availability of CO2."

Experts theorize that increasing CO2 levels may actually benefit plants like the brittlebush because it allows them to get the same amount of CO2 with smaller stomatal openings, which reduces water loss. By contrast, forests have not yet demonstrated an increase in water use efficiency.

"While we can't say anything about the implications for shrub growth, we did find that increases in water-use efficiency were substantially larger in deserts than they are in forests."

Driscoll said it is too soon to tell whether brittlebush and other desert shrubs will be able to survive future warming.

"While it's possible that more efficient use of water could translate into growth, survival or flowering benefits for these plants, we don't yet know if the change will confer advantages or mitigate potential declines in the population."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of 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;

Desert shrubs become more efficient as temperatures rise

In response to rising temperatures and extremely dry conditions, desert...

By the time that humans are learning to tie their shoelaces, many other <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/animals-use-tools/">primate</a> species already have offspring of their own. A new study from the <a href="https://www.uzh.ch/en.html">University of Zurich</a> has investigated why it takes much longer for humans to learn fine motor skills compared to other primates.

A team led by evolutionary biologist Sandra Heldstab observed 36 different primate species over a period of more than seven years. The researchers studied 128 young animals in 13 European zoos from birth until they reached adult-level dexterity. 

The experts were surprised to discover that all of the species learned complex skills in exactly the same order.

"Our results show that the neural development follows extremely rigid patterns - even in primate species that differ greatly in other respects," said Heldstab.

On the other hand, there were some notable variations in the specific fine motor skills of adults among the different primate species. Animals with large brains like gorillas and chimpanzees can solve much more complex tasks using their hands than primates with small brains like lemurs. 

"It is no coincidence that we humans are so good at using our hands and using tools, our large brains made it possible. A big brain equals great dexterity," said Heldstab.

But dexterity comes at a cost. For example, human infants take a long time to learn even the simplest hand and finger movements. 

"It's not just because we are learning more complex skills than lemurs or callitrichids, for example. It's mainly because we do not begin learning these skills until much later," said Heldstab. The researchers theorize that the larger brains of humans are less well developed at birth.

"Our study shows once again that in the course of evolution, only mammals that live a long time and have enough time to learn were able to develop a large brain and complex fine motor skills including the ability to use tools," said Heldstab.

"This makes it clear why so few species could follow our path and why humans could become the most technologically accomplished organism on this planet."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Large brains allow humans to master motor skills

By the time that humans are learning to tie their...

Lithium in public drinking water has been linked to a decrease in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/computer-models-predict-suicide-risk-by-screening-heath-records/">suicides</a>, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.sussex.ac.uk/">University of Sussex</a>. Based on the analysis of studies from around the world, the researchers found that areas with relatively high levels of naturally occurring lithium in drinking water had lower suicide rates.

 "It is promising that higher levels of trace lithium in drinking water may exert an anti-suicidal effect and have the potential to improve community mental health," said study lead author Professor Anjum Memon.

"The prevalence of mental health conditions and national suicide rates are increasing in many countries. Worldwide, over 800,000 people die by suicide every year, and suicide is the leading cause of death among persons aged 15-24 years."  

"In these unprecedented times of COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent increase in the incidence of mental health conditions, accessing ways to improve community mental health and reduce the incidence of anxiety, depression and suicide is ever more important."   

Lithium is a mood stabilizer that is used to treat depressive and manic episodes in people with bipolar disorder and clinical depression. It can reduce suicide risk, as well as impulsivity, aggression, and substance abuse.

The element occurs naturally in vegetables, grains, spices, and drinking water. Lithium is also present in trace amounts in most rocks, and is often released into soils and groundwater, which is how it enters public water supplies.

The health benefits and healing powers of naturally occurring lithium have been known for centuries. Recent studies have linked lithium to a lower risk of cognitive degeneration and dementia.

"This synthesis and analysis of all available evidence confirms previous findings of some individual studies and shows a significant relationship between higher lithium levels in drinking water and lower suicide rates in the community," said study co-author Professor Allan Young.

"The levels of lithium in drinking water are far lower than those recommended when lithium is used as medicine although the duration of exposure may be far longer, potentially starting at conception." 

"These findings are also consistent with the finding in clinical trials that lithium reduces suicide and related behaviors in people with a mood disorder."

Professor Memon said that future research could include randomized community trials of lithium supplementation of the water supply, particularly in communities with a high prevalence of mental health conditions, violent criminal behavior, chronic substance abuse, and suicide risk. 

"This may provide further evidence to support the hypothesis that lithium could be used at the community level to reduce or combat the risk of these conditions."

"This study shows that the boundaries between medication and nutritional interventions are not as rigid as we used to think, opening up the possibility of new treatments that span both domains," said study co-author Professor Carmine Pariante. 

"More knowledge of the beneficial properties of lithium and its role in regulating brain function can lead to a deeper understanding of mental illness and improve the wellbeing of patients with depression and other mental health problems."  

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/the-british-journal-of-psychiatry">British Journal of Psychiatry</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Lithium in public drinking water may lower suicide risk

Lithium in public drinking water has been linked to a...

Researchers at <a href="https://www.yale.edu/">Yale University</a> have identified ways to determine which patients have the greatest risk of developing severe <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mild-obesity-linked-to-greater-risk-of-severe-covid-19-infection/">COVID-19</a> based on their immune activity. The research shows that the body's immune system provides early indications of whether an infection will become life-threatening.

The findings may help doctors recognize which patients will likely require critical care, and could also help pinpoint which drugs will be most effective.

The researchers examined 113 patients admitted to Yale New Haven Hospital, analyzing their immune system responses from the time of admittance until discharge or death.

In the early stages of infection, the experts found that all of the patients shared a common COVID-19 "signature" in immune activity. 

Over time, those who experienced only moderate symptoms exhibited diminishing immune system responses and viral load. Patients who developed severe COVID-19 infections showed no decrease in their immune activity or viral load, and many of the immune signals accelerated.

However, there were indicators early on that predicted which patients were at greatest risk of severe infection."We were able to pull out signatures of disease risk," said study senior author Professor Akiko Iwasaki.

While it was known that the immune system unleashes a massive "cytokine storm" in the worst cases of COVID-19, it was not known which specific components of the immune system are responsible. The Yale team has found some new clues as to the cause of this damaging immune response. 

Curiously, said researchers, one risk factor was the presence of alpha interferon, a cytokine mobilized to combat viral pathogens such as the flu virus. However, high levels of alpha interferon were associated with the worst COVID-19 outcomes.

"This virus just doesn't seem to care about alpha interferon," said Professor Iwasaki. "The cytokine appears to be hurting, not helping."

Another early indicator of severe disease is activation of the inflammasome, a network of proteins triggers an inflammatory response when pathogens are detected. 

The researchers found that individuals who had the best outcomes expressed high levels of a type of cytokine that repairs tissue damage to the linings of blood vessels and lungs.

Taken together, the data can help predict patients at high risk of poor outcomes, said the study authors. They added that drugs which target specific causes of inflammation identified in the study could help treat patients at risk of developing severe cases of COVID-19.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Severity of COVID-19 can be predicted by the immune system 

Researchers at Yale University have identified ways to determine which...

The oldest trees on the planet date back nearly 5,000 years, and some species do not appear to show signs of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/experts-identify-factors-that-protect-the-brain-from-aging/">aging</a>. A recent study of ginkgo trees found that they seem to be able to escape whole-plant senescence, the biological aging process where deterioration becomes obvious.

However, in a new report published by <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell Press</a>, Professor Sergi Munné-Bosch of the University of Barcelona explains that while senescence in ancient trees may be almost undetectable, it is still taking place.

"When we try to study these organisms, we're really astonished that they live so long. But this doesn't mean that they're immortal," said Professor Munné-Bosch. "They live so long because they have many mechanisms to reduce a lot of the wear and tear of aging."

Ancient trees have evolved methods for prolonging the aging process, but research has confirmed that they still experience physiological stress associated with senescence. "They have limits," said Professor Munné-Bosch. "There are physical and mechanical constraints that limit their ability to live indefinitely."

Because they are so challenging to study, little is known about what the process of senescence looks like in millennial trees. "When a species of tree can live for five millennia, it's very difficult to find even two trees that are between two and five millennia."

Professor Munné-Bosch explained that while dying of senescence is a possibility, the trees will likely die from other causes. "They don't have to worry about senescence because they have other things that worry them more."

Due to their extreme lifespans, the aging process of trees would have to be studied at a timescale that is much larger than that of existing studies.

"The measure of time is something that we have invented as humans, and to a millennial tree, it does not matter at all," said Munné-Bosch.

Trees have a variety of ways to reduce their chances of death from aging. For example, they can "build life on death" by growing new shoots from trunks composed of 90 percent nonliving biomass. Even though long-lived trees can survive for millennia through these methods, there is still some stress associated with aging that prevent immortality. "Time, in some respects, can be considered as a sort of stress. Living is stressful, and this very slowly will bring you to death."

According to Professor Munné-Bosch, understanding how trees prolong senescence is important. "We have a lot to learn from them. For instance, aspects of regenerative medicine are based on mechanisms that have already evolved in trees." 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/plant-science/home">Trends in Plant Science</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Some trees live thousands of years with no signs of aging

The oldest trees on the planet date back nearly 5,000...

When it is time to make an important choice, people often rely on their gut instinct. This inherent guidance originates in the enteric nervous system (ENS), which is referred to as the "second brain" because it operates independently.

The ENS is an extensive network of neurons and transmitters in the human gut that serves the primary purpose of managing digestion.

Experts in the lab of Professor Nick Spencer at <a href="https://www.flinders.edu.au/">Flinders University</a> set out to learn more about the ENS, such as how it manages to transmit critical information to the brain almost instantaneously.

The researchers identified a specific type of neuron in the gut that sends signals to neurons near the spinal cord, where they are carried to the brain.

The study represents a giant step toward understanding ENS functions and the complexity of the gut and brain connection. 

"There is significant interest in how the gut communicates with the brain as a major unresolved issue because of growing evidence that many diseases may first start in the gut and then travel to the brain, an example of which is Parkinson's Disease," said Professor Spencer.

"The new study has uncovered how viscerofugal neurons provide a pathway so our gut can 'sense' what is going on inside the gut wall, then relay this sensory information more dynamically than was previously assumed to other organs, like the spinal cord and brain which influence our decisions, mood and general well-being."

The findings may ultimately help to reveal why the ENS plays an increasingly important role in human health. The research could also lead to the development of new treatments for conditions like Parkinson's disease.

"What is particularly exciting about the gut, is that it is unlike all other internal organs (e.g. heart, liver, bladder) because the gut has its own nervous system, which can function independently of the brain or spinal cord," said Professor Spencer. 

"Understanding how the gut communicates and controls other organs in the body can lead to important breakthroughs for disease treatment and this is an important step in the right direction."

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;

Experts discover how our gut instincts reach the brain

When it is time to make an important choice, people...

Obesity has been referred to as the "parallel pandemic," and a growing collection of research shows that excess weight is an independent and causal risk factor for mortality among COVID-19 patients. Now, a new study has traced this seemingly complex link to something as simple as a hormone that influences the body's immune response.

The hormone leptin not only regulates appetite and metabolism, but also manages the cells that fight infection. Leptin is produced by fat cells and is secreted into the bloodstream. People with more fat have higher levels of leptin circulating in their body.

Study lead author Dr. Candida Rebello is a postdoctoral researcher at the <a href="https://www.pbrc.edu/">Pennington Biomedical Research Center</a>.

"The problem for people with obesity is that their leptin levels are always high, and that can affect the response to a COVID-19 infection," said Dr. Rebello.

According to Dr. Rebello, elevated leptin levels hamper the body's ability to fight off infections, in the lungs and elsewhere. High leptin levels promote inflammation throughout the body.

"If you have obesity, there are a number of underlying health issues that make it more difficult for you to fight off a COVID-19 infection," said study co-author Dr. John Kirwan. "Your entire body, including your lungs, may be inflamed. Your immune response is likely compromised, and your lung capacity reduced.

"Add in a virus that further weakens the body's ability to fight infection, that can limit the body's ability to control lung inflammation, and you have the recipe for disaster."

The findings suggest that the immunocompromised state associated with obesity must be taken into consideration for the development of COVID-19 vaccines in the same way that older age is accounted for.

"The multifaceted nature of obesity including its effects on immunity can fundamentally alter the pathogenesis of acute respiratory distress syndrome and pneumonia, which are the major causes of death due to SARS-CoV-2 infection," wrote the researchers.

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.nature.com/ijo">International Journal of Obesity</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 and COVID-19 death are linked by a hormone 

Obesity has been referred to as the "parallel pandemic," and...

Good genes and strong cognitive skills can help protect the brain from aging and prevent memory loss in older adults, according to a new study published by the <a href="https://www.aan.com/">American Academy of Neurology</a>. Meanwhile, modifiable lifestyle factors including smoking and high blood pressure can accelerate brain aging.

The researchers set out to investigate how some people remain sharp into their 90s, even if they have the amyloid plaques in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer's disease. Other people have been found to reach their 90s without ever developing plaques.

The study followed 100 older adults without dementia for 14 years, at which point the participants had an average of 92 years old. The volunteers were given thinking and memory assessments, as well as brain imaging scans to determine whether they had amyloid-beta plaques in their brains.

Study lead author Dr. Beth E. Snitz is a professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Pittsburgh.

"With more and more people living into their 90s and even 100s, it's increasingly important that we be able to understand and predict the factors that help people preserve their thinking skills as they age and determine if there are any changes people can make during their younger years that can improve their chances of cognitive resilience," said Dr. Snitz.

The investigation revealed that participants who had normal scores on the thinking and memory tests at the start of the study were less likely to exhibit signs of brain aging, even if they had amyloid plaques.

"This finding is consistent with the theory that people with better lifelong thinking and memory skills have a 'cognitive reserve' that provides a buffer of protection against changes in the brain," said Dr. Snitz. "They can better compensate for any underlying brain changes."

The researchers also found that people with the gene variant apolipoprotein E ε2 (APOE ε2) were more resistant to developing amyloid plaques. This gene was previously associated with improved brain aging, including a decreased risk of Alzheimer's disease.

The study showed that individuals with the APOE ε2 gene version were six times less likely to develop plaques than people without the gene. This gene variant is not extremely common, and only one out of ten study participants were found to have it.

The experts report that participants who never smoked were over 10 times more likely to maintain their thinking skills, even with plaques. 

Furthermore, individuals who had higher scores on a blood pressure measure called pulse pressure tended to have a greater number of plaques over time. Pulse pressure increases with age and represents aging of the vascular system.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.neurology.org/">Neurology</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;

What factors protect the brain from aging?

Good genes and strong cognitive skills can help protect the...

In a new study from <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/">UC Berkeley</a>, researchers are describing a breakthrough method for capturing <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/plant-roots-will-increase-arctic-co2-emissions-by-40-billion-tons/">carbon dioxide</a> that could greatly reduce harmful emissions from power plants. 

The technology provides an inexpensive yet efficient technique that can be used by natural gas plants to remove carbon dioxide from their flue emissions.

The new carbon capture and storage (CCS) technique was developed by the UC Berkeley team in collaboration with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and ExxonMobil. 

The CCS technology consists of a highly porous material called a metal-organic framework (MOF) modified with nitrogen-containing molecules to capture CO2. In addition, the method uses low temperature steam to flush out the CO2 to be re-used or sequestered.

The team has demonstrated that this approach is six times more effective in removing CO2 from flue gas than current amine-based technology. Testing showed that the technique can capture more than 90 percent of CO2, and required minimal energy to do so.

Study senior author Jeffrey Long is a professor at UC Berkeley and a senior faculty scientist at Berkeley Lab.

"For CO2 capture, steam stripping - where you use direct contact with steam to take off the CO2 - has been a sort of holy grail for the field. It is rightly seen as the cheapest way to do it," said Professor Long. "These materials, at least from the experiments we have done so far, look very promising."

Study co-author Simon Weston is a senior research associate and the project lead at ExxonMobil Research and Engineering.

"We were able to take the initial discovery and, through research and testing, derive a material that in lab experiments has shown the potential to not only capture CO2 under the extreme conditions present in flue gas emissions from natural gas power plants, but to do so with no loss in selectivity," said Weston. 

"We have shown that these new materials can then be regenerated with low-grade steam for repeated use, providing a pathway for a viable solution for carbon capture at scale."

&nbsp;

Carbon dioxide emissions account for around 65 percent of the harmful greenhouse gases that drive global warming, which has already increased Earth's average temperature by one degree Celsius since the 19th century. If greenhouse gas emissions continue at the current rate, the planet will face dangerous consequences such as catastrophic storms, droughts, fires, and famine.

"In reality, of the kinds of things that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says we need to do to control global warming, CO2 capture is a huge part," said Long. "We don't have a use for most of the CO2 that we need to stop emitting, but we have to do it."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</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;

Carbon capture technology could greatly reduce emissions

In a new study from UC Berkeley, researchers are describing...

In a phenomenon known as <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/plant-roots-will-increase-arctic-co2-emissions-by-40-billion-tons/">Arctic</a> amplification, regions like Alaska and Siberia are warming at about twice the rate of the rest of the planet. The accelerated climate change is producing record-breaking heat waves and wildfires in Siberia, while Alaska is experiencing excessive rainfall.

Arctic amplification is expected to intensify, and scientists are urgently trying to predict what this extreme warming means for the Arctic permafrost that covers about 25 percent of the Northern Hemisphere.

Permafrost not only supports infrastructure and buildings, but also stores about twice the amount of carbon that is currently in the atmosphere. This means that thawing permafrost has enormous potential to accelerate global warming even further.

In a new study from <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">UC Boulder</a>, researchers have investigated how extreme rainfall is impacting Alaska's permafrost, which underlies about 85 percent of the state. The research is the first to compare how rainfall is affecting permafrost across time, space, and a variety of ecosystems. 

Study lead author Thomas A. Douglas is a scientist with the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, and a resident of Fairbanks, Alaska.

"In our research area the winter has lost almost three weeks to summer," said Douglas."This, along with more rainstorms, means far more wet precipitation is falling every summer."

Over five years, the experts took 2,750 measurements to document how far below the land's surface permafrost had thawed by the end of summer across a wide range of environments near Fairbanks. 

The five-year study period consisted of two summers with average precipitation, one that was unusually dry, and two summers that broke records for high rainfall. The differences in annual rainfall were found to have a major influence on the amount of permafrost thaw, with more rainfall leading to deeper thaw across all sites. 

"I was just at one of our field sites and you need hip waders to get to areas that used to be dry or only ankle deep with water," said Douglas. "It is extremely wet out there. So far this year we have almost double the precipitation of a typical year."

As a result of a wet summer in 2014, the researchers found that permafrost did not freeze back to previous levels, even after two dry summers that followed. The most thawing was observed in wetlands and disturbed sites, like trail crossings and clearings.

Forest ecosystems were found to be the most resistant to permafrost thaw, especially spruce forests with thick sphagnum moss layers.

Charlie Koven, an Earth system modeler with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, used the field measurements to build a model that showed how rain was driving heat down into the permafrost ground.

The study highlights the major influence that land cover types have on the relationships between summer rainfall and permafrost thaw. 

Alaska's vegetation is expected to be altered by climate change, and wildfires will disturb larger areas of the landscape. These conditions could lead to a reinforcing feedback loop between more permafrost thaw and wetter summers. As climate conditions change rapidly, the researchers will continue to investigate.

Study co-author Merritt Turetsky is the director of UC Boulder's Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR).

"This study adds to the growing body of knowledge about how extreme weather, ranging from heat spells to intense summer rains, can disrupt foundational aspects of Arctic ecosystems," said Turetsky. "These changes are not occurring gradually over decades or lifetimes; we are watching them occur over mere months to years."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/npjclimatsci">Climate and Atmospheric Science</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;

Summer rainfall accelerates permafrost thaw in Alaska

In a phenomenon known as Arctic amplification, regions like Alaska...

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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



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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.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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Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://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

[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Carl...

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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



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Santiago, Chile in South America

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"] Astronomers at Johns Hopkins University have created...

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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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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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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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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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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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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

[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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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

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" 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 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...

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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

[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Stowers...

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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

[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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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