The inclusion of fiber in the diet has been linked to a variety of health perks for decades. The body needs this essential nutrient to keep digestion running smoothly and maintain steady blood sugar levels.&nbsp;



Most experts recommend at least 25 grams per day for women and 38 grams for men, yet many adults in the United States barely reach half that goal. But there is more to this story than a happy belly or balanced glucose.&nbsp;



A recent study in Nature Metabolism shows that fiber may also leave a mark on our genes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-fiber-still-matters">Why fiber still matters</h2>



Fiber comes in many forms, from the crunchy stems of leafy greens to the chewy shells of beans and nuts. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/want-to-lose-weight-try-eating-more-protein-and-fiber/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dietary fiber</a> travels to the large intestine, where friendly bacteria feast on it.&nbsp;



This feast produces short-chain fatty acids, including propionate and butyrate, which have gained attention recently for their effects on gut health.



Researchers have been eager to see whether these acids from fibers impact genes beyond basic energy production.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fiber-gut-and-fatty-acids">Fiber, gut, and fatty acids</h2>



The science behind short-chain fatty acids and genes has intrigued experts for years, and now <a href="https://med.stanford.edu/profiles/michael-snyder" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Michael Snyder</a>, Stanford B. Ascherman Professor of Genetics at <a href="https://www.stanford.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stanford University</a>, has shed more light on it through this project. 



His team traced the biological footprints of propionate and butyrate in both <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fiber-rich-diets-reduce-antimicrobial-resistance-in-the-gut/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">normal cells</a> and cancer cells. 



The aim was to see how these acids might switch genes on or off in ways that influence the growth and survival of cells.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-fiber-impacts-genes-nbsp">How fiber impacts genes&nbsp;</h2>



Short-chain fatty acids are generated when gut microbes break down fiber. They move into the bloodstream and can reach different tissues.&nbsp;



The study found that propionate and butyrate attach to certain sites on histones - which are proteins that act like spools for DNA - causing direct modifications on genes related to cell division and cell death.



“We found a direct link between eating fiber and modulation of gene function that has anti-cancer effects,” said Snyder.



Instead of simply describing fiber’s link to good health, the researchers pinpointed the exact molecular changes behind those benefits.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-preventing-uncontrolled-cell-growth">Preventing uncontrolled cell growth</h2>



Cancer often begins when cells lose their usual checks and balances. Normal cells are expected to grow, specialize, and sometimes self-destruct if there’s a problem.&nbsp;



When those processes go haywire, mutated cells can survive too long or multiply too fast. The study uncovered how certain chemical markers on genes for cell regulation might switch in a protective way when these short-chain fatty acids are around.



It is generally the case that people’s diets are very poor in fiber. Adjusting meal plans to include foods like beans, nuts, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/certain-vegetables-protect-us-from-illness-by-strengthening-the-lung-barrier/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cruciferous vegetables</a>, or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eating-one-avocado-each-day-can-add-years-to-your-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">avocados</a> may promote the production of more of these acids, potentially offering some defense against abnormal cell growth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-gut-and-genes-might-need-more-fiber">Why gut and genes might need more fiber</h2>



A diet that skimps on fiber starves the microbes that produce these beneficial fatty acids. Low levels can reduce the supply of butyrate and propionate.



That could leave you short on important chemical signals that appear to help keep unwanted cellular behavior under control.&nbsp;



According to the <a href="https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/carbohydrates/fiber/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health</a>, most Americans only consume around 15 grams of fiber daily, which falls short of <a href="https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/carbohydrates/fiber/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">recommended amounts</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cancer-risk-and-fiber-s-gene-protective-role">Cancer risk and fiber’s gene-protective role</h2>



Colon cancer is a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-cooking-oils-in-your-diet-may-be-linked-to-cancer/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">concern for many adults</a>. The <a href="https://www.cancer.org/cancer/colon-rectal-cancer.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Cancer Society</a> estimates that about 1 in 23 men and 1 in 25 women will be diagnosed with colon cancer at some point in their lifetime. 



This new study provides a window into how the byproducts of fiber breakdown might influence gene behavior in the colon, and possibly other tissues, in a helpful way.



“By identifying the gene targets of these important molecules we can understand how fiber exerts its beneficial effects,” said Snyder.&nbsp;



Although more work is needed to confirm how each type of fiber interacts with the gut and the rest of the body, this adds to growing evidence that diet and cancer risk are tightly woven together.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-connection-between-diet-gut-and-genes">Connection between diet, gut, and genes</h2>



The research highlights the importance of diet as a modulator of genetic signals. 



It also emphasizes potential opportunities for personalized strategies that combine better eating habits with therapies aimed at correcting harmful gene activity.&nbsp;



Many clinicians see fiber as a key feature of a balanced diet, and these findings may prompt more specific guidelines on how much and which types of fiber are most valuable for long-term health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-foods-can-boost-fiber-intake">What foods can boost fiber intake?</h2>



Whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes remain <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ketogenic-diet-may-help-the-body-kill-cancer-cells/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">top options</a> for boosting your daily fiber count. Vegetables like Brussels sprouts and broccoli, as well as fruits such as raspberries, also offer generous amounts.&nbsp;



Even small shifts like opting for a whole-wheat tortilla instead of a white-flour tortilla can push your numbers up. 



For individuals who struggle to reach recommended targets, talking with a healthcare provider or a registered dietitian can point the way to practical changes that nourish both you and your gut bacteria.



People sometimes balk at the thought of adding more plant-based foods to their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/which-dietary-changes-are-best-for-cancer-prevention/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">diet</a>. But a gradual introduction may help your gut adjust without uncomfortable bloating or gas.&nbsp;



Your digestive system, along with your genes, could benefit from these simple swaps, especially as ongoing research on fiber clarifies the links between short-chain fatty acids and various cellular pathways.



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



All signs suggest that fiber is more than just a helper for digestion. These insights about short-chain fatty acids may prompt further collaboration between nutrition science and genetics.&nbsp;



By paying attention to what our microbes need, we may discover fresh paths to protect our cells from harm. The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42255-024-01191-9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Metabolism</a>.



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Eating enough fiber prevents cancer in a surprising way

The inclusion of fiber in the diet has been linked to a variety of health perks for decades. The body needs this essential nutrient to keep digestion running smoothly and maintain steady blood sugar levels.&nbsp; Most experts recommend at least 25 grams per day for women and 38 grams for men, yet many adults in the United States barely reach half that goal. But there is more to this story than a happy belly or balanced glucose.&nbsp; A recent study in Nature Metabolism shows that fiber may...

Electric car manufacturer Tesla setting up a manufacturing base in the UK is in planning, announced Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors. 

“We have a lot of respect for the British automotive engineering talent. Just look at Formula 1, it amazes me how much British talent there is in that,” said Musk. “We are likely to establish a Tesla engineering group in Britain at some point in the future.”

The news comes hot on the heels of Tesla’s acquisition of German engineering business Gohmann. The electric car manufacturer is also about to introduce its Model 3, the most affordable Tesla yet. Musk aims to power the world with renewable energy, but first, the company must increase its manufacturing efficiency. 

Acquiring Grohmann will allow Tesla to do just that: predictions show an increase of  500% in car production. By 2018, the company expects to have 500,000 cars made.

“We want to change the world with a lot of electric cars for a lot of people. That is what buying Grohmann is about,” said Musk. “This is about building the machine that builds the machine, which is more important than the [cars] themselves as volume increases.”

“The only way to make a large factory work is to have significant automation,” Mr. Musk added. “We will still have a large headcount but lots of automation and robotics. Automation is the way to make cars more affordable and accessible to as many people as possible. Economies of scale are the way to take the cost to something that people can afford to buy.”

Tesla setting up manufacturing at its factory in Fremont, California was done years ago. But according to Musk, the company is keen on growth in the European market – establishing a European manufacturing base would significantly reduce shipping costs.

“Tesla is going to make some very significant investments in Europe – and the US of course,” he said. “There is no question of at least one, maybe two or three gigafactory locations in Europe in the future.

“Currently Europe is a market for Tesla but we think the right thing to do is to start producing cars there as soon as we can reasonably do.”

Tesla setting up manufacturing base in the UK for cheaper shipping

Electric car manufacturer Tesla setting up a manufacturing base in...

During the past 200 years, the human population exploded – a new animation from the <a href="http://www.amnh.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">American Museum of Natural History</a> aims to show just what that looks like.

The animation, posted on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUwmA3Q0_OE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YouTube</a>, follows humanity from Africa as it spreads around the world. Then, beginning in 1 A.D., the video shows the rises (and very rare falls) in human population across the globe.

The population in 1 A.D. was 170 million; today, it’s 7.2 billion, according to the museum, which worked with <a href="http://www.populationconnection.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Population Connection</a>, the <a href="https://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.N.’s World Population Prospects</a>, <a href="http://www.worldometers.info/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Worldometers</a> and <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NASA</a> on the project. 

As it follows the population explosion, the American Museum of Natural History points out specific events that encouraged population growth, such as the advent of farming, travel and trade on the Silk Road, and the development of modern medicine. It also highlights occurrences that reduced the global population, such as the bubonic plague epidemic known as the Black Death.

Cities and areas with more than 1 million residents appear and, less often, disappear from the map as the animation travels along the timeline from 1 A.D. to the present day.

As late as 1700 A.D., global population was just 590 million, but the Industrial Revolution, which brought advances in medicine, agriculture and technology, spurred growth. In just 316 years, humanity has reached more than 7 billion people worldwide.

Scientists believe that number will begin to level off by 2100. Fertility rates are already falling in many countries, the museum reports.

However, the Earth’s ecosystems are already showing the strain of supporting 7.2 billion people. 

Construction of cities, expansion of industry, and even clearing land for agricultural use have reduced the number of habitats available for other animals and plants around the world, leading to species becoming endangered or extinct. Pollution has contributed to <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/aqa_pre_2011/evolution/humansrev2.shtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener">illness and death among wildlife</a> and even other humans, and <a href="https://www.epa.gov/air-research/air-quality-and-climate-change-research" target="_blank" rel="noopener">air pollution may contribute to climate change</a>.  

As scientists study how human population exploded, they can help humanity make better choices about family planning, consumption, habitat protection and other issues, to better preserve the Earth for future generations, the museum said.

Human population has exploded since 1 A.D., animation reveals

During the past 200 years, the human population exploded – a...

Scientists have discovered a new lake under the Cerro Uturuncu volcano in Bolivia, but it's not safe to swim in.

The body of water is more than 9 miles beneath the dormant Cerro Uturuncu volcano, and has dissolved into partially melted rock at a temperature of about 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit.

The volcano is located on the Bolivian Altiplano, which has been the site of volcanic activity for millions of years. There are no currently active volcanoes on the Altiplano. 

The scientists from England, Canada, Germany, France and Wales believe <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012821X16305805" target="_blank" rel="noopener">their findings</a> may offer some answers as to how and why volcanoes erupt.

Volcanoes with molten silicate rock can only dissolve water under high pressure, said Dr. Jon Blundy, a professor in the <a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Bristol</a>'s School of Earth Sciences who participated in the research. When pressure lowers, the water escapes as bubbles, which could spur an eruption.

The scientists now wonder whether other volcanoes could hide similar bodies of water that may be triggering eruption activity.

The Bolivian Altiplano is unique in that it has a "geological anomaly": about 360,000 cubic miles of partially molten rock located about 9.3 miles underground. 

The research team measured and analyzed the electrical conductivity of the rock, finding that water was dissolved into the silicate melt.

The large amount of water dissolved into the molten rock is about the same amount as found in one of the Great Lakes, and is the only way to explain the high conductivity of the molten rock, the scientists concluded.

The findings could explain similar electric conductivity readings for <a href="https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/cvo/cascade_volcanoes.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">volcanoes in the Cascades</a> along the Pacific Coast and New Zealand's <a href="https://www.gns.cri.nz/Home/Learning/Science-Topics/Volcanoes/New-Zealand-Volcanoes/Taupo-Volcano" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Taupo Volcanic Zone</a>, the study postulated.

The team's research has been published in the journal <a href="http://www.journals.elsevier.com/earth-and-planetary-science-letters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Earth and Planetary Science Letters</a>.

Massive "lake" discovered under Cerro Uturuncu volcano in Bolivia

Scientists have discovered a new lake under the Cerro Uturuncu...

Leftovers from insect meals in South America are offering up new information about the mass extinction event that killed the dinosaurs. 

The leaf fossils discovered in Patagonia, Argentina are helping scientists learn about how ecosystems recovered after an asteroid struck Earth approximately 66 million years ago, ending the Cretaceous Period. 

The fossils offer a unique perspective into the disaster because most of what scientists know about the disaster is from fossils close to the impact site in Chicxulub, Mexico, according to doctoral student Michael Donovan of <a href="http://www.psu.edu/">Pennsylvania State University</a>, who authored the study published Monday in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/natecolevol/">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</a>. 

The leaf-mining insects that munched on leaves in Patagonia were wiped out after the asteroid hit, much like the leaf-mining insects close to the impact site in the western United States. In the area that is now the U.S., however, it took 9 million years for insect populations to recover. In Patagonia, farther from the impact site, it took only 4 million years for insect diversity to bounce back from the die-off.

The scientists' conclusion is based on analysis of 3,646 different leaf fossils from Patagonia. The researchers searched for signs of leaf-mining insects, whose larvae burrow through leaves as they eat, leaving unique patterns and droppings as they go. 

While they found no evidence that any leaf-miners survived the initial impact, nixing the team's original hypothesis that the region south of the asteroid impact had offered some protection from the extinction event, they found signs that new leaf-mining insect species emerged in that regional much sooner than in the U.S. 

The quicker recovery could indicate that South America didn't feel the ground zero effects of the asteroid for as long as North America did. When the asteroid struck, it likely sent up a <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-36377679">massive cloud of debris</a>, blocking the sun and causing global temperatures to drop. 

As plant life rebounded, insect species began to diversify again to fill the niches left behind by the bugs that died out, like the leaf-miners.

The study offers new insight into modern biodiversity; mammal species began expanding and diversifying in the wake of the Chicxulub asteroid impact. The impact is believed to have wiped out the dinosaurs and many other species.

Fossils provide clues about mass extinction event

Leftovers from insect meals in South America are offering up...

Diamonds reveal secrets about the Earth: a recent analysis proves that these coveted gems really are forever.

Researchers at the <a href="http://www.dmns.org/" target="_blank">Denver Museum of Nature &amp; Science</a> and <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/" target="_blank">University of British Columbia</a> learned about the formation of Africa from an unusual source – diamonds.

To produce the precious stone, it takes a whole lot of pressure and heat. When glittering gems were formed, they trapped microscopic minerals inside. These minerals contain secrets which led the scientists to understand how the Earth’s crust was formed.

Diamonds found in the Congo craton (a large, stable block of the earth's crust forming the nucleus of a continent) in central southern Africa illustrate a dramatic 3-billion-year journey surviving tectonic collisions and volcanic eruptions.

The team, led by author Charles W. Kosman, used an electron microprobe, an infrared spectrometer, and a secondary ion mass spectrometer to analyze these prize jewels. Don’t try this at home!

"These diamonds are special," Kosman said. "They're the ultimate time capsules from deep Earth."

The researchers determined that the diamonds reveal secrets that began their journey beneath the continental crust of central Africa. This part of Africa repeatedly rammed into smaller and thinner fragments over 2.8 billion years. These fragments slid back toward the Earth's core, became dehydrated due to extreme heat and pressure, and became the diamonds the scientists are studying today. The fragments were then ejected in volatile eruptions, which pierced the hide of the ancient African continent and deposited the diamonds on the surface. Museum collections can often be overlooked, but the researchers point out what a wealth of information they can hold.

"The circumstances that led to the formation of these diamonds trapping invaluable information inside are incredible," said James Hagadorn, the Museum's curator of geology. "Grueling conditions – temperatures five times hotter than your oven, and pressure 10 times that found below Mount Everest – are what it takes to freeze clues to Earth's evolution for studies such as this one."

Now we know how and where these precious gems were formed, we can better predict where we may find deposits like it in future. 

"Diamonds are a key part of our culture and industry. Not all diamonds end up on a ring or a saw-blade's edge. The ugly ones often have the coolest scientific stories to tell," said Hagadorn.

—

The original study was published in the journal <a href="http://www.dmns.org/media/26928/2016_Kosman_etal.pdf" target="_blank">Lithos</a>.

Diamonds reveal secrets about the Earth – gems really are forever

Diamonds reveal secrets about the Earth: a recent analysis proves...

Britain’s first wave farm has been unveiled for launch in 2018.

In 2018, Britain will be getting a new source of clean energy in the form of the country’s first-ever underwater wave farm. The new technology comes in the form of a device called <a href="http://carnegiewave.com/projects/ceto-6/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ceto 6</a>, named after the sea goddess of Greek mythology. Ceto 6 is manufactured by Carnegie Wave Energy, an Australian-based company that has received just under $12,000,000 from the <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/EN/funding/erdf/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European Regional Development Fund</a>.

The first wave farm will be built offshore in Cornwall. Unlike other wave energy systems, Ceto 6 operates completely underwater. Not only does this mean the device is safe from stormy weather, but it also keeps it hidden from view. The most common criticism of wind farms is that the turbines are an eyesore for miles. 

Not only do wave farms offer a more aesthetically pleasing form of eco-friendly energy, they are also a more predictable source of power than wind turbines. While turbines slow down in the winter when energy demand is at its highest, wave farms increase productivity in colder water.

If the first device is successful, fourteen more installations will be added by 2020. Each device will contribute 1 megawatt to the grid, to reach 15 MW by 2020, enough to provide electricity for 6,000 homes. According to the UK government, wave farms could ultimately contribute 20% of the UK’s total electricity needs.

The Ceto 6 functions by floating beneath the water and bobbing up and down based on wave motion. This generates power that drives a pump and generator which then send power back to shore through underwater cables.

The <a href="https://www.gov.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UK government</a> has been actively working to to back wave power for some time. But lack of funding has slowed progress in clean energy developments. 

George Eustice, Minister of State at the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UK Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs</a> (DEFRA) sounded thrilled that the project is finally underway. “'I am delighted that Carnegie secured the £9.55m of ERDF funding and chose to deliver its CETO wave energy project at Wave Hub,” Eustice said.

First wave farm in Britain unveiled for 2018 in Cornwall

Britain’s first wave farm has been unveiled for launch in...

Yellowstone National Park could be in danger, says new report.

A massive eruption isn’t the only potential danger posed by the supervolcano under Yellowstone <a href="https://www.nps.gov/yell/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Park</a>.

The magma deep under the Earth’s surface also heats the extensive underground water network connected to each of the park’s geysers, hot springs and other hydrothermal attractions. But the water network that supplies Old Faithful has also been the cause of a number of major geothermal explosions at Yellowstone. Normally, boiling water underground is under pressure, but when that pressure drops, steam forms rapidly and explodes.

One – or maybe several – such explosions nearly 14,000 years ago led to a crater at the bottom of Yellowstone Lake. 

However, such large hydrothermal explosions are very rare, and there hasn’t been one in at least a few thousand years; small explosions occur every few years, and are rarely dangerous, according to the <a href="http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/yellowstone/yellowstone_sub_page_69.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Geological Survey</a>. 

Now scientists led by Carol Finn of the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USGS</a> are working to map the extent and the temperature of Yellowstone’s underground water system. Using a helicopter and an electromagnetic system, the team will fly over the park as the electromagnetic device measures the water’s flow and temperature underground.

This research may offer insights into the park’s past hydrothermal explosions, as well as uncover potential dangers posed by the Yellowstone supervolcano. Similar studies at other sites in the U.S. have uncovered potential threats, the scientists said. 

A map of the water under Yellowstone could also help park staff better keep tourists away from any potentially dangerous areas. 

The electromagnetic system, developed in Denmark, can detect water to a depth of about 1,500 feet below the Earth’s surface. 

Yellowstone is an active supervolcano, <a href="http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/yellowstone/faqs_misconceptions.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USGS scientists</a> who have been monitoring the park’s volcanic and hydrothermal activity since the 1970s said. A major eruption of the magma under the park does not seem to be imminent.

Yellowstone National Park could be in danger, says new report

Yellowstone National Park could be in danger, says new report....

The concept of Hollywood smiles was created by our reptilian ancestors, says a new report published in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Plos One</a>.

Scientists have come to believe the attractiveness of a nice smile may go back to a time before mammals – along with other features of mammal dentition. For example, types of teeth: mammals have incisors, canines and molars. That goes all the way back to mammals’ reptilian ancestors, the therapsids or “mammal-like reptiles” living more than 205 million years ago.

Paleontologists thought the therapsids’ long canines could be for hunting or fighting, but even herbivores had canine teeth. They could be for defense, scientists speculated – or they could be to attract a mate.

The researchers from <a href="https://www.wits.ac.za/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of the Witwatersrand</a> (Evolutionary Studies Institute and <a href="https://www.wits.ac.za/anatomicalsciences/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">School of Anatomical Sciences</a>) in South Africa and the <a href="http://www.esrf.eu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European Synchrotron Radiation Facility</a> in France point to modern tusked mammals who mainly use their canines as a “display apparatus” to attract mates, such as walruses and muntjac. In those species, sexual selection is an important part of how and why they continue to have large canine teeth despite a diet that makes them unnecessary. 

The scientists used X-ray and CT scanning on fossils of Choerosaurus dejageri, a therapsid that lived 259 million years ago. The species has two “cranial bosses,” or horn-like growths on its upper and lower jaws. The researchers hoped to determine if the bosses were used in combat or if they had been developed to attract mates.

When compared to cranial bosses of another therapsid species known to have engaged in combat, they found key differences: the scans showed that the cranial bosses and C. dejageri’s skull were not strong enough for combat, and the collection of facial nerves would make fighting too painful to be practical. 

The scientists concluded that C. dejageri’s cranial bosses had likely been selected for by generations of mating. The conclusion? Sexual selection for physical traits that have no practical purpose existed before mammals, and could play a larger role in how mammals evolved, and continue to evolve, than scientists previously thought.

Reptilian ancestors may be behind our Hollywood smiles

The concept of Hollywood smiles was created by our reptilian...

Air pollution is more harmful the closer you are to the equator, a new report revealed today.

It turns out the location where air pollution is emitted can be more significant than the actual amount of pollution released. Air pollution has been on the rise since the 1980s, but at a much faster rate in areas closer to the equator. 

According to a study by a team of scientists from the <a href="http://www.unc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University Of North Carolina</a> at Chapel Hill led by Jason West, higher emissions in equatorial regions cause a increased production of ozone. The study appears in the Nov 7th issue of <a href="http://www.nature.com/ngeo/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nature Geoscience</a>.

"Emissions are growing in places where there is a much greater effect on the formation of ozone," said Dr. West. "A ton of emissions in a region close to the equator, where there is a lot of sunlight and intense heat, produces more ozone than a ton of emissions in a region farther from it."

Of course, ozone can be harmful or beneficial. Ozone present in the lower atmosphere can cause respiratory and/or heart problems – but ozone in the upper atmosphere protects us against ultraviolet (UV) rays.

Ozone is formed when UV rays come into contact with nitrogen oxides (a common air pollutant) in areas of intense sunlight and heat. Hotter, equatorial regions feature more vertical motion in the air, which sends pollutants further up into the atmosphere to create ozone.

West uses Asia as a prime example of this phenomenon: in the past thirty years, China’s air pollution emissions have been substantially larger than those of India and Southeast Asia. But because India and Southeast Asia are closer to the equator, their emissions have contributed more than China’s to the total ozone increase on the planet. 

"The findings were surprising," said West. "We thought that location was going to be important, but we didn't suspect it would be the most important factor contributing to total ozone levels worldwide. Our findings suggest that where the world emits is more important than how much it emits."

But as Dr. Owen Cooper from the University of Colorado points out, even if we are able to reduce global air pollution emissions on the whole, ozone levels still may not decrease if emissions simply shift to the equator.

Air pollution does more harm the closer you are to the equator

Air pollution is more harmful the closer you are to...

Fossil evolution study evidence suggests that organisms may have populated land much earlier than we thought.

When did living organisms first leave the water for land? Just 20 years ago, scientists believed microscopic life first emerged onto land 1.2 billion years ago. However, fossil evidence has been steadily pushing that estimate earlier over the past two decades, with a recent theory showing the earliest evidence of life on land 2.9 billion years ago.

Now, it’s taking another leap backwards. 

A team of scientists led by Sami Nabhan of the <a href="http://www.fu-berlin.de/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Freie Universität Berlin</a> has discovered signs that microbes lived on land as early as 3.2 billion years ago. The team has been studying ancient rock formations in the Barberton greenstone belt of South Africa.

Though the formations they were studying range to 3.5 billion years old, the layer that showed signs of microbial life was dated to 3.22 billion years ago. 

Elements in the layer, including grains of iron pyrite, showed evidence of microbe activity. Instrumentation showed that a number of crystals had signs of “biogenic fractionation” – when microbes process sulfur from the exterior of the grains. 

The fossil evolution study was conducted by Michael Wiedenbeck at the <a href="http://www.gfz-potsdam.de/en/home/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences</a>’ secondary ion mass spectrometry lab.

The rock formations where the fossil evidence was found appear once to have been the floodplain of an ancient river. Scientists believe the microbes may have been carried onto land in sediment carried by the river, then adapted to living out of water due to the cycling between flooding and dry conditions.

In 1999, NASA scientist Dr. Hiroshi Ohmoto discovered evidence of rock formations – “laterites” that indicate microbe activity – dated to 2.3 billion years old. In 2002, <a href="http://www.astrobio.net/news-exclusive/the-oldest-life-on-land/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an international team of scientists</a> discovered fossilized microbial mats that were approximately 2.6 billion years old. A <a href="https://ecologicalprocesses.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/2192-1709-2-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2013 paper by Hugo Beraldi-Campesi</a> pointed to the abundance of microbial life in water 3.5 billion years ago and suggested that the microbes could have adapted to terrestrial life in coastal areas between 3.4 and 3.5 billion years ago.

Determining when and why microbes first adapted to dryland conditions may help scientists better understand why species evolve and adapt to previously hostile conditions, as well as the impact these adaptations have on other species and environments.

Fossil evolution study sheds new light on life's transition from water to land

Fossil evolution study evidence suggests that organisms may have populated...

The Paris Agreement is now in effect, but what does it mean for the world?

On November 4th, 2016, the long-awaited Paris Agreement came into effect. Many hope this legally binding international agreement will set the world in motion towards a greener future.

The agreement was the result of extended and complex negotiations, but the hot question is: what exactly does this legal ruling on climate change mean for us? 

The key messages as laid out in the “<a href="http://climateaction2020.unfccc.int/">UN Climate Action Now Summary for Policymakers</a>” give us an idea of the agreement’s aims. What is unclear is how these policies will be put into practice. The world will be watching the UN’s next meeting in Marrakech, which starts tomorrow, for signs of how we will reach the agreement’s goals by the year 2020.
<ol>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">The 2015 Paris Agreement is a historic crossroads for worldwide governments. The level of cooperation to achieve the ultimate goal of limiting warming to well below 2° C or 1.5° C is unprecedented and is meant to help future generations in their climate change planning.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Prevention is better than cure; any actions conducted to reduce climate change should be paired with sustainable development practices. In the long term, these initiatives will have the highest levels of success if we can adopt more sustainable practices for food, water and energy production.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Each country will be introducing national policies and guidelines relating to keeping emissions low and encouraging sustainable development.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Financial and technological development support is planned to be available to developing countries to assure they can reach their goals.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Stakeholder groups and institutions may need bolstering so they are adequately able to plan and implement their climate change activities.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change process will assist countries to work collaboratively and their platform will provide resources to assist every step of the way.</li>
</ol>
Government-funded scientists believe that our nations have a very short time – around 15 years – to drastically reduce our greenhouse gas emissions before dangerous climate effects result. The guidelines set by the UN suggest that we will not be doing this alone, describing the success of the agreement as based on creating relationships of synergy with our neighbours, and of course leaning on the UN’s guidelines for support.

With The World Meteorological Organization recently confirming that the atmospheric average global concentration of carbon dioxide hit an all time high in 2016, we can safely assume that, as a planet, we are not nearly on track meet these targets.

Only time will reveal the success of this landmark agreement, but for the time being governments of the world say that we are committed to putting our best foot forward towards a sustainable future.

The Paris Agreement is now in effect – but results unknown

The Paris Agreement is now in effect, but what does...

Arctic sea ice is being decimated by our activities, according to a new study that calculated the exact damage we have caused.

In a new study published in the journal Science, experts have now theorized an exact link between carbon pollution and the volume of Arctic sea ice melting.

The researchers claim that for every ton of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, 29 square feet less sea ice is present during September; it is in September that the Arctic sea is at its least frozen levels.

A team of climate scientists led by Dirk Notz from the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Germany have come up with a mathematical formula that illustrates how heat-trapping gases cause the melting of sea ice. 

“It’s very simple. Those emissions from our tailpipes and our coal-fired power plants are all going into the atmosphere,” said co-author Julienne Stroeve from the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado. “It just increases the warming at the surface. So the ice is going to respond to that. The only way it can do that is to move further north.”

Rutgers University marine scientists Jennifer Francis added, “we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Arctic sea ice is disappearing because of increased carbon dioxide.”

The study suggests that each year, the average American is responsible for carbon emissions that melt approximately 538 square feet of September sea ice. Each year in September, there is roughly 33,670 square miles less of Arctic sea than existed the previous year.

According to the team, it would only take 1,000 billion more metric tons of carbon dioxide to completely melt all Arctic Sea ice during September. If current conditions continue, the Arctic will be be ice-free in September in about 30 years.

Study calculates exact human impact on Arctic sea ice

Arctic sea ice is being decimated by our activities, according...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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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...