Scientists have proposed a fascinating new idea: Earth may have once possessed a ring system, akin to that of Saturn. These rings could have formed around 466 million years ago, during a tumultuous era marked by intense meteorite bombardment known as the Ordovician impact spike.



This period was characterized by significant environmental changes, and the existence of rings may provide insight into our planet's dynamics at that time and its interactions with cosmic forces.



This thought-provoking theory stems from a recent study led by Professor Andy Tomkins of <a href="https://www.monash.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Monash University</a>, who has dedicated years to investigating geological evidence and astronomical data.



This revelation could transform our understanding of Earth's geological evolution and its role within the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saturns-rings-may-have-formed-after-two-icy-moons-collided/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">solar system</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-earth-rings-could-explain-impact-craters">Earth rings could explain impact craters</h2>



The research team based their hypothesis on the intriguing positions of 21 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/asteroid-chicxulub-caused-dinosaurs-extinction-event-traced-to-origin-kuiper-belt/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">asteroid impact craters</a>, all located within 30 degrees of the equator. This is a peculiar finding because, typically, impact craters are randomly distributed across the globe. 



However, in this case, more than 70% of Earth's landmass was outside this equatorial region during the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/470-million-year-old-animal-fossils-discovered-in-frances-cabrieres-biota/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ordovician period</a>, making the clustered craters an anomaly that standard geological theories cannot easily explain.



The team's idea is that this unusual pattern of impacts might be the result of a large asteroid having a close encounter with Earth. 



As it neared the planet, the asteroid would have crossed Earth's Roche limit -- a point where tidal forces become so strong that they can tear a celestial body apart. 



This would have led to the formation of a debris ring around Earth, similar to the rings that we see around gas giants <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saturns-majestic-rings-will-vanish-in-just-six-months-from-now-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">like Saturn today</a>.



"Over millions of years, material from this ring gradually fell to Earth, creating the spike in meteorite impacts observed in the geological record," Tomkins noted. "We also see that layers in sedimentary rocks from this period contain extraordinary amounts of meteorite debris."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-the-ordovician-period">Understanding the Ordovician period</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tiny-worms-sparked-explosive-evolutionary-period-of-life-on-earth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Ordovician period</a> happened about 485 to 444 million years ago. It was a time when a lot changed on Earth. Many new types of sea life evolved during this time, including the first fish. 



There were also lots of animals without backbones, like trilobites and early shellfish. Consequently, the oceans were teeming with life, and coral reefs started to form, creating homes for many different sea creatures.



The Earth itself changed a lot during the Ordovician period. At first, it was warm, like the tropics, but by the end of this time, there was a big ice age, which made sea levels drop significantly, resulting in widespread extinctions.



Despite these challenges, the Ordovician period set the stage for future evolutionary developments, leaving a lasting impact on the history of life on Earth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-connection-to-a-global-cooling-event">Connection to a global cooling event</h2>



But the implications of this discovery go beyond mere geology. The researchers speculate that this ring system might have had significant climate impacts, particularly contributing to a global cooling event known as the "Hirnantian Icehouse." 



This period, occurring near the end of the Ordovician, is recognized as one of the coldest times in the last 500 million years.



The idea is that the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-ring-system-found-on-the-edge-of-our-solar-system/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ring system</a> could have cast a shadow over Earth, blocking sunlight and causing temperatures to drop. 



"The idea that a ring system could have influenced global temperatures adds a new layer of complexity to our understanding of how extra-terrestrial events may have shaped Earth's climate," Professor Tomkins explained.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-study-was-conducted">How the study was conducted</h2>



To reach these conclusions, the team employed a Geographic Information System (GIS) to analyze the distribution of the Ordovician impact craters. 



They focused on stable, undisturbed cratons -- ancient, stable parts of the continental crust -- that were geologically capable of preserving craters from that era. 



By excluding areas that were buried under sediment, ice, or affected by tectonic activity, the researchers identified regions like Western Australia, Africa, the North American Craton, and parts of Europe as the most likely places to find these ancient craters.



Despite only 30% of the suitable land area being close to the equator, all the identified craters from this period were found in this region. 



The chances of this happening are like tossing a three-sided coin and getting the same side 21 times. This highly improbable distribution is what led the researchers to consider the possibility of an Earth ring system in the first place.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-if-earth-had-rings-why-it-matters">If Earth had rings: Why it matters</h2>



This discovery doesn't just rewrite a chapter of Earth's history -- it opens an entirely new book. 



The idea that Earth may have had a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-image-of-saturn-and-its-ring-spokes-from-the-hubble-space-telescope/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Saturn-like ring system</a> raises fascinating questions about how such features might have influenced not just our planet's climate but also the development of life itself.



Could other ancient ring systems have existed at different points in Earth's history? How might they have shaped the environment in ways we are only beginning to understand?



While the notion of Earth with rings might sound like science fiction, it's rooted in meticulous research and a willingness to question established theories.



This study, published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, provides a fresh perspective on the dynamic interactions between our planet and the wider cosmos.



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



The implications of this study extend well beyond the Ordovician period, urging us to reevaluate the broader influence of celestial events on Earth's evolutionary trajectory. 



As scientists continue to explore this new theory, they may uncover a past that is far more intricate and intertwined with cosmic phenomena than we previously thought.



Could similar rings have emerged during other pivotal moments in Earth's history, potentially influencing everything from climate patterns to the distribution of life? Only time, and science, will tell.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012821X24004230?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth and Planetary Science Letters</a>.



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Study: Earth had planetary rings like Saturn 466 million years ago

Scientists have proposed a fascinating new idea: Earth may have once possessed a ring system, akin to that of Saturn. These rings could have formed around 466 million years ago, during a tumultuous era marked by intense meteorite bombardment known as the Ordovician impact spike. This period was characterized by significant environmental changes, and the existence of rings may provide insight into our planet's dynamics at that time and its interactions with cosmic forces. This thought-provoking theory stems from a recent study led by Professor Andy Tomkins...

Frequent social media use among teens has been linked to a range of mental and physical health risks, including depression, sleep deprivation, and self-deprecation. Yet for many <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-helps-teenagers-adhd/">teenagers</a>, social media has become a major part of everyday life. 



But social media is a big part of life for many adults as well, and the potential health risks in this age group have not been very well established. In a new study from <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a>, experts report that middle-aged adults using highly visual social media apps such as Instagram or TikTok have a high risk of depression.&nbsp;



The study was focused on data from surveys conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, involving more than 5,000 adults with an average age of 56.&nbsp;



The surveys collected information for 13 months from May 2020 to May 2021. In the first survey, all of the individuals reported minimal depressive symptoms.&nbsp;



"Among survey respondents who did not report depressive symptoms initially, social media use was associated with greater likelihood of subsequent increase in depressive symptoms after adjustment for sociodemographic features and news sources," explained the study authors.&nbsp;



According to the researchers, some social media platforms - particularly Snapchat, Facebook, and YouTube - were associated with greater levels of self-reported depressive symptoms on a subsequent survey. 



"Notably, with the exception of Snapchat, this association was not explained in regression models by use of other news sources, suggesting it is not accounted for by differential media consumption more broadly. Likewise, the association was not meaningfully changed by number of social supports or face-to-face social interactions at baseline, suggesting it is not mediated by reduction in social interactions more broadly," explained the study authors.&nbsp;



"While we cannot test causation, as in a prior study of Facebook discontinuation, our design allowed us to look at incident self-reported depression following social media use."&nbsp;



"Our results extend prior observations of elevated depressive symptoms in adolescents or young adults associated with social media use in cross-sectional studies. They are also consistent with prior short-term longitudinal studies. Beyond the ability to look longitudinally, this study also extends prior studies by examining a broader age range, with a mean age of 56 years." 



"Our results suggest that the associations previously observed with depressive symptoms are not limited to young adults; indeed, while effect sizes for Facebook are greater among younger adults, effect sizes for TikTok and Snapchat are greater among those age 35 years or older."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2786464">JAMA Network Open</a>.



---



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

Social media causes depression in adults, too

Frequent social media use among teens has been linked to...

An endangered population of Ethiopian elephants is under serious threat from tens of thousands of illegal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-drove-woolly-mammoths-to-extinction/">human</a> settlements, according to a new study led by the <a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk/">University of Oxford</a>.



The Babile Elephant Sanctuary is one of the largest protected areas in Ethiopia. It is home to the northeastern-most population of African Savannah Elephants, which is one of only six populations recognized in Ethiopia.



The sanctuary was established to protect the resident elephant population from poaching and habitat loss. The new research suggests that human-elephant conflict is a bigger threat to Ethiopian elephants than previously realized.&nbsp;



In collaboration with the Born Free Foundation, the experts analyzed satellite data and found that the number of illegal houses in the sanctuary soared from 18,000 to more than 50,000 over the decade leading up to 2017. Furthermore,&nbsp; 32,000 of these houses are within elephants' range.



According to the researchers, unless the integrity of the Babile Elephant Sanctuary can be restored, and security and poverty issues resolved, this population of elephants will be lost within a short matter of time.&nbsp;



The experts noted that the human population in Ethiopia has now reached more than 110 million people. As a result, there is an extremely high demand for limited natural resources, along with a severe shortage of land, which intensifies the conflict between humans and elephants. 



‘The situation in the Babile Elephant Sanctuary is critical. There are now only around 250 elephants left," said Emily Neil, a postgraduate researcher with Oxford’s School of Geography and the Environment.



"Without the rapid resolution of the many human issues putting pressure on the elephants it is difficult to foresee a future in which this population of elephants survives."



The study is published in the latest edition of <a href="https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0030-6053&amp;lang=fr">Oryx -The International Journal of Conservation</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

Humans threaten the survival of Ethiopian elephants

An endangered population of Ethiopian elephants is under serious threat...

In the largest study of its kind, an international team of researchers has investigated the range of brain complications associated with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/masks-protect-better-against-covid-19-than-social-distancing/">COVID-19</a> infection. The experts determined that about one in 100 patients who required hospitalization for COVID-19 have developed potentially fatal complications of the central nervous system, such as stroke. 



Study lead author Dr. Scott H. Faro is the director of the Division of Neuroradiology/Head &amp; Neck Imaging at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.&nbsp;



“Much has been written about the overall pulmonary problems related to COVID-19, but we do not often talk about the other organs that can be affected,” said Dr. Faro. “Our study shows that central nervous system complications represent a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in this devastating pandemic.”



Dr. Faro initiated the research upon finding that existing literature on brain complications in hospitalized COVID-19 patients was very limited, and based on a small number of cases.&nbsp;



The study was focused on data from nearly 40,000 hospitalized COVID-19 patients in seven U.S. and four western European university hospitals. The patients, who had an average age of 66, had been admitted between September 2019 and June 2020.&nbsp;&nbsp;



According to the data analysis, the most common cause of admission was confusion and altered mental state, followed by fever.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Neuroimaging findings (which likely resulted from COVID-19 infection) affected 442 patents. This means the overall incidence of central nervous system or brain complications was 1.2 percent.



“Of all the inpatients who had imaging such as MRI or a CT scan of brain, the exam was positive approximately 10% of the time,” said Dr. Faro. “The incidence of 1.2% means that a little more than one in 100 patients admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 are going to have a brain problem of some sort.”



The experts report that the most common complication was ischemic stroke, followed by intracranial hemorrhage and inflammation of the brain.



“It is important to know an accurate incidence of all the major central nervous system complications,” said Dr. Faro. “There should probably be a low threshold to order brain imaging for patients with COVID-19.”



The research will be presented at the annual meeting of the <a href="https://www.rsna.org/">Radiological Society of North America</a> (RSNA).



---



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

Brain complications affect one in 100 COVID patients

In the largest study of its kind, an international team...

A recent study by the University of Sydney <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/charles-perkins-centre/">Charles Perkins Centre</a> compared the impact of diets and drugs on the functioning of human cells and aging. The researchers found that nutrition has a significantly higher influence on our metabolic health.&nbsp;



The study reports that the composition of our diet may be more effective than medications in preventing diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.



The study builds on the team's groundbreaking work in mice and humans, which demonstrated how food and certain combinations of proteins, lipids, and carbs can protect against aging, obesity, heart disease, immunological dysfunction, and the risk of metabolic illnesses like type 2 diabetes.



The researchers set out to investigate whether medications or diet were more effective at rewiring nutrient-sensing and other metabolic systems, and if medications and diet interacted in any way that made them more or less effective.



“Diet is a powerful medicine. However, presently drugs are administered without consideration of whether and how they might interact with our diet composition – even when these drugs are designed to act in the same way, and on the same nutrient-signalling pathways as diet,”&nbsp; said senior author and Academic Director of the Charles Perkins Centre, Professor Stephen Simpson.&nbsp;



The complex research included 40 different treatments on the mouse, each designed with differing levels of protein, fat and carbohydrate balance, calories and drug content.The goal of the study was to understand how three anti-aging medicines affected the liver, which is a vital organ in the metabolism.&nbsp;



The geometric framework for nutrition developed by Professors Stephen Simpson and David Raubenheimer was used in the study. This framework allowed the team to evaluate how combinations and interactions of different nutrients influence health and disease, instead of focusing on any one nutrient in isolation, which is a drawback in past nutrition studies.&nbsp;



Lead author Professor David Le Couteur of the Charles Perkins Centre and Faculty of Medicine and Health emphasized the complexity and importance of the study, noting that it looks at several different diets simultaneously, rather than just comparing a few different diets.



“This approach is the only way we can get an overview of the interaction between diet, our health and physiology, We all know what we eat influences our health, but this study showed how food can dramatically influence many of the processes operating in our cells. This gives us insights into how diet impacts on health and aging.” said Professor Le Couteur.



According to the results, diet had a stronger influence on metabolism than three medicines routinely used to treat diabetes and slow down aging.



“We discovered dietary composition had a far more powerful effect than drugs, which largely dampened responses to diet rather than reshaped them,Given humans share essentially the same nutrient-signalling pathways as mice, the research suggests people would get better value from changing their diet to improve metabolic health rather than taking the drugs we studied.” said Professor Simpson.



The results indicated that the total calories consumed and the balance of macronutrients (protein, lipids, and carbs) in the diet had a significant impact on the liver and metabolic pathways. Proteins and calorie intake also influence the basic processes that determine how our cells function.&nbsp;



For example, the amount of protein consumed had an effect on mitochondrial activity, which is the component of the cell that generates energy. This has a downstream effect because the quantity of protein and dietary energy consumed has an impact on how well cells convert their genes into the different proteins required to let cells operate effectively and reproduce new cells.



The findings indicate that the medications mostly dampened the metabolic response of the cell to nutrition rather than radically altering it.



The researchers discovered interactions between the biochemical effects of the drugs and diet composition of a more specific nature that can help further studies.A cancer drug and another diabetic drug both reduced the effects of food protein on the energy-producing mitochondria, but one anti-aging drug had a greater effect on changes in the cells produced by dietary fat and carbohydrates.



The research was published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/home">Cell Metabolism</a><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2021.10.016">.</a>



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By <a href="http://mailto:ashikha92@gmail.com">Ashikha Raoof</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Nutrition protects against aging better than drugs

A recent study by the University of Sydney Charles Perkins...

The use of air conditioning systems to counteract the effects of rising temperatures is increasing. This has created new obstacles to the already arduous work of decarbonizing the economy and lowering <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/caterpillar-outbreaks-drive-co2-emissions/">emissions</a>. As temperatures rise, a large proportion of people in emerging economies will be unable to afford air conditioning to keep themselves cool, even despite an increase in their income.



A recent investigation into air conditioning demands across India, Brazil, Mexico and Indonesia found that between 64 and 100 million families may be unable to meet their cooling needs by 2040, exposing them to uncomfortable and potentially dangerous living conditions. This will be most noticeable in regions with high levels of urbanization, hot and humid climates, and low economic conditions.



The study, funded by the European Research Council, was led by Professor Enrica De Cian at <a href="https://www.unive.it/english">Ca’ Foscari University of Venice</a>. It is the first multi-country, comparative analysis of how climate and household characteristics drive the adoption of air conditioning in emerging countries.&nbsp;



According to the research, the next 20 years will witness an exponential increase in AC usage. By 2040, the experts estimate that 85 percent of Brazil, 61 percent of Indonesia, and 69 percent of India will have adopted air conditioning. This will result in a threefold increase in electricity consumption in India and Indonesia, and a nearly twofold increase in Mexico and Brazil.



The countries with the hottest and most humid days are Indonesia and India. The use of air conditioning matches climate trends, while urbanization and availability of electricity have a mediating effect.



The study analyzed multiple socioeconomic and climate scenarios, and showed that state adoption of air conditioning increased in all cases. This will create a massive demand for energy required to power all of this new equipment and will result in more CO2 emissions. The potential environmental repercussions of this vicious cycle will require more research in the future.



Previous studies of what drives AC adoption have vastly overestimated the impact of income and climate in the forecasts due to the failure to consider household characteristics. The study noted the decision to purchase AC units in response to warmer weather conditions is dependent on socioeconomic and demographic characteristics.&nbsp;



Other factors such as housing circumstances, education, occupation, gender, the age of the head of household, and whether they live in urban or rural areas all tend to impact decisions to acquire an air conditioner.



“It is not just a story of a changing climate or affluence levels, which are improving. Our results suggest that AC adoption patterns are determined by multiple drivers, with different importance across countries,” said Professor De Cian.&nbsp;



In India, the states of West Bengal, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, and Orissa, have the highest number of hot and humid days, although these states are not known for having the most prevalent use of air conditioning.



Air conditioning is a luxury item for Indonesians, used mainly in the wealthiest districts of Jakarta and the Riau Islands, even though Indonesia has the highest number of hot and humid days.



In Brazil, relatively high adoption rates for AC units were observed in Rio de Janeiro, although the number of yearly hot and humid days are lower in comparison to the northern states, where urbanization is low.&nbsp;



Average AC user levels are already high in the warmer states of Mexico, with 73 percent in Sonora and 77 percent in Sinaloa.



The present and projected demand for air conditioning should be viewed as a quantitative indicator for the need for better thermal comfort in a broader sense. The concept of a cooling gap was applied in the study.



Rio de Janeiro, for example, is currently experiencing high exposure to extreme heat and higher-than-average AC adoption. This is predicted to shift to a condition of greater thermal discomfort in the future, with increased exposure to hot days, but lower-than-average AC adoption.



“Increasing the use of electricity for residential space cooling is a form of adaptation that helps relieve people from heat stress but it is no panacea, as electricity expenditure will limit opportunities among the lowest income households," said Roberto Schaeffer from the Energy Planning Program at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro.



"Even those with air conditioning will be exposed to a new condition of vulnerability related to supply shortage in the power sector, such as the recent Canadian experience, or degraded power stability. The implication is that, it is imperative to manage the growing appetite for residential space cooling by using a mix of efficiency measures, policies, and technologies."



The study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.



---



By <a href="http://mailto:ashikha92@gmail.com">Ashikha Raoof</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Air conditioning is not a sustainable solution to rising temperatures

The use of air conditioning systems to counteract the effects...

A research team from the <a href="https://www.ucla.edu/">University of California, Los Angeles</a> (UCLA) has recently identified 366 new exoplanets (<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-ingredients-of-life-are-with-planets-at-their-birth/">planets</a> from outside our solar system). The new worlds include a planetary system that comprises a star and at least two gas giant planets, with sizes similar to Saturn’s, located unusually close to each other.&nbsp;



Up until now, scientists have identified less than 5,000 exoplanets. The discovery of more than 300 new ones is a remarkable achievement.&nbsp;



“Discovering hundreds of new exoplanets is a significant accomplishment by itself, but what sets this work apart is how it will illuminate features of the exoplanet population as a whole,” said study co-author Professor Erik Petigura.



The groundbreaking research was made possible by a detection algorithm developed by study lead author Jon Zink, a postdoctoral fellow at UCLA, which can reliably differentiate between signals coming from distant planets and mere noise.&nbsp;



“The catalog and planet detection algorithm that Jon and the Scaling K2 team devised is a major breakthrough in understanding the population of planets,” said Professor Petigura. “I have no doubt they will sharpen our understanding of the physical processes by which planets form and evolve.”



To search for new exoplanets, the scientists analyzed more than 500 terabytes of data collected by NASA Kepler Space Telescope’s <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/kepler/main/index.html">K2 mission</a>, including over 800 million images of stars. The team processed the data with the help of UCLA’s&nbsp;<a href="https://idre.ucla.edu/hoffman2">Hoffman2 Cluster</a>, a very powerful computer system often used in astronomical research.&nbsp;



According to Dr. Zink, the findings could be a significant step toward understanding which types of stars are most likely to have planets orbiting around them, and in clarifying the physical laws structuring planet formation.



The discovery of the planetary system with two gas giant planets was particularly significant because it is very rare to find gas giants (such as Saturn in our solar system) as close to their host star as these were. Although the researchers cannot yet explain why this phenomenon occurred, their work could help them form a more accurate understanding of the ways in which planets and planetary systems develop.



The study is published in <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-3881/ac2309">The Astronomical Journal</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

Astronomers discover 366 new exoplanets

A research team from the University of California, Los Angeles...

According to the <a href="https://nami.org/home">National Alliance on Mental Illness</a>, one in five US adults are likely to develop mental health issues in their lifetime. However, standard treatments can be slow to work and often cause a burdensome array of side effects. New research led by <a href="https://vt.edu/">Virginia Tech</a> has found that psychedelic drugs such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/magic-mushrooms-enhance-music-appreciation/">psylocibin</a>, LSD, or mescaline can successfully combat several forms of mental illness even after a single dose.



Although psychedelic drugs have been banned for decades, an increasing number of recent studies argue that they can be particularly promising treatments for mental issues such as anxiety, depression, attention-deficit disorders, schizophrenia, or post-traumatic stress disorder. Furthermore, they appear to work faster and longer than current medications and to have fewer side effects.



“Clinical evidence suggests that rapid and sustained antidepressant action can be attained with a single exposure to psychedelics. However, the biological substrates and key mediators of psychedelics’ enduring action remain unknown,” the study authors wrote.



In order to test this theory and clarify the effects of psychedelic drugs on brain and behavior, the scientists focused a study on mice that had been previously trained to fear certain triggers. The mice were given a dose of 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI), which is a drug similar to LSD.&nbsp;



By analyzing brain samples for changes in the epigenome and gene expression, the researchers discovered that epigenomic variations were more long lasting than changes in gene expression, thus suggesting that psychedelics can indeed have long-term benefits.&nbsp;



After a single dose of DOI, the mice appeared less anxious in the presence of their triggers. Moreover, even after the substance was no longer present in the body, its positive impact on the brain persisted.&nbsp;



According to the scientists,&nbsp;



"A single administration of the psychedelic DOI produces fast-acting effects on frontal cortex dendritic spine structure and acceleration of fear extinction via the 5-HT2A&nbsp;receptor," said the researchers.



"Additionally, a single dose of DOI leads to changes in chromatin organization, particularly at enhancer regions of genes involved in synaptic assembly that stretch for days after the psychedelic exposure.”



The findings support the hypothesis that psychedelic drugs can have a long-lasting antidepressant action. However, further studies are needed in order to assess their impact on human brain structures and behavior, and to develop proper therapeutic interventions.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(21)01300-0">Cell Reports</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

Psychedelic drugs can treat mental illness

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in...

New research led by the <a href="https://www.arizona.edu/">University of Arizona</a> has found that feeding a dog only once a day reduces the risk of nine types of age-related canine health problems, including cancer, dental issues, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/moderate-sleep-reduces-the-risk-of-cognitive-decline/">cognitive</a> decline, and gastrointestinal, liver, kidney, or urinary disorders.



Researchers analyzed data on 24,238 dogs collected in the context of the <a href="https://dogagingproject.org/">Dog Aging Project</a> in order to find links between feeding frequency and health outcomes. After controlling for factors such as age, breed, or sex, the scientists found that dogs that were given only a single meal per day appeared to have lower odds of developing dental, gastrointestinal, orthopedic, kidney/urinary, and liver/pancreatic disorders.



“For nearly a century, caloric restriction has been known to extend lifespan and delay age-associated pathology in laboratory animals,” the study authors wrote. “Companion dogs provide a potentially powerful animal model in which to better understand the relationship between diet and age-related health outcomes.”&nbsp;



“Once-daily feeding in dogs serves as a natural model for the intermittent fasting/time-restricted feeding protocols currently being studied both in preclinical rodent models and in human trials.”



According to the researchers, dogs may benefit from less frequent feeding due to evolutionary reasons. Since their wolf ancestors were often going for days without food, such eating frequencies may still be ingrained in modern dogs’ genomes.



“The strength of the study is that numbers are large and the statistical methods are sound,” said Alex German, a researcher in Veterinary Sciences at the <a href="https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/">University of Liverpool</a>. However, as study co-author and biologist at the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a> Matt Kaeberlein admits, it also has many weaknesses. For instance, the study did not establish a clear causal link between feeding frequency and health outcomes, and other factors, such as the amount that dogs eat during a day, may also be important.&nbsp;



Thus, until further research is done in order to assess the impact of how much (in addition to how often) dogs eat per day, as well as the role that obesity plays in the development of age-related canine health conditions, people should not yet change the way they feed their pets.



A pre-print version of the study is published in the <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.11.08.467616v1">bioRxiv repository</a>.&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

Feeding your dog once a day may improve its health

New research led by the University of Arizona has found...

A new study led by <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/">King’s College London</a> (KCL) has found that drinking four small glasses of wine or four pints of beer per week damages short-term memory and spatial awareness, and increases the risk of developing dementia in older age.



The researchers analyzed a sample of 15,582 people aged over 50 during a period of two years, and assessed their consumption of alcohol in terms of quantity and frequency in relation to their cognitive functioning. 



The analysis revealed that people hitting “risky” drinking levels of eight units a week (the equivalent of four pints of beer or small glasses of wine), suffered a greater decline in working memory and spatial awareness.



“With a career of more than 20 years devoted to research on alcohol and older people, this is certainly the most groundbreaking study on the relationship between drinking and the risk of dementia,” said study lead author Dr. Rahul Rao, a psychiatrist at KCL.



“None of the participants had dementia at the start of the study but those who drank at risky levels were more likely to show cognitive decline, which is likely to progress to dementia.”



According to the researchers, only a small additional deterioration in mental impairment can easily take many people past the clinical threshold for dementia.&nbsp;



While until recently, binge drinking was correlated to increased risk of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/physical-activity-reduces-the-risk-of-alzheimers/">Alzheimer’s disease</a>, the new study shows that even small amounts of alcohol can have serious impact on cognitive health.



“Using tests to pick up this cognitive impairment early can protect the brain and prevent further decline into dementia.&nbsp;With alcohol use, this is wholly preventable if the people identified early with these tests cut down or become abstinent. It has the potential to improve public health,” said Dr. Rao.



According to Dr. Rosa Sanchez, a senior researcher at <a href="https://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/">Alzheimer’s Research UK</a>, these findings should make people aware of the dangers posed by alcohol consumption and do their best to follow the recommended guidelines.



“Taking steps to curb the amount of alcohol you consume can have far-reaching health benefits and isn't limited to improving brain health,” she concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34766529/">Aging and Mental 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

Small amounts of alcohol have big impacts on brain health

A new study led by King’s College London (KCL) has...

For months, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/delta-variants-could-further-prolong-the-covid-pandemic/">Delta variant</a> of SARS-CoV-2 haa traveled all over the globe, infecting millions of people and putting enormous pressure on many countries’ health systems. This week, a new and possibly more dangerous <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/delta-variants-could-further-prolong-the-covid-pandemic/">variant</a> has been detected in South Africa. On November 26, 2021, the <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/26-11-2021-classification-of-omicron-(b.1.1.529)-sars-cov-2-variant-of-concern">World Health Organization</a> named the new variant "Omicron" and classified it as a “variant of concern.” 



Omicron was first reported on November 23, 2021 in the Gauteng province of South Africa – an urban area containing Pretoria and Johannesburg. However, the earliest samples indicate that the variant emerged from Botswana in the first half of November.&nbsp;



The variant contains a highly unusual constellation of mutations, including over 30 mutations on the spike protein. This suggests that Omicron might have emerged during a prolonged, chronic infection of an immunocompromised person, such as an HIV/AIDS patient.



Omicron’s mutations on the spike protein, which the virus uses to enter our body’s cells, are more than double those of Delta. The new spike protein mutations could potentially make the new variant capable of evading existing immune protection, reinfecting people recovered from COVID-19, and surpassing the protection offered by vaccines.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Moreover, since cases in South Africa surged from 273 to over 1,200 in less than a week - with preliminary analyses suggesting that Omicron has quickly become the dominant strain - this variant appears to be much more transmissible than Delta.&nbsp;



According to Dr. Ulrich Elling, a molecular biologist at the <a href="https://www.oeaw.ac.at/imba/home">Institute of Molecular Biotechnology</a> in Vienna, a laboratory specializing in sequencing&nbsp;the coronavirus to detect new variants, the first estimates indicate the new variant "might be 500%&nbsp;more infectious than Delta."



"Delta was about 60% more infectious than Alpha, so the spread that we will see around the globe is going to be much faster than we saw it for Delta," he added.



On Friday, several countries all over the globe closed their borders with Southern African nations in the hope that they will manage to contain the emerging Omicron outbreak. However, cases have already been discovered outside the African continent in Hong Kong, Israel, and Belgium. According to the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention’s <a href="https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/threat-assessment-brief-emergence-sars-cov-2-variant-b.1.1.529">Threat Assessment Brief</a> from November 26, the chance of Omicron spreading through Europe ranges from “high” to “very high.”



The following days and weeks will be crucial in finding more details about the transmissibility, vaccine and existing treatment effectiveness, risk for reinfections, and other properties of the Omicron variant.



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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

Coronavirus variant may be 500% more infectious than Delta

For months, the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 haa traveled all...

According to a new study led by the <a href="https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/">University of Liverpool</a> and Liverpool John Moores University, it is possible that all <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-and-cats-test-positive-for-alpha-variant-of-sars-cov-2/">cats</a> may possess at least some psychopathic tendencies. However, just as in humans, psychopathy in animals comes in varying degrees. 



In order to build a tool to assess the degree of feline psychopathy, the scientists studied the relationship between 2,042 cat owners and their pets. They constructed a questionnaire called CAT-Tri+, with 46 statements that require cat owners to rate how well each of them describes their pet.



“In our study, we developed a questionnaire measure of psychopathy in domestic cats,” said study lead author Rebecca Evans, a doctoral student at the University of Liverpool. “The questionnaire was developed using owner-provided examples of their cat’s behavior in the context of the triarchic model of psychopathy (boldness, meanness, and disinhibition).”



“The final questionnaire measures five factors of feline psychopathy: boldness, meanness, disinhibition, pet-unfriendliness and human-unfriendliness."



Some of the statements the owners had to rate included: “my cat torments their prey rather than killing it straight away,” “my cat vocalizes loudly for no apparent reason,” or “my cat is very excitable.” These ratings helped researchers score the cat’s level of meanness (traits such as lack of empathy and callous aggression), boldness (a measure of social dominance and lack of fear), disinhibition (lack of behavioral restraint), and unfriendliness towards humans and other pets.



“it is likely that all cats have an element of psychopathy as it would have once been helpful for their ancestors in terms of acquiring resources, for example food, territory and mating opportunities," explained Evans. 



The scientists hope that this tool could help improve cat-owner relationship and thus reduce the number of cats that end up in shelters or that are put down. The questionnaire can be used to identify undesirable behaviors and make improvements in the cats’ environments in order to better suit their character.



“A cat that has a high score on the boldness scale may benefit from large cat trees and tall scratching posts, as the Cat-Tri+ items suggest that a bold cat enjoys exploring and climbing,” said Evans. “Providing environmental enrichment for bold cats may reduce agonistic behaviors towards people, other pets, and possessions.”&nbsp;



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0092656621000982#!">Journal of Research in Personality</a>.&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

How to tell whether your cat is a psychopath

According to a new study led by the University of...

Every year, hundreds of thousands of wild <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-in-the-mediterranean-are-moving-to-deeper-water-to-survive/">animals</a> are taken into captivity, to be cared for while they recover from injury or illness, or mature to the point that they can be released back into their natural habitats. Rehabilitation represents an increasingly important aspect of conservation efforts as animal numbers decline around the world. While in captivity, however, these animals are often fed soft food diets that differ substantially from what they would eat in the wild.



Although nutritionally balanced, captive diets often consist of soft or processed foods that lack the structural and textural diversity of the natural diet. For example, carnivores may be fed minced meat, and herbivores may receive pellets. These types of diets do not require the biting or chewing involved in a natural diet and may have a negative impact on an animal’s skull morphology and strength.



An international team of researchers led by Dr Rex Mitchell at <a href="https://www.flinders.edu.au/">Flinders University</a>&nbsp; has now shed light on the potentially harmful effects that soft food diets can have on the skulls of captive animals, particularly young animals that are still growing.&nbsp;



“Some scientists have suggested that captive diets may have unintended, negative effects on skull development that could impact the successful reintroduction of animals into the wild,” said Dr. Mitchell. “We wanted to know how much growing up on a diet that doesn’t need much biting can impact the ability of an animal to bite effectively in adulthood.”



The scientists used a 40 captive laboratory rats and fed them different diets from weaning until adulthood. Four different diet regimens were used, with ten rats in each group. One group was fed hard pellets throughout the study, and another was fed the same pellets but ground up in the form of meal. The third group received pellets initially, but then switched diet and were fed meal, while the fourth group received meal to begin with but subsequently switched diet to hard pellets.



Dr Mitchell and colleagues then used computed-tomography (CT) scans of the skulls of the rats that were fed different diets. CT scans were taken at different ages, from when the rats finished suckling right up until adulthood. The scans were used to create three-dimensional digital models of each rat skull and then the models were used in computer-based 3D bite simulations to test the levels of stress at the muzzle, palate and zygomatic arch.



Bone is a dynamic, living tissue that responds to the demands placed on it. Each time a bone is used, it bends a bit and the bone cells in that area lay down more layers of bone for additional strength. The researchers hypothesized that rats with softer diets would have less work for their skulls to do and so the skull bones would become thinner and weaker at the points tested.&nbsp;



“The simulations showed that the rats fed the softest diet indeed grew up to have the weakest skulls, but our research also found something unexpected,” explained study co-author Professor Stephen Wroe from the University of New England in Armidale, Australia.



Although rats fed soft food diets had the weakest muzzles and palates, their skulls were not the weakest in the region of the zygomatic arch. Instead, the group that was switched from hard to soft food as juveniles had the weakest skulls in this region.



“This certainly surprised us. So, we had to do some digging in the literature to explain it,” said Mitchell.



In previous research, rats that were sent to space and experienced a sudden and prolonged disuse of bone responded by producing fewer bone cells, the cells that are responsible for depositing new layers of bone. The researchers in the current study attribute the weakening of the zygomatic arch in rats that switched diet to a similar loss of bone cells.



“We often think of bones as simple, hard objects,” said study co-author Dr. Rachel Menegaz. “But bone is actually a complex living tissue that is constantly adapting.”



The findings suggest that if an animal suddenly stops needing to bite its food during development, it might then lose many of the cells needed for depositing bone while it is still growing, which could impact on normal bone growth and result in a weaker adult skull. Skull weaknesses such as these may result in injury to animals reintroduced into the wild, or may limit the kinds of natural foods they can utilize.



The authors suggest that captive diet plans consider not just nutritional requirements but also the mechanical properties of food, when rearing wildlife to adulthood for reintroduction. Thus, food offered to animals in captivity should not be overly processed, deboned, cut, peeled or portioned but should simulate, as far as possible, the mechanical and structural properties of their wild diets.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/iob">Integrative Organismal Biology</a>.



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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

Soft food diet weakens skull strength in captive animals

Every year, hundreds of thousands of wild animals are taken...

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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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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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

[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

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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

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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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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...