Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features the Iliamna Volcano, which recently experienced a burst of seismic activity on June 15, 2025.&nbsp;



According to experts, the tremors were not likely to be warning signs of an impending eruption. Instead, the shaking was probably triggered by ice or rock avalanches.&nbsp;



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/magma-layer-keeps-the-yellowstone-supervolcano-dormant/">volcano</a> is currently considered dormant, with no elevated alert levels or signs of eruptive activity.



“Towering more than 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) over Cook Inlet, Alaska’s Iliamna Volcano last erupted in 1867. Once every couple of years, however, the mountain still rumbles,” noted <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/154461/iliamna-volcano-ready-to-rumble">NASA</a>.



“Its murmurs tend not to be signs of volcanic unrest but rather the signature of avalanches large enough to register on nearby seismic and infrasound instruments.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-dramatic-landscape-of-iliamna-nbsp">The dramatic landscape of Iliamna&nbsp;</h2>



Iliamna is a glacier-covered volcano about 130 miles southwest of Anchorage and 30 miles southwest of the more active Redoubt Volcano. Both are located in the Lake Clark National Park and Preserve.&nbsp;



Glaciers have carved deep, U-shaped valleys that stretch from Iliamna toward the sea. Just south of the peak, Chinitna Bay is a popular spot for seeing brown bears.



The region’s dramatic terrain is the result of a long history of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earthquake-activity-will-increase-due-to-glacial-retreat/">glacial activity</a>, tectonic uplift, and volcanic shaping. Snow and ice persist year-round at high elevations, feeding creeks and rivers that support wildlife and vegetation at lower altitudes.&nbsp;



The contrast between icy peaks and lush coastal plains makes Iliamna's surroundings both ecologically diverse and visually striking.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-flurry-of-seismic-activity-nbsp">A flurry of seismic activity&nbsp;</h2>



The image of Iliamna Volcano was captured on June 10, 2025, by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8. According to the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO), a flurry of shaking rattled Iliamna a few days later.



“Seismic activity picked up at about 4:30 a.m. local time on June 15 and ramped up to a ‘nearly continuous’ rate, the AVO reported. It slowed to a cadence of about one seismic event per minute and then returned to background levels around 2:30 p.m.,” NASA reported.



“The AVO did not have enough information as of June 16 to determine the size and location of any slide that may have occurred that day. However, the signals they recorded were similar to those caused by the initial slipping between rock and ice that preceded large avalanches on the volcano in the past, they said.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rock-and-ice-avalanches-on-iliamna-nbsp">Rock and ice avalanches on Iliamna&nbsp;</h2>



Glacial ice, heat from the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-orbit-may-trigger-massive-volcanic-eruptions/">volcano</a>, and weakened rock come together on Iliamna’s slopes to create the perfect setup for huge landslides, noted NASA.&nbsp;



Researchers say that it's unusual to see so many large ice and rock avalanches in one place, making Iliamna a valuable natural lab for studying how and why these events happen. 



While Iliamna is far from towns or cities, similar conditions in more populated mountain areas could be dangerous for nearby communities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-glacier-melt-and-slope-stability">Glacier melt and slope stability</h2>



In recent years, scientists have warned that warming temperatures are accelerating <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astonishing-glacier-retreat-in-the-arctic-signals-climate-disaster/">glacier melt</a> across Alaska, potentially destabilizing the slopes of glacier-covered volcanoes like Iliamna.&nbsp;



As ice retreats and thins, it can remove the natural support that holds rock in place, increasing the risk of avalanches and landslides.



Climate change may also be influencing the frequency and intensity of these non-eruptive seismic events. As permafrost thaws and glaciers lose mass, the delicate balance between ice, rock, and heat is disrupted, sometimes leading to sudden and dramatic collapses.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-indicators-of-environmental-change">Indicators of environmental change</h2>



Volcanoes such as Iliamna serve as critical indicators of broader environmental changes. The patterns of seismic activity and ice loss on their slopes offer researchers valuable insight into how the Earth's cryosphere is responding to global warming.



While Iliamna is a remote volcano that poses no direct threat to people or communities, its behavior raises important questions about the future stability of other glaciated volcanoes worldwide. 



As climate change continues to reshape <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mountain-plants-are-not-safe-from-rapid-climate-change/">mountain environments</a>, understanding the interactions between ice, rock, and volcanic heat will be vital for anticipating hazards in both high-latitude and high-altitude regions.



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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Iliamna Volcano rumbles as glaciers shift in Alaska

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

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency showcases the striking beauty of the planetary nebula NGC 2899, which resembles a moth in flight. The photo was captured by the Hubble Space Telescope.



“The planetary nebula NGC 2899 is shaped like a single macaroni noodle, with its edges pointed up, but its edge-on central torus is semi-transparent in the middle,” noted <a href="https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>.



“The top and bottom edges are thick and orange. The center is semi-transparent blue and green. The wider central region looks roughly like a moth, also filled with semi-transparent blue and green.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-defining-features-of-the-planetary-nebula">Defining features of the planetary nebula</h2>



According to ESA, the nebula features a bipolar, cylindrical outflow of gas extending diagonally. The gas is driven by intense radiation and stellar winds from a central <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/white-dwarf-planets-are-more-habitable-than-we-thought/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">white dwarf</a> with a scorching temperature of nearly 22,000 degrees Celsius. 



“In fact, there may be two companion stars that are interacting and sculpting the nebula, which is pinched in the middle by a fragmented ring or torus - looking like a half-eaten donut,” said ESA.



Streams of gaseous “pillars” extend outward, all pointing back toward the central source of energy. The vibrant colors in the image come from glowing hydrogen and oxygen gases.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-discovery-and-significance-of-ngc-2899">Discovery and significance of NGC 2899</h2>



NGC 2899 was discovered by British astronomer John Herschel on March 2, 1835, during his survey of the southern skies from the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. 



Herschel cataloged many deep-sky objects in the southern hemisphere, contributing significantly to the New General Catalogue (NGC) compiled later by John Louis Emil Dreyer.



NGC 2899 is located approximately 4,500 light-years from Earth in the southern constellation Vela, which is part of the larger Vela-Puppis-Carina region of the Milky Way known for its rich <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fluffy-molecular-clouds-may-change-our-understanding-of-star-formation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">star-forming activity</a> and remnants of past stellar explosions.&nbsp;



Vela, whose name means "sails" in Latin, represents the sails of the ancient Greek mythological ship Argo Navis. This region of the sky is particularly abundant in nebulae, star clusters, and other deep-sky objects, making it a focal point for astronomical observations.&nbsp;



The nebula’s distance places it well within our galaxy, offering astronomers a valuable glimpse into the later stages of stellar evolution and the processes that sculpt and illuminate planetary nebulae.



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



Nebulae are vast clouds of gas and dust in space, often serving as the birthplaces or remnants of stars.&nbsp;



They come in various types, including emission nebulae that glow due to ionized gases energized by nearby stars, reflection nebulae that shine by scattering starlight, and dark nebulae that obscure light from background <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/runaway-star-may-be-dragging-a-planet-along-with-it/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stars</a>.&nbsp;



Planetary nebulae form when dying stars shed their outer layers, creating colorful, often symmetrical shapes. Nebulae can span light-years across and are key to understanding the life cycles of stars and the structure of galaxies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-fate-of-dying-stars">The fate of dying stars</h2>



Not all dying stars become planetary nebulae. In fact, stars much more massive than the Sun follow a very different and far more violent path.&nbsp;



These massive stars end their lives in dramatic supernova explosions, releasing tremendous energy and scattering heavy elements into space, which enriches the interstellar medium.&nbsp;



What remains after the explosion depends on the star’s mass. The collapsed core can form a neutron star - an incredibly dense object composed mostly of neutrons. Or, if the star was even more massive, it may create a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astronomers-confirm-lone-black-hole-wandering-through-our-galaxy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">black hole</a>, where gravity is so intense that not even light can escape.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-examples-of-winged-nebulae-nbsp">Examples of “winged” nebulae&nbsp;</h2>



Several well-known nebulae are noted for their "winged" or symmetrical, wing-like appearances, often earning them evocative nicknames.&nbsp;



One of the most famous is the Butterfly Nebula, located in the constellation Scorpius. This planetary <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dragons-egg-nebula-is-a-truly-stunning-sight-to-behold/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nebula</a> displays two expansive lobes that resemble butterfly wings, shaped by fast stellar winds from a dying star.



The Omega Nebula (also known as the Swan Nebula) in the constellation Sagittarius is a bright star-forming region that has been said to resemble a swan in flight. It has broad, glowing "wings" formed by clouds of ionized hydrogen gas.&nbsp;



Similarly, the Eagle Nebula has an overall shape reminiscent of a bird with outstretched wings, which inspired its name. It is located in the constellation Serpens and home to the iconic "Pillars of Creation."



Image Credit: ESA



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Planetary nebula with ethereal wings captured by Hubble

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

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features the galaxy NGC 2090, located approximately 40 million light-years away in the constellation Columba.



NGC 2090 is a stunning spiral galaxy that is notable for its well-defined structure, featuring a bright central core surrounded by tightly wound spiral arms.&nbsp;



These arms are filled with young, hot stars and interstellar gas, indicating active star formation.&nbsp;



Captured by the Webb Telescope’s MIRI and NIRCam instruments, the image reveals the galaxy's winding spiral arms and the swirling gas and dust of its disc in magnificent and unique detail, noted <a href="https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-observations-of-ngc-2090">Observations of NGC 2090</h2>



The galaxy’s spiral pattern is relatively symmetrical, making it a fascinating object of study for astronomers interested in galactic evolution and dynamics.&nbsp;



Observations of NGC 2090, including those conducted by the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hubble-helps-solve-the-mystery-of-a-young-eruptive-star/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hubble</a> Space Telescope, have provided valuable insights into the properties of its stellar populations, gas content, and the nature of its spiral structure.



“NGC 2090 was one of many galaxies studied by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope to refine the measurement of the Universe’s expansion rate, or ‘Hubble constant,’” said ESA.&nbsp;



“This can be done by observing a special type of variable stars named ‘Cepheids’ in relatively nearby galaxies.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-insights-into-ngc-2090">New insights into NGC 2090</h2>



A Cepheid-based measurement from 1998 indicated that NGC 2090 is 37 million light-years away from Earth. However, the latest measurements suggest that the galaxy is 40 million light-years away.



“Already before that Hubble project in 1998, NGC 2090 had been well studied as a very prominent nearby example of star formation,” noted ESA.&nbsp;



“Described as a ‘flocculent’ spiral, this galaxy has a patchy, dusty disc and arms that are flaky or not visible at all. We can see those patterns well in Hubble's visible-light images. However, Webb’s NIRCam near-infrared data reveal the spiral arms with remarkable clarity.”&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-spiral-galaxies">What are 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 among the most common and visually striking types of galaxies in the universe.&nbsp;



They are characterized by their flat, disk-like shape with a bright central bulge surrounded by sweeping spiral arms.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-spiral-arms-and-central-bulge-nbsp">Spiral arms and central bulge&nbsp;</h3>



The arms of a spiral galaxy are regions where stars, gas, and dust are concentrated, often glowing brightly with the light of young, hot stars that form within them.&nbsp;



The central bulge typically contains older stars and can host a supermassive black hole at its core.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-types-of-spiral-galaxies-nbsp">Types of spiral galaxies&nbsp;</h3>



Spiral galaxies are classified into different types based on how tightly their arms are wound and the size of their central bulge, ranging from tightly wound "Sa" galaxies to loosely wound "Sc" types.



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



The structure of spiral galaxies is maintained by the interplay of gravity and angular momentum, with a rotating disk of stars and gas giving rise to their iconic shape.&nbsp;



They are active sites of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massive-star-redefines-our-understanding-of-stellar-evolution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">star formation</a> due to the abundance of gas in their arms.&nbsp;



Spiral galaxies often have a halo of older stars and globular clusters surrounding their disks, which provides clues about their formation and evolution.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-barred-spiral-galaxy">Barred spiral galaxy</h3>



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/milky-way-galaxy-is-surrounded-by-massive-magnetic-fields/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milky Way</a>, the galaxy that contains our Solar System, is a prime example of a barred spiral galaxy, a subtype where a bar-shaped structure of stars extends from the central bulge.&nbsp;



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



Columba is a small and relatively faint constellation in the southern sky, whose name means "dove" in Latin. It was introduced in the late 16th century by the Dutch astronomer Petrus Plancius and first appeared in a celestial atlas by Johann Bayer in 1603.&nbsp;



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/super-jupiter-discovered-in-the-great-bear-constellation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">constellation</a> is said to represent the dove sent out by Noah during the biblical flood, tying it to themes of hope and peace.



Columba lies near the larger constellation Canis Major and is bordered by others such as Lepus and Puppis.&nbsp;



Although it lacks particularly bright stars, its most notable star, Alpha Columbae (also called Phact), shines at a magnitude of approximately 2.6 and is a hot blue-white star. Beta Columbae, another prominent star in the constellation, is a slightly cooler, yellow-white star.



The constellation is best viewed from the Southern Hemisphere during the summer months, though it can also be seen from lower latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere.&nbsp;



Image Credit: NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope&nbsp;



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Webb unveils a spiral galaxy in magnificent detail

Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features active wildfires and scorched landscapes in New Mexico, where the Trout and Buck fires continue to burn across the Gila National Forest and nearby counties.



“As extreme <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-drought-has-caused-crisis-levels-of-food-and-water-scarcity/">drought</a> gripped parts of New Mexico in June 2025, firefighters battled large wildland fires in the southwestern part of the state,” noted <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/154454/new-mexico-battles-wildfires">NASA</a>.



“The two largest were the Buck and Trout fires, which, as of June 18, had together burned more than 80,000 acres since igniting on June 11 and 12, respectively. High winds, low humidity, and dry tinder - grass, brush, and timber - have fueled their rapid spread.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fires-captured-from-space">Fires captured from space</h2>



The image was captured on June 14, 2025 by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8. It is a false-color image, which shows shortwave infrared, near-infrared, and visible light.



According to NASA, this band combination makes it easier to identify unburned vegetated areas (green) and the recently burned landscape (brown).&nbsp;



“Bright orange indicates the infrared signature of actively burning fires,” noted NASA.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-progression-of-new-mexico-s-fires">Progression of New Mexico's fires</h2>



NASA’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfire-seasons-are-now-overlapping-worldwide/">fire monitoring</a> tools revealed that the Trout Fire expanded rapidly in the days following the Landsat satellite imagery.&nbsp;



By June 18, the blaze had reached the edge of Lake Roberts and was threatening communities along Sapillo Creek. News reports indicated that evacuation orders had been issued for around 2,000 homes in the affected zones.&nbsp;



In contrast, the Buck Fire showed less growth and was reported to be 25 percent contained as of June 18.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-emergency-fire-declaration-in-new-mexico">Emergency fire declaration in New Mexico</h2>



“On June 17, New Mexico's governor issued an emergency declaration in response to the Trout fire, which allowed emergency responders to request additional support from federal or other entities,” said NASA.



“More than 875 firefighting personnel were responding to the fire on June 18, including hotshot crews, hand crews, dozers, helicopters, and fixed-wing aircraft, according to InciWeb.”&nbsp;



“As of that date, the blaze was zero percent contained, though no infrastructure had been reported as damaged or destroyed. Several communities downwind of the Trout fire faced hazardous air quality.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-extreme-drought-in-new-mexico-nbsp">Extreme drought in New Mexico&nbsp;</h2>



New Mexico is facing an exceptionally severe drought in 2025 that is ranked among the worst in recent decades.&nbsp;



According to the U.S. Drought Monitor in mid-May, roughly 84 percent of the state was experiencing moderate to exceptional drought, with southern and central New Mexico hit the hardest.



This drought has the fingerprints of a warm, dry spring. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-driven-climate-change-is-to-blame-for-sharp-snowpack-declines-since-1980/">Snowpacks</a> melted early and fast across mountain basins, pushing streamflows and reservoir levels far below average.&nbsp;



For instance, the Elephant Butte Reservoir sank to just 13 percent of its capacity, while many key watersheds recorded only 25 to 50 percent of median snow water equivalent.&nbsp;



Forecasts warn that flows in southern New Mexico river systems could fall to less than 25 percent of normal through the summer



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-elevated-fire-risks-and-other-hazards-nbsp">Elevated fire risks and other hazards&nbsp;</h2>



The repercussions are widespread: from parched reservoir and stream networks to stressed agricultural and ranching sectors.&nbsp;



Farms and livestock operations now face growing water shortages, and ranchers are already being urged to ration water and reduce herd sizes.



The dry, warm conditions have also created tinderbox-like environments. This year’s drought is fueling an elevated wildfire risk with active burn restrictions and existing large fires already stressing firefighting resources.



Meteorologists warn these drought conditions are unlikely to ease before the summer monsoon arrives (typically July), so residents and local authorities are bracing for months of heightened water scarcity and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fast-wildfires-are-gaining-even-more-speed/">fire danger</a>.



The Hermits Peak–Calf Canyon Fire of 2022 remains New Mexico’s largest recorded wildfire. The devastating fire, which burned from April into late June 2022, scorched approximately 341,000 acres, destroyed over 900 structures, and ranked as the most destructive fire in the state's history.



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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Fires spread in New Mexico amid extreme drought

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features Abell S1063, a massive galaxy cluster located about 4.5 billion light-years from Earth. The galaxy cluster was captured by the Webb telescope in stunning detail.



According to <a href="https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/05/Webb_glimpses_the_distant_past" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>, the image is what’s known as a deep field - a long exposure of a single area of the sky, collecting as much light as possible to draw out the most faint and distant galaxies that don’t appear in ordinary images.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-galaxies-of-the-early-universe">Galaxies of the early universe </h2>



Composed of nine separate snapshots taken at different near-infrared wavelengths over roughly 120 hours, this image represents Webb’s most detailed and deepest view of a single target so far.&nbsp;



Thanks to the gravitational lensing effect of Abell S1063, astronomers can peer deeper into the past than ever before - possibly viewing some of the universe’s very <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-galaxies-formed-from-the-earliest-elements-in-the-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">first galaxies</a>.



“The eye is first drawn, in this new NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope Picture of the Month, to the central mega-monster that is galaxy cluster Abell S1063. This behemoth collection of galaxies, lying 4.5 billion light-years from Earth in the constellation Grus (the Crane), dominates the scene,” noted ESA.



“Looking more closely, this dense collection of heavy galaxies is surrounded by glowing streaks of light, and these warped arcs are the true object of scientists’ interest: faint galaxies from the universe’s distant past.”



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



Galaxy clusters are the largest known gravitationally bound systems and include not just galaxies, but also vast amounts of hot, X-ray-emitting gas and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-true-nature-of-dark-matter-may-be-revealed-in-a-supernova/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dark matter</a>.&nbsp;



The galaxies within a cluster move through this hot intracluster medium, and their interactions can lead to phenomena like galaxy mergers or the stripping of gas from galaxies.&nbsp;



Galaxy clusters are important for studying the large-scale structure of the universe, the behavior of dark matter, and the evolution of galaxies over cosmic time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hundreds-of-galaxies-bound-together-nbsp">Hundreds of galaxies bound together&nbsp;</h2>



As one of the most densely populated clusters known, Abell S1063 contains hundreds of galaxies bound together by gravity.&nbsp;



Its immense mass makes it an excellent example of a gravitational lens - a cosmic phenomenon where the cluster’s gravity bends and magnifies the light from galaxies far behind it.&nbsp;



This effect allows astronomers to observe incredibly faint and distant <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/milky-way-like-galaxies-were-present-in-the-early-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxies</a> that would otherwise be beyond our detection limits.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-galaxy-evolution">Studying galaxy evolution</h2>



The cluster has been the focus of several major observational campaigns. It was prominently featured in the Hubble Space Telescope’s Frontier Fields program, which used its gravitational lensing power to study the early universe.&nbsp;



“The new imagery from Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) takes this quest even further back in time,” said ESA.



“This image showcases an incredible forest of lensing arcs around Abell S1063, which reveal distorted background galaxies at a range of cosmic distances, along with a multitude of faint galaxies and previously unseen features.”



These observations are helping scientists probe the Cosmic Dawn era - the period shortly after the Big Bang.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exploring-the-cosmic-dawn-nbsp">Exploring the Cosmic Dawn&nbsp;</h2>



The Cosmic Dawn refers to a time in the history of the universe when the first stars and galaxies began to form and shine. This pivotal era occurred roughly between 100 million and 1 billion years after the Big Bang.&nbsp;



During the Dark Ages, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fastest-feeding-black-hole-found-in-the-early-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">universe</a> had cooled enough for neutral hydrogen to form, but no luminous objects yet existed to light it up.&nbsp;



The birth of the first stars - often massive and short-lived - marked the beginning of the Cosmic Dawn. These stars emitted intense ultraviolet radiation, which gradually ionized the surrounding hydrogen gas in a process known as reionization.&nbsp;



This transformed the universe from a cold, opaque environment into one that was transparent to light, enabling the large-scale structure of the cosmos to take shape.



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



Grus is a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/super-jupiter-discovered-in-the-great-bear-constellation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">constellation</a> in the southern sky, its name derived from the Latin word for "crane," a type of large, graceful bird.&nbsp;



It was introduced in the late 16th century by the Dutch navigators Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman, during an era of celestial charting tied to European exploration of the southern hemisphere.&nbsp;



Grus is part of a group of constellations known as the "Southern Birds," which also includes Phoenix, Tucana, and Pavo.



This constellation lies near the celestial south pole and is best seen from the Southern Hemisphere during the months of August through October.&nbsp;



Image Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA &amp; CSA, H. Atek, M. Zamani



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Hundreds of galaxies illuminate the early universe 

Today's Image of the Day from the <a href="https://www.eso.org/public/">European Southern Observatory</a> (ESO) features a stunning view of the Sculptor Galaxy, one of the brightest spiral galaxies visible from Earth.



The ultra-detailed image, which was captured using ESO’s Very Large Telescope, reveals features in the Sculptor Galaxy that have never been seen before.&nbsp;



ESO researcher Enrico Congiu led a new study on the Sculptor Galaxy that is published in the journal Astronomy &amp; Astrophysics.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-galaxy-wide-view-of-sculptor-nbsp">A galaxy-wide view of Sculptor&nbsp;</h2>



The team observed the galaxy in thousands of wavelengths at once, collecting an immense amount of data from every point across its structure. This allowed them to build a comprehensive, galaxy-wide view of how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/white-dwarf-stars-may-be-billions-of-years-older-than-estimated/">stars</a> live and evolve within Sculptor.



"Galaxies are incredibly complex systems that we are still struggling to understand," said Congiu.



“The Sculptor Galaxy is in a sweet spot. It is close enough that we can resolve its internal structure and study its building blocks with incredible detail, but at the same time, big enough that we can still see it as a whole system.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-thousands-of-distinct-colors-nbsp">Thousands of distinct colors&nbsp;</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oxygen-detected-in-the-most-distant-and-primitive-galaxy-ever-analyzed/">Galaxies</a> span hundreds of thousands of light-years, yet their evolution is shaped by processes unfolding on much smaller scales.&nbsp;



The fundamental components of a galaxy - stars, gas, and dust - each emit light in distinct colors. The more shades of color captured in an image, the deeper the insight into a galaxy’s internal structure.&nbsp;



Traditional images typically contain only a few colors, but the new map of the Sculptor Galaxy includes thousands.&nbsp;



This rich spectrum provides astronomers with detailed information about the galaxy’s stars, gas, and dust - from their ages and chemical makeup to how they’re moving through space.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mapping-the-sculptor-galaxy-nbsp">Mapping the Sculptor Galaxy&nbsp;</h2>



The research team spent more than 50 hours observing the Sculptor Galaxy using the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) on the Very Large Telescope.&nbsp;



To capture the full view - spanning roughly 65,000 light-years - they combined over 100 separate exposures into a single, detailed mosaic.&nbsp;



According to study co-author Kathryn Kreckel from Heidelberg University, Germany, this makes the map a potent tool.&nbsp;



“We can zoom in to study individual regions where stars form at nearly the scale of individual stars, but we can also zoom out to study the galaxy as a whole,” said Kreckel.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hundreds-of-planetary-nebulae-nbsp">Hundreds of planetary nebulae&nbsp;</h2>



In their initial analysis of the data, the team identified around 500 planetary <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/orion-nebula-destroys-an-oceans-worth-of-water-every-month/">nebulae</a> scattered throughout the Sculptor Galaxy.



Study co-author Fabian Scheuermann, a doctoral student at Heidelberg University, emphasized the significance of the discovery.&nbsp;



Scheuermann noted that when astronomers study galaxies outside of our own cosmic neighborhood, they normally detect fewer than 100 planetary nebulae in each one.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-galaxy-of-extremes">A galaxy of extremes</h2>



The Sculptor Galaxy, also known as NGC 253, is located about 11.4 million light-years away in the constellation Sculptor. It’s classified as a starburst galaxy, meaning it’s undergoing an exceptionally high rate of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fluffy-molecular-clouds-may-change-our-understanding-of-star-formation/">star formation</a>.&nbsp;



This vigorous star-making activity is especially intense in its central regions, where dense clouds of gas and dust feed the birth of new stars.&nbsp;



The galaxy is tilted at a steep angle from our perspective, which gives it a striking, elongated appearance when viewed through telescopes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-notable-features-of-the-sculptor-galaxy-nbsp">Notable features of the Sculptor Galaxy&nbsp;</h2>



Discovered in 1783 by Caroline Herschel, the Sculptor Galaxy has become a popular target for both professional astronomers and amateur skywatchers due to its brightness and relative proximity.&nbsp;



It’s part of the Sculptor Group, one of the nearest groups of galaxies to our Local Group. Despite being rich in star-forming regions, much of its inner structure is veiled by thick dust lanes.&nbsp;



However, infrared and X-ray observations have helped scientists peer through the obscuring material to study the galaxy’s core, revealing a wealth of activity including supernova remnants and a possible central <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/largest-ultramassive-black-hole-ever-seen-cosmic-horseshoe-lrg-3-757/">black hole</a>.



The Sculptor Galaxy is also notable for its extended halo of stars and gas, which suggests past interactions or mergers with smaller galaxies.&nbsp;



This halo, along with its active central region, makes NGC 253 a valuable subject for understanding how galaxies evolve, form stars, and recycle gas over time. Its combination of beauty and scientific richness continues to make it a focus of galactic studies.



Image Credit: European Southern Observatory&nbsp;



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Thousands of colors in the Sculptor Galaxy

Today's Image of the Day from the European Southern Observatory...

Grand Teton National Park&nbsp;is an American&nbsp;national park&nbsp;in northwestern&nbsp;Wyoming. At approximately 310,000 acres (1,300&nbsp;km2), the park includes the major peaks of the 40-mile-long (64&nbsp;km)&nbsp;Teton Range&nbsp;as well as most of the northern sections of the valley known as&nbsp;Jackson Hole. Grand Teton National Park is only 10 miles (16&nbsp;km) south of&nbsp;Yellowstone National Park, to which it is connected by the&nbsp;National Park Service–managed&nbsp;John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway. Along with surrounding&nbsp;national forests, these three protected areas constitute the almost 18-million-acre (73,000-square-kilometer)&nbsp;Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, one of the world's largest intact mid-latitude temperate ecosystems.



Camping is a great way to immerse yourself in the stunning scenery of Grand Teton National Park. There are many options for camping. If you are feeling adventurous and searching for solitude, get a permit to pitch a tent in the&nbsp;backcountry. Looking for a few more comforts? You can tent camp or park and plug in your recreational vehicle at over 1,000 campsites at seven park campgrounds.All park campgrounds are by advanced reservations only. Campsites are reservable on&nbsp;Recreation.gov.&nbsp;

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Every fleeting glance you take of your surroundings sets off a chain reaction inside your skull, shuttling retinal signals to a tiny midbrain hub. New findings show that this relay does more than position your eyes; it also helps you decide what those eyes are seeing.



Scientists from the <a href="https://www.uchicago.edu/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Chicago</a> have now traced high‑level judgment back to the same circuit that pilots a reflexive gaze. 



<a href="https://neurobiology.uchicago.edu/faculty/david-freedman-phd" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">David Freedman</a>, professor of neurobiology at the university, says the discovery redraws some of the most familiar maps of the mind.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-collicular-midbrain-hub-is-ancient">Collicular midbrain hub is ancient</h2>



The <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10115501/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">superior colliculus</a> sits just above the brainstem and appears in fish, birds, and mammals alike, hinting at an ancestry stretching half a billion years. 



Its layered tissue forms a two‑dimensional grid that rapidly transforms flashes of light into head and eye movements.



For decades, textbooks described the structure as a simple switchboard for <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10991/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">saccades</a>, the rapid jumps that refresh a scene several times a second. The cortex, by contrast, was said to handle every higher act, from object recognition to chess.



Growing evidence counters that neat divide. A 2017 <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5752317/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">review</a> chronicled how collicular neurons encode attention and decision signals once thought exclusive to the cerebral mantle.



Those hints set the stage for a closer look at the midbrain in real time. Freedman’s group answered with electrodes and a clever behavioral trick.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gazing-and-judging">Gazing and judging</h2>



They trained two <a href="https://neprimateconservancy.org/rhesus-macaque/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Macaca mulatta monkeys</a> to hold their eyes on a central point while labeling drifting dot patterns as belonging to one of two learned categories. Fruit‑juice rewards encouraged fast, accurate button presses rather than eye shifts.



During the task, arrays of fine wires captured spikes in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/posterior-parietal-cortex" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">posterior parietal cortex</a>, a well‑known decision center, and simultaneously inside the colliculus. 



Timing analysis revealed that category information emerged in both places at almost the same moment.



More surprising, the midbrain signal was stronger and more consistent than the cortical one, indexing the upcoming choice with remarkable fidelity. That meant the ancient hub was not just echoing the cortex but <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-024-01744-x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">leading</a> the conversation.



“This is a really surprising place to find these kinds of cognitive signals because this area of the brain is traditionally associated with simpler <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/male-and-female-brains-are-wired-completely-differently/">spatial orienting behaviors</a> and even reflexive functions,” said Freedman. He notes that the finding challenges a long‑held hierarchy that placed the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/neocortex" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">neocortex</a> firmly on top.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-switching-off-the-collicular-midbrain">Switching off the collicular midbrain</h2>



Correlation, however, does not guarantee causation. To probe necessity, the team injected minute doses of muscimol to silence collicular <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rebooting-the-brain-experts-can-transform-cells-into-neurons/">neurons</a> for about 30 minutes.



The monkeys still stared at the fixation point and pushed buttons with normal speed, showing that motor paths remained largely intact. Even so, their category judgments slipped toward chance until normal firing returned.



A 2021 <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8338902/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> by Michele Basso and colleagues had already shown that damping the same region biases simpler motion decisions in primates. The new work extends that causal role to abstract rules untied to any spatial cue.



“Our results show us that this area is really important for the task,” Freedman added. Without its input, the cortex alone could not salvage performance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-collicular-neurons-and-spatial-maps">Collicular neurons and spatial maps</h2>



The collicular sheet represents space in a neat polar grid, each <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cell-division-discovery-challenges-a-century-of-textbook-biology/">cell</a> preferring a particular direction and eccentricity. Such organization may offer high‑speed scaffolding for loftier computations.



Freedman suspects that the brain projects non‑spatial information onto that grid to exploit wiring already optimized for rapid competition among options. 



Spatial coding could act as a common currency, letting disparate sensory and memory traces jostle under a single rulebook.



Separate teams have found midbrain <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0896627324004124" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">neurons</a> that single out faces mere milliseconds after stimulus onset, bypassing the slower ventral stream. 



Others report <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37352857/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">collicular bursts</a> that end deliberations once evidence reaches a threshold, acting like an internal referee.



“Some of this data might be telling us that the spatial parts of the brain are getting recruited into helping us perform these non-spatial cognitive functions,” said <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=em1qF1AAAAAJ&amp;hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Barbara Peysakhovich</a>, first author of the study. Her remark underscores how evolution can co‑opt one circuit for many jobs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-midbrain-collicular-circuits-and-perception">Midbrain collicular circuits and perception</h2>



Functional MRI supports the idea in humans. Activity flares in the colliculus when volunteers search <a href="https://bmcneurosci.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2202-8-66" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cluttered scenes</a> or shift attention without moving their eyes.



A <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4949391/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> that probed eye‑driven Go/No‑Go decisions in progressive supranuclear palsy linked slow saccades to impaired evidence accumulation, implicating the same midbrain route. 



Such overlap suggests that eye‑movement disorders and cognitive decline may share a single lesion site.



Computational neuroscientists are now modeling collicular circuits to design cameras that spot hazards before full scene analysis is complete. The Chicago data offer a fresh template for those algorithms.



Ultimately, the study blurs a tidy border between perception and reflection. It invites a broader search for additional double‑duty nodes throughout the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/big-changes-in-the-brain-between-the-ages-of-11-25-and-how-it-influence-our-decisions/">brain</a>.



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



Freedman plans to test whether similar signals appear in people using magnetoencephalography combined with deep‑brain electrical recordings during surgery. Such work could clarify how much of the primate finding generalizes to everyday human reasoning.



Another priority is mapping the pathways that carry the category code into and out of the midbrain. Anatomical <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10115501/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studies</a> already show dense links from frontal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unexpected-find-inside-the-eye-of-a-tiny-wasp-megaphragma-viggianii/">eye</a> field to colliculus as well as ascending fibers that reach the cortex via the thalamus.



Untangling those loops may reveal how a single decision circulates between brainstem and cortex <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/action-observation-network-human-brain-perception-see-what-we-expect-to-see-mind-eye/">before reaching awareness</a>. The results could also help clinicians fine‑tune deep‑brain stimulators aimed at restoring gaze and cognition in movement disorders.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-024-01744-x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Neuroscience</a>.



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Humans use the same ancient midbrain circuits for both seeing and thinking, says a new study

Every fleeting glance you take of your surroundings sets off...

Some imported seafoods on American dinner plates are carrying an invisible threat: bacteria equipped with genes that can disarm a high-priority, critically important antibiotic called colistin.



Colistin is reserved for life-threatening infections that have outwitted every other drug. When it fails, clinicians have nowhere left to turn.



In research presented at <a href="https://asm.org/events/asm-microbe/home">ASM Microbe 2025</a>, scientists at the <a href="https://www.uga.edu/">University of Georgia</a> found colistin-resistance genes - known as mcr - in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shrimp-crisis-alarming-virus-threatens-global-seafood-supplies/">shrimp</a> and scallops purchased from eight Atlanta-area grocery stores.



It is the first evidence that U.S. seafood shoppers are unknowingly buying products harboring bacteria capable of shrugging off one of medicine’s last lines of defense.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seafood-s-global-supply-chain">Seafood's global supply chain</h2>



Lead investigator Issmat Kassem has spent two decades tracing the global spread of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/genes-for-antibiotic-resistance-lurk-in-our-wastewater-and-streams/">antimicrobial resistance</a>.



Sampling from local supermarkets, his team ran genetic screens on bacteria living in the imported seafood including shellfish and uncovered multiple plasmids - circular snippets of DNA - that carry mcr.



These plasmids make resistance “mobile,” because the genes can hop from one bacterium to another.



When Kassem talks about the popular appeal of shellfish, he puts it simply: “We love our seafood.”



And most Americans do: about 90 percent of the shrimp consumed in the United States are raised overseas. Many exporting nations still rely on antibiotics, including colistin, to treat or fatten farmed animals.



That practice creates selective pressure for resistant <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-bacteria-breathe-by-creating-electricity/">bacteria</a>, which can end up in packing plants, shipping containers, and ultimately U.S. kitchens.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-last-resort-antibiotic">The last-resort antibiotic</h2>



Colistin debuted in the 1950s, then largely disappeared from U.S. hospitals because it can scar kidneys and nerves. Its toxic profile forced doctors to shelve it in favor of safer drugs.



That calculus reversed when so-called “superbugs” evolved resistance to nearly every other antibiotic. Colistin returned as a last resort, but its revival was overshadowed by news in 2016 of the first plasmid-borne mcr gene.



Until then, many scientists assumed colistin resistance evolved only through slow, vertical inheritance. The plasmid discovery rewrote that script, proving resistance could not jump between different bacteria - an assumption Kassem now calls dangerously outdated.



Today, at least ten mcr variants have been catalogued worldwide, and Kassem’s new findings reveal a pathway for them to enter U.S. ecosystems.



In earlier work, his lab found the same plasmids and bacterial hosts in Georgia wastewater. The match confirms that agricultural practices abroad can shape microbial landscapes at home.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-supply-chain-problem"><a></a>A supply chain problem</h2>



Although federal inspectors test imported seafood for chemical residues and visible pathogens, they do not routinely test for resistance genes.



“The bacteria that were carrying colistin resistance genes are not normally screened,” Kassem warned. Standard checks, designed decades ago, fail to catch this genomic stowaway.



“Our food is sourced from different places,” he said. “If you go out to lunch today, your plate might have ingredients from six, seven, eight countries.” These complex supply chains enable a hidden circulation of microbes.



“Some countries do not have strict regulations for using antibiotics in food animal production, so imported food can be a vehicle for transmission of resistance.”



Domestic aquaculture operations appear free of mcr for now, suggesting U.S. oversight can be effective when consistently applied.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-no-borders-for-seafood-superbugs">No borders for seafood "superbugs"</h2>



Resistance that travels by plasmid does not respect borders. “We live in a very connected world,” Kassem emphasized.



“We move a lot, we travel a lot, our food travels, and we are going to spread whatever emerges, even across national borders.” In other words, the United States cannot isolate itself from a problem embedded in international trade.



That reality underscores the need for better surveillance. “It’s important to invest in monitoring systems and expand them and collaborate, especially on the global level, on the issue of antimicrobial resistance,” Kassem said.



Enhanced screening at ports of entry could catch resistant bacteria before they enter the consumer market. Equally critical is global cooperation to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use in aquaculture and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-in-livestock-are-major-drivers-of-antibiotic-resistance/">livestock</a> production.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-risks-in-the-kitchen">Hidden risks in the kitchen</h2>



Cooking <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shellfish-waste-can-be-used-for-fresher-safer-produce/">shellfish</a> thoroughly destroys live bacteria, but plasmid DNA may survive and flow into wastewater systems.



Consumers should handle raw imported seafood with the same caution they would raw poultry. This includes washing hands, sanitizing cutting boards, and avoiding cross-contamination with ready-to-eat foods. Yet individual diligence cannot solve a systemic problem.



The study shows that antimicrobial resistance is no longer confined to hospitals or far-off farms - it can ride quietly into suburban kitchens on ice. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-global-health-warning">A global health warning</h2>



If policymakers act swiftly, the United States can reinforce its defenses by updating import regulations and requiring genetic testing for high-risk resistance genes. It can also partner with exporting nations to curb antibiotic misuse.



For now, Kassem’s message is a wake-up call. Colistin remains a critical, if imperfect, guardian against multidrug-resistant infections.



Allowing its defenses to erode - even incrementally - brings the world closer to a post-antibiotic era where routine surgeries and minor wounds become life-threatening. 



The microbes in our seafood are sending a warning. Whether we heed it will shape the future of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antibiotic-resistance-could-cause-a-health-crisis-globally/">global health</a>.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.asm.org/journal/msphere">mSphere</a>.



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Imported seafood is spreading antibiotic resistance genes

Some imported seafoods on American dinner plates are carrying an...

Scientists recently discovered that certain changes in the roots of teeth can reveal whether someone is a current or former smoker. 



This breakthrough came from a team at <a href="https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Northumbria University</a>, working alongside scientists from the <a href="https://le.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Leicester</a>. Their findings could offer powerful tools for both forensic science and archaeology.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-teeth-can-tell-us">What teeth can tell us</h2>



Your teeth aren’t just for chewing. They carry a hidden timeline of your life. Teeth are made up of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tooth-enamel-holds-a-record-of-human-health/">enamel</a>, dentine, and cementum. 



<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/cementum" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cementum</a> is the hard tissue that coats the tooth’s root, and it grows in layers - similar to the way trees deposit annual growth rings. Every year, a new layer forms.



The research team originally set out to use these cementum rings to estimate a person’s age. That kind of analysis can help identify victims of disasters when DNA samples aren’t available.



“By looking at <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tree-rings-reveal-the-carbon-storage-capacity-of-a-forest/">growth rings</a> in the teeth, we can also estimate a person’s age when the tooth was removed, or when they died,” said Dr. Ed Schwalbe, coauthor and professor in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at Northumbria University.



“Together, this information could help identify unknown individuals - such as disaster victims or those buried in mass graves - and offer new tools for forensic and historical investigations,” he confirmed.



But they also found something unexpected.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smoking-marks-teeth-as-well">Smoking marks teeth as well</h2>



They examined 88 teeth from both living dental patients and archaeological remains. In many cases, the cementum rings weren’t smooth and regular. Some had disruptions - changes in thickness or shape that didn’t line up with the typical growth pattern.



They looked more closely. These disruptions weren’t random. They were consistently found in the teeth of people who smoked or used to smoke.



“Our research shows that it’s possible to tell if someone was a smoker just by examining their teeth,” said Dr. Schwalbe. 



“We found that the regular annual deposition of rings was disrupted for some individuals and realised that these disruptions were associated with current or ex-smokers, but were very rare in non-smokers.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smoking-s-undeniable-signature-in-teeth">Smoking's undeniable signature in teeth</h2>



In teeth from former <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/smokers-have-weaker-hearts-that-pump-less-blood/">smokers</a>, the team saw thick layers of cementum built up over disrupted rings. They believe that when someone quits <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quitting-smoking-at-any-age-brings-big-and-immediate-health-benefits/">smoking</a>, the cementum begins to return to a normal growth pattern, forming denser layers on top of the older, damaged ones. 



That may explain why ex-smokers’ teeth showed thicker cementum than was found in the teeth of current smokers.



The numbers were striking. Disrupted cementum appeared in 70% of ex-smokers and 33% of current smokers - but in only 3% of people who had never smoked.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/smoking_teeth-stains-damage_cementum-rings_credit-NorthumbriaU_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/smoking_teeth-stains-damage_cementum-rings_credit-NorthumbriaU_1s.webp" alt="Example of smoking damage in an archaeological tooth. The magnified image shows variations in the tooth's cementum rings from smoking. Credit: Northumbria University" class="wp-image-1975125"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Example of smoking damage in an archaeological tooth. The magnified image shows variations in the tooth's cementum rings from smoking. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Northumbria University</figcaption></figure>



“We compared the cemental deposition of smokers, ex-smokers and non-smokers visually and statistically to identify irregularities that were potentially connected to smoking activity,” said Dr. Valentina Perrone, lead author on the study. 



“We found that individuals with a history of smoking - whether as a current or former smoker – were significantly more likely to have disruption to their cementum than those who did not."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-quitting-doesn-t-remove-smoking-markers">Quitting doesn't remove smoking markers</h2>



The study included 46 living participants who needed teeth extracted as part of routine <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brushing-your-teeth-regularly-can-prevent-deadly-liver-disease/">dental care</a>. In one standout case, a participant’s tooth showed damage estimated to have occurred between the ages of 22 and 41.



When the researchers reviewed the patient’s history, they found that the individual, who was aged 58 at the time, had smoked between the ages of 28 and 38.



That matched the evidence exactly.



“Smoking is known to have a systemic impact on the body and numerous studies have highlighted the correlation between smoking, <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/periodontitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354473" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">periodontitis</a> and tooth loss,” Dr Perrone added. 



“This study shows, for the first time, the biological record of smoking-related oral health damage within the dental structure.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-echoes-from-past-centuries">Echoes from past centuries</h2>



To test whether these markers of smoking could be found in much older remains, the team worked with Dr. Sarah Inskip, UKRI Fellow at the University of Leicester’s School of Archaeology and Ancient History. They examined 18 archaeological teeth dating from between 1776 and 1890.



Some of these teeth came from individuals known to have smoked. Signs included discoloration and even physical notches worn into the teeth by clay pipes.



Even after centuries underground, the cementum in those teeth still bore the same disruption patterns as found in the teeth of modern smokers.



“This could help us learn more about people’s lifestyles in the past, especially in archaeological studies where patterns of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tobacco-bans-could-help-prevent-1-2-million-lung-cancer-deaths/">tobacco</a> use can reveal important cultural insights,” said Dr. Schwalbe.



“The identification of 'smoking damage' in archaeological teeth opens up further avenues to understand how the long-term consumption of tobacco in populations has affected our health through time,” Dr. Inskip added.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-your-teeth-don-t-lie">Your teeth don’t lie</h2>



These findings show that even if someone quits smoking, their teeth may carry the evidence for life. 



That insight has major implications - not just for understanding personal health histories, but for reconstructing the lives of people long gone.



The next time you smile, remember that your teeth are holding a history of some of your lifestyle choices.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0323812" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS One</a>.



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Smoking leaves permanent traces in teeth deep below the surface - a new forensic

Scientists recently discovered that certain changes in the roots of...

A potential single-dose vaccine might be closer than we think. Scientists say it could one day protect against viruses like HIV or COVID-19 without the need for repeat shots. 



The secret? Pairing two immune-boosting ingredients - called adjuvants - in the same formula.



In a recent study with mice, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (<a href="https://www.mit.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MIT</a>) and the <a href="https://www.scripps.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scripps Research Institute</a> showed how this dual-adjuvant strategy triggered a much broader immune response than standard vaccines. 



The mix helped the body produce a wider variety of antibodies, offering stronger, longer-lasting protection from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mild-obesity-linked-to-greater-risk-of-severe-covid-19-infection/">infection</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-adjuvants-matter-in-single-dose-vaccines">Adjuvants matter in single-dose vaccines</h2>



Adjuvants are added to many vaccines to help fire up the immune system. They don’t act on the virus directly, but they do help your body learn to recognize and fight it. 



One common adjuvant is alum (aluminum hydroxide), and it is used in vaccines for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mysterious-cases-of-hepatitis-detected-in-the-us-and-europe/">hepatitis</a> A and B. It boosts the immune system by activating the body’s first line of defense.



Years ago, scientists at Scripps created another adjuvant using saponin, a compound from the bark of the Chilean <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/soap-bark-tree-discovery-could-revolutionize-vaccine-production/">soapbark tree</a>. 



This adjuvant, when packaged into tiny particles, along with another immune stimulator (MPLA), showed even better results.



That combo, known as SMNP, is already being tested in an HIV vaccine in human trials.



The team decided to test what would happen if they combined alum and SMNP in a single-dose vaccine. The result? An even more powerful immune response against both HIV and SARS-CoV-2.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-single-dose-vaccine-sticks-around">Single-dose vaccine sticks around</h2>



For the new study, researchers focused on how these two adjuvants work together. They used a protein from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/genetic-variant-linked-to-both-covid-risk-and-hiv-protection/">HIV</a> called MD39 as their target and stuck dozens of these proteins to alum particles, along with SMNP.



When injected into mice, this enhanced vaccine headed straight for the lymph nodes. These small structures are where immune cells, like B cells, train to recognize invaders. 



Inside the lymph nodes, B cells mutate rapidly to make stronger, more precise <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-antibodies-are-adapting-to-fight-emerging-covid-variants/">antibodies</a>. This training happens in special clusters called germinal centers.



The scientists found that their vaccine was able to slip through the protective shell around the lymph nodes and stay intact. It remained inside for almost a month - a long time in immune system terms. That allowed B cells to keep working and improving their antibody response.



“As a result, the B cells that are cycling in the lymph nodes are constantly being exposed to the antigen over that time period, and they get the chance to refine their solution to the antigen,” said J. Christopher Love,&nbsp;the Raymond A. and Helen E. St. Laurent Professor of Chemical Engineering at MIT. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wider-arsenal-of-antibodies">Wider arsenal of antibodies</h2>



To understand the impact, the team used single-cell RNA sequencing to analyze the B cells from the vaccinated mice. 



The group that received both adjuvants in a single-dose vaccine showed a much more diverse set of B cells and antibodies.



They had two to three times more unique B cells than mice that got just one <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plant-based-covid-vaccine-is-safe-and-effective/">adjuvant</a>.



That matters. The more diverse the antibodies, the better the chances of being effective against different strains of a virus, like HIV, that mutates constantly.



“When you think about the immune system sampling all of the possible solutions, the more chances we give it to identify an effective solution, the better,” Love explained. 



“Generating broadly neutralizing antibodies is something that likely requires both the kind of approach that we showed here, to get that strong and diversified response, as well as antigen design to get the right part of the immunogen shown,” he added.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-toward-a-one-and-done-vaccine">Toward a one-and-done vaccine</h2>



This approach could simplify vaccine schedules. Instead of needing multiple doses, a single shot might be enough.



“What’s potentially powerful about this approach is that you can achieve long-term exposures based on a combination of adjuvants that are already reasonably well-understood, so it doesn’t require a different technology. It’s just combining features of these adjuvants to enable low-dose or potentially even single-dose treatments,” Love concluded.



The research points to a future of smarter vaccines - and fewer needles.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.adw7499" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Translational Medicine</a>.



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A smarter shot: Scientists explore single-dose vaccine power

A potential single-dose vaccine might be closer than we think....

Queuosine may sound like a niche detail in a biochemistry textbook, yet this tiny compound touches nearly every corner of human physiology. Scientists have now identified how our cells grab it, opening new paths for research on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/first-map-of-the-brains-mitochondria-may-explain-cognitive-decline/">memory</a>, learning, and cancer resistance.



The work centers on queuosine, a vitamin‑like micronutrient we must borrow from food or friendly gut bacteria. 



A reseearch team led by Valérie de Crécy‑Lagard of the <a href="https://www.ufl.edu/">University of Florida</a> traced the entry point of queuosine into the cell, the transporter gene SLC35F2.



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



Queuosine is not built into proteins or DNA. Instead, it slots into transfer RNA (<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39600051/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tRNA</a>), the molecular interpreters that read genetic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/action-observation-network-human-brain-perception-see-what-we-expect-to-see-mind-eye/">codes</a>. 



By modifying the wobble position of tRNAs for histidine, tyrosine, aspartate, and asparagine, queuosine helps ribosomes choose the correct amino acid more quickly and accurately. That fine‑tuning keeps translation errors and oxidative stress in check.



Laboratory <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-83451-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studies</a> show that supplementing queuosine reverses translation chaos and steadies protein production in stressed cells. Because humans cannot manufacture queuosine, diet and microbes must deliver a steady supply.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nutrient-and-cancer-connection">Nutrient and cancer connection</h2>



Experiments from the <a href="https://www.dkfz.de/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">German Cancer Research Center</a> uncovered a curious twist. Removing tRNA queuosine weakened context‑based memory in female mice but left males mostly unscathed.



The result hints that queuosine’s control over translation interacts with hormone‑sensitive neural <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/your-brain-literally-changes-based-on-daily-activities-and-lifestyle/">circuits</a>. Cancer biologists track the nutrient for another reason.



Tumor tissues often show steep drops in queuosine modification, a change that encourages the rapid, glycolysis‑heavy metabolism called the <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7146442/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Warburg effect</a>. In cultured cells, adding the precursor queuine slows growth in colon, liver, and breast cancer lines.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-queuosine-gets-in">How queuosine gets in</h2>



“For over 30 years, scientists have suspected that there had to be a transporter for this nutrient, but no one could find it. We’ve been hunting for it for a long time,” said de Crécy-Lagard. 



Hints about a queuosine gateway surfaced in the early 1990s when growth‑factor stimulation boosted uptake. Screens of known solute carrier proteins drew blanks, sending researchers back to the drawing board.



The investigators ran cross‑species genomics and <a href="https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/CRISPR" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CRISPR</a> knockouts in <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/henrietta-lacks/importance-of-hela-cells" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">human HeLa cells</a>. Only one gene, SLC35F2, consistently blocked uptake when deleted.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-confirming-the-nutrient-s-pathway">Confirming the nutrient's pathway</h2>



Restoring SLC35F2 rescued transport, confirming it as the primary, high‑affinity channel for queuosine and its nucleobase form, queuine. 



Radiolabeled assays measured a Michaelis constant of 174 nanomoles, and competing nucleosides failed to displace queuosine from the transporter.



Fluorescence imaging placed SLC35F2 on the plasma membrane and inside the <a href="https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/golgi-body" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Golgi</a>, a hint that queuosine may cycle through secretory routes before reaching cytosolic tRNA pools. 



The study also revealed a second, low‑affinity pathway that kicks in when dietary levels spike.



“We don’t think we could have cracked it without the full team,” said Vincent Kelly of <a href="https://www.tcd.ie/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trinity College Dublin</a>, joint senior author and professor of biochemistry and immunology, highlighting the collaborative push.



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



Neurons fire thousands of times per second, and any slowdown in protein synthesis can scramble that rhythm. 



In mice lacking tRNA queuosine, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780128131466000059" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hippocampal neurons</a> mis‑translate codons, depressing long‑term potentiation, a cellular marker of learning.



Restoring dietary queuine fixed the translation lag and improved maze performance within days. With SLC35F2 in hand, neuroscientists can now ask whether genetic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-brains-use-storage-trick-to-keep-your-memories-in-sequential-order/">variants</a> of the transporter align with neurodevelopmental disorders.



Public databases list rare point mutations in SLC35F2 in fewer than one percent of the population. Their functional impact remains untested, but the data set gives clinicians a starting point for genotype‑phenotype studies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-could-this-nutrient-help-fight-cancer">Could this nutrient help fight cancer?</h2>



SLC35F2 carries an intriguing label as an oncogene. High expression predicts poor prognosis in some <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4365-leukemia" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">leukemias</a> and solid tumors.



Researchers once assumed the protein simply imported chemotherapy drugs. Yet new data suggest that tumors may hijack SLC35F2 to starve cells of queuosine and rewire translation. Therapies could exploit the system in two ways.



Selective inhibitors might deprive cancer cells of the nutrient, pushing their error‑prone translation machinery past a lethal threshold. 



Alternatively, stabilized queuosine analogs could flood normal tissues that preserve SLC35F2, tamping down oxidative stress and inflammation. Early animal trials are already underway at several labs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dietary-sources-of-queuosine">Dietary sources of queuosine </h2>



Queuosine comes mainly from meat, dairy, and fermented foods, while some gut bacteria, especially members of the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/immunology-and-microbiology/bacteroides" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bacteroides</a> genus, synthesize it from scratch. 



Vegans often show slightly lower circulating levels than omnivores, though the difference disappears when microbial producers are abundant.



Antibiotic courses can wipe out those producers for weeks. <a href="https://www.tcd.ie/medicine/psychiatry/research/neuropsychiatric-genetics-research-group/study-volunteers-needed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Researchers</a> in Ireland are now tracking whether short‑term queuosine drops after antibiotics correlate with slower reaction times or mood changes in healthy volunteers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cancer-drug-rides-along">Cancer drug rides along</h2>



SLC35F2 already had a reputation in oncology circles because it escorts the experimental anticancer drug <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7281096/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">YM155</a> into cells. 



Knowing that the protein’s day job is moving queuosine gives pharmacologists a fresh angle: they can tweak YM155’s structure to ride the same pathway more efficiently.



Conversely, blocking SLC35F2 might protect healthy neurons during chemotherapy by keeping YM155 out while allowing other nucleosides through alternative transporters. 



That strategy would echo the way cardiologists use dexrazoxane to shield the heart from doxorubicin, targeting transporter specificity rather than the drug itself.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gut-microbes-and-queuosine-boost-health">Gut microbes and queuosine boost health</h2>



The discovery also tightens the link between diet, microbes, and host gene expression. If intestinal bacteria ramp up queuosine output, plasma levels rise, SLC35F2 activity increases, and translation fidelity improves.



Better fidelity reduces misfolded proteins that would otherwise inflame the gut, creating a positive feedback loop. 



Disrupt the loop with a high‑fat, low‑fiber <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mixed-diets-offer-health-benefits-and-lower-carbon-footprint/">diet</a>, and queuosine production plummets. Misfolded proteins accumulate, triggering oxidative stress that further damages the gut barrier. Restoring queuosine, through supplements or fermented foods, could break the cycle.



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



The team wants to chart how queuosine levels rise and fall across organs and over the human lifespan. 



High‑throughput mass spectrometry, paired with SLC35F2 genotyping, should reveal whether deficiencies track with cognitive decline or chemotherapy resistance.



“This discovery opens up a whole new chapter in understanding how the microbiome and our diet can influence the translation of our genes,” said Kelly. Diagnostic kits could follow.



A simple blood test measuring queuosine might guide personalized nutrition plans, especially for patients with gut dysbiosis or limited dietary variety.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2425364122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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Little-known nutrient can boost your brain and fight cancer

Queuosine may sound like a niche detail in a biochemistry...

If you logged onto your bank account this morning, the security protocols still seem secure - but things are changing quickly in the tech world. A team in China just showed that the math behind RSA encryption is starting to bend to the will of the quantum realm. 



Using a <a href="https://docs.dwavequantum.com/en/latest/quantum_research/quantum_annealing_intro.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">quantum annealing processor</a> built by D‑Wave Systems, the researchers say they factored a 22‑bit RSA integer that had resisted earlier attempts on the same class of hardware. <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Chao-Wang-2171190355" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wang Chao</a> and colleagues at Shanghai University carried out the experiment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rsa-s-reputation-for-toughness">RSA's reputation for toughness</h2>



When <a href="https://65610.csail.mit.edu/2023/lec/l13-rsa.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RSA encryption</a> debuted in 1977 it was lauded for tying security to the difficulty of splitting a large semiprime into its two prime factors . 



Classic computers still need sub‑exponential time to break today’s 2048‑bit keys, and the largest key so far cracked with conventional methods is only 829 bits (RSA‑250) after weeks on a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-ai-framework-dimon-turning-any-laptop-into-a-supercomputer/">supercomputer</a>.



“Using the D‑Wave Advantage, we successfully factored a 22‑bit RSA integer, demonstrating the potential for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/schrodingers-cat-put-into-silicon-chip-may-be-holy-grail-for-error-proof-quantum-computing/">quantum machines</a> to tackle cryptographic problems,” the authors wrote. 



The group translated factorization into a Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization problem, which the D‑Wave Advantage system solves by letting qubits tunnel through energy barriers seeking the lowest energy state. 



They also applied the same method to <a href="https://how.dev/answers/what-are-substitution-permutation-networks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Substitution–Permutation Network ciphers</a> such as <a href="https://www.iacr.org/archive/ches2007/47270450/47270450.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Present</a> and <a href="https://eprint.iacr.org/2014/084.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rectangle</a>, calling it “the first time that a real quantum computer has posed a substantial threat to multiple full‑scale SPN structured algorithms in use today.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-twenty-two-bits-still-matter">Twenty‑two bits still matter</h2>



A 22‑bit key is trivially small compared with production‑grade RSA, yet the test matters because the approach scaled beyond past demonstrations that stopped at 19 bits and required more qubits per variable. 



Reducing the local‑field and coupling coefficients in the Ising model cut noise, letting the annealer reach correct factors more often and hinting at paths to bigger keys, according to the paper.



“The advancement of quantum computers can seriously threaten data security and privacy for various enterprises,” warned <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/prabhjyot-kaur-b7a006222/?originalSubdomain=in" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Prabhjyot Kaur</a> of analyst firm <a href="https://www.everestgrp.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Everest Group</a>, who was not involved in the study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-annealing-vs-shor-s-promise">Annealing vs. Shor’s promise</h2>



Universal, gate‑based quantum machines run <a href="https://www.quera.com/glossary/shors-algorithm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shor’s algorithm</a>, which in principle can shred RSA by finding the period of modular exponentiation in polynomial time. 



Those devices still struggle with error correction, while <a href="https://docs.dwavequantum.com/en/latest/quantum_research/quantum_annealing_intro.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">D‑Wave’s annealers</a>, though not universal, already pack more than 5000 qubits and avoid deep circuits by using a chilling 15 mK environment and analog evolution.



Annealing excels at combinatorial optimization, so the Shanghai team reframed factoring as that type of search problem instead of using Shor’s period‑finding route. 



The strategy sidesteps current qubit‑count limits of gate machines but pays a price in exponential scaling, which is why only a 22‑bit modulus fell this time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-policy-clock-keeps-ticking">The policy clock keeps ticking</h2>



Standards bodies are not waiting. In August 2024 NIST released FIPS 203, 204 and 205, the first federal standards for post‑quantum cryptography based on lattice problems, and in March 2025 it selected HQC for the next wave.&nbsp;



A White House event framing the publication urged <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/08/13/nist-post-quantum-cryptography-encryption" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. agencies</a> to begin swapping vulnerable keys because adversaries may already be hoarding encrypted data for “hack now, decrypt later” attacks.



“Businesses must treat cryptographic renewal like a multi‑year infrastructure project,” the <a href="https://deloitte.wsj.com/cio/nists-postquantum-cryptography-standards-this-is-the-start-of-the-race-6e279b49" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wall Street Journal’s CIO briefing</a> noted when the final standards neared release last year. Corporate technology leaders echoed that sense of urgency.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rsa-vs-quantum-cracking">RSA vs. quantum cracking</h2>



Most businesses haven’t yet updated their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/baffling-quantum-entanglement-statistics-puzzle-finally-solved-advanced-technologies/">cryptography</a> inventories, and many don’t even know which algorithms their systems depend on. 



Security experts recommend starting with an internal audit to identify all uses of RSA, ECC, and other vulnerable algorithms before building a replacement plan.



While full migration may take years, organizations can begin by testing quantum-safe libraries such as <a href="https://openquantumsafe.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Open Quantum Safe</a>, deploying hybrid key exchange methods.



Integrating crypto-agility - the ability to swap <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/escaping-dead-zones-in-the-barren-plateau-of-quantum-computing/">cryptographic algorithms</a> without reengineering entire systems - is also a good option. This makes future upgrades less painful as new standards arrive.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-comes-next-and-what-to-watch">What comes next and what to watch</h2>



Large‑key RSA is still safe today, yet the study shows that hardware improvements and smarter embeddings keep shaving away at the gap. 



D‑Wave plans a <a href="https://support.dwavesys.com/hc/en-us/articles/6820989477911-What-Is-the-Zephyr-Topology" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Zephyr‑topology processor</a> with more than 7000 qubits later this year, and each topology upgrade improves connectivity, which in turn reduces the number of physical qubits needed per logical variable.



Cryptographers, meanwhile, recommend adopting hybrid schemes that wrap lattice‑based algorithms such as <a href="https://eprint.iacr.org/2017/634.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CRYSTALS‑Kyber</a> around classical RSA signatures to provide forward secrecy during the transition period. 



Organizations holding sensitive data for decades, health records, genomic files, diplomatic cables, have the most to lose if they wait until a full‑scale <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/schrodingers-cat-put-into-silicon-chip-may-be-holy-grail-for-error-proof-quantum-computing/">quantum</a> computer arrives.



Some observers point out that the Shanghai result relied on heavy classical pre‑ and post‑processing, and that the annealer still required many runs to locate the right factors. 



Even so, history shows that cryptanalytic proofs of concept rarely stay small: DES fell to a $250,000 machine in 1998 only four years after the first partial cracks surfaced.



The study is published in the <a href="https://cirics.uqo.ca/chinese-researchers-break-rsa-encryption-with-a-quantum-computer/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chinese Journal of Computers</a>.



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China breaks RSA encryption with a quantum computer, threatening global data security

If you logged onto your bank account this morning, the...

Ever found yourself glued to a playground spat, wondering what started it? You’re not alone. This common habit reflects our natural social curiosity, a deeply rooted instinct we share with chimpanzees.



A new cross-species study shows both children and chimpanzees enjoy watching <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-pressure-alters-how-you-make-decisions/">social</a> scenes more than solo performances, even when there’s something to lose.



Researchers found that curiosity about social life isn’t uniquely human. It likely helped our species build trust, choose allies, and survive in group settings.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-young-minds-and-social-curiosity">Young minds and social curiosity</h2>



The study tested 94 children aged 4 to 6 and 27 chimpanzees living at the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary. 



The researchers used two boxes, each showing a video: one with a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-media-pressure-is-straining-teen-friendships/">social</a> interaction (like grooming, playing, or arguing), and another with an individual acting alone. Both kids and chimps spent more time with the social videos.



Statistical models showed strong effects. Chimpanzees watched social videos an average of 6.97 seconds, compared to 4.19 seconds for nonsocial ones. 



Kids showed an even stronger pattern, watching social videos for about 14 seconds versus just under 10 for the nonsocial ones.



Study lead author Dr. Laura Simone Lewis is an expert in developmental and evolutionary psychology at the <a href="https://www.ucsb.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California in Santa Barbara</a>.



“After years of observing both children and chimpanzees sometimes jumping up in the middle of research games to observe their peers, the research team was inspired to pursue a new social <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-activity-may-delay-the-onset-of-dementia-by-years/">avenue</a> in the blossoming field of curiosity research,” noted Dr. Lewis. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-social-info-over-rewards">Social info over rewards</h2>



The second experiment tested if participants would pay a cost for curiosity. For chimps, that meant giving up jackfruit seeds. For kids, it meant skipping a chance to earn marbles. Some, especially younger kids and male chimps, chose the social videos over the rewards.



The study showed 4-year-old children stayed longer at the video box in the social condition, while older children preferred the reward. Male chimps spent over 7.6 seconds watching the social video, significantly more than in the no-info condition.



“These findings mean social curiosity emerges early in human <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gen-ai-and-social-media-divert-peoples-attention-from-climate-crisis/">development</a> and is shared with one of our closest living cousins, the chimpanzees,” said Dr. Lewis. 



“Our strong interest in the lives of others, think gossip magazines and celebrity shows, seems to have deep evolutionary roots in our great ape lineage.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-negative-or-positive-age-and-gender-matter">Negative or positive? Age and gender matter</h2>



In the third experiment, researchers tested interest in positive versus negative social content. Positive videos showed playing and grooming. Negative ones featured arguments or crying.



Chimpanzees didn’t care much either way. But in children, patterns emerged with age and gender. 



Younger boys watched more positive interactions. Older boys preferred negative ones. Girls, by contrast, leaned more toward positive content as they aged.



“This study tells us that curiosity about what others are doing, what you might call being a bit nosey, starts young and runs deep," noted study co-author Dr. Esther Herrmann.



"It’s probably something that helps not only us but also our closest living relatives to survive and thrive in complex social groups."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-social-curiosity-helps-us-survive">Social curiosity helps us survive</h2>



Social curiosity has clear benefits. It helps identify allies, threats, and opportunities without risk. Watching others helps us learn who to trust, what behaviors lead to success, and how relationships shift.



Children and chimps weren’t just seeking stimulation. They were seeking information. One possible reason is that a video with two agents contains more data than a solo video. Observers learn about both individuals and their relationship.



The study also suggests that male chimps may be more attentive to conflicts because they initiate the majority of them in the wild. Female chimps, who generally avoid conflict, showed less interest in aggressive videos.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-comes-next">What comes next?</h2>



The researchers suggest testing curiosity across different cultures, ages, and other great apes like bonobos or orangutans. 



Future work could explore how social roles, friendships, or dominance influence curiosity. Larger samples of young chimpanzees could also help compare developmental trajectories.



Curiosity is a tool that helps us build friendships, avoid danger, and understand the social web we live in. Whether at a zoo or on a playground, curiosity serves the same goal: making sense of the world through others.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2024.2242" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences</a>.



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Social curiosity starts young and helps us survive

Ever found yourself glued to a playground spat, wondering what...

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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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

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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Grand Canyon National Park, located in northwestern Arizona, is the 15th site in the United States to have been named as a national park. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-san-luis-valley-of-colorado/">Colorado </a>River, which is often considered one of the Wonders of the World.  The Grand Canyon, including its extensive system of tributary canyons, is valued for its combination of size, depth, and exposed layers of colorful rocks dating back to Precambrian times. The canyon itself was created by the incision of the Colorado River and its tributaries after the Colorado Plateau was uplifted, causing the Colorado River system to develop along its present path. The primary public areas of the park are the South and North Rims, and adjacent areas of the canyon itself. The rest of the park is extremely rugged and remote, although many places are accessible by pack trail and backcountry roads. The South Rim is more accessible than the North Rim and accounts for 90% of park visitation.

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

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