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...

The asteroid that formed the Chicxulub Crater, named after the Mexican village that it struck near its center, wiped out over half of the species on Earth including the dinosaurs. Researchers are now learning that the asteroid released far more climate-altering sulfur gas into the atmosphere than previously realized.

To estimate the amount of sulfur and carbon dioxide released during the Chicxulub event, the scientists used computer simulations to represent the pressure of the shock waves created by the asteroid's impact. They changed variables such as the angle of the asteroid as it struck to reduce the uncertainty of their calculations.

The research team found that more than three times as much sulfur may have entered the air compared to what previous models indicated. This suggests that the weather on Earth after the impact may have been much colder than previously thought.

The new study shows that the impact likely released 325 gigatons of sulfur and 425 gigatons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. In contrast, a previous investigation had assumed 100 gigatons of sulfur and 1,400 gigatons of carbon dioxide were expelled as the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/asteroid-killed-dinosaurs-worst-place/">asteroid</a> struck the planet.

The dust and sulfur that shot out into the atmosphere formed a cloud that reflected sunlight and drastically reduced temperatures by as much as 47 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the experts, and the freezing temperatures persisted for up to three years.

The new research supports the theory that the impact played a significant role in the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event that eradicated nearly three-quarters of Earth's plant and animal species. Study co-author Joanna Morgan is a geophysicist at <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/">Imperial College London</a>.

"Many climate models can't currently capture all of the consequences of the Chicxulub impact due to uncertainty in how much gas was initially released," said Morgan. "We wanted to revisit this significant event and refine our collision model to better capture its immediate effects on the atmosphere."

According to climate scientist Georg Feulner, the new findings could ultimately help scientists better understand how Earth's climate radically changed in the aftermath of the Chicxulub event.

"The key finding of the study is that they get a larger amount of sulfur and a smaller amount of carbon dioxide ejected than in other studies," said Feulner. "These improved estimates have big implications for the climatic consequences of the impact, which could have been even more dramatic than what previous studies have found."

The research is published in <a href="http://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1944-8007/">Geophysical Research Letters</a>, a journal of the <a href="https://sites.agu.org/">American Geophysical Union</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The asteroid that killed the dinosaurs cooled Earth’s climate

The asteroid that formed the Chicxulub Crater, named after the...

Experts have determined that warming climate conditions may cause power plants in the United States to become less stable and lose their capability to generate electricity. However, a recent study from the<a href="http://www.asrc.cuny.edu/"> Advanced Science Research Center</a> (ASRC) has produced evidence that the country’s infrastructure may be more adaptable to climate change than previously realized. 

Power plant capacity losses have not happened on a regular basis across the United States, but experts believe that global warming could increase the frequency and magnitude of such outages. While the authors of the study acknowledge that global warming will ultimately have a negative impact on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wind-farms-open-ocean/">power</a> generation, they also find that power facilities are more resilient than they used to be. 

Changes driven by policy and economic opportunities have made the power supply both cleaner and more efficient in recent years. Modern power plants rely on fewer natural resources to produce electricity. For example, power facilities that do not use water are more adaptable to drier and warmer conditions than older plants. 

These updated power plants are also better able to maintain power supply reserves during peak demands. Lead author Ariel Miara explains that while some regions appear to be vulnerable to the to climate-related changes, an excess of reserves in other regions can provide assistance.

"Almost all power plants will be affected by climate change, but we don't require all plants to operate at full capacity 24/7," says Miara. "Lower available capacity due to climate impacts at some plants may be insignificant because the collective available capacity remains sufficient for meeting electricity needs."

Miara’s team analyzed over 1,000 thermoelectric plants across the United States under future climate conditions and evaluated both their individual and collective performance. Typically, this type of research only takes into account the capacity of individual power plants.

"This study demonstrates how the traditional approach of studying individual power stations fails to assess our true level of vulnerability," says co-author Charles J. Vörösmarty. "A regional system-wide viewpoint is needed because it allows us to see all sorts of factors and synergies that cannot be articulated by focusing on individual plant behaviors. Our findings about the full system offer a promising result among the otherwise daunting challenges of climate change -- that if you search in the correct manner, you can find opportunities to adapt to change."

The findings of the study are documented in a paper entitled "Climate and Water Resource Change Impacts and Adaptation Potential for U.S. Power Supply," which appears in the journal<a href="http://www.nature.com/nclimate/"> Nature Climate Change</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

U.S. power infrastructure can adapt to climate change, study says

Experts have determined that warming climate conditions may cause power...

A passage in the Bible may describe an ancient solar eclipse – and if it has been dated accurately, it will help historians put together a clearer record of Egypt’s past.

In what may be the earliest record of a solar eclipse, the Biblical event has been dated by researchers to October 30, 1207 BCE.

But more importantly, the Biblical passage puts the eclipse in the context of ancient events recorded in Egypt and the surrounding region, making it an anchor for a timeline of ancient history. Using it as a reference, researchers can now date the reigns of several Egyptian pharaohs to within a year, according to the new study.

“There is a possible reference to a solar eclipse in a puzzling passage in the biblical Old Testament book of Joshua. This records that, after Joshua had led the people of Israel into Canaan, he prayed: ‘Sun, stand still ... at Gibeon, and Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon,’” researchers Dr. Colin Humphreys and Dr. W. Graeme Waddington wrote. “The passage continues: “And the Sun stood still, and the Moon stopped [Hebrew 'amad], until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.’”

Humphreys, a professor at the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a>, and Waddington, an independent astrophysicist and scholar, mapped the locations described in Joshua and then calculated when and where the eclipse would have been seen. 

The research independently confirms the work done by a team of scientists led by Dr. Hezi Yitzhak of <a href="http://in.bgu.ac.il/en/Pages/default.aspx">Ben Gurion University</a>. In January, Yitzhak told the <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/eclipse-stopped-the-sun-for-biblical-joshua-israeli-scientists-say/">Times of Israel</a> that the team had matched the Biblical passage to the only total eclipse to have occurred in the region between 1500 and 1000 BCE – the annular solar eclipse of October 30, 1207.

Humphreys and Waddington didn’t just confirm the conclusion, they also analyzed other records of early eclipses. The pair believe that the solar eclipse described in Joshua may be the earliest verifiable solar eclipse on record.

The pair also note that knowing the exact date of the events in Joshua can help to pinpoint a number of events in the Bible, including more accurately dating the reigns of several Egyptian pharoahs.

“As stated above, the Israel Stele of Merneptah refers to his confrontation with people of Israel. The Stele is dated to Merneptah's year 5, which was the year of his most recent victory against the Libyans,” they wrote. “The confrontation with Israel probably occurred in his year 2 to 4 (Kitchen 2006), so 1207 BC is probably year 2, 3 or 4 of Merneptah. If accepted, this would conclusively rule out the ‘New Chronology’ of Rohl (1995) and others for ancient Egyptian Pharaohs.”

The research also indicates that the mathematics used to calculate variations in the Earth’s rotation that require time adjustments like Leap Year, previously thought to apply only as far back as 700 BCE, are accurate back to the 13th century BCE. 

The study has been published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/astrogeo/atx178">Astronomy &amp; Geophysics</a>.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Biblical account of solar eclipse reveals Egypt's ancient history

A passage in the Bible may describe an ancient solar...

Nanotechnology could revolutionize fashion – by making climate control clothing that can automatically warm up or cool down for the wearer’s comfort. 

Scientists have developed tiny “nanocapsules,” made of a starchy outer shell and filled with a waxy substance, that can be woven into the fabric. The nanocapsules are invisible to the naked eye, but can provide powerful temperature control.

That’s because, as the wearer’s body heats up, the wax inside each capsule melts and absorbs the heat. Then, as the body cools down, the wax solidifies, releasing the stored heat.

“It can be used for outdoor clothing, sportswear and everyday clothing,” Dr. Carla Silva, who created the fabric, told the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/">Daily Mail</a>. “It could especially improve the comfort of those less able to control their body temperatures, such as young children and the elderly.”

Those with chronic illnesses or spinal cord injuries that affect the autonomic nervous system may also have problems with body temperature regulation. Clothing using the team’s nanocapsules could help.

The wax inside the nanocapsules melts and re-solidifies, but it cannot escape the starchy exterior. It works by mimicking the sweating process. As sweat evaporates, it helps to disperse heat. 

Silva, a lead researcher at the <a href="http://www.scienceportugal.com/en/institutions/centi-centre-for-nanotechnology-and-smart-materials/">Centre for Nanotechnology and Smart Materials</a> in Portugal, helped to develop a similar <a href="https://phys.org/news/2017-07-intertwined-nanotech-eczema.html">nanocapsule fabric that will treat eczema</a> earlier this year. She and her team hope to adapt the technology to also be able to treat bacterial infections and other skin disorders.

The nanocapsules can be chemically bonded to fabric, and are resistant to washing. 

Silva and her team are working with <a href="http://www.devan.net/">Devan Chemicals</a>, a Belgian company, to develop the nanocapsule technology for both the climate control clothing and the skin treatment.

Additional funding for the team’s research was provided by the <a href="https://europa.eu/european-union/index_en">European Union</a>.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Climate control clothing could soon be reality

Nanotechnology could revolutionize fashion – by making climate control clothing...

Do animals have feelings? Fish might, according to a group of researchers studying their emotional lives.

The team of scientists from Centro de Ciências do Mar at the <a href="https://www.ualg.pt/en">University of Algarve</a>, the <a href="http://www.igc.gulbenkian.pt/">Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia</a> and the <a href="http://www.fchampalimaud.org/">Champalimaud Foundation</a> in Portugal, along with the <a href="https://www.institutouniversitario.com.br/">Instituto Universitario</a> in Brazil, studied how fish react to their environments.

“Within vertebrates, the study of emotion in [ray-finned fish] is particularly interesting since they represent a divergent evolutionary radiation from that of tetrapods, and thus they provide an insight into the evolution of the biological mechanisms of emotion,” the researchers wrote in their study, published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-13173-x">Scientific Reports</a>.

The researchers trained sea bream, a type of fish, under either positive or negative conditions. Then, they put the fish in situations intended to evoke an emotional response.

While it’s impossible to measure actual emotions, the scientists monitored the behavioral, neurological, physical and genetic responses to the stimuli. They watched how the fish interacted with or attempted to escape each situation they were placed in, measured levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and assessed activity in areas of the brain believed to be connected to emotions.

They found several changes and reactions indicating that the bream have inner emotional lives. Different fish reacted to the environmental stimuli in different ways, and their hormone levels and brain activity indicated different motivations.

“This is the first time that is shown that fish can trigger physiologic and neuromolecular responses in the central nervous system in response to emotional stimuli based on the significance that that stimulus has for the fish,” Dr. Rui Oliveira, one of the study co-authors, said in a press release.

The scientists believe their results show that humans aren’t the only animals with complex emotional lives.

“Emotions have been described as internal brain states associated with expressive behaviors, which humans experience as feelings,” the researchers wrote. “Since animals cannot report the subjective experience of feelings the assessment of emotional states in animals has to rely on the occurrence of specific behaviors associated with internal central states.”

The sea bream study showed that animals have measurable physical and behavioral responses that indicate that they, too, have feelings, the researchers said.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Image credit: Ines Bravo, <a href="http://www.igc.gulbenkian.pt/">Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia</a>

Researchers study the emotional lives of fish

Do animals have feelings? Fish might, according to a group...

A new study has found that ancient ocean temperatures were actually much colder than scientists had previously thought.

The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, reveals that paleoclimate research may have overestimated water temperatures from one hundred million years ago. 

These results come at a time when understanding how previous ocean temperatures affected climate is more important than ever in predicting the future impact of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-costing-billions/">climate change</a>. 

“Oceans cover 70% of our planet. They play a key role in the earth's climate. Knowing the extent to which their temperatures have varied over geological time is crucial if we are to gain a fuller understanding of how they behave and to predict the consequences of current climate change more accurately,” said Anders Meibom, a professor at the <a href="https://www.unil.ch/central/en/home.html">University of Lausanne</a> and one of the authors of the study. 

It had been commonly thought that ocean temperatures 100 million years ago were 15 degrees warmer than they are today, but now a team of French and Swiss researchers have challenged that theory. 

For the past 50 years paleoclimate research has calculated ancient ocean temperatures by studying sediment core samples that contain foraminifera, tiny marine organisms that form calcareous shells.

Foraminifera shells contain oxygen-18, and by testing for levels of oxygen-18 in the shells, it was thought you could determine the temperatures of the ocean at the time the shell was formed.  

But this is where the researchers feel the methodology is flawed, by focusing solely on oxygen-18. 

The temperature estimates are based on the idea that oxygen-18 levels in the shells stayed constant while the fossils were packed in the layers of sediment. 

Instead, the researchers used a nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometer to run small-scale chemical analyses on foraminifera that were exposed to high temperatures in artificial seawater containing only oxygen-18. 

The levels of oxygen-18 in the shells changed without any visible trace, meaning they are unreliable as a measurement of temperature. 

Instead, the French and Swiss researchers think that measurements of ocean temperatures were overestimated and call into question the years of paleoclimate research based on foraminifera shell calculations, particularly in colder water. 

The researchers now hope to revisit ocean temperatures millions of years ago to see if more accurate measurements can be made. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Ancient oceans were colder than previously thought

A new study has found that ancient ocean temperatures were...

In one of the deadliest natural disasters ever recorded, the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean killed more than 230,000 people – more than any fire or hurricane in history. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/indonesian-sea-cave-history-tsunamis/">Tsunamis</a> are caused by earthquakes, underwater landslides, and volcanic eruptions, and can occur at almost anytime or place near the ocean without much warning.

It now appears that scientists have discovered the earliest record of a person killed by a tsunami, after they found a skull buried in geological sediments carrying the distinctive signs of ancient tsunami activity. The individual is believed to have lived in what is now Papua New Guinea roughly 6,000 years ago.

“If we are right about how this person had died thousands of years ago, we have dramatic proof that living by the sea isn't always a life of beautiful golden sunsets and great surfing conditions,” says John Terrell, one of the study's authors and Regenstein Curator of Pacific Anthropology at <a href="https://www.fieldmuseum.org/">The Field Museum</a>. “Maybe this individual can help us as scientists to convince skeptics today that all of us on earth must take climate change and rising sea levels seriously as the threats they truly are.”

In their paper published in <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>, the researchers reveal that the skull was actually found in 1929, buried in the ground in the northern region of Papua New Guinea. Initially, scientists weren’t exactly sure what to make of its presence. 

“The skull has always been of great archaeological interest because it is one of the few early skeletal remains from the area,” says Mark Golitko of the <a href="https://www.nd.edu/">University of Notre Dame</a> and <a href="https://www.fieldmuseum.org/">The Field Museum</a>. “It was originally thought that the skull belonged to Homo erectus until the deposits were more reliably radiocarbon dated to about 5,000 to 6,000 years. Back then, sea levels were higher and the area would have been just behind the shoreline.”

In 2014, the researchers returned to the exact location where the skull had been found in order to look for new clues as to what had led to that individual’s demise. In their analysis, they found geological similarities between sediments laid down after the 1998 tsunami that hit the same coastline and the sediments in the area that the skull was discovered. This led them to believe that the person in question was either killed by the tsunami, or possibly had their grave exposed in the chaos of the natural disaster.

The researchers point out that this is just further evidence that tsunamis can happen at almost any time or place – as long as your near the coast, of course. Maybe this individual’s 6,000-year-old murder mystery could lead to us taking natural disasters like tsunamis more seriously as we move forward into the future.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

World’s first tsunami victim discovered after 6,000 years

In one of the deadliest natural disasters ever recorded, the...

Air pollution in China is impeding the country’s potential for solar energy production as much as total cloud coverage would, according to a new study. 

When it comes to solar energy production, many studies have examined how much a hindrance clouds have on power generation. But a new study conducted by researchers from <a href="https://www.princeton.edu/">Princeton University</a> is one of the first of its kind to look at the role of pollutants. 

China has been looking to rapidly expand its renewable energy production to meet 10 percent of the country’s electricity demands with solar power alone by the year 2030. 

But <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/china-air-pollution-years/">air pollution</a>, especially in the winter, could thwart these efforts, as pollutants in northern and eastern China reduce the potential for solar production by 1.5 kilowatt-hour per square meter per day. 

Heavy pollution from burning fossil fuels and aerosols linger in the sky and block the sun's rays, impeding optimal solar energy production. 

"Developing countries with severe air pollution that are rapidly expanding solar power, such as China and India, often neglect the role of aerosols in their planning, but it can be an important factor to consider," said Xiaoyuan (Charles) Li, the study's lead author.

The study was published in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and calculates how much solar energy is lost due to heavy pollution. 

To make those calculations, the researchers used a solar photovoltaic performance model and combined that with data from NASA satellites and instruments that analyze aerosol components in the atmosphere. 

The researchers performed nine different analyses spanning from 2003 to 2014, and covered all of China to see how pollution and clouds impacted solar power generation. 

If China wishes to meet its solar power energy goals, then serious considerations will have to be made for reducing pollution and cutting aerosol emissions. Not only does pollution hinder solar potential, but it also can cause many adverse health effects including respiratory disease. 

The researchers hope to expand their focus to other parts of the world including India for their next project .

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandete</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Air pollution hindering China’s solar energy potential

Air pollution in China is impeding the country’s potential for...

Sugar cane harvest

Brazil’s sugarcane crop gets larger every year, and that could be good for the planet.

Sugarcane has become one of the South American country’s top crops – not to use for sugar to be used in food, but to convert into ethanol. That crop has the potential to reduce global carbon dioxide emissions by more than 5 percent, according to an analysis led by Dr. Stephen P. Long of the <a href="http://illinois.edu/">University of Illinois</a>.

Maximizing that potential would take work, said the research team, which included scientists from Brazil’s <a href="http://www5.usp.br/english/?lang=en">University of Sao Paolo</a>. Land use would need to make room for more cane, first of all, they said – fields totaling the size of Texas and California together.

But the sugarcane crop could be expanded without encroaching on environmentally sensitive areas or cutting into crops of human, the researchers said. 

"We've kept the proposed sugarcane production within the area that can be legally converted," Long said in a press release.

The team came to their conclusions by developing a new model to study Brazil’s sugarcane and other agricultural production. They took into account how sugarcane crops behave in various types of soil, with varying amounts of rain, and in other environmental conditions found around the country.

"Most models used to predict future crop production are statistical models that really don't take full account of the way changes in water, carbon dioxide and temperature interact to aect sugarcane production," Long said. "We've used a mechanistic model here that grows the plant, so it's driven by the factors that the plant is responding to on an hourly basis."

They also took into account that Brazil uses every part of the sugarcane crop – even the stem residue is used to power the mill that extracts the ethanol – and the higher efficiency of sugarcane versus corn in producing ethanol.

Converting more of Brazil’s agricultural land to ethanol production could go a long way toward helping the world reach the goals set by the <a href="http://unfccc.int/paris_agreement/items/9485.php">Paris agreement</a> in 2015, which includes working to keep global temperatures no more than 2 degrees Celsius higher than in pre-industrial times. 

Expanding Brazil’s sugarcane crop – and returning fallow sugarcane fields to production in places like Hawaii, the Caribbean and other regions – could put a large dent in that goal, the researchers said.

"The only way we're going to get there is to have a massive reduction in net CO2 emissions," Long said. "No single solution will get us there. We'll need to implement a whole series of incremental steps. We're trying to point out that this could be a very important increment, and one that could be realized in a timely manner.”

The analysis has been published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Image credit: <a href="https://depositphotos.com/">Depositphotos</a> photo by Jaykayl

Brazil's sugarcane crop could help reduce carbon emissions

Brazil’s sugarcane crop gets larger every year, and that could...

A dog that takes a lot of cat naps may just be a little bit smarter than his canine colleagues. Sleeping dogs are better at consolidating memories, including their recall of newly learned skills, a study has found.

 Researchers from Hungary’s <a href="https://www.elte.hu/en/">Eotvos Lorand University</a> taught dogs trained in Hungarian new commands in English. Dogs that were allowed to sleep after the new training remembered the new commands most consistently, they found.

They used EEG monitors to study the dogs’ sleep patterns after they were taught new skills, and found a concentration of “sleep spindles.” The short bursts of brain activity during REM sleep have been associated with memory consolidation and sleep stability in humans and rodent test subjects, too.

The 15 dogs in the study came from a variety of backgrounds. 

“In the present study we used an adjusted version of a detection method previously validated in children to test whether detections in the dogs show equivalent functional correlates as described in the human literature,” the researchers wrote.

They found several similarities, including differences in sleep spindles between the sexes. Like in humans, female dogs showed more “sleep spindle” activity and demonstrated better recall while awake, the researchers said.

They compared the EEG readings from after the dogs learned new commands to readouts from when the sleeping dogs had no stimulation before their nap, and when their pre-nap activity was simply going over skills they already knew. 

The researchers randomly assigned whether a dog would be learning new commands or not during a session. EEG readouts from the non-learning sessions were used as a control.

Previous studies have looked at mice and humans’ brain activity and memory formation during sleep, but this is the first to look at dogs. 

However, as scientists learn more about how sleep affects mammals’ abilities to learn and remember, it offers an insight into how the human brain works. Sleep spindle activity has been linked to mental illness – people with depression tend to have more frequent sleep spindles than others, while those with schizophrenia tend to have fewer, for example. 

The study has been published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-13278-3">Scientific Reports</a>.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

If you want a smarter pet, let sleeping dogs lie

A dog that takes a lot of cat naps may...

What happens when we die? While different theories about the afterlife continue to be debated, recent research has found that the brain continues to operate even after the body has expired. According to a new study, a person may be aware hours after they have been pronounced dead. 

The study, one of the largest of its kind, was conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://med.nyu.edu/">New York University Langone School of Medicine</a> and examined near-death experiences of patients who had been revived. 

Are near death experiences simply the product of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-replay-switching-tasks/">brain</a>, now cut off from oxygen, glitching as brain cells die off?

The researchers found accounts of patients who were technically dead, but would later describe what had been happening around them after being revived, including what the doctors and nurses were saying. 

In order to be pronounced dead, the heart must stop beating. 

“Technically, that's how you get the time of death – it's all based on the moment when the heart stops,” Dr. Sam Parnia, co-author of the study, told <a href="https://www.livescience.com/60593-flatliners-movie-death-resuscitation.html">LiveScience</a>. 

But even though someone’s heart has stopped, cutting off all blood supply and stopping all the major functions and reflexes of the body, there is evidence to show that the brain may still linger for even hours after as brain cells depleted of oxygen start dying. 

This could mean that even when a person is pronounced dead, they could hear their doctor announcing their own time of death. 

Reported near-death experiences share some similarities. People recall an out of body experience, or seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. These experiences have become so commonplace they are often used as cliches and plot devices in fiction and movies. 

This commonality is another reason that Dr. Parnia and colleagues are so invested in learning about the nature of consciousness after a person is pronounced dead. 

“In the same way that a group of researchers might be studying the qualitative nature of the human experience of 'love,' for instance, we're trying to understand the exact features that people experience when they go through death, because we understand that this is going to reflect the universal experience we're all going to have when we die,” Dr. Parnia told LiveScience. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New research shows the brain may be aware even after we die

What happens when we die? While different theories about the...

The inner workings of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/jealousy-root-brain/">brain</a> have been the subject of discussion and study ever since we humans have had the capacity for self-awareness. And while the control center of our bodies is well understood in some areas, there are many where it is not. 

A new study from <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a> (UCL) analyzing the brains of rats during maze runs has found that their brain is able to rapidly switch between operational modes in response to tasks. Furthermore, in replaying remembered experiences, their brains are able to better complete the task at hand.

“We know that the brain replays remembered experiences during rest to extract important information, this consolidation process preserves memories for recall in the future. But replay is also important for planning” says lead researcher, Dr. Freyja Ólafsdóttir of <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">UCL</a> Cell &amp; Developmental Biology.

Her study discovered the first evidence that switching between modes occurs dynamically as a result of the demands of the task, and shows that replay is a necessary spatial behavior.

In this study, rats were put in a Z-shaped track and allowed to run at their own pace. At each corner, rats were awarded food if they took the correct path. While the rats paused at the corners, the research team studied the responses of place cells in the brain’s hippocampus. This area is where planning happens and memories are formed. They also analyzed grid cells in the entorhinal cortex, which is important for consolidation.

The researchers found that when rats had just gotten to the corner or were about to start a new path from the corner, replay in the hippocampus showed navigational planning and decision-making. When the rats rested at corners, replay switched to a state favoring memory consolidation. 

“We saw the rats replaying the path they had just taken or the one that they were about to take. The brain was more engaged and task focused and the animals completed the task more successfully as a result,” explains co-author Dr. Caswell Barry of <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">UCL</a> Cell &amp; Developmental Biology.

They found that when rats rested for long periods of time, their replay still happened at the same rate, but it was less focused and the researchers could see that it featured different parts of the track. They concluded that these rats disengaged from the task and had begun to consolidate past experiences. The results showed that rats whose replay focused on the task at hand were better at navigating the track.

While their results didn’t show a causal link between types of replay and rat behavior, they plan on investigating this further. Replay has “important implications in learning, planning and decision making,” says Ólafsdóttir. “Our next step is to find out if we can disrupt or control this process and if so, how it affects behavior.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Replay in the brain is imperative for switching tasks

The inner workings of the brain have been the subject...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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



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Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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