You've undoubtedly noticed that the Moon has two distinct sides, right? The near side that we see from Earth and the far side that remains a mystery because it is never turned towards us.



This unusual lunar characteristic -- a global dichotomy -- is what a team of scientists led by Professor XU Yigang from the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry (<a href="http://english.gig.cas.cn/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GIGCAS</a>) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has been investigating.



They have been studying lunar soil samples collected from the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin on the far side of the Moon, and returned to Earth by China's <a href="https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=CHANG-E-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chang’e-6 mission</a>.



These invaluable samples have allowed them to investigate the Moon's peculiar dichotomy and the results have shed light on some of its secrets.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-chang-e-6">What is Chang’e-6?</h2>



The Chinese space program launched Chang'e 6, their latest Moon mission, on May 3, 2024. The spacecraft blasted off from Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on a Long March 5 rocket at 9:27 UT (that's 5:27 PM Beijing time). 



Their goal? To grab about four pounds (2 kg) of Moon rocks from the far side - something no one had done before.



The lander touched down in a huge crater called the South Pole Aitken Basin. The team used both a scoop and a drill to dig up surface samples and even went 2 meters deep into the lunar soil. 



They also sent out a small rover that cruised around taking snapshots of the lander doing its work.



Once they collected the samples, the crew packed them into an ascent vehicle sitting on top of the lander. 



On June 3 at 11:38 PM UT (7:38 AM Beijing time the next day), this vehicle shot up from the Moon's surface and met up with the orbiter waiting above. They made the handoff on June 6, 2024.



After ditching the ascent vehicle (which crashed back into the Moon), the return vehicle hung around in orbit for a couple weeks before heading home. 



It pulled off a tricky skip-entry through Earth's atmosphere and landed in Inner Mongolia's Siziwang Banner region on June 25 at 6:07 UT (2:07 PM Beijing time). 



The final haul? Roughly 4.2 pounds (1.9 kg) of Moon rocks and soil from the far side -- marking another big win for China's space program.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-far-side-vs-visible-side-of-the-moon">Far side vs. visible side of the Moon</h2>



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/its-official-earth-now-has-two-moons-captured-asteroid-2024-pt5/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Moon's</a> dichotomy is visible in its topography, chemical composition, crustal thickness, evidence of volcanism and, most noticeably, in the difference in geomorphology between its near and far sides.



The near side of the Moon is home to the familiar "man in the moon" maria - the dark "seas" that are the result of ancient volcanic activity. 



These areas were flooded with molten lava that created rocks known as mare basalts.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/moon_farside_volcanic-episodes_diagram_credit-YANG-Muhan_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/moon_farside_volcanic-episodes_diagram_credit-YANG-Muhan_1s.webp" alt="Distribution of distinct volcanic episodes on the Moon’s farside. The remote sensing image highlights the Chang’e-6 landing site along with nearby mare and cryptomare basaltic units. Credit: Image by YANG Muhan" class="wp-image-1950782"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Distribution of distinct volcanic episodes on the Moon’s farside. The remote sensing image highlights the Chang’e-6 landing site along with nearby mare and cryptomare basaltic units. Credit: Image by YANG Muhan</figcaption></figure>



How about the far side? Well, here's where it gets intriguing. Only about 2% of this hidden part of the Moon is covered in the basalts, compared to around 30% on the near side.



This inexplicable difference is a vital part of the lunar global dichotomy that the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program aims to unravel.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-secrets-of-the-moon-s-far-side">Secrets of the Moon's far side</h2>



Thanks to the Chang’e-6 lunar soil samples, Professor XU's team discovered the existence of two different types of mare basalts, low-Ti, and very low-Ti (VLT). 



“The samples returned by Chang’e-6 provide a best opportunity to investigate the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/2024-pt5-mini-moon-say-goodbye-to-earths-second-moon-we-barely-got-to-know-you/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lunar</a> global dichotomy,” said Professor XU.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/moon_farside_volcanic-eruptions_basalt-types_credit-GIGCAS_1s.webp" alt="The two types of basalts in Chang’e-6 soils and isochrons of the Chang’e-6 low-Ti basalt. Credit: GIGCAS" class="wp-image-1950784"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The two types of basalts in Chang’e-6 soils and isochrons of the Chang’e-6 low-Ti basalt. Credit: GIGCAS</figcaption></figure>



Let's not dismiss the aspect of dating these samples either. With high-precision Pb-Pb dating techniques, the team determined that the low-Ti basalt dates back to around 2.83 billion years ago.



This attests to the presence of "young" magmatism or volcanic activities on the far side of the Moon. But of course, young is a relative term when we talk about 2.83 billion years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mapping-the-history-of-volcanoes">Mapping the history of volcanoes</h2>



With such valuable information now in our hands, we can clearly chart the volcanic timeline on the far side of the Moon. 



Led by Professor LI Qiuli, the team conducted radioisotope dating on 108 basalt fragments, with 107 of them revealing a consistent formation age of 2807 million years ago.



But there's more. One fragment, a high-aluminum basalt, was dated to a monumental 4203 million years ago, making it the oldest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/harvest-moon-2024-will-feature-a-partial-lunar-eclipse/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lunar</a> basalt for which age has been precisely determined.



This implies elevated levels of volcanic activity on the far side of the Moon for at least 1.4 billion years - between 4.2 billion and 2.8 billion years ago.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-does-any-of-this-matter">Why does any of this matter?</h2>



These findings, available for everyone to dissect, can help recalibrate the existing lunar crater chronology models. 



Christopher Hamilton, an independent planetary volcano expert, emphasized the importance of obtaining samples from this previously unchartered lunar territory.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/moon_farside_volcanic-episodes_Change-6-mission_landing_credit-CLEP_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/moon_farside_volcanic-episodes_Change-6-mission_landing_credit-CLEP_1s.webp" alt="China's Chang’e-6 mission spacecraft landed on the far side of the Moon. Credit: CLAP" class="wp-image-1950787"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">China's Chang’e-6 mission spacecraft landed on the far side of the Moon. Credit: CLAP </figcaption></figure>



More than just understanding the Moon, these lunar soil samples also have implications for some broad astronomical theories.



The new data indicates a constant impact flux after 2.83 billion years, which can offer new insights into planet migration in the early Solar System. 



So, by looking at the Moon, we are indirectly learning about our own cosmic neighborhood as well!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happens-next">What happens next?</h2>



With more missions like the Chang'e-6, the future will undoubtedly bring many enlightening discoveries about our constant celestial companion.



In the end, we see that the Moon, despite its <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-may-have-captured-the-moon-from-space/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">familiar appearance</a>, still hides untold secrets waiting to be discovered. 



These lunar missions represent a new age of lunar and planetary exploration that pushes the boundaries of our understanding.



-----



The researchers from the <a href="https://english.cas.cn" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chinese Academy of Sciences</a> express their gratitude for the support received from various institutes such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. These institutions' enduring support enables such important lunar explorations.



The study is published in the journals <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08382-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a> and <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adt1093" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</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.



-----

Far side of the Moon had volcanic eruptions for over one billion years

You've undoubtedly noticed that the Moon has two distinct sides, right? The near side that we see from Earth and the far side that remains a mystery because it is never turned towards us. This unusual lunar characteristic -- a global dichotomy -- is what a team of scientists led by Professor XU Yigang from the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry (GIGCAS) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has been investigating. They have been studying lunar soil samples collected from the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin on the far...

Russia will soon announce official plans to open a 5.9 million dollar cloning facility in the Russian city of Yakutsk that may one day bring back the wooly mammoth and other extinct giants of the last ice age. 

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/woolly-mammoths-in-alaska-were-pushed-to-extinction-by-rising-sea-levels/">Woolly mammoths</a> went extinct 10,000 years ago due to climate and over-hunting by humans. 

Weighing as much as six metric tons, the woolly mammoth has long captured our attention and there has been talk of bringing the species back from extinction before. 

Some Russian scientists are working on a Jurassic Park-like attraction called <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/04/pleistocene-park/517779/">“Pleistocene Park”</a> in hopes of recreating an Ice Age ecosystem, complete with live mammoths in the Arctic as a means to combat climate change. 

This most recent research center will not only focus on the mammoth but also on other Pleistocene era animals like the woolly rhinoceros and some long extinct breeds of horses. according to <a href="https://siberiantimes.com/science/others/news/investment-sought-for-59-million-cloning-centre-to-bring-back-mammoths-and-other-extinct-species/">The Siberian Times</a>. 

The research center will likely include labs that are sunk deep into the Yakutsk permafrost which has been a rich source of preserved Pleistocene and Holocene animals. 

In fact, 80 percent of preserved soft tissue samples from Pleistocene and Holocene animals have come that area of Russia. 

The new research center will expand on current DNA and cloning work being done in collaboration between Russian and South Korean scientists. 

The key lies in the well-preserved DNA of the frozen remains found in the permafrost. The researchers plan to use this to clone woolly mammoths and other extinct species. 

Russian scientists are not the only ones hoping to clone the woolly mammoth as there is a group from <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a> also <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-woolly-mammoths-extinction/">working to bring the species</a> back. 

If successful, the mammoths will be set free in the aforementioned Pleistocene Park. 

The Yakutsk center will also study early human settlers in North-Earth Russia in hopes that genetic analysis will help shed light on genetic diseases. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Russian research project plans to clone the woolly mammoth

Russia will soon announce official plans to open a 5.9...

Researchers from <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">The University of Texas at Austin</a> have discovered the fossilized remains of a rat and its 38 offspring. The family, which dates back to the Jurassic Period, is a very rare find considering that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/marine-mammals-defenseless-pesticides/">mammals</a> now have much smaller litters.

Today, mammals have the largest brains of all animals but produce some of the smallest litters of offspring. The rat uncovered in the study was found to reproduce in a manner like reptiles, which is confirmed by the fact that such a large number of babies would have had to develop in eggs.

“These babies are from a really important point in the evolutionary tree,” said Eva Hoffman, who led the study as a graduate student. “They had a lot of features similar to modern mammals, features that are relevant in understanding mammalian evolution.”

Professor Timothy Rowe was Hoffman's graduate advisor and a co-author of the study. Professor Rowe had collected the fossil nearly two decades ago in Arizona as a single specimen - he no idea the babies were also contained in the rock. 


Graduate student Sebastian Egberts noticed the first sign of the babies years later in 2009 when a speck of tooth enamel caught his attention. 

“It didn’t look like a pointy fish tooth or a small tooth from a primitive reptile,” said Egberts. “It looked more like a molariform tooth (molar-like tooth) - and that got me very excited.”


The scientists identified a handful of bones inside the rock, but it took about seven years for CT-imaging technology to provide a visual of jaws, teeth, skulls,  and partial skeletons. 

Hoffman was able to determine that the babies were the same species as the adult. She also established that the babies were tiny replicas of the adult, with skulls that were proportionate to the parent. This is significant because the offspring of mammals have unproportionate skulls to accommodate big brains. 

According to the researchers, the findings of this study suggest that the evolution of mammals involved trading large litters for brain power. 

“Just a few million years later, in mammals, they unquestionably had big brains, and they unquestionably had a small litter size,” said Professor Rowe.

Kayentatherium wellesi, as the rat has been named, lived alongside the dinosaurs around 185 million years ago and belonged to an extinct species of plant-eaters.

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 

Image Credit: Eva Hoffman

Mammals evolved to have more brain power instead of more babies

Researchers from The University of Texas at Austin have discovered...

Researchers have mapped the genome of the poppy plant which could help make effective <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/reef-fishs-venom-painkilling/">pain treatment production</a> easier and widely accessible. 

The study, conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.york.ac.uk/">University of York </a>and the <a href="https://www.sanger.ac.uk/">Wellcome Sanger Institute</a>, sheds light on the evolution of the opium poppy plant and how it developed the compounds that have become so important to pharmaceutical advancements through the years. 

Now, researchers know how and when the poppy plant first developed the genetic pathways that allow for the production of noscapine (used as a cough suppressant), morphine, and codeine (used to alleviate pain) in the plant today. 

“Biochemists have been curious for decades about how plants have evolved to become one of the richest sources of chemical diversity on earth,” said Ian Graham, the co-corresponding author of the study. “Using high-quality genome assembly, our study has deciphered how this has happened in opium poppy.” 

Researchers are currently working on creating a way to synthetically manufactured noscapine and morphine, but deriving these opiates directly from poppy plants is the cheapest method of production. 

The new study, published in the journal Science, could help create ways to maximize poppy plant yields and disease resistance. 

“At the same time this research will provide the foundation for the development of molecular plant breeding tools that can be used to ensure there is a reliable and cheap supply of the most effective painkillers available for pain relief and palliative care for societies in not just developed but also developing world countries,” said Graham. 

First, the researchers sequenced the poppy genome using a method that allowed for the identification of a cluster of genes that encode enzymes in the production of noscapine and morphine. 

Plants can duplicate their genomes which creates the opportunity for some duplicated genes to evolve to do certain tasks like defend against disease or attract pollinators. 

The researchers discovered that millions of years ago, the poppy’s ancestral genes came together in the first step towards the production of morphine and codeine, 

“A highly repetitive plant genome and the intermingled evolutionary events in the past 100 million years complicated our analysis,”  said Kai Ye, another co-corresponding author of the study. “We utilized complementary cutting-edge genome sequencing technologies with sophisticated mathematical models and analysis methods to investigate the evolutionary history of the opium poppy genome.”

The team was able to identify the ancient creation of the pathways that make morphine production possible today in the poppy plant, and this could help with optimizing poppy plant growth and provide pain relief to areas in need of quality healthcare and medicine. 

“It is intriguing that two biosynthetic pathways came to the same genomic region due to a series of duplication, shuffling and fusion structural events, enabling concerted production of novel metabolic compounds,” said Ye. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Carol Walker

How the poppy evolved to produce compounds for pain relief

Researchers have mapped the genome of the poppy plant which...

Lionfish are a major invasive species in the western Atlantic Ocean, negatively impacting ecosystems off the coastal US and Caribbean islands. This species originates from the South Pacific and Indian oceans, but has no natural predators in the areas it inhabits within the western Atlantic, creating competition problems with native species. Luckily, scientists may have come up with a solution – and it involves a killer robot.

A team of researchers at <a href="https://www.wpi.edu/">Worcester Polytechnic Institute</a> (WPI) have developed a spear-wielding submersible robot than can hunt lionfish autonomously. 

“There are economic and environmental benefits to this, and the fish are delicious,” says Brandon Kelly, an undergraduate student at WPI. “I’ve seen the massive devastation caused by these fish and it really made me want to work on this project. We felt like we could create some change in the world.”

Lionfish can decimate the juvenile fish populations of an area by as much as 90 percent in just five weeks – according to the Ocean Support Foundation. They are a threat to coral reefs in a region that is already struggling to survive. Although people are encouraged to harvest these <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ocean-acidification-coastal-waters/">fish</a>, their sharp spines and deadly venom make this rather challenging. Luckily, robots are immune to lionfish venom.

The robot has eight spear tips mounted on a carousel, along with left and right cameras and air-filled buoyancy chambers that help equalize the robot after it releases a spear. The researchers developed a system – based on machine learning –  that allows the robot to tell lionfish apart from other species. Once it locks on to the correct target, it launches a spear and harvests the fish. The team states that the robot is able to recognize lionfish with over 95 percent accuracy.

“The goal is to be able to toss the robot over the side of a boat and have it go down to the reef, plot out a course, and begin its search,” says Craig Putnam, senior instructor in computer science and associate director of WPI’s Robotics Engineering Program. “It needs to set up a search pattern and fly along the reef, and not run into it, while looking for the lionfish. The idea is that the robots could be part of the environmental solution.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: <a href="https://www.wpi.edu/">Worcester Polytechnic Institute</a>

Autonomous robot built to destroy invasive lionfish population

Lionfish are a major invasive species in the western Atlantic...

Flight controllers for the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html">International Space Station</a> (ISS) discovered that there was a leak in the Soyuz spacecraft when it began to lose pressure on the morning of August 30, 2018. The crew located a hairline fracture, which was likely caused by an impact with a small meteorite, and is now working to patch the tiny hole.

Dmitry Rogozin is the Director General of Roscosmos, the state corporation responsible for Russia's space program.

“Overnight and in the morning there was an abnormal situation - a pressure drop, an oxygen leak at the station,” Rogozin told Russian news agencies. “A micro fracture was found, most likely it is damage from the outside. The design engineers believe it is the result of a micrometeorite.”

Rogozin, as well as NASA and the ESA, have all made statements that the astronauts are not currently in any danger. 

“The crew are healthy and safe with weeks of air left in the International Space Station reserves,” said ESA officials. “The leak has been identified and repair procedures are ongoing.”

The astronauts will patch the fracture from the inside of the Soyuz spaceship. According to <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/">ABC News</a>, the crew has packed a cloth covered in sealant against the hole to temporarily seal the leak. Flight controllers will continue to monitor the air pressure in the Soyuz until the hole is permanently sealed.

Russian-built Soyuz rockets have been escorting astronauts to the <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/a-sunrise-from-the-international-space-station/">ISS</a> since 2011, and at least one Soyuz spacecraft remains docked at the station at all times to provide a safe escape for the crew in case of an emergency.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Air leak on the ISS was likely caused by meteorite collision

Flight controllers for the International Space Station (ISS) discovered that...

A new study from <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/">King's College London</a> has found that a single dose of cannabidiol can help reduce the brain function abnormalities found in patients with psychosis. The results of the trial are providing the first evidence of how <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/cannabidiol-marijuana-treat-addiction/">cannabidiol</a> works in the brain to reduce psychotic symptoms.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-intoxicating cannabis extract that has recently been licensed in a purified form to treat children with epilepsy in the United States. A previous trial from King's College London in 2017 demonstrated that cannabidiol has antipsychotic properties.

“The mainstay of current treatment for people with psychosis are drugs that were first discovered in the 1950s and unfortunately do not work for everyone,” said Dr. Sagnik Bhattacharyya. “Our results have started unravelling the brain mechanisms of a new drug that works in a completely different way to traditional antipsychotics.”

The researchers evaluated a group of 33 young people who had not yet been diagnosed with psychosis but were experiencing distressing psychotic symptoms. In addition, 19 healthy individuals were also examined as a control group. A single dose of cannabidiol was given to half of the participants, while a placebo was given to the other half of participants.

The individuals were studied with an MRI scanner while they performed memory tasks. MRI scans engage three of the brain regions known to be involved in psychosis. 

As expected, the brain activity among participants with symptoms of psychosis was abnormal compared to the healthy participants. However, the abnormal brain activity was found to be less severe among the individuals that had received a dose of cannabidiol compared to those who received a placebo. 

The results suggest that cannabidiol can help shift brain activity to normal levels. CBD’s influence on the three brain regions examined in the brain scans seems to be underlying its therapeutic effects on psychotic symptoms.

Previous research from King's College London shows cannabidiol appears to work in opposition to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. THC has been strongly linked to the development of psychosis, while cannabidiol has been found to have the opposite effect.


“There is an urgent need for a safe treatment for young people at risk of psychosis,” said Dr. Bhattacharyya. “One of the main advantages of cannabidiol is that it is safe and seems to be very well tolerated, making it in some ways an ideal treatment. If successful, this trial will provide definitive proof of cannabidiol’s role as an antipsychotic treatment and pave the way for use in the clinic.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry">JAMA Psychiatry</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Cannabidiol may be an effective antipsychotic treatment

A new study from King's College London has found that...

The brain contains many billions of neurons that are connected to thousands of others through synapses, or links, which can be strong or weak. Some links are thousands of times stronger than others, and a strong link indicates a significant influence among the connected neurons.

Scientists have found it challenging to understand the origin or the reason for such a wide range of link strengths, which is found in all <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/executive-functions-men-women/">brains</a>.

A team of Israeli physicists led by Professor Ido Kanter of <a href="https://www1.biu.ac.il/indexE.php">Bar-Ilan University</a> recently conducted research that completely contradicted the 70-year-old theory that learning occurs only in the brain's synapses. 

The experts demonstrated that learning in the brain is actually conducted by several neuronal terminals, or dendrites. This process, which is referred to as dendritic learning, occurs much faster and much closer to the neurons than previously realized.

For the current study, the same group of experts teamed up to expand upon their research. Through advanced computational studies, the team has arrived at the conclusion that all brains are composed of the same wide spectrum of links.

“A byproduct of dendritic learning is the wide spectrum of link strengths. The dendritic learning enables us to offer an explanation for an additional universal phenomenon observed in all brains and indicates its important role,” said Professor Kanter.

A neuron was found to have a fast response to a strong link, and a slow response to a weak link. 

“The mechanism is similar to a pool filled through a wide pipe or through a narrow one,” wrote the study authors. “The wide pipe fills the pool faster.”

The brain is very dynamic, and each link significantly varies during brain activity. The overall portion of strong and weak links remains constant, but individual links can become weaker or stronger. 

“This dynamic brain activity leads to the capability that when we think about an issue several times we may find different solutions,” wrote the researchers.

In addition, dendritic learning, is expected to provide new insight for advanced learning algorithms and applications based on artificial intelligence.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/scientificreports">Scientific Reports</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

All brains are composed of the same spectrum of neural links

The brain contains many billions of neurons that are connected...

Experts at the <a href="https://www.ualberta.ca/">University of Alberta</a> have tested a new statistical method to better estimate the size of bird populations. While <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/traffic-noise-birds-aging/">bird</a> surveys tend to underestimate bird abundance, the new technique will allow for more accuracy.

A team led by Péter Sólymos has evaluated a type of mathematical model called a “removal model” using bird count data for 152 species from the Boreal Avian Modelling Project (BAM). This project covers regions of Canada, Alaska, and the northeastern United States. 

The researchers found that the accuracy of models could be improved by accounting for variation in birds' singing behavior. The likelihood that birds will sing changes over the course of the day and the year, which affects how easy they are to detect.

“The chances of spotting something--a coin on the pavement, a bear in the mountains, or the apricot jam in the freezer - increases with effort,” explained Sólymos. “The more we walk, travel, look, or listen, the more things we find, but there is also a tradeoff between the number of places one can do a search and the length of the searches. Such decisions drive how long field biologists conduct bird counting at a given place.”

“In our study, we looked at how the duration of counting influenced finding different bird species at different times of the day and the year. We also wanted to find the best way of how to standardize for different count durations and how to use these findings to provide better estimates of bird population sizes.”

Calculating the numbers of individuals in certain bird species is very important for conservation efforts. This new approach offers a way to combine data from surveys that were not standardized in their design. 

“Population size of different species is one of the key metrics that affects their conservation importance, but estimating population size is a very challenging task that involves numerous assumptions,” said Sólymos. “Besides the ability to hopefully provide more accurate population size estimates, our modeling approach and findings can also help in timing of bird surveys to maximize the number of species detected.”

Jeff Wells is the Science and Policy Director of the Boreal Songbird Initiative, who was not involved in the research.

“While the authors of this study present the results of a rigorous comparison of modeling techniques to achieve better estimates of bird abundance from point counts, they also provide clear and simple recommendations on how and when to apply their findings to any study that expects to use time-interval point counts,” said Wells. “This is a rich contribution not only to avian research methodology, but in the long run, also to bird conservation.”

The study is published in <a href="http://www.americanornithologypubs.org/loi/cond">The Condor: Ornithological Applications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer
Image Credit: C. Kolaczan

New model will improve bird population estimates

Experts at the University of Alberta have tested a new...

At this point in our battle with <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/humans-driving-climate-change/">climate change</a>, we would accept almost any potential solution that could reduce the warming of global temperatures. While some scientists are working hard to figure out ways to slow carbon emissions, others are studying ways to remove the carbon currently in our atmosphere. 

A new study from the <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/">University of California, Berkeley</a>, reports low-tech ways to improve soil quality on farms worldwide, while also pulling significant amounts of carbon out of our atmosphere – thus slowing the pace of climate change.

In their study published in <a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>, the researchers claim that well-established agricultural practices such as planting cover crops, optimizing grazing, and sowing legumes on rangelands could capture enough atmosphere and store it in soil to make a major contribution to international climate change targets – were these practices to be used worldwide. When these practices were paired with aggressive carbon emission reductions, it was determined that improved agricultural management could reduce global temperatures nearly half a degree Fahrenheit by 2100.

“As someone who has been working on carbon sequestration for a long time, I have always had this question in the back of my mind, ‘Will sequestration in soils make a difference with climate change at a global scale?’” says senior author of the study Whendee Silver, a professor of environmental science, policy and management at UC Berkeley. “We found that there are a wide range of practices deployable on a large scale that could have a detectable worldwide impact. A big take-home message is that we know how to do this, it is achievable.”

But the important point to note is that these results are only achievable if they are coupled with aggressive emissions reduction. If carbon concentrations in the atmosphere increase, sequestration becomes less effective at reducing temperature. 

The researchers used global data on agricultural management approaches known to increase soil carbon storage, and combined it with a climate model that determined the possible impacts on climate were these approaches to be widely used. Most of the sequestration would occur due to improvement of agricultural and grazing lands that are degraded and being used sub-optimally. Improved land management often increases the biomass of crops, grass, and their root systems by capturing carbon dioxide through photosynthesis, which then results in more carbon storage in the soil.

“These are very commonly used approaches, though people don’t use them to sequester carbon – they are doing it for other reasons. Anytime you increase the organic content of soils, you are generally increasing the fertility, water-holding capacity, sustainability, decreasing erosion and general resilience to climate change," says Silver. “Sequestering carbon is a side benefit."

Because these practices could be implemented around the world relatively quickly, there seems to be some legitimate promise for their utilization and effectiveness. “Agriculture is often portrayed as the villain in climate change,” Silver says. “What is exciting is that, not only can agriculture contribute to solving the problem, but it can do so in a way that actually improves agricultural soils.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Heather Dang, UC Berkeley

Paid for by <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a>

Global warming can be slowed by improving soil quality

At this point in our battle with climate change, we...

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en.html">American Chemical Society</a> are exploring innovative ideas for the disposal of biodegradable plastics. The study has demonstrated that certain bioplastics can decompose under a range of diverse conditions.

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/polar-bear-cubs-plastic-pollution/">Plastic waste</a> is a growing environmental issue, particularly when it enters into the ocean and threatens the lives of sea animals and birds who commonly mistake plastic debris for food and eat it.

Despite increasing efforts across many countries, most plastic waste still does not end up getting recycled. Different blends of biodegradable plastics have been developed, but these materials are often not as flexible and strong as conventional plastics.

While the goal of biodegradable plastics is that they will not persist as long in the environment, their fate is relatively uncertain. A team of experts including Tanja Narancic, Kevin O'Connor, and Ramesh Babu Padamati set out to examine the degradation of individual bioplastics under various conditions.

The study was focused on 15 different plastics or blends under managed conditions, including composting and anaerobic digestion. The team also investigated the fate of the same bioplastics in unmanaged environments, such as soil and various water bodies. 

Polylactic acid (PLA) is one of the best-selling biodegradable plastics on the market, but it requires high temperatures to be broken down. The researchers were surprised to find that a blend of PLA and polycaprolactone (PCL) degraded completely to carbon dioxide, biomass, and water under typical home-composting conditions. 

Many of the individual plastics were found to decompose under conditions of anaerobic digestion, a process that can produce biogas. Furthermore, all of the plastics and blends examined in the study degraded with industrial composting. 

According to the researchers, biodegradable plastic blends could create new possibilities for managing plastic waste. 

On the other hand, only two out of 15 plastics were found to break down completely in the unmanaged soil and water conditions. This means that biodegradable plastics are not a remedy for plastic pollution, and they must be managed carefully.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Can biodegradable plastics help slow plastic pollution?

Researchers from the American Chemical Society are exploring innovative ideas...

Commercial airplanes have long had at least two people in the cockpit, but now Boeing is working on new technology that could do away with the co-pilot altogether. 

The <a href="https://www.faa.gov/">Federal Aviation Administration</a> has long required that two crew members fly a plane and the same rules apply in many other countries. 

However, advancements in technology coupled with a shortage of pilots could soon mean that only one pilot is needed for passenger planes with 20 or more seats.

<a href="https://www.boeing.com/company/">Boeing</a>, the largest aerospace company in the world, is developing the technology and the company has stated it hopes to have jet planes that need fewer crew members in the cockpit in service as early as 2025. 

The news comes shortly after the recent findings that faith in autonomous driving technology is decreasing in the United States, with fewer people comfortable with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/self-driving-car-americans/">self-driving cars than in previous years. </a>

But Boeing is still a long way off from self-driving planes and fewer crew members in the cockpit would help rectify the shortage of pilots that <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-45330440">airlines are now facing. </a>

“I don't think you'll see a pilotless aircraft of a 737 in the near future,” Steve Norlund, the vice president for Boeing told <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/single-pilot-plane-boeing-autonomous-jet-technology-cockpit-a8506301.html">the Independent</a>. “But what you may see is more automation and aiding in the cockpit, maybe a change in the crew number up in the cockpit.”

<a href="https://www.ubs.com/">UBS</a> analysts say that the advancements in technology will depend on how the company decides to proceed next year. The move, as the analysts found, could save $15 billion. 

Less cockpit space leaves more room for innovative design and as demand for air travel continues to skyrocket in the coming years, finding cost-effective solutions for pilot shortages will be vital. 

“You can see the drivers from both angles,” Graham Braithwaite, Director of Transport Systems at <a href="https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/">Britain's Cranfield University</a> told the Daily Mail. “The technology to fly an aircraft on automatic is brilliant. The other driver in all this is that we're really short of pilots. They're a very expensive resource.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Boeing announces plans for a single-pilot cockpit

Commercial airplanes have long had at least two people in...

What is the purpose of our ability to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/recurring-dreams-daily-problems/">dream</a>? 

This is a question scientists have been asking for centuries, with many hypotheses but little supporting evidence. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is the stage of sleep when dreams occur, and is known to play an integral role in helping us maintain or physical and mental health. In REM sleep, our brain is actually as active as it is when we’re awake, which is believed to help with our memory consolidation. Despite its importance, the molecular mechanisms behind REM sleep have remained a mystery. 

This mystery may now have begun the first stages of being solved, as researchers at the <a href="http://www.riken.jp/en/research/labs/bdr/">RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research</a> (BDR) in Japan has identified a pair of genes that regulate how much REM and non-REM sleep an animal experiences. In their study, the researchers reduced the amount of REM sleep in mouse models until they reached almost undetectable levels when both genes were knocked out. They did so by using cutting-edge genetic tools to modify mouse genes and perform genetic screen for factors whose inhibition would result in sleep abnormalities.

Past studies have shown that acetylcholine (Ach), is an important neurotransmitter, and its receptor are needed for the regulation of REM sleep. Ach is released in large quantities in parts of the mammalian brain during both REM sleep and wakefulness. But it’s unclear which receptor or receptors were directly involved in the regulation of REM sleep due to the complexity of the underlying neural network.

The researchers knocked out multiple genes encoding numerous Ach receptors, and discovered that the loss of two receptors (Chrm1 and Chrm3) induced a characteristic short-sleep profile. These two receptors are widely distributed in distinct regions of the brain. Knocking out Chrm1 reduced and fragmented REM sleep, while knocking of Chrm3 reduced the length of non-REM sleep. When both genes were knocked out simultaneously, mice experienced almost no REM sleep, but were still able to survive. 

“The surprising finding that mice are viable despite the almost complete loss of REM sleep will allow us to rigorously verify whether REM sleep plays a crucial role in fundamental biological functions such as learning and memory,” says Yasutaka Niwa, the co-first author of the study.

The author’s findings – published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/home">Cell Reports</a> – provide strong evidence that the two receptors are imperative for sleep regulation, particularly REM sleep, although they function in different ways. Hiroki Ueda, lead researcher from RIKEN BDR, concludes: “The discovery that Chrm1 and Chrm3 play a key role in REM sleep opens the way to studying its underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms and will eventually allow us to define the state of REM sleep, which has been paradoxical and mysterious since its original report.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scientists identify two genes that control our dreams

What is the purpose of our ability to dream? This...

<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...