Young aspen trees in Yellowstone are doing something they have not done in almost 100 years. Rather than sprouting and being eaten back to nubs by elk and bison, they're actually growing into tall, adult forest trees rising up towards the canopy.



This matters more than it might seem, because it shows what happens when a missing piece of an ecosystem returns.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-yellowstone-aspens-and-elk">Yellowstone, aspens, and elk</h2>



In the 1920s, people <a href="https://www.yellowstone.org/wolf-project/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eliminated wolves in Yellowstone</a>. At the time, with limited scientific knowledge, managers believed it was the right thing to do.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/from-wolves-to-dogs-did-domestication-begin-without-human-help/">Without wolves</a>, elk herds grew very large. Elk love to eat aspen shoots - the tender young growth is highly palatable to them.



For roughly 70 years, elk browsed aspen sprouts down to stub height, and the trees couldn't grow. 



If you had walked through Yellowstone in the 1980s, you would have seen many tiny aspen shoots covering the ground, but almost no young trees gaining height. 



The forest's regeneration was stalled. Old trees died, and no new ones replaced them.



In 1995 and 1996, park managers reintroduced wolves into the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/yellowstone-supervolcano-eruption-study-sparks-new-debate-on-where-and-when-it-will-erupt/">Yellowstone Park ecosystem</a>. Scientists hoped and wondered whether this would change anything for the trees.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-aspen-matter-to-yellowstone">Why aspen matter to Yellowstone</h2>



Aspen groves provide habitat for many species. Birds nest in them. Beavers eat the bark and use the wood for dams. Butterflies and moths lay eggs on the leaves. 



Their canopy admits enough light for wildflowers and shrubs to grow beneath. When it rains, aspen groves hold water in the soil better than some other forest types.



In short, when aspen return, dozens of other species benefit. More trees support more insects, which in turn support more birds, enriching the ecosystem.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-checking-the-trees-three-decades-later">Checking the trees three decades later</h2>



<a href="https://fwcs.oregonstate.edu/users/luke-painter" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Luke Painter</a>, an ecologist at <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Oregon State University</a>, sought clear answers. His team returned to 87 aspen stands across Yellowstone that scientists had previously surveyed. 



They measured thousands of young trees, looked for bite marks, and counted how many stems were tall enough that elk could no longer reach the tips.



About a third of these stands now have many tall young aspens pushing toward the canopy. 



"About 26 of the 87 aspen stands we examined had large numbers of tall saplings throughout, a remarkable change from the 1990s when surveys found none at all," Painter said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-wolves-matter-to-yellowstone-aspens">Why wolves matter to Yellowstone aspens</h2>



Breaking it all down, the conclusions of this study are pretty simple. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wolves-move-pups-across-mountains-to-adapt-to-climate-pressure/">Wolves hunt elk</a>. When wolves came back, two things happened. First, elk numbers declined from unusually high levels. Second, elk changed their behavior. They spent less time in the same areas feeding.



With fewer elk and shorter feeding bouts, more aspen shoots survived long enough to exceed the browsing zone - about six to seven feet high. 



Once a sapling reaches that height, elk cannot easily reach the growing tip. The tree continues to grow.



"The reintroduction of large carnivores has initiated a recovery process that had been shut down for decades," Painter explained.



Scientists call this a <a href="https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/trophic-cascades-across-diverse-plant-ecosystems-80060347/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">trophic cascade</a> - when adding or removing one species causes changes that ripple through the whole system.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-some-places-recover-others-don-t">Some places recover, others don't</h2>



Unfortunately, not every aspen stand has recovered yet. Some valleys still have many short, heavily browsed shoots, because it's not only elk eating them anymore. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/yellowstones-iconic-bison-have-merged-into-a-single-herd/">Bison herds have grown</a>, and bison browse on aspen as well. They are strong enough to break young trees. 



"Increasing numbers of bison may be emerging as a new constraint to aspen in some areas," Painter confirmed.



Additionally, winter snow depth varies; droughts stress trees; bears and mountain lions also hunt elk; and hunting outside the park influences elk distribution. 



All of these factors interact, which is why some sites show strong recovery, others show moderate recovery, and a few have changed very little.



The key pattern is that places with many tall saplings experience little browsing, and aspen groves that remain popular eating grounds today stay short. 



This fact is the strongest indication that tree recovery is linked directly to wolf presence, not solely to weather or soil conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-proof-in-the-measurements">Proof in the measurements</h2>



Painter's team did not rely on casual observation. They used the same methods as earlier researchers, measuring the same plots. 



They counted recruitment - when young trees surpass browsing height and begin progressing toward maturity. This measure is crucial. Sprouts are insufficient if they never grow; without recruitment, the forest cannot replace itself.



The results are robust. After being stalled for most of a century, Yellowstone's aspens are increasing in height. In recovering stands today, you will see saplings - six, eight, or ten feet tall - that were not present in the 1990s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-future-of-yellowstone-s-aspens">The future of Yellowstone's aspens</h2>



"This is a remarkable case of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giant-viruses-found-in-yellowstones-hot-springs-may-be-near-the-root-of-all-life-on-earth/">ecological restoration</a>," Painter concluded. "Wolf reintroduction is yielding long-term ecological changes contributing to increased biodiversity and habitat diversity."



Trees grow slowly, so even with wolves restored, it will take decades for these young aspens to form a full-grown forest. 



Some areas might never fully recover if bison numbers continue to rise or if the climate becomes too hot and dry.



Thanks to the work of Painter and his team, scientists are now certain that restoring the Yellowstone predator has restarted aspen forest regeneration. Not everywhere and not perfectly, but enough to be measured, creating hope for the future.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112725004499?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Forest Ecology and Management</a>.



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Yellowstone's aspen trees are growing again thanks to the reintroduction of wolves

Young aspen trees in Yellowstone are doing something they have not done in almost 100 years. Rather than sprouting and being eaten back to nubs by elk and bison, they're actually growing into tall, adult forest trees rising up towards the canopy. This matters more than it might seem, because it shows what happens when a missing piece of an ecosystem returns. Yellowstone, aspens, and elk In the 1920s, people eliminated wolves in Yellowstone. At the time, with limited scientific knowledge, managers believed it was the right...

Diseño sin título - 1

Scientists recently found a way to see quantum superposition effects in a system, a Schrödinger's cat state, that is not cooled to near-absolute zero. Their result challenges the long-held assumption that extreme cold is the only way to maintain fragile quantum states.



They achieved this feat under less rigid conditions, demonstrating that even warm surroundings can show these elusive behaviors. 



The lead scientist, <a href="https://iqoqi.at/en/people/staff/staff/gerhard-kirchmair" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Gerhard Kirchmair</a>, from the <a href="https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Innsbruck</a>, said this was a big step in <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0953-8984/14/15/201" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">exploring</a> quantum experiments beyond traditional cryogenic setups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-schrodinger-s-cat-the-basics">Understanding Schrödinger's cat - the basics</h2>



Schrödinger's cat is one of the most famous thought experiments in physics. Erwin Schrödinger came up with it in 1935 to illustrate the strange nature of quantum mechanics. 



He imagined a cat locked in a sealed box with a radioactive atom, a Geiger counter, a vial of poison, and a hammer. 



If the atom decayed, the Geiger counter would detect it, trigger the hammer, and shatter the vial, killing the cat. If the atom didn’t decay, the cat would live. 



But quantum theory says the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-entanglement-a-simple-way-to-grasp-this-impossible-concept-carl-kocher/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">atom exists in a superposition</a> - both decayed and not - until someone observes it. So, in theory, the cat is both alive and dead at the same time until someone opens the box.



The idea sounds absurd, and that’s exactly the point. Schrödinger wasn’t trying to say cats can be undead zombies. He was highlighting the disconnect between how quantum physics behaves on the smallest scales and what we observe in everyday life. 



The experiment forces us to question how measurement and observation affect reality. It’s less about the cat and more about the weirdness at the heart of quantum mechanics.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-quantum-states-at-higher-temperatures">Quantum states at higher temperatures</h2>



Many quantum <a href="https://journals.aps.org/pra/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevA.69.062320" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studies</a> rely on cooling systems to very low temperatures to keep external disturbances in check. Researchers often believed thermal energy would scramble any delicate state.



These new experiments highlight that quantum interference can survive at around 1.8 Kelvin, which is much warmer than the ultra-cold temperatures typically used in similar tests. This idea turns the usual cooling requirements upside down.



One way to see if a quantum state remains intact is by measuring the <a href="http://www.stat.physik.uni-potsdam.de/~pikovsky/teaching/stud_seminar/Wigner_function.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wigner function</a>, which helps visualize the unique properties of superposition. 



Detecting negative regions in this function is an indicator that a system truly behaves in a quantum manner.



The fact that the experiment worked at <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-realm-controlled-at-room-temperature-for-the-first-time/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">temperatures</a> 60 times higher than previous norms for the cavity shows a surprising robustness. It suggests that future devices may not need such intense cooling, which would reduce costs and engineering hurdles.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-engineering-a-hot-schrodinger-s-cat">Engineering a "hot Schrödinger's cat"</h2>



Central to this demonstration was a transmon qubit coupled to a microwave resonator, y8ding fine control over the quantum state. 



By applying carefully designed pulses, the team produced <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dark-photon-theory-casts-doubt-on-double-slit-experiment-quantum-light-interference-pattern/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">interference patterns</a> associated with the Schrödinger’s cat concept.



They also used specially adapted protocols to counteract extra thermal noise. Despite starting from a thermally excited background, the interference stood out clearly in their measurements.



The result shows that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/schrodingers-cat-survives-in-quantum-superposition-for-a-record-shattering-23-minutes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">quantum superposition</a> might persist under conditions once thought too hot for such effects. 



“If we can create the necessary interactions in a system, the temperature ultimately doesn’t matter,” said Dr. Kirchmair.



Practically speaking, making quantum states at higher temperatures <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/impossibility-paradox-calculating-incalculable-quantum-realm-particles/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">could open doors</a> for more compact hardware. It might also lead to new methods of integrating quantum circuitry into everyday technologies without the hassle of bulky cooling machines.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-does-any-of-this-matter">Why does any of this matter?</h2>



The idea that quantum states can survive at higher temperatures, in less demanding thermal environments, could also reshape how students and smaller research groups approach quantum <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/negative-time-observed-measured-tangible-in-new-quantum-experiments/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">experiments</a>. 



Without the high cost and complexity of ultra-low-temperature systems, more institutions may be able to replicate and build on these findings.



This shift could decentralize access to quantum <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/schrodingers-cat-put-into-silicon-chip-may-be-holy-grail-for-error-proof-quantum-computing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">research</a>, leading to faster innovation and a wider talent pool that contributes to the field. 



Affordable platforms that demonstrate real superposition effects could become the new standard in university labs worldwide.



One field that stands to gain from this discovery is the development of <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature10461" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nanomechanical oscillators</a>, where ground-state cooling can be especially tricky. 



If quantum states can remain intact without heavy refrigeration, manufacturing more accessible devices becomes a realistic goal.



Powerful sensors, ultra-secure communication channels, and advanced computing modules <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-quantum-revolution-will-impact-all-aspects-of-society/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">could all benefit from these findings</a>. Such applications would not have to rely solely on cryogenic labs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-quantum-state-temperature-and-the-future">Quantum state temperature and the future</h2>



By looking beyond the typical notion that heat kills quantum effects, researchers are rethinking strategies for stable quantum platforms. 



The outcome hints that temperature alone may not be the biggest obstacle, as long as the system’s interactions are well-designed.



Additional work is needed to understand how large these “hot” quantum states can get. Every success story in warmer conditions adds more confidence that a broader range of environments can still reveal weird quantum <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-form-of-quantum-entanglement-discovered-will-transform-next-gen-technology/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">phenomena</a>.



Although this experiment centered on a specific setup, the principle behind it could apply to other platforms. 



Many scientists hope to refine these protocols and expand them to more complex systems in both university and industrial labs.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adr4492" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>.



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'Hot Schrödinger's cat' states created in the lab, proving that quantum effects don't require extreme cold

Scientists recently found a way to see quantum superposition effects...

Trees begin their day by opening tiny pores under their leaves called stomata. These pores allow them to absorb carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the air - a key ingredient for photosynthesis.



But there's a tradeoff. As they "breathe" in CO₂, trees also lose water. A single tree can lose several hundred liters of water per day this way.



To protect themselves, plants close these pores when water becomes scarce. This behavior isn't new to scientists. But what has remained a mystery - until now - is when exactly this happens and what drives the decision to shut down.



Researchers in the Department of Environmental Sciences at the <a href="https://www.unibas.ch/en.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Basel</a> have discovered a surprising answer.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-it-s-not-all-about-photosynthesis">It's not all about photosynthesis</h2>



At first glance, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-have-finally-decoded-the-process-of-photosynthesis/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">photosynthesis</a> seems to be the priority. That’s long been the belief. After all, plants need sunlight and CO₂ to make food. But the team from the University of Basel, using data from their forest lab in Hölstein, found that trees don’t always follow this rule.



“When it comes to plants, researchers have traditionally focused on photosynthesis. So it was previously assumed that trees treated this process as a priority and therefore kept the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-breathe-drought-resistant-crops/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stomata</a> open for as long as possible to absorb CO2, only closing them when there was no other option,” explained study co-author Professor Ansgar Kahmen.



This thinking makes sense. The act of absorbing CO₂ is tied to water loss through the stomata. So it seemed reasonable that plants would risk losing water to keep photosynthesis going, only shutting down when things got extreme. But the new research says otherwise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-trees-grow-at-night-but-only-with-water">Trees grow at night - but only with water</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/its-the-timing-of-water-that-matters-to-plants/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Water</a> doesn't just help with photosynthesis - it keeps the tree alive and growing. During the day, trees lose water through evaporation. At night, they work to replenish what was lost. The stomata stay closed, and water flows upward from the roots to refill the cells.



This refill process creates pressure in the cells, known as turgor pressure. Without it, trees can't grow. That’s why most tree growth happens at night.



If the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-much-energy-do-plants-use-to-lift-water-from-the-soil/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">soil</a> is dry, though, trees can’t draw in enough water. Their cells stay under-filled. Without that pressure, they can’t expand or grow - even if they have all the sugars they need from photosynthesis.



And it gets worse. As drought intensifies, the water pathways inside the tree can break down. This collapse can create air bubbles - called embolisms - that block water movement.



“When this happens, irreparable damage occurs, the water transport system collapses and the plant eventually dies,” explained Kahmen.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-water-refills-stop">When water refills stop</h2>



The big surprise from the team was that trees are much more cautious than expected. They don’t wait for a crisis to close their stomata. If they can’t get enough water during the night, they simply don’t open the stomata the next morning.



“For the first time, we were able to show that a tree does not even open its stomata in the morning if it cannot absorb enough water overnight,” said Kahmen.



In other words, they skip photosynthesis to protect their ability to grow. This may sound counterintuitive, but it’s a smart survival strategy. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-future-climate-conditions-will-transform-plant-growth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Growth</a> is what allows a tree to build new tissue, repair damage, and keep going. If it can’t grow, making more sugars doesn’t help.



“So the aim is not to optimize photosynthesis and maintain it for as long as possible, but to use the products of photosynthesis as efficiently as possible for growth,” said the plant physiologist.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-predicting-forest-carbon-capture">Predicting forest carbon capture </h2>



The new findings could have a major impact on how we predict <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/young-forests-are-unexpected-heroes-of-carbon-capture/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">forest carbon capture</a>. Trees take in less carbon than expected during dry periods. That’s because their stomata close earlier and stay shut for longer than previously thought.



Study lead author Richard L. Peters is a former postdoc at the University of Basel and now professor at the Technical University of Munich.



“Climate models that assume a certain growth in carbon storage volume would therefore have to be adapted,” said Peters.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tree-decisions-shape-their-growth">Tree decisions shape their growth</h2>



The findings are especially relevant as summers become hotter and drier in many places, including Switzerland. If trees shut down photosynthesis earlier, forests might store less carbon than climate models currently assume.



“What is remarkable is that our early stomatal closure observations apply to all tree species, whether deciduous or coniferous. How well a tree species will cope with drought, therefore, cannot be solely determined by the process of stomata closure,” noted Peters.



Trees might seem passive, but they’re making active decisions every day. And thanks to new research, we’re finally starting to understand how those decisions shape their growth - and our planet.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://zenodo.org/records/14852038" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Plants</a>.



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How trees decide between growing and breathing

Trees begin their day by opening tiny pores under their...

Clocking more than 52 hours a week may do more than sap energy - it appears to alter the architecture of the brain itself.



A new imaging study of healthcare staff shows enlarged volumes in regions tied to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-cells-communicate-to-support-decision-making/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">decision-making</a> and emotional control among people who consistently work long hours, hinting at structural shifts that could influence mental well-being.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-brains-work-overtime">When brains work overtime</h2>



Long schedules have long been blamed for higher rates of heart trouble, metabolic disease, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/people-with-depression-often-hold-tightly-to-self-doubt/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">depression</a>. Yet scientists have struggled to identify what relentless work does to the brain's neural tissue.



To probe that question, a team of Korean researchers led by <a href="https://www.yonsei.ac.kr/en_sc/index.do" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Yonsei University</a> invited volunteers from the <a href="https://www.kci.go.kr/kciportal/ci/sereArticleSearch/ciSereArtiView.kci?sereArticleSearchBean.artiId=ART002827338" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gachon Regional Occupational Cohort Study</a> to undergo high-resolution MRI scans. 



The final sample included 110 hospital workers, of whom 32 routinely surpassed the 52-hour threshold set by South Korea’s labor law, while 78 logged standard weeks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chronic-overtime-and-brain-volume">Chronic overtime and brain volume</h2>



Those in the overwork group were generally younger, held their jobs for fewer years and possessed more advanced degrees - reflecting the junior resident physicians and research fellows who often shoulder extended shifts.



After excluding scans of poor quality, the team used voxel-based morphometry, which compares minute differences in grey-matter density, and atlas-based analysis, which maps brain areas against a reference template. 



The goal was to see whether chronic overtime corresponded to measurable differences in brain volume.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-excessive-work-alters-brain-regions">Excessive work alters brain regions</h2>



Analyses converged on several hotspots in the frontal lobe and deeper cortical folds. The atlas comparison revealed a striking 19 percent increase in the middle frontal gyrus among overworked participants.



This ridge, situated just above the temples, contributes to working memory, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/neurons-coordinate-group-activities-for-language-processing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">language processing</a>, and top-down attention - skills heavily taxed by time-pressured clinical duties.



Voxel mapping then highlighted sixteen additional sectors, among them the superior frontal gyrus, a planner’s hub for deliberation and goal setting, and the insula, the hidden lobe that integrates bodily signals with emotional awareness.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-strain-shows-up-in-tissue">Strain shows up in tissue</h2>



Together, the pattern suggests that brains steeped in prolonged stress from work may add circuitry - or at least grow existing circuitry - in areas that juggle competing priorities and regulate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-timing-has-a-powerful-effect-on-our-mood/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mood</a>.



While these changes might sound beneficial, the authors caution against rosy interpretations. “Notably, the increased brain volumes observed in overworked individuals may reflect neuroadaptive responses to chronic occupational stress, although the exact mechanisms remain speculative,” the authors wrote.



In other words, tissue growth could hint at swelling or rewiring driven by persistent strain rather than healthy development.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unraveling-the-brain-changes">Unraveling the brain changes</h2>



Because the project offers only a snapshot, it cannot show whether large frontal lobes pre-existed and perhaps helped certain workers tolerate marathon schedules, or whether the extra hours sculpted the tissue over time.



“While the results should be interpreted cautiously due to the exploratory nature of this pilot study, they represent a meaningful first step in understanding the relationship between overwork and brain health,” the researchers wrote.



Either way, enlarged control centers do not guarantee sharper performance. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-enlarged-brains-impaired-function">Enlarged brains, impaired function</h2>



Earlier behavioral research links excessive duty hours with memory lapses, poor emotional regulation, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mindfulness-protects-against-work-stress-burnout/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">burnout</a>, echoing the executive and limbic roles of the structures that expanded here.



“The observed changes in brain volume may provide a biological basis for the cognitive and emotional challenges often reported in overworked individuals," noted the study authors. 



"Future longitudinal and multi-modal neuroimaging studies are warranted to confirm these findings and elucidate the underlying mechanisms."



Only repeated scans over months or years can reveal whether brain size shrinks back once work hours normalize or whether the alterations become permanent scars.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-global-toll-of-extra-shifts">The global toll of extra shifts</h2>



The <a href="https://www.ilo.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">International Labor Organization</a> estimates that overwork kills more than 800,000 people every year, often via stroke or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heart-disease-remains-the-leading-cause-of-death-worldwide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">heart disease</a>. 



Yet policymakers rarely consider neurological fallout when drafting hours-of-service rules. The present evidence, although preliminary, hints that overtime may leave an imprint visible on MRI long before bodily organs fail.



To reduce that risk, experts urge both individual pacing and systemic reform. Employers can rotate demanding tasks, enforce true off-duty periods and foster cultures that prize mental restoration as much as productivity. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-overwork-and-brain-health">Overwork and brain health</h2>



Governments, for their part, might revisit thresholds that define a legal workweek, ensuring that statutory limits align with current science.



“The results underscore the importance of addressing overwork as an occupational health concern and highlight the need for workplace policies that mitigate excessive working hours.” the authors said.



In practice, that could mean capping consecutive night shifts, mandating recovery sleep for trainees, or offering mental-health check-ins for employees in unavoidable crunch cycles such as pandemic surges.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-the-workweek">Rethinking the workweek</h2>



Confirming the new findings will require broader cohorts - ideally across industries, age ranges, and cultural settings - and techniques that assay brain chemistry as well as anatomy.



Wearable devices that track <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-is-essential-for-memory-formation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sleep</a>, stress hormones, and mood could enrich MRI snapshots with day-to-day context. Combining those streams may reveal thresholds at which adaptive growth tips into harmful swelling or connectivity loss.



For now, the message is plain. The brain is plastic, reshaping itself to meet the demands placed upon it. 



Prolonged weeks of intense problem solving and emotional labor appear to leave a signature in the very regions that power those abilities, raising the stakes for employers and legislators alike to keep workloads within healthy bounds.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://oem.bmj.com/content/early/2025/05/08/oemed-2025-110057" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Occupational and Environmental Medicine</a>.



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Working too many hours can alter your brain

Clocking more than 52 hours a week may do more...

An international team of scientists drilled 500 meters through West Antarctica’s Kamb Ice Stream and uncovered a vast, slow-moving channel of water flowing beneath the ice. 



This newly observed subglacial river, which surges roughly once a decade, challenges long-standing assumptions about how meltwater drains beneath the Ross Ice Shelf. 



The discovery offers critical insight into Antarctic hydrology and may significantly refine projections of future sea-level rise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-two-week-trek-into-the-interior">A two-week trek into the interior</h2>



In late 2021, scientists with <a href="https://www.antarcticscienceplatform.org.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New Zealand’s Antarctic Science Platform</a> left Scott Base and travelled 1,200 kilometers inland by tracked vehicles. 



Their goal was a site where the Kamb Ice Stream - 350 kilometers long and 100 kilometers wide - slides beneath the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mysterious-force-moves-ross-ice-shelf-antarctica-every-day/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ross Ice Shelf</a>. There, in constant daylight and temperatures near –10 °C, engineers set up a temporary camp with an airstrip and weatherproof labs.



Using 80°C water pumped at high pressure, they melted a 30-centimeter-wide borehole through the<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-ice-sheet-past-present-and-future/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> ice sheet</a> to the bedrock below. Cameras and sensors followed the drill head into the cavity, capturing real-time images and data.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-river-revealed-in-antarctica">Hidden river revealed in Antarctica </h2>



Expedition leader Huw Horgan conducts is an expert at <a href="https://ethz.ch/en.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ETH Zurich</a> and at the <a href="https://www.wsl.ch/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research</a>.



“We struck water at the end of the borehole and with the help of our camera, we even discovered a school of lobster-like creatures - 400 kilometers from the open ocean,” said Horgan.



Echo-soundings showed the channel to be roughly 100 meters high and 200 meters wide - large enough to admit a city block. Instruments registered temperature, salinity, and sediment load, revealing a mixture dominated by seawater that had crept inland beneath the shelf.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-trickling-rivers-beneath-the-ice">Trickling rivers beneath the ice</h2>



Only a trickle of freshwater - less than one cubic meter per second - travels seaward under the glacier. 



“This amount of water is much smaller than what the existing models had predicted,” Horgan said. Because previous simulations assumed greater discharge, many estimates of basal lubrication and melt will need to be recalculated.



The sluggish current does not equate to a stable system, however. Layered sediments removed from the cavity floor preserve signs of sudden, far larger floods.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lakes-release-sudden-surges">Lakes release sudden surges</h2>



“We suspect that the water comes from subglacial lakes upstream. These lakes fill and empty in certain cycles. When they empty, a flood of water rushes towards the sea,” Horgan explained.



Core samples indicate these large flushes occur about once every ten years, with smaller bursts likely escaping detection. Such pulses can scour channels, deliver nutrients to under-ice ecosystems, and momentarily elevate melting where fresh and marine waters meet.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rivers-shape-ice-shelfs">Rivers shape ice shelfs</h2>



“Subglacial watercourses play a central role in the melting of the ice shelf,” Horgan said. 



The Ross Ice Shelf acts as a massive buttress, slowing the glaciers that feed it; any process that thins this floating barrier can accelerate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/emergency-meeting-reveals-the-alarming-extent-of-antarcticas-ice-loss/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ice loss</a> from the Antarctic interior.



“Our findings are therefore a prerequisite for developing new models that describe the melting of the ice shelf and predict <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-sea-levels-spiked-dramatically-in-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sea-level rise</a> even more accurately.” 



Incorporating both the steady marine inflow and the episodic lake-drainage floods will improve projections used by coastal planners worldwide.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-planning-for-future-surges">Planning for future surges</h2>



The team intends to return during the 2025–26 austral summer to install long-term instruments that will log pressure, flow speed, and chemistry through multiple flood cycles. 



By comparing those records with satellite altimetry and radar, researchers aim to learn how a warming climate might amplify the frequency or magnitude of these hidden surges.



Studying life in the dark cavity is also on the agenda, prompted by the unexpected sighting of crustacean-like animals far from open water. The biology could reveal how nutrients move from buried rivers to under-ice ecosystems across Antarctica.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rivers-drive-ice-dynamics">Rivers drive ice dynamics</h2>



Hot-water drilling through the Kamb Ice Stream has opened a direct window onto processes that were previously inferred only from remote sensing and theoretical models. 



Each new measurement tightens the link between unseen hydrology and the fate of the planet’s largest ice shelf, edging science closer to reliable forecasts of sea-level rise in a warming world.



With more expeditions planned and permanent instruments on the horizon, the buried <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-rivers-beneath-antarctic-ice-reshape-sea-level-predictions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rivers</a> of Antarctica are finally beginning to surrender their secrets.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-025-01687-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Geoscience</a>.



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Hidden rivers accelerate the melting of Antarctica’s ice sheets

An international team of scientists drilled 500 meters through West...

New infrared observations show that the shimmering lights ringing Jupiter’s poles do not glow steadily but flash and flare from moment to moment. 



The radiant storms, already hundreds of times brighter than any aurora on Earth, now appear to pulse with unexpected speed, hinting at a dynamic process that governs the giant planet’s magnetosphere.



In a recent study, scientists used the James Webb Space Telescope to record Jupiter’s lights on Christmas Day 2023. 



Working with simultaneous images from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, a team led by Jonathan Nichols of the <a href="https://le.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Leicester</a> discovered that the ionized hydrogen glows known as H3+ vary far more quickly than previous instruments could detect.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-jupiter-s-auroras-pulse-in-seconds">Jupiter's auroras pulse in seconds</h2>



Auroras arise when charged particles slam into a planet’s upper atmosphere and excite its gases. On Earth, these particles ride the solar wind. 



On Jupiter, they also stream from the volcanic moon Io, whose eruptions fling sulfur and oxygen ions into space.



Captured by Jupiter’s immense magnetic field, the particles accelerate to extreme energies before raining onto the poles. 



There, they collide with hydrogen and other gases, producing a spectacle that can outshine the entire infrared sky.



Until now, astronomers assumed these displays waxed and waned over minutes. Webb’s sensitive infrared camera allowed the observers to shorten exposure times and reveal changes on the scale of seconds. The result was startling.



“What a Christmas present it was - it just blew me away,” said Nichols. “We wanted to see how quickly the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/auroras-captured-on-neptune-for-the-first-time-thanks-to-the-webb-telescope/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">auroras</a> change, expecting it to fade in and out ponderously, perhaps over a quarter of an hour or so. Instead, we observed the whole auroral region fizzing and popping with light, sometimes varying by the second.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-webb-captures-rapid-light-changes">Webb captures rapid light changes</h2>



The new survey relied on Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera, or NIRCam. By taking many rapid snapshots, the instrument traced subtle ripples across the polar haze. 



Those ripples correspond to fluctuations in the density of H3+, a three-atom ion that dominates Jupiter’s ionosphere.



Tracking H3+ is crucial because it radiates infrared light that cools the planet’s upper atmosphere. The faster it brightens and dims, the more quickly heat must be cycling through that layer.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Jupiter-auroras_closeup-details_JWST_NASA_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Jupiter-auroras_closeup-details_JWST_NASA_1s.webp" alt="Three panels, each showing a close-up near-infrared image of Jupiter’s north pole, in shades of orange. The planet is mostly dark. Thick, bright arcs and rings caused by aurorae cover the pole. The centre and right panels each show the aurora a few minutes later in time, as Webb’s field of view slowly scans over the planet. Credit: ESA/NASA" class="wp-image-1969680"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Three panels, each showing a close-up near-infrared image of Jupiter’s north pole, in shades of orange. The planet is mostly dark. Thick, bright arcs and rings caused by aurorae cover the pole. The centre and right panels each show the aurora a few minutes later in time, as Webb’s field of view slowly scans over the planet. Click image to enlarge. Credit: ESA/NASA</figcaption></figure>



Ground-based telescopes had hinted at rapid changes, but Earth’s atmosphere limits their clarity. Webb’s vantage point beyond the atmosphere eliminates those distortions, offering an unfiltered view.



The data show that large sections of the auroral ring can brighten or dim by tens of percent in less than a heartbeat, suggesting bursts of energy sweeping through the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/secrets-of-jupiters-magnetosphere-will-help-us-predict-space-weather/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">magnetosphere</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ultraviolet-mystery-emerges">Ultraviolet mystery emerges</h2>



To compare infrared and ultraviolet behavior, the team coordinated with Hubble. 



“What made these observations even more special is that we also took pictures simultaneously in the ultraviolet with the NASA/ESA <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/35-years-of-hubble-the-telescope-that-changed-our-view-of-the-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hubble</a> Space Telescope,” Nichols noted.



Yet the two sets of images did not always match. The brightest light observed by Webb had no real counterpart in Hubble’s pictures.



“This has left us scratching our heads. In order to cause the combination of brightness seen by both Webb and Hubble, we need to have an apparently impossible combination of high quantities of very low energy particles hitting the atmosphere - like a tempest of drizzle! We still don’t understand how this happens," Nichols enthused.



The mismatch hints that different particle populations may fuel different wavelengths of the aurora. Low-energy electrons might boost infrared emissions without triggering ultraviolet light, or complex chemistry could be masking the signals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-jupiter-s-auroras-tied-to-deep-space">Jupiter's auroras tied to deep space</h2>



The researchers will compare these findings with in-situ measurements from NASA’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/juno-reveals-dancing-cyclones-on-jupiter-and-magma-on-its-fiery-moon/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Juno</a> probe, which has been orbiting Jupiter since 2016.



Juno records the energies and directions of charged particles that create the lights. Matching those streams to the flickers seen by Webb could reveal how disturbances travel along magnetic field lines from deep space to the cloud tops.



Future help will come from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">European Space Agency</a>’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-first-lunar-earth-flyby-gave-juice-spacecraft-successful-gravity-boost-to-jupiter/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Juice</a>, now on its way to the outer Solar System. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Jupiter-auroras_closeup-detail_planet-location_NASA_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Jupiter-auroras_closeup-detail_planet-location_NASA_1s.webp" alt="On the right is the planet Jupiter as seen in near-infrared light. Its clouds are dark blue and white in colour, with some red spots within the clouds, while its poles are tinged with green, yellow and red. A box over the north pole is overlain with more data in shades of orange, displaying aurorae as arcs and rings on the planet. Credit: ESA/NASA" class="wp-image-1969678"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">On the right is the planet Jupiter as seen in near-infrared light. Its clouds are dark blue and white in colour, with some red spots within the clouds, while its poles are tinged with green, yellow and red. A box over the north pole is overlain with more data in shades of orange, displaying aurorae as arcs and rings on the planet. Click image to enlarge. Credit: ESA/NASA</figcaption></figure>



Juice will carry seven instruments capable of watching Jupiter's auroras up close while studying the big planet’s ocean-bearing moons.



By the time Juice arrives in the early 2030s, astronomers hope to have a firmer grasp on how Io’s volcanic blasts, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/silent-storms-experts-identify-the-mysterious-source-of-solar-wind/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">solar wind</a> and Jupiter’s spinning magnetosphere combine to power the dazzling show.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-view-on-planetary-weather">New view on planetary weather</h2>



The discovery that Jupiter’s auroras can flicker, almost as quickly as lightning, reframes theories about how giant planets shed energy. 



It also underscores Webb’s strength in time-domain astronomy, where rapid sampling brings hidden rhythms to light.



The observing campaign was logged under Webb program #4566 and Hubble program #17471, but it marks only the beginning. More sessions are planned, aiming to explain the “tempest of drizzle” that defies current models.



For now, the giant’s poles continue to dance to a beat too subtle for earlier telescopes. Thanks to Webb, that beat is no longer a secret.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-58984-z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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New details from Webb add to the mystery of Jupiter's vibrant auroras

New infrared observations show that the shimmering lights ringing Jupiter’s...

Most people have heard that black holes slowly lose mass through cosmic decay, radiating tiny amounts of energy. This idea has circulated for decades and suggests that nothing is truly permanent.



Experts now propose that other extremely dense <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/magnetar-flares-create-gold-platinum-uranium-in-seconds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">objects</a> might follow a related path. Their findings reveal a shorter timeline for everything, though not short on any human timescale.



Heino Falcke, a black hole researcher at <a href="https://www.ru.nl/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Radboud University</a>, stands at the forefront of this investigation. He collaborated with quantum physicist Michael Wondrak and mathematician Walter van Suijlekom to figure out how quickly these processes might happen.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-view-on-cosmic-decay">New view on cosmic decay</h2>



Scientists have long known about ideas related to black hole evaporation through a process first outlined by <a href="https://projecteuclid.org/journals/communications-in-mathematical-physics/volume-43/issue-3/Particle-creation-by-black-holes/cmp/1103899181.full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stephen Hawking</a>. The classic picture involves a black hole shedding mass over an incredibly long interval, eventually leaving no trace. 



Recent <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.14734" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> suggests that dense objects like neutron stars and white dwarfs might follow similar decay patterns, though at a snail’s pace.



Researchers wondered how these timelines compare to old predictions. They took the mathematics behind black hole evaporation and applied it to other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-space-cosmic-rays-from-supernova-sparked-rapid-earth-evolution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">celestial bodies</a>. The ultimate result? Those bodies still vanish, just more rapidly than many figured before.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-faster-fade-for-dense-objects">Faster fade for dense objects</h2>



“So the ultimate end of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/monster-in-the-shadows-giant-black-hole-emerges-from-cosmic-dust/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">universe</a> comes much sooner than expected, but fortunately it still takes a very long time,” said Heino Falcke. 



That statement might sound contradictory at first, but it sums up the team’s surprising takeaway. Ultimately, for everyday life, these timescales are beyond huge.



There is even a calculation for the disappearance of the Moon. The process would drag on for around 10^90 years. The details rest on <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/physics/research/gravitational-physics" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gravitational physics</a> equations and the idea that curving spacetime might gradually convert mass into particles that eventually slip away.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-neutron-stars-and-white-dwarfs-reveal">What neutron stars and white dwarfs reveal</h2>



Neutron stars have densities so immense that a teaspoon of their material on Earth would outweigh a mountain. Given their density, cosmic decay could affect these stellar remnants, causing them to evaporate too.



The group uncovered that neutron stars might take about the same time to fade as <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/universe/black-holes/types/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stellar black holes</a> in the same mass range.



These results highlight a fresh perspective on gravitational physics. They show that events at a star’s surface could mirror those at the fringes of a black hole’s boundary, with subtle differences in how each body might reabsorb part of its own radiation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-denser-objects-lose-mass-faster">Why denser objects lose mass faster</h2>



Dense <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/blazar-cosmic-objects-defy-classification-can-rapidly-change-its-identity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">objects</a> lose mass through minute particle streams. More density means an object’s gravitational pull is stronger, which changes how energy flows away. 



Draining that stored energy requires creative math, plus insights from quantum mechanics and general relativity.



A white dwarf, much less dense than a neutron star, might hold out for around 1078 years. That timeline sounds wildly big, yet it is significantly shorter than earlier guesses in the range of 101100 years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cosmic-decay-physics-and-math">Cosmic decay: Physics and math</h2>



“By asking these kinds of questions and looking at extreme cases, we want to better understand the theory, and perhaps one day, we unravel the mystery of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/black-hole-radiation-may-actually-be-a-catalyst-for-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hawking radiation</a>,” said Walter van Suijlekom, professor of mathematics at Radboud University.



That blend of math, astrophysics, and quantum ideas drives this line of work.



Probing new models can spur lively debates. Some wonder if there are hidden factors that might stretch these rates. 



Others note that experimental tests in labs are tricky at best because these processes are far too slow to detect directly.



Any attempt to grasp cosmic timescales boggles the mind. Changes in star systems usually unfold in billions of years. 



These calculations push things far beyond that, highlighting a universe that still has an expiration, even if it is unimaginably distant.



Better knowledge of exotic decay can guide how we interpret ancient remnants. If these estimates hold, the universe’s inventory of black holes, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/when-two-neutron-stars-collide-kilonova-explosion-very-bad-things-happen/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">neutron stars</a>, and other dense bodies eventually runs out far earlier than some old predictions claimed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revising-cosmic-timelines">Revising cosmic timelines</h2>



Revising cosmic timelines does not upend everyday astronomy, since these events are so far off. Yet it refines how scientists tally the lifetime of matter. 



Anyone who assumes that a star corpse lasts forever might have to rethink that stance now.



It also raises a question about the deep structure of spacetime. If space itself nudges these bodies toward decay, the nature of gravity might be more flexible than once supposed. 



Each object’s density appears to determine how quickly it joins the dust bin of cosmic history.



The study is published in the <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.14734" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics</a>.



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Cosmic decay: The universe will end sooner than we thought

Most people have heard that black holes slowly lose mass...

Western Chimpanzee mum and daughter

Young chimpanzees in a West African forest form either trusting or independent ties with their mothers, but they do not display the confused, “disorganized” attachment style seen in many human children. 



That pattern, common among orphaned chimps raised by people, seems to be absent when animals grow up under natural survival pressures.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-tale-of-two-attachment-styles"><a></a>A tale of two attachment styles</h2>



Field observers followed mother-infant pairs in Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire, for four years. They noted the parenting style of the chimpanzees. In particular, the experts studied how youngsters reacted when separated from or reunited with their mothers, and how boldly they explored.



Most fell into one of two familiar human categories. Some were secure: they checked in with their mothers during <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stress-eats-away-our-brains-cognitive-defenses/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stress</a>, then ranged out with confidence.



Others showed insecure-avoidant attachment: they coped alone and rarely sought comfort. No infant behaved in the erratic, approach-and-retreat fashion that defines disorganized <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-way-you-send-emojis-shows-your-attachment-style/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">attachment</a>.



According to attachment theory, secure bonds foster resilience, while insecure or disorganized ties can predict later anxiety or social trouble. In people, about one child in four shows the disorganized style.



Among captive, human-reared chimp orphans the rate soars to three out of five. The absence of that pattern in nature raises a striking possibility: the style may be maladaptive outside of sheltered environments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-parenting-style-of-wild-chimpanzees">Parenting style of wild chimpanzees </h2>



Disorganized attachment often follows trauma, fear, or unpredictable care. In forest life, any infant who hesitates at danger may expose itself to leopards, rival males, or territorial disputes. 



“In the wild, we found no evidence of disorganized attachment patterns among chimpanzees, which supports the hypothesis that this type of attachment may not be an adaptive survival strategy in the face of environmental constraints,” said first author Eléonore Rolland, a scientist at the <a href="http://www.isc.cnrs.fr/index.rvt" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Institute of Cognitive Sciences Marc Jeannerod</a>.



If the response ever arises, its bearers probably fail to thrive or reproduce, erasing the trait from the visible population.



Captive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chimpanzees-share-alcoholic-fruit-to-increase-social-bonding/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">chimpanzees</a>, by contrast, may live inside small enclosures, face no predators and rely on rotating human keepers. That unstable social mix can trigger the conflicted behaviors catalogued in laboratory tests. 



A parallel may exist for modern children who experience institutional care, high caregiver turnover, or chronic stress.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chimpanzee-lessons-for-parenting">Chimpanzee lessons for parenting</h2>



A deeper look at the findings nudges parents and policymakers to ask hard questions. “Our results deepen our understanding of chimpanzees' social development and show that humans and chimpanzees are not so different after all,” Rolland said.



“But they also make us think: have some modern human institutions or caregiving practices moved away from what is best for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/five-scientifically-proven-steps-for-thriving-infant-development/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">infant development</a>?”



Secure attachment in the forest emerged through steady proximity, gentle reassurance, and the freedom to explore within sight of the mother. Avoidant youngsters still stayed near but preferred self-soothing. Both strategies, the authors argue, work under natural constraints.



The third style appears only when normal mammalian care breaks down. If children in wealthy societies show that style at notable rates, the disruption may lie not in genetics but in caregiving routines: overstretched parents, frequent moves, rushed schedules, devices replacing touch.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chimpanzee-and-human-attachment">Chimpanzee and human attachment</h2>



“By identifying attachment patterns in wild chimpanzees, we provide important insights into the roots of human social behavior,” said senior author Roman Wittig from the <a href="https://www.eva.mpg.de/index/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology</a>.



The work links psychology with field primatology and anthropology, tracing how early bonds shape adult society across species.



“Our findings suggest that shared attachment strategies in primates may reflect a common evolutionary heritage,” said co-author Catherine Crockford, a scientist at the same institute.



“The high prevalence of disorganized attachment in humans and captive orphan chimpanzees, in contrast to wild chimpanzees, also supports the idea that the rearing environment plays an important role in shaping attachment types.”



That insight underlines a long-standing debate. Are certain emotional disorders products of modern life rather than ancient biology? If wild primates, who share 98 percent of human DNA, avoid a pattern linked to later mood and relationship problems, then context - not species - may tip the scale.



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



Protecting chimpanzee habitats does more than save a charismatic animal; it preserves the social conditions that allow normal attachment to flourish. 



Orphan rescue centers might adjust caregiving protocols to reduce inconsistency and replicate maternal security rather than relying on multiple human feeders.



In the human realm, the research supports policies that stabilize early care: parental leave, low child-to-caregiver ratios, trauma-informed schooling.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chimpanzee-parenting-next-steps">Chimpanzee parenting: Next steps</h2>



The Taï study followed infants until weaning, around age four to five. Future projects could test whether early attachment style predicts later rank, alliance skills, or parenting success.



Researchers also plan to compare <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bonobos-group-cohesion-common-enemy-effect-do-not-kill-inside-their-species/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bonobos</a>, whose matriarchal societies differ from chimpanzees, and to track hormone levels that might signal stress during separations. 



At the same time, developmental psychologists may revisit human data from cultures with extended family caregiving or from hunter-gatherer groups that mirror ancestral conditions.



If disorganized attachment drops in those settings, it would strengthen the case that modern disruptions - not innate tendencies - fuel the pattern.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-trust-risk-and-survival">Trust, risk, and survival</h2>



In the forest canopy, a mother chimp pauses, her infant scrambling over branches before returning to her side. The scene looks simple, yet it echoes deep principles about trust, risk and survival.



By watching our closest relatives, scientists remind us that the first ties we form still guide us decades later - and that nurturing those ties may be one of the most ancient, and vital, tasks any society undertakes.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-025-02176-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Human Behavior</a>.



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What wild chimpanzees can teach us about parenting

Young chimpanzees in a West African forest form either trusting...

Creativity can flourish when you leave your comfort zone. A new study shows that relocating - or splitting time between different places - can help people start their most creative projects years earlier than those who stay put.



In fact, scientists from <a href="https://www.osu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Ohio State University</a>, New York University in Abu Dhabi, and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis found that Nobel Prize winners who moved more often started their prize-winning research significantly earlier than those who didn’t. 



The research, which analyzed Nobel laureates in chemistry, medicine, and physics from 1901 to 2003, was published in the journal International Economic Review.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-creativity-needs-fresh-air">Creativity needs fresh air</h2>



The study found that Nobel laureates who relocated frequently began their groundbreaking work about two years earlier than those who never moved. 



Those who split their time between multiple institutions started even earlier - by as much as 2.6 years.



“They’re hearing interesting ideas at one place and different ideas at another location. They are putting these things together in novel, important ways,” said Bruce Weinberg, one of the study’s authors.



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



According to the researchers, switching locations helps scientists meet others with different perspectives. That mix of ideas can be powerful fuel for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/experts-discover-a-pattern-that-drives-artistic-breakthroughs/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">creative breakthroughs</a>.



“If they stayed in one place, it would take much longer to happen or may not happen at all,” Weinberg said.



Previous research has often focused on how clusters of scientists in one location - like Silicon Valley or Cambridge - drive innovation. But this new study highlights something different: the power of exposure to new ideas through movement.



“You can be in one place with lots of brilliant people, but after a while, you’ve talked to all of them and you develop a common understanding of how things work,” Weinberg said.



“You’re less likely to come up with this great breakthrough unless you are exposed to a new set of ideas you haven’t heard before. You can do that by moving or working in several locations.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mobility-and-innovation">Mobility and innovation </h2>



The researchers built a detailed dataset tracking the yearly locations of Nobel Prize winners and the year they began the work that led to their awards. They discovered patterns that connect mobility with earlier innovation.



Moving every two years shaved off about two years from the time it took to begin Nobel-winning work. Relocating every five years led to a reduction of 0.7 years. 



Working in multiple places - like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nature-experiences-alter-time-perception/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">balancing time</a> between a university and a large facility such as CERN - reduced the time to innovation by 2.6 years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-head-start-on-greatness">A head start on greatness</h2>



The data also revealed that about 5 to 10% of the Nobel laureates began their prize-winning work in the very first year of their careers. But others took 10, 20, or even up to 40 years.



“It’s not easy for a scientist to move their lab and work to a new location, but it can substantially boost their research,” Weinberg said.



Interestingly, the average time it took for laureates to start their Nobel work stayed consistent over the years, regardless of the scientific field.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-this-means-for-the-rest-of-us">What this means for the rest of us</h2>



Academic sabbaticals might offer similar benefits by allowing scholars to work in new or multiple places, providing a potential boost to creativity. While the study didn’t measure sabbaticals directly, the authors noted that examining their effects on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-does-not-replace-human-creativity-but-enhances-it/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">creative output</a> would be a valuable next step.



“For someone who might have taken 10 years to begin their prize-winning research if they stayed in one place, moving every two years could reduce that time by nearly a quarter. That is substantially accelerating their innovations,” Weinberg said.



Though the study focused on a specific group of scientists, Weinberg believes the findings have broader implications for anyone whose work relies on creativity.



“Many scientists work the same way as our study's chemistry, medicine, and physics researchers. They can benefit by moving to new places and being exposed to new ideas,” he said.



“I think the same might even be true of great painters and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stone-age-artists-carved-incredibly-detailed-animal-tracks-onto-rocks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">artists</a> and anyone in a creative domain - their genius is coming up with novel ideas and expressing them in novel ways. And it helps to move and meet others with different ideas.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-creativity-thrives-outside-the-comfort-zone">Creativity thrives outside the comfort zone</h2>



Weinberg also mentioned that there might be an added boost to creativity simply from being in a new setting, even beyond the benefits of meeting new people.



“Going off into a completely different environment, a new context, might help <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/creative-people-make-the-most-of-their-idle-time/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">creative people</a> think in new ways,” he said.



“You’re more likely to come up with that great new idea if you move around, meet new people, have new experiences, encounter new ways of thinking."



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/iere.12768" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">International Economic Review</a>.



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Need a creativity boost? Try a change of scenery

Creativity can flourish when you leave your comfort zone. A...

At first glance, a flamingo feeding in shallow, alkaline water seems calm and graceful. Its long neck arcs gently, and its head remains submerged, giving the impression of a bird quietly filtering water. 



But beneath the surface, there’s a flurry of activity. Flamingos are far from passive feeders. They are busy stirring up the water, creating tiny underwater tornados to trap their prey.



This behavior, observed in Chilean flamingos at the Nashville Zoo, has been the subject of extensive research by scientists from the <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California, Berkeley</a>, in collaboration with teams from Georgia Institute of Technology, and Kennesaw State University.



By combining footage of real <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/do-birds-dream-of-flying-scientists-say-they-now-know-the-answer/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">birds</a> with experiments using 3D-printed models of flamingo beaks and feet, the researchers discovered how these birds rely on a mix of footwork, head movement, and rapid beak clapping to catch live prey.



"Flamingos are actually predators, they are actively looking for animals that are moving in the water, and the problem they face is how to concentrate these animals, to pull them together and feed," said Victor Ortega Jiménez, an assistant professor of integrative biology at UC Berkeley who specializes in biomechanics. 



"Think of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/spiders-adapt-their-webs-to-filter-out-human-made-noise/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">spiders</a>, which produce webs to trap insects. Flamingos are using vortices to trap animals, like brine shrimp."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-flamingos-dance-they-re-hunting">When flamingos dance, they’re hunting</h2>



The team found that flamingos use their webbed, flexible feet to stir up sediment from the lakebed. As they “dance” in place or move in circles, they lift and press their feet gently into the mud. These movements send spirals of water and sediment swirling outward.



At the same time, the bird plunges its head straight up and down, beak first, into the water. This creates a spinning vortex that sucks the loosened particles - including prey - upward. 



The flamingo’s head remains upside down while its specialized <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bird-behavior-beak-shape-can-predict-nest-materials/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">beak</a> goes to work, clapping rapidly to generate even more motion.



"It seems like they are filtering just passive particles, but no, these animals are actually taking animals that are moving," Ortega Jiménez explained.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-beak-gets-the-job-done">How the beak gets the job done</h2>



The shape of a flamingo’s beak is unlike any other bird. Flattened at the front and bent like an L, it’s designed to function upside down. 



When the bird pushes its head forward, it performs a motion called skimming. During this, the bird claps its beak quickly, generating sheet-like currents known as von Kármán vortices. These swirling currents help trap fast-moving prey like brine shrimp.



The study also examined how this chattering action influences the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bright-pink-flamingos-are-healthier-and-more-aggressive/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">feeding</a> process. Using a 3D-printed beak attached to an actuator and a small pump to mimic the flamingo’s tongue, the researchers were able to measure the effects.



"The chattering actually is increasing seven times the number of brine shrimp passing through the tube," said Ortega Jiménez. "So it's clear that the chattering is enhancing the number of individuals that are captured by the beak."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mechanics-of-flamingo-feeding">Mechanics of flamingo feeding</h2>



Ortega Jiménez’s curiosity about flamingos began during a family visit to Zoo Atlanta just before the COVID-19 pandemic. He noticed that although the birds seemed to be feeding peacefully, something more complex had to be happening beneath the surface.



"We don't know anything about what is happening inside. That was my question," he said.



Back then, Ortega Jiménez was a postdoctoral fellow at Kennesaw State University. From there, his research path led him to Georgia Tech and later to UC Berkeley, with time at the University of Maine in between. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flamingoes_feet_water-tornadoes_illustration_credit-Aztli-Ortega_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/flamingoes_feet_water-tornadoes_illustration_credit-Aztli-Ortega_1s-1.webp" alt="Flamingos feed by dragging their flattened beaks forward along the bottom of shallow lakes. To increase the efficiency of feeding, they stomp dance to churn the bottom, create an upwelling vortex with their heads and clap their beaks constantly to draw food, like brine shrimp, into their mouths. Credit: Aztli Ortega" class="wp-image-1969623"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Flamingos feed by dragging their flattened beaks forward along the bottom of shallow lakes. To increase the efficiency of feeding, they stomp dance to churn the bottom, create an upwelling vortex with their heads and clap their beaks constantly to draw food, like brine shrimp, into their mouths. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Aztli Ortega</figcaption></figure>



At each stage, he collaborated with engineers and used technology like lasers and high-speed imaging to get a clearer view of the hidden mechanics behind flamingo feeding.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-power-of-flamingo-feet">The power of flamingo feet</h2>



Flamingo feet are as important as their beaks. Their webbed feet are soft and floppy, which helps them avoid suction when lifting their feet from muddy bottoms. 



Ortega Jiménez created rigid and flexible models of the feet to test their effects in water. He discovered that the floppy design is much better at generating forward-moving vortices, while rigid ones mostly just create turbulence.



In shallow water, you might catch a glimpse of a flamingo’s dance. It's not just for show. Each motion helps concentrate prey in just the right spot for the flamingo to feed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-feeding-in-full-motion">Feeding in full motion</h2>



The team also built a 3D model of the L-shaped beak to test how upward head motions create vertical vortices. These movements trap particles and small creatures like copepods and brine shrimp. 



The head moves at about 40 centimeters per second - fast enough to capture even quick-swimming prey.



The chattering motion involves the lower beak moving about 12 times per second, while the upper beak stays still.



"We observed when we put a 3D printed model in a flume to mimic what we call skimming, they are producing symmetrical vortices on the sides of the beak that recirculate the particles in the water so they actually get into the beak," Ortega Jiménez said. "It's this trick of fluid dynamics."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-still-more-to-learn-from-flamingos">Still more to learn from flamingos</h2>



The next step for Ortega Jiménez is to study how the flamingo's tongue and the beak’s comb-like edges help it filter out food from salty, sometimes toxic water. These features could inspire future designs for environmental tools.



"Flamingos are super-specialized animals for filter feeding," he said. "It's not just the head, but the neck, their legs, their feet and all the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/flamingos-of-a-feather-flock-together/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">behaviors</a> they use just to effectively capture these tiny and agile organisms."



From lakebeds to lab models, the flamingo’s feeding technique is more than a quirky behavior - it’s a glimpse into nature’s quiet engineering. As the research continues, these elegant birds may help shape future tools for water cleaning and soft-footed robotics.



Click here to watch a <a href="https://youtu.be/3cgcF8th5Nk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">video of flamingoes making water tornadoes...</a>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2503495122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.
</blockquote>



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You’ll never guess what flamingos are doing with their feet in the water

At first glance, a flamingo feeding in shallow, alkaline water...

Sleep is more than rest. It’s a time when the brain, whether in bees or mammals, processes information, strengthens memories, and prepares for the next day. For years, scientists have studied sleep in mammals, revealing intricate brain patterns during rest.



Now, researchers at the <a href="http://www.unitn.it/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Trento</a> have turned their attention to a less obvious subject: bees. What they discovered blurs the line between insect and human sleep.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-sleep-in-bee-brains">Studying sleep in bee brains</h2>



Imagine a honey bee, immobilized and connected to a two-photon microscope, its delicate head under the watchful eye of scientists. At night, when <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/these-wildflowers-changed-color-to-attract-bees/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bees</a> naturally enter a resting state, researchers captured the silent flickering of neurons in their antennal lobes - the brain’s olfactory command center.



"For the first time, we have observed what happens in the brain of sleeping honey bees and we have identified neuronal network states which are signatures of sleep," says Albrecht Haase, the principal investigator.



And what did they find? As the bee lay still, its neuronal networks switched to a quieter, synchronized mode. A sleep state and a mode eerily similar to what happens in human brains.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scent-processing-during-sleep">Scent processing during sleep</h2>



Close your eyes and take a deep breath. When you’re asleep, your brain doesn’t pay as much attention to smells as it does when you’re awake. 



The same thing happens to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/artificial-light-disrupts-honeybee-sleep-patterns/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bees</a>. While they rest, the part of their brain that detects scents slows down, focusing only on important smells.



"We have shown that, in resting states, the brain networks of bees switch to a synchronised and reduced information processing mode, similar to what happens in mammals," Haase explains.



Data collected over several nights revealed that bees, while asleep, enter a state of decreased sensory perception. The brain’s noise dials down, and neuronal connections slip into a slower, more rhythmic pattern.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-detecting-sleep-patterns-in-bees">Detecting sleep patterns in bees</h2>



The researchers decoded the neural signatures of sleep. By feeding the neural data into machine learning algorithms, they trained a model to differentiate between active and resting states. The accuracy? A staggering 93%.



Glomeruli - tiny clusters of neurons in the antennal lobes - synchronized their activity during sleep, forming patterns reminiscent of sleep spindles in mammals. 



The antennal lobe, which usually fires in response to scent signals, now pulsed in unison, like a choir singing in a single pitch.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-simulating-bee-sleep">Simulating bee sleep</h2>



Researchers built a computational model, a virtual bee brain, designed to mimic the observed sleep patterns. The model simulated glomeruli firing as sleep deepened, with inhibitory connections between neurons weakening.



It was a revelation. By reducing synaptic conductance, the model replicated the sleep state seen in bees. The glomeruli pulsed together, but their connections slackened. The result? A network tuned to silence, primed to rest.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gaba-s-role-in-bee-sleep">GABA’s role in bee sleep</h2>



What makes the brain slow down during sleep? It could be GABA, a chemical in the brain that helps calm nerve cells. In humans, GABA reduces brain activity during sleep. The same thing happens in bees.



The study found that during sleep, inhibitory neurons in the antennal lobes - which release GABA - dial down their signals. This reduction synchronizes glomerular networks, linking it to sleep states observed in higher animals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-stress-affects-sleep">How stress affects sleep</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pesticides-affect-bumble-bee-health-in-complex-ways/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bees</a> do more than make honey. They pollinate crops, keeping ecosystems balanced. But what happens when their sleep is disrupted? Pesticides, climate change, and habitat loss can alter sleep patterns, potentially compromising their sensory processing.



"This work is important for basic neuroscience, but it also contributes to research on the global concern for pollinator health," noted Haase.



If sleep consolidates memory, disrupted sleep could affect how bees remember floral routes, communicate through waggle dances, or respond to danger. The implications are profound.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sleep-and-memory-in-bees">Sleep and memory in bees</h2>



Picture a bee, navigating a field of flowers. It remembers where to find nectar, a mental map imprinted during sleep.



"During sleep, for example, bees consolidate the memory that allows them to build a cognitive map that they use to navigate to food sources," Haase says.



In the study, researchers observed that during sleep, neural activity in the antennal lobes replayed patterns seen during wakefulness, as if the brain were rehearsing the day’s events. Sleep, it seems, is more than a break - it’s a second chance to learn.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolution-of-sleep-patterns">Evolution of sleep patterns</h2>



What does bee sleep tell us about human sleep? More than you might think. The study suggests that sleep patterns evolved early, long before mammals roamed the Earth.



"Honey bees offer the opportunity to study sleep at the level of individual neurons, which is impossible in humans," said Haase.



If bees and humans share sleep signatures, could other sleep traits - like memory consolidation and sensory tuning - also be conserved? The possibilities are endless.



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



The study is far from over. Next, researchers plan to explore how environmental stressors - pesticides, for instance - impact sleep in bees. They’ll also refine the computational model, testing how network disruptions affect sensory processing.



Ultimately, the goal is grand: a deeper understanding of sleep’s universal language. And if bees can dream, what are they dreaming of? The scent of flowers? The warmth of the hive? Or perhaps the distant hum of the universe, resonating in the silent space between neurons?



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S089360802500454X?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Neural Networks</a>.



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Bees sleep like humans, with similar brain patterns

Sleep is more than rest. It’s a time when the...

Antimicrobial,Susceptibility,Testing,In,Petri,Dish.,Microbiologist,Check,Antibiotic,Resistance

Scientists have discovered that a notorious hospital bacterium can digest the very plastics used in sutures, stents, and surgical mesh. By turning the polymer into food, the microbe may cling more stubbornly to devices and linger longer on ward surfaces.



Researchers from <a href="https://www.brunel.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brunel University London</a>, working with a patient-derived strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, found that the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/common-pathogen-is-resistant-to-hospital-disinfectant-cleaners/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pathogen</a> dismantles polycaprolactone (PCL), a biodegradable plastic common in modern medicine. 



The insight challenges the assumption that clinical <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/everyday-polymers-that-are-considered-safe-release-harmful-toxins/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">polymers</a> are immune to microbial attack.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-turning-hospital-plastics-into-food">Turning hospital plastics into food</h2>



The team traced the plastic-eating trick to a single enzyme, which they named Pap1. In laboratory tests, Pap1 reduced a thin PCL film by seventy-eight percent within seven days. The bacterium then used the liberated fragments as its sole carbon source.



“It means we need to reconsider how pathogens exist in the hospital environment,” said professor Ronan McCarthy, who led the study.



“<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hungry-bacteria-will-devour-plastic-waste/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Plastics</a>, including plastic surfaces, could potentially be food for these bacteria. Pathogens with this ability could survive for longer in the hospital environment. It also means that any medical device or treatment that contains plastic could be susceptible to degradation by bacteria.”



PCL is prized because it bends without snapping, melts at low temperatures, and gradually dissolves in the body. Those traits make it ideal for resorbable sutures, drug-delivery patches, and soft tissue scaffolds.



Until now, surgeons assumed the material would vanish only through hydrolysis and harmless metabolic clearance. Pap1 shows that microbes can accelerate the process - and exploit it.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plastic-boosts-bacterial-defenses">Plastic boosts bacterial defenses</h2>



When P. aeruginosa chews up plastic, it gains more than nourishment. The broken polymer pieces help the cells weave tougher <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-coexist-in-shared-spaces-by-playing-nice/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">biofilms</a>, those gluey communal layers that resist disinfectants, immune cells, and multiple classes of antibiotics.



Catheter-related urinary tract infections and ventilator-associated pneumonia already rank among the hardest hospital infections to treat. PCL degradation could fortify the culprit’s defenses, complicating therapy even further.



The <a href="https://www.who.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">World Health Organization</a> lists P. aeruginosa among the top “critical” pathogens in need of new drugs. Its uncanny ability to evolve resistance and to thrive in damp, nutrient-poor niches makes it a frequent cause of persistent outbreaks.



The study showed that plastic may be an unexpected reservoir of calories, tipping survival odds further in the germ’s favor.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-bacteria-may-digest-plastic">More bacteria may digest plastic</h2>



The researchers looked at genetic databases and spotted related enzyme blueprints in other bacteria known to haunt intensive-care units.



Though only PCL digestion was proven, the sequence hints suggest that plastics such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/biodegradable-living-plastic-contains-bacterial-spores-that-break-it-down/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">polyurethane</a> or polyethylene terephthalate - used in everything from vascular grafts to wound dressings - might also be vulnerable.



“The bug's plastic-eating ability is likely helping it survive on surfaces in hospitals, potentially driving hospital outbreaks. We should start to consider focusing on plastics that are harder for microbes to digest and potentially screening pathogens for these enzymes, especially in unexplained prolonged outbreaks,” McCarthy said.



That prospect affects far more than one operating theatre. Cardiac stents, breast implants, dental membranes and bone fillers all rely on polymers for flexibility and strength. If any of those materials can be metabolized, latent infections might smolder undetected until biofilms reach critical mass.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-designing-safer-plastics">Designing safer plastics</h2>



One response is to redesign polymers so their chemical bonds resist enzymatic cleavage. Another is to coat device surfaces with inert barriers or embedded antimicrobials that deny bacteria a foothold. 



Any such solution must preserve the mechanical virtues that made PCL popular in the first place while preventing degradation inside the body.



Research chemists may also mine Pap1 itself for clues. By mapping its active site, they could predict which molecular motifs invite attack and which repel it. That information could steer the next generation of hospital plastics toward safer territory.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-hospital-surveillance">Rethinking hospital surveillance</h2>



Hospitals already culture swabs from taps, beds, and keyboard covers. The new data suggest laboratories should add targeted searches for plastic-digesting enzymes.



Environmental isolates that test positive might explain outbreaks whose source has eluded standard surveillance. Cleaning protocols could likewise shift focus: scrubbing away visible grime is not enough if <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/previously-overlooked-viruses-may-secretly-shape-bacterial-populations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bacteria</a> can tuck inside the polymer and nibble at its chains.



McCarthy emphasizes that the present work is an early step. It examined one strain, one enzyme, and one polymer under controlled conditions. Real-world environments mix many microbes, variable temperatures, and diverse materials.



“Plastic is everywhere in modern medicine, and it turns out some pathogens have adapted to degrade it, and we need to understand the impact this has on patient safety,” McCarthy said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-next-experiments-on-the-horizon">Next experiments on the horizon</h2>



Future studies will test explanted devices for microscopic bite marks, track enzyme genes across hospital genomes and expose other medical plastics to potential degraders.



Animal models may reveal whether in-body digestion changes implant strength or releases inflammatory by-products. Parallel work on coatings and polymer chemistry will explore defenses.



For now, the image is sobering: a superbug perched on a catheter, slowly digesting the tube meant to heal, using the fragments to thicken its fortress and bide its time. The finding upends old assumptions and signals that in the quiet corners of a ward, plastic may not be inert at all - but a secret feast for the enemy within.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(25)00421-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cell Reports</a>.



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New "superbugs" discovered in hospitals devour medical plastics, boosting infection risks

Scientists have discovered that a notorious hospital bacterium can digest...

Mothers don’t all raise their babies the same way - not even in the wild. A new study from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior (MPI-AB) reveals that Sumatran orangutan mothers differ significantly in how they care for their infants. 



Some carry their babies more often, others break body contact sooner, and these patterns hold steady across all their offspring.



“Our study shows that Sumatran <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-endangered-primate-species-identified-in-new-report/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">orangutan</a> mothers are not all the same when it comes to parenting behaviors,” noted Revathe Thillaikumar, a postdoctoral researcher ay <a href="https://www.ab.mpg.de" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MPI-AB</a> and the study’s lead author.



Researchers spent 15 years observing 22 mother-infant pairs at the Suaq Balimbing research site in Indonesia. Over 6,000 hours of data collection revealed that even after considering environmental and social factors, mothers maintained their distinct styles of parenting.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-orangutan-mothers-differ-in-parenting">How orangutan mothers differ in parenting</h2>



Six maternal behaviors became the focus of this study: body contact, staying close, carrying, feeding nearby, terminating contact, and keeping spatial proximity. 



While some <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/does-mother-nature-have-rights-a-tiny-frog-has-joined-the-fight/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mothers</a> rarely let go of their babies, others gradually reduced physical closeness as their infants grew older.



Thillaikumar notes that the study highlighted consistent patterns. 



“For example, we found that during the developmental period, some mothers consistently carried their infants more than others,” she said. Interestingly, these differences didn’t change, even when mothers had more than one infant over the years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-orangutan-mothers-adapt-as-infants-grow">Orangutan mothers adapt as infants grow</h2>



Sumatran <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/experts-unlock-the-mysteries-of-orangutan-communication/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">orangutans</a> hold the record for the longest infant dependency in the animal kingdom, aside from humans. Their babies stick around for nearly a decade. This long period gave researchers a unique opportunity to track how mothers adjust their behavior as their babies grow.



Thillaikumar observed that mothers adapted to their infants’ changing needs. They adjusted how often they stayed close, how frequently they carried them, and how soon they encouraged independence. However, the extent of these adjustments varied significantly. 



Some moms loosened up quickly, while others remained protective much longer.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-do-orangutans-have-maternal-personalities">Do orangutans have maternal personalities?</h2>



What drives these differences? Caroline Schuppli, a group leader at MPI-AB and senior author of the study, suggests that maternal personalities may be at play. 



“The consistent differences among <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wasp-moms-manage-multiple-nests-with-remarkable-memory/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mothers</a> - both in the extent of their behaviors and in how these behaviors changed over the course of infant development - suggest that orangutans may possess individual maternal personalities,” she noted.



Schuppli raises a fascinating question: Do these parenting styles affect how young orangutans develop? The team doesn’t have that answer yet. Orangutans take years to mature, so more time and data are needed. 



“We do not yet know whether differences in maternal behaviors bring about differences in aspects of infant development,” said Schuppli. Another decade of data collection might finally provide that answer.



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



The study lays the groundwork for further exploration into orangutan parenting. Could these distinct maternal styles influence infant survival, learning, or social skills? 



Researchers plan to keep tracking these mother-infant pairs, hoping to untangle the long-term effects of maternal behavior.



Sumatran orangutans live in dense rainforests, where navigating the canopy safely is crucial for survival. Mothers teach their infants how to climb, move, and forage. 



If some moms are more hands-on than others, how might that impact what their offspring learn? These are the questions driving the next phase of the research.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-orangutan-moms-have-unique-styles">Orangutan moms have unique styles</h2>



Just like human mothers, Sumatran orangutan mothers don’t all parent the same way. Some are more protective and stay close to their infants for a long time. Others give their young more freedom early on.



As discussed above, researchers found that each mother had her own unique way of raising her babies. Some carried their infants more often, while others let them explore independently sooner.



It’s not yet clear if these different parenting styles affect how the babies learn or grow. The researchers still need more time to find out. But one thing is certain - no two orangutan mothers are alike. Each has her own way of raising her young, just like in human families.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2025.0443" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences</a>.



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Orangutan mothers have unique parenting styles like humans

Mothers don’t all raise their babies the same way -...

<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=2E0mn5mTvhQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that scientists never expected.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-waters-beneath-ancient-craters">Hidden waters beneath ancient craters</h2>



Scientists have made a startling discovery that challenges everything we thought we knew about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saturn-moon-mimas-has-remarkably-young-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Saturn's moon Mimas</a>. Beneath the heavily cratered surface that earned it the nickname "Death Star" lies a global ocean that formed just 5 to 15 million years ago—a remarkably young age by cosmic standards.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cassini-data-reveals-orbital-secrets">Cassini data reveals orbital secrets</h2>



The discovery, led by Dr. Valéry Lainey of the <a href="https://observatoiredeparis.psl.eu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Observatoire de Paris</a>, emerged from careful analysis of <a href="https://www.nasa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>'s Cassini spacecraft data. By studying subtle irregularities in Mimas's orbit around Saturn, researchers detected the gravitational signature of liquid water hidden 20 to 30 kilometers beneath the moon's icy shell.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-unlikely-ocean-world">An unlikely ocean world</h2>



At only 400 kilometers in diameter, Mimas seemed like the least likely candidate to harbor a subsurface ocean. Unlike other ocean moons such as Europa and Enceladus, which show clear surface signs of internal activity, Mimas displays no obvious hints of the liquid water beneath its ancient, crater-scarred exterior.



"Mimas is a small moon, and its heavily cratered surface gave no hint of the hidden ocean beneath," explained Dr. Nick Cooper from <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queen Mary University of London</a>, a study co-author.



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



The ocean's recent formation makes Mimas a prime target for studying how oceans develop and potentially support life. This discovery adds another member to the exclusive club of ocean worlds in our solar system, each offering unique insights into the conditions necessary for habitability.



The research, published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a> journal, demonstrates how advanced orbital analysis can reveal hidden features of celestial bodies, opening new possibilities for understanding ocean formation throughout the cosmos.



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Scientists discover unexpected young ocean on Saturn's cratered moon Mimas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E0mn5mTvhQ 'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that...

<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>



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.



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.



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.



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.



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.



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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>



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.



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.



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



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.



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.



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.



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



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."



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



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.



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



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



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.



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.



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



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.



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.



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



The forest was remarkably diverse. Scientists identified Eospermatopteris, 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.



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.



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



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.



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."



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.



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



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.



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.



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



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.



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.



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.



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.



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



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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=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-don-t-we-ever-hear-about-acid-rain-anymore-the-environmental-crisis-that-was-solved">Why don't we ever hear about "acid rain" anymore? The environmental crisis that was solved</h2>



Remember the 1980s when acid rain dominated headlines? Dire warnings about rain eating buildings, killing fish, and destroying forests filled every news cycle. Then, almost like magic, acid rain vanished from public discourse. What happened? Did we actually solve one of the late 20th century's most pressing environmental challenges?



The answer might surprise you. Unlike many environmental issues that drag on indefinitely, acid rain represents one of modern history's most successful ecological recovery stories. It's a tale of science, politics, and technology working together to tackle what seemed impossible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What was acid rain?</h2>



Acid rain isn't regular rain having a bad day – it's precipitation that became significantly more acidic due to air pollution. When power plants, factories, and vehicles burn fossil fuels, they release sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The science behind it</h2>



Think of acid rain as nature's chemistry experiment gone wrong. These compounds react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. When mixed with water vapor in clouds, they create precipitation with dangerously low pH levels.



While clean rain has a pH of about 5.6, acid rain could drop as low as 4.2 to 4.4 – roughly as acidic as tomato juice or coffee. According to US Geological Survey documentation, Scottish chemist Angus Smith first coined "acid rain" in 1872, but it didn't become a household phrase until the 1960s and 1970s when Swedish scientist Svante Odén documented its devastating effects on Scandinavian lakes and European forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The crisis at its peak</h2>



During the height of public concern, environmental damage was both widespread and visible. This wasn't some abstract future threat – people could see destruction happening in real-time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Environmental devastation</h2>



The most dramatic impacts were impossible to ignore. Research documented by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation shows that in the Adirondack Mountains, more than 200 lakes became so acidic they couldn't support fish life. The Adirondack Council reports that 409 lakes once supported brook trout, but many lost their fish populations due to acid rain.



By 1976, when scientists cataloged all acidified lakes in the Adirondack Park, researchers found that half of the lakes over 2,000 feet above sea level had no fish, according to studies published in environmental journals. The acidification process worked like a slow-motion disaster. As acid rain fell into watersheds, it gradually lowered pH levels. Fish couldn't survive in acidic water, and their food sources died off too.



Trees at high elevations showed stress directly linked to acid rain. It weakened them by leaching nutrients and making them susceptible to disease. Historical records show Germany's Black Forest saw nearly half its trees damaged by the mid-1980s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic impact</h2>



Acid rain wasn't just environmental – it was expensive. Acidic precipitation corroded infrastructure, buildings, and monuments. Historic stone structures deteriorated at accelerated rates. Tourism suffered as lakes became fishless and forests declined. EPA economic analyses from the period documented repair costs mounting into billions annually.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The solution: government action and technology</h2>



Transformation from crisis to success required unprecedented cooperation between governments, industries, and environmental groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Clean Air Act of 1990</h2>



The turning point came with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, signed by President George H.W. Bush. This represented a fundamentally new approach to environmental regulation, as documented in EPA historical records.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cap-and-trade success</h2>



Instead of mandating specific technologies, the 1990 amendments introduced something revolutionary: a cap-and-trade system for sulfur dioxide emissions. EPA program documentation shows this market-based approach set overall limits but allowed companies to trade emission allowances.



The genius was harnessing market forces to find cost-effective pollution reduction. Companies reducing emissions cheaply could sell excess allowances to those facing higher costs. Research published in environmental economics journals and EPA progress reports shows this resulted in dramatic SO2 reduction at a fraction of projected costs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Technology advances</h2>



Policy provided the framework, but technology made reductions possible. Studies in atmospheric science journals document the widespread adoption of flue gas desulfurization systems ("scrubbers") that removed sulfur dioxide before it reached the atmosphere. By the 2000s, new installations could remove over 95% of SO2 emissions, according to EPA technical reports.



The push coincided with cleaner energy development. Natural gas produces fewer sulfur compounds than coal. Wind and solar, emerging in the 1990s, captured growing market share, reducing reliance on high-sulfur coal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-we-don-t-hear-about-it-today">Why we don't hear about it today</h2>



Why did acid rain disappear from headlines? Simple: the problem was largely solved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Success doesn't make news</h2>



There's an old journalism saying: "If it bleeds, it leads." Environmental success stories don't generate urgency like crisis reporting. Media attention shifted to other challenges: climate change, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss. There's only so much environmental anxiety the public can absorb, and newer concerns replaced acid rain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mission accomplished</h2>



The primary reason is beautifully simple: interventions worked. EPA monitoring data shows sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990. Academic research published in environmental science journals confirms pH levels in formerly affected areas returned closer to normal. This represents one of history's most dramatic environmental recoveries. Studies by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation show fishless lakes now support healthy populations. Forests recovered, and building damage slowed dramatically.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-it-really-gone">Is it really gone?</h2>



The crisis is largely resolved, but monitoring data shows the problem isn't completely eliminated – it's managed to acceptable levels. Some areas still experience occasional events during high pollution periods. International environmental research indicates that rapidly industrializing Asian countries face similar problems to what we experienced decades ago, though they're implementing successful strategies.



EPA research shows nitrogen oxide emissions proved more challenging than sulfur dioxide, coming from vehicles and mobile sources. Climate science studies suggest changing weather patterns add complexity to how acid rain forms and falls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What this teaches us</h2>



The acid rain experience proves that seemingly intractable environmental problems can be solved with scientific understanding, political will, and technological innovation. Environmental monitoring data shows recovery speed was remarkable – within a decade, measurable improvements appeared in air quality and ecosystem health.



Success came from bipartisan support across party lines. Policy analysis studies show the market-based approach appealed to those preferring economic incentives while achieving environmental goals. This support created lasting policy surviving political changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h2>



Acid rain's disappearance from public consciousness represents environmental science's greatest success stories. Through effective regulation, technological innovation, and international cooperation, we transformed an overwhelming crisis into a manageable challenge.



Today's silence isn't because we forgot – it's because we solved it. The 1990 Clean Air Act, combined with technology and energy market changes, reduced acid rain emissions over 90%, according to comprehensive EPA data analysis.



This success offers hope for current challenges. It proves complex problems can be solved when science, policy, and technology work together. As we face climate change and plastic pollution, acid rain reminds us that dramatic positive change is possible.



Next time someone asks whether environmental regulations work, remember acid rain. It's proof that sometimes, we get it right.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Sources: This article draws from EPA official documentation and progress reports, peer-reviewed research published in environmental and atmospheric science journals, historical data from the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation records, US Geological Survey publications, policy analysis studies, and environmental monitoring data collected over three decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



1. Is acid rain completely gone? No, but EPA monitoring shows it's reduced to manageable levels. US sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990, making acid rain much less severe than the 1980s crisis.



2. How long did solving take? Environmental monitoring data shows significant improvements began within 5-10 years of 1990s emission controls. Full ecosystem recovery took longer – some areas need 20-30 years for complete recovery.



3. What made the solution successful? Clear scientific understanding, visible damage motivating action, bipartisan support, available technology, and innovative market-based policies like cap-and-trade.



4. Do other countries have acid rain problems? Yes, particularly rapidly industrializing Asian countries. However, international environmental research shows many implement similar successful control strategies.



5. Could acid rain return? Potentially, if regulations weaken or we return to high-sulfur coal without controls, though effects would take years to become severe according to environmental projections.



6. Can you recommend any teaching tools on the subject of "acid rain"? The United States Environmental Protection Agency produced a wonderful teacher's guide for ages 14 and under that you can find on the EPA website here: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf</a>



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The environmental problem we actually solved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk Acid rain and a crisis solved. Why don't we...

Fresh,Radish,Harvest,On,Soil,In,Garden.

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Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving fall garden, and this guide lays out the best vegetables and herbs to plant now for a fruitful autumn harvest. 



Fast-growing leafy greens such as spinach, lettuce, kale, and arugula perform especially well in the waning summer heat, with harvests beginning as soon as 30 days. 



These cool-season crops relish the transition into fall, offering repeated yields with cut-and-come-again methods.



Root vegetables like radishes, carrots, and beets also excel during this period. Radishes deliver satisfaction in under a month, while carrots and beets mature in about two months. Employing succession planting ensures a continuous stream of produce deep into the cooler months. 



For a boost of fresh flavor, herbs like cilantro, basil, dill, and chervil are excellent picks. These heat-loving varieties flourish in July’s warmth and are harvest-ready in about 30 days, especially when sown continuously.



Gardeners in zones 6 through 9 can benefit from planting bush beans and snap peas, which don’t require trellising and are ideal for compact plots. 



Maturing in 50–60 days, they’re a smart choice for quick, protein-rich harvests. For those in hotter regions, heat-tolerant crops such as okra and southern peas provide reliable yields and thrive in scorching conditions.



This guide emphasizes more than crop selection—it highlights the importance of timing, soil preparation, and ongoing sowing techniques. 



With thoughtful planning and attention to regional climate needs, even late-summer gardeners can enjoy fresh salads, hearty stews, and the satisfaction of a robust, homegrown harvest well into fall.



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

https://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving...

Green,Ecoduct,Over,An,Empty,Highway,During,Sunset.

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A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that wildlife tunnels significantly reduce amphibian road mortality during seasonal migrations. 



Frogs and salamanders often cross roads to reach breeding ponds each spring, but many are killed by vehicles. 



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Vermont</a>, in collaboration with local citizens and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, installed two underpass tunnels in 2015. 



Over a 12-year monitoring period, they observed an 80.2% reduction in amphibian deaths, and up to 94% for non-climbing species like salamanders. 



The study used a before-after-control-impact design and documented more than 5,200 amphibians, highlighting the tunnels’ effectiveness even in nearby buffer zones.



Funded at $342,397 - far cheaper than wildlife crossings for large mammals - the project showcased the power of community-led conservation.



Local groups initiated the effort after observing mass amphibian deaths. Wildlife cameras later captured over 2,200 amphibians using a tunnel in just one spring, along with other species like raccoons and bobcats, indicating wider ecosystem benefits.



This marks the first peer-reviewed, long-term data set in the northeastern U.S. confirming amphibian-specific underpasses work. 



The study urges transportation departments to incorporate these designs into road planning and highlights how community action, thoughtful infrastructure, and persistence can make a real difference for biodiversity.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1617138125000780" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal for Nature Conservation</a>.



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

Spiral,Galaxy,,Illustration,Of,Milky,Way

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Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"] Astronomers at Johns Hopkins University have created...

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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"] Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s...

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



"Together with the provinces of Huesca and Teruel, Zaragoza formed the old kingdom of Aragon. Its capital, also called Zaragoza (not visible in this image) is home to around half of Aragon’s population," says ESA.



"The Ebro River can be seen winding its way through the province from west to east in this image. Between its source in the Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest and its delta on the Mediterranean coast, the Ebro River is fed by more than 200 tributaries as it flows 910 km across much of northern Spain."



Since rainfall is very scarce in this region, irrigation in the Ebro basin is critically important. In the valleys surrounding the Ebro River, many fields are used for growing crops such as corn, wheat, and barley.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



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



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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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