PanoRadar marks a breakthrough in the ever-advancing world of robotics, addressing the challenge of providing effective perception systems for robots that can function in severe weather and unfavorable conditions. 



Unlike traditional sensors, PanoRadar uses radio waves to penetrate smoke, fog, and even certain materials, offering a robust alternative to light-based systems. 



This innovative approach paves the way for more resilient robotic applications, from autonomous vehicles to rescue missions in hazardous environments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-limitations-of-traditional-sensors">Limitations of traditional sensors</h2>



Current sensor systems, such as cameras or LiDAR, rely on light, which limits their effectiveness in conditions like heavy smoke or fog. Alternatively, they may rely on traditional radar which can 'see' through walls and other obstacles, but which produce images lacking in detail.



Nature, however, shows us that perception need not rely solely on light. Bats use <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/soundwaves-can-be-used-to-move-objects/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sound wave</a> echoes for navigation, while sharks detect electrical fields from their prey's movements. 



These examples highlight alternative perception methods that can inform technological innovations, like radio wave-based sensing.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-radio-waves-disrupt-the-magnetic-compass-of-migratory-birds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Radio waves</a>, with their longer wavelengths, can penetrate challenging conditions and even certain materials, surpassing the limitations of human vision and conventional sensors. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-panoradar-a-new-era-of-robot-vision">PanoRadar: A new era of robot vision</h2>



Enter researchers from the <a href="https://www.upenn.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Pennsylvania</a> School of Engineering and Applied Science (Penn Engineering). They have initiated a new era in robot vision with their creation, the PanoRadar.



This novel invention enables robots to perceive their surroundings in three dimensions with incredible detail, by transforming simple radio waves into detailed, 3-D images of the environment.



"Our initial question was whether we could combine the best of both sensing modalities - the robustness of radio signals, which is resilient to fog and other challenging conditions, and the high resolution of visual sensors," explained Mingmin Zhao, assistant professor of computer and information science.



The birth of PanoRadar is the novel answer to this complex challenge. It has opened new possibilities for robotic perception in environments where traditional systems fail.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-does-panoradar-work">How does PanoRadar work?</h2>



Think about how a lighthouse works. It sweeps its beam in a circle, scanning the entire horizon, revealing the presence of ships and coastal features. That's how the PanoRadar operates. 



It consists of a rotating vertical array of antennae that scan the surroundings. These antennae send out radio waves and listen for their reflections from the environment.



But PanoRadar is not just a simple scanner. It intelligently combines measurements from all rotation angles, enhancing its imaging resolution. 



"The key innovation is in how we process these radio wave measurements. Our signal processing and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/machine-learning-reveals-how-to-prevent-covid-19-from-ever-returning/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">machine learning</a> algorithms are able to extract rich 3D information from the environment," explained Zhao.



This novel approach allows PanoRadar to achieve imaging resolution comparable to that of LiDAR, but at a fraction of the cost.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-comprehending-and-interpreting-complex-data">Comprehending and interpreting complex data</h2>



Implementing high-resolution imaging while the robot is moving presented a significant challenge. The team needed to combine measurements from various positions with sub-millimeter accuracy.



"Even small motion errors can significantly impact the imaging quality," said Haowen Lai, lead author of the paper.



In addition, they had to train their system rigorously to comprehend and interpret the complex data it receives, to ensure that it could accurately identify and understand various objects and environmental features in real time.



"Indoor environments have consistent patterns and geometries. We leveraged these patterns to help our AI system interpret the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/radar-imaging-will-help-protect-polar-bears-from-human-disturbances/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">radar</a> signals, similar to how humans learn to make sense of what they see," explained Gaoxiang Luo.



Thanks to machine learning algorithms, the model was able to improve its understanding against reality using LiDAR data.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-radio-waves-and-robot-vision">Radio waves and robot vision</h2>



PanoRadar’s capabilities extend beyond what traditional sensors can perceive.



"Our field tests across different buildings showed how radio sensing can excel where traditional sensors struggle," said Liu. "The system maintains precise tracking through smoke and can even map spaces with glass walls."



This advantage comes from the ability of radio waves to pass through airborne particles with ease, allowing the system to detect elements that LiDAR often misses, such as glass surfaces. 



Additionally, PanoRadar's high resolution enables it to identify people accurately, an essential capability for applications like autonomous vehicles and rescue operations in challenging environments.



These attributes make PanoRadar a game-changer for robots operating in difficult conditions, where reliability and precision are paramount.



The research will be presented at the 2024 International Conference on Mobile Computing and Networking (<a href="https://search.app?link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sigmobile.org%2Fmobicom%2F2024%2F&amp;utm_campaign=aga&amp;utm_source=agsadl2%2Csh%2Fx%2Fgs%2Fm2%2F4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MobiCom</a>).



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Giving robots 'superhuman' vision through radio waves

PanoRadar marks a breakthrough in the ever-advancing world of robotics, addressing the challenge of providing effective perception systems for robots that can function in severe weather and unfavorable conditions. Unlike traditional sensors, PanoRadar uses radio waves to penetrate smoke, fog, and even certain materials, offering a robust alternative to light-based systems. This innovative approach paves the way for more resilient robotic applications, from autonomous vehicles to rescue missions in hazardous environments. Limitations of traditional sensors Current sensor systems, such as cameras or LiDAR, rely on light, which...

Experts from the UK and the United States are outlining the best investments in clean energy based on their analysis of recent research and innovation. The authors of the paper recommend that governments give technical experts more control of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/green-solar-panels-appealing/">clean energy</a> programs in order to achieve more long-term stability.

The researchers have drafted six "guiding principles,” and are encouraging the support of programs that have staying power rather than just “ quick win” potential. Among the principles proposed by the research team are to adopt an adaptive learning strategy and to keep clean energy research funding predictable and stable.

"As the window of opportunity to avert dangerous climate change narrows, we urgently need to take stock of policy initiatives around the world that aim to accelerate new energy technologies and stem greenhouse gas emissions," says Laura Diaz Anadon, Professor of Climate Change Policy at the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a>.

The authors are urging policymakers to learn what works from experience and build on it before time runs out. The experts say that some government officials are constantly reinventing clean energy goals and targets for the sake of political vanity.

"If we don't build on the lessons from previous policy successes and failures to understand what works and why, we risk wasting time and money in a way that we simply can't afford," says Anadon.

Public investments in energy research have steadily risen in recent years. For example, funding for new energy research and development by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) jumped to $16.6 billion in 2016 compared to $10 billion in 2010. In addition, the EU and other nations pledged to double clean energy investment as part of Paris Climate Change Agreement.

Regardless, the study authors point out that government funding for energy innovation has become highly volatile in the recent past. Political shifts in the UK and the U.S. have resulted in huge budget fluctuations and process reinventions.

The research team found, for example, that one in five technology areas funded by the U.S. Department of Energy experienced a budget shift of more than 30 percent up or down every single year from 1990 to 2017. In 2018, the Trump administration plans to cut the energy research and development budget by 35 percent across the board.

In the UK, every Prime Minister since 2000 has created new institutions to manage energy innovation. 

"Experimentation has benefits, but also costs," explains Anadon. "Researchers are having to relearn new processes, people and programs with every political transition - wasting time and effort for scientists, companies and policymakers."

"Rather than repeated overhauls, existing programs should be continuously evaluated and updated. New programs should only be set up if they fill needs not currently met."

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nature/">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Experts advise governments on effective clean energy strategy

Experts from the UK and the United States are outlining...

As climate change is projected to increase the frequency of severe ice storms, concerns are growing about how forest health will be impacted. Ecologist Lindsey Rustad of the <a href="https://www.fs.fed.us/">USDA Forest Service</a> set out to closely examine how ice storms affect the forest.

It is well-known that <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/artificial-ice-storms-severe-weather/">ice storms</a> can cause damage to communities as large frozen tree limbs can take down power lines and crash into houses, but the long-term damage that ice storms cause to the forest itself is relatively unknown.

Rustad teamed up with New England scientists to simulate an ice storm at the 8,000-acre USDA Forest Service Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire. The researchers used fire hoses to pump water from a creek over different sections of the forest. 

"It's not easy to study ice storms because they're difficult to predict," explained Rustad. "We didn't want to become storm chasers, so we decided to make our own."

Using various amounts of water, the team created a light icing with a quarter-inch of ice,  a significant icing of a half-inch of ice, and an extreme icing with three-fourths of an inch of ice.

The team will compare the frozen sections of forest to nearby forest area that has not been disturbed. They plan to focus their comparison on forest health indicators including soil nutrient cycling, forest regrowth, and wildlife. The research will contribute to an ongoing decades-long investigation on how a severe ice storm in 1998 affected the northeastern United States and Canada.

Although the project will not be completed until next year, Rustad has some predictions about what her team will discover. She explained that a light icing can be good for forests by thinning out branches and making room for new growth.

"Trees have a certain amount of stored carbon," she says. "With one icing, they have enough reserves to re-foliate and recover."

Severe icing events back to back like scientists have predicted to occur with climate change, however, can be devastating to a forest's carbon reserves. Despite this, Rustad still remains optimistic about the outcome.

"Our forests are tremendously resilient," said Rustad. "I grew up in the days of acid rain. So scientists embarked on a couple decades of exhaustive research and we passed the Clean Air Act, and reduced sulfur emissions by 80%."

During their research, the experts will develop a more accurate climate prediction model that will incorporate extreme ice events. They will also examine the forest health indicators, and hope to innovate new methods of warning the public about upcoming ice storms.

Rustad presented preliminary details of the research project at the October Annual Meeting of the <a href="https://www.agronomy.org/">American Society of Agronomy</a>, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America in Tampa, Florida.

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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Climate change could increase the frequency of severe ice storms

As climate change is projected to increase the frequency of...

We often take for granted our ability to take in sound and process the information into a cohesive meaning. It’s a complicated process that involves innumerable factors, not to mention the need to discern what you hear from distracting background noise. Now, researchers at <a href="http://www.auburn.edu/">Auburn University</a> have discovered that in demanding environments, both adults and children depend more on their right ear for processing and retaining what they hear.

Sounds that enter the right ear are processed by the left side of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-processes-internal-experiences/">brain</a>, which controls speech, language development, and parts of memory. Together, each ear takes in separate bits of information, which are then combined while being processed through the auditory system. However, past research has shown the young children’s auditory systems are unable to sort and separate simultaneous information from both ears. Because of this, children rely mostly on their right ear to capture sounds and language, as the pathway is more efficient. But what is less understood is if this right-ear dominance is still present in adulthood.

To answer this question, Danielle Sacchinelli and her colleagues had 41 participants (ages 19-28) go through both dichotic separation and integration listening tasks. Dichotic listening tests are used to diagnose auditory processing disorders that cause the brain to have difficulty processing what is heard. This test involves listeners receiving different auditory inputs that are delivered to each ear simultaneously. Participants are asked to pay attention to sounds delivered to one ear, while dismissing sounds delivered to the other (separation) or are required to repeat all words heard (integration). 

As the tests progressed, the researchers increased the number of sounds until they passed the point of an individual’s simple memory capacity. Once they were beyond the participant’s memory span, they found that an individual’s performance improved by roughly 8 percent – and in some cases up to 40 percent – when they focused on their right ear.

“Conventional research shows that right-ear advantage diminishes around age 13, but our results indicate this is related to the demand of the task. Traditional tests include four-to-six pieces of information,” says Aurora Weaver, an assistant professor at <a href="http://www.auburn.edu/">Auburn University</a> and member of the research team. “As we age, we have better control of our attention for processing information as a result of maturation and our experience.”

Enhancing our understanding of how we listen and process information in demanding environments may help improve diagnostic tools, auditory management – such as hearing aids – and auditory training. Weaver also believes that this may increase our ability to deal with the decline of cognitive abilities as people age.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Listen up: Your right ear is more important for listening ability

We often take for granted our ability to take in...

The chronic sleep deprivation that many youth and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/screen-time-suicide-teens/">teens</a> face today has been well documented, with many health professionals calling for later start times in middle and high school, but these suggestions have gone largely unheard.

Adolescents need more sleep than adults, and chronic sleep deprivation in teens can actually raise their risk of depression and addiction, according to a new study. 

The study was conducted by researchers from the <a href="http://www.pitt.edu/">University of Pittsburgh</a> and documented the negative impact that sleep deprivation has on the brain’s reward system and mood. 

For the study, the researchers had 35 participants, ages 11 through 15, take part in a sleep lab study. 

For two nights, half the group slept for ten hours and the other half was only allowed to sleep for four fours. A week later, the participants came back to the lab but slept for the opposite amount of time they had for the first two nights. 

The study volunteers were also asked to play a game with monetary gains of one and ten dollars that activated the reward centers of the brain. The participants were given brain scans both weeks while they played the game. 

The researchers also had each participant answer questions about emotional functioning and if they experienced symptoms of depression. 

The results show that sleep deprivation impacted the putamen, a part of the brain involved with reward learning and goal-based movements. Even when the rewards in the game were higher during the sleep lab studies, the putamen was less responsive in the sleep-deprived subjects. 

The sleep-deprived participants also reported more symptoms of depression. These results correlate with research on how depression lowers activity in the brain’s reward system. 

Chronic sleep deprivation poses major health risks for all ages, but these results show that sleep deprivation in teens especially increases the risk of depression and addiction. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Sleep deprivation increases risk of depression in teens

The chronic sleep deprivation that many youth and teens face...

Since 2008, over 16,000 first-year students have discovered more than 8,000 bacteria-infecting viruses as part of a program designed to keep students engaged in the sciences.

The program is called SEA-PHAGES, and it’s a year-long course that’s part of the <a href="https://www.hhmi.org/developing-scientists/science-education-alliance">Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Science Education Alliance‘s</a> endeavor to isolate and characterize bacteria-infecting viruses called bacteriophages. 

Now, a new analysis has found that programs that offer authentic research opportunities like SEA-PHAGE have a stronger advantage of keeping students engaged in the sciences. 

“Compared to students at the same institutions who are taking traditional lab courses, students in this course score much higher in categories that correspond to persistence in science,” said David Asai, HHMI's senior director for science education.

David Hanauer, a professor at the <a href="https://www.iup.edu/">Indiana University of Pennsylvania</a>, created a new assessment that measured the success of SEA-PHAGE and its impact on the participating students. 

Hanauer focused on the aspects of student’s attitudes that influenced their intent to continue on in their fields of study.

“We looked into the psychological traits that tie into the identity aspects of being a scientist,” said Hanauer. “If you have a sense that 'this is my work;' you have a sense that 'I can do this;' you have a sense that you could be a scientist; you believe in the value of science; and you're talking to people about how you are a scientist--then you're going to stay in the sciences.”

2,850 students from 67 different institutions took Hanauer's PITS (Persistence In Science) survey. 

After analyzing the responses, Hanauer and his team found that SEA-PHAGES was more successful than traditional laboratory courses in developing the psychological traits that connect to identity in students. 

The SEA-PHAGE students were more confident in their abilities and had a better feel for the realities of lab research and a career in the sciences. 

Another promising result of the study was that the results were similar for all <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/high-achievement-high-risk-addiction/">students</a>, even when taking into account gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or college institution.

“The data show the inclusive nature of the experience really nicely,” said Professor Graham Hatfull. Hatfull’s group at the <a href="http://www.pitt.edu/">University of Pittsburgh </a>administer the SEA-PHAGE program and train faculty. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Science students help drive advances

Since 2008, over 16,000 first-year students have discovered more than...

Musical training is being linked to improved brain function in more and more studies. In particular, musical training is thought to help with important aspects of speech such as the perception of speech in a noisy environment. A study from the <a href="http://english.psych.cas.cn/">Institute of Psychology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences</a> has revealed that musicians have increased connectivity of the auditory-motor network which enhances their speech perception.

Dr. DU Yi teamed up with Dr. Zatorre Robert from the <a href="http://www.mcgill.ca/neuro/neuro-brain-research-patient-care-and-training">Montréal Neurological Institute</a> and <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/">McGill University</a> to understand how musical training benefits speech processes. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the researchers examined the brain activity of 15 musicians and 15 non-musicians while they identified speech syllables against changing levels of background noise.

The musicians had at least 10 years of musical training, including consistent practice over the past three years. The two groups of participants showed no difference in their educational level, hearing ability, education, auditory working memory, or non-verbal IQ.

Under a condition with no noise distractions, the two groups performed equally. At all other signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), however, the musicians outperformed the non-musicians. The researchers linked this exceptional ability in musicians to enhanced activation of the left inferior frontal and right auditory regions of their brains.

Further analysis showed that musicians had more distinguished neural patterns related to the composition of syllables in the bilateral auditory regions and frontal motor regions of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-talking-coherent-dirty/">brain</a>.

Most significantly, the research team found that the functional connectivity of the auditory-motor network was strengthened in the musicians compared to non-musicians. This means that musical training sharpens and bonds the ears with the speech motor system, or lips and tongue, so that musicians can hear speech better.

The findings of this study, which is published in the <a href="http://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Science</a>, show an enormous potential for the use of musical training to reduce speech perception difficulties that are commonly associated with hearing disorders and age.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Musical training can improve your perception of speech

Musical training is being linked to improved brain function in...

Champagne is the bubbly, alcoholic beverage that is usually poured after the distinctive “pop” of the bottle it comes from. But it’s not just the bottle popping that is of acoustic interest to the researchers at the Applied Research Laboratories at the <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">University of Texas at Austin</a>. 

In what was likely their favorite research study in years, investigators Kyle S. Spratt, Kevin M. Lee, and Preston S. Wilson set out to determine whether the acoustics of champagne bubbles might play a key role in determining how expensive the bottle it came from should be.

“The point of the project is to study the sounds that champagne bubbles make, and to see what we can infer about the bubbles from the sounds that they make,” explains Spratt. “Bubbles are very resonant. They basically ring like bells, and the frequency of that ringing depends in part on the size of the bubbles. There is a well-known notion that the quality of a sparkling wine is correlated to the size of its bubbles, and we are investigating whether the bubble size distribution of a sparkling wine can be obtained from simple acoustical measurements.”

The research team used a very small hydrophone – a piezoelectric transducer-based underwater recording device – to investigate the properties of the bubbles. They found that the type of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lead-decorated-drinking-glasses/">glass</a> used is actually of significant importance to how the bubbles react. The design of a champagne flute is crafted to have a noticeable effect on the bubble formation of the beverage, as well as the material the glass is made out of. 

“It turns out the bubble formation process on Styrofoam is completely different than on glass,” Spratt says. “So, if you ever have to resort to drinking champagne out of a Styrofoam cup, the bubbles will be quite different.”

The findings could prove useful for consumers, who can test bubble acoustics to make sure the brand they're purchasing is not overpriced.

The team will present their findings at the 174th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America in New Orleans, Louisiana, held December 4th through 8th, 2017.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The sound of champagne bubbles can indicate quality

Champagne is the bubbly, alcoholic beverage that is usually poured...

The art of telling stories has been around since the days when humans first began forming cohesive societies. These days, a good storyteller can be the life of the party, or making a living through their speeches or writing. But new research has found that in hunter-gatherer societies, storytellers were essential to promoting cooperative and egalitarian values before religion was ever a factor.

The research was led by Daniel Smith, Andrea Migliano, and Lucio Vinicius from <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a>’s Department of Anthropology. The group based their findings on their study of the Agta, which was a hunter-gatherer group descended from the first colonizers of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-growth-of-manila-philippines/">Philippines</a> over 35,000 years ago.

They asked three group elders to tell them stories that they would have normally told their children and each other. This resulted in four stories narrated over three nights. In listening to these stories, the researchers found that the stories about humanized natural entities like animals or celestial bodies promoted social and cooperative norms to coordinate group behavior.

Out of a sample of 89 stories from seven different hunter-gatherer societies, the study found that 70% of the stories concerned reinforcing and regulating social behavior. 

“These stories appear to co-ordinate group behavior and facilitate co-operation by providing individuals with social information about the norms, rules and expectations in a given society,” explains Smith. In light of this, it’s not surprising that Agta groups with a greater proportion of skilled storytellers were found to have increased levels of cooperation.

Storytellers were found to be more popular than even the best foragers. They had greater reproductive success and were more likely to be cooperated with by other members of their group. Skilled storytellers had an average of 0.53 more children than those who were not skilled.

The authors believe that storytelling was pivotal to organizing necessary social behavior and promoting cooperation. 

“Hunter-gatherer religions do not have moralizing gods and yet they are highly cooperative towards the whole community,” says Migliano. “Thus, storytelling in hunter-gatherers was a precursor to more elaborate forms of narrative fiction such as moralizing high-gods, common in post-agricultural populations”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Storytellers kept hunter-gatherer groups together before religion

The art of telling stories has been around since the...

Permanent housing for homeless people in Los Angeles County is actually saving the local government more money than it costs, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.rand.org/">RAND Corporation</a>. The program was started in an effort to provide support for people with complex medical and behavioral health issues, and has caused a significant drop in the use of public services.

The initiative, which is known as Housing for Health, has led to large drops in the use of emergency medical services and inpatient hospital care. The utilization of outpatient care has also declined.

Overall, for every $1 invested in the housing program, the Los Angeles County government saved $1.20 in health care and social service costs. These are among the most substantial savings ever documented for a housing program that benefits homeless individuals.

Sarah Hunter is a senior behavioral scientist at RAND, a nonprofit research organization, and lead author of the study.

"These findings suggest that a permanent supportive housing program that targets people who are both homeless and are frequent users of county health services is feasible and may save local government money overall," said Hunter. "It will be important to continue to examine the effort as it scales up to help even more people."

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/watering-lawns-lost-gallons-water/">Los Angeles County</a> has the highest rate of unsheltered homelessness in the country. Individuals who are both chronically ill and homeless, who frequently seek health care and social services, are among the groups targeted by the program for services.

The RAND study investigated the experiences of 890 people who received housing and support during the first 2.5 years of Housing For Health. The research team looked at this group's use of county services in the year prior to receiving housing and compared it to the use of services in the following year.

The researchers found that public services for the participants during the year prior to enrollment in the program costed $38,146, which dropped to $15,358 in the year after housing was received. After taking into account the costs of permanent housing for the group, the county still saved around 20 percent.

"These savings are substantially higher than what has been seen in other cities and suggest that Los Angeles County officials have succeeded in implementing this model," said Hunter. "Oftentimes, these programs strive to 'break even' in terms of costs and only exhibit cost savings among the most vulnerable, while the Los Angeles program shows considerable savings across a diverse population."

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Homeless housing program in LA saves the government money

Permanent housing for homeless people in Los Angeles County is...

The flight patterns of falcons could help researchers develop drones specifically designed to take down other rogue drones. 

A new study, conducted by researchers from <a href="http://www.ox.ac.uk/">Oxford University</a>, found that contrary to popular belief, falcons followed similar flight trajectories to guided missiles while steering into an attack. 

Previously it was thought that peregrine falcons hunted using exclusively geometric rules while flying. However, the researchers found that falcons are quick to intercept moving targets. 

The results could pave the way for drones that are programmed to take down drones in airports or prisons. 

For the study, the researchers used GPS receivers to track falcons. The falcons were given dummy targets to attack that were thrown by a falconer or attached to a drone.

The researchers monitored the falcons using both the GPS receivers and on-board video footage that showed the falcon’s perspective during the attacks. 

Mathematical simulations were then later applied to mirror the falcon attack patterns better understand the guidance system employed by the falcon. 

The surprising results showed that falcons use the same law as visually guided missiles during terminal attack trajectories, called proportional navigation. 

The uptick of drones being used to smuggle contraband in prisons and fly near airports is a matter of growing concern. But with this new research, new drones could be designed with the falcon flight patterns to efficiently take out problem drones. 

“Our GPS tracks and on-board videos show how peregrine falcons intercept moving targets that don't want to be caught,” said Graham Taylor, the study’s principal investigator. “Our next step is to apply this research to designing a new kind of visually guided drone, able to remove rogue drones safely from the vicinity of airports, prisons, and other no-fly zones.” 

The research was funded by the US <a href="http://www.wpafb.af.mil/afrl/">Air Force Research Laboratory</a>, and could pave the way for future studies that examine the attack and pursuit trajectories of other predators, not just falcons.  

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Falcon attack strategies could help seize rogue drones

The flight patterns of falcons could help researchers develop drones...

Internal experiences are an important part of daily life. Whether it’s remembering a distant childhood memory or simply recalling what you had for breakfast this morning, self-generated cognitions are key brain functions and also extend to our ability to empathize with others or become emotionally attached to a fictional character.

Not much is known about how the brain achieves this wide range of phenomena, but researchers have hypothesized that self-generated cognitions are the results of several mental processes becoming active at the same time. 

A new study, published in the journal Human Nature Behavior, tested this hypothesis and isolated the parts of the brain that were active during <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/boost-memory-reading-aloud/">memory</a> recall and other similar internal mental processes. 

“When we recall a recent birthday party, for example, the brain likely activates a number of different systems, such as a system that is responsible for retrieving memory of events, a system that is responsible for building a vivid scene in our mind, and a system that is responsible for moving back in time,” said  Dr. Axelrod, the lead author of the paper.

For the study, the researchers had 41 participants take part in four different experiments. The participants were asked to recall their personal lives inside of an MRI scanner so the researchers could identify the different brain systems that were activated during internal mental processes. 

The first three experiments gave the researchers time to isolate three different systems in the brain, and the fourth experiment showed that these three systems were all active at the same time. 

The results of the experiment matched the earlier hypothesis that when we recall personal memories or even plan a vacation, different cognitive systems are all activated simultaneously. 

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to better understanding the processes behind self-generated cognitions.

The researchers note that even though the results of study identified three different systems, there is likely a much more complicated process of mechanisms at play. 

“Obviously, our internal experience is mediated by much more than three cognitive systems. We hope that the approach we used will help in the future to identify additional systems,” say the researchers. 

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a><a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Understanding how the brain processes internal experiences

Internal experiences are an important part of daily life. Whether...

The moon is covered in craters, and most of those were formed during a period called the “late accretion” or the late heavy bombardment. This era refers to the time just after the moon was first formed, when early Earth was pelted with debris. 

Scientists theorized that the late heavy bombardment is when the Earth received the last of its mass, meaning the debris that struck was either integrated or accreted into the new planet. 

Accretion is the process of growing by gradual accumulation. For example, think about the gravitational force that brings enough debris together to form a planet. 

Integration, on the other hand, would have occurred if the debris were assimilated into the Earth’s mantle.

Now, a new study conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.swri.org/">Southwest Research Institute</a> has revealed that the late bombardment delivered more mass to the Earth than was thought. 

“We modeled the massive collisions and how metals and silicates were integrated into Earth during this 'late accretion stage,' which lasted for hundreds of millions of years after the Moon formed,” said Dr. Simone Marchi, the lead author of the study. “Based on our simulations, the late accretion mass delivered to Earth may be significantly greater than previously thought, with important consequences for the earliest evolution of our planet.” 

It was previously thought that early planet debris integrated into the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-zealand-fault-line/">Earth</a> during its final stage of formation accounted for only a half percent of the Earth’s mass. 

These conclusions come from the number of elements in the Earth's mantle, such as gold and platinum. This means that during the late bombardment, the elements were “tacked onto”  the planet after the core was formed. 

However, for this new study, the researchers created new high-resolution impact simulations that told a different story. 

Instead of only accreting into the mantle, some of the elements in their metallic core form could have assimilated into the Earth’s core, making up much more of the Earth’s mass than thought. 

This study could help researchers better understand how the Earth and moon were formed, and the importance of the late accretion to the Earth and moon’s geological makeup. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Debris from the moon’s formation reshaped the Earth

The moon is covered in craters, and most of those...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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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

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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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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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



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

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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



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The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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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

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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



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The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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