<p><br>Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features Hurricane Erin, the first major storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Hurricane Erin tore across the ocean, intensifying from a modest Category 1 storm into a ferocious Category 5 system in just over a day.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/once-in-a-thousand-years-extreme-storms-are-becoming-much-more-frequent/">storm</a> stayed offshore, but its power rippled across the Caribbean and along the Eastern Seaboard, bringing dangerous weather to millions of people.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-erin-s-massive-wind-field">Erin’s massive wind field</h2>



<p>At its peak, Hurricane Erin grew into a truly massive storm - not just because of its strength, but due to how far its winds spread. </p>



<p>The National Hurricane Center reported that hurricane-force winds extended roughly 575 miles from the storm’s center. That meant the storm’s reach was enormous, touching wide stretches of ocean and coastal regions even without making landfall.</p>



<p>Coastal regions braced as Erin sent pounding surf, intense rain, and strong winds to Puerto Rico, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas, and U.S. states from Florida to New York.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rapid-intensification-of-hurricane-erin">Rapid intensification of Hurricane Erin</h2>



<p>Erin reached hurricane strength on August 15 and then stunned forecasters with a rapid intensification rarely seen. </p>



<p>By the following day, it had exploded into a Category 5 monster, with sustained winds topping out at 160 miles per hour northeast of Puerto Rico. That speed put it among the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic.</p>



<p>“Several environmental factors facilitated Erin’s rapid intensification, including light wind shear and a compact storm structure, according to a blog post by meteorologist Bob Henson,” noted <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/154694/hurricane-erin-roils-in-the-atlantic">NASA</a>.</p>



<p>Warm waters across the Atlantic served as fuel, and the storm’s swift pace over the ocean meant it didn’t churn away its own heat source. The combination gave Erin the perfect environment to gain <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-has-amplified-hurricane-strength/">strength</a> almost overnight.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-rare-and-early-event">A rare and early event</h2>



<p>Erin joined a small group of storms in history. Since official records began in 1851, only 43 Atlantic hurricanes have reached Category 5.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Erin also stood out as the earliest storm of this intensity in its part of the basin. For scientists who track weather extremes, it was another reminder of how unusual <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-causes-the-rapid-intensification-of-hurricanes/">conditions</a> can line up to create powerful storms.</p>



<p>As the hurricane continued westward, it went through eyewall replacement cycles. This process often weakens peak wind speeds but spreads the force over a broader area.&nbsp;</p>



<p>By August 18, satellite images from NASA’s Terra spacecraft captured a strikingly clear eye, a hallmark of its strength even as it began to lose some intensity.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-islands-feel-the-outer-bands">Islands feel the outer bands</h2>



<p>Though Erin never came ashore, outer bands from the storm slammed into nearby islands. Puerto Rico endured heavy rain and high winds on August 17, leaving more than 147,000 customers without power.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Residents in the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas faced tropical storm conditions, with coastal flooding and strong wind gusts persisting into August 19.</p>



<p>These impacts showed how storms hundreds of miles offshore can still disrupt daily life, from flooded streets to downed power lines.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-u-s-east-coast-on-alert">U.S. East Coast on alert</h2>



<p>Forecasts projected Erin would curve northward and run parallel to the U.S. coast as a Category 2 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-hurricanes-help-oceans-fight-climate-change/">hurricane</a>, with warnings stretching from Florida to Canada.</p>



<p>Officials across the region acted quickly. North Carolina’s Outer Banks came under an evacuation order, and the state declared a state of emergency.&nbsp;</p>



<p>In New York and New Jersey, authorities urged people to stay out of the ocean as conditions grew increasingly dangerous.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-2025-hurricane-season">The 2025 hurricane season</h2>



<p>Hurricane Erin may be the first of 2025, but experts expect more storms before the season ends.&nbsp;</p>



<p><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coastal-hurricanes-are-intensifying-faster-due-to-climate-change/">Warmer waters</a> and shifting weather patterns continue to set the stage for powerful hurricanes that could impact communities from the Caribbean to the Atlantic.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Erin’s sudden growth highlights the challenge of predicting storm behavior and the importance of staying prepared, even when landfall seems unlikely.</p>



<p>Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;</p>



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Hurricane Erin explodes into first Category 5 storm of 2025

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

<p>Today's <strong>Image of the Day</strong> from NASA Earth Observatory features smoke plumes stretching across the Iberian Peninsula, as wildfires suddenly intensified across Spain and Portugal.</p>



<p>The image was captured on August 15 by the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) sensor on NASA’s Terra satellite.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-record-breaking-fire-season-nbsp">Record-breaking fire season&nbsp;</h2>



<p>Hot, dry conditions pushed fire risk to extreme levels, leaving vast landscapes scorched. The fires aren’t just dramatic visuals - they are shaping the year’s record-breaking <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fire-weather-seasons-are-overlapping-more-than-ever-before/">fire season</a>.</p>



<p>“As of August 19, fires in Spain had scorched more than 382,000 hectares (944,000 acres) since the start of the year, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS),” noted <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/154691/smoke-blankets-the-iberian-peninsula" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>.</p>



<p>This exceeds any previous yearly total in the EFFIS records, which date back to 2006. Firefighters were stretched thin, tackling roughly 20 major blazes nationwide, with a particularly severe cluster near Ourense.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fire-devastation-in-portugal">Fire devastation in Portugal</h2>



<p>Portugal faced a similarly devastating season. By mid-August, more than 347,000 hectares (857,000 acres) had been consumed by fire.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The European Commission’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre reported 10 large fires burning across the country at that time. The largest fire, near Trancoso, alone had already scorched over 39,000 hectares.</p>



<p>The blazes forced thousands of residents to evacuate their homes. Essential services were disrupted, including the high-speed rail line between Madrid and Galicia, which had been closed for nearly a week.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Firefighters worked tirelessly under extreme conditions, navigating both flames and smoke to protect people and property.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smoke-pollution-and-far-reaching-effects">Smoke, pollution, and far-reaching effects</h2>



<p>The fires didn’t stay local. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfire-smoke-delivers-a-double-hit-to-air-quality/">Smoke</a> from the Iberian Peninsula carried high into the atmosphere, drifting across France, the United Kingdom, and Scandinavia.&nbsp;</p>



<p>It even mixed with smoke from wildfires in Canada, creating hazy skies across parts of Europe. Carbon emissions from these fires hit record levels in Spain and near-record levels in Portugal, according to the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service.</p>



<p>Black carbon, a component of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) released by wildfires, poses serious health risks. These tiny particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, potentially aggravating respiratory and cardiovascular conditions.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Residents in affected regions were warned to limit outdoor activity and monitor air quality as smoke lingered.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wildfires-in-spain-and-portugal">Wildfires in Spain and Portugal </h2>



<p>Spain and Portugal are no strangers to wildfires, but the 2025 season is unusual for its speed and scale.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Heatwaves have become more frequent in southern Europe, with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/state-of-the-climate-2024-record-heat-and-rising-seas/">rising temperatures</a> and prolonged droughts creating tinderbox conditions for forests and grasslands.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Experts link this increase to ongoing climate change, which has amplified the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events in the region.</p>



<p>The EFFIS database shows that Spain’s burned area this year surpassed previous records, while Portugal’s figures ranked second only to the catastrophic fires of 2017. These trends highlight the growing challenge of managing wildfires in a warming climate.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-human-toll-of-wildfires-nbsp">The human toll of wildfires&nbsp;</h2>



<p>Beyond environmental impacts, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfires-are-changing-the-quality-of-our-air/">wildfires</a> take a heavy toll on communities. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced, and homes, farms, and critical infrastructure have suffered extensive damage.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Emergency services scrambled to coordinate evacuations and protect residents, while volunteers and local authorities provided support on the ground.</p>



<p>Firefighters faced particularly difficult conditions, battling flames under record heat and through thick <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-making-wildfire-smoke-more-deadly/">smoke</a>. The work was physically demanding and dangerous.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-satellite-technology-and-firefighting">Satellite technology and firefighting</h2>



<p>NASA’s Terra satellite and the MODIS sensor provide crucial monitoring for wildfire activity. These tools allow authorities to track the spread of fires in near-real time, identify hotspots, and deploy resources more efficiently.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The data feeds into systems like EFFIS and the Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS), offering a broader picture of wildfire patterns and trends across Europe.</p>



<p>This combination of satellite monitoring, on-the-ground firefighting, and coordination among emergency services is vital for managing the ongoing crisis. As wildfires continue to grow in frequency and intensity, technology can help limit damage and protect communities.</p>



<p>Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;</p>



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Wildfires scorch Spain and Portugal amid extreme heat

<p>Today's Image of the Day from NASA features the spiral galaxy NGC 2566, which is located 76 million light-years away in the constellation Puppis. </p>



<p>The striking image was captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.</p>



<p>“A prominent bar of stars stretches across the center of this galaxy, and spiral arms emerge from each end of the bar. Because NGC 2566 appears tilted from our perspective, its disk takes on an almond shape, giving the galaxy the appearance of a cosmic eye,” said <a href="https://phys.org/news/2024-12-hubble-spies-spiral-galaxy-ngc.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>.</p>



<p>“As NGC 2566 appears to gaze at us, astronomers gaze right back, using Hubble to survey the galaxy's star clusters and star-forming regions.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-complex-appearance-of-ngc-2566">Complex appearance of NGC 2566</h2>



<p>NGC 2566 lies at a considerable distance from Earth, making it a challenging object for amateur astronomers to observe in detail without powerful telescopes.&nbsp;</p>



<p>It can be seen in the Southern Hemisphere sky and is better observed from locations with minimal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-light-pollution-influences-interest-in-astronomy/">light pollution</a>. </p>



<p>The galaxy's arms are populated with young, bright stars, regions of active star formation, and interstellar gas and dust - giving it a dynamic and complex appearance.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-measuring-the-ages-of-stars">Measuring the ages of stars</h2>



<p>According to NASA, data from Hubble is especially valuable for studying stars that are just a few million years old. “These stars are bright at the ultraviolet and visible wavelengths to which Hubble is sensitive.”</p>



<p>“Using these data, researchers can measure the ages of NGC 2566's stars, which helps piece together the timeline of the galaxy's star formation and the exchange of gas between star-forming clouds and the stars themselves.”</p>



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



<p>Star formation in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shapes-of-one-million-galaxies-hint-at-the-universes-origins/">galaxies</a> is a fascinating and complex process that unfolds over millions of years. It begins in vast clouds of gas and dust, known as molecular clouds, which are often found in the spiral arms of galaxies or in regions of irregular or starburst galaxies. </p>



<p>These clouds provide the raw material for star formation, consisting primarily of hydrogen and helium, with trace amounts of heavier elements.</p>



<p>As the molecular clouds collapse under their own gravity, regions within them begin to condense and fragment, forming dense clumps. Within these clumps, protostars emerge. Their formation is driven by the gravitational pull drawing in surrounding gas.&nbsp;</p>



<p>During this process, the gas heats up due to increasing pressure, eventually igniting nuclear fusion in the core, signaling the birth of a new star.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rates-of-star-formation">Rates of star formation</h2>



<p>The rate of star formation varies across galaxies is influenced by numerous factors. In spiral galaxies like the Milky Way, star formation is most active in the spiral arms, where density waves compress gas and dust, triggering the collapse of molecular clouds.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Elliptical galaxies, which often have little cold gas and dust, typically exhibit low rates of star formation or none at all.</p>



<p>On the other hand, starburst galaxies experience episodes of exceptionally high star formation, often triggered by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/webb-captures-a-galaxy-collision-with-a-radiant-smile/">galactic collisions</a> or interactions.</p>



<p>These events can funnel large amounts of gas into central regions, leading to intense star-forming activity. However, such bursts are usually short-lived on cosmic timescales, exhausting the available gas quickly.</p>



<p>The environment within a galaxy also plays a significant role. Stellar winds and supernova explosions from existing stars can both inhibit and promote star formation. They may disperse gas, preventing further collapse, or compress nearby clouds, triggering new star formation.&nbsp;</p>



<p>As galaxies evolve over time, the availability of gas diminishes, leading to a gradual decline in star formation activity.</p>



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



<p>The Puppis constellation in the southern sky represents the stern of a ship. It was once part of a larger constellation known as Argo Navis, which depicted the mythical ship of Jason and the Argonauts.&nbsp;</p>



<p>However, Argo Navis was later divided into three separate constellations: Puppis, Carina (the keel), and Vela (the sails). Puppis is the largest of these three and contains many notable celestial objects.</p>



<p>This constellation is home to several bright stars, including Naos (Zeta Puppis), a hot, massive star that emits intense ultraviolet radiation. Puppis also hosts a wide variety of deep-sky objects, such as open <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stunning-star-clusters-captured-in-the-extreme-outskirts-of-the-milky-way/">star clusters</a> and nebulae. </p>



<p>Among these, Messier 46 and Messier 47 stand out. Both are beautiful star clusters that are visible through binoculars or small telescopes. The region is dense with stars because it lies along the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/milky-way-collision-may-change-everything-we-know-about-our-galaxy/">Milky Way</a>, making it a prime area for stargazing and astrophotography.<br></p>



<p>Image Credit: NASA</p>



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Eye in the sky: A galaxy that appears to be gazing back

Today's Image of the Day from NASA features the spiral...

<p>Today's <strong>Image of the Day</strong> from NASA Earth Observatory features a large phytoplankton bloom in the Gulf of Maine.</p>



<p>The image was captured on June 21, 2025, by the Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) on NASA’s PACE satellite.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“In summer 2025, waters in the Gulf of Maine popped with vivid swirls of blue and green. The cause was a massive bloom of phytoplankton - microscopic plant-like organisms that often float near the ocean surface,” noted <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/154472/a-booming-bloom-returns-to-the-gulf-of-maine">NASA</a>.</p>



<p>“Scientists say it was one of the largest blooms of its kind to show up in the Gulf’s waters in recent years.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bloom-in-the-gulf-of-maine">Bloom in the Gulf of Maine </h2>



<p>Catherine Mitchell is a satellite oceanographer at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. She noted that the Gulf of Maine bloom contained coccolithophores, a type of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tiny-phytoplankton-that-feed-ocean-life-are-rapidly-disappearing/">phytoplankton</a> that makes the water appear milky blue.</p>



<p>“The tiny organisms, along with other types of phytoplankton, including diatoms that bloom here in spring, lie at the base of the marine food web,” explained NASA.</p>



<p>“Their presence - or absence - in Gulf of Maine waters can affect the entire ecosystem, from finfish to shellfish, and the region’s fisheries that depend on them.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shifting-conditions-and-plankton-communities-nbsp">Shifting conditions and plankton communities&nbsp;</h2>



<p>Mitchell said that coccolithophore blooms like this one became less common in the Gulf’s waters starting around 2010. But in recent years, they’ve started to come back.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Scientists have also seen more dinoflagellates (a type of phytoplankton that move with tiny tails) and an overall drop in phytoplankton productivity over the past few decades.</p>



<p>These changes in plankton are linked to shifting ocean conditions. For instance, heavy rainfall from 2006 to 2009 made the Gulf’s waters fresher. Then, starting in 2008, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/invisible-forest-of-phytoplankton-thrives-in-a-warming-climate/">warm water</a> from deep in the North Atlantic began heating the Gulf from the bottom up.&nbsp;</p>



<p>However, by spring 2025, bottom-water temperatures were cooler than they’ve been in 20 years.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ongoing-research-efforts">Ongoing research efforts</h2>



<p>“The relationship between these changing water conditions and phytoplankton communities in the gulf remains unclear, but ongoing research could begin to provide some answers,” noted NASA.</p>



<p>“In fact, Mitchell and colleagues scrutinized this PACE image just days before heading out on a research expedition to study the bloom and other ocean properties up close. The cruise, the third so far this year, offers scientists the chance to validate ocean color data collected by PACE with real-world ocean samples.”</p>



<p>Mitchell pointed out that a major benefit of the PACE satellite is its ability to “see the rainbow,” which makes it easier for scientists to distinguish between groups of phytoplankton.</p>



<p>“With our continuing field measurements, we will validate ocean color observations from PACE, enabling satellite observations in the Gulf of Maine and supporting the region’s fisheries and aquaculture industries.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-vital-signs-of-ocean-health">Vital signs of ocean health</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dust-from-africa-sparked-a-massive-phytoplankton-bloom/">Phytoplankton blooms</a> like the one captured in the Gulf of Maine are vital signs of ocean health. These microscopic organisms form the foundation of marine food webs, feeding everything from tiny zooplankton to large fish, whales, and seabirds.&nbsp;</p>



<p>When conditions are right - such as warm temperatures, abundant sunlight, and available nutrients - phytoplankton populations can grow rapidly, creating colorful blooms that are visible from space.</p>



<p>The Gulf of Maine is particularly sensitive to environmental change. Located at the intersection of cold northern currents and warmer waters from the south, it’s a dynamic ecosystem where small shifts in temperature or salinity can have outsized effects.&nbsp;</p>



<p>This region is also one of the fastest-warming ocean areas on the planet, with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-temperatures-are-rising-faster-than-expected-and-likely-to-accelerate/">temperatures</a> rising more than three times the global ocean average in some years.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forecasting-changes-with-ocean-monitoring-nbsp">Forecasting changes with ocean monitoring&nbsp;</h2>



<p>Changes in water temperature and salinity have ripple effects across the food chain. Warmer waters can favor certain types of phytoplankton over others, shifting the balance of species in ways that affect what fish and shellfish are available to predators - and to the region’s fisheries.&nbsp;</p>



<p>For example, coccolithophores may thrive in clearer, warmer waters, while traditional spring-blooming diatoms do better in colder, more nutrient-rich conditions.</p>



<p>Long-term monitoring is essential to understand and predict these shifts. Satellites like PACE provide a global view of ocean color, which reflects the presence and composition of phytoplankton.&nbsp;</p>



<p>By combining these observations with ship-based sampling, scientists can get a more complete picture of how plankton communities are evolving and how that affects everything from carbon cycling to fisheries sustainability.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-warming-in-the-gulf-of-maine-nbsp">Warming in the Gulf of Maine&nbsp;</h2>



<p>The Gulf’s warming trend has already caused noticeable ecological changes. Some species of fish have moved farther north or into deeper waters in search of cooler temperatures.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Lobsters, a key commercial species, have shifted their range as well. Meanwhile, harmful <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/green-algae-in-lake-erie-may-be-hiding-toxic-deadly-compounds/">algal blooms</a> - caused by certain types of phytoplankton - have become more frequent in some parts of the Gulf, threatening shellfish harvests and public health.</p>



<p>Scientists are working to better predict how blooms will respond to future climate conditions.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Understanding which species are likely to dominate under warmer, fresher, or more acidic conditions can help predict changes in fish stocks, shellfish safety, and ecosystem stability.&nbsp;</p>



<p>This kind of forecasting is especially important in the Gulf of Maine, where marine resources are closely tied to local economies.</p>



<p>Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;</p>



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Giant bloom in the Gulf of Maine signals change

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



<p>“A photo taken in 2015 during space station Expedition 42 captured the lake’s remaining waters and wetlands in dark green, blue, and brown, contrasting with the sandy shades of the surrounding land.” </p>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



<p>Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;</p>



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Lake Chad: A vanishing lifeline in Central Africa

<p>Today's <strong>Image of the Day</strong> from NASA Earth Observatory features the Bear Gulch Fire, which has persisted for weeks on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington.  </p>



<p>The fire was ignited on July 6, 2025. Over the past month, it has grown into one of the most significant wildfires in the region's recent history. </p>



<p>The <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/154682/fire-burns-through-olympic-wilderness">image</a> was captured by the Landsat 8 satellite on August 12. “On that day, smoke reached a height of nearly 30,000 feet because of significant fuel consumption and unstable atmospheric conditions,” noted <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-progression-of-the-bear-gulch-fire-nbsp">Progression of the Bear Gulch Fire&nbsp;</h2>



<p>By August 12, the fire had expanded by approximately 1,200 acres in just 24 hours, burning a total of 7,390 acres.  </p>



<p>This <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fast-wildfires-are-gaining-even-more-speed/">rapid growth</a> was fueled by a combination of high temperatures - reaching 93°F - and dry vegetation that had been primed by weeks of drought. Firefighting efforts were further complicated by the region's rugged terrain, making containment challenging. </p>



<p>The fire's progression into the forest canopy in certain areas has been particularly concerning.  Flames have spread with the help of hanging moss. </p>



<p>Rock outcrops - which normally act as natural firebreaks - have been consumed due to the burning of moss on them. This behavior demonstrates the fire's intensity and the unusual conditions contributing to its spread. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-community-and-environmental-response">Community and environmental response</h2>



<p>In response to the fire's advancement, the Staircase area of Olympic National Park, along with several trails and campgrounds in the adjacent Olympic National Forest and Mount Skokomish Wilderness Area, were closed as of August 14, 2025.  </p>



<p>These closures aim to protect <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfire-smoke-is-an-escalating-public-health-emergency/">public safety</a> and allow firefighting efforts to proceed without interference. As of the latest reports, no structures have been damaged, but the situation is still evolving. </p>



<p>Firefighters continue to battle the Bear Gulch Fire. They are using a number of strategies to contain its spread, including bucket drops from helicopters.  </p>



<p>The coming days will be critical in determining the fire's trajectory and the effectiveness of suppression efforts.  Residents and visitors are urged to stay informed through official channels and to follow all safety advisories. </p>



<p>The Bear Gulch Fire serves as a stark reminder of the challenges posed by wildfires in the Pacific Northwest, especially under the influence of climate change.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>The wildfire highlights the need for ongoing vigilance, preparedness, and adaptation in the face of evolving environmental conditions.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-human-and-ecological-toll">The human and ecological toll</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fear-and-anxiety-the-mental-health-impacts-of-wildfires/">Wildfires</a> don’t just threaten trees and wildlife - they disrupt communities. Evacuations and road closures become part of life during fire outbreaks. </p>



<p>Residents often have to adjust daily routines to reduce exposure to smoke, taking steps ranging from keeping windows closed to limiting outdoor activities. Local health services may see an increase in respiratory issues, particularly among children, the elderly, and those with preexisting conditions. </p>



<p>At the same time, fire crews and emergency responders face heightened risks as they work to contain the flames - highlighting the human effort required to protect both communities and the environment during these events.</p>



<p>Smoke can travel miles from the blaze, affecting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfire-smoke-delivers-a-double-hit-to-air-quality/">air quality</a> and public health in nearby towns. </p>



<p>Wildlife faces habitat loss, and even small changes to forest ecosystems can have ripple effects on biodiversity, soil health, and water quality.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-change-and-wildfire-risks">Climate change and wildfire risks</h2>



<p>The Bear Gulch Fire reflects a broader pattern affecting the Pacific Northwest. Increasing temperatures, prolonged droughts, and shifting precipitation patterns are making forests more susceptible to wildfires.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Over the past few decades, wildfire seasons in Washington and neighboring states have lengthened, and fires have become more intense and harder to control.</p>



<p>Scientists say climate change doesn’t just make fires more likely - it changes the way they behave.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Forests stressed by heat and dry conditions burn faster and hotter, with flames that can leap into tree canopies and travel across areas that would have naturally slowed a fire in the past.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The combination of high winds and dry vegetation can turn small ignitions into <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fast-wildfires-are-gaining-even-more-speed/">fires</a> that cover thousands of acres within days.</p>



<p>Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;</p>



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Bear Gulch Fire rages across Washington forests

<p>Black Widow Spider -Female, male and egg sac  Photo Credit: Mark_Kostich</p>

Black Widow Spider

<p>Botanists have formally described a new parasitic plant from the Canary Islands, <em>Orobanche andryalae</em>, after two decades of field work and very patient verification.</p>



<p>It is a tiny member of the <a href="https://phytokeys.pensoft.net/article/141300/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">broomrape group</a> that taps the roots of other plants for water and nutrients, then blooms with understated charm on harsh volcanic ground. It took time, care, and a steady hand to show it really was something new.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-orobanche-andryalae-is-different"><em>Orobanche andryalae</em> is different</h2>



<p>Broomrapes are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/holoparasite" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">holoparasites</a>, plants that lack green leaves and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/newly-discovered-fairy-lantern-species-thismia-aliasii-cant-photosynthesize/">do not photosynthesize</a>, so they attach to hosts underground and siphon resources quietly until they flower. </p>



<p>That life strategy, effective yet discreet, helps explain why species can be missed or misnamed for years.</p>



<p>The species stands out by a distinctive set of floral traits, including a markedly cernuous, or nodding, corolla and a high point where the filaments attach inside the flower, features that hold steady even when cultivated.</p>



<p>It grows on thermophilous, or heat loving, volcanic substrates and shows a tight association with Andryala species as hosts, a combination recorded in northern Lanzarote, northwest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-camera-technology-vtt-captures-the-most-detailed-images-ever-taken-of-the-sun/">Tenerife</a>, and the Jandía area of Fuerteventura.</p>



<p>The authors also provide an identification key for the Canary Islands’ broomrapes, a practical step that will reduce future mix ups in this tricky genus.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-field-notes-to-greenhouse-proof">From field notes to greenhouse proof</h2>



<p>Researchers watched <em>Orobanche andryalae</em> in the wild for 23 years, logging five plants at a population near Yé and about 40 near Haría on Lanzarote between 2020 and 2022, which helped map its patchy presence and year to year swings.</p>



<p>They then <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-manage-to-grow-plants-from-ancient-seeds-that-are-2000-years-old/">raised the parasite from seed</a> on its host at the University of Oxford Botanic Garden to confirm that the key traits remain constant in cultivation, an important check when field conditions can blur the picture.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-identification-took-so-long">Why identification took so long</h2>



<p><em>Orobanche andryalae</em> sits in a cluster of small flowered species where fine details of floral shape and hair patterns matter, and where different names have historically been applied to similar faces. </p>



<p>Taxonomists have long flagged that this subsection is hard to resolve with morphology alone, especially when pressed herbarium specimens lose color and nuance.</p>



<p>Past <a href="https://www.biology.ox.ac.uk/publication/41327/europe-pubmed-central" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">research</a> on broomrape biology shows why confusion arises. Local lineages can evolve to prefer particular hosts, which leads to look alike plants with different genetic backstories.</p>



<p>Experimental work has also documented host specific races in <em>Orobanche minor</em>, a close relative, offering a useful model for how host choice can shape divergence in parasitic plants.</p>



<p>In that context, the authors’ combined approach, blending stable floral characters, host identity, and ecology, makes the case for species status without waiting on a perfect phylogeny. The careful cultivation step further strengthens it, because it shows the defining traits are not just environmental artifacts.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-protecting-orobanche-andryalae">Protecting <em>Orobanche andryalae</em></h2>



<p>Based on today’s records, the species occurs in few localities and in low numbers, so the authors recommend treating it as “Data Deficient” until long term surveys reveal more, a cautious call that respects limited data while flagging potential concern.</p>



<p><a href="https://treatment.plazi.org/GgServer/html/9D4999B2BB8A52749E9914F6898766F1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Orobanche</em></a> seed banks can, however, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-wollemi-pine-from-the-jurassic-period-is-the-most-protected-tree-on-earth/">remain viable for decades</a>. Apparent absences may hide dormant populations that can reappear when conditions swing in their favor.</p>



<p>The main host, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/270066891_Andryala_perezii_Asteraceae_a_New_Species_from_the_Canary_Islands" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Andryala perezii</em></a>, is locally common within a narrow range on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, which hints that more parasite sites may be found as surveys intensify and as botanists check associated Asteraceae more closely.</p>



<p>Seed ecology studies in related broomrapes indicate that prolonged viability is plausible, which bolsters the case for multi-year monitoring before firm threat assessments are made.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-parasitic-plants-in-the-spotlight">Parasitic plants in the spotlight</h2>



<p>Taxonomy can feel like naming for naming’s sake, yet here it unlocks clear signals for conservation, survey priorities, and basic biology. </p>



<p>A stable name tied to diagnostic traits lets land managers, herbaria, and local botanists speak the same language when they report new finds.</p>



<p>It also puts a spotlight on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-orchids-turn-parasitic-when-conditions-allow/">parasitic plants</a>, a group that quietly shapes plant communities by redistributing resources underground. </p>



<p>That influence is often overlooked because the action happens at the root, out of sight and away from casual paths.</p>



<p>Finally, this story shows why patience matters in field botany. Twenty three years is a long haul, yet this timescale fits a plant that can vanish for seasons, return in small bursts, and test how carefully we look.</p>



<p>The study is published in <a href="https://phytokeys.pensoft.net/article/141300/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>PhytoKeys</em></a>.</p>



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Leafless and mysterious parasitic plant survives by stealing water from other plants

Botanists have formally described a new parasitic plant from the...

<p>Apollo 17 carried home a sealed tube of lunar soil in 1972. More than five decades later, that core has finally been opened and analyzed, and it is changing what scientists think about how a major lunar landslide moved and settled.</p>



<p>The deposit in question is the Light Mantle, a bright streak in <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/static/history/alsj//a17/a17.ppintro.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Taurus-Littrow Valley</a> at the base of the South Massif. It is the only extraterrestrial landslide ever sampled on-site, and it runs roughly 3.1 miles along the valley floor.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-old-lunar-soil-informs-new-missions">Old lunar soil informs new missions</h2>



<p>“This research is a way of continuing the legacy of the Apollo missions more than 50 years later, providing a bridge to the planned Artemis program,” said Dr. Giulia Magnarini at the Natural History Museum (<a href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NHM</a>) in London who led the work.</p>



<p>NASA set up the Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis program, or <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/lunar-science/programs/angsa/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ANGSA</a>, to learn how to handle and study old cores as a rehearsal for new ones that Artemis will return. </p>



<p>The program treated the newly opened <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mysterious-rocks-may-unlock-secrets-of-the-moons-magnetic-history/">Apollo cores</a> as a low-cost sample return mission to test tools, workflows, and cross team coordination.</p>



<p>Before any dissection, the tube was scanned at the University of Texas High Resolution X-ray computed tomography facility (<a href="https://www.ctlab.geo.utexas.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UTCT</a>). Images were taken at a 12.9-micrometer voxel size to preserve context and guide the lab work.</p>



<p>Those scans are a non-destructive way to see the internal structure and to protect fragile textures until scientists know what to cut and what to leave intact.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-apollo-soil-shows-granular-flow">Apollo soil shows granular flow</h2>



<p>The team reports two <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chinese-scientists-have-harvested-water-from-lunar-soil/">signature features</a> of this lunar soil sample. First, the upper roughly two inches of the core is missing larger fragments. This is a clue that the shallow layer was reworked by the lunar surface environment after the landslide stopped.</p>



<p>Second, many particles show a rind of ultrafine grains wrapped around a central chip, forming what geologists call clast cortex aggregates. </p>



<p>That texture shows granular flow, with grains rolling and sliding past each other instead of moving as one block.</p>



<p>Independent work on the same tube’s finest dust backs up the idea of an altered skin at the top of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-device-turns-moon-dirt-into-water-and-oxygen-for-lunar-bases/">deposit</a>. </p>



<p>Researchers found the highest concentration of space-weathering products in the upper few inches. This marked a distinct surface-modified layer overlying more uniform material below.</p>



<p>Together, those lines of evidence tighten the case that the Light Mantle did not just slump once and sit unchanged. Grains slid downslope in a rich flow, and the airless environment later churned and peppered the surface zone.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-light-mantle-preserved-in-lunar-core">Light Mantle preserved in lunar core</h2>



<p>The Light <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sunken-worlds-discovered-under-the-pacific-ocean-in-earths-mantle/">Mantle</a> sits at the foot of a massif that rises about 1.4 miles above the valley floor. That relief explains how debris traveled over 3 miles across a low slope without water or air for lubrication.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission/apollo-17/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apollo 17</a> also made history for a different reason. Geologist <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/former-astronaut-harrison-schmitt/">Harrison Schmitt</a> became the first scientist to walk on the Moon. It's a decision that paid off in field notes, sample choices, and careful documentation still used today.</p>



<p>The mission returned about 243 pounds of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meteorite-from-the-moon-tells-a-detailed-story-about-lunar-volcanoes/">lunar rock</a> and soil, the largest haul of any Apollo crew. Among those samples was a double drive tube that reached down roughly 28 inches at Station 3, the very core section later opened for this study.</p>



<p>That tube preserved both the upper skin and deeper layers of the landslide deposit in one vertical slice. It gave the team a way to compare shallow, weathered material with the less modified section below in a single continuous record.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/apollo-17_sealed-lunar-sample_new-study_NASA_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/apollo-17_sealed-lunar-sample_new-study_NASA_1s.webp" alt="The sample has been unopened since it was first collected in 1972. Credit: Dave Edey and Romy Hanna, UTCT, Jackson School of Geosciences/NASA" class="wp-image-1982929"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>The sample has been unopened since it was first collected in 1972. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Dave Edey and Romy Hanna, UTCT, Jackson School of Geosciences/NASA</em></figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tycho-impact-or-moonquake">Tycho impact or moonquake</h2>



<p>What pushed the South Massif slope past the point of no return remains under debate. One candidate is a shower of fast-moving debris launched by the impact that formed Tycho Crater. </p>



<p>Secondary pockmarks near the massif hint that some of those fragments may have hit the area and shaken the slope loose.</p>



<p>Another idea points to local tectonics. Studies of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-dangerous-part-of-this-west-coast-earthquake-fault-cascadia-subduction-zone/">faults</a> and ridges in the valley have argued that seismic shaking along the Lee Lincoln fault zone could have provided the trigger at the right time and place.</p>



<p>The new core textures do not settle that "starting gun" question, and the authors say more work is in progress. The textures reveal how the slide behaved after it began - insight beyond what orbital images alone provide.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lunar-soil-guides-safe-building">Lunar soil guides safe building</h2>



<p>Understanding <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/turning-moon-soil-lunar-regolith-space-debris-into-building-materials/">how regolith behaves</a> under stress is not only an academic problem. Artemis planning needs better data on how loose lunar soil compacts, flows, and carries loads under low gravity if we want to build safe routes, pads, and shelters near rough terrain.</p>



<p>“These samples are about how to preserve, store and open lunar material without damaging the contents," said Dr. Magnarini. "This is already feeding into plans for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/grow-plants-on-moon-by-2026-nasa-artemis-iii-mission/">Artemis</a>’ science and helping to develop new instruments."</p>



<p>There is also a scientific payoff beyond engineering. With the Light Mantle, researchers can compare an on-site sample set to a well-mapped surface deposit. They can then test mechanical models against real textures at millimeter and inch scales.</p>



<p>The feedback loop - from field context to lab imaging to model testing - grows stronger as researchers open more cores and bring new ones home.</p>



<p>ANGSA has shown how to do that work without losing precious context, and that know-how will carry straight into the next decade of lunar exploration.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-artemis-missions-expand-apollo-s-legacy">Artemis missions expand Apollo’s legacy</h2>



<p>Future analyses will extend below the upper 8 inches already imaged in detail and will refine how often clast cortex aggregates occur with depth. </p>



<p>A clear rise or fall in abundance could reveal shifting shear conditions as the slide thinned and settled.</p>



<p>Researchers are also revisiting maps of secondary craters and small impact scars that cross the Light Mantle. </p>



<p>New correlations between crater clusters, slope breaks, and in-core textures could help decide whether Tycho’s debris shower or local quakes are the better match for the trigger <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dry-side-of-the-moon-reveals-new-details-about-its-evolution/">history</a>.</p>



<p>Artemis will return new cores from fresh sites, including places with different slopes and rock types. </p>



<p>Each one will add another test of how dry, airless slides move on a body where liquid water and thick air do not play a role.</p>



<p>The same methods will also help engineers read the shallow subsurface near planned habitats. </p>



<p>A better handle on layering, particle size, and cohesion could steer where to build and how to protect sensitive hardware from dust and ejecta.</p>



<p>-----</p>



<p>Featured image: Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, commander, drives the Lunar Roving Vehicle during first Apollo 17 extravehicular activity at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. July 20, 1969. Credit: NASA</p>



<p>The study is published in the <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024JE008422" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets</em></a>.</p>



<p>-----</p>



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Sealed lunar soil sample from Apollo 17 offers new insight for future moon explorers

Apollo 17 carried home a sealed tube of lunar soil...

<p>Cement keeps our cities standing, but it also keeps them hot. Roofs and pavements absorb sunlight, store heat, and then radiate it back into the air. Air conditioners fight that heat, but they burn electricity and drive up emissions. </p>



<p>Fengyin Du and her team at <a href="https://www.seu.edu.cn/english/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Southeast University</a> believe that cement itself can change the story by cooling cities instead of heating them up.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-regular-cement-fails">Why regular cement fails</h2>



<p>Ordinary cement is dark and doesn’t bounce sunlight away. Instead, it absorbs the sun’s energy and traps it as heat. </p>



<p>The heat then moves into <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/turning-co2-into-cement-a-new-path-to-greener-construction/">buildings</a>, making rooms hotter and harder to cool. It also warms the outside environment, so streets and sidewalks feel hotter too.</p>



<p>When cities heat up this way, people rely more on air conditioning, which uses a lot of electricity. If we continue to use the same materials, the demand for cooling will keep growing. </p>



<p>By the middle of this century, the energy used for cooling could make carbon emissions up to three times higher than today.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-building-a-different-cement">Building a different cement</h2>



<p>The&nbsp;Southeast University team took a different approach. The researchers created a cement where crystals form naturally on the surface. The mineral ettringite does the heavy lifting.</p>



<p>“It works like a mirror and a radiator, so it can reflect sunlight away and send heat out into the sky, so a building can stay cooler without any air conditioning or electricity,” explained Du.</p>



<p>The cement also lets heat escape because of tiny pores and a gel rich in aluminum. Together, these features turn the surface into both reflector and radiator.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-cooling-cement-is-made">How the cooling cement is made</h2>



<p>The recipe starts with common <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-roman-concrete-offers-lessons-for-sustainable-building/">minerals</a> like limestone, gypsum, alumina, and silica. These are shaped into pellets, heated, and then ground. </p>



<p>When mixed with water, the particles react to form both ettringite and gel. To shape the surface, the team used molds and air bubbles that left behind microcavities. </p>



<p>Crystals grow inside these cavities, creating patterns that scatter light and boost reflectivity.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-testing-the-cement-in-sunlight">Testing the cement in sunlight</h2>



<p>The researchers placed the new cement on a rooftop at Purdue University to see how it worked in real sunlight. </p>



<p>The cement stayed cooler than the air around it - by 5.4°C (9.7°F) - and much cooler than normal Portland cement - by 26°C (47°F). That means it didn’t trap heat the way regular cement does.</p>



<p>Even at night, when there’s no sunlight, the cement kept releasing stored heat into the sky. This showed that its cooling ability doesn’t stop when the sun goes down. It can keep surfaces cooler both day and night.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-strength-and-resilience">Strength and resilience</h2>



<p>Cooling power alone isn’t enough. Buildings need <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/recycled-cement-is-an-absolute-miracle-to-lower-concrete-emissions/">materials</a> that last. The new cement showed compressive strength above 100 MPa, stronger than many traditional mixes. </p>



<p>It resisted scratches, stayed intact under freeze-thaw cycles, and endured immersion in corrosive liquids. After months of UV exposure and a full year outdoors, its reflectivity barely dropped.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brighter-city-streets">Brighter city streets</h2>



<p>Cement is usually gray, but the new research shows that it doesn’t have to stay that way. The team mixed in special phosphor dyes while making the cement. This produced colored versions - yellow, green, and red.</p>



<p>Even with the color, the cement still reflected about 90% of sunlight. That means it kept its cooling ability while also giving architects and city planners more design options to make buildings and streets look brighter.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-benefits-of-cooling-cement">Climate benefits of cooling cement</h2>



<p>Production matters as much as performance. This cement is made at lower temperatures, cutting emissions during manufacture by about 25 percent.</p>



<p>Life-cycle studies suggest that over 70 years, a tonne of this <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-just-created-concrete-that-could-reverse-climate-damage/">cement</a> could reduce up to 2,867 kilograms of CO2 compared with standard Portland cement. </p>



<p>Some cities, like Niamey and Mumbai, could reach carbon neutrality with it faster than others.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cooler-cities-with-less-energy-demand">Cooler cities with less energy demand</h2>



<p>Oscar Brousse from <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University College London</a> praises the material’s design but warns against simple conclusions. </p>



<p>“It doesn’t mean that because the surface is 5°C lower, that the air temperature will be 5°C lower around it. The effect locally may be greatly limited,” said Brousse.</p>



<p>Even with that caution, the potential is clear. This cement could cut energy demand in cities, reduce emissions, and extend building lifespans. If scaled, it may help cool entire neighborhoods without flipping a switch.</p>



<p>The study is published in the journal <em><a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adv2820" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>.</em></p>



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Cement of the future: Cooling cities and cutting emissions

Cement keeps our cities standing, but it also keeps them...

Big,Bang,In,Space,,The,Birth,Of,The,Universe,3d

<p>A new review argues that modern numerical relativity can push cosmology past its usual shortcuts and test ideas about what, if anything, came before the Big Bang. </p>



<p>The approach is simple to state and hard to execute: solve Einstein’s equations on a computer where pencil and paper <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/solving-the-singularity-puzzle-at-the-heart-of-black-holes-has-proven-very-difficult/">symmetry</a> tricks fail.</p>



<p>“This review is an up to date account of the use of numerical relativity to study dynamical, strong gravity environments in a cosmological context and we suggest directions in which future work can be fruitfully pursued,” said the authors.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-numerical-relativity">Understanding numerical relativity</h2>



<p>Numerical relativity is basically the way scientists use computers to “do” Einstein’s math when it gets too complicated to solve with pencil and paper. </p>



<p>Einstein’s equations explain <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/2877/1/012063" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">how space and time bend</a> when there’s matter or energy around. But the equations are messy, and in most real situations - like when two black holes spiral toward each other - you can’t find a neat, exact solution. </p>



<p>Instead, physicists chop space and time into a grid, feed in the equations, and let supercomputers crunch through the steps to show how the system evolves moment by moment.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-running-relativistic-simulations">Running relativistic simulations</h2>



<p>The authors map out how to run relativistic simulations that do not assume the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/detecting-warp-drives-extraterrestrial-spacecraft-using-gravitational-waves-experiment/">universe</a> is perfectly smooth in space, then show what those simulations have already taught us and where they can go next. </p>



<p>They separate the story into early universe beginnings, the hot <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/if-the-big-bang-theory-is-correct-what-exactly-happened/">Big Bang</a> through recombination, and the late universe of large scale structure.</p>



<p>They also spell out the technical roadblocks that trip people up, from setting consistent initial data to choosing stable coordinate gauges as the code evolves in time. </p>



<p>The point is not just to advocate computation, it is to standardize methods so cosmologists and relativists can understand one another’s results.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-numerical-relativity-matters">Why numerical relativity matters</h2>



<p>Fifty years of <a href="https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.121101" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> turned numerical relativity from a niche craft into the engine behind precise gravitational waves templates, beginning with the first stable evolutions of binary black holes in 2005. </p>



<p>When detectors like <a href="https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LIGO</a> finally picked up those waves in 2015, the signals matched the computer predictions almost perfectly. </p>



<p>That’s how we knew the detection was real and how we turn Einstein’s theory into something we can actually test.</p>



<p>Cosmology’s frontier problems share the same strong gravity DNA. Near singularities, or in violent phases of reheating and collapse, analytic symmetry assumptions break, so the only honest way forward is to evolve the full, non linear system on a grid.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-black-holes-to-the-big-bang">From black holes to the Big Bang</h2>



<p>Walk time backward and the standard equations hit a wall, densities and temperatures diverge while the usual homogeneous, isotropic picture loses validity. </p>



<p>Fully relativistic simulations let researchers ask how matter, curvature, and anisotropy actually interact when no simplifications are allowed.</p>



<p>That matters for questions such as whether a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/finding-order-in-the-chaos-of-the-three-body-problem/">cosmological</a> singularity is local and oscillatory, or whether new physics softens it into a bounce. </p>



<p>It also matters for identifying observables we can trust, since averages over space are not the same thing as what real observers on timelike or lightlike paths would measure.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-testing-inflation-honestly">Testing inflation honestly</h2>



<p>Cosmic inflation explains why the cosmos looks nearly the same in all directions and why primordial fluctuations follow a simple pattern, and it remains consistent with the high precision constraints set by the <a href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Planck" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Planck mission</a>. </p>



<p>But most analytic studies of inflation start by assuming the very smoothness that inflation is meant to produce.</p>



<p>Relativistic simulations remove the need for oversimplified assumptions. They let you begin with large irregularities and complex motions, even allowing black holes to form. </p>



<p>From there, you can still explore whether inflation occurs at all, how long it lasts, and how much the outcome depends on the shape of the potential rather than just on symmetry.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-numerical-relativity-beyond-our-universe">Numerical relativity beyond our universe</h2>



<p>The same toolkit reaches hypotheses that used to be out of reach. Hypothetical <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspa.2009.0591" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">strings</a> are one example, defects that could shed energy into a background of gravitational waves with a spectrum shaped by their network dynamics. </p>



<p>With full relativity, one can test how those waves depend on curvature, expansion, and string interactions without linearizing the metric.</p>



<p>Another is the multiverse, where bubbles of space with different vacuum energies collide and, in principle, paint subtle signatures on the cosmic microwave background. </p>



<p>Numerical relativity is already being <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/1112.4487" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">used</a> to compute realistic collision spacetimes and to translate them into curvature and temperature perturbations that observers could look for.</p>



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



<p>The review highlights several technical roadblocks that remain active research challenges. </p>



<p>These include finding better boundary conditions for expanding universes and developing gauges that stay stable when regions of collapse happen alongside overall expansion. </p>



<p>It also emphasizes the need for shared community tools that can generate consistent initial data for cosmological simulations, moving beyond the standard conformally flat setups.</p>



<p>While computing power is critical, progress won’t come from raw speed alone. </p>



<p>Smarter formulations, rigorous convergence tests, and geodesic-based diagnostics are key to making the next generation of cosmological simulations more precise and directly comparable across research groups. </p>



<p>That’s what transforms ideas about the universe’s first fractions of a second into testable science.</p>



<p>The study is published in <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41114-025-00058-z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Living Reviews in Relativity</em></a>.</p>



<p>-----</p>



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From nothing to everything: What happened before the Big Bang?

A new review argues that modern numerical relativity can push...

<p>Human speech follows a steady timing pattern that shows up across cultures. A new paper reports that people naturally package talk into short phrases that arrive about once every 1.6 seconds, regardless of the language being spoken.</p>



<p>That unit of delivery is not a syllable or a word. It is a prosodic chunk called an intonation unit, and its regular tempo shows up in everyday <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-computer-interface-bci-reads-your-innermost-thoughts-and-translates-them-into-text/">conversation</a>, in children and adults, and in communities from many language families.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-speech-rhythm-is-universal">Speech rhythm is universal</h2>



<p>The study was led by Dr. Maya Inbar with Professors Eitan Grossman and Ayelet N. Landau at the <a href="https://en.huji.ac.il/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hebrew University of Jerusalem</a>, and Professor Landau also holds an appointment at University College London (<a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UCL</a>). Their collaboration draws linguistics, psychology, and cognitive neuroscience into the same frame.</p>



<p>“These findings suggest that the way we pace our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/smartphones-may-leak-conversations-through-vibrations/">speech</a> isn’t just a cultural artifact, it’s deeply rooted in human cognition and biology,” said Dr. Inbar.</p>



<p>“Understanding this temporal structure helps bridge neuroscience, linguistics, and psychology,” said Prof. Landau.</p>



<p>An intonation unit (<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10697392/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IU</a>) is a short prosodic phrase marked by coordinated changes in pitch, loudness, and timing. It is the slice of speech that carries a small, coherent bit of information before the next slice begins.</p>



<p>These units help listeners keep track of ideas and time their replies. Cross-cultural research shows that turn-taking in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/speech-pattern-wfd-that-is-a-clear-indication-a-person-is-in-cognitive-decline/">conversation</a> relies on subtle temporal cues, not only on grammar or vocabulary.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-speech-rhythm-found-across-languages">Speech rhythm found across languages</h2>



<p>The team assembled 668 recordings across 48 languages from 27 families, drawing most of the material from the <a href="https://doreco.huma-num.fr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DoReCo</a> language documentation archive, which houses high quality recordings of many small and endangered languages. They focused on spontaneous speech rather than scripted or read text.</p>



<p>They used an automatic <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32985572/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">method</a> to flag prosodic boundaries and then validated the results against expert annotations in English, Hebrew, Russian, and Totoli. </p>



<p>The validation showed moderate to high agreement with human transcribers, giving confidence that the boundary detector worked across unrelated languages.</p>



<p>To test whether IU onsets line up with a slow periodic pattern in the speech signal, the team used a bias-free phase synchronization metric known as pairwise phase consistency. </p>



<p>This measure detects consistent timing of events relative to slow oscillations without overestimating effects when sample sizes change.</p>



<p>The analysis revealed a prominent rhythm near 0.6 Hz. That corresponds to one new IU roughly every 1.6 seconds, and this alignment held across all languages in the sample.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-this-links-to-the-brain">How this links to the brain</h2>



<p>The 1 to 2 second window is a meaningful timescale in cognition. Prior <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4809195/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> shows that neural activity tracks hierarchical structures in connected speech, from syllables and words to phrases and sentences, with distinct rhythms at each level.</p>



<p>A foundational <a href="https://nyuscholars.nyu.edu/en/publications/cortical-oscillations-and-speech-processing-emerging-computationa" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">review</a> argues that low-frequency brain rhythms help package incoming information at the right temporal grain for comprehension. </p>



<p>That packaging supports the parsing of speech into units that are neither too small nor too large for memory and attention.</p>



<p>New physiological evidence connects IUs directly to brain responses. When listeners hear spontaneous narrative speech, EEG shows a specific <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-benefits-of-musical-training-may-be-all-in-our-heads/">response</a> at IU boundaries that is distinct from reactions to lower-level acoustic features.</p>



<p>There is also a broader literature suggesting that slow neural dynamics guide self-paced behavior. <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1210467109" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Models</a> of voluntary action describe gradual, subsecond to multisecond build ups that precede self-initiated movement, situating the IU timescale within a general framework for timing in the brain.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rhythm-differs-from-syllable-speed">Rhythm differs from syllable speed</h2>



<p>The IU rhythm is different from the tempo of syllables. Syllable-level rhythms often cluster in the theta range, about 4 to 8 cycles per second, and listeners and speakers are tuned to that band for efficient perception and production.</p>



<p>The new work shows that local changes in syllable rate only weakly predict IU timing, and average syllable rates across languages do not explain cross-language variation in IU rate. That makes IUs a higher-level planning unit, not just a side effect of talking faster or slower.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-speech-rhythm-helps-learning">Speech rhythm helps learning</h2>



<p>Prosodic phrasing gives learners early cues for carving speech into manageable pieces. Infants exploit rhythmic and intonational structure to segment continuous speech and build phonological and lexical knowledge.</p>



<p>The same structure eases turn-taking in conversation. When speakers keep to a steady IU pace, it becomes simpler to anticipate a likely endpoint and start a reply with minimal gaps or overlaps.</p>



<p>Speech technology can benefit from this timing principle. Automatic speech recognition and spoken-language understanding systems often track the <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6957234/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">envelope</a>, a summary of intensity over time, and cortical recordings show that the brain uses sharp envelope edges as landmarks aligned with syllable onsets.</p>



<p>Incorporating IU-scale timing into text-to-speech could make synthetic voices easier to follow, especially in noisy settings or long-form listening. </p>



<p>Systems that predict and respect an IU cadence may reduce listener fatigue and support better comprehension during hands-free use.</p>



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



<p>The corpus was broad but did not capture repeated recordings from the same individuals, so speaker-level variability remains an open question. </p>



<p>Future work that samples multiple sessions per person could reveal how stable a speaker’s IU timing is across contexts.</p>



<p>Another priority is connecting IU timing with physiology during natural conversation, not only during listening. </p>



<p>Combining boundary-sensitive analysis with brain and body measures, such as breathing and heart rhythms, could clarify how the timing of talk relates to the timing of action and memory across daily life.</p>



<p>The study is published in <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2425166122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</em></a>.</p>



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People everywhere talk with the same rhythm, regardless of the language

Human speech follows a steady timing pattern that shows up...

<p>Music carries a remarkable ability to connect sound with lived experience, shaping how people recall their past. A melody can spark vivid memories, often with startling speed. Just a few notes may transport someone back to a childhood party, a first date, or a quiet evening walk.</p>



<p>A new study from <a href="https://www.gold.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Goldsmiths University of London</a> explores how different kinds of songs, whether soft and acoustic or energetic and loud, affect the qualities of those memories. The findings reveal a fascinating interplay between <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nostalgic-songs-light-up-your-brain-and-get-you-moving/">musical properties</a> and emotional recall.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-impact-of-songs-on-memories">Impact of songs on memories</h2>



<p>Researchers Safiyyah Nawaz and Diana Omigie investigated whether specific features of music influence the type of autobiographical memories people recall. </p>



<p>While previous studies confirmed that songs are powerful triggers of memory, few examined how tempo, acousticness, or energy level shape those memories.</p>



<p>The researchers asked 233 people to take part in an online survey. Each person shared memories linked to two kinds of music: <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/music-boosts-memory-but-only-with-the-right-emotional-spark/">songs</a> they chose themselves and popular songs from their younger years. </p>



<p>After collecting the responses to the survey, the team used statistical methods to look for patterns.</p>



<p>The goal was to determine whether certain qualities of songs, like being soft or energetic, matched up with specific types of memories - such as vivid, happy, or sad.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-energetic-songs-exciting-memories">Energetic songs, exciting memories</h2>



<p>The results drew a clear line between different types of songs. More acoustic, lower-energy pieces, like Debussy’s <em>Clair de Lune</em>, often brought back memories filled with calmness, romance, or even sadness. </p>



<p>Such memories were described as vivid, important, and unique, though less social in nature.</p>



<p>In contrast, energetic and less acoustic tracks, such as Fetty Wap’s <em>Trap Queen</em>, stirred memories of excitement, amusement, and social energy. Participants also reported recalling these memories more quickly than those tied to softer <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-benefits-of-musical-training-may-be-all-in-our-heads/">songs</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-personal-choices-carry-deeper-meaning">Personal choices carry deeper meaning</h2>



<p>When people picked their own songs, the memories that came back were stronger and more emotional than those tied to common popular songs. </p>



<p>Personal choices carried deeper meaning because they were often connected to big moments in life, like important relationships or milestones. </p>



<p>This finding is significant because it shows that familiarity and personal connection make music an even more powerful memory trigger. </p>



<p>The researchers propose that personally meaningful songs could have therapeutic value. </p>



<p>In reminiscence therapy, for instance, playing music tied to a person’s life may help individuals with memory conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease recall past experiences more vividly and with greater positivity.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-linking-songs-and-memory">Linking songs and memory</h2>



<p>“We all know of the experience of hearing a song and being transported back in time to a vivid memory associated with that song," noted Nawaz </p>



<p>"As it turns out, the properties of the music itself, characteristics like acousticness, loudness and energy, relate to the emotional and phenomenological qualities of the same <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-brain-map-shows-how-rhythms-instantly-reconfigure-your-mind-freq-ness/">musical memories</a>."</p>



<p>According to Nawaz, the team discovered that more acoustic songs were associated with memories that were more vivid, unique, and characterized by complex emotions like romance and adoration.</p>



<p>Louder, more energetic songs were linked to social, exciting, high-energy memories that were recalled faster, she added.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-countless-memories-linked-to-songs">Countless memories linked to songs</h2>



<p>The researchers found analyzing over 1,400 musical memories both humbling and inspiring. Each song holds countless life moments for its listeners, offering a new way to see music as timeless.</p>



<p>Nawaz and her team also turned their work into a public project. They launched an online archive of <a href="https://memoryrecords.xyz/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">musical memories</a>, where some of the memories shared by participants are now available. </p>



<p>The goal is to broaden the collection beyond Western cultural samples, giving the research a more global foundation.</p>



<p>Study co-author Diana Omigie pointed to another key factor in memory formation: personal connection to the music.</p>



<p>“Our in-depth analysis showed that it’s not just the musical features that influence memory, but also how much a person likes a song and how familiar it is to them," said Omigie.</p>



<p>"We hope future research will explore how musical elements interact with such personal elements to bring about the deep and meaningful memories that people experience in everyday life."</p>



<p>The study is published in the journal <em><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0329072" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS One</a>.</em></p>



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How music tunes the emotions in our memories

Music carries a remarkable ability to connect sound with lived...

<p>Have you ever heard of a moon you cannot see? This Saturday, the night sky will host a rare event known as a Black Moon.</p>



<p>Its significance lies not just in its darkness, but in its timing. <a href="https://www.instructables.com/Ultimate-Guide-for-Sky-Watchers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Skywatchers</a>, astronomers, and even a few believers are eagerly anticipating this event.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-a-black-moon">What is a Black Moon?</h2>



<p>The new moon that occurs precisely at 2:06 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on August 23 carries a special title, the Black Moon.</p>



<p>A Black Moon is a term used to describe a type of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saturn-has-128-new-moons-with-odd-orbits-and-mysterious-origins/">new moon</a>, though it is not an official <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/interstellar-tunnel-cosmic-channel-discovered-connects-our-solar-system-to-other-stars/">astronomical</a> term.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Recalling the <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/moon/moon-phases/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lunar cycle</a> helps you understand this better. A full moon occurs when the side of the moon facing the Earth is entirely illuminated by the <a href="https://physics.weber.edu/schroeder/ua/sunandseasons.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sun</a>, appearing bright and circular in the night sky. </p>



<p>A new moon, on the other hand, happens when that side is in shadow, making the moon almost invisible. However, you could spot the thin silver crescent moon a couple of evenings later, about 30 to 40 minutes after sunset.</p>



<p>The Black Moon is simply a special new moon that appears according to these unusual calendar or seasonal patterns, making it a rare and intriguing event for skywatchers.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-monthly-vs-seasonal-black-moons">Monthly vs. seasonal Black Moons</h2>



<p>In terms of calendar months, it is the second new moon occurring in that month. In terms of a <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/climate/changing-seasons" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">season</a>, it is the third new moon in a season that has four new moons.</p>



<p>Since the lunar cycle is about 29.5 days, we usually get one full moon and one new moon each month. If a month happens to have two full moons, the second one is called a Blue Moon.</p>



<p>Similarly, if a second new moon happens in a calendar month, it is a monthly Black Moon. These occur approximately once every 29 months and are the most common type of Black Moon.&nbsp;</p>



<p>A typical season lasts about three months, normally giving us three new moons. Rarely, a fourth new moon pops up.&nbsp;</p>



<p>In that case, the third new moon gets the "Black Moon" title. These seasonal Black Moons occur roughly once every 33 months. With this context, the upcoming Black Moon in 2025 takes on its seasonal significance.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-astrological-and-cultural-significance">Astrological and cultural significance</h2>



<p>The Black Moon has captured human imagination for centuries, giving rise to various cultural and astrological interpretations.</p>



<p>Astrologically, the Black Moon is considered a time for new beginnings and intention-setting, and some even view it as a powerful moment for <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1385110124000741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">manifestation</a>.</p>



<p>Some view it as marking the end of a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/water-cycles-through-plants-with-unexpected-speed/">cycle</a> and a period of significant change, occasionally associated with prophecies.</p>



<p>Some religions see it as an apt time for spells, rituals, and other practices, believing that the dark sky enhances energy and intentions. In some modern spiritual communities, it is used for meditation and cleansing spaces.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-2025-black-moon-nbsp">The 2025 Black Moon&nbsp;</h2>



<p>The current season is summer in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/spring-has-arrived-in-the-northern-hemisphere/">Northern Hemisphere</a> and winter in the Southern Hemisphere. It falls between the solstice on June 20 or 21 and the equinox on September 22, depending on your time zone.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Within this period, new moons occur on June 25, July 24, August 23, and September 21. It is a very tight schedule for the fourth new moon to fit in, but it still manages to happen.&nbsp;</p>



<p>This means August 23 is the seasonal Black Moon in 2025.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-to-observe-the-black-moon">How to observe the Black Moon?</h2>



<p>The Black Moon's moonless night provides a rare opportunity for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/january-2025-stargazing-a-parade-of-bright-planets/">stargazers</a>. With deep darkness, it is perfect for observing summer stars when the Milky Way is at its peak in the Northern Hemisphere.&nbsp;</p>



<p>To get the best view, find a location far away from light pollution, ideally with no city lights on the southern horizon.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Look for the three bright stars of the Summer Triangle in the southeast: Vega, Deneb, and Altair. The Milky Way will stretch through the left side of the triangle, roughly from Deneb down to Altair, and from there down to the southern horizon.</p>



<p>Take advantage of the Black Moon, which provides the perfect opportunity to see our galaxy at its very best.</p>



<p>The information was obtained from <a href="https://news.northeastern.edu/2025/08/20/black-moon-event-august-23-explained/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Northeastern Global News</em></a><em>.</em></p>



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When is the 'Black Moon' in 2025, and why does it occur?

Have you ever heard of a moon you cannot see?...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVywlgRJXsc
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Some children read facial expressions when making food choices.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-other-people-s-reactions-influence-children-s-eating-habits">Other people's reactions influence children's eating habits</h2>



<p>Many children are finicky eaters, but research explains how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-have-learned-why-so-many-kids-dislike-vegetables/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">watching others eat and social modeling</a> influence the eating habits of children.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Study Methodology Demonstrates Social Learning Impact</h2>



<p>Researchers at <a href="https://www.aston.ac.uk/hls/school-of-psychology" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aston University School of Psychology</a> have published findings in Frontiers in Psychology that illuminate the neurobiological foundations of food preference development through observational learning. The investigation employed controlled video stimuli featuring adults consuming raw broccoli while displaying systematically varied facial expressions to measure participant responses.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Asymmetrical Response Patterns Identified</h2>



<p>The research, conducted with 204 female participants, revealed a pronounced asymmetry in social modeling effects. Negative facial expressions during vegetable consumption significantly diminished observer food preference ratings, while positive expressions failed to produce corresponding increases in vegetable appeal. This finding challenges conventional assumptions about the bidirectional nature of social influence in dietary behavior formation.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Evolutionary Psychology Framework Applied</h2>



<p>Dr. Katie Edwards and her research team propose that these results reflect adaptive mechanisms developed through evolutionary processes. The heightened sensitivity to disgust expressions likely functions as a protective system, enabling individuals to identify potentially harmful foods through social cues without direct risk exposure.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Clinical and Educational Implications</h2>



<p>These findings carry substantial implications for pediatric nutrition interventions and family meal dynamics. The research suggests that parental expressions of distaste during vegetable consumption may inadvertently reinforce children's existing food aversions through unconscious social transmission pathways.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Future Research Directions</h2>



<p>The study establishes a foundation for expanded investigation into real-time social modeling effects and cross-demographic applicability. Researchers emphasize the necessity for longitudinal studies examining actual consumption behaviors rather than preference ratings alone, particularly within family contexts where social learning occurs most frequently.</p>



<p>-----</p>



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<p></p>

Social modeling affects our food choices

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVywlgRJXsc Some children read facial expressions when making food choices....

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JynHpMaNO8A
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Chaotic cancer protein finally controlled after decades of mystery</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cancer-causing-protein-bound-and-blocked">Cancer-causing protein bound and blocked</h2>



<p>In a discovery that can one day revolutionize cancer treatment, researchers at the <a href="https://www.ucr.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California, Riverside</a> have successfully developed a means of controlling MYC, a notoriously slippery protein that causes approximately <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chaotic-protein-that-fuels-75-of-cancers-can-be-controlled/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">75% of all cancers in humans</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-makes-myc-different">What makes MYC different</h2>



<p>MYC presents a unique challenge when studying cancer. Normally, this protein plays a vital role in healthy cells. It carefully controls transcription - the process that converts genetic information from DNA and RNA into proteins.</p>



<p>However, cancer changes everything. In cancer cells, MYC becomes a destructive force. It operates in overdrive mode with no regulation whatsoever.</p>



<p>Professor Min Xue, who led the research team, explains it simply: "MYC is less like food for cancer cells and more like a steroid. It drives cancer's aggressive growth." This superactive behavior makes MYC involved in three out of every four cancer cases.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-myc-is-hard-to-target">Why MYC is hard to target</h2>



<p>Despite its clear role in cancer, targeting MYC has been one of medicine's biggest challenges. The main problem lies in MYC's unusual structure - or rather, its complete lack of structure.</p>



<p>Professor Xue describes the protein as "basically a glob of randomness." This means conventional drug discovery methods don't work. These traditional approaches rely on sharply defined protein structures. MYC simply doesn't have one.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A New Approach to Fighting MYC</h2>



<p>The UCR research team developed a clever solution. They designed a special peptide molecule that could selectively bind to MYC. More importantly, this peptide could block MYC's destructive activity.</p>



<p>The key was fine-tuning two specific features: the peptide's stiffness and its shape. Through careful adjustments, researchers achieved something remarkable. They reached "sub-micro-molar affinity" - meaning their peptide binds as strongly as antibodies do.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-breakthrough-results">Breakthrough results</h2>



<p>This accomplishment represents a major leap beyond previous attempts. The researchers enhanced their peptide's binding strength by two orders of magnitude. This dramatic improvement brings the work significantly closer to practical drug development goals.</p>



<p>The research opens new possibilities for treating the vast majority of cancers where MYC plays a destructive role.</p>



<p>The researchers are presently optimizing peptide-delivery systems based on lipid nanoparticles that deliver the peptide effectively into cancer cells. The<a href="https://www.nih.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> National Institutes of Health</a> and the <a href="https://www.defense.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. Department of Defense</a> funded the study, which appeared in the Journal of the <a href="https://www.acs.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Chemical Society</a>.<br>This research offers renewed hope against cancer, and it can potentially open a door to more effective cancer therapies for most cancer patients worldwide.</p>



<p>-----</p>



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The protein that fuels 3 out of 4 cancers has been controlled

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JynHpMaNO8A Chaotic cancer protein finally controlled after decades of mystery...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE
</div></figure>



<p>On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop and sunlight barely penetrates through the polar winter. It was here, however, that an international team of scientists found <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predatory-worms-were-terror-beasts-half-a-billion-years-ago/#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence of sea monsters</a> that would change our understanding of ocean life in the past.</p>



<p>This video captures the discovery of Timorebestia fossils that had been hidden for more than 500 million years in the Sirius Passet formation. The "terror beasts," as they are called, are a hidden chapter in the evolutionary history of <a href="https://www.earth.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth</a>, showing that sophisticated predator-prey interactions occurred much earlier than previously envisioned.</p>



<p>Dr. Jakob Vinther and his research team at the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bristol</a>, in collaboration with researchers at the <a href="https://eng.kopri.re.kr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Korean Polar Research Institute</a>, braved extreme weather conditions at 82.5 north latitude to locate these giant creatures. Using sophisticated electron microprobe analysis, they revealed the detailed anatomy of the animals, including their muscle and nerve tissues.</p>



<p>The find upsets the traditional timeline of sea predators.  Although we've long appreciated that Cambrian oceans were at one time ruled by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWI3-UgA3_o&amp;list=PL1QLQMW9MWDwpkFOnvgAmu7wT6rZmYqdJ&amp;index=19" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">arthropods</a>, these discoveries indicate that relatives of arrow worms were first to dominate the seas.  These worms were building sophisticated food webs several million years before other predator groups arose.</p>



<p>Each fossil is a story of ancient hunger, with fossil stomach contents revealing these meter-long beasts dined on heavily armored arthropods regularly, cementing their place as the ocean's first apex predators.</p>



<p>-----</p>



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">New York is the site of the world's oldest forest.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-385-million-year-old-trees-discovered">385-million-year-old trees discovered</h2>



<p>Scientists have uncovered something extraordinary just two hours north of New York City. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-oldest-forest-discovered-close-to-new-york-city/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">world's oldest forest</a>, dating back 385 million years, offers a window into how Earth's first complex forests shaped our planet's atmosphere.</p>



<p>Located near <a href="https://townofcairo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cairo, New York</a>, in Greene County, these weren't merely primitive plants struggling to survive. These were sophisticated trees with root systems remarkably similar to modern forests. This ancient woodland predates dinosaurs by 140 million years.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-cairo-forest-discovery">The Cairo forest discovery</h2>



<p>385 million years ago, upstate New York was a tropical paradise near the equator. Thanks to continental drift, this ancient forest has traveled thousands of miles to its current location.</p>



<p>The fossil forest sits in an abandoned quarry, roughly half the size of a football field. This represents just a slice of what was likely a massive forest system stretching from New York into Pennsylvania.</p>



<p>Charles Ver Straeten, curator of sedimentary rocks at the <a href="https://www.nysm.nysed.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York State Museum</a>, made the discovery in 2009. While scouting the former highway department property, his trained eye spotted wandering patterns in the stone that looked like marine features.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-age-and-preservation">Revolutionary age and preservation</h2>



<p>The site contains 385-million-year-old rocks with fossilized woody roots forming horizontal patterns up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) wide. As Christopher Berry, a paleobotanist at Cardiff University, explains: "You are walking through the roots of ancient trees."</p>



<p>This discovery pushes back advanced tree evolution by millions of years. The research, published in <em><a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a></em> in December 2019, fundamentally changes our understanding of when complex forests first emerged.</p>



<p>Researchers believe a massive flood buried the forest floor, creating perfect fossilization conditions. Over millions of years, sediment hardened into rock, preserving these root patterns like nature's time capsule.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meet-archaeopteris-the-first-modern-tree">Meet <em>Archaeopteris</em>: the first modern tree</h2>



<p>The star of this ancient forest is <em>Archaeopteris</em> – not to be confused with the feathered dinosaur <em>Archaeopteryx</em>. This tree was far older and more revolutionary.</p>



<p>William Stein from <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Binghamton University</a> describes the roots as "strikingly modern, essentially what you'd see outside in my yard right now." These weren't simple root systems you'd expect from ancient plants.</p>



<p>Some fossilized roots are six inches (15 centimeters) in diameter, forming 36-foot-wide (11-meter) patterns. These giants grew up to 65 feet (20 meters) tall with five-foot-diameter (1.5-meter) trunks.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-changing-impact">Climate-changing impact</h2>



<p>These trees fundamentally changed Earth's environment. Kevin Boyce, a Stanford University geoscientist, explains how their deep roots triggered "weathering," chemical reactions that pulled carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.</p>



<p>This process dropped atmospheric CO2 levels from 10-15 times higher than today to roughly modern concentrations. These ancient trees helped create atmospheric conditions that made complex life possible.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-forest-ecosystem">Ancient forest ecosystem</h2>



<p>The forest was remarkably diverse. Scientists identified <em>Eospermatopteris</em>, palm tree-like plants with short roots that reached 30 feet (9 meters) tall but lacked woody structure. The forest also housed cladoxylopsids and a mysterious third species still being studied.</p>



<p>All reproduced through spores rather than seeds – millions of years before seeds evolved. This tropical environment had no grass, flowers, or flying insects, just towering trees creating Earth's first complex forest canopy.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientific-significance">Scientific significance</h2>



<p>Before this finding, the Gilboa forest, located 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, held the "oldest forest" title. Cairo's trees are 2-3 million years older, showing that complex forest ecosystems developed much faster than scientists believed possible.</p>



<p>Patricia Gensel, a <a href="https://www.unc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of North Carolina</a> paleobotanist, notes: "The size of those root systems is really changing the picture. Even 20 years ago, researchers assumed trees with such complex root systems didn't evolve so early."</p>



<p>The Cairo site presents three unique root systems, suggesting Devonian period forests were diverse ecosystems with different trees occupying different environmental niches, much like today's forests.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-preservation-efforts">Modern preservation efforts</h2>



<p>In 2022, New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey secured a $170,000 grant for the town of Cairo to construct specialized fencing around the fossil forest site. The town plans to conduct a feasibility study exploring the possibility of creating an educational center and working lab on-site.</p>



<p>Joe Hasenkopf, chair of the Cairo Planning Board, hopes to partner with educational institutions to create a research facility serving scientists, students, and the public.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-for-today-s-climate">Lessons for today's climate</h2>



<p>Why does a 385-million-year-old forest matter today? It shows how dramatically forests can change Earth's climate. These ancient woodlands created the atmospheric conditions supporting complex life.</p>



<p>Understanding how prehistoric forests transformed the planet helps us appreciate modern forests' critical role in addressing climate change. Forests remain Earth's most effective carbon capture systems.</p>



<p>These prehistoric trees changed Earth's atmosphere by pulling massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the air. As we face modern climate challenges, this ancient forest reminds us of trees' incredible power to transform our planet's environment.</p>



<p>The next time you walk through a forest, remember you're experiencing an ecosystem whose blueprint was established 385 million years ago in upstate New York. These ancient pioneers didn't just survive – they thrived and changed the world forever.</p>



<p>The full study was published in the journal <em>Current Biology</em>.</p>



<p>-----</p>



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<p>-----</p>

Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ New York is the site of the world's oldest...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Veg4HmmRVZY
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Our bodies hits two 'aging cliffs' at these ages.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientists-map-exact-ages-when-your-body-rapidly-ages">Scientists Map Exact Ages When Your Body Rapidly Ages</h2>



<p>Scientists have <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-bodies-begin-breaking-down-two-very-precise-ages/#google_vignette">discovered that aging</a> isn't the gradual, steady process many assume it to be. Instead, researchers from Stanford Medicine have found that our bodies undergo dramatic molecular changes at two specific ages: 44 and 60. This research, published in Nature Aging, reveals that aging happens in sudden bursts rather than smooth transitions.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-two-waves-of-rapid-aging">Two waves of rapid aging</h2>



<p>The Stanford study tracked over 135,000 different molecules and microbes in 108 participants aged 25 to 75 over several years. Results showed that 81% of all molecules studied exhibited non-linear changes, meaning they shifted dramatically at certain ages rather than changing gradually over time.</p>



<p>Michael Snyder, chair of genetics at Stanford School of Medicine and the study's senior author, noted significant findings. "We're not just changing gradually over time; there are some really dramatic changes. It turns out the mid-40s is a time of dramatic change, as is the early 60s. And that's true no matter what class of molecules you look at."</p>



<p>The first wave of changes occurs around age 44, affecting molecules related to alcohol metabolism, caffeine processing, lipid <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/age-related-changes-in-metabolism-dont-match-our-expectations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">metabolism</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heart-disease-remains-the-leading-cause-of-death-worldwide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cardiovascular disease</a>, and skin and muscle function. The second wave hits around age 60, involving changes in carbohydrate metabolism, immune regulation, kidney function, and again cardiovascular and muscle health.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happens-during-these-aging-bursts">What happens during these aging bursts</h2>



<p>During the mid-40s transformation, researchers observed significant changes in how the body processes alcohol and fats. This period often coincides with increased stress levels in many people's lives, potentially contributing to lifestyle factors that accelerate these molecular shifts.</p>



<p>"It's possible some of these changes could be tied to lifestyle or behavioral factors that cluster at these age groups, rather than being driven by biological factors," Snyder explained. For instance, alcohol metabolism dysfunction might result from increased consumption during the typically stressful mid-40s period.</p>



<p>The changes at age 60 are perhaps less surprising, as this is when many age-related diseases begin to manifest more prominently. The molecular shifts affect immune function and kidney health, both critical for maintaining overall wellness as we enter our senior years.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-latest-research-confirms-aging-patterns">Latest research confirms aging patterns</h2>



<p>Recent 2025 studies have validated these findings. Research examining tissue samples from 76 people found similar aging patterns, noting an "inflection point" between ages 45 and 55.</p>



<p>Scientists discovered that blood vessels, particularly the aorta, age fastest among all body tissues. This vascular aging may drive aging in other body parts, highlighting cardiovascular health's central role in the aging process.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cellular-changes-and-microbiome-shifts">Cellular changes and microbiome shifts</h2>



<p>The Stanford research revealed that these aging bursts affect our microbiome – the trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi living in and on our bodies. These microbial communities undergo substantial shifts during both aging periods, potentially affecting everything from digestion to immune function.</p>



<p>Additionally, researchers found that protein production and gene expression begin to fall out of sync as we age. This breakdown in cellular communication becomes especially pronounced during the two aging waves, contributing to the accumulation of damaged proteins associated with diseases such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alzheimers-may-not-be-brain-disorder-important-data-was-fabricated/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alzheimer's</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-health-implications-and-longevity-considerations">Health implications and longevity considerations</h2>



<p>Understanding these aging patterns has important implications for healthcare strategies. Research suggests that people should pay particular attention to their health during their 40s and 60s, when these dramatic molecular changes occur.</p>



<p>Snyder emphasized the importance of proactive health measures. "I'm a big believer that we should try to adjust our lifestyles while we're still healthy," he noted. This might include increasing exercise to protect heart health and maintain muscle mass, or reducing alcohol consumption in the 40s as the body's ability to metabolize it declines.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-approaches-to-anti-aging-treatment">New approaches to anti-aging treatment</h2>



<p>Aging research has seen notable advances in 2025. Harvard Medical School scientists developed chemical cocktails that reverse cellular aging without genetic modification. These six combinations restored aged cells to youthfulness in under a week, offering safer alternatives to gene therapy.</p>



<p>Researchers identified new biomarkers like "InflammAge," a saliva-based test measuring chronic inflammation associated with aging. This non-invasive approach could change how we monitor aging and intervention.</p>



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



<p>Emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, cellular reprogramming, and senolytic therapies, are opening new possibilities for extending healthspan. Companies develop treatments targeting aging's fundamental mechanisms rather than just managing age-related diseases.</p>



<p>The Stanford findings provide a roadmap for implementing preventive measures. Rather than waiting for symptoms, people can prepare for and potentially mitigate these predictable aging waves.</p>



<p>As aging understanding evolves, one thing becomes clear: aging isn't inevitable decline, but specific biological events we may learn to prevent or reverse. The key is recognizing when these transitions occur and taking proactive health steps during vulnerable periods.</p>



<p>The study was published in the journal <em><a href="https://www.nature.com/nataging" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Aging</a></em>.</p>



<p>-----</p>



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<p>-----</p>

Scientists discover we age in bursts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Veg4HmmRVZY Our bodies hits two 'aging cliffs' at these ages....

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqlF0XKzHY4
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The hidden science behind tickling.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientists-discover-the-brain-s-tickling-command-center">Scientists discover the brain's 'tickling command center'</h2>



<p>Researchers have finally solved one of humanity's most enduring mysteries: why we can't <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/after-centuries-of-debate-we-still-dont-know-how-tickling-works/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tickle</a> ourselves and what makes some people incredibly ticklish while others barely react? Recent scientific discoveries are revolutionizing our understanding of this peculiar human behavior.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-breakthrough-discovery-in-the-brain">Breakthrough discovery in the brain</h2>



<p>In 2023, Dr. Michael Brecht's team at <a href="https://www.hu-berlin.de/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humboldt University</a>-<a href="https://www.hu-berlin.de/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Berlin</a> made a major discovery published in the <a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(22)01991-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">journal <em>Neuron</em></a>. They identified the brain's actual "tickling command center" – specific neurons in a region called the periaqueductal gray that control both tickling responses and play behavior.</p>



<p>When researchers used cutting-edge optogenetic technology to shut down these neurons in laboratory rats, something remarkable happened. The animals completely lost their ability to be tickled or engage in playful behavior.</p>



<p>"We found that global blockade of the rat periaqueductal gray with either muscimol or lidocaine interfered with ticklishness and play," the research team reported in their study.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-two-types-of-tickling-revealed">Two types of tickling revealed</h2>



<p>What we call "tickling" is two completely different phenomena, according to the latest research. Light tickling – that feathery sensation that makes you want to scratch – is essentially your body's sophisticated bug detection system. This alerts you to potential insects or parasites on your skin.</p>



<p>Deep tickling – the kind that makes you laugh uncontrollably – involves complex brain circuits and is fundamentally social. You literally cannot tickle yourself with this type of stimulation.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-self-tickling-is-impossible">Why self-tickling is impossible</h2>



<p>Your cerebellum acts like a prediction machine, recent findings show. When you move your own hand to touch yourself, your brain generates precise predictions about what you will feel and then cancels out the tickling sensation through neural inhibition.</p>



<p>When someone else tickles you, your brain can't predict their movements, so the full tickling response activates. It's like your brain's way of distinguishing between self and others.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-individual-differences-explained">Individual differences explained</h2>



<p>Individual differences in ticklishness depend on genetics, psychology, and even trust. Dr. Xinzhong Dong at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Johns Hopkins University</a> notes that people with denser nerve endings tend to be more sensitive.</p>



<p>Psychological factors matter just as much. You respond more strongly when tickled by people you trust, and anxiety completely shuts down tickling responses. This explains why the same physical stimulus can produce completely different reactions depending on who's doing the tickling.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-controlling-your-ticklishness">Controlling your ticklishness</h2>



<p>Science offers answers for controlling your ticklishness. You can reduce tickling sensitivity through systematic desensitization – gradual exposure in controlled settings.</p>



<p>Dr. Konstantina Kilteni's 2025 research, published in <em><a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adt0350" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a></em>, reveals another technique: place your hand on the tickler's hand. This allows your brain to partially predict the sensations, reducing the tickling response by up to 90 percent.</p>



<p>"Your brain is essentially learning to override its own reflexes," Kilteni explained in her review of tickling research.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolutionary-purpose-discovered">Evolutionary purpose discovered</h2>



<p>From an evolutionary perspective, tickling serves vital functions according to <a href="https://www.umd.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Maryland</a> researcher Dr. Robert Provine's extensive studies. It trains our defense reflexes for vulnerable body areas and facilitates social bonding between family members.</p>



<p>Tickling-induced laughter is actually one of the first forms of communication between infants and caregivers. "Tickle involves a neurological self/nonself discrimination, providing the most primitive social scenario," Provine noted in his research.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clinical-applications-emerge">Clinical applications emerge</h2>



<p>Research shows people with autism spectrum disorder perceive touches as more ticklish than people without the condition. Investigating this difference could provide insight into brain differences and help advance autism research.</p>



<p>People with schizophrenia tend to experience self-touches similarly to external tickles, allowing them to essentially tickle themselves. This suggests altered sensory prediction mechanisms in the condition.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-animal-research-reveals-universal-nature">Animal research reveals universal nature</h2>



<p>Scientists have discovered that many species beyond humans are ticklish. Rats emit ultrasonic "laughs" when tickled, while chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans all respond to tickling stimulation.</p>



<p>This widespread occurrence across species suggests that tickling serves fundamental biological and social functions that evolved long before humans developed complex language and culture.</p>



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



<p>Dr. Kilteni argues that tickling research deserves more scientific attention. "It is a complex interplay of motor, social, neurological, developmental, and evolutionary aspects," she stated in her recent review.</p>



<p>New haptic technologies and advanced research methodologies now permit scientists to investigate tickle sensation with unprecedented precision. Standardized experimental methods using mechanical tickling devices ensure consistent results across studies.</p>



<p>Recent findings published in <em>Science Advances</em> show that tickling research is opening new doors in neuroscience, potentially leading to a better understanding of social behavior, sensory processing, and neurological conditions.</p>



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Scientists solve the mystery of tickling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqlF0XKzHY4 The hidden science behind tickling. Scientists discover the brain's...


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