PanoRadar marks a breakthrough in the ever-advancing world of robotics, addressing the challenge of providing effective perception systems for robots that can function in severe weather and unfavorable conditions. 



Unlike traditional sensors, PanoRadar uses radio waves to penetrate smoke, fog, and even certain materials, offering a robust alternative to light-based systems. 



This innovative approach paves the way for more resilient robotic applications, from autonomous vehicles to rescue missions in hazardous environments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-limitations-of-traditional-sensors">Limitations of traditional sensors</h2>



Current sensor systems, such as cameras or LiDAR, rely on light, which limits their effectiveness in conditions like heavy smoke or fog. Alternatively, they may rely on traditional radar which can 'see' through walls and other obstacles, but which produce images lacking in detail.



Nature, however, shows us that perception need not rely solely on light. Bats use <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/soundwaves-can-be-used-to-move-objects/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sound wave</a> echoes for navigation, while sharks detect electrical fields from their prey's movements. 



These examples highlight alternative perception methods that can inform technological innovations, like radio wave-based sensing.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-radio-waves-disrupt-the-magnetic-compass-of-migratory-birds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Radio waves</a>, with their longer wavelengths, can penetrate challenging conditions and even certain materials, surpassing the limitations of human vision and conventional sensors. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-panoradar-a-new-era-of-robot-vision">PanoRadar: A new era of robot vision</h2>



Enter researchers from the <a href="https://www.upenn.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Pennsylvania</a> School of Engineering and Applied Science (Penn Engineering). They have initiated a new era in robot vision with their creation, the PanoRadar.



This novel invention enables robots to perceive their surroundings in three dimensions with incredible detail, by transforming simple radio waves into detailed, 3-D images of the environment.



"Our initial question was whether we could combine the best of both sensing modalities - the robustness of radio signals, which is resilient to fog and other challenging conditions, and the high resolution of visual sensors," explained Mingmin Zhao, assistant professor of computer and information science.



The birth of PanoRadar is the novel answer to this complex challenge. It has opened new possibilities for robotic perception in environments where traditional systems fail.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-does-panoradar-work">How does PanoRadar work?</h2>



Think about how a lighthouse works. It sweeps its beam in a circle, scanning the entire horizon, revealing the presence of ships and coastal features. That's how the PanoRadar operates. 



It consists of a rotating vertical array of antennae that scan the surroundings. These antennae send out radio waves and listen for their reflections from the environment.



But PanoRadar is not just a simple scanner. It intelligently combines measurements from all rotation angles, enhancing its imaging resolution. 



"The key innovation is in how we process these radio wave measurements. Our signal processing and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/machine-learning-reveals-how-to-prevent-covid-19-from-ever-returning/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">machine learning</a> algorithms are able to extract rich 3D information from the environment," explained Zhao.



This novel approach allows PanoRadar to achieve imaging resolution comparable to that of LiDAR, but at a fraction of the cost.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-comprehending-and-interpreting-complex-data">Comprehending and interpreting complex data</h2>



Implementing high-resolution imaging while the robot is moving presented a significant challenge. The team needed to combine measurements from various positions with sub-millimeter accuracy.



"Even small motion errors can significantly impact the imaging quality," said Haowen Lai, lead author of the paper.



In addition, they had to train their system rigorously to comprehend and interpret the complex data it receives, to ensure that it could accurately identify and understand various objects and environmental features in real time.



"Indoor environments have consistent patterns and geometries. We leveraged these patterns to help our AI system interpret the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/radar-imaging-will-help-protect-polar-bears-from-human-disturbances/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">radar</a> signals, similar to how humans learn to make sense of what they see," explained Gaoxiang Luo.



Thanks to machine learning algorithms, the model was able to improve its understanding against reality using LiDAR data.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-radio-waves-and-robot-vision">Radio waves and robot vision</h2>



PanoRadar’s capabilities extend beyond what traditional sensors can perceive.



"Our field tests across different buildings showed how radio sensing can excel where traditional sensors struggle," said Liu. "The system maintains precise tracking through smoke and can even map spaces with glass walls."



This advantage comes from the ability of radio waves to pass through airborne particles with ease, allowing the system to detect elements that LiDAR often misses, such as glass surfaces. 



Additionally, PanoRadar's high resolution enables it to identify people accurately, an essential capability for applications like autonomous vehicles and rescue operations in challenging environments.



These attributes make PanoRadar a game-changer for robots operating in difficult conditions, where reliability and precision are paramount.



The research will be presented at the 2024 International Conference on Mobile Computing and Networking (<a href="https://search.app?link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sigmobile.org%2Fmobicom%2F2024%2F&amp;utm_campaign=aga&amp;utm_source=agsadl2%2Csh%2Fx%2Fgs%2Fm2%2F4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MobiCom</a>).



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Giving robots 'superhuman' vision through radio waves

PanoRadar marks a breakthrough in the ever-advancing world of robotics, addressing the challenge of providing effective perception systems for robots that can function in severe weather and unfavorable conditions. Unlike traditional sensors, PanoRadar uses radio waves to penetrate smoke, fog, and even certain materials, offering a robust alternative to light-based systems. This innovative approach paves the way for more resilient robotic applications, from autonomous vehicles to rescue missions in hazardous environments. Limitations of traditional sensors Current sensor systems, such as cameras or LiDAR, rely on light, which...

Apart from providing clean food and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-make-water-resources-less-predictable/">water</a>, and countless useful raw materials, nature benefits human well-being in numerous ways. Nature may inspire us, give us a sense of place, a cultural identity and surroundings for recreation and tourism. It may provide us with opportunities for cognitive development, spiritual enrichment, reflection and pleasing aesthetic experiences.&nbsp;



Many of these nonmaterial benefits are difficult to quantify because they are spiritual or cultural in nature and may have different significance and value to different people. But it is undeniable that nonmaterial contributions from nature are hugely important in our mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health.&nbsp;



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/">University of Tokyo </a>&nbsp;have now undertaken a systematic review of 301 academic articles on “cultural ecosystem services” (CES) that has enabled them to identify how these nonmaterial contributions from nature are linked to and significantly affect human well-being. Although hundreds of CES studies have previously explored the connections between nature and human well-being, these have often made use of different methods, focused on different services in different places and quantified the benefits in different ways.&nbsp;



This fragmentation has made it difficult to identify common patterns between studies and to understand overarching CES benefits to people. The current study aims to understand better how these intangible contributions from nature really affect human well-being so that policy-makers can make decisions about the environment that benefit all members of society.&nbsp;



Graduate student Lam Huynh from the Graduate Program in Sustainability Science at the University of Tokyo, and team, identified 227 unique pathways through which interaction with nature positively or negatively affects human well-being.&nbsp;



“We identified 227 unique linkages between a single CES (such as recreation or aesthetic value) and a single constituent of human well-being (such as connectedness, spirituality, or health)," said Huynh.“We knew that there are many linkages, but we were surprised to find quite so many of them,” said Huynh. “Then, through further critical reading, we could identify major commonalities.”



Through further reading, the researchers identified 16 distinct underlying “mechanisms,” or types of connection, which refer to the different ways that people’s interactions with nature affect their well-being. For example, there can be positive interactions through “cohesive,” “creative,” and “formative” mechanisms, but also negative interactions through mechanisms such as “irritation” and “destruction.” Ten of these mechanisms were newly defined, showing that our well-being is linked to the intangible aspects of nature in many more ways than previously thought.



According to the paper, the negative contributions to human well-being came mainly through the degradation or loss of CES, and through ecosystem “disservices,” such as annoyance at wildlife noise, which can affect some people’s mental health. On the other hand, the highest positive contributions of CES were to both mental and physical health, which were generated mainly through recreation, tourism and aesthetic value.



“It is particularly interesting to note that the identified pathways and mechanisms, rather than affecting human well-being independently, often interact strongly,” explained study co-author Professor Alexandros Gasparatos. “This can create negative trade-offs in some contexts, but also important positive synergies that can be leveraged to provide multiple benefits to human well-being.”



Despite the comprehensiveness of the review, the researchers acknowledge that they may not yet have identified all possible links between CES and human well-being.&nbsp;



“We hypothesize that missing pathways and mechanisms could be present in ecosystem-dependent communities, and especially traditional and Indigenous communities, considering their very unique relations with nature,” said Professor Gasparatos.



“Another of the knowledge gaps we identified is that the existing literature on these nonmaterial dimensions of human-nature relationships mainly focuses on the well-being of individuals rather than on collective (community) well-being,” explained Huynh. “This significant gap hinders our capacity to identify possible synergies and trade-offs in ecosystem management research and practice.”



The team has now received a grant to explore the effects of CES provision to human well-being in the urban spaces of Tokyo. “This project is a logical follow-up to test whether and how some of the identified pathways and mechanisms unfold in reality and intersect with human well-being,” said Gasparatos.



The researchers hope that this study will make it possible to apply the key findings from this complex and diverse body of knowledge to enable real-world impact. Study co-author Professor Kensuke Fukushi from IFI summarized their hope that “an improved understanding of nature’s many connections to human well-being, and the underlying processes mediating them, can help policymakers to design appropriate interventions. Such coordinated action could leverage the positive contributions of these connections and become another avenue to protect and manage ecosystems sustainably.”



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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

Nurturing benefits of nature are crucial for human well-being

Apart from providing clean food and water, and countless useful...

Demand for hops have risen significantly over the past years, as the craft <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lager-beer-is-beneficial-for-mens-gut-microbiome/">beer</a> industry has grown, largely fueled by hop-forward beers such as India pale ales. As a consequence, hop growers and breeders are increasingly focused on the aromatic potential of hops and their contribution to beer flavor. At the same time, the increasing appreciation for regionally or locally produced beer has provided growers, breeders, and brewers with an opportunity to add value to their products by better understanding hop traits which are influenced by a growing region, sub-region, or even a single field, thus giving rise to the concept of “hop regional identity.”&nbsp;



A team of researchers led by the <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a> (OSU) has now investigated the impact of the growing environment on the aroma of hops and beers brewed with them, and discovered that hops of the same variety grown in Oregon and Washington and the resulting beers have different chemical properties and aroma profiles.&nbsp;



“Like winemakers, brewers want to know: Will hops grown in different regions be different? And, if so, why?” said&nbsp;study senior author Thomas Shellhammer, an expert on the chemistry of hops at OSU. “This study shows compelling evidence that there are differences you can attribute to the region.”



Together with his team, Professor Shellhammer analyzed Cascade and Mosaic hops from the 2020 harvest year grown at 39 different locations in Washington’s Yakima Valley and Oregon’s Willamette Valley. By chemically analyzing the acids and compounds in the hops and convening a trained sensory panel to analyze the hop aromas, they discovered significant between-state and within-state differences for both varieties.&nbsp;



While Cascade hops grown in Oregon were characterized by strong citrus, floral, fruity, herbal, and resinous aroma, those from Washington displayed a more tropical and sweaty aroma. As for the Mosaic hops – those grown in Oregon exhibited a strong citrus, floral, fruity, and tropical aroma, while those in Washington had a more sweaty, vegetal, and woody aroma.



“These results will help hop growers in the Pacific Northwest of the United States as well as brewers utilizing hops from these major hop-growing regions to produce regionally unique beers or to blend hops in a way that results in standardized and constant beer quality,” Professor Shellhammer said.



In future research, the scientists aim to investigate whether regional differences exist among other hop varieties and between different harvest years, and to clarify the impact of environmental parameters - such as soil characteristics, the microbiome, weather, and climate – and agricultural parameters, including irrigation, fertilization, and harvest date.



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/03610470.2022.2089010">Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists</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&nbsp;&nbsp;

Growing environment impacts the aroma of beer and hops

Demand for hops have risen significantly over the past years,...

Young,Female,Nks,Uk,Ems,Doctor,In,Front,Of,Healthcare

On Thursday, July 4, 2022, the Biden administration declared the recent <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/monkeypox-is-spreading-but-unlikely-to-cause-a-pandemic/">monkeypox</a> outbreak – which was first confirmed at the beginning of May in regions outside Africa (where it is endemic), and since then spread to 80 countries, infecting over 25,000 people worldwide and 6,600 in the U.S. – a national health emergency, a rare designation signaling that this virus has become a significant threat to Americans. Although this new status will help free up emergency funds and ease some bureaucratic hurdles, many experts fear that containment may no longer be possible.



Echoing the initial response to the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. officials and health agencies have had a slow start in attempting to contain the outbreak, with tests difficult to obtain, spotty surveillance mechanisms, and difficulties in getting clear estimates of the real number of cases. Moreover, since until now the virus has spread mostly among gay men, experts argue that the administration failed to properly educate people in the L.G.B.T.Q community on the risks they are facing before June’s gay pride celebrations. Finally, access to vaccines and treatments has been – and remains – scarce.



“We have five percent of the world’s population and 25 percent of the world’s cases,” said Dr. Carlos del Rio, an infectious disease physician at <a href="https://www.emory.edu/home/index.html">Emory University</a>. “That, to me, honestly, is a failure. We were caught sleeping at the wheel.”



However, there is hope that the recent designation of monkeypox as a health emergency will open new possibilities for addressing the vaccine and treatment shortage, and galvanize more testing and more health care provider awareness, particularly in regions outside big cities, where the level of attention to this outbreak has been low, as Tom Inglesby, the director of the <a href="https://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/">Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security</a> at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, has pointed out.



According to Xavier Becerra, President Biden’s health secretary, declaring monkeypox a health emergency will give federal agencies power to rapidly direct funding toward developing and evaluating vaccines and drugs and hire additional healthcare workers to manage the outbreak. “We’re prepared to take our response to the next level in addressing this virus,” Mr. Becerra said, and urged “every American to take monkeypox seriously, and to take responsibility to help us tackle this virus.”



“A declaration of this monkeypox outbreak as a public health emergency is important, but more important is to step up the level of federal, state, and local coordination, fill our gaps in vaccine supply, and get money appropriated from Congress to address this crisis,” added Gregg Gonsalves, an epidemiologist at the <a href="https://ysph.yale.edu/">Yale School of Public Health</a> and advisor to the <a href="https://www.who.int/">World Health Organization</a> on monkeypox. “Otherwise, we’re talking about a new endemic virus sinking its roots into this country,” he warned.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The United States declares monkeypox a health emergency

On Thursday, July 4, 2022, the Biden administration declared the...

As glaciers retreat due to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-severely-impact-birds-by-2080/">climate change</a>, managers of national parks need to know what’s on the horizon to prepare for the future. A new study led by the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a> has measured 38 years of change for glaciers in Kenai Fjords National Park. The 670,000-acre park hosts various types of glaciers that terminate in the ocean, in lakes, or on land.



The researchers identified trends in the glacier types that are disappearing the fastest. The results showed that 13 of the 19 glaciers show substantial retreat, four are relatively stable, and two have advanced.&nbsp;



"These glaciers are a big draw for tourism in the park - they’re one of the main things that people come to see,” said study lead author Taryn Black, a UW doctoral student. “Park managers had some information from satellite images, aerial photos, and repeat photography but they wanted a more complete understanding of changes over time.”



Lake-terminating glaciers, which include the popular Bear Glacier and Pedersen Glacier, are retreating fastest. Bear Glacier retreated by five kilometers (three miles) between 1984 to 2021, and Pedersen Glacier retreated by 3.2 kilometers (two miles) during the same time period. Glacier retreat in Alaska is driven by climate change.&nbsp;



“These glaciers are at really low elevation. It’s possibly causing them to get more rain in the winter rather than snow in addition to warming temperatures, which is consistent with other climate studies in this region," said Black.



One surprising finding was that Holgate Glacier has advanced in recent years. Local boat operators had reported seeing newly exposed land near the glacier’s edge in 2020. The new analysis shows that the overall glacier has been advancing for five years, and appears to go through regular cycles of advance and retreat. The edges of most of the other tidewater glaciers were relatively stable over the study period.



The six land-terminating glaciers all showed an intermediate response, with most retreating in summer months, but at a slower rate than the lake-terminating glaciers. The Paguna Glacier is covered in rock debris from the 1964 Alaska earthquake which insulates the glacier from melting. It was the only glacier to advance during the study period.&nbsp;



These findings provide a baseline to study how climate change - including warmer air temperatures and changes in precipitation - will continue to affect these glaciers.&nbsp;



The study can support park managers by helping to quantify the changes that have been occurring. “We can’t manage our lands well if we don’t understand the habitats and processes occurring on them,” said study co-author Deborah Kurtz of the U.S. National Park Service in Seward, Alaska.



“These data will allow us to provide scientists and visitors with more details of the changes occurring at each specific glacier, helping everyone to better understand and appreciate the rate of landscape change we are experiencing in this region."



The study was conducted as part of an internship originally intended to take place at Kenai Fjords National Park. Instead, Black did the research remotely from Seattle and visited local glaciers at Mount Rainier. The project was partially funded by the National Park Service’s Future Park Leaders program, a partnership between the Ecological Society of America and the U.S. National Park Service.



The findings are published in the <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-glaciology">Journal of Glaciology</a>.



Image Credit: U.S. National Park Service



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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

Decades of change: how climate is affecting glaciers

As glaciers retreat due to climate change, managers of national...

Recently, record amounts of foul-smelling sargassum seaweed have flooded huge areas of the Atlantic Ocean shoreline, leading U.S. Virgin Islands governor Albert Bryan Jr. to declare a state of emergency. In June 2022, the amount of these algae found in the tropical, central west and east Atlantic, as well as in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, reached 24.2 million tons – a significant increase from 18.8 million in May.



“If you put all this biomass side by side, the entire area is equivalent to six times of Tampa Bay,” said Chuanmin Hu, an expert in Optical Oceanography at the <a href="https://www.usf.edu/">University of South Florida</a>. According to Governor Bryan, “the seaweed overrunning our beaches also brings the potential for disruption to businesses and other negative financial impacts to our economy.”



While the seaweed usually provides habitat and feeding grounds for a large variety of aquatic animals, such as crabs, dolphins, eels, and different species of fish, once washed ashore it starts to rot, emanating a foul smell and releasing toxic gases that can cause humans in their vicinity heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and dizziness. In addition, the large floating mats are clogging fishing gear and impeding navigation at sea, while the seaweed that sinks to the bottom of the sea could smother coral reefs and other ecosystems.



According to a 2019 article published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaw7912">Science</a>, sargassum seaweed – which was once predominant in the northern regions of the Atlantic – has become increasingly widespread in the south since 2011, most likely due to the unusually strong winds and currents the Atlantic experienced a year before.



Those hoping to have seaweed-free Caribbean beaches in the next summers should not set their expectations too high, warned Dr. Hu. Most probably, massive sargassum blooms in the coastal waters will become a “new normal,” causing massive disruptions to ecosystems and the economy. However, since seaweed has many uses – from being turned into fertilizer, bricks, or even tennis shoes to being eaten in salads – this crisis could also provide new opportunities.



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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&nbsp;&nbsp;

Caribbean shores are choked by seaweed

Recently, record amounts of foul-smelling sargassum seaweed have flooded huge...

Many studies have shown that, in children, ambient <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/severity-of-covid-symptoms-linked-to-air-pollution/">air pollution</a> can lead to allergic sensitization, respiratory problems, and ultra-structural and cellular changes to their lungs and airways. Due to their higher intake of contaminants and greater lung surface area relative to their body weight, children are more susceptible to the damaging effects of pollution compared to adults.&nbsp;



A study led by the<a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/"> University of California, Davis</a> has now found children exposed to high levels of air pollution also have elevated markers of inflammation (such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Interleukin-6.aspx">interleukin 6</a>), and lower cardiac autonomic regulation, which impacts how fast the heart beats and how hard it pumps.



The scientists examined blood samples from over 100 children aged 9-11 in the Sacramento area of California where significant levels of pollutants were recorded by the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency</a> (EPA). The analysis revealed that 27 children who were exposed to particulate matter carried by wildfire smoke had markers of systemic inflammation and lower cardiac autonomic regulation.



“By examining daily and monthly levels of particulate matter in relation to children’s inflammation and autonomic physiology, this study further demonstrates the immediate consequences of exposure to air pollution, which may increase risk of future disease,”&nbsp;said study lead author Anna Parenteau, a doctoral student in Psychology at UC Davis.&nbsp;



“As climate change continues to impact children and families, it is paramount to understand the impact of environmental contaminants such as air pollution on children’s physiology.”



According to Parenteau and her colleagues, children exposed to pollutants released during wildfires are likely to develop long-term health conditions, including asthma, decreased lung function, and a host of neurodevelopmental problems such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, memory issues, and deficits in school performance.



Continued developmental research on environmental contaminants is necessary to sound the alarm about the hazardous effects of air pollution and inform policy changes that could promote long-term population health.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cad.20474">New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development</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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Air pollution increases risk of future disease in children

Many studies have shown that, in children, ambient air pollution...

Previous studies have shown that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-daily-dose-of-nature-can-improve-your-diet/">nature</a> is important for physical and mental health. But, there is a gap in the research, as experts have yet to determine which aspects of nature (e.g., smells, sounds, colors) impact well-being and why.



A new study led by the <a href="https://www.kent.ac.uk/">University of Kent</a> has shed some light on the subject. The researchers concluded that the scents we experience in nature help us feel less anxious and more cheerful.&nbsp;



The study was carried out in a woodland environment during February, April, June, and October of 2019. The researchers found that the participants did not necessarily experience a connection with the scent of the woodlands. Rather, they associated the smells in the woodlands with notable events in their lives, prompting emotional responses to the memory.



Think of fresh cut grass, which might bring back feelings of summer vacation as a child and the freedom that came with it. Participants mentioned that the smell of pine trees reminded them of Christmas.&nbsp;



Interestingly, people also felt more relaxed in the absence of scent. The experts believe this is due to the many unpleasant odors encountered in urban environments. The absence of these smells represents "fresh air" or the removal of pollution, so people find it pleasant.&nbsp;&nbsp;



"We found smells affected multiple domains of well-being with physical well-being discussed most frequently, particularly in relation to relaxation, comfort, and rejuvenation," wrote the researchers. "Even absence of smell was perceived to improve physical well-being, providing a cleansing service, removing the pollution and unwanted smells associated with urban areas, therefore enabling relaxation."



Public health professionals may consider these findings especially relevant since relaxation relieves stress and lowers cortisol levels which are associated with various diseases.



Study co-author Dr. Jessica Fisher is a postdoctoral research associate at Kent's Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE).



"The study provides findings that can inform the work of practitioners, public health specialists, policy-makers and landscape planners looking to improve wellbeing outcomes through nature. Small interventions could lead to public health benefits," said Dr. Fisher.



The researchers point out that people of different cultures will not experience smells in the same ways and encourage further studies to investigate how age and different landscapes affect scent interpretation.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13280-022-01760-w">Ambio</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Smells in nature help us feel more relaxed and cheerful

Previous studies have shown that nature is important for physical...

Until recently, scientists thought that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-may-cause-stingrays-to-move-toward-danger/">stingrays</a>, as well as other elasmobranchs such as sharks and skates, are mostly silent. However, a new study published in the journal <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecy.3812">Ecology</a> has provided evidence that two species of stingray – the mangrove whipray (Urogymnus granulatus) and the cowtail stingray (Pastinachus ater) – can produce striking, unmistakable clicks.



Before the current study, the only evidence that stingrays could make sounds came from a <a href="https://www.worldcat.org/title/sounds-of-western-north-atlantic-fishes-a-reference-file-of-biological-underwater-sounds/oclc/92568">study</a> of captive cownose rays from 1970, which recorded a series of short, sharp clicks produced by these animals after the scientists forcefully prodded them. However, while diving in Indonesia and Australia in 2017 and 2018, the new study’s authors have managed to witness and record sounds produced by stingrays in their natural habitat.&nbsp;



The precise mechanism through which the animals make these sounds remains a mystery though. “They don’t have vocal cords, and there’s no clear mechanism for how they do it,” said study lead author Lachlan Fetterplace, a marine ecologist at the <a href="https://www.slu.se/en/">Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences</a>. As the clicking sounds are heard, the rays’ spiracles – the two holes in their heads used to move water across their gills – seem to contract, suggesting that the animals might be creating friction between the spiracles and the surrounding tissue, in a process similar to when we snap our fingers. However, according to Dr. Fetterplace, it is also possible that the stingrays are forming the sounds by creating a vacuum, such as when we click our tongues.



The scientists are also uncertain about the function of these sounds. By comparing the bandwidth and frequencies of the clicks to the known range of stingray hearing, they confirmed that stingrays can hear them, which could mean they are a form of communication. However, since also reef sharks and sicklefin lemon sharks – which feed upon rays – can hear the sounds, they may be produced as warnings at the approach of these predators, or as a diversion aiming to surprise the predators and allow the rays to escape. Finally, the fact that other stingrays were observed to quickly approach the one making the sounds suggests that the clicks could be a way to call reinforcements.&nbsp;



Further research is needed to clarify the ways in which these sounds are produced, their frequency among stingray populations, and the range of functions they might have, as well as to discover whether other related species are making similar sounds.



“Other similar species may also produce sounds but anecdotal records may have not yet come to light; thus our paper may serve to bring to light further examples from the public and researchers,” the scientists concluded.&nbsp;



A video of the sounds produced by stingrays can be viewed <a href="https://youtu.be/Cj1R1Ilbckk">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&nbsp;&nbsp;

Stingray sounds recorded for the first time

Until recently, scientists thought that stingrays, as well as other...

According to a new report by the <a href="https://www.aims.gov.au/">Australian Institute of Marine Science</a> (AIMS), the northern and central regions of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/great-barrier-reef-changes/">Great Barrier Reef</a> have recorded their highest amount of coral cover since the scientists began monitoring the reef 36 years ago. While these findings suggest that the reef can efficiently recover during periods free of intense disturbances, the loss of cover in its southern regions show how dynamic and often unpredictable coral reefs are.&nbsp;



In the 87 representative reefs surveyed from August 2021 to May 2022, the average hard coral cover in the region north of Cooktown increased to 36 percent (from 27 percent in 2021), and to 33 percent in its central region (from 26 percent in 2021). However, the coral cover in the reef’s southern regions decreased from 38 percent in 2021 to 34 percent.



“A third of the gain in coral cover we recorded in the south in 2020/21 was lost last year due to ongoing crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks,” said Paul Hardisty, the CEO of AIMS. “This shows how vulnerable the Reef is to the continued acute and severe disturbances that are occurring more often and are longer-lasting.”



The increased frequency of mass coral bleaching events – with this year’s event the fourth in only seven years and the first to occur during La Niña – highlights the vulnerability of these crucial ecosystems to stressors such as temperature rises, tropical cyclones, and other climatic factors.



“These corals are particularly vulnerable to wave damage, like that generated by strong winds and tropical cyclones,” said Mike Emslie, the AIMS monitoring program team leader. “They are also highly susceptible to coral bleaching, when water temperatures reach elevated levels, and are the preferred prey for crown-of-thorns starfish. This means that large increases in hard coral cover can quickly be negated by disturbances on reefs where&nbsp;Acropora&nbsp;corals predominate.”



“The increasing frequency of warming ocean temperatures and the extent of mass bleaching events highlights the critical threat climate change poses to all reefs, particularly while crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks and tropical cyclones are also occurring. Future disturbance can reverse the observed recovery in a short amount of time,” he concluded.



The Annual Summary Report of Coral Reef Condition 2021/22 can be found <a href="https://www.aims.gov.au/monitoring-great-barrier-reef/gbr-condition-summary-2021-22">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&nbsp;&nbsp;

Parts of the Great Barrier Reef are currently recovering

According to a new report by the Australian Institute of...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/blue-tit-migration-driven-by-the-environment/">Blue tits</a> are characterized by their striking coloration, sporting a blue crest and a yellow breast. By following two populations of blue tits in the south of France&nbsp; - one close to Montpellier and the other on the island of Corsica - over a period of 15 years (2005-2019), a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.ehu.eus/en">University of the Basque Country</a> (UPV/EHU) and the <a href="https://www.cefe.cnrs.fr/en/">Center of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology</a> in Montpellier, France has found that the coloration of these birds has gradually become less bright and intense. According to the experts, this long-term decrease in coloration is most likely caused by climate change.



“Our work suggests that environmental changes, and specifically climate change, could be the main reason why birds such as the blue tit are undergoing a change in their physical features, more specifically in the brightness and intensity of their coloration,” said study lead author David López-Idiáquez, a postdoctoral fellow at UPV/EHU.



“A negative trend in terms of brightness and intensity of plumage coloration in both sexes and populations has been observed, although in Corsica this change is more associated with climate. The change in plumage color seems to be the result of a combination of a rise in temperature (1.23 ºC) and a fall in rainfall (0.64 mm), so climate change would be the potential cause of this difference.”&nbsp;



When animals experience environmental changes, they have four options: to undergo genetic change, to undergo plastic change (a modification of physical features without genetic changes), to migrate, or to become extinct. According to Dr. López-Idiáquez, the change in plumage characterizing blue tits falls into the second category. “It is important to stress that this change is not genetic but plastic, one of the ways of adapting to new environmental conditions,” he explained.&nbsp;These changes may have an effect on the mating patterns of this species, since in these birds, traits such as coloring function as signals to indicate to conspecifics the reproductive quality of the specimens.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“Overall, this study suggests that ornamental colorations could become less conspicuous because of warming, revealing climate change effects on sexual and social ornaments and calling for further research on the proximate mechanisms behind these effects,” the authors concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/719655">The American Naturalist</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&nbsp;&nbsp;

Bird coloration is fading due to climate change

Blue tits are characterized by their striking coloration, sporting a...

Scientists have long known that prolonged <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/showing-signs-of-stress-could-make-you-more-likeable/">stress</a> can have negative effects on the body, including premature aging, early mortality, chronic disease, depression, and overall poor quality of life. Moreover, stress can also affect the hair, by releasing hormones that change hair pigmentation, turning it gray or white, or cause hair loss. Now, a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://english.hi.is/university_of_iceland">University of Iceland</a> and the <a href="https://www.insp.mx/insp-overview.html">National Institute of Public Health of Mexico</a> has found that stress levels are also reflected in how much of the hormone cortisol is stored in hair.



The scientists analyzed hair samples from over 1,200 women from Iceland and Mexico and asked them to fill in a psychological questionnaire measuring their stress perception. The analysis revealed a linear relationship between the women’s perceived stress and the cortisol levels in their hair: the higher they scored on the stress scale, the more cortisol they had in their hair, with one additional point on the scale corresponding on average to a 1.4 percent increase in hair cortisol levels. Women who scored the highest tended to be less likely to be employed, married, or have a graduate degree, and more likely to be obese and smokers, suggesting that these lifestyle and environmental pressures can play a significant role in fostering stress.



“Despite relatively small absolute differences, an association between perceived stress and hair cortisol concentration was found in a sample of women from two diverse geographical and cultural backgrounds supporting the hypothesis that hair cortisol concentration is a viable biomarker in studies of chronic psychological stress,” the study authors wrote.



Although the researchers observed small distinctions between the two groups of women living on two different continents and most likely experiencing different stressors, the similarities were stronger, suggesting that stress levels are indeed correlated with hair cortisol concentrations. However, since only women were involved in the study, further research is needed to determine how gender differences play into the stress-cortisol axis. Moreover, long-term studies investigating how cortisol in the hair changes over time as stress waxes and wanes are also crucial for clarifying the health impact of chronic stress.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0000571">PLoS Global Public Health</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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Stress is reflected in hair cortisol levels

Scientists have long known that prolonged stress can have negative...

Bonobos (Pan paniscus) are our closest living primate relatives and share more than 98 percent of their DNA with us. They are also among the most vocal of the great apes, using around 15 different call types to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/life-experience-shapes-the-way-dogs-communicate-with-humans/">communicate</a> particular emotional states, such as screaming, threat barks, greetings and alarm calls. For a long time, it was thought that great apes had no control over their emotional expressions but made them instinctively in response to the specific emotional state.



However, a new study of captive bonobos in the Democratic Republic of Congo has revealed an altogether different situation. Psychologists at <a href="https://www.durham.ac.uk/homepage/">Durham University</a> have found that adult bonobos use “baby-like” distress calls to curry favor with group members after a conflict. The calls are often accompanied by other behavior typical of&nbsp;baby bonobos, such as pouting, whimpering and throwing tantrums.&nbsp;



The researchers suggest that these calls are used strategically to reduce the chances of another conflict with the opponent, and to elicit comforting behavior from others in the group. The adult bonobos usually stop signaling their distress in this way once they receive support from other adults, whereas immature bonobos will continue to call even after they have been consoled.&nbsp;



The study, published in the <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rstb">Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, Biological Sciences</a>, was based on research carried out on two bonobo groups (over 40 individuals) at the Lola ya Bonobo Sanctuary in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo), the world’s only bonobo sanctuary.&nbsp;



The researchers examined how bonobo victims communicate about their distress after a fight, and whether these signals affect the responses of bonobo bystanders. The findings indicated that adult bonobos were less likely to be re-attacked after a conflict with an opponent if they displayed behavior and made calls typical of baby bonobos. They were also more likely to elicit a comforting response from the bystanders.



The analysis also showed that a bonobo is sensitive to who is present in the audience when it is attacked, and will display more signals in general if more bonobos in the social audience are nearby. This suggests bonobos adapt their communication signals depending on which individuals are in the close vicinity. The results thus indicate that expressions of emotion are not simply instinctual read-outs of internal states but can be used in flexible and strategic ways to manipulate others and purse social goals.&nbsp;



“Bonobos are highly sensitive to social situations and who is surrounding them. They have rich emotional lives and are able to communicate their emotional states in flexible ways to influence their group members," said study lead author Dr. Raphaela Heesen



“In using specifically “baby-like” signals, bonobos might increase their chances to be consoled by others and alleviate their own stress level following aggressive attacks. Our research shows that emotions and their expression do not only play a role in the regulation of social life in our own species, but also in our closest living primate relatives.”



“The act of comforting a victim in distress has long been considered a form of empathy that is initiated by the bystander. However, our study reveals that the victim’s own signals may be used strategically to shaping these responses," said study senior author Dr Zanna Clay.



“By producing signals that make them seem more like infants, bonobo victims can promote the chances of receiving comfort from others. This highlights the important role that communication plays in shaping empathic responding."



The researchers thus emphasize that bonobos have flexible ways of communicating their emotions, just like humans. The study sheds light on understanding the emotional life of these animals with a focus on the potential evolutionary origins of the communication of emotions.



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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

Adult bonobos cry like babies to elicit the support of others

Bonobos (Pan paniscus) are our closest living primate relatives and...

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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

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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?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

[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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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