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...

JADES-GS-z13-1 (NIRCam close-up)

The early universe was no serene place. Born from cosmic fire, it cooled down as space expanded. Soon, matter clumped together as gravity began to pull. Galaxies emerged from vast clouds of gas, surrounded by dense fog. As they formed, they began carving out clear bubbles in this fog.



How early these galaxies and their bubbles appeared still puzzles scientists. Yet, recent discoveries push these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/space-tornadoes-discovered-at-the-center-of-our-galaxy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cosmic beginnings</a> closer to the time of the Big Bang than ever imagined.



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



The universe’s first few hundred million years remained cloaked in dense gas. New galaxies, glowing in ultraviolet (UV) light, struggled to be seen. 



The reason? Neutral hydrogen filled the space between them. This gas blocked the bright UV signals and acted like a cosmic fog.



As a result, most early galaxies became invisible at UV wavelengths. Observing them was nearly impossible. The light they emitted couldn't break through the fog.



Yet, understanding these earliest objects requires seeing through that haze. Something had to change in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/euclid-captures-26-million-galaxies-in-vivid-deep-field-photos/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cosmic</a> fabric.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-fog-begins-to-clear">The fog begins to clear</h2>



The first stars and galaxies didn’t just light up the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/largest-ever-3d-map-of-the-universe-lets-us-travel-back-11-billion-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cosmos</a>. Their UV light started breaking apart the neutral hydrogen around them. Slowly, space became more transparent.



This dramatic shift is called the Epoch of Reionization. It marked the moment when light began traveling freely. 



But until now, astronomers believed the process started half a billion years after the Big Bang and took another half billion to finish.



A new discovery challenges this timeline.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-galaxy-bubbles-started-clearing-fog">Galaxy bubbles started clearing fog</h2>



Astronomers at the Cosmic Dawn Center (<a href="https://cosmicdawn.dk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DAWN</a>) have made a breakthrough. They studied a galaxy named JADES-GS-z13-1 that lies among the oldest ever detected. It stood out because it shines so brightly.



“Young galaxies shine brightest at a very specific wavelength of light, originating from hydrogen,“ noted Joris Witstok, lead researcher from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Cambridge</a>.



“To astronomers, this light goes under the name 'Lyman alpha.' Because of its short UV wavelength, it is easily absorbed by the surrounding medium, and therefore no <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/galaxy-found-in-the-early-universe-that-shouldnt-exist/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxy</a> from when the universe was less than half a billion years old has showed us this particular kind of light.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-galaxy-formed-a-bubble-that-cleared-space-around-it">Galaxy formed a bubble that cleared space around it</h2>



How did this light escape the fog that was so prevalent at that time?



Witstok’s team believes the galaxy created a local bubble of clear space. Its UV light “fried” the nearby neutral gas. 



What remained was a transparent pocket - an ionized bubble. These bubbles, once they were numerous enough, reionized the whole <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/spiral-galaxy-j23453268-0449256-black-hole-fury-defies-current-knowledge-base/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">universe</a>.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/galaxy_JADES-GS-z13-1_early-universe_fog-clearing_Webb_NASA_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/galaxy_JADES-GS-z13-1_early-universe_fog-clearing_Webb_NASA_1s.webp" alt="This image shows the galaxy JADES GS-z13-1 (the red dot at center), imaged with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) as part of the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) program. These data from NIRCam allowed researchers to identify GS-z13-1 as an incredibly distant galaxy, and to put an estimate on its redshift value. Webb’s unique infrared sensitivity is necessary to observe galaxies at this extreme distance, whose light has been shifted into infrared wavelengths during its long journey across the cosmos. Credit: NASA/ESA" class="wp-image-1964527"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This image shows the galaxy JADES GS-z13-1 (the red dot at center), imaged with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) as part of the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) program. These data from NIRCam allowed researchers to identify GS-z13-1 as an incredibly distant galaxy, and to put an estimate on its redshift value. Webb’s unique infrared sensitivity is necessary to observe galaxies at this extreme distance, whose light has been shifted into infrared wavelengths during its long journey across the cosmos. Click image to enlarge. Credit: NASA/ESA</figcaption></figure>



“We believe that we have discovered one of the first such bubbles,” Witstok said.



That light escaping from JADES-GS-z13-1 could only do so from inside such a bubble. It’s direct evidence of reionization that was already underway, much earlier than anyone thought.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-james-webb-s-vital-role">James Webb’s vital role</h2>



These observations became possible thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope. Its sensitive instruments allow scientists to examine distant galaxies in precise detail.



“We knew that we would find some of the most distant galaxies when we built Webb. But we could only dream of one day being able to probe them in such detail that we can now see directly how they affect the whole universe,” noted Peter Jakobsen, a key figure behind <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Webb’</a>s NIRSpec tool.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-caused-the-bubble">What caused the bubble?</h2>



The source of this ionized bubble remains uncertain. The first stars, likely very hot and UV-bright, could have created it. But another explanation also exists.



Supermassive black holes emit intense radiation as they consume gas. This process heats the gas to millions of degrees, and that energy could also have carved out the bubble.



“Most galaxies are known to host a central, supermassive black hole,” said Witstok. “This is another viable cause of the bubbles, which we will now investigate.”



As astronomers study more ancient galaxies, these light bubbles might offer the clearest view yet into the universe’s formative moments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-early-bubbles-shift-theories-on-galaxies">Early bubbles shift theories on galaxies</h2>



The discovery of Lyman alpha light from JADES-GS-z13-1, and the evidence of ionized bubbles, marks a major milestone in our understanding of the universe’s early years.



It challenges existing theories and opens new avenues for exploring how the first galaxies formed and began to influence the surrounding environment. 



As scientists continue to study these ancient objects with advanced tools, like the James Webb Space Telescope, we can expect to uncover even more secrets of the cosmos’s infancy.



The re-ionization process, once thought to have begun later in the universe's history, may actually have started much earlier, which reshapes our view of the cosmic timeline.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08779-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



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Early galaxy seen creating clear 'bubbles' in the foggy universe

The early universe was no serene place. Born from cosmic...

Passenger,Suffering,From,Nausea,Standing,In,A,Bus.,Stressed,Woman

Motion sickness affects people of all ages. Whether in cars, on boats, or in the air, the symptoms - nausea, dizziness, sweating - can turn travel into a miserable experience.



As transportation advances, especially with self-driving vehicles, more passengers may find themselves at the mercy of motion-induced discomfort. The need for a simple, safe solution has never been more urgent.



Scientists at Nagoya University <a href="https://www.med.nagoya-u.ac.jp/medical_E/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Graduate School of Medicine</a> may have found that solution - surprisingly, through the use of sound.



Their recent study, published in Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, explores how a specific frequency of pure tone, delivered for just one minute, can reduce both the physical and emotional <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-heat-impacts-our-daily-routines-and-transportation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">symptoms</a> of motion sickness.



The research, led by Takumi Kagawa and Masashi Kato, combines insights from mouse models and human trials to build a compelling case for this unique acoustic intervention.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-motion-sickness-starts-in-the-inner-ear">Motion sickness starts in the inner ear</h2>



Motion <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/food-poisoning-triggers-lifelong-changes-in-the-brain/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sickness</a> is rooted in a conflict between visual input and signals from the inner ear’s balance organs. 



When these systems send mismatched information to the brain, the result is confusion - and often, vomiting. 



The inner ear’s otolithic organs, particularly the utricle, detect linear movements. Researchers focused on these structures, and aimed to influence their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/did-the-pandemic-change-our-transportation-habits/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">behavior</a> using sound.



Their experiments identified a single, highly specific tone at 100 Hz that activates the utricle when delivered at safe sound pressure levels of 80–85 dBZ. 



This tone, referred to in the study as "sound spice®," had a measurable effect on ion channels in mouse utricles - especially when otoconia, small calcium carbonate crystals essential for balance, were present. Without otoconia, the sound had little effect. This indicated a precise biological interaction.



“Vibrations at the unique sound stimulate the otolithic organs in the inner ear, which detect linear acceleration and gravity,” Kato explained. 



“This suggests that a unique sound stimulation can broadly activate the vestibular system, which is responsible for maintaining balance and spatial orientation.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-testing-sound-therapy-for-motion-sickness">Testing sound therapy for motion sickness</h2>



To verify the tone’s effect, researchers first conducted beam balance tests on mice. These tests assess balance by scoring how well mice walk along a narrow beam. 



Mice exposed to the 100 Hz tone for five minutes before being subjected to shaking performed better than those who received no sound. 



Notably, the benefit lasted up to two hours. In contrast, mice exposed to a 250 Hz tone showed no such improvement.



Human trials followed. Participants, all with a history of motion sickness, were placed in swing chairs, immersive driving simulators, or vehicles. 



To trigger discomfort, they were asked to read during the motion - an activity known to increase motion sickness. Before each session, they received either no sound or one minute of 100 Hz exposure via speakers near their ears.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-less-dizziness-lower-stress-response">Less dizziness, lower stress response</h2>



Balance was measured using posturography, a technique that tracks movement of the center of gravity. 



Those who heard the tone showed smaller increases in envelope area, a marker of imbalance. Heart rate variability, which indicates how well the autonomic nervous system responds to stress, also improved.



Exposure to the tone boosted parasympathetic activity and reduced sympathetic dominance - the hallmark of stress and nausea.



“Our study demonstrated that short-term stimulation using a unique sound called 'sound spice®' alleviates symptoms of motion sickness, such as nausea and dizziness,” Kagawa said. 



“The effective sound level falls within the range of everyday environmental noise exposure, suggesting that the sound technology is both effective and safe.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-vehicle-trials-offer-real-world-proof">Vehicle trials offer real-world proof</h2>



Of all the tests, the vehicle trials perhaps carried the most relevance to daily life. In these, participants sat in the rear seat of a car, reading during a series of stop-and-go movements. 



Again, those exposed to the 100 Hz tone experienced less sway and reported fewer symptoms on the Motion Sickness Assessment Questionnaire (MSAQ).



This questionnaire covers several dimensions - gastrointestinal, central (like dizziness), peripheral (like cold sweating), and sopite-related symptoms (like drowsiness). All categories, except sopite-related, showed improvement after sound exposure.



“These results suggest that activation of sympathetic nerves, which are often dysregulated in motion sickness, was objectively improved by the unique sound exposure,” Kato explained.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-safe-fix-for-motion-sickness">Safe fix for motion sickness</h2>



Safety was a top concern. The sound levels used - 80 to 85 dBZ - are below workplace limits defined by the World Health Organization. 



The one-minute duration further reduces any risk. Researchers also confirmed that the tone did not affect hearing, even when delivered directly toward the inner ears.



In fact, everyday environments sometimes contain similar sound levels, such as during conversation. What sets this tone apart is its purity, stability, and targeted frequency. Random <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-hidden-carbon-footprint-of-long-distance-travel/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">environmental</a> noise rarely meets all three of these criteria.



“The health risk of short-term exposure to our unique sound is minimal,” Kagawa said. “Given that the stimulus level is well below workplace noise safety standards, this stimulation is expected to be safe when used properly.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-next-generation-of-travel-comfort">Next generation of travel comfort</h2>



To be effective, the sound must meet four conditions: equal exposure to both ears, frequency of 100 Hz, sound pressure of 80–85 dBZ, and a duration of one minute. 



Devices could be built into car headrests, airplane seats, or wearable audio gear. The simplicity of the system opens doors for wide use.



Researchers now plan to test the tone’s effects when used during motion rather than just before it. They also see potential in treating related conditions, like inner ear disorders. 



A past study by the same group found benefits for people with Meniere’s disease when exposed to 100 Hz tones.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-future-without-motion-sickness">A future without motion sickness?</h2>



If the technology proves reliable during motion, it could make travel more bearable for millions. The system’s non-invasiveness and ease of use make it especially appealing. 



It may even become a routine feature in self-driving cars, where passengers can’t always look outside to stabilize their sense of balance.



This small sound may soon create a big change - making sickness-free travel not just possible, but normal.



The study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ehpm/30/0/30_24-00247/_article" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine</a>.



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Unique new treatment reduces motion sickness without medication

Motion sickness affects people of all ages. Whether in cars,...

Australia’s exposure to intense heat continues to rise while the nation finds itself a global hotspot for climate-related lawsuits, according to the latest MJA–Lancet Countdown report.



Published today, the document shows a 37 percent increase in excess heat factor across the country over the past two decades, intensifying concerns about health risks tied to higher temperatures.



Paul Beggs, a professor at Macquarie University, is the lead author and director of the&nbsp;<a href="https://lancetcountdown.org/oceania/what-we-do/#:~:text=The%20Lancet%20Countdown%20works%20to,which%20all%20populations%20can%20thrive." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lancet Countdown Center</a>&nbsp;in Oceania. He argued that “the frequency of health-damaging&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-heat-is-pushing-parts-of-earth-beyond-human-survival/">heat</a>&nbsp;has increased substantially since the 1970s.”



His statement reflects a broader conclusion from the report, which assesses links between health and climate change in Australia across five domains: health hazards and impacts, adaptation planning, mitigation actions, economics and finance, and public and political engagement.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rising-tide-of-climate-lawsuits">Rising tide of climate lawsuits</h2>



One of the new features of this year’s report is an indicator measuring the rate of climate-related litigation, revealing that Australia has the second-highest number of climate change lawsuits worldwide. 



“Health was raised as an issue in eleven Australian climate cases between 2014 and 2023,” said Beggs. “Courts have closely examined detailed evidence about how&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-worsens-cardiovascular-health-risks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate change</a>&nbsp;directly and indirectly affects people’s health, especially for vulnerable groups.”



This uptick in climate lawsuits forms part of an overall picture in which Australia’s readiness to tackle climate-related harm faces ongoing tests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-and-health-systems-under-strain">Climate and health systems under strain</h2>



The report highlights some key weaknesses in Australia’s efforts to manage the intersection of climate and health. One concern is a 17 percent reduction in the number of volunteer firefighters over a span of seven years, putting the country’s bushfire response capacity at risk. 



Another issue is the dominance of fossil fuels in energy production. Even though renewables are making gains, carbon-intensive sources still contribute to the nation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/2023-climate-change-report-record-high-temperatures-greenhouse-gases-sea-level-rise/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">greenhouse gas emissions</a>.



Health care’s share in emitting greenhouse gases also remains troubling, with emissions from the sector reaching their highest point since 2010 in 2021 - an outcome partly linked to shifts in care patterns brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. 



Nonetheless, this rise underscores the need for better frameworks that reduce carbon footprints throughout health services.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-progress-in-climate-and-health-planning">Progress in climate and health planning</h2>



Despite the obstacles, there are encouraging developments noted in the report. The Australian Government recently completed its first&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/climate-change/publications/ncra-first-pass-risk-assessment" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Climate Risk Assessment</a>, which singled out health and social support as one of eleven priority risks.&nbsp;



“This past year Australia has taken a crucial step forward in understanding how risks are connected across sectors,” said Professor Hilary Bambrick, a contributor to the report and director of the&nbsp;<a href="https://nceph.anu.edu.au/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Center for Epidemiology and Population Health</a>&nbsp;at The Australian National University.



"This Assessment should facilitate more considered and coordinated planning and response to increasingly dangerous climate change to better protect human health and well-being.”



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tapping-into-the-natural-power-of-plants-for-renewable-energy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Renewable energy</a>&nbsp;use in Australia also continues to advance, now accounting for nearly 40 percent of electricity generation. Large-scale and small-scale clean energy infrastructure are on the rise. 



However, challenges remain, noted Professor Stefan Trueck, director of Macquarie University’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mq.edu.au/research/research-centres-groups-and-facilities/centres/transforming-energy-markets" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Center for Transforming Energy Markets</a>.&nbsp;



“Electricity generation from renewables keeps accelerating, fossil fuel generation is shrinking, but ensuring reliability of electricity supply demands even greater investment in renewables and storage,” said Trueck.



Meanwhile, the popularity of electric vehicles is growing, with sales hitting a record high of 98,436 units in 2023 and representing 8.47 percent of all new car sales. Australia may have dodged catastrophic climate disasters this year, but neighboring New Zealand encountered cyclone Gabrielle and severe flooding.&nbsp;



“A strength of the Countdown report is that it includes views from both sides of the Tasman. Australia and New Zealand differ geographically, but both are being squeezed by climate change, and we can learn from each other’s policy and health system responses,” noted professor Alistair Woodward from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Auckland</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-critical-years-ahead">Critical years ahead</h2>



The report stresses that the next five years will be crucial for cutting greenhouse gas emissions and shifting decisively to renewable energy, with scientific research on health and climate change in Australia surging in parallel. In 2023 alone, there were 525 publications in this area - a 29 percent jump from the previous year.



Since its inception in 2017, the MJA–Lancet Countdown has delivered annual evaluations of how well - or poorly - Australia is faring on health and climate matters. 



This year’s version, prepared by a group of 25 experts from 15 institutions across Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, highlights the ongoing effort to combine climate science, public health, energy policy, economics, and environmental research into a unified picture.



Looking ahead, the authors plan to broaden the scope in future reports by adding metrics focused on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health in a changing climate, as well as the mental health challenges that can emerge as global temperatures continue to climb.



The report is published in the&nbsp;<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.5694/mja2.52616" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Medical Journal of Australia</a>.



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Australia has become a hotspot for climate lawsuits as the crisis escalates

Australia’s exposure to intense heat continues to rise while the...

In spring and summer, gardens explode with floral variety. Yet, watch a bumblebee closely, and you’ll notice something strange. Despite the buffet of colors and scents, the bee often sticks to one flower type per trip. 



It might move from one lavender bloom to another, ignoring daisies right beside them. This selective foraging, called flower constancy, has intrigued naturalists for centuries.



Charles Darwin proposed a simple explanation. He believed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/major-cause-of-honeybee-mortality-can-be-easily-reduced/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bees</a> chose the same flowers again and again because switching would require more memory effort. This idea held weight for a long time. After all, remembering different flower shapes, colors, and nectar rewards does demand mental work. 



But new research from the <a href="https://www.tsukuba.ac.jp/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Tsukuba</a> offers a more refined view. It shows that bees don’t just aim to avoid thinking too much. They make smart, strategic choices based on their surroundings.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-bees-choose-flowers">How bees choose flowers</h2>



The study, led by Kentaro Takagi and Kazuharu Ohashi, shows that bees weigh two key costs: how much time it takes to remember a flower and how far they must travel to reach the next one. Their behavior results from balancing these two demands.



"We found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/honey-bees-face-a-multitude-of-complex-stressors-in-the-field/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pollinators</a> do not simply avoid memory effort but rather choose a strategy that minimizes the total cost of memory use and travel," explained Professor Shoko Sugiura.



This shifts our understanding away from passive behavior. Flower constancy is not just about bees lacking the mental power to switch. It’s about making the best of what they have - adapting their strategy in real time as flower arrangements change.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-bees-switch-flowers">Why bees switch flowers </h2>



The researchers tested this theory using artificial flowers in controlled indoor cages. Some flowers had high color contrast - blue and yellow. Others had subtle differences - yellow and golden yellow.



They also varied how flowers were arranged. In some cases, flower types were thoroughly mixed. In others, each type was grouped in clear clusters.



In mixed arrays, bees faced a choice. If they kept visiting only one species, they had to fly farther between flowers. This raised travel time. But if they switched flower types, they had to recall a different memory. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/honey-bee-colonies-are-collapsing-as-climate-change-progresses/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bees</a> often chose to switch, especially when flowers looked similar and the memory cost was low.



In this setting, bees behaved like economists. They balanced the time spent flying with the time spent thinking. 



When travel costs went up, they tolerated memory costs. When the mental load increased, they minimized flights. The shift in constancy wasn’t random. It was logical.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-similar-flowers-make-switching-easier">Similar flowers make switching easier</h2>



One striking observation came from the trials involving subtly different flowers. When bees foraged among yellow and golden yellow blooms, they treated them almost as one type. 



Even though bees can tell these colors apart, the difference wasn’t strong enough to require separate memories. This helped them switch more freely and saved time.



But memory plays a second, subtler role. As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bees-do-not-learn-to-be-cooperative-it-is-in-their-genes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bees</a> visit one flower type repeatedly, they begin to forget the other. The information in short-term memory fades back into long-term storage. This "memory decay" increases the retrieval cost if the bee later wants to switch.



"Pollinators are more flexible than previously assumed. They assess costs and make efficient choices," said Professor Takuya Kameda.



In clustered arrays, this decay worked in favor of constancy. Bees stuck to one type, moved short distances, and avoided memory shifts. But in spaced-out arrays, decay had the opposite effect. By the time a bee reached the next flower, memory had already faded. Switching became easier.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bees-adapting-smartly">Bees adapting smartly</h2>



To test their ideas further, the researchers built a computer model. They simulated bees moving through different flower arrangements. In these simulations, the experts removed memory retrieval costs. The model only considered how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-honey-bee-day-protecting-our-vital-pollinators/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bees</a> would behave if they cared only about distance.



The result matched real-world bee behavior in several cases. Especially in arrays with low visual contrast or large spacing, real bees acted like the simulated ones. 



This confirmed that travel distance alone can push bees to switch. Only when flowers were tightly packed and visibly different did memory costs dominate and lead to stronger constancy.



These results challenge the traditional view that flower constancy is just about bees being creatures of habit. It is not about a mental cap. It is a trade-off. The bee calculates, perhaps not consciously, but clearly effectively, the best path through a sea of choices.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-this-matters-for-plants-and-evolution">Why this matters for plants and evolution</h2>



This new understanding has important consequences for plants, too. When bees switch flowers frequently, pollen may land on the wrong species. That’s bad news for reproduction. 



So, many ecologists thought that having flowers look different from neighbors was a strong evolutionary pressure. But the data haven’t always backed that up. Some flower communities are highly diverse. Others are not. Sometimes, co-flowering plants look nearly identical.



The findings from this study explain why. It’s not just about color differences. It’s about spatial layout. If different species grow in patches, bees will stay constant regardless of color. If they grow all mixed up, bees will switch more unless there’s a strong visual cue to stop them.



So, flower constancy isn’t fixed. It’s flexible. And that flexibility changes the selective pressures plants face. 



Mixed communities may need stronger visual traits to keep bee visits clean and efficient. Clustered species may rely more on positioning than petals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-bees-teach-us-about-smart-foraging">What bees teach us about smart foraging</h2>



Ultimately, this research gives us a new way to look at bee intelligence. These insects make highly effective decisions. They don’t act from instinct alone. 



The behavior of bees is shaped by their environment, their memory, and their spatial awareness. They save time and avoid waste. They change plans when the layout changes. That’s not limitation - it’s strategy.



Bees teach us that loyalty to a single flower isn't about habit. It’s a calculated choice in a world full of options.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2435.70008" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Functional Ecology.</a>



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Why bees choose the same flowers again and again

In spring and summer, gardens explode with floral variety. Yet,...

The rise of farming ranks among the most significant shifts in human history. For thousands of years, people lived by hunting, gathering, and moving with the seasons. 



Then, around 12,000 years ago, they began to settle, plant crops, and raise animals. This change transformed how societies lived, organized space, and related to the land.



For decades, scholars pointed to the environment as the prime mover behind this transformation. Climate change, richer soils, and predictable rainfall were seen as the main reasons humans started farming. 



A new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences offers a different view. It says human interaction, not the natural world, played the biggest role in the shift from foraging to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/future-of-farming-insect-waste-reshapes-soil-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">farming</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-farming-as-a-human-driven-process">Farming as a human-driven process</h2>



The research, led by a team from the&nbsp;University of Bath,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eva.mpg.de/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Max Planck Institute</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Cambridge</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UCL</a>, introduces a fresh approach. Rather than focusing on rainfall or rivers, the team studied people - looking specifically at how groups interacted during this key moment in human history.



They used a mathematical model originally created to study predator-prey dynamics in ecosystems. In this case, early farmers and hunter-gatherers took the place of wolves and deer. The researchers treated them as two populations sharing space and resources but with competing interests.



The model showed that the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/agroforestry-could-transform-farming-in-the-midwest/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">farming</a> transition was not something that happened to humans. It was something they did to each other. Migration, cultural exchange, and even conflict between groups played a critical role in shaping early agricultural societies.



“Our study provides a new perspective on prehistoric societies,“ noted Dr. Javier Rivas, from the Department of Economics at the <a href="https://www.bath.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bath</a>.



“By statistically fitting our theoretical predator-prey model to observed population dynamics inferred from radiocarbon dates, we explored how population growth shaped history and uncovered interesting patterns - such as how the spread of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-temperatures-threaten-the-future-of-banana-farming/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">farming</a>, whether by land or sea, influenced interactions between different groups."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-population-dynamics-and-interaction">Population dynamics and interaction</h2>



At the heart of the study lies a six-parameter model. These parameters include growth rates for both groups, mortality linked to conflict, migration of farmers, and cultural assimilation - the rate at which foragers adopted farming. The model shows that no single factor explains the shift. Rather, it is the combination of these factors that shaped <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mixed-cover-crops-may-be-the-future-of-sustainable-farming/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">outcomes</a>.



The researchers tested their model on three regions: eastern Iberia, Denmark, and Kyushu in Japan. Each region showed a unique pattern of interaction. These case studies helped the team test how robust the model was and how well it could explain real-world archaeological data.



The model revealed that interactions could result in coexistence, rapid replacement, or gradual transitions. The team paid special attention to the point at which farming populations exceeded forager numbers, and when hunter-gatherer populations disappeared entirely. 



These events were influenced by the balance between growth, competition, and assimilation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-driven-farming-replaced-foragers">Human-driven farming replaced foragers</h2>



In eastern Iberia, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sustainable-farming-could-save-the-future-of-chocolate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">farming</a> took over quickly. Farmers surpassed foragers in about 175 years, and the hunter-gatherer population declined sharply within 340 years. The data suggest that early farmers may have entered largely uninhabited areas or replaced the local population rapidly.



This region supports what's called the "Dual Model." It includes two scenarios: one where farmers mixed with foragers and another where they settled nearly empty land. Evidence points to both processes happening in different locations, but the model shows that full replacement happened fast in most cases.



For Iberia, cultural mixing was modest. The dominant trend was population replacement. Archaeological findings also suggest maritime migrations brought farmers along the coastlines, possibly reducing direct land-based interaction with foragers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-different-pattern-in-denmark">A different pattern in Denmark</h2>



In Denmark, the pattern looked very different. Farmers exceeded foragers in population after about 450 years. But many foragers still remained even 700 years after <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/planting-diverse-crops-traps-carbon-and-boosts-soil-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">farming</a> began.



This suggests a long period of coexistence. Genetic studies and archaeological records support this. The two groups likely interacted for centuries before farming became the dominant lifestyle. 



The model shows that, in over half the simulated scenarios, foragers still had a visible presence at the end of the time window.



The spread of agriculture in Denmark likely involved a mix of demic diffusion (migration of people) and cultural transmission. Unlike Iberia, where rapid dominance happened, Danish foragers appear to have influenced and slowed the spread of farming.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kyushu-a-slower-maritime-transition">Kyushu: A slower maritime transition</h2>



On the island of Kyushu in Japan, the pattern was more complex. Farming spread from the Korean peninsula, and the process spanned 800 years. Farmers often moved by sea, and early contact with foragers was slow and uneven.



Farmers in Kyushu had a lower growth rate compared to the European cases. Still, the forager population declined over time. The model suggests this was due more to the decline of the forager population than the rapid rise of farmers.



Assimilation in Japan was lower, meaning few foragers adopted farming. Despite slower growth, farmers eventually replaced the foragers, though only at the very end of the study window.



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



The research team believes their model can be used well beyond these three regions. It applies to any case where two populations share land and compete. 



Whether it’s early farmers and foragers, or even modern societies in transition, the framework holds.



“We hope the methods we've developed will eventually become a standard tool for understanding how populations interacted in the past, offering fresh insight into other key moments in history, not just the shift to farming,” said Dr. Rivas.



This approach highlights the power of demographic processes. Instead of assuming outside forces drove human history, the model lets researchers test how people shaped their own future. It gives weight to population size, group interaction, and human decisions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-beyond-farming-a-tool-for-human-history">Beyond farming: A tool for human history</h2>



The model’s creators suggest it could be applied to other turning points in human history. 



This includes the spread of Homo sapiens, Neanderthal extinction, and later migrations during the Bronze Age. Anywhere two groups meet and compete, the model has potential.



By focusing on human behavior and interaction, the study reminds us that history often comes down to people - how they live, where they go, and who they meet. 



Farming didn't just happen because the earth got warmer. It happened because people made choices, formed communities, and changed the world around them.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/epub/10.1073/pnas.2416221122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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The birth of farming was driven by people, not the planet

The rise of farming ranks among the most significant shifts...

Yellowstone National Park is often seen as a showcase of raw, wild nature. But beneath its stunning landscapes lies a subtler drama. Here, wolves, bears, and cougars - three of North America’s top predators - navigate not just the challenge of hunting prey but of sharing space.



They all rely on overlapping food sources, especially large ungulates like elk. What happens when those resources become scarce?



Conventional ecological theory suggests that fewer prey animals should spark more intense competition. Dominant predators like wolves and bears are expected to push out subordinate ones like cougars. 



However, a new study from the <a href="https://twin-cities.umn.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Minnesota</a> challenges that assumption. The researchers discovered that it’s not just the abundance of prey that matters - but how big that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-predator-found-in-one-of-the-deepest-parts-of-the-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">prey</a> is.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cougars-downsize-their-dinner">Cougars downsize their dinner</h2>



Over 23 years of data reveal a strategic shift by Yellowstone’s cougars. As elk numbers declined, predators like cougars began hunting smaller <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/well-built-fences-keep-predators-from-harming-livestock/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">prey</a> more frequently. 



Mule deer, along with other medium and small species, became more common in cougar diets. The smaller kills come with advantages. They take less time to consume and are less visible, reducing the chance of theft by larger carnivores.



"This work really showcases the complex ways large carnivores make a living," said lead author Jack Rabe, a graduate student in the <a href="https://cfans.umn.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences</a>.



From 2016 to 2022, 37.6% of cougar kills were deer, compared to just 13.8% during the 1998–2005 period. Elk kills dropped from 74.2% to under 50 percent. 



Cougars increasingly targeted elk calves rather than adults, further reducing handling time. This allowed them to eat more quickly and retreat before wolves or bears arrived.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-displacement-and-the-cost-of-being-caught">Displacement and the cost of being caught</h2>



When dominant <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/snakes-use-invisible-colors-to-outsmart-predators/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">predators</a> arrive at a cougar kill, they often force the cat to flee. That process, known as displacement, has serious consequences. 



Cougars lose over 60% of the carcass when chased off, forcing them to hunt again much sooner. Kill intervals - the time between one successful hunt and the next - shorten from 5.6 days to just over 4.



Despite increasing wolf and bear numbers, displacement rates have actually declined. This runs counter to classic theories. But carcass size provides the missing link. 



Smaller kills are less visible, quicker to consume, and often made in terrain where wolves and bears struggle to follow. That means fewer confrontations and more food retained by the cougar.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-prey-choice-helps-predators-coexist">Prey choice helps predators coexist </h2>



"We found that shifting cougar <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/snow-leopards-tracing-the-evolution-of-an-apex-predator/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">behavior</a> is likely a key factor in the ecosystem's stability," said Rabe. 



"By opting for smaller prey, cougars reduce the amount of time they spend hunting to make up for kills lost to other carnivores. This allows them to maintain a relatively stable kill-rate, which in turn contributes to the overall balance of the predator-prey dynamics in the park."



This behavior not only protects cougars from losing meals, but also stabilizes their role in the ecosystem. Even though elk populations have fallen, cougars still manage to maintain their kill rates. 



That means they continue controlling deer and smaller ungulate numbers, while reducing risk of direct conflict with larger <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saber-toothed-predators-evolved-the-perfect-fangs-for-hunting/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">predators</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-prey-size-controls-predator-conflict">Prey size controls predator conflict</h2>



The study found that carcass size - not prey density - was the strongest predictor of interference. Larger carcasses attracted more wolf and bear <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-snails-evolved-defenses-against-invasive-predators/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">activity</a>.



 Displacements were 1.67 times more likely with each standard increase in prey size. Yet smaller kills, often weighing under 40 kg (about 88 pounds), drew far less attention.



This means cougars that kill smaller prey lose fewer meals. In turn, they can avoid the energy costs of defending kills or relocating frequently. Even predator-rich areas become manageable if cougars target the right kind of prey. 



The result? Less kleptoparasitism, fewer fights, and more peaceful coexistence.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolving-diets-in-a-crowded-landscape">Evolving diets in a crowded landscape</h2>



Wolves and bears are adapting too. Wolves now hunt bison more often, especially in winter. 



From 1998–2005 to 2016–2022, bison rose from 10% to nearly 50% of the wolf diet. Bison favor open plains, far from the rough terrain preferred by cougars. This shift has reduced overlap between these predators.



Bears, though still frequent visitors in spring and summer, also showed a drop in displacement incidents. The rougher the terrain and the smaller the carcass, the lower the chance of a bear showing up. 



These changes show how prey choice shapes not only predator behavior, but the structure of the entire ecosystem.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-than-food-risks-and-reproduction">More than food: Risks and reproduction</h2>



Displacement affects more than just dinner. For cougars, being forced off a kill also carries lethal risks. Though rare, wolf attacks can kill cougars. 



Two radio-collared cougars were killed by wolves between 2016 and 2022, both in terrain with poor escape options. By hunting smaller prey and staying mobile, cougars avoid such danger.



Interestingly, female cougars benefit even more. They kill smaller prey than males and are less likely to be displaced. Because females are crucial for reproduction, this strategy may support cougar population stability over time. 



Smaller prey means smaller meals, but more consistent access - an important tradeoff in a competitive environment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-diverse-prey-helps-predators-stay-stable">Diverse prey helps predators stay stable</h2>



​This study helps reshape how ecologists understand predator guilds - groups of predators that share space and food sources. The <a href="https://www.yellowstone.org/wolf-project/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Yellowstone Wolf Project</a>, <a href="https://www.yellowstone.org/yellowstone-cougar-project/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Yellowstone Cougar Project</a>, and the University of Minnesota team demonstrate that prey diversity supports predator diversity



When ecosystems support a variety of prey sizes and types, predators adapt rather than fight. That flexibility, not aggression, helps maintain balance. Yellowstone offers a real-world case where smart choices by subordinate predators help everyone thrive.



As wolves hunt bison and cougars switch to deer, Yellowstone’s food web becomes more resilient. This insight may prove valuable far beyond the park, especially as predator and prey populations shift around the world.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-025-07779-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Communications Biology</a>.



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Cougars hunt smaller prey to avoid conflict with other predators

Yellowstone National Park is often seen as a showcase of...

Stars don't live forever - some end quietly and others explode. While not every explosion in the universe is noteworthy, those associated with type 1a supernovae make their presence known across galaxies.



These massive events can light up the sky, help measure the universe’s rate of expansion, and tell us about the life and death of stars. For years, scientists believed certain conditions led to these explosions, but they lacked information from a nearby system to prove this.



Now, astronomers at the University of Warwick have changed that. They have discovered a rare, compact binary <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/whats-up-in-the-night-sky-during-the-month-of-april-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">star</a> system only 150 light years from Earth. This pair of white dwarfs, which are the dense remains of dead stars, is locked in a deadly embrace.



Eventually, their spiral will end in a spectacular explosion. Although that day lies billions of years ahead, the discovery itself has immediate and far-reaching impact.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-white-dwarfs-headed-toward-explosion">White dwarfs headed toward explosion</h2>



Type 1a supernovae have long been a tool for cosmic measurement. Astronomers use them as “standard candles” to calculate distances to faraway galaxies. 



That’s because these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/march-2025-stargazing-a-red-moon-and-a-vanishing-planet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">explosions</a> tend to release consistent amounts of light. If experts know how bright something should be, and they measure how bright it appears, they can determine out how far away it is.



These explosions happen when a white dwarf, which is already an ultra-dense star remnant, takes in too much mass. It might pull material from a nearby star, eventually reaching a tipping point. When gravity overwhelms its internal forces, the star explodes in a sudden release of energy.



The new discovery shows this process can also occur when two white dwarfs orbit each other. In such pairs, the heavier star slowly pulls mass from its partner. This continues until one, or both, explode.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evidence-of-a-double-white-dwarf-system">Evidence of a double white dwarf system</h2>



For years, this idea had strong support in theory but lacked direct proof. Astronomers suspected that most type 1a supernovae began with two orbiting white dwarfs. But they had never found a nearby <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/proxima-centauri-the-closest-star-to-earth-is-extremely-violent/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">system</a> that confirmed it - until now.



The newly identified binary system is not just close. It’s also exactly the type of high-mass pair that scientists hoped to find. Published in Nature Astronomy, the discovery gives clear evidence of a double white dwarf system that meets all the conditions for a type 1a explosion.



“For years a local and massive double white dwarf binary has been anticipated, so when I first spotted this system with a very high total mass on our galactic doorstep, I was immediately excited,” stated James Munday, Ph.D. researcher at Warwick and lead investigator.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chasing-the-pair-across-the-sky">Chasing the pair across the sky</h2>



Once Munday and his colleagues detected the system, they acted fast. Working with international astronomers - four from Warwick - they turned powerful optical telescopes toward the pair. Their goal was to measure how close the two stars were and confirm the system’s nature.



“With an international team of astronomers, four based at The University of Warwick, we immediately chased this system on some of the biggest optical telescopes in the world to determine exactly how compact it is,” explained Munday.



The results were striking. The stars are separated by just 1/60th the distance between Earth and the Sun. That distance, tiny by cosmic standards, revealed the system’s destiny.



“Discovering that the two stars are separated by just 1/60th of the Earth-Sun distance, I quickly realized that we had discovered the first double white dwarf binary that will undoubtedly lead to a type 1a supernova on a timescale close to the age of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stunning-star-clusters-captured-in-the-extreme-outskirts-of-the-milky-way/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">universe</a>,” said Munday.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-heaviest-system-ever-confirmed">The heaviest system ever confirmed</h2>



This binary system stands out for its enormous combined mass: 1.56 times that of our Sun. That might not sound like much, but it’s the heaviest white dwarf pair of its kind ever observed. When it comes to type 1a supernovae, mass is everything.



“At last, we as a community can now account for a few per cent of the rate of type 1a supernovae across the Milky Way with certainty,” said Munday.



Even though the explosion won’t happen for another 23 billion years, its certainty is no longer in question. Because of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/runaway-star-may-be-dragging-a-planet-along-with-it/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stars</a>’ masses and distance, they are already on a path of no return.



Despite how near the stars are to Earth, the future explosion poses no danger. The force will be incredible, but space is vast. The blast, while bright, will spread its energy across an enormous volume.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-explosion-will-unfold">How the explosion will unfold</h2>



Right now, the white dwarfs circle each other in a slow spiral, completing an orbit over 14 hours. But gravitational wave radiation is at work. Over billions of years, this silent force will draw the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/monster-in-the-shadows-giant-black-hole-emerges-from-cosmic-dust/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stars</a> closer.



When the moment comes, they will orbit one another every 30 to 40 seconds - mere blurs of light racing around one another - before detonating.



“This is very significant discovery. Finding such a system on our galactic doorstep is an indication that they must be relatively common, otherwise we would have needed to look much further away, searching a larger volume of our galaxy, to encounter them,” noted Dr. Ingrid Pelisoli, assistant professor at The University of Warwick.



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



The discovery may be thrilling, but the work isn’t over. Pelisoli notes that this binary is just one piece of a larger puzzle.



“Finding this system is not the end of the story though, our survey searching for type 1a supernova progenitors is still ongoing and we expect more exciting discoveries in the future. Little by little, we are getting closer to solving the mystery of the origin of type 1a explosions.”



The system’s eventual fate involves an unusual and violent mechanism: a quadruple detonation. First, the surface of the heavier white dwarf explodes as it accumulates mass. Then its core follows. 



The blast sends debris outward, which then strikes the companion star. That impact causes a third, then a fourth explosion.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-powerful-white-dwarf-explosion">A powerful white dwarf explosion</h2>



When this quadruple detonation occurs, the energy released will exceed anything humans can create. The explosion will destroy both stars entirely, with a force billions of times greater than that of the most powerful nuclear weapons.



From Earth, the supernova will shine as a brilliant, steady point of light. It will appear up to ten times brighter than the Moon and 200,000 times brighter than Jupiter. It will change the night sky for weeks, if not months, before fading back into darkness.



Though it will likely happen long after humanity’s time, the light from this explosion will travel across space and be a reminder of this rare discovery that was made in our corner of the galaxy.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-025-02528-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Astronomy</a>.



Image Credit: Credit University of Warwick/Mark Garlick



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White dwarf pair is spiraling toward a spectacular explosion

Stars don't live forever - some end quietly and others...

Life on our planet goes back at least 3.7 billion years, and much of it started small. Researchers have studied microbial life in ancient rocks, but it has remained hard to place microbes on an exact timeline. 



New work indicates that some <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-and-imprint-new-era-dna-transformation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bacteria</a> harnessed oxygen almost one billion years earlier than scientists previously believed.



Led by <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Adrian-Davin" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Adrián Arellano Davín</a> of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (<a href="https://www.oist.jp" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">OIST</a>), this study highlights an unexpected link between early oxygen tolerance and the later rise of photosynthesis.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-the-great-oxidation-event-goe">Understanding the Great Oxidation Event (GOE)</h2>



A huge turning point in Earth's early history is known as the Great Oxidation Event, or <a href="https://asm.org/articles/2022/february/the-great-oxidation-event-how-cyanobacteria-change" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GOE</a> for short. It happened around 2.4 billion years ago, when <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rstb.2006.1838" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">oxygen</a> started building up in the atmosphere for the first time. 



Before that, there was barely any oxygen in the air - life existed, but it was mostly tiny microbes that didn’t need it. Or, as we're learning from this study, a few species of bacteria that learned to use it before it became prevalent in the atmosphere.



At first, that oxygen got soaked up by things like iron in the oceans, but eventually, it started leaking into the air.



Once oxygen began to stick around in the atmosphere, it changed everything. Some life forms couldn’t handle it and died off, but others adapted and thrived. 



This event set the stage for more complex life to evolve down the road.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bacteria-used-oxygen-before-air-changed">Bacteria used oxygen before air changed</h2>



Scientists have assumed that most <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/23-new-marine-bacteria-species-discovered-that-influence-global-ocean-cycles/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bacteria</a> stayed anaerobic until the onset of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/it-took-200-million-years-for-earth-to-get-its-oxygen/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GOE</a>. The new investigation challenges that assumption.



Clues suggest certain bacterial lineages adapted to oxygen at least 900 million years before the GOE. This surprising result implies that small amounts of oxygen were present in pockets of Earth’s environment. 



Such an ability to work with trace oxygen may have paved the way for modern forms of respiration.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-early-oxygen-use-gave-bacteria-an-advantage">Early oxygen use gave bacteria an advantage</h2>



Energy production in cells is crucial, and oxygen-based metabolism is notably more efficient than methods that rely on other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-antibiotic-found-in-soil-has-potential-to-fight-superbugs/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">substances</a>. 



Before atmospheric oxygen rose, most organisms relied on <a href="https://www.ucsfhealth.org/medical-tests/anaerobic-bacteria" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">anaerobic</a> paths. Gaining even a slight advantage by using oxygen could have given those early aerobic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-strain-identified-that-can-eat-forever-chemicals/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">microbes</a> a head start.



“This combined approach of using genomic data, fossils, and Earth’s geochemical history brings new clarity to evolutionary timelines, especially for microbial groups that don’t have a fossil record,” said <a href="https://www.oist.jp/research/research-units/modevolgenom/gergely-janos-szollosi" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Professor Gergely Szöllősi</a>, leader of the <a href="https://www.oist.jp/research/research-units/modevolgenom/gergely-janos-szollosi" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Model-based Evolutionary Genomics Unit</a> at OIST.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-role-of-machine-learning">The role of machine learning</h2>



Scientists used machine learning alongside <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9632901/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">phylogenetic reconciliation</a> to reconstruct which ancestral bacteria may have used oxygen. 



By looking at patterns across 1,007 modern <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/soil-bacteria-and-fungi-respond-differently-to-urbanization/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bacterial genomes</a>, the method predicted points where lineages switched from anaerobic to aerobic lifestyles.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Bacterial-evolution_oxygen-adaptation_chart_credit-OIST_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Bacterial-evolution_oxygen-adaptation_chart_credit-OIST_1s.webp" alt="Bacterial evolution and oxygen adaptation: A timeline built from genomic, fossil, and chemical data. Colors show oxygen states: anaerobic (blue), aerobic (red), and proportion of aerobic lineages in modern bacterial phyla (purple shades). Analysis includes mitochondria and plastids to leverage eukaryotic fossil data. Land plants and animals are shown for time reference. Credit: OIST" class="wp-image-1964457"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Bacterial evolution and oxygen adaptation: A timeline built from genomic, fossil, and chemical data. Colors show oxygen states: anaerobic (blue), aerobic (red), and proportion of aerobic lineages in modern bacterial phyla (purple shades). Analysis includes mitochondria and plastids to leverage eukaryotic fossil data. Land plants and animals are shown for time reference. Click image to enlarge. Credit: OIST</figcaption></figure>



Modern labs have begun using these computational techniques to shed light on evolutionary puzzles that lack physical fossil evidence. 



Researchers found that lineages with <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/oxygen-metabolism" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">oxygen-based metabolism</a> spread further and diversified more quickly once the atmosphere changed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-insights-into-cyanobacteria">Insights into cyanobacteria</h2>



The study points out that <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/cyanobacteria" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cyanobacteria</a> - the group known for introducing oxygenic photosynthesis - may have already been primed to handle oxygen. 



Evidence hints that an ancestor of this group had an aerobic phase, which might have helped it develop photosynthetic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-pseudomonas-build-tiny-nano-spearguns-to-fight-back-against-attack/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">genes</a>.



“Our work also shows that modeling microbial traits from their genomes using machine learning works well for studying the spread of aerobic metabolisms,” said <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/people/person/Tom-Williams-09520f33-b160-4776-a3fc-e375215ae687/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Tom Williams</a>, a researcher from the University of Bristol’s <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/biology/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">School of Biological Sciences</a>. 



The presence of genes for managing oxygen could have set the stage for the development of photosynthesis later on.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-existence-of-oxygen-using-bacteria">Existence of oxygen-using bacteria</h2>



Scientists mapped bacterial family histories back to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/the-history-of-earth-in-exactly-2000-words/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hadean or earliest Archaean era</a>, roughly 4.4 to 3.9 billion years ago.



Several major groups emerged and radiated well before the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microfossils-reveal-a-leap-in-lifes-complexity-2-4-billion-years-ago/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GOE</a>. Families that adopted oxygen-based lifestyles were able to thrive and multiply once oxygen became plentiful.



By analyzing both geological and genomic data, researchers placed maximum age limits on groups that rely on oxygen. Anything that needed oxygen to survive could not have existed long before free oxygen was available.



Yet the data showed that a few select lineages managed to eke out an aerobic existence in localized habitats.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-broader-perspective">A broader perspective</h2>



Ancient bacterial evolution remains a tough subject to nail down. 



Fossils are rare for microbes, which means researchers must rely on chemical signals in sediments and advanced computational methods. These techniques fill the gaps left by the limited record of ancient life.



“This combined use of different data types can help us figure out not only when bacteria evolved but also how they adapted,” said Dr. Davín. 



Cross-referencing oxygen-related genes with global events paints a clearer picture of the factors that steered bacterial diversity.



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



Questions remain about how oxygen pockets formed before the GOE and how widespread they might have been. Scientists are also curious whether other organisms besides bacteria adapted to these oxygen pockets. 



Future work may involve examining additional traits, such as antibiotic resistance or carbon fixation, to see how they appeared in tandem with environmental changes.



Understanding ancient <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-021-01130-z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">microbial lineages</a> can shed light on the conditions that fostered eukaryotes and, eventually, complex life forms like animals and plants. 



Early oxygen tolerance in microbes might have played a big part in shaping the biosphere we see today.



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Featured image: An artistic conception of the early Earth, showing a surface pummeled by large impact, resulting in extrusion of deep-seated magma onto the surface. Credit: <a href="https://www.nasa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>/Simone Marchi



The study is published in <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adp1853" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



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Earth's first bacteria used oxygen about one billion years earlier than we thought

Life on our planet goes back at least 3.7 billion...

Aloe vera is a familiar name in everyday skincare and therapeutic products. Many people trust its soothing gel to help with various skin concerns or to add a gentle touch to cosmetics. 



While the gel is widely used, the leftover aloe peels become waste that might reach millions of tons each year.



This issue recently caught the attention of <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Debasish-Bandyopadhyay-2">Debasish Bandyopadhyay</a>, an assistant professor in chemistry at The <a href="https://www.utrgv.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Texas Rio Grande Valley</a>, who explored turning the discarded rinds into a natural <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insecticides-may-be-helping-weeds-thrive/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">insecticide</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-aloe-waste-peels-found-new-purpose">Aloe waste peels found new purpose</h2>



Aloe vera fields, located in places such as Australia, China, India, South Africa, and the U.S., focus on harvesting gel from the thick leaves. The outer covering is rarely used on a large scale.



Some people blend gel with onions or other ingredients to repel bugs, but that approach often leaves the peels out of the equation. 



Hoping to address that gap, researchers decided to test the peels for possible <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9862941/#:~:text=Phytochemicals%20are%20plant%2Dbased%20bioactive,have%20been%20discovered%20to%20date." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">phytochemicals</a> that might discourage insects.



They noticed that many bugs refuse to munch on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-plants-can-absorb-and-neutralize-plastic-pollution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plants</a>. That observation led them to check whether the same compounds protecting aloe in nature could help farms in regions plagued by pests.



They dried the rinds at room temperature without sunlight. This step preserved valuable properties that might otherwise degrade under harsh conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-aloe-waste-extract-kills-bugs">Aloe waste extract kills bugs</h2>



Scientists analyzed peel extracts made with different solvents, including dichloromethane (<a href="https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Methylene-Chloride" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DCM</a>). They discovered potent activity against insects that destroy <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pesticides-affect-bumble-bee-health-in-complex-ways/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">crops</a>.



“We identified [certain substances] as potential insecticidal compounds,” said Bandyopadhyay. These molecules appeared safe for people while still packing a punch against pests.



Tests showed the insect-killing capabilities might relate to <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/bioactive-compound" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bioactive substances</a> that disrupt insects’ feeding behavior. That disruption may eventually cause the insects to die, offering a more natural defense for vulnerable fields.



Early findings suggest the compounds in aloe peels could also have antibacterial or antifungal properties. Researchers continue to catalog more elements hidden in the dried peel.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-farmers-and-the-environment">Farmers and the environment</h2>



Crop losses to insects can be huge, pushing many farmers toward strong chemical <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fish-pesticide-exposure-impacts-their-behavior-in-both-current-and-future-generations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pesticides</a>. A 2021 review in the journal <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/16/4835" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Molecules</a> revealed that the heavy use of these chemicals harms the environment, creates resistant pests, and endangers people’s health.



Natural alternatives that rely on plant-derived elements often offer a kinder impact on local ecosystems. They break down faster, target pests without lingering in soil or water, and pose fewer risks for farmworkers.



Turning aloe waste into a new defense strategy brings financial and environmental upsides. It transforms what was formerly “trash” into a resource that can help feed populations reliant on staple crops.



A shift to plant-based pest controls may also align with sustainable farming approaches. Researchers see aloe-based insecticide as another tool in this more balanced strategy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-practical-plans-with-aloe-spray">Practical plans with aloe spray</h2>



Real-world testing is the next step to verify how peel extracts perform against pests in places where insects often threaten staple grains and vegetables. 



The researchers want to confirm how strongly the compounds repel or eliminate harmful bugs in open fields.



Studies into any anti-mosquito or anti-tick properties of these extracts are also under way. 



“By creating an insecticide that avoids hazardous and poisonous synthetic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pesticide-exposure-increases-the-risk-of-parkinsons-disease/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">chemicals</a>, we can help the agricultural field,” said Bandyopadhyay. If the extracts repel disease-carrying pests, there might be a public health benefit too.



This approach could cut back on synthetic pesticides, which often have harsh side effects. Natural methods can still be powerful if used correctly and monitored for consistent quality.



Peel-based formulations could be simpler to handle than certain standard pesticides. This method might bring cost savings for farmers who pay high prices for chemical products.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-anti-aging-properties-of-aloe">Anti-aging properties of aloe</h2>



In addition to being a great insecticide, aloe vera packs a surprising punch when it comes to anti-aging. 



It’s loaded with antioxidants like vitamins C and E, which help fight off free radicals - the little troublemakers that speed up wrinkles and skin damage. 



Aloe also encourages <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-discover-a-protein-that-reverses-cellular-aging/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">collagen production</a>, which is a big deal because collagen keeps your skin firm, bouncy, and smooth. 



As we get older, our natural collagen levels dip, so giving it a boost can help reduce fine lines and keep skin looking fresh.



On top of all that, aloe is a hydration hero. It soaks into the skin fast and locks in moisture, which helps plump things up and make your face look more youthful and dewy. 



It also <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scratching-that-itch-science-confirms-it-only-makes-rashes-worse/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">soothes inflammation</a>, evens out skin tone, and can help calm down any irritation or redness that tends to make aging skin look a little tired.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-aloe-waste-and-sustainable-farming">Aloe waste and sustainable farming</h2>



Researchers are collaborating with growers and local producers to see if these extracts fit into their routine spraying practices. They want to ensure that the product meets safety guidelines without being burdensome to apply.



Experts continue to measure the shelf life of this plant-based solution. Proper drying and storage can help maintain stability, ensuring that farmers and communities benefit from a reliable product.



Many wonder if large-scale aloe peel recycling can become a fresh revenue stream. If it does, aloe growers will have an added reason to collect the rinds rather than sending them off as compost or letting them rot.



Sustainability is the underlying theme of this new venture. Adding aloe peel extracts to pest management could aid global efforts to grow healthy produce while protecting soil, water, and wildlife.



The press release is published <a href="https://www.acs.org/pressroom/newsreleases/2023/august/discarded-aloe-peels-could-be-sustainable-natural-insecticide-video.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.



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Wonder plant: This natural insect repellent also has anti-aging properties

Aloe vera is a familiar name in everyday skincare and...

Nitrous oxide, better known as laughing gas, is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Despite warnings from the Food and Drug Administration (<a href="https://www.fda.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FDA</a>), more people across the U.S. are misusing the substance - often with tragic results.



Once a common feature in dental offices and whipped cream canisters, this gas is now tied to a sharp increase in poisonings, hospitalizations, and even deaths.



Researchers from the <a href="https://olemiss.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Mississippi</a> and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are investigating this growing trend, sounding the alarm about its risks. 



“This is a chemical that is commonly used as a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/natures-sleep-aid-cannabinol-shows-promise-as-a-safe-sedative/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sedative</a> or anesthetic, but what we’re seeing is a rise in recreational use,” said Andrew Yockey, University of Mississippi assistant professor of public health. 



“But what we’re also seeing is also a rise in hospitalizations, in poisonings and in deaths.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nitrous-oxide-deaths-are-doubling">Nitrous oxide deaths are doubling</h2>



According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, over 13 million Americans have misused nitrous oxide at some point in their lives. 



And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CDC</a>) reports that deaths from nitrous oxide poisoning have more than doubled - rising over 110% between 2019 and 2023.



While the number of deaths remains relatively low compared to other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/illegal-drugs-can-now-be-detected-in-the-air/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">drugs</a>, the speed of the increase is cause for concern. 



“The preliminary findings of our study are that deaths have remained fairly small compared to other dangerous substances,” said Rachel Hoopsick, assistant professor of health and kinesiology at the <a href="https://illinois.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign</a>.



“But what we’re seeing is that over the last couple of years, those rates have increased exponentially. At that continued rate, we could be looking at a much larger problem.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-nitrous-oxide-slips-under-the-radar">Why nitrous oxide slips under the radar</h2>



Whippets - another name for nitrous oxide canisters - have long been used for a quick, euphoric high.



But the side effects are no joke. The FDA warns that repeated inhalation can lead to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/even-mild-inflammation-can-majorly-damage-the-brain/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">brain damage</a>, frostbite, numbness, blood clots, and even paralysis. 



Despite these warnings, the gas remains widely accessible and largely unregulated.



Unlike many controlled substances, nitrous oxide is easy to buy online or at local shops. A simple search brings up brightly packaged, flavored options - clearly designed to catch the attention of younger audiences.



“Think back to big <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tobacco-bans-could-help-prevent-1-2-million-lung-cancer-deaths/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tobacco</a>; they deliberately targeted young people with cartoons, fun flavors and flashy colors,” said Hoopsick. “That is a parallel we’re seeing now with nitrous oxide."



The product is often marketed as a whipped cream propellant. But some of the available options make the culinary angle hard to believe. 



“I really doubt anyone is buying flavored nitrous oxide to make blueberry mango whipped cream,” Yockey said. “Or ‘Bomb Pop.’ But I can have it delivered to my house in a couple of days.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-marketing-tactics-that-mimic-big-tobacco">Marketing tactics that mimic big tobacco</h2>



What’s even more alarming is how sellers downplay the risks. 



“We have evidence that nitrous oxide poisoning is a very real danger, but this is very often ignored or trivialized,” said Hoopsick. 



“Sellers of nitrous oxide rarely, if ever, provide health warnings. I think the public sees it as a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mdma-and-methamphetamine-spark-human-connections-that-prove-beneficial-in-therapy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">party drug</a>.”



And like many dangerous trends, social media is making things worse. Videos of teens and young adults inhaling the gas are easy to find online, often glamorized with hashtags and flashy effects. 



“We know that if you watch videos of someone else doing it, you’re more likely to try it,” said Yockey. 



“I worry about the high school and college-aged adolescents who see this online and decide to buy a fruit-punch flavored tank. Because right now, that’s perfectly legal.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-call-for-policy-change">A call for policy change</h2>



The researchers believe that more data is needed to understand the full impact of nitrous oxide misuse. But they also stress that legislation must catch up with reality. 



“Policy level interventions are what are lacking at the moment,” Hoopsick said. 



“If we have some guardrails on who can sell this, who can buy it and how it’s marketed, maybe we can get ahead of the problem.”



For now, the listings keep growing. And with speedy shipping options, the danger is just a few clicks away. 



“Some of these brands were not here even a week ago,” Yockey said, scrolling through listings on his screen. “What they’re doing here is very ingenious, but it’s also incredibly dangerous.”



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Laughing gas crisis: Nitrous oxide misuse and abuse is rising in the U.S.

Nitrous oxide, better known as laughing gas, is making headlines...

Sacred,Chinamapere,Rock-art,Near,Chimoio,,Mozambique,Rock-art,Near,Manica,,Mozambique

More than 12,000 years ago, Europe's prehistoric hunter-gatherers faced extreme shifts in climate. These changes, brought on by the final stages of the Ice Age, had a powerful effect on how the human population lived, where they moved, and how many of them could survive.



A new study traces how these ancient communities responded to both warming and cooling periods, revealing large swings in population size and movement across the continent.



The research was led by a team of 25 archaeologists, including scientists from the <a href="https://www.uni-koeln.de/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Cologne</a>, and involved experts from twenty European universities and institutions. 



Their findings, recently published in PLOS One, focus on the Final Palaeolithic period, between 14,000 and 11,600 years ago. 



This study provides a clearer picture of population growth, decline, and migration in response to two major climate phases: a warm period known as Greenland Interstadial 1d-a (GI-1d-a), and a sharp cold snap called Greenland Stadial 1 (GS-1), also known as the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/prehistoric-comet-impact-triggered-the-invention-of-agriculture/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Younger Dryas</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-driven-boom-and-bust">Climate-driven boom and bust</h2>



During the warmer GI-1d-a period, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-humans-impacted-earth-than-previously-thought-2/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">early humans</a> began expanding into northern and northeastern central Europe. 



This marked a turning point, as these areas became major population centers for the first time in prehistory. 



At the same time, parts of southwestern Europe - especially Spain and France - saw a decline in population compared to earlier <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-and-neanderthals-may-have-co-existed-for-many-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Upper Palaeolithic</a> periods.



But when the climate took a dramatic turn during GS-1, the population across Europe dropped sharply. Researchers estimate that during this cold phase, the number of people was reduced by half. 



Despite this overall collapse, the pattern wasn’t uniform. Some regions bucked the trend. Parts of northern Italy, Poland, and northeastern Germany actually saw stable or slightly rising population numbers. 



These pockets of resilience suggest that some groups migrated eastward to seek more livable conditions.



“These observations probably reflect the eastward movement of people in response to the very abrupt and pronounced <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-cooling-event-caused-extinction-of-first-early-humans-in-europe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climatic cooling</a> during the Younger Dryas,” explains Dr. Isabell Schmidt from the University of Cologne’s Department of Prehistoric Archaeology. 



“Humans during the Final Palaeolithic apparently responded by migrating to more favourable areas.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mapping-the-past-with-modern-tools">Mapping the past with modern tools</h2>



To track these demographic shifts, the researchers compiled a comprehensive database of archaeological sites from the Final Palaeolithic. 



They then applied a geostatistical method known as the Cologne Protocol to estimate how many people lived in each area and how densely populated those regions were. 



This standardized method helps archaeologists compare population data across time and space more reliably.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/europe_population-shift_last-ice-age_Map_PLOS-ONE_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/europe_population-shift_last-ice-age_Map_PLOS-ONE_1s.webp" alt="Green dots: GI-1d-a; blue dots: GS-1. Filled circles: dataset B (chronologically subdivided sites); filled and open circles: dataset A (all sites; see text and Fig 1). Base map made with Natural Earth. Credit: PLoS One" class="wp-image-1964446"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Green dots: GI-1d-a; blue dots: GS-1. Filled circles: dataset B (chronologically subdivided sites); filled and open circles: dataset A (all sites; see text and Fig 1). Base map made with Natural Earth. Click to enlarge. Credit: PLoS One</figcaption></figure>



The study highlights how early humans didn’t just endure climate change - they responded to it.



By moving into new territories or concentrating in more stable regions, they adapted their way of life to changing temperatures and environmental stress. 



This pattern of climate-driven migration adds a new layer of understanding to our species’ long history of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-disruption-threatens-humanitys-survival/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">survival</a> and adaptation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-europe-has-seen-climate-linked-population-drops-before">Europe has seen climate-linked population drops before</h2>



This isn’t the first time Europe saw a large population decline during prehistory. 



The researchers point out that a similar drop happened during the late Gravettian period, roughly between 29,000 and 25,000 years ago, when colder temperatures wiped out regional groups and reduced populations in western and central Europe by up to two-thirds.



Still, there’s much left to learn. Early demographic changes remain difficult to trace with precision, but this study adds new evidence to a growing pool of research. 



By looking closely at how ancient humans handled the ups and downs of the Ice Age, this research brings us one step closer to understanding the deep history of human resilience - and how that resilience may still guide us in facing today’s environmental changes.



The work was part of the long-running&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sfb806.uni-koeln.de/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Collaborative Research Centre 806 - Our Way to Europe</a>, based at the&nbsp;University of Cologne&nbsp;and funded by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dfg.de/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">German Research Foundation</a>&nbsp;between 2009 and 2021.



It is now being continued under the <a href="https://hescor.uni-koeln.de/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">HESCOR project</a> (Human and Earth System Coupling Research), supported by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0310942" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS One</a>.



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Ice Age climate shifts changed early human migration  patterns

More than 12,000 years ago, Europe's prehistoric hunter-gatherers faced extreme...

Most people have heard that cannabis can boost mood, but not everyone realizes that it can also bring on nervous feelings and anxiety in certain situations. 



<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/add.14842" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Interest in balancing</a> these effects is soaring, with many folks wondering if specific parts of the cannabis plant might soften the jangled moods tied to its psychoactive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tapping-into-the-pain-relief-potential-of-cannabis-without-the-high/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">component</a>.



This newly published work comes from <a href="https://profiles.hopkinsmedicine.org/provider/ryan-g-vandrey/2777317" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ryan Vandrey, PhD,</a> professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.



He and his team uncovered fascinating details about an essential oil that appears to dampen the jittery edge often sparked by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/medicinal-cannabis-helped-patients-feel-better-for-a-full-year/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">THC</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-thc-can-relax-or-cause-anxiety">THC can relax or cause anxiety</h2>



<a href="https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2020-nsduh-annual-national-report" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Experts</a> say more people in the United States are giving <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/young-cannabis-users-face-higher-heart-attack-risk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cannabis</a> a try these days. Some do it for medical reasons, while others do it for casual relaxation.



<a href="https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/psychoactive-substance" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Psychoactive compounds</a> affect mood and perception. THC, the main psychoactive part of cannabis, can prompt both calm and stress. 



Determining how it influences our minds is central to figuring out ways to reduce the negative side of the experience.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reduced-cannabis-linked-mood-anxiety">Reduced cannabis-linked mood anxiety</h2>



The research spotlight is on d-limonene, a terpene in citrus fruits. A terpene is a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38932560/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">naturally occurring oil</a> that can influence taste and scent in plants.



Preclinical results have hinted that d-limonene might help with <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9774566/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">anxious</a> moods. Many have wondered if it could work in combination with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cbd-reduces-the-unwanted-side-effects-of-thc/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">THC</a> to curb the uncomfortable restlessness some people feel.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-d-limonene-the-basics">Understanding d-limonene - the basics</h2>



D-limonene is a natural compound that gives <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/citrus-fruits-where-did-they-come-from-and-how-would-we-live-without-them/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">citrus fruits</a> their fresh, zesty smell. Basically, it's what makes oranges smell like oranges. 



It’s found in the peels of lemons, limes, oranges, and other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fruits-and-plants-are-powerful-allies-for-disease-prevention/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">citrus fruits</a>, and companies often extract it to use in cleaning products, air fresheners, and even food flavorings. 



It’s oily, smells amazing, and happens to be a pretty effective solvent, which makes it great for cutting through grease and grime.



Some research suggests it might have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and even anti-cancer properties, though scientists are still figuring out the full picture. 



It’s also used in some natural insect repellents and eco-friendly products because it's biodegradable and less harsh than many synthetic chemicals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cannabis-blends-vs-anxiety-changes">Cannabis blends vs. anxiety changes</h2>



Twenty healthy adults, averaging 26 years old, took part in as many as 10 test visits. 



Each participant inhaled various mixtures that included <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cannabis-use-impacts-working-memory-and-brain-function/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">THC</a> alone, d-limonene alone, a combination of both, or a placebo (4).



Researchers measured mood shifts, vital signs, and cognitive changes. They also examined blood and urine to see how THC and d-limonene moved through the body. 



The goal was to see if adding d-limonene could help people stay more at ease.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-d-limonene-eased-cannabis-anxiety">D-limonene eased cannabis anxiety</h2>



The new <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376871624001881" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> found that d-limonene lowered reports of anxious or paranoid feelings with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/high-potency-cannabis-use-linked-to-epigenetic-changes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">THC</a>. That was true when used with higher levels of THC.



Ratings of other THC effects, such as changes in thought patterns and overall relaxation, were not altered when d-limonene was introduced. 



The essential oil by itself produced no changes in mood, heart rate, or mental clarity that stood out from the placebo.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-managing-cannabis-anxiety">Managing cannabis anxiety</h2>



“Our study demonstrates that d-limonene can modulate the effects of THC in a meaningful way and make THC more tolerable to people using it for both therapeutic and non-therapeutic purposes,” said Vandrey. 



His team believes adding d-limonene may widen the comfort range for folks who rely on THC, especially if they are prone to anxiety.



“This study is a first step in uncovering how we can mitigate risks of THC when used in medicine, and also is targeted at making cannabis safer for the general, non-therapeutic consumer,” said <a href="https://profiles.hopkinsmedicine.org/provider/tory-r-spindle/2777649" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tory Spindle, PhD</a>, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/som" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">School of Medicine</a>.



He hopes to test other terpenes that may work in tandem with THC.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-potential-impact-on-medical-treatments">Potential impact on medical treatments</h2>



THC-containing <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9223837/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">medicines</a> already help with certain conditions, such as chronic pain or chemotherapy-induced nausea. 



However, high doses can sometimes be challenging for people who are easily rattled by the psychoactive “high.”



More studies will show if d-limonene can consistently cushion those uneasy feelings. The prospect of an essential oil that smoothly partners with THC could change how some medical users approach dosing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-thc-d-limonene-and-future-health">THC, d-limonene, and future health</h2>



Scientists plan to explore ways to administer THC and d-limonene together in oral forms. They are also eyeing different dose ranges that may yield the strongest relief.



They believe these steps will add clarity to how cannabis components mesh under real-world conditions. Larger, more diverse participant groups may reveal whether d-limonene works similarly for everyone.



There is still much to learn about how cannabis chemicals interact, especially in relation to anxiety. Though d-limonene appears promising, experts say these findings need to be replicated more widely.



People interested in experimenting with a d-limonene combination should talk to a healthcare provider. Personal tolerance matters, and controlled dosing is best done under professional guidance.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376871624001881?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Drug and Alcohol Dependence</a>.



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Common essential oil proven to reduce cannabis-related anxiety and paranoia

Most people have heard that cannabis can boost mood, but...

<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.

<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://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex
</div></figure>







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.

<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://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU
</div></figure>



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.



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter 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://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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"]</div>



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"]</div>



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"]</div>



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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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Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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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 



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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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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