The influence of synthetic plastic on our planet is concerning, to say the least. It's everywhere - from the depths of our oceans to the food we eat, even finding its way into our bodies. But, Avinash Manjula-Basavanna, a seasoned research scientist at Northeastern University, sees "MECHS" as a solution. 



"The kind of impact that human-made materials are making on the living world is resulting in&nbsp;climate change, pollution and more," he says. 



"One of the ways that we are able to address this is to make materials sustainable and also make materials which are smart or intelligent."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-birth-of-a-new-bioplastic">Birth of a new bioplastic</h2>



Joining forces with Neel S. Joshi, an associate professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Northeastern, Manjula-Basavanna gave birth to a new bioplastic named MECHS.



It stands for Mechanical Engineered Living Materials with Compostability, Healability, and Scalability.



The team recently showcased their discovery in the journal Nature Communications. Here, they articulated their unique work with engineered living materials, living cells that produce functional <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-pollution-is-changing-the-entire-earth-system/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">materials</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wonders-of-bioplastic">Wonders of bioplastic</h2>



What makes MECHS stand out? Manjula-Basavanna and Joshi gave us two major reasons.



Firstly, MECHS exhibits the beauty of nature-inspired solutions, with the ability to regenerate, regulate themselves, and respond to external stimuli such as light. 



The second reason is even more significant in today's context. Unlike the harmful plastics choking our planet and bodies, MECHS is biodegradable in water and even in a compost bin. 



"Right now we use a lot of conventional nonbiodegradable plastics for applications they don't need to be used in at all," Joshi says. "If we replace that with our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/major-plastic-pollution-lurks-beneath-the-surface-of-rivers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plastic</a>, you could just flush it down the toilet and it would biodegrade."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-engineered-living-materials">Engineered living materials</h2>



Until now, such engineered living materials haven't been scalable for broad production. Enter MECHS.



Essentially, it's comprised of engineered E. coli bacteria intertwined with a fiber matrix, crafted into a paper- or film-like material. 



The fibrous structure gives MECHS some desirable properties. For instance, the bioplastic can stretch like plastic wrap and be genetically engineered for variable stiffness. And, quite fascinatingly, it has self-healing capabilities.



But the real cherry on top? MECHS is fully dissolvable, be it in large amounts of water or a compost bin. It dissolves rapidly, much faster than other existing biodegradable plastics. Plus, it can be mass-produced similarly to paper.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-potential-applications">Potential applications</h2>



The scientific marvels envision MECHS as the solution to "primary packaging." This includes the plastic cover protecting your new iPhone or the detergent pods for your appliances. Imagine MECHS wrapped around a pot plant, slowly breaking down and releasing proteins to fertilize the plant!



Addressing the global problem of plastic pollution, Manjula-Basavanna sees a strong potential for MECHS in plastic packaging, which covers almost one-third of the plastic market. 



He observes that such packaging’s lifespan could last a few days to two years, but the petrochemical plastics used can take hundreds of years to biodegrade.



"For such a short lifespan of packaging, the petrochemical plastics that can take hundreds of years to biodegrade are unnecessary in many cases and thus a sustainable alternative like MECHS due to its biodegradability, flushability, and mechanical tunability could be a game changer," says Manjula-Basavanna.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-challenges-in-adopting-mechs">Challenges in adopting MECHS</h2>



While MECHS presents a revolutionary solution to the global plastic crisis, adopting this technology on a large scale is not devoid of challenges. One primary concern lies in the genomic stability of the engineered E. coli bacteria used in MECHS. 



Scientists must ensure that the bacteria remain safe and stable under various environmental conditions to avoid unintended consequences. Additionally, transitioning industries reliant on traditional plastics to MECHS involves overcoming significant economic and logistical barriers. 



Production facilities worldwide may need to adopt new techniques and infrastructure to accommodate this novel material, potentially incurring considerable costs in the short term. 



Furthermore, public perception and regulatory hurdles need to be navigated to gain trust and approval for its widespread use.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-of-sustainable-materials">Future of sustainable materials</h2>



Looking to the future, the innovations around MECHS signal a burgeoning era of sustainable and adaptable materials capable of transforming industries. 



As research into living materials progresses, new possibilities emerge, such as enabling the development of dynamic, adaptable materials for technologies yet to be imagined. 



Building on their success with MECHS, Manjula-Basavanna and Joshi envision an expanding palette of biodegradable materials, each tailored for specific applications ranging from environmental conservation to health care. 



Their work emphasizes collaboration across disciplines - bridging biology, chemistry, and engineering - to advance sustainable solutions.



Ultimately, MECHS is a testament to how embracing nature-inspired innovation can lead to breakthroughs with the power to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-on-beaches-is-now-visible-from-space/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reshape our relationship with the materials</a> we use and the environment we inhabit.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-53052-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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Nature-inspired solutions: New bioplastic dissolves rapidly in water

The influence of synthetic plastic on our planet is concerning, to say the least. It's everywhere - from the depths of our oceans to the food we eat, even finding its way into our bodies. But, Avinash Manjula-Basavanna, a seasoned research scientist at Northeastern University, sees "MECHS" as a solution. "The kind of impact that human-made materials are making on the living world is resulting in&nbsp;climate change, pollution and more," he says. "One of the ways that we are able to address this is to make materials...

The analysis of preserved pollen and plant remains has enabled scientists from Tel Aviv University and Tel-Hai College to make the first detailed reconstruction of climate changes in Israel after the end of the last <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/manatees-may-have-been-permanent-texas-residents-during-the-last-ice-age/">ice age</a> (20,000-10,000 years ago). They suggest that significant climate changes during this period were influential in the transition from nomadic, hunter-gather society to settled, agrarian society that took place in the region at that time. 



The research was conducted by Dr. Dafna Langgut of the Department of Archaeology and The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History at Tel Aviv University; Professor Gonen Sharon, Head of the MA Program in Galilee Studies at Tel-Hai College; and Dr. Rachid&nbsp;Cheddadi, expert in evolution and paleoecology of University of Montpellier, Institute of Evolutionary Sciences (ISEM) Montpellier, France.&nbsp;



The groundbreaking study was based on a well-dated, high-resolution pollen record recovered from the waterlogged archeological site known as Jordan River Dureijat (“Jordan River Stairs”), that is on the banks of Paleolake Hula. The continuous sequence at this site enabled the scientists to build a pollen-based&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/paleoclimate">paleoclimate</a>&nbsp;model for the region. In addition, the pollen data allowed the researchers to identify the plants that grew 10,000 – 20,000 years ago and provided the first information on the history of the region's flora and its response to past climate changes.&nbsp;



Both a major climatic change and a human societal change occurred in the region during the time period for which the pollen record was recovered. Professor Sharon, supervisor of the Madregot Hayarden excavation, explained the changes in human society.



“In the study of prehistory, this period is called the Epipaleolithic&nbsp;period. At its outset, people were organized in small groups of hunter-gatherers who roamed the area. Then, about 15,000 years ago, we are witness to a significant change in lifestyle: the appearance of settled life in villages, and additional dramatic processes that reach their apex during the Neolithic period that followed," said Professor Sharon.



"This is the time when the most dramatic change of human history occurred – the transition to the agricultural way of life that shaped the world as we know it today.”



Dr. Langgut, an archeobotanist specializing in identification of plant remains, elaborated on the dramatic climatic changes that occurred in the region.&nbsp;



“Although at the peak of the last ice age, about 20,000 years ago, the Mediterranean Levant was not covered with an ice sheet as in other parts of the world, the climatic conditions that existed nevertheless differed from those of today. Their exact characteristics were unclear until this study," explained Dr. Langgut.



"The climatic model that we built is based on reconstruction of the fluctuation of the spread of plant species indicating that the main climatic change in our area is expressed by a drop in temperature (up to five degrees Celsius less than today), whereas the precipitation amounts were close to those of today (only about 50 mm less than today’s annual average).”



However, round about 15,000 years ago, in the Epipaleolithic period, a significant improvement in climate conditions can be seen from the data. This time corresponds with a global warm and moist <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/interstadial">interstadial</a>&nbsp;period, as indicated by an increased prevalence of heat-tolerant tree species, such as olive, common oak, and Pistacia.



In addition, it is at this time, around 15,000 years ago, that the first evidence of the Nartufian culture appears in archaeological records of this region. The authors suggest that the temperate climate of the time could well have assisted in the development of this culture, in which permanent settlement, stone structures, and food storage facilities, appear for the first time anywhere in the world.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



Towards the end of the Epipaleolithic period, about 11,000–12,000 years ago, there was again a return to a cold, dry climate like that characteristic of the ice age. This period is known globally as the Younger Dryas period and, although it is well recognized and documented in other parts of the world, it was unclear whether there was any expression of this period in the Levantine region.



“The findings that arise from the climate model presented in the article show that the period (Younger Dryas in the Levantine region) was characterized by climatic instability, intense fluctuations, and a considerable drop in temperatures. Nevertheless, while reconstructing the precipitation, a surprising phenomenon was discovered: the average quantities of rainfall reconstructed were only slightly less than those of today; however, the precipitation was distributed over the entire year, including summer rains.”



The occurrence of rain throughout the year would have led to ideal conditions for annual and leafy plant species to thrive, thus providing year-round food for gatherers. The diversity of plant species would have given a range of options for domestication and the gatherers of the time would certainly have become knowledgeable about and familiar with a wide range of edible plants.&nbsp;



The researchers are of the opinion that these findings contribute to a new understanding of the environmental changes that took place on the eve of the transition to agriculture and the domestication of animals.



“This study contributes not only to understanding the environmental background for momentous processes in human history, such as the first permanent settlement and the transition to agriculture, but also provides information on the history of the region's flora and its response to past climatic changes," said Dr. Langgut. "There is no doubt that this knowledge can assist in preserving species variety and in meeting current and future climate challenges.”



The study is published in the journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/quaternary-science-reviews">Quaternary Science Reviews</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

Consequences of climate changes after the last ice age

The analysis of preserved pollen and plant remains has enabled...

Covid-19 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lockdowns-disrupted-work-leisure-balance-especially-for-moms/">lockdowns</a> gave researchers a unique tool. By altering daily routines, including driving patterns, lockdowns allowed scientists to look at the impact of vehicle emissions.&nbsp;



Based on the analysis of satellite images of urban California, experts have now discovered that vehicle emissions are the main source of ammonia pollution. It was previously believed that agriculture was the biggest source of ammonia emissions.&nbsp;



Airborne ammonia (NH3) can cause human health problems. On global and national levels, it seems that most ammonia is produced by agriculture from sources such as livestock manure. Internal combustion motor vehicles also contribute to ammonia emissions because their catalytic converters reduce nitrous oxide and create ammonia.&nbsp;



In cities, it’s been hard to tease out which is the bigger contributor to ammonia pollution and it has generally been assumed that agriculture contributed the most. However, some studies have suggested otherwise.



Daven K. Henze led a team of researchers to investigate whether the question could be answered using satellite imagery, especially since such a method could be utilized anywhere in the world.&nbsp;



The scientists looked at the Los Angeles area, where previous research suggested that vehicle ammonia emissions were being overlooked.&nbsp;



The experts measured both ammonia and nitrous oxide levels. Because nitrous oxide is created only by vehicle emissions and not agriculture, it’s a good indicator of increased or decreased motor traffic. The ratio of the two chemicals indicated how much of the ammonia was created by vehicles as opposed to agriculture. Meteorological effects were also taken into account in the calculations.



The results were stark. The scientists found that 60 to 84% of ammonia in the atmosphere was from vehicles, a number that aligns with predictions from modeling. This calculation is very different from the 13-22% estimation used by government agencies. The problem is that this source of ammonia pollution is not taken into account and is not well regulated.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">ACS</a> journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/estlcu">Environmental Science &amp; Technology Letters</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Vehicle emissions are the biggest source of urban ammonia pollution

Covid-19 lockdowns gave researchers a unique tool. By altering daily...

A new <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfmmJnG7le8&amp;ab_channel=RommieAmaro">study</a> presented at the International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage, and Analysis (<a href="https://sc21.supercomputing.org/">SC21</a>) has investigated how the coronavirus (particularly its <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/delta-variants-could-further-prolong-the-covid-pandemic/">Delta</a> variant) is transmitted through aerosols – tiny air particles that can float in the air for hours and can travel long distances.



In the first year of the pandemic, scientists thought COVID-19 is transmitted mainly through saliva droplets that were released through coughing or sneezing, and traveled very short distances before falling to the ground. This understanding of the propagation of the disease was crucial for deciding upon social distancing measures such as maintaining a two-meter distance between people.



However, more recent research brought some rather bad news: COVID-19 appears to be airborne - that is, transmitted through aerosols. These particles, which are much smaller than droplets, can linger in the air for hours. They are also released through breathing.



“What we learned during the pandemic is that aerosols were one of the main drivers in spreading the virus and that their importance in the transmission of many other respiratory pathogens has been systematically underappreciated,” said study co-author Dr. Robert “Chip” Schooley, a professor in the Department of Medicine at <a href="https://medschool.ucsd.edu/Pages/default.aspx">UC San Diego School of Medicine</a>.



Together with a team of researchers from all over the world, Dr. Schooley performed large-scale simulations of how the coronavirus is transmitted through aerosols. By using <a href="https://www.ornl.gov/">Oak Ridge National Laboratory</a>’s supercomputer Summit, the scientists visualized with great accuracy aerosols containing the coronavirus, together with mucins, lung surfactant, water, and ions.



“This new computational microscope allows us to see what happens to the virus—how it moves, how it stays infectious during flight,” explained study lead author Rommie Amaro, a professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at <a href="https://ucsd.edu/">UC San Diego</a>. “There is something very powerful about being able to see what something looks like, seeing how components come together—it fundamentally changes the kinds of questions people even think to ask.”



One of the hypotheses that the researchers are currently testing is whether the fact that the Delta variant interacts so well with mucins – polymers lining the wet surfaces of the body and help protecting viruses against harsh external elements such as sunlight – could explain its high transmissibility.&nbsp;



“The more we learn about aerosols and how they host viruses and pollutants, such as soot, that have adverse health impacts, the better positioned we are to create effective treatment and mitigation measures. This benefits the public health and wellbeing of people around the world,” concluded Dr. Schooley.



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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 COVID-19 is transmitted through aerosols

A new study presented at the International Conference for High...

A new longitudinal study led by <a href="https://www.ecu.edu.au/">Edith Cowan University</a> (ECU), Australia, has found that drinking <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-daily-dose-of-coffee-may-protect-you-from-covid-19/">coffee</a> reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, drinking more coffee was positively correlated with increased capacities for planning, self-control, and attention.



As part of the <a href="https://aibl.csiro.au/">Australian Imaging, Biomarkers, and Lifestyle Study of Aging</a>, scientists investigated whether coffee intake affected the rate of cognitive decline in a cohort of over 200 Australians followed for more than a decade. The results suggest a significant association between coffee and a variety of markers related to Alzheimer’s disease.



“We found&nbsp;participants&nbsp;with no memory impairments and&nbsp;with&nbsp;higher coffee consumption&nbsp;at the start of the study had&nbsp;lower risk of&nbsp;transitioning to mild cognitive impairment&nbsp;-&nbsp;which often precedes Alzheimer’s disease&nbsp;-&nbsp;or developing&nbsp;Alzheimer’s disease over the&nbsp;course&nbsp;of the study,” reported study lead author Dr. Samantha Gardener, a postdoctoral fellow at ECU.



Higher coffee intake appeared to be linked to slowing the accumulation of amyloid proteins in the brain, which clump together forming toxic plaques in people with Alzheimer’s disease. The study results indicate that increasing from one to two cups of coffee per day could significantly protect the brain against amyloid accumulation.



“If&nbsp;the average cup of coffee made at home is 240g, increasing to two cups a day could potentially&nbsp;lower cognitive decline by&nbsp;eight&nbsp;per cent after 18 months,” Dr. Gardener said.&nbsp;“It&nbsp;could also see a&nbsp;five&nbsp;per cent decrease in&nbsp;amyloid&nbsp;accumulation&nbsp;in the brain&nbsp;over the same time period.”&nbsp;



Although the study did not differentiate between caffeinated and de-caffeinated coffee, and did not investigate the consequences of different ways of producing and consuming coffee, the benefits of consuming this beverage on a regular basis seem quite clear: drinking more coffee could be an easy and accessible way to help delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.



“It’s a simple thing that people can change. It could be particularly useful for people who are at risk of cognitive decline but haven’t developed any symptoms. We might be able to&nbsp;develop some clear guidelines people can follow in middle age&nbsp;and&nbsp;hopefully it could then have a lasting effect,” Dr. Gardener concluded.



The study is published in&nbsp;the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2021.744872/full">Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience</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

Drinking coffee protects against Alzheimer’s disease

A new longitudinal study led by Edith Cowan University (ECU),...

Ocean wilderness is rapidly disappearing due to widespread fishing practices all over the world. A new, large study of the global state of marine <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-reef-biodiversity-expected-to-shuffle-but-not-decline/">coral reef</a> wilderness has found that remote ocean wilderness regions sustain fish populations much better than many of the world’s best marine reserves. 



The mean biomass of fish stocks in coral reefs located far away from people and urban markets was over one-third higher than the values found in the largest, oldest, and best-managed marine reserves located closer to the shore.



“This study confirmed that wilderness areas protect fish far better than even the most sustainable fisheries and reserves,” said study lead author Dr. Tim McClanahan, a senior scientist at the <a href="https://www.wcs.org/">Wildlife Conservation Society</a>.&nbsp;



“It scares us to think what is being lost when wilderness is reduced. The findings are a call to designate the last remaining marine wilderness as areas needing special status and protection – global ocean strongholds. To ensure that all coral reef fish species are protected from fishing and possible extinction, we need to focus on wilderness alongside 30 percent closures in nearshore areas.”



A recent global initiative, <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/30x30-nrdcs-commitment-protect-nature-and-life-earth">30X30</a>, aims to protect at least 30 percent of the land and sea by 2030. However, until now only about two percent of coral reefs are fully protected in marine reserves. The current study suggests that, besides protecting marine ecosystem in organized reserves, areas of marine wilderness should also be protected, particularly since they are home to larger, space-requiring species such as sharks, groupers, jacks, or snappers.&nbsp;



“Observing and surveying fishes for many years has made it clear to me that many, and particularly big fishes, require lots of space to survive and thrive,” said study co-author Alan Friedlander, a researcher at the <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.org/society/">National Geographic Society</a> and the <a href="https://www.himb.hawaii.edu/">Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology</a>.



“This collaboration and analyses with my colleagues have made it clear how this need for open marine wilderness is so pervasive. This robust and extensive dataset has allowed us to confirm what many of us have observed for year, that remote marine wilderness areas are like time machines that allow us to observe the ocean of the past in order to protect the future.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/faf.12625">Fish and Fisheries</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;



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

Ocean wilderness areas are living time machines

Ocean wilderness is rapidly disappearing due to widespread fishing practices...

We all know that the benefits of regular <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-and-physical-activity-can-optimize-bone-health-in-children/">physical activity</a> (PA) include better health and a reduced risk of chronic disease, limited mobility, and mortality among older people. And yet, global statistics show that almost one-third of people did not meet the minimum recommendations for weekly activity times in 2016. Furthermore, the figures had remained stable during the previous decade, indicating that people had not taken to heart advice about remaining active.&nbsp;



The earlier statistics also showed that insufficient levels of physical activity were twice as prevalent in high-income as in low-income countries (36.8 percent vs 16.2 percent). Among high-income countries in the Asian Pacific, Singapore had the highest incidence of insufficient activity (36.5 percent).&nbsp;



Earlier studies had focused on the effects of recreational PA on mental and physical health in older people, but a team of scientists from Singapore decided to investigate the impact that the non-recreational activity of housework had on age-related decline in functional ability. The experts feel that, with a rapidly aging global population and increased life expectancy, new strategies and policies are needed in order to promote healthy aging, worldwide.&nbsp;



The study, published today in the <a href="https://bmjopen.bmj.com/">British Medical Journal Open</a>, examined associations between light housework (LH) or heavy housework (HH) activities, and the cognitive, physical and sensorimotor functions among younger and older adults in Singapore. The goal was to determine whether the activity associated with household chores contributes to healthy aging in independent adults.



A total of 489 adults, aged between 21 and 90, was included in the study. Participants all had fewer than 5 underlying conditions and no cognitive issues. They were all living independently and were able to carry out routine daily tasks. The individuals were divided into two age groups; 21–64-year-olds were classified as ‘younger’, while 65–90-year-olds were ‘older’.



Participants reported on how much time they spent doing light housework (LH), and heavy housework (HH) duties. Light housework included washing up, dusting, making the bed, hanging out the washing, ironing, tidying up, and cooking. Heavy housework was defined as window cleaning, changing the bed, vacuuming, washing the floor, and activities such as painting or decorating.



The team used standardized tests to assess physical and cognitive function. Physical function was also measured using repeated chair-sit-to-stand tests and gait speed. These tests are indicative of leg strength and therefore of the risk of falling. Cognitive functioning was assessed in terms of mental agility, which included short and delayed memory, visuospatial ability, language and attention span.



Almost two-thirds of the participants (61 percent of younger; and 66 percent of older) met the minimum recommended weekly activity levels through doing housework alone.&nbsp;



Furthermore, the results showed that after adjusting for other types of regular physical activity, housework was associated with sharper mental abilities and better physical capacity - but only among participants in the older age group. Cognitive scores were eight percent and five percent higher, respectively, in those doing high volumes of light or heavy housework compared with those in the low volume groups.&nbsp;



Also, the intensity of housework was associated with better functioning in specific cognitive areas. Heavy housework was associated with a 14 percent higher attention score, while light housework was associated with 12 percent and eight percent higher short and delayed memory scores, respectively.&nbsp;



Participants who did a lot of housework showed better sit-to-stand times (eight percent faster) and improved balance/coordination scores (23 percent improved) than those who did little housework.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Although this was a correlational study and direct causal relationships cannot be assigned, the authors refer to previous research indicating a link between aerobic exercise and improved cognitive function. They feel that the sharper mental agility associated with housework might occur through similar mechanisms.&nbsp;



“These results collectively suggest that the higher cognitive, physical and sensorimotor functions related to heavy housework activities might plausibly be associated with lower physiological fall risk among community-dwelling older adults," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



“Incorporating [physical activity] into daily lifestyle through domestic duties (i.e., housework) has the potential to achieve higher [physical activity], which is positively associated with functional health, especially among older community-dwelling adults.”



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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

Housework promotes cognitive strength and mental agility

We all know that the benefits of regular physical activity...

Much has been written about the social cost of carbon dioxide. This is a calculation of the present value of the future damages that would arise from continued or increased CO2 emissions. The social cost is determined by the probable impacts of climate change on factors such as agriculture, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/less-than-1-chance-that-earths-energy-imbalance-has-occurred-naturally/">energy</a> production, water availability, human health, coastal communities and biodiversity. 



Such calculations play an important role for policy makers who need to assess the potential economic benefits of strategies that reduce CO2 emissions. Unfortunately, the social costs of continuing emissions of other greenhouse gases, such as methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), have not received the same amount of attention and some of the assessments that do exist are considered outdated and inaccurate.&nbsp;



In a commentary article, published recently in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>, an international team of researchers called for improved assessment of the social cost of nitrous oxide, in particular. This greenhouse gas is a by-product of fuel combustion, but is primarily emitted as a result of agriculture and land use changes.&nbsp;



Molecules of nitrous oxide remain in the atmosphere for an average of over 100 years, where they have a warming capacity almost 300 times that of molecules of CO2, and cause depletion of the ozone layer.



According to the authors of the article, the current social cost estimates do not take into account how N2O, affects the ozone layer, which protects earth from the sun’s powerful radiation. This omission ends up underestimating the costs of future damages caused by the emission of this gas.&nbsp;



The researchers calculate that adding N2O’s effect on the ozone layer would increase the current social cost of this greenhouse gas by 20 percent. Continued depletion of the ozone layer by N2O would cause damage to crops and other vegetation, as well as to marine life, while also increasing human exposure to cancer-causing ultraviolet radiation, all of which have considerable economic costs.&nbsp;



“Updating the social cost of nitrous oxide’s impacts to include stratospheric ozone raises the calculation significantly above current estimates,” said study co-author David Kanter, an associate professor in New York University’s Department of Environmental Studies.&nbsp;



The research team, which also included scientists from Canada’s University of Guelph, the University of California at Davis, PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, and NYU’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, felt that a revised measurement of the social costs, including the costs of depletion of ozone, would likely encourage government policy makers to act with more urgency.



“A more accurate estimate would make the case for action on nitrous oxide even more compelling and increase the likelihood of meeting U.S. climate and sustainable development goals,” explained study co-author Peter Groffman, a professor with the Environmental Science Initiative at the CUNY Advanced Science Research Center.



“These damage costs are crucial to evaluating the global benefits and costs of policy measures to address climate change and are used in several countries beyond the U.S., including Canada and the United Kingdom,” wrote the study authors. “Scientists and economists have invested heavily in improving estimates of the social cost of carbon. However, the social cost of nitrous oxide has been given much less attention.”



“Accounting for these impacts in regulatory review – as well as how they are distributed across and disproportionately affect vulnerable and marginalized communities – could significantly influence the types of policies that are favored."



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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

Nitrous oxide is far more costly than estimated

Much has been written about the social cost of carbon...

It is tempting to think that as we get <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/older-couples-have-synchronized-heart-rates/">older</a>, we have an excuse to take things easy and be less active. This would be the wrong approach, however, according to a team&nbsp;of&nbsp;evolutionary biologists and biomedical researchers at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard&nbsp;University</a>. In the new study, the scientists outline the evolutionary and biomedical evidence supporting the idea that humans not only evolved to live many decades after they stop reproducing, but they also evolved to be physically active in this later stage of life.&nbsp;



“It’s&nbsp;a&nbsp;widespread&nbsp;idea&nbsp;in&nbsp;Western societies&nbsp;that&nbsp;as we get older, it’s&nbsp;normal to slow down,&nbsp;do less,&nbsp;and retire,” said&nbsp;Harvard evolutionary biologist <a href="https://heb.fas.harvard.edu/people/daniel-e-lieberman">Daniel E. Lieberman</a>, the paper’s lead author.&nbsp;“Our&nbsp;message is the reverse:&nbsp;As we get older, it becomes even more important to stay physically active.”&nbsp;



The research&nbsp;team, which includes&nbsp;<a href="https://www.massgeneral.org/doctors/17939/aaron-baggish">Aaron Baggish</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://researchfaculty.brighamandwomens.org/BRIProfile.aspx?id=1154">I-Min Lee</a>&nbsp;from Harvard Medical School,&nbsp;believes the paper offers the first detailed evolutionary explanation for why lack of physical activity&nbsp;as&nbsp;humans&nbsp;age increases the risk of disease and decreases&nbsp;longevity.&nbsp;



The researchers allude to other apes that have a longevity of only 35 to 40 years in the wild and do not survive much past menopause. This shorter lifespan is also associated with considerably less physical activity, suggesting a possible link between living longer and being more active.&nbsp;



“We evolved basically from couch potatoes,” said&nbsp;Lieberman, who&nbsp;has twice observed&nbsp;wild&nbsp;chimpanzees&nbsp;in Tanzania&nbsp;and been surprised by how&nbsp;much of their day is spent “sitting on their butts,&nbsp;digesting.”&nbsp;



Other evidence is provided by modern hunter-gatherers, who average&nbsp;about&nbsp;135 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity&nbsp;a day.&nbsp;This level of activity – about six to ten&nbsp;times more than the level of the average American – may be one of the reasons that hunter-gatherers&nbsp;who survive&nbsp;childhood tend to live about&nbsp;seven decades.&nbsp;



Fossil evidence shows that lifespans that extended beyond the reproductive age were common by 40,000 years ago, contrary to the belief that human lifespans in prehistoric times were short.&nbsp;



The advantages of exercise are well-known, and older people are no different in terms of the benefits they can derive from keeping active. Indeed, the researchers emphasized that the key health benefit of physical activity is to extend the years that a person spends in good health.&nbsp;



The study discusses two routes whereby lifelong physical activity reallocates energy to improve health.&nbsp;



Firstly, the experts identified that physical activity helps to direct excess energy away from harmful metabolic mechanisms, such as fat storage. At the same time exercise also results in the allocation of more energy to carry out repair and maintenance in the body.&nbsp;



During exercise, calories are used up, but there is also damage to the tissues at the molecular and cellular level. The body responds to this by repairing the damage, for example by healing tears in muscle fibers, microfractures in bone and wearing in cartilage. This means that after recovering from physical exercise, we come back stronger than we were before.&nbsp;



Exercise also leads to the release of certain antioxidants&nbsp;and&nbsp;anti-inflammatories,&nbsp;and&nbsp;enhances&nbsp;blood flow.&nbsp;In the absence of physical activity, these responses occur less often. Some of these repair processes have been shown to lower the risk of diabetes, obesity, cancer, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and depression.&nbsp;



“The&nbsp;key take-home point is that because we evolved to be active throughout our lives, our bodies need physical activity to age well. In the past,&nbsp;daily&nbsp;physical activity was necessary in order to survive, but today we&nbsp;have to&nbsp;choose to exercise, that is do voluntary physical activity for the sake of health and fitness,” said Lieberman.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Levels of physical activity have been decreasing worldwide, as machines and technology replace human labor. We no longer have to forage actively for food and our leisure time is spent largely in front of a screen. The advice of the research&nbsp;team, which also includes graduate students&nbsp;Timothy Kistner and Daniel Richard,&nbsp;is that we should get out of our chairs and do some exercise.



“The key is to do something,&nbsp;and to try to make it enjoyable so you’ll keep doing it,” said Lieberman.&nbsp;“The good news is that you don’t need to be as active as a hunter-gatherer. Even small amounts of physical activity&nbsp;–&nbsp;just 10&nbsp;or&nbsp;20 minutes a day&nbsp;–substantially lower your risk of mortality.”&nbsp;



The study is published today in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">PNAS</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

Stay physically active for more healthy years of life

It is tempting to think that as we get older,...

In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of plant-based burgers and other meat alternatives available on the market, and many of these products claim to provide the same amount of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/small-protein-plays-a-big-role-in-flower-formation/">protein</a>. However, little is known about the quantities of essential amino acids in meat alternatives, making it difficult to determine the usefulness of the protein they provide.



To investigate, researchers at the <a href="https://illinois.edu/">University of Illinois</a> compared the protein qualities of meat and plant-based burgers. The study used the Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS) to investigate the digestibility and concentration of amino acids in each of the protein sources.



The burgers used in the study consisted of the soy-based Impossible Burger, the pea-based Beyond Burger, as well as pork and lean beef burgers. Each burger was fed to a pig, with the researchers measuring the digestibility of essential amino acids in each case. These "digestibility scores" were then used to produce values from the DIAAS.



The beef and pork burgers both scored DIAAS scores of 100+, giving them excellent status as protein providers for people of all ages. The Impossible Burger also scored excellent status, except for children under the age of three years old. The Beyond Burger only scored “good” status for ages three and up.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“We have previously observed that animal proteins have greater DIAAS values than plant-based proteins and that is also what we observed in this experiment,” stated study co-author Hans H. Stein.



All of the burgers studied would generally be eaten with buns, and the nature of these grain products would reduce the overall DIAAS scores. The Impossible Burger dropped to good status. Although pork and beef patties still saw a reduction, they maintained their excellent status.



“There was a greater DIAAS value of mixing either the pork or beef burger with the bun – values of 107 and 105 respectively, for the over-3 age group – than there was for the Impossible Burger, which had a DIAAS value of 86 if consumed with the bun. That means you need to eat 15% more of the Impossible Burger- bun combination to get the same amount of digestible amino acids as if you eat the pork-based or the beef-based burgers," explained study co-author Mahesh Narayanan Nair.



Age was an important factor in the study. Stein noted that children and pregnant women are two demographics most at risk of not getting enough amino acids. He also highlighted the importance of the matter in developing countries, where many cannot access animal-based proteins. “That’s extremely serious because, if children don't get enough amino acids, their brain development can suffer.”



The research is published in the <a href="https://www.springer.com/journal/394">European Journal of Nutrition</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:calumvaughan05@gmail.com">Calum Vaughan</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study reveals the protein quality of plant-based burgers

In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in...

Ants are well known for their communal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carnivores-modify-their-behavior-to-avoid-each-other/">behaviors</a>, such as building complex nest tunnels and gathering food for their colony. A surprising new study from the University of Fribourg has discovered yet another way that ants work together – passing fluids from mouth to mouth to create a colony-wide metabolism.



While passing fluids from mouth to mouth was already recognized as common behavior among ants, the purpose of it was unclear. The results of the new study suggest that ants are behaving similarly to how organisms thrive on communal metabolisms.



“Individual ants have two stomachs – one for digesting their own food and another one that comes first, a ‘social stomach’ for storing fluids that they share with other ants in their colony. These fluid exchanges allow ants to share food and other important proteins that the ants themselves produce,” explained senior author Adria LeBoeuf.



“To help us understand why ants share these fluids, we explored whether the proteins they exchange are linked to an individual’s role in the colony or the colony’s life-cycle," added study lead author Sanja Hakala.



The researchers analyzed the proteins found within the ‘social stomachs’ of individual ants, comparing the contents between forager ants and nurse ants that care for the youth of the colony. The age of each colony was also investigated.



Nurse ants were discovered to have more anti-aging proteins in their social stomachs, suggesting that these proteins are passed on through mouth-to-mouth transfer to ensure the survival of offspring.&nbsp;



“These findings show that some colony members can do metabolic labour for the benefit of others,” said Hakala.



Furthermore, it was also discovered that ants found in mature colonies had the most sufficient nutrient storage proteins for survival and growth, as opposed to the insufficiencies of newly founded colonies. 



However, more studies will be necessary if scientists are going to understand the purpose of each shared protein within a colony.&nbsp;



“It is hard to measure how metabolic work is shared between cells," explained LeBoeuf. "Here, the ants pass things around in a way that we can easily access what they are sharing. Having a better understanding of how ants share metabolic labor may help us learn more about the ways that other creatures, like humans, distribute metabolic tasks between different tissues or different cells in their bodies.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://elifesciences.org/">eLife</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:calumvaughan05@gmail.com">Calum Vaughan</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer&nbsp;

Ants swap spit to share food and special fluids

Ants are well known for their communal behaviors, such as...

Cloud,Earth,In,Space,,Video,Available,,Clip,12661208

A new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abi8065">Science Advances</a> has found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/past-tipping-points-where-the-climate-changed-abruptly/">climate</a> change is causing the troposphere – the Earth’s lower part of the atmosphere - to gradually expand. While between 1980 and 2020, the troposphere expanded by roughly 164 feet per decade, this rate increased between 2001 and 2020 to about 174 feet per decade.



The troposphere extends from sea level to a height ranging from 4.3 miles above the poles to 12.4 miles over the tropics. It is the layer of the atmosphere containing the most heat and moisture and the place where we live and breathe.&nbsp;



By analyzing atmospheric data including pressure, temperature, and humidity and pairing it with GPS data, an international group of scientists led by the <a href="https://www.nju.edu.cn/en/main.psp">Nanjing University</a>, China, have found that the top of the troposphere (the tropopause) is rising higher than even due to increasing quantities of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenhouse-gases-threaten-arctic-ozone-layer/">greenhouse gases</a>.



"This is an unambiguous sign of changing atmospheric structure," said study co-author Bill Randel, a scientist at the <a href="https://ncar.ucar.edu/">National Center for Atmospheric Research</a> in Boulder, Colorado. "These results provide independent confirmation, in addition to all the other evidence of climate change, that greenhouse gases are altering our atmosphere."&nbsp;



Even if some natural events, such as two volcano eruptions in the 1980s and the period Pacific warming pattern <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/el-nino-drives-millions-of-children-into-hunger/">El&nbsp;Niño</a> in the 1990s, may have had an impact on this phenomenon, the scientists nevertheless estimate that human activity accounted for 80 percent of the total increase in the atmospheric height.



However, climate change is not the only anthropogenic factor causing the tropopause to rise. The stratosphere – the layer above the troposphere – is shrinking, due to the past release of ozone-depleting gases that significantly harmed the stratospheric ozone layer.



“The study captures two important ways that humans are changing the atmosphere,” Randel said.&nbsp;“The height of the tropopause is being increasingly affected by emissions of greenhouse gases even as society has successfully stabilized conditions in the stratosphere by restricting ozone-destroying chemicals.”



Scientists are not yet sure how a rising tropopause will impact life on our planet. While one of the short-term effects may be that airplanes will have to fly higher in the atmosphere in order to avoid turbulences, the longer-term impact could be more unpredictable and dangerous.



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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

Earth’s atmosphere is expanding due to climate change

A new study published in the journal Science Advances has...

Two,Monarch,Butterflies,With,Wings,Spread,On,A,Pink,Cone

Monarch <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/blue-butterflies-are-set-to-become-widespread-across-canada/">butterflies</a> and some of their close relatives thrive on poisonous milkweed, due to genetic mutations that block the effects of the toxins on their organisms while allowing them to accumulate in the caterpillar or adult insects as deterrents to some of their predators. A new study led by the <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/">University of California, Berkeley</a> and <a href="https://www.ucr.edu/">UC Riverside</a> has found that some of these predators have evolved similar mutations in order to be able to feast on the butterflies.



The research team discovered monarch-like mutations in the genomes of four organisms that are known to feed upon monarchs: the black-headed grosbeak, a migratory bird that eats monarch butterflies while spending the winter season in Mexico; the eastern deer mouse, which feeds on butterflies that fall on the ground; a tiny wasp that parasitizes monarch eggs; and a nematode which parasitizes larvae that eat poisonous milkweed.



According to the scientists, these predators evolved mutations in one or several copies of a gene for the sodium-potassium pump, which has a role in regulating heartbeats and nerve firings. These seem to be the same mutations that make monarch butterflies capable of eating milkweed without succumbing to its cardiac glycosides - toxins that interfere with the sodium-potassium pump and can provoke cardiac arrest in organisms that are not adapted to tolerate them.



"The toxins move up the food chain from plants - what biologists call the first trophic level - to insect herbivores, the second, and then to predators and parasitoids - a third trophic level," said study lead author Noah Whiteman, a professor of Integrative Biology and Molecular and Cell Biology at UC Berkeley.&nbsp;



"In response, the predators and parasitoids have evolved resistance to the toxins at the same sites that we discovered were changing in the monarch, and sometimes to the same amino acids. This might be the first time that the same resistance mutations have been found in the third and second trophic levels that evolved in response to the latter feeding on toxic plants."



"It’s remarkable that convergent evolution occurred at the molecular level in all these animals,” added study co-author Simon “Niels” Groen, an assistant professor of Evolutionary Systems Biology at UC Riverside. “Plant toxins caused evolutionary changes across at least three levels of the food chain.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</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

How predators have outsmarted monarch butterflies

Monarch butterflies and some of their close relatives thrive on...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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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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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

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" 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 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

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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...