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...

Even in middle age, women can significantly reduce their risk of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/insomnia-heart-failure-stroke/">stroke</a>. A study published by the <a href="https://www2.heart.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=donatenow_heart&amp;s_src=pmxsem19&amp;&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjw7LX0BRBiEiwA__gNwxjZ_tZ981uSpd5XcXUXtRCdRzotUbGyUqKAr9kYVM121IVS6rwu1hoCG-UQAvD_BwE">American Heart Association</a> recommends simple lifestyle choices to minimize stroke risk, including regular exercise, weight loss, and a healthy diet. 

Compared to men, women are more likely to die from a stroke and survivors tend to have poorer health outcomes. Since the average age for a woman to have a stroke is 75, experts wanted to investigate whether lifestyle changes during middle age may help to mitigate the risk. 

Study lead author Dr. Goodarz Danaei is a professor of Cardiovascular Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

"We found that changing to a healthy lifestyle, even in your 50s, still has the potential to prevent strokes," said Dr. Danaei. "Women who made lifestyle modifications in middle age reduced their long-term risk of total stroke by nearly a quarter and ischemic stroke, the most common type of stroke, by more than one-third."

The research was focused on data from the Nurses' Health Study, which involved nearly 60,000 women with an  average enrollment age of 52. The study followed up with participants for an average of 26 years. 

The team analyzed the health impacts of smoking cessation, exercising 30 minutes or more daily, and gradual weight loss. The researchers also accounted for the effects of a modified diet, which included eating more fish, whole grains, nuts, and fruits and vegetables.

The results of the study showed that smoking cessation, daily exercise, and weight loss reduced the risk of total stroke by 25 percent and ischemic stroke by 36 percent. When the dietary modifications were sustained over time, the risk of total stroke was diminished by 23 percent.

"There are other studies to support that the proportional changes in stroke risk from lifestyle and dietary modifications may be generalizable to men," said Dr. Danaei. "We also estimate that exercising 30 minutes or more daily may reduce the risk of stroke by 20%."

The study is published by the American Heart Association in the journal <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/journal/str">Stroke</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Lifestyle changes in middle age lower future stroke risk 

Even in middle age, women can significantly reduce their risk...

The <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/great-barrier-reef-changes/">Great Barrier Reef</a> (GBR) is undergoing its third mass bleaching event in just five years, and this time the impacts are much more widespread. An aerial survey has revealed that the expanse of the bleaching is unprecedented, with damage across all three regions of the massive reef system. 

Professor Terry Hughes is the director of the <a href="https://www.coralcoe.org.au/">ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies</a> at James Cook University.

"We surveyed 1,036 reefs from the air during the last two weeks in March, to measure the extent and severity of coral bleaching throughout the Barrier Reef region," said Professor Hughes. 

"For the first time, severe bleaching has struck all three regions of the Great Barrier Reef - the northern, central and now large parts of the southern sectors."

Coral bleaching is caused by abrupt changes to seawater, such as pollution and too much sunlight. The leading cause of bleaching is thermal stress that results from unusually hot ocean temperatures.

The first mass bleaching event along the Great Barrier Reef took place in 1998, which was the hottest year on record. In 2016 and 2017, record heat struck the GBR again, resulting in back-to-back bleaching events. 

This year brought the highest temperatures ever recorded on the GBR in the month of February.

"Bleaching isn't necessarily fatal, and it affects some species more than others," said Professor Morgan Pratchett, who led underwater surveys to evaluate the latest bleaching event. "A pale or lightly bleached coral typically regains its color within a few weeks or months and survives."

On the other hand, severe bleaching can be fatal. In the northern region of the Great Barrier Reef, more than half of the shallow-water corals died in 2016.

"We will go back underwater later this year to assess the losses of corals from this most recent event," said Professor Pratchett. "The north was the worst affected region in 2016, followed by the central region in 2017. In 2020, the cumulative footprint of bleaching has expanded further to include the south."

The time frame between bleaching events is shrinking, which makes it much more difficult for the corals to fully recover. 

David Wachenfeld, the chief scientist at the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, said that ocean temperatures over the next month will determine how well the reef manages to bounce back.

“The forecasts indicate that we can expect ongoing levels of thermal stress for at least the next two weeks and maybe three or four weeks,” wrote Wachenfeld. “So this still is a critical time for the reef and it is the weather conditions over the next two to four weeks that will determine the final outcome."

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Brutal coral bleaching event strikes the Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is undergoing its third mass...

Experts are unraveling the mystery surrounding the ancient trade of decorated <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/giant-bird-early-europeans/">ostrich</a> eggs. During the Bronze and Iron Ages, painted ostrich eggs were considered a luxury among the elites of Mediterranean societies. 

While discoveries of ornate ostrich eggs are well-documented, very little has been known about how they were made or where the eggs actually came from. 

In a study led by the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a>, an international team of archaeologists and scientists has discovered new clues about the origin and distribution of the ancient eggs. The investigation was focused on ostrich eggs that have been preserved in a collection at the British Museum. To analyze their chemical composition, the team used advanced techniques like scanning electron microscopy. The research is providing brand new insight into the surprisingly complex system used to produce the highly prized eggs.

"The entire system of decorated ostrich egg production was much more complicated than we had imagined! We also found evidence to suggest the ancient world was much more interconnected than previously thought," said study lead author Dr. Tamar Hodos.

"Mediterranean ostriches were indigenous to the eastern Mediterranean and North Africa. Using a variety of isotopic indicators, we were able to distinguish eggs laid in different climatic zones (cooler, wetter and hotter, drier). What was most surprising to us was that eggs from both zones were found at sites in the other zone, suggestive of more extensive trade routes."

The experts believe the eggs were snatched from the nests of wild ostriches. This is surprising, considering that there is evidence which suggests ostriches were being kept in captivity by this time. Ostriches can be fierce and aggressive, so taking eggs from wild birds would have been extremely dangerous.

"We also found eggs require time to dry before the shell can be carved and therefore require safe storage. This has economic implications, since storage necessitates a long-term investment and this, combined with the risk involved, would add to an egg's luxury value," said Dr Hodos.

The research is part of an ongoing study focused on ancient luxury goods.

"We are assessing not only how ancient luxuries were produced but also how they were used by different peoples. These questions are incredibly important for our own society today, in which the same object may have different social or symbolic meanings for different groups. Such knowledge and understanding helps foster tolerance and mutual respect in a multi-cultural society," explained Dr. Hodos.

"If we can understand these mechanisms in the past, for which we have long-term outcomes in terms of social development, we can use this knowledge to better inform our own society in a number of ways."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://antiquity.ac.uk/">Antiquity</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;

Ancient ostrich egg trade was surprisingly complex

Experts are unraveling the mystery surrounding the ancient trade of...

The <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/plants-arctic-taller-climate-change/">Arctic</a> is in a rapid state of transformation, according to a new study led by the <a href="https://www.whoi.edu/">Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution</a> (WHOI).  The experts are describing how an influx of carbon and other trace elements may boost marine productivity in the Arctic. At the same time, the loss of sea ice cover will exacerbate ocean warming as more heat is absorbed from the atmosphere. 

Organic matter that is derived from permafrost and riverside runoff is moving into the central waters of the Arctic. This is facilitated by a major surface current known as the Transpolar Drift Stream, which pushes water from Siberia to the North Pole to the North Atlantic.

In 2015, scientists from the International GEOTRACES program discovered that significantly higher concentrations of trace elements were present in surface waters near the North Pole compared to adjacent areas. 

"Many important trace elements that enter the ocean from rivers and shelf sediments are quickly removed from the water column," explained study lead author Matthew Charette. "But in the Arctic they are bound with abundant organic matter from rivers, which allows the mixture to be transported into the central Arctic, over 1,000 kilometers from their source."

Marine organisms require iron, copper, manganese, and other trace elements for growth. As the Arctic becomes ice-free for prolonged time periods, marine algae have an opportunity to become more productive. This productivity will be further boosted by trace elements that are pouring in around the North Pole.

Phytoplankton are microscopic algae that form the base of the marine food web. An increase in phytoplankton will lead to more small fish and crustaceans, which support top ocean predators like whales.

"It's difficult to say exactly what changes this might bring, but we do know that the structure of marine ecosystems is set by nutrient availability," said Charette.

The Arctic is warming at a much faster rate than experts anticipated. While micronutrients may successfully boost productivity, the scientists emphasize that the continued loss of sea ice will promote climate warming, and ecological communities will be affected on a larger scale.

"The Arctic plays an important role in regulating Earth's climate, with the ice cover reflecting sunlight back to space, helping to mitigate rising global temperatures due to greenhouse gas emissions," explained Charette. "Once the ice is gone, the Arctic Ocean will absorb more heat from the atmosphere, which will only make our climate predicament worse."

The study is published in the <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/21699291">Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Global warming is bringing major changes to the Arctic

The Arctic is in a rapid state of transformation, according...

Climate change is set to trigger catastrophic <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/plants-vanishing-biodiversity-hotspots/">biodiversity</a> losses in the coming decades, according to a new study led by <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a>. Global warming is pushing many species to a tipping point, and these plants and animals will disappear abruptly if temperatures continue to rise. 

The researchers predict that a large number of species will vanish simultaneously under the strain of climate change, and some regions will suffer extraordinary losses sooner than others. Unprecedented disasters, such as the mass coral bleaching events on the Great Barrier Reef, indicate that the first wave of destruction has already arrived.

"We found that climate change risks to biodiversity don't increase gradually. Instead, as the climate warms, within a certain area most species will be able to cope for a while, before crossing a temperature threshold, when a large proportion of the species will suddenly face conditions they've never experienced before," explained study lead author Dr. Alex Pigot. "It's not a slippery slope, but a series of cliff edges, hitting different areas at different times."

The research team, including experts in South Africa and the United States, set out to analyze threats to biodiversity through the end of the century. The investigation was focused on climate model data from 1850 to 2005 and the geographic ranges of 30,652 species of plants and animals. 

The experts used climate model projections for each year through 2100 to estimate when specific regions will begin experiencing unusually high temperatures that persist for at least five years.

"The historic temperature models, combined with species ranges, showed us the range of conditions that each organism can survive under, as far as we know," said study first author Dr Christopher Trisos. "Once temperatures in a given area rise to levels that the species have never experienced, we would expect there to be extinctions, but not necessarily - we simply have no evidence of the ability of these species to persist after this point."

The study showed that in most ecological communities, a large share of the species will be pushed outside of their comfort zone within the same decade. Across the globe, 73 percent of the species exposed to abnormally hot temperatures will cross this threshold simultaneously. 

According to the research, if global temperatures rise by 4°C this century, at least 15 percent of communities across the globe will be facing severe ecological disruption. If warming is limited to 2°C or less, the number of communities impacted would drop to less than two percent. 

"Our findings highlight the urgent need for climate change mitigation, by immediately and drastically reducing emissions, which could help save thousands of species from extinction. Keeping global warming below 2°C effectively 'flattens the curve' of how this risk to biodiversity will accumulate over the century, providing more time for species and ecosystems to adapt to the changing climate - whether that's by finding new habitats, changing their behavior, or with the help of human-led conservation efforts," said Dr. Pigot.

The researchers warn that some of the most biodiverse ecological communities on the planet, such as coral reefs, will feel the first impacts. Across tropical oceans, harmful exposure to excessive heat is expected to begin by 2030.

"We hope that our findings could serve as an early warning system, predicting which areas will be most at risk and when, that could help target conservation efforts and improve future model projections," said study co-author Dr. Cory Merow. "It may be valuable to develop a ten-year monitoring program - similar to what climate scientists do, but for biodiversity - which could be updated regularly based on what actually occurs."

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;

Rising temperatures will cause devastating biodiversity losses 

Climate change is set to trigger catastrophic biodiversity losses in...

Young smokers have a harder time quitting as adults. According to new research published by the <a href="https://www2.heart.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=donatenow_heart&amp;s_src=pmxsem19&amp;&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwybD0BRDyARIsACyS8mszzosQiKrIPHWJJwuMvycpdEOiqTMo_7EKM3YvajGjIagersw46lkaAjmFEALw_wcB">American Heart Association</a>, adults who started smoking in their adolescent or teen years have a much harder time kicking the habit. Smoking <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/smoking-fewer-cigarettes/">cigarettes</a> early in life increases the odds of smoking daily into adulthood and beyond the age of 40.

The study is unprecedented in that data collected from young smokers in the 1970's and 80's was followed up on as recently as 2018. Dr. David Jacobs is the lead author of the study and a professor of Public Health at the University of Minnesota.

"Based on our data coupled with a variety of other evidence, we found childhood smoking leads to adult smoking," said Dr. Jacobs. "Cigarette smoking, even experimentally, among children of any age should be strongly discouraged."

The investigation was focused on more than 6,600 individuals between the ages of six and 19 from Finland, Australia, and the United States. As part of the International Childhood Cardiovascular Cohort Consortium, the participants were followed up with during their 20s and 40s.

The study revealed that people who began smoking at early ages were daily smokers in their 20s and were much less likely to quit smoking by their 40s. Even children who barely experimented with cigarettes were prone to developing a consistent smoking habit that lasted for decades.

The frequency of childhood smoking was found to be similar across Finland, Australia, and the United States.

"Even in low income and developing countries, the societal reinforcement of smoking, the basic addictive qualities of nicotine, and the maturation of children and children's judgment through adolescence are universal," said Dr. Jacobs. "As children mature through adolescence, they may have developed a better ability to resist impulses and to reject social pressures.

"Cigarette smoking is an avoidable health risk, and its seeds are in childhood. These results strongly support Tobacco 21, a national movement to restrict all sales of tobacco products to people under age 21. The American Heart Association is an advocate of Tobacco 21."

Dr. Rose Marie Robertson is the co-principal investigator of the American Heart Association's Tobacco Center for Regulatory Science.

"This is a very important study, both because it has data from multiple countries and because it has been able to follow individuals into middle age, a critical observation. It re-emphasizes the importance of keeping tobacco products out of the hands of children before age 21 to prevent long-term addiction," said Dr. Robertson.  

"Vaping products had not been introduced at the time these study participants were teens, but it is plausible that the findings may relate to vaping as well, since both addiction to nicotine and the adverse effects of nicotine on the developing brain in youth are relevant to these nicotine delivery devices as well."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/journal/jaha">Journal of the American Heart Association</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 smokers have a harder time quitting as adults

Young smokers have a harder time quitting as adults. According...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.uni-bonn.de/">University of Bonn</a> suggests that a ketogenic diet may help to prevent asthma attacks. Using a mouse model, the researchers linked a ketogenic diet to a significant reduction of inflammation in the respiratory tract.

Patients who suffer from asthma can experience a severe inflammatory reaction from even low exposure to certain allergens. This inflammation is accompanied by an increase in mucus production, which makes breathing more difficult. 

The cells of the innate immune system, called Innate Lymphoid Cells (ILCs), play a central role in asthma flare-ups. ILCs protect the lungs by regenerating damaged mucous membranes. To do this, the cells produce inflammatory messengers that activate the division of mucosal cells and elevate mucus production. 

The ILC system helps the body repair damage caused by harmful substances, which are removed from the bronchial tubes through mucus. "With asthma, however, the inflammatory reaction is much stronger and longer than normal," explained Dr. Christoph Wilhelm. 

The current study suggests that if the ILC multiplication process is slowed down, dangerous asthma attacks can be prevented. 

"We have investigated which metabolic processes are active in the ILCs when they switch to reproduction mode," explained Dr. Fotios Karagiannis. "Then we tried to block these metabolic pathways and thereby reduce the speed at which the cells divide."

Some metabolic pathways are significantly more active in dividing ILCs. For example, extra fatty acids are supplied to help the cells make their membranes. Dr. Karagiannis explained that activated ILCs absorb fatty acids from their environment and store them in their interior for a short time, before using them for energy or building membranes.

The researchers wanted to know what would happen if the cells were forced to use these fatty acids elsewhere. To investigate, they put mice on a ketogenic diet consisting of mainly fats and very few carbohydrates or proteins. 

The ketogenic diet is known to change cell metabolism, and cells switch to fat burning for energy. This means that cells will lack the fatty acids that facilitate ILC reproduction.

&nbsp;

Among the mice fed a ketogenic diet, the division activity of ILCs was found to be drastically decreased. "Normally, contact with allergens increases the number of ILCs in the bronchi fourfold," said Dr. Wilhelm. "In our experimental animals, however, it remained almost unchanged. Both mucus production and other asthma symptoms decreased accordingly."

The ketogenic diet also leads to glucose deficiency, which likely contributed to the weakened ILC activity. 

"The prevalence of asthma has increased dramatically over the last few decades. Perhaps this is also related to an increasingly common high-sugar and high-fat diet," said Dr. Wilhelm.

Going forward, the experts will focus on patients to investigate whether a ketogenic diet can prevent asthma attacks."We are trying to determine which components of the dietary change are responsible for the effect," said Dr. Wilhelm. "Maybe this will open the door to the development of new drugs."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/immunity/home">Immunity</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Ketogenic diet may prevent asthma attacks

A new study from the University of Bonn suggests that...

When it comes to deciding whether someone is sharing a real or false <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/depression-memory-loss/">memory</a> about committing a crime, our odds are about as good as a coin toss. 

In 2015, experts at <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a> found that it is surprisingly easy to convince someone they participated in a crime by implanting a false memory. Now, a follow-up study has demonstrated how believable these false memories can actually become. 

"Everyone thinks that they couldn't be tricked into believing they have done something they never did, and that if someone were telling them about a false memory, they would be able to spot it. But we found that actually, people tend to be quite susceptible to having false memories, and they sound just like real memories," explained study author Dr. Julia Shaw.

The 2015 study was focused on past emotional experiences among a group of young adults. The researchers enlisted the help of family members, who shared detailed memories of events that affected the participants during adolescence.

The experts used suggestive tactics and leading questions to persuade the young adults that they needed help to recover a repressed memory. The researchers then attempted to convince the participants they had committed a crime, such as theft or assault, when they were young. "We were essentially doing exactly 'what not to do' when conducting a police interview," said Dr. Shaw.

The results showed that most of the participants developed a false memory of committing a crime. The young adults were recorded on video as they recounted each fictitious event, which they now believed had actually taken place. The majority of the individuals later reported that the fake memories felt incredibly real.

For the current investigation, a new group of participants was presented with the videos from 2015. They were asked to decide if the events described by the individuals had ever actually occurred. 

The participants could only identify false memories of a crime 53 percent of the time - a level of accuracy that is no better than chance. Even when the participants were explicitly told that some of the videos featured false memories, they were still no better at judging between the real and fake stories. In fact, the participants were just as likely to misinterpret a real memory as being fake.

"Legal professionals and police officers need to realize how easy it is to manipulate someone's memories. Judges in particular should never assume that they can tell when someone has a false memory, and should consider the entire process to see if there was any risk of contamination of a defendant or witness' memories," said Dr. Shaw.

"The findings really highlight how important it is to ensure that criminal proceedings are done right. The questioning process should be evidence-based, to reduce the risk of implanting false memories in people being questioned by the police."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology">Frontiers in Psychology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

False memories convince people they commited a crime

When it comes to deciding whether someone is sharing a...

A team of 30 conservation biologists from all over the world has issued a warning about the widespread decline of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-insects-smaller/">insects</a>. Through habitat loss, pollution, the introduction of invasive species, climate change, and overexploitation, humans are causing irreparable damage to the ecosystems that support insects. 

Insect declines lead to the loss of essential services that cannot be replaced by technology, such as crop pollination. "The fate of humans and insects intertwine, especially through the medium of plants," wrote the researchers.

"With insect extinctions, we lose much more than species. We lose abundance and biomass of insects, diversity across space and time with consequent homogenization, large parts of the tree of life, unique ecological functions and traits, and fundamental parts of extensive networks of biotic interactions." 

"Such losses lead to the decline of key ecosystem services on which humanity depends. From pollination and decomposition, to being resources for new medicines, habitat quality indication and many others, insects provide essential and irreplaceable services."

Study co-author Dr. Matt Hill of the <a href="https://www.hud.ac.uk/?utm_source=googlemybusiness&amp;utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_campaign=gmb-mainlisting">University of Huddersfield</a> explained that pollution and other human impacts are driving the long-term decline of insects such as beetles, dragonflies, and mayflies. This is very concerning because insects play a vital role in the health of humans and the environment. 

"They provide food for other animals and they can also have a significant role in the functioning of freshwater ecosystems, forming a critical component in the diversity of life," said Dr. Hill.

The researchers collaborated to gain a better understanding of the consequences of accelerated insect decline, as well as the driving forces behind worldwide losses.

The experts are calling for urgent action. They are emphasizing what individuals can do to help insects survive, such as mowing less frequently, using pesticides derived from natural sources, leaving old stumps and trees alone, and joining local conservation efforts. 

The research 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;

Worldwide decline of insects is a threat to humans

A team of 30 conservation biologists from all over the...

A new drug that will soon be tested in clinical trials may prevent early <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/patients-should-not-stop-taking-medications-over-coronavirus-fears/">COVID-19</a> infection. An international team of experts has demonstrated the drug's potential to block the cellular door used by SARS-CoV-2 to gain entry into human cells. 

SARS-CoV-2, or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2, is the scientific name of the virus that causes COVID-19. The virus shares close genetic ties with the first SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV), which infiltrated 26 countries in 2003. 

Led by Dr. Josef Penninger of the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia</a>, the research is providing new insight into how SARS-CoV-2 behaves on a cellular level. "We are hopeful our results have implications for the development of a novel drug for the treatment of this unprecedented pandemic," said Dr. Penninger.

In previous research, Dr. Penninger and his colleagues determined that a protein found on the surface of human cells, angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), serves as the key receptor for SARS. As the current COVID-19 pandemic persists, antiviral medications that can accurately target the ACE2 receptor are urgently needed.

"Our new study provides very much needed direct evidence that a drug - called APN01 (human recombinant soluble angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 - hrsACE2) - soon to be tested in clinical trials by the European biotech company Apeiron Biologics, is useful as an antiviral therapy for COVID-19," said study co-author Dr. Art Slutsky of the University of Toronto.

Using organoids produced from human kidney and blood vessel stem cells, the experts showed that SARS-CoV-2 can infect these tissues directly and then duplicate itself after gaining entry. This discovery sheds new light on how the disease evolves. The finding also explains why some patients with severe cases of COVID-19 experience multi-organ failures and cardiovascular damage.

The study revealed that hrsACE2 effectively reduced SARS-CoV-2 infection in the organoids. In cell cultures, the researchers found that hrsACE2 inhibited the SARS-CoV-2 viral load by a factor of 1,000 to 5,000, depending on the dose.

"Our study provides new insights into how SARS-CoV-2 infects the cells of the body, including in blood vessels and kidneys,” said study co-author Ali Mirazimi. "We believe adding this enzyme copy, hrsACE2, lures the virus to attach itself to the copy instead of the actual cells… It distracts the virus from infecting the cells to the same degree and should lead to a reduction in the growth of the virus in the lungs and other organs.”

Núria Montserrat, a professor at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia in Spain, explained that the use of human organoids saves valuable time compared to testing new drugs on humans. 

"This work stems from an amazing collaboration among academic researchers and companies, including Dr. Ryan Conder's gastrointestinal group at STEMCELL Technologies in Vancouver, Nuria Montserrat in Spain, Drs. Haibo Zhang and Art Slutsky from Toronto and especially Ali Mirazimi's infectious biology team in Sweden, who have been working tirelessly day and night for weeks to better understand the pathology of this disease and to provide breakthrough therapeutic options," said Dr. Penninger.

"Our previous work has helped to rapidly identify ACE2 as the entry gate for SARS-CoV-2, which explains a lot about the disease. Now we know that a soluble form of ACE2 that catches the virus away, could be indeed a very rational therapy that specifically targets the gate the virus must take to infect us. There is hope for this horrible pandemic."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/home">Cell</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Trial drug may block early COVID-19 infection

A new drug that will soon be tested in clinical...

The concept of having a “gut feeling” is actually more literal than you may have thought, as a new study has revealed that your stomach can send signals directly to the brain.

It’s been suggested by scientists that many different conditions and health problems like depression, obesity, and arthritis originate in the gut, but it was not understood how messages from our stomachs were sent to the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/brain-connects-old-memories/">brain</a>.

Previously, researchers believed that hormones were responsible for this line of communication between the gut and brain, but a new study has identified a much more direct path that sends signals with lightning speed. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.duke.edu/">Duke University </a>conducted the study which was published in the journal Science.

“Scientists talk about appetite in terms of minutes to hours. Here we are talking about seconds," said Diego Bohórquez, the senior author of the study. “That has profound implications for our understanding of appetite. Many of the appetite suppressants that have been developed target slow-acting hormones, not fast-acting synapses. And that's probably why most of them have failed.”

You may not think of your gut as a sensory organ, like your eyes or ears, but the stomach’s ability to send signals to the brain that its hungry or full is essential for survival. 

Bohórquez previously discovered that the sensory cells lining the gut were similar to the ones located on the tongue and in the nose. 

For this study, the researchers, led by Bohórquez, mapped the signal of a rabies virus that had been dyed with a green fluorescent tag as it was carried from the stomach to the brainstem of mice. 

The researchers saw that the rabies virus traveled via the vagus nerve from the gut to the brain in under 100 milliseconds. 

After the researchers established this link, sensory gut cells of mice were grown in a dish with vagal neurons. The neurons crawled along the surface of the dish in order to connect with the gut cells, after which signals started to fire between the two. 

The rate of signals firing was sped up when the researchers introduced sugar to the dish environment. 

Glutamate, a neurotransmitter that sends signals from the other senses, was found to be responsible for sending the messages from the gut to the grain, and when the researchers blocked the release of glutamate in the sensory gut cells, no messages were sent. 

“We think these findings are going to be the biological basis of a new sense,” said Bohórquez. “One that serves as the entry point for how the brain knows when the stomach is full of food and calories. It brings legitimacy to the idea of the 'gut feeling' as a sixth sense.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Your gut sends messages directly to the brain at lightning speed

The concept of having a “gut feeling” is actually more...

A new report from the <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> (JPL) has revealed that the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa contains visible amounts of sodium chloride, commonly known as table salt. 

The results of a visible-light spectral analysis showed that the areas of the moon where the salt has accumulated appear yellow in color. The finding indicates that the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sea-bird-die-offs-ocean-temperatures/">ocean</a> on Europa may be much more like our oceans than what was previously realized. 

NASA's Voyager and Galileo spacecrafts have provided scientists with evidence to suggest that Europa has a layer of water frozen at its crust with a liquid ocean under the ice. Galileo's infrared spectrometer identified ice and a substance that was possibly magnesium sulfate salts. Scientists speculated that any salt on the icy surface originated from the ocean underneath. 

Study co-author Mike Brown is a professor of Planetary Astronomy at <a href="https://www.caltech.edu/">Caltech</a>. "People have traditionally assumed that all of the interesting spectroscopy is in the infrared on planetary surfaces, because that's where most of the molecules that scientists are looking for have their fundamental features," said Professor Brown.

"No one has taken visible-wavelength spectra of Europa before that had this sort of spatial and spectral resolution. The Galileo spacecraft didn't have a visible spectrometer. It just had a near-infrared spectrometer, and in the near-infrared, chlorides are featureless," added study lead author and Caltech graduate student Samantha Trumbo.

High-quality spectral resolution data from the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii led the scientists to reevaluate what they were seeing on Europa. "We thought that we might be seeing sodium chlorides, but they are essentially featureless in an infrared spectrum," said Professor Brown.

Kevin Hand, a scientist at NASA's JPL, bombarded sample ocean salts with radiation to mimic the conditions on Europa. This lab experiment uncovered several distinct features which appeared in sodium chloride after irradiation. Sodium chloride turned a shade of yellow similar to what is visible in a geologically young area of Europa called Tara Regio.

"Sodium chloride is a bit like invisible ink on Europa's surface. Before irradiation you can't tell it's there, but after irradiation the color jumps right out at you," explained Hand.

Using the Hubble Space Telescope, the researchers identified a distinct absorption in the visible spectrum at 450 nanometers that accurately matched the irradiated salt. "We've had the capacity to do this analysis with the Hubble Space Telescope for the past 20 years," said Professor Brown. "It's just that nobody thought to look."

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

Image Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Jupiter’s moon Europa has salty oceans

A new report from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)...

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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

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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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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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



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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

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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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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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

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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...