Meat lovers can attest that the move to plant-based alternatives isn't always a simple transition. However, thanks to a team of innovative Stanford engineers, life is becoming a little tastier for those wishing to embrace greener diets.



Working from a unique mechanical engineering perspective, they’ve developed an intriguing approach to food texture evaluation. 



This could potentially lead to plant-based steaks that even the staunchest meat enthusiasts will find impossible to resist.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-innovation-in-plant-based-meat-texture">Innovation in plant-based meat texture</h2>



The team from <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stanford University</a> recently showcased how mechanical testing, combined with machine learning, can essentially mimic the palate of human taste testers. Their ingenious method could potentially accelerate the evolution of superior plant-based meats.



Interestingly, they discovered that several plant-based products are already successfully emulating the texture of the meats they strive to replicate. According to Ellen Kuhl, the senior author of the recent study, it is possible to close the gap between animal meat texture and that of plant-based meats. 



"We were surprised to find that today’s plant-based products can reproduce the whole texture spectrum of animal meats,” noted Kuhl.



This is phenomenal progress since the days when tofu was the only <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-meat-paradox-people-care-about-animals-but-still-eat-meat/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">meat</a> substitute available.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-environmental-impact-of-our-food-choices">The environmental impact of our food choices</h2>



Industrial animal agriculture's environmental toll is heavy; it leads to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meat-consumption-climate-change-2/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate change</a>, pollution, habitat loss, and antibiotic resistance. An effective way to lighten this is by shifting from animal proteins to plant proteins.



Previous studies have shown that plant-based meats cause, on average, 50% less environmental impact than animal meats. However, most meat eaters are hesitant to make this change.



For instance, in one survey, only a third of Americans stated their likelihood of purchasing plant-based <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/are-plant-based-meat-alternatives-the-key-to-a-healthier-heart/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">alternatives</a> as "very likely' or 'extremely likely."



"People love meat. If we want to convince the hardcore meat eaters that alternatives are worth trying, the closer we can mimic animal meat with plant-based products, the more likely people might be open to trying something new," explained Skyler St. Pierre, the lead author of the paper. 



Unfortunately, conventional food testing methods are neither standardized nor transparent, making it tougher for scientists to collaborate on creating new recipes for alternatives.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-future-of-food-texture-testing">The future of food texture testing</h2>



This novel and futuristic food texture test that makes use of AI came to life as part of a class project by St. Pierre. He was looking for affordable materials to use in engineering tests on stress, load and stretching. He turned to tofu and hot dogs as possible study materials.



Through the summer of 2023, student researchers experimented with the texture and mechanics of these and other foods, and then trialed their findings on eight products including animal and plant-based hot dogs, sausages, turkey, and firm and extra firm tofu. 



A machine was used to simulate the act of chewing, and to test how the materials reacted when pulled, pushed, and sheared.



This data was then processed using machine learning to design a new type of neural network, and resulted in equations defining the properties of the different meats.



A survey was later conducted to test if these equations could truly replicate the sensation of texture. 



The survey respondents, after sampling the eight products, rated them in 12 categories including softness, hardness, brittleness, chewiness, gumminess, viscosity, springiness, stickiness, fibrousness, fattiness, moistness, and meat-likeness.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plant-based-findings-and-hope-for-the-future">Plant-based findings and hope for the future</h2>



The results were thrilling. For instance, plant-based hot dogs and sausages were very similar to their animal counterparts in terms of their stiffness. Human testers ranked the stiffness of the hot dogs and sausages very similarly to the mechanical tests. 



“What’s really cool is that the ranking of the people was almost identical to the ranking of the machine. That’s great because now we can use the machine to have a quantitative, very reproducible test,” said Kuhl.



Such discoveries suggest that data-driven methodologies may accelerate the development of delectable plant-based products. 



The team even suggests using generative <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/could-artificially-intelligent-machines-take-over-food-production/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AI</a> for creating plant-based meat recipes that have specific desired properties.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-open-source-collaboration-and-future-prospects">Open-source collaboration and future prospects</h2>



In an effort to push this field forward, the team has opted for open-source data, allowing other researchers to view, add to, and learn from their work. 



“Historically, some researchers, and especially companies, don’t share their data and that’s a really big barrier to innovation,” Kuhl added.



The team continues in their food testing endeavors as they look to establish a public database of their findings.



They're now testing deli slices, both <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eating-carrots-and-colorful-veggies-really-can-improve-your-eyesight/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vegetable</a> and meat-based. They also plan to test engineered fungi that has been developed by a new addition to their team.



Kuhl has generously extended an invitation to the wider community to contribute to the ongoing study. 



“If anybody has a plant-based meat they want to test, we’re so happy to test it to see how it stacks up,” said Kuhl.



In their quest to save the planet one bite at a time, these Stanford engineers are transforming our perception of plant-based diets. 



Their commitment to open-source information and collaboration is setting the stage for a more sustainable future.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41538-024-00330-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science of Food</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Scientists are perfecting plant-based meats with AI

Meat lovers can attest that the move to plant-based alternatives isn't always a simple transition. However, thanks to a team of innovative Stanford engineers, life is becoming a little tastier for those wishing to embrace greener diets. Working from a unique mechanical engineering perspective, they’ve developed an intriguing approach to food texture evaluation. This could potentially lead to plant-based steaks that even the staunchest meat enthusiasts will find impossible to resist. Innovation in plant-based meat texture The team from Stanford University recently showcased how mechanical testing, combined...

Researchers often answer questions about genetic differences in a single species, but it has been essentially impossible to evaluate how discrepancies in DNA sequences may translate to other species. But now, a groundbreaking study may help scientists to overcome this hurdle.

When experts investigate a phenomenon, such as the ability of naked mole rats to live up to 31 years when some of their close relatives are lucky to live four years, the results could have major implications for other <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/odors-healthy-animals-change/">animals</a> including humans. 

The researchers have designed a method that pinpoints genetic causality for trait differences between closely-related species. The technology may ultimately enable the mapping of specific genes to specific traits in species throughout the plant and animal kingdoms.

Dr. Rachel Brem is an associate professor at the <a href="https://www.buckinstitute.org/">Buck Institute for Research in Aging</a>.

“Think of all the amazing characteristics we see in organisms around us, from longevity and disease resistance to the spots on a butterfly,” said Professor Brem. “We want to find the genes at the root of these traits, and in many cases, they'll be relevant for human health.”

Professor Brem pointed out, for example, that there are mouse species with stark differences in longevity, immunity, susceptibility to cancer, and the ability to recover from brain injury.

“Now we'll be able to find the genetic basis for those advantages and start comparing the findings with human genetics.” 

Professor Brem said that the method is being used in multiple labs at the Buck Institute, where the ultimate goal is to design drugs that mimic the best of what the natural world has to offer and make it available for humans.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ng">Nature Genetics</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Learning the genetic advantages of animals may soon benefit humans

Researchers often answer questions about genetic differences in a single...

Human <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/drinking-kills-brain-stem-cells/">stem cells</a> seem to have an almost unlimited potential to advance disease treatment and prevention in the near future. While their study has been somewhat controversial at times, scientists around the world are excited about the possibilities that stem cells present. 

In a new study published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-stem-cell/home">Cell Stem Cell</a>, researchers from Australia report the most in-depth study ever of how human stem cells can be turned into heart cells. Researchers from the Institute for Molecular Bioscience at the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/">University of Queensland</a> and the <a href="https://www.garvan.org.au/">Garvan Institute of Medical Research</a> measured changes in gene activity in tens of thousands of individual cells as they move through the stages of heart development.

It’s clear that while some of our tissues have the ability to repair themselves – such as our skin, liver, bones, and limb muscles – the heart does not. This is one of the reasons that heart disease is the leading cause of death globally. 

“The big challenge, as we see it, is to uncover new approaches and new insights into ways to help the heart repair itself,” says Dr. Nathan Palpant of the <a href="https://imb.uq.edu.au/">Institute for Molecular Bioscience</a>, who co-led the new research. “We think the answers to heart repair almost certainly lie in understanding heart development. If we can get to grips with the complex choreography of how the heart builds itself in the first place, we’re well placed to find new approaches to helping it rebuild after damage.”

In their study, the researchers mimicked how a heart develops in the embryo, beginning with skin-derived human pluripotent stem cells that can turn into any cell type in our body. The researchers used cues from developmental biology findings to guide the cells into heart cells (cardiomyocytes) over time. 

In the next steps, they used single-cell RNA sequencing to catalogue how individual cells changed as they went from stem cells to mature heart cells. This involved measuring the activity of about 17,000 genes for each of the 40,000 individual heart cells – basically every active gene in the heart.

Their results showed gene-activity patterns unique to the development of cardiac cells, which now greatly increases our understanding of how the heart builds itself. 

“The development of the heart is like an intricate dance,” says assistant professor Joseph Powell, head of the <a href="https://www.garvan.org.au/research/garvan-weizmann">Garvan-Weizmann Centre for Cellular Genomics</a> and co-leader of this research. “Each cell goes through its own series of complex, nuanced changes. They are all different, and changes in one cell affect the activity of other cells. By tracking those changes across the different stages of development, we can learn a huge amount about how different subtypes of heart cells are controlled, and how they work together to build the heart.”

With this new information, the team discovered that a gene called HOPX is essential for controlling how the heart grows bigger – known as hypertrophy. The gene controls a critical decision point in heart development, which changes heart cells that are immature and still dividing to heart cells that are mature, bigger, and no longer divide. This discovery will now help researchers better study the processes that lead to congenital heart disease, and could result in a new strategy for controlling heart regeneration.

“We can start to look deeper and more carefully at how the heart develops,” says Dr. Palpant. “The information we've gained from this work has positioned us to take on new and bigger questions in cardiovascular disease."

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Stem cells can be turned into heart cells to heal damage

Human stem cells seem to have an almost unlimited potential...

Scientists have been stocking away <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-seed-vault/">seeds</a> and the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dna-bank-endangered-extinct-animals/">DNA of endangered species</a> as insurance to protect Earth’s biodiversity. Now, they’re adding good germs to the list of life worth saving.

<a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a> researchers have proposed a doomsday vault to protect gut microflora and other bacteria that help keep humans healthy. Part of the inspiration came from finding that people living in urban areas have, on average, gut flora that is half as diverse as that of people living in isolated villages.

“We’re facing a growing global health crisis, which requires that we capture and preserve the diversity of the human microbiota while it still exists,” lead author Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello told the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/">Daily Mail</a>. “These microbes co-evolved with humans over hundreds of millennia. They help us digest food, strengthen our immune system and protect against invading germs.”

Taking inspiration from the <a href="https://www.croptrust.org/our-work/svalbard-global-seed-vault/">Svalbard Global Seed Vault</a>, the scientists want to create a similar vault to save frozen samples of good germs that are linked to better health. The gut flora and other microbiota have passed from mother to child for generations, but are slowly disappearing.

“The microbiota (and its collective genomes, the microbiome) encompasses bacteria, archaea, viruses, fungi, and other microeukaryotic colonizers that live in or on our bodies. They influence essential host processes, including nutrition, immunity, hormone activity, gut permeability, and neurochemistry,” the researchers wrote in the journal <a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/362/6410/33">Science</a>. 

The microbes are linked to lower rates of obesity, asthma and other chronic conditions. The team of scientists wants to collect samples of the good germs from isolated groups like Amazonian villagers who have higher amounts than urban dwellers. They’re hoping to stave off a growing health crisis that may be linked to the declining gut biodiversity.

“Over a handful of generations, we have seen a staggering loss in microbial diversity linked with a worldwide spike in immune and other disorders,” Dominguez-Bello told the Mail.

Saving samples of the good germs could help protect against future epidemics and other chronic conditions, the scientists said. 

--

By <a href="http://mailto:kyla.cathey@gmail.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Scientists propose vault to protect good germs and gut flora

Scientists have been stocking away seeds and the DNA of...

A Swiss company has developed a new feed that may help to reduce belching and flatulence in livestock. According to the researchers, cows burp and fart more than is necessary, and release harmful <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/california-start-regulating-gas-emissions-cows/">methane emissions</a> in the process.

The new feed will help to offset these methane emissions and combat global warming. Anne Mottet is a livestock development officer at the <a href="http://www.fao.org/">U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization.</a>

Mottet explained to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/">Reuters</a>: “The burps for the cows - it is more burps than farts - contribute about four percent of (all) greenhouse gas emissions.”

According to Agolin, the firm behind the innovation, one single cow produces the equivalent of about three tons of carbon dioxide per year. The company's co-founder and managing director Kurt Schaller told Reuters that the specialized feed can reduce this amount by 10 percent.

“We sell our mixture for around 1 million cows per year. There are 25 to 28 million cows in the European Union, so it is a big percentage. That represents 300,000 tons of CO2 reduction today.”

The United Nations reports that livestock farming is responsible for as much as 18 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions that trigger global warming. In addition to combating climate change, Agolin says that trials have demonstrated that the product also helps to boost milk yield and feed efficiency, which are tangible payoffs for farmers.

“A farmer does not get a cent if he reduces his methane production,” said Agolin’s technical director Beatrice Zweifel. “That is starting to change a little bit, however, for example in California, where farmers must reduce their methane production by 40 percent.”

The firm’s website states that all of their recipes are “effective, easy to use, and safe.”
The feeds are made from spices, herbs, and botanical compounds that help to reduce gas while boosting gut health and milk production.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New cattle feed designed to reduce gas and methane emissions

A Swiss company has developed a new feed that may...

Researchers from the <a href="https://twin-cities.umn.edu/">University of Minnesota</a> and <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/">Mayo Clinic </a>are in the process of testing the anti-aging potential of a common byproduct that that is found in many fruits. 

Fisetin is a coloring agent and research has shown that it can reduce the damage aging causes on cells. Now, a new study published in the journal EBioMedicine shows that fisetin could also reverse <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/halting-aging-rejuvenating-cells/">aging</a> and increase the lifespans of mice. 

Scientists have long been working to tackle the underlying mechanisms that drive the aging process. Part of aging involves the accumulation of damaged cells. Cellular senescence is when the cells themselves start to age and this can cause inflammation and tissue damage over time. 

Healthy, young immune systems can clear damages cells but as people age, this defense loses its efficiency. 

The researchers discovered that fisetin has the potential to reduce cellular senescence and clear out damaged cells that the immune system can’t. 

“We’re looking for drugs that can kill these damaged senescent cells that are very toxic to our bodies and accumulate as we get older,” Laura Niedernhofer, the senior author on the paper, <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/fisetin-natural-fruit-vegetable-slow-aging-1151304">told Newsweek. </a>“It turns out that fisetin is a natural product that actually we were able to show very selectively and effectively kills these senescent cells, or at least dials back their bad secretions or inflammatory proteins.”

To test fisetin’s anti-aging capabilities, the researchers gave aging mice who were at the end of their lifespan doses of fisetin. 

Not only did the fisetin reduce damaged cells, but the mice who were treated with the byproduct also lived longer, with lifespans extending over ten percent compared to the normal life expectancy of mice. 

“These results suggest that we can extend the period of health, termed healthspan, even towards the end of life,” Paul Robbins, another senior author on the paper said in a <a href="https://www.med.umn.edu/news-events/university-minnesota-medical-school-researchers-have-discovered-how-slow-aging">University of Minnesota</a> press release. “But there are still many questions to address, including the right dosage, for example.”

The researchers also used tested fisetin on human fat tissue in a lab setting to see if the results were similar with human cells and found that the drug also helped reduce damage in human tissue. 

The results of the study are promising and the Mayo Clinic currently in the process of conducting clinical trials to assess the ability of fisetin to combat aging. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

A natural product found in fruit could help slow aging

Researchers from the University of Minnesota and Mayo Clinic are...

Researchers have developed an incredibly accurate technique to measure the skill levels of professionals. The researchers compared the motor skills of both new and experienced surgeons by scanning their <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/brain-sleep-experiences-genetics/">brain activity</a>, and the study revealed fundamental differences. 

Based on the scans alone, the team could distinguish between expert surgeons and new surgeons. This discovery could lead to the development of new technology to evaluate proficiency among highly-skilled professionals, and non-invasive brain scans may ultimately be used by many employers to gauge competence.

“Measuring motor skill proficiency is critical for the certification of highly skilled individuals in numerous fields,” wrote the study authors. “However, conventional measures use subjective metrics that often cannot distinguish between expertise levels.”

The researchers performed scans using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), which is a relatively new neuroimaging technique that is considered to be promising for future scientific studies because it is non-invasive, inexpensive, and portable. Using fNIRS, brain activity is measured through responses that are associated with neuron behavior.

[caption id="attachment_1802098" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/brain-scans.png"><img class="wp-image-1802098" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/brain-scans.png" alt="" width="700" height="403" /></a> Image Credit: Nicolas Fernandez[/caption]

“Among all non-invasive functional brain imaging techniques, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) offers the unique ability to monitor and quantify fast functional brain activations over numerous cortical areas without constraining and interfering with bimanual task execution,” wrote the researchers. 

The study was focused on around 30 participants, including novice surgeons, expert surgeons, trained medical students, and also untrained medical students as a control group. The volunteers were wearing neuroimaging caps as they performed tasks that are required for surgeon certification. 

After the trials, the researchers used machine learning to analyze the scans. The analysis revealed that novice surgeons exhibited increased activity in different areas of the brain compared to the expert surgeons.

Brain activity spiked in the prefrontal cortex - which is responsible for planning complex behavior - for both novices and unskilled medical students. On the other hand, activity in the primary motor cortex - which controls the execution of movement - increased among experienced surgeons while decreasing in the other groups.

According to the researchers, this new method of measuring expertise is more reliable than that which is currently used in Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS), which is required for certification by the <a href="http://www.absurgery.org/">American Board of Surgery</a>. 

The study authors also pointed out, “These methodologies can be easily applied to other fields, including rehabilitation, brain computer interfaces, robotics, stroke, and rehabilitation therapy.”

The research is published in the journal <a href="http://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

Companies may use brain scans to measure employee skill level

Researchers have developed an incredibly accurate technique to measure the...

Evidence of the earliest use of nutmeg, the key ingredient in all things pumpkin spice, was recently discovered in Pulau Ay in the Banda Islands.


Nutmeg comes from the seeds of the Myristica frangans tree which is native to the Banda Islands and was once a prized spice thought to contain healing properties in the middle ages. 

However, long before that, it seems people were using nutmeg as an ingredient as early as 3,500 years ago, 2,000 years before the prior first known use of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/spicy-food-less-salt/">spice</a>. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a>, <a href="https://ugm.ac.id/">Universitas Gadjah Mada</a> in Indonesia, the <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/">University of New South Wales</a> in Australia conducted two archeological excavations in 2007 and 2009 on the island of Pulau Ay. 

A study detailing the excavations and the researchers’ findings was published in the journal Asian Perspectives. 

The Pulau Ay site was occupied from 2,300 to 3,500 years ago and the researchers uncovered a number of artifacts including pottery, animal bones, and stone tools. 

Remnants of nutmeg were discovered on potsherds unearthed in the area which points to the use of the spice, either foraged or cultivated, as an ingredient. 

The excavation findings also show how the people of Pulau Ay shifted from eating primarily fish to living in permanent settlements and relying on domesticated pigs. 

“This site shows us how people adapted to living on these small tropical islands in stages, from occasional use as fishing camps to permanent occupation,” Peter Lape, a member of the archeological team said in a University of Washington <a href="https://www.washington.edu/news/2018/10/03/3500-year-old-pumpkin-spice-archaeologists-find-earliest-use-of-nutmeg-as-a-food/">news release</a>. “It’s also fascinating to see such early use of nutmeg, a spice that changed the world a few thousand years later.”

The potsherds and pottery also contained residue from six other plants including purple yam and sago (a starch that can be eaten from palms) along with nutmeg.

Palau Ay represents a unique opportunity for archeologists to piece together not just the early history of how nutmeg became the hugely coveted spice it was during the 14th century and beyond, but also more information on early Neolithic human settlements.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Humans have been crazy for pumpkin spice for thousands of years

Evidence of the earliest use of nutmeg, the key ingredient...

There is a crisis happening right under our noses in the scientific community that has to do with replicating studies, where researchers work to reproduce the same results of an experiment. 

Even though amazing breakthroughs are being made around the world, the actual nitty-gritty of setting up experiments, collecting data, analyzing data and forming a conclusion is, and I think most scientists would agree, unglamorous but vital work. 

Scientists and academics, though, face a host of pressures to publish successful and interesting studies for fear of losing funding for future work. 

For a teacher, having a larger number of published papers on their resume could spell the difference between achieving tenure or not. For a scientist working in a research lab, a new breakthrough could put the lab on the map and garner more funding or public attention. 

This <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3999612/">“publish or perish”</a> mindset, a phrase first coined in 1932,  can be so powerful it can motivate researchers to skew their results or tamper with experiments to purposely garner results with more shock value or that ensures success. 

A famous example of someone who had tampered with lab research is Dong-Pyou Han, a former Iowa State University scientist that was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jul/01/iowa-scientist-hiv-breakthrough-dong-pyou-han">sentenced to jail time and forced to pay a hefty fine</a> for spiking rabbit blood with human blood while researching potential vaccines for HIV. 

Initially, Han admitted that he had made a mistake, but instead of reporting it, continued to spike samples because it was producing false, but positive results. 

Scientists will even sabotage each other as a way to get ahead. 

One report in the <a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/lab-sabotage-some-scientists-will-do-anything-to-get-ahead/">Scientific American</a> discussed one such instance where a researcher was forced to retract his work due to the theft of his lab notebooks and blackmail. Without his notebooks, he was unable to reproduce his work. 

Conducting a <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/happy-marriage-extend-lifespan/">study</a>, writing an in-depth review of the research, and having that study published is hard enough. Why, then, are replication studies so important and yet so lacking in the scientific community? 

The problem is that a large portion of studies aren’t replicable, and replication research is done so little that most of what’s published is simply taken as fact, especially by the media covering new scientific breakthroughs. 

<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-018-0399-z.epdf?referrer_access_token=fCJ6q-E7wf6GaEuN-IJKkNRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0ODPoD_DniKOJV85YbvYREVGGFB1eoy7kg082aoxuQ7q5xSjHZjHeRsW8_eHmhJO2RfrZYCBRygCfI1Ux2M3Lr8ZUnVyx64bzR24rdXBbl6hfa9MSMckEo6lWcJjXQHeiSNGV8f3pK4jYc7b1233dvBmnROyE5_aq4yY7CFSg-cUHqTEDvQp1YHVZMqElEdaO8ExlItQJ_kdE-9jkhaeh54DzRqWsgAp3D5iQUTkl6aimRaBnT_UcTHzUXnQjQkbJderaWG3DM5OBnd1rOrRKmiVZsKXbNM2DSKvWsimFZrDw%3D%3D&amp;tracking_referrer=www.npr.org">One study</a> emphasizing this hugely lacking step in a majority of published research found that two-thirds of social science studies can’t be replicated. 

Researchers from the<a href="http://www.virginia.edu/"> University of Virginia</a> picked out 21 studies from the journals Science and Nature and attempted to reproduce the results from the key experiments conducted in the studies. 

Only 13 of the studies were replicable, while the rest resulted in different outcomes. 

That makes for a very large number of published results that don’t hold up to further study, so then is the information incorrect or did the journal that published it miss something major?

A lot of it has to do with above-stated pressure to publish and get flashy, engaging, “sexy” science out into the cultural zeitgeist which will, in turn, get recognition and a better chance of getting published again. 

It’s also important to realize that scientists are people and people make mistakes. Even the most rigorous and thorough by-the-book studies can yield strange results. It’s not always clear where or if there was a mistake in the data or the experiment. 

For example, in 2011, a group of researchers at the OPERA particle detector in Italy's subterranean <a href="https://www.lngs.infn.it/">Gran Sasso National Laboratory</a> observed a startling phenomenon, a neutrino that moved faster than the speed of light. 

The researchers re-checked their work for months and even published a hesitant paper that called for more research. 

Only then was it discovered that the fluke was due to a <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2012/06/once-again-physicists-debunk-faster-light-neutrinos">loose fiber optic cable.</a>

A study’s reproducibility, the rarely considered afterthought, is just as important as the conclusion itself. As the OPERA mishap showed, only through countless replications of the experiment was the mistake discovered. 

Replicating a study can catch problems that the researchers may not have even realized were there or factor in limitations that the original study authors ignored. Realistically though, calls for further research and replication are rarely met. 

There is good news though as it appears that the scientific community is becoming more and more aware of the reproducibility crisis and researchers want changes to be made. 

A<a href="https://knaw.nl/en/news/news/make-replication-studies-a-normal-part-of-science"> report</a> was released earlier this year by the <a href="https://www.knaw.nl/en/about-us">Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences </a>stating why researchers, universities, and journals need to do more to ensure their results are replicable. 

Some recommendations in the report including having academic institutions put more emphasis on training scientists to conduct replication studies. The report suggests that journals require authors to register reports before conducting any experiments or collecting data. 

There has also been a push to make raw data compiled from studies readily available which can help further verify a study’s findings and its reproducibility. 

Reproducibility needs to be just as central to the process as the other steps in the scientific method, but to achieve this, there must be a major shift in the way researchers, review committees, and the media handle a study’s results.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Replication studies are vital, so why are there so few of them?

There is a crisis happening right under our noses in...

Groundbreaking research from the <a href="http://www.dtu.dk/english">Technical University of Denmark</a> (DTU) has produced a new antivenom that is based on human antibodies. The experimental antivenom has been developed to counteract dendrotoxins from one of the most venomous snakes in the world, the black mamba, which is found in Africa.

Every year, more than 100,000 people die of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/decrease-rainfall-fewer-snakebites/">snakebite</a> envenoming and many more are disabled. Most snake bites occur in poor areas of the world, which means that the issue is not a primary focus for pharmaceutical companies.

DTU Professor Andreas Hougaard Laustsen said that the findings may lead to a paradigm shift in snakebite treatment.

“The leap forward in our experiments is that we used a biotechnological method to find and then propagate human antibodies in the laboratory to enable use in the treatment of experimental black mamba envenoming,” said Professor Laustsen. 

“The method we employed can be used to discover human antibodies in the lab by simulating of the human immune system, so we can avoid injecting patients with snake venom to raise antibodies by immunization.”

The antibodies for the black mamba antivenom were identified using a library of human antibody genes extracted from white blood cells in donor blood. Professor Laustsen explained why it could still take years before the production of the antivenom outside of the lab.

“We have shown that it is possible to produce an experimental human-based antivenom against important toxins from one snake species, the black mamba. Before clinical testing of the antivenom on humans will make sense, it is relevant to develop more antibodies for the antivenom to give it a broader spectrum against several types of snake venom.”

If the research is successful, a doctor will be able to use the antivenom even in cases where the source of the snakebite is unknown. This has the potential to save many lives all over the world.

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

New antivenom may revolutionize snakebite treatment

Groundbreaking research from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) has...

Major flood events cause more erosion and are a much greater hazard in mountainous regions than seasonal monsoon rainfalls, according to a new study. 

In 2016, a glacier moraine that had held back a lake in Nepal broke and caused a massive flood of over 100,000 tons of water to flow down the Bhotekoshi/Sunkoshi River. 

The flood was so catastrophic it triggered seismic activity, and as a result, residents were forewarned of the coming gush of water because of ground shaking. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.gfz-potsdam.de/en/home/">GGZ German Research Center for Geosciences</a> were able to record this activity thanks to seismometers that had been deployed a year prior after a huge earthquake in 2015. 

The GFZ recently published a study in the journal Science that shows how seismic technology can help with predicting <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/europe-coastal-overhaul-flooding/">flood events</a> and how much more of an impact flood events have on erosion rates compared to monsoon rainfall totals. 

Even though monsoons cause huge downpours of precipitation and can cause erosion, the displacement of large boulders and coarse sediment after a major flood does much more damage overall.  

Monsoons only drive the transportation of fine sediment and pebbles which aren’t enough to trigger landslides or large erosions, according to the researchers. 

This is why it’s important to factor in non-climate related impacts on erosion and flooding. 

“Erosion rates may be strongly influenced by non-climatological drivers such as earthquakes and the climatic factors that affect the size and distribution of glacial lakes,” wrote the authors in their study. 

The researchers visited the Nepal River valley where the flood occurred before and after the event, and observed the changes in seismic activity captured by different seismic stations in the nearby region. 

Kristen Cook, the first author of the study said that researchers identified two distinct “pulses” with the flood. 

First, the seismometers recorded activity from the wall of water that gushed down and the second pulse came from the rocks and sediment carried by the flow. 

Bridges, roads, and hydro-power stations were all destroyed due to the tumbling boulders and huge quantities of water. The flood also triggered landslides because the river had eroded so badly. 

Major floods from glacial lakes, like the one that happened in Nepal, are not unheard of and there are many glacial lakes currently dammed up that could burst and flood valleys in the Himalayas and other mountain ranges. 

The study’s results help show how floods impact erosion, and understanding this relationship can help predict landslide risks and erosions rates in at-risk mountain regions prone to earthquakes. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Kristen Cook/GFZ

Seismic technology can help predict flood events, erosion rates

Major flood events cause more erosion and are a much...

An analysis of some of the oldest human teeth found in Italy sheds insight into the evolution of humans, Neanderthals, and other ancient human relatives. 

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.univ-tlse3.fr/">Paul Sabatier University</a> in France examined dental remains, some of the very few fossils human remains from Middle Pleistocene Europe, that were discovered in sites across Italy. 

A study detailing the new research was published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0189773">PLOS ONE. </a>

Fossils found in these sites show that people inhabited the Italian Peninsula during a period known to have some of the harshest climate conditions in the Pleistocene and Holocene Epochs.

The Pleistocene was a period in Earth’s history spanning 2.6 million years ago to 11,700 years ago and it was an era that saw the evolution of Homo sapiens. 

Dating back 450,000 years, the dental remains were examined by the researchers using micro-CT scanning and detailed morphological analysis.

[caption id="attachment_1802053" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/fossil-teeth.png"><img class="wp-image-1802053" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/fossil-teeth.png" alt="" width="700" height="549" /></a> Image Credit: Zanolli et al 2018[/caption]

The researchers also compared the shape and arrangement of the tooth tissues with teeth and dental information from other ancient human species. 

Upon further analysis, the researchers concluded that the teeth had the most in common with Neanderthals and were unique from modern human teeth. 

Finding such early evidence of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/neanderthals-exterous-hands/">Neanderthals</a> suggests that Neanderthals and Homo sapiens diverged from a common ancestor early in the fossil record, around the Early-Middle Pleistocene transition. 

The researchers say that Eurasia at this time was likely populated by a diverse group of early humans and that modern humans evolved from the complex lineages around those regions. 

“The remains from Fontana Ranuccio and Visogliano represent among the oldest human fossil remains testifying to a peopling phase of the Italian Peninsula,” said Clément Zanolli, the lead author of the study. “Our analyses of the tooth internal structural organization reveal a Neanderthal-like signature, also resembling the condition shown by the contemporary assemblage from Atapuerca Sima de los Huesos, indicating that an overall Neanderthal morphological dental template was preconfigured in Western Europe at least 430 to 450 ka ago.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

450,000 year old fossil teeth reveal Neanderthal traits

An analysis of some of the oldest human teeth found...

Have you ever wondered why huskies, border collies, and some shepherd dogs have those piercing blue eyes? 

Consumer genetics, made popular by companies like <a href="https://www.23andme.com/">23andMe</a> and <a href="https://www.ancestry.com/">Ancestry</a>, may have provided an answer, according to a new study conducted by researchers from the canine DNA startup company <a href="https://embarkvet.com/">Embark Veterinary, Inc.</a>

The study was published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1007648">PLOS Genetics</a> and it's the first of its kind to use consumer genomics with non-humans as well as the largest canine genome-wide association study ever conducted. 

Consumer genetic testing has given people an unprecedented look at their <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/older-adults-dna-testing-results/">DNA</a> and genetic history. 

This is all made possible thanks to large databases of genomic data, and now this new study shows how consumer genomics can shed light on animal traits that have yet eluded scientists, like the blue eyes of the Siberian Husky. 

The researchers analyzed data from 6,070 genetically tested dogs along with phenotype data that had been submitted by owners via web surveys and uploaded photos. 

A 98.6 kilobase duplication on the canine chromosome 18 near the ALX4 gene was found to correlate strongly with eye color in huskies and Australian Shepherds. A kilobase represents 1,000 base pairs of DNA or the rungs of the ladder on a DNA strand. 

Just one copy of the gene variant could cause blue eyes or blue and brown eyes, but the researchers say there are still unknown genetic and environmental factors that have yet to be identified that influence husky eye color. 

“This study demonstrates the power of the approach that Embark is taking towards improving canine health,” said Aaron J. Sams, a co-author of the study and member of Embark Veterinary, Inc. “In a single year, we collected enough data to conduct the largest canine study of its kind. Embark is currently pursuing similar research projects in a range of morphological and health-related traits and we hope to continue to use our platform to move canine genetics and health forward in a very real way.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Jamie Leszczak

What gives huskies their piercing blue eye color?

Have you ever wondered why huskies, border collies, and some...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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.

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

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

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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.

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"]</div>



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)



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



---



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...