The influence of synthetic plastic on our planet is concerning, to say the least. It's everywhere - from the depths of our oceans to the food we eat, even finding its way into our bodies. But, Avinash Manjula-Basavanna, a seasoned research scientist at Northeastern University, sees "MECHS" as a solution. 



"The kind of impact that human-made materials are making on the living world is resulting in&nbsp;climate change, pollution and more," he says. 



"One of the ways that we are able to address this is to make materials sustainable and also make materials which are smart or intelligent."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-birth-of-a-new-bioplastic">Birth of a new bioplastic</h2>



Joining forces with Neel S. Joshi, an associate professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Northeastern, Manjula-Basavanna gave birth to a new bioplastic named MECHS.



It stands for Mechanical Engineered Living Materials with Compostability, Healability, and Scalability.



The team recently showcased their discovery in the journal Nature Communications. Here, they articulated their unique work with engineered living materials, living cells that produce functional <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-pollution-is-changing-the-entire-earth-system/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">materials</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wonders-of-bioplastic">Wonders of bioplastic</h2>



What makes MECHS stand out? Manjula-Basavanna and Joshi gave us two major reasons.



Firstly, MECHS exhibits the beauty of nature-inspired solutions, with the ability to regenerate, regulate themselves, and respond to external stimuli such as light. 



The second reason is even more significant in today's context. Unlike the harmful plastics choking our planet and bodies, MECHS is biodegradable in water and even in a compost bin. 



"Right now we use a lot of conventional nonbiodegradable plastics for applications they don't need to be used in at all," Joshi says. "If we replace that with our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/major-plastic-pollution-lurks-beneath-the-surface-of-rivers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plastic</a>, you could just flush it down the toilet and it would biodegrade."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-engineered-living-materials">Engineered living materials</h2>



Until now, such engineered living materials haven't been scalable for broad production. Enter MECHS.



Essentially, it's comprised of engineered E. coli bacteria intertwined with a fiber matrix, crafted into a paper- or film-like material. 



The fibrous structure gives MECHS some desirable properties. For instance, the bioplastic can stretch like plastic wrap and be genetically engineered for variable stiffness. And, quite fascinatingly, it has self-healing capabilities.



But the real cherry on top? MECHS is fully dissolvable, be it in large amounts of water or a compost bin. It dissolves rapidly, much faster than other existing biodegradable plastics. Plus, it can be mass-produced similarly to paper.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-potential-applications">Potential applications</h2>



The scientific marvels envision MECHS as the solution to "primary packaging." This includes the plastic cover protecting your new iPhone or the detergent pods for your appliances. Imagine MECHS wrapped around a pot plant, slowly breaking down and releasing proteins to fertilize the plant!



Addressing the global problem of plastic pollution, Manjula-Basavanna sees a strong potential for MECHS in plastic packaging, which covers almost one-third of the plastic market. 



He observes that such packaging’s lifespan could last a few days to two years, but the petrochemical plastics used can take hundreds of years to biodegrade.



"For such a short lifespan of packaging, the petrochemical plastics that can take hundreds of years to biodegrade are unnecessary in many cases and thus a sustainable alternative like MECHS due to its biodegradability, flushability, and mechanical tunability could be a game changer," says Manjula-Basavanna.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-challenges-in-adopting-mechs">Challenges in adopting MECHS</h2>



While MECHS presents a revolutionary solution to the global plastic crisis, adopting this technology on a large scale is not devoid of challenges. One primary concern lies in the genomic stability of the engineered E. coli bacteria used in MECHS. 



Scientists must ensure that the bacteria remain safe and stable under various environmental conditions to avoid unintended consequences. Additionally, transitioning industries reliant on traditional plastics to MECHS involves overcoming significant economic and logistical barriers. 



Production facilities worldwide may need to adopt new techniques and infrastructure to accommodate this novel material, potentially incurring considerable costs in the short term. 



Furthermore, public perception and regulatory hurdles need to be navigated to gain trust and approval for its widespread use.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-of-sustainable-materials">Future of sustainable materials</h2>



Looking to the future, the innovations around MECHS signal a burgeoning era of sustainable and adaptable materials capable of transforming industries. 



As research into living materials progresses, new possibilities emerge, such as enabling the development of dynamic, adaptable materials for technologies yet to be imagined. 



Building on their success with MECHS, Manjula-Basavanna and Joshi envision an expanding palette of biodegradable materials, each tailored for specific applications ranging from environmental conservation to health care. 



Their work emphasizes collaboration across disciplines - bridging biology, chemistry, and engineering - to advance sustainable solutions.



Ultimately, MECHS is a testament to how embracing nature-inspired innovation can lead to breakthroughs with the power to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-on-beaches-is-now-visible-from-space/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reshape our relationship with the materials</a> we use and the environment we inhabit.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-53052-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



-----



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Nature-inspired solutions: New bioplastic dissolves rapidly in water

The influence of synthetic plastic on our planet is concerning, to say the least. It's everywhere - from the depths of our oceans to the food we eat, even finding its way into our bodies. But, Avinash Manjula-Basavanna, a seasoned research scientist at Northeastern University, sees "MECHS" as a solution. "The kind of impact that human-made materials are making on the living world is resulting in&nbsp;climate change, pollution and more," he says. "One of the ways that we are able to address this is to make materials...

Thanks to new laser technology, archaeologists are uncovering ancient Maya settlements and ruins hidden by jungles in northern Guatemala – and they’re extensive.

The technology, known as “light detection and ranging” or LiDAR, has also been used to explore the ruins of cities around Angkor Wat in Cambodia. 

The new project, led by the <a href="http://www.pacunam.org/">PACUNAM Foundation</a>, took it a step farther, exploring more than 800 square miles of jungle in the Petén region of Guatemala. What it found was a massive network of ruins – homes, palaces, elevated roadways and other structures that may have housed millions – that compares to ancient Greece or China, researchers told <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/">National Geographic</a>.

“We’ve had this western conceit that complex civilizations can’t flourish in the tropics, that the tropics are where civilizations go to die,” said Dr. Marcello Canuto of <a href="https://tulane.edu/">Tulane University</a>, an archaeologist who studies the Guatemalan site of La Corona. “But with the new LiDAR-based evidence from Central America and Angkor Wat, we now have to consider that complex societies may have formed in the tropics and made their way outward from there.”

LiDAR uses laser light to sample the Earth’s surface, creating a detailed topographical map that can reveal ruins just below the ground. Laser pulses are beamed down from a plane or helicopter, and the wavelengths are measured as they bounce back. Although it uses light instead of sound, LiDAR works similarly to bats’ sonar.

The studies found that, during the Maya classic period from 250 to 900 C.E., the center of the complex civilization covered an area double the size of medieval England, but with anywhere from 10 to 15 million people. In comparison, England’s population was around 1.5 million in 1086, according to estimates based on the <a href="http://www.domesdaybook.co.uk/life.html#6">Domesday Book</a>.

The scans showed that Maya settlements in the lowlands included swampland archaeologists previously thought were uninhabitable.

The Maya built elevated roadways so they wouldn’t become impassable in rainy weather, and carefully managed their water with canals and reservoirs, the archaeologists discovered. Defensive walls, fortresses and other military structures point to the large-scale warfare that the Maya civilization engaged in.

Unfortunately, the scans also showed pits dug by pot hunters and other thieves.

“Many of these new sites are only new to us; they are not new to looters,” PACUNAM president Marianne Hernandez said.

A one-hour special highlighting the team’s LiDAR research will air on the <a href="http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/">National Geographic Channel</a> on February 6. 

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Laser technology reveals sprawling extent of Maya settlements

Thanks to new laser technology, archaeologists are uncovering ancient Maya...

Mind reading instruments may sound a little-far fetched, but researchers are getting closer and closer to developing this type of technology. Experts from the <a href="http://www.idor.org/en/home0s0">D'Or Institute for Research and Education</a> designed a study to determine what <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/like-songs-dislike-others/">songs</a> individuals were listening to by reading their minds with a Magnetic Resonance (MR) machine.

The research team presented 40 pieces of music to six study participants including classical, rock, pop, and jazz tracks. Neural response to each song was recorded by the MR machine while a computer learned to decipher the patterns of brain activity associated with each song. The computer accounted for musical features such as tonality, dynamics, and rhythm.


Next, the team set out to examine whether the computer could identify the songs participants were listening to based on their neural activity. The computer performed very well compared to previous studies, showing up to 85 percent accuracy when choosing between two songs.

The researchers intensified the trial by presenting the computer with 10 song options instead of just two. The computer managed to accurately identify the songs in this phase of the evaluation 74 percent of the time.

These types of studies focused on brain activity patterns and machine learning will evolve to decode written and spoken language in the future.

“Machines will be able to translate our musical thoughts into songs,” said co-author Sebastian Hoefle.

He explained that brain decoding studies will ultimately help experts to understand neural functioning and interact with it using artificial intelligence. Hoefle said that future research will answer questions like, “What musical features make some people love a song while others don't?”

The study is published in <a href="http://www.nature.com/srep/">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

Mind reading technology is becoming much closer to reality

Mind reading instruments may sound a little-far fetched, but researchers...

A team of archaeologists from the <a href="http://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a> reconstructed weapons used by Alaskan hunters thousands of years ago. The study revealed that the ancient hunter-gatherers of this region were very skilled in creating the most effective points for various targets.

“The hunger-gatherers of 12,000 years ago were more sophisticated than we give them credit for,” said study co-author Ben Fitzhugh. “We haven't thought of hunter-gatherers in the Pleistocene as having that kind of sophistication, but they clearly did for the things that they had to manage in their daily lives, such as hunting game.”

“They had a very comprehensive understanding of different tools, and the best tools for different prey and shot conditions,” he said.

Between 10,000 and 14,000 years ago, Alaskan hunting weapons were made with a variety of projectile points. The hunter-gatherers of this time used different lethal weapons for hunting caribou, reindeer, and other animals.

According to the experts, some types of ancient projectile points originated in Eurasia and Africa and made their way to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/snowfall-alaska-mountains-doubled/">Alaska</a> before the end of the Ice Age.

Kim Eckart, a staff writer for the University of Washington, explained in a <a href="https://www.washington.edu/news/2018/01/31/reconstructing-an-ancient-lethal-weapon/">press release</a>: “These included rudimentary points made of sharpened bone, antler or ivory; more intricate, flaked stone tips popularly familiar as "arrowheads"; and a composite point made of bone or antler with razor blade-like stone microblades embedded around the edges.”

The researchers set out to examine the effectiveness of these three different types of points. They reconstructed 30 projectile points, including ten of each kind, and tested to see how well they could damage two different targets including a reindeer carcass.

The study revealed that the ancient Alaskan hunters were advanced enough to choose the most effective weapon for each target.

“We have shown how each point has its own performance strengths,” explained study co-author Janice Wood. “It has to do with the animal itself; animals react differently to different wounds. And it would have been important to these nomadic hunters to bring the animal down efficiently. They were hunting for food.”

Wood said that this research provides a look into “the capacity of the human brain to come up with innovations that ultimately changed the course of human history.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-archaeological-science/">Journal of Archaeological Science</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: Janice Wood

Ancient Alaskan hunters were more advanced than was thought

A team of archaeologists from the University of Washington reconstructed...

In 1973, the concept of a hypothetical quasiparticle called an “odderon” was introduced, and physicists have been looking for evidence of its existence ever since. Researchers at the <a href="https://home.cern/topics/large-hadron-collider">Large Hadron Collider</a> have now observed what may be the first-ever experimental proof of the odderon.

When an even number of subatomic particles known as gluons are interchanged in various processes, such as electron-proton scattering at high energies, these exchanges are referred to as pomerons. An odderon is the hypothetical exchange of an odd number of gluons.

Christophe Royon is a Nuclear Physics professor in the <a href="http://physics.ku.edu/">KU Department of Physics &amp; Astronomy</a>.

“Until now, most models were thinking there was a pair of gluons – always an even number, said Royon. “Now we measure for the first time the higher number of events and properties and at a new energy. We found measurements that are incompatible with this traditional model of assuming an even number of gluons.”

“It’s a kind of discovery that we might have seen for the first time, this odd exchange of the number of gluons. There may be three, five, seven or more gluons.”

The international research team was made up of over 100 physicists. The scientists were looking for protons that were not completely destroyed after high-energy collision, but only “slightly deviated.”

They developed a series of  experiments known as TOTEM, which were designed to pinpoint protons that remained intact after collision.

The experts believe their discovery will help to improve the Standard Model. Timothy Raben is a postdoctoral researcher at KU.

“This doesn’t break the Standard Model, but there are very opaque regions of the Standard Model, and this work shines a light on one of those opaque regions,” said Raben. “These ideas date back to the ‘70s, but even at that time it quickly became evident we weren’t close technologically to being able to see the odderon, so while there are several decades of predictions, the odderon has not been seen.”

The physicists detail the possible evidence of odderon revealed by their experimentation in two papers on the open-access websites <a href="https://arxiv.org/">arXiv</a> and <a href="https://home.cern/">CERN</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scientists find the first-ever evidence of an odderon

In 1973, the concept of a hypothetical quasiparticle called an...

Science is often hailed as the way forward, as the savior of the environment and the human race.  Nothing is more seductive than the myth of a technological messiah.  We have found that cars, coal power plants and other burners of fossil fuels cause global climate change.  Our answer is more and better technology in the form of solar, wind, hydroelectric, biofuels, even nuclear energy.

We see pollution, the growth of cities and the sprawl of humanity endangering our wild places and animals.  The answer it seems is collecting more data, intense observation, novel ways to mitigate all of these problems.  

Children spend less time outside, see less wildlife, are becoming more and more disconnected to the planet on which they live.  Adults are also becoming just as disconnected to nature as younger people.  Our answer to this problem is to take to our keyboards and write more articles to inspire people to get outside.  We create documentaries and short YouTube films covering everything from the life of a Polar Bear to a recent hiking trip and expect people to be outside more.  

All of these answers are based in technology and changing large blocks of society, culture, humanity.  I want the human race to change before it’s too late as much as anyone but I am deeply suspicious of the methods we’re using for change.  Technology is the problem to begin with and answering the problem with more technology seems at best willfully ignorant.  Part of the problem is that technology is fueled by money, which means it is fueled by consumption, which unfortunately means it’s fed by all of us.  We in turn are kept hungry by the hollow calories of advertisement dreams and so we gorge continuously on things and ideas.  

Science is just a method to fulfil our desires, a way to look at the world, collect facts, not truths and in turn contribute to technology and the invention of things.  There are serious limitations to science and technology, they cannot like we imagine, do everything.  

Anything we create or use has serious costs.  Most Americans, especially middle class and above Americans, don’t see the true consequences of their actions.  Solar panels are made of metal mined from the ground, which is a finite resource, by definition unsustainable.  Plastic often goes into solar panels, plastic usually made from fossil fuels.  Solar panels are still shipped and transported with vehicles burning fossil fuels.  Solar panels and their accessories are packages in paper and cardboard made from trees as well as plastics made from, you guessed it, fossil fuels.  A lot of solar systems also require batteries which are made with a host of toxic materials and have the same shipping, manufacturing and packaging problems as solar panels.  Batteries have the additional problem of disposal at the end of their lives.  Batteries can either be tossed into a landfill where they leak toxins into the soil or recycled.  A battery is often recycled by a destitute child in a poor nation.  The battery exposes the child to toxins, leaving her or him with health problems that may never be addressed and can lead to sickness and early death.  

Wind has all the same basic problems as solar.  Concrete is also a large component of wind farms and can be sourced from the oceans where it wreaks havoc on the environment.  Wind of course also can kill birds and bats that come into contact with the turbines.    

Birds and turbines brings us to another problem.  Mainstream environmentalism often acts as if <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-humidity/">climate change</a> is the biggest or even only environmental catastrophe we face.  Climate change is only one symptom of a deeper, systemic problem pervasive in all aspects of our lives.  Global capitalism and gross over consumption in connection with a lack of understanding, empathy or deep connection on the part of consumers is the real issue.  If we all drove cars that didn’t pollute and used nothing but clean energy, the deeper crisis, a crisis of not just environment but a crisis threatening to rip humanity apart would persist.  We are ecologically illiterate and we’re on our way to becoming simply illiterate as well.  We have become so deluded, so high on the idea of our infallibility as a species that we can’t even see the fossils beneath our feet or the smog filling the emptiness of our skies.  We need real change.  Real change starts with one person.  Real change starts with you, reader.

A big part of the problem with scientific innovation is that is driven by a very unscientific economic model.  We operate under the illusion that economic growth is good and anything less is a failure.  The problem is that any economic growth is based on real things, real ‘resources’ such as oil, rubber, bananas, metal, diamonds.  There isn’t an endless amount of anything, nor the ability to create that thing endlessly.  If the whole world decided that we need to grow nothing but bananas, if every piece of arable land was dedicated to bananas and greenhouses were built where it was too cold to grow bananas normally, there would still be a limit.  You can’t grow an endless number of bananas because banana agriculture depends on finite things like pollinators, soils, water, even sun.  

What needs to happen is a shift in how we rate our success as a society.  I would argue that valuing economics as the biggest driver of ‘success’ is dangerous and especially an economic model of endless growth that is doomed to failure.  We need to look more seriously at countries like the Kingdom of Bhutan where happiness is valued more than economic growth and where many people are ‘poor’ financially but have all needs taken care of.  I want to live in a society that has more to offer than throwing everything into the economic wood chipper and turning it into resources for greater ‘wealth’ usually for a small minority.  I want to live in a society where wildness, beauty, peace and happiness are valued far above economic value; where freedom means more than the power of the dollar.         

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why science alone won’t save us

Science is often hailed as the way forward, as the...

The <a href="http://www.easac.eu/">European Academies’ Science Advisory Council</a> (EASAC) has determined that carbon removal technologies will not be effective enough in combating global warming. The scientists are advising European policymakers that more effort must be made to reduce emissions.

When government leaders from across the globe came together for the 2015 Paris Accord, they agreed to make the changes necessary to limit global warming to no more than two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Thus far, collective efforts by these countries to reduce emissions are not enough to meet this target.

According to the the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/oceans-remove-carbon-dioxide/">carbon dioxide</a> (CO2) is the primary greenhouse gas driving global warming and climate change. Rising atmospheric levels of CO2 pose serious global risks such as political instability, extreme weather, and food insecurity.

Various techniques to remove existing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, or negative-emissions technologies, have been proposed.The EASAC analyzed the potential outcome of using such technologies, which include carbon capture and storage, reforestation, and ocean fertilization.

The experts found that the large-scale deployment of negative-emissions techniques would not only have high economic costs, but could also negatively impact plants and animals. Furthermore, the EASAC determined that carbon removal technologies have “limited realistic potential to remove carbon from the atmosphere.”

The study authors wrote: “Technologies capable of taking out CO2 from the atmosphere are certainly no silver bullet - a point that should drive policymakers to renewed efforts to accelerate emissions reductions.”

“However, the world will need all possible tools to limit warming and some of these technologies can make contributions to remove CO2 from the atmosphere even now, while further research, development and demonstration may allow others to make a limited future contribution.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Techniques to remove CO2 from atmosphere have limited potential

The European Academies’ Science Advisory Council (EASAC) has determined that...

A large chunk of rock discovered in a <a href="http://nasa.gov">NASA</a> parking lot has preserved the ancient footprints of at least 70 different mammals and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/asteroid-dinosaurs/">dinosaurs</a> from over 100 million years ago. The scientists are reporting that the massive piece of sandstone, which measures 8.5 feet in length, is the largest known slab containing animal tracks anywhere in the world.

In 2012, paleontologist Ray Stanford was dropping his wife off for work at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, when he spotted the rock. 

Stanford had found a loose rock with the footprint of a small theropod at this same site a few years earlier. The brownish stone was made of iron-rich sedimentary material that Stanford recognized when he saw it again.

Experts found approximately 100 prints on the rock, including those from early squirrel-like mammals, an armored nodosaur and her baby, and theropod dinosaurs.

Study co-author Martin Lockley is a Geology professor at the <a href="http://www.ucdenver.edu/">University of Colorado Denver</a>.

“I know of four or five sites in the whole age of dinosaurs that have mammal tracks and some of them only have one or two,” said Lockley. “Here, we've got approximately 100 footprints on it. It's amazing.”

The scientists were able to determine that the animals passed over this particular area in a relatively short period of hours or days due to the fact that none of the tracks overlapped. 

“It’s unusual to have such a large concentration of different kinds of tracks and small tracks in such a small space,” said Lockley.

While the patterns of the prints suggest the dinosaurs may have been hunting for food, this cannot be confirmed.

The scientists were most interested in the distinctive footprints of early mammals, which are a rare find. Lockley said this was one of only two sites where dozens of mammal footprints from this era had been found.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/srep/">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

Image Credit: Rebecca Roth/NASA/GSFC

Parking lot stone preserved 100 million year old animal tracks

A large chunk of rock discovered in a NASA parking...

Scientists have identified the remains of a rare 200 million-year-old ichthyosaur sea reptile 22 years after it was first uncovered. The fossil is only the second specimen of an ichthyosaur named Wahlisaurus massarae, a new species discovered by paleontologist Dean Lomax of <a href="http://www.manchester.ac.uk/">The University of Manchester</a>.

Ichthyosaurs lived during the time of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dinosaur-fossil-racist-nazi-science/">dinosaurs</a> and traveled by sea. Many of their fossils have been found in the UK, and Lomax has described five different species of ichthyosaurs in recent years.

In 2016, Lomax described an ichthyosaur skeleton from the collections of Leicester's New Walk Museum and Art Gallery. He had found several unusual features of the bones which he determined were unique and represented a new species. Lomax named the prehistoric reptile Wahlisaurus massarae to honor two of his mentors, Bill Wahl and Professor Judy Massare.


“When Wahlisaurus was announced, I was a little nervous about what other paleontologists would make of it, considering the new species was known only from a single specimen,” said Lomax. “As a scientist you learn to question almost everything, and be as critical as you can be. My analysis suggested it was something new, but some paleontologists questioned this and said it was just 'variation' of an existing species.”

For the current study, Lomax teamed up with museum curator and paleontologist Dr. Mark Evans and fossil collector Simon Carpenter. The researchers examined a nearly complete coracoid bone from Carpenter's collection and discovered that it had the exact same features as that of Wahlisaurus.

“You can only imagine my sheer excitement to find a specimen of Wahlisaurus in Simon's collection,” said Lomax. “It was such a wonderful moment. When you have just one specimen, 'variation' can be called upon, but when you double the number of specimens you have it gives even more credibility to your research.”

The Wahlisaurus fossil dates back 200 million years to a time known as the Triassic-Jurassic boundary, which occurred right after a world-wide mass extinction. This time frame makes it difficult for the experts to determine whether the ichthyosaur was latest Triassic or earliest Jurassic in age.

Carpenter has donated the rare fossil, which was originally uncovered in 1996, to the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. The study is published in the <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-1034">Geological Journal</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image © of James McKay

Prehistoric sea reptile lived 200 million years ago

Scientists have identified the remains of a rare 200 million-year-old...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hawaii-ban-sunscreens-reefs/">Sunscreen</a> is critical in protecting skin from dangerous ultraviolet radiation, but some types of sunscreen are not good for the environment. Scientists have now managed to produce a biodegradable sunscreen compound called shinorine in the laboratory, which was previously only found in limited amounts in nature.

Synthetic sunscreen components can accumulate in marine environments, where they pose a potential threat to wildlife by acting as hormone disruptors. Shinorine is an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic compounds that is produced naturally by cyanobacteria and marine algae, but it is not particularly easy to obtain.

The shinorine that is currently found on the market varies greatly by region and by season. A team of researchers led by Yousong Ding set out to develop a more abundant source of shinorine by achieving its production in a laboratory.

A strain of freshwater cyanobacteria, Synechocystis, was selected as a host cell for shinorine expression. The team chose this particular organism because it grows quickly and its genetic makeup is easy to manipulate. 

The experts collected a cluster of genes responsible for the production of shinorine from the filamentous cyanobacterium Fischerella, and delivered the genes to the host Synechocystis.


The production of shinorine by the Synechocystis started out slowly - at levels three times lower than Fischerella production. But then, the addition of more material to the gene cluster boosted production to a rate ten times higher.


For the final phase of the experiment, the team exposed cells expressing shinorine alongside control cells to UV radiation. There were no growth differences found using UV-A light. 

When exposed to UV-B light, however, the population of control cells significantly declined. The researchers explained that shinorine acted as sunscreen against UV-B light in the other cells, helping them grow better and survive longer.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://pubs.acs.org/journal/asbcd6">ACS Synthetic Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New breakthrough paves the way for greener sunscreen

Sunscreen is critical in protecting skin from dangerous ultraviolet radiation,...

Hydraulic fracturing, or “<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fracking-sites-health-newborns/">fracking</a>,” is a method of oil and gas extraction that has raised concerns over water quality. A team of scientists is now reporting that this controversial process also impacts water quantity by withdrawing millions of gallons of freshwater from nearby streams.

More than 5 million gallons of freshwater is used to fracture one gas well in the United States, which is enough water to fill seven Olympic-size swimming pools. Small streams, which are a major source of water for these operations, provide drinking water and shelter for many threatened marine species. 

Despite the enormous amount of water being used for hydraulic fracturing, little is known about how much water can be sustainably taken from these natural sources. A research team led by Sally Entrekin focused its study on a gas field in Arkansas where more than 5,000 gas wells were drilled between 2004 and 2014 using hydraulic fracturing.


The streams in this particular study region supply drinking water to thousands of people, and are also home to 10 threatened marine species. Based on water usage and stream flow data, the researchers estimated the water stress that hydraulic fracturing might place on the streams. 

The study revealed that freshwater usage for fracking could impact marine life in 7 to 51 percent of the streams, depending on the month. This percentage would drop if 100 percent of the wastewater were recycled, but 3 to 45 percent of the streams could still be affected.

The researchers have determined that improved monitoring and access to water withdrawal data are needed for the protection of the streams.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Hydraulic fracturing could have a huge impact on water quality

Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” is a method of oil and...

As heat waves become more frequent due to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-confuses-climate-change/">climate change</a>, agricultural regions and urban areas will suffer the most from extreme heat. Researchers at <a href="https://www.ethz.ch/en.html">ETH Zurich</a> are reporting that clever land use combined with reflective surfaces could be a practical and effective approach to combat seasonal heat.

The scientists have developed a strategy based on the different reflective properties of ground surfaces. For example, adding reflective material to roofs and streets has been proven to cool down temperatures. In addition, fields that are left unplowed after harvest are more effective in reflecting sunlight.

Sonia Seneviratne is a professor of Land-Climate Dynamics at ETH and the first author of the study.

“These measures could help to lower extreme temperatures in agricultural regions and densely populated areas by up two to three degrees Celsius,” said Seneviratne.

The study authors explained that these types of methods produce stronger effects as the temperatures grow hotter. The cooling effects only work on a local level and in the short term, but Seneviratne said that the contribution can still be very significant.

The research team used model simulations to examine how radiation management in agricultural and urban areas in North America, Europe, and Asia would affect the climate. They looked at average temperatures, extreme temperatures, and precipitation.

The study showed that these methods would have no influence on average temperatures and would only slightly alter precipitation, but would significantly reduce extreme temperatures. However, this approach was not found to be suitable for Asia, India, and China, where the levels of the crucial monsoon rains decreased in the simulations.

Unlike other proposed climate engineering techniques such as spraying aerosols into the atmosphere, these radiation management strategies have been tested and proven to work.

“Regional radiation management can be effective, but even here, we have to consider any potential effects on food production, biodiversity, CO2 absorption, recreation areas and much more before we can actually implement it,” explained Seneviratne. 

“Even this climate technique is no silver bullet; it's just one potential tool among several others in the battle against climate change.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ngeo/">Nature Geoscience</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Reflective surfaces can help battle upcoming heat waves

As heat waves become more frequent due to climate change,...

A new study has revealed a key difference in the genetic makeup of humans, chimps, and other primates.

Bonobos and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chimpanzees-learn-tools/">chimpanzees</a> are our closest relatives, sharing 99 percent of the same DNA. 

Genome sequencing of chimps, bonobos, and other primates has revealed many similarities, but recently, a good deal of research has been devoted to understanding the genetic differences that separate humans from other primates. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.cshl.edu/">Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</a> (CSHL) and <a href="https://www.cornell.edu/">Cornell University</a> found that a key difference between humans and primates has to do with the way our genes are regulated. 

The research included complete genome analyses of three different primate species including human, chimpanzees, and rhesus macaques. 

The study focused primarily on gene enhancers and promoters which regulate the genes. Both promoters and enhancers regulate and activate the genes, but enhancers are located much farther from the genes they regulate than promoters. 

The researchers measured the generation of RNA copies of genomic DNA using PRO-Seq technology. Measuring the RNA copies up and downstream of the original genes allowed the researchers to identify which promoters and enhancers regulate different genes. 

The results showed differences in the way the genes were regulated across the three different species, particularly with a group of enhancers that work together to target a gene. This group of enhancers is called an ensemble. 

“These ensembles come in various sizes,” said Adam Siepel, a member of the research team. “And we found that when they are large, the expression levels of the target genes tend to be stable over evolutionary time. When they are small, the expression levels are less stable.”

The ensemble of enhancers work together and determine gene expression depending on the species. The study shows that these differences are responsible for the evolutionary genetic  differences that separate humans from other primate species. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Small differences in gene regulators separate humans and chimps

A new study has revealed a key difference in the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



"Together with the provinces of Huesca and Teruel, Zaragoza formed the old kingdom of Aragon. Its capital, also called Zaragoza (not visible in this image) is home to around half of Aragon’s population," says ESA.



"The Ebro River can be seen winding its way through the province from west to east in this image. Between its source in the Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest and its delta on the Mediterranean coast, the Ebro River is fed by more than 200 tributaries as it flows 910 km across much of northern Spain."



Since rainfall is very scarce in this region, irrigation in the Ebro basin is critically important. In the valleys surrounding the Ebro River, many fields are used for growing crops such as corn, wheat, and barley.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...