Today’s Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features a clear view of a stunning stellar nursery captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.



Captured in extraordinary detail, Webb’s latest image shows not a mountain range, but a wall of cosmic dust sculpted by fierce radiation and winds. 



This landscape looks tranquil from a distance, yet it is a turbulent region where giant stars shape their surroundings and new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/star-formation-reignited-in-the-galaxy-leo-p-after-billions-of-years/">stars</a> continue to form.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-vibrant-stellar-nursery-nbsp">A vibrant stellar nursery&nbsp;</h2>



The universe is far from static. Clouds of gas and dust collapse, stars ignite, and entire regions blaze with fresh energy. One such place is the Lobster Nebula, sitting about 5,500 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius.&nbsp;



At its core lies Pismis 24, a vibrant cluster filled with some of the hottest, youngest stars ever seen.&nbsp;



Pismis 24-1 was once thought to be a single behemoth. It has since been revealed to be at least two stars, weighing in at 74 and 66 times the mass of the Sun.&nbsp;



Even separated, they rank among the most massive and luminous stars known. Their combined brilliance dominates the cluster, carving out surrounding gas and dust while igniting new rounds of star birth in their wake.&nbsp;



Nearby stars, some almost eight times hotter than the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-our-sun-is-unusually-calm-and-what-that-means-for-earth/">Sun</a>, pour out streams of scorching energy. These powerful forces hollow out cavities in the nebula, sweep up dense ridges of material, and create striking spires that stretch across light-years of space.



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



Webb used its infrared vision to peer past veils of dust that once obscured regions like this. The <a href="https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/09/Glittering_glimpse_of_star_birth#msdynmkt_trackingcontext=c429878b-a758-4049-b2e4-1f4b83910300" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">image</a>, captured by the telescope’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), reveals thousands of stars scattered across the scene. 



The most brilliant ones, marked with six-pointed diffraction spikes, are the cluster’s largest members. Smaller stars, tinted white, yellow, or red depending on their type and the dust around them, fill in the tapestry.&nbsp;



Behind them, tens of thousands more stars belonging to the Milky Way shine through, giving a sense of the cluster’s place within our galaxy.



The tallest spire in the image stretches some 5.4 light-years from base to tip. Its width is immense - wide enough to fit more than 200 solar systems laid end to end, each extending out to Neptune’s orbit.&nbsp;



These structures are not permanent. Radiation and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/silent-storms-experts-identify-the-mysterious-source-of-solar-wind/">stellar winds</a> gnaw at their edges, compressing pockets of gas until new stars ignite deep inside them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-colors-that-tell-a-story">Colors that tell a story</h2>



The Webb image isn’t just striking - it carries information coded in color. Cyan traces ionized hydrogen gas, heated to extremes by the cluster’s massive stars. Orange represents fine dust grains, made of molecules similar to smoke on Earth. 



“Red signifies cooler, denser molecular hydrogen. The darker the red, the denser the gas. Black denotes the densest gas, which is not emitting light. The wispy white features are dust and gas that are scattering starlight,” noted <a href="https://www.esa.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>.



These colors reveal how stars interact with their surroundings. They show where winds are strongest, where new stars are forming, and where raw material is being stripped away.&nbsp;



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



Studying clusters like Pismis 24 helps scientists answer long-standing questions about the birth of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massive-stars-shape-planetary-systems-like-ours-with-ultraviolet-radiation/">massive stars</a>. 



These giants are rare, short-lived, and shape their galaxies more than smaller stars ever could. Their radiation and explosions seed space with heavy elements that later become planets, atmospheres, and even life.&nbsp;



Yet the earliest years of star clusters remain difficult to observe because they form deep within thick clouds of dust.



That is where Webb’s sharp infrared vision makes all the difference. By cutting through the obscuring layers, it exposes the full story of how stars as large as Pismis 24-1 grow, interact, and ultimately transform their environment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stellar-nursery-in-the-lobster-nebula-nbsp">Stellar nursery in the Lobster Nebula&nbsp;</h2>



Massive stars influence everything around them. They trigger new waves of star formation while also tearing regions apart. Their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dead-stars-reveal-the-hidden-physics-of-the-universe/">deaths</a> in violent supernovae scatter elements like carbon, oxygen, and iron - the building blocks of rocky planets and living organisms. 



Understanding the origins of massive stars isn’t just about distant astronomy. It connects directly to how our own Sun and solar system came to be.



The Lobster Nebula is one of the nearest and most accessible sites where this process is happening on a grand scale. By studying it, researchers gain rare insight into a stage of cosmic evolution that set the stage for countless solar systems across the galaxy.



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI



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Sparkling stellar nursery in the Lobster Nebula

Today’s Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features a clear view of a stunning stellar nursery captured by the James Webb Space Telescope. Captured in extraordinary detail, Webb’s latest image shows not a mountain range, but a wall of cosmic dust sculpted by fierce radiation and winds. This landscape looks tranquil from a distance, yet it is a turbulent region where giant stars shape their surroundings and new stars continue to form. A vibrant stellar nursery&nbsp; The universe is far...

Today's Image of the Day from the James Webb Space Telescope features the planetary nebula NGC 6072, located about 3,200 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius.&nbsp;



The nebula was formed from the outer layers of a dying star and shaped by complex interactions that likely involved a hidden companion star.



When stars like our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/widest-high-resolution-photo-of-the-sun-ever-captured-solar-orbiter/">Sun</a> reach the end of their lives, they don’t go quietly. They erupt - slowly, over thousands of years - shedding their outer layers into space and creating glowing shells of gas and dust called planetary nebulae.&nbsp;



These dramatic displays are not only visually striking but also packed with information about how stars live and die. Thanks to NASA’s <a href="https://webbtelescope.org/contents/news-releases/2025/news-2025-124.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">James Webb Space Telescope</a>, astronomers are now getting a much closer look at stellar life cycles in remarkable detail.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-not-your-typical-nebula">Not your typical nebula</h2>



NGC 6072 doesn’t look like the neat, symmetrical nebula that many might imagine. Instead, Webb’s image shows what looks like a cosmic splatter painting: a tangled web of gas, dust, and glowing rings shooting out in different directions.



While some planetary nebulae are spherical or have two clear lobes - what astronomers call "bipolar" shapes - this one breaks the mold. Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) reveals that NGC 6072 is “multi-polar,” with at least three separate lobes extending in different directions.&nbsp;



One pair stretches from roughly 11 o’clock to 5 o’clock, another from 1 to 7, and possibly a third from 12 to 6. It’s like watching a fountain spew in several directions all at once.



These lobes likely didn’t form by chance. Instead, astronomers think they’re being sculpted by the powerful influence of a second star orbiting the one that’s dying.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-partner-in-the-chaos">A partner in the chaos</h2>



The idea of a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/red-supergiant-star-betelgeuse-has-a-companion-finally-found-after-100-years/">companion star</a> adds a layer of complexity to the story. The star at the center of NGC 6072 is nearing the final stages of its life and shedding its outer layers - a common fate for low- to intermediate-mass stars like the Sun. But when there’s a second star nearby, things can get messy.



Astronomers believe that this companion is interacting with the main star’s ejecta, shaping the outflows and possibly compressing material into a disk that appears perpendicular to the lobes. Webb’s high-resolution data suggests this dynamic duo is responsible for NGC 6072’s odd shape.



The central area has a light blue glow in near-infrared light, showing the hot core that remains. Dark orange wisps of gas and dust curve around it, interrupted by deep blue openings.&nbsp;



These shapes may have been carved out by fast stellar winds blowing through the earlier, slower-moving halo of gas the star expelled long ago.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mysterious-rings-of-ngc-6072">Mysterious rings of NGC 6072</h2>



In the mid-infrared view from Webb’s <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/mid-infrared-instrument-miri/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MIRI instrument</a>, the picture becomes even more intriguing. One tiny pinkish-white dot, likely the main star, sits at the center, surrounded by a faint bullseye of concentric rings. These rings hint at a story that spans thousands of years.



One explanation is that the orbiting companion star may have carved out these rings as it passed through the outer layers of the primary star’s expanding envelope, leaving behind a pattern much like ripples in a pond.&nbsp;



Another possibility is that the main star itself may have gone through pulsations, shedding material in evenly spaced intervals, each separated by millennia.



The red areas in the near-infrared and blue areas in the mid-infrared both highlight cold molecular gas - most likely molecular hydrogen.&nbsp;



Closer to the center, astronomers see hot, ionized gas glowing brightly. This layered combination of temperatures and gases offers insight into how the star has evolved over time and what forces are at work.



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



Eventually, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/six-rogue-worlds-discovered-inside-a-young-star-forming-nebula/">nebula</a> will fade. The hot central core will cool and shrink into a white dwarf, and the glowing gas will disperse into the interstellar medium. But it doesn’t just vanish. That material - now enriched with heavier elements forged inside the star - will go on to seed future <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/hubble-captures-a-stunning-stellar-nursery/">stars</a>, planets, and maybe even life.



This is part of a larger cosmic cycle, and NGC 6072 is helping scientists understand it better. The fact that it doesn’t follow a simple, symmetrical pattern is actually a big deal.&nbsp;



The more astronomers study these oddly shaped nebulae, the more they can learn about the role of companion stars, stellar winds, and other forces in shaping the final acts of stellar life.



Astronomers studying NGC 6072 with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thousands-of-galaxies-revealed-in-a-single-webb-image/">Webb</a> want to learn more about the full life cycle of stars and how they impact their surrounding environments. That includes understanding how stars lose up to 80 percent of their mass in these final stages and how that material gets recycled into the universe.



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI



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What we can learn from dying stars and their stunning light shows

Today's Image of the Day from the James Webb Space...

Earthquake survivors built a new city in Haiti. Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features Haiti, where displaced survivors of a 2010 earthquake built a new city called Canaan.

In the year after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake destroyed parts of Port-au-Prince, the capital city's population dropped by about half a million people.

Around 200,000 earthquake victims moved a few miles to the northeast and developed what is now Haiti’s third largest city, Canaan. Earthquake survivors built a new city in Haiti

The island was originally inhabited by the indigenous <a title="Taíno" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ta%C3%ADno">Taíno</a> people, who migrated from South America. The first Europeans arrived on 5 December 1492 during the <a title="Christopher Columbus" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus#First_voyage">first voyage</a> of <a title="Christopher Columbus" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus">Christopher Columbus</a>, who initially believed he had found <a title="India" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India">India</a> or <a title="China" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China">China</a>. Columbus subsequently founded the first European settlement in the Americas, <a title="La Navidad" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Navidad">La Navidad</a>, on what is now the northeastern coast of Haiti. The island was claimed by <a title="Spanish Empire" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Empire">Spain</a> and named La Española, forming part of the <a title="Spanish Empire" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Empire">Spanish Empire</a> until the early 17th century. However, competing claims and settlements by the French led to the western portion of the island being <a title="Peace of Ryswick" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_of_Ryswick">ceded to France</a> in 1697, which was subsequently named Saint-Domingue. French colonists established lucrative <a title="Sugarcane" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugarcane">sugarcane</a> <a title="Sugar plantations in the Caribbean" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_plantations_in_the_Caribbean">plantations</a>, worked by vast numbers of slaves brought from Africa, which made the colony one of the richest in the world.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: NASA

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Earthquake survivors built a new city in Haiti

Earthquake survivors built a new city in Haiti. Today's Image...

Lake Skadar on the Balkan Peninsula. Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features Lake Skadar, the largest lake on the Balkan Peninsula.

Located on the border of Montenegro and Albania, Lake Skadar is a karst lake that receives most of its water from the Morača river. 

The surrounding Dinaric Alps are made up of erodible rocks such as limestone.

The swirling dark and light sediments visible in the lake have been transported in from higher elevations through snow melt and mountain runoff.

The concept of the Balkan Peninsula was created by the German geographer <a title="August Zeune" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_Zeune">August Zeune</a> in 1808,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balkans#cite_note-Tomic2006-6">[6]</a> who mistakenly considered the Balkan Mountains the dominant mountain system of Southeast Europe spanning from the Adriatic Sea to the Black Sea. The term Balkan Peninsula was a synonym for <a title="Rumelia" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumelia">Rumelia</a> in the 19th century, the provinces of the <a title="Ottoman Empire" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman_Empire">Ottoman Empire</a> in <a title="Southeast Europe" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeast_Europe">Southeast Europe</a>. It had a geopolitical rather than a geographical definition, which was further promoted during the creation of the <a title="Kingdom of Yugoslavia" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Yugoslavia">Kingdom of Yugoslavia</a> in the early 20th century. The definition of the Balkan Peninsula's natural borders do not coincide with the technical definition of a peninsula; hence modern geographers reject the idea of a Balkan peninsula, while scholars[<a class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:Clarity" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Clarity">of what?</a>] usually discuss the Balkans as a region. The term has acquired a stigmatized and pejorative meaning related

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: NASA

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Lake Skadar on the Balkan Peninsula

Lake Skadar on the Balkan Peninsula. Today's Image of the...

Warm weather triggers a landslide in Alaska. Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> shows the aftermath of a landslide on Yudi Peak, a mountain near Anchorage, Alaska.
The month of May brought a blast of early summer temperatures to the region.

According to University of Sheffield landslide watcher Dave Petley, a type of landslide that occurs along multiple planes, known as a "wedge failure," sent rocky debris sliding down the mountain at some point in early May. 

Warm weather triggers a landslide in Alaska. The image was captured on May 13, 2020 by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8. Alaska is by far the <a title="List of U.S. states and territories by area" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_area">largest U.S. state</a> by area, comprising more total area than the next three largest states <a title="Texas" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas">Texas</a>, California, and <a title="Montana" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montana">Montana</a> combined, and the seventh-largest subnational division in the world. It is the third-least populous and the most sparsely populated state, but by far the continent's most populous territory located mostly north of the <a title="60th parallel north" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/60th_parallel_north">60th parallel</a>, with an estimated population of 738,432 as of 2015—more than quadruple the combined populations of Northern Canada and <a title="Greenland" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenland">Greenland</a>.Approximately half of Alaska's residents live within the Anchorage metropolitan area. The state capital of <a title="Juneau, Alaska" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juneau,_Alaska">Juneau</a> is the second-largest city in the United States by area, comprising more territory than the states of <a title="Rhode Island" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhode_Island">Rhode Island</a> and <a title="Delaware" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delaware">Delaware</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: NASA

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Warm weather triggers a landslide in Alaska

Warm weather triggers a landslide in Alaska. Today's Image of...

Hainan Island in China Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features Hainan Island in China with a massive storm cloud lingering above.

Professor Paul Markowski of Pennsylvania State University said the cloud is a cumulonimbus cloud, which is associated with thunderstorms and heavy precipitation. 

The photo was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=nasa&amp;cvid=09ce5a90ea344b5b89a8b04229ac323a&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59j0l6.918j0j9&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">NASA’s</a> Aqua satellite on May 11, 2020. China (Chinese: 中国; pinyin: Zhōngguó; lit. 'Central State; Middle Kingdom'), officially the People's Republic of China (Chinese: 中华人民共和国; pinyin: Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó; PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population of more than 1.4 billion. It borders 14 countries, the second most of any country in the world, after Russia. Covering an area of approximately 9.6 million square kilometers (3.7 million mi ), it is the world's third or fourth-largest country. The country is officially divided into 23 provinces, five autonomous regions, and four direct-controlled municipalities of Beijing (the capital city), Tianjin, Shanghai (the largest city), and Chongqing, as well as two special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau.

China was one of the world's foremost economic powers for most of the two millennia from the 1st until the 19th century. For millennia, China's political system was based on absolute hereditary monarchies, or dynasties, beginning with the Xia dynasty in 21st century BCE. Since then, China has expanded, fractured, and re-unified numerous times. In the 3rd century BCE, the Qin reunited core China and established the first Chinese empire. The succeeding Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE) saw some of the most advanced technology at that time, including papermaking and the compass

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: NASA

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Hainan Island in China

Hainan Island in China Today's Image of the Day from...

Smoke plume towers over Anak Krakatau. Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features a burst of activity from the Indonesian volcano Anak Krakatau, with a smoke plume towering over the peak.

The volcano has experienced more than 50 known eruption periods in the last 2,000 years. 

"The location of the plume suggests that it is volcanic in origin,” said Verity Flower, a USRA volcanologist based at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

Based on the color of the plume, Flower believes it is composed of mainly water vapor and gas. These reflective particles make a plume appear white. 

"Anak Krakatau volcano has displayed these small eruptive bursts periodically through the last few years,” said Flower. “However, it can also display more destructive activity such as tsunami-triggering eruptions.” Krakatoa, or Krakatau (Indonesian: Krakatau), is a caldera in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra in the Indonesian province of Lampung. The caldera is part of a volcanic island group (Krakatoa Archipelago) comprising four islands: two of which, Lang and Verlaten, are remnants of a previous volcanic edifice destroyed in eruptions long before the famous 1883 eruption; another, Rakata, is the remnant of a much larger island destroyed in the 1883 eruption.

The image was captured by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 on April 13, 2020.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: NASA

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Smoke plume towers over Anak Krakatau

Smoke plume towers over Anak Krakatau. Today's Image of the...

The Rud-e-Gaz and Rud-e-Hara rivers. Today's Image of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> a remote area in southern Iran that includes the Rud-e-Gaz and Rud-e-Hara rivers.

The river wetlands and deltas have a variety of tidal mudflats, creeks, saltmarshes, mangroves, sandbanks and offshore islands.

The region is an important site for wintering waterbirds.

Iranians have used their rivers to allow for the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/irrigated-farms-cooling-temperatures/">irrigation</a> of their agricultural lands since ancient times. Modern dams on the Ab-e Dez, Karkheh, Karun, Sefid Rud, and other rivers provide irrigation to ever larger agricultural regions. Also they generate hydroelectricity for the countries steel companies, oil refineries, power plants and other industries. The Karun River is Iran's only permanently navigable waterway, and it has been an important commercial waterway ever since oil was discovered in the region. The Sefid Rud and Diyala River Valleys are also important trade routes. The <a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-longest-rivers-in-iran.html">Sefid</a> Rud River is notable for its massive quantities of fish, especially sturgeon and Caspian trout.

Many Biblical scholars believe that the Karun River was one of the four rivers of the Garden of Eden. Archaeological evidence confirms that this area was an important area for early human hunter-gatherers, as well as groups of Neanderthals,Deltas of Rud-e-Gaz &amp; Rud-e-Hara. 23/06/75; Bandar-e Abbas; 15,000 ha; 26°40'N 057°20'E. An extensive complex of tidal mudflats, creeks, saltmarshes, mangroves, sandbanks and offshore islands at the mouth of two rivers. A remote area with sparse human population and an extremely arid, low-lying hinterland. The site is important for wintering waterbirds. Ramsar site no. 52. Most recent RIS information: 1997.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: ESA

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The Rud-e-Gaz and Rud-e-Hara rivers

The Rud-e-Gaz and Rud-e-Hara rivers. Today's Image of the Day...

The foothills of the Andes mountains. Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a> features the foothills of the Andes mountains near the southern coast of Peru.

The Andes are spread out over about 7,000 kilometers from Venezuela down South America’s west coast to the top of Argentina. The foothills of the Andes mountains

The mountain range was formed by a process called subduction when the Nazca and Antarctic tectonic plates shifted underneath the South American plate.

The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (<a title="Spanish language" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_language">Spanish</a>: Cordillera de los Andes) are the <a title="List of mountain ranges" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mountain_ranges#By_length">longest</a> <a title="Continental crust" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_crust">continental</a> <a title="Mountain range" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_range">mountain range</a> in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is 7,000 km (4,300 mi) long, 200 to 700 km (120 to 430 mi) wide (widest between <a title="18th parallel south" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/18th_parallel_south">18° south</a> and <a title="20th parallel south" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_parallel_south">20° south</a> <a title="Latitude" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latitude">latitude</a>), and has an average height of about 4,000 m (13,000 ft). The Andes extend from north to south through seven South American countries: <a title="Venezuela" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuela">Venezuela</a>, <a title="Colombia" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombia">Colombia</a>, <a title="Ecuador" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecuador">Ecuador</a>, <a title="Peru" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peru">Peru</a>, <a title="Bolivia" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolivia">Bolivia</a>, <a title="Chile" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chile">Chile</a>, and <a title="Argentina" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentina">Argentina</a>.

Along their length, the Andes are split into several ranges, separated by intermediate <a title="Depression (geology)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depression_(geology)">depressions</a>. The Andes are the location of several high <a title="Plateau" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plateau">plateaus</a> – some of which host major cities such as <a title="Quito" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quito">Quito</a>, <a title="Bogotá" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bogot%C3%A1">Bogotá</a>, <a title="Cali" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cali">Cali</a>, <a title="Arequipa" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arequipa">Arequipa</a>, <a title="Medellín" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medell%C3%ADn">Medellín</a>, <a title="Bucaramanga" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucaramanga">Bucaramanga</a>, <a title="Sucre" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sucre">Sucre</a>, <a title="Mérida, Mérida" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A9rida,_M%C3%A9rida">Mérida</a> and <a title="La Paz" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Paz">La Paz</a>. The <a title="Altiplano" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altiplano">Altiplano plateau</a> is the world's second-highest after the <a class="mw-redirect" title="Tibetan plateau" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_plateau">Tibetan plateau</a>. These ranges are in turn grouped into three major divisions based on climate: the <a title="Tropical Andes" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_Andes">Tropical Andes</a>, the <a title="Dry Andes" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_Andes">Dry Andes</a>, and the <a title="Wet Andes" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wet_Andes">Wet Andes</a>.

&nbsp;

---The Andes Mountains are the highest mountain range outside Asia. The highest mountain outside Asia, Argentina's Mount <a title="Aconcagua" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aconcagua">Aconcagua</a>, rises to an elevation of about 6,961 m (22,838 ft) above sea level. The <a class="mw-redirect" title="Summit (topography)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summit_(topography)">peak</a> of <a class="mw-redirect" title="Chimborazo (volcano)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimborazo_(volcano)">Chimborazo</a> in the Ecuadorian Andes is farther from the Earth's center than any other location on the Earth's surface, due to the <a title="Equatorial bulge" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equatorial_bulge">equatorial bulge</a> resulting from the <a title="Earth's rotation" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth%27s_rotation">Earth's rotation</a>. The world's highest <a title="Volcano" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcano">volcanoes</a> are in the Andes, including <a title="Ojos del Salado" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ojos_del_Salado">Ojos del Salado</a> on the Chile-Argentina border, which rises to 6,893 m (22,615 ft).

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: NASA

&nbsp;

The foothills of the Andes mountains

The foothills of the Andes mountains. Today's Image of the...

Arcachon Bay in southwestern France. Today's Image of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Arcachon Bay on the southwest coast of France.

Visible in the center of the photograph, the Dune of Pyla is the tallest sand dune in Europe with a height of about 110 meters.

This enormous dune is constantly being pushed further inland by wind and tides. Arcachon Bay in southwestern France

According to the ESA, an estimated 60,000,000 cubic meters of sand spills from the Dune of Pyla into the nearby pine forest each year.

France , is a country consisting of <a title="Metropolitan France" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_France">metropolitan France</a> in <a title="Western Europe" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Europe">Western Europe</a> and <a title="Overseas France" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_France">several overseas regions and territories</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France#cite_note-twelve-22">[XIII]</a> The metropolitan area of France extends from the <a title="Mediterranean Sea" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_Sea">Mediterranean Sea</a> to the <a title="English Channel" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Channel">English Channel</a> and the <a title="North Sea" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Sea">North Sea</a>, and from the <a title="Rhine" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhine">Rhine</a> to the Atlantic Ocean. It borders <a title="Belgium" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgium">Belgium</a>, <a title="Luxembourg" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxembourg">Luxembourg</a> and <a title="Germany" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany">Germany</a> to the northeast, <a title="Switzerland" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switzerland">Switzerland</a>, <a title="Monaco" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monaco">Monaco</a>, and <a title="Italy" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy">Italy</a> to the east, and <a title="Andorra" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andorra">Andorra</a> and <a title="Spain" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain">Spain</a> to the south. The overseas territories include <a title="French Guiana" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Guiana">French Guiana</a> in South America and several islands in the Atlantic, <a title="Pacific Ocean" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Ocean">Pacific</a> and <a title="Indian Ocean" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Ocean">Indian</a> oceans. The country's <a title="Regions of France" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regions_of_France">18 integral regions</a> (five of which are situated overseas) span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres (248,573 sq mi) and a total population of 67.07 million (as of May 2020).<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France#cite_note-23">[10]</a> France is a <a title="Unitary state" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitary_state">unitary</a> <a title="Semi-presidential system" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-presidential_system">semi-presidential</a> <a title="Republic" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic">republic</a> with its capital in <a title="Paris" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris">Paris</a>, the country's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre. Other major <a title="Urban area (France)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_area_(France)">urban areas</a> include <a title="Lyon" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyon">Lyon</a>, <a title="Marseille" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marseille">Marseille</a>, <a title="Toulouse" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toulouse">Toulouse</a>, <a title="Bordeaux" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bordeaux">Bordeaux</a>, <a title="Lille" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lille">Lille</a> and <a title="Nice" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nice">Nice</a>. France, including its overseas territories, has the most <a title="Time zone" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_zone">time zones</a> of any country, with a total of 12.

During the <a title="Iron Age" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Age">Iron Age</a>, what is now metropolitan France was inha

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Video Credit: ESA

&nbsp;

Arcachon Bay in southwestern France

Arcachon Bay in southwestern France. Today's Image of the Day...

A nationally representative, wearables-based study has tracked Americans who said they did not do structured exercise. It found that short energy bursts - a median of just 1.1 minutes per day of brief, vigorous effort - was linked with a lower risk of death over roughly seven years.



The pattern was simple. People who racked up about five or six energy bursts per day, each usually around 10 seconds and all under one minute, tended to fare better than those who did none.



This work was led by Emmanuel Stamatakis at the <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Sydney</a>. The team focused on vigorous activity, meaning effort that makes breathing hard and raises heart rate clearly for short spans.



Researchers looked at death from any cause. The curve of benefit rose quickly at low amounts, then flattened, which means the biggest change showed up when going from zero to a little. 



That is important for people who find it hard to schedule <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-can-slow-aging-right-down-to-your-dna/">workouts</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-study-was-done">How the study was done</h2>



The sample came from <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NHANES</a> (the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey), a long-running U.S. program that links health records with device-measured movement. 



Participants wore a wrist accelerometer - a sensor that records motion dozens of times per second - for about a week.



The authors studied what they call Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity (<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/2807734" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">VILPA</a>). 



That is the short, sharp effort that happens during normal life, like a very fast walk uphill, a quick run to catch a bus, or carrying heavy items up stairs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-short-energy-bursts-mean">What short energy bursts mean</h2>



Two findings stood out. First, daily time VILPA showed a near-linear link with lower risk, and the median of 1.1 minutes per day corresponded to a hazard ratio of about 0.61 in models that accounted for many other factors. 



Second, doing roughly five to six short bursts per day captured most of the observed benefit in this group.



“VILPA is a bit like applying the principles of High <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-feels-better-when-its-matched-to-your-personality/">Intensity</a> Interval Training to your everyday life," Stamatakis explained. 



"We need to further investigate this link through robust trials, but it appears that VILPA may be a promising, cost free recommendation for lowering cancer risk in people who find structured exercise difficult or unappealing."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-comparing-with-other-studies">Comparing with other studies</h2>



Earlier U.K. Biobank <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-022-02100-x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">research</a> reported that a sample median of 4.4 minutes per day of VILPA was associated with noticeably lower risks of all cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality. 



The U.S. study’s median dose is smaller, which may reflect differences in age, fitness, or baseline activity.



Cancer findings from the U.K. Biobank add useful context. 



A 2023 <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/2807734" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">analysis</a> of non-exercisers found that about 4.5 minutes per day of VILPA was linked to lower incident cancer risk, with the steepest gains when moving from none to a little.



A hazard ratio compares rates of an outcome between groups over time. Values below 1.0 indicate a lower rate in the more active group, values above 1.0 indicate a higher rate, and the confidence interval shows the range of uncertainty.



These numbers do not prove that short energy bursts caused the lower risk. They show a strong association after adjusting for many measured factors, which is informative for public health while we wait for further trials.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-energy-bursts-and-health">Energy bursts and health</h2>



Only about one quarter of U.S. adults meet both aerobic and strength targets, notes a CDC <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db443.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">report</a>. 



Finding health linked to very short, vigorous effort embedded in daily life could help reach people who are not hitting those goals.



The signal shows up at low doses. That matters because many people cite time, cost, or access as barriers to regular exercise.



The U.S. cohort’s median VILPA time was just over a minute per day, and the median burst count was about five per day. 



Most bursts lasted around 10 seconds, which aligns with the way people actually move when life gets busy.



The dose-response curve rose quickly at first, then flattened around eight bursts per day in this dataset. That pattern supports the idea that small, repeatable effort may offer a meaningful step up from doing none.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-energy-bursts-and-future-health">Energy bursts and future health</h2>



Wearable sensors let scientists capture movement in 10-second windows, which makes it possible to study these micro patterns. That is a big advance over older surveys that missed very short efforts.



Future trials need to test whether nudging VILPA upward changes health markers directly. Those tests could use prompts during chores, commuting, or short work breaks.



This was an observational analysis, so unmeasured differences could still explain part of the link. People who feel better might move more, and some health risks are hard to measure perfectly at baseline.



Device limits matter too. Wrist sensors can misread certain tasks, and any single week of tracking may not reflect a person’s full year of movement.



Public health groups already say that all <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/one-form-of-exercise-is-shown-to-improve-sleep-the-most-according-to-studies/">movement</a> counts. VILPA adds a sharp, practical edge to that message by focusing on brief, intense efforts that do not require special gear or set times.



If ongoing work shows cause and effect, simple cues could help people add a handful of short energy bursts to tasks they already do. 



That kind of shift would be especially useful for those who do not visit gyms or prefer not to schedule workouts.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.05.25333017v1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">medRxiv</a>.



-----



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Just one minute of this exercise every day can literally add years to your life, says a new study

A nationally representative, wearables-based study has tracked Americans who said...

A new study reports microbial DNA preserved inside woolly and steppe mammoth remains that are older than one million years. The team shows that some bacteria were living with these animals while they were alive, not just invading after death.



Researchers analyzed DNA from 483 specimens and sequenced 440 of them for the first time. From a steppe mammoth that lived about 1.1 million years ago, they even pieced together parts of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microbes-buried-for-millions-of-years-may-guide-search-for-alien-life/">bacterial</a> genomes that once infected or inhabited the animal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-microbes-in-mammoths">Ancient microbes in mammoths</h2>



The work was led by Benjamin Guinet, a postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Palaeogenetics in Stockholm (<a href="https://palaeogenetics.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CPG</a>). The Centre is a collaboration between Stockholm University and the Swedish Museum of Natural History (<a href="https://www.nrm.se/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NRM</a>).



"Our results push the study of microbial DNA back beyond a million years, opening up new possibilities to explore how host-associated microbes evolved in parallel with their hosts," said Guinet. 



The project involved an international team of experts working across multiple collections and labs.



The researchers used strict lab protocols, computational filters, and DNA damage checks to separate life stage <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microbes-found-alive-sealed-inside-rock-after-2-billion-years/">microbes</a> from postmortem contaminants. That approach helped them focus on organisms that were likely part of the mammoth’s own internal community.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-inside-mammoth-dna">Inside mammoth DNA</h2>



The scientists kept finding the same six types of bacteria in mammoth remains from different times and places, including close relatives of Actinobacillus, Pasteurella, Streptococcus, and Erysipelothrix. 



This pattern suggests that these microbes had a long history with mammoths, sticking with them through environmental changes and population shifts.



The scientists distinguished host-associated microbes, meaning those living in or on a host while it was alive, from environmental bacteria that entered after burial. 



They used metagenomics, a method that reads all DNA in a sample at once, then identified ancient damage patterns to authenticate the oldest material.



From the 1.1 million year steppe mammoth, the team reconstructed partial genomes of Erysipelothrix that likely came from an infection during life. This is the oldest authenticated host-associated microbial DNA ever reported, and it extends the range for studying ancient host <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microbes-aquificales-discovered-in-hot-springs-breathe-oxygen-and-sulfur-at-same-time/">microbe</a> interactions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-ancient-microbes-matter">Why ancient microbes matter</h2>



This result builds on earlier work that recovered genome scale data from mammoth teeth more than one million years old, demonstrating that DNA can survive when conditions are right. 



The previous <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03224-9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">research</a> established methods and expectations for data quality at this extreme age.



Ancient DNA is fragile and breaks into tiny pieces, and chemical changes accumulate over time. By tracking these signatures, scientists can tell ancient sequences from modern contamination and avoid false signals.



"As microbes evolve fast, obtaining reliable DNA data across more than a million years was like following a trail that kept rewriting itself," said study senior author Tom van der Valk.



"Our findings show that ancient remains can preserve biological insights far beyond the host genome, offering us perspectives on how microbes influenced adaptation, disease, and extinction in Pleistocene ecosystems."



The Pleistocene was a period from about 2.6 million years ago to 11,700 years ago that included repeated ice ages.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-microbes-linked-to-mammoth-health">Microbes linked to mammoth health</h2>



One bacterium in the dataset is closely related to a Pasteurella species implicated in lethal outbreaks among African elephants. That connection is supported by a 2023 <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37880229/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">paper</a> that identified a Pasteurella relative as the likely cause of fatal septicemia in elephants in Zimbabwe.



The new study reports several putative <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2646308/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">virulence factors</a>, which are gene features tied to disease-causing ability, in some clades. The authors are careful about cause and effect because ancient DNA is incomplete and infections leave mixed traces.



Erysipelothrix is also known to sicken Arctic wildlife today, including muskoxen during unusual mortality events. That pattern has been documented in a Canadian Veterinary <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4431149/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal</a> that found Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae associated with widespread deaths in the Canadian Arctic.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mammoth-survival-and-microbes">Mammoth survival and microbes</h2>



Microbes that stayed with mammoths for hundreds of thousands of years hint at stable <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/breathing-without-oxygen-how-ancient-microbes-powered-early-life/">relationships</a> shaped by diet, climate, and social behavior. The persistence of these lineages across far flung regions points to deep coevolution.



The last woolly mammoths survived on Wrangel Island until about 4,000 years ago, long after mainland populations vanished. Genetic work on that relict group links their late survival to small population size and accumulating harmful mutations.



"This work opens a new chapter in understanding the biology of extinct species. Not only can we study the genomes of mammoths themselves, but we can now begin to explore the microbial communities that lived inside them," said Love Dalén, professor of evolutionary genomics at the CPG. 



Ultimately, the data help connect health, ecology, and extinction risks in a single picture.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-this-research-can-go-next">Where this research can go next</h2>



Reconstructing ancient microbiomes can help set baselines for living elephant microbiomes. That matters because health, diet, and stress are all reflected in the microbiome, the community of microbes that live in and on an organism.



Ancient pathogen signals can also clarify whether outbreaks played a role in population declines. Learning which bacteria carried disease associated genes in the past could inform surveillance and treatment strategies for modern elephants.



Finally, the same tools can be applied to other Ice Age species to test whether long-lived microbial partners were the rule rather than the exception. Careful sampling, clean labs, and independent checks will keep new claims on firm ground.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/abstract/S0092-8674(25)00917-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cell</a>.



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Million year-old mammoth microbes reveal new clues about disease

A new study reports microbial DNA preserved inside woolly and...

Spaceflight isn’t just tough on muscles and bones. It appears to age the very cells that keep blood and the immune system functioning.



Researchers at the University of California San Diego’s <a href="https://stemcellprogram.ucsd.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sanford Stem Cell Institute</a> report that human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) show clear signs of accelerated aging after weeks aboard the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-20-years-of-space-station-research-means-for-life-on-earth/">International Space Station</a>.



The cells lost some of their capacity to produce healthy new blood cells, accumulated <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/everyday-dna-damage-requires-constant-repair-by-cells-to-prevent-disease/">DNA damage</a>, and displayed shortening at the ends of their chromosomes - classic markers of cellular aging.



“Space is the ultimate stress test for the human body,” said senior author Catriona Jamieson, the institute’s director. “These findings are critically important because they show that the stressors of space - like microgravity and cosmic galactic radiation - can accelerate the molecular aging of blood stem cells.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-focus-on-stem-cells">New focus on stem cells</h2>



NASA’s landmark Twins Study, which followed astronaut Scott Kelly during his year in orbit while his twin, Mark, remained on Earth, hinted that spaceflight can alter immune function and telomere length. 



Many changes reversed after landing, but some persisted, raising concerns for longer missions. The scientists took that story deeper, homing in on the cells that seed the blood and<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/space-travel-weakens-astronauts-immune-system-similar-aging/"> immune systems</a>. 



The research dovetails with the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/general/space-omice-and-medical-atlas-soma-package/">Space Omics and Medical Atlas</a> effort, which mapped wide-ranging biological changes in space, but goes further by uncovering the mechanisms of stem cell aging at the cellular and molecular levels.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-space-labs-track-cellular-aging">Space labs track cellular aging</h2>



To watch HSPCs respond in real time, the team flew automated, AI-guided “nanobioreactor” systems on four SpaceX resupply missions.



These miniaturized platforms - developed with <a href="https://spacetango.com/">Space Tango</a> - kept human stem cells alive and dividing in microgravity while persistent microscopy and onboard analytics tracked their behavior.



In some cases, cells spent 32 to 45 days in orbit, long enough to reveal how space conditions reshape their biology.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-microgravity-accelerates-cellular-stress">Microgravity accelerates cellular stress</h2>



The picture that emerged is one of overdrive and wear. Blood-forming stem and progenitor cells typically cycle between bursts of work and periods of rest that protect their long-term potential.



In microgravity, the cells became hyperactive, burning through their reserves and losing that restful “quiescent” state that preserves regenerative capacity. 



Their ability to generate healthy progeny declined. Molecular scars piled up in several ways: DNA damage increased, telomeres trended shorter, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/first-map-of-the-brains-mitochondria-may-explain-cognitive-decline/">mitochondria</a> sent stress signals. Together, these signs suggested the cells' energy systems were under strain.



The team also saw signs that normally silent stretches of the genome flickered on under stress - a loss of stability that can disrupt immune function and raise the risk of disease. 



As Jamieson put it, understanding these changes “not only informs how we protect astronauts during long-duration missions but also helps us model human aging and diseases like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/walking-each-day-at-any-speed-lowers-the-risk-of-cancer/">cancer</a> here on Earth.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-echoes-of-space-cellular-aging-on-earth">Echoes of space cellular aging on Earth</h2>



HSPCs sit at the root of the blood and immune tree. If they falter, the branches above - red cells, platelets, multiple layers of immune defenders - grow weaker. 



For crews headed to the Moon, Mars, or extended stays in commercial space stations, the risks include greater vulnerability to infection. They may also face slower wound healing and long-term health problems after returning home.



The findings also feed a broader scientific question: what exactly pushes cells to age? <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microgravity-causes-big-problems-with-human-gene-expression/">Microgravity,</a> radiation, circadian disruption, and isolation are an extreme blend of stressors not easily reproduced on Earth.



As a result, space becomes a powerful testbed for uncovering which stress pathways push stem cells toward decline. The insights gained could guide therapies for age-related disorders and cancers linked to malfunctioning stem and progenitor cells.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-some-damage-can-be-undone">Some damage can be undone</h2>



One encouraging result stands out. When space-exposed HSPCs were returned to a young, healthy environment on Earth, some of the damage began to unwind. 



Telomere dynamics stabilized, stress markers ebbed, and functional capacity improved.



That rebound suggests the changes aren’t a one-way street. With the right countermeasures - drugs, gene-based strategies, metabolic supports, or tailored exercise and sleep regimens - stem cells might stay healthier during flight and recover more effectively afterward.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-aging-linked-to-stress-signals">Aging linked to stress signals</h2>



The team’s real-time imaging and biosensing pointed to a chain reaction familiar in aging biology. Mitochondrial distress can flood cells with reactive molecules, which in turn damage DNA and trigger repair responses.



To compensate, cells sometimes activate normally quiet genomic elements and pivot into pro-inflammatory states that accelerate wear and tear. 



In the confined world of a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stem-cell-therapy-improves-brain-activity-after-stroke/">stem cell</a>, where balance is everything, that cascade appears to push HSPCs to churn rather than conserve - a costly strategy if it continues for months.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scaling-up-stem-cell-research">Scaling up stem cell research</h2>



Space Tango’s CubeLab hardware made the experiments possible by pairing persistent microscopy with a controlled microenvironment in orbit.



“Coupling Space Tango's CubeLab capabilities, specifically the persistent microscopy, has enabled this work and will continue to do so in the future,” said company co-founder Twyman Clements.



The Sanford Stem Cell Institute has already flown 17 missions to the ISS and plans more, including astronaut-based studies that can align cellular readouts with clinical changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-earth-research-benefits-from-orbit">Earth research benefits from orbit</h2>



“Space experiments are so complex that they force you to do better science on the ground,” Jamieson said.



Paradoxically, the hard constraints of orbital research - limited sample sizes, no second chances, strict automation - drive innovations in imaging, analytics, and experimental design that later simplify Earth-bound studies.



As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-nasa-plans-to-keep-people-in-space-after-the-iss-is-gone/">commercial spaceflight</a> expands and long-duration missions move from concept to countdown, this kind of precision biology will be essential. If we want humanity to go farther, we’ll need our stem cells to stay younger, longer - and studies like this one are showing how.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-stem-cell/fulltext/S1934-5909(25)00270-X">Cell Stem Cell.</a>



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Space accelerates cellular aging in astronauts

Spaceflight isn’t just tough on muscles and bones. It appears...

Archaeologists opened a 2,600-year-old Etruscan tomb near San Giuliano, Italy, and found it had remained intact. The chamber survived untouched through centuries of looting that emptied many nearby graves.



Inside lay four people on carved stone beds, surrounded by more than 100 grave goods like pottery, weapons, bronze ornaments, and delicate silver hair spools. 



The site sits about 43 miles (70 kilometers) northwest of Rome in the ancient necropolis of San Giuliano.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-this-etruscan-tomb-matters">Why this Etruscan tomb matters</h2>



The excavation was directed by Davide Zori, associate professor at <a href="https://www.baylor.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Baylor University</a>, working with the San Giuliano Archaeological Research Project (<a href="https://www.sgarp.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SGARP</a>) and Italian heritage partners. 



His team used modern methods to document every layer and object before anything was moved.



Most tombs in the area were looted long ago, so this sealed chamber preserves context that is normally lost. Context lets scientists connect items to the people who used them and the exact places they rested.



Cataloging has already identified at least 74 ceramic vessels, almost all intact. Textile traces still clung to a bronze fibula, which is rare and useful for studying ancient fabrics.



“This completely sealed burial chamber represents a rare find for Etruscan archaeology. In the internal hilly region of central Italy, where the SGARP team works, a preserved <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mass-grave-vienna-discovery-tells-the-story-of-a-forgotten-defeat-by-the-roman-empire/">chamber</a> tomb of this age has never before been excavated with modern archaeological techniques,” said Zori.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-the-etruscans-left-in-the-tomb">What the Etruscans left in the tomb</h2>



The Etruscans shaped central Italy before the Roman Republic and passed on ideas that later became part of Roman culture. Their cities traded widely, and their art and religious practices influenced neighbors near and far.



House-like tombs carved into volcanic rock are a hallmark of Etruscan funerary <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/359799677_Connections_in_Death_Etruscan_Tomb_Architecture_c_800-400_bc" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">architecture</a> at sites such as Caere. Many tomb interiors echo domestic spaces with carved beds, benches, and decorated walls.



Graves often held ceramics for food and drink, personal ornaments, weapons, and tools. These items help researchers infer social roles, diet, and networks of exchange.



San Giuliano is well known for the variety of tomb types carved into its cliffs. That range is <a href="https://www.parchilazio.it/marturanum-schede-194-necropoli_di_s_giuliano" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">documented</a> by the regional park.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-san-giuliano-fits-into-history">Where San Giuliano fits into history</h2>



San Giuliano sits within Marturanum Park, a landscape with layers of human activity from the Bronze Age to the Middle Ages. The plateau overlooks ravines that sheltered roads, farms, and burial grounds.



Scholars with SGARP have studied how this area changed from an Etruscan urban center to a medieval stronghold. Their multi-year fieldwork is summarized in a 2018 <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/from-etruscan-urban-centre-to-medieval-fortified-village-san-giuliano-archaeological-research-project/4822C8FC7248063D7B2F4143EC771388" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>.



Etruscan communities thrived for centuries before Rome expanded. By the first century B.C., Etruria was absorbed into the Roman state, which reshaped local institutions and daily life.



Archaeologists value San Giuliano because its tombs and settlement remains show both continuity and change across that long timeline. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/egyptian-pharaohs-long-lost-tomb-located-after-3500-years/">Finds</a> from sealed contexts add reliable points to that historical map.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-scientists-will-study-the-tomb">How scientists will study the tomb</h2>



Researchers recorded the chamber using careful photography, mapping, and notes, before removing any objects. This approach preserves relationships among artifacts and bones for later analysis.



The team will study the skeletons for age, sex, health, and signs of stress or disease. Analysts can also sample teeth and bones for isotopic signatures to investigate <a href="https://www.earth.com/search-results/?search=isotopes">diet</a> and mobility across a lifetime.



Objects will undergo material and residue studies to see how people used them and where they came from. The layout on the stone beds may reveal roles within the group and the order of the burials.



“The SGARP team has completed the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/archaeologists-find-a-luxurious-4000-year-old-tomb-for-a-teenager-with-gold-jewelry-and-mysterious-seals/">excavation</a> of the tomb, but the study and analysis of the archaeological data yielded by this incredible discovery is just beginning,” said Zori. Work in the lab will build on the field data to test new questions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-students-and-community-at-the-center">Students and community at the center</h2>



Undergraduate and graduate students helped with every step, from preparing the trench to cleaning ceramics in the lab. Field schools like this train the next generation while adding real data to scholarship.



Local residents visited the lab to see the vases and other items as they were cataloged. That kind of open door work builds trust and protects sites by making the science visible.



Partnerships with museums and officials help ensure that conservation comes first. Collaboration also streamlines permits and security so teams can focus on research.



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



Bioarchaeologists will test whether the four individuals were related by family. Genetic and dental evidence can point to kinship and migration patterns.



Ceramics and metals will be compared with known workshops to map trade routes. Differences in style or clay recipes may show ties across central Italy and beyond.



Weapon types and personal ornaments can speak to identity and status. Small details like wear marks and repairs add stories of daily use.



All of this is possible because the chamber stayed sealed. A complete context makes each result stronger and easier to interpret.



Photo credits: <a href="https://art.artsandsciences.baylor.edu/person/jerolyn-e-morrison-phd" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jerolyn Morrinson</a>.



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Scientists opened a tomb sealed for 2,600 years and found more than 100 intact artifacts

Archaeologists opened a 2,600-year-old Etruscan tomb near San Giuliano, Italy,...

For millennia, the ocean has fed, protected, and inspired us. Yet a new forecast from UC Santa Barbara’s National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) shows our cumulative footprint is accelerating toward a dangerous threshold.



The research is stark: virtually every stretch of ocean is on track to experience higher pressure. The tropics and poles will see the fastest changes, with coastlines bearing the worst of it.



“Our cumulative impact on the oceans, which is already substantial, is going to double by 2050,” said marine ecologist Ben Halpern, who led the study. “It’s sobering, and it’s unexpected. Not because impacts will be increasing - that is not surprising - but because they will be increasing so much, so fast.”



The team’s analysis blends the many forces now bearing down on marine ecosystems - from ocean warming and acidification to fisheries biomass loss, nutrient pollution, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-much-did-sea-levels-rise-after-the-last-ice-age-alarming-new-clues-revealed/">sea level rise</a> - into a single global forecast.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forecasting-future-ocean-impacts">Forecasting future ocean impacts</h2>



Halpern and colleagues helped launch this field nearly two decades ago. Their landmark 2008 map, which combined 17 global datasets, showed no part of the ocean untouched by human influence. 



Researchers also discovered that 41 percent of marine waters were already heavily impacted. That work answered “where we are.” The new study answers “where we’re headed” and extends that synthesis into the future to reveal the pace and pattern of change.



Two forces loom largest in the projections: rising temperatures and the depletion of fish biomass. Warmer waters reorganize food webs, shift species ranges, and fuel marine heatwaves; depleted stocks reduce ecological resilience, making communities less able to absorb other stressors.



Together, they drive a large share of the projected increase in cumulative impact. The researchers argue, the high level of future pressures may exceed the capacity of ecosystems to cope with environmental change. This could have knock-on consequences for people.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hotspots-of-ocean-stress">Hotspots of ocean stress</h2>



The model highlights particular urgency at the climatic margins. Tropical seas will see rapidly increasing rates of impact, compounding vulnerabilities for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/super-corals-could-help-reefs-survive-a-warming-world/">coral reefs</a>, mangroves, and the communities that depend on them.



At the other end of the spectrum, polar regions - already warming faster than the global average - will absorb even more pressure. This threatens food webs that anchor iconic wildlife and Indigenous livelihoods.



Coastal zones emerge as the most at-risk places of all. That may sound predictable - most human uses of the ocean cluster near shore - but it is a worrisome result nonetheless. 



Coasts are exactly where people derive the most value from the sea: fisheries, tourism, recreation, storm protection, and cultural identity.rism, recreation, storm protection, and cultural identity.



Projections show that many nations with high dependence on ocean resources will face substantial increases in cumulative impacts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-management-offers-hope">Management offers hope</h2>



The future is not fixed. Because warming and biomass loss account for so much of the projected pressure, policies that curb <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/2023-climate-change-report-record-high-temperatures-greenhouse-gases-sea-level-rise/">greenhouse gas emissions</a> and strengthen fisheries management can make a meaningful difference.



Better harvest rules, rebuilding plans, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-device-reduces-shark-bycatch-by-electrifying-the-bait/">bycatch</a> reduction, and protected areas can help fish populations recover, which in turn bolsters ecosystem resilience. On the climate front, faster mitigation reduces the heat the ocean must absorb - and the biological stress that follows.



The <a href="https://www.nceas.ucsb.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NCEAS</a> team also points to triage: prioritizing management where it will defend the most vulnerable and valuable habitats.



Salt marshes and mangroves, for example, buffer coasts from storms, store carbon, and nurture fisheries. Safeguarding and restoring them can reduce multiple risks at once.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-oceans-shaped-by-choices">Oceans shaped by choices</h2>



“Being able to look into the future is a super powerful planning tool,” Halpern said. The point of a forecast is not to declare defeat but to buy time and sharpen choices.



With an estimate of how and where cumulative pressures will climb, governments, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marine-protected-areas-improve-well-being-in-coastal-communities/">coastal communities</a>, and industries can plan infrastructure, fisheries, conservation, and climate adaptation with far better odds of success.



The message is clear: the ocean’s vastness is no longer a shield. The pressures we have placed on it are compounding and converging, and without decisive action, they will double within a generation.



“We can still alter that future; this paper is a warning, not a prescription,” Halpern said. The choice now is whether to treat it that way - and act while there is still time to change the curve.



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adv2906" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>. 



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Human impacts will overwhelm our oceans by the mid-century

For millennia, the ocean has fed, protected, and inspired us....

<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=WXXGGiynIjs
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Greenland is not sinking. In fact, it is the opposite.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-contrasting-climate-response">A contrasting climate response</h2>



Most coastal towns are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sinking-land-will-intensify-the-effects-of-rising-sea-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">preparing for higher sea levels</a>, but <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenland-no-longer-has-to-worry-about-rising-sea-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Greenland presents</a> a different scenario during climate change. The ground there is rising at a remarkable rate. Over the past decade, some areas have lifted about 20 centimeters, which translates to roughly 2 meters per century. This rate significantly exceeds current projections for sea level rise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-geological-rebound-process-through-climate-change">Geological rebound process through climate change</h2>



The mechanism behind this phenomenon is straightforward. As the ice sheet melts, the immense weight is removed from the bedrock, causing the land to rebound upward. This process resembles the way compressed material springs back when pressure is released.



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



Researchers at the <a href="https://www.dtu.dk/english/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Technical University of Denmark</a> are documenting this uplift using the GNET network, consisting of 61 GPS stations positioned around Greenland's coast. These sensors can detect movement with millimeter precision, providing detailed measurements of the ongoing changes.



The data reveal that current uplift rates exceed the gradual rebound occurring since the last ice age ended approximately 12,000 years ago. This acceleration corresponds directly with increased ice sheet melting rates.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coastal-transformation">Coastal Transformation</h2>



This uplift is actively reshaping Greenland's coastline. New islands and rocky formations, called "skerries," are emerging as previously submerged land surfaces rise above the water level. This represents a notable contrast to global concerns about rising seas.



The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, demonstrates the varied regional impacts of climate change. While many locations face rising water levels, Greenland's bedrock is literally rising above the surrounding seas.



The full study was recently published in <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2023GL104851" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.



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Greenland's ground rises while coasts worldwide face higher seas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXXGGiynIjs Greenland is not sinking. In fact, it is the...

<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=DSM3EVeGHJU
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Companies like MindStudio help companies train their employees to implement the latest AI Agent building platform.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ai-agent-training-transforms-the-workplace-fear-factor-into-a-competitive-advantage">AI agent training transforms the workplace 'fear factor' into a competitive advantage</h2>



Organizations that offer comprehensive artificial intelligence training to their workers find remarkable value that extends well beyond basic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mind-wandering-might-be-more-productive-than-you-think/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">productivity improvements</a>. Emerging research demonstrates that carefully crafted AI training programs <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-does-not-replace-human-creativity-but-enhances-it/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">enhance</a> corporate performance, lower operational costs, and dramatically improve employee psychological well-being by turning workplace uncertainty into professional empowerment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-addressing-the-widespread-ai-anxiety-crisis-among-us">Addressing the widespread 'AI anxiety' crisis among us</h2>



A staggering 53% of employees expressed concern that the use of AI tools to automate work tasks could make them appear disposable to their employers, according to <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Microsoft</a>'s 2024 workplace survey. Such pervasive worry about being substituted by machines has caused what researchers have termed "AI technostress" – a psychological state that can result in occupational burnout and poorer mental well-being.



Data published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/palcomms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humanities and Social Sciences Communications</a> showed that belief in AI learning ability was a moderator in the link between technology adoption and work pressure, and higher confidence significantly lowered negative psychological responses. Workers provided ample training to become competent with AI software have significantly lower stress.



Companies like <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MindStudio</a> have platforms for building what are known as "AI Agents". In essence, AI Agents are simply tools that employees can build for themselves or their teams quickly and inexpensively. MindStudio will even train entire companies, from the CEO on down, at no cost. By letting MindStudio empower employees, companies avoid hiring more IT staff, buying more software, and implementing solutions to problems that do not exist.



MindStudio even has partners locally for companies, like <a href="http://www.dominnus.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dominnus</a> with offices in the Carolinas, California, and Denver, to help build AI Agents and support employees as they become resident AI experts for their organization. The training provided by MindStudio is applicable across other AI Agent building platforms as well.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-productivity-through-focused-learning">Revolutionary productivity through focused learning</h2>



Organizations that implement large-scale AI training programs achieve dramatic outcomes. Employees performed tasks significantly better when they utilized AI support compared to when they didn't, according to <a href="https://www.nngroup.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nielsen Norman Group</a> research findings. Their study documented productivity increases of 66% for a variety of professional tasks.



Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis research finds workers record 33% higher productivity in time working with generative AI tools. The benefit is equivalent to 5.4% of work time savings for AI users – around 2.2 hours per week for full-time workers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-psychological-well-being-benefits-through-ai-competence">Psychological well-being benefits through AI competence</h2>



The emotional transformation when employees are provided with proper technology training is a fundamental transformation from fear to professional confidence. A survey of 600 employees across industries, carried out by ScienceDirect, proved that AI capabilities strengthen work environment commitment and improve job satisfaction.



A <a href="https://www.lut.fi/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LUT University</a> study discovered that AI adoption has no direct effect on workers' well-being but does so indirectly through working conditions like task optimization and safety protocols. Strategically deployed AI that involves correct training can actually increase workplace mental well-being.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-replacement-anxiety-to-partnership-confidence">From 'replacement anxiety' to 'partnership confidence'</h2>



Although 35% of those interviewed in recent McKinsey studies were concerned about workforce displacement, firms with large-scale training initiatives witness such fears dissipate quickly. The World Economic Forum found that two out of three respondents believe AI competencies will enhance their career prospects and job marketability.



This shift from fear to trust has measurable implications for job satisfaction. Applied Sciences research indicates AI can create tailored wellness programs based on individual employee requirements.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-financial-benefits-of-increased-retention">Financial benefits of increased retention</h2>



The mental health advantages of AI learning have a direct impact on organizational bottom lines in the form of a positive feedback cycle with high retention of employees. Recent ROI research validates that artificial intelligence learning has a beneficial impact on employee turnover and satisfaction levels.



PriceWaterhouseCoopers' research documents 20% to 30% improvements in productivity, market speed, and revenue in organizations that attempt systematic AI adoption through comprehensive training.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-environmental-advantages-of-ai-enabled-teams">Environmental advantages of AI-enabled teams</h2>



AI training has unforeseen environmental benefits as it makes the work environment more efficient. According to a study in Scientific Reports, the carbon footprint in writing and illustrating work is significantly lower when AI performs it compared to humans. AI software produces 130 to 1,500 times less CO2 equivalent per page of text created than human authors.



In addition, AI-driven remote work functionality significantly reduces environmental impact. Research by Cornell University and Microsoft indicates that remote workers reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 54% by not commuting daily to offices. Hybrid workers working remotely two to four days a week can reduce their carbon footprint by 11% to 29%.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cumulative-organizational-advantages">Cumulative organizational advantages</h2>



The compounding gains of better mental well-being, reduced turnover, increased productivity, and environmental benefits flow to enterprises from the pairing. McKinsey analysis estimates the long-term AI potential at $4.4 trillion in incremental productivity growth opportunity from business use cases.



As of now, 75% of knowledge workers globally utilize generative AI, mirroring widespread adoption patterns. Organizations that provide organized training and assistance see the most favorable results in productivity, worker satisfaction, and ecological sustainability.



The research overwhelmingly indicates that companies that invest in proper AI education, like that offered through <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MindStudio</a>, establish win-win scenarios where employees are both more empowered and less stressed, and companies enjoy the gains of increased productivity, reduced turnover, and improved mental health outcomes throughout their workforce.



For more on MindStudio's free AI training for companies, visit the website's of MindStudio and Dominnus from the links below.



The research was published across a variety of peer-reviewed journals, including <a href="https://www.nature.com/palcomms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humanities and Social Sciences Communications</a>, <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence</a>, and <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci">Applied Sciences</a>.



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MindStudio.AI: <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.mindstudio.ai</a>



Dominnus: <a href="https://www.dominnus.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.dominnus.com</a>

AI agent training boosts mental health and profits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSM3EVeGHJU Companies like MindStudio help companies train their employees to...

<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=0HDXqTGEmi4
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Scientists give plants superpowers against bacterial disease</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-natural-solution-to-disease-through-crop-modification">A natural solution to disease through crop modification.</h2>



The agricultural industry stands at a crossroads between productivity and environmental responsibility, and crop modification often carries a negative connotation. While chemical pesticides have long been the go-to solution for crop protection, their harmful effects on ecosystems and human health have prompted scientists to seek alternatives. The recent breakthrough by <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Southampton</a> researchers offers a promising path forward through the precise manipulation of plant-associated microbial communities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-science-behind-microbial-partnerships">The science behind microbial partnerships</h2>



Plants naturally harbor diverse ecosystems of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms that function as biological allies. These microscopic partners contribute to disease resistance, nutrient absorption, and stress tolerance. However, until now, scientists lacked the tools to deliberately reshape these communities to enhance crop protection.



The Southampton team's approach centered on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/engineered-plant-microbiomes-the-future-of-crop-protection/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">modifying lignin biosynthesis genes in rice plants</a>. This strategic intervention altered the plant's metabolic output, creating conditions that favored beneficial bacterial populations while suppressing harmful ones. The result was a living defense system embedded within the plant itself.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-global-food-security">Implications for global food security</h2>



The successful demonstration against Xanthomonas oryzae, the pathogen responsible for bacterial blight in rice, represents more than a laboratory achievement. Rice feeds nearly half the world's population, and bacterial blight causes devastating crop losses annually. Traditional control methods rely heavily on pesticides that contaminate soil and water systems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-beyond-disease-resistance">Looking Beyond Disease Resistance</h2>



While disease protection represents the immediate application, the research framework opens doors to broader agricultural improvements. Future developments could engineer microbiomes to enhance nutrient uptake, reducing dependence on synthetic fertilizers. This dual benefit addresses both crop productivity and environmental sustainability.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-path-forward">The path forward</h2>



As this technology advances from laboratory to field applications, it promises to reshape sustainable agriculture. The ability to program plants with their own biological defense systems could herald a new era where crops protect themselves naturally, reducing chemical inputs while maintaining yields necessary for global food security.



The study is published in the journal&nbsp;<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-44335-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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