A new study has found that more than 3,600 chemicals that leach into food during manufacturing, processing, packaging, and storage end up in the human body - and some are linked to serious health issues.



Martin Wagner is a professor of biology at the <a href="https://www.ntnu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Norwegian University of Science and Technology</a> in Trondheim who was not involved in the research.&nbsp;



“This is a staggering number and shows that food contact materials are a significant source of chemicals in humans,” Wagner told CNN.&nbsp;



“The study is the first to systematically link the chemicals we use in materials to package and process foods to human exposure.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cancer-causing-food-chemicals-nbsp">Cancer-causing food chemicals&nbsp;</h2>



Published in the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41370-024-00718-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Exposure Science &amp; Environmental Epidemiology</a>, the study identified 79 food-processing chemicals found in the body that are known to cause cancer, genetic mutations, endocrine and reproductive issues, and other health concerns.



Senior study author Jane Muncke, managing director and chief scientific officer at the <a href="https://www.foodpackagingforum.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Food Packaging Forum</a> - a nonprofit foundation based in Zurich, Switzerland - emphasized that many more chemicals may be harmful in ways science has yet to determine.&nbsp;



“We’re measuring not only the chemicals that were known to be used in the food manufacturing process, but all the gunk as well - the byproducts and impurities that we call non-intentionally added substances,” said Muncke.&nbsp;



“Those substances are always present in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/4200-harmful-plastic-chemicals-hidden-in-everyday-objects/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plastic</a>, in can and package coatings, in printing inks and so on. They may not have a technical function in the food processing, but they are there regardless and migrating into people, and we measure them.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chemical-regulation-and-food-safety">Chemical regulation and food safety</h2>



The <a href="https://www.americanchemistry.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Chemistry Council</a>, an industry association, responded by stating that its members are dedicated to food safety.&nbsp;



“It is essential, however, when assessing potential risks to consider a broader context, including existing regulatory frameworks, scientific evidence, and the actual levels and degree of exposure that may exist,” said a council spokesperson.&nbsp;



“Any proposed actions lacking this context, particularly when causality has not been definitively established, is inconsistent with risk-based U.S. chemical regulation laws.”



Muncke pointed out that while food contact materials may comply with current government regulations, the study highlights that these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/9936-chemicals-found-in-plastic-products-used-for-food-packaging/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">chemicals</a> may not be fully safe.&nbsp;



“We don’t know exactly what the amount is that’s been used in food packaging or other food contact materials versus the amount that’s being used for cosmetics, personal care products, textiles, and so on and so forth, right? I would like to have that information,” said Muncke.&nbsp;



“I think it would be fantastic to make it a regulatory requirement for companies to declare how much and what type of chemicals they are putting into my food or plastic water bottle.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bisphenol-a-exposure">Bisphenol A exposure</h2>



One chemical detected in both food and the human body is <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bpa-replaced-bad/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bisphenol A</a>, or BPA, which was used to create baby bottles, sippy cups, and infant formula containers until concerned parents boycotted those products more than a decade ago.&nbsp;



BPA is an endocrine disruptor linked to fetal abnormalities, low birth weight, and brain and behavior disorders in infants and children. In adults, it has been associated with diabetes, heart disease, erectile dysfunction, cancer, and a 49% higher risk of early death within 10 years.



Bisphenol A can leach into food from the linings of canned foods, polycarbonate tableware, food storage containers, and water bottles, according to the <a href="https://www.niehs.nih.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forever-chemicals-in-food-materials-nbsp">Forever chemicals in food materials&nbsp;</h2>



“The study also shows that food contact materials can contain mutagenic chemicals that harm our DNA, such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heavy-metals-in-food-pose-a-threat-to-childrens-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">heavy metals</a>,” Wagner said. 



“There is strong evidence that humans are exposed to PFAS, so-called forever chemicals, from food packaging that are very persistent, bioaccumulate, and cause organ toxicity.”



Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-microbes-discovered-destroys-pfas-forever-chemicals/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PFAS</a>, are present in the blood of an estimated 98% of Americans, according to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.&nbsp;



These hormone-disrupting chemicals are so concerning that in July 2022, the Academies set “nanogram” levels of concern and called for testing of high-risk individuals, including infants and older adults.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-additional-chemicals-in-food-packaging-nbsp">Additional chemicals in food packaging&nbsp;</h2>



Another chemical group in food packaging that has migrated into people is phthalates, the research revealed.&nbsp;



Found in shampoo, makeup, perfume, children's toys, and food containers, phthalates have been linked to genital malformations and undescended testes in baby boys, as well as lower sperm counts and testosterone levels in adult males.&nbsp;



Previous studies have also associated phthalates with childhood obesity, asthma, cardiovascular issues, cancer, and premature death in people aged 55 to 64.



In the new study, researchers compared 14,000 chemicals known to come into contact with food during the packaging process with worldwide databases that monitor human exposure to potential chemical toxins. All the research data has been uploaded to an open database for scientific use.



“We’ve got, say, 60 years of research into the migration of chemicals into food from food processing and packaging equipment. It’s been studied very extensively,” Muncke said.&nbsp;



“And at the same time, there’s increasingly good, powerful studies coming out on Bisphenol A, on phthalates, on PFAS, brominated flame retardants and so forth that are associated with diseases in people.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-chemicals-in-the-human-body">Tracking chemicals in the human body</h2>



What was lacking in the literature was a comparison between what was found in people and the chemicals known to migrate into food during processing.&nbsp;



To connect the dots, Muncke and her colleagues looked at national and regional biomonitoring databases that track chemicals in human blood, urine, breast milk, tissue samples, and other biomarkers.



For the study, researchers used data from the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/index.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey</a> (NHANES), which gathers yearly health and nutrition data on Americans, as well as other databases.&nbsp;



Of the 14,000 chemicals known to migrate into food during processing and packaging, only a few hundred are measured in people by these programs.&nbsp;



For example, only 172 chemicals detected in food contact materials are monitored in the United States by NHANES - 144 of these chemicals have been detected in some populations, Muncke said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tens-of-thousands-of-food-contact-chemicals-nbsp">Tens of thousands of food contact chemicals&nbsp;</h2>



“Given that there are (tens) of thousands of food contact chemicals, biomonitoring programs do not have the capacity to test for all chemicals we are potentially exposed to,” Wagner said. 



“This creates biases towards very well-studied substances and leaves a big gap in our knowledge on all the other chemicals we potentially have in our bodies.”



Having a chemical in the body does not necessarily mean it is harmful, said Melanie Benesh, vice president of government affairs for the <a href="https://www.ewg.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Environmental Working Group</a> (EWG), a consumer organization that monitors exposure to PFAS and other dangerous chemicals.&nbsp;



“Yet you’re not supposed to be born with any chemical inside of you,” said Benesh. “The bigger question is, do we really need these chemicals to process our food? When there are chemicals in our bodies that we know have the potential to cause us harm, we should be eliminating every route of exposure that we can.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fda-loophole-for-food-contact-substances-nbsp">FDA loophole for food contact substances&nbsp;</h2>



Since 2000, nearly 99% of any new food contact chemicals were approved for use by the food and chemical industry, not the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. Food and Drug Administration</a> (FDA), according to a 2022 analysis by EWG. 



In that 22-year period, food manufacturers asked the FDA's permission to introduce a chemical only 10 times, the analysis said. 



Instead, "companies have exploited a loophole for substances that are ‘generally recognized as safe,’ or GRAS. The loophole lets food manufacturers - not the FDA - decide a substance is safe,” the EWG report stated.



Created by an amendment in the 1950s to the 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, GRAS was intended to be applied narrowly to common ingredients such as sugar, vinegar, and baking soda.



The <a href="https://www.gao.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. Government Accountability Office</a> (GAO) released a <a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/d23104434.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">report</a> in November 2022 highlighting FDA limitations in monitoring the nation’s food safety, including the agency’s lack of legal authority over food manufacturers.&nbsp;



“In addition, FDA does not track the date of the last pre- or post market review for all food contact substances in a way that allows FDA to readily identify substances that may warrant a postmarket review because new safety information may have emerged,” the GAO report stated.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plans-to-improve-food-chemical-safety">Plans to improve food chemical safety </h2>



FDA's deputy commissioner for human foods, Jim Jones, told the <a href="https://energycommerce.house.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce</a>'s subcommittee on health last week that the FDA has made food chemical safety a top priority.&nbsp;



“However, there are also important gaps that need to be addressed as we undertake the work to strengthen our food chemical safety activities,” said Jones.&nbsp;



“Ready access to safety information and consumer exposure data on chemicals in need of review would help us conduct faster and more robust safety evaluations and reassessments." 



"Access to this data would allow FDA to take any necessary regulatory actions in a timely manner to protect consumers and help ensure food safety.”



For the first time, the FDA will hold a public hearing, slated for September 25, on enhancing its assessment of chemicals found in food, including food and color additives, food contact substances, potential contaminants and pesticides, and ingredients considered generally recognized as safe.



“This is unprecedented. This is the first time the FDA is talking about standing up a rigorous review program that puts human health first, that puts chemical safety first, and that restores some of the trust consumers have lost in the agency,” Benesh concluded.



-----



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.



-----

Toxic chemicals from food production pass into the human body

A new study has found that more than 3,600 chemicals that leach into food during manufacturing, processing, packaging, and storage end up in the human body - and some are linked to serious health issues. Martin Wagner is a professor of biology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim who was not involved in the research.&nbsp; “This is a staggering number and shows that food contact materials are a significant source of chemicals in humans,” Wagner told CNN.&nbsp; “The study is the first to...

In the realm of astrophysics, the existence of dark matter has been a prevailing theory used to explain the anomalies observed in the universe. Unlike ordinary matter, dark matter does not emit, absorb, or reflect light, making it invisible and detectable only through its <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dark-stars-scientists-discover-a-new-type-of-star-powered-by-dark-matter/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gravitational effects</a>. 



Recent computer simulations conducted by a team of astronomers, including those from the <a href="https://uci.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California, Irvine</a>, provide compelling support for this elusive component of our universe.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bridging-observations-and-theory">Bridging observations and theory</h2>



The primary question addressed by the research is whether the universe can be fully explained by the matter that we can see and measure directly or if the concept of dark matter is necessary to account for observations that otherwise remain unexplained. 



Currently, the consensus among physicists leans heavily towards the necessity of dark matter to explain phenomena such as the behavior of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/neutron-stars-may-hold-the-key-to-understanding-dark-matter/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stars</a> and galaxies.



Study lead author Francisco Mercado, a recent PhD graduate from the Department of Physics &amp; Astronomy at UC Irvine, is now a postdoctoral scholar at Pomona College.



"Our paper shows how we can use real, observed relationships as a basis to test two different models to describe the universe. We put forth a powerful test to discriminate between the two models," said Mercado.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-existence-of-dark-matter">Existence of dark matter </h2>



The team's approach involved running simulations that incorporated both normal matter and dark matter. These simulations aimed to recreate the features observed in real galaxies, which are challenging to explain without the presence of dark matter. 



The findings reveal that these features indeed match those expected in a dark matter <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dark-matter-may-reveal-the-origin-of-magnetic-fields/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">universe</a>.



"We show that such features appear in observations of many real galaxies. If we take these data at face value, this reaffirms the position of the dark matter model as the one that best describes the universe we live in," explained Mercado.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-confirming-the-role-of-dark-matter">Confirming the role of dark matter</h2>



The study also explored the relationship between <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/visible-matter-dark-matter-evolved-together-big-bang/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">visible matter</a> and the inferred presence of dark matter in galaxies. 



James Bullock, dean of the UCI School of Physical Sciences, provided further insight. "Observed galaxies seem to obey a tight relationship between the matter we see and the inferred dark matter we detect, so much so that some have suggested that what we call dark matter is really evidence that our theory of gravity is wrong," said Professor Bullock.



"What we showed is that not only does dark matter predict the relationship, but for many <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/large-amount-of-dark-matter-may-be-missing-from-the-milky-way/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxies</a> it can explain what we see more naturally than modified gravity. I come away even more convinced that dark matter is the right model."



Interestingly, the observations that confirmed these features were initially conducted by proponents of a dark matter-free universe. 



"The observations we examined - the very observations where we found these features - were conducted by adherents of dark matter-free theories. Despite their obvious presence, little-to-no analysis was performed on these features by that community. It took folks like us, scientists working with both regular and dark matter, to start the conversation," noted Professor Jorge Moreno of Pomona College.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-future-of-dark-matter-research">The future of dark matter research</h2>



"As stars are born and die, they explode into supernovae, which can shape the centers of&nbsp;galaxies, naturally explaining the existence of these features," said Moreno. "Simply put, the features we examined in observations require both the existence of dark matter and the incorporation of normal-matter physics."



With the dark matter model gaining traction as the most accurate description of the universe, the researchers are not resting on their laurels. 



Mercado shared his vision for the next steps: "It would be interesting to see if we could use this same relationship to even distinguish between different dark matter models. Understanding how this relationship changes under distinct dark matter models could help us constrain the properties of dark matter itself."



As the research continues, the hope is that further simulations and observations will not only validate the presence of dark matter but also help refine our understanding of its properties, potentially leading to groundbreaking discoveries in our comprehension of the cosmos.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/530/2/1349/7645231?login=false" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society</a>.



-----



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.&nbsp;



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.earth.com/author/eralls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric Ralls</a> and Earth.com.



-----

Existence of dark matter confirmed by new study

In the realm of astrophysics, the existence of dark matter...

In a focused effort to reduce carbon emissions across the U.S. to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carbon-pricing-will-help-achieve-net-zero-emissions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">net zero</a>, researchers have united from various Department of Energy national laboratories. 



This comprehensive initiative is led by teams at the <a href="https://www.ornl.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Oak Ridge National Laboratory</a> and includes collaboration from Pacific Northwest, Brookhaven, Argonne, Lawrence Berkeley, Ames, and <a href="https://www6.slac.stanford.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SLAC National Accelerator laboratories</a>. Together, the experts are targeting some of the most carbon-intensive sectors of the economy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-recovering-carbon-from-existing-processes">Recovering carbon from existing processes </h2>



Traditionally, efforts to mitigate carbon emissions have focused on capturing or sequestering carbon - known as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/decarbonizing-worlds-industrial-emissions-possible-with-current-technology/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">decarbonization</a>. 



However, a new strategy, which the researchers refer to as "defossilization," seeks to minimize the need for extracting new fossil fuels. Instead, it emphasizes recovering and repurposing carbon from existing processes and products. 



Stephen Streiffer, the director of ORNL, highlighted the importance of this collaborative effort: "Carbon is a vital part of many of today’s products and processes, and we must be creative in how to address its use in the face of global climate change," said Streiffer.



The proposed "circular economy" would aim to reclaim much of the carbon already present in areas like power generation and materials difficult to recycle, such as biomass, municipal waste, biomethane, carbon dioxide, and plastics. 



By reusing carbon where possible, this approach could significantly reduce new emissions, particularly in sectors like transportation and industry, which together account for over 50% of the U.S. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/reducing-carbon-footprint-urban-farms-and-agriculture/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbon footprint</a> and are notoriously hard to transition to electricity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Need for defossilization&nbsp;to reduce carbon emissions </h2>



“Electrifying with carbon-free energy sources will be a critical component of decarbonization. However, several segments of our economy, including the manufacturing of chemicals and polymeric materials, will continue to need carbon,” wrote the researchers.



“In addition, segments of our transportation economy will also be difficult to electrify due to the size and weight of the batteries that would be needed, including aviation, long-haul, heavy-duty, and marine transportation. Together, these ‘hard-to-electrify’ segments contribute to ~20% of the overall US greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.”&nbsp;



“Although efforts are being made to decarbonize parts of these segments, they are unlikely to completely transition from carbon. We can reduce carbon use by increasing efficiency and reducing waste, but that approach alone will not be sufficient to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions.”&nbsp;



“We therefore posit that defossilization, or removing fossil fuels while still using carbon in our economy, is a critical part of achieving net-zero CO2 emissions for difficult-to-electrify sectors.”&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-translating-discoveries-into-applications">Translating discoveries into applications</h2>



Achieving the ambitious goal of a circular carbon economy requires a rapid advancement in scientific and technological innovation.



Michelle K. Kidder, a distinguished researcher and program manager at ORNL, emphasized the urgency of this task. "Maintaining today’s 15- to 20-year discover-design-develop-deploy cycle will not allow us to slow, stop, or even reverse climate impacts in time to meet aggressive 2030 and 2050 U.S. targets," said Kidder. 



"We must instead find new ways to approach fundamental advancements in science and more quickly translate discoveries into applications that can make significant impact on emissions reductions."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-overcoming-barriers-to-reduce-carbon-emissions">Overcoming barriers to reduce carbon emissions</h2>



Hundreds of scientists and technical experts from across the national laboratory system are diligently working to overcome longstanding scientific and technological barriers.



ORNL's research, for instance, combines advanced tools such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/machine-learning-pinpointed-a-catalyst-for-co2-conversion/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">artificial intelligence</a> and machine learning with chemistry to develop new materials. 



This effort is bolstered by Frontier, the world’s fastest supercomputer, which supports essential high-performance computations for developing new energy technologies. These include advanced nuclear reactors and potential fusion solutions aimed at reducing carbon emissions.



As these scientific endeavors progress, it is crucial to integrate techno-economic and lifecycle analyses. This approach is vital for identifying the potential environmental and social impacts of new technologies, ensuring that solutions are not only effective but also equitable. 



"Even as we look for alternatives to reusing and keeping carbon in play, defossilization must allow equitable and ecological solutions for everyone," explained Kidder. "If we can bring this vision to fruition at the urgent pace needed, we also can reduce <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-co2-emissions-expected-to-reach-a-new-high-in-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbon dioxide</a> and its consequent impact on the environment while ensuring that no community is left behind."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-collaborative-effort-to-reduce-carbon-emissions">A collaborative effort to reduce carbon emissions</h2>



The roadmap laid out by these researchers offers a promising path toward a sustainable, low-carbon future. By fostering collaboration and accelerating the pace of innovation, there is hope for significantly reducing the U.S. carbon footprint, closing the carbon cycle, and achieving the net-zero emissions necessary to combat climate change effectively. 



This ambitious endeavor not only seeks to safeguard the planet but also to ensure a healthier, more sustainable environment for future generations.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41570-024-00587-1.epdf?sharing_token=PUggHP_nq8r_hrAIep2o49RgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0PYLMGfmgLY4H7W4X3IBUuVZbR3_VV9dyRQYLo943vVN07-OKCQlFHAYuzHwW5rjH0CQqN5e6fVhv6iQLUZrR7rs3u9ESakdwiIyGOA5oTrFv9bwv6bcAjrqOc8Q-sq6yw%3D" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Reviews Chemistry</a>.



-----



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.&nbsp;



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.earth.com/author/eralls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric Ralls</a> and Earth.com.



-----

Circular economy needed to reduce America's carbon emissions

In a focused effort to reduce carbon emissions across the...

Somewhere,In,The,Universe.,Space,Landscape.,Curvature,Of,Space-time.,Elements

Researchers have stumbled upon a phenomenon that could rewrite our understanding of the universe's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/all-living-things-are-affected-by-gravitational-tides/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gravitational forces</a>. Known as the "cosmic glitch," this discovery highlights anomalies in gravity's behavior on an immense scale, challenging the established norms set by Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity.



For over a century, general relativity has served as the backbone for our understanding of cosmic phenomena, ranging from the dynamics of the Big Bang to the intricacies of black holes. The theory posits that gravity influences not only the three spatial dimensions but also time itself. 



Validated through numerous tests and observations, general relativity has been a robust model that physicists and astronomers worldwide rely on.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-challenging-einstein-s-legacy">Challenging Einstein's legacy</h2>



However, when applied to the vast scales of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/titanic-galaxy-cluster-collision-defies-all-current-understanding-of-the-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxy clusters</a> and beyond, this model begins to show cracks. 



Robin Wen is the project's lead author and a recent graduate in Mathematical Physics from the <a href="https://uwaterloo.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Waterloo</a>. "At these colossal distances, general relativity starts to deviate from what we observe. It’s as if gravity’s influence weakens by about one percent when dealing with distances spanning billions of light years," explained Wen.



This observation has puzzled scientists for more than twenty years. Considerable efforts have been made to address these discrepancies and better understand the anomalies observed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cosmic glitch adds a footnote to general relativity </h2>



Niayesh Afshordi, a professor of Astrophysics at the University of Waterloo and a researcher at the Perimeter Institute, shared insights on the universe's expansion. 



"Almost a century ago, astronomers discovered that our universe is expanding,” said Professor Afshordi. "The farther away galaxies are, the faster they are moving, to the point that they seem to be moving at nearly the speed of light, the maximum allowed by Einstein’s theory. Our finding suggests that, on those very scales, Einstein’s theory may also be insufficient.”



Furthermore, the research team has developed a new model that modifies and extends Einstein’s equations to better fit these cosmic observations. 



This doesn’t just patch a hole; it enhances our overall understanding of gravity without compromising the successful applications of general relativity that are crucial in other scientific fields.



Robin Wen describes this update as a critical clarification to Einstein’s original theory: "Think of it as a footnote - once you reach a cosmic scale, additional terms and conditions apply."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Unraveling the mysteries of gravity</h2>



Using this model that modifies general relativity could be the breakthrough that unlocks further mysteries of the cosmos. "This might just be our first clue in solving a larger cosmic puzzle that spans the vast expanses of space and time," noted Afshordi.



As the scientific community continues to test and refine this new approach to understanding gravity, the anticipation grows. 



The implications of the research are far-reaching, potentially leading to new theories that offer a more detailed and comprehensive understanding of the fundamental forces that govern our universe.



This discovery challenges long-held scientific views and is a vibrant example of how scientific inquiry continuously evolves, each solution prompting new questions in the relentless quest for deeper truths.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Theory of general relativity</h2>



The theory of general relativity, proposed by Albert Einstein in 1915, describes gravity not as a conventional force, but as a curvature of space-time caused by mass and energy. This marked a profound departure from Newtonian physics, where gravity was considered a force acting at a distance.



Einstein's theory suggests that objects such as planets and stars alter the geometry of space-time around them, and this curvature influences the motion of other objects. This is often visualized as a heavy object placed on a stretched rubber sheet, causing it to deform, and smaller objects rolling towards it due to the deformation.



One of the most famous predictions of general relativity was the bending of light by gravity, which was confirmed during a solar eclipse in 1919, when stars near the Sun appeared slightly displaced from their expected positions. 



This phenomenon, known as gravitational lensing, along with the precise precession of Mercury's orbit, and the redshift of light escaping gravitational fields, serve as key evidences for the theory.



The study is published in the <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1475-7516/2024/03/045">Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics</a>.



-----



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



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



-----

'Cosmic glitch' discovered in gravity's behavior challenges Einstein's general relativity theory

Researchers have stumbled upon a phenomenon that could rewrite our...

While the benefits of exercise on overall health are broadly recognized, the intricate biological responses triggered at a cellular level by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/active-aging-physical-activity-has-a-direct-impact-on-life-quality/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">physical activity</a> have only recently been explored in depth. 



A landmark study involving an array of scientific experts from various U.S. institutions has significantly advanced our understanding of this complex phenomenon.



The scientists employed a range of sophisticated techniques to investigate the molecular changes that occur across different organs during periods of intense exercise. 



The study revealed that physical activity influences a multitude of cellular and molecular mechanisms across all 19 organs analyzed in the rats used for the experiment. 



The findings show that the body's adaptation to exercise extends well beyond <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-discover-molecule-that-helps-grow-stronger-and-bigger-muscles/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">muscle growth</a> and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-cardiovascular-benefits-of-exercise-are-unlimited/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cardiovascular health</a>, encompassing significant changes in organs such as the heart, brain, and lungs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-insights-into-the-molecular-benefits-of-exercise">Insights into the molecular benefits of exercise</h2>



The study was a part of an ambitious initiative, the Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC), which began in 2016. 



This project brings together researchers from prestigious institutions such as the <a href="https://www.broadinstitute.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard</a>, <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stanford University</a>, and the <a href="https://www.nih.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Institutes of Health</a>. 



The consortium involved leading scientists who envisioned a comprehensive analysis of exercise's effects at the molecular level. The project was originally conceived of by&nbsp;Steve Carr, senior director of Broad’s Proteomics Platform.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Focus of the research</h2>



“Regular exercise provides wide-ranging health benefits, including reduced risks of all-cause mortality, cardiometabolic and neurological diseases, cancer and other pathologies,” wrote the study authors.



“Exercise affects nearly all organ systems in either improving health or reducing disease risk, with beneficial effects resulting from cellular and molecular adaptations within and across many tissues and organ systems.”&nbsp;



“Various ‘omic’ platforms (‘omes’) including transcriptomics, epigenomics, proteomics and metabolomics, have been used to study these events. However, work to date typically covers one or two omes at a single time point, is biased towards one sex, and often focuses on a single tissue, most often skeletal muscle, heart or blood, with few studies considering other tissues.”



“Accordingly, a comprehensive, organism-wide, multi-omic map of the effects of exercise is needed to understand the molecular underpinnings of exercise training-induced adaptations.”&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-enormously-valuable-resource">Enormously valuable resource </h2>



The expansive study not only scrutinized tissues from various organs but also revealed how these organs contribute to regulating immune response, stress reactions, and even pathways related to chronic conditions like inflammatory liver disease and heart disease.



"It took a village of scientists with distinct scientific backgrounds to generate and integrate the massive amount of high quality data produced,” said Carr.



“This is the first whole-organism map looking at the effects of training in multiple different organs. The resource produced will be enormously valuable, and has already produced many potentially novel biological insights for further exploration.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-molecular-changes-from-exercise">Molecular changes from exercise </h2>



One of the more significant revelations was the discovery of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stanford-blood-test-measures-the-molecular-effects-of-exercise/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">molecular changes</a> that might explain why the liver becomes less fatty during exercise. Such insights could pave the way for new treatments for conditions like non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.



In addition, the research team hopes their findings can eventually be used to personalize exercise plans based on an individual's health status or to develop therapeutic strategies that mimic the benefits of physical activity for those unable to exercise regularly.



The data from this extensive study have been made available in an <a href="https://motrpac-data.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">online public repository</a>, allowing other researchers to access and utilize this information for further study. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exercise-impacts-thousands-of-molecules">Exercise impacts thousands of molecules</h2>



The collective effort of the teams involved required significant coordination, as highlighted by Clary Clish, one of the lead researchers. “The amount of coordination that all of the labs involved in this study had to do was phenomenal.” 



This meticulous planning allowed for nearly 10,000 assays, resulting in approximately 15 million measurements on blood and solid tissues.



Through these efforts, the researchers have observed that exercise impacts thousands of molecules, with notable changes occurring in the adrenal gland, which plays a crucial role in regulating immunity, metabolism, and blood pressure. 



Additionally, the study uncovered sex-specific differences in immune response, providing a nuanced understanding of how exercise affects males and females differently over time. Most immune-signaling molecules unique to females showed changes in levels between one and two weeks of training, while those in males showed differences between four and eight weeks, noted the experts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-foundation-for-future-research">Foundation for future research </h2>



As research continues, these insights offer a promising frontier for enhancing human health through a more refined understanding of the molecular benefits of exercise. 



The pioneering study not only furthers our understanding of the biological responses to physical activity but also sets the stage for tailored health interventions that could one day revolutionize personal health and wellness.



"Altogether, this multi-omic resource serves as a broadly useful reference for studying the milieu of molecular changes in endurance training adaptation and provides new opportunities to understand the effects of exercise on health and disease," concluded the researchers.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06877-w" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



-----



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.&nbsp;



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.earth.com/author/eralls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric Ralls</a> and Earth.com.



-----

Metamorphosis: Exercise triggers molecular changes in major organs

While the benefits of exercise on overall health are broadly...

Silhouette,Of,A,Girl,In,Lotus,Position,On,The,Background

In recent years, the scientific community has been increasingly interested in the potential benefits of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meditation-is-far-better-than-drugs-to-spark-creativity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">meditation</a> and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/psychedelics-could-help-us-reinvent-ourselves/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">psychedelics</a>. A fascinating study has uncovered the synergistic effects of psilocybin and meditation, revealing how this combination can enhance insightfulness and alter brain activity patterns.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unlocking-the-doors-of-perception-during-meditation">Unlocking the doors of perception during meditation</h2>



Berit Singer and a team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.uzh.ch/en.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Zurich</a> and the University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich have published their findings in the journal Scientific Reports. 



The study involved 36 experienced meditators who participated in a 5-day psilocybin-assisted meditation retreat, following a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study design.



The participants completed two fMRI brain imaging sessions, one day before and one day after the retreat. Each scan session consisted of resting-state, focused attention, and open monitoring sequences, with each <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-meditation-transforms-gut-microbes-for-optimal-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">meditation</a> lasting 7 minutes. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mapping-the-synergy-of-psilocybin-and-meditation">Mapping the synergy of psilocybin and meditation</h2>



The researchers used a novel approach based on the Mapper algorithm from topological data analysis to generate subject-specific maps for two groups (<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-psilocybin-mushrooms-got-their-magic/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">psilocybin</a> vs. placebo, 18 subjects/group) of experienced meditators.



The study revealed several intriguing findings:



<ul>
<li>Psilocybin-induced positive derealization, when accompanied by enhanced open-monitoring meditation, was linked to the optimal transport (OT) distance between open-monitoring and resting state.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Enhanced meta-awareness through <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/loving-kindness-meditation-increases-positive-emotions-and-happiness/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">meditation practice</a> in experienced meditators, combined with potential psilocybin-induced positive alterations in perception, mediate insightfulness.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Psilocybin alters the perception of the external world, presumably by increasing informational richness, which is reflected by increased OT distances between open-monitoring and resting state post-retreat.</li>
</ul>



Singer, one of the study's lead authors, expressed her fascination with the application of pure mathematics, especially topology, to extract important information from latent structures in data. 



Speaking to PsyPost, she expressed her surprise by the common structure revealed among the subject-specific Mapper graphs, despite their initial apparent differences.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-perspective-on-consciousness">New perspective on consciousness</h2>



This study provides a novel perspective on the potential synergistic effects between mindfulness practices and psilocybin. It suggests that the combination of enhanced meta-awareness through <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meditation-may-lead-to-better-focus-sleep-and-sex-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">meditation</a> and psilocybin-induced positive alterations in perception can foster insightfulness.



The findings also highlight the importance of understanding the neurophysiology of meditation and psychedelics beyond the conventional measures of functional connectivity, resting-state networks, and signal variability. 



By applying topological data analysis, the researchers were able to uncover organizational principles and characteristics of whole-brain activity patterns during different styles of meditation and psilocybin-induced alterations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-positive-effects-of-psilocybin-on-the-brain">Positive effects of psilocybin on the brain</h2>



As researchers continue to investigate the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-offers-new-explanation-for-how-psychedelic-drugs-work/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">effects of psilocybin</a> on the brain, they have uncovered several positive outcomes that may revolutionize the way we approach mental health treatment.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Psilocybin promotes neuroplasticity with and without meditation</h3>



One of the most promising effects of psilocybin on the brain is its ability to promote neuroplasticity and enhance neural connectivity. 



Studies have shown that psilocybin can facilitate the growth of new neural connections and increase the flexibility of existing ones. 



This heightened neuroplasticity allows the brain to adapt and reorganize itself more efficiently, which may contribute to the long-lasting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/australia-is-the-first-country-to-legalize-psychedelics-for-mental-health-treatment/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">positive changes</a> observed in individuals who have undergone psilocybin-assisted therapy.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Reduction of anxiety and depression</h3>



Psilocybin has demonstrated remarkable potential in alleviating symptoms of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/psilocybin-microdosing-may-improve-mental-health-by-boosting-stress-resilience/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">anxiety and depression</a>, even in cases where conventional treatments have failed. 



Research suggests that psilocybin can modulate the activity of serotonin receptors in the brain, leading to a reduction in negative thought patterns and an increase in positive emotions. 



Moreover, the profound mystical experiences often associated with psilocybin use may help individuals gain new perspectives on their lives and develop a greater sense of meaning and purpose.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Increased openness and creativity</h3>



Studies have found that psilocybin can enhance openness, a personality trait characterized by curiosity, imagination, and a willingness to embrace new experiences. 



Increased openness has been linked to improved creative thinking, problem-solving abilities, and overall psychological well-being. 



By fostering a more open and flexible mindset, psilocybin may help individuals break free from rigid thought patterns and explore novel ideas and solutions, particularly during meditation practice.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-psilocybin-and-the-future-of-psychedelic-meditation">Psilocybin and the future of psychedelic meditation</h2>



In summary, the study by Singer and her colleagues has opened up new avenues for exploring the potential benefits of combining <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meditation-breathing-brain-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">meditation</a> and psychedelics. 



As Singer noted, "These findings provide a novel perspective on meditation and psychedelics that may reveal potential novel brain markers for positive synergistic effects between mindfulness practices and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/synthetic-psilocybin-less-effective-therapy-than-natural-mushroom-extract/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">psilocybin</a>."



By applying novel techniques like topological data analysis, the researchers have uncovered intriguing synergistic effects between psilocybin and meditation, revealing how this combination can enhance insightfulness, alter brain activity patterns, and potentially lead to new therapeutic approaches for mental health and well-being. 



As the scientific community continues to investigate the neurophysiology of meditation and psychedelics, this study serves as a catalyst for further research, promising to deepen our understanding of consciousness and the mechanisms underlying the positive effects of these practices.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-55726-x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scientific Reports</a>.



-----



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.earth.com/author/eralls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric Ralls</a> and Earth.com.



-----

Psilocybin deeply enhances meditation insights

In recent years, the scientific community has been increasingly interested...

It's a common concern among parents: the impact of social media on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/teens-losing-sleep-smartphones/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lives</a> of children and teens. Many worry that these digital interactions might replace or damage real-life social skills and connections.



However, recent findings suggest that these fears may be unfounded. In fact, kids who are active on social media are also actively engaging in social activities offline.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-offline-activity-among-social-media-users">More offline activity among social media users</h2>



A recent study led by Silje Steinsbekk, a professor in the Department of Psychology at <a href="https://www.ntnu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NTNU</a>, challenges the prevailing notions about social media use among youth. 



"On the contrary, we find that people who use social media a lot spend more time with friends offline," said Professor Steinsbekk.



This observation stems from a comprehensive analysis carried out as part of the Trondheim Early Secure Study, which tracked around 800 young individuals over key developmental ages at 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18 years old.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Significance of the study</h2>



“Throughout childhood and adolescence, social skills develop in interaction with the social environment, including parents, family, and friends. While not long ago, such interactions solely took place face-to-face, teens now spend an average of almost 4 h daily on social media like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat,” wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



“However, questions remain as to how social media use affects the development of social skills, which is important to know given the beneficial outcomes of such skills and the drawbacks of lacking them in terms of mental health, academic achievement, coping, and self-esteem.”



“On the one hand, it has been argued that social media interactions provide fewer affordances to practice social skills, thus negatively impacting the development of such skills. On the other hand, it has been hypothesized that social media may constitute an additional arena for social interaction, potentially promoting social skills via more opportunities to interact.”&nbsp;



“This study is the first to examine the validity of these contrasting hypotheses. In addition, it investigates whether increased.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-social-media-enhances-not-hinders-social-engagement">Social media enhances, not hinders, social engagement</h2>



The research team delved into critical a question: Does more time on social media affect children’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/screen-time-does-not-inhibit-social-skills-among-kids/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">social skills</a> and their real-world interactions with peers? 



The results were conclusive. "Social media is a new arena for social interaction. We found no evidence to support the notion that social media hampers the development of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/video-games-social-skills/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">social skills</a>," said Professor Steinsbekk.



The study further demonstrated that children who are frequently active online often spend several evenings a week socializing with their friends in person.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-complex-aspects-of-social-media-use">Complex aspects of social media use </h2>



While the study provides reassurance, it also highlights the more complex aspects of social media use. The research indicated that children with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/breakthrough-discovery-social-anxiety-can-be-targeted-in-the-gut/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">social anxiety</a> might be especially susceptible to the adverse effects of extensive use.



"This correlation was weak, so we are reluctant to draw strong conclusions until more research has been done," said Professor Steinsbekk.



The research serves as an important reminder of the complexity of how social media interacts with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-media-break-can-significantly-improve-mental-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mental health</a>.



Interestingly, the study also pointed to potential benefits of social media, such as increased closeness in friendships, the formation of new friendships, and the strengthening of existing ones. 



These positive aspects could explain why more socially active children also engage more offline.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rapidly-evolving-nature-of-technology">Rapidly evolving nature of technology </h2>



The study concludes on a cautiously optimistic note. "We hope the findings can help reduce parents’ concerns somewhat," said Professor Silje Steinsbekk.



However, she also emphasizes the rapidly evolving nature of technology and its challenges for research. This underscores the need for ongoing study to keep pace with technological advances and their implications for young users.



The insights from this study are critical not just for understanding the social dynamics of today's youth but also for guiding future research and policy. 



"Social media has created a new social landscape for adolescents. Knowledge is needed on how this landscape shapes adolescents’ social skills and time spent with friends, as these outcomes are important to mental health and psychosocial functioning," wrote the researchers.



As we navigate this ever-changing digital landscape, it is crucial to stay informed about the real effects of our online behaviors on offline relationships. While the digital age poses new challenges, it also offers new avenues for connection and social growth.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563224001031?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Computers in Human Behavior.</a>



-----



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.&nbsp;



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.earth.com/author/eralls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric Ralls</a> and Earth.com.



-----

Kids who are active on social media are just as active offline

It's a common concern among parents: the impact of social...

Particles,,Quantum,Entanglement,(quantum,Correlation),,Quantum,Mechanics.,3d,Illustration

Researchers have uncovered a fundamental connection between <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-entanglement-discovery-is-a-revolutionary-step-forward/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">quantum entanglement</a>, entropy, and the laws of thermodynamics. This discovery sheds new light on the behavior of quantum systems and could have far-reaching implications for the development of quantum technologies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-quantum-entanglement-met-the-rule-of-entropy">When quantum entanglement met the rule of entropy</h2>



Bartosz Regula from the <a href="https://www.riken.jp/en/research/labs/rqc/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RIKEN</a> Center for Quantum Computing and Ludovico Lami from the <a href="https://www.uva.nl/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Amsterdam</a> have made a significant breakthrough in understanding the nature of quantum entanglement. 



Through probabilistic calculations, they have shown that there is indeed a rule of entropy governing this enigmatic phenomenon.



"Our findings mark significant progress in understanding the basic properties of entanglement, revealing fundamental connections between entanglement and thermodynamics, and crucially, providing a major simplification in the understanding of entanglement conversion processes," said Regula.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-second-law-of-thermodynamics-and-quantum-systems">Second law of thermodynamics and quantum systems</h2>



The second law of thermodynamics, which states that a system can never move to a state with lower entropy, is one of the most fundamental <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/radical-new-theory-finally-unites-gravity-spacetime-and-the-quantum-realm/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">laws of nature</a>. It creates the "arrow of time" and encapsulates the dynamics of even the most complex physical systems.



However, as we delve deeper into the quantum world, it becomes increasingly important to understand how this law applies to quantum systems. 



Quantum entanglement, a key resource that underlies much of the power of future <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-computer-can-instantly-execute-a-task-that-would-normally-take-47-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">quantum computers</a>, has been the focus of research in quantum information science for decades. Despite its significance, little is currently understood about the optimal ways to make effective use of it.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-probabilistic-transformations-and-reversible-entanglements">Probabilistic transformations and reversible entanglements</h2>



The difficulty in establishing a "second law" for quantum entanglement lies in the fact that entanglement transformations must be made reversible, just like work and heat can be interconverted in thermodynamics. 



However, ensuring the reversibility of entanglement is much more challenging than in the case of thermodynamic transformations.



Previous attempts at establishing a reversible theory of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unraveling-gravity-quantum-nature-entanglement-mechanics/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">entanglement</a> have failed, and it was even suspected that entanglement might be irreversible. This made the quest for a "second law" of entanglement seem like an impossible one.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-to-reversible-quantum-connections">Key to reversible quantum connections</h2>



Regula and Lami solve this long-standing conjecture by using <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-ping-pong-game-played-by-two-atoms-controlling-photons/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">probabilistic entanglement</a> transformations. These transformations are only guaranteed to be successful some of the time, but in return, they provide an increased power in converting quantum systems.



Under such processes, the authors show that it is indeed possible to establish a reversible framework for entanglement manipulation. 



They identify a setting in which a unique entropy of entanglement emerges, and all entanglement transformations are governed by a single quantity. 



The methods they used could be applied more broadly, showing similar reversibility properties for more general <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/full-chemical-complexity-of-quantum-decoherence-finally-revealed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">quantum resources</a> as well.



"This not only has immediate and direct applications in the foundations of quantum theory, but it will also help with understanding the ultimate limitations on our ability to efficiently manipulate entanglement in practice," Regula explained.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-entanglement-entropy-as-a-new-frontier">Entanglement entropy as a new frontier</h2>



While this discovery marks a significant milestone in understanding the basic properties of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/secure-quantum-communication-one-step-closer-reality/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">entanglement</a>, there is still much to be explored. 



Regula notes that even stronger forms of reversibility have been conjectured, and there is hope that entanglement can be made reversible under weaker assumptions than those made in their work, without relying on probabilistic transformations.



"Understanding the precise requirements for reversibility to hold thus remains a fascinating open problem," Regula concluded.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-quantum-leap-into-the-future">Quantum leap into the future</h2>



In summary, the important discovery by Bartosz Regula and Ludovico Lami marks a significant milestone in our understanding of quantum entanglement and its relationship to the fundamental laws of thermodynamics. 



Their work provides a new framework for analyzing and manipulating entanglement while opening exciting avenues for future research. 



As we continue to explore the quantum world and harness its potential for revolutionary technologies, this finding will undoubtedly serve as a guiding light, illuminating the path towards a deeper understanding of the complex and fascinating phenomena that lie at the heart of quantum mechanics.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-47243-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



-----



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.earth.com/author/eralls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric Ralls</a> and Earth.com.



-----

Quantum entanglement does, in fact, follow a rule of entropy

Researchers have uncovered a fundamental connection between quantum entanglement, entropy,...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagulls-birds-more-intelligent-than-believed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Seagull</a> species with larger brains are more likely to choose cliffs for nesting and may also be better adapted to urban environments, such as the rooftops of buildings, according to a recent study led by the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Exeter</a>.



Exploring the link between brain size, wing shape, nesting habits, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/urban-lizards-show-physical-and-genetic-adaptations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">urban adaptation</a>, the experts discovered that over half of cliff-nesting gull species are nesting in urban settings, a significant contrast to the 11% of non-cliff-nesting species doing the same. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seagulls-nesting-in-challenging-environments">Seagulls nesting in challenging environments</h2>



The research highlights a correlation between larger <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagulls-birds-more-intelligent-than-believed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">brain sizes</a> and the ability to adapt to more challenging nesting environments.



“Many people will be familiar with gulls nesting and foraging in urban areas,” said lead author Madeleine Goumas, a former postdoctoral research associate at Exeter's Center for Ecology and Conservation. “It's not something you might expect from a seabird, so we wanted to try to understand why they do it."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seagulls-nesting-in-urban-settings-nbsp">Seagulls nesting in urban settings&nbsp;</h2>



The research involved a comprehensive review of existing studies, analyzing urban breeding and foraging behaviors among different seagull species.&nbsp;



The findings revealed that 13 of the 50 gull species have adapted to urban environments for breeding, with the same number identified as urban foragers; nine species engage in both behaviors.



The data showed that 53% of cliff-nesting gull species were found to nest in urban areas, compared to only 11% of non-cliff-nesters.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seagulls-with-larger-brains">Seagulls with larger brains</h2>



“We found that gull species with larger brains are more likely to be cliff-nesters, and cliff-nesting species are more likely to breed in urban areas,” said senior author Neeltje Boogert, a senior lecturer in biosciences at Exeter.



“It's also not a fixed behavior in most gulls. While non-cliff-nesting species nest exclusively on the ground, most cliff-nesting species nest either on cliffs or the ground.”



“This suggests that bigger brains enable these gull species to be flexible with regard to where they choose to nest, and this allows them to use unconventional sites, like buildings, for raising their young.”



Regarding <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fish-foraging-behavior-changing-climate-warming-waters/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">foraging behavior</a>, the study concluded that neither brain size nor wing shape, which influences maneuverability, were definitive factors in predicting urban foraging activities.



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



The scientists also examined the conservation status of these seagulls, discovering that those with stable or growing populations were more likely to utilize urban habitats compared to those in decline. Among the ten gull species listed as Threatened or Near Threatened, only the black-legged kittiwake was observed using urban settings.



“Whether or not species use urban areas has important implications for conservation,” Boogert explained. “If we can understand the factors that allow animals to use urban areas, we can better understand how to help those that aren't faring so well.”



“Urbanization is a major problem for a lot of animals. It looks like some gull species have managed to overcome some of the challenges that prevent other animals from using urban areas, but we need more long-term studies as well as comparative studies on other taxa to fully understand the impacts of urban living,” Goumas added.



This research is part of a broader investigation into gull behavior, which includes studies on how gulls prefer food handled by humans and how maintaining eye contact can deter them from stealing food.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-about-seagull-nesting-behaviors-nbsp">More about seagull nesting behaviors&nbsp;</h2>



Seagulls are fascinating creatures, particularly when it comes to their nesting behaviors, which exhibit some unique strategies adapted to their environments.&nbsp;



Generally, seagulls are colonial nesters, meaning they prefer to nest in large groups, which offers protection against predators. The location of these colonies can vary widely, including isolated, flat roofs of buildings, sandy beaches, or rocky cliffs near the sea.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nesting-strategies">Nesting strategies</h3>



A typical nesting site is chosen for its safety from ground predators and its proximity to food sources. Seagulls are quite adaptable and may adjust their nesting strategies based on their environment. For instance, urban gulls might nest on man-made structures, while those in more natural settings will choose spots that offer natural protection.



When building their nests, seagulls use a variety of materials, including sticks, seaweed, and feathers, constructing them to cradle their eggs securely. A seagull's nest is relatively simple, not much more than a scrape on the ground or a slight mound to keep the eggs in place.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mating-pairs-nbsp">Mating pairs&nbsp;</h3>



Seagulls are also particularly defensive of their nesting sites. Both the male and female participate in nest building and the care of the young. The mating pair typically forms a bond that can last many years and is reinforced each season through ritual behaviors and mutual care.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-breeding-season">Breeding season</h3>



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-snowstorms-impact-breeding-success-of-petrels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">breeding</a> season is a noisy time in a gull colony, filled with calls and aggressive interactions between neighbors and intruders. Eggs are generally laid from late March through May, with the specifics depending on the location and species. The incubation period for seagull eggs lasts about three to five weeks, and both parents share the duty of warming the eggs.



Once hatched, the chicks are semi-precocial, meaning they are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth, yet remain dependent on their parents for food and protection. The young are usually ready to fly and leave the nest within six weeks after hatching, though parental care may continue until they are fully capable of independent survival.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2024.1256911" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution</a>.



-----



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.



-----

Big-brained seagulls choose more challenging nesting sites

Seagull species with larger brains are more likely to choose...

Precipitation may hold the key to the future of the Colorado River, a crucial water source for millions that has faced a persistent <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/colorado-river-drought/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">drought</a> spanning decades. 



Recent findings from a comprehensive modeling study suggest that precipitation could play a crucial role in shaping the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/colorado-river-basin-has-lost-enough-water-to-fill-lake-mead/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">river’s future</a>. This marks a significant shift from previous models, which primarily focused on the impact of warming temperatures. 



The new study incorporates both temperature and precipitation patterns in the river’s headwaters. The results reveal that precipitation is likely to be the dominant factor influencing the river’s flow over the next quarter-century.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-factoring-precipitation-into-colorado-river-predictions">Factoring precipitation into Colorado River predictions</h2>



This optimistic scenario is backed by extensive data analysis and climate projections by researchers affiliated with the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES). The experts, who utilized projections from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), present a nuanced view. 



"Yes, the temperature is warming, but that’s not the full story - you add precipitation and you get a fuller picture," explained CIRES Fellow and study co-author Balaji Rajagopalan.



Martin Hoerling, the study's lead author, elaborated on the findings: "We find it is more likely than not that Lee Ferry flows will be greater during 2026-2050 than since 2000 as a consequence of a more favorable precipitation cycle." 



This means that despite the warming temperatures, increased precipitation could compensate, potentially mitigating some of the negative effects on the river's flow.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Focus of the study</h2>



“Of concern to Colorado River management, as operating guidelines post-2026 are being considered, is whether water resource recovery from low flows during 2000–2020 is possible,” wrote the researchers.



“Here we analyze new simulations from the sixth generation of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) to determine plausible climate impacts on Colorado River flows for 2026–2050 when revised guidelines would operate.”&nbsp;



“We constrain projected flows for Lee Ferry, the gauge through which 85% of the river flow passes, using its estimated sensitivity to meteorological variability together with CMIP6 projected precipitation and temperature changes.”&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-historical-perspective-on-river-flows">Historical perspective on river flows</h2>



The analysis confirmed that natural fluctuations in precipitation have historically dictated the river's flow patterns, causing periods of both abundance and scarcity. 



The most recent drought, which started in 2000, has been primarily due to reduced precipitation, leading to significantly lower <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-may-have-altered-river-flow-worldwide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">river flows</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-projections-and-policy-considerations">Future projections and policy considerations</h2>



Looking ahead, the research team used the latest climate models to predict future conditions. They discovered a promising 70 percent chance of increased precipitation in the Colorado River's headwaters - regions that contribute the majority of the river's water. 



This increase could partially offset the effects of rising temperatures. "Depending on the river’s temperature sensitivity, this wet signal compensates some, if not all, of the depleting effects from basin warming," wrote the researchers.



However, the team also cautions policymakers about the inherent uncertainties. Although the outlook is generally positive, there remains a 4 percent chance that river flows could decline further, a scenario that could exacerbate the current <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-water-crisis-could-spiral-out-of-control/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">water crisis</a>. 



"Decision makers are confronted with a more optimistic vision of the available supply in coming decades than might have generally been foreseen previously, but they must also consider a small, but perhaps unacceptable, risk for historically low flows," said Hoerling.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-precipitation-insights-for-colorado-river-management">Precipitation insights for Colorado River management</h2>



As the deadline to set new guidelines for managing the Colorado River approaches, these findings offer a glimmer of hope but also a reminder of the challenges that lie ahead. 



The study underscores the importance of considering both temperature and precipitation in water management strategies, ensuring that policies are robust enough to handle potential extremes. This balanced, informed approach could help safeguard the river's health and secure water resources for future generations.



The analysis not only sheds new light on the dynamics of the Colorado River but also provides valuable insights for policymakers as they plan for the coming decades. 



By acknowledging the full spectrum of potential scenarios, from optimistic to cautionary, stakeholders can better prepare for the future, ensuring that the river continues to sustain the vast region it serves.



The study is published in the <a href="https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/clim/aop/JCLI-D-23-0617.1/JCLI-D-23-0617.1.xml" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Climate</a>.



-----



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.&nbsp;



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.earth.com/author/eralls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric Ralls</a> and Earth.com.



-----

Can precipitation help the Colorado River recover from decades of drought?

Precipitation may hold the key to the future of the...

Smiling,Woman,Buying,Packed,Salad,While,Shopping,At,Grocery,Store.

The concept of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/american-consumers-wasting-food/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">expiration</a> dates on food packaging may soon become obsolete, thanks to innovative smart technologies developed by a team of researchers. These inventors have created a suite of tests that could allow food packages to actively indicate if their contents are contaminated. 



This advancement aims to bridge the gap between food producers and regulators to foster the integration of these tests into commercial products, potentially revolutionizing how we determine food freshness, reducing waste, and preventing illness.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smart-packaging-replacing-food-expiration-dates">Smart packaging replacing food expiration dates</h2>



Currently published in the journal Nature Reviews Bioengineering, this new study suggests that while the tests associated with smart packaging would impose a minimal cost -- mere cents per package -- the benefits far outweigh these expenses. 



Food producers, often wary of passing additional costs onto consumers, may find these smart packaging solutions an economically viable alternative to traditional expiration dates.



According to the researchers, smart packaging could shield producers from the costs linked to reputational damage and recalls during foodborne illness outbreaks. 



Moreover, this technology could drastically cut down on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/freshness-sensors-reduce-food-waste/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">food waste</a> and associated health-care costs, saving society hundreds of billions of dollars globally each year.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-balancing-safety-and-cost">Balancing safety and cost</h2>



"On the one hand, people want to have safe food to eat. On the other, they don’t want to pay more for their food, because prices are high already and seem only to be climbing higher,” notes Tohid Didar, a key author of the study and a noted biomedical engineer from <a href="https://www.mcmaster.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mcmaster University</a>. 



He stresses the importance of initiating discussions among researchers, policymakers, corporations, and consumers to address these challenges collaboratively.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-regulatory-hurdles-in-smart-food-packaging">Regulatory hurdles in smart food packaging</h2>



The adoption of this technology requires significant changes to food regulations and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-turn-banana-peels-into-eco-friendly-packaging/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">packaging</a> practices -- changes that may initially meet resistance. 



Despite these hurdles, the potential benefits are too significant to ignore, and the researchers are optimistic about achieving widespread acceptance of the technology.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-current-system">The current system</h2>



The researchers argue that the traditional practice of using "expiration" or "consume by" dates is not only arbitrary but overly cautious. 



This system often leads to the disposal of food that is perfectly safe to eat, incurring enormous costs for both producers and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/consumers-driven-bias-unreliable-information/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">consumers</a>. 



To illustrate, Didar points out that Canada discards about $40 billion worth of food annually, a higher per capita waste than the US or UK.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Smart food packaging beyond expiration dates</h2>



Since 2018, the research team has developed and validated various packaging-based methods to detect or halt spoilage, potentially replacing traditional expiration dates. These innovative solutions include:



<ul>
<li>Sentinel wrap: A plastic wrap capable of detecting spoilage and visually indicating when food items like meat, cheese, or produce are no longer safe.</li>



<li>Hand-held tests: Devices that deliver real-time results, enabling wholesalers and retailers to identify and pull spoiled goods from the supply chain before reaching consumers.</li>



<li>Lab-on-a-package: Small, integrated tests within food trays that signal spoilage visibly.</li>



<li>Sprayable bacteriophage gels: Food-safe sprays that eliminate harmful bacteria responsible for food contamination.</li>
</ul>



These technologies are designed to detect biochemical signals from common spoilage organisms like Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli, and are easily adaptable to current <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/9936-chemicals-found-in-plastic-products-used-for-food-packaging/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">packaging processes</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-building-a-collaborative-network">Building a collaborative network</h2>



"It’s one thing to do research in the lab, publish papers, and file patents, but it’s another to have a product that’s tangible -- that people can use,” notes Shadman Khan, the lead author and a PhD candidate. 



The team has been actively engaging with food producers in North America and Europe and regulatory bodies like the <a href="https://inspection.canada.ca/eng/1297964599443/1297965645317" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Canadian Food Inspection Agency</a> to ensure the technologies are practical and regulatory-compliant.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shift-from-expiration-dates-to-detection-based-systems">Shift from expiration dates to detection-based systems</h2>



The researchers advocate for a shift from a calendar-based to a detection-based system for food freshness and safety, recognizing the need to update our approaches to reflect new technological capabilities. 



This change, while substantial, is deemed necessary to align with current and future demands of food safety and sustainability.



In conclusion, the development of smart packaging technologies represents a promising frontier in food safety and waste reduction. 



It is a call to action for regulators, producers, and consumers to reconsider and possibly retire outdated methods like the expiration date in favor of more precise and reliable indicators.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s44222-024-00190-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Reviews Bioengineering</a>.



-----



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.&nbsp;



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.earth.com/author/eralls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric Ralls</a> and Earth.com.



-----

Smart food packaging makes expiration date labels unnecessary

The concept of expiration dates on food packaging may soon...

In a solar system billions of years old, a recently discovered 'baby' asteroid and its moonlet stand out as remarkably young. A <a href="https://www.cornell.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cornell University</a>-led research team has developed a new way to estimate the ages of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/27500-hidden-near-earth-asteroids-discovered-using-google-cloud/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">asteroid</a> systems. 



Rather than relying solely on crater analysis, they employ precise calculations of orbital dynamics – how the bodies interact in space. This method offers unique insights and could be applied to numerous known binary asteroid systems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-baby-asteroids-dinkinesh-and-selam">Baby asteroids Dinkinesh and Selam</h2>



The baby asteroid Dinkinesh, located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, initially seemed unremarkable. However, in November 2023, NASA's <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/lucy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lucy mission</a> revealed a surprise companion: a smaller moonlet named Selam. 



While the existence of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nasas-lucy-discovers-two-asteroids-instead-of-one-during-dinkinesh-flyby/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">binary asteroids</a>, where two asteroids orbit each other, is not uncommon, Selam's peculiar structure intrigued researchers.



Termed a "contact binary,” Selam has a unique configuration. Selam is not a typical binary asteroid with clear separation. It consists of two distinct, irregularly shaped objects that are touching. 



This structure indicates that both components are mainly loose collections of rocks. They resemble rubble piles, loosely bound by their mutual gravity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gravity-tides-and-sunlight">Gravity, tides, and sunlight</h2>



Baby asteroids Dinkinesh and Selam exist in a delicate gravitational dance. Their mutual attraction creates tidal forces within both bodies. 



These forces cause subtle deformations, stretching and reshaping the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/asteroid-ryugu-holds-clues-about-bombardment-in-the-early-solar-system/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">asteroids</a> over time. This interaction also impacts their orbital energy, influencing how they move around their common center of mass.



Additionally, the sun's radiation plays a role in the system's evolution through a phenomenon called the BYORP effect (short for Binary Yarkovsky-O'Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack effect). Sunlight subtly alters the asteroids' rotation rates and the way they reflect heat. This, in turn, modifies their orbital energy and spin states.



Over an extended period, these complex forces – gravity, tides, and the BYORP effect – interact in a way that drives the system toward a state of equilibrium. This equilibrium represents a balance where the strength of the tidal forces matches the influence of the BYORP effect.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rewinding-the-cosmic-clock-on-asteroid-selam">Rewinding the cosmic clock on asteroid Selam</h2>



The study of Dinkinesh and Selam illustrates a fascinating application of celestial mechanics to trace the history of an <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/asteroid-impact-sparked-two-years-of-darkness/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">asteroid</a> pair. Researchers employed a combination of detailed observations of the asteroids' current orbits and advanced simulations incorporating the BYORP effect. 



This effect plays a significant role in shaping the dynamics of binary asteroid systems by altering their rotational and orbital energy over time.



By simulating the orbital dynamics and the influence of the BYORP effect, the team was able to "rewind" the orbital evolution of these celestial bodies. This reverse simulation provided insights into how Dinkinesh and Selam might have evolved from their formation to their current configuration. 



The accuracy of this model rests on the precise understanding of the physical and dynamical properties of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/psyche-asteroid-is-worth-10000-quadrillion-and-nasa-is-sending-a-space-probe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">asteroids</a>, which are often difficult to measure directly.



The outcome of this reverse modeling was a robust estimation of Selam's age, placing it at around 2 to 3 million years. This is remarkably young, especially when compared to the age of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eris-and-makemake-icy-dwarf-planets-in-our-own-solar-system-may-support-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">solar system</a>, which is about 4.5 billion years. 



These findings are vital for multiple reasons. They enhance our understanding of individual asteroids' characteristics. They also broaden our knowledge of how asteroids form and evolve. 



This information aids scientists in predicting the trajectories and potential impacts of these and other celestial bodies in our solar system.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-estimated-age-of-baby-asteroids-and-implications">Estimated age of baby asteroids and implications</h2>



"Finding the ages of asteroids is important to understanding them, and this one is remarkably young when compared to the age of the solar system, meaning it formed somewhat recently," says <a href="https://departments.as.cornell.edu/colby-merrill" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Colby Merrill</a>, a doctoral student at <a href="https://www.cornell.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cornell University</a>. The team estimates that Selam is approximately 2-3 million years old.



This novel method of "dynamical dating" complements traditional crater counting techniques. It offers advantages, such as not requiring close-up spacecraft imagery, and may be more accurate in cases where asteroid surfaces have changed recently.



"Used in tandem with crater counting, this method could help better constrain a system’s age," says Alexia Kubas, a doctoral student and co-author of the study. 



The potential to apply this technique to other known binary asteroids promises to broaden our understanding of these intriguing objects and the evolution of our solar system.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2024/04/aa49716-24/aa49716-24.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Astronomy and Astrophysics</a>.



-----



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.&nbsp;



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.earth.com/author/eralls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric Ralls</a> and Earth.com.



-----

'Moonlet' asteroid named Selam is practically a baby

In a solar system billions of years old, a recently...

Have you ever thought about FaceTiming your feathered friend? It turns out <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/parrots-blush-communicate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">parrots</a>, those amazing mimics with vibrant personalities, love a good video call. Just like us, they prefer the thrill of a live conversation over watching recordings.



A recent study by the <a href="https://www.gla.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Glasgow</a> has shown that these intelligent birds might be able to tell the difference between live interactions and pre-recorded ones on digital devices. 



This fascinating finding has the potential to completely change the way we use technology to enrich the lives of our feathered companions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-parrots-are-social-animals">Parrots are social animals</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/african-grey-parrots-practice-self-control-and-patience/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Parrots</a> are naturally highly social creatures. In their natural habitat, they thrive within large, dynamic flocks. This environment provides constant interaction, companionship, and a sense of belonging. Sadly, many pet parrots are kept in solitary conditions, lacking this crucial social stimulation.



When pet parrots are kept in isolation, they are deprived of the opportunity to fulfill these crucial social needs. This deprivation can lead to a range of serious consequences, including:



<ul>
<li>Behavioral problems:&nbsp;Loneliness and boredom can manifest as screaming, feather-plucking, self-mutilation, aggression, and destructive behaviors.</li>



<li>Mental health decline:&nbsp;Isolation can lead to anxiety, depression, and a general decline in cognitive function.</li>



<li>Weakened immune system:&nbsp;Studies have linked stress and loneliness to compromised immune function, making isolated parrots more susceptible to illness.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-parrots-on-video-calls-vs-pre-recorded-videos">Parrots on video calls vs. pre-recorded videos</h2>



Researchers equipped nine parrots and their owners with tablet devices, giving the birds the chance to choose between a live video chat with another feathered friend or a pre-recorded video. And the results were incredibly surprising.



The parrots jumped at the chance to initiate live video chats with their buddies, demonstrating much more interest and engagement. The study's findings clearly indicate several key behaviors:



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-increased-engagement-on-video-calls">Increased engagement on video calls </h3>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-insights-will-help-protect-the-kakapo-parrot/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Parrots</a> spent a significantly longer duration on live calls compared to the time they spent engaging with pre-recorded videos. This suggests a greater level of interest and active participation in live interactions.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-video-call-initiation-by-parrots">Video call initiation by parrots</h3>



Parrots initiated far more live video calls than requests to watch pre-recorded sessions. This proactive behavior demonstrates the birds' desire to connect and engage in real-time interaction with another parrot.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mirroring-behaviors">Mirroring behaviors</h3>



Caregivers observed that during live calls, parrots would often mirror each other's actions and vocalizations. This natural social behavior is a strong indicator of their engagement with a live counterpart rather than a passive recording.



"Our previous research had shown that parrots seem to benefit from the opportunity to video-call each other, which could help reduce the mental and physical toll that living in domestic situations can take on them," explains Dr. Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas, the lead author of the study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-do-parrots-understand-live">Do parrots understand "live"?</h2>



While more research is needed, it seems our feathered friends are smarter than we might think. "The appearance of 'liveness' really did seem to make a difference to the parrots' engagement with their screens," Dr. Hirskyj-Douglas notes.



This discovery could open a whole new world of possibilities for keeping pet parrots entertained, happy, and better connected to their own kind. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-animal-internet">Animal internet</h2>



The concept of an "animal internet" – a world where technology bridges communication gaps between humans and animals, and even between animals themselves – is no longer confined to science fiction. 



This field is rapidly evolving, with researchers exploring how digital tools can enhance animal welfare, conservation efforts, and our understanding of the animal world.



This innovative study on parrot video calls highlights the importance of tailoring technology to the specific needs and behaviors of different species. Here's why this approach is crucial:



<ul>
<li>Improving animal lives: Technology designed with a deep understanding of animal behavior can significantly enrich the lives of animals in captivity. It can provide outlets for natural social instincts, alleviate boredom, and promote mental and physical well-being.</li>



<li>Aiding conservation efforts: The "animal internet" has the potential to revolutionize conservation. Devices like GPS trackers, remote cameras, and bio-sensors already provide invaluable data for monitoring wildlife populations and protecting endangered species. The potential for real-time communication with and between animals could further transform how we understand and protect our planet's biodiversity.</li>



<li>Promoting inter-species connection: As technology enables deeper interaction and understanding between humans and animals, it could foster greater empathy and respect for the animal kingdom. This could lead to improved animal care practices and a stronger commitment to conservation.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-parrots-fighting-loneliness-one-video-call-at-a-time">Parrots fighting loneliness, one video call at a time</h2>



Parrots are prone to loneliness, which leads to damaging behaviors like feather-plucking and excessive pacing. Imagine a future where pet parrots from across the globe can schedule virtual playdates to combat the downsides of solitary living.



"In this study, we wanted to see if we could identify differences in behavior when parrots were given agency over what they could see on their devices. ... And if so, what could that tell us about designing future systems to fit their needs?" asks Dr. Hirskyj-Douglas.



The parrot owners involved in the study were excited about the positive changes they saw in their pets. Many reported that the video calls helped them feel more connected to their feathered friends.



"Some caregivers believed that their parrots were capable of differentiating between the sessions. One told us that their bird enjoyed vocalizing with another live bird but quickly lost interest when there was no response to their calls during pre-recorded videos," shared Dr. Hirskyj-Douglas.



This compelling study provides a glimpse into the complex minds of parrots and hints at the untapped potential of technology in improving <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/which-birds-make-the-best-pet-birds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">animal</a> lives. 



A virtual parrot get-together could be just what your lonely feathered friend needs. Further research will confirm the benefits. Could specially designed "parrot social networks" be in our future? Only time will tell.



Read the entire study <a href="https://ilyena.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/hirskyjdouglas_parrotvideocalls.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.



-----



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.&nbsp;



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.earth.com/author/eralls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric Ralls</a> and Earth.com.



-----

Parrots prefer talking live on video calls more than watching videos

Have you ever thought about FaceTiming your feathered friend? It...

<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...