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...

Researchers have long studied quantum entanglement to understand how photons appear to influence each other instantaneously.



This peculiar link first emerged when Albert Einstein pointed to what he called “spooky action at a distance,” suggesting that this peculiar behavior contradicted intuitive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/google-claims-commercial-quantum-computing-is-just-five-years-away/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">views</a> of cause and effect.



The conversation around these phenomena has evolved through the decades. 



Ph.D. student <a href="https://phys.technion.ac.il/en/component/adm/person/1189" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Amit Kam</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.co.il/citations?user=Jf5cMM8AAAAJ&amp;hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Shai Tsesses</a> from <a href="https://www.technion.ac.il/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Technion</a> are now adding a twist to this story by exploring surprising effects in photons that occupy incredibly tight spaces.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-quantum-entanglement">Understanding quantum entanglement</h2>



Quantum entanglement is a strange but very real phenomenon where two particles become linked in such a way that their states depend on each other, even when separated by huge distances. 



Imagine you take a pair of gloves, put one in a box, and send it to the other side of the universe. The moment you open the box and see a left glove, you instantly know the other box has the right one. 



With entangled particles, it’s like that, but much weirder. The twist is, unlike gloves that had a clear identity from the start, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-entanglement-speed-is-measured-first-time-too-fast-for-humans-minds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">entangled particles</a> don’t “decide” their state until someone measures them. And once one does, the other reacts instantly, no matter how far away it is.



Einstein was never fully onboard with quantum entanglement because it seems to break the rule that nothing can travel faster than light. 



But time and again, experiments have shown it’s real. No hidden signals. No delay. Just instant correlation. 



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



Einstein’s <a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qt-epr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">collaboration</a> with Boris Podolsky and Nathan Rosen produced a classic puzzle that challenged existing ideas. 



Their EPR paper helped spark deeper inquiries into how one <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microsoft-announces-giant-leap-in-quantum-computing-majorana-1/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">particle</a> can instantly affect another across vast distances, a phenomenon that puzzled even seasoned physicists.



Years later, the idea reached practical horizons with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.70.1895" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">quantum teleportation</a>, which was conceptualized by Charles Bennett, Gilles Brassard, and Asher Peres. 



This opened the door to quantum communication protocols that rely on bizarre correlations only possible in the quantum world.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tiny-photon-spaces-are-revealing">Tiny photon spaces are revealing</h2>



The push to miniaturize devices is not just about saving space. Scaling down light-based components can strengthen the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/baffling-quantum-entanglement-statistics-puzzle-finally-solved-advanced-technologies/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">interaction</a> between photons and nearby materials, which may lead to applications that larger-scale systems cannot achieve.



Photons in <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acsanm.3c04950" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nanoscale</a> environments showcase new combinations of properties. Instead of seeing separate spin and orbital components, scientists are dealing with <a href="https://faculty.washington.edu/seattle/physics541/12text.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">total angular momentum</a>, which merges these features into one quantity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-strange-photon-actions-in-small-spaces">Strange photon actions in small spaces</h2>



Most people imagine light beams spreading out freely, but these experiments <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-dance-entangled-photons-wave-functions-captured-real-time/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">confine photons</a> into structures tinier than a thousandth the thickness of a human hair.



That restriction forces angular components of light to overlap in unexpected ways, altering how each photon can carry information.



These observations may hold promise for new kinds of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/radical-theory-unites-gravity-spacetime-and-the-quantum-realm/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">quantum</a> devices. 



Researchers propose that total angular momentum entanglement might enable more compact hardware for quantum computing or communication links than previously thought possible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-different-kind-of-quantum-entanglement">Different kind of quantum entanglement</h2>



Several forms of entanglement in photons involve separate characteristics such as direction, frequency, or polarization. In contrast, total angular momentum combines many properties into a single description.



Evidence for this new structure only surfaced when <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08761-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">researchers</a> tested how photon pairs behave once they pass through carefully designed nanoscale channels. 



The outcomes hinted at correlations that do not resemble conventional entanglement structures in larger settings.



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



Those studying photon-based technologies aim to construct more efficient equipment that harnesses quantum <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-phase-superradiant-phase-transition-srpt-observed-in-lab/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">effects</a> for faster computations or stealthy message exchanges. 



Smaller components can pack more operations onto a single chip, much like the ongoing trend in electronics.



While some quantum methods focus on established particle attributes, this work suggests that total angular momentum could be an untapped resource. 



The miniature systems explored by Technion scientists might offer fresh ways to encode and process data without taking up a lot of space.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-photon-control-and-next-steps">Photon control and next steps</h2>



Entangled photons, even in conventional systems, are notoriously sensitive to environmental disturbances. 



Confining light in tiny spaces can amplify those effects, so the engineering behind these setups must address potential losses or interference.



Researchers also want to confirm whether total angular momentum entanglement behaves reliably in real-world conditions. 



Investigations into materials and device architectures are underway, guided by the new data from these nanoscale experiments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-this-links-back-to-einstein">How this links back to Einstein</h2>



Einstein’s skepticism about instant influence did not stop the scientific community from uncovering new frontiers in quantum theory. 



The <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2022/summary/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2022 Nobel Prize in Physics</a> recognized key contributions that shaped how we measure and interpret entanglement.



Today, the focus has turned toward next-generation experiments that push these correlations into ever-smaller spaces. 



By compressing photons into structures below their typical wavelength, scientists hope to uncover possibilities beyond familiar optical behaviors.



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



Each step in quantum research sparks questions about how nature encodes information. 



The notion of merging spin and orbit into a single total angular momentum points to a shift in the thinking about light, especially when devices must stay small.



Further studies may translate these findings into commercial products. 



Many experts foresee a path where photons replace electrons in computing tasks, leading to faster speeds and less heat dissipation. This new entanglement feature could become an essential piece of that puzzle.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08761-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



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New type of quantum entanglement will transform real-world technology

Researchers have long studied quantum entanglement to understand how photons appear...

For centuries, the universe has offered humanity glimpses of unimaginable galaxies and structures. Some shine brightly, others hide behind veils of gas and dust.



The Southern Pinwheel Galaxy, or Messier 83 (M83), seemed like one of the latter. Its vibrant spiral arms and starburst activity have dazzled astronomers. Yet, deep in its luminous center, something powerful remained unseen - until now.



Recent observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (<a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">JWST</a>) may have uncovered long-sought evidence of a supermassive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/evidence-of-massive-early-universe-black-hole-stuns-astronomers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">black hole</a> at the galaxy's core.



This finding, driven by the telescope’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), marks a major shift in our understanding of M83 and other galaxies that were once thought to be starburst-only systems. The results open a new chapter in extragalactic astronomy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-black-hole-hiding-in-a-starburst-galaxy">Black hole hiding in a starburst galaxy</h2>



M83 lies just 4.6 million parsecs away - relatively close on the cosmic scale. Its classification as a barred spiral galaxy with intense star-forming activity placed it under frequent scrutiny.



Yet, despite decades of detailed study, researchers failed to detect signs of a central <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/monster-in-the-shadows-giant-black-hole-emerges-from-cosmic-dust/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">active galactic nucleus</a> (AGN), which is typically expected in galaxies of its size and structure.



Older optical and near-infrared observations suggested a complex nuclear region. Past efforts even revealed multiple candidate centers - each differing slightly in location and properties.



Still, none of these zones produced evidence strong enough to confirm AGN activity. If the galaxy held a supermassive black hole, it had to be dormant, hidden, or incredibly faint.



Astronomers suspected that thick dust may obscure faint AGN signals, especially in the galaxy’s nuclear starburst zone. Webb’s mid-infrared sensitivity changed that. With MIRI, researchers now see what previous instruments could not.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-neon-signals-point-to-mystery">Neon signals point to mystery</h2>



The new study, led by Svea Hernandez, reported clear detections of highly ionized [Ne v] (14.3 μm) and [Ne vi] (7.7 μm) emission in the nucleus of M83.



These lines require photon energies of 97 and 126 electron volts, respectively, which are far higher than typical stellar processes can generate.



“Our discovery of highly ionized neon <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thousands-of-active-black-holes-discovered-where-it-was-believed-they-couldnt-exist/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emission</a> in the nucleus of M83 was unexpected,” said Hernandez. “These signatures require large amounts of energy to be produced - more than what normal stars can generate. This strongly suggests the presence of an AGN that has been elusive until now.”



The emission appeared in distinct regions, including a point-like structure about 140 parsecs south of the optical nucleus, named P3. The structure measures less than 18 parsecs across and shows low obscuration, contrasting with the highly dust-shrouded core. This difference adds weight to the AGN scenario.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gas-flows-hinted-at-a-black-hole">Gas flows hinted at a black hole</h2>



Velocity maps from JWST show [Ne v] distributed in a clumpy, north-to-south alignment, with different regions exhibiting distinct kinematic signatures. 



P3’s [Ne vi] emission, for instance, shows a velocity of +80 km/s, slightly offset from the local [Ne v] velocity. Other zones closer to the nucleus display negative velocity offsets, hinting at motion that may trace outflow or turbulence.



The researchers compared the profiles of various ionized lines, from low to high energy. At P3, the high-ionization lines like [Ne v] and [Ne vi] are narrower than the lower-ionization lines.



This suggests that the gas producing these emissions may originate from a different physical process, possibly linked to AGN activity or compact shock-driven regions.



“Before Webb, we simply did not have the tools to detect such faint and highly ionised gas signatures in M83’s nucleus,” Svea added. “Now, with its incredible mid-infrared sensitivity, we are finally able to explore these hidden depths of the galaxy and uncover what was once invisible.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-are-radiative-shocks-the-culprit">Are radiative shocks the culprit?</h2>



To explain the origin of these extreme neon lines, the researchers tested several scenarios. Fast radiative shocks were one possibility.



These shocks occur when turbulent gas, such as that from a supernova or stellar wind, moves at supersonic speeds and compresses surrounding material. The resulting heat can produce high-energy radiation.



Shock models did reproduce the observed line ratios - but only under extreme assumptions. Specifically, the preshock density had to be a mere 0.01 cm⁻³, which is much lower than what is typically found in star-forming galaxies.



The observed postshock densities were also much higher, exceeding 1000 cm⁻³. This discrepancy challenges the idea that shocks alone could explain the data.



Energetic shocks are also known to destroy PAH molecules. Interestingly, P3 - the only region with [Ne vi] - shows the weakest PAH features in its spectrum. This matches the shock hypothesis, yet the unusual density mismatch casts doubt on this explanation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-black-hole-models-explain-galaxy-emissions">Black hole models explain galaxy emissions</h2>



The researchers then tested tailored photoionization models built around a low-luminosity AGN.



The models used a two-zone structure: one zone optically thin to ionizing radiation to generate high-energy lines like [Ne v], and another zone optically thick to generate lower-ionisation lines. This method reproduced the observed line strengths and ratios well.



The models assumed hydrogen column densities and metallicities consistent with M83’s central environment. They also used realistic ionisation parameters and densities. The best-fitting model places P3’s emission well within AGN-dominated zones on classic diagnostic plots.



“Webb is revolutionizing our understanding of galaxies,” said study co-author Linda Smith. “For years, astronomers have searched for a black hole in M83 without success. Now, we finally have a compelling clue that suggests one may be present.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ruling-out-other-extreme-sources">Ruling out other extreme sources</h2>



Could other compact objects be responsible? High-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) can produce hard radiation, though usually at lower levels. 



Past X-ray surveys of M83 revealed several sources, including a bright object coinciding with the optical nucleus. But P3, where [Ne vi] was detected, shows no corresponding X-ray source.



Starburst activity alone cannot easily explain these ionized lines either. Models based on massive stars, including Wolf–Rayet populations, typically fail to reproduce the observed [Ne v] and [Ne vi] strengths. These limitations, combined with the success of the AGN models, make the AGN scenario more likely.



“This discovery showcases how Webb is making unexpected breakthroughs,” noted Smith. “Astronomers thought they had ruled out an AGN in M83, but now we have fresh evidence that challenges past assumptions and opens new avenues for exploration.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-m83-may-not-be-so-pure-after-all">M83 may not be so pure after all</h2>



For decades, M83 stood as a textbook example of a starburst galaxy. Optical data showed little hint of a central <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/black-holes-turn-into-white-holes-and-blast-out-matter-and-time-runs-backwards/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">black hole</a>, but the discovery of high-ionization neon lines shifts this picture. Mid-infrared diagnostics, less hindered by dust, reveal what optical instruments missed.



Line ratio plots now place M83’s nuclear regions alongside hybrid AGN-starburst systems. In particular, P3 falls between the domains of purely star-forming galaxies and low-luminosity AGNs. This blend suggests that more such “pure” galaxies may indeed harbor faint AGNs.



The study urges astronomers to rethink what defines a starburst galaxy. With JWST, similar hidden cores may soon be uncovered in other nearby systems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-confirming-the-galaxy-s-black-hole">Confirming the galaxy’s black hole</h2>



The Webb team has laid the groundwork, but the mystery isn't solved yet. Future observations with ALMA and the Very Large Telescope will help test whether the neon emission truly comes from an AGN or another exotic source. These studies will probe gas motion, composition, and geometry more precisely.



Simulations with more complex geometries may also provide better answers. For now, M83’s hidden giant remains a strong candidate - but not a confirmed one.



Still, this work shows the power of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exoplanet-k2-18b-strongest-evidence-yet-of-extraterrestrial-life-discovered-webb/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Webb</a>. Where previous telescopes saw only dust and star formation in some galaxies, JWST has potentially opened a new window into spotting black holes and other hidden structures.



The study is published in <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/adba5d" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Astrophysical Journal</a>. 



Image Credit: ESA



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Black hole found hiding in a 'pure' starburst galaxy

For centuries, the universe has offered humanity glimpses of unimaginable...

River deltas hold a record of climate history. On Earth, coastlines mark where land and sea constantly interact. Here, rivers meet oceans. Materials from land gather in deltas. These areas store vital clues about tectonics, climate, and planetary evolution.



Scientists apply that same logic to Titan, Saturn’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/titan-may-harbor-life-but-it-will-be-difficult-to-find/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">largest moon</a>. Titan has active rivers and vast seas, but its coastlines don’t behave like those on Earth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-titan-has-rivers-with-no-deltas">Titan has rivers with no deltas</h2>



Titan is the only body in the solar system, besides Earth, known to have stable liquid on its <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cosmic-disturbance-the-mystery-of-titans-shifting-orbit/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">surface</a>. 



Titan has clouds, rain, rivers, lakes, and seas. But the liquid is not water. It is replaced by methane and ethane, which remain liquid under Titan’s frigid atmospheric conditions. These features make it a rare and valuable analog to Earth.



If coastlines on Earth can store records of climate and tectonic change, then Titan’s might hold the same promise - offering a chance to study an alien hydrological system that’s still active today.



Yet there’s a mystery at Titan’s shores. Even though Titan has broad rivers and large lakes, river deltas appear to be almost entirely missing. This caught the attention of Sam Birch, an assistant professor at <a href="https://www.brown.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brown University</a>.



“It’s kind of disappointing as a geomorphologist because deltas should preserve so much of Titan’s history,” Birch said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-are-deltas-just-hidden-from-view">Are deltas just hidden from view?</h2>



Back in 2006, NASA’s <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cassini</a> spacecraft gave scientists their first clear view of Titan’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saturns-moon-titan-has-shorelines-shaped-by-waves/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">surface</a>. Its Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) pierced Titan’s thick, hazy atmosphere and revealed flowing channels and dark, flat seas. 



But even at the mouths of Titan’s largest rivers, Cassini’s radar showed no clear signs of deltas. Scientists wondered - were these deltas hidden or missing altogether?



To answer that question, Birch and his team created a model. They simulated what Earth’s coastlines would look like through Titan’s radar conditions. In their model, Earth’s water was swapped for methane, mimicking Titan’s fluids, which absorb and reflect radar differently. 



The idea was simple: if Earth’s large deltas remain visible in these synthetic SAR images, then Cassini should have seen Titan’s deltas - if they existed.



“We basically made synthetic SAR images of Earth that assume properties of Titan’s liquid instead of Earth’s,” Birch explained.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cassini-should-detect-titan-s-deltas">Cassini should detect Titan's deltas</h2>



The model worked. Earth’s major coastal features - like the Mississippi River delta and barrier islands along the Gulf Coast - remained visible in the altered radar images.



This proved that Cassini should have been capable of detecting large deltas on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dragonfly-space-mission-saturn-moon-titan-gets-greenlight/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Titan</a>. With this in mind, the researchers returned to Titan’s SAR data and re-examined its coastlines.



“If there are deltas the size of the one at the mouth of the Mississippi River, we should be able to see it,” Birch said.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/titan_cassini-radar_earth-deltas_credit-Brown-University_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/titan_cassini-radar_earth-deltas_credit-Brown-University_1s.webp" alt="Earth, as seen by Cassini's radar. In order to understand what landforms on Titan could be seen by Cassini's radar, researchers looked at well-known Earth landforms through Cassini's perspective. The bottom image is how the U.S. Gulf Coast would have looked to Cassini. Credit: Birch Lab / Brown University" class="wp-image-1966464"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Earth, as seen by Cassini's radar. In order to understand what landforms on Titan could be seen by Cassini's radar, researchers looked at well-known Earth landforms through Cassini's perspective. The bottom image is how the U.S. Gulf Coast would have looked to Cassini. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Birch Lab / Brown University</figcaption></figure>



But after carefully reviewing the data, they found that deltas were indeed rare. Aside from two likely deltas near the south pole, most large rivers on Titan showed no signs of delta formation. 



Only about 1.3% of the moon’s coastal rivers ended in deltas. By comparison, nearly every major river on Earth forms a delta at its mouth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shifting-seas-may-erase-titan-s-river-deltas">Shifting seas may erase Titan's river deltas</h2>



On Earth, coastlines are dynamic boundaries. Materials eroded from mountains travel down rivers and settle into sedimentary structures. 



These interactions produce a range of landforms that help scientists trace environmental evolution. Coastal areas are also shaped by tides, storms, and long-term sea-level changes. 



Titan, with its unique climate system, is no exception. It too hosts coastlines where energy and materials interact - just with different ingredients and under different rules.



But Titan’s liquids are transparent to microwave radiation. This means Cassini’s radar can’t always distinguish where the coastline ends and where the sea floor begins. 



While that poses challenges, the team’s modeling showed that large features are still detectable - provided there is enough contrast between land and submerged surfaces.



The findings confirmed what many had suspected: Titan truly lacks deltas, and it’s not because of poor visibility. Something else is preventing these sediment-rich features from forming or surviving.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-clues-beneath-titan-s-seas">Hidden clues beneath Titan’s seas</h2>



The new radar analysis also uncovered something unexpected. On Titan’s sea floors, the team found submerged river channels and deep pits of unknown origin.



These features suggest that sea levels may rise and fall frequently, eroding or dispersing any deltas before they have time to build up. 



The researchers also suspect that winds and underwater flows might redistribute sediment, flattening coastlines before deltas can grow.



These discoveries hint at a much more dynamic Titan than previously assumed. Active coastal processes - shaped by tides, climate shifts, and even currents beneath the seas - may constantly reshape the landscape.



“It’s a playground for studying processes we thought we understood,” said Birch.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-dynamic-alien-coastline">A dynamic alien coastline</h2>



The absence of deltas and presence of submerged features offer a new window into Titan’s climate and geological behavior. Birch and his colleagues have proposed several preliminary hypotheses.



Sea-level cycling, strong coastal winds, and sub-aqueous flows could all contribute to the vanishing deltas. But more data is needed to understand these interactions fully.



“This is really not what we expected,” Birch said. “But Titan does this to us a lot. I think that’s what makes it such an engaging place to study.”



The study also reinforces the value of improving future instruments. A better imaging system could reveal Titan’s river networks and coasts in greater detail, uncovering hidden patterns and explaining current mysteries.



Such improvements wouldn’t just benefit research on Titan. They could also refine how scientists observe Earth’s own changing coasts in the face of sea-level rise and erosion.



The study is published in the <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024JE008737" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Geophysical Research Planets</a>. 



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Why does Saturn's moon, Titan, have rivers but not deltas? Scientists have an idea

River deltas hold a record of climate history. On Earth,...

For most of Earth’s first three billion years, oceans brimmed with single‑celled microbes that shuffled along at a slow biochemical pace -- life, but not complex. 



It lacked ample phosphorus, the nutrient every cell needs for DNA assembly, membrane stability, and ATP energy swaps. Rivers dripped only trace amounts of phosphorus into seawater, holding biology to pint‑size proportions and throttling evolutionary experiments in body size.



Evidence for that long famine sits in ancient mudstones, which contain scant phosphate minerals compared with younger rocks. 



Productivity lagged; oxygen production stayed low; food chains hid in microscopic layers. When phosphorus finally surged, life gained the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/key-ingredients-building-blocks-of-life-found-in-asteroid-bennu-dust-sample/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">building blocks</a> to try larger, more complex designs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-volcanic-chaos-and-complex-life">Volcanic chaos and complex life</h2>



About 2.1 billion years ago, the Congo and São Francisco continental blocks slammed together. 



Their collision squeezed faults, stirred magma, and unleashed underwater volcanoes across a shallow inland sea now preserved as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franceville_basin" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Francevillian sub‑basin</a> in Gabon. 



Eruptions pumped phosphorus‑rich fluids straight into the water and walled the basin off from the wider ocean.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/light-pollution-fuels-toxic-algae-and-alters-carbon-cycling-in-lakes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cyanobacteria</a> thrived in this enclosed lagoon, releasing oxygen and burying carbon as fast as nutrients arrived. 



The chemical bloom raised local energy budgets many times over, creating conditions that favored bigger bodies and cooperative cell assemblies rather than lone bacterial drifters.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fossil-discovery-challenges-timeline">Fossil discovery challenges timeline</h2>



Black shales from the basin hold disc‑shaped, ribbon‑shaped, and leaf‑shaped impressions up to six inches long - giants for their day. 



Their regular outlines and clustering hint at biological growth rather than odd mineral concretions. They appear in the same sedimentary layers that show the phosphorus spike, linking anatomy to chemistry.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/earth_complex-life_began-much-earlier_lobate-macrofossils_credit-UPoitiers_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/earth_complex-life_began-much-earlier_lobate-macrofossils_credit-UPoitiers_1s.webp" alt="The team’s research provides strong validation for the biological affinity of the lobate macrofossils whose validity has been widely debated in the scientific community. Credit: Professor Abderrazzak El Albani of the University of Poitiers, France" class="wp-image-1966454"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The team’s research provides strong validation for the biological affinity of the lobate macrofossils whose validity has been widely debated in the scientific community. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Professor Abderrazzak El Albani of the University of Poitiers, France</figcaption></figure>



If these forms truly represent multicellular life, they push the arrival of complex organisms back by roughly 1.5 billion years. 



That jump rewrites the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/timeline-of-life-ice-ages-gave-evolution-a-kick-start/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evolutionary timeline</a>, showing that animals were not the first to test large size; earlier prototypes surfaced when nutrients and oxygen briefly aligned.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chemistry-meets-biology">Chemistry meets biology</h2>



The new work, led by <a href="https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cardiff University</a> geobiologist Dr. Ernest Chi Fru, pairs detailed rock chemistry with fossil mapping. 



“The availability of phosphorus in the environment is thought to be a key component in the evolution of life on Earth, especially in the transition from simple single‑celled organisms to complex organisms like animals and plants," Dr. Chi Fru explained.



“We already know that increases in marine phosphorus and seawater oxygen concentrations are linked to an episode of biological evolution around 635 million years ago. Our study adds another, much earlier episode into the record, 2.1 billion years ago.”



Digging into the basin’s history, Dr. Chi Fru explained that the volcanic activity following the collision of continental blocks likely isolated the basin from the global ocean, creating a nutrient-rich inland sea. 



This stable environment supported abundant <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-was-once-a-green-marble-before-its-oceans-turned-blue/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cyanobacterial photosynthesis</a>, which in turn oxygenated the water and generated enough energy to support larger, more complex life forms like those seen in the fossils from the period.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-the-complex-life-experiment-stalled">Why the complex life experiment stalled</h2>



Outside the Francevillian lagoon, oceans still lacked phosphorus and carried little oxygen. Larger creatures would have struggled in those harsh surroundings. 



The basin’s shoreline barrier turned the ecosystem into a biological bubble; when volcanic vents cooled and nutrient flow faded, conditions reverted and the macro‑organisms vanished.



Their failure to spread shows that evolution tests possibilities whenever resources allow, but those trials can fizzle if the wider planet remains hostile. 



Complexity needs both innovation and the freedom to roam - something the early <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/timeline-of-lifes-evolution-extended-by-nearly-1-5-billion-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proterozoic world</a> could not yet provide.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-two-steps-to-modern-animals">Two steps to modern animals</h2>



Researchers see a “two‑step” path. The Francevillian pulse marks step one, following the first known rise in atmospheric oxygen. 



Step two arrived nearly <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/luca-last-universal-common-ancestor-progenitor-all-life-on-earth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">1.5 billion years later</a>, when another oxygen surge met a more sustained supply of nutrients during the Ediacaran period. 



That tandem lifted complex life beyond isolated pockets, setting the stage for the Cambrian explosion and the diverse animals that populate Earth now.



The record hints that ample phosphorus may be as critical as oxygen for forging ecosystems full of active, energy‑demanding organisms. Without both factors in play, biology tends to stay microscopic.



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



Astrobiologists comb <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/building-blocks-of-life-found-on-the-dwarf-planet-ceres/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">exoplanet atmospheres</a> for oxygen because it signals possible photosynthesis. The Francevillian story suggests they should also weigh a planet’s phosphorus cycle. 



A world awash in oxygen but starved of phosphate could linger in a microbial phase for eons. Conversely, tectonic quirks that sprinkle oceans with phosphate might jump‑start evolutionary leaps.



Phosphorus, then, is more than fertilizer for terrestrial crops. It is a potential cosmic throttle on complexity, deciding whether life remains small or reaches for new biological heights.



-----



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301926824001669?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Precambrian Research</a>.



Image Credit: Professor Abderrazzak El Albani of the University of Poitiers, France



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Is this a fossil? If so, complex life on Earth emerged 1.5 billion years earlier

For most of Earth’s first three billion years, oceans brimmed...

A shapeless liquid form is something we usually take for granted. We expect fluids to spread and assume the shape of the container in which they are held. But nature sometimes defies our intuition.



In a recent study, a curious liquid refused to remain <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/water-appears-to-have-a-secret-liquid-phase/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">chaotic</a> after being shaken and instead settled into a smooth, outlined shape reminiscent of a piece of classic pottery.



This strange finding was uncovered by a team that includes graduate student <a href="https://www.umass.edu/polymer-science/about/directory/anthony-raykh" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Anthony Raykh</a> at the <a href="https://www.umass.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Massachusetts Amherst</a>. The group had been experimenting with oil and water when they noticed a shape they had never seen before.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-shape-recovering-liquids">Understanding shape-recovering liquids</h2>



Some substances pull themselves together in neat ways. Others spread out in a disorderly manner.



For centuries, <a href="https://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/system/files/file_attachments/basic_thermo.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">thermodynamics</a> has helped predict these behaviors by setting rules about energy and equilibrium. 



Typically, adding particles to an oil-water mixture encourages the two <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drones-reveal-hidden-details-about-greenlands-melting-ice/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">liquids</a> to combine more readily and form new structures.



This phenomenon is known as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/emulsification" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emulsification</a>, and it is vital in the production of foods, cosmetics, and many other commercial products. The usual theory says that those particles should lessen the tension between oil and water.



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



Raykh decided to use magnetized nickel particles in his mixture. He shook things up, and something uncanny happened.



“... in a complete surprise, the mixture formed this beautiful, pristine urn-shape,” said Raykh. He tried shaking harder, but the fluid returned to the same outline.



Lab tests hinted that strong magnetic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wave-ripples-discovered-mars-surface-indicate-liquid-water-present-4-billion-years-ago/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">interactions</a> were the reason. These metallic bits were powerful enough to throw a wrench into the fluid's normal behavior.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-magnetic-forces-and-liquid-shape">Magnetic forces and liquid shape</h2>



Scientists often rely on known <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-inner-core-proven-to-be-rapidly-changing-and-now-rotating-backwards/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">interactions</a> to guide their experiments. Imposing magnetic forces adds another layer of complexity.



“When you look very closely at the individual nanoparticles of magnetized nickel that form the boundary between the water and oil, you can get extremely detailed information on how different forms assemble,” said <a href="https://www.umass.edu/natural-sciences/about/directory/david-hoagland" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">David Hoagland</a>, professor of polymer science and engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/liquid_shape-recovering_breaks-laws-thermodynamics_Credit-UMassAmherst_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/liquid_shape-recovering_breaks-laws-thermodynamics_Credit-UMassAmherst_1s.webp" alt="Raykh and his colleagues discovered that strongly magnetized particles can bend the laws of thermodynamics. Credit: Anthony Raykh/UMass Amherst" class="wp-image-1964865"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Raykh and his colleagues discovered that strongly magnetized particles can bend the laws of thermodynamics. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Anthony Raykh/UMass Amherst</figcaption></figure>



No one expected this intense attraction to stiffen the boundary so much that the liquids would create a neat form.



Researchers found that these <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0143720818304157" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dipolar pulls</a> can drive up the tension between oil and water. This stands in contrast to what most textbooks tell us should happen.



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



A single exception to well-known rules might inspire more questions on these types of liquid forms. The next challenge is figuring out the deeper mechanisms behind these robust fluid contours.



“Imagine your favorite Italian salad dressing. It’s made up of oil, water, and spices, and before you pour it onto your salad, you shake it up so that all the ingredients mix,” said <a href="https://www.umass.edu/polymer-science/about/directory/thomas-russell" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Thomas Russell</a>, Silvio O. Conte distinguished professor of polymer science and engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.



He compared his everyday culinary example to the surprising phenomenon in the lab.



The urn-like outline is stable enough to tease scientists with new ideas. Explorations of these forces could lead to fresh theories about soft materials and how they behave under powerful <a href="https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Introduction+to+Magnetic+Materials%2C+2nd+Edition-p-9780471477419" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">magnetic</a> influences.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-it-means-for-the-laws-of-physics">What it means for the laws of physics</h2>



This discovery doesn’t mean thermodynamics is broken. But it does suggest that, under specific conditions, there may be edge cases where the traditional models don’t fully apply. 



Scientists call these scenarios “exceptions” rather than violations, and they help sharpen our understanding of how physical laws behave under extreme or unusual circumstances.



It’s a reminder that physical laws are models of reality, not reality itself. They hold true across vast numbers of conditions - but surprises like this urn-shaped liquid reveal that even well-tested theories can be stretched in new and useful ways.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-liquid-shape-and-future-applications">Liquid shape and future applications</h2>



This experiment opens the door to unexpected applications in fields that involve finely tuned liquids. 



Medical formulations might someday use this kind of shape control to ensure more precise delivery of components.



Researchers are now looking into how strongly magnetized particles might alter other standard chemical processes.



Scientists remain cautious about declaring any new technology from this peculiar mixture. Even so, this discovery proves that our understanding of fluid behavior can still be surprised by odd twists.



-----



Click here to <a href="https://youtu.be/H02E7YTTFGQ" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">watch a video of this phenomenon...</a>



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-025-02865-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Physics</a>.



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'Shape-recovering liquid' accidentally created by student breaks the laws of thermodynamics

A shapeless liquid form is something we usually take for...

Bite-sized chunks of fiber-grown chicken are gaining attention these days. They offer a texture similar to the meat of everyday grocery store chicken.



Shoji Takeuchi from <a href="https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The University of Tokyo</a> is at the center of this work. He and his collaborators have brought forward a process involving the use of semipermeable hollow fibers that act like tiny delivery channels for nutrients and oxygen to reach developing cells.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-fibers-grow-chicken-muscle-in-the-lab">How fibers grow chicken muscle in the lab</h2>



Researchers are mimicking the steady flow of nutrients and oxygen to cells by using these narrow fibers, which are similar to those used in <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8236/2/4/50" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dialysis machines</a>. This setup helps the cells stay active as they grow into chicken muscle.



They place the cells in a collagen-based mixture that sits around the fibers. Once the culture starts, the cells grow together and develop a structure that feels and appears like small pieces of real <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antibiotic-residue-in-meat-what-experts-discovered/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">chicken</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fibers-improve-chicken-texture-and-flavor">Fibers improve chicken texture and flavor</h2>



Texture is linked to how tightly these cells pack and bind. 



Scientists rely on <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016777992500085X" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">myosin heavy chain markers</a> to spot proper muscle formation. With better distribution of nutrients, the muscle fibers show stronger alignment, making the final product denser.



Taste is about more than spices or seasonings. Investigations show that <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4935284/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">free amino acids</a> influence flavor. The new system seems to produce a higher fraction of these flavor molecules, so the bite is more appealing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lab-grown-fiber-chicken-solves-old-problems">Lab-grown fiber chicken solves old problems</h2>



The method stands out because regular diffusion alone can’t keep large tissues alive. 



Traditional <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-020-0112-z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">approaches</a> struggle once the tissue goes beyond about half an inch (1.3 centimeters) thick, and cells in the middle often lose oxygen. This new system fixes that by pumping nutrients and oxygen along the tiny channels into the developing tissue.



The approach aims to be efficient. It makes structured <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-phase-superradiant-phase-transition-srpt-observed-in-lab/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">meats</a> that are thicker, juicier, and have the resilience you expect from a store-bought cut. It also tries to reduce waste by limiting the need for multiple small batches that might fall short on consistency.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-automation-could-scale-fiber-grown-chicken">Automation could scale fiber-grown chicken</h2>



Large-scale <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meat-protein-boosts-survival-but-plants-boost-longevity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">production</a> depends on reliable hardware and robotic assistance. 



Researchers have created automated ways to line up the fibers, so they can pack a lot of them in a small space. This leads to consistent distribution of cells, and it cuts back on wasted time.



More improvements are possible. Edible fibers might simplify the final steps, so there’s no need to remove them. There are also conversations about lowering costs by moving away from animal-based growth media, but that will take more research.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-this-tech-could-grow-more-than-chicken">This tech could grow more than chicken</h2>



The process may have applications beyond fiber-grown chicken.



Some believe it could pave the way for other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/many-people-are-willing-to-switch-to-plant-based-food-to-save-the-climate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">meats</a>, tissues for regenerative medicine, and even muscle-based soft robotics. Cells are adaptable, so the possibilities stretch into several branches of biological engineering.



Even so, tasks like oxygen delivery in bigger cuts of meat remain a puzzle. Some scientists point to synthetic blood or special carrier molecules for better oxygen transport. Others feel the entire pipeline might benefit from advanced monitoring tools that track vital cell conditions in real time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-this-may-reduce-harm-to-animals">This may reduce harm to animals</h2>



Curiosity about <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-022-00658-w" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">immortalized fibroblast cells</a> keeps growing because they skip the need to harvest cells from live animals. This might ease ethical concerns linked to routine animal tissue collection. It also reduces the time needed to scale, since these cells can keep dividing in large numbers.



“This system enables cell distribution, alignment, contractility, and improved food-related properties,” said Shoji Takeuchi. 



He sees a future where this method can help meet the demand for large amounts of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/people-will-switch-to-plant-based-meat-if-it-is-cheaper-than-real-meat/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">chicken</a> muscle without the same environmental footprint as traditional livestock.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lab-grown-fiber-chicken-may-change-how-meat-is-made">Lab-grown fiber chicken may change how meat is made</h2>



As the concept becomes more refined, public perception and policy will play a big role. People want to know if it’s safe, tasty, and made in a cost-effective way. 



While there’s a way to go before it’s commonplace on dinner plates, the progress hints at changing times in how chicken and other meats can be produced.



Fiber-grown chicken isn’t just a nod to environmental or ethical <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plant-based-meat-less-protein-lacks-certain-nutrients/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">goals</a>. It’s also about exploring newer technologies in tissue growth. 



The arrival of high-density fiber networks is a sign that these efforts may step beyond small samples and head toward a broader range of culinary experiences.



The study is published in <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S016777992500085X" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trends in Biotechnology</a>.



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Lab-grown chicken just got a flavor and texture boost

Bite-sized chunks of fiber-grown chicken are gaining attention these days....

Man,Pointing,North,In,A,Spiral,Star,Trail

A new analysis suggests that the universe could be spinning at a speed so gentle it has escaped our notice. This proposal may offer a way to explain why researchers get conflicting numbers when measuring how quickly space has been expanding.



One of the scientists exploring the rotation theory is István Szapudi, a researcher at the University of Hawaiʻi <a href="https://www.ifa.hawaii.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Institute for Astronomy</a>. In a recent study, Szapudi analyzed subtle changes in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/zhulong-torch-dragon-the-oldest-known-spiral-galaxy-in-the-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cosmic</a> expansion that might be tied to an extremely slow turn of all known matter.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-century-old-puzzle-about-cosmic-expansion">Century-old puzzle about cosmic expansion</h2>



Most astronomers accept the current models that say the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-galaxies-discovery-would-upend-current-understanding-of-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">universe</a> expands evenly in all directions, with no sign of rotation. 



They have known about cosmic expansion for nearly a century, but there has been a lingering discrepancy called the <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/ab2f73" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hubble tension</a>.



This puzzle stems from comparing two ways of measuring the expansion rate of the universe. One method relies on supernovae in faraway galaxies to track distances, while the other depends on the <a href="https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/abs/2020/09/aa33910-18/aa33910-18.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cosmic microwave background</a>, which is the afterglow from the universe’s earliest days.



In theory, both methods should give the same overall growth speed. However, they do not always match, and experts have been trying to explain this discrepancy for years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-expansion-rate-of-a-spinning-universe">Expansion rate of a spinning universe </h2>



A new approach suggests that a tiny spin of the universe throughout <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-capture-baby-pictures-of-the-very-early-universe-cosmic-microwave-background/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">space</a> might reconcile those conflicting numbers. If the entire cosmos had even a small swirl, it could influence how distances stretch over time.



“Much to our surprise, we found that our model with rotation resolves the paradox without contradicting current astronomical measurements,” noted Szapudi.



Scientists who favor this rotating model believe the rate of spin is much too slow to detect with current methods. 



One possible estimate is that the universe completes one full turn every 500 billion years, so it would be nearly impossible to see from our vantage point.



“Therefore, perhaps, everything really does turn,” said Szapudi. They say this slight swirl could finally close the gap between our local measurements and what is observed when we look back almost 13 billion years in time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-universe-spin-may-fit-known-physics">Universe spin may fit known physics </h2>



No known laws of physics would prohibit such a phenomenon. Planets, stars, galaxies, and even black holes all rotate, so the idea of everything sharing a unified spin is not far-fetched in cosmic terms.



If a slow turning is factored into the equations of cosmic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astronomers-found-something-strange-at-core-of-milky-way-galaxy-webb-meerkat/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">expansion</a>, it could account for the mismatched data about how fast space has been stretching. 



The findings fit within current understanding, as the rate of this twist would remain far below anything that might distort familiar observations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-testing-cosmic-spin-with-new-models">Testing cosmic spin with new models</h2>



The next steps involve transforming these early calculations into a detailed computer model. Researchers will also look for subtle signatures in the large-scale structure of the universe that might hint at a gradual rotation.



If future observations confirm any sign of this <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dark-matter-if-it-exists-has-a-strictly-limited-lifetime-new-study-says/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cosmic</a> turn, it would clear up one of astronomy’s biggest disagreements. 



Confirmation of a spinning universe might also open up a new way of thinking about how time and matter behave on the largest possible scales.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-does-all-of-this-mean">What does all of this mean?</h2>



Going forward, experts are eager to determine whether a slowly spinning universe theory would provide better agreement between local and distant measurements of expansion.



Some feel it could refine how we study everything from galaxy formation to <a href="https://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/ESSAYS/Fairall/fairall.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the layout of superclusters</a>.



Others are cautious because many proposed <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/ac5c5b" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">solutions</a> to the Hubble tension have come and gone. Regardless, this swirling scenario stands out as a creative effort that does not break existing theories.



Space often surprises us with discoveries that stretch our imagination. A rotating universe may add another layer of wonder to how we see our cosmic neighborhood.



It is not often that an everyday motion like spinning could clarify a problem that has puzzled researchers for years. That element of surprise keeps scientists excited about searching the skies for new answers.



The study was published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/538/4/3038/8090496?login=false" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society</a>.



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Cosmic twist: The entire universe might be spinning

A new analysis suggests that the universe could be spinning...

3d,Illustration,Of,Beautiful,Planet,Jupiter,Floating,In,Space

Striking images from NASA’s Juno spacecraft have revealed unexpected activity deep in Jupiter’s atmosphere. Slushy hail, made of water and ammonia, may form during lightning-packed storms, giving researchers fresh clues about what lurks beneath the planet’s colorful cloud tops.



Chris Moeckel of <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UC Berkeley</a> suspects that these hailstones, known as mushballs, play an outsized role in Jupiter’s weather and chemistry. He believes this phenomenon might also extend to other large <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/surprising-shapes-discovered-in-jupiters-atmosphere-near-great-red-spot/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">planets</a> in our solar system and beyond.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lightning-storms-create-slushy-hail">Lightning storms create slushy hail </h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/discovery-about-jupiters-clouds-not-ammonia-ice-leaves-astronomers-astonished/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jupiter</a>’s storms can be fierce, with fast-rising currents and bursts of lightning. Conditions high above the cloud decks may allow water ice and ammonia to combine into slushy spheres. 



These mushballs, shaped by strong updrafts, could carry ammonia-rich material far deeper than regular rain can manage.



“There’s no way in the world this is true,” said Moeckel, who spent years testing every possible alternative. 



Many scientists once doubted such a process, but new data seem to confirm that ammonia is being drawn out of the upper layers by these icy hailstones.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mushballs-change-what-we-know">Mushballs change what we know </h2>



The gas giants Jupiter and Saturn are dominated by <a href="https://www.acs.org/molecule-of-the-week/archive/h/hydrogen.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hydrogen</a> and <a href="https://periodic-table.rsc.org/element/2/helium" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">helium</a>, unlike Earth, that has an atmosphere rich in nitrogen and oxygen.



Researchers want to know how storms and hail shape planetary weather when there is no solid ground to stop the rain. 



Because mushballs might carry icy material into warmer inner regions, they could shed light on how giant planets move heat and chemicals around inside their deep tropospheres.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/jupiter_mushballs_troposphere_cross-section_credit-Chris-Moeckel-UCBerkeley_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/jupiter_mushballs_troposphere_cross-section_credit-Chris-Moeckel-UCBerkeley_1s.webp" alt="A cross section of the upper atmosphere, or troposphere, of Jupiter, showing the depth of storms in a north-south swath that crosses the planet’s equator, or equatorial zone (EZ). Blue and red represent, respectively, higher and lower than normal abundances of ammonia gas. The pressure at various depths is indicated in bars, equivalent to one atmosphere of pressure on Earth. Credit: Chris Moeckel, UC Berkeley" class="wp-image-1966441"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A cross section of the upper atmosphere, or troposphere, of Jupiter, showing the depth of storms in a north-south swath that crosses the planet’s equator, or equatorial zone (EZ). Blue and red represent, respectively, higher and lower than normal abundances of ammonia gas. The pressure at various depths is indicated in bars, equivalent to one atmosphere of pressure on Earth. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Chris Moeckel, UC Berkeley</figcaption></figure>



Studies of Jupiter can also help us better understand <a href="https://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">exoplanets</a>, which often resemble our solar system’s biggest worlds. 



When astronomers observe distant atmospheres, they typically only see the highest layers. Learning that hail can mask ammonia or other molecules gives a fresh perspective when we measure exoplanet cloud tops.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-role-of-lightning-in-jupiter-s-storms">Role of lightning in Jupiter's storms</h2>



Lightning remains a crucial part of these hail-making storms on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/super-jupiter-discovered-in-the-great-bear-constellation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jupiter</a>. It can form when charged ice particles collide, releasing bursts of energy that reshape cloud chemistry. 



On Jupiter, these flashes occur in regions with thick clouds and substantial water content.



According to some models, intense lightning helps bind water and ammonia into slush. That same lightning may also guide scientists searching for stormy spots across the planet’s belts and zones.



When these violent updrafts weaken, the heavy slush falls. Without a solid surface below, the pellets keep sinking until they reach layers too warm for the ammonia-and-water mix to stay frozen. 



In that way, the hail removes ammonia from the visible clouds and drops it far beneath, out of view.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-jupiter-s-storms-show-earth-like-patterns">Jupiter’s storms show Earth-like patterns</h2>



Although Earth’s storms are powered by <a href="https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/977" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">oxygen</a> and <a href="https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Nitrogen" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nitrogen</a>, rather than by Jupiter's hydrogen-rich mix, certain parallels might still apply. Lightning can fuse ice into hail, and strong currents can grow hailstones until they become too heavy.



Our world has updrafts that rise for only a few miles. Jupiter’s weather extends much farther, so hail may have a long, slushy ride down.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/jupiter_mushball_ammonia-storm_graphic_NASA_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/jupiter_mushball_ammonia-storm_graphic_ASA_1s.webp" alt="An illustration depicting how violent storms on Jupiter — and likely other gas giants — generate mushballs and shallow lightning. The mushballs are created by thunderstorm clouds that form about 40 miles beneath the cloud tops and fuel a strong updraft that carries water ice upward to extreme altitudes, occasionally above the visible cloud layer. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/CNRS" class="wp-image-1966438"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">An illustration depicting how violent storms on Jupiter - and likely other gas giants - generate mushballs and shallow lightning. The mushballs are created by thunderstorm clouds that form about 40 miles beneath the cloud tops and fuel a strong updraft that carries water ice upward to extreme altitudes, occasionally above the visible cloud layer. Click image to enlarge. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/CNRS</figcaption></figure>



Unlike on Earth, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/secrets-of-jupiters-radiation-revealed-by-juno/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jupiter</a>’s hailstones never strike a surface. Instead, they melt into droplets that down through the gas giant's denser layers.



This process repeats in other storms, giving the giant planet a dynamic atmosphere where storms appear and vanish, sometimes leaving behind chemical clues for researchers to trace.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mushballs-and-disappearing-ammonia">Mushballs and disappearing ammonia</h2>



Scientists searching for ammonia in Jupiter’s clouds noticed puzzling gaps where it seemed to disappear. One explanation is that mushballs yank it downward. 



Some observers used radio telescopes to map ammonia levels, while Juno’s instruments probed deeper under the visible cloud tops. 



Together, these readings hinted at a hail-based mechanism. If that mechanism holds on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nasa-finds-glass-smooth-lake-of-cooling-lava-on-jupiters-moon-io/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jupiter</a>, it could happen on Saturn and beyond.



No two gas giants are alike, though. Uranus and Neptune have different compositions, with <a href="https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Methane" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">methane</a> giving them a bluish tint, so their hail processes may take a different form. 



Still, the principle of heavy ice clumps sinking in a deep gaseous atmosphere might not be unique to Jupiter.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-using-juno-and-data-on-earth">Using Juno and data on Earth</h2>



Working with colleagues, Moeckel examined the <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/juno/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Juno Mission</a>'s troves of data to rule out simpler explanations. He concluded that these icy slush pellets could explain why certain of Jupiter's layers show less ammonia than anticipated.



Specialized radio maps and lightning observations gave a three-dimensional look, suggesting that large storms drive powerful updrafts and carry hail to surprising depths.



This theory also highlights the value of coordinated research. Telescopes on Earth, instruments aboard Juno, and lab-based experiments all come together to paint a more complete picture of Jupiter’s stormy weather.



Each storm event reveals how big planets can shuffle chemicals around without any hard surface in sight.



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



With more spacecraft on the horizon, scientists are eager to learn whether Saturn, Uranus, or Neptune also brew unusual hail.



<a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Missions</a> to these outer worlds might carry advanced instruments to track ammonia signatures, detect lightning, or chart clouds at multiple depths. Answers about Jupiter could help plan these explorations, from robotic flybys to dedicated orbiters.



Observations of Jupiter’s swirling patterns hint at both shallow weather and deeper pockets of activity. 



Now, mushballs stand as a possible explanation for how clouds lose ammonia and how water stays hidden away. Each new storm captured by Juno reaffirms that gas giants are far more active than we once assumed.



Jupiter’s hail-making storms may sound unbelievable, but that sense of wonder drives planetary science. Researchers push to confirm these findings, eager to refine weather models that apply across the outer solar system and perhaps beyond.



The study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ado9779" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>.



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Jupiter storms are made of 'slushee-like' hailstones and lightning

Striking images from NASA’s Juno spacecraft have revealed unexpected activity...

High blood pressure touches the lives of millions and remains a top trigger for heart problems. It’s often labeled the number one contributor to coronary heart disease and stroke, causing many to search for practical ways to keep it under control.



Experts frequently warn us to curb sodium consumption. Yet a recent <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajprenal.00222.2024" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">investigation</a> highlights that a better ratio of potassium to sodium may have a greater effect on blood <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/relaxation-techniques-can-lower-high-blood-pressure-at-least-temporarily/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pressure</a> than dropping salt alone. 



Anita Layton from the <a href="https://uwaterloo.ca" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Waterloo</a> emphasizes the need to think beyond the usual advice.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-potassium-helps-control-blood-pressure">Potassium helps control blood pressure</h2>



Potassium is a vital electrolyte that helps the body maintain balance. It cooperates with sodium to regulate fluid volume and supports normal nerve function.



When people consume more processed meals, they often ignore this important nutrient. This disrupts the potassium-sodium balance, which can add to rising blood <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drinking-from-plastic-bottles-linked-to-high-blood-pressure-and-heart-problems/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pressure</a> levels.



A new mathematical tool demonstrates how shifting the focus toward potassium intake offers clear advantages. The model points to higher potassium intake as a method that may help steady blood <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/black-gold-the-vitamin-packed-fruit-that-regulates-blood-sugar-and-blood-pressure/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pressure</a> when sodium is also in the mix.



“Usually, when we have high blood pressure, we are advised to eat less salt. Our research suggests that adding more potassium-rich foods to your diet, such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/banana-apocalypse-can-science-save-our-favorite-fruit/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bananas</a> or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/broccoli-sprouts-have-more-nutritional-value-than-mature-broccoli/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">broccoli</a>, might have a greater positive impact on your blood pressure than just cutting sodium,” said Layton. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-diets-lack-potassium">Modern diets lack potassium</h2>



Populations in past generations took in a high level of fruits and vegetables. These foods naturally supplied more potassium relative to sodium.



Modern eating patterns favor salt-packed items and sugary snacks. That change in routine can lead to constant high sodium intake, low potassium consumption, and heightened chances of developing elevated blood <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleeping-less-than-seven-hours-high-blood-pressure-risk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pressure</a>.



The study reveals that pre-menopausal women have a naturally lower tendency toward high blood pressure. It suggests that men usually face a higher risk, although men may also respond well to a potassium boost in their meals.



Variation in hormone levels and kidney function might account for these differences. The research links these findings to biological processes in which women excrete sodium more effectively before menopause.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-balancing-blood-pressure">Balancing blood pressure</h2>



Health advice often focuses on slashing salt, and that approach helps in many cases. Still, data from the University of Waterloo suggests that potassium is a key ally for balancing sodium.



Melissa Stadt is a PhD candidate in Waterloo's Department of Applied Mathematics and the study's lead author.



“Early humans ate lots of fruits and vegetables, and as a result, our body's regulatory systems may have evolved to work best with a high potassium, low sodium diet,” said Stadt. 



She noted that modern societies, by prioritizing convenience foods, might have steered away from this natural ratio.



Bananas are an accessible source of potassium and can be incorporated into snacks or breakfasts. Legumes, leafy greens, avocados, and certain fish varieties deliver a helpful potassium lift too.



Broccoli is another candidate that can fit into balanced meals. Adding these items in place of heavily processed foods takes you closer to a healthier ratio of potassium to sodium.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-potassium-linked-to-fewer-heart-problems">Potassium linked to fewer heart problems</h2>



Scientific <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1311889" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reviews</a> show that a balanced dietary pattern with ample potassium is associated with improved cardiovascular health. 



One large <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK109565/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> found that a shift toward higher potassium intake lowered the odds of strokes and cardiac events in many participants.



Public health campaigns keep pushing for sodium reduction. Researchers hope the new focus on the potassium-sodium relationship gains the same amount of attention.



Sticking to a better potassium-to-sodium proportion may do more than protect the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/can-smell-control-your-blood-pressure-new-research-says-yes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">heart</a>. Kidneys also rely on healthy sodium and potassium levels for normal function.



Individuals with persistently high blood pressure risk complications like chronic kidney disease or irregular heartbeat. Increasing potassium-rich produce could ease that threat while providing vitamins and fiber.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-awareness-may-prevent-high-blood-pressure">Awareness may prevent high blood pressure</h2>



Many strategies exist for controlling high blood pressure, but the potassium conversation is less common. Greater awareness might encourage those with mild hypertension to shift their meal plans in a simple, budget-friendly way.



Researchers remain optimistic that this knowledge can spark interest in broader nutritional guidelines. They also anticipate deeper investigation into how body systems manage electrolytes across genders and various life stages.



This modeling work clarifies how biological factors respond to dietary changes. Clinicians may lean on such findings to create guidelines that highlight both cutting sodium and adding potassium.



While more in-depth clinical studies could confirm best practices, the message seems consistent. More bananas and vegetables on the plate could help make high blood pressure less of a threat for many.



The study is published in the <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajprenal.00222.2024" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Journal of Physiology-Renal Physiology</a>.



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Trying to lower your blood pressure? This common nutrient can help

High blood pressure touches the lives of millions and remains...

Back,View,Of,African,Male,Guest,Of,Art,Gallery,Standing

Art is often linked with creativity and expression. Many people consider it purely decorative, but new findings suggest that looking at paintings, sculptures, or photographs may hold genuine benefits for personal growth and meaning in life.



Researchers have examined how passive engagement with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/our-brain-can-instantly-recognize-trees-even-in-abstract-art/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">visual artworks</a> helps individuals feel a stronger sense of purpose. 



The team conducted a systematic review focusing on the effects of art observation on eudemonic well-being, which includes a person’s sense of meaning and fulfillment in daily life.&nbsp;



The study was led by MacKenzie Trupp from the <a href="https://www.univie.ac.at/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Vienna</a> and the <a href="https://www.ru.nl/en/donders-institute" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Donders Institute</a>, along with collaborators from Trinity College Dublin and Humboldt University of Berlin.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-viewing-art-supports-well-being">Viewing art supports well-being </h2>



“People often think of art as a luxury, but our research suggests that viewing art - whether as a hobby or as a targeted health intervention - can meaningfully support <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arts-and-crafts-can-greatly-improve-public-well-being/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">well-being</a>,” remarked Trupp.



These positive effects arise when people actively notice color, detail, and imagery, rather than breezing by an artwork without pausing to interpret it.



Early <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29440307/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">investigations</a> show how painting viewings spark emotional responses that can add depth to everyday experiences. 



Some participants report feeling encouraged to reflect on personal memories, suggesting that the right piece of art can nudge us toward greater self-awareness.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-at-art-builds-stronger-connections">Looking at art builds stronger connections</h2>



Social aspects appear to play a meaningful <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-reveals-new-details-about-centuries-old-painting/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">role</a>. Observing art with others, whether in a gallery or an online group setting, provides a chance to chat about impressions and spark deeper conversations.



Sharing interpretations can lead to subtle bonding moments. People find themselves opening up more when they encounter powerful images <a href="https://new.censusatschool.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/restorative-benefits-of-nature.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">together</a>, which strengthens ties and sometimes reduces feelings of isolation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-need-for-better-study-designs">Need for better study designs</h2>



The researchers also discovered inconsistencies in how these studies were structured. Some projects used short viewing intervals in controlled labs, while others involved hospital programs or digital platforms.



To tackle these differences, the team developed Receptive Art Activity Research Reporting Guidelines, often called <a href="https://osf.io/qjg72/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RAARR</a>, aiming to standardize future trials.



This guideline set encourages a detailed record of how people <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/acoustic-echoes-may-have-inspired-prehistoric-rock-art/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">interact</a> with artwork, so future results can be measured and compared more reliably.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-visual-art-and-emotional-relief">Visual art and emotional relief</h2>



“While the mental health benefits of creating art have been widely explored, the impact of viewing art has been under-researched and undervalued. Yet visual art is present and accessible in everyday spaces - museums, galleries, hospitals, and at home,” said Claire Howlin, professor at <a href="https://www.tcd.ie" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trinity College Dublin</a>.



Leading organizations now recommend incorporating the arts into health plans as a worthwhile, low-cost strategy to promote well-being. Recognizing art as a public health resource gives people an easy outlet for emotional relief and a handy way to find hope in challenging times.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-simple-art-programs-improve-well-being">Simple art programs improve well-being </h2>



This growing evidence may inspire hospitals, senior centers, and community groups to install or rotate art collections. By adopting user-friendly approaches, such as interactive discussions or online displays, more people can unlock art’s potential to reduce tension.



Setting aside a few minutes to study the brushstrokes of a painting or the structure of a sculpture might sound simple. 



Even so, it gives individuals a chance to pause and reassess how they see the world around them, which can enrich their sense of life’s purpose.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-passive-enjoyment-of-artwork">Passive enjoyment of artwork </h2>



The research points to clear opportunities for integrating these resources. Because passive enjoyment of artwork is easy for most people, the path to better well-being might be just a painting away.



Researchers hope that consistent methods, larger-scale studies, and robust control conditions will clarify how and why these art-viewing programs work. 



The end goal is to ensure that people across many communities can benefit from accessible experiences in clinics, care homes, or local cultural sites.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-art-as-a-powerful-force">Art as a powerful force</h2>



Expanding knowledge in this area may also change how mental health professionals structure interventions. If simply absorbing a piece of art encourages meaningful reflection, then therapy plans could add curated viewings as an extra tool for developing resilience.



By fine-tuning how and where art is displayed, specialists may zero in on strategies that meet personal or group needs. This includes everything from digital sessions for homebound individuals to tranquil waiting-room exhibits.



These ideas reinforce the notion that art is more than a decorative choice. It can become part of everyday life, shaping emotional balance and reinforcing one’s sense of identity.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17439760.2025.2481041" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Journal of Positive Psychology</a>.



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Simply looking at art can improve your well-being

Art is often linked with creativity and expression. Many people...

A recent study has offered an in-depth look at an exoplanet called TOI-270 d, located just 73 light-years away from Earth. 



Although it’s between Earth and Neptune in size, models suggest this alien world is a hot rocky planet with a thick atmosphere. It may not be the watery, hydrogen-rich “Hycean” planet some scientists originally envisioned.



This study, led by the <a href="https://www.swri.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Southwest Research Institute</a> (SwRI), may help researchers unravel the mystery of sub-Neptunes.



“The nature of sub-Neptunes is one of the hottest topics in exoplanetary science,” said lead author Christopher Glein, an astronomer at SwRI. 



“These sub-Neptunes are the most abundant size range of planets in the galaxy, yet none exist in our solar system. They are exotic. Temperate sub-Neptunes are of even higher interest because some could be habitable.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-mystery-of-sub-neptune-planets">The mystery of sub-Neptune planets</h2>



Ever since scientists began detecting exoplanets en masse, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-planets-may-be-the-place-to-look-for-extraterrestrial-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">planets</a> between Earth and Neptune in size have stood out as particularly puzzling. Since these sub-Neptune planets are common in surveys but absent in our solar system, researchers created new theories about their formation and composition.



One popular proposal is that some sub-Neptunes orbiting in a star’s habitable zone might be massive ocean worlds. These planets could have hydrogen-rich atmospheres, leading to the term “Hycean” (short for hydrogen-ocean) worlds.



However, observations of TOI-270 d with 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">James Webb Space Telescope</a> (JWST) suggest a simpler composition. Instead of being swathed in a relatively thin hydrogen atmosphere over a deep ocean, this planet appears to have a superheated rocky interior enclosed within a thick, hot atmosphere.



“The search for habitable worlds continues! The JWST data on TOI-270 d collected by Björn Benneke and his team are revolutionary,” Glein said.&nbsp;



“I was shocked by the level of detail they extracted from such a small exoplanet’s atmosphere, which provides an incredible opportunity to learn the story of a totally alien planet. With molecules like carbon dioxide, methane, and water detected, we could start doing some geochemistry to learn how this unusual world formed.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-paths-of-planetary-evolution">New paths of planetary evolution</h2>



Based on JWST’s measurements, the atmospheric temperatures on TOI-270 d exceed 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit - much hotter than anything Earth-like. This finding helps explain why the planet likely lacks the expansive oceans once suggested by the Hycean hypothesis.



Instead, the new geochemical model shows how gases could undergo high-temperature reactions at the molten surface, then rise into cooler atmospheric layers for JWST to detect.



“While it is a bit disappointing to find that TOI-270 d is unlikely to be habitable, this planet still offers a fantastic opportunity to explore alternative paths of planetary origins and evolution,” Glein said. “We are learning much more about the crazy configurations of planets that nature comes up with.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The curious case of missing ammonia</h2>



One puzzle within the sub-Neptune class has been the absence of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-green-tech-ammonia-fertilizer-production-using-earths-natural-forces/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ammonia</a> in many atmospheres, despite theoretical models suggesting that thick, hydrogen-rich environments should produce it.



In their integrated perspective on TOI-270 d, Glein’s team illustrates how multiple processes could combine to deplete ammonia. These include nitrogen gas produced at high temperatures and ammonia dissolving in a molten rock ocean. A nitrogen shortage in the planet’s building blocks also contributes.



“I see a lot of parallels between planetary science and biology,” Glein said. “A core set of building blocks and rules for interactions result in an explosion of diverse forms. We’re starting to see some of that diversity come through in compositional signatures from JWST.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-molecules-on-scorching-planets">Molecules on scorching planets</h2>



The study exemplifies how methods traditionally used to explore our own solar system are now being applied to exoplanets. Researchers can detect molecules such as carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor and piece together how those elements and compounds interact on scorching exoplanets.



With technological advances like JWST, exoplanetary geochemistry is rapidly approaching the sophistication once reserved for spacecraft missions to local worlds like Venus or Mars.



The team says these studies reveal magma oceans, atmospheric temperatures, and how planetary atmospheres form and evolve. By examining TOI-270 d, scientists learn more about the possibilities for sub-Neptune formation and the diversity of planetary outcomes.



“We wanted to paint a more complete picture of the inner workings and history of an exoplanet by approaching the problem in multiple ways,” Glein explained. “Last time I checked, we have discovered over 5,800 confirmed exoplanets. TOI-270 d is just one of them. It’s going to be very interesting to see what the next exoplanet has in store for us.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clues-to-abundant-exoplanets">Clues to abundant exoplanets</h2>



TOI-270 d’s status as a “Rosetta Stone” could help decode a class of exoplanets that dominates our galaxy but defies easy categorization. Just 73 light years away, this rocky world shows how alien planetary systems can differ greatly from our own Sun’s.



Through precise observations and advanced modeling, scientists are learning to identify exoplanetary signatures of chemical and geologic processes. These processes may appear alien compared to those found on Earth.



Each new exoplanet studied brings scientists closer to understanding where habitable environments might emerge in the cosmos.



The <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.09752" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> has been accepted for publication in <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/0004-637X" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Astrophysical Journal</a>.



Image Credit: NASA



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Scorching world offers clues to planetary evolution

A recent study has offered an in-depth look at an...

Science is transforming how we see our DNA information and what they can tell us about our bodies. Many researchers now worry that hackers might find holes in these advanced tools and aim for our most personal details.



Experts warn that next-generation DNA sequencing (<a href="https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/life-science/sequencing/sequencing-learning-center/next-generation-sequencing-information/ngs-basics/what-is-next-generation-sequencing.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NGS</a>) might be a new target for cybercriminals who wish to break into or manipulate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/everyday-dna-damage-requires-constant-repair-by-cells-to-prevent-disease/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">genetic</a> data.



After carefully looking at every step involved, Dr. Nasreen Anjum from the <a href="https://www.port.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Portsmouth</a>’s School of Computing and her collaborators have offered ways to strengthen data security.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-dna-information-powers-medicine">How DNA information powers medicine</h2>



NGS allows scientists to decode huge chunks of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dna-changes-supercharged-the-human-brain-but-at-a-cost/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DNA</a> very quickly. It has helped in cancer analyses, specialized treatments, and identifying microbiologist findings. Many labs benefit from high-tech tools that read DNA to discover gene variants and spot disease markers.



Patients rely on these instruments in clinical settings to decide what treatments they need. Companies and universities also lean on these methods to design new medicines. If this data gets <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nrg3723" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stolen</a> or tampered with, real harm can happen.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-hackers-misuse-genetic-data">How hackers misuse genetic data</h2>



“Genomic data is one of the most personal forms of data we have,” stated Dr. Mahreen-Ul-Hassan from the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University, who co-authored the study.



DNA information is extremely private. Attackers can use it to infer family ties or even link data to specific people.&nbsp;



Open-access databases often share large volumes of sequences online. Hackers can slip in <a href="https://www.usenix.org/conference/usenixsecurity17/technical-sessions/presentation/ney" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cyber-biosecurity</a> exploits by uploading corrupted files or by intercepting data on unsecured <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/subtle-dna-changes-shaped-human-brain-evolution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">networks</a>. 



Subtle changes in the data might mislead researchers or hide real patient risks, and that can have serious consequences.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dna-samples-can-carry-malware">DNA samples can carry malware</h2>



Some specialists have experimented with <a href="https://incsnow.com/cyberbiosecurity-computers-make-malicious-modification-of-dna-as-easy-as-editing-text/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DNA-encoded malware</a> that lurks in the code attached to genetic samples. 



If a lab’s system reads the code without proper checks, it can give criminals control. Once inside the network, they might alter or steal sensitive files, or break critical machines.



Industry watchers have also pointed out that many labs use older devices or software. These systems can get infected by trojans hiding in routine updates or from incorrectly set up firewalls. 



Even a small data breach in such labs can expose personal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-chapter-in-human-evolution-revealed-through-genetics/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">information</a> or cripple ongoing studies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dna-information-at-risk">DNA information at risk</h2>



Though labs are filled with brilliant minds, not everyone knows how to recognize or stop a cyber infiltration. 



Attackers may spot a random “plugged-in” device, an unsecured network share, or a weak password. Sometimes, staff are tricked with phishing emails that appear official, so they click a malicious link.



Insider threats are also a concern. Employees with access to genetic data may decide to profit from it, or they might make a mistake that leaves doors open for attackers. A single slip can let outsiders capture reams of important data.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ideas-for-stronger-security">Ideas for stronger security</h2>



“Our work is a wake-up call,” stated Dr. Anjum. She encourages labs and governments to think carefully about the entire NGS process. This means shielding hardware, software, and any data streams between labs.



Encryption can block prying eyes, but some hackers access computers with DNA information and edit it directly.



Better staff training, better oversight, and thorough testing of each system step should be mandatory. This stops threats before they strike.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-protecting-dna-information">Protecting DNA information</h2>



The researchers noted that <a href="https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/Genomic-Data-Science" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">genomic data</a> is too big for a single fix. Engineers, biologists, and IT specialists must join forces to create updated rules and new ways to handle data securely. This teamwork helps labs share vulnerabilities and solutions without fear.



Funding bodies also have a role. If they prioritize cyber-biosecurity efforts, labs can upgrade defenses, run safety drills, and share lessons learned. An international network of experts can reduce confusion and missteps in fast-paced research centers.



As we learn more about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/luca-last-universal-common-ancestor-progenitor-all-life-on-earth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">genetics</a>, criminals also sharpen their tools. The researchers believe that we must stay ahead by constantly reviewing our technology and testing for weaknesses. This could guard personal and clinical details, especially for those seeking precision medicine.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10930454" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IEEE Access</a>.



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Is your DNA information safe? Scientists warn of cyber threats

Science is transforming how we see our DNA information and...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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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

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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

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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

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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

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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



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.

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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