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From the tiniest fluctuations after the Big Bang, gravity has orchestrated the formation of galaxies, stars, and planets, creating the vast cosmic web we see today.



Gravity isn't just what keeps us grounded -- it's been shaping the universe since its earliest days. Recent studies have provided the most precise tests of gravity on the grandest scales imaginable. 



By examining how cosmic structures have grown over the past 11 billion years, scientists have confirmed that gravity behaves just as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cosmic-glitch-in-gravity-expands-the-theory-of-general-relativity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Einstein's theory</a> of general relativity predicts, even across billions of light-years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-desi-tracks-gravity-over-11-billion-years">DESI tracks gravity over 11 billion years</h2>



Pauline Zarrouk, a cosmologist at the French National Center for Scientific Research (<a href="https://www.cnrs.fr/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CNRS</a>) working at the Laboratory of Nuclear and High-Energy Physics (LPNHE), has been exploring this cosmic evolution.



In collaboration with the international team behind the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (<a href="https://www.desi.lbl.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DESI</a>), Zarrouk and her colleagues have traced how cosmic structures grew over the past 11 billion years.



Using data from DESI, the researchers provided the most precise test to date of gravity on the largest scales. 



"General relativity has been very well tested at the scale of solar systems, but we also needed to test that our assumption works at much larger scales," Zarrouk explained. 



"Studying the rate at which galaxies formed lets us directly test our theories and, so far, we're lining up with what <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/radical-new-theory-finally-unites-gravity-spacetime-and-the-quantum-realm/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">general relativity</a> predicts at cosmological scales."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-einstein-is-smiling-from-the-grave">Einstein is smiling from the grave</h2>



Their findings confirm that gravity behaves as Einstein's theory of general relativity predicts, even across the immense distances of the universe. 



This validation supports our leading model of the cosmos and narrows down alternative theories of gravity that have been proposed to explain puzzling observations, like the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/universe-expansion-rate-dark-energy-measured-11-billion-years-ago/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">accelerating expansion</a> of the universe often attributed to dark energy.



The study also sheds light on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-gravity-search-south-pole-neutrinos-experiment/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">neutrinos</a> -- the elusive particles that zip through space almost undetected. 



Previous experiments determined that the combined mass of the three types of neutrinos should be at least 0.059 electron volts (eV/c²). For perspective, an electron has a mass of about 511,000 eV/c². 



DESI's results suggest that the total mass of neutrinos should be less than 0.071 eV/c², tightening the constraints on these mysterious particles.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-desi-gravity-and-cosmic-structure">DESI, gravity, and cosmic structure</h2>



"Both our BAO results and the full-shape analysis are spectacular," said Dragan Huterer, a professor at the <a href="https://umich.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Michigan</a> and co-lead of DESI's group interpreting the cosmological data. 



"This is the first time that DESI has looked at the growth of cosmic structure. We're showing a tremendous new ability to probe modified gravity and improve constraints on models of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dark-energy-is-ripping-the-universe-apart-but-we-arent-sure-how/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dark energy</a>. And it's only the tip of the iceberg."



DESI is no ordinary telescope. Mounted on the Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope at <a href="https://kpno.noirlab.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kitt Peak National Observatory</a>, it's capable of capturing light from 5,000 galaxies at once. 



Funded by the DOE Office of Science, the project is now in its fourth year of surveying the sky and aims to collect data from roughly 40 million galaxies and quasars by the time it's done.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/theory-gravity-exists-without-mass-so-dark-matter-does-not-exist/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Testing gravity</a> at cosmic scales is crucial. While Einstein's theory has passed every test within our solar system, there's always the possibility that it might behave differently across the vastness of space. 



By confirming that gravity acts as expected over billions of light-years, scientists can be more confident in their models of how the universe has evolved. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-interpreting-the-desi-data">Interpreting the DESI data</h2>



<a href="https://profiles.utdallas.edu/mishak">Dr. Mustapha Ishak-Boushaki</a>, a professor of physics in the <a href="https://nsm.utdallas.edu/">School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics</a> at UT Dallas, co-led the DESI working group that interpreted the cosmological data.



“For this round of DESI results, I focused my efforts at UT Dallas on conducting a large part of the analysis on gravity, which puts constraints on how matter in the universe moves and how large-scale structures, such as clusters of galaxies, evolve,” explained Ishak-Boushaki. 



“The results from DESI, combined with datasets from other experiments, are consistent with general relativity theory operating at cosmic scales, although they do not completely exclude other theories of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/central-theory-of-quantum-gravity-is-modeled-in-the-laboratory/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">modified gravity</a>.”



The new results provide an extended analysis of <a href="https://news.utdallas.edu/science-technology/desi-findings-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DESI’s first year of data</a>, which in April contributed to the largest 3D map of the universe to date and revealed hints that <a href="https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2024/04/04/desi-first-results-make-most-precise-measurement-of-expanding-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dark energy might be evolving</a> over time.



“The latest analysis is also consistent with our previous findings that give preference to the theory that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dark-energy-could-explain-the-rapid-expansion-of-the-early-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dark energy</a> is not constant, but dynamic, which is a very important result for cosmic acceleration,” Ishak-Boushaki said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-did-this-happen">How did this happen?</h2>



The collaboration is currently analyzing data from the first three years and expects to present updated measurements of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-evidence-suggests-that-dark-energy-comes-from-black-holes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dark energy</a> and the universe's expansion history by spring 2025. 



The recent results align with earlier hints that dark energy might be evolving over time, adding to the excitement for what's to come.



"Dark matter makes up about a quarter of the universe, and dark energy makes up another 70 percent, and we don't really know what either one is," said Mark Maus, a PhD student at <a href="https://www.lbl.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Berkeley Lab</a> and UC Berkeley who worked on theory and validation modeling pipelines for the new analysis. 



"The idea that we can take pictures of the universe and tackle these big, fundamental questions is mind-blowing."



The study utilized nearly 6 million <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lonely-quasars-in-the-early-universe-cannot-be-explained/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxies and quasars</a>, allowing researchers to peer up to 11 billion years into the past. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-next-for-desi-and-gravity">What's next for DESI and gravity?</h2>



To sum it all up, with just one year of data, DESI has made the most precise overall measurement of the growth of cosmic structures, surpassing previous efforts that took decades.



The DESI project is remarkable not just for its technological capabilities but also for its collaborative spirit. 



With over 900 researchers from more than 70 institutions worldwide, it's a testament to what can be achieved when the global scientific community comes together.



As we await the next round of results, one can't help but wonder: What other secrets of the universe are waiting to be uncovered? 



The quest to understand gravity, dark matter, and dark energy continues, and each new discovery brings us a little closer to unraveling the mysteries of the cosmos.



The full study was published in <a href="https://data.desi.lbl.gov/doc/papers/">several scientific journals</a>.



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New 'mind-blowing' gravity discovery proves Einstein right again

From the tiniest fluctuations after the Big Bang, gravity has orchestrated the formation of galaxies, stars, and planets, creating the vast cosmic web we see today. Gravity isn't just what keeps us grounded -- it's been shaping the universe since its earliest days. Recent studies have provided the most precise tests of gravity on the grandest scales imaginable. By examining how cosmic structures have grown over the past 11 billion years, scientists have confirmed that gravity behaves just as Einstein's theory of general relativity predicts, even across...

A new study published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-021-02505-3">Communications Biology</a> shows that urbanization plays a key role in determining mammalian body size. Scientists at the <a href="https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/">Florida Museum of Natural History</a> have found that city life causes many mammals to grow larger. This contradicts the findings of previous research which claimed that city dwelling mammals get smaller over time. 

Until recently, experts believed that a classic biological principle called <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/bergmann-rule">Bergmann’s Rule</a> could be applied to urban animals. This is the idea that animals living in warmer climates are smaller than members of the same species from colder environments. This would certainly make sense, since cities have higher temperatures than green landscapes (a phenomenon called the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/heatislands">heat island effect</a>).

“In theory, animals in cities should be getting smaller because of these heat island effects, but we didn’t find evidence for this happening in mammals,” said Maggie Hantak, lead study author and a postdoctoral fellow at the Florida Museum. “This paper is a good argument for why we can’t assume Bergmann’s Rule or climate alone is important in determining the size of animals.”

The analysis of nearly 140,500 measurements of body mass and length from over 100 North American mammal species conducted by Dr. Hantak and her colleagues leaves no space for doubt: city dwelling mammals clearly grow larger than their non-urban counterparts, regardless of climatic factors.

“This wasn’t what we expected to find,” said Robert Guralnick, curator of biodiversity informatics at the Florida Museum. “But urbanization represents this new disturbance of the natural landscape that didn’t exist thousands of years ago. It’s important to recognize that it’s having a huge impact.”

While the impact of climate change on mammal body size has been <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate1259/">acknowledged</a> since a decade ago, the effects of urbanization have been ignored. 

“When we think about what’s going to happen to mammalian body size over the next 100 years, a lot of people frame that as global warming causing animals to get smaller,” said Guralnick. “What if that isn’t the biggest effect? What if it’s that urbanization is going to lead to fatter animals?”

The abundance of food, water, and shelter, together with a relative lack of predators, can certainly offer more dining opportunities for many city dwelling mammals. 

Although bigger is generally better from a biological and evolutionary standpoint, more research is needed to assess the long-term effects on urban mammals of eating a rich diet of human food waste. 

---

By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

City dwelling mammals are getting bigger

A new study published in Communications Biology shows that urbanization...

New research conducted by scientists from <a href="https://www.fsu.edu/">Florida State University</a> and <a href="https://www.rice.edu/">Rice University</a> has revealed that the Earth’s outer core could be our planet’s largest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/part-of-the-amazon-now-releases-more-carbon-than-it-stores/">carbon</a> reservoir, containing 93 to 95 percent of the total amount of terrestrial carbon. 

Together with hydrogen and oxygen, carbon is one of the most important chemical elements on Earth, and plays a key role in making terrestrial life possible. 

“It’s a natural question to ask where did this carbon that we are all made of comes from and how much carbon was originally supplied when the Earth formed,” said study co-author Mainak Mookherjee, a professor of Geology in the <a href="https://www.eoas.fsu.edu/">Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science</a> at FSU.

 “Where is the bulk of carbon residing now? How has it been residing and how has it transferred between different reservoirs? Understanding the total inventory of carbon is what this study gives us insight to.”

Since humans cannot access the Earth’s core directly, they must use indirect methods to analyze its composition. To determine how much carbon is contained in the Earth’s core, the researchers used computer models.

The team simulated different compositions of iron, carbon and other light elements (including oxygen, sulfur, silicone, hydrogen, and nitrogen) at the temperature and pressure conditions of the Earth’s outer core, and compared them to the known speed of compressional sound waves that are traveling through the Earth.

“When the velocity of the sound waves in our simulations matched the observed velocity of sound waves travelling through the Earth, we knew the simulations were matching the actual chemical composition of the outer core,” said study lead author Suraj Bajgain. 

Based on the computer model simulations, the scientists estimated that 0.3 to 2 percent of the Earth’s outer core consists of carbon. This is quite an impressive amount, considering the immensity of our planet’s outer core. 

More precise knowledge of how much carbon exists on Earth will help to clarify the chemical composition of our own planet, as well as that of other rocky planets throughout the universe.

The research was sponsored by the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation</a> and <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a> and published in the journal Nature (<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-021-00222-7">Communications: Earth and Environment</a>).    

---

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 outer core may be its largest carbon reservoir

New research conducted by scientists from Florida State University and...

While investigating the impacts of pollution in Namibia, researchers have found that hundreds of Cape Fur seals become entangled in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fishing-communities-are-on-the-frontline-of-climate-change/">fishing</a> lines and nets each year.

Dr. Tess Gridley is the co-director of the Namibia Dolphin Project and a senior lecturer in the Department of Botany and Zoology at <a href="https://www.sun.ac.za/">Stellenbosch University</a>. She explained how plastic pollution, particularly lost and discarded fishing nets, can have devastating consequences for marine life.

“Once entangled, these seals face a very painful and uncertain future: finding food becomes harder and wounds can become deep and debilitating, and likely cause death in many cases," said Dr. Gridley.

"Changes to policy could help, such as financial incentives to recover lines, safe disposal of nets and sustainable alternatives to plastics."

The study revealed that a high number of affected animals were pups and juveniles, which were mainly entangled around the neck by fishing line. The overall rate of entanglement was roughly 1 per 500 animals. This rate was similar between the two colonies of Walvis Bay and Cape Cross. 

Between 2018 and March 2020, the disentanglement team was able to free 191 out of the 347 animals that were found to be entangled.

The researchers had limited resources for their work. By comparing low cost methods of data collection, they found that photographic scans of the colonies were a fast and accurate method for collecting data on entangled individuals.

Study lead author Stephanie Curtis said that the impact of plastic pollution in the ocean is devastating. “Seals should not have to suffer this way because of our carelessness with waste."

According to Dr. Simon Elwen, fur seals are especially vulnerable to becoming entangled. “They are very curious and playful animals and will investigate objects in the water, but their thick, backwards facing fur which keeps them warm at sea easily snags lines and straps and stops it falling back off.”

Naudé Dreyer of Ocean Conservation Namibia explained that the project - which was launched in 2018 - is ongoing. “Since the start of 2021 we have already disentangled over 600 fur seals in only two colonies."

"This is the tip of the iceberg. It is imperative that studies such as this highlight the consequences of plastic waste on marine animals, and bring around change for the better."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/marine-pollution-bulletin">Marine Pollution Bulletin</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Cape fur seals are particularly vulnerable to entanglement

While investigating the impacts of pollution in Namibia, researchers have...

According to new research from the <a href="https://umich.edu/">University of Michigan</a>, eating a hot dog might take 36 minutes of healthy life away from you. The researchers found that by exchanging only 10 percent of daily calories from beef or processed meat for those from sustainable foods like fruits, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nuts-lowers-risk-obesity/">nuts</a> and veggies, a significant impact could be made. 

With this 10 percent switch, a dietary carbon footprint can be reduced by one third, and a person may gain 48 minutes of healthy life per day. 

The researchers examined 5,800 foods, which were evaluated on both their health impact and their environmental impact. Katerina Stylianou, who conducted the study as part of her doctoral candidacy, explained what sets her research apart from others.

"Generally, dietary recommendations lack specific and actionable direction to motivate people to change their behavior, and rarely do dietary recommendations address environmental impacts."

The healthy minutes calculation for each food was made by adapting previous research that looked at 15 dietary risk factors and estimates of disease burden and nutrition profiles of commonly consumed foods in the U.S.. 

To evaluate the environmental impact of foods, the experts looked at the life cycle of food from production to disposal, taking into account factors such as water usage and human health impacts from production-related air pollution. The researchers developed scores for 18 environmental indicators.

The study ultimately classified foods into three categories - green, yellow and red. The green foods are sustainable foods that have a positive impact on both health and the environment. Green foods include fruits, nuts and other plants, as well as a few select seafoods. 

On the other end of the spectrum, red foods have a high negative impact on health or the environment. The red foods include mainly beef, pork, lamb and processed meats.

The research suggests that legumes, nuts and outside grown vegetables should be increased in one’s diet, while beef, shrimp, pork, lamb and greenhouse grown vegetables should be limited. Small changes can have a positive impact. At the same time, however, the scientists emphasize that the best foods for the environment are not always the best for ones health and visa versa.    

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natfood/">Nature Food</a>.

---

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Eat sustainable foods, gain more healthy minutes of life

According to new research from the University of Michigan, eating...

<a href="https://ok.ubc.ca/">UBC Okanagan</a>, a university in Canada, is home to a Building Academic Retention through K-9s (BARK) program. While this program has long shown an increase in student well-being from interactions with dogs, the specifics have remained unknown. 

To investigate, Dr. John-Tyler Binfet recently led a team in the assessment of 284 interactions between students and dogs. 

"There have been a number of studies that have found canine-assisted interventions significantly improve participants’ wellbeing, but there has been little research into what interactions provide the greatest benefits," explained Dr. Binfet. "We know that spending time with therapy dogs is beneficial but we didn’t know why.”

To take a closer look at what type of interactions with dogs are most beneficial to students, the researchers recruited volunteers. 

The participants were assigned one of three different interactions: with a dog without touching, with a dog with touching, or with a dog handler without a dog. Before and after each interaction, the students answered questions to assess their well-being.

The study revealed that students showed improvement from interactions with dogs regardless of their initial level of well-being. Unsurprisingly, the students who interacted with the dogs by touching them had a greater increase in their perceived well-being than those who did not touch dogs. 

Dr. Binfet explains why his research is very timely. “As students potentially return to in-person class on their college campuses this fall and seek ways to keep their stress in check, I’d encourage them to take advantage of the therapy dog visitation program offered." 

"And once there - be sure to make time for a canine cuddle...That’s a surefire way to reduce stress.”

Dr. Binfet points out that his research shows how best to use therapy dogs, and that a proper ratio of dogs to people is essential to allow dog cuddling.

---

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Cuddling with dogs can improve your well-being

UBC Okanagan, a university in Canada, is home to a...

Humans are the only <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/newborn-mammals-can-see-the-world-before-they-open-their-eyes/">mammals</a> to be habitually bipedal, and the evolution of bipedalism over the past seven million years has led to many changes in our skeletal structure and gait. A new study has revealed that rotating hips are not an advantage in human locomotion.

Until recently, it was believed that the relatively long legs of humans gave them an advantage in terms of a longer stride that made walking locomotion more efficient. 

However, in the results of a study published by <a href="https://www.biologists.com/">The Company of Biologists</a>, Nathan Thompson of <a href="https://www.nyit.edu/">NYIT</a> finds that chimpanzees have a 25 percent longer stride length than humans, when height is taken into consideration.

"Standardized by size, humans really don’t have long strides," says Thompson, after investigating the strides of humans and chimpanzees as they walked at different speeds.

Thompson and colleagues Brigitte Demes, Susan Larson (both at Stony Brook University, USA) and Matthew O’Neill (Midwestern University, USA) habituated chimpanzees to walking upright on their back legs while they filmed the animals in 3-D. 

When they scaled the humans and chimpanzees to have matching heights, they found that although the humans’ legs were 112 percent longer than the legs of chimpanzees, their strides were 26,7 percent shorter.

Upon closer investigation, Thompson observed that chimpanzees lift their hips considerably on the side that takes the stride. This is known as a pelvic step or pelvic rotation. 

While chimpanzees rotate their hips between 28 and 61 degrees, humans show a paltry 8-degree rotation while striding. A human keeps his or her pelvis relatively stable while walking, although as walking speed increases, the pelvic step contributes more to the total step length.

When the researchers analyzed how much rotating hips increased the stride length of a chimpanzee, they found that it extended the length by 5.4 times more, taking into account a chimp’s height. 

"I think that chimpanzees use pelvic rotations to try to squeeze every bit of stride length out, otherwise their strides would be - absolutely - very small,’ says Thompson, explaining that apes and monkeys tend to walk on bent legs that naturally shorten their stride; 

"I don’t think there are a lot of options other than rotating the pelvis, given their anatomical constraints."

Humans have always been considered to be very efficient walkers and to have the longest possible stride. However, now that their stride size has been shown to be relatively shorter than that of their nearest living relatives, the researchers consider that other factors must have been important in the evolution of the human gait. 

Thompson suggests that walking with an exaggerated pelvic rotation may increase stride length but could also disrupt the natural swing of our arms and legs, which helps to balance us. Ditching the rotating hips may have also helped to stabilize a human’s center of mass, which would mean that fewer muscles are active while walking and so the energetic costs are reduced. 

"Humans have had about seven million years of selective pressure for economical bipedalism; this means that there has been a lot of time to experiment with the costs and benefits, so it might be worth it to walk with slightly shorter strides, because whatever energy we lose, we might make up elsewhere," concludes Thompson.

The study is published in the <a href="https://journals.biologists.com/jeb">Journal of Experimental Biology</a>.

---

By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Humans gave up rotating hips for a smoother stride

Humans are the only mammals to be habitually bipedal, and...

Research on speech development stresses the challenges children face in gaining control over their vocal articulators, including the tongue, lips, and jaw, in order to be able to produce coherent speech sounds. An increasing number of scientists argue that this control is gradually gained during babbling, when infants start producing their first utterances which resemble typical speech sounds. 

Babbling appears to be a universal form of human behavior, characterizing child development in all languages and cultures. 

Language use is considered one of the trademarks of humanity. Yet, its origins and development are far from being completely understood. Much knowledge about language evolution is gathered in the field of biolinguistics through comparing vocal ontogenetic processes in humans with similar processes in non-human animals. 

Babbling behavior seems to be quite rare in the animal kingdom. Until recently, this phenomenon had only been analyzed in songbirds. Due to significant differences in both brain organization and anatomy (birds have a syrinx instead of a larynx like humans), it has been very difficult to apply research findings about songbird babbling to humans. 

Recently though, a study conducted by a team of scientists from the <a href="https://www.museumfuernaturkunde.berlin/en">Museum für Naturkunde Berlin</a> discussed babbling behavior in a mammal species that, at first sight, seem to be highly different from humans: the greater sac-winged bat Saccopteryx bilineata. 

Researchers investigated this behavior of 20 bat pups in their natural habitats in Costa Rica and Panama, and discovered that these bats spend around seven weeks engaging in daily babbling behavior during their ontogeny, and employ long multisyllabic vocal sequences that include parts similar to the vocal repertoire of adult bats. 

“Pup babbling is a very conspicuous vocal behavior, it is audible at considerable distance from the roost and babbling bouts have a duration of up to 43 minutes,” researcher Martina Nagy said. While babbling, pups learn the songs of the adult males. 

Even more surprisingly, bat babbling is characterized by the same features as that of human infants, including reduplication of syllables and the use of rhythmic patterns. And whereas in the case of songbirds only young males babble, bat babbling behavior occurs in both male and female pups.

More studies of this fascinating bat species could give us new keys for unlocking the mysterious evolutionary origins of human language. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

---

By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Baby bats and human infants engage in similar babbling behavior

Research on speech development stresses the challenges children face in...

As the entire world desperately struggles to contain the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/second-dose-of-the-covid-19-vaccine-is-far-more-powerful/">COVID-19</a> pandemic, a newly established <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/c-change/news/preventing-pandemics-task-force/">International Scientific Task Force</a> has released a <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/c-change/news/PreventingPandemicsResearch/">report</a> that provides recommendations for avoiding future pandemics. 

The international team of experts from the United States, Latin America, South Asia, and Africa says that more sustained investments in nature, such as protecting forests and changing agricultural practices. are essential for preventing future spillovers of pathogens from animals to humans. These conservation actions should be combined with a global effort of strengthening healthcare systems.

Some of the main causes of the emergence of zoonotic diseases with pandemic potential include livestock operations, wildlife hunting and trade, the destruction of tropical forests, the expansion of agricultural lands, rapid urbanization, and climate change. An integrated approach investigating ways to control these risk factors is urgently needed, argued scientists such as Dr. Aaron Bernstein, the leader of the new task force and interim director of the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/">Harvard T.C. Chan School of Public Health</a>. 

“COVID-19 was a warning shot from the whole of nature to our species,” said Dr. Bernstein. “We need more precise and affective interventions to prevent spillover, and to get there, we need greater investment in science and actions that prevent disease emergence. What we’ve learned is that our salvation comes cheap. The costs of these actions are a fraction of the cost of managing a pandemic once it emerges.”

Previous <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/369/6502/379">research</a> conducted by Dr. Bernstein and colleagues estimated the annual costs of preventing future pandemics by reducing deforestation and regulating wildlife hunting and trade to be as little as $22 billion a year, which is less than two percent of the costs of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Beyond increasing control of these potential causes, the task force also asked for more in-depth research about where pandemics are more likely to emerge due to factors such as governance, travel patterns, or population density, and for more sustained investigations of the diversity of wildlife pathogens that could cause zoonotic diseases.

The findings from the task force’s inaugural report will soon be translated into international policy recommendations at the G20 summit from October 2021 and the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) from November 2021.  

---

By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Investing in nature is needed to avoid the next pandemic

As the entire world desperately struggles to contain the COVID-19...

Rattlesnakes are native to the Americas and are famous for the rattling noise they make by vibrating the tail tip segments when danger approaches. Previous research has shown that the frequency of this acoustic signal changes abruptly as a threat gets closer, but the significance of this change was not explained.

In a new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>, researchers propose that the sudden change to a higher frequency has the effect of making approaching predators (and humans) think that they are closer to the snake than they really are.

Study senior author Boris Chagnaud of Karl-Franzens-University Graz visited an animal facility where rattlesnakes were housed. He noticed that the characteristic rattling increased in frequency as he walked towards a snake but decreased again when he walked away. Chagnaud and his colleagues designed some ingenious experiments to test the function of this frequency change.

Initially, the researchers used objects that appeared to move closer to a snake by increasing in size. One of the objects looked like a human torso, while another was a large, black disk. As these potential threats appeared to come closer to the snake, the rattling rate increased gradually to approximately 40 Hz and then suddenly jumped to an even higher frequency of between 60 and 100 Hz.

Subsequent experiments showed that rattlesnakes modulate their rattling rate in response to the speed at which an object is approaching, rather than its apparent size. “In real life, rattlesnakes make use of additional vibrational and infrared signals to detect approaching mammals, so we would expect the rattling responses to be even more robust,” says Chagnaud.

To test the effect of this abrupt change in rattling frequency on human listeners, the researchers enlisted the help of 11 participants who moved through a virtual grassland environment where a virtual snake lay concealed. They were asked to estimate their distance from the hidden snake as its rattling gradually increased in frequency. 

When the individuals were at a virtual distance of four meters from the sound, its frequency abruptly jumped to 70 Hz. This sudden change in frequency caused the participants to perceive that they were much closer to the virtual snake than they actually were. 

“Our data show that the acoustic display of rattlesnakes, which has been interpreted for decades as a simple acoustic warning signal about the presence of the snake, is in fact a far more intricate interspecies communication signal,” explains Chagnaud.

“The sudden switch to the high-frequency mode acts as a smart signal fooling the listener about its actual distance to the sound source. The misinterpretation of distance by the listener thereby creates a distance safety margin.”

“Snakes do not just rattle to advertise their presence, but they evolved an innovative solution: a sonic distance warning device similar to the one included in cars while driving backwards."

“Evolution is a random process, and what we might interpret from today’s perspective as elegant design is in fact the outcome of thousands of trials of snakes encountering large mammals. The snake rattling co-evolved with mammalian auditory perception by trial and error, leaving those snakes that were best able to avoid being stepped on.”

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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

Rattlesnakes rattle to warn and deceive us

Rattlesnakes are native to the Americas and are famous for...

A new study claims that leaking pipes from Baltimore’s aging infrastructure is <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drug-pollution-becomes-addictive-for-fish/">polluting</a> the Chesapeake Bay with thousands of human doses of pharmaceuticals per year. Study lead author Megan Fork is a postdoctoral research associate at <a href="https://www.caryinstitute.org/">Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies</a>.

“Pharmaceuticals enter freshwaters through multiple pathways, including effluent from wastewater treatment and septic systems, as well as agricultural runoff," said Fork. "An important, but often overlooked contributor is aging and faulty wastewater infrastructure, which is common in many older cities.”

To understand the amount of pharmaceuticals entering the environment from leaking pipes alone, the scientists chose to research the Gwynns Falls watershed, a location where no wastewater is discharged. The researchers monitored six sites in the watershed, taking samples every week for a year and screening for 92 pharmaceutical compounds. 

Across all of the sites, 37 compounds were found. Pain relievers and antibiotics were commonly detected in the water samples. “Establishing the loads of contaminants such as pharmaceuticals is important since low concentrations may mislead regulators and managers into thinking that they are insignificant," explained Fork.

"In Baltimore we are already seeing that stream-dwelling bacteria are resistant to common antibiotics, suggesting that low chronic exposures can result in significant effects on stream life.”

Study senior co-author Emma Rosi noted that this study can be scaled up to look at an entire region.

“We estimate that nearly 1 percent of raw sewage originating in the Gwynns Falls watershed flows into the environment via leaking infrastructure. If we extrapolate our calculations to the entire Chesapeake Bay watershed, we estimate that approximately 11.7 billion liters of raw sewage may enter the Bay via leaks every year - carrying a range of pharmaceutical compounds that can affect aquatic organisms and disrupt ecosystem processes," said Rosi.

The scientists point out that the research is important because it highlights the threat of uncommon "pollution pathways" rather than just the usual suspects. We must look at everything if we are aiming to maintain healthy environments. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</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

Leaking pipes in Baltimore polluting the Chesapeake Bay

A new study claims that leaking pipes from Baltimore’s aging...

If ozone depleting substances - such as the notorious chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) - had been left unchecked several decades ago, their continued and increased use would have had a catastrophic effect on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exceeding-tipping-points-could-triple-the-costs-of-climate-change/">climate</a>, according to a new study led by Dr. Paul Young from <a href="https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/">Lancaster University</a>.

The <a href="https://www.unep.org/ozonaction/who-we-are/about-montreal-protocol">Montreal Protocol</a>, a landmark multilateral environmental agreement regulating the production and consumption of nearly 100 man-made ozone depleting substances, was adopted in 1987 in order to stop the destruction of the ozone layer. This is Earth’s protective shield against harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun (UV). 

Using a new modeling framework that integrated data on ozone depletion, the carbon cycle, vegetation damage by increased UV, and climate change, the researchers estimated that if CFCs had not been banned by the Montreal Protocol, we would have witnessed a worldwide collapse of the ozone layer by the 2040s. 

“Our new modeling tools, have allowed us to investigate the scorched Earth that would have resulted without the Montreal Protocol’s ban on ozone depleting substances," said Dr. Young.

In such a bleak scenario, which the team calls the "World Avoided," the strength of the sun’s UV in mid-latitudes (including large parts of Europe, the United States and Central Asia) would significantly surpass that from present day’s tropics by 2050, and by 2100 the ozone above the tropics would be diminished by 60 percent. 

“A world where these chemicals increased and continued to strip away at our protective ozone layer would have been catastrophic for human health, but also for vegetation. The increased UV would have massively stunted the ability of plants to soak up carbon from the atmosphere, meaning higher CO2 levels and more global warming,” stated Dr. Young. 

Without the Montreal Protocol’s ban on CFCs, there would have been 580 billion tons less carbon stored in vegetation and soils, and an additional 40 to 50 percent of CO2  in the atmosphere. This would have contributed to a 2.5°C rise in global air temperatures by the end of the 21st century. 

“With our research, we can see that the Montreal Protocol successes extend beyond protecting humanity from increased UV to protecting the ability of plants and trees to absorb CO2,” concluded Dr. Young. 

This should be a reminder for all of us that, although it is too late to avoid global warming, collective action can help avoiding some of climate change’s most catastrophic effects.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</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

Ban on ozone depleting substances prevented catastrophic consequences

If ozone depleting substances - such as the notorious chlorofluorocarbons...

When it comes to popular <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/outdoor-cats-tourism/">outdoor</a> activities in the United States, recreational fishing is nearly at the top of the list - second only to jogging. More than 44 million Americans describe themselves as recreational anglers.

Last spring, researchers at <a href="https://www.lsu.edu/">LSU</a>, the U.S. Geological Survey, and Clemson University set out to investigate how the pandemic was affecting recreational fishing. 

The team distributed an online survey in July and August of 2020, and received thousands of responses across 10 states. Recreational anglers were asked 20 questions, including whether they fished more or less often during the pandemic and what their motivations were.

Study lead author Stephen Midway is an assistant professor in the Department of Oceanography &amp; Coastal Sciences at LSU. “What we found is people still fished and in fact, they fished a little bit more during the pandemic,” said Professor Midway.

Overall, 80 percent of the survey respondents said they fished as much during the pandemic as they did before, while 20 percent said they fished more.

The individuals who fished more during the pandemic took about one additional trip in the spring. The researchers explained that while this increase may seem small, it had a positive ripple effect on the economy.

“When you go fishing, you are spending money. You may have bought your fishing rod and reel 10 years ago, but when you go fishing, you buy bait, put gas in your car or boat, buy ice, buy a fishing license and possibly pay for a boat slip," said Professor Midway.

"There’s a significant amount of money that gets distributed throughout the economy through the travel cost of fishing including that one extra fishing trip."

In addition, money from state fishing licenses is often used to support wildlife management agencies and fisheries.

“For most states, a large amount of their fisheries management budget is generated by fishing license sales. That helps increase the revenues to help them do their jobs,” said Professor Midway.

Most of the survey respondents expressed the belief that fishing was a very low risk activity during the pandemic. 

Many of the individuals had experienced reduced work hours and less income as a result of COVID-19 shutdowns. They said that they turned to recreational fishing as a relatively low-cost outdoor activity.

As for what motivated people to go fishing during the pandemic, the most popular responses were: social and family bonding, stress relief, and being in nature.

“This study was very valuable to state fisheries agencies, because it helped to identify what the broad motivations were for people to increase their fishing activity," said Jeff Kopaska, who is a fisheries research biometrician with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

"State agencies were well aware that many more fishing licenses were being sold during the pandemic, and everyone had some opinion ‘why.’ This work identified that fishing was perceived as a safe, stress-relieving activity, which will now help agencies to fine-tune messaging to try to keep people fishing in the future."

“The willingness of anglers to keep fishing during a public health crisis suggests the importance of the activity," said Professor Midway. "A better understanding of anglers’ motivation and behaviors is important for any type of resource management."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://plos.org/">PLOS ONE</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

Recreational fishing got a boost during the pandemic

When it comes to popular outdoor activities in the United...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Carl...

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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