Exercise is well known for its broad health benefits, from strengthening muscles and bones to supporting heart and immune health. Now, a team of engineers from MIT has uncovered a new benefit: exercise can directly promote neuron growth.



Led by <a href="https://www.mit.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MIT</a>’s Ritu Raman, a recent study shows that contracting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/muscles-defy-aging-with-remarkable-resilience/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">muscles</a> release biochemical signals, or myokines, which significantly enhance neuron growth.&nbsp;



When neurons were exposed to these muscle-generated signals, they grew four times farther than those without exposure. This discovery could pave the way for new therapies focused on nerve repair and regeneration.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-muscle-nerve-communication">Muscle-nerve communication</h2>



This study provides the first evidence that physical activity itself can stimulate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-find-a-way-to-regenerate-old-neurons/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">neuron growth</a> as effectively as biochemical signals from muscles.&nbsp;



While prior research hinted at a connection between muscles and nerve growth, MIT’s study goes further, revealing the powerful role both biochemical and physical effects play.&nbsp;



The research, published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.202403712" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Advanced Healthcare Materials</a>, highlights the essential link between muscle and nerve health and could have applications for therapies aimed at restoring nerve function.



“Now that we know this muscle-nerve crosstalk exists, it can be useful for treating things like nerve injury, where communication between nerve and muscle is cut off,” said Raman, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at MIT.&nbsp;



“Maybe if we stimulate the muscle, we could encourage the nerve to heal, and restore mobility to those who have lost it due to traumatic injury or neurodegenerative diseases.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-muscles-influence-nerve-growth">Muscles influence nerve growth</h2>



In previous work, Raman’s team helped restore mobility in mice with traumatic muscle injuries by implanting new muscle tissue at the site of the injury and then stimulating it with light.&nbsp;



Over time, this exercised muscle tissue produced certain biochemicals that promoted blood vessel and nerve growth, restoring function in injured areas. 



This finding suggested muscles could influence nerve growth, and it led Raman’s team to explore whether muscle-generated signals might directly support nerve growth.



To isolate muscle responses, they engineered mouse muscle tissue that would contract when exposed to light. 



Using a special gel mat that supports muscle tissue without detachment, the team stimulated muscle contractions, allowing the tissue to release a blend of myokines - biochemical messengers including proteins and RNA.



“Muscles are pretty much always secreting myokines, but when you exercise them, they make more,” Raman explained. After collecting this solution, the team introduced it to motor neurons to observe how they might respond.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-biochemical-signals-and-neuron-growth">Biochemical signals and neuron growth</h2>



The team applied the myokine solution to motor neurons derived from mouse stem cells. 



Observing their behavior, the experts found that the neurons quickly extended, growing four times faster and farther than those not exposed to myokines.



“They grow much farther and faster, and the effect is pretty immediate,” Raman said.



A closer genetic analysis of the neurons showed that the myokines stimulated genes not only related to growth but also to neuronal maturation and function.



“We saw that many of the genes up-regulated in the exercise-stimulated neurons were not only related to neuron growth, but also neuron maturation, how well they talk to muscles and other nerves, and how mature the axons are,” Raman explained.&nbsp;



“Exercise seems to impact not just neuron growth but also how mature and well-functioning they are.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-physical-movement-alone-promotes-growth">Physical movement alone promotes growth</h2>



The researchers next wondered if neurons could respond similarly to exercise’s mechanical impacts without biochemical cues.&nbsp;



“Neurons are physically attached to muscles, so they are also stretching and moving with the muscle,” Raman said.&nbsp;



Using a gel mat embedded with tiny magnets, the team simulated mechanical stretching on a different set of neurons, “exercising” them by gently moving the mat back and forth.



Remarkably, this mechanical stimulation resulted in neuron growth similar to that induced by myokines. The findings suggest that exercise’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-in-a-pill-is-now-closer-to-reality/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">physical impacts</a> may directly encourage neuron growth. 



“That’s a good sign because it tells us both biochemical and physical effects of exercise are equally important,” Raman said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-restoring-mobility">Implications for restoring mobility</h2>



This breakthrough in understanding how muscles influence neurons opens new therapeutic possibilities for nerve repair and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coffee-grounds-could-help-prevent-neurodegenerative-diseases/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">neurodegenerative conditions</a>.&nbsp;



By using targeted muscle stimulation, researchers hope to develop treatments for conditions such as ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases that affect nerve function. 



“This is just our first step toward understanding and controlling exercise as medicine,” Raman said.



With growing evidence that exercise supports nerve health on multiple levels, researchers are now focused on exploring the potential for exercise-based therapies to restore function and mobility for those affected by nerve damage or degeneration.&nbsp;



These findings highlight the powerful role exercise could play in future neurotherapeutic approaches.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-ralls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric Ralls</a> and Earth.com.



-----

Exercise fuels neuron growth through muscle signals

Exercise is well known for its broad health benefits, from strengthening muscles and bones to supporting heart and immune health. Now, a team of engineers from MIT has uncovered a new benefit: exercise can directly promote neuron growth. Led by MIT’s Ritu Raman, a recent study shows that contracting muscles release biochemical signals, or myokines, which significantly enhance neuron growth.&nbsp; When neurons were exposed to these muscle-generated signals, they grew four times farther than those without exposure. This discovery could pave the way for new therapies focused...

Humans arrived in Australia about 65,000 years ago, over than 10,000 years earlier than scientists had previously believed, according to a new study.

The findings call into question the argument that humans caused the extinction of unique animals such as giant kangaroos, wombats, and tortoises more than 45,000 years ago, the authors said.

"Previously it was thought that humans arrived and hunted them out or disturbed their habits, leading to extinction, but these dates confirm that people arrived so far before that they wouldn't be the central cause of the death of megafauna," said Ben Marwick, co-author of the study and <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a> Associate Professor of Anthropology. "It shifts the idea of humans charging into the landscape and killing off the megafauna. It moves toward a vision of humans moving in and coexisting, which is quite a different view of human evolution."

Researchers using radiocarbon dating and optical stimulated luminescence (OSL) to evaluate artifacts found in various layers of settlement at Madjedbebe, a rock shelter in Australia's Northern Territory.

Among the artifacts discovered were ochre "crayons" and other pigments, what could be the world's oldest edge-ground hatchets, and evidence that early humans ground seeds and processed plants. The pigments could have been used as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/solar-paint-hydrogen-water-vapor/">paint</a>, while the tools may have been used to cut food.

Scientists determined the age range using OSL, which can tell the last time a grain of sand was exposed to sunlight, even up to 100,000 years prior.

The Madjedbebe findings not only reveal that humans occupied Australia at least 65,000 years ago, but also provide further support to the theory that Homo sapiens evolved in Africa before dispersing to other continents, Marwick said.

The findings also show that Neanderthals and Denisovans overlapped with humans for a long period of time, and suggest a larger role for Australia in the backstory of humankind, Marwick added.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a>

Humans arrived in Australia earlier than previously believed

Humans arrived in Australia about 65,000 years ago, over than...

A new study has found that people who are genetically susceptible to Alzheimer's disease also face a greater risk of lower cognition from sleep-disordered breathing.

According to the study, published in the journal <a href="http://www.atsjournals.org/toc/annalsats/current">Annals of the American Thoracic Society</a>, individuals with the ε4 allele, an alternative form of the APOE gene that supports injury repair in the brain, have a higher chance of Alzheimer's disease. An estimated 20 percent of people carry the ε4 allele.

The new study evaluated whether the APOE-ε4 allele gene also influences the link between sleep-disordered breathing and cognition. The authors defined sleep-disordered breathing based the number of stopped or shallow breaths per hour.

Poorer attention and memory and daytime <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/perfect-meal-sleep-better-night/">sleepiness</a> were more strongly associated with APOE-ε4 carriers, the new study found.

Screening and treating sleep-disordered breathing could help reduce a person's risk of dementia, especially if they carry APOE-ε4, said the study’s senior author, Susan Redline of <a href="https://hms.harvard.edu/">Harvard Medical School</a>.

“Our study provides further evidence that sleep-disordered breathing negatively affects attention, processing speed and memory, which are robust predictors of cognitive decline,” Redline said. “Given the lack of effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease, our results support the potential for sleep-disordered breathing screening and treatment as part of a strategy to reduce dementia risk."

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.thoracic.org/">American Thoracic Society</a>

Sleep disorders could cause cognition problems due to this gene

A new study has found that people who are genetically...

For most people, maintaining a steady supply of energy while also burning fat is an ideal way for their body to function. This generally means eating healthy foods, exercising, and avoiding some of the less-nutritious food and drink pitfalls. Sugary drinks such as soda and many fruit juices are just one of these pitfalls, but recent research points to some additional negative effects of these beverages. 

According to a study published in the open access journal <a href="https://bmcnutr.biomedcentral.com/">BMC Nutrition</a>, indulging in a sugar-sweetened drink while eating a high-protein meal may negatively affect energy balance, alter food preferences, and cause your body to store more fat.

Researchers discovered that sugar-sweetened drinks decrease fat oxidation, which is what initiates the breakdown of fat molecules after a meal. Furthermore, the higher the protein content of the meal, the greater the decrease in fat oxidation – averaging out to a roughly 8% decrease. Even though drinking a sugary beverage increases the amount of energy expended in metabolizing a meal, this does not even out the consumption of additional calories from the drink.

“We found that about a third of the additional calories provided by the sugar-sweetened drinks were not expended, fat metabolism was reduced, and it took less energy to metabolize the meals,” says Shanon Casperson, the lead author of the study from <a href="https://www.ars.usda.gov/plains-area/gfnd/gfhnrc/">USDA-Agricultural Research Service Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center</a>. “This decreased metabolic efficiency may ‘prime’ the body to store more fat.”

The consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks also increased the participants’ desire to eat savory and salty foods for as much as four hours after previously eating.

“Our findings suggest that having a sugar-sweetened drink with a meal impacts both sides of the energy balance equation,” explains Casperson. “On the intake side, the additional energy from the drink did not make people feel more sated. On the expenditure side, the additional calories were not expended and fat oxidation was reduced.”

Given that sugary drinks are the largest source of sugar in the average American’s diet, these findings are very telling of the role that these drinks play in the American <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/appetite-human-obesity-drug/">obesity</a> epidemic. Hopefully, furthering the understanding of the impact these dietary choices have on people’s weight and overall health may lead to individuals making better lifestyle choices in the future.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.biomedcentral.com/">Biomed Central</a>

Sugary drinks with a high-protein meal could be ruining your diet

For most people, maintaining a steady supply of energy while...

Zealandia is a large mass of Earth’s crust that split from Australia around 85 million years ago. The continent is now almost completely submerged. Scientists are planning to drill into the seafloor of Zealandia later this month to collect rock and sediment that will contain records from over millions of years.

30 researchers will participate in the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 371. The two-month drilling excursion, sponsored by the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation</a>, is an effort to expose secrets about Earth’s history buried in the ocean floor. 

The scientists will join more than 20 crew members at six Tasman Sea sites and drill from 300 to 800 meters. At this depth, the team will collect cores, which are complete samples of sediment. The researchers will analyze the fossils contained in the cores for evidence of the history of Zealandia.

"If you go way back, about 100 million years ago, Antarctica, Australia and Zealandia were all one continent," said expedition co-chief scientist Gerald Dickens. "Around 85 million years ago, Zealandia split off on its own, and for a time, the seafloor between it and Australia was spreading on either side of an ocean ridge that separated the two."

Earth’s crust and upper mantle is broken up into tectonic plates which are constantly in motion. In a process known as subduction, the collision of Earth’s plates results in one of the plates sliding underneath another, which can form volcanoes and cause <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/strike-slip-faults-form-earthquakes/">earthquakes</a>. 

The researchers will evaluate one such major shift which moved in the direction of the massive Pacific Plate north east of Zealandia 50 million years ago. The researchers refer to this particular shift as "the most profound subduction initiation event and global plate-motion change" in the past 80 million years.

"Some 50 million years ago, a massive shift in plate movement happened in the Pacific Ocean," said Jamie Allan, a program director in NSF's Division of Ocean Sciences. "It resulted in the diving of the Pacific Plate under New Zealand, the uplift of New Zealand above the waterline, and the development of a new arc of volcanoes. This IODP expedition will look at the timing and causes of these changes as well as at related changes in ocean circulation patterns and ultimately Earth's climate.”

Dickens says the research may also help in developing more accurate climate models to answer questions about the way Earth's climate has evolved in the last 60 million years.

--

By<a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com"> Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation</a>

Image Credit: IODP

Scientists embark on expedition to submerged continent Zealandia

Zealandia is a large mass of Earth’s crust that split...

A new study reveals that do-it-yourself (DIY) toy manufacturing could have a multi-million dollar impact on the overall toy industry. The availability of low-cost 3D printers gives consumers ample opportunity to make toys at home and save a lot of money.

Engineers from<a href="http://www.mtu.edu/"> Michigan Technological University</a> and the London-based company <a href="https://www.myminifactory.com/">MyMiniFactory</a> teamed up to calculate how much desktop 3D printers could save consumers. 

MyMiniFactory is an online stock of free 3D printable designs. The team focused on the 100 most popular designs from the repository, and used three different materials to estimate the costs of creating the designs with a 3D printer. All three filament types were proven to save consumers at least 75 percent. One material, a recyclebot filament, saved more than 90 percent compared to the cost of commercially available <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/parents-addicted-smartphones-kids/">toys</a>. 

With the data collected from just 100 toys, which represents less than one percent of the MyMiniFactory repository, DIY toy projects would offset the costs of commercial toy purchases by $60 million dollars in a single year. 

The research team was led by Joshua Pearce, a professor of Materials Science and Electrical Engineering at Michigan Tech. Pearce pointed out another benefit of owning a 3D printer is the ability to create toys and games that are not commercially available.

"It's one thing to buy a toy from a store or get a commodity toy for your children," said Pearce. "It's perhaps more valuable to get that exact, specific toy that your kid really wants that you can either design yourself or download and customize on your computer and print at home."

The team established that a 3D-printed block using recyclebot filament costs only half a cent, yet the cost of a Lego block is 6 cents.

"Speaking as a parent, Legos are expensive. All parents know you can't find them at garage sales; everyone hoards them like they're gold," said Pearce. "Now you can make custom compatible blocks and have that same kind of fun while playing with something you make yourself."

Pearce's team also discovered significant savings with more complex toys such as board games and action figures. According to the research, DIY manufacturing of these types of toys could save consumers between 40 and 90 percent. 

Pearce said that the use of 3D printing will become more widespread and will have a growing impact on the toy industry.

"One way toy companies might adapt is open-sourcing some of the designs of the toys themselves and focusing on currently unprintable components or openly encouraging the maker community and open-source community to design accessories or add-ons to commercial toys to make their toys more valuable," said Pearce.

The results of the study are published this week in the journal Technologies.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.mtu.edu/">Michigan Technological University</a>

Image: Joshua Pearce

3D printing becoming major competition for the toy industry

A new study reveals that do-it-yourself (DIY) toy manufacturing could...

Roughly 47 million people worldwide suffer from dementia, a number that is expected to more than double by 2050. However, a new study by the first Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention and Care reports that managing lifestyle factors such as hearing loss, smoking, hypertension, and depression may be able to prevent one-third of the global cases.

Among those previously mentioned lifestyle factors, the report also highlights the benefits of nonpharmacologic interventions such as social contact and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-pill-form/">exercise</a>. 

“There’s been a great deal of focus on developing medicines to prevent dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease,” explains Dr. Lon Schneider, professor of psychiatry and the behavioral sciences at the Keck School of Medicine at USC. “But we can’t lose sight of the real major advances we’ve already made in treating dementia, including preventive approaches.”

The Lancet Commission consisted of 24 international experts on dementia, who reviewed previously published research and presented evidence-based recommendations for treatment and prevention. They report that roughly 35% of cases is directly linked to nine risk factors found in early, mid, and late life.

The panel reports that increasing early life education and combating hearing loss, obesity, and hypertension in midlife could result in as much as a 20 percent reduction in dementia cases. Preventing late life risk factors such as smoking, depression, diabetes, and decreased physical activity while increasing social contact may further reduce the incidence of dementia by about 15 percent.

“The potential magnitude of the effect on dementia of reducing these risk factors is larger than we could ever imagine the effect that current, experimental medications could have,” Schneider says. “Mitigating risk factors provides us a powerful way to reduce the global burden of dementia.”

The commission also looked at the issue of antipsychotic drugs being used as treatment for dementia patients. They found that there is significant concern surrounding these drugs, as they are linked to an increased risk of death, infections, and cardiovascular adverse events.

Ultimately, the experts report that psychological, environmental, and social interventions like social contact and activities were more beneficial than antipsychotic medications in treating dementia-related agitation and aggression.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.scuhs.edu/">University of Southern California – Health Sciences</a>

Study: 1 in 3 cases of dementia preventable through treatment

Roughly 47 million people worldwide suffer from dementia, a number...

Maintaining a healthy heart at an early age through diet, exercise, and not smoking could stop the brain from shrinking later in life, according a new study.

Researchers at <a href="http://www.northwestern.edu/">Northwestern University’s</a><a href="http://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/"> Feinberg School of Medicine</a> analyzed data on 518 people with an average age of 51 who had been followed for 30 years. Participants were asked about diet and exercise habits and received follow-up exams every 2 to 5 years along with brain scans 25 years after starting the study.

Researchers evaluated how each on how well they followed the <a href="http://www.heart.org/">American Heart Association’s</a> steps to heart health at the start of the study, and 25 years later. The scale ranged from 0 for poor adherence, to 14 for ideal performance. The steps included maintaining healthy blood pressure, controlling cholesterol, reducing blood sugar, being active, eating better, losing weight, and not smoking. 

At the beginning of the study, 5 percent had poor adherence to the steps, 62 percent intermediate, and 33 percent ideal. By the 25th year, 26 percent had poor adherence, 58 percent had intermediate, and 16 percent had ideal.

The data revealed that participants with better heart health scores at the beginning of the study also had a higher average <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/crossword-puzzles-improve-brain-function/">brain</a> volume in middle age.

Every point increase in the score was roughly equivalent to one year of aging in the amount of brain shrinkage that occurred, the study said.

Smoking had the strongest association with smaller brain volume than any of the other factors.

"These findings are exciting because these are all changes that anyone can make at a young age to help themselves live a long and healthy life," said the study’s author, Michael Bancks of Northwestern. "This may mean that heart health may have an impact on brain function in early life, but more study needs to be done to confirm this theory."

The study is published online in <a href="http://www.neurology.org/">Neurology</a>, the medical journal of the <a href="https://www.aan.com/">American Academy of Neurology</a>.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.aan.com/">American Academy of Neurology </a>

Keeping a healthy heart when young will help your brain later on

Maintaining a healthy heart at an early age through diet,...

Imprinted genes regulate fetal growth and development. These genes are expressed by either the egg or the sperm, and the gene that is not expressed must be silenced by cells in the body in order to prevent complications such as developmental or neurological disorders. Scientists have now discovered a new way that cells manage to turn off imprinted genes - by chemically tagging histones, proteins that organize DNA into units called nucleosomes.

According to a report published today in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/">Nature,</a> Yi Zhang of <a href="http://www.hhmi.org/">Howard Hughes Medical Institute</a> and Harvard Medical School led a team of researchers in the study. The team managed to turn off the activity of imprinted genes in mice by modifying the histone known as H3K27. Zhang explained that this discovery could provide insight into developmental disorders associated with assisted reproduction practices such as in vitro fertilization, which scientists have noted are occurring more frequently. This finding may also be used to improve the process of cloning animals.

Humans obtain two working copies of most genes during reproduction, inheriting one from each parent. For a small number of genes known as imprinted genes, however, people receive only one working copy. The other copy is turned off or deactivated. The mechanism involved in this imprinting process has long been a central focus of gene regulation research, according to Zhang.

Until now, scientists were aware of only one cellular mechanism that keeps these genes inactive by supplying the DNA with small molecules called methyl groups. Zhang and his team have found that cells can also silence imprinted genes by adding methyl groups to histones. The research identified 76 genes in mice that may belong to this class of developmental genes.

Imprinting problems can lead to developmental abnormalities. These include Angelman syndrome, which causes learning difficulties, speech problems, and seizures. Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome is also a risk of imprinting issues, and can cause overgrowth of the baby during <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/behavioral-problems-boys-obese-mothers/">pregnancy</a> and lead to various birth defects. 

Zhang explained that researchers still have much to learn about the imprinting process and the genes involved. He added that the discovery of a new mechanism for shutting down imprinted genes also raises many provocative questions. 

"We believe our study will open up a new field of research," said Zhang.

--

By<a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com"> Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.hhmi.org/">Howard Hughes Medical Institute</a>

Scientists discover how to silence genes, could prevent disorders

Imprinted genes regulate fetal growth and development. These genes are...

Time “windows" that collectively alter the state of the brain turn short-term memories into long-term ones, according to a new study.

The process is similar to how humans process sound, the <a href="https://www.nyu.edu/">New York University</a> study said.

"Much like sound is broken down by the auditory system into many discrete bins of frequencies that are perceived simultaneously, an experience as a whole is parsed by the brain into many 'time windows' that collectively represent the past," said Thomas Carew, a professor at NYU.

Most memories vanish in a few seconds but some last a lifetime, the authors said. At each given moment both kinds of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/good-memory-bored-sooner/">memory</a> coexist on the same terms. 

Living organisms have the ability to represent experience on many timescales, simultaneously recalling events occurring over years, hours, and milliseconds, the authors said. A disruption in the state of the organism opens a "time window" that is eventually closed when the state returns to equilibrium. Neural memory is then composed of a vast repertoire of interacting time windows.

"Changes occurring on the fastest time scales combine with other changes to produce more lasting, emergent changes, creating a 'temporal hierarchy' of time windows that collectively alter the state of the brain at each given instant," the authors said.

Memory timescales represent past experience and must be simultaneously available to the organism to be useful, according to the research.

“Time is the only physical variable that is 'inherited' by the brain from the external world," the scientists said. "Thus, memories must be 'made of time,' or, more precisely, of temporal relationships between external stimuli.”

The study was published in the journal <a href="http://www.cell.com/neuron/home">Neuron</a>.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.nyu.edu/">New York University</a>

Time “windows” convert short-term memories to long-term ones

Time “windows" that collectively alter the state of the brain...

A new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a> details how a sea cave led to the discovery of the world’s most pristine record of tsunamis. 

An international team of scientists examining the sediment of a sea cave in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/indonesia-peatlands-reduce-fires/">Indonesia</a> found a 5,000-year-old sedimentary record that brings to light new information on both earthquakes and tsunamis. The study was responsible for a number of firsts, including the first record of ancient tsunami activity found in a sea cave, first record for such a long period of time in the Indian Ocean, and the most pristine record of tsunamis found anywhere on earth.

In examining the sediment, the researchers found a stratigraphic record revealing layers of sand, bat droppings, and other debris brought in by tsunamis between 7,900 and 2,900 years ago. Any stratigraphic record in the past 2,900 years was washed away by a tsunami that devastated the area in December of 2004.

The stratigraphic layers were “pristine” in that they were distinct and easy to read. “You have a layer of sand and a layer of organic material that includes bat droppings, so simply it is a layer of sand and a layer of bat crap, and so on, going back for 5,000 years,” explains Benjamin Horton, a professor at <a href="http://newbrunswick.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University – New Brunswick</a>.

Their analysis of these layers shows that 11 tsunamis occurred during this period of time, caused by earthquakes that struck along the Sunda Megathrust – a 3,300 mile-long fault in the Indian Ocean. These tsunamis happened sporadically, with four tsunamis occurring in just a single century at one point. The researchers report that smaller tsunamis occurred relatively close together, after which there were long dormant periods that ended with much larger earthquakes and tsunamis.

“Tsunamis are not evenly spaced through time,” says Charles Rubin, the lead author and a professor at the <a href="http://www.earthobservatory.sg/">Earth Observatory of Singapore</a>, part of <a href="http://www.ntu.edu.sg/Pages/home.aspx">Nanyang Technological University</a>. “Our findings present a worrying picture of highly erratic tsunami recurrence. There can be long periods between tsunamis, but you can also get major tsunamis that are separated by just a few decades.”

The research team believes this work is highly indicative of how unpredictable earthquakes and resulting tsunamis are. With the risk of loss of life and massive destruction of infrastructure, understanding all we can about these deadly disasters may eventually help us better prepare for their arrival.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://newbrunswick.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a>

Indonesian sea cave reveals history of tsunamis

A new study published in the journal Nature Communications details...

The sheer size and weight of the Tyrannosaurus rex would have made it impossible for the giant dinosaur to run, according to a new study.

The creature’s leg bones would have buckled under its own weight, the <a href="http://www.manchester.ac.uk/">University of Manchester</a> study said, contradicting previous estimates that the T-rex could run at speeds up to 45mph.

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-species-dinosaur-canadian/">dinosaur</a> was limited to walking speeds of about 12 mph. This is less than half the speed of the fastest man on Earth, Usain Bolt, whose personal record hit 27.8 mph.

“The running ability of T. rex and other similarly giant dinosaurs has been intensely debated amongst paleontologist for decades,” said William Sellers, lead author of the study. “However, different studies using differing methodologies have produced a very wide range of top speed estimates and we say there is a need to develop techniques that can improve these predictions.”

The new study extensively examined the gait and biomechanics of the world’s most famous dinosaur. It used high performance computing technology to create a new simulation model to test the findings.

The results demonstrate any running gaits for Tyrannosaurus rex would probably lead to “unacceptably high skeletal loads,” and would simply break the dinosaur’s legs.

“Here we present a new approach that combines two separate biomechanical techniques to demonstrate that true running gaits would probably lead to unacceptably high skeletal loads in T. rex,” Sellers said.

The findings have forced scientists to re-examine how T-rex caught its prey, Sellers told <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-science-trex-running-idUSKBN1A3182">Reuters</a>.

"It certainly would not have been able to chase down faster-moving prey animals," said Sellers. "That leaves other hunting options such as ambush, and of course it means that (discredited) ideas such as 'T-rex the scavenger' have to be reconsidered."

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.manchester.ac.uk/">University of Manchester</a>, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-science-trex-running-idUSKBN1A3182">Reuters </a>

Why the Tyrannosaurus rex was too big to run

The sheer size and weight of the Tyrannosaurus rex would...

According to a study published by <a href="http://jamanetwork.com/">JAMA</a>, a high daily dose of vitamin D does not lower the risk of wintertime upper respiratory tract infections in young children. The research showed almost no difference in the amount of infections suffered by children who received a higher dose of vitamin D and those who received a standard dose.

Viral upper respiratory tract infections such as the common cold and flu are the most prevalent infectious illnesses of childhood. Previous research indicated a link between low levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and increased rates of respiratory tract infections. Dr. Jonathan L. Maguire of the University of Toronto led a team of colleagues in testing this theory.

Young children between the ages of 1 and 5 were randomly assigned to receive a high dose of 2,000 IU/d of vitamin D or a standard dose of 400 IU/d of vitamin D. The supplements were given for a minimum of four months between September and May. 

Nasal swabs of the children were tested for infection and revealed little difference in the outcomes of the two groups. For example, the average number of upper respiratory tract infections were 1.05 for the group that received high doses of vitamin D and 1.03 for the group that received standard doses of vitamin D. 

The results of the study also showed no significant difference in the average amount of time until the first lab-confirmed infection, with 3.95 months for the high-dose group and 3.29 months for the standard-dose group. The number of parent-reported infections for both groups was very similar as well.

The authors pointed out that one limitation of the study is that some of the children may have experienced upper respiratory infections that were not documented. Nonetheless, the authors wrote that the “findings do not support the routine use of high-dose vitamin D supplementation in children for the prevention of viral upper respiratory tract infections.”

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://jamanetwork.com/">JAMA</a>

A higher dose of Vitamin D does not help prevent cold and flu

According to a study published by JAMA, a high daily...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



---



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



---



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



---



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



---



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



---



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"] Astronomers at Johns Hopkins University have created...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



---



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



---



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



---



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



---



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



---



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



---



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



---



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



---



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



---



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



---



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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