Yellowstone National Park

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features the star-forming region NGC 604. The nebula is located 2.73 million light-years away from Earth in the Triangulum Galaxy (M33). 



By studying regions like NGC 604, astronomers can gain insights into the complex interactions between stars and the interstellar medium, as well as the conditions that lead to the birth of stars. This, in turn, helps in understanding the evolution of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/galaxies-like-our-own-milky-way-are-not-unique/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxies</a> and the universe as a whole.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-massive-stars-of-ngc-604">Massive stars of NGC 604</h2>



"Sheltered among NGC 604’s dusty envelopes of gas are more than 200 of the hottest, most massive kinds of stars, all in the early stages of their lives," said <a href="https://www.esa.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>.



"These types of stars are known as B-types and O-types, the latter of which can be more than 100 times the mass of our own Sun. It’s quite rare to find this concentration of them in the nearby universe. In fact, there’s no similar region within our own Milky Way galaxy."



According to ESA, this concentration of massive stars, combined with its relatively close distance, means that NGC 604 gives astronomers an opportunity to study these objects at a fascinating time early in their life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gigantic-region-of-ionized-hydrogen">Gigantic region of ionized hydrogen</h2>



NGC 604 is one of the largest known regions of ionized hydrogen, also known as an H II region. This nebula is significantly larger than the Orion Nebula, which is one of the most well-known H II regions in our own <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/large-amount-of-dark-matter-may-be-missing-from-the-milky-way/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milky Way galaxy</a>.&nbsp;



NGC 604 spans about 1,500 light-years across, making it one of the largest H II regions in the Local Group of galaxies. This group includes the Milky Way, the Andromeda Galaxy, and about 54 other smaller galaxies.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ngc-604-starburst-phenomenon">NGC 604 starburst phenomenon </h2>



Within NGC 604, there are hundreds of young, hot, massive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stars-at-the-edge-of-our-milky-way-galaxy-travel-more-slowly/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stars</a>. These stars have ionized the surrounding gas, causing it to glow and creating the nebula. The region is a prime example of a starburst phenomenon, where stars form at a much higher rate than in typical galactic conditions.



“The bright orange streaks in this image signify the presence of carbon-based molecules known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs," explained ESA.



"As you travel further from the immediate cavities of dust where the star is forming, the deeper red signifies molecular hydrogen. This cooler gas is a prime environment for star formation. Ionized hydrogen from ultraviolet radiation appears as a white and blue ghostly glow."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-about-star-formation">More about star formation </h2>



Star formation is crucial for the evolution of galaxies and the synthesis of heavy elements. In the cores of stars, elements heavier than helium are created.



The elements are spread throughout the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-stars-shakti-shiva-shaped-milky-way-galaxy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxy</a> when stars reach the end of their lives and expel their material - either gently through winds or violently via supernova explosions. 



This enriching process allows for the formation of new stars and planets, and ultimately, the potential for life.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Cloud collapse</h3>



The process begins when part of a molecular cloud becomes unstable and starts to collapse under its own gravity. This can be triggered by events like shock waves from nearby <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/supernova-explosions-could-damage-distant-planets/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">supernovae</a>, galactic collisions, or the influence of other massive stars.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Formation of a protostar</h3>



As the cloud collapses, it fragments into smaller clumps. Each clump will eventually form one or more stars. 



The material within these clumps continues to fall inward, heating up as it does so, eventually forming a warm core called a protostar. At this stage, the protostar is not yet hot enough for nuclear fusion (the process that powers stars) to occur.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Accretion disk</h3>



Around the protostar, material from the surrounding cloud continues to fall inward, forming a rotating disk. This material slowly accretes onto the protostar, increasing its mass.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Nuclear fusion begins</h3>



Once the core of the protostar reaches a high enough temperature and pressure, hydrogen atoms begin to fuse into helium, releasing energy in the process. This marks the transition from a protostar to a main sequence star, like our sun.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Main sequence and beyond</h3>



The star will spend the majority of its life in the main sequence stage, where it balances the gravitational forces trying to collapse it and the outward pressure from nuclear fusion. 



Eventually, the star will exhaust its hydrogen fuel. Its subsequent evolution will depend on its initial mass, leading to various end stages such as red giants, supernovae, neutron stars, or black holes.



Image Credit: NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope



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Young, massive stars in the Triangulum Galaxy

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency...

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features NGC 1792, a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Columba about 43 million light-years away from Earth.&nbsp;



This galaxy, discovered by British astronomer James Dunlop in 1826, is part of the larger NGC 1808 group of galaxies.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-intimate-view-of-ngc-1792">Intimate view of NGC 1792</h2>



“An orange glow radiates from the center of NGC 1792, the heart of this stellar forge. Captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, this intimate view of NGC 1792 gives us some insight into this galactic powerhouse,” noted <a href="https://www.esa.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>.



“The vast swathes of tell-tale blue seen throughout the galaxy indicate areas that are full of young, hot stars, and it is in the shades of orange, seen nearer the center, that the older, cooler stars reside.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-vigorous-star-formation-nbsp">Vigorous star formation&nbsp;</h2>



NGC 1792 is notable for its vigorous star formation, classifying it as a starburst galaxy. The high rate of star birth is thought to be triggered by gravitational interactions with neighboring galaxies, though the exact cause is still under study.



“Nestled in the constellation of Columba (The Dove), NGC 1792 is both a spiral galaxy, and a starburst galaxy,” said ESA. 



“Within starburst galaxies, stars are forming at comparatively exorbitant rates. The rate of star formation can be more than 10 times faster in a starburst galaxy than in the Milky Way.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fierce-bursts-of-star-formation">Fierce bursts of star formation</h2>



ESA noted that when galaxies have a large reservoir of gas, like NGC 1792, these short-lived starburst phases can be sparked by galactic events such as mergers and tidal interactions.&nbsp;



“One might think that these starburst galaxies would easily consume all of their gas in a large forming event. However, supernova explosions and intense stellar winds produced in these powerful starbursts can inject energy into the gas and disperse it.”&nbsp;



“This halts the star formation before it can completely deplete the galaxy of all its fuel. Scientists are actively working to understand this complex interplay between the dynamics that drive and quench these fierce bursts of star formation.”



Due to its distance and brightness, NGC 1792 can be observed with medium-sized telescopes under favorable conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-evolution-of-galaxies">The evolution of galaxies </h2>



Galaxy evolution refers to the process by which galaxies form and change over time. It begins in the early universe, shortly after the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-observations-disprove-big-bang-theory-universe-began-tired-light-theory/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Big Bang</a>, when small density fluctuations in the primordial gas led to the collapse of matter into the first galaxies.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-galaxy-mergers">Galaxy mergers</h3>



Early galaxies were small and irregular, and were composed mostly of gas and dark matter. Over billions of years, galaxies grew larger by merging with one another and by accreting gas from the surrounding space.&nbsp;



These interactions often triggered bursts of star formation, and collisions between galaxies sometimes led to the creation of new, more massive galaxies.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-structural-changes">Structural changes</h3>



As galaxies evolve, their morphology - shape and structure - can change. Early galaxies were often irregular or disk-shaped, but over time, many galaxies formed into the elliptical or spiral shapes we see today.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-star-formation">Star formation</h3>



Star formation is a key driver of galaxy evolution, but it gradually slows down as galaxies age. 



The gas that fuels <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/black-hole-is-starving-its-host-galaxy-of-star-forming-fuel/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">star formation</a> can be used up, or it can be heated and pushed out of galaxies by supernovae or black holes, reducing the galaxy's ability to form new stars.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-galaxy-environment-nbsp">Galaxy environment&nbsp;</h3>



The environment in which a galaxy resides also plays a role in its evolution. Galaxies in dense clusters are more likely to interact with their neighbors, which can alter their shape or trigger bursts of star formation.&nbsp;



In contrast, galaxies in more isolated regions of space evolve more slowly and without as many dramatic interactions.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dark-matter">Dark matter</h3>



Dark matter also plays a crucial role in galaxy evolution. It provides the gravitational framework that holds galaxies together and influences their interactions with one another.&nbsp;



Supermassive <a href="https://www.earth.com/search-results/?search=Galaxies%20merge&amp;start=0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">black holes</a>, found at the centers of most large galaxies, can also affect their evolution by releasing energy that impacts star formation and the movement of gas within the galaxy.



Overall, galaxy evolution is a complex and ongoing process driven by interactions between stars, gas, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-dark-matter-does-not-exist-and-the-universe-is-27-billion-years-old/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dark matter</a>, and black holes, and shaped by both internal processes and external influences.



Image Credit: ESA/Hubble &amp; NASA, J. Lee



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Starburst galaxy in the constellation Columba

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features a brilliant stellar nursery located about 163,000 light-years away.



According to ESA, the image is one of the most photogenic examples of the many stellar nurseries observed by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope during its 30-year lifetime. 



“The portrait features the giant nebula NGC 2014 and its neighbor NGC 2020 which together form part of a vast star-forming region in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way,” noted <a href="https://www.esa.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-a-stellar-nursery">What is a stellar nursery?</h2>



Stellar nurseries are regions in space where new stars are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/baby-stars-release-sneezes-of-gas-and-dust-as-they-develop/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">born</a> - often within vast clouds of gas and dust called molecular clouds.&nbsp;



These areas are fascinating because they are cradles of stellar evolution, where gravity causes clumps of gas to collapse, eventually forming protostars.&nbsp;



Over time, the protostars will heat up and start the nuclear fusion process that powers a star.



One of the most well-known stellar nurseries is the Orion Nebula, which is visible to the naked eye and located about 1,350 light-years from Earth.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dynamic-nature-of-a-stellar-nursery-nbsp">Dynamic nature of a stellar nursery&nbsp;</h2>



Within these nurseries, the balance between gravity and pressure determines the types of stars that form, from massive, luminous stars to smaller, cooler ones like our Sun.&nbsp;



The environment is incredibly dynamic, with powerful winds from young stars shaping the clouds and triggering the birth of even more stars.



These regions are often illuminated by the light from massive newborn stars - creating stunning, colorful displays. The light reveals the intricate structure of the dust and gas, sculpted by the energy of young stars.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-significance-of-stellar-nurseries-nbsp">Significance of stellar nurseries&nbsp;</h2>



Stellar nurseries are essential for understanding the early stages of planetary formation, as protoplanetary disks (the material from which <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/planet-formation-new-insights-mechanics-physics/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">planets form</a>) are often found around young stars in these regions.



Stellar nurseries play a crucial role in the ongoing evolution of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/black-hole-is-starving-its-host-galaxy-of-star-forming-fuel/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxies</a>. They are responsible for the continuous birth of new stars that enrich the interstellar medium with heavier elements. This constant recycling of material is key to the development of future generations of stars and planets.&nbsp;



Furthermore, the study of these regions helps astronomers understand the fundamental processes that govern the life cycles of stars and the overall dynamics of the universe.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-local-group">The Local Group</h2>



The Local Group is a collection of over 80 galaxies that includes the Milky Way, the Andromeda Galaxy, and the Triangulum Galaxy, along with numerous smaller dwarf galaxies. These galaxies are bound together by gravity and span a region roughly 10 million light-years across.&nbsp;



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/milky-ways-thin-disk-is-billions-of-years-older-than-we-thought/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milky Way</a> and Andromeda are the dominant members, with their respective satellite galaxies orbiting them.&nbsp;



The Local Group is part of a larger structure known as the Virgo Supercluster, and its galaxies are moving toward the gravitational center of the Local Group, contributing to its dynamic nature.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-large-magellanic-cloud">Large Magellanic Cloud</h2>



The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is the fourth largest galaxy in the Local Group and can be seen with the naked eye from the Southern Hemisphere.&nbsp;



This irregular dwarf galaxy is home to the Tarantula Nebula, one of the most active star-forming regions in our cosmic neighborhood.&nbsp;



The Large Magellanic Cloud played a key role in astronomical history, particularly when the supernova SN 1987A was observed, providing valuable insights into stellar evolution.&nbsp;



The LMC's interaction with the Milky Way, along with its own companion, the Small Magellanic Cloud, is believed to influence its shape and star formation activity. Its proximity and unique properties make it a crucial object of study for understanding <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massive-galactic-explosion-provides-clues-about-galaxy-evolution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxy evolution</a>, star formation, and the dynamics of interacting galaxies.



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and STScI



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Hubble captures a stunning stellar nursery

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1559, located around 35 million light-years away in the southern constellation Reticulum. The image was captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.&nbsp;



"The data featured in this portrait make use of two of Webb’s instruments: the Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) and Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam)," noted <a href="https://www.esa.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>.



"Here MIRI captures the glow of interstellar dust grains, which trace out the interstellar medium, the fuel for future star formation. NIRCam shows the light from stars, even young stars hidden behind prodigious amounts of dust. NIRCam also captures emission from ionized nebulae around young stars."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-webb-reveals-galaxies-in-new-light">Webb reveals galaxies in new light</h2>



According to ESA, the data was collected by the <a href="https://sites.google.com/view/phangs/home">PHANGS team</a> as part of a program in which Webb will observe 55 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/james-webb-captures-galaxies-that-are-too-old-to-exist/">galaxies</a> that have also been mapped by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) radio telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope, and more.&nbsp;



"By combining Webb’s unprecedented view of the dust and stars with data from these other facilities, the team aims to obtain a new, highly detailed view of how stars are born, live, and die in galaxies across the Universe."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ngc-1559-a-loner-in-space">NGC 1559: A loner in space</h2>



Although NGC 1559 appears to sit close to one of our nearest neighbors in the sky - the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) - this is just a trick of perspective, noted ESA.



While it is part of the Reticulum constellation, NGC 1559 is not part of the Local Group of galaxies but instead resides in a more distant region of space.



"In reality, NGC 1559 is physically nowhere near the LMC in space; in fact it truly is a loner, lacking the company of any nearby galaxies or membership of any galaxy cluster," said ESA.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-star-formation-in-ngc-1559">Star formation in NGC 1559</h2>



NGC 1559 is notable for its active star formation and strong magnetic fields. It has also been the site of several <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/supernova-explosions-could-damage-distant-planets/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">supernovae</a>, making it of particular interest to astronomers who study stellar evolution and the life cycle of stars.



The structure of NGC 1559 includes well-defined spiral arms that contain young, hot stars and regions of ionized gas, indicative of ongoing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/black-hole-is-starving-its-host-galaxy-of-star-forming-fuel/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">star formation</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-extragalactic-wonder">An extragalactic wonder</h2>



Despite being relatively small compared to larger galaxies like the Milky Way, NGC 1559 is an important object for understanding how barred spiral galaxies evolve and the processes that trigger supernovae.



The galaxy’s remote location and active nature make it a fascinating subject of study in the field of extragalactic astronomy. 



The isolation of NGC 1559 allows for a clearer view of its structure without much interference from neighboring galaxies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-barred-spiral-galaxies">Barred spiral galaxies</h2>



Barred spiral galaxies are a type of spiral galaxy characterized by a central bar-shaped structure composed of stars. This bar extends out from the core and connects to the galaxy's spiral arms, which swirl outward in a graceful pattern.



Scientists believe that the bar plays a crucial role in the evolution of the galaxy, funneling gas towards the core and potentially triggering star formation or feeding a central black hole. 



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/newly-discovered-stars-milky-way-are-old-as-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milky Way</a>, our own galaxy, is an example of a barred spiral. These galaxies are quite common in the universe, making up about two-thirds of all observed spiral galaxies.



The bar itself is thought to be a temporary feature, developing as the galaxy matures and possibly disappearing over time as the dynamics of the stars change. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-reticulum-constellation">The Reticulum constellation</h2>



Reticulum is a small, faint constellation in the southern sky. Its name means "the reticle" in Latin, which refers to the crosshairs in an eyepiece of a telescope.



The constellation was named in the 18th century by the French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille to honor the reticle he used in his scientific instruments. It is one of the 88 modern constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union.



Image Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA &amp; CSA, A. Leroy, J. Lee and the PHANGS Team



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Spiral galaxy glows with young stars and interstellar dust

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features NGC 6744 - a large, barred spiral galaxy located approximately 30 million light-years away in the constellation Pavo.&nbsp;



The galaxy is often considered a close analog to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/uma3-u1-faintest-star-system-found-orbiting-milky-way-galaxy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milky Way</a> due to its similar structure and size, spanning about 175,000 light-years across.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-euclid-space-mission-nbsp">Euclid space mission&nbsp;</h2>



The image was captured by the <a href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Euclid" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Euclid</a> space telescope. NGC 6744 stands out as a prime example of the galaxies currently forming the majority of stars in the nearby universe, making it an ideal subject for study with the Euclid mission.&nbsp;



Euclid’s extensive field-of-view allows it to capture the entire galaxy, showcasing not only its large-scale spiral structure but also revealing intricate details on smaller scales across various wavelengths. These details include feather-like dust lanes, known as “spurs,” emerging from the spiral arms.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-star-formation-in-ngc-6744">Star formation in NGC 6744</h2>



Euclid's observations enable scientists to count individual stars within NGC 6744, trace the distribution of stars and dust throughout the galaxy, and map the dust associated with the gas that fuels the development of new stars.&nbsp;



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/baby-stars-release-sneezes-of-gas-and-dust-as-they-develop/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Star formation</a> is a key process in the growth of galaxies, making these studies crucial for understanding galaxy evolution.



Researchers are utilizing Euclid’s data to explore the relationship between dust, gas, and star formation. The data can also be used to map the distribution of different stellar populations and identify regions of active star formation.



Spiral arms play a significant role in star formation by compressing gas, yet the precise mechanisms behind this process are still unclear. 



The presence of “spurs” along NGC 6744’s spiral arms offers valuable insights into the dynamics of star formation within these structures.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-discovering-new-dwarf-galaxies-nbsp">Discovering new dwarf galaxies&nbsp;</h2>



Additionally, Euclid's dataset will help scientists identify clusters of old stars (globular clusters) and discover new dwarf galaxies around NGC 6744. 



Remarkably, Euclid has already identified a new dwarf satellite galaxy of NGC 6744 - a surprising discovery given that the galaxy has been studied extensively.



With Euclid’s detailed observations, scientists are gaining a deeper understanding of the processes shaping galaxies, providing essential clues to the evolution and appearance of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/universes-expansion-rate-hubble-tension-puzzles-astronomers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">universe</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-about-ngc-6744">More about NGC 6744</h2>



NGC 6744's disk is rich in star-forming regions and contains numerous young, bright blue stars. The galaxy's nucleus is slightly elongated and has a bar structure, which influences the motion of the stars and gas within it.&nbsp;



The spiral arms of NGC 6744 are well-defined and extend outward, wrapping around the central bar. 



Additionally, NGC 6744 has a smaller companion galaxy, NGC 6744A, which is interacting with it, adding to the complexity and interest of this distant system.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-types-of-spiral-galaxies">Types of spiral galaxies</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-mesmerizing-beauty-of-spiral-galaxies/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Spiral galaxies</a> are one of the most common types of galaxies in the universe, characterized by their distinct, spiral-shaped structure.&nbsp;



The galaxies typically consist of a flat, rotating disk containing stars, gas, and dust, along with a central concentration of stars known as the bulge. This bulge is often surrounded by a halo of older stars.&nbsp;



The spiral arms, which extend from the central bulge, are regions of active star formation and are rich in young, hot stars, giving them a bright, bluish appearance.&nbsp;



These arms are also sites where interstellar gas and dust are concentrated, leading to the formation of new stars.&nbsp;



Spiral galaxies are classified into different types based on the tightness of their spirals and the size of their central bulge, with classifications ranging from tightly wound arms in Sa galaxies to more loosely wound arms in Sc galaxies. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/large-amount-of-dark-matter-may-be-missing-from-the-milky-way/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milky Way</a>, our home galaxy, is a prime example of a spiral galaxy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-constellation-pavo">The constellation Pavo</h2>



Pavo, which means "peacock" in Latin, is a constellation in the southern sky. It was named by the Dutch astronomer Petrus Plancius in the late 16th century, based on observations made during the Dutch explorations of the southern hemisphere. 



Pavo is one of the 12 constellations created by Plancius from the records of explorers Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman. 



The constellation is known for its distinctive shape, resembling a peacock with a long, curved tail. It is not visible from most of the northern hemisphere, but it can be seen from the southern hemisphere, particularly during the winter months.



Pavo contains several interesting celestial objects, including the star Peacock, also known as Alpha Pavonis, which is the brightest star in the constellation. This star is a blue-white subgiant located about 179 light-years from Earth.



Image Credit: <a href="https://www.esa.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA&nbsp;



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Young stars illuminate a spiral galaxy in the constellation Pavo

Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features Lake Chad in central Africa. The photograph was taken by an astronaut aboard the International Space Station.



According to <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/154407/lake-chads-water-wetlands-and-dunes" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>, Lake Chad once ranked among the largest natural lakes in the world. It was a critical resource for millions of people and animals, supporting agriculture and fishing across the region.&nbsp;



Lake Chad straddles the borders of Chad, Nigeria, Niger, and Cameroon. The shallow <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lakes-are-warming-toward-the-point-of-no-return/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lake</a> is primarily fed by the Chari River, which brings water from the Central African Republic. 



The water levels are also influenced by seasonal rainfall. The rainfall patterns vary significantly across the basin but generally follow a wet-dry seasonal cycle.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-environmental-decline-and-shrinkage-nbsp">Environmental decline and shrinkage&nbsp;</h2>



From the 1960s to the early 2000s, the lake lost more than 90 percent of its surface area. It transformed from a vast expanse of open water into a patchwork of wetlands, reed beds, and scattered pools.&nbsp;



This environmental decline has had severe consequences for local communities, leading to food and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-water-security-relies-on-the-origins-of-rainfall/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">water insecurity</a>, loss of livelihoods, and increasing competition over scarce resources.



“Ongoing droughts and the rising demand for fresh water have shrunk the lake to less than a tenth of the area it covered in the middle of the last century,” noted NASA.



“Although the lake has experienced dry and wet periods for thousands of years, there has been a significant decline in the amount of lake water available since the 1960s.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-conflict-culture-and-economy">Conflict, culture, and economy</h2>



Lake Chad is a geopolitical hotspot. The region has been affected by conflict, including the insurgency led by Boko Haram, which has displaced millions and further complicated efforts to manage and protect the lake’s fragile ecosystem.&nbsp;



Despite these challenges, regional governments and international organizations are working to restore and sustain the lake, including ambitious proposals to divert water from the Congo River basin.



Culturally and economically, Lake Chad remains vital. It is a hub for trade and social exchange among diverse ethnic groups and continues to provide fish and fertile land despite its reduced size.&nbsp;



The future of Lake Chad hinges on sustainable water management, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-extremes-alter-how-sunlight-travels-through-clear-lakes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate</a> resilience, and political cooperation across national boundaries.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolution-of-lake-chad-nbsp">Evolution of Lake Chad&nbsp;</h2>



According to NASA, the evolution of Lake Chad has been documented by astronaut photography over the past 60 years.&nbsp;



“During the Apollo 7 mission in 1968, an astronaut acquired an oblique <a href="https://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/SearchPhotos/photo.pl?mission=AS07&amp;roll=8&amp;frame=1932" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">photograph</a> of the lake as one large body of water. In 1982, another <a href="https://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/SearchPhotos/photo.pl?mission=STS005&amp;roll=39&amp;frame=1022" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">photo</a> from the space shuttle mission STS-5 recorded receding water levels and encroaching sand dunes.”



“A <a href="https://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/SearchPhotos/photo.pl?mission=ISS042&amp;roll=E&amp;frame=244403" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">photo</a> taken in 2015 during space station Expedition 42 captured the lake’s remaining waters and wetlands in dark green, blue, and brown, contrasting with the sandy shades of the surrounding land.”&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wildlife-of-lake-chad">Wildlife of Lake Chad</h2>



Lake Chad still supports wildlife, though species diversity and abundance have declined significantly due to ecosystem degradation



The lake and its surrounding wetlands are home to several species of fish, including tilapia, catfish, and Nile perch, which are important both ecologically and economically.&nbsp;



These fish support a major regional fishing industry, although overfishing and changes in water conditions have put pressure on fish populations.



Birds are another key component of the ecosystem. The lake serves as a crucial habitat and stopover point for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birds-may-be-using-quantum-physics-for-migration/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">migratory birds</a> traveling along the African-Eurasian flyway. 



Species such as herons, storks, ducks, and geese can be found in the region, especially during the wet season when parts of the lake flood and create rich feeding grounds.



Mammals that depend on the surrounding floodplains and wetlands include hippos and various antelope species, yet their numbers have declined.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-conservation-efforts-and-challenges">Conservation efforts and challenges</h2>



Reptiles like Nile crocodiles and turtles also inhabit the lake's waters and marshy areas. In the past, larger wildlife such as elephants and lions may have roamed the wider Lake Chad basin, but they are now mostly gone from the immediate lake area due to habitat loss and human activity.



Despite these challenges, Lake Chad remains an important, yet increasingly fragile, refuge for wildlife in a region where water and natural habitats are becoming more scarce.&nbsp;



Conservation efforts aim to balance the needs of people and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thousands-of-freshwater-species-are-threatened-with-extinction/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wildlife</a>, but the success of such efforts depends on managing the lake’s limited resources in the face of climate change, political instability, and population growth.



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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Lake Chad: A vanishing lifeline in Central Africa

Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features...

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features a stunning image of Andromeda, the nearest spiral galaxy to our Milky Way.



The extraordinary image was captured by ESA's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/flyeye-telescope-will-spot-asteroids-faster-than-ever-before/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Flyeye telescope</a> in May 2025 during its first light campaign. This was not just a technical test; it became a powerful demonstration of the telescope’s capabilities. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-capturing-andromeda-in-a-single-frame">Capturing Andromeda in a single frame</h2>



The image was produced from 16 simultaneous 30-second exposures, each corresponding to one segment of the instrument’s view. What’s remarkable is that this relatively brief imaging session managed to capture the entire span of Andromeda in a single frame.&nbsp;



“For a dedicated astronomical telescope such as the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, viewing the whole Andromeda Galaxy requires stitching together hundreds of individual observations. This <a href="https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/01/Hubble_s_panoramic_view_of_the_Andromeda_Galaxy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hubble image</a> of Andromeda, for example, took over 10 years and 600 snapshots to make,” noted <a href="https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/06/Flyeye_s_view_of_the_Andromeda_galaxy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>.



“Flyeye, on the other hand, is a survey telescope designed to see as much of the sky at once as possible, and to rapidly scan for new near-Earth objects. This image of Andromeda takes up just one sixteenth of the telescope’s full field of view.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-viewing-the-sky-like-never-before">Viewing the sky like never before</h2>



The Flyeye telescope is a uniquely engineered wide-field survey instrument that gets its name from the compound eyes of insects. The ability to image a vast celestial object like Andromeda so quickly and efficiently speaks volumes about the future role of Flyeye.&nbsp;



While the telescope was primarily designed for planetary defense - specifically, detecting near-Earth objects like asteroids and comets - it is proving to be a versatile tool for wide-field astrophotography.&nbsp;



Once the full network of Flyeye telescopes is operational, ESA will be able to monitor two-thirds of the visible sky up to three times per night. This will greatly enhance our ability to detect moving objects, transient phenomena, and changes in the sky in near real-time.



Flyeye represents a major leap in how we scan and interpret the sky, combining the speed of modern survey telescopes with the breadth and automation required for planetary protection and astrophysical discovery. The image of Andromeda, captured so efficiently, is an early glimpse of that future.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-closer-look-at-andromeda">A closer look at Andromeda</h2>



The Andromeda Galaxy is the most distant <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/is-the-milky-way-on-a-collision-course-new-clues-from-hubble/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">object</a> visible to the naked eye from Earth. Located approximately 2.5 million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda, it spans more than 220,000 light-years across - making it more than twice the size of the Milky Way. 



The galaxy contains an estimated one trillion stars, which is several times more than the number in our galaxy.



Andromeda is on a slow but steady <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/milky-way-collision-may-change-everything-we-know-about-our-galaxy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">collision course</a> with the Milky Way. Astronomers estimate that the two galaxies will begin to merge in about 4 billion years, eventually forming a single, much larger elliptical galaxy. 



This future collision is not a threat to individual stars or planets, including our solar system, because of the immense distances between stars. Instead, it will be a dramatic and relatively gentle gravitational reshaping of both galaxies over billions of years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-important-object-of-study">An important object of study</h2>



Visually, Andromeda appears as a faint, elongated smudge in dark skies, best seen in the Northern Hemisphere during autumn. 



Through binoculars or a small telescope, more structure becomes visible, including its bright core and hints of spiral arms. It has several satellite galaxies of its own, including M32 and M110, both of which are dwarf elliptical galaxies.



As a member of the Local Group - a small cluster of about 80 galaxies that includes the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brightest-era-of-the-universe-reveals-how-the-milky-way-formed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milky Way</a>, Triangulum Galaxy, and numerous dwarf galaxies - Andromeda plays a key role in our understanding of galactic formation and evolution. 



It has been studied extensively in multiple wavelengths, from radio to X-ray, revealing not only its stars and dust lanes but also a massive halo of hot gas surrounding it and evidence of past galactic mergers.



Andromeda remains an important object of study for both scientists and skywatchers. It gives us a glimpse of what the Milky Way might look like from the outside and helps us understand what could happen when our galaxy and Andromeda eventually collide.



Image Credit: ESA



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Andromeda: One trillion stars in a single frame

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features the Cat's Eye Nebula (NGC 6543), located about 3,300 light-years from Earth in the constellation Draco.&nbsp;



The nebula's name comes from its eye-like appearance when viewed through a telescope. This particular image, which reveals the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/horsehead-nebula-webb-telescope-captured-unprecedented-detail/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nebula</a> in stunning detail, was captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-complex-planetary-nebula">Complex planetary nebula </h2>



According to ESA, the Cat's Eye Nebula is one of the most complex planetary nebulae that has ever been discovered.



“A planetary nebula forms when Sun-like stars gently eject their outer gaseous layers to form bright nebulae with amazing twisted shapes," explained <a href="https://www.esa.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>.



"Until recently, it was thought that shells around planetary nebulae were a rare phenomenon. However, astronomers have instead shown that these rings are likely to be the rule rather than the exception."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-appearance-of-the-cat-s-eye-nebula-nbsp">Appearance of the Cat's Eye Nebula&nbsp;</h2>



The central focus of the Cat's Eye is a hot, dying star that has shed its outer layers to form the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dragons-egg-nebula-is-a-truly-stunning-sight-to-behold/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nebula</a>. It is surrounded by concentric gas shells, jets of high-speed gas, and unusual shock-induced knots of gas.



“Although the rings may be the key to explaining the final ‘gasp’ of the dying central star, the mystery behind the Cat’s Eye Nebula’s nested ‘Russian doll’ structure remains largely unsolved,” noted ESA.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rings-around-the-cat-s-eye">Rings around the cat’s eye</h2>



“This image, taken with Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), reveals the full pattern of eleven or more concentric rings, or shells, around the Cat’s Eye. Each ‘ring’ is actually the edge of a spherical bubble seen projected onto the sky - which is why it appears bright along its outer edge.”



According to ESA, observations suggest that the star ejected its mass in a series of pulses at 1,500-year intervals. “These convulsions created dust shells that each contains as much mass as all of the planets in our solar system combined.”



Several explanations have been proposed for this phenomenon, including cycles of magnetic activity similar to our Sun's sunspot cycle, the influence of companion stars orbiting the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dying-stars-may-be-a-source-of-gravitational-waves/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dying star</a>, or stellar pulsations.&nbsp;



Another theory suggests that the material is ejected smoothly from the star, with the rings forming later due to the creation of waves in the outflowing material.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-constellation-draco-nbsp">The constellation Draco&nbsp;</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extrasolar-ocean-planet-discovered-in-the-draco-constellation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Draco</a> is a constellation in the northern sky that represents a dragon. It's one of the largest constellations, winding between the Big and Little Dippers.&nbsp;



In Greek mythology, Draco is often identified as the dragon Ladon, who guarded the golden apples in the garden of the Hesperides.



Draco is a circumpolar constellation for most northern hemisphere observers, meaning it never sets below the horizon and can be seen all year round.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-famous-planetary-nebulae">Famous planetary nebulae </h2>



Planetary nebulae are some of the most beautiful and intriguing objects in the universe.&nbsp;



One of the most famous is the Ring Nebula, or M57, located in the constellation Lyra. This nebula is renowned for its nearly perfect ring shape, which is the result of a dying star shedding its outer layers.&nbsp;



Another well-known planetary nebula is the Helix Nebula, or NGC 7293, often referred to as the "Eye of God" due to its eye-like appearance. The Helix Nebula is one of the closest planetary nebulae to Earth, making it a popular target for amateur astronomers.&nbsp;



The Dumbbell Nebula, or M27, in the constellation Vulpecula, is another striking example. It is named for its resemblance to a dumbbell and is notable for being the first planetary nebula ever discovered, by Charles Messier in 1764.&nbsp;



The Butterfly Nebula, or NGC 6302, is located in the constellation Scorpius. Its name comes from its distinctive bipolar structure, resembling the wings of a butterfly. The nebula's central star is one of the hottest known, with a surface temperature of around 250,000 degrees Celsius.&nbsp;



The Eskimo Nebula, or NGC 2392, in the constellation Gemini, is known for its resemblance to a face surrounded by a fur parka, which gives it its name. Its intricate structure, including filaments and bubble-like shapes, makes it a fascinating object of study.&nbsp;



These nebulae not only captivate us with their beauty but also provide valuable insights into the life cycles of stars and the processes that shape our galaxy.



Image Credit: NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope



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Cat's Eye Nebula in the constellation Draco

The MODIS instrument, short for Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, is a key instrument aboard the Terra and Aqua satellites. MODIS is playing a vital role in the development of Earth ecosystem models, able to predict global changes, which then assist policy makers in making informed decisions about the protection of the global environment.

Heavy snow and cloud cover in the Alps are seen in this Image of the day&nbsp;from the <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> and features a look at heavy snow and low clouds in the Alps. Wildlife such as ibex live in the higher peaks to elevations of 3,400 m (11,155 ft), and plants such as Edelweiss grow in rocky areas in lower elevations as well as in higher elevations.

Heavy snow and cloud cover in the Alps

Monitoring Earth Changes with MODIS

Aqua is a NASA scientific research satellite that studies precipitation, evaporation, and water cycles. Terra and Aura make up the Earth Observing System. It's the second component of the system.

A frozen Lake Erie in February Today’s Image of the Day comes from the <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> and features a look at a frozen <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/icy-lake-erie/">Lake Erie</a>, which is currently 93.3 percent iced over. A frozen Lake Erie in February
This false-color image was created using data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board the Aqua satellite to differentiate between snow, ice, and clouds.
Lake Erie /ˈɪəri/ (French: Lac Érié) is the fourth-largest lake (by surface area) of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the eleventh-largest globally if measured in terms of surface area.It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. At its deepest point Lake Erie is 210 feet (64 metres) deep. 
Situated on the International Boundary between Canada and the United States, Lake Erie&#8217;s northern shore is the Canadian province of Ontario, specifically the Ontario Peninsula, with the U.S. states of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York on its western, southern, and eastern shores. These jurisdictions divide the surface area of the lake with water boundaries. 
The lake was named by the Erie people, a Native American people who lived along its southern shore. The tribal name &#8220;erie&#8221; is a shortened form of the Iroquoian word erielhonan, meaning long tail
&#8212;
By <a href="mailto:rarnold@earth.com">Rory Arnold</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer
Image Credit: <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a>

A frozen Lake Erie in February

Aqua Earth Observing Satellite

This beautiful photo gallery contains 50 incredible images of Earth from Space. These images were taken by astronauts onboard the International Space Station, as well as by a multitude of NASA satellites orbiting the earth.

Today’s Image of the Day comes thanks to the <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=90654&amp;eocn=home&amp;eoci=iotd_readmore">NASA Earth Observatory</a> and features a look at Super Typhoon Noru in the Pacific Ocean just south of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/first-blue-chrysanthemums-created/">Japan</a>.
This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite on July 31, 2017. 
At the time the photo was taken, Typhoon Noru was located just 250 kilometers south of Iwo Jima. Maximum sustained winds hit 150 miles per hour.
The storm briefly became a category 5 on July 30, before being downgraded to a category 4 one day later.
&#8211;
By <a href="mailto:rarnold@earth.com">Rory Arnold</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer
Source: <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=90654&amp;eocn=home&amp;eoci=iotd_readmore">NASA Earth Observatory</a>

Super Typhoon Noru in the Pacific Ocean

Incredible Images of Earth from Space

Photos from the International Space Station are found in this awesome Earth.com image gallery. Flat-earthers won't agree, but these incredible photos of the Earth were taken by astronauts onboard the International Space Station. The International Space Station is a modular space station in low Earth orbit.

Northern Italy from the space station is seen here in this Image of the Day from the <a href="http://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> (ESA). The view includes the top half of the Italian Peninsula, along with <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/wildfires-burn-northern-corsica/">Corsica</a> and Sardinia off the coast. This image was captured by ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli on his third and final mission to the Space Station.

Northern Italy from the Space Station

Photos from the International Space Station

Roboticists have long dreamed of machines that can pick up an egg without cracking the shell and shake a hand without feeling wooden. Yet most robots still grasp the world through numbers, not nerves. 



That gap narrows today thanks to a stretchy gelatin “<a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scirobotics.adq2303" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">skin</a>” that cloaks a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfusion-new-robots-can-use-multisensory-perception-to-map-rugged-terrain/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">robotic</a> hand and turns the entire surface into a sensor.



<a href="https://www.eng.cam.ac.uk/profiles/dsh46" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. David Hardman</a> of the University of Cambridge and collaborators at <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/about/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University College London</a> say the material collects touch data while costing only a few dollars to make.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-robot-skin-must-feel-to-handle-objects-safely">Why robot skin must feel to handle objects safely</h2>



A hand without sensation is just a clamp. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/robots-can-now-learn-from-humans-by-watching-how-to-videos/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Robots</a> used in warehouses or orchards often rely on cameras alone and can fumble soft or irregular objects, slowing adoption where safety and speed matter. 



Electronic skins that flex like human epidermis have been <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40820-022-00911-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">investigated</a> for years, but many designs tear easily or rely on dozens of fragile sensor tiles.



Adding reliable touch also brings better prosthetics. Users of advanced bionic limbs report that even a coarse sense of pressure makes tying shoes easier because they no longer have to watch every movement. 



Engineers therefore hunt for materials that feel natural, conduct signals, and survive daily knocks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cheap-skin-gives-robots-real-time-sensing">Cheap skin gives robots real-time sensing</h2>



The Cambridge UCL skin starts with a gelatin‑based <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/hydrogel" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hydrogel</a> laced with conductive salt. The team melts the squishy mix, pours it into a glove‑shaped mold, and slips it onto an off‑the‑shelf robotic hand.



Signals are read using electrical impedance tomography (<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8667811/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EIT</a>), the same physics behind some medical imaging scanners. 



Thirty‑two copper electrodes at the wrist inject tiny currents and measure voltage patterns that ripple through more than 860 000 microscopic pathways in the gel.



“We’re able to squeeze a lot of information from these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/autonomous-robots-are-revolutionizing-marine-operations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">materials</a> – they can take thousands of measurements very quickly,” said Hardman.



The hydrogel survives bending to 90 degrees and recovers after being cut and rejoined, a property shared with new <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-53957-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">self‑healing electronic skins</a> reported this year.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-millions-of-data-points-reveal">What millions of data points reveal</h2>



In lab tests the glove sensed a finger tap gentler than the weight of a penny and spotted a 248 °F hot spot in under one second. 



Those feats stem from the dense internal network: with a handful of electrodes the researchers harvested 1.7 million data points while the hand handled objects.



Extracting meaning from that torrent called for machine learning. The group trained an algorithm to focus on the pathways that change most under specific stimuli, letting the system tell slicing damage from a multipoint squeeze with 96 percent accuracy. 



Similar data‑driven pruning has boosted resolution in <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/24/18/5985" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">earlier</a> EIT skins made for soft robots. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-teaching-the-hand-to-interpret-touch">Teaching the hand to interpret touch</h2>



Raw impedance plots look like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/robots-with-space-to-think-will-become-more-useful/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">static</a> to the naked eye. After training, the glove could localize a light touch to within a quarter inch, estimate force to within 0.1 pound, and flag cuts long before they severed the gel.



“One type of sensor to detect multiple signals keeps manufacturing simple. We’re not quite at the level where the robotic skin is as good as human skin, but we think it’s better than anything else out there at the moment,” said <a href="https://tthuruthel.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Thomas George Thuruthel</a>.&nbsp;



Because the material is transparent to radio waves, the team foresees wireless versions that wrap soft drones or search‑and‑rescue grippers. 



A related <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-50270-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">droplet‑tracking e‑skin</a> published last year shows how single‑layer designs can morph to meet niche tasks such as monitoring water quality. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-real-life-use-for-robotic-skin">Real-life use for robotic skin</h2>



Automakers already fill dashboards with capacitive touch film; an inexpensive layer that also senses heat and damage could warn drivers before components overheat. 



The skin might line collaborative‑robot grippers on factory floors, cutting downtime when humans walk by.



In prosthetics the gelatin makes a comfortable interface and could be infused with vitamins that keep residual limbs healthy. 



The material’s low cost (gelatin, salt, and a silicone jacket) also suits disposable medical tools such as soft retractors that alert surgeons if they press too hard.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-it-compares-to-human-skin">How it compares to human skin</h2>



While the new material isn't as sensitive as human skin, it replicates some essential properties. It can register a range of stimuli, pressure, heat, sharp contact, from multiple points at once and across a continuous surface.



Human skin still outperforms it in fine resolution, regenerative ability, and biological integration. But the robotic version has an edge in durability, as it won’t scar or lose sensitivity over time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-next-for-robot-skin-research">What’s next for robot skin research</h2>



The group aims to toughen the hydrogel against ultraviolet light and dehydration, two weak spots shared by many water‑based gels. 



Coating the glove with a breathable elastomer similar to <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ads1301" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">waterproof bandages</a> could triple shelf life without muffling signals. 



They also plan to shrink the electronics so a battery and radio fit in a fingertip. If that happens, the age‑old handshake between human and machine may finally feel familiar on both sides.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scirobotics.adq2303" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Robotics</a>.



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New 'electronic skin' gives robots the human touch

Roboticists have long dreamed of machines that can pick up...

Tiny mammals that weigh less than an ounce should not outlive German shepherds, yet many bats routinely do. Some even clock nearly thirty-five years in the wild, a lifespan that maps to about 180 human years and comes with an astonishing lack of tumors.



A <a href="https://www.rochester.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Rochester</a> team set out to uncover why, zeroing in on four bat species spanning both major bat <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bats-surf-the-winds-of-storms-during-migration/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lineages</a>. 



Their findings point to a finely tuned partnership between an overachieving tumor suppressor gene, self-renewing chromosomes, and an immune system that fights hard but rarely overreacts.



The work was led by Vera Gorbunova and Andrei Seluanov of the <a href="https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/cancer-institute">Wilmot Cancer Institute and Department of Biology</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bats-defy-aging-and-cancer-patterns">Bats defy aging and cancer patterns</h2>



Cancer risk usually rises with age because every round of cell division adds another chance for DNA damage, a pattern known as <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3060950/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Peto's paradox</a>. 



Across most <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-bats-navigate-noisy-world/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mammals</a> the equation holds, but bats are clear outliers, with at least four separate bat lineages independently evolving extreme <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30966896/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">longevity</a>.



The new study shows that the “little brown” bat (<a href="https://www.fws.gov/species/little-brown-bat-myotis-lucifugus" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Myotis lucifugus</a>) carries two working copies of the key tumor suppressor gene <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22268/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">p53</a>, while humans carry only one. 



“High levels of p53 in the body can kill cancer cells before they become harmful in a process known as <a href="https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/apoptosis" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">apoptosis</a>,” said Gorbunova.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-myotis-lucifugus-the-basics">Understanding Myotis lucifugus - the basics</h2>



Better known as the little brown bat, Myotis lucifugus is one of the most widespread and familiar bat species in North America. You’ll often find them roosting in attics, barns, caves, and trees - basically anywhere cozy and dark. 



These bats are tiny, weighing less than half an ounce, but they pack a punch when it comes to eating insects. In a single night, one little brown bat can devour hundreds of mosquitoes and other bugs, making them natural pest controllers.



They usually hibernate during the winter, often gathering in large colonies where the temperature stays just right. Sadly, their populations have taken a major hit due to white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that’s devastated colonies across the continent. 



Scientists and conservationists are working hard to figure out how to protect them, since losing these bats would ripple through entire ecosystems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bats-use-extra-p53-to-stop-cancer">Bats use extra p53 to stop cancer</h2>



Duplicating p53 is not unique to bats; <a href="https://elifesciences.org/articles/11994" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">elephants</a> stockpile roughly twenty versions of the same gene and show remarkably low cancer rates. 



Bats, however, balance extra p53 with regulatory tweaks so it prunes precancerous cells without wiping out healthy ones.



“Our animals can tolerate faster cell growth because their p53 is ready to pull the plug when things look suspicious,” said Seluanov. 



The Rochester team found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-bats-navigate-rush-hour-without-crashing-into-each-other/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bat</a> cells need only two genetic “hits” to turn cancerous in a dish, far fewer than human cells, but the boosted p53 swiftly orders those rogue cells to self-destruct. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-endless-telomeres-controlled-chaos">Endless telomeres, controlled chaos</h2>



Bats also keep their chromosome tips long thanks to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12034875/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">constitutive telomerase</a>, an enzyme most adult human tissues silence. 



Earlier work in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29441358/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Myotis</a> bats revealed that telomeres hardly shorten with age, helping tissues regenerate without sliding toward crisis.



Unfettered telomerase can fuel tumors in other species, yet bats avoid that pitfall. When telomere-powered cell divisions pick up speed, the same hyper-alert p53 system steps in, neutralizing any cell that crosses the line. 



“If cells divide uncontrollably, the higher p53 activity in bats compensates and can remove cancerous cells,” noted Seluanov.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-bats-fight-disease">How bats fight disease</h2>



A third line of defense comes from a bat immune network that spots danger quickly but stays unusually calm. 



<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-03128-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bats</a> mute the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41577-019-0165-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NLRP3 inflammasome</a> and tone down <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nri3787" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">type I interferon</a> storms, preventing <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493173/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">chronic inflammation</a> that often seeds cancer in aging tissues.



This balanced <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/immunosurveillance" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">immune surveillance</a> means viruses are cleared efficiently and damaged cells are flagged for destruction, yet surrounding tissue is spared collateral damage. 



Researchers also report expanded natural killer cell receptor families in several bat genomes, hinting at a surveillance squad that never sleeps.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-bats-can-teach-us-about-treating-cancer">What bats can teach us about treating cancer</h2>



Several experimental drugs already seek to boost human p53 activity in stubborn tumors, and the bat data give that strategy an evolutionary vote of confidence. 



Others aim to reactivate telomerase in aged tissues; the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bats-have-acoustic-mental-maps-to-navigate-total-darkness/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bat</a> blueprint suggests that pairing such therapies with stronger p53 safeguards could keep runaway cell growth in check.



<a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The National Institute on Aging</a> funded the study because it touches on two grand challenges: healthy longevity and cancer prevention. 



If scientists can replicate the bat trio of robust p53, restrained inflammation, and prudent telomerase, future therapies might tackle both aging and malignancy in one stroke.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-other-animals-can-teach-us">What other animals can teach us</h2>



Scientists have long looked to other long-lived animals for answers. 



<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10492090/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Naked mole rats</a>, <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11580846/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bowhead whales</a>, and elephants each have their own anti-cancer tricks, ranging from extra copies of tumor suppressor genes to unique cell death responses. 



Bats now join this elite group, and their diverse adaptations offer a different evolutionary path toward disease resistance.



These findings also support the case for cross-species genetic studies in humans. 



If p53 enhancements or telomerase tuning can be translated safely, it could lead to preventive therapies for high-risk populations or those with inherited cancer mutations. 



What bats seem to offer is not a miracle gene, but a blueprint for managing cellular risk while still allowing the body to repair, grow, and age slowly.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59403-z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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Bats don't get cancer, now scientists think they know the reason

Tiny mammals that weigh less than an ounce should not...

Timekeepers once trusted wobbling pendulums and vibrating quartz. Now, the world’s best quantum clocks probe energy gaps inside single atoms, counting oscillations with parts‑per‑quintillion precision.



Professor Marcus Huber of the Atomic Institute at <a href="https://www.tuwien.at/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">TU Wien</a> and his collaborators have upended a rule that many physicists treated as gospel: double the accuracy, double the energy bill.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-old-clocks-needed-more-energy">Old clocks needed more energy </h2>



Every clock marries a periodic event to a counter. The event must reset, but the counter must not, so each tick irreversibly shuffles some <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-form-of-quantum-entanglement-discovered-will-transform-next-gen-technology/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">entropy</a> into the surroundings, whether as heat, light, or molecular jostling.



For classical devices the link looks linear. Push a pendulum harder or fire a brighter laser, and you do suppress statistical noise, but only in lockstep with the fuel burned. 



This intuition was formalized in the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-019-0702-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">thermodynamic uncertainty relation</a>, a bound <a href="https://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.128.130606" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">suggesting</a> that precision cannot outpace dissipation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-time-with-two-motions">Tracking time with two motions</h2>



Huber’s team realized the bound is not a wall but a loophole waiting for the right architecture. They built a virtual ring of quantum sites, let one excitation circulate freely, and added a single lossy <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-form-of-quantum-entanglement-discovered-will-transform-next-gen-technology/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">junction</a> that “clicks” whenever the particle completes a lap.



One motion is fast and coherent, spreading like a wave and costing no entropy. The other motion (crossing the junction) happens rarely and irreversibly, acting like the minute hand.



“Combining a swift, entropy‑free shuttle with a slow, entropy‑producing register gives an exponential gain in accuracy per unit cost,” explained Florian Meier, a PhD student at the Atominstitut at TU Wien.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-achieving-precision-with-less-energy">Achieving precision with less energy</h2>



Simulations show the clock’s precision scales roughly as the chain length to the 4⁄3 power while the needed entropy grows only <a href="https://www.oed.com/dictionary/logarithmically_adv?tl=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">logarithmically</a>. In other words, each extra bit of dissipation can buy orders of magnitude better timing.



“Superconducting circuits already give us all the ingredients to test this idea in hardware,” noted study co‑author Simone Gasparinetti. 



Earlier <a href="https://www.nist.gov/programs-projects/yb-optical-lattice-clock" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">optical lattice clocks</a> achieve parts‑in‑10¹⁸ stability yet still waste far more energy than Huber’s design would need at the same precision.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-quantum-clock-and-future-tech">Quantum clock and future tech</h2>



Low‑dissipation timing matters once devices shrink to the nanoscale or fly deep in space, where <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-gates-teleported-a-leap-toward-scalable-computing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">power</a> budgets are tight. 



Quantum networks, for example, must distribute photons on picosecond schedules; swapping today’s power‑hungry drivers for a passive ring clock could simplify that task.



Precision gravimetry and navigation also benefit, since every tick saved from thermal noise translates to clearer signals. If validated in the lab, the method might trim the roadmap for redefining the second, now slated for <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/625d2043-a5a4-4d6d-bbe9-42e524a211dd" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2030</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-quantum-clock-design-reduces-waste">Quantum clock design reduces waste</h2>



The researchers engineered their ring clock using <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/srep25157" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">coherent transport</a>, a process where quantum particles glide across the chain without loss. Only when the particle completes a full cycle does it interact with the environment, generating entropy.



This design sharply contrasts with fully dissipative clocks that register every tick by interrupting the system. Because only one segment of the ring needs to be thermodynamically active, most of the clock runs “clean,” saving energy.



“We’re not claiming magic. It’s still irreversible when a tick occurs. But quantum effects let us delay and localize that cost,” said Huber. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stability-of-the-quantum-clock">Stability of the quantum clock</h2>



To ensure real‑world feasibility, the team simulated noise, disorder in coupling strengths, and unwanted dissipation. 



The experts found that the clock still holds up well: the performance drop is gradual, and the accuracy gain remains impressive if imperfections are kept modest.



The needed physical platform already exists. Superconducting <a href="https://journals.aps.org/pra/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevA.86.023837" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">coupled cavity arrays</a> can host hundreds of sites with tunable couplings and minimal loss.



Tick events could be detected via microwave photon counters or continuous readout of artificial atoms, techniques already tested in <a href="https://journals.aps.org/rmp/abstract/10.1103/RevModPhys.93.025005" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">circuit quantum electrodynamics</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-quantum-tech">Implications for quantum tech</h2>



Quantum clocks like the ring model don’t just sharpen timekeeping, they push the boundaries of what self-contained quantum devices can do. 



As researchers strive for scalable quantum networks and portable quantum sensors, designs that minimize external control and internal dissipation become increasingly important.



The principle behind this clock could influence fields beyond metrology. Engineers designing quantum repeaters, synchronizers, or energy-efficient processors might borrow the same structure: localized thermodynamic cost, distributed coherent transport.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-thermodynamic-limits">Rethinking thermodynamic limits</h2>



Does the result violate thermodynamics? No, the second law still demands that entropy increase somewhere; Huber’s trick merely spends it sparingly by letting quantum coherence shoulder most of the workload.



The work also hints that the familiar arrow of time, stitched from countless microscopic irreversibilities, is compatible with islands of near‑reversible quantum motion. That insight could ripple beyond metrology into quantum control and information theory.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-025-02929-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Physics</a>.



Image Credit: Alexander Rommel



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Quantum clock revolution could change how we measure time

Timekeepers once trusted wobbling pendulums and vibrating quartz. Now, the...

Image,Of,Colourful,Puzzle,Pieces,And,Globe,With,Hands,Over

Suffering with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention‑deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as a child is difficult enough. Now, scientists tell us that those who suffer from ASD and ADHD also face higher vulnerability to common plastic pollutants.



A recent study found that their bodies detoxify <a href="https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/sya-bpa" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bisphenol A (BPA)</a> less efficiently than neurotypical peers, increasing the time their tissues are exposed to this chemical.



<a href="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6148-2363" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. T. Peter Stein</a> of <a href="https://som.rowan.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rowan‑Virtua School</a> of Osteopathic Medicine led the study. Researchers measured urine glucuronidation, the liver process that adds a sugar molecule to BPA so it can be excreted. 



Children with ASD and ADHD had reduced BPA detoxification efficiency compared to the control group. 



<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28770280/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BPA glucuronidation</a> was about 11% lower in the ASD group and 17% lower in those with ADHD, while differences in <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5842715/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">phthalate DEHP</a> detoxification followed the same trend but were not statistically significant.



Children with ASD and ADHD often have weaker detox systems, leaving them exposed to BPA in the body longer. 



That doesn’t guarantee illness from BPA but raises concern. Stein noted that this was the “first hard biochemical evidence” linking impaired BPA clearance to <a href="https://www.epa.gov/americaschildrenenvironment/health-neurodevelopmental-disorders" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">neurodevelopmental disorders</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-asd-and-adhd-the-basics">Understanding ASD and ADHD - the basics</h2>



<a href="https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/autism/what-is-autism-spectrum-disorder" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Individuals with ASD</a> often face challenges in social communication and exhibit restricted or repetitive behaviors. 



They might have difficulty interpreting social cues, maintaining eye contact, or adjusting to changes in routine. 



Sensory sensitivities - such as heightened responses to light, sound, or textures - are also common. ASD presents across a wide spectrum, so the degree and nature of symptoms can vary greatly from person to person.



In contrast, ADHD primarily involves persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that interfere with daily functioning. 



<a href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">People with ADHD</a> may struggle to focus, stay organized, or complete tasks, often acting without thinking or having trouble sitting still. 



While ADHD and ASD are separate diagnoses, they can co-occur, and some traits overlap - such as difficulties with executive function and emotional regulation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-measuring-bpa-detoxification">Measuring BPA detoxification</h2>



<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/glucuronidation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Glucuronidation</a> converts toxins like BPA into water‑soluble compounds that exit via urine. In this study, mass spectrometry tracked both bound and unbound BPA. 



A lower percentage of detoxification indicated less efficient excretion. Stein’s team confirmed the effect held true even when accounting for urine strength using creatinine levels.



Of twelve detox pathways tested, only BPA and DEHP stood out, suggesting a specific vulnerability rather than a broad weakness. 



Comparing results with metabolomic profiles, ASD and ADHD children showed unique patterns tied to BPA metabolism that controls did not share.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bpa-detox-with-adhd-and-asd">BPA detox with ADHD and ASD</h2>



BPA and DEHP act as <a href="https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/endocrine" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">endocrine disruptors</a>, interfering with hormone signals. If detoxification is compromised, these chemicals linger longer in the body during critical phases of brain development. 



Though genetic vulnerability may play a role, this adds a measurable biological mechanism to the environmental risk picture.



Sterile in lab animals, DEHP affects neurodevelopment via epigenetic changes such as DNA methylation. A recent <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.03.641339" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">analysis</a> of prenatal exposure in 847 Australian children linked DEHP levels to later ASD and ADHD symptoms. 



<a href="https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/the-role-of-methylation-in-gene-expression-1070/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Methylation</a> in key genes and neural cell networks showed mediation effects between 21% and 80%. These epigenetic footprints reinforce the idea that plastics can affect neurodevelopment through non-genetic pathways.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evidence-of-environmental-links">Evidence of environmental links</h2>



This study builds on a large body of research connecting neurodevelopmental disorders to environmental pollutants. 



<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK201995/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Epidemiological studies</a> have associated prenatal exposure to air pollution, flame retardants, and pesticides with elevated ASD and ADHD risk. 



The common thread in these findings is timing; exposure during pregnancy and early life seems to matter most.



Regulatory bodies have long debated what constitutes a “safe” exposure level for these chemicals. 



The <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/food-packaging-other-substances-come-contact-food-information-consumers/bisphenol-bpa-use-food-contact-application" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. Food and Drug Administration</a> and the <a href="https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/topics/topic/bisphenol" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">European Food Safety Authority</a> have reviewed BPA safety multiple times, but the growing evidence suggests current thresholds may not be low enough for sensitive populations, especially children with neurodevelopmental conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-it-means-for-families">What it means for families</h2>



This study doesn’t claim BPA or DEHP cause <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/children-with-autism-benefit-from-learning-multiple-languages/">autism</a> or ADHD. But it does show that children with these conditions often metabolize these chemicals less efficiently. 



Because BPA exposure is widespread (found in everything from food can liners to thermal paper) this raises questions about safety thresholds for all kids, not just those with ASD or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/autism-and-adhd-disorders-directly-linked-amount-of-time-kids-spend-on-screens/">ADHD</a>.



Reducing reliance on BPA and phthalates in daily life (choosing glass or stainless steel containers, fresh food over cans, and avoiding receipts) can help limit exposure. 



Policy swings already reflect this concern: several countries are phasing out DEHP and tightening BPA regulations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-next-steps-in-research">Next steps in research</h2>



Future studies could investigate whether impaired detoxification is present from birth or develops over time. Longitudinal tracking of exposure, detox pathway function, and neurodevelopment could help answer this. 



Researchers also recommend examining genetic variants in detox enzymes, which might identify individuals most at risk.



On the epigenetic side, researchers are starting to connect prenatal chemical exposure to long‑term <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/is-your-dna-information-safe-scientists-warn-of-cyber-threats/">DNA</a> changes in specific brain regions, pointing to windows of vulnerability. 



That knowledge could eventually guide nurse‑led intervention, dietary changes, or policies to protect early brain development.



Children with ASD and ADHD are at a double vulnerability: genetic and developmental differences and a slower ability to clear everyday pollutants. 



While this study doesn’t offer advice on treatment or diagnosis, it certainly does ask parents and policymakers to seriously consider chemical exposure in early childhood and pregnancy as a significant factor in neurodevelopment.



The study is published in <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0289841" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS ONE</a>.



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Children with autism and ADHD are more vulnerable to the effects of pollutants

Suffering with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention‑deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)...

The cosmic microwave background (CMB) is the faint afterglow of the Big Bang that still bathes the sky in microwave light. For decades, scientists have combed this signal for tiny twists called polarization that carry clues to the universe’s earliest chapters.



Tobias Marriage of <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Johns Hopkins University</a> and his team now report that the ground-based Cosmology Large Angular Scale Surveyor (<a href="https://sites.krieger.jhu.edu/class/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CLASS</a>) in Chile has read those twists all the way back to the Cosmic Dawn - the era when the first <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rare-source-of-cosmic-rays-found-after-a-century-long-search/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stars</a> switched on.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-observing-the-cosmic-dawn">Observing the Cosmic Dawn </h2>



Newborn suns pumped high-energy radiation into surrounding gas and knocked electrons loose, a phase known as <a href="https://cosmicdawn.astro.ucla.edu/epoch_of_reionization.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reionization</a>. The efficiency of that scattering is described by an <a href="https://phys.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Astronomy__Cosmology/Stellar_Atmospheres_(Tatum)/05%3A_Absorption_Scattering_Extinction_and_the_Equation_of_Transfer/5.04%3A_Optical_Depth" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">“optical depth” (τ)</a>.



A bigger τ means more electrons and a longer or earlier reionization period, so nailing down its value helps <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/1807.06209" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pin the timeline</a> of early star formation. 



Spacecraft such as the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (<a href="https://lambda.gsfc.nasa.gov/product/wmap/dr5/pub_papers/nineyear/cosmology/wmap_9yr_cosmology_results.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">WMAP</a>) first measured τ at about 0.089, but later analyses by <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/planck/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Europe’s Planck satellite</a> trimmed it to roughly 0.054.



Until now, no Earth-based telescope had the sensitivity and noise control to weigh in on this debate.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climbing-above-the-static">Climbing above the static</h2>



CLASS operates four small (five-foot-wide) telescopes on <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g303681-d6401492-Reviews-Cerro_Toco-San_Pedro_de_Atacama_Antofagasta_Region.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cerro Toco</a>, 17,000 feet up in the Atacama Desert, where the air holds little water vapor. 



Even there, radio chatter from satellites, radar, and the occasional passing truck can drown a million-times-fainter <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-predicts-when-universe-will-end-scientists-claim-sooner-than-expected/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cosmic</a> signal.



“People thought this couldn’t be done from the ground. Astronomy is a technology-limited field, and microwave signals from the Cosmic Dawn are famously difficult to measure,” said Marriage.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cosmic-waves-reveal-polarization-patterns">Cosmic waves reveal polarization patterns</h2>



The team focused on microwaves just 0.13 inches (3 mm) long. When these waves scatter off free electrons, their electric fields line up, creating a telltale polarization pattern called an E-mode.



“When light hits the hood of your car and you see a glare, that’s polarization. To see clearly, you can put on polarized glasses to take away glare,” explained Yunyang Li of the University of Chicago. 



CLASS’s 90 GHz instrument spun a reflective modulator 10 times a second, flicking the wave orientation back and forth and separating sky polarization from local noise.&nbsp;



CLASS used a special optical element called a <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/1807.03807" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">variable-delay polarization modulator</a> to isolate sky polarization from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cosmic-decay-the-universe-will-end-sooner-than-we-thought/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">background</a> interference. This approach has proven effective in filtering out slow temperature drifts and motion-related artifacts from Earth-based observations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sharpening-the-cosmic-clock">Sharpening the cosmic clock</h2>



The new result yields an optical depth of 0.053 (+0.019/–0.018). That closely matches Planck’s space-based estimate and tightens Earth’s grip on one of cosmology’s most stubborn numbers.



“Measuring this reionization signal more precisely is an important frontier of cosmic microwave background research,” said Charles Bennett, a veteran of the <a href="https://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">WMAP mission</a>. 



Lower uncertainty in τ feeds directly into sharper estimates of how much ordinary matter, dark matter, and elusive neutrinos occupy today’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/largest-ever-map-of-the-universe-reveals-800000-galaxies/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">universe</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ground-telescopes-can-rival-satellites">Ground telescopes can rival satellites</h2>



Unlike satellite missions that operate above Earth’s atmosphere, CLASS must correct for atmospheric distortion and ground interference. 



That challenge has made the precision of this result particularly noteworthy, showing that well-designed ground instruments can rival space-based platforms for specific cosmological goals.



The CLASS team built on insights from earlier satellite missions, using data processing methods refined during the WMAP and Planck projects to guide their approach to mapping polarization. 



The researchers also carefully selected their observing frequencies and signal modulation techniques to minimize interference from foreground sources, especially at the largest cosmic scales.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-class-improves-polarization-precision">CLASS improves polarization precision </h2>



“No other ground-based experiment can do what CLASS is doing,” noted Nigel Sharp of the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. National Science Foundation</a>, which funds the project. 



Future upgrades include a second 90 GHz dish and detectors tuned to 150 GHz and 220 GHz, frequencies that help peel away galactic dust and improve polarization precision.



A cleaner τ also boosts the quest for <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/1511.01117" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">primordial gravitational waves</a>, the faint “B-mode” swirl pattern inflation may have imprinted on the CMB. 



With <a href="https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2004ApJ...600L.171S/abstract" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cosmic variance</a> (the ultimate statistical floor) sitting near ±0.003, CLASS’s mountaintop campaign is now within a factor of three of fundamental limits.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cosmic-polarization-and-dark-matter-research">Cosmic polarization and dark matter research </h2>



Over the next few Chilean winters, CLASS plans to double its observing time and refine its filtering algorithms to rescue even more low-frequency modes from ground pickup. 



If successful, the project could lock τ to cosmic-variance precision and clear a path for ground arrays to chase the polarized fingerprints of inflation itself.



Scientists also expect CLASS to improve constraints on the sum of <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/0705.1132" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">neutrino masses</a>, which influence how structures form in the universe. Precise τ measurements help to reduce uncertainty in the overall amplitude of early fluctuations - a key parameter in both dark matter and neutrino research.



For now, the new window into the Cosmic Dawn shows that high-altitude hardware can rival satellites in teasing secrets out of the sky’s oldest light. And it all started with a few hardy telescopes braving thin air in the Atacama.



The study is published in <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/adc723" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Astrophysical Journal</a>.



Image credit: ESA/Webb, NASA &amp; CSA



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Ground-based telescopes detect light from the Cosmic Dawn

The cosmic microwave background (CMB) is the faint afterglow of...

A turtle’s head seems simple: a hard beak, two bright eyes, and a quilt of scales that protect the skull. Look closer and a mystery appears, because the polygons across the crown don’t line up with the neat rows along the cheeks.



A team at the <a href="https://www.unige.ch/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Geneva</a> reports that the crown and the cheeks form in totally different ways. The study combines <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/dna-profiling" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">genetic profiling</a>, 3D microscopy, and computer models to show that turtles first lay down chemical cues, then let physics crease the remaining skin.



According to researchers, the split strategy provides a window into <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-turtle-day-2025-ancient-creatures-with-modern-challenges/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">turtle</a> ancestry and perhaps even the faces of dinosaurs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-turtle-cheeks-follow-a-genetic-pattern">Turtle cheeks follow a genetic pattern</h2>



In most vertebrates, appendages such as feathers, hair, and ordinary body scales begin in tiny thickened patches called <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3607644/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">placodes</a>. These patches appear when a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-60853-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reaction-diffusion system</a> nudges neighboring cells to switch certain genes on and off, spacing the primordia like points on graph paper.



Because each placode runs its own mini-program, the final pattern is orderly, and the resulting scales, follicles, or feathers sit in tidy ranks. That tidy plan applies to the edges of a turtle’s head, too. 



The Geneva team found clear <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-turtles-use-earths-magnetic-field-like-an-invisible-map/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gene</a> activity: <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3578394/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">β-catenin and sonic hedgehog</a> in those peripheral zones match the classic placode signature.



Once a placode finishes its job, chemistry rests, keratin hardens, and the skin in that area stops changing shape.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-turtle-crown-scales-form-by-folding">Turtle crown scales form by folding</h2>



Crocodiles break the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39663449/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">placode rule</a>. Their head scales arise when faster-growing surface skin buckles against slower bone, a purely mechanical fold that needs no gene switch. 



The same kind of buckling sculpts the folds of the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1406015111" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mammalian brain</a>, where expanding gray matter crumples against the white-matter core.



“Patterns that rely on physics can vary from side to side in the same <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/young-sea-turtles-swim-and-choose-their-paths-instead-of-drifting/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">animal</a>,” explained Rory Cooper, a postdoctoral researcher at Geneva and lead author of the study. 



Mechanical folding follows rules of thickness, stiffness, and relative growth, so tiny shifts in any layer produce new polygons, rivulets, or wrinkles.&nbsp;That variability makes a crocodile’s faceprint unique enough for field biologists to use like a fingerprint.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-turtles-use-two-methods-for-head-scales">Turtles use two methods for head scales</h2>



Turtles, it turns out, run chemistry along the cheeks and jaws, then hand the baton to mechanics on the crown. Gene markers vanish from the top of the head just as the skull bone stiffens underneath, and the skin above starts to thicken.



“This mechanical folding explains the asymmetrical shapes of the scales on the top of the head,” said Cooper. 



Study co-author Ebrahim Jahanbakhsh noted that even the left and right sides of a single turtle rarely match, a hallmark of spontaneous folding.



Finite-element simulations that tweak skin stiffness, growth speed, and bone anchoring replay the exact ridges seen in sulcata, Greek, and marginated tortoises.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-scale-patterns-fail">Where scale patterns fail</h2>



Most reptiles rely on consistent scale formations for protection and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/beating-the-heat-how-sea-turtles-cope-with-warming-waters/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">species</a> identification. But when patterning becomes unpredictable, as it does on the top of a tortoise’s head, it raises questions about function versus aesthetics.



In these regions, the irregular folds likely don’t impact survival but instead represent a byproduct of how the skin and skull grow. 



These unpredictable folds might offer minor benefits like increased flexibility or abrasion resistance, but researchers say there's no evidence they serve a specialized purpose.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-comparing-species-and-scale-styles">Comparing species and scale styles</h2>



Not all tortoises use mechanical folding to the same extent. The sulcata tortoise shows deeply creased central scales, while the marginated tortoise has smoother, simpler head patterns.



These variations suggest that species-specific differences in skin stiffness, skull growth rate, or layer thickness shape the final outcome. 



This diversity means researchers can use head scale patterns not only to explore mechanics but also to better understand how evolution tweaks physical properties without rewriting genetic code.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-turtle-head-scales-linked-to-dinosaurs">Turtle head scales linked to dinosaurs</h2>



Crocodiles and turtles sit on neighboring branches of the reptile tree, with birds perched a step away. Finding the same mechanical folding in both turtles and crocodiles implies that their common ancestor, likely a <a href="https://www.nps.gov/pefo/learn/triassic-reptiles.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Triassic reptile</a>, already used this trick.



“Mechanical patterning is an ancient trait that birds later lost,” noted study co-author Michel Milinkovitch. 



If so, dinosaurs may have carried random polygonal head scales that formed without placodes - a detail never preserved in fossils but now hinted at in living cousins.



That insight reshapes how paleontologists imagine soft-tissue textures on extinct archosaurs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-broader-implications-of-the-research">Broader implications of the research</h2>



The study also feeds the growing field of <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10204470/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">biomimetics</a>. Nature often solves mechanical problems with minimal materials, and engineers copy those solutions into flexible electronics, shock-absorbing panels, and adaptive building skins.



A scale network that emerges from simple growth stresses, without a genetic template, offers a blueprint for surfaces that morph on their own when conditions change. 



Architects already explore folding façades that open like pinecones or wrinkle like leaves; turtle crowns add a new motif where randomness is a feature, not a flaw.



Regenerative-medicine researchers see a parallel in wound healing, where guiding skin to buckle or relax could help close irregular gaps. Even 3D-printing specialists may adapt the Geneva algorithms to program self-folding films for soft robots.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2589004225009459" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">iScience</a>.



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Turtle heads reveal an ancient reptilian secret

A turtle’s head seems simple: a hard beak, two bright...

3d,Rendering,X,And,Y,Chromosome,With,Telomeres

Flip open a high-school biology textbook, and the rule seems tidy: two X chromosomes mean girl, and an X paired with a Y means boy. That much smaller Y chromosome carries the SRY gene, which is the switch for testis development. 



For the last 300 million years or so, this system has been working very well. Now, however, chatter in genetics circles hints that something is amiss. 



Over time, the Y chromosome has been losing pieces of itself, and computer models suggest the last scraps could vanish in roughly 11 million years. This is no trivial matter, because what it holds - or drops - can sway everything from cancer risk to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mouse-with-two-dads-survives-to-adulthood-major-implications-for-same-sex-human-couples/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">how future humans reproduce</a>.



Would that erase men from the planet, or would life simply shrug and invent a new plan? Rodents on remote islands and subtle changes inside aging human <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/blood-stem-cells-grown-in-the-lab-for-first-time-ever-leukemia-treatment/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bone marrow</a> are now providing clues. 



One story shows how a mammal kept producing males after its Y disappeared entirely. The other warns how men already pay a price when some of their cells drift away from the chromosome during middle age.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-y-chromosome-fade-away">Y chromosome fade away</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mothers-pass-down-x-chromosomes-that-accelerate-brain-aging/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The X chromosome</a> carries about 900 genes that do everything from wiring nerves to repairing DNA. Its partner, the Y, keeps only about 55. 



Comparative work across mammals shows that, once our lineage split from the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-do-animals-balance-their-sex-chromosomes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">platypus</a> some 166 million years ago, the Y began dropping about five genes every million years. Run that line forward, and the ledger hits zero in 11 million years - a geological heartbeat.



Most biologists once chalked that outcome up to hype. After all, many species never shed their sex chromosomes. 



But the idea gained traction when researchers found the Japanese spiny rat and a few mole vole species thriving today without any Y at all. Somehow, they had rewired the traditional circuit for making testes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rodents-changed-the-rules">Rodents changed the rules</h2>



In 2022, scientists found a duplicated piece of DNA near a gene called <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/gene/sox9/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SOX9</a> in the spiny rat. Usually, another gene (SRY) turns SOX9 on to make male traits develop. 



But in this rat, the new DNA copy does that job on its own - even without a Y chromosome - so a genetically female animal (XX) can still develop as male.



Drop the fragment into lab mice and testes still form. Evolution, it seems, can lay a new cable when the old one burns out.



That discovery hints that, should the human Y fizzle out one distant day, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lifes-rules-natural-selection-change-significantly-often-daphnia/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">natural selection</a> could promote an alternative trigger. 



Different populations might even settle on different triggers, eventually splitting into separate species that cannot interbreed. The idea sounds like science fiction, but the rodent reality shows it is genetically feasible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-y-chromosomes-and-men-s-health">Y chromosomes and men's health</h2>



Long before any species-wide overhaul, countless men are already losing the Y chromosome cell by cell. Starting in their fifties, bone-marrow <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/living-mouse-created-with-stem-cells-that-predate-animals/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stem cells</a> sometimes mis-segregate it during division. 



The resulting white-blood-cell lineages, missing their Y, multiply quietly. By 80 years old, more than 40 percent of men carry sizable pockets of this “mosaic loss of Y” in their blood.



Tracking 1,153 Swedish men in their seventies and eighties, researchers found that those with the loss died 5.5 years earlier, suffered more solid tumors and heart disease, and faced a seven-fold rise in Alzheimer’s. 



Kenneth Walsh of the <a href="https://www.virginia.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Virginia</a> then bred mouse blood stem cells without the Y chromosome and transplanted them. The recipients developed fibrosis, failing hearts, and early death, showing the loss is the culprit, not a bystander.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-direct-link-to-the-immune-system">Direct link to the immune system</h2>



A gene on the Y chromosome called <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/7404" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UTY</a> helps control the immune system. Without it, some immune cells stop working properly - one kind makes more scar tissue, and another becomes weaker, which helps cancer grow and spread. 



In mice, tumors grow twice as fast without the Y. In men, bladder cancers missing the Y chromosome are more dangerous - except they respond better to a certain kind of cancer treatment called checkpoint inhibitors.



The picture is complicated: a chromosome that underpins male development also tames inflammation and restrains tumors, yet its selective absence can make some drugs shine. 



Medicine and evolution rarely share the same bottom line. Natural selection prizes reproductive success over a lifetime, while clinicians care about the here and now.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-offsetting-y-chromosome-loss">Offsetting Y chromosome loss</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/does-vaping-help-people-quit-smoking-cigarettes-new-study-breaks-it-down/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cigarette smoke</a>, air pollution, and certain industrial chemicals add extra DNA damage and accelerate the Y chromosome loss. Kicking tobacco, breathing cleaner air, and limiting exposure to mutagens therefore rank as simple defenses - all it takes is willpower.



General habits that slow genomic wear - regular exercise, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mediterranean-diet-may-be-a-fountain-of-youth-for-women/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mediterranean-style</a> meals, and solid sleep - may also keep the Y chromosome in more cells for longer.



Antifibrotic drugs cleared for lung disease are being tested to blunt heart damage from the loss. Oncologists already use chromosome status in bladder tumors to steer checkpoint therapy. 



As single-cell sequencing gets cheaper, your physical exam might soon include a “Y-loss score” beside cholesterol.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-do-we-go-from-here">Where do we go from here?</h2>



The Japanese spiny rat proves that mammals can reinvent the rulebook after the ‘puny little chromosome’ disappears. That prospect keeps evolutionary biologists buzzing. 



Yet the rodent’s triumph offers little comfort to a 60-year-old man whose marrow has already shed Y in a third of his white-blood-cell army. 



Species-level salvation and individual-level hazard can coexist. That dichotomy - long-term adaptability versus immediate personal cost - will likely guide both medical practice and evolutionary debate in the years ahead.



The Y chromosome is quirky but crucial. It shapes male development, steadies immunity, and may also be plotting its own disappearance. 



However, the good news is that the practical advice is simple: dodge mutagens, stub out cigarettes, consider a mid-life test for loss, and keep an eye on new research as this chromosome writes its final chapters.



Let's go, men, you got this!



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00646-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cell</a>.



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The Y chromosome is disappearing, and this fact is already causing problems for men

Flip open a high-school biology textbook, and the rule seems...

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing it with probiotics and prebiotics, aiming to create a treat that satisfies cravings while supporting gut health. 



The challenge lies in maintaining chocolate's beloved texture and flavor while adding health benefits.



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https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



Prebiotics act as food for these microbes, helping them thrive. Together, they form "synbiotics," a powerful health combination.



Researchers Smriti Gaur and Shubhi Singh from India's Jaypee Institute of Information Technology took an innovative approach, using natural prebiotics like corn and honey instead of complex processing methods. 



They created five chocolate varieties: a control and four synbiotic versions containing different combinations of prebiotics, probiotics (Lactobacillus strains), and flavor enhancers (cinnamon or orange).



Laboratory simulations of human digestion showed the probiotics remained viable for over five hours, suggesting they could survive long enough to benefit gut health.



Taste tests were positive, with researchers particularly enjoying the orange-flavored variety, describing it as having "vibrant citrus notes" complementing the "rich cocoa" with a "luxurious" texture.



This research represents just the beginning. With further refinement of strains, textures, and flavors, chocolate could evolve beyond mere indulgence to become a functional food that nourishes while it delights.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.4c00741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing...

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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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" 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.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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