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



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

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...

How much starlight has the universe produced? A team of scientists led by Marco Ajello from <a href="https://www.clemson.edu/science/">Clemson University’s College of Science</a> have managed to measure the total amount of light produced by stars in the observational universe...ever.

Since our universe began forming its first <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/exploding-stars-clouds-climate/">stars</a> a few billion years ago, astrophysicists tell us there are currently about two trillion galaxies and about a trillion trillion stars. Now, Clemson scientists have used new methods of starlight measurement to calculate how much starlight has been produced since the first star’s formation.

“From data collected by [NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope], we were able to measure the entire amount of starlight ever emitted. This has never been done before," Ajello, who is also lead author of the study published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a> on November 30th, said. "Most of this light is emitted by stars that live in galaxies. And so, this has allowed us to better understand the stellar-evolution process and gain captivating insights into how the universe produced its luminous content."

According to the team’s calculations, the number of photons or, particles of visible light, produced by stars thus far is 4x10^84, which can also be written, 4,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 photons.

Ajello, an assistant professor in the department of physics and astronomy, and postdoctoral fellow Vaidehi Paliya analyzed nine years worth of gamma ray data from the Fermi telescope to get a firmer grasp on the amount of starlight produced through extragalactic background light (EBL), a cosmic fog made up of ultraviolet, visible, and infrared light emitted by stars. 

“Gamma-ray photons traveling through a fog of starlight have a large probability of being absorbed," said Ajello. "By measuring how many photons have been absorbed, we were able to measure how thick the fog was and also measure, as a function of time, how much light there was in the entire range of wavelengths."

Measuring the EBL alongside blazers — galaxies with massive black holes that release parallel jet streams of energetic particles and gamma ray photons that collide with the EBL and leave an imprint — also helped the team figure out how much starlight was being produced by galaxies too far away to be detected by telescopes.

"By using blazars at different distances from us, we measured the total starlight at different time periods," Paliya, of the department of physics and astronomy, said. "We measured the total starlight of each epoch — one billion years ago, two billion years ago, six billion years ago, etc. — all the way back to when stars were first formed. This allowed us to reconstruct the EBL and determine the star-formation history of the universe in a more effective manner than had been achieved before."

Measuring the EBL has been a challenging feat for many researchers, and now having done so, the team hopes their discovery will help others in their studies of stellar evolution, with the ultimate goal being to trace stellar history back to the Big Bang.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Pete Martin / Clemson University

How much starlight has the universe produced?

How much starlight has the universe produced? A team of...

When people are struggling with poor sleep, they may also be short on key nutrients like vitamin A, calcium and magnesium, a new study shows.

A team of nutritionists led by Dr. Chioma Ikonte, director of nutrition science at dietary supplement company <a href="http://www.pharmavite.com/">Pharmavite, LLC</a>, examined data collected in the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/index.htm">National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey</a>. They found that people who got less than seven hours of sleep each night tended to consume less calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, niacin and zinc. They were also short on vitamins A, B1 and D, the researchers said.

"This work adds to the body of growing evidence associating specific nutrient intakes with sleep outcomes," Ikonte said. "Our findings suggest that individuals with short sleep duration might benefit from improving their intake of these nutrients through diet and supplementation."

According to Ikonte’s findings, nutrition isn’t just linked to not getting enough sleep, but to poor sleep in general, including sleep disorders and insomnia.

The researchers wanted to find the role that micronutrients may play in poor sleep. Micronutrients are minerals and vitamins that the human body doesn’t produce on its own. They must come from the diet. But around the world, the researchers noted, billions of people suffer from at least one micronutrient deficiency.

This is bad news, since micronutrients play a big role in growth, disease prevention, healing and more.

More research is needed, the scientists warned. Because they were looking at data collected in the past, they could not determine if poor nutrition led to poor sleep or vice versa.

"Whether chronic short sleep causes nutrient insufficiency or the nutrient insufficiency causes short sleep still needs to be determined," Ikonte said. "A clinical study that investigates [impacts of] supplementation with these nutrients on sleep outcomes is needed to demonstrate cause and effect."

Ikonte will present the team’s findings today at <a href="https://meeting.nutrition.org/">Nutrition 2019</a>, the annual meeting of the <a href="https://nutrition.org/">American Society for Nutrition</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Poor sleep connected to poor nutrition, study shows

When people are struggling with poor sleep, they may also...

For years, scientists have been aware that underwater mid-ocean ridge <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/hidden-earthquakes-southern-california/">earthquakes</a> are linked to lower tides. However, no one could figure out why the link existed — until now. 

A new study led by Christopher Scholz, a seismologist at <a href="https://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/">Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory</a>, has revealed that the magma below the mid-ocean ridges is seemingly the mechanism behind the low tide-triggered earthquakes.

“Everyone was sort of stumped, because according to conventional theory, those earthquakes should occur at high tides,” Sholz said in his study, published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>. He explained, “It's the magma chamber breathing, expanding and contracting due to the tides, that's making the faults move.”

Scientists have been boggled by the link to low tide because of the way the mid-ocean fault moves — it’s a tilted plane that separates two masses of Earth. When it moves, the upper mass slides down with respect to the lower one, which many thought occurred during the weight of a high tide. However, just the opposite occurs. 

During low tide, the fault slips down when forces are actually pulling upward, Scholz said.

Scholz and his colleagues studied the Axial Volcano along the Juan de Fuca Ridge in the Pacific Ocean, which erupts every ten years. They set up a network of instruments to monitor the eruption and then used their collected data to map out ways the low tide could be connected to the tremors.

They realized that the volcano’s magma chamber, a soft, pressurized pocket below the surface, expands during low tide because there is less water on top of it. As it expands, it pushes on the rocks around it and forces the lower fault mass to slide upwards, thus causing an earthquake.

Scholz and his team also found that the tidal earthquakes in this area are “so sensitive that we can see details in the response that nobody could ever see before." Even the tiniest of stressors on the fault could trigger an earthquake. Though, the amount of stress needed to cause an earthquake varies from place to place.

"People in the hydrofracking business want to know, is there some safe pressure you can pump and make sure you don't produce any earthquakes?" Scholz said. "And the answer that we find is that there isn't any — it can happen at any level of stress.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Galyna Andrushko

How ocean tides can cause earthquakes

For years, scientists have been aware that underwater mid-ocean ridge...

Water collected from fog could help communities in arid regions. Humans <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cape-town-water-crisis/">depend on clean water</a> for drinking, cooking, and agriculture, and yet over 800 people lack access to this most fundamental resource, according to the <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drinking-water">World Health Organization</a>. 

Access to clean water in arid and desert regions is especially difficult and often requires expensive and burdensome irrigation technology. 

Two new studies published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society address the desert water problem by looking to the desert ecosystem itself to find out-of-box solutions for collecting clean water. 

The studies were conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.osu.edu/">Ohio State University</a> who examined the water collection and storage methods of different desert plants and animals. 

“We thought: ‘How can we gather water from the ambient air around us?’” said Bharat Bhushan, a co-author of one of the studies. “And so, we looked to the things in nature that already do that: the cactus, the beetle, desert grasses.”

Desert grasses, cacti and desert beetles all pull condensed water from fog which settles over the desert at night. 

As the plants and beetles collect water droplets from the fog, different mechanisms are used to filter the water down to to the roots (or in the beetle’s case, its mouth), which provides enough water to survive. 

With the beetle, water collects on water-repellent bumps on the beetle’s back, and then the water slides down toward the beetle's mouth. 

Desert grass have grooves or channels in the blades that filter water collected at the tip of each blade to the roots. 

Cacti collect water on their sharp tips and draw the droplets down cone-like spines to the base of the plant. 

The researchers wondered if they could model these different mechanisms for collecting water droplets and design a larger system capable of supplying enough water for human use. 

The team used 3D printers to create small lab-scale models of surfaces with bumps and cones to find out which is the most efficient at water collection and placed the models in an enclosed environment with a commercial humidifier to create fog. 

Conical shapes were much better at collecting water compared to cylindrical shapes and grooves increased the flow of water compared to the surface that didn’t have grooves. 

Even the material that models were made out of impacted water collection and surfaces that didn’t absorb water were the most efficient. 

“The beetle's surface material is heterogeneous, with hydrophilic spots surrounded by hydrophobic regions, which allows water to flow more easily to the beetle's mouth,” said  Bhushan. 

The researchers hope to create a large-scale model to test in the desert rather than in the lab with the hope of building dependable structures that supply water to desert communities. 

“Water supply is a critically important issue, especially for people of the most arid parts of the world,” said Bhushan. “By using bio-inspired technologies, we can help address the challenge of providing clean water to people around the globe, in as efficient a way as possible.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Water collected from fog could help communities in arid regions

Water collected from fog could help communities in arid regions....

Ocean-based strategies could play a major role in battling climate change. Scientists at <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a> have determined that the potential for ocean-based strategies to support <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-investment/">climate change</a> mitigation is much greater than what has been previously recognized. 

Led by Professor Jane Lubchenco, the researchers linked the findings of two new reports from the International Panel on Climate Change and the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy.

Lubchenco explained that the key takeaway of the reports is that we can now think of the ocean as a source of solutions, not just a victim of climate change. While the ocean has been bearing the brunt of climate change to date, new approaches to sustainable use of the ocean could play a major role in achieving the Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. 

"The IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere paints a gloomy picture of the impacts of climate change on the ocean, ocean ecosystems and people, and an even more dismal portrayal of what is in store unless we get serious about reducing greenhouse gas emissions rapidly," said Lubchenco.

"But the new analysis conducted for the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy concludes that ocean-based activities have significant potential to help us actually reach the 1.5-degree Celsius target by 2050 - much greater potential than anyone realized."

The High Level Panel report evaluated the potential for five categories of ocean-based activities to reduce, sequester, and store emissions. These categories include: ocean-based renewable energy, ocean-based transport, protecting and restoring marine ecosystems, shifting diets to include more protein from seafood and less land-animal protein, and storing carbon in the seabed.

"The report concludes that the first four of those can be deployed right away, but seabed carbon storage will require additional research," said Lubchenco, who co-chaired the expert group that advises the panel. 

"Combined, there is the potential for ocean-based activities to provide as much as 21% of the emission reductions needed to achieve the 1.5-degree target by 2050. That means in addition to the options for reducing emissions that we already knew about, we now have some new and powerful tools to deploy."

Led by Norway and Palau, the High Level Panel also has representation from Portugal, Ghana, Namibia, Kenya, Chile, Mexico, Jamaica, Canada, Japan, Indonesia, Fiji, and Australia.

"Collectively, those nations represent 30% of the world's coastlines and ocean territories, 20% of the fisheries' catches, and 20% of the shipping," said Lubchenco. "This report is the first from the group; 16 others will follow."

The panel has released a Call to Ocean-Based Climate Action, which challenges, nations, businesses, and society in general to promote activities that will help slow global warming. Six types of actions were proposed, including investment in nature-based climate solutions and expanding ocean observation and research.

"The report from the International Panel on Climate Change basically says, 'the problem is bad and likely to get much worse unless we act'; the High Level Panel report says, 'here's what we can do, it will matter, and take hope,'" said Lubchenco. "Our paper in Science aims to connect the dots between those two."

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Don Pablo

Ocean-based strategies could play a major role in battling climate change

Ocean-based strategies could play a major role in battling climate...

During the Eemian period 115,000 years ago, the climate was comparable to the warmer conditions that we are experiencing today, including the temperatures in the ocean. One major difference, however, is that sea levels were 20 to 30 feet higher, according to a report in the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/">Washington Post</a>. 

A recent study that was focused on Baffin Island in northeastern Canada suggests that glaciers in the Northern Hemisphere have already retreated to the extent they did during the Eemian period. When the research team analyzed the remains of ancient planets exposed by retreating glaciers, they found that the plants dated back about 115,000 years, which likely marks the most recent date that they were not covered in ice.

Gifford Miller is a geologist at the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">University of Colorado</a> who led the research on Baffin Island.

“It’s very hard to come up with any other explanation, except that at least in that one area where we’re working,” Miller told the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/">Washington Post</a>. “The last century is as warm as any century in the last 115,000 years.”

If this theory is correct, experts need to know what caused the intense sea level rise during the Eemian period to help predict the conditions that may develop with continued <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-weather-patterns/">global warming</a> today. 

While experts speculate that some of the water came from Greenland, they believe the West Antarctic Ice Sheet must have also contributed. The ice in Greenland alone has the potential to add 20 feet to sea level rise, and this region of Antarctica could contribute another 10 feet.

Researchers including Rob DeConto, an Antarctic expert at the <a href="https://www.umass.edu/">University of Massachusetts</a>, are exploring the possibility that the sea level rise during the Eemian was driven by a process called marine ice cliff collapse. In this process, a large glacier that has lost the stability of its ice shelf exposes a vertical front to the ocean. Ice cliffs would begin to break off and continuously fall into the ocean, causing abrupt and rapid sea level rise.  

DeConto and colleagues created a model that resembled the Eemian and the Pliocene, which is another ancient period of warming. When they accounted for potential marine ice cliff collapse at specific sites in the Antarctic, the model successfully simulated the sea level rise that occurred during the Eemian period. 

Furthermore, the model enabled the researchers to estimate how much sea level rise may result from ice in Antarctica and Greenland during this century. The experts found that the sea level has the potential to swell up to six feet by 2100, which nearly doubled their earlier projections. 

DeConto told the Washington Post: “What we pointed out was, if the kind of calving that we see in Greenland today were to start turning on in analogous settings in Antarctica, then Antarctica has way thicker ice, it’s a way bigger ice sheet, the consequences would be potentially really monumental for sea level rise.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

How much sea level rise can we expect this century?

During the Eemian period 115,000 years ago, the climate was...

There is a growing collection of evidence that Neanderthals were the first to embrace the concept of “home,” according to a report in <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a>. The new picture that is emerging of our closest extinct relatives suggests that they were much more civilized than what was previously thought. 

Matt Pope, an archaeologist at <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a>, told New Scientist: “We take for granted that early humans had a home, an address, but it wasn’t always with us. It’s something we evolved.” Pope suggests that the invention of home was a critical step for humans because it changed the way we thought and interacted with each other. 

In Europe, the transition into homes took place long before modern humans arrived from Africa 45,000 years ago. The move into homes may have been a necessity not only to get out of the cold but also for safety. 

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/neanderthal-tools-hunt-distance/">Neanderthals</a> learned how to control fire about 500,000 years ago, which gave them the opportunity to move inside. At the site of Tor Faraj in southern Jordan, which dates back 70,000 years, stones and wood had been piled up for windbreaks inside of the shelter. By 10,000 years later, there is evidence that windbreaks were being built out in the open using wood and animal bones. 

A research team including María Gema Chacón from the Catalan Institute of Human Palaeoecology and Social Evolution explored a rock shelter near Barcelona called Abric Romaní to understand how Neanderthals organized their homes. The shelter was occupied on and off for at least 70,000 years, until about 40,000 years ago, by families of 10 to 20 people.

The well-preserved site has one particular level, which dates back 58,000 years, that contains more than 40 hearths. “My students go down there and they’re amazed,” Chacón told New Scientist. “You can still smell the roasted deer.”

According to New Scientist, Neanderthals were quite sophisticated when it came to cooking. There is evidence to suggest they boiled bones to extract nutrients, used wild herbs to season their meat, and were sometimes even vegetarians. Our ancient relatives also socialized and kept medicine to treat wounds and care for each other.

It is not yet clear whether Neanderthals were the first to invent homes, and there is evidence that Homo sapiens were building shelters and inhabiting similar rock dwellings during this same time. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Neanderthals may have been the first to embrace the concept of home

There is a growing collection of evidence that Neanderthals were...

The discovery of a new projectile point recovered from an excavation site in Texas has led researchers to believe that there may have been two separate human migrations into <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/insect-eating-birds-declining/">North America</a>. 

A projectile point is a triangular blade often attached to a weapon that would be thrown. The previously unknown style of projectile point dates back between 13,500 and 15,500 years. This is significantly earlier than the Clovis-style weapons that are around 13,000 years old.

While the Clovis-style tools were thought to represent the earliest settlement of North America, the most recent excavations in western North America have identified a different style of point technology - the Western Stemmed Tradition. The connections between the artifact assemblages of Clovis and Western Stemmed Traditions remain unknown. 

A research team led by Michael R. Waters, a professor of Anthropology and Geography at Texas A&amp;M University, are reporting the discovery of more than 100,000 artifacts, including 328 tools and 12 complete and fragmented projectile points, which date back prior to the Clovis history. The artifacts were excavated from the Buttermilk Creek Complex horizon of the Debra L. Friedkin site.

Using a dating technique known as optically stimulated luminescence to test sediment samples, the researchers determined the artifacts were between 13,500- and 15,500- years-old. 

The results of the study suggest that the design of the early tools changed over time from the newly-recovered style to the Clovis-style projectile point. However, according to the study authors, it is also possible that the tool they found in Texas is a distinctive style created by people of an earlier, separate migration into North America. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://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

New artifacts suggest two different migrations into North America

The discovery of a new projectile point recovered from an...

New research suggests that mindfulness meditation and stress reduction techniques based on the ancient practice may help ease chronic pain.

A team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.ottawahospital.on.ca/">Ottawa Hospital</a> reviewed a selection of 21 separate studies on chronic pain management. Thirteen of the studies focused on cognitive behavioral therapy, one of the main stress-reduction treatments used for chronic pain patients. The rest looked at mindfulness meditation and related techniques. 

The researchers wanted to find out if mindfulness – which has deep roots but has gone viral in recent years as a trendy stress-reduction technique – is as effective in treating chronic pain as CBT. 

It seems to be, they concluded. 

“Findings ... for change in physical functioning, pain intensity and depression revealed clinically important advantages relative to control for [mindfulness-based stress reduction] and CBT, but no evidence of an important difference between MBSR and CBT was found,” they wrote in their analysis, published in the journal <a href="https://ebmh.bmj.com/content/22/1/26">Evidence-Based Mental Health</a>.

Mindfulness meditation, long practiced in various forms of Buddhism, first drew the attention of psychologists and psychiatrists in the 1970s. Since then, researchers have developed a collection of mindfulness-based tools to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mindfulness-meditation-treat-anxiety/">treat anxiety</a> and depression. 

Since then, the technique has caught on as a way to relieve stress, battle <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mindfulness-reduce-cravings-food/">addiction</a>, aid in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mindfulness-training-weight-loss/">weight loss</a>, ease symptoms of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/women-mindfulness-menopause/">menopause</a> and more.

With studies showing the potential mental health benefits – like CBT, which is also used in mental health treatment – the researchers wondered whether mindfulness meditation could help chronic pain patients.

One in five adults suffers from chronic pain, and that can have a profound effect beyond just the physical.

“Core components of [mindfulness] include increasing awareness of one’s body, emotions, sensations, thoughts as well as learning self-regulation strategies and more adaptive responses to stress,” the researchers wrote.

Like CBT, which teaches patients how to adapt to their situations and find coping strategies, mindfulness meditation focuses on accepting and working around pain. While more research is needed, the team said, mindfulness-based stress reduction holds some promise for treating pain.

“Although a number of recommendations have been proposed to improve CBT for patients with [chronic pain], an additional solution may be to offer patients MBSR since it shows promise in improving pain severity and reducing pain interference and psychological distress,” they wrote.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Can mindfulness meditation help keep pain under control?

New research suggests that mindfulness meditation and stress reduction techniques...

You can find vegan, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/healthy-plant-based-foods-heart-disease/">plant-based</a> and dairy-free substitutes for most of your grocery store staples these days, including milk, cheese, yogurt, meat, and even eggs. 

One brand of eggless, liquid egg product is out-competing everyone else and is second only to Egg Beaters in terms of liquid egg sales in the United States, according to <a href="http://www.iriworldwide.com/">IRI</a>, a market research company. 

JUST Egg is a liquid egg product made from mung bean that was developed by the plant-based foods company <a href="https://www.ju.st/en-us">JUST</a>. The company’s liquid egg product is one of its latest innovations and was launched in 2017. 

While liquid eggs make up only a small share of egg sales in the US, with most going towards the eggs that come in shells, JUST Egg’s rise paves the way for even more plant-based foods to take over grocery store shelves. 

IRI found that JUST Egg had the greatest sales growth in the liquid egg market in the US. The price point is still higher than other liquid egg products. 

<a href="https://qz.com/1689009/plant-based-eggs-are-starting-to-compete-with-the-real-thing/">Quartz</a> reported that since the product’s launch, JUST founder Josh Tetrick claimed to have sold the equivalent of 10 million eggs. 

JUST recently announced that its liquid egg product would be available in 2,100 grocery stores around the country after the product was picked up by the large retail company, Kroger. 

You may soon be able to buy JUST Egg at Fred Meyer, Kroger, and Ralph’s. The product is already on the shelves of Safeway and Winn Dixie among other stores. 

“We believe a just food system starts with breakfast and our partnership with the Kroger family of stores, the largest grocery store chain in the United States, makes JUST Egg accessible to countless consumers in communities around the country,” said Josh Tetrick, the CEO of JUST, in a press release

JUST had always wanted to develop an egg alternative, but it took some time to create a convincing substitute. 

JUST Egg is made from mung bean flour mixed with water and a special “de-foaming agent” which helps isolate a protein curd from the slurry, according to <a href="https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2017/08/09/Hampton-Creek-explores-the-potential-of-mung-bean-protein-isolate">Food Navigator</a>. This curd can then be used to make many products. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: <a href="https://www.ju.st/en-us/products/consumer/egg/scramble">JUST Egg</a>

Plant-based egg product rising in popularity in the US

You can find vegan, plant-based and dairy-free substitutes for most...

When we’re faced with a <a href="https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_00.htm">complex decision</a> or a tough choice, we often break down the process into a hierarchy of smaller, more manageable decisions. 

The problem is, while this process can help us make a key decision, when something goes wrong after our choice, it can be difficult to pinpoint where a better decision could have been made along the way.  

Neuroscientists from the<a href="http://www.mit.edu/"> Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a> explored hierarchy decision making in animals to better understand how the brain assesses each step to determine what went wrong. 

In a new study published in the journal Science, the researchers discovered that the brain goes through two computations in the frontal cortex to gauge the success or failure of each step. In each stage, the brain works to confidently confirm that the decision made was the right one. 

The frontal cortex is key to calculating confidence in each step in hierarchical decision making.  

“Creating a hierarchy in one’s mind and navigating that hierarchy while reasoning about outcomes is one of the exciting frontiers of cognitive neuroscience,” said Mehrdad Jazayeri, the senior author of the study. “One of the things that is thought to be critical for hierarchical reasoning is to have some level of confidence about how likely it is that different nodes [of a hierarchy] could have led to the negative outcome.

The researchers first needed to find a way to study hierarchical decision making in the brain and so they created a specific task. 

With the task, an animal would see a flash of light and have to choose between one of two eye movements if the accompanying flash of light occurred before or after 850 milliseconds. 

The researchers switched up the rules of the task by changing the correct eye movement choice after 10 to 28 trial flashes. If the animal made the right eye movement, a reward was given. The researchers also recorded neural activity in the frontal cortex after each trial. 

When the rules changed, the animal had to learn what went wrong if they didn’t get a reward after the second flash of light. This allowed the researchers to see how confidence in past decisions factored into new choices. 

Confidence played a role in the animal’s behavior, and the researchers found that when the length of time between flashes was obviously longer or shorter than 850 milliseconds, the animals were more confident. 

When the time between flashes was right on or around the 850 mark, the animals had a harder time choosing. 

“They know that they’re not confident, and they know that if they’re not confident, it’s not necessarily the case that the rule has changed. They know they might have made a mistake [in their interval judgment],” said Jazayeri.

The neural activity records showed that two regions of the brain, the anterior cingulate cortex, and dorsomedial frontal cortex became active after an animal made the wrong choice. 

Activity in the anterior cingulate cortex seemed to predict how an animal would decide to respond to a rule switch and gauge their previous decisions. 

The results of the study help show how we make decisions and what factors help influence complex decision making. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How the brain breaks tough decisions down into smaller pieces

When we’re faced with a complex decision or a tough...

Your efforts to keep your home clean and put a meal on the table is adding to indoor pollution, according to a new study.

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">University of Colorado, Boulder</a> discovered that daily chores can leave indoor pollution levels on par with a major city – and not a nice, clean one. One a large collection of <a href="https://www.earth.com/gallery/10-best-plants-for-indoor-air-quality/">clean-air houseplants</a> can’t put much of a dent in.

"We wanted to know: How do basic activities like cooking and cleaning change the chemistry of a house?" Dr. Marina Vance said in a press release. 

Even more disturbing, that pollution doesn’t stay indoors. Chemicals known as volatile organic compounds, found in products like shampoo, perfume and cleaning chemicals, escape into the outdoors where they contribute more to atmospheric air pollution than cars and trucks, the researchers said.

"Homes have never been considered an important source of outdoor air pollution and the moment is right to start exploring that," Vance said.

Vance and her colleagues used sensors and monitors to track the amounts of indoor pollution in a home on the <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">University of Texas, Austin</a> campus. There, the team spent a month participating in basic household chores such as cooking and cleaning – including cooking a full <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thanksgiving-dinners-carbon-footprint/">Thanksgiving dinner</a>. 

"Even the simple act of making toast raised particle levels far higher than expected," Vance said. "We had to go adjust many of the instruments."

The study shows that homes need to be well-ventilated when cooking and cleaning to prevent harmful levels of indoor pollution, she said. 

The study shows that experts have been operating with an incomplete picture of the causes of air pollution. 

"Many traditional sources like fossil fuel-burning vehicles have become much cleaner than they used to be," said Dr. Joost de Gouw, who has previously studied indoor pollution caused by household activities. "Ozone and fine particulates are monitored by the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">EPA</a>, but data for airborne toxins like formaldehyde and benzene and compounds like alcohols and ketones that originate from the home are very sparse."

The research was presented during a panel discussion at the <a href="https://meetings.aaas.org/">2019 American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting</a> in Washington, D.C. Funding was provided by the <a href="https://sloan.org/">Alfred P. Sloan Foundation</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Cooking, cleaning are sources of indoor pollution

Your efforts to keep your home clean and put a...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"]</div>



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)



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



---



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...