Spaghetti, a word that evokes thoughts of delicious Italian cuisine and hearty meals, has taken on an entirely new meaning in the realm of science.



Imagine strands so impossibly thin they are 200 times slimmer than a human hair -- not destined for marinara sauce but poised to revolutionize fields as diverse as medicine and advanced materials science.



Recently, a team of scientists from University College London (<a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UCL</a>) has crafted the world’s thinnest strands of material, daintily dubbed "spaghetti" in an attempt to blend the familiar with the extraordinary.



Beatrice Britton, the study's lead author, carried out the work as part of her master’s degree in chemistry at UCL.



“To make spaghetti, you push a mixture of water and flour through metal holes. In our study, we did the same except we pulled our flour mixture through with an electrical charge. It’s literally spaghetti but much smaller,” explained co-author Dr. Adam Clancy from the UCL Department of Chemistry.



However, this remarkable creation isn’t for your dinner plate. Its potential lies in novel applications for wound healing, tissue <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/secrets-of-killifish-regeneration-may-help-us-heal-humans/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">regeneration</a>, and drug delivery, thereby setting a new benchmark in nanotechnology.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-healing-power-of-spaghetti-nanopasta">Healing power of "spaghetti" nanopasta</h2>



The secret lies in its base material - starch. This <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eating-refined-carbs-can-make-you-less-attractive/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbohydrate</a>, accumulated in abundance by green plants, provides us with fascinating prospects for creating nanofibers.



The microscopic mats of nanofibers are permeable enough to permit the passage of water and moisture, while acting as a protective barrier against harmful <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-form-memories-and-pass-them-on-to-future-generations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bacteria</a>. 



“Nanofibers, such as those made of starch, show potential for use in wound dressings as they are very porous,” said Professor Gareth Williams from UCL School of Pharmacy. 



“In addition, nanofibers are being explored for use as a scaffold to regrow tissue, as they mimic the extra-cellular matrix – a network of proteins and other molecules that cells build to support themselves.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-making-spaghetti-nanopasta">Making spaghetti nanopasta</h2>



Nanofibers made from starch offer remarkable potential for applications in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/increasing-plant-extinction-threatens-the-future-of-medicine-and-human-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">medicine</a> and industry. 



However, traditional methods for producing these materials rely on extracting and purifying starch from plant cells - a process that demands significant energy and water and raises environmental concerns.



The UCL team has devised an innovative alternative: creating nanofibers directly from starch-rich flour, a widely available and sustainable resource.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/spaghetti_worlds-thinnest_nanopasta_single-strand_credit-UCL_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/spaghetti_worlds-thinnest_nanopasta_single-strand_credit-UCL_1s.webp" alt="Each individual strand is too narrow to be clearly captured by any form of visible light camera or microscope, so the team used a scanning electron microscope, scanning the mat with a focused beam of electrons and creating an image based on the pattern of electrons that are deflected or knocked-off. Credit: Beatrice Britton / Adam Clancy" class="wp-image-1951309"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Each individual strand is too narrow to be clearly captured by any form of visible light camera or microscope, so the team used a scanning electron microscope, scanning the mat with a focused beam of electrons and creating an image based on the pattern of electrons that are deflected or knocked-off. Credit: Beatrice Britton / Adam Clancy</figcaption></figure>



Bypassing the need for intensive purification, this approach not only reduces resource consumption but also leverages a common food ingredient in an unexpected and transformative way.



This method represents a shift towards greener nanotechnology, aligning material science innovation with environmental responsibility.



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



The researchers are optimistic about the future of these ultra-thin nanofibers, especially when they are made using starch-rich flour as a starting material.



“Starch is a promising material to use as it is abundant and renewable -- it is the second largest source of biomass on Earth, behind cellulose -- and it is biodegradable, meaning it can be broken down in the body,” said Dr. Clancy.



However, the process of creating nanofibers from flour is not without challenges. Impurities such as proteins and cellulose increase the mixture’s viscosity, making fiber formation more difficult.



The study highlights how using formic acid instead of water effectively breaks down the giant starch helices, allowing the creation of nanofibers. 



The researchers also carefully controlled the mixture’s temperature during preparation to achieve the right consistency. 



This novel approach not only simplifies the process but also opens the door to sustainable and scalable production methods.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-does-any-of-this-matter">Why does any of this matter?</h2>



While the team has made significant progress, much work remains to fully explore the potential of this "healing spaghetti." 



“We’ve shown that a simpler way to make nanofibers using flour is possible. The next step would be to investigate the properties of this product. We would want to know, for instance, how quickly it disintegrates, how it interacts with cells, and if you could produce it at scale,” explained Dr. Clancy.



The versatility of these nanofibers opens the door to applications beyond medicine, potentially transforming areas such as environmental engineering and biodegradable materials.



Despite the promise of starch-based nanofibers in medicine and industry, their culinary applications remain out of reach. 



“I don’t think it’s useful as pasta, sadly, as it would overcook in less than a second, before you could take it out of the pan,” Professor Williams stated humorously.



The researchers plan to continue refining the electrospinning process and exploring the properties of their nanofibers to determine their viability for practical applications. 



For now, the world's thinnest "spaghetti" stands as a remarkable example of the creativity and ingenuity of modern <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/astronauts-are-studying-materials-science-in-space/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">materials science</a>.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2024/na/d4na00601a">Nanoscale Advances</a>.



Image Credit: Beatrice Britton / Adam Clancy



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World’s thinnest spaghetti 'nanopasta' could heal wounds and regrow tissues

Spaghetti, a word that evokes thoughts of delicious Italian cuisine and hearty meals, has taken on an entirely new meaning in the realm of science. Imagine strands so impossibly thin they are 200 times slimmer than a human hair -- not destined for marinara sauce but poised to revolutionize fields as diverse as medicine and advanced materials science. Recently, a team of scientists from University College London (UCL) has crafted the world’s thinnest strands of material, daintily dubbed "spaghetti" in an attempt to blend the familiar with...

Experts at the <a href="https://ist.ac.at/">Institute of Science and Technology Austria</a> have identified the mechanisms that regulate <a href="https://www.earth.com/plants">plant</a> regeneration. The study revealed that the hormone Auxin, along with pressure changes that take place upon injury, precisely coordinate the roles of plant cells in healing wounds. 

Animals and humans have cells that are specialized to seek out and heal wounds. However, the targeted migration of cells is not possible in plants because plant cells are immobile.

In plant regeneration, the cells that are adjacent to a wound will either divide or grow to fill the gaps caused by injury. This process is extremely precise, as each individual cell must decide whether it will stretch or multiply to contribute to filling the wound.

Despite the fact that plant regeneration has been studied since the mid-1800s, the reasoning behind each cell's decision on how to best tend to a wound has remained a mystery. 

A team of scientists led by Professor Jiří Friml has discovered that the role of individual plant cells during regeneration is regulated by the hormone Auxin. The cells are also guided by changes in pressure that take place within the plant after injury.  

"It is incredibly fascinating how robust and flexible plant regeneration is, considering how static those organisms are," said study co-author Lukas Hoermayer. 

To investigate plant regeneration, the researchers used a laser to injure the root of a thale cress. Next, they used a microscope to monitor the cells as the wound was healed. 

The scientists found that Auxin, which is essential in plant growth and development, plays a critical role in wound healing. The hormone accumulates in the cells directly adjacent to the wound and facilitates the plant's response to injury.

When the researchers disrupted the amount of Auxin present, either too many or no cells responded to the wound. This uncoordinated response sometimes led to tumorous swelling of the root.

"Only the precise coordination of many cells throughout the whole tissue yields a defined and localized wound response," explained Hoermayer.

The team also noticed a pressure change within the plant that was caused by the collapsing cells of the wound. When the scientists reduced the cellular pressure before injuring a plant, the pressure difference vanished and the regeneration ability of the plant was weakened.

The finding that Auxin concentration and pressure changes govern regeneration provides brand new insight into how plant roots manage to heal wounds, survive in sandy soil, or persist in the presence of root-attacking herbivores.

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Scientists identify a hormone that coordinates plant regeneration

Experts at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria have...

Deep-sea Leptoseris <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/corals-put-up-a-colorful-shield-after-bleaching/">corals</a> are growing at unexpectedly high rates despite extremely low light conditions, according to new research. The findings contradict the assumption that deep corals grow very slowly with less light available for photosynthesis.

Leptoseris is a type of coral species that lives in the deep waters of the Indo-Pacific where sunlight is scarce. The corals depend on microalgae called zooxanthellae for oxygen, energy,  and waste removal. 

A team of experts led by Samuel Kahng of the <a href="https://manoa.hawaii.edu/">University of Hawaii at Mānoa</a> used  submersible vehicles to collect Leptoseris colonies at depths between 225 and 360 feet in the Au'au Channel. 

The researchers used advanced dating methods to establish the age of each coral skeleton at multiple points along its radial growth axis.

At the deepest end of their range, the Leptoseris species were found to have less than 0.2 percent of the sunlight found at surface levels. 

Less sunlight usually means slower growth for photosynthetic species, and previous studies found evidence that one particular Leptoseris species grows only 0.04 inch per year. In the new study, however, the team discovered that Leptoseris corals are actually growing much faster. 

"Considering the low light environment, the previous assumption was that large corals at these extreme depths should be very old due to extremely slow growth rates," said Professor Kahng. 

"Surprisingly, the corals were found to be relatively young with growth rates comparable to that of many non-branching shallow water corals. Growth rates were measured to be between nearly 1 inch per year at 225 feet depth and 0.3 inches per year at 360 feet depth."

The researchers discovered that these deep-sea corals have developed a strategy to dominate their habitats. The size and shape of their skeletons maximize the surface area for light absorption, while minimizing the resources needed to form the skeleton. The thin corals only grow outward, not upward, and do not thicken over time like massive corals.

"Additionally, the optical geometry of their thin, flat, white skeletons form fine parallel ridges that grow outward from a central origin," said Professor Kahng. 

"In some cases, these ridges form convex spaces between them which effectively trap light in reflective chambers and cause light to pass repeatedly through the coral tissue until it is absorbed by the photosynthetic machinery."

The enhanced growth of Leptoseris in low light conditions has important implications for its ability to compete for space and dominate organisms that grow more slowly. 

"It also illustrates the flexibility of reef building corals and suggests that these communities may be able to develop and recover from mortality events much faster than previously thought," said Professor Kahng.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.springer.com/journal/338">Coral Reefs</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Deep-sea corals grow faster and are more resilient than expected

Deep-sea Leptoseris corals are growing at unexpectedly high rates despite...

Researchers have identified healthy eating patterns that reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). The findings align with the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which focus on healthy <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/eating-late-at-night-contributes-to-obesity-and-diabetes/">eating</a> patterns rather than specific nutrients to better account for diverse cultural food traditions and preferences.

Study first author Zhilei Shan is a research associate in the Department of Nutrition in the <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/">Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health</a>. 

"Although each healthy eating pattern represents a different combination of dietary constituents, our study indicates that greater adherence to any of the four healthy eating patterns we looked at is associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease and the health benefits persist across racial and ethnic groups," said Shan.

Few studies have investigated the relationship between healthy dietary patterns and the long term risk of cardiovascular disease. 

In the current study, the researchers examined four dietary patterns: Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015); Alternate Mediterranean Diet Score (AMED); Healthful Plant-Based Diet Index (HPDI); and Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI).

Each of these patterns has its own unique scoring metrics, yet they all emphasize higher consumption of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts along with lower consumption of red and processed meats and sugar-sweetened beverages.

To analyze the cardiovascular disease risk associated with each eating pattern, the experts focused on data from more than 200,000 men and women from three large cohort studies, including the Nurses' Health Study. The participants reported on their dietary habits every two to four years over several decades.

The researchers calculated four dietary scores for each participant, and the higher scores represented greater commitment to a healthy diet. The study revealed that adherence to any of the four healthy eating patterns was consistently associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease. 

The participants who adhered most to the established dietary patterns were found to have a 14 to 21 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease when compared with those who did not stick with their healthy diets. 

The four healthy dietary patterns lowered CVD risk regardless of race or ethnicity, and the patterns were statistically associated with lower risk of both coronary heart disease and stroke.

"These data provide further evidence to support current dietary guidelines that following healthy eating patterns confers long-term health benefits on cardiovascular disease prevention," said study co-author Frank Hu.

"There is no one-size-fits-all diet that is best for everyone. One can combine foods in a variety of flexible ways to achieve healthy eating patterns according to individuals' health needs, food preferences, and cultural traditions."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine">JAMA Internal Medicine</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Healthy eating patterns lower heart disease risk

Researchers have identified healthy eating patterns that reduce the risk...

In recent studies, scientists on the search for extraterrestrial life have found evidence to suggest that we will discover life beyond <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/the-discovery-of-young-earth-like-planets-is-a-real-possibility/">Earth</a> in the next ten to 20 years. As more advanced missions are launched to study planets and stars, the chances of finding signs of extraterrestrial civilizations are better now than ever before. 

It is challenging to calculate the number of potential extraterrestrial civilizations, but a new study led by the <a href="https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/">University of Nottingham</a> has taken a unique approach to obtain this estimate. According to the researchers, there could be more than 30 communicating civilizations within our own galaxy.

"There should be at least a few dozen active civilizations in our galaxy under the assumption that it takes 5 billion years for intelligent life to form on other planets, as on Earth," said study lead author Professor Christopher Conselice. "The idea is looking at evolution, but on a cosmic scale. We call this calculation the Astrobiological Copernican Limit."

The two Astrobiological Copernican limits are that intelligent life forms in just under or just over 5 billion years. On Earth, a communicating civilization formed after 4.5 billion years. 

"The classic method for estimating the number of intelligent civilizations relies on making guesses of values relating to life, whereby opinions about such matters vary quite substantially," said first author Tom Westby. "Our new study simplifies these assumptions using new data, giving us a solid estimate of the number of civilizations in our galaxy."

"In the strong criteria, whereby a metal content equal to that of the Sun is needed (the Sun is relatively speaking quite metal rich), we calculate that there should be around 36 active civilizations in our galaxy."

The researchers explained that if other technological civilizations last as long as ours, which is currently 100 years old, then there should be about 36 active high-tech civilizations throughout our galaxy.

The average distance to one of these potential civilizations is 17,000 light-years, which means it would be very difficult to detect any active signals such as radio or satellite transmissions. Furthermore, if extraterrestrial civilizations do not survive as long as ours has, we may be the only intelligent life in our galaxy. 

"Our new research suggests that searches for extraterrestrial intelligent civilizations not only reveals the existence of how life forms, but also gives us clues for how long our own civilization will last," said Professor Conselice. 

"If we find that intelligent life is common then this would reveal that our civilization could exist for much longer than a few hundred years, alternatively if we find that there are no active civilizations in our galaxy it is a bad sign for our own long-term existence."

"By searching for extraterrestrial intelligent life - even if we find nothing - we are discovering our own future and fate."

The study is published in <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/0004-637X">The Astrophysical Journal</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

More than 30 extraterrestrial civilizations may exist in our galaxy

In recent studies, scientists on the search for extraterrestrial life...

According to a new study, moderate levels of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/coffee-alcohol-live-past-90/">alcohol</a> consumption should not be considered safe. The researchers are reporting that low-risk drinking can lead to serious health complications and that moderate drinkers are not shielded from harm.

A research team led by Dr. Adam Sherk of the <a href="https://www.uvic.ca/research/centres/cisur/index.php">Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research</a> investigated hospitalizations and deaths associated with alcohol use in British Columbia. 

The investigation was focused on data from the International Model of Alcohol Harms and Policies (InterMAHP). 

The analysis showed that a surprisingly large share of alcohol-related deaths and disabilities occurred among people who were low-risk drinkers who consumed alcohol within Canadian guidelines.

In Canada, low-risk drinking guidelines state that women should consume no more than 10 drinks per week and men should consume no more than 15 drinks. These limits exceed those in most other high-income countries, and are slightly higher than recommended limits in the United States. 

The researchers found that more than 50 percent of patients who died from alcohol-related cancers were moderate drinkers. In addition, 38 percent of all alcohol-attributable deaths were linked to low-risk drinkers or former drinkers. 

On the other hand, alcohol consumption within the guidelines offered some protection from fatal heart attack, stroke, and diabetes among women. "This protective effect did not appear to hold for men, who experienced harm at all drinking levels," wrote the study authors.

The experts said the findings suggest that some national drinking guidelines, which are designed to help drinkers make informed health decisions, are too high. 

Dr. Sherk recommends that guideline limits should be lowered to match those in the Netherlands: "Don't drink or, if you do, drink no more than one drink per day."

The research is published in the <a href="https://www.jsad.com/">Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Low-risk drinking tied to a large share of alcohol-related deaths

According to a new study, moderate levels of alcohol consumption...

Experts at <a href="https://english.tau.ac.il/">Tel Aviv University</a> have confirmed that water <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/water-vapor-and-soil-moisture-can-predict-afternoon-rainfall/">vapor</a> has the potential to serve as a renewable energy source. The research is based on the discovery that interactions between water molecules and metal surfaces produce electricity. 

"We sought to capitalize on a naturally occurring phenomenon: electricity from water," explained Professor Colin Price. "Electricity in thunderstorms is generated only by water in its different phases - water vapor, water droplets, and ice. Twenty minutes of cloud development is how we get from water droplets to huge electric discharges - lightning - some half a mile in length."

In the nineteenth century, English physicist Michael Faraday discovered that water droplets could charge metal surfaces as a result of friction. More recently, researchers demonstrated that certain metals become electrically charged when exposed to humidity.

For the current study, the Tel Aviv team set out to develop a tiny low-voltage battery that requires only humidity from the air to charge. The scientists designed a lab experiment to determine the voltage between two different metals exposed to high relative humidity, while one is grounded. 

"We found that there was no voltage between them when the air was dry," said Professor Price. "But once the relative humidity rose above 60%, a voltage began to develop between the two isolated metal surfaces." 

"When we lowered the humidity level to below 60%, the voltage disappeared. When we carried out the experiment outside in natural conditions, we saw the same results."

"Water is a very special molecule. During molecular collisions, it can transfer an electrical charge from one molecule to the other. Through friction, it can build up a kind of static electricity."

"We tried to reproduce electricity in the lab and found that different isolated metal surfaces will build up different amounts of charge from water vapor in the atmosphere, but only if the air relative humidity is above 60%. This occurs nearly every day in the summer in Israel and every day in most tropical countries."

Professor Price noted that the study challenges established ideas about humidity and its potential as an energy source. 

"People know that dry air results in static electricity and you sometimes get 'shocks' when you touch a metal door handle. Water is normally thought of as a good conductor of electricity, not something that can build up charge on a surface. However, it seems that things are different once the relative humidity exceeds a certain threshold."

The researchers showed that humid air may be a source of charging surfaces to voltages of around one volt. 

"If a AA battery is 1.5V, there may be a practical application in the future: to develop batteries that can be charged from water vapor in the air," said Professor Price.

"The results may be particularly important as a renewable source of energy in developing countries, where many communities still do not have access to electricity, but the humidity is constantly about 60%."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://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;

Water vapor has potential as a renewable energy source

Experts at Tel Aviv University have confirmed that water vapor...

Dead land species changed ocean chemistry during extinction event. An international team of scientists has demonstrated that chemical changes in the ocean during Permian-Triassic <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ozone-layer-collapse-caused-a-mass-extinction-event/">extinction</a> event were directly caused by the collapse of terrestrial ecosystems.

In the past 550 million years, Earth has experienced five mass extinction events. The worst of these events was the Permian-Triassic extinction, also known as the Great Dying, which killed 9 out of every 10 marine species and 7 out of every 10 terrestrial species. 

Warming temperatures during the Permian period led to an explosion in diversity among terrestrial species. By the end of the Permian, however, climate conditions had become unsuitable for most life.

While the cause of the abrupt climate change is unclear, many scientists believe it was the result of catastrophic volcanic activity in a region known as the Siberian Traps.

A collection of research has shown that terrestrial ecosystems were wiped out prior to marine ecosystems. The new study confirms, for the first time, that the deterioration of land species directly impacted ocean composition. Dead land species changed ocean chemistry during extinction event

The researchers built a computer model to map chemical changes in Earth's oceans during the period of the Permian-Triassic extinction. The model tracked both mercury and carbon cycles, which made it possible to distinguish between biological and volcanic events.

The study revealed that the collapse of terrestrial ecosystems bombarded the ocean with organic matter, nutrients, and other biologically-important elements. For most marine organisms, the chemical changes caused fatal effects. 

"In this study we show that during the Permian-Triassic transition, roughly. 252 million years ago, the widespread collapse of the terrestrial ecosystems caused sudden changes in marine chemistry," said study co-author Dr. Jacopo Dal Corso of the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/">University of Leeds</a>.

"This likely played a central role in triggering the most severe known marine extinction in Earth's history. This deep-time example shows how important the terrestrial reservoir is in regulating global biogeochemical cycles and calls for the greater conservation of these ecosystems."

The study places new emphasis on the importance of understanding the functional interdependance of ecosystems. This is particularly relevant today, as human activities threaten to push many species past the point of survival.  

"252 million years ago the effects of mass plant death and soil oxidation appear to have seriously altered the chemistry of the oceans. This is an uncomfortable parallel with our own human-driven land use change, and we too are transferring large quantities of nutrients and other chemicals to the oceans," said study co-author Dr. Benjamin Mills.

"As we look to re-start the world's economies in the wake of the current pandemic, protecting our life-sustaining ecosystems should be a priority."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Dead land species changed ocean chemistry during extinction event

Dead land species changed ocean chemistry during extinction event. An...

Carbon dioxide has been changing the chemistry of the ocean for decades. The <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ocean-acidification-shrimp/">acidification</a> that results from carbon absorption may have serious impacts on the health of marine organisms and ecosystems.

While many studies have investigated the potential consequences of ocean acidification, the process itself is very complex and not entirely understood. 

In a new study from the <a href="https://www.udel.edu/">University of Delaware</a>, experts have discovered that some coastal areas have their own natural defenses against ocean acidification. The team found that submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in the Chesapeake Bay drastically reduces carbon dioxide and acidification during the summer.

After a bay-wide decline of SAV in the 1960s through the early 1980s, efforts to reduce sediment and fertilizer runoff helped to increase SAV cover by 300 percent from 1984 to 2015. 

The recovery of SAV is particularly notable in the Susquehanna Flats, a freshwater region near the mouth of the Susquehanna River at the head of the Chesapeake Bay.

An international team of experts, including Professor Wei-Jun Cai of the University of Delaware, set out to study acidification across the bay. 

The researchers determined that heightened photosynthesis by SAV beds at the head of the bay can remove nutrient pollution and generate very high pH levels. 

In the summer, the combination of extra sunlight and nutrients triggers high rates of photosynthesis across the SAV beds. This raises the water's pH level, making it less acidic.

The higher pH levels increase the concentrations of carbonate ions and the subsequent formation of calcium carbonate minerals. 

Downstream, the calcium carbonate particles dissolve when they reach acidic subsurface waters. The dissolution of the carbonate minerals helps combat acidity and promotes healthier pH levels.

"Just like people take Tums to neutralize the acids that cause heartburn, the idea is that SAV beds send carbonate minerals to the lower Bay to neutralize acids there," said study co-author Jeremy Testa.

In previous work, Professor Cai showed there was a lot of calcium carbonate dissolution in the lower bay but the source of the carbonate was a mystery.

"We know there is a lot of carbonate dissolution in the lower bay, and we know the upper bay is where the carbonate is formed. So in the paper, we hypothesize that it's that formation in the SAV bed that gets transported downstream and dissolves and we reproduce this downstream transport with a numerical model," said Professor Cai. "This carbonate that is transported from upstream actually acted as a way to resist, to buffer the pH of the system."

The findings highlight the importance of coastal nutrient management and reduction, which not only helps to fight against low oxygen stress but also acidification stress through the recovery of submerged vegetation.

Professor Cai said that while the preliminary results are encouraging, the next steps are to determine if the carbonate particles are really transported by the currents and tides to the lower bay and if so, how fast and under what conditions this happens. 

"This is a very interesting thing," said Professor Cai. "People talk about ocean acidification and very rarely talk about what resists it, what can buffer the system against ocean acidification. So that's what we want to find."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ngeo/">Nature Geoscience</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Submerged vegetation helps to neutralize ocean acidification 

Carbon dioxide has been changing the chemistry of the ocean...

A protein that is currently being tested as a potential treatment for <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/covid-19-lockdown-led-to-more-sleep-but-not-good-sleep/">COVID-19</a> may be helpful in fighting the virus, but new research shows that it can also suppress lung damage repair.

In response to a viral infection in the lungs, the immune system activates a protein called interferon lambda to launch a defensive attack. Once activated, interferon lambda signals to surrounding lung tissue cells to switch on antiviral defenses.

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.crick.ac.uk/">Francis Crick Institute</a> have found that while interferon lambda is initially effective in helping the body defend itself from the virus, it can interfere with the repair of lung damage if it remains active for an extended time period. 

The researchers used a mouse model to investigate the effects of activating interferon lambda in mice with influenza. The study revealed that elevated levels of the protein caused epithelial cells to multiply less frequently. The outcome was the same for mice that had produced interferon lambda naturally in response to the virus and for mice who were ingested with the protein.

A lab experiment showed that human epithelial cells treated with interferon lambda were also adversely affected. 

Epithelial cells make up the lining of the airspaces in the lungs and have many important functions, such as multiplying to replace damaged cells. The suppression of epithelial cell division by interferon lambda could prolong lung damage and increase the risk of bacterial infections. 

"This is a really potent protein with many different functions," said study co-author Andreas Wack. "At the beginning of a viral infection, it is protective, triggering functions that help to fight the virus. However, if it remains in the tissue for too long, it could become harmful."

"This means, for any antiviral treatment that uses this protein, there is a really careful balance that must be made. Clinicians should consider the timing of the treatment, the earlier this better, and the duration of treatment."

Even though the research was focused on mice infected with influenza, the protein would cause similar effects for other viruses that also cause lung damage, including COVID-19.

The paper has been published in the journal Science alongside <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2020/06/10/science.abc3545">research</a> from Harvard Medical School, which found that patients with severe COVID-19 infections showed strong expression of interferon lambda in their lungs.

"Understanding how our bodies respond to infection has never been more important. Differences in our immune responses have huge implications for whether a treatment will work and what the side effects might be," said Jack Major, lead author of the Crick study.

"Our results suggest that before pursuing treatment with interferon lambda, doctors should consider at what stage of the disease patients are, as treatment late in infection may increase the risk of prolonged damage."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</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;

Protein that fights COVID-19 infection inhibits lung repair

A protein that is currently being tested as a potential...

A new study has revealed that bright pink <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/flamingos-form-strong-bonds-and-lasting-friendships/">flamingos</a> are more aggressive than those with light pink feathers when fighting over food. According to the research, the females are just as combative as the males.

When flamingos are first born, their feathers are gray or white. The flamingos gradually turn pink as they grow, and the color actually comes from their diet.

Flamingos eat algae, larva, and brine shrimp, which are all loaded with red-orange pigments called carotenoids that transform their feathers to various colors ranging from bright red to light pink. 

In lesser flamingos, pink plumage is a sign of good health, and a flush of color often means they are ready to breed. The brighter color also indicates when the flamingos are the most belligerent.

At the WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre, Dr. Paul Rose of the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> studied the behavior of lesser flamingos in different feeding situations. 

"Flamingos live in large groups with complex social structures," said Dr. Rose. "Color plays an important role in this. The color comes from carotenoids in their food, which for lesser flamingos is mostly algae that they filter from the water."

"A healthy flamingo that is an efficient feeder - demonstrated by its colorful feathers - will have more time and energy to be aggressive and dominant when feeding."

Dr. Rose observed flamingos foraging in three different settings: a small indoor feeding bowl, a bigger indoor feeding pool, or in a large pool outside.

The flamingos were found to spend less than half as much time displaying aggression when eating in the outdoor pool compared to when they ate from a bowl indoors. In addition, their foraging time outside doubled. 

"When birds have to crowd together to get their food, they squabble more and therefore spend less time feeding," said Dr. Rose. "It's not always possible to feed these birds outdoors, as lesser flamingos only weigh about 2 kg and are native to Africa, so captive birds in places like the UK would get too cold if they went outside in the winter."

Dr. Rose said the study shows that flamingos should be able to forage over a wide area. 

"Where possible, creating spacious outdoor feeding areas can encourage natural foraging patterns and reduce excess aggression."

"This research shows that zoos don't have to make huge changes to how they keep their animals to make a big, beneficial difference to animal behavior."

Lesser flamingos do not have a set breeding season, but simply breed when they are in good enough condition. Dr. Rose said this is often displayed by a pink flush in the feathers, and the birds become paler again during the tiring days of early parenthood.

"This study is a great example of why I love working with WWT Slimbridge. Based on my observations, I suggested some changes - and the keepers were willing to try them out," said Dr. Rose. "As a result, we get pinker, more relaxed flamingos."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14390310">Ethology</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;

Bright pink flamingos are healthier and more aggressive    

A new study has revealed that bright pink flamingos are...

Many studies suggest that our modern lifestyle, with constant pressure to stay busy and active, is the primary cause of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/poor-sleep-quality-linked-to-heart-disease/">sleep</a> deprivation and poor sleep quality. 

In a new study led by the <a href="https://www.unibas.ch/en.html">University of Basel</a>, researchers investigated the effects of restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic on sleep quality. The experts found that slowing down our busy schedules can lead to more sleep, but it's not necessarily better sleep. 

"In modern societies, human rest-activity rhythms and sleep result from the tensions and dynamics between the conflicting poles of external social time and an individual’s internal biological time," wrote the study authors. 

The discrepancy between the body's circadian rhythm and the timing of work and social activities causes "social jetlag." This jetlag is induced by the different sleep schedules we keep on work days versus free days. 

"Social jetlag and sleep restrictions have repeatedly been associated with negative consequences on health, mental wellbeing, and performance," noted the researchers. 

Led by psychologist Dr. Christine Blume, the team surveyed 435 people in Switzerland, Austria, and Germany over the course of six weeks in March and April 2020 during strict COVID-19 lockdowns. At this time, more than 85 percent of the respondents were working from home.

The survey found that fewer social constraints, including more flexible working hours, led to a reduction in social jetlag. "This suggests that the sleep-wake patterns of those surveyed were guided by internal biological signals rather than social rhythms," said Dr. Blume. 

In addition, 75 percent of the participants reported sleeping almost an extra hour. Despite longer sleep duration and less social jetlag, however, respondents said that their sleep quality deteriorated during the lockdown. 

This is not very surprising, explained Dr. Blume, as this unprecedented situation also was highly burdening in many ways. Some of the most common issues affecting sleep quality were financial and health concerns and stress related to child care.

According to the study authors, potential strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of poor sleep quality include exposure to natural daylight and physical activity.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

COVID-19 lockdown led to more sleep but not good sleep

Many studies suggest that our modern lifestyle, with constant pressure...

Over the last 50 years, the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/monarch-butterflies-winter-locations/">wintering</a> grounds for Bewick's swans has shifted east by hundreds of kilometers, or nearly 13 kilometers per year, in northwestern Europe. According to a research team led by the <a href="https://nioo.knaw.nl/en">Netherlands Institute of Ecology</a>, the transition has potential consequences for the conservation of the swans.

Despite being a protected species, Bewick's swans have been declining in Ireland, Britain, and the Netherlands.

"This decline in northwest Europe was not consistent with our data on breeding success and survival," said study co-author and animal ecologist Rascha Nuijten. "That's why we started this research."

Over the years, scientists have speculated that the Bewick's swans are suffering as a result of one or more factors, such as the disappearance of wetlands, climate-related changes in vegetation, or predation from other animals

For the current study, an international team was formed that included members from the Netherlands, Estonia, and the United Kingdom. One of the first clues the team followed was that the number of wintering swans was actually increasing in Germany. 

Bewick's swans migrate across long distances between their breeding area in the Russian tundra and wintering grounds in northwestern Europe.

"We found that both the time spent in the wintering grounds and the location of those wintering grounds changed significantly over the past fifty years," said Nuijten. "The time has been reduced - what we call 'short-staying' - and the area has shifted east, towards the breeding area: 'short-stopping'."

"We see a similar shift east in the 5°C temperature line across Europe in winter. This would suggest that the changes in the swans' wintering behavior are driven by the warming of the climate."

Instead of hunkering down somewhere in Britain or the Netherlands for the winter season, the Bewick's swan is now wintering hundreds of kilometers to the east. This significantly shortens the migratory journey to their breeding grounds. 

Over the last five decades, the swans have been arriving at wintering grounds later and leaving earlier. Overall, the researchers estimate they have cut their winter stay short by almost nine weeks. 

"We found out that individual swans are not changing the duration of their stay during their lifetime. So the observed shifts were caused by directional differences between generations," explained Nuijten.

As for the distance of their destination, the experts observed that swans can shorten the distance of their migration within their lifetime. "For a species that has the reputation of being traditional, that's an exciting discovery!"

The findings suggest that Bewick's swans are able to adapt to climate change - at least to some extent. According to Nuijten, what the observed changes mean for them in other times of the year is not yet clear. But it does have consequences for the optimal conservation and management of the species.

"Some places have become much less important for the swans and other places much more. So when it comes to nature conservation and management, species dynamics - in relation to climate change for instance - need to be taken into consideration."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652486">Global Change Biology</a>

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: <a href="https://www.flightoftheswans.org/">WWT Flight of the Swans</a>

&nbsp;

Bewick's swans shorten migrations as climate warms

Over the last 50 years, the wintering grounds for Bewick's...

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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

[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" 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.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

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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