For decades, scientists have been grappling with what is considered to be the most fundamental question about the cosmos: How fast is our universe expanding? 



The rate of expansion influences everything from how galaxies form to how they might one day drift apart.



Determining the expansion rate of the universe, a number called the "Hubble constant," shapes our entire understanding of the cosmos, its age, and its ultimate fate.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hubble-tension-expansion-conundrum">"Hubble tension" expansion conundrum</h2>



Unfortunately, though many brilliant minds have dedicated their lives to finding the answer to this riddle, all who have tried thus far have failed, running repeatedly into a brick wall that has come to be known as the "Hubble tension."



Adam Riess, a physicist at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Johns Hopkins University</a> in Baltimore, has been at the forefront of this debate. "With measurement errors negated, what remains is the real and exciting possibility that we have misunderstood the universe," Riess admitted.



Riess, who won a Nobel Prize for discovering that the universe's expansion is accelerating due to dark energy, has been working tirelessly to resolve what's known as the Hubble Tension.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-the-hubble-constant-matters">Why the Hubble constant matters</h2>



But before diving deeper, let's consider why the expansion rate -- called the Hubble constant -- is so crucial. 



Named after Edwin Hubble, who first observed that galaxies are moving away from us, this constant helps us map out the history and future of everything we see in the night sky. 



Determining it with precision has been a major goal of astronomers for decades.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/hubble-constant_3-steps_illustration_nasa_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/hubble-constant_3-steps_illustration_nasa_1s.webp" alt="This illustration shows the three basic steps astronomers use to calculate how fast the universe expands over time, a value called the Hubble constant. All the steps involve building a strong &quot;cosmic distance ladder,&quot; by starting with measuring accurate distances to nearby galaxies and then moving to galaxies farther and farther away. Credit: NASA" class="wp-image-1951709"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This illustration shows the three basic steps astronomers use to calculate how fast the universe expands over time, a value called the Hubble constant. All the steps involve building a strong "cosmic distance ladder," by starting with measuring accurate distances to nearby galaxies and then moving to galaxies farther and farther away. Credit: NASA</figcaption></figure>



When the <a href="https://hubblesite.org/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hubble Space Telescope</a> was launched in 1990, one of its main objectives was to pin down the universe's expansion rate. 



Before Hubble, estimates of the universe's age ranged wildly from 10 to 20 billion years -- a huge uncertainty. 



Thanks to Hubble's observations of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/expansion-rate-of-the-universe-confirmed-by-jwst/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cepheid variable stars</a> -- stars that pulsate at regular intervals and serve as cosmic mileposts -- we now have a more precise age of about 13.8 billion years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-webb-telescope-to-the-rescue">Webb telescope to the rescue?</h2>



Some scientists wondered if the discrepancies in measurements were due to errors in Hubble's data. Maybe, they thought, the way Hubble measured distances had some hidden flaws. 



Then came the James Webb Space Telescope (<a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Webb</a>), launched to great fanfare as the successor to Hubble. Webb's infrared observations of Cepheids matched Hubble's optical data perfectly. 



"Combining Webb and Hubble gives us the best of both worlds. We find that the Hubble measurements remain reliable as we climb farther along the cosmic distance ladder," Riess explained.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hubble-vs-webb-vs-expansion">Hubble vs. Webb vs. expansion</h2>



Despite the new data, the tension between measurements remains. The Hubble and Webb telescopes confirm one universe expansion rate, based on observations of the local universe.



Meanwhile, observations from the early universe, like those from the Planck satellite's mapping of the cosmic microwave background radiation, suggest another. 



This leaves cosmologists scratching their heads. Is there something about the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/universe-expansion-rate-dark-energy-measured-11-billion-years-ago/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fabric of space</a> we don't yet understand? Does resolving this discrepancy require new physics, or is there another explanation?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brenda-frye-tackles-hubble-and-expansion">Brenda Frye tackles Hubble and expansion</h2>



In October 2024, <a href="https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2024/10/01/webb-researchers-discover-lensed-supernova-confirm-hubble-tension/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">as reported by NASA</a>, Brenda Frye from the <a href="https://www.arizona.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Arizona</a> and an international team took a different approach. 



They used <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/webb-telescope-finds-a-second-lensed-supernova-in-a-distant-galaxy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gravitationally lensed supernovae</a> to measure the Hubble constant -- a method independent of previous techniques. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/hubble-constant_galaxy-cluster-G165_supernova-H0pe_gravitational-lensing_jwst_UArizona_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/hubble-constant_galaxy-cluster-G165_supernova-H0pe_gravitational-lensing_jwst_UArizona_1s.webp" alt="NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) image of the galaxy cluster PLCK G165.7+67.0, also known as G165, on the left shows the magnifying effect a foreground cluster can have on the distant universe beyond. The foreground cluster is 3.6 billion light-years away from Earth. The zoomed region on the right shows supernova H0pe triply imaged (labeled with white dashed circles) due to gravitational lensing. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, B. Frye (University of Arizona)" class="wp-image-1951711"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) image of the galaxy cluster PLCK G165.7+67.0, also known as G165, on the left shows the magnifying effect a foreground cluster can have on the distant universe beyond. The foreground cluster is 3.6 billion light-years away from Earth. The zoomed region on the right shows supernova H0pe triply imaged (labeled with white dashed circles) due to gravitational lensing. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, B. Frye (University of Arizona)</figcaption></figure>



While observing a densely populated cluster of galaxies, they noticed something unusual. "What are those three dots that weren’t there before? Could that be a supernova?" the team wondered. 



It turned out to be a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/webb-travels-back-in-time-to-better-understand-supernovae-science/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Type Ia supernova</a>, an explosion of a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/white-dwarf-stars-may-be-billions-of-years-older-than-estimated/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">white dwarf star</a>, magnified and split into multiple images by the gravitational lensing effect of the intervening galaxy cluster.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-gravitational-lensing">What is gravitational lensing?</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rare-carousel-lens-galaxy-alignment-reveals-dark-matter-secrets/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gravitational lensing</a> is important to this experiment. The lens, consisting of a cluster of galaxies situated between the supernova and us, bends the supernova's light into multiple images. 



This effect not only magnifies the supernova but also allows scientists to measure the time delays between the images, providing another way to calculate the Hubble constant.



Their analyses confirmed that these dots corresponded to an exploding star with rare qualities. 



The team's work provided a Hubble constant value of 75.4 kilometers per second per megaparsec, plus 8.1 or minus 5.5. For context, one megaparsec is about 3.26 million light-years. 



"Our team’s results are impactful: The Hubble constant value matches other measurements in the local universe, and is somewhat in tension with values obtained when the universe was young," Frye concluded.



Another strikeout... add Brenda Frye to the long list of brilliant minds still probing the universe for an answer to Hubble tension.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-this-is-getting-sad-now-what">This is getting sad, now what?</h2>



So, where does this leave us? 



The Hubble Tension isn't going away. It might be telling us that there's new physics waiting to be discovered. 



Perhaps our understanding of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dark-energy-could-explain-the-rapid-expansion-of-the-early-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dark energy</a>, dark matter, or other fundamental forces needs to be revised. 



"We need to find out if we are missing something on how to connect the beginning of the universe and the present day," Riess pointed out. 



It's possible that new theories or modifications to existing ones could bridge the gap.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shaking-things-up-with-new-theories">Shaking things up with new theories</h2>



Could the solution lie in something entirely unexpected? Perhaps there's a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dark-matter-may-consist-of-particles-that-travel-faster-than-light/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">new particle or force</a> that affects the expansion rate. Or maybe the nature of dark energy changes over time. 



Some theories even propose the existence of extra dimensions or modifications to gravity at large scales. It's also worth considering that the universe might not be uniform in all directions. 



If there are variations in the density of matter and energy across vast distances, this could affect expansion rates in ways we haven't fully accounted for. 



Maybe everyone is completely off base and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-dark-matter-does-not-exist-and-the-universe-is-27-billion-years-old/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dark matter doesn't even exist</a>? Or maybe we're looking in the wrong place -- what if the answers can be found by looking for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-are-now-searching-for-dark-matter-inside-old-earth-rocks-minerals-crystals/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dark matter in rocks on Earth</a>?



One thing's for sure: the cosmos isn't giving up its secrets easily. But that's part of the thrill of science. Every answer leads to new questions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hubble-constant-hubble-tension-mysterious-universe">Hubble constant, Hubble tension, mysterious universe</h2>



In the end, the universe is reminding us that there's still so much we don't know. The quest to figure out how fast our universe is expanding has led to some fascinating discoveries and even more intriguing questions. 



Scientists like Adam Riess and Brenda Frye have used powerful tools like the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes to measure the Hubble constant with increasing precision. 



Their efforts confirm that the local universe is expanding at a certain rate, but this doesn't quite line up with measurements from the early universe.



This mismatch, known as the Hubble Tension, suggests there might be something we’re missing in our understanding of the cosmos. Maybe there are new physics to uncover, or perhaps our current models need some tweaking. 



What's clear is that the universe isn't giving up its secrets easily, and that keeps things exciting for astronomers and physicists alike.



As we look ahead, upcoming missions like NASA's <a href="https://roman.gsfc.nasa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope</a> and ESA's <a href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Euclid" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Euclid mission</a> offer hope for new insights. Until then, we can marvel at the fact that we're part of an ever-expanding universe that's still full of surprises.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/ad1ddd" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Astrophysical Journal Letters</a>.



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Webb telescope confirms: What we think we know about the universe is very wrong

For decades, scientists have been grappling with what is considered to be the most fundamental question about the cosmos: How fast is our universe expanding? The rate of expansion influences everything from how galaxies form to how they might one day drift apart. Determining the expansion rate of the universe, a number called the "Hubble constant," shapes our entire understanding of the cosmos, its age, and its ultimate fate. "Hubble tension" expansion conundrum Unfortunately, though many brilliant minds have dedicated their lives to finding the answer to...

Researchers at <a href="https://www.yorku.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">York University</a> have discovered the profound influence of maternal care on the development, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mothers-hardships-are-reflected-in-their-childs-gut-microbiome/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">microbiome</a>, and overall health of carpenter bees. 



Contrary to popular belief, most wild bees lead solitary lives. But among these solitary creatures, the carpenter bee stands out. These tiny bees nurture and care for their offspring like human mothers.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-tremendous-health-benefits">Tremendous health benefits&nbsp;</h2>



Maternal care provides tremendous benefits to the microbiome, development, and overall health of the young carpenter bees. It shields the bees from harmful pathogens during crucial stages of development.&nbsp;



In fact, the absence of maternal care results in an alarming increase in pathogen loads. The researchers found that 85 percent of these pathogens were fungi, while 8 percent were bacteria.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-developmental-changes">Developmental changes&nbsp;</h2>



Such an imbalance drastically affects the bees' microbiome, which is vital for their health. It impacts not just their immune system and gene expression but can lead to developmental changes in their brain, eyes, and even behavior.&nbsp;



One notable fungus, Aspergillus, induces the lethal stonebrood disease in honey bees, turning them into mummified versions of their former selves.



<h2 id="h-focus-of-the-study">Focus of the study</h2>



During the course of the study, researchers closely observed the carpenter bees through four distinct developmental stages, starting from the larvae stage.&nbsp;



The team compared and contrasted the effects of the presence and absence of maternal care on these stages.



<h2 id="h-overall-health">Overall health</h2>



The experts report that a lack of maternal care in the later stages of life causes a diminished microbiome in carpenter bees, which raises their vulnerability to diseases and adversely affects their general health.



The research also highlighted how gene expression or suppression, and the regulation thereof, combined with disease loads and maternal care, play a pivotal role in affecting the bee's microbiome and overall health.



“We are documenting the shifts in development, the shifts in disease loads, and it is a big deal because in wild bees there is a lot less known about their disease loads. We are highlighting all of these factors for the first time,” said senior author Sandra Rehan, a professor in York’s Faculty of Science.



<h2 id="h-critical-early-stages">Critical early stages</h2>



Being single mothers, carpenter bees construct one nest annually within the core of deceased plant stems. Here, from spring to fall, they give birth and look after their young diligently.&nbsp;



However, any factor disrupting the mother from tending to her offspring, such as excessive pruning during spring or fall, escalates the risks of nest predation and parasitism, with dire consequences for the young.



“We found really striking shifts in the earliest stages, which was surprising as we didn’t expect that stage to be the most significantly changed,” said study lead author Katherine Chau.&nbsp;



“Looking at gene expression of these bees you can see how the slightest dysregulation early in development cascades through their whole formation. It is all interconnected and shows how vital maternal care is in early childhood development.”



<h2 id="h-study-implications">Study implications&nbsp;</h2>



This research emphasizes the importance of maternal care in the wild bee's life and the broader implications it holds for their development and overall health.&nbsp;



“It is a complex paper that provides layers of data and shows the power of genomics as a tool,” said Rehan. “It allows us to document the interactions between host and environment. I think that is the power of this approach and the new technologies and techniques that we are developing.”



Rehan hopes the research will give people more insight into the hidden life of bees and their vast differences, but also similarities.&nbsp;



“Often people see bees as a monolith, but when you understand the complexity of bees and that there are wild bees and managed bees, people are more likely to care about bee diversity."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/commsbio/">Communications Biology</a>. 



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Maternal care provides lifelong health benefits to carpenter bees

Researchers at York University have discovered the profound influence of...

Currently, biodiversity is dwindling at an alarming pace all over the world. One key method for countering this worrisome trend is protecting various areas around the globe, in a hope that this will suffice to save what is left.&nbsp;



However, while such <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/protected-areas-are-failing-to-safeguard-biodiversity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">protected areas</a> have clearly contributed to slowing biodiversity loss overall, it is still unclear how well they work for different species.&nbsp;



To answer this question, a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.helsinki.fi/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Helsinki</a> has recently examined changes in the occurrence of hundreds of species both within and outside of protected areas.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-slowing-the-rate-of-decline">Slowing the rate of decline</h2>



The analysis revealed mixed effects, suggesting that protected areas do not fully meet the expectations set for them.&nbsp;



Thus, rather than reversing biodiversity loss trends, current protected areas will - at best - help decelerate the rate of species decline, offering more time to act on the underlying causes of biodiversity loss.



<h2 id="h-some-species-benefit-more-than-others">Some species benefit more than others</h2>



“Our results show that only a small proportion of species explicitly benefit from protection, but this varied by group," explained senior author&nbsp;Marjo Saastamoinen, an associate professor of Life Sciences at Helsinki.



"Birds show the highest positive response to protection, one out of five species, and plants show warm-dwelling species benefiting more. Protected areas mostly help by slowing down the decline of species occurrences.”&nbsp;



“Importantly though, larger protected areas and longer protection times enhanced positive effects. The benefits were boosted for many more species, adding evidence for the genuine effects of protection.”



<h2 id="h-focus-of-the-study">Focus of the study&nbsp;</h2>



To assess how effective protected areas are, the experts compared how species were faring within natures reserves to how they were doing in similar yet unprotected areas.&nbsp;



The results showed that many species exhibited similar trends within protected and unprotected regions. Thus, species decline seems to be far from being halted by protecting specific areas.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-what-the-researchers-learned">What the researchers learned&nbsp;</h2>



The findings suggest that the rate of species decline is slowed down with protection rather than stopped or reversed.&nbsp;



Among the 638 species examined, the scientists discovered that one in five bird species, one in eight mammal species, and only one in twenty plant or phytoplankton species benefit from protection.



“Our findings should not discourage us from establishing protected areas,” said lead author&nbsp;Andrea Santangeli, an expert in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology at Helsinki.&nbsp;



“Quite the contrary, they show that protected areas will buy us some time to counter rapid species loss. By protecting an area, we will slow the local loss of many species – but, at the same time, we cannot stop species loss by simply setting aside some small pieces of land here and there and expect miracles to happen.”



<h2 id="h-study-implications">Study implications&nbsp;</h2>



“What we need to do is to make the overall landscape more suitable for the species. Protected areas can serve as lifeboats, but in the longer run, these lifeboats will still need a safe landing site.”



Therefore, current area-based protection is insufficient for acting as a “silver bullet” for countering species loss.&nbsp;



An efficient approach would be to manage already existing protected areas better and increase their connectedness with each other, while making unprotected regions a better place for more species.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-41073-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



<h2 id="h-effectiveness-of-protected-areas">Effectiveness of protected areas</h2>



Protected areas (PAs), such as national parks, wildlife reserves, and marine protected areas, play a critical role in conservation efforts. Their effectiveness can be evaluated on various fronts:



<h3 id="h-biodiversity-conservation">Biodiversity conservation</h3>



Many PAs have been successful in safeguarding critical habitats and helping in the recovery of endangered species. For instance, the establishment of mountain gorilla sanctuaries in Africa has played a role in the species' slow but steady population increase.



<h3 id="h-ecosystem-services">Ecosystem services</h3>



PAs can help ensure that ecosystems continue to provide vital services, such as clean water, pollination of crops, and carbon sequestration.



<h3 id="h-cultural-and-recreational-values">Cultural and recreational values</h3>



Protected areas offer places for recreation, spiritual rejuvenation, and cultural activities, benefiting both local communities and tourists.



<h3 id="h-economic-benefits">Economic benefits</h3>



Through ecotourism, many PAs contribute significantly to local and national economies.



<h3 id="h-research-and-education">Research and education</h3>



Protected areas serve as living laboratories where scientists can study ecosystems in relatively undisturbed conditions.



<h2 id="h-influential-factors">Influential factors</h2>



While protected areas have been effective in many contexts, their success depends on several factors, including adequate resources, appropriate management strategies, and the engagement of local communities.



<h3 id="h-size-and-connectivity">Size and connectivity&nbsp;</h3>



Small, isolated PAs might not be sufficient to support viable populations of large or wide-ranging species. Corridors or networks of PAs can be more effective than standalone ones.



<h3 id="h-community-involvement">Community involvement&nbsp;</h3>



If local communities are involved in the management and benefits of PAs, they're more likely to be supportive and help ensure the PAs' long-term success.



<h3 id="h-external-pressures">External pressures</h3>



Protected areas are often threatened by external pressures like pollution, climate change, and invasive species, which might originate outside their boundaries.



<h3 id="h-illegal-activities">Illegal activities</h3>



Furthermore, human activities such as poaching and illegal logging can undermine the goals of a protected area.&nbsp;



<h3 id="h-management-and-funding">Management and funding</h3>



Without adequate resources and skilled personnel, PAs may exist only on paper. These established protected areas, where current protection activities are insufficient to halt degradation, are known as "paper parks."



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Protected areas slow down biodiversity loss, but they can't reverse it

Currently, biodiversity is dwindling at an alarming pace all over...

Astronaut Frank Rubio Performing a Surface Avatar Session

Astronaut <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/frank-rubio" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frank Rubio</a> has set a new longest space mission by an American. The NASA astronaut had no intention of breaking a record when the mission first began. <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/mark-t-vande-hei" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mark Vende Hei</a> previously held the record, spending 355 days in space from 2021 to 2022.



Rubio's debut mission was originally supposed to last six months in space, but an accidental space junk collision just eleven days before Christmas in 2022 damaged the spacecraft's cooling system. 



US and Russian space engineers concluded that the Soyuz Spacecraft, which he and two Russian cosmonauts had boarded, was no longer safe for a return trip to Earth.



The <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/subject/3507/roscosmos-russian-federal-space-agency/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Russian Space Agency</a> sent a replacement spacecraft, but Rubio's return was rescheduled, giving the Astronaut another six months in space.&nbsp;



Despite the unexpected challenge, Rubio said he was happy to represent his agency and country. He was speaking to <a href="https://www.nasa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a> Administrator Bill Nelson and his deputy, Pam Melroy, via a video link.



"In some ways it's been an incredible challenge. But in other ways it’s been an incredible blessing and so I count myself lucky and honored to be able to represent the agency and our country,” he said.&nbsp;



Rubio also mentioned that he stayed in close touch with his family, and has really missed being with them during some important events of 2023, including not being there for his son when he left home to attend West Point Academy for college.



Speaking of his family, the astronaut said, "I’m sure they missed me, but at the same time we all took on the challenge together and it was just really neat to see them have a great attitude throughout the past year. It just helps you to stay so connected; to obviously talk to them, but then to see them,&nbsp; it was really pretty special to be able to do that."



Rubio would have stayed in space for 371 days by the time his mission is complete and he returns home. As he counts down the days until his return, he keeps up with physical fitness in space and can’t wait to see how his body will adapt to Earth's gravity.



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NASA astronaut sets record for longest space mission by an American

Astronaut Frank Rubio has set a new longest space mission...

Many of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/soil-bacteria-can-help-farmers-control-crop-diseases/">bacteria</a> that compromise crops and jeopardize our food sources deploy a common strategy to cause disease: they release a blend of detrimental proteins straight into the plant cells.&nbsp;



For over two decades, a team of researchers from <a href="https://duke.edu/">Duke University</a> has been studying this set of molecules that plant pathogens use to cause diseases in a variety of crops worldwide, ranging from rice to apple trees.&nbsp;



Now, a collective initiative from three collaborating research teams may have found the answer to how these molecules induce illness in plants, while providing a possible method to neutralize them.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-focus-of-the-study">Focus of the study&nbsp;</h2>



The researchers examined key elements of this deadly blend, focusing on a group of injected proteins named AvrE/DspE. These proteins are accountable for diseases like brown spot in beans, bacterial speck in tomatoes, and fire blight in fruit trees.



Since its discovery in the early 1990s, this protein group has grabbed the attention of many experts in plant disease. Because these proteins are a vital tool for bacteria, deactivating them in controlled settings renders the bacteria harmless.&nbsp;



Yet, despite decades of research, the exact mechanisms through which they infect plant cells have remained elusive.



<h2 id="h-weird-proteins">Weird proteins&nbsp;</h2>



Now, the scientists managed to identify several proteins in the AvrE/DspE group that suppressed the plants’ defense mechanisms, often leading to distinct, waterlogged spots on their leaves, which is a telltale sign of disease.&nbsp;



While the sequence of amino acids that linked to form the proteins was already understood, the three-dimensional folding of these sequences remained a mystery.



A notable challenge was the sheer size of the proteins: while a typical bacterial protein might contain around 300 amino acids, the proteins from the AvrE/DspE family boast a staggering 2000. Moreover, efforts to find proteins with similar sequences proved fruitless. “They’re weird proteins,” said senior author Sheng Yang He, a biologist at Duke.



<h2 id="h-artificial-intelligence">Artificial intelligence</h2>



To address this problem, the researchers used a 2021 computer program named AlphaFold2, which employs artificial intelligence to predict the 3D formation of a particular amino acid sequence.&nbsp;



While the experts already knew that some members of this family help the bacteria evade the plants’ immune systems, a first look into the proteins’ 3D design suggested they have an additional role.&nbsp;



“When we first saw the model, it was nothing like what we had thought,” confessed Pei Zhou, a professor of Biochemistry at Duke who collaborated with the study authors.



AI predictions for bacterial proteins impacting crops like pears, apples, tomatoes, and corn, all hinted at a consistent 3D design, resembling a tiny mushroom with a tubular stem. This predicted shape matched up with images of a protein responsible for fire blight disease in fruit trees, which were captured via a cryo-electron microscope.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-intriguing-new-theory">Intriguing new theory&nbsp;</h2>



Seen from above, the protein was highly similar to an empty hollow tube. This led researchers to an intriguing hypothesis: perhaps bacteria employ these proteins to puncture the plant cell membrane, or, as He argued, to “force the host for a drink” during infection.



Once they enter the leaves, the bacteria first encounter an intercellular area called the apoplast. Plants typically maintain this space in a dry state, facilitating gas exchanges that are crucial for photosynthesis. However, during bacterial invasion, the inside of the leaves becomes waterlogged, making it ripe for bacterial sustenance and proliferation.



Further probing into the predicted 3D model for the fire blight-causing protein revealed that while the exterior of this tubular form repelled water, its inner core had an increased affinity for water.



<h2 id="h-testing-the-hypothesis">Testing the hypothesis</h2>



To test this “water channel hypothesis,” the researchers collaborated with Duke’s biology experts Ke Dong and Felipe Andreazza, who added the gene readouts for the bacterial proteins AvrE and DspE to frog eggs, converting these eggs into protein factories. Once introduced into a saline environment, the eggs expanded due to excessive water and subsequently ruptured.



In their quest to neutralize the damaging proteins by blocking their channels, the experts focused on a type of minute spherical nanoparticles known as PAMAM dendrimers. These particles have been used for decades in drug delivery and can be designed with precision in the lab.



“We were tinkering with the hypothesis that if we found the right diameter chemical, maybe we could block the pore,” He explained.



<h2 id="h-remarkable-discovery">Remarkable discovery</h2>



After testing different sized particles, they identified one with the right size to obstruct the water channel protein from the fire blight bacterium, Erwinia amylovora.&nbsp;



By taking frog eggs designed to synthetize this protein and dousing them with the PAMAM nanoparticles, they managed to successfully stop the water flowing into the eggs.



Similar tests on Arabidopsis plants afflicted with the Pseudomonas syringae bacterium - a known cause of bacterial speck - confirmed the nanoparticles’ efficacy. These particles successfully stopped the bacteria from taking hold, reducing its concentration in plant leaves by a hundredfold.



Tests were extended to pear fruits exposed to fire blight causing bacteria. Remarkably, the fruits remained healthy and symptom-free. “It was a long shot, but it worked,” He said. “We’re excited about this.”



<h2 id="h-study-implications">Study implications&nbsp;</h2>



According to the experts, these findings could prove revolutionary in combating numerous plant diseases. While plants contribute to 80 percent of our diet, over 10 percent of global crop yield, including crops such as wheat, rice, maize, potato, and soybean, succumb to pests and pathogens each year, leading to a staggering economic loss of $220 billion.



In future research, the scientists plan to clarify how this protection works by examining more closely how the channel-blocking nanoparticles and the channel proteins interact.



“If we can image those structures, we can have a better understanding and come up with better designs for crop protection,” Zhou concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06531-5">Nature</a>.



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Crop disease: Experts discover how bacteria hijack plant cells

Many of the bacteria that compromise crops and jeopardize our...

Industry,Pollution,Environment,Concept,As,A,Human,Head,Shaped,As

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-evidence-that-climate-change-is-caused-by-human-activities/">Human activities</a> are inching dangerously close to triggering dramatic changes in Earth’s environmental conditions.&nbsp;According to a new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adh2458?adobe_mc=MCMID%3D19497807440487755780687919033919271016%7CMCORGID%3D242B6472541199F70A4C98A6%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1694629855" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>, humans have now surpassed six of the nine planetary boundaries that make Earth habitable.



<h2 id="h-planetary-boundaries">Planetary boundaries&nbsp;</h2>



The planetary boundaries were introduced in 2009 to define the global environmental limits within which humans can safely live.&nbsp;



Johan Rockström, former director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre, led a group of 28 renowned scientists to identify the nine processes that regulate the stability and resilience of the Earth system



<h2 id="h-framework-update">Framework update</h2>



In a study led by Professor Katherine Richardson of the <a href="https://www.ku.dk/english/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Copenhagen</a>, experts analyzed the degree of breaching of the safe boundary levels caused by human-driven activities.&nbsp;



The research, which represents the third update of the framework, was carried out by twenty-nine scientists from eight different countries.



"This planetary boundaries framework update finds that six of the nine boundaries are transgressed, suggesting that Earth is now well outside of the safe operating space for humanity," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



Furthermore, the experts report that transgression is increasing for all boundaries except the degradation of the Earth’s ozone layer.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-clear-warning-signal">Clear warning signal&nbsp;</h2>



The trend of increasing transgression of the boundaries is worrying, said Professor Richardson. "Crossing six boundaries in itself does not necessarily imply a disaster will ensue but it is a clear warning signal."&nbsp;



"We can regard it as we do our own blood pressure. A BP over 120/80 is not a guarantee of a heart attack but it increases the risk of one. Therefore, we try to bring it down. For our own – and our children’s – sakes we need to reduce the pressure on these six planetary boundaries."



<h2 id="h-integrity-of-the-biosphere">Integrity of the biosphere&nbsp;</h2>



Rockström, who is now the director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), said that focus on human-caused climate change is not enough if we want to protect the Earth system from irreversible harm.



"Next to climate change, integrity of the biosphere is the second pillar of stability of our planet. Our research shows that mitigating global warming and saving a functional biosphere for the future have to go hand in hand," added co-author Wolfgang Lucht.



<h2 id="h-biodiversity-loss">Biodiversity loss</h2>



According to Professor Richardson, the study shows that humans are appropriating the equivalent of ~30% of the energy that was available to support biodiversity before the Industrial Revolution.



"Surely, the removal of so much of the energy that otherwise would have been available to nature must be a driver of biodiversity loss. Therefore, we propose the adoption of Human Appropriation of Net Primary Production (HANPP), i.e., biomass use, as one of two metrics when assessing human impacts on biodiversity," said Professor Richardson.



<h2 id="h-a-guide-for-action">A guide for action</h2>



"A world that develops within science-defined boundaries is the only way to navigate our current situation with rising, potentially catastrophic risks, at the planetary scale. We already recognize this on climate, where the Paris agreement has adopted the climate planetary boundary of holding the 1.5°C limit," said Rockström.



"Similarly, the world has accepted the planetary boundary on biodiversity, when decided at the 2022 Montreal-Kunming COP15, to halt and reverse biodiversity loss on land and in the ocean."



"Our study shows, however, that this is by far not enough. The planetary boundaries science provides a ‘guide for action’ if we truly want to secure prosperity and equity for all on Earth, and this goes well beyond climate only, requiring novel Earth system modelling and analysis, and systematic efforts to protect, recover and rebuild planetary resilience.”



Katherine Richardson hopes the study will serve as a wake-up call and increase focus on the necessity of limiting our impacts on the planet in order to preserve and protect the Earth conditions that allow advanced human societies to flourish.



<h2>More about planetary boundaries</h2>



As our planet faces unprecedented environmental challenges, understanding and respecting planetary boundaries becomes critical. These boundaries highlight the limits within which humanity can operate sustainably, without causing irreversible damage to Earth's systems.



<h3>Defining planetary boundaries</h3>



Planetary boundaries are thresholds of environmental indicators that, when crossed, risk destabilizing the planet's equilibrium. As mentioned above, they were developed by a group of international scientists in 2009, outlining nine crucial systems that maintain Earth's stability.



<h3>The nine boundaries</h3>



Climate Change: Greenhouse gas concentrations, primarily CO2, are the primary metric here. Exceeding the recommended levels risks amplifying global warming.



Ocean Acidification: Oceans absorb CO2, leading to decreased pH levels. This boundary measures the carbonate ion concentration, vital for marine life like corals.



Stratospheric Ozone Depletion: The ozone layer protects life from harmful ultraviolet radiation. This boundary emphasizes the ozone concentration in the stratosphere.



Nitrogen and Phosphorus Cycles: Excess nitrogen and phosphorus, often from fertilizers, can disrupt ecosystems. Here, the focus is on their flow into the environment.



Freshwater Use: Freshwater is vital for life. This boundary pinpoints the annual consumption of freshwater resources.



Land-System Change: As we modify landscapes, particularly through deforestation, we alter habitats and carbon storage capabilities. This threshold concerns the amount of forested land remaining.



Biodiversity Loss: Biodiversity underpins ecosystem resilience. This metric observes the extinction rate of species.



Atmospheric Aerosol Loading: Aerosols influence climate and human health. This boundary examines their density in the atmosphere.



Chemical Pollution: Synthetic chemicals can harm ecosystems and human health. This boundary reviews their concentration and spread.



<h3>Why they matter</h3>



Planetary boundaries serve as a warning system. Respecting them ensures Earth remains a safe operating space for humanity. Ignoring them can trigger feedback loops, leading to rapid environmental change and decreased resilience against disturbances.



They also offer a science-based approach to understanding Earth's limits. By recognizing and respecting them, we pave the way for a sustainable future, ensuring that the planet remains habitable for generations to come.



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Six of nine planetary boundaries that make Earth habitable have been exceeded

Human activities are inching dangerously close to triggering dramatic changes...

This cluster has been nicknamed "El Gordo" (or, "the fat one" in Spanish) because of its gigantic mass.

The recent discovery of a collision between two colossal galaxy clusters when the Universe was only half its current age defies established cosmological understanding. A new study by an international team of astronomers, inclusive of a physicist from the <a href="https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of St Andrews</a>, has put the standard theory of <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/cosmology/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cosmology</a> under intense scrutiny.



<h2 id="h-standard-cosmology-in-question">Standard cosmology in question</h2>



According to the Lambda-cold dark matter (ΛCDM) model, which has been the bedrock of cosmology, galaxies first take form before eventually merging into more expansive galaxy clusters. These colossal formations, as per this theory, should be a more recent phenomenon in the cosmic timeline.



However, the new study, which featured in the <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/ace62a" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Astrophysical Journal</a>, turns this belief on its head. The research highlights the high-speed collision of two massive galaxy clusters at a time when the Universe was just half its present age.



<h2>The enigmatic El Gordo galaxy cluster</h2>



Named "El Gordo" or "The Fat One" in Spanish, the cluster pair under observation boasts an incredible mass: approximately 2000 trillion times that of our Sun. Through meticulous observation using the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/main/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hubble Space Telescope</a>, and in congruence with data from the <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/lift-off-the-james-webb-telescope-is-headed-to-space/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">James Webb Space Telescope</a>, the study offers a much more accurate estimate of its mass.



The calculation method involved observing the distortion of light from distant galaxies due to El Gordo’s gravity, termed 'weak lensing'. The current mass estimation reduces the uncertainty to a mere 10%.



Led by Elena Asencio, a Ph.D. student from the <a href="https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/university/university" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bonn</a>, the research also employed detailed simulations to ascertain the speed of the galactic collision.



<h2>Shaking the foundations of ΛCDM</h2>



The team's deep dive into a vast ΛCDM simulation to locate analogous cluster pairs led to a startling realization. Based on the “lightcone tomography” method, which factors in the historical structure of more distant cosmic objects, the researchers found that El Gordo’s collision clashes sharply with the ΛCDM model. Even taking into account the uncertainties around El Gordo’s mass, the inconsistencies remain glaring.



Elena Asencio remarked, "While our <a href="https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article-abstract/500/4/5249/5956544?redirectedFrom=fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">earlier findings</a> faced skepticism due to an updated mass estimation of El Gordo, the discrepancies with ΛCDM remain significant. Hundreds of simulations affirm that the observed high-speed collision of El Gordo is implausible under the ΛCDM model."



One of the most challenging aspects of this discovery is simulating a collision resembling El Gordo's within the ΛCDM framework. Such an event involving two gargantuan clusters nearing each other in the early universe is exceedingly rare.



<h2>Ripples beyond El Gordo</h2>



Moreover, El Gordo isn’t an isolated anomaly. Dr. Indranil Banik of St Andrews referenced the Bullet Cluster as another instance of a high-energy galactic collision that seems to contradict ΛCDM predictions. 



Furthermore, <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/ac9a50" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">numerous studies</a>, bolstered by recent <a href="https://webb.nasa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">JWST</a> data, indicate galaxies forming much faster than what ΛCDM forecasts.



Summing up the wider implications, Professor Pavel Kroupa from the University of Bonn and Charles University in Prague said, “Evidence is mounting that cosmic structures formed faster than ΛCDM anticipates. We're actively probing other evidentiary lines for this."



This curious discovery not only reshapes our understanding of cosmic events but also beckons a fresh approach to the way we understand the universe's evolution.



<h2>More about galaxy clusters</h2>



Galaxy clusters stand as the Universe's titanic assemblies, grouping together hundreds to thousands of galaxies in one space. Bound by the invisible chains of gravity, these clusters paint a vivid picture of the Universe's scale and mystery.



<h3>What are galaxy clusters?</h3>



At their core, galaxy clusters house large elliptical galaxies. Spirals, other ellipticals, and a myriad of distant galaxies orbit around this core, creating a bustling cosmic city. Interspersed between these galaxies is dark matter, a substance we've yet to directly detect but recognize by the gravitational pull it exerts on visible matter.



Additionally, a faint X-ray glow often bathes galaxy clusters. This radiance originates from the scorching intergalactic gas, with temperatures soaring up to tens of millions of degrees, dwarfing even the sun's surface heat.



<h3>Formation and significance</h3>



Born from the gravitational lure of dark matter, galaxy clusters have evolved over billions of years. Regions rich in <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">dark matter</a> attracted more material, gradually forming galaxies and eventually, grand clusters. Evidence of these early formations exists in the cosmic microwave background radiation, the Universe's oldest observable light.



Studying these clusters offers invaluable insights into the Universe's past. They house galaxies of varying ages, some nearly as old as time itself. Through them, we can journey back into the Universe's early chapters. 



Furthermore, their rich dark matter content serves as a lens to study this enigmatic substance, especially when it magnifies the light of objects lying behind the clusters.



<h3>Galactic evolution and clusters</h3>



Within these clusters, galaxies evolve under powerful gravitational forces. As some galaxies travel through the hot intergalactic medium, they may lose their cool gas, halting their star formation in a process called 'ram-pressure stripping'. This interaction underlines the clusters' role in shaping galactic destinies.



In summary, galaxy clusters, as the Universe's most massive known structures, offer a profound glimpse into cosmic history, dark matter's role, and the intricate dance of galaxies. With advancing technology, we anticipate unveiling even deeper secrets hidden within these celestial gatherings.



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Colossal galaxy cluster collision defies all current knowledge

The recent discovery of a collision between two colossal galaxy...

Woman,Field,Agricultural,Hat,Cowboy,Ranch,Harvest

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.uga.edu/">University of Georgia</a> (UGA) and the <a href="https://www.gatech.edu/">Georgia Institute of Technology</a> has revealed that the iconic Southern <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dolphins-have-accents-that-vary-by-region/">accent</a> is quickly evolving in Georgia, with Generation X (people born between 1965 and 1982) at the forefront of this change.



“We found that, here in Georgia, white English speakers’ accents have been shifting away from the traditional Southern pronunciation for the last few generations,” said Margaret Renwick, an associate professor of Linguistics at UGA. “Today’s college students don’t sound like their parents, who didn’t sound like their own parents.”



<h2 id="h-drastic-changes">Drastic changes</h2>



The experts identified a pronounced divergence between the baby boomer era (born 1943 to 1964) and Generation X (born 1965 to 1982), marking a drastic change in the Southern accent.



“We had been listening to hundreds of hours of speech recorded in Georgia and we noticed that older speakers often had a thick Southern drawl, while current college students didn’t,” Renwick explained.&nbsp;



“We started asking, which generation of Georgians sounds the most Southern of all? We surmised that it was baby boomers, born around the mid-20th century. We were surprised to see how rapidly the Southern accent drops away starting with Gen X.”



<h2 id="h-changing-demographics">Changing demographics&nbsp;</h2>



“The demographics of the South have changed a lot with people moving into the area, especially post World War II,” added co-author Jon Forrest, an assistant professor of Linguistics at UGA. According to him, this observed transition in Georgia is reflective of broader linguistic changes throughout the South.&nbsp;



“We are seeing similar shifts across many regions, and we might find people in California, Atlanta, Boston, and Detroit that have similar speech characteristics.”



<h2 id="h-vowel-pronunciations">Vowel pronunciations&nbsp;</h2>



The researchers examined audio recordings of Caucasian Georgia natives, born between the late 1800s and the early 2000s. The analysis primarily revolved around vowel pronunciations.&nbsp;



While older Georgian speakers articulated words like “prize” as prahz and “face” as fuh-eece, newer generations pronounced them as prah-eez and fayce. The statistical analysis of this linguistic shift was led by Joseph A. Stanley, formerly a UGA graduate student and now an assistant professor at <a href="https://www.byu.edu/">Brigham Young University</a>.



<h2 id="h-southern-accent">Southern accent&nbsp;</h2>



“Using transcribed audio, we can use a computer to estimate where you put your tongue in your mouth when you pronounce each vowel, which gives us a quantitative metric of accent,” said senior author Lelia Glass, an assistant professor of Modern Languages at Georgia Tech. Marcus Ma, an undergraduate from Georgia Tech assisting Glass, crafted a method to expedite the transcription task.



“Changes to the diphthong in ‘prize’ are the oldest characteristic pronunciation in Southern speech, that can be traced back well over 100 years,” said Renwick. “The Southern pronunciation of words like ‘face’ emerged in the early 20th century. These are distinctive features of the traditional Southern drawl.”



Having used both old and fresh recordings of white Georgian speakers for this study, the team now aims to investigate the accent variations within the Black community across generations.



<h2 id="h-dynamic-nature-of-accents">Dynamic nature of accents&nbsp;</h2>



This probe into Georgia’s speech patterns showcases the intricate interplay between generational change, societal influences, and language evolution. With the iconic Southern drawl undergoing notable modifications, it becomes evident that regional accents are not static, but are instead shaped by younger generations.&nbsp;



Thus, this study – published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S095439452300011X">Language Variation and Change</a> - not only unveils the dynamic nature of accents but also stresses the significance of broadening the research lens to encompass diverse ethnicities.



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The iconic Southern accent is fading with each new generation

A new study led by the University of Georgia (UGA)...

Siberian,Husky,Dog,With,Narrow,Eyes,,Funny,Smiling,Husky,Dog

In a recent study conducted at the <a href="https://www.vetmeduni.ac.at/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Veterinary Medicine</a> Vienna, Austria, evidence suggests that both wolves and dogs rely not just on their sense of smell but also on their observational memory and social learning when trying to locate hidden food.



The research was led by Sebastian Vetter and his team and published in the open-access journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0290547">PLOS ONE</a>. The study builds upon prior research on social learning in wolves and dogs.



<h2 id="h-study-focused-on-social-learning">Study focused on social learning</h2>



Social learning involves acquiring knowledge by observing or interacting with others. A specific type of this learning, known as observational spatial memory, entails remembering the location where another individual has hidden food.



To delve deeper into this phenomenon, Vetter and his colleagues designed an experiment at the <a href="https://www.wolfscience.at/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wolf Science Center</a> in Ernsbrunn, Austria. The subjects of this experiment comprised 9 timber wolves and 8 mongrel dogs. These animals were tested on their capability to locate 4, 6, or 8 caches of food, with the variable being whether they had observed a human hide the food or not.



<h2>What the scientists learned</h2>



The results were quite revealing. Both species located more of the initial 5 food caches faster and traversed shorter distances when they had witnessed the hiding process. 



This behavior clearly implies that the wolves and dogs didn't rely solely on their sense of smell to find the food, reinforcing the idea of observational spatial memory's existence in these animals.



Interestingly, even with the presence or absence of visual cues, wolves consistently outperformed dogs in locating the hidden caches. However, this doesn't necessarily point to a superior cognitive ability in wolves. The researchers speculate that the difference might be rooted in other characteristics, such as persistence or the motivation driven by food.



Reflecting on the broader implications of their findings, the researchers commented, "While domestication probably affected dogs’ willingness to adjust to humans, the results of the current study collaborate previous findings suggesting that cognitive abilities do not differ very much between dogs and wolves."



This study contributes significantly to the understanding of cognition in wolves and dogs and might reshape how we train and interact with these animals in various settings, from household pets to conservation efforts.



<h2>More about social learning</h2>



Social learning is a fascinating process through which individuals acquire new behaviors, skills, or information by observing and imitating others. Unlike individual trial-and-error learning, where an individual learns solely through their own experiences, social learning allows for faster adaptation by leveraging the knowledge and experiences of others.



At its core, social learning hinges on observation. From a young age, humans watch their peers, elders, and even media representations to learn how to act, speak, and even think. For example, a child might learn to tie their shoes by watching a parent or sibling, skipping the painstaking process of figuring it out alone.



<h3>Animals also practice social learning</h3>



As noted earlier in this article, humans aren't the only species that benefit from social learning. Many animals, from birds to primates, observe and mimic others in their group. 



For instance, a young chimpanzee might learn to use a stick to extract termites by watching an elder demonstrate the technique. This mode of learning has considerable advantages.



Efficiency: By observing, individuals can avoid potential risks and pitfalls that come with trial-and-error methods.



Cultural Transmission: Social learning plays a pivotal role in passing down traditions, customs, and techniques from one generation to the next.



Adaptation: In changing environments, observing successful behaviors in peers can lead to quicker adaptation.



In the modern age, with the rise of digital media and online communities, the scope of social learning has expanded exponentially. Platforms like YouTube, where one can watch and learn anything from cooking to coding, are testaments to the power and reach of social learning in today's interconnected world.



In essence, social learning is a testament to the age-old saying, "Monkey see, monkey do." By observing and imitating, we not only preserve valuable knowledge but also foster innovation and adaptation, proving that sometimes, watching is indeed learning.



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Dogs and wolves have social learning ability and can remember where people hid food

In a recent study conducted at the University of Veterinary...

Bottles,With,Detergent,And,Cleaning,Tools,On,Wooden,Table

A disturbing study published today in the scientific journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139570" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chemosphere</a> has shed light on the potential health hazards posed by common household cleaning products.



Conducted by scientists from the <a href="https://www.ewg.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Environmental Working Group</a> (EWG), the study analyzed 30 different cleaning products and found them to emit hundreds of hazardous <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/common-household-products-expose-people-to-dangerous-chemicals/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">volatile organic compounds</a> (VOCs).



<h2 id="h-key-findings-on-vocs">Key findings on VOCs</h2>



<ul>
<li>The study examined a range of cleaning products, including multipurpose cleaners, glass cleaners, air fresheners, and more. </li>



<li>A staggering 530 unique VOCs were detected across the 30 products. Alarmingly, 193 of these VOCs were identified as hazardous, with potential health risks including respiratory damage, increased cancer risk, and developmental and reproductive impacts. </li>



<li>VOC emissions from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/windshield-wiper-fluid-accounts-for-large-percentage-of-toxic-vehicle-emissions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cleaning products</a> are particularly concerning for indoor air quality. They were found to contaminate indoor air two to five times more than outdoor air. Some estimates even suggest the difference could be as much as tenfold. Moreover, certain products continue to emit VOCs for extended periods, ranging from days to months.</li>
</ul>



<a href="https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/our-experts/alexis-temkin-phd" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alexis Temkin</a>, Ph.D., a senior toxicologist at EWG, warned, “This study is a wake-up call for consumers, researchers, and regulators to be more aware of the potential risks associated with the numerous chemicals entering our indoor air.”



<h2>Green products vs. conventional products</h2>



Encouragingly, the research showed that products labeled “green” emitted significantly fewer VOCs compared to their conventional counterparts -- approximately half as many, on average. 



Furthermore, when categorized as “fragrance free,” green products produced the least <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-develop-an-eco-friendly-material-to-purify-water/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">VOC emissions</a>, about eight times fewer than conventional products and four times less than green products containing fragrance.



On average, green products emitted only four <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/special-coating-transforms-a-lampshade-into-an-air-purifier/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hazardous chemicals</a>, while green products with fragrance emitted about 15, and conventional products as many as 22.



Dr. Temkin also highlighted a potential solution for consumers, “Our findings emphasize a way to reduce exposure to hazardous VOCs -- by selecting products that are ‘green,’ especially those that are ‘green’ and ‘fragrance free.’”



<h2>Implications for health and environment</h2>



The adverse health effects of VOCs are deeply concerning given the exposure rates. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33234692/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Research</a> indicates that individuals employed in the cleaning industry face a 50% higher risk of developing asthma and a 43% increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Women in this sector also experience a heightened risk of lung cancer.



Additionally, children’s health is jeopardized. Some research links higher use of certain indoor cleaners during pregnancy and infancy to an increased risk of asthma and wheezing in childhood.



The environmental impact of VOCs is equally worrying. <a href="https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/our-experts/samara-geller" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Samara Geller</a>, EWG senior director of cleaning science, highlighted that VOCs from consumer products can exacerbate outdoor air pollution. A <a href="https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/chemicals-everyday-products-rival-cars-source-air-pollution" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2018 study</a> estimated that consumer products were the source of half of the VOCs contributing to air pollution.



Geller concluded, “Going green with your cleaning products is an easy way to reduce exposure to harmful chemicals. This may be especially important for women’s and children's health.”



This important research emphasizes the importance of making informed choices about household cleaning products, not just for individual health, but also for the well-being of the planet.



<h2>More about VOCs</h2>



Volatile Organic Compounds, commonly known as VOCs and discussed above, permeate our environment. They are essential to understand due to their significant impact on human health and the planet. Let's now dive deep into what VOCs are, where you find them, and the effects they can have.



<h3>What are VOCs?</h3>



VOCs stand for Volatile Organic Compounds. They are a group of carbon-based chemicals that easily evaporate at room temperature. Due to their volatile nature, they can become a primary component of indoor and outdoor air pollution.



<h3>Common sources</h3>



Every day, you encounter products and materials that release VOCs. Some of these sources include:



<ul>
<li>Household Products: Paints, varnishes, and cleaning agents often contain VOCs. When you open a can of paint or use a cleaning agent, you release these compounds into the air. </li>



<li>Automobiles: Car exhaust emits a significant number of VOCs. </li>



<li>Industrial Processes: Factories that produce goods, ranging from plastics to clothing, often release VOCs as a byproduct. </li>



<li>Building Materials: Many construction materials, such as adhesives, wood preservatives, and even some carpets, give off VOCs.</li>
</ul>



<h3>Health impacts of VOCs</h3>



Exposure to VOCs can lead to a range of health issues, including:



<ul>
<li>Short-term effects: These can range from eye, nose, and throat irritation to headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. </li>



<li>Long-term effects: Chronic exposure can lead to liver, kidney, and central nervous system damage. Some VOCs, like benzene and formaldehyde, are even potential carcinogens.</li>
</ul>



<h3>Environmental effects</h3>



Apart from human health, VOCs also affect the environment:



<ul>
<li>Ozone Formation: When VOCs mix with nitrogen oxides in the presence of sunlight, they form ground-level ozone. This is a primary component of smog, and it can be harmful to both human health and vegetation. </li>



<li>Contribution to Climate Change: Some VOCs are greenhouse gases, which means they trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere, leading to global warming.</li>
</ul>



<h3>Reducing exposure to VOCs</h3>



To minimize the risks associated with VOCs, consider the following steps:



<ul>
<li>Ventilation: Ensure good ventilation when using products that emit VOCs. This can help dilute the concentration of VOCs in the air. </li>



<li>Read Labels: Check products for VOC content and opt for low-VOC or VOC-free options when available. </li>



<li>Limit Use: Use VOC-emitting products sparingly and follow the manufacturer's instructions to the letter. </li>



<li>Safe Storage: Store products that contain VOCs in well-sealed containers to prevent unnecessary evaporation.</li>
</ul>



<h3>VOC regulations</h3>



Many governments recognize the threats posed by VOCs and have introduced regulations to limit their emissions. These often include setting limits for VOC content in products, establishing air quality standards, and requiring industries to adopt best practices to minimize VOC emissions.



In summary, VOCs, while ubiquitous in our modern environment, can pose significant health and environmental challenges. By understanding what they are and where they come from, and by taking proactive steps to reduce exposure, we can protect both our health and the environment. It's up to both individuals and industries to play their part in ensuring a safer, VOC-reduced world.



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Common household cleaning products release hundreds of toxic chemicals

A disturbing study published today in the scientific journal Chemosphere...

Flowering plants not only survived the mass <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lions-are-dangling-precariously-on-the-brink-of-extinction-immediate-action-is-needed/">extinction</a> that killed the dinosaurs, but ultimately benefited from this catastrophic event, according to a new study led by the <a href="https://www.bath.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bath</a>.



The K-Pg extinction event wiped out more than 75 percent of all species on Earth, but its impact on flowering plants has been unclear.



<h2 id="h-major-lineages-of-flowering-plants-survived">Major lineages of flowering plants survived</h2>



The experts have discovered that, despite losing some species, major flowering plant lineages miraculously survived.



"At least five major mass extinction events have punctuated the history of life and have profoundly shaped the diversity and distribution of entire groups of organisms," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-regional-extinctions">Regional extinctions</h2>



"The most recent of these events was the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-ancestors-coexisted-with-dinosaurs-yes-according-to-shocking-new-research/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction</a> (K-Pg) that occurred approximately 66 million years ago (Mya) and is associated with the Chicxulub Impact Event. This event led to the demise of non-avian dinosaurs and high extinction rates of vertebrate species."



"High-resolution fossil records suggest that, despite initial regional massive extinction of angiosperm species, most of their major extant lineages (i.e. orders, families) originated during the Cretaceous, survived the K-Pg event, and eventually recovered in diversity during the Paleocene."



<h2 id="h-how-researchers-studied-flowering-plants">How researchers studied flowering plants</h2>



The fossil record is lacking when it comes to plants, as they do not have skeletons like animals. This makes it challenging to trace the timeline of their evolution.&nbsp;



To investigate, Dr. Jamie Thompson of the Milner Centre for Evolution and Dr. Santiago Ramírez-Barahona of Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México turned to MEGA phylogenetics.&nbsp;



"Assessing macroevolutionary dynamics of angiosperms using phylogenetic evidence could provide key insights into the impacts of K-Pg and how this event triggered the restructuring of all terrestrial biomes and the emergence of modern-day ecosystems," wrote the researchers.



The team analyzed evolutionary trees constructed from the DNA sequences of up to 73,000 living species of flowering plants. They used statistical models to estimate the rates of extinction throughout geological time.



<h2 id="h-what-the-researchers-discovered">What the researchers discovered&nbsp;</h2>



The phylogenetic evidence revealed that the major flowering plant lineages were resilient to the K-Pg event. While some species disappeared, their larger families survived and eventually became dominant. Flowering plants make up about 300,000 of 400,000 modern plant species.&nbsp;



According to the study, the vast majority of flowering plant families that we are living today existed before the K-Pg event. These families - including the ancestors of orchids, magnolia, and mint - all shared Earth with the dinosaurs.



“After most of Earth’s species became extinct at K-Pg, angiosperms took the advantage, similar to the way in which mammals took over after the dinosaurs, and now pretty much all life on Earth depends on flowering plants ecologically," said Dr. Thompson.



<h2 id="h-flowering-plants-are-true-survivors">Flowering plants are true survivors&nbsp;</h2>



It is incredible to consider that flowering plants were tough enough to survive such a devastating event despite being immobile and relying on the sun for energy.



“Flowering plants have a remarkable ability to adapt: they use a variety of seed-dispersal and pollination mechanisms, some have duplicated their entire genomes and others have evolved new ways to photosynthesize," said Dr. Ramírez-Barahona. “This ‘flower power’ is what makes them nature’s true survivors.”



<h2>About the Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction</h2>



Around 66 million years ago, Earth faced one of the most devastating events in its history -- the Cretaceous–Palaeogene (K-Pg) mass extinction. 



This catastrophe extinguished nearly 75% of Earth's species, including the iconic non-avian dinosaurs. The extinction marked a pivotal shift in Earth's biological diversity, paving the way for mammals to rise as dominant terrestrial animals.



<h3>What Caused the K-Pg Extinction?</h3>



Researchers point to two primary culprits -- a massive asteroid impact and prolonged volcanic activity.



<h4>The asteroid impact</h4>



Evidence suggests a 10-kilometer-wide asteroid struck what is now the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, creating the Chicxulub crater. This impact unleashed an enormous amount of energy, equivalent to billions of nuclear bombs. It set forests ablaze, triggered tsunamis, and threw tons of debris into the atmosphere. 



This debris blocked sunlight, leading to a phenomenon called "impact winter." With reduced sunlight, photosynthesis slowed, disrupting food chains and ecosystems.



<h4>Volcanic activity</h4>



Concurrently, in what is now India, the Deccan Traps underwent extensive volcanic activity. These eruptions spewed vast quantities of lava and also released gases like sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide. 



These gases, when in the atmosphere, can contribute to both cooling (sulfur dioxide) and warming (carbon dioxide). Such dramatic shifts in temperature and atmospheric composition further stressed global ecosystems.



<h3>The aftermath of the extinction</h3>



The K-Pg event's impact on life was profound. Ocean ecosystems underwent a significant overhaul as many marine reptiles, like plesiosaurs and mosasaurs, vanished. The skies saw the disappearance of pterosaurs. On land, the non-avian dinosaurs, which had ruled for over 150 million years, came to an end.



However, with the demise of these giants, opportunities arose for other creatures. Mammals, which had previously lived in the shadows of the mighty dinosaurs, began to diversify and expand into niches left vacant. Birds, descendants of theropod dinosaurs, took to the skies in a more diverse array.



In summary, the Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction serves as a testament to the planet's dynamic nature. It reminds us of the fragility of life and the interconnectedness of all living organisms. 



While the event ended the reign of many species, it also provided opportunities for others to flourish. Today, as we look back at this crucial juncture in Earth's history, we gain insights into the ever-evolving story of life on our planet.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2023.0314" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Biology Letters</a>.



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Nature's true survivors: Flowering plants lived through the dinosaur extinction

Flowering plants not only survived the mass extinction that killed...

Ecuador, home to a rich tapestry of biodiversity, has unveiled a new entrant: the Neacomys marci. This recently identified spiny mouse species, previously mistaken for another of its kind, bears the length equivalent to a tennis ball. 



With distinctive features such as a pale suede underbelly, a long tail, and a white throat, it stands as the 24th recognized species in its genus, Neacomys.



<h2 id="h-many-recent-spiny-mouse-discoveries">Many recent spiny mouse discoveries</h2>



The last five years have been revolutionary for the Neacomys genus with the discovery of 14 new species, including Neacomys marci. 



Found in the Chocó biogeographic region, one of South America's significant biodiversity hotspots, this region is not only expansive, stretching along the Pacific coasts of Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador, but it's also notably under-researched. 



This particular part of northwestern <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/two-new-species-of-carnivorous-plants-discovered-in-ecuador/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ecuador's rainforests</a> boasts immense biodiversity and endemism, credit being owed to the confluence of the Chocó and the Andes Mountains.



<h2>How the study was conducted</h2>



The journey to recognizing Neacomys marci didn't happen in isolation. Collaborative efforts among researchers Nicolás Tinoco of <a href="https://www.puce.edu.ec/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pontificia Universidad</a> Católica del Ecuador, Claudia Koch from Germany's <a href="https://www.leibniz-gemeinschaft.de/en/institutes/leibniz-institutes-all-lists/leibniz-institute-for-the-analysis-of-biodiversity-change#:~:text=The%20Leibniz%20Institute%20for%20the,for%20society%20as%20a%20whole." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Leibniz Institute</a> for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Javier E. Colmenares-Pinzón of <a href="https://www.uis.edu.co/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Universidad Industrial de Santander</a> in Colombia, and Jorge Brito from <a href="http://inabio.biodiversidad.gob.ec/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad</a> in Quito, Ecuador were integral to this revelation. 



Their in-depth description and findings on this rodent have been <a href="https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1175.106113" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">published in the open-access journal, Zookeys</a>.



As a genus, Neacomys has made its presence known across eastern Panama and the northern regions of South America. Studies since 2017 have invigorated the understanding of this genus, introducing several new species. 



However, given the expansive uncharted terrains of South America and nearby Panama, many believe that the genus's true diversity might still be lurking in the shadows, waiting for further discovery.



Modern scientific approaches, including molecular analysis, have been paramount in identifying <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dozens-of-frog-species-rediscovered-in-ecuador/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">animal groups</a> with more precision. Additionally, extensive reviews of museum collections and augmented field collection endeavors have been pivotal in comprehending not just Neacomys marci but its peer species as well.



<h2>How to name a new spiny mouse</h2>



The naming of this new species pays tribute to Marc Hoogeslag from Amsterdam, Netherlands. As a co-founder and leader of the International Union for Conservation of Nature - Netherlands Land Acquisition Fund, Hoogeslag has been instrumental in aiding local groups globally in crafting new ecological reserves and championing the cause of endangered species conservation. 



The discovery of Neacomys marci in the EcoMinga Foundation's Manduriacu Reserve stands as testament to the impact of Hoogeslag's initiatives, with the reserve being one of the many beneficiaries of his program.



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New species of spiny mouse discovered in Ecuador

Ecuador, home to a rich tapestry of biodiversity, has unveiled...

Why was the Sahara Desert once lush and green? A recent study published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a> provides new insights into periodic wet phases and greening in the Sahara over the last 800,000 years.



<h2 id="h-earth-s-orbital-precession">Earth’s orbital precession&nbsp;</h2>



The primary driver behind intermittent green periods in the Sahara was identified as changes in Earth’s orbit around the Sun, notably Earth’s orbital precession. This refers to Earth's wobbly motion on its axis, influencing the seasonal contrasts.&nbsp;



The wobbles, which occur approximately every 21,000 years, determine the energy Earth receives during different seasons. This ultimately controls the strength of the African monsoon and, by extension, the spread of vegetation across the Sahara.



<h2 id="h-ice-ages">Ice ages</h2>



However, the researchers also found that these humid greening intervals in the Sahara did not occur during ice ages.&nbsp;



Massive glacial ice sheets, blanketing much of the high latitudes, cooled the atmosphere, suppressing the growth of the African monsoon system.&nbsp;



The experts report that the interconnection between these distant areas might have limited species’ movement, including early humans, out of Africa during the glacial periods spanning the past 800,000 years.



<h2 id="h-remarkable-environmental-changes">Remarkable environmental changes&nbsp;</h2>



Study lead author Dr. Edward Armstrong is a climate scientist at the University of Helsinki and <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a>.



“The cyclic transformation of the Sahara Desert into savannah and woodland ecosystems is one of the most remarkable environmental changes on the planet," said Dr. Armstrong.



“Our study is one of the first climate modeling studies to simulate the African Humid Periods with comparable magnitude to what the palaeoclimate observations indicate, revealing why and when these events occurred.”



<h2 id="h-advanced-climate-modeling">Advanced climate modeling&nbsp;</h2>



Many existing climate models have fallen short in simulating the amplitude of these humid periods in the Sahara.



However, the recent study utilized an advanced climate model that not only offers insights into the past shifts but could potentially improve predictions of future changes.



The results confirmed that the African Humid Periods occurred every 21,000 years and were determined by changes in Earth’s orbital precession.&nbsp;



Warmer summers and increased precipitation from the intensified monsoon system drove greening across the desert.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-significance-of-the-study">Significance of the study</h2>



“We are really excited about the results. Traditionally, climate models have struggled to represent the extent of the ‘greening’ of the Sahara," said study co-author Professor Paul Valdes.



"Our revised model successfully represents past changes and also gives us confidence in their ability to understand future change."



<h2 id="h-study-implications">Study implications</h2>



There is undeniable evidence that the Sahara was home to sprawling rivers, lakes, and water-dependent animals, such as hippos, in past epochs.&nbsp;



Such periods of vegetation might have played a pivotal role in creating green corridors for various species, including early humans, to disperse across the globe.



“The Sahara region is kind of a gate controlling the dispersal of species between both North and Sub-Saharan Africa, and in and out of the continent," said study co-author Professor Miikka Tallavaara.



“The gate was open when Sahara was green and closed when deserts prevailed. This alternation of humid and arid phases had major consequences for the dispersal and evolution of species in Africa."&nbsp;



"Our ability to model North African Humid periods is a major achievement and means we are now also better able to model human distributions and understand the evolution of our genus in Africa.”



The study has the potential to reshape our understanding of early human migrations and the broader implications of global climate shifts.



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Study reveals the driving forces behind greening in the Sahara Desert

Why was the Sahara Desert once lush and green? A...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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How the immune system responds to injury

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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