You've undoubtedly noticed that the Moon has two distinct sides, right? The near side that we see from Earth and the far side that remains a mystery because it is never turned towards us.



This unusual lunar characteristic -- a global dichotomy -- is what a team of scientists led by Professor XU Yigang from the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry (<a href="http://english.gig.cas.cn/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GIGCAS</a>) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has been investigating.



They have been studying lunar soil samples collected from the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin on the far side of the Moon, and returned to Earth by China's <a href="https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=CHANG-E-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chang’e-6 mission</a>.



These invaluable samples have allowed them to investigate the Moon's peculiar dichotomy and the results have shed light on some of its secrets.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-chang-e-6">What is Chang’e-6?</h2>



The Chinese space program launched Chang'e 6, their latest Moon mission, on May 3, 2024. The spacecraft blasted off from Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on a Long March 5 rocket at 9:27 UT (that's 5:27 PM Beijing time). 



Their goal? To grab about four pounds (2 kg) of Moon rocks from the far side - something no one had done before.



The lander touched down in a huge crater called the South Pole Aitken Basin. The team used both a scoop and a drill to dig up surface samples and even went 2 meters deep into the lunar soil. 



They also sent out a small rover that cruised around taking snapshots of the lander doing its work.



Once they collected the samples, the crew packed them into an ascent vehicle sitting on top of the lander. 



On June 3 at 11:38 PM UT (7:38 AM Beijing time the next day), this vehicle shot up from the Moon's surface and met up with the orbiter waiting above. They made the handoff on June 6, 2024.



After ditching the ascent vehicle (which crashed back into the Moon), the return vehicle hung around in orbit for a couple weeks before heading home. 



It pulled off a tricky skip-entry through Earth's atmosphere and landed in Inner Mongolia's Siziwang Banner region on June 25 at 6:07 UT (2:07 PM Beijing time). 



The final haul? Roughly 4.2 pounds (1.9 kg) of Moon rocks and soil from the far side -- marking another big win for China's space program.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-far-side-vs-visible-side-of-the-moon">Far side vs. visible side of the Moon</h2>



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/its-official-earth-now-has-two-moons-captured-asteroid-2024-pt5/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Moon's</a> dichotomy is visible in its topography, chemical composition, crustal thickness, evidence of volcanism and, most noticeably, in the difference in geomorphology between its near and far sides.



The near side of the Moon is home to the familiar "man in the moon" maria - the dark "seas" that are the result of ancient volcanic activity. 



These areas were flooded with molten lava that created rocks known as mare basalts.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/moon_farside_volcanic-episodes_diagram_credit-YANG-Muhan_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/moon_farside_volcanic-episodes_diagram_credit-YANG-Muhan_1s.webp" alt="Distribution of distinct volcanic episodes on the Moon’s farside. The remote sensing image highlights the Chang’e-6 landing site along with nearby mare and cryptomare basaltic units. Credit: Image by YANG Muhan" class="wp-image-1950782"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Distribution of distinct volcanic episodes on the Moon’s farside. The remote sensing image highlights the Chang’e-6 landing site along with nearby mare and cryptomare basaltic units. Credit: Image by YANG Muhan</figcaption></figure>



How about the far side? Well, here's where it gets intriguing. Only about 2% of this hidden part of the Moon is covered in the basalts, compared to around 30% on the near side.



This inexplicable difference is a vital part of the lunar global dichotomy that the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program aims to unravel.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-secrets-of-the-moon-s-far-side">Secrets of the Moon's far side</h2>



Thanks to the Chang’e-6 lunar soil samples, Professor XU's team discovered the existence of two different types of mare basalts, low-Ti, and very low-Ti (VLT). 



“The samples returned by Chang’e-6 provide a best opportunity to investigate the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/2024-pt5-mini-moon-say-goodbye-to-earths-second-moon-we-barely-got-to-know-you/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lunar</a> global dichotomy,” said Professor XU.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/moon_farside_volcanic-eruptions_basalt-types_credit-GIGCAS_1s.webp" alt="The two types of basalts in Chang’e-6 soils and isochrons of the Chang’e-6 low-Ti basalt. Credit: GIGCAS" class="wp-image-1950784"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The two types of basalts in Chang’e-6 soils and isochrons of the Chang’e-6 low-Ti basalt. Credit: GIGCAS</figcaption></figure>



Let's not dismiss the aspect of dating these samples either. With high-precision Pb-Pb dating techniques, the team determined that the low-Ti basalt dates back to around 2.83 billion years ago.



This attests to the presence of "young" magmatism or volcanic activities on the far side of the Moon. But of course, young is a relative term when we talk about 2.83 billion years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mapping-the-history-of-volcanoes">Mapping the history of volcanoes</h2>



With such valuable information now in our hands, we can clearly chart the volcanic timeline on the far side of the Moon. 



Led by Professor LI Qiuli, the team conducted radioisotope dating on 108 basalt fragments, with 107 of them revealing a consistent formation age of 2807 million years ago.



But there's more. One fragment, a high-aluminum basalt, was dated to a monumental 4203 million years ago, making it the oldest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/harvest-moon-2024-will-feature-a-partial-lunar-eclipse/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lunar</a> basalt for which age has been precisely determined.



This implies elevated levels of volcanic activity on the far side of the Moon for at least 1.4 billion years - between 4.2 billion and 2.8 billion years ago.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-does-any-of-this-matter">Why does any of this matter?</h2>



These findings, available for everyone to dissect, can help recalibrate the existing lunar crater chronology models. 



Christopher Hamilton, an independent planetary volcano expert, emphasized the importance of obtaining samples from this previously unchartered lunar territory.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/moon_farside_volcanic-episodes_Change-6-mission_landing_credit-CLEP_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/moon_farside_volcanic-episodes_Change-6-mission_landing_credit-CLEP_1s.webp" alt="China's Chang’e-6 mission spacecraft landed on the far side of the Moon. Credit: CLAP" class="wp-image-1950787"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">China's Chang’e-6 mission spacecraft landed on the far side of the Moon. Credit: CLAP </figcaption></figure>



More than just understanding the Moon, these lunar soil samples also have implications for some broad astronomical theories.



The new data indicates a constant impact flux after 2.83 billion years, which can offer new insights into planet migration in the early Solar System. 



So, by looking at the Moon, we are indirectly learning about our own cosmic neighborhood as well!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happens-next">What happens next?</h2>



With more missions like the Chang'e-6, the future will undoubtedly bring many enlightening discoveries about our constant celestial companion.



In the end, we see that the Moon, despite its <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-may-have-captured-the-moon-from-space/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">familiar appearance</a>, still hides untold secrets waiting to be discovered. 



These lunar missions represent a new age of lunar and planetary exploration that pushes the boundaries of our understanding.



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The researchers from the <a href="https://english.cas.cn" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chinese Academy of Sciences</a> express their gratitude for the support received from various institutes such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. These institutions' enduring support enables such important lunar explorations.



The study is published in the journals <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08382-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a> and <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adt1093" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



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Far side of the Moon had volcanic eruptions for over one billion years

You've undoubtedly noticed that the Moon has two distinct sides, right? The near side that we see from Earth and the far side that remains a mystery because it is never turned towards us. This unusual lunar characteristic -- a global dichotomy -- is what a team of scientists led by Professor XU Yigang from the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry (GIGCAS) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has been investigating. They have been studying lunar soil samples collected from the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin on the far...

Beavers are famous for building <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/beaver-dams-cold-water-fish/">dams</a>. They do this in order to create a pond in which they can then build a lodge with an underwater entrance. The lodge is made of sticks and mud, and it is a place where beavers can stay safe and warm, raise their young, store food for winter and hide from predators such as wolves, coyotes and mountain lions. The dams modify the natural habitat such that new ecosystems are created and this provides suitable conditions for other wetland species.&nbsp;



Apart from creating wetlands, however, beaver dams also control water flow downstream, reduce turbidity, prevent erosion and help to cleanse water of contaminants from pesticides and fertilizers. And now, a new study has revealed that, as climate change worsens water quality and threatens ecosystems, beaver dams may actually help reduce the damage.



In a report published in <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-34022-0">Nature Communications</a>, a team of experts led by Stanford University have found that beaver dams can have a significant positive influence on water quality. In fact, this influence turns out to be far greater than the influence of climate-driven, seasonal extremes in precipitation. The wooden barriers raise water levels upstream, diverting water into surrounding soils and secondary waterways, collectively called a riparian zone. These zones act like filters, straining out excess nutrients and contaminants before water re-enters the main channel downstream.



“As we’re getting drier and warmer in the mountain watersheds in the American West, that should lead to water quality degradation,” said study senior author Professor&nbsp;<a href="https://profiles.stanford.edu/scott-fendorf">Scott Fendorf</a>. “Yet unbeknownst to us prior to this study, the outsized influence of beaver activity on water quality is a positive counter to climate change.”



The opportunity to study the effects of a beaver dam on water quality came about by chance, rather than being the result of careful planning. As a PhD student in Fendorf’s lab in 2017, lead study author Christian Dewey had started doing field work along the East River, a main tributary of the Colorado River near Crested Butte in central Colorado. Initially, Dewey had set out to track seasonal changes in hydrology, and riparian zone impacts on nutrients and contaminants in a mountainous watershed.



“Completely by luck, a beaver decided to build a dam at our study site,” said Dewey, who is now a postdoctoral scholar at Oregon State University (whose mascot, incidentally, is a beaver). “The construction of this beaver dam afforded us the opportunity to run a great natural experiment.”



The researchers analyzed data on water levels recorded hourly by sensors installed in the river and throughout the riparian area. They also collected water samples, including from below the ground’s surface, to monitor nutrient and contaminant levels. This information was then used to compare water quality along this stretch of the East River during a dry year (2018), with water quality in the following year, when water levels were unusually high. In addition, these year-long datasets were compared with measurements of water quality made during the three-month period, starting in late July 2018, when the beaver dam blocked the river.&nbsp;



Normally, during periods of drought, as less water flows through rivers and streams, the concentrations of contaminants and excess nutrients, such as nitrogen (in the form of nitrates), increase. These contaminants often come from fertilizers or herbicides that are used on surrounding agricultural land and enter the rivers as runoff. Major downpours and seasonal snowmelt are then needed to flush out the contaminants and restore water quality.&nbsp;



Beaver dams trap water in the form of a pond behind the wall. This not only slows the flow of water, but also creates a difference in pressure between the water above the dam wall and below it. The increased pressure pushes water from the dam into the surrounding soils where microbes use the contaminants, particularly nitrates, for their own metabolic needs.



Warm, dry summers following spring snowmelt also produce big level changes, which generate a pressure gradient that pushes water into surrounding soils. The larger the pressure gradient, the greater the flow of water and nitrates into soils, where microbes transform nitrate and other contaminants into innocuous substances.



In the East River, the researchers found that the increase in pressure gradient was at least 10 times greater with the dam present than it was during the summer peak without the dam. This applied in both the high-water year (2019) and the drought year (2018). In other words, the effects of the beaver dam exceeded climatic hydrological extremes - in either direction of drought or abundant snowmelt - by an order of magnitude.



“Beavers are countering water quality degradation and improving water quality by producing simulated hydrological extremes that dwarf what the climate is doing,” said Professor Fendorf.



While it was present, the beaver dam boosted the removal of unwanted nitrogen from the study section of the East River by a massive 44 percent over the seasonal extremes. Nitrogen is an especially pernicious problem for water quality as it promotes algal growth which, when the algae die and decompose, uses up the supply of oxygen in the water and makes the ecosystem unsuitable other aquatic organisms.&nbsp;



The role of beavers and their dams in filtering and cleaning water resources is likely to increase in importance as climate change produces greater variability and more extreme weather conditions. &nbsp;



“We would expect climate change to induce hydrological extremes and degradation of water quality during drought periods, and in this study, we’re seeing that would indeed have been true if it weren’t for this other ecological change taking place, which is the beavers, their proliferating dams, and their growing populations," said Professor Fendorf.



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Beaver dams mitigate the effects of climate change on rivers

Beavers are famous for building dams. They do this in...

According to a new report released on World Population Day, the global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-population-exploded-animation/">human population</a> is set to reach eight billion on 15 November 2022, with India projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country in 2023. Although the global population is currently growing at the slowest rate since 1950, experts suggest that it could reach 8.5 billion by 2030, 9.7 billion by 2050, and 10.3 billion by 2080.



“This year’s World Population Day falls during a milestone year, when we anticipate the birth of the Earth’s eight billionth inhabitant. This is an occasion to celebrate our diversity, recognize our common humanity, and marvel at advancements in health that have extended lifespans and dramatically reduced maternal and child mortality rates,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “At the same time, it is a reminder of our shared responsibility to care for our planet and a moment to reflect on where we still fall short of our commitments to one another.”



Scientists argue that over half of the projected increase in world population will be concentrated in eight countries - the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and the United Republic of Tanzania – with sub-Saharan African countries expected to contribute more than half of the anticipated increase by mid-century.&nbsp;



Thanks to recent reductions in fertility, the percent of population at working age (25 to 64 years) has been increasing in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as parts of Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Moreover, the share of global population aged 65 or older is projected to rise from 10 percent in 2022 to 16 percent in 2050, making it an imperative for countries with aging populations to adapt public programs to the growing number of older persons, by establishing universal health care and long-term care systems and by improving the sustainability of social security and pension systems.



“The relationship between population growth and sustainable development is complex and multidimensional” said Liu Zhenmin, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. “Rapid population growth makes eradicating poverty, combatting hunger and malnutrition, and increasing the coverage of health and education systems more difficult.



“Conversely, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, especially those related to health, education and gender equality, will contribute to reducing fertility levels and slowing global population growth.”



“Further actions by Governments aimed at reducing fertility would have little impact on the pace of population growth between now and mid-century, because of the youthful age structure of today’s global population. Nevertheless, the cumulative effect of lower fertility, if maintained over several decades, could be a more substantial deceleration of global population growth in the second half of the century,” concluded John Wilmoth, the director of the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.



The World Population Prospects 2022 can be found <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/content/World-Population-Prospects-2022">here</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

World population set to hit eight billion by next week

According to a new report released on World Population Day,...

Motivation is a highly important process in life, often marking the difference between success and failure, goal-directedness and aimlessness, or wellbeing and unhappiness. However, becoming and staying motivated is far from easy, prompting many scientists to look for ways of boosting motivation.



Now, a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.epfl.ch/en/">Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne</a> (EPFL) has investigated whether differences in the metabolites in the brain affect our capacity for motivation, and whether nutritional interventions could be an effective vehicle to improve motivated performance. The scientists focused on an area of the brain called the “nucleus accumbens,” which plays a major role in regulating functions such as reward, reinforcement, aversion, and most importantly, motivation.



Like all tissues in our body, the brain is subjected to constant <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exposure-to-green-space-reduces-oxidative-stress-in-children/">oxidative stress</a>, as a result of its metabolism. As cells consume various molecules to garner energy, they produce toxic waste products in the form of highly reactive molecules known as “oxidative species.” Although cells have several mechanisms in place to clear oxidative species, sometimes this capacity is disturbed in a process called “oxidative stress.” The question the researchers focused on in this study was whether antioxidant levels in the brain’s nucleus accumbens can affect motivation, by looking into the brain’s most important antioxidant, a protein called glutathione (GSH).



“We assessed relationships between metabolites in the nucleus accumbens – a key brain region – and motivated performance,” said study senior author Carmen Sandi, a behavioral neuroscientist at EPFL. “We then turned to animals to understand the mechanism and probe causality between the found metabolite and performance, proving as well that nutritional interventions modify behavior through this pathway.”



By using a technique called “proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy,” the researchers assessed the relationship between GSH levels in the brain and performance in tasks measuring motivation in both humans and rats. The analysis reveled that higher levels of GSH were linked to better and steady performance in motivation tasks.



“Our study provides novel insights on how brain metabolism relates to behavior and puts forward nutritional interventions targeting key oxidative process as ideal interventions to facilitate effortful endurance,” the authors explained. Their findings “suggest that improvement of accumbal antioxidant function may be a feasible approach to boost motivation.”



“N-acetylcysteine, the nutritional supplement that we gave in our study can also be synthesized in the body from its precursor cysteine,” Sandi added. “Cysteine is contained in ‘high-protein foods,’ such as meat, chicken, fish or seafood. Other sources with lower content are eggs, whole-grain foods such as breads and cereals, and some vegetables such as broccoli, onions, and legumes.”



“Of course, there are other ways beyond N-acetylcysteine to increase GSH levels in the body, but how they relate to levels in the brain – and particularly in the nucleus accumbens – is largely unknown. Our study represents a proof of principle that dietary N-acetylcysteine can increase brain GSH levels and facilitate effortful behavior,” she concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.77791">eLife</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Nutritional interventions can boost motivation in the brain

Motivation is a highly important process in life, often marking...

On Sunday, November 6, 2022, COP27 - the world’s largest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-has-pushed-earth-to-code-red/">climate</a> summit - began in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Europe’s consequent energy crisis casting an ominous shadow over the first talks. On Monday, the U.N. secretary general, António Guterres, set the tone of the conference, warning that our planet is “on a highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator,” and we “are in the fight of our lives, and we are losing.”



According to several presidents and prime ministers who spoke at the beginning of the summit, unlike in the previous years, our vicious attacks on the world’s climate are now compounded by the humanitarian and economic crises caused by the Ukraine war that are currently taking a toll on every continent, hitting the world’s most vulnerable populations the hardest.



“Putin’s abhorrent war in Ukraine, and rising energy prices across the world, are not a reason to go slow on climate change,” said UK’s new prime minister Rishi Sunak. “They are a reason to act faster.” As France’s president Emanuel Macron stressed too, this war should not change countries’ firm commitments to reduce greenhouse emissions.



Highly unsettling new data from the <a href="https://public.wmo.int/en">World Meteorological Organization</a> showed that the Earth has faced its warmest eight years on record, and that rich, industrialized countries are contributing the most to emissions, while the poorer countries must face the hardest consequences. To put a halt to this situation, environmental groups called for a “fossil fuel nonproliferation treaty” aimed to put an end to all new oil, gas, and coal projects, and asked for immediate “loss and damage” compensation from the world’s biggest polluters to the most vulnerable countries.



Switzerland, one of the richest countries in the world, proposed an ambitious climate goal to cut its greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030. However, instead of planning to reduce these emissions within their own borders, they aim to pay poorer countries, such as Ghana and Dominica, to install sustainable energy sources in order to reduce their own emissions.



A matter of heated debate at the beginning of the summit was the decision to include Coca-Cola as a major sponsor of this year’s event, regardless of the fact that the corporation’s production of plastics is currently increasing. In an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.change.org/p/remove-coca-cola-as-sponsors-of-cop27-cop27">online petition</a>, which gathered over 238,000 signatures before the summit, Georgia Elliot-Smith, a delegate from last year’s conference, called to revoke Coke’s sponsorship, by arguing that the company is suffocating our planet with plastic and keeps us addicted to disposable plastic.



Towards the end of the first series of talks, Mr. Guterres called for countries to extend the reach of early warning systems that could help people get from the harm’s way when extreme weather events occur. “Universal early warning coverage can save lives and deliver huge financial benefits. Just 24 hours’ notice of an impending hazardous event can cut damage by 30 percent,” he concluded.



Finally, in his own opening remarks, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, asked world leaders to act with extreme urgency to meet their commitments. “There is no time to slip back. There is no space for hesitation. For the sake of future generations, here and now we are facing a unique historical moment, a last chance to meet our responsibilities,” he concluded.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

“On a highway to climate hell:” COP27 begins in Egypt

On Sunday, November 6, 2022, COP27 - the world’s largest...

While the scientific community has previously warned about an alarming decline in insect populations, not much has been done to address this issue on a global scale. Now, an international team of experts is providing a convincing overview of the role of climate change and climatic extremes in driving insect decline.&nbsp;



"If no action is taken to better understand and reduce the impact of climate change on insects, we will drastically limit our chances of a sustainable future with healthy ecosystems." This is the warning from a paper composed by 70 scientists from 19 countries around the world as part of the of the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ecm.1553">Scientists’ Warning</a> series.&nbsp;



"Climate change aggravates other human-mediated environmental problems," said lead author Jeffrey Harvey from the <a href="https://nioo.knaw.nl/en">Netherlands Institute of Ecology</a>. "Including habitat loss and fragmentation, various forms of pollution, overharvesting and invasive species."



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insects-play-important-roles-in-ecosystems/">Insects</a> play critical roles in many ecosystems, making this problem incredibly urgent, as ecosystem loss is on the rise.



"The gradual increase in global surface temperature impacts insects in their physiology, behaviour, phenology, distribution and species interactions. But also, more and longer lasting extreme events leave their traces," said Harvey.



While fruit flies, butterflies and flour beetles have the capacity to survive heat waves, they can become sterilized and unable to reproduce. Bumblebees, in particular, are very sensitive to heat, and climate change is now considered the main factor in the decline of several North American species.



"Cold-blooded insects are among the groups of organisms most seriously affected by climate change, because their body temperature and metabolism are strongly linked with the temperature of the surrounding air," said Harvey.



Insects also play a critical role in supporting the global economy through services such as pollination, pest control, nutrient cycling and decomposition of waste. These vitally important services help to sustain humanity and provide billions of dollars annually to the global economy.&nbsp;



"The late renowned ant ecologist Edward O. Wilson, once argued that ‘it is the little things that run the world’. And they do!’" said Harvey.



The ability for insects to adapt to global warming is further impacted by human threats such as habitat destruction and pesticides. Heatwaves and droughts can drastically harm insect populations in the short term, making insects less able to adapt to more gradual warming.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The paper includes solutions and management strategies. Individuals can help by caring for different wild plants, providing food and shelter for insects during climate extremes. Reducing the use of pesticides and other chemicals is also recommended.&nbsp;



"Insects are tough little critters and we should be relieved that there is still room to correct our mistakes," said Harvey. "We really need to enact policies to stabilise the global climate. In the meantime, at both government and individual levels, we can all pitch in and make urban and rural landscapes more insect-friendly."



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By <a href="mailto:katherinebucko@gmail.com">Katherine Bucko</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Insects need urgent help to survive climate change

While the scientific community has previously warned about an alarming...

In many countries, ultra-processed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/benefits-of-blue-foods-are-not-reaching-millions-of-people/">foods</a> (UPFs) - ready-to-eat-or-heat industrial formulations made with ingredients extracted from foods or synthesized in laboratories, including prepackaged soups, sauces, frozen pizza, hot dogs, sausages, sodas, ice cream, and store-bought cookies, cakes, candies, and doughnuts – have gradually been replacing traditional foods made from fresh or minimally processed ingredients. However, extensive consumption of such foods is highly dangerous, and can lead to illness or even death. According to a recent study led by the <a href="https://www.fearp.usp.br/en/index.php/where-we-are/university-of-sao-paulo">University of São Paulo</a> in Brazil, increased consumption of UPFs was associated with over 10 percent of all-cause premature deaths in Brazil in 2019.&nbsp;



“Previous modelling studies have estimated the health and economic burden of critical ingredients, such as sodium, sugar and trans fats, and specific foods or drinks, such as sugar sweetened beverages,” said study lead investigator Eduardo A.F. Nilson, an expert in Nutrition and Health at the University of São Paulo. “To our knowledge, no study to date has estimated the potential impact of UPFs on premature deaths. Knowing the deaths attributable to the consumption of these foods and modeling how changes in dietary patterns can support more effective food policies might prevent disease and premature deaths.”



The scientists modelled data from nationally representative dietary surveys to estimate baseline intakes of UPFs by age- and sex-groups, and used statistical analyses to estimate the proportion of total deaths attributable to the consumption of these foods, as well as the impact of reducing intake of UPFs by 10, 20, and 50 percent within various age groups.



The analysis revealed that consumption of UPFs ranged from 13 to 21 percent of total food intake in Brazil in 2019, with a total of 541,260 adults aged 30 to 69 dying prematurely, of whom 261,061 were from preventable, non-infectious diseases. Among these, 57,000 could be attributed to the consumption of UPFs, corresponding to 10.5 percent of all premature deaths and 21.8 percent of all deaths from preventable noncommunicable diseases. Since in countries such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, or Australia UPFs account for over half of the total caloric intake, their estimated impact would most likely be even higher.



“Consumption of UPFs is associated with many disease outcomes, such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, some cancers, and other diseases, and it represents a significant cause of preventable and premature deaths among Brazilian adults,” Dr. Nilson explained. “Even reducing consumption of UPFs to the levels of just a decade ago would reduce associated premature deaths by 21 percent. Policies that disincentivize the consumption of UPFs are urgently needed.”



Reducing the consumption of UPFs and promoting healthier choices would require multiple interventions and public health measures, such as developing new fiscal and regulatory policies, changing food environments, strengthening the implementation of food-based dietary guidelines, and improving consumer knowledge, attitudes, and behavior.



The study is published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2022.08.013">American Journal of Preventive Medicine</a>. &nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ultra-processed foods associated with premature deaths

In many countries, ultra-processed foods (UPFs) - ready-to-eat-or-heat industrial formulations...

Cats often exhibit <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-chemical-that-triggers-aggression-in-women-blocks-it-in-men/">aggression</a> toward humans and other problematic behaviors, yet the underlying causes of such issues have remained relatively unknown. In a new study from the <a href="https://www.helsinki.fi/en">University of Helsinki</a>, experts have found a correlation between poor socialization with humans and the development of fearfulness and aggression in cats.&nbsp;



"Problematic behavior is a remarkable welfare issue in cats (Felis catus), as it is one of the most common reasons for relinquishment. The probability of developing problematic behaviors is likely influenced by several variables, but these remain little studied," wrote the researchers.



"In this study, we examined the associations of fearfulness, aggression toward humans, and excessive grooming with nearly thirty variables in a survey dataset of over 3,200 cats."



"Poor socialization with humans and a history of being a rescue cat were associated with higher fearfulness, indicating that the proper socialization of kittens is beneficial for avoiding fear-related problematic behaviors. Overall, our study highlights the complexity of three problematic behaviors in cats."



According to study lead author Salla Mikkola, the team wanted to find out what factors are associated with the problematic behavior of cats, such as fearfulness, aggression towards humans and excessive grooming. "We utilized a survey dataset previously collected in our research, which we have already used to investigate the construction of the feline personality."



The survey included statements on the pet's reaction to strangers, sudden noises and changes at home. Survey respondents were also asked about excessive grooming and signs of aggression toward humans.  These included scratching or attempts to bite in conjunction with care, such as when being brushed. 



“We investigated the link between these problematic behavioral and personality traits, and almost 30 behavioural, environmental and biological factors. For example, the socialization of cats with humans was associated with fearfulness," said Mikkola.



"Cats who had come into contact with unfamiliar adults and children under 12 weeks of age only a few times or not at all were more fearful than cats who met strangers on a weekly or daily basis. Fearful cats also received, on average, higher scores for litter box issues, aggression and excessive grooming."



Professor Hannes Lohi noted that there was less aggression and fearfulness in households with more than one cat, but the reason for this is not yet clear. "It may be that the companionship of other cats is an important stimulus for cats, or alternatively, people don’t want to take a mate for their aggressive cat due to its nature. Research carried out through a different design is needed to explain causalities."



The research is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2022.105265">iScience</a>.



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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

Kittens who socialize with humans are less fearful, aggressive

Cats often exhibit aggression toward humans and other problematic behaviors,...

A new study led by <a href="https://www.nyu.edu/">New York University</a> (NYU) has found that one in five people who survive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) after cardiac arrest described lucid experiences of death that occurred while they were seemingly unconscious.&nbsp;



The study involved 567 participants whose hearts stopped beating while hospitalized and received CPR between May 2017 and March 2020 in the United States and the United Kingdom. Survivors reported having unique lucid <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/near-death-experience/">near-death experiences</a>, such as perceptions of a separation from the body and observations of external events without fear or distress, together with a meaningful evaluation of their lives, actions, intentions, and thoughts toward others. According to the scientists, these experiences were different from hallucinations, delusions, illusions, dreams, or CPR-induced states of consciousness.



Brain scans revealed spikes of brain activity, including the activation of so-called gamma, delta, theta, alpha, and beta waves up to an hour into CPR. Such brain waves usually occur when people are conscious and performing higher mental functions like thinking, memory retrieval, or conscious perception.&nbsp;



“These recalled experiences and brain wave changes may be the first signs of the so-called near-death experience, and we have captured them for the first time in a large study,” said study lead investigator Sam Parnia, an associate professor of Medicine at NYU. “Our results offer evidence that while on the brink of death and in a coma, people undergo a unique inner conscious experience, including awareness without distress.”



These findings suggest that the sense of self and consciousness, much like other biological body functions, may not stop completely around the time of death. “These lucid experiences cannot be considered a trick of a disordered or dying brain, but rather a unique human experience that emerges on the brink of death,”&nbsp;Parnia explained.



As the brain is shutting down, several of its natural braking systems are released, in a phenomenon known as “disinhibition,” which gives access to the depths of a person’s consciousness, providing access to stored memories and thoughts from early childhood and other periods in life. While the evolutionary function of such phenomena is not yet clear, they open intriguing questions about the nature of human consciousness and the meaning of life.



The study was presented at a resuscitation science symposium that is part of the <a href="https://exhibitatsessions.org/scientific-sessions/">American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2022</a> (Chicago, November 6, 2022).



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Many patients have death experiences during CPR

A new study led by New York University (NYU) has...

Lianas are long-stemmed, woody vines that have their roots in the ground but use the trunks and branches of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-majority-of-urban-trees-are-threatened-by-climate-change/">trees</a> to climb their way up towards the canopy in order to reach sunlight. The term "liana" applies more to this type of lifestyle than to any specific family of plants, as lianas come from a variety of different taxonomic groups. They are found in tropical forests all over the world.



Research on lianas, mostly in Neotropical forests (South and Central America, Caribbean), shows that they are increasing in abundance, diversity and biomass. This is not good news for the forest trees, as the vines compete with trees for nutrients, water and sunlight. Forest trees infested with lianas tend to produce less fruit, to grow more slowly and ultimately to remain smaller. Lianas can even increase the mortality rate of forest trees. This means that their presence has a negative impact on a forest’s ability to take up carbon from the atmosphere and store it in living biomass.&nbsp;



New research, led by scientists from the <a href="https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/">University of Nottingham</a>, U.K., is the first to investigate the distribution and abundance of lianas in a Paleotropical forest canopy in Southeast Asia. These forests support a high density of large trees with a significantly greater above-ground biomass than in Neotropical forests such as the Amazon. This makes Paleotropical forests very important in terms of carbon storage, and the role of lianas in restricting this ecosystem service could prove critical as we attempt to limit the level of carbon emissions globally.&nbsp;



In this research, published in the <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652745">Journal of Ecology</a>, scientists assessed the distribution of lianas in 50 hectares of Paleotropical forest canopy in Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia. They used a drone to capture high-resolution imagery of the canopy and were able, thereby, to produce accurate data on tree-level liana load rather than being restricted to surveying the numbers and diameters of liana stems at ground level.&nbsp;



Data on other variables was also collected using the drone, and a laser scanner that created 3D models of the area, as well as ground-based surveys. This data included the topography of the land, soil characteristics, tree height and crown area, and the distance to the nearest canopy gap and nearest neighboring tree containing lianas. With this data the researchers hoped to understand where lianas like to grow in the forest, and why.&nbsp;



Dr. Catherine Waite led the study while at the University of Nottingham, before moving to the University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia. “Tropical forests are an incredibly important – and natural – system for carbon capture and storage, helping to mitigate climate change. Lianas clearly threaten forests’ abilities to do this and so it’s key that we understand the spread and characteristics of lianas to determine what may drive their increase in the future," said Dr. Waite.



The results showed that, of the 2,428 tree crowns (≥25 m2&nbsp;in area) found across the 50-ha plot, 1,243 trees (51.2 percent) were infested by lianas. The infested trees were not randomly distributed, but tended to be aggregated together. Furthermore, tree height was by far the strongest predictor of liana load, with taller trees being less likely to contain lianas, and also less likely to contain a large load of lianas. This finding was contrary to what has been identified in Neotropical forests, where lianas tend to favor the largest trees.&nbsp;



The analysis also showed that trees growing near to gaps in the canopy, or to other trees with lianas, were also more likely to be infested with lianas. Canopy gaps indicate sites of previous disturbance to the forest, such as tree falls, where sunlight penetration is enhanced. The researchers suggest that lianas growing near canopy gaps may even hinder the growth of trees in the area, thus keeping the gap open and allowing better access to sunlight for the lianas.



“In this study, we found taller trees were less often and less heavily infested by lianas than shorter trees, which is opposite to well-established Neotropical findings," said Dr. Waite. "This suggests a fundamental difference between Neotropical and Southeast Asian forests. Considering that most liana studies have focused on the Neotropics, this highlights the need for additional studies in other Paleotropical regions to clarify potential differences and enable us to better understand liana impacts on tropical forest ecology, carbon capture and storage, and ultimately, on climate change.”



“Neotropical studies have shown that presence of lianas in tropical forests has broad and important ramifications for the global carbon cycle and therefore for the ability of tropical forests to mitigate climate change," said study co-author Dr. Geertje van der Heijden. "Knowing more about which trees they infest therefore helps making better predictions on their impact on tropical forests globally.”



An understanding of what drives liana growth and distribution in tropical forests may prove particularly pertinent as lianas may continue to proliferate with future climate change. Due to their negative impact on carbon absorption and above-ground carbon stocks, lianas may alter tropical forest functioning in future, with serious implications for tropical forest carbon storage.



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How do lianas impact forests around the world?

Lianas are long-stemmed, woody vines that have their roots in...

On Tuesday, November 8, 2022, stargazers around the world can experience a breathtaking <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tonights-super-moon-coincides-with-a-total-lunar-eclipse/">total lunar eclipse</a> which will begin shortly before the polls open on U.S. Election Day and will peak at 5:50am ET. This will be the last total lunar eclipse until 2025 and will be completely visible over the Pacific Ocean and most of North America. While in Australia, Asia, and northeastern Europe it will be seen over the rising moon, in South America and Eastern North America it will be seen over the setting moon.



This cosmic event, characterized by a sinister blood-colored moon, occurs when the Sun, Earth, and moon align perfectly and the only sunlight reaching the lunar surface is that passing through our planet’s atmosphere. Thus, the moon’s blood-red color is caused by light passing through the dust accumulated in the Earth’s atmosphere.



The process leading up to the blood moon will begin at 3:02 ET when the moon travels into the outer region of the Earth’s shadow and starts to become dimmer. About an hour later, as the moon moves more into our planet’s shadow, the moon will appear as if a bite was taken out of its surface, and at 5:17am, it will be completely shrouded by the Earth’s shadow and will turn copper-red.



“The best weather conditions for viewing the lunar eclipse are expected in a zone from Maine through Mississippi and most of the Intermountain West,”&nbsp;said Brian Lada, an <a href="https://www.accuweather.com/">AccuWeather</a> meteorologist.



“There should be enough breaks in the clouds to witness the astronomical alignment across most of Quebec and into Atlantic Canada, as well as British Columbia. Clouds will be a higher concern for stargazers across most of the Midwest and into the Plains, across the West Coast and parts of the Atlantic coast in the southeastern United States.”



Since the next lunar eclipse is not set to occur until May 16, 2025, experiencing tomorrow’s amazing celestial event is a must for passionate stargazers!



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ominous blood moon set to rise on Tuesday

On Tuesday, November 8, 2022, stargazers around the world can...

Currently, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cannabis-contamination-is-a-serious-public-health-risk/">cannabis</a> has been legalized in many US states, as well as other countries around the world, and is increasingly used to treat a variety of health conditions, such as depression or glaucoma. However, according to several new studies, consuming cannabis could be as damaging to the heart as smoking cigarettes.



For instance, a team of Canadian researchers has found that, in regular users, the drug increased blood pressure and heart rate in a similar way that heavy smoking does, thus increasing the risk of heart attacks in less healthy users.



"When the tobacco industry first began, we didn’t know the damage smoking caused,” explained Abbas Alshami, a New Jersey-based cardiologist.&nbsp;“It was only once it was in widespread use that we started seeing the health consequences, and acted to try to limit it.&nbsp;Unfortunately, millions of people died avoidable deaths before that happened.”



“I feel like we are going through the same thing with cannabis now. We’re alarmed by what we’re seeing, and would like to see much tougher restrictions reimposed. Many people here [in the US] have no idea that cannabis is harmful but, clearly, it is.”



In another study, which examined nearly 35 million hospital admission records, scientists found that the chance of cannabis users developing acute coronary syndrome – an umbrella term for heart-related conditions in which the blood supply to the heart becomes compromised, such as angina pectoralis or different types of heart attacks – was similar to that heavy cigarette smokers face. Moreover, previous research has also revealed that cannabis users who had common conditions such as chronic kidney disease were more likely to suffer heart attacks or strokes than those who didn’t consume the drug.



Thus, in terms of heart risk, cannabis can be seen as “the new tobacco,” as Robert Paige – a researcher at the <a href="https://www.heart.org/">American Heart Association</a> – put it. “Cannabis is a psychotropic drug that not only has an impact on the brain but also the nervous system, so what we’re seeing in these studies makes a lot of sense.”



“The worry is that we're observing an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes even in younger adults, who are the biggest recreational users of cannabis. This is a huge signal that warrants more research,” he concluded.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Cannabis may damage heart health as much as cigarettes

Currently, cannabis has been legalized in many US states, as...

A new study led by the <a href="https://illinois.edu/">University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign</a> has found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bats-play-an-active-role-in-plant-pollination/">bats</a> play a fundamental role in keeping temperate forests growing by helping to protect young trees. According to the experts, without bats to prey upon them and hold their populations in check, insects that mulch on tree seedlings go wild, doing three to nine times more damage than when bats are present.



“A lot of folks associate bats with caves. But as it turns out, the habitat you could really associate with almost every bat species in North America is forest. And this is true globally. Forests are just really important to bats,”&nbsp;said study senior author Joy O’Keefe, an assistant professor and wildlife extension specialist at the University of Illinois. “We wanted to ask the question: Are bats important to forests? And in this study, we’ve demonstrated they are.”



While previous studies have proven bats’ insect-control services in crop fields and tropical forests, their similarly critical role in temperate forests has not yet been investigated. “It’s especially important for us to learn how bats affect forests, given that bats are declining due to diseases like white-nose syndrome or collisions with wind turbines. This type of work can reveal the long-term consequences of bat declines,” said study lead author Elizabeth Beilke, a postdoctoral fellow in Environmental Sciences at the same university.



The scientists built large mesh-enclosed structures in an Indiana forest to exclude the eight bat species which frequent this region, while allowing insects free movement in and out. Moreover, the researchers made sure that birds had daytime access to the plots. Then, they measured the number of insects on oak and hickory seedlings in the forest understory, together with the amount of defoliation per seedling.&nbsp;



The analysis revealed that, in plots where bats were excluded, there were three times as many insects and five times more defoliation on the seedlings than in the control plots. When analyzed separately, oaks experienced none times more defoliation and hickories three times more in the absence of bats.



“We know from other research that oaks and hickories are ecologically important, with acorns and hickory nuts providing food sources for wildlife and the trees acting as hosts to native insects. Bats use both oaks and hickories as roosts, and now we see they may be using them as sources of prey insects, as well. Our data suggest bats and oaks have a mutually beneficial relationship,” Beilke explained.



“I think it’s important to stress the value of this type of experimental work with bats, to really try to dig into what their ecosystem services are in a deliberate manner. While we can probably extrapolate out and say bats are important in other types of forest, I wouldn’t discount the value of doing the same kind of work in other systems, especially if there are questions about certain insect or tree species and how bats affect them. So rather than extrapolating out across the board, let’s do the work to try to figure out how bats are benefiting plants. And before they’re gone, hopefully,” O’Keefe concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3903">Ecology</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Bats protect young trees from insect damage

A new study led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

[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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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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

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

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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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...