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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 by ecologists at the <a href="https://www.umass.edu/">University of Massachusetts Amherst</a> has revealed that 1,330 garden centers and online retailers are still selling invasive species as garden plants. Out of the hundreds of invasive plants that the team found available for sale, 20 species are illegal to grow or sell nationwide.

“Once we’ve recognized that an ornamental plant can be invasive, we would hope that commercial sales of that species would stop,” said study lead author Evelyn M. Beaury.

“But our findings show that our current framework for removing invasive plants from plant trade isn’t working. States are generally doing a good job limiting sales of their own regulated plants, but we found major inconsistencies in what’s being regulated across state borders. Nearly all states had at least one of their regulated plants sold in a neighboring state.”

The researchers found that 61 percent of 1,285 plant species identified as invasive in the U.S. remain available through the plant trade. This includes 50 percent of state-regulated species and 20 percent of federal noxious weeds.  

According to the study authors, the most concerning case of federally designated noxious weed sales is the availability of cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica), which they found to be offered by 33 vendors in 17 states. This aggressive species, which is native to Southeast Asia, has spread rapidly across the South in the last few decades and is classified as one of the world’s most invasive plants.

“This is a tricky case, because plant breeders are marketing a sterile cultivar. But research shows these plants are not completely sterile and can still become invasive," explained Beaury.

Some of the vendors are large online marketplaces like eBay and Amazon,  where invasive plants can be shipped across state borders.

“While patchy state regulations definitely contribute to the widespread availability of invasive plants in the U.S., it’s clear we as a public also lack awareness about which plants are invasive and how they spread to new areas," said Beaury.

"We’ve already heard from state regulators that have used our results to follow up with growers selling invasive species. This is great news, and if we want to continue to protect native ecosystems, regulators and managers need more resources to do so.”

The researchers suggest that regional regulation, as well as outreach to growers and consumers, is needed to reduce the ongoing propagation of garden plants that are known to be invasive in the United States. 

"We’ve known for decades that many gardening and landscaping plants are invasive, but we’ve done little to stop propagating them. We can do better," said study senior author Professor Bethany Bradley. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.esa.org/frontiers-in-ecology-and-the-environment/">Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Hundreds of invasive species are for sale as garden plants in the U.S.

A new study by ecologists at the University of Massachusetts...

As most know, bees are important <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/green-spaces-provide-a-refuge-for-urban-pollinators/">pollinators</a> for both crops and wild plants. It’s unknown exactly how climate change may impact bees. Now, researchers from <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/">Imperial College London</a> have examined the relationship between bee flight and temperature. 

The researchers measured bumblebee motivation to fly and flight endurance under different temperatures. The research was carried out by attaching the insects to ‘flight mills’ where they could fly in controlled circles with speed and distance being recorded. 

Starting with a low temperature limit of 12°C, the scientists found that bee flight performance initially increased, peaking between 25-27°C, but then started to decline with even warmer temperatures. 

This suggests that climate change could actually be good news for bumblebees living in cooler areas. According to study first author Daniel Kenna, the impacts of warming climate on bees is complicated.

“Climate change is often thought of as being negative for bumblebee species, but depending on where in the world they are, our work suggests it is possible bumblebees will see benefits to aspects of an important behavior," explained Kenna.

"However, more extreme weather events, such as cold snaps and the unprecedented heatwaves experienced in recent years, could consistently push temperatures beyond the comfortable flight range for certain species of bumblebees."

"These risks are particularly pertinent for ‘fixed colony’ pollinators like bumblebees, which cannot shift their position within a season if conditions become unfavorable, and potentially provide a further explanation as to why losses have been observed at species’ southern range limits.”

The study found that at optimal temperatures, bees may fly as far as 3 km to forage, while under hot temperatures they only flew about 1 km, and even less and colder temperatures. 

The research indicates that an increase in temperature could mean an increase in pollination in cooler areas, but could cause severe harm to bees in areas that are already warm. The full picture of what the future holds for bees remains to be seen.   

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652435">Functional Ecology</a>. 

---

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Bee flight performance drops under extreme heat

As most know, bees are important pollinators for both crops...

The Colorado River is a major source of water in the arid western United States. To support higher populations of people and development on such a finite resource, the Colorado River has been dammed and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/water-reservoirs-generate-much-higher-emissions-than-expected/">reservoirs</a> have been created. One of the more famous reservoirs, Lake Mead, created by the Hoover Dam, is drying out. The reservoir is now only 35 percent full, the lowest it's been since it was first filled in the 30’s.

This low point for the reservoir is part of a long-standing drought that is now in its 22nd year. Similar dry conditions may be the norm with climate change in the foreseeable future. Growing human populations and wasteful water practices have only thrown gasoline on the fire. 

While water shortages in the American West are a surprise to no one, the drop in Lake Mead has caught the region unprepared and triggered water allotment cuts, causing ten state governors to ask President Biden to declare an emergency. Such a declaration would allow some farmers and ranchers access to federal assistance. 

Arizona will have its access to the Colorado River water reduced by 18 percent and Nevada will be reduced by 7 percent. Water released into Mexico under a treaty signed in 1944 will be reduced by 5 percent. 

Recently, small surges of Colorado River water have been able to reach the Gulf of California and wild habitats that have been under severe stress due to damming and water usage upstream. With water levels slated to drop even further in the coming years, it seems likely that these estuaries will suffer even more. 

Humans will also be forced to deal with the realities of this catastrophe of their own making. The first tier water cuts, set to impact Arizona, Nevada and Mexico, will possibly become more restrictive in the next phase, with more restrictions expected as soon as 2023.

It seems that in the West we may be coming to terms with a long legacy of water misuse and the new threat of a changing climate.         

---

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Running dry: water shortages in the Colorado River

The Colorado River is a major source of water in...

Everybody needs a wingman - even, according to a new study, our closest evolutionary relatives. Published by authors from the <a href="https://umich.edu/">University of Michigan</a>, Arizona State, and Duke University, the research looked at the complex <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-support-can-protect-your-brain-health/">social</a> relationships of chimpanzees and what benefits they may receive for forging those bonds. 

"Chimps cooperate frequently, and often in these very dramatic ways: You see things like grooming, all kinds of complex alliance formation and group territorial defense," explained study lead author Joseph Feldburn. "The question is: What do males get out of it and how?" 

Social animals have evolved certain behaviors for their survival as they pass on their genes to the next generation. In other words, their behavior enhances their fitness.  “Males wouldn't spend all this time grooming other males and forgoing trying to find females or food unless you get some kind of benefit from it."

The researchers cross referenced genetic data and behavioral observations from a population of chimps in Western Tanzania - some of the same chimps Jane Goodall studied in Gombe Stream National Park. The experts concluded that males who had stronger ties among their group, or who were closely associated with the alpha male, had a lot more reproductive success. "Sucking up to the boss is nothing new. We show that it's always paid off," said co-author Anne Pusey.

Learning about chimp society can help us learn about ourselves. Indeed, the close relationship between Homo sapiens and Pan troglodytes means that people and chimpanzees may play by some of the same social rules. 

"Together with bonobos, chimpanzees are our closest living relatives, and help us to identify which features of human social life are unique," said study senior author Ian Gilby.

"This study suggests that strong bonds among males have deep evolutionary roots and provided the foundation for the more complex relationships that we see in humans."

Whether it’s having friends in high places or being a social butterfly, it’s good to have connections when you’re playing the Darwinian lottery.  

According to Feldblum, more research is needed to tease out how coalition formations and these social bonds lead to siring success.

"Is it that if your ally is nearby, you're more likely to mate with an estrus female, or does having your allies around you protect you from harassment from other males? Or because your ally will support you if a conflict erupts, your stress levels are lower and you can devote more energy to mating efforts? This last step we still don't know."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/home">iScience</a>.

---

By <a href="mailto:rugerpaleo@gmail.com">Alex Ruger</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Even chimpanzees need a wingman

Everybody needs a wingman - even, according to a new...

Researchers recently discovered an extremely surprising fact about the common cuttlefish (Sepia officialis). Unlike any other known <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-animals-prefer-to-work-for-their-food-but-not-cats/">animal</a>, cuttlefish are able to retain sharp memories of specific events, even in their old age. 

In a study recently published in the journal <a href="https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/325198">Proceedings of the Royal Society B</a>, researchers from the University of Cambridge, the Marine Biological Laboratory at <a href="https://www.whoi.edu/">Woods Hole</a>, and the University of Caen argue that cuttlefish can remember with extreme precision what, where, and when specific events happened - right up until their last few days of life.

“Cuttlefish can remember what they ate, where and when, and use this to guide their feeding decisions in the future. What’s surprising is that they don’t lose this ability with age, despite showing other signs of aging like loss of muscle function and appetite,” wrote study lead author Dr. Alexandra Schnell from the University of Cambridge.

In humans, this capacity for episodic memory gradually wanes with age. This is caused by the deterioration of the hippocampus, a part of the brain which plays a significant role in learning and memory. 

However, the brain structure of cuttlefish is significantly different from ours. The fish do not have a hippocampus, and use instead their vertical lobe to deal with learning and memory processes. Luckily for them, this brain area does not seem to deteriorate until the last two to three days of their lives.

But why would such an amazing capacity evolve in the cuttlefish in the first place? Why would they need to remember until the day they die all the details of last week’s dinner? 

“We think this ability might help cuttlefish in the wild to remember who they mated with, so they don’t go back to the same partner,” explained Dr. Schnell. 

Since cuttlefish breed only towards the end of their relatively brief lives (of about two years), exact memories regarding when, where, and with whom they mated could ensure that they will have as many partners as possible, thus spreading their genes widely.

Although such behavior would probably be frowned upon by more morally-bent animal species such as Homo sapiens, it certainly gave rise to an extraordinary adaptation that has never been met before in the animal kingdom.       

---

By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Old cuttlefish have a remarkable memory

Researchers recently discovered an extremely surprising fact about the common...

The reality of global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/clouds-have-an-amplifying-effect-on-global-warming/">warming</a> can no longer be denied, and the potential consequences for Arctic ecosystems are not yet clearly understood. 

As the Arctic Ocean, North Pole, and the surrounding land warm up rapidly, shrinking sea ice allows increasingly more light to reach the surface of the ocean. Some scholars claim that this will lead to the proliferation of surface plankton, a crucial food source for aquatic animals.

However, researchers from <a href="https://www.princeton.edu/">Princeton University</a> and the Max Plank Institute for Chemistry propose that this argument is erroneous. The growth of plankton is strongly tied to the presence of nitrogen, a vital nutrient which - in the context of accelerated global warming - will become increasingly scarce.

As ice melts, photosynthesizing plankton should theoretically benefit from the greater amount of light hitting the ocean waters. “But there’s a catch,” said Professor Julie Granger from the University of Connecticut. “These plankton also need nutrients to grow, and nutrients are only abundant deeper in the Arctic Ocean, just beyond the reach of the plankton.” 

And whether the plankton can access these nutrients relies on the level of stratification of the upper ocean. 

“When the upper ocean is strongly stratified, with very light water floating on top of dense deep water, the supply of nutrients to the sunlit surface is slow,” explained study lead author Jesse Farmer.

The researchers analyzed fossilized plankton in an effort to map the history of Arctic Ocean stratification since the last ice age. They discovered that when the ice age ended 11,500 years ago, the Arctic Ocean became strongly stratified, reaching a peak between 10,000 and 6,000 years ago, a warm period called the “<a href="https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/global-warming/mid-holocene-warm-period">Holocene Thermal Maximum</a>.” 

Since then, with temperatures gradually falling, the Arctic stratification has weakened, allowing sufficient amounts of nitrogen to rise to the surface and sustain the plankton.

Today, this trend is reversing yet again. Global warming is quickly bringing the climate of Arctic ecosystems back to that of the Holocene Thermal Maximum, causing a strong stratification of the upper ocean, and thus preventing surface plankton from receiving a sufficient amount of nitrogen. 

With plankton diminishing, life in the Arctic Ocean becomes increasingly precarious, proving once more the imminent dangers caused by global warming. 

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-021-00789-y">Nature Geoscience</a>.

---

By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Arctic ecosystems are endangered by global warming

The reality of global warming can no longer be denied,...

Although most people understand that it’s important to wash your hands for sanitary reasons, few have ever looked at the physics of the task. A new study led by Paul Simon Hammond does just that.

Researchers from Hammond Consulting Limited created a model looking at the mechanics of hand washing. With their model, the scientists were able to estimate the time it takes to remove harmful material such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-help-corals-survive-when-they-get-into-hot-water/">bacteria</a> and viruses. 

The model represents hands as wavy lines, because on microscopic levels, hands are quite rough surfaces. In the troughs of those wavy lines, microbes or particles can cling. This is why water has to be a certain force to remove contaminants from hands. 

"Basically, the flow tells you about the forces on the particles.Then you can work out how the particles move and figure out if they get removed," explained Hammond.

Under certain circumstances, the contaminants will remain on the hands due to inadequate hand washing. 

"If you move your hands too gently, too slowly, relative to one another, the forces created by the flowing fluid are not big enough to overcome the force holding the particle down,” said Hammond.

It still takes time, not just a brief but vigorous scrub. The team's new model and the CDC guidelines agree - you should wash your hands for at least 20 seconds. 

Although the research didn’t look at the role of chemicals such as different soaps, Hammond hopes the study might be helpful in designing environmentally friendly cleaners in the future, saying,

"Nowadays, we need to be a bit more thoughtful about what happens to the wash chemicals when they go down the plughole and enter the environment," said Hammond.

The study is published by the <a href="https://www.aip.org/">American Institute of Physics</a> in the journal <a href="https://aip.scitation.org/journal/phf">Physics of Fluids</a>. 

---

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Why you should wash your hands for twenty seconds

Although most people understand that it’s important to wash your...

Anyone who has watched sunflowers grow in their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gardening-and-walking-can-help-prevent-mobility-disability/">garden</a> is familiar with how they turn - facing east in the morning and slowly tracking the sun until they are looking westward in the evening. 

Previous research has shown how they do this - the plant’s internal circadian rhythm regulates its behavior. But now, a team of scientists at <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">UC Davis</a> has uncovered why. It appears the reason is closely related to something all organisms must do - reproduce. 

“It’s quite striking that they face east,” said study senior author Professor Stacey Harmer. “It’s better for them to face east, as they produce more offspring.”

The researchers rotated several sunflowers around, moving some to face west and others east. They also planted sterile seeds next to plants facing both east and west with the intent to genotype which group pollinated the seed.

The experts found that the east-facing plants attracted more attention from bees - pollinators vital to sunflower reproduction. Plants facing the rising sun also produced larger seeds and released more pollen - incidentally, much of that pollen from the east-facing sunflowers made it to the sterile seeds. 

The direct sunlight also influenced the shape and structure of immature sunflowers, making them more readily accessible to pollinators.

The reason for the sun-tracking plants’ reproductive success is likely tied to temperature, as the east-facing flowers soaked in more heat, something that must have been attractive to the bees. The warmth likely helped the ectothermic bees thermoregulate early in the morning. 

The study also revealed that sunflowers release more pollen when the temperature is higher. The researchers placed a heater next to westward-facing plants and found that they released just as much pollen as the east facing plants. 

Furthermore, the direct ultraviolet light from the sun’s rays gives off colors only bees can see, making the sun-facing plants even more enticing. To sum it up in Dr. Harmer’s words “It’s better for them to face east, as they produce more offspring.” 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14698137">New Phytologist</a>.

---

By <a href="mailto:rugerpaleo@gmail.com">Alex Ruger</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Sunflowers face east to get more attention from bees

Anyone who has watched sunflowers grow in their garden is...

Gray foxes, one of only two species surviving in their genus, have been declining in one specific part of their range - the Southeastern US - for decades. A new study published in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jmammal">Journal of Mammology</a> takes a closer look at why. 

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/spread-coyotes-deer-numbers/">Coyotes</a> are also native to the United States but historically lived in the western to midwestern states. Recently, coyotes have moved eastward, coinciding with the decline in foxes. 

Study co-author James Beasley of the <a href="https://www.uga.edu/">University of Georgia</a> explained how looking at trapping records inspired the research.    

“Here on the Savannah River Site, there are excellent historical trapping records and gray foxes used to be really abundant. But now we don’t see them nearly as frequently. That’s prompted questions of why - why are we seeing the reduction in these numbers?”

The records showed that as the populations of gray foxes decreased, the populations of coyotes in the area increased. The scientists knew that coyotes and gray foxes co-existed well in other parts of their range, so they began to wonder if something was different in the southeastern populations. The researchers compared the diets of foxes and coyotes in both places by chemically analysing hair from the animals. 

“In the Midwest, we found there were significant differences in diet between species, whereas in the Southeast they overlapped significantly,” explained study lead author and doctoral student Sarah Webster.

The study reveals that, in the Midwest, coyotes and gray foxes had time to find their own specific niches, partitioning their use of food to avoid competition with each other. Not enough time has passed in the Southeast for this process to take place yet. The question the scientists ask is, will the coyotes and foxes sort out their competition for food before it’s too late? 

It seems that the behavior of gray foxes is changing slightly, possibly a good sign that they’re adapting to coyotes. The scientists point out that there is no evidence that we’re capable of effectively controlling coyotes anyway. Perhaps the best we can do is support good environments for gray foxes and let nature take its course.  

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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

Gray foxes in the Southeast compete with coyotes for food

Gray foxes, one of only two species surviving in their...

An international team of researchers has developed a new model to predict the economic costs of pushing climate systems past their tipping points. This refers to a critical threshold beyond which the impacts are accelerated and irreversible. The study shows that exceeding climate tipping points will dramatically worsen the economic costs of climate change. 

More specifically, the experts found that surpassing tipping points will increase the cost of damages associated with climate change by at least 25 percent. However, this could be a conservative estimate, as tipping points increase the risks of much greater damages, emphasized the study authors.

The results show that there is a 10 percent chance that tipping points will double the cost of damages related to climate change, and a five percent chance the costs will be tripled.

Study co-author Simon Dietz is an expert at the <a href="https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/">Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment</a>, and a professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

“Climate scientists have long emphasized the importance of climate tipping points like thawing permafrost, ice sheet disintegration, and changes in atmospheric circulation," said Professor Dietz.

"Yet, save for a few fragmented studies, climate economics has either ignored them, or represented them in highly stylized ways. We provide unified estimates of the economic impacts of all eight climate tipping points covered in the economic literature so far.”

The researchers considered eight tipping points that have been recently analyzed by scientists, including thawing permafrost, which releases carbon dioxide and methane emissions. This climate system is an example of a reinforcing feedback loop in which thawing permafrost accelerates warming, and warming causes more permafrost to thaw.

The experts also looked at the disintegration of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, which is contributing to sea-level rise, and carbon dioxide released from dying trees in the Amazon. 

According to the results of the study, pushing these climate systems past their thresholds will increase economic losses almost everywhere in the world. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</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

Exceeding tipping points could triple the costs of climate change

An international team of researchers has developed a new model...

The pepper genus contains a variety of capsicums that are large and sweet, as well as hot peppers commonly called chilis. These familiar <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/orangutans-are-starving-from-fruit-shortages/">fruits</a> brighten up fresh produce markets and are used in culinary dishes all over the world. Peppers are native to southern North America and northern South America but have a global distribution today.

Because of the culinary and trade importance of peppers, their genomic information is stored in many gene banks with the aim of preserving genetic diversity for future breeding purposes. This genomic information was used in a recent study to trace the historical distribution of the most economically important pepper species (Capsicum annuum) along the trade routes of the world. 

“We conducted a huge genomic scan of over ten thousand pepper (Capsicum spp.) samples from worldwide gene banks and used the data to investigate the history of this iconic staple,” said Dr. Pasquale Tripodi, researcher at the Italian research institute CREA and co-first author of the study.

Collaboration with the gene banks produced genomic information for peppers from 130 countries on five continents. The data were analysed using a method called ReMIXTURE, which was specially developed to assess the genetic similarity between the pepper variants from different regions. 

“The results reflect a vision of pepper as a highly desirable and tradable cultural commodity, spreading rapidly throughout the globe along major maritime and terrestrial trade routes," explained Dr. Mark Timothy Rabanus-Wallace from <a href="https://www.ipk-gatersleben.de/en/institute/about-us/">IPK Leibniz Institute</a>, who co-led the study and who developed the ReMIXTURE method. 

“A large factor in pepper’s initial appeal was certainly its pungency, especially in non-tropical Europe where hot spices were rare and imported black pepper could fetch good prices.” 

There was considerable overlap in the kinds of peppers collected from the different regions. For example, Eurasian peppers were similar to those found in neighboring regions, indicating their spread along trade routes such as the Silk Road. In addition, European and African peppers were similar to varieties found in the Americas, revealing the impact of transatlantic trade between these continents.  

The data also showed that in South America, Mesoamerica, Eastern Europe and Africa, there is a high occurrence of region-unique peppers, giving evidence for selective breeding of the crop in these regions.

This is supported by the finding that certain characteristics, such as pungency, were not distributed uniformly across the globe. Human culture has clearly influenced the spread of peppers with desirable traits.

The research team used the data to check for duplicate accessions between gene banks. They found 1,618 duplications within and between gene banks, which indicates considerable overlap of samples and waste of valuable scientific time. 

“This significant level of duplication should motivate the development of genetic pre-screening protocols to be used in genebanks for documenting the potential duplicate samples upon first acquisition," concluded Dr. Nils Stein, who is the head of the research group Genomics of Genetic Resources at the IPK Leibniz Institute. 

The results of the study are published in <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

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By <a href="http://bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

It’s in the genes: humans traded peppers along global trade routes

The pepper genus contains a variety of capsicums that are...

Having a friend who is a good listener can be beneficial to your <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-triggers-changes-in-the-brain-that-reduce-depression/">brain</a> health, according to a new study. The experts report that social support helps to prevent cognitive decline despite brain aging, and even despite disease-related changes in the brain.

The researchers found that simply having someone available to listen most of the time is associated with greater cognitive resilience.

Dr. Joel Salinas, the study’s lead researcher, is a professor of Neurology at <a href="https://med.nyu.edu/our-community/about-us">NYU Grossman School of Medicine</a>.

“We think of cognitive resilience as a buffer to the effects of brain aging and disease,” said Dr. Salinas.

“This study adds to growing evidence that people can take steps, either for themselves or the people they care about most, to increase the odds they’ll slow down cognitive aging or prevent the development of symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease - something that is all the more important given that we still don’t have a cure for the disease.”

It is estimated that five million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. This progressive condition interferes with a person's memory, language, and decision-making ability.

Dr. Salinas explained that while the disease usually affects an older population, the results of this study indicate that people younger than 65 would benefit from taking stock of their social support. 

The study revealed that for every unit of decline in brain volume, individuals in their 40s and 50s with low listener availability had a cognitive age that was four years older than those with high listener availability.

“These four years can be incredibly precious. Too often we think about how to protect our brain health when we’re much older, after we’ve already lost a lot of time decades before to build and sustain brain-healthy habits,” said Dr. Salinas. “But today, right now, you can ask yourself if you truly have someone available to listen to you in a supportive way, and ask your loved ones the same. Taking that simple action sets the process in motion for you to ultimately have better odds of long-term brain health and the best quality of life you can have.”

Dr. Salinas also recommends that physicians consider asking patients whether they have access to someone they can count on to listen to them when they need to talk. 

“Loneliness is one of the many symptoms of depression, and has other health implications for patients. These kinds of questions about a person’s social relationships and feelings of loneliness can tell you a lot about a patient’s broader social circumstances, their future health, and how they’re really doing outside of the clinic.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen">JAMA Network Open</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

Social support can protect your brain health

Having a friend who is a good listener can be...

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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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

[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

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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

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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...