Do you recall those childhood days when you eagerly anticipated bedtime stories about Peter Rabbit, Toad or Ratty from The Wind in the Willows? Or the excitement that washed over you every time you opened a children's book teeming with playful, animated animals? 



Well, a new study is giving us a fresh perspective on the role of these furry, iconic characters.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-children-s-books-animal-characters">Children's books animal characters</h2>



The research has shed light on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/toddlers-learn-faster-after-witnessing-impossible-events/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">potential influence</a> of non-human characters in children's books.



The researchers aimed to gauge how these animal characters affected children's theory of mind skills - crucial abilities which include deciphering social changes in the environment based on voice tone, word choice, or facial expressions.



They worked with over 100 children aged five to 10, each of whom were tested on their theory of mind skills after hearing stories featuring animal characters, as well as those highlighting human characters.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-vs-animal-characters-in-books">Human vs. animal characters in books</h2>



The study unveiled an interesting pattern. When exposed to stories centered around human characters, an age-related progression was observed. 



Older children were consistently outperforming their younger counterparts, with 3rd grade children surpassing the researchers' expectations in tests featuring human characters.



But the revelations didn't stop there. The tests that involved animal characters threw up another surprise. 



The younger participants were able to match the scores achieved by pupils in 3rd grade, who were two years their senior. That's quite a feat for our young champions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-insight-into-children-s-development">New insight into children's development</h2>



These findings, published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, highlight the importance of both human and non-human characters in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/outdoor-classes-improve-childrens-mental-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">children's developmental stages</a>.



The research was led by Dr. Gray Atherton and Dr. Liam Cross from the University of Plymouth’s <a href="https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/schools/psychology" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">School of Psychology</a>.



"Animals play a huge part of children’s stories, whether that is in books and comics or through TV and film. We wanted to test if that is down to more than simply liking the characters, and whether there are actual benefits of children learning through by watching or reading about animals and if this changes over time," said Dr. Atherton.



"Our findings showed that both human and non-human characters are important in helping children interpret the world around them, and that they play differing roles at different stages in their development. Adapting activities and lessons in nurseries and the early school years to take that into account could be hugely effective in helping to support their development."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-educators-and-parents">Implications for educators and parents</h2>



The insights gained from this study have substantial implications for educators and parents aiming to support children's cognitive and social development.



By incorporating both human and animal characters into books, educators can craft a more balanced learning environment that caters to the diverse needs of children across age groups. 



Parents, too, can enrich their children's home learning experiences by selecting a variety of stories that include both human and animal protagonists. 



This approach not only makes reading sessions more engaging but also aids in developing empathy and understanding of complex social scenarios.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-directions">Future research directions</h2>



While this study provides valuable insights, it also opens avenues for further exploration. 



Future research could go deeper into the types of animal characteristics that are most effective in nurturing children's theory of mind. For instance, exploring whether anthropomorphized animals or more realistic portrayals have differing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/parents-who-use-humor-have-better-relationships-with-their-children/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">impacts</a>. 



Similarly, cross-cultural studies could investigate whether the affinity towards animal characters holds true in diverse cultural contexts. These inquiries could refine understanding and application in educational strategies, enhancing the efficacy of storytelling as a developmental tool.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-animal-characters-and-autism-treatment">Animal characters and autism treatment</h2>



In previous studies, Dr. Atherton and Dr. Cross examined the factors influencing the educational and social development of individuals with autism and learning difficulties.



The experts launched initiatives proving how board and online games can bolster confidence among people with autism. 



Borrowing insights from this research, the scholars now plan to dig deeper to explore if their findings could provide specific benefits to children with such conditions.



Dr. Cross envisions a significant impact of this study on individuals with autism or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/kids-with-behavioral-issues-have-high-cortisol-levels-in-their-hair/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">other conditions</a> affecting their learning. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-new-way-of-looking-at-animal-characters">A new way of looking at animal characters</h2>



The researchers have observed how tasks involving animal characters can result in autistic individuals performing on par with non-autistic children. 



The plan is to replicate this study with autistic children in an effort to unveil more effective ways to support them at a critical stage in their development.



In a nutshell, this study has unraveled an entirely new dimension of how we view animals in children's books. 



Those delightful animal characters do more than simply entertain; they help shape our children's minds and understanding of the world around them in their formative years.



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002209652400256X?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Experimental Child Psychology</a>. 



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Animal characters boost social and emotional skills in children

Do you recall those childhood days when you eagerly anticipated bedtime stories about Peter Rabbit, Toad or Ratty from The Wind in the Willows? Or the excitement that washed over you every time you opened a children's book teeming with playful, animated animals? Well, a new study is giving us a fresh perspective on the role of these furry, iconic characters. Children's books animal characters The research has shed light on the potential influence of non-human characters in children's books. The researchers aimed to gauge how these...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/study-reveals-the-nutritional-appeal-of-moon-jellyfish/">Fish</a> can pass along the adverse effects of chemical contaminants to future generations, according to a new study from <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a>. 

Using extremely low levels of chemicals that are commonly found in waterways, the researchers found that the genetic impacts of exposure appeared in fish generations later who were never directly exposed. 

"What that gets at is something your grandparents may have come into contact with in their environment can still be affecting the overall structure of your DNA in your life today," said study lead author Kaley Major.

The investigation was focused on synthetic endocrine disrupting chemicals that mimic the body's hormones. These chemicals are found in many products that are widely used including food, toys, cosmetics, and pesticides. 

Studies have shown that exposure to endocrine disruptors can alter sex ratios, lower fertility rates, and cause deformities in fish. 

In humans and other animals, the chemicals interfere with the body's natural hormones that are responsible for development, behavior, and fertility. Previous research found that the effects on humans can be passed along to children and grandchildren.

"It's really important to understand how animals can deal with stress in the environment, particularly when we are introducing new stressors on a daily basis," said study co-author Professor Susanne Brander.

"Our research helps show what animals do to respond to these changes and how quickly they can respond to them. That's going to help us understand our impact on the environment in the long run."

The researchers investigated the effects of endocrine disruptors on inland silversides, an important prey species for birds and commercially valuable fish.

According to Major, the negative impacts of high concentrations of endocrine disruptors have been studied in fish, but little is known about fish exposed to low levels of the chemicals.

The team exposed inland silversides to the equivalent of a few drops of each endocrine disruptor in an Olympic-size swimming pool. 

The experts tracked a process called DNA methylation, which can cause changes in gene expression, over 21 months in three generations of fish.

The results were surprising, said the researchers. They found consistent patterns of methylation across all three generations of fish, even though the second and third generations were never exposed to endocrine disruptors. Furthermore, the first generation was only exposed to very low chemical concentrations for a few weeks early in life.

The experts believe the methylation patterns they observed influence gene expression associated with altered sex ratios, reduced hatching, and developmental defects. Further research is needed to clarify what the methylation markers mean and how the evolution of fish may be impacted by chemical water contamination. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science">Frontiers in Marine Science</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Fish pass down impacts of chemical exposure for generations

Fish can pass along the adverse effects of chemical contaminants...

A new study from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a> has produced evidence to suggest that an <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mercury-pollution-has-reached-the-deepest-ocean-trenches/">ocean</a> on Jupiter's moon Europa is capable of sustaining life. The scientists also determined that the ocean was likely formed when tidal forces or radioactive decay broke down water-containing minerals.

Though slightly smaller than Earth's moon, Europa is one of the largest moons in the solar system. For decades, scientists have theorized that the surface of the moon floats on a subsurface ocean, but the origin and composition of the ocean has remained a mystery.

Using data from the Galileo mission, researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory modeled geochemical reservoirs within the interior of Europa.  

"We were able to model the composition and physical properties of the core, silicate layer, and ocean. We find that different minerals lose water and volatiles at different depths and temperatures," said lead researcher Mohit Melwani Daswani. 

"We added up these volatiles that are estimated to have been lost from the interior, and found that they are consistent with the current ocean's predicted mass, meaning that they are probably present in the ocean."

The study revealed that ocean worlds such as Europa can be formed by the heating and pressure caused by early radioactive decay or later tidal movement. These processes could break down minerals that contain water, which would then be released.

The analysis also indicates that the ocean would have initially been mildly acidic, with high concentrations of carbon dioxide, calcium, and sulfate. 

"Indeed it was thought that this ocean could still be rather sulfuric, but our simulations, coupled with data from the Hubble Space Telescope, showing chloride on Europa's surface, suggests that the water most likely became chloride rich. In other words, its composition became more like oceans on Earth. We believe that this ocean could be quite habitable for life," explained Daswani.

"Europa is one of our best chances of finding life in our solar system. NASA's Europa Clipper mission will launch in the next few years, and so our work aims to prepare for the mission, which will investigate Europa's habitability." 

"Our models lead us to think that the oceans in other moons, such as Europa's neighbor Ganymede, and Saturn's moon Titan, may also have formed by similar processes. We still need to understand several points though, such as how fluids migrate through Europa's rocky interior."

Using high-resolution imaging, NASA is searching for possible sites on Europa to test the study findings.

The research was presented at the virtual <a href="https://goldschmidt.info/">Goldschmidt Conference</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

NASA confirms an ocean on Europa may be habitable

A new study from NASA has produced evidence to suggest...

Experts have demonstrated that a type of ultraviolet light known as far-UVC light can kill 99.9 percent of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/experts-discover-how-cancer-cells-protect-themselves-from-viruses/">coronaviruses</a> present in airborne droplets. Humans can be safely exposed to this particular wavelength of UV light, which means far-UVC could be used to disinfect the air in public places. 

Study lead author Dr. David Brenner is the director of the Center for Radiological Research at <a href="https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/">Columbia University Irving Medical Center</a>.

"Based on our results, continuous airborne disinfection with far-UVC light at the current regulatory limit could greatly reduce the level of airborne virus in indoor environments occupied by people," said Dr. Brenner.

Germicidal UVC light, which is known to deactivate pathogens like bacteria and viruses, is used to disinfect unoccupied spaces such as empty hospital rooms. 

However, germicidal UV lamps cannot be used in occupied public spaces because direct exposure is considered a human health hazard that can cause skin cancer and cataracts.

According to the researchers, far-UVC light cannot penetrate the tear layer of the eye or the outer dead-cell layer of skin so it cannot damage living cells. In previous work, the Columbia team showed that far-UVC light can safely kill airborne flu viruses.

For the current study, the researchers used a misting device to aerosolize two common coronaviruses. The aerosols were released in the air in front of a far-UVC lamp. 

When the researchers tested to see how many viruses were still alive, they found that more than 99.9 percent of the viruses had been wiped out by a very low exposure to far-UVC light.

Based on the results, the researchers estimate that continuous exposure to far-UVC light would kill 90 percent of airborne viruses in eight minutes, 95 percent in 11 minutes, 99 percent in 16 minutes, and 99.9 percent in 25 minutes.

The findings suggest that it may be feasible to use overhead far-UVC lamps in occupied public places to substantually reduce the risk of virus transmission.

The researchers are currently testing the use of far-UVC light to kill SARS-CoV-2. The preliminary results indicate that far-UVC light is just as effective at deactivating airborne SARS-CoV-2.

"Far-UVC light doesn't really discriminate between coronavirus types, so we expected that it would kill SARS-CoV-2 in just the same way," said Dr. Brenner.

"Since SARS-CoV-2 is largely spread via droplets and aerosols that are coughed and sneezed into the air it's important to have a tool that can safely inactivate the virus while it's in the air, particularly while people are around."

"Because it's safe to use in occupied spaces like hospitals, buses, planes, trains, train stations, schools, restaurants, offices, theaters, gyms, and anywhere that people gather indoors, far-UVC light could be used in combination with other measures, like wearing face masks and washing hands, to limit the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses."

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/srep">Scientific Reports</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Far-UVC light kills 99.9 percent of airborne coronaviruses

Experts have demonstrated that a type of ultraviolet light known...

Global warming is a major source of stress for most species, but some penguins in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/first-ever-fossil-egg-in-antarctica-was-laid-by-massive-reptile/">Antarctica</a> are actually reaping the benefits of rising temperatures. In a surprising new study, scientists have discovered that Adélie penguins are much happier and more productive when there is less sea ice.

As Arctic ice continues to decline, sea ice in Antarctica has shown steady growth in recent decades. Climate models predict that this trend will soon reverse and Antarctica's sea ice will rapidly melt throughout the rest of this century. 

Sea ice retreat will transform the habitats of polar species, but the new research suggests that many Antarctic penguins will not suffer from a lack of ice.

Previous studies have shown that Adélie penguins thrive in numbers during years with less Antarctic sea ice and experience frequent breeding failures in years with the most ice. However, the underlying cause of the link between low ice conditions and population growth has been unclear. 

To investigate, a team of scientists from Japan's <a href="https://www.nipr.ac.jp/english/">National Institute of Polar Research</a> tracked 175 Adélie penguins with GPS devices, accelerometers, and video cameras during four seasons with different sea-ice conditions. The experts analyzed the walking, swimming, foraging, and resting behavior of the penguins.

"It turns out that these penguins are happier with less sea-ice," said lead researcher Yuuki Watanabe. "This may seem counter-intuitive, but the underlying mechanism is actually quite simple."

According to Watanabe, penguins are able travel more in ice-free conditions. "For penguins, swimming is a whopping four times faster than walking. They may be sleek in the water but are pretty slow waddlers overland."

The scientists observed that when sea ice was abundant, the penguins were forced to walk long distances searching for cracks in the ice to access food, and often took lengthy breaks to rest.

On the other hand, with little sea ice, the penguins could dive anywhere they wanted - often right by their nests. This saved the penguins time and energy and greatly expanded their foraging range. 

The extended range likely reduces competition for food and allows Adélie penguins to catch more krill. In addition, more sunlight enters the water when it is ice-free, increasing the numbers of plankton and krill.

The researchers noted, however,  that sea ice retreat only benefited penguins that live on the continental part of Antarctica. Penguins that live on the Antarctic peninsula were negatively impacted by sea ice loss, and the team plans to investigate further. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Adélie penguins thrive with less sea ice

Global warming is a major source of stress for most...

Moon jellyfish contain no calories - no carbohydrates, no fat, and no protein - yet they are consumed by a large variety of predators. Sea turtles, sunfish, seabirds, and many other <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/infectious-disease-in-marine-mammals-is-driven-by-climate-change/">marine</a> species feed on jellyfish. Even animals that do not necessarily prey on jellyfish will eat them when they are available. 

Researchers wanted to know why animals consume moon jellies when they seem to be such a low quality food. They discovered that jellyfish provide a variety of fatty acids, and that their nutritional value increases in larger quantities. 

Study co-author Jamileh Javidpour is a marine biologist and jellyfish expert at the <a href="https://www.sdu.dk/en">University of Southern Denmark</a>.

"The jellyfish in our study showed to contain some fatty acids that are very valuable for their predators," said Javidpour. "Fatty acids are vital components of cell membranes and play a crucial role in processes like growth and reproduction."

The team collected moon jellyfish in the North German Kiel Fjord every two weeks for two years. The essential fatty acids found in the jellyfish samples included polyunsaturated fatty acids,  arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid.

The analysis revealed that the fatty acid content changed across different seasons, and the experts linked these variations to developmental stages. For example, mature jellyfish with reproductive tissues had the highest fatty acid content.

"Jellyfish are likely to be more than just an opportunistic prey to many organisms," said Javidpour. "It is true that a predator does not get much from eating a single jelly fish, but if it eats many, it will make a difference and provide the predator with valuable fatty acids."

The findings explain why leatherback turtles and ocean sunfish are known to gorge on jellyfish. Researchers have also observed salmon eating jellyfish 20 times faster than shrimp.

Javidpour explained that this strategy makes sense because a predator does not have to spend much energy eating loads of jellyfish.

"Jellyfish often come in shoals and they move slowly through the water. They can't really swim away when predators start eating them."

Marine ecosystems are shifting worldwide, and jellyfish populations are expected to grow and replace other types of prey.

"As we see an increase in jellyfish, I suspect that we will also come to see a change in predator populations - especially in areas where the abundances of usual prey items might be endangered by a changing environment," said Javidpour.

The study is published in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/plankt">Journal of Plankton Research</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

Study reveals the nutritional appeal of moon jellyfish

Moon jellyfish contain no calories - no carbohydrates, no fat,...

An international team of scientists has discovered a young Neptune-sized <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/the-discovery-of-young-earth-like-planets-is-a-real-possibility/">planet</a> that orbits very closely to its star, AU Microscopii. This star is estimated to be about 20 to 30 million years old, which is at least 150 times younger than our Sun.

Scientists are only aware of two or three nearby stars that are this young, and have been looking for planets around them for at least 10 years. The newly-described planet, named AU Mic b, makes a full orbit around its star in just eight and a half days.

The research will provide experts with new insight into the evolution of planets and the formation of our solar system. 

Eric Gaidos is an astronomer and professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at <a href="https://manoa.hawaii.edu/">University of Hawaii at Mānoa</a>.

"Planets, like people, change as they mature. For planets this means that their orbits can move and the compositions of their atmospheres can change. Some planets form hot and cool down, and unlike people, they would become smaller over time. But we need observations to test these ideas and planets like AU Mic b are an exceptional opportunity," said Professor Gaidos.

The NASA TESS planet-finding satellite initially detected AU Mic b, and the discovery was confirmed by the Spitzer Space Telescope and by the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) on Maunakea, Hawaii. 

The observations from Maunakea used a new instrument called iSHELL that measures the motion of a star with remarkable precision. The instrument picked up on a slight wobble of AU Microscopii, which showed that it was responding to the gravitational pull of a planet.

AU Microscopii is the second closest young star to Earth. In astronomical terms, it is so young that dust and debris from its formation are still orbiting around it. According to the researchers, colliding debris broke down into smaller dust particles and gradually transitioned into a thin disk that rotates around the star. 

In 2003, the disk was detected by Maunakea's UH 88-inch telescope. AU Mic b was found orbiting in a cleared-out region inside the disk.

"This is an exciting discovery, especially as the planet is in one of the most well-known young star systems, and the second-closest to Earth," said study co-author Michael Bottom. "In addition to the debris disk, there is always the possibility of additional planets around this star. AU Mic could be the gift that keeps on giving."

AU Microscopii is a red dwarf that is smaller and dimmer than the sun. Red dwarfs are the most abundant stars in the galaxy, and the TESS satellite is now discovering potentially habitable,  Earth-sized planets around older red dwarfs. This means that what scientists learn about AU Mic b can be applied to understand the evolution of many other newly-discovered planets.

"AU Mic b, and any kindred planets that are discovered in the future, will be intensely studied to understand how planets form and evolve," said Professor Gaidos. "Fortuitously, this star and its planet are on our cosmic doorstep. We do not have to venture very far to see the show."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Young planet may reveal how new worlds appear and evolve

An international team of scientists has discovered a young Neptune-sized...

Scientists have found manmade mercury pollution in the deepest part of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/the-southern-ocean-plays-a-major-role-in-capturing-co2/">ocean</a>, the Marianas Trench. The discovery raises new questions about how mercury may affect the marine environment and whether it has accumulated in the food chain. 

The findings, which have been reported by two research groups, were presented at the <a href="https://goldschmidt.info/">Goldschmidt Conference</a>.

Mercury is poisonous in any form, and some types of fish absorb methylmercury in contaminated water. Marine animals higher up in the food chain tend to collect even greater levels of mercury through a process known as biomagnification.

Two research teams have independently found evidence of both manmade mercury and methylmercury pollution 11,000 meters deep in Pacific Ocean.

Dr. Ruoyu Sun led a team of researchers from Tianjin University in China.

"This is a surprise," said Dr. Sun. "Previous research had concluded that methylmercury was mostly produced in the top few hundred meters of the ocean. This would have limited mercury bioaccumulation by ensuring that fish which forage deeper than this would have had limited opportunity to ingest the methylmercury. With this work, we now believe that isn't true."

"During 2016-2017, we deployed sophisticated deep-sea lander vehicles on the seafloor of Mariana and Yap trenches, amongst the most remote and inaccessible locations on Earth, and captured the endemic fauna at 7,000-11,000 meters and collected sediments at 5,500-9,200 meters." 

"We are able to present unequivocal mercury isotope evidence that the mercury in the trench fauna originates exclusively from methylmercury from the upper ocean. We can tell this because of the distinctive isotopic fingerprint which stamps it as coming from the upper ocean."

A team led by Dr. Joel Blum of the University of Michigan analyzed fish and crustaceans collected in two of the deepest Pacific trenches, the Kermadec Trench and the Marianas Trench. The mercury isotopic signatures from creatures in both trenches revealed that the mercury mostly originated in the atmosphere and was carried to the ocean through rainfall. 

"We know that this mercury is deposited from the atmosphere to the surface ocean and is then transported to the deep ocean in the sinking carcasses of fish and marine mammals as well as in small particles," said Dr. Blum. 

"We identified this by measuring the mercury isotopic composition, which showed that the ocean floor mercury matched that from fish found at around 400-600m depth in the Central Pacific."

The research shows that human- derived mercury pollution has reached food webs in the most remote marine ecosystems on Earth. 

"Our findings reveal very little methylmercury is produced in the deep oceans, and imply that anthropogenic mercury release at the Earth's surface is much more widespread across deep oceans than was previously thought," said Dr. Sun.

Professor Ken Rubin of the University of Hawaii, who was not involved in the studies, described the significance of the findings. 

"We know that mercury is introduced into the environment from a variety of natural sources such as volcanic eruptions and forest fires. However, human activities, such as coal and petroleum burning, mining, and manufacturing, are mainly responsible for mercury deposition to marine environments," said Professor Rubin.

"We are now learning from these two studies that the effects of this deposition have spread throughout the ocean into the deep sea and the animals that live there, which is yet another indicator of the profound impact of modern human activities on the planet."

The research was presented at <a href="https://goldschmidt.info/2020/">Goldschmidt 2020</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Mercury pollution has reached the deepest ocean trenches

Scientists have found manmade mercury pollution in the deepest part...

A new study from <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a> suggests that maintaining a healthy <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/plant-based-diets-promote-healthier-weight/">weight</a> may substantially reduce the risk of developing dementia later in life. The researchers found that obesity is associated with a higher risk of dementia for up to 15 years.

"Dementia is one of the major health challenges of the 21st century that could threaten successful aging of the population. Our findings suggest that rising obesity rates will compound the issue," said study co-author Professor Andrew Steptoe of the UCL Institute of Epidemiology &amp; Health Care.

"By identifying factors that may raise dementia risk that are influenced by lifestyle factors, we hope that a substantial portion, but admittedly not all, of dementia cases can be prevented through public health interventions."

An individual with a body mass index (BMI) score of 30 or greater is considered obese. According to the study, individuals who are obese in late adulthood have at least a 31 percent higher risk of dementia compared to those with a healthy BMI score. 

"These findings provide new evidence that obesity may have important implications in terms of dementia risk," said study senior author Dr. Dorina Cadar.

"Both BMI and waist circumference status should be monitored to avoid metabolic dysregulations. Hence, reducing weight to optimal levels is recommended by adopting healthy and balanced patterns of eating, such as the Mediterranean diet, appropriate physical exercise and reduced alcohol consumption throughout the course of the entire adult life span."

The researchers analyzed data from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging, including 6,582 adults over the age of 50.

The analysis revealed that individuals who were obese at the start of the study period had a 31 percent greater risk of dementia. In addition, women with abdominal obesity were found to have a 39 percent increased risk of dementia. 

Previous research indicates that obesity increases the risk of dementia directly through its influence on cytokines and hormones derived from fat cells, or indirectly through vascular damage. There is also evidence that excess body fat may contribute to the accumulation of amyloid proteins or lesions in the brain through metabolic and vascular pathways.

"It is possible that the association between obesity and dementia might be potentially mediated by other conditions, such as hypertension or anticholinergic treatments," explained study first author Yuxian Ma.

"While not explored in this study, the research question of whether there an interactive effect between obesity and other midlife risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes and APOE ε4 carrier status, in relation to dementia will be investigated in upcoming work."

The study is published in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ije">International Journal of Epidemiology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Obesity greatly increases the risk of dementia 

A new study from University College London suggests that maintaining...

Scientists have developed a health monitoring device that can diagnose <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/infectious-disease-in-marine-mammals-is-driven-by-climate-change/">disease</a> by analyzing sweat. 

Beyond its usefulness in healthcare, the device may be used to prevent overheating or to assess optimal exercise levels in athletes. 

Study lead author Huanyu "Larry" Cheng is an assistant professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Penn State</a>.

"We want to be able to analyze the sweat from daily exercise or from the heat of the sun because in sweat we have a lot of biomarkers like pH and glucose that will be a really nice indicator for disease progression or diagnostics," said Professor Cheng.

The device will worn on a patch and applied to the skin near sweat glands. It consists of a small container with multiple chambers and a water-repelling valve near the opening. 

The monitor has a hydrophilic coating that easy collects sweat. The device has a single opening, which minimizes the amount of evaporation for longer storage time.

"The two-valve device is more complicated and requires using a clean-room technique called photolithography," said Professor Cheng. "Our simpler one-valve device can be made without expensive equipment utilizing micromachining."

According to the researchers, an instant analysis can be done using a color-coded analyte that is positioned in the various chambers. The analyte has sensitive chemical compounds that respond to the pH or glucose level, and the results can be read with the naked eye or by taking a picture with a smartphone. 

One of the chambers can be color-coded to measure pH, a second for glucose, and a third for sodium - all of which are disease markers.

The researchers are currently collaborating with experts at Penn State Hershey Medical School to use the new device for disease monitoring. 

The research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province, and Penn State. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.rsc.org/journals-books-databases/about-journals/lab-on-a-chip/">Lab on a Chip</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

New device analyzes sweat to monitor health 

Scientists have developed a health monitoring device that can diagnose...

In a new study led by <a href="https://www.asu.edu/">Arizona State University</a> (ASU), scientists have investigated the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/human-activities-threaten-rivers-far-more-than-climate-change/">climate</a> sensitivity of California's coastal redwoods, some of the tallest and oldest trees on the planet. 

In California, climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of droughts and wildfires. These extreme events, compounded by rising temperatures, threaten the future of redwood forests.

Some regions south of San Francisco Bay could become unsuitable for redwoods as soon as 2030.

Pacific Northwest forests have the potential to capture and store more carbon than almost any other terrestrial ecosystem. Identifying suitable habitats for coastal redwoods is not only important for carbon storage, but also for supporting redwood forest biodiversity.

The ASU team set out to examine the environmental factors that influence redwood habitat suitability by combining high-resolution redwood distribution maps with data on moisture availability.

"Habitat suitability of coast redwood has been studied before, but not using high-resolution data at the landscape scale," said study lead author Emily Francis. 

"The approach we employed here could be applied in other forest types to gain new insight into the role of moisture availability in landscape-scale patterns of habitat suitability for many tree species that may be vulnerable to climate change."

The study was focused on 87,000 acres in three forests across California. The analysis of spatial patterns in redwood distributions showed that habitat suitability significantly varied in relation to moisture availability and fog across different landscapes.

The researchers found that redwood habitats were consistently more suitable at sites located closer to streams. 

The team also determined that the amount of suitable habitat varied greatly within a single landscape, ranging from 22 to 75 percent. This finding confirms the importance of considering landscape-scale variation while identifying sites that will remain suitable for redwoods, even as surrounding areas become less suitable.

"This study highlights the value of mapping the composition of our forests at high spatial resolution," said study co-author Greg Asner.

"Doing so provides leverage to say something about the individual inhabitants within a forest, not just the forest as a blanket average. This, in turn, both enhances our knowledge and presents possible options for managing sensitive ecosystems undergoing climate change." 

The researchers emphasized that further studies are needed to predict how environmental and biological factors, such as tree seed dispersal and plant competition, will influence where redwoods are able to survive in a changing climate.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://ecography">Ecography</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

Suitable redwood habitats are changing with the climate

In a new study led by Arizona State University (ASU),...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.york.ac.uk/">University of York</a> emphasizes the enormous value of protected forest areas in oil palm plantations. According to the researchers, these natural forests play a critical role in supporting <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/forest-cover-loss-leads-to-decades-of-biodiversity-changes/">biodiversity</a> and storing carbon. 

Palm oil production is associated with large-scale deforestation and habitat destruction that impacts some of the world's most threatened species like Asian rhinos, elephants, and orangutans. 

Furthermore, when tropical forests are converted into plantations, massive amounts of stored carbon are released into the atmosphere as CO2. The effects are the most prevalent in Indonesia and Malaysia, where 85 percent of all palm oil is produced.

The research, which was focused on palm oil agriculture in Borneo, has shown that patches of protected forest offer much-needed protection for endangered species like hornbill birds and dipterocarp trees.

In addition, the researchers estimate that plantations with one-tenth of the land set aside as preserved forest can potentially store 20 percent more carbon than plantations without protected forest.

"Our study found that these forest areas do increase carbon stored in oil palm plantations, helping to mitigate the carbon emissions associated with oil palm agriculture," said study lead author Susannah Fleiss.

"We also found that the protected forest sites which stored the most carbon also contained the highest plant diversity, so by choosing to protect forest areas with high carbon stocks, oil palm plantations will also protect rainforest biodiversity."

For the investigation, the research team measured trees and other vegetation in 14 protected forest areas in RSPO-certified oil palm plantations in Malaysian Borneo.

In order for a plantation to achieve certification by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), natural areas of forest must be protected on the plantation.

Compared to trees in the primary rainforest, the protected forest areas in oil palm plantations had low numbers of tree seedlings. The researchers are urging oil palm plantation owners to manage protected areas of forest in order to conserve them for the future.

"We recommend that oil palm plantations manage their protected forest to improve the potential for the trees to produce seedlings and for the seedlings to survive. This could include planting additional seedlings or cutting back vines," said Fleiss.

Professor Jane Hill noted that palm oil is a key ingredient in many supermarket products and it is crucial that it comes from sustainable sources. "Our study highlights the importance of retaining forest patches in sustainable cultivation practices."

The research was funded by Unilever and the University of York.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/biological-conservation">Biological Conservation</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Forests in oil palm plantations are key to conservation

A new study from the University of York emphasizes the...

In one of the first investigations into the potential effects of <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/new-recycling-method-maintains-the-quality-of-plastics/">plastic</a> pollution on plants, an international research team has shown that nanoplastics can accumulate in plant tissues. 

The researchers noted that as concern grows about micro- and nanoplastics in the oceans and in seafood, they are increasingly studied in marine environments. However, "little is known about the behavior of nanoplastics in terrestrial environments, especially agricultural soils."

Study lead author Baoshan Xing is an environmental scientist at the <a href="https://www.umass.edu/">University of Massachusetts Amherst</a> Stockbridge School of Agriculture. Xing collaborated with researchers at Shandong University in China, who conducted the experiments.

The experts said that prior to this study, there was no direct evidence that nanoplastics are internalized by terrestrial plants.

"Our findings provide direct evidence that nanoplastics can accumulate in plants, depending on their surface charge. Plant accumulation of nanoplastics can have both direct ecological effects and implications for agricultural sustainability and food safety," the researchers said.

According to Xing, widespread global use and persistence in the environment result in an "enormous" amount of plastic waste. "Our experiments have given us evidence of nanoplastics uptake and accumulation in plants in the laboratory at the tissue and molecular level using microscopic, molecular and genetic approaches. We have demonstrated this from root to shoot." 

Xing explained that nanoplastic particles can be as small as a protein or a virus. In the natural environment, these particles are very different from the pristine polystyrene nanoplastics often used in the lab. 

The processes of weathering and degradation change the physical and chemical properties of plastic and the particles become electrically charged. "This is why we synthesized polystyrene nanoplastics with either positive or negative surface charges for use in our experiments," said Xing.

The team grew Arabidopsis plants in soil mixed with differently charged, fluorescently labeled nanoplastics. After seven weeks, exposure to nanoplastics had adversely affected plant biomass and height compared to control plants. 

"Nanoplastics reduced the total biomass of model plants," said Xing. "They were smaller and the roots were much shorter. If you reduce the biomass, it's not good for the plant, yield is down and the nutritional value of crops may be compromised."

"We found that the positively charged particles were not taken up so much, but they are more harmful to the plant. We don't know exactly why, but it's likely that the positively charged nanoplastics interact more with water, nutrients and roots, and triggered different sets of gene expressions. That needs to be explored further in crop plants in the environment. Until then, we don't know how it may affect crop yield and food crop safety."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nnano/">Nature Nanotechnology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Study shows nanoplastics can accumulate in plants

In one of the first investigations into the potential effects...

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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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

[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

[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"] Astronomers at Johns Hopkins University have created...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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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



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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

[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...