Who invented the wheel? This question has been a topic of debate for centuries. But because it predates recorded history, the exact inventor of the wheel has remained unknown.



Despite the wheel's undeniable importance in human history, its origins have been shrouded in mystery and speculation. What we do know is that the wheel likely evolved over time from simpler tools.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-redefining-the-origins-of-the-wheel">Redefining the origins of the wheel</h2>



A new study on the evolution of the wheel has pushed the clock back by 6,000 years, offering new and compelling insights into this fascinating puzzle.



This discovery represents an exciting development that shatters the conventional timeline, moving it far beyond the previously accepted era of 4000 BC in ancient <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mesopotamian-bricks-reveal-anomaly-in-earths-magnetic-field-3000-years-ago/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mesopotamia</a>.



It was during that period when the wheel was first recognized as an essential tool, initially used in pottery-making and preceding the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bronze-age-teeth-discovery-highlight-the-evolution-of-the-human-diet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bronze Age</a> innovation of wheeled vehicles by centuries.



This newfound understanding prompts a reevaluation of how early humans harnessed rotational technology and its transformative impact on the trajectory of human civilization.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-development-of-rotational-tools">Development of rotational tools</h2>



The spotlight is now shining on an archaeological discovery in Israel that has potentially rewritten this humble invention’s history and shifted our understanding of early human ingenuity.



Over a hundred perforated pebbles - primarily composed of limestone and bearing a circular shape with a central hole - were unearthed at the Nahal-Ein Gev II site, a location that has already provided valuable insights into <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/prehistoric-women-were-not-just-gatherers-they-were-hunters-too/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">prehistoric</a> life.



This extraordinary find represents a key milestone in the development of rotational tools, including our beloved wheel, and emphasizes the sophisticated craftsmanship and resourcefulness of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/kids-in-hunter-gatherer-stone-age-societies-had-better-parenting-than-modern-children/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">early societies</a>.



It reveals not only the ingenuity behind these tools but also hints at the broader implications for the evolution of technology and innovation in human history.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-invention-of-a-wheel-shaped-tool">Invention of a wheel-shaped tool</h2>



What's astonishing is that these ancient stones date back to approximately 12,000 years, far surpassing any previously known examples. 



Scholars from the <a href="https://en.huji.ac.il/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hebrew University of Jerusalem</a> suggest that these stones served as spindle whorls - round weighted objects attached to a spindle stick.



This tool was instrumental in gathering fibers such as wool and spinning them into yarn, demonstrating the human use of rotation with a wheel-shaped tool.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-first-wheels-in-form-and-function">The first wheels in form and function </h2>



Professor Leore Grosman emphasized the importance of these artifacts, describing them as early examples of wheel-shaped tools connected to a rotating axle.



"These perforated stones are actually the first wheels in form and function - a round object with a hole in the center connected to a rotating axle, used long before the appearance of the wheel for transportation purposes," said Professor Grosman.



This early use eventually paved the way for more advanced wheel-based rotational inventions, including the renowned potter's wheel and, later, the significantly useful cart wheel.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fingerprints-of-prehistoric-innovation">Fingerprints of prehistoric innovation</h2>



"The most important aspect of the study is how modern technology allows us to delve deep into touching the fingerprints of the prehistoric craftsman, then learn something new about them and their innovativeness, and at the same time, about our modern technology and how we're linked," noted the researchers.



Their study embodies the "wheel and axle" concept, a revolutionary mechanism that triggered technology's transformation from linear to rotary motion.



The paper concludes that the ancient origins tied to the carts' prominence during the Bronze Age now focus on a much-earlier wheel-shaped tool.



So, the next time you marvel at the complexity of modern machinery, remember its connection to these humble stones from 12,000 years ago, and appreciate the role of human innovation throughout the ages.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-ingenuity-and-innovation">Human ingenuity and innovation</h2>



This discovery not only enriches our understanding of early <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/400000-year-old-stone-tools-show-technological-adaptations-of-prehistoric-humans/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">technological advancements</a> but also illustrates the seamless progression from simple tools to complex mechanisms.



The spindle whorls unearthed at Nahal-Ein Gev II showcase the fundamental principles of rotational technology, a concept that would eventually lead to the wheel's application in pottery, transportation, and machinery.



By examining these early developments, researchers draw parallels between ancient creativity and modern technology, highlighting the continuous thread of human ingenuity through the ages.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://search.app?link=https%3A%2F%2Fjournals.plos.org%2Fplosone%2Farticle%3Fid%3D10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0312007&amp;utm_campaign=aga&amp;utm_source=agsadl2%2Csh%2Fx%2Fgs%2Fm2%2F4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Plos One</a>.



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Who invented the wheel? It all started with stones

Who invented the wheel? This question has been a topic of debate for centuries. But because it predates recorded history, the exact inventor of the wheel has remained unknown. Despite the wheel's undeniable importance in human history, its origins have been shrouded in mystery and speculation. What we do know is that the wheel likely evolved over time from simpler tools. Redefining the origins of the wheel A new study on the evolution of the wheel has pushed the clock back by 6,000 years, offering new and...

Scientists are developing sensor-based smart labels that are capable of alerting consumers when food is spoiled or contaminated. The devices have also been used to authenticate wine and tea, and have the potential to detect unsuitable cosmetics or locate natural antioxidants in remote regions of the world. 

The smart labels are paper-based, making them portable and inexpensive. They also feature a user friendly interface and have demonstrated outstanding analytical performance during testing. Silvana Andreescu, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science at <a href="https://www.clarkson.edu/">Clarkson University</a> and lead author of the study.

"I've always been interested in developing technologies that are accessible to both industry and the general population," said Andreescu. "My lab has built a versatile sensing platform that incorporates all the needed reagents for detection in a piece of paper. At the same time, it is adaptable to different targets, including food contaminants, antioxidants and free radicals that indicate spoilage."

According to Andreescu, these sensors are better than comparable devices due to the efficiency of the nanostructures that catch and bind to compounds they're looking for.

"Most people working on similar sensors use solutions that migrate on channels," said Andreescu. "We use stable, inorganic particles that are redox active. When they interact with the substances we want to detect, they change color, and the intensity of the change tells us how concentrated the analyte is."

The scientists have worked with the sensors extensively to detect antioxidants in tea and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cork-vs-screw-cap-wine/">wine</a>. They have found that these products have unique antioxidant "fingerprints" that could be used for authentication purposes. Andreescu pointed out that the portable sensors could also be used to identify natural sources of antioxidants in remote locations such as the Amazon rainforest.

Andreescu’s team recently explored the capability of the devices to detect food contamination and environmental pollutants. One sensor prototype can spot ochratoxin A, a fungal toxin which is frequently found in products such as cereal and coffee. Further research may enable the detection mechanisms to recognize salmonella and E. coli.

Currently, the experts are creating sensors that change colors when food and cosmetics go bad. Andreescu said this technology could ultimately be used to tell consumers when to throw products out.

The findings of this study will be presented today at the 254th National Meeting &amp; Exposition of the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a>. A video on the research is available at <a href="http://bit.ly/acssensors">http://bit.ly/acssensors</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New smart labels will tell you when to throw out food

Scientists are developing sensor-based smart labels that are capable of...

Scientists are developing clothing to keep members of the military more comfortable in cold climates. The high-tech, self-heating fabric will be designed to capture sweat and heat up with power. 

Military clothing can be bulky and heavy, and often intensifies sweating which can lead to dehydration and heatstroke. In addition, soldiers often experience numbness in their hands and feet when exposed to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cold-imagery-control-mind/">cold temperatures</a>. 

Most military gloves were designed over 30 years ago, and the lack of updated hand gear can create unsafe circumstances. For example, paratroopers may lose feeling in their hands and feet in freezing conditions. Lead researcher Paola D'Angelo explained that even modern store-bought gloves do not solve this issue.


"That's problematic if soldiers have to operate weapons as soon as they land," said D'Angelo. "So we want to pursue this fundamental research to see if we can modify hand wear for that extreme cold weather."

A research team at <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a> led by Yi Cui, Ph.D., conducted a previous study for which they synthesized very fine silver nanowires and then placed a network of the wires on cotton. The researchers were able to heat the fabric by applying power to the nanowires.

D'Angelo’s team at the <a href="http://www.nsrdec.army.mil/">U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development &amp; Engineering Center</a> are expanding upon the silver nanowire concept to create fabrics which are ideal for military uniforms. They are using material such as polyester and a cotton/nylon blend. 

The current research revealed that the application of small, 3-volt swatches of fabric raised the temperature by 100 degrees Fahrenheit in a single minute. In other words, these swatches were effective using the power output of a watch battery.

Soldiers would be able to adjust the heat according to weather conditions. Uniforms would be thinner and lighter, which is a major advantage for military personnel. The scientists are also testing the integration of a layer of sweat-absorbing hydrogel particles made of polyethylene glycol to see if this may help keep the uniforms dry. 

The nanowires on these fabrics can be washed repeatedly, and the researchers are exploring ways to ensure the hydrogel is also resilient. Next, the team will analyze how the silver mesh and hydrogel interact with each other and test out various power source options in an effort to keep the gloves light.

After the fabric is perfected, it may be used for gear to cover the chest and legs. The clothing may eventually be available to the general public as well. The results of the study will be presented at the 254th National Meeting &amp; Exposition of the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a>. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New self-heating fabric could help the military stay warm

Scientists are developing clothing to keep members of the military...

Optogenetics is an elegant science that uses a biological technique to control neurons in the brain and effectively turn them into light switches. It is a common practice that uses light sensitive proteins, like the matter found in glowing algae and other bioluminescent organisms, called opsins and places them in specific neurons using gene therapy techniques. Now, a new study has uncovered how the brain creates the itching sensation, which could potentially help those suffering from chronic itching conditions. 

Itching is an important response in humans and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-first-appeared-earth/">animals</a>, but for those who have skin conditions or liver disease, chronic itching can be seriously damaging to overall well-being. It can even cause scarring if scratching isn’t controlled. 

The study from the <a href="http://www.ion.ac.cn/">Institute of Neuroscience of the Chinese Academy of Sciences</a> has now found a way to isolate the exact pathway from the spinal cord to the brain that creates the physical itch response. 

“In this study, we revealed a long-range neural circuit that is critical for transmitting itch signal from the spinal cord to brain,” said Dr. Sun Yangang, lead author of the study. 

The research found that there are two crucial components to the itch mechanism and processing itch sensations in the brain: parabrachial nucleus (PBN) in the brain and spinal neurons with a chemical known as GRPR (gastrin-releasing peptide receptor). 

The researchers used optogenetics to make the spinal neurons GRPR sensitive to light, and when the light was applied to the neurons, the researchers tracked the itch sensation as it traveled through the spine to the parabrachial nucleus. 

The researchers also found that by turning off the GRPR neurons with light, the itch sensation was suppressed. The findings could ultimately lead to new treatment and therapies for chronic itching conditions in humans. 

---

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Breakthrough could lead to better treatment for itching

Optogenetics is an elegant science that uses a biological technique...

Many people prefer to add water to their whisky yet no one really knows why this makes the drink taste better. But now, researchers explain how a splash of water improves the aroma and taste of whisky by pushing flavor compounds to the surface.

Whisky is a complex mixture of hundreds of compounds. One compound in particular, guaiacol, is responsible for giving whisky its smoky flavor. Chemists Bjorn Karlsson and Ran Friedman of <a href="https://lnu.se/en/">Linnaeus University</a> set out to model the molecular composition of whisky and observe the interaction of water, ethanol, and guaiacol. 

The team used computer simulations to observe how guaiacol behaves in different concentrations of alcohol. The researchers were able to determine that diluting whisky by at least 45 percent boosted the guaiacol to the surface and improved the taste. Diluting the whisky up to 27 percent increased the density of guaiacol at the surface by more than a third.

“Our simulations revealed that guaiacol is present at the air-liquid interface at ethanol concentrations that correspond to the alcohol content of bottled or diluted whiskies,” explained the study co-authors. “Because the drink is consumed at the interface first, our findings help to understand why adding water to whisky helps to enhance its taste.”

At concentrations of over 59 percent, the ethanol interacted more strongly with guaiacol and the molecules were pushed down into the liquid away from the surface. This showed the authors that “the taste of guaiacol is less pronounced at high alcohol concentrations, which explains why dilution of cask-strength whiskies results in a change in the sensory effects of the whisky.”

The findings of the study, published this week in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>, may be used to optimize the flavor of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alcohol-abuse-united-states/">spirits</a>. 

“Overall, there is a fine balance between diluting the whisky to taste and diluting the whisky to waste,” said the authors. “This balance will depend on the concentration and types of taste compounds that are characteristic for each whisky. Similar considerations can be used to optimize the alcohol concentration of other spirits including gin, rum and brandy.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

A splash of water improves the taste of whisky

Many people prefer to add water to their whisky yet...

Bug feces are causing quite a stink in the scientific community. Research surrounding excrements of different insects in the animal kingdom has found that bug feces serve a myriad of purposes including protection, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/friendly-bonobos-aggressive-mating/">choosing a mate</a>, a homing device, nutrients, camouflage, and building materials. 

The most exciting discovery is that some insect feces contain compounds which could potentially serve a role in warding off resistance to antibiotics.   

A piece originally published in <a href="http://theconversation.com/the-hidden-secrets-of-insect-poop-81908">The Conversation</a> details the extraordinary variety of ways bugs use their own excrement to aid in their day to day survival. For example, the tortoise beetle coats itself in a covering of fecal matter that serves a type of protective shield, and pine weevils place fecal matter near their eggs to deter predators. 

The fertilizing properties of feces are well known, and members of the animal kingdom such as ants also take advantage of these properties. 

These are just a few examples of how insects use their poop as a tool, unlike most animals who specifically defecate away from their nesting, feeding, and sleeping areas. 

The research revolving around insect excrement also delves into the healing properties that could potentially help with everything from cancer research, anti-inflammatory uses, to aiding in new antibiotics that combat antimicrobial resistance. 

Antibiotic resistance is a quickly growing concern within the medical community, with some infections proving resistant to multiple drugs. 

Superbugs, as they are sometimes referred, are microorganisms that change over time as they are exposed to antimicrobial drugs and eventually build up a resistance to them. 

The healing properties of insect feces could help scientists develop new antimicrobials and probiotics for these drug-resistant infections.

--

&nbsp;

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Bug feces could help fight resistance to antibiotics

Bug feces are causing quite a stink in the scientific...

The Cretaceous period, the one with all the dinosaurs, was a long geological era that started 145 million years ago and lasted 77 million years. During this time, life thrived with huge winged animals, dinosaurs, diverse plant life, along with the beginnings of flowering plants, peak sea levels, and a very different grouping of the continents than what we see today. It is also a period that ended, famously, with the mass extinction event that destroyed the dinosaurs. But recently, a team of researchers from <a href="http://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a> working in Myanmar discovered 100 million year-old flowers from the Cretaceous period in perfectly preserved in fossilized amber. This discovery is said to be the largest collection from this era to be studied in one analysis. 

The flowers are a new species of petal-less flowers and are so perfectly preserved in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insect-fossils-indian-amber/">ancient amber</a> samples that they look like they could have been picked yesterday. 

“The amber preserved the floral parts so well that they look like they were just picked from the garden,” said George Poinar Jr, a professor at Oregon State University’s College of Science.

The seven flowers in all measure around 4 millimeters wide and are predicted to have fallen from the branches of an araucaria tree and into a resin, which hardened and fossilized to preserved the flowers. 

The species have been named Tropidogyne pentaptera from the greek for five (penta) and wing (pteron). They are close to another species discovered from the Cretaceous period in similar fashion, Tropodogyne Pikei, but these seven flowers are a wholly different discovery.

“The new species has spreading, veiny sepals, a necar disc, and a ribbed inferior ovary like T. pikei, But it’s different in that its bicarpellate, with two elongated and slender styles, and the ribs of its inferior ovary don’t have darkly pigmented terminal glands like T. Pikei,” said Poinar. 

The discovery of the flowers is an exciting one, especially with the proposed image of a dinosaur like T-Rex bumping into the araucaria tree and causing the flowers to land in their amber tomb for hundreds of millions of years. It also helps to better paint the picture of what the Earth was like during the Mesozoic Era. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: <a href="http://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a>

New species of flower discovered in 100 million year-old amber

The Cretaceous period, the one with all the dinosaurs, was...

Memory formation and recall are two processes that scientists thought were completed in the same part of the brain. When the brain forms a new memory, it stores that information in neural clusters that connect parts of the hippocampus, and each cluster might represent a different sensation of the memory such as emotion or location at the time it was formed. 

Neuroscientists thought that when recalling those memories, the same parts of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/reverse-effecs-aging-brain/">brain</a> that stored the memory would be activated. But a new study from the <a href="http://web.mit.edu/">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a> has found that the brain activates a different part of the hippocampus and takes a sort of detour to access the original memory. 

Memory traces known as engrams are formed when neuron clusters are activated. This occurs with cells in a section of the hippocampus known as CA1, and the entorhinal cortex and between these two sections lies the subiculum. 

The subiculum has been studied very little in the past, but researchers found that the subiculum is a crucial component of memory recall and opening up the proper channels to connect and activate the clusters where the memory is stored. 

Susumu Tonegawa, lead author of the study and a professor of biology and neuroscience at the <a href="https://picower.mit.edu/">Picower Institute for Learning and Memory</a>, and a team of researchers studied the subiculum in mice that were genetically engineered so the subiculum neurons could be turned on or off using a light. 

The researchers tested fear responses and memory recall in mice by placing the mice in a chamber and gave the mice a small electric shock. When the researchers inhibited the subiculum during the fear conditioning process, it had no effect on memory formation. If the mice were placed back in the chamber, subiculum uninhibited, the mice would show a fear response. Another group of mice were put back in the chamber and their subiculum neurons were inhibited after the initial shock. These mice indicated no fear response which shows that their memory recall ability was hindered. 

The study shows that memory formation and memory recall are independent of each other, and memory recall is only enabled when a direct circuit detour is taken to connect the CA1 and the entorhinal cortex.

“This study addresses one of the most fundamental questions in brain research -- namely how episodic memories are formed and retrieved -- and provides evidence for an unexpected answer: differential circuits for retrieval and formation,” said Susumu Tonegawa.  

Understanding how these two distinct parts of the hippocampal structure are needed for memory formation and recall has revealed more information about the previously little-studied subiculum. This, in turn, could prove promising for research involving memory recall in those with Alzheimer's disease. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a>, Staff Writer

Memory formation and recall are very different processes

Memory formation and recall are two processes that scientists thought...

What exactly is in your tap <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-inexpensive-treatment-can-quickly-remove-bpa-water/">water</a>? That’s probably a thought that has crossed the minds of many people as they turn on their sink – especially with the prevalence of drinking water problems in areas like Flint, Michigan. Even if you have a filter attached to your sink head, or a filtered pitcher in your fridge, you’d like to think you can rely on the water that comes into your home to not get you sick.

A recent study from <a href="http://drexel.edu/">Drexel University</a> has found that cloudy drinking water has been linked to increased cases of gastrointestinal illness, even if it’s within the limits allowed by some cities. In a review of past studies concerning cities in North America and Europe, this analysis found associations between acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) and water turbidity. 

“More than 10 studies found a link between water turbidity and AGI incidence,” says Anneclaire De Roos, an associate professor at <a href="http://drexel.edu/">Drexel University</a>. “These results suggest that exposures through drinking water caused a low but detectable number of AGI cases in the regions and time periods studied. There is no clear, alternative explanation for the patterns of associations – particularly when a similar pattern was seen multiple times.”

The turbidity, or cloudiness, in water is often caused by material floating in it. This has led scientists to think that undissolved particles may actually be providing protection for harmful pathogens against disinfectants. These pathogens that cause AGI include norovirus, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium. In the United States alone, there are an estimated 12 to 16.4 million AGI cases every year.

Cloudiness might also be evidence of runoff affecting water sources. The runoff could contain harmful pathogens that lead to AGIs as well. So to look into whether or not turbidity is an indicator of pathogens in drinking water sources, the researchers analyzed a number of studies on the topic.

The general strategy of the studies was to link turbidity levels with the amount of people who reported having an AGI on a day-by-day basis. In analyzing this data, De Roos determined that the turbidity of drinking water had a defined link to AGI in multiple studies, and not just when there was increased cloudiness.

“As expected, the association between turbidity and AGI was found in cities with relatively high turbidity levels, often in unfiltered drinking water supplies,” says De Roos. “The findings that go against the conventional wisdom are the associations between turbidity and AGI that were seen at very low levels of turbidity – levels lower than the regulatory limits.”

One of the cities studied was Philadelphia, where there had been previous reports of drinking water turbidity and AGI in children and the elderly. 

However, there were some differences between the studies in the levels of turbidity that were linked to AGI. De Roos believes that future research should have a more enhanced focus on the specific conditions under which turbidity leads to AGI.

“For example, given a similar range of turbidity, is the association with AGI restricted to a certain season or certain climatic conditions, such as periods of heavy rainfall?” De Roos asks. “Furthermore, does the association disappear if a different treatment method is used – like UV disinfection versus chlorination alone?”

If research becomes more focused on these conditions, it may help city utilities better monitor their data in order to prepare for periods where contamination risk is higher. 

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Cloudy drinking water puts people at increased risk for illness

What exactly is in your tap water? That’s probably a...

Saturday, August 12th was World Elephant Day, but most people can’t help but be captivated by elephants all year long. Elephants possess a mystical status in some religions, and since they’ve become endangered, many worldwide conservation efforts are now underway to help better ensure the survival of the species. They may be the world’s largest land mammal, but elephant behaviors and family structure are actually very similar to humans. Elephants are also highly sensitive, social, and extremely intelligent. Now, thanks to a new project meant to help raise awareness, you can actually speak elephant. 

The project, <a href="https://www.helloinelephant.com/">Hello in Elephant,</a> allows users to translate phrases into elephant and send them to friends and family via social media. Elephant language has been studied for so long that experts have found patterns and similarities that follow basic human language markers like greetings, shows of affection and acknowledgment, and warnings about nearby danger or distress. 

“Elephants are so like us and they have so many of the same kind of behaviors and characteristics as humans do, even down to their language which you can translate,” said Robert Brandford, the Executive Director of the<a href="https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/"> David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust</a> that developed the project and tool.

The program works by translating phrases into genuine recorded elephant calls in Kenya. The tool also shows a short accompanying video of an animated elephant mimicking the gestures that an elephant would do while making certain calls, lifting the trunk while saying “hello” for example. 

The elephant’s threatened status has much to do with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/endangered-species-location-data-risk/">poachers</a> who hunt elephants for their tusks and big game hunters. Hello in Elephant accepts donations to help combat these dangerous practices and protect elephant sanctuaries and habitats. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New tool allows humans to speak elephant language

Saturday, August 12th was World Elephant Day, but most people...

The element lithium (Li) was discovered in the 1800s, and has since been used in a variety of ways – including as a medication in psychiatric treatments and as a component of nuclear weapons. However, in the age of laptops, cell phones, and electric cars, lithium-ion batteries are now an everyday necessity for the developed world – and demand continues to rise.

A vast majority of the lithium used in making lithium-ion batteries comes from Chile and Australia, where they are mined from brine deposits in high-altitude salt flats and from pegmatite deposits respectively. But a new study published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a> now says that there may be a new method for extracting lithium here in the United States. Researchers believe that there are significant deposits of lithium in the remnants of supervolcanoes across the U.S.

When supervolcanoes erupt, they produce hundreds to thousands of cubic kilometers of magma. Once the smoke has cleared, they remain as enormous holes in the ground, known as calderas. These holes often fill up with water and form lakes – such as Crater Lake in Oregon. Over long periods of time – often tens of thousands of years – lithium leaches from the remains of the volcano into the water. The lithium then becomes concentrated in a clay called hectorite.

“The caldera is the ideal depositional basin for all this lithium,” says lead author Thomas Benson, a recent PhD graduate at <a href="https://earth.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a>. “We’ve had a gold rush, so we know how, why and where gold occurs, but we never had a lithium rush. The demand for lithium has outpaced the scientific understanding of the resource, so it’s essential for the fundamental science behind these resources to catch up.”

The study shows how researchers have found a way to identify which supervolcanoes contain the most abundant sources of lithium. They analyzed tiny bits of magma trapped in crystals that grew within the magma chamber – which allows them to access the original concentrations of lithium and other elements prior to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/volcanoes-erupt-next/">eruption</a>.

In taking samples at sites everywhere from Oregon to Mexico, they found that lithium concentrations were widely varied relative to the tectonic setting of the supervolcano. 

“If you have a lot of magma erupting, it doesn’t have to have as much lithium in it to produce something that is worthy of economic interest as we previously thought,” explains Gail Mahood, professor of geological sciences at <a href="https://earth.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a>. “You don’t need extraordinarily high concentrations of lithium in the magma to form lithium deposits and reserves.”

While analyzing the samples for other elements, the researchers came across trace elements that expressed a useful correlation with lithium concentration, allowing them to use these elements as a proxy for finding lithium concentration.

All of this work may eventually help the United States build its own lithium supply, allowing us to become more energy-independent as the developed world moves more towards electric cars.

“We’re going to have to use electric vehicles and large storage batteries to decrease our carbon footprint,” Mahood said. “It’s important to identify lithium resources in the U.S. so that our supply does not rely on single companies or countries in a way that makes us subject to economic or political manipulation.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Supervolcanoes could be the future of electric energy

The element lithium (Li) was discovered in the 1800s, and...

Researchers have determined that the dinosaur known as Chilesaurus could be the “missing link” that shows how the major divide happened between herbivorous and carnivorous dinosaurs. The unusual creature looked like a meat-eating raptor, but was actually a plant-eating dinosaur.

While most dinosaurs were herbivores, theropods such as Tyrannosaurus were lizard-hipped carnivores. Researchers initially had a difficult time classifying Chilesaurus, a dinosaur first discovered in southern Chile. He had a collection of characteristics that made him resemble both plant-eaters and meat-eaters.

"Chilesaurus almost looks like it was stitched together from different animals, which is why it baffled everybody," said first author Matthew Baron.

Scientists from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> and the <a href="https://nhm.org/">Natural History Museum</a> used a comprehensive dataset to analyze over 450 anatomical features of dinosaurs in order to fit Chilesaurus into the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/volcanic-activity-led-dawn-dinosaurs/">dinosaur</a> family tree.

First identified in 2015, the Chilesaurus lived about 150 million years ago during the Late Jurassic Period. Its head looked like that of carnivorous dinosaurs, but it had the flat teeth of plant-eaters.

Earlier research placed Chilesaurus into the group Theropoda, but the new study suggests that it was an early member of a completely different group known as Ornithischia. This may help researchers understand the origins of Ornithischia, which includes Stegosaurus, Triceratops and Iguanodon.

This group of dinosaurs had several physical characteristics in common. Most distinctively, they had an inverted, bird-like hip structure and a type of beak for eating. Chilesaurus had the bird-like hips and flat teeth for eating plants, yet it did not have the beak structure. This was a very significant discovery.

"Before this, there were no transitional specimens - we didn't know what order these characteristics evolved in," said Baron. "This shows that in bird-hipped dinosaurs, the gut evolved first, and the jaws evolved later - it fills the gap quite nicely."

The researchers say that there is still a lot to learn about the family tree of dinosaurs.

"There was a split in the dinosaur family tree, and the two branches took different evolutionary directions," said Baron. "This seems to have happened because of change in diet for Chilesaurus. It seems it became more advantageous for some of the meat eating dinosaurs to start eating plants, possibly even out of necessity."

The study, published in <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/">Nature</a>, suggests that bird-hipped dinosaurs and lizard-hipped dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus evolved from a common ancestor. This would disrupt over a century of theory about the evolutionary history of dinosaurs.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Missing link found between herbivorous and carnivorous dinosaurs

Researchers have determined that the dinosaur known as Chilesaurus could...

For some time, it has been understood that different behavioral traits between genders are linked to the brain and inherited genetics. But new research has revealed that gender behavioral traits can also be adapted from social environments and passed down through generations. 

The findings show a shift that differs from the currently accepted models that traits are inherited genetically. 

The study, performed by researchers at <a href="http://www.unimelb.edu.au/">University of Melbourne</a>, the <a href="http://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>, and <a href="https://english.tau.ac.il/">Tel-Aviv University</a>, was published in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences.

These adapted gender traits can be learned through culture or social context and then passed down through generations. So multi-generational behavioral traits might be explained more aptly through inherited socio-environmental conditions rather than genetic makeup. 

“Even in non-human mammals, adaptive traits that have reliably developed in offspring for thousands of years can disappear within a few generations, if the relevant environmental conditions change,” said John Dupré, a professor from the University of Exeter. 

Cultural norms are a huge part of how we adapt to our environment, and pre-existing, societal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eyes-important-feature/">gender</a> norms have been a pervasive part of our culture. The researchers discuss how this might contribute to how we are hardwired to adapt to and inherit socio-environmental conditions rather than through genetics alone. 

“Masculine and feminine behaviors cannot be explained by the existence of male and female brains, as has previously been suggested. Our research suggests that intergenerational inheritance of gender-specific traits may better be explained by highly stable features of the social environment,” said professor Daphna Joel from Tel-Aviv University. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Gender behavior can be inherited through social environment

For some time, it has been understood that different behavioral...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" 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.igb.illinois.edu/">Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology</a> reveals how scientists can modify common crops like soybean, rice, and wheat to protect them from heat stress.



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" 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 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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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

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...