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...

2024 was an exceptionally calm year for shark bites, with only 47 unprovoked attacks recorded around the globe. This number was 22 fewer than the previous year and far below the 10-year average of 70.&nbsp;



Among the shark bites documented, only four resulted in fatalities, marking a clear decrease compared to recent years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-defining-unprovoked-shark-bites-nbsp">Defining unprovoked shark bites&nbsp;</h2>



The <a href="https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark-attacks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">International Shark Attack File</a> (ISAF), compiled by the <a href="https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Florida Museum of Natural History</a>, serves as a repository for data on what it classifies as unprovoked attacks. These are cases in which a person does not initiate contact with a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mediterranean-sharks-face-growing-threats-despite-conservation-efforts/%C3%B9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shark</a>.&nbsp;



Situations in which a person intentionally or unintentionally engages with a shark, such as releasing them from fishing gear or spearfishing, do not appear in these figures.



“We’re interested in the natural patterns of shark behavior so that we can understand why people occasionally get bitten by these animals. Any cue or attribute that modifies an animal’s natural behavior is something that, we as scientists, want to exclude,” said Gavin Naylor, director of the <a href="https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/sharks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Florida Program for Shark Research</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-u-s-leads-in-shark-encounters">U.S. leads in shark encounters</h2>



The United States consistently registers the highest number of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unprovoked-shark-attacks-and-fatalities-increased-in-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">unprovoked attacks</a>, a pattern that held last year with 28 reported incidents. 



One fatality occurred off the northwest coast of Oahu, Hawaii, caused by an unidentified shark species - the sole unprovoked death in U.S. waters.



With its extensive coastline and warm waters, Florida led the states in unprovoked bites, totaling 14. Of these, eight took place in Volusia County, commonly labeled the shark bite capital of the world.&nbsp;



Although unconfirmed, many of these incidents likely involved juvenile blacktip sharks, which breed in the waters along northeast Florida. The juvenile sharks in this habitat have yet to fully distinguish humans from fish, stingrays, or other sharks, resulting in occasional mistaken bites.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shark-attacks-in-the-florida-panhandle">Shark attacks in the Florida Panhandle</h2>



In June, the Florida Panhandle witnessed a cluster of shark attacks spanning a mere four miles. Three individuals were injured, including a woman at Watersound Beach who was bitten by a bull shark. Present among the bystanders were two nurses and a paramedic who helped stabilize her injuries until first responders arrived. 



In a separate incident less than two hours later, a shark bit two teenagers standing in the shallow waters off Seacrest Beach.



Bull sharks and tiger sharks frequent the northern Florida coastline but rarely enter popular swimming zones.



“You’ll see 20 to 30 of them patrolling the coast about 500 feet offshore, where they mind their own business,” Naylor said.



During the attacks, local dune lakes that usually allow <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/satellites-reveal-a-sudden-drop-in-global-freshwater-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">freshwater</a> to flow into the sea were reportedly clogged. This could have let schools of fish, which sharks typically follow, move closer to shore than normal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-holiday-weekend-shark-attacks-nbsp">Holiday weekend shark attacks&nbsp;</h2>



As beaches become busier with both locals and travelers, the risk of encountering sharks goes up. Over the July 4 weekend, six people were bitten by sharks in Texas and Florida. Of those, five were deemed unprovoked.



“The South Padre Island bites were significant, with several incidents on the same day in the same vicinity,” said International Shark Attack File manager Joe Miguez.



Situated near the U.S.–Mexico border, Padre Island is the world’s largest barrier island, attracting considerable tourism. In one incident, a woman was bitten on her calf while swimming in murky conditions near a sandbar, and her husband incurred minor injuries defending her.&nbsp;



Another man was bitten in the same vicinity, and a teenager received a smaller injury when a shark collided with her. Initial conjecture suggested a single shark might be to blame for these attacks, as well as those in the Florida Panhandle. However, experts see limited evidence to support that theory.



“We can’t preclude that it was the same animal, but what’s often overlooked is that the same climatic conditions that bring people into the water are the same conditions that bring sharks closer to shore,” Naylor said, implying that multiple sharks might be present under such conditions.



“This naturally increases the likelihood of human-shark encounters,” Miguez said. “In the case of the Padre Island incidents, it is much more plausible that multiple sharks were present in the area, responding to the same environmental cues.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surfers-and-other-encounters">Surfers and other encounters</h2>



California experienced three unprovoked bites, including one incident involving a punctured surfboard. Surfers accounted for 33% of all attacks in 2024 on a global scale.



“People surf where there are good waves, and where there are good waves, there’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/water-turbidity-helps-protect-coastal-ecosystems/">turbidity</a>, and where there’s turbidity, there are often bait fish that attract sharks. The turbidity also reduces visibility in the water, making it harder for sharks to see. Some of them make mistakes,” Naylor said.



Three further bites were reported in North and South Carolina, rounding out the U.S. total.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-international-shark-encounters">International shark encounters</h2>



Australia typically has the second-highest count of shark bites and related fatalities. Of the 13 shark species known to bite humans, all inhabit Australian waters.&nbsp;



White sharks and bull sharks remain especially common, although the white shark populations off Australia’s southwest and southeast shores have fallen from their presumed historical levels. While white and bull sharks inflict potentially severe bites, no fatalities were recorded in Australia in 2019, 2022, or 2024 from unprovoked encounters.



Ten other countries each documented one shark bite last year. In the Red Sea, off Egypt, a man lost his life while swimming outside a designated safety area.&nbsp;



Other nations registering one incident include Belize, Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas, the Maldives, Mozambique, French Polynesia, Thailand, and the Turks and Caicos.



An unusual case off Western Sahara represented that region’s first reported shark attack. A German tourist swimming next to a British catamaran was bitten, but it took several hours for a helicopter rescue crew to reach the remote location. She died en route after sustaining severe injuries.



In the Vaitarna River of western India, a medium-sized bull shark bit a man wading through the shallows. Bull sharks can thrive in freshwater settings and have been spotted several hundred miles inland, as pregnant females often travel upriver to avoid predators that might endanger their offspring.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-relative-rarity-of-shark-attacks">Relative rarity of shark attacks</h2>



Even with these accounts, the odds of a shark bite remain extremely slim. The <a href="https://www.who.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">World Health Organization</a> notes that drowning is the third leading cause of accidental death worldwide, while beach hazards like rip tides and strong currents pose a greater threat than sharks.



Ultimately, the 2024 data underscores a reassuring trend: fewer attacks, fewer fatalities, and enhanced insights into shark behavior to help prevent future incidents.



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Unprovoked shark attacks dropped to record low in 2024

2024 was an exceptionally calm year for shark bites, with...

Astronomers may have discovered a star hurtling through the Milky Way with a planet in tow. If confirmed, this could become the fastest-moving exoplanet system ever recorded. 



Moving at nearly twice the speed of our solar system, this phenomenon challenges our understanding of how planets remain bound to their host stars under extreme conditions.



High-speed stars are rare, and even rarer are those dragging a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/january-2025-stargazing-a-parade-of-bright-planets/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">planetary companion</a> along for the ride. 



The system in question is estimated to move at a staggering 1.2 million miles per hour (1.9 million kilometers per hour). This revelation raises new questions about planetary survival and migration in the cosmos.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-high-speed-star-with-an-orbiting-planet">High-speed star with an orbiting planet </h2>



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/six-planet-system-hd110067-discovered-that-moves-in-perfect-mathematical-harmony/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">planet</a> orbiting this star is believed to be a gas giant that is larger than Neptune but smaller than Jupiter. Scientists estimate that it is orbiting relatively close to its central star.



“We think this is a so-called super-Neptune world orbiting a low-mass star at a distance that would lie between the orbits of Venus and Earth if it were in our solar system,” said Sean Terry, a postdoctoral researcher at the <a href="https://umd.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Maryland</a>, College Park and NASA’s <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Goddard Space Flight Center</a>.



However, the star’s weak brightness places the planet well outside the habitable zone. This means it is unlikely to support life as we know it. 



Despite that, its presence could provide valuable insight into how planetary systems behave when subjected to extreme speeds. If confirmed, this would mark the first time a planet has been found orbiting a hypervelocity star.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-detection-using-microlensing">Detection using microlensing</h2>



This extraordinary system was first detected in 2011. Scientists working on the MOA (Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics) project, a collaborative survey based in New Zealand, were searching for distant exoplanets. 



Instead, the team stumbled upon an unusual microlensing event that hinted at a pair of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-super-earth-hd-20794-found-just-20-light-years-away-is-best-target-yet-for-alien-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">celestial objects</a>.



Microlensing is a phenomenon where gravity bends and magnifies the light from a background star. When an object passes in front of a more distant star, its gravitational pull can act as a natural lens, briefly amplifying the star’s brightness. 



By studying these fluctuations in light, astronomers can infer the presence of unseen objects. In this case, the microlensing event suggested two objects, one significantly more massive than the other. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-objects-with-unknown-masses">Objects with unknown masses</h2>



The scientists calculated their relative masses, but could not determine the exact sizes of the objects without knowing their distance from Earth.



“Determining the mass ratio is easy. It’s much more difficult to calculate their actual masses," said David Bennett, a senior research scientist at NASA Goddard.



The 2011 data suggested two possibilities. Either the system consisted of a low-mass star with a Neptune-like planet in orbit around it, or it was a rogue planet accompanied by a smaller moon. Determining which scenario was correct required further investigation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-it-a-star-or-a-moon">Is it a star or a moon?</h2>



To solve this mystery, astronomers turned to data from the <a href="https://keckobservatory.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Keck Observatory</a> in Hawaii and the European Space Agency’s <a href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Gaia" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gaia satellite</a>. If the objects were a rogue planet and moon, they would be extremely difficult to detect. But if a small star were present, its light could be identified.



The search led to a promising candidate located about 24,000 light-years away. This placed it within the Milky Way’s galactic bulge, the densely packed central region of the galaxy. By comparing the star’s position in 2011 and 2021, the researchers determined it was moving at incredible speeds.



However, the team needed to confirm whether this star was indeed part of the system detected in 2011. Its measured speed already suggested it was among the fastest-moving stars known, but its full velocity remained uncertain.



“To be certain the newly identified star is part of the system that caused the 2011 signal, we’d like to look again in another year and see if it moves the right amount and in the right direction to confirm it came from the point where we detected the signal,” Bennett explained.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-planet-star-system-may-escape-the-galaxy">Planet-star system may escape the galaxy</h2>



If this system includes a hypervelocity star, it could eventually escape the Milky Way. Its true velocity might exceed 1.3 million miles per hour (2 million kilometers per hour), which is faster than the galaxy’s escape velocity. 



If this is the case, the planet and star will drift into intergalactic space over millions of years, joining the ranks of stars that have already been lost to the void.



Scientists are eager to verify this possibility. Observations over the next few years will determine if the identified star is indeed linked to the 2011 microlensing event.



“If high-resolution observations show that the star just stays in the same position, then we can tell for sure that it is not part of the system that caused the signal. That would mean the rogue <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nasa-finds-a-planet-k2-22b-disintegrating-at-a-speed-never-seen-before/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">planet</a> and exomoon model is favored," said Aparna Bhattacharya, a research scientist at NASA Goddard.



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



Upcoming missions will help astronomers find more of these high-speed planetary systems. NASA’s Nancy Grace <a href="https://roman.gsfc.nasa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Roman Space Telescope</a>, set to launch in the near future, will play a crucial role. 



Its advanced capabilities will allow scientists to study the galactic bulge in unprecedented detail, and help them understand how planets form around stars that are moving at extreme speeds.



“In this case we used MOA for its broad field of view and then followed up with Keck and Gaia for their sharper resolution, but thanks to Roman’s powerful view and planned survey strategy, we won’t need to rely on additional telescopes,” said Terry. “Roman will do it all.”



With technology advancing, astronomers are closer than ever to unraveling the mysteries of fast-moving stars and their planets. Whether this system turns out to be a star with a planet or a rogue planet with a moon, it will deepen our knowledge of how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/star-behavior-can-distort-our-view-of-distant-planets/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">celestial bodies</a> travel across the vast reaches of space.



The study is published in <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-3881/ad9b0f" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Astronomical Journal</a>. 



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Runaway star may be dragging a planet along with it

Astronomers may have discovered a star hurtling through the Milky...

The natural world is in constant flux, but few changes have been as rapid or as far-reaching as those brought by climate change. Rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, and extreme weather events are transforming ecosystems worldwide. 



Plants, unlike animals, cannot move to escape these changes. Instead, they must adapt where they stand, developing new ways to cope with heat, drought, and unpredictable seasons.



This challenge is particularly urgent for crops, which provide food for billions of people. Agricultural systems depend on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saving-earths-most-endangered-plants-from-extinction-proving-difficult-botanic-gardens/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plants</a> that can withstand extreme conditions while maintaining high yields. 



Some species, like Arabidopsis thaliana, already show remarkable adaptability, thriving in vastly different environments such as Sweden and Italy.



By understanding how plants naturally adjust to different climates, scientists can develop stronger, more resilient crops that will sustain future generations in an increasingly unpredictable world.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plants-and-climate-adaptation">Plants and climate adaptation</h2>



Every plant species has a unique way of responding to environmental stress. Some grow deeper roots to access water, while others alter their reproductive cycles to match changing seasons. 



These adaptations do not happen randomly; they are rooted in genetic changes that help <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-understanding-of-light-detection-in-plants-may-revolutionize-farming/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plants</a> survive in specific conditions. However, scientists are still working to uncover the exact genetic mechanisms that drive these changes.



A recent study provides new insight into this process. By combining population genetics with global climate data, researchers have identified key genetic variants that help plants adapt to different climates. 



The study focuses on Marchantia polymorpha, a liverwort that grows in diverse environments across Europe, America, and Japan.



The research was conducted by scientists from the Gregor Mendel Institute (<a href="https://www.oeaw.ac.at/gmi/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GMI</a>) of Molecular Plant Biology, the Umeå Plant Science Centre (<a href="https://www.upsc.se" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UPSC</a>), and <a href="https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hiroshima University</a>. The findings reveal important details about how plants evolve in response to climate stress.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plant-genes-for-climate-survival">Plant genes for climate survival</h2>



Scientists have long known that certain genetic traits provide advantages in specific environments. Plants in arid regions tend to develop water-retaining structures, while those in colder climates often produce antifreeze proteins to prevent cell damage. However, pinpointing which genetic variants control these traits remains a major challenge.



To address this, the researchers collected genetic samples from different populations of Marchantia polymorpha across Europe, America, and Japan. 



By integrating this genetic data with a worldwide climate dataset, they analyzed how each subpopulation’s genetic profile corresponded to its local climate.



“Comparing populations in Europe and Japan, we found genetic variants associated with warmer and colder summer temperatures, as well as with the amount of summer precipitation,” noted study co-author Liam Dolan. “These adaptations could be crucial for optimizing reproduction in different conditions.”



The analysis not only highlighted specific genetic changes linked to temperature and precipitation but also revealed broader patterns in how plants <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-defy-climate-change-through-acclimation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">adjust to their surroundings</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-regional-differences-in-genetic-adaptation">Regional differences in genetic adaptation</h2>



One of the most striking findings of the study was the difference in genetic diversity among Marchantia polymorpha populations from different regions.



In Europe, populations exhibited high genetic variability among individuals but remained genetically similar across different locations. This suggests that plants in these regions have maintained a wide range of genetic tools to handle diverse <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predicting-how-climate-change-will-alter-plant-growth-cycles/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">environmental conditions</a>.



In contrast, Japanese populations showed a much more uniform genetic structure. Since these populations are geographically isolated, they may have evolved under more consistent environmental pressures, leading to less genetic diversity. These differences suggest that climate adaptation may shape reproductive strategies in unique ways.



Marchantia polymorpha, like many bryophytes, can reproduce both sexually and asexually. This flexibility gives it an advantage in changing environments. While sexually reproducing individuals can generate genetic diversity, asexual reproduction allows plants to rapidly colonize suitable habitats.



Understanding how these strategies vary between populations helps scientists piece together the bigger picture of plant adaptation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plant-gene-database-helps-climate-research">Plant gene database helps climate research</h2>



One of the most important outcomes of the study is the creation of a population genomics database for Marchantia polymorpha.



This resource allows scientists to examine genetic variability in greater detail, providing a foundation for future research. It is the first database of its kind for this species and could serve as a model for studying other plants.



“We’re eager to expand this database with samples from around the globe, enhancing the robustness of future research,” said Dolan. "Our platform opens up exciting possibilities for addressing a wide range of biological questions related to plant growth and development.”



By incorporating more samples from different climates, researchers can refine their understanding of how genetic diversity contributes to plant survival. This information may help scientists identify genes that improve drought tolerance, disease resistance, or temperature adaptability in crops.



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



Climate change presents one of the greatest challenges to modern agriculture. Rising temperatures and unpredictable weather patterns threaten global food production, making it more important than ever to develop resilient crops. 



Studies like this one offer a glimpse into how plants naturally cope with environmental stress. By identifying the genetic factors that support adaptation, scientists can apply these insights to crop breeding programs.



Developing climate-resilient crops is not just about improving yield; it is about ensuring that food production remains stable in a changing world. Breeding programs can use the knowledge gained from this research to select for traits that enhance survival under extreme conditions. 



If certain genetic variants help Marchantia polymorpha withstand heat or drought, similar traits could be introduced into staple crops like wheat, rice, and maize.



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



This study is an important step in understanding <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/smarter-climate-models-how-plants-influence-the-water-cycle/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plant</a> adaptation at the genetic level, but it is only the beginning. Expanding the genetic database and conducting further research on different plant species will provide a clearer picture of how plants evolve in response to climate change.



As scientists continue to explore plant genetics, they may uncover even more ways in which plants naturally adjust to their environments. The knowledge gained from these studies could revolutionize agriculture, conservation, and climate resilience strategies.



For now, Marchantia polymorpha serves as a valuable model for studying genetic adaptation. Its ability to thrive in diverse climates offers a powerful example of nature’s capacity for change.



By decoding its genetic secrets, scientists move one step closer to ensuring a stable and sustainable future for plant life on Earth.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)00008-9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a>.



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How plants adapt to survive a changing climate

The natural world is in constant flux, but few changes...

Human activity has profound consequences, including the rising concentration of heavy metals in the environment - a threat that is often overlooked. Few realize that elements like arsenic, lead, and mercury are becoming more prevalent due to human actions.



The seemingly insignificant activities of our everyday lives - like using fertilizers, mining, and even driving our vehicles - contribute to the growing problem of heavy metal pollution.



The issue is amplified by the persistence of these metals in our environment. They can bioaccumulate and cause harm even in small amounts, posing a danger to both humans and wildlife.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-heavy-metal-pollution-in-yangshan-port">Heavy metal pollution in Yangshan Port</h2>



A recent study was focused on China's Yangshan Port. Researchers from <a href="http://zjou.admissions.cn/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Zhejiang Ocean University</a> looked at the concentration of seven heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/151-million-americans-have-mental-health-disorders-linked-to-leaded-gasoline/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lead</a>, mercury, and zinc) in seawater, sediment samples, and five species of fish and crustaceans thriving on or near the seafloor.



Heavy metals were found to accumulate more in the sediment than in the water column. This, unfortunately, correlated with a higher degree of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-strengthen-the-toxicity-of-pollutants/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">toxicity</a> in benthic organisms dwelling close to the seafloor, as they interact more with bottom sediments compared to fish dwelling in the upper water layers.



The situation is further complicated by differences in metabolisms and detoxification mechanisms among marine species living at varying depths.



For instance, fish living at different depths of the water column adapt to different dissolved oxygen levels, which could influence their ability to handle these heavy metals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-biggest-sources-of-heavy-metals">Biggest sources of heavy metals</h2>



The researchers have no doubt that human factors are the primary cause of this growing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heavy-metal-pollution-increases-antibiotic-resistance-in-rivers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pollution</a>, especially in the port area close to the Yangtze River estuary.



"With the acceleration of urbanization and the development rapidly industry in coastal areas, heavy metals circulated continuously in the marine environment through river runoff and atmospheric deposition," wrote the study authors. 



The experts identified the biggest sources of heavy metal contamination, such as household and industrial wastewater.



"Heavy metals entering marine environment were affected by a variety of factors, including domestic sewage, garbage discharge, automobile exhaust and agricultural and fishery wastewater, fertilizer residues, metal mining and smelting, industrial wastewater, etc., as well as antifouling coatings and fuel leaks from ships."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-health-risks-of-heavy-metals">Health risks of heavy metals </h2>



"Excessive heavy metal contamination not only impacted the marine environment negatively, but also presented a threat to marine organisms and human health," said the researchers.



They noted that arsenic and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mercury-pollution-is-making-its-way-to-the-deepest-parts-of-the-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mercury</a> pose the greatest threat to the area's marine environment, with arsenic being the highest risk to human health through trace metal poisoning. 



The repercussions could be severe, affecting various body systems and increasing the risk of cancer. The threat is even greater for children due to their developing metabolism, immune systems, and rapid cell growth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wake-up-call-for-communities">Wake-up call for communities </h2>



Due to the bioaccumulation of heavy metal toxicity in marine organisms, this silent menace moves quietly up the food chain. To limit exposure, the local population may need to reduce their seafood consumption.



The study highlights the increasing need to understand heavy metal toxicity in oceans, its impact on marine ecosystems, and its effects on human health.



The research serves as a wake-up call to communities and policymakers around the world to enforce protective measures to reduce the risks associated with heavy metal pollution.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-addressing-toxic-metal-contamination">Addressing toxic metal contamination</h2>



With Yangshan and other ports in different parts of the world undergoing expansion projects, the need to address the issue grows even more urgent.



Regulatory bodies must implement stricter monitoring of industrial discharges, agricultural runoff, and shipping activities to limit the influx of toxic metals into the ocean. 



Additionally, sustainable fishing practices and improved wastewater treatment technologies can help mitigate the long-term effects of contamination.



Public awareness also plays a crucial role. Educating local communities about the risks of heavy metal exposure through seafood consumption can encourage safer dietary choices.



Consumers, policymakers, and industries must collaborate to develop sustainable solutions that protect marine ecosystems while ensuring the safety of global seafood supplies.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1512115/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Marine Science</a>.



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Heavy metal pollution threatens marine life and human health

Human activity has profound consequences, including the rising concentration of...

Coral reefs, often called the rainforests of the sea, are among the most diverse and essential ecosystems on Earth. These underwater structures provide shelter, food, and breeding grounds for countless marine species. However, microplastics have become a growing threat, infiltrating these habitats and harming marine life. 



Coral <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-artificial-light-can-boost-coral-reef-recovery/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reefs</a> help maintain ocean health by filtering water, generating oxygen, and protecting coastlines from storm damage, but microplastics disrupt these crucial functions. Understanding how microplastics interact with coral reefs is a key step in protecting these vital habitats.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-corals-trap-microplastics">How corals trap microplastics</h2>



A research team from the <a href="https://uwaterloo.ca" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Waterloo</a> has made a significant discovery regarding microplastic accumulation in coral reefs. They found that mucus secreted by coral naturally attracts and traps microplastics. This insight could help scientists develop strategies to protect coral reefs from plastic contamination.



The study, conducted by researchers from the Faculty of Engineering, applied advanced nanotechnology to examine how microplastics interact with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-reefs-may-not-adapt-quickly-enough-to-survive-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">coral surfaces</a>. Their findings reveal that the sticky mucus surrounding corals plays a major role in capturing and holding microplastics in place.



“This discovery is critical because it helps us understand how microplastics attach to coral ecosystems, which is vital for developing effective removal strategies,” said Dr. Boxin Zhao, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and a member of the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology.



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



Coral reefs support nearly a quarter of all marine species. They serve as nurseries for fish populations, sustain coastal communities, and contribute to global biodiversity. 



Many economies rely on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-reefs-may-be-more-resilient-than-we-thought/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reefs</a> for tourism and fishing, making their protection essential for both environmental and economic reasons.



In addition to sustaining marine life, coral reefs help regulate ocean chemistry. They remove carbon dioxide from the water, reducing ocean acidification and supporting broader climate stability. Their role in protecting shorelines is equally vital, as they act as natural barriers against waves, storms, and erosion.



With so many benefits linked to healthy coral reefs, the rise of microplastic pollution adds another layer of urgency to conservation efforts. Understanding how plastics accumulate in these ecosystems is an important step toward mitigating damage and ensuring long-term survival.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coral-mucus-and-microplastics">Coral mucus and microplastics </h2>



The University of Waterloo researchers approached this issue from a materials science perspective. They used nanotechnology to analyze the interaction between coral mucus and microplastics at a microscopic level.



In a controlled laboratory setting, they recreated the environmental conditions of a real coral reef. They then conducted mechanical adhesion tests on both living corals and synthetic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/light-pollution-is-transforming-nightlife-on-coral-reefs/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reef structures</a>. 



The goal was to measure contact forces and determine what causes microplastics to stick to coral surfaces. The results confirmed that mucus secreted by coral plays a central role in capturing these tiny pollutants.



By identifying this key factor, scientists now have a clearer picture of how microplastics become embedded in coral ecosystems. This knowledge paves the way for developing practical solutions to remove these pollutants without causing further harm.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-removing-microplastics-from-coral-reefs">Removing microplastics from coral reefs</h2>



With this newfound understanding, researchers are now shifting their focus toward developing innovative cleanup methods. Any effective solution must not only remove microplastics from reefs but also prevent them from drifting back into the ocean.



One promising idea involves designing artificial coral structures that could act as plastic traps. These structures would collect pollutants before they reach natural reefs, reducing the burden on existing ecosystems.



"By understanding the forces involved in microplastic adhesion, we can design solutions that not only prevent further harm, but also mitigate further microplastic pollution in coral reefs," said Dr. Sushanta Mitra, executive director of the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coral-biology-and-environmental-pollution">Coral biology and environmental pollution</h2>



The research team’s findings mark an important step in tackling microplastic pollution in coral <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/protecting-coral-reefs-is-a-matter-of-humans-rights/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reefs</a>. 



Their work highlights the complex relationship between coral biology and environmental pollution. While more research is needed, this discovery offers hope for creating targeted solutions that reduce microplastic buildup in marine environments.



The next challenge lies in translating these insights into large-scale applications. Conservationists, scientists, and policymakers must work together to develop strategies that not only remove existing pollutants but also prevent new plastic waste from entering the ocean. 



Addressing plastic pollution at its source - by improving waste management systems and reducing single-use plastics - remains critical to long-term success.



The study, which included Dr. A. Reum Kim, a postdoctoral fellow at Waterloo, was recently published in <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsestwater.4c00650?goto=supporting-info" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACS ES&amp;T Water</a>.



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Scientists discover how microplastics accumulate in coral reefs

Coral reefs, often called the rainforests of the sea, are...

Tourists flock to nature reserves and national parks to witness the beauty of wildlife up close. Many hope to see lions basking in the sun, zebras grazing, or elephants gathering at waterholes. But while tourists observe animals, new research suggests that animals may also be reacting to human presence in ways that are not immediately obvious.



A study from the University of Georgia explores how African mammals, including lions and zebras, alter their daily routines when humans are nearby. This change does not affect only one <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-tool-superanimal-can-accurately-analyze-animal-behavior/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">species</a> - it ripples through the entire ecosystem. Carnivores react to human activity, and herbivores, in turn, adjust to changes in predator behavior.



Tourism continues to grow worldwide, increasing the frequency of human-animal interactions. While studying wildlife, researchers spend days (or even weeks) tracking populations, further increasing human presence.



Understanding how this affects animal behavior is critical for conservation efforts and the long-term survival of species in the wild.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-animal-behavior">Tracking animal behavior</h2>



The study focused on waterholes, essential gathering points for many species, especially during dry seasons. The research team placed camera traps near these waterholes, capturing images whenever an animal passed by.



This method allowed scientists to track animal activity at different times and compare <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stress-is-contagious-and-this-applies-to-animals-too/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">behavior</a> during three specific periods - before tourists arrived, while they were present, and after they left. The study ran for two years, providing valuable insight into how human presence shapes the rhythms of the animal kingdom.



Study lead author Jessy Patterson is a doctoral candidate in <a href="https://warnell.uga.edu/beasleylab" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jim Beasley’s lab</a> at the UGA Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and Savannah River Ecology Laboratory.



“When humans are present, some animals shift their daily activity patterns,” said Patterson. "We think that the carnivores changed because of the human presence, and the herbivores changed because of the carnivore presence. It was not just one species that altered their behavior.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-animals-change-their-schedules-around-tourists">Animals change their schedules around tourists</h2>



The research revealed a surprising shift in how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-animal-will-replace-humans-as-earths-dominant-species-this-scientist-has-an-idea/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">animals</a> use waterholes. When no humans were around, each species followed a predictable pattern, coming to drink at specific times. However, when humans were present, these patterns changed.



Some animals started visiting waterholes earlier than usual, while others delayed their visits. This shift meant that species that would typically avoid each other began sharing the same space. For herbivores, this could be dangerous, as it increased the likelihood of running into predators at unexpected times.



Tourism is a major source of income for many conservation areas, bringing funding for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/virtual-reality-uncovers-how-animals-see-the-world/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wildlife</a> protection and economic opportunities for local communities. However, as this study suggests, human activity has effects beyond what is immediately visible. 



Understanding these impacts is crucial for balancing tourism with the needs of the animals that call these habitats home.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nocturnal-carnivores-became-active-in-the-day">Nocturnal carnivores became active in the day</h2>



The study took place at the <a href="https://orc.eco" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ongava Research Centre</a> in Namibia, a private nature reserve that borders a national park with a high level of tourist activity.



In this region, water is scarce during the dry season, making man-made waterholes vital for both predators and prey. Because these locations consistently attract animals and tourists, they provided an ideal setting for researchers to observe behavior changes.



Over the two-year study, camera traps recorded activity patterns of four major carnivore species: the spotted hyena, black-backed jackal, brown hyena, and African lion. 



Normally, these predators hunt and drink water at night, avoiding human activity during daylight hours. However, the researchers found that they started coming to the waterholes more frequently during the day.



“We assumed that carnivores were accustomed to more human activity during the day, but not at night,” said Patterson. “Having humans at the waterholes at night, when they typically aren’t there, maybe threw the animals off a bit and made them nervous.”



This shift in behavior could have serious consequences for the balance between predators and prey.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-prey-species-faced-greater-risks">Prey species faced greater risks</h2>



Herbivores also responded to these changes by shifting their own schedules. Some species, including the duiker, springbok, mountain zebra, and plains zebra, altered their routines to avoid the carnivores that had started visiting waterholes during the day.



Instead of drinking water during their usual daylight hours, they began arriving at night. This change might have helped some herbivores stay safer, but it also introduced new risks. 



Not all species adjusted their behavior, meaning some <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-and-possibly-even-insects-have-emotions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">animals</a> still visited waterholes during the day, now facing predators that normally would not be there.



“There are many other herbivore species that are still active during the day and overlap with those carnivores now,” said Patterson. “That can change the dynamics of the ecosystem, and some animals could get preyed upon during times of the day when they usually feel safer.”



For some herbivores, this shift could mean an increased risk of predation at times they would typically consider safe. Over time, these changes might impact population dynamics and disrupt the delicate balance of predator-prey relationships.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tourist-presence-and-animal-conservation">Tourist presence and animal conservation</h2>



Beyond shifting schedules, the presence of humans may also increase stress levels for certain animals. 



While some species appear to adapt, others may experience anxiety or alter their natural behaviors in ways that are not immediately apparent. Increased stress can affect feeding, mating, and overall health.



However, despite these concerns, wildlife tourism remains a powerful tool for conservation. It raises awareness about endangered species, provides financial support for protected areas, and offers economic benefits to communities that rely on eco-tourism.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-striking-a-balance-for-animals-and-tourists">Striking a balance for animals and tourists</h2>



Tourism provides crucial funding for conservation efforts, but it also introduces challenges. The more humans interact with wild <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animal-tracking-is-crucial-for-preserving-biodiversity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">animals</a>, the greater the potential for unintended consequences. Finding ways to reduce these impacts while still supporting conservation efforts is essential.



“But it also takes a very pristine environment and brings people into it,” said Patterson. “I certainly appreciate wildlife-based tourism, and I support it. We just need to fully understand how we’re impacting the animals and come up with strategies to minimize that.”



The study received support from the University of Georgia, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the Ongava Research Centre. It was co-authored by N. Ndlovu, J.C. Beasley, and S. Périquet.



As tourism continues to grow, researchers and conservationists must consider how tourists presence affects animal behavior. By understanding these interactions, strategies can be developed to ensure that both animals and eco-tourism can thrive in harmony.



The study is published in the <a href="https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jzo.13245" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Zoology</a>. 



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Animals change their daily schedules when tourists are watching

Tourists flock to nature reserves and national parks to witness...

The universe is full of mysteries, many of which remain unseen until technology advances enough to reveal them. Scientists have long sought deeper insights into dark matter, dark energy, and the fundamental forces shaping the cosmos. 



The European Space Agency’s Euclid telescope was designed to explore these mysteries, offering a new perspective on the structure of the universe, including rare phenomena like the Einstein ring.



Euclid launched on July 1, 2023, beginning a six-year mission to map billions of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/galaxies-are-much-bigger-than-we-originally-believed-gas-clouds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxies</a> and reveal the invisible forces shaping their movements. Before the spacecraft could start its full survey, scientists needed to test its instruments and verify that everything functioned correctly.



During this testing phase in September 2023, Euclid sent back a series of preliminary images. These images were meant to confirm the telescope’s alignment and functionality.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-surprise-in-blurry-images">A surprise in blurry images</h2>



Bruno Altieri, a <a href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Euclid/(archive)/0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Euclid</a> Archive Scientist, was among those analyzing the incoming data. Even in the out-of-focus images, he noticed something unusual. A subtle but striking pattern caught his attention, prompting him to investigate further.



“I look at the data from Euclid as it comes in,” noted Altieri. “Even from that first observation, I could see it, but after Euclid made more observations of the area, we could see a perfect Einstein ring. For me, with a lifelong interest in gravitational lensing, that was amazing.”



This unexpected discovery was hiding in a familiar galaxy, NGC 6505, located about 590 million light-years from Earth. In cosmic terms, this is remarkably close. 



Despite its proximity and the fact that astronomers have studied this galaxy for over a century, the phenomenon within it had remained unnoticed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-science-behind-the-einstein-ring">Science behind the Einstein ring</h2>



At the heart of this discovery is the phenomenon of gravitational lensing. 



Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity predicts that massive objects bend light as it travels through space. This effect, known as gravitational lensing, allows galaxies and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bullseye-galaxy-reveals-stunning-rings-after-galactic-impact/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">clusters of galaxies</a> to act as giant cosmic magnifiers.



The Einstein ring around NGC 6505 is created by light from a much more distant galaxy located 4.42 billion light-years away. As the light from this background galaxy passes near NGC 6505, the gravity of the foreground galaxy bends and distorts it. 



When the alignment is perfect, the light forms a striking circle around the foreground object, creating what astronomers call an Einstein ring.



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



Strong gravitational lenses like this are rare. They provide crucial opportunities for astronomers to study the properties of dark matter and measure the expansion of the universe.



“An Einstein ring is an example of strong gravitational lensing,” explained Conor O’Riordan from the <a href="https://www.mpa-garching.mpg.de" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics</a>.



“All strong lenses are special, because they're so rare, and they're incredibly useful scientifically. This one is particularly special, because it’s so close to Earth and the alignment makes it very beautiful.”



This Einstein ring is unique not only because of its proximity but also because of its perfect shape. The alignment between the foreground and background <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/two-enormous-fermi-bubbles-discovered-towering-above-and-below-our-milky-way-galaxy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxies</a> is nearly exact, making the ring exceptionally clear.



Such clarity allows scientists to study the properties of both galaxies in greater detail than ever before.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-einstein-ring-features-revealed-by-euclid">Einstein ring features revealed by Euclid</h2>



One of the most astonishing aspects of this discovery is that it was made within a well-known galaxy. NGC 6505 was first documented in 1884, yet this remarkable feature within it had remained unnoticed until Euclid’s high-resolution instruments captured it.



“I find it very intriguing that this ring was observed within a well-known <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/spiral-galaxy-with-quasar-jet-surprises-astronomers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxy</a>, which was first discovered in 1884,” said Valeria Pettorino, ESA Euclid Project Scientist.



“The galaxy has been known to astronomers for a very long time. And yet this ring was never observed before. This demonstrates how powerful Euclid is, finding new things even in places we thought we knew well." 



"This discovery is very encouraging for the future of the Euclid mission and demonstrates its fantastic capabilities.”



If such a spectacular structure was waiting to be found in a well-documented galaxy, scientists wonder what other surprises Euclid might uncover as it explores deeper into the universe.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mapping-the-universe-in-3d">Mapping the universe in 3D</h2>



The Euclid telescope is designed to go far beyond individual discoveries like this Einstein ring. 



Its primary mission is to create the most extensive 3D map of the universe ever constructed. Over the next six years, Euclid will survey more than a third of the sky, analyzing billions of galaxies and tracing their distribution across cosmic time.



One of the most exciting aspects of Euclid’s mission is its ability to find strong gravitational lenses. Scientists estimate that the telescope will discover around 100,000 of these lenses, providing an enormous dataset for studying dark matter and dark energy. 



Until now, fewer than 1,000 strong lenses had been identified, and even fewer had been imaged with high resolution. The discovery of this Einstein ring so early in the mission signals that Euclid is on track to surpass all expectations.



“Euclid is going to revolutionize the field, with all this data we've never had before,” said O’Riordan.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-analyzing-billions-of-galaxies">Analyzing billions of galaxies</h2>



While the Einstein ring around NGC 6505 is an exciting find, Euclid’s primary goal is even more ambitious. The telescope is designed to study weak gravitational lensing, a subtle effect that slightly stretches and shifts the shapes of background galaxies. 



Unlike strong lensing, which creates dramatic rings, weak lensing is far more difficult to detect. To measure this effect, scientists will analyze the shapes of billions of galaxies and use this data to map the distribution of dark matter <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/evidence-of-massive-early-universe-black-hole-stuns-astronomers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">across the cosmos</a>.



Euclid began its full survey on February 14, 2024, and is steadily building a comprehensive view of the Universe’s structure. With each new observation, it has the potential to reveal hidden patterns and unlock secrets that have remained concealed for billions of years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-mission-filled-with-possibilities">A mission filled with possibilities</h2>



The discovery of this Einstein ring is just the beginning. Euclid’s ability to capture such fine details in a nearby galaxy hints at the extraordinary discoveries that await in the coming years. 



Scientists anticipate that as more data arrives, Euclid will provide unprecedented insights into the nature of dark matter, dark energy, and the forces that shape the universe.



By pushing the boundaries of what we can observe, Euclid is not only deepening our understanding of the cosmos but also proving that even in well-explored regions, there is always something new waiting to be discovered.



Image Credit: European Space Agency



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Stunning 'Einstein ring' warping space-time captured by Euclid

The universe is full of mysteries, many of which remain...

The far side of the moon holds many mysteries, including massive trenches near its south pole that have long puzzled astronomers. 



Recent findings suggest that these formations, comparable in size to the Grand Canyon, likely took shape in just minutes. Scientists believe they were sculpted by the immense forces unleashed by an ancient impact billions of years ago.



David Kring of the Lunar and Planetary Institute of the <a href="https://www.usra.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Universities Space Research Association</a> in Houston played a leading role in investigating this phenomenon. 



Along with fellow researchers, Kring found that the ancient collision hurled massive amounts of rocky debris across the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-recent-mini-moon-2024-pt5-seems-to-be-a-lost-fragment-of-our-real-moon/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lunar surface</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unexpected-formation-speed">Unexpected formation speed</h2>



Computer simulations point to an extraordinary <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-55675-z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">event</a> that occurred about 3.8 billion years ago. 



A 15-mile-wide space rock released energy equivalent to about 130 times the global stockpile of nuclear weapons in under 10 minutes.



The catastrophic force tore two canyons, each stretching around 170 miles in length. One is roughly 2.2 miles deep, while the other descends about 1.7 miles below the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-the-moon-looks-100-million-years-younger-than-its-true-age/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">surface</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-moon-canyons-carved-by-debris">Moon canyons carved by debris </h2>



"Knots of rock within that curtain of debris hit the surface in a series of smaller impact events, effectively carving the canyons," said Kring.



Data from NASA’s <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/lro/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter</a> revealed that boulders sped across the moon at nearly 2,200 miles per hour. 



Straight-line features near the <a href="https://www.lpi.usra.edu/science/schrodinger/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Schrödinger impact basin</a> trace the path of these ejected fragments. This basin rests on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/experts-are-searching-for-viable-sources-of-water-on-the-moon/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">moon</a>’s far side, forming one of the last massive craters in the inner solar system’s era of heavy bombardment.



Our planet has lost most evidence of similar events because of <a href="https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/plate-tectonics/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plate tectonics</a>. Sections of Earth’s crust shift and plunge under each other, recycling ancient terrain and erasing old scars.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-space-rocks-on-a-collision-course">Space rocks on a collision course</h2>



The researchers link the ancient collision to a time when Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune may have shifted their orbits. These changes are thought to have triggered a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature03676" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">surge of asteroids</a> directed toward the inner solar system.



Unusual gravitational interactions are believed to have nudged many space rocks onto collision courses with the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nasas-next-giant-leap-creating-a-time-zone-for-the-moon/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">moon</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lunar-exploration-potential">Lunar exploration potential</h2>



The <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/artemis/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Artemis program</a> aims to send astronauts to the moon’s polar region for the first time since the 1970s. Researchers suspect that remnants of rock tossed outward by the canyon-forming impact may be easier to reach near the polar zone.



Those samples could clarify how the <a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/earths-moon/in-depth" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">moon formed</a> after a huge object struck Earth in the distant past. Many scientists propose that molten material spun off and coalesced as Earth cooled, leaving behind the natural satellite we see today.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-moon-canyons-remain-unchanged">Moon canyons remain unchanged</h2>



Some planetary bodies exhibit dramatic changes over eons, but the moon’s surface remains relatively static. Tectonic activity is minimal there, so relics from ancient collisions stay visible.



Nearby craters have peppered the same region across millions of years, yet the two large chasms stand out. Their linear shape radiates away from the round zone of impact, indicating a unique origin.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-moon-canyons-and-solar-system-history">Moon canyons and solar system history</h2>



Several lines of evidence show that the canyons appeared when chunks of rock slammed back to the ground soon after the main collision. Researchers rely on crater patterns and topographic mapping to verify this sequence.



This chaotic process likely occurred elsewhere in the early solar system. Shattered material from violent impacts shaped many worlds before they settled into their current orbits.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-impact-on-future-missions">Impact on future missions</h2>



Astronauts returning to the lunar environment might stand on ground shaped by that ancient chaos. Experts hope to collect core samples from these deep sites for clues about the first billion years of our cosmic neighborhood.



Those specimens might hold secrets about the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/moon-mining-and-space-debris-will-we-repeat-earths-mistakes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">moon’</a>s igneous history and the tempo of bombardments. Each layer represents a milestone in the moon’s timeline.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-significance-of-the-moon-canyons">Significance of the moon canyons</h2>



Investigating these canyons on the moon could refine our knowledge of lunar geology and the origins of rocky bodies across the solar system. Their existence suggests that cataclysmic impacts were far more common than once assumed.



This discovery shapes our thinking about planetary evolution and highlights the value of studying ancient surfaces. New data could shift perspectives on the moon’s role in Earth’s early development.



In a single cataclysmic moment, a space rock bigger than the dinosaur-killing asteroid transformed a quiet lunar basin. Now, future explorers may look into those gashes for signs of our shared planetary past.



Curiosity about these colossal scars will likely fuel more research and inspire new generations of observers.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-55675-z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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Asteroid impact carved two Grand Canyon-sized valleys on the Moon in under 10 minutes

The far side of the moon holds many mysteries, including...

For centuries, humans have shaped the traits of domesticated animals to meet their needs. From larger cows producing more milk to dogs bred for specific temperaments, selective breeding has transformed species in remarkable ways. Recent research on German pigs has revealed just how quickly these changes can occur.



A team from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (<a href="https://www.uni-halle.de/?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MLU</a>) has found that German domestic pigs have experienced dramatic skull modifications within a century. 



Their snouts have shortened, and their foreheads have flattened, traits that were not intentionally selected. The findings provide fresh insight into the unintended <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/old-and-wise-animals-are-essential-for-the-survival-of-species/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">consequences</a> of breeding practices.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-century-of-change-in-pig-breeding">A century of change in pig breeding</h2>



Pigs have been an essential part of human agriculture for thousands of years. Over time, their appearance has shifted significantly, influenced by both natural and human-driven factors. 



In Germany, the early 20th century marked a turning point in pig breeding, as demand for pork increased dramatically. Farmers prioritized traits such as rapid growth, high fertility, and efficient meat production.



"The demand for pork in Germany increased significantly at the beginning of the 20th century, and breeders were encouraged to optimize their animals. They needed them to grow quickly, provide good meat, and be fertile," explained Dr. Renate Schafberg, Head of the Domestic Animal Collection at MLU.



To understand the impact of these breeding efforts, Dr. Schafberg worked with Dr. Ashleigh Haruda from Oxford University to analyze 135 pig skulls from different time periods.



The study included two domestic breeds - Deutsches Edelschwein and Deutsches Landschwein - as well as wild boars, which served as a control group. The results revealed a striking transformation in domestic pigs, while wild boars showed no comparable changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-skull-modifications">Surprising skull modifications</h2>



One of the most significant findings of the study was the extent of skull changes in domesticated pigs. Their snouts became notably shorter, and their foreheads lost their outward curve. These modifications occurred in both domestic breeds, despite the fact that they were raised separately.



"We didn’t expect such pronounced differences to appear within a span of only 100 years," said Dr. Schafberg. The fact that both breeds experienced similar changes suggests that the modifications were not the result of direct selection for skull shape.



"These changes occurred even though breeders did not select the animals specifically for their skull shape, as this trait was not important for breeding. Instead, the changes appear to be an unintended by-product of selecting the desired traits," noted Dr. Schafberg.



This discovery highlights how the pursuit of specific breeding goals can lead to unforeseen alterations in an <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-animal-will-replace-humans-as-earths-dominant-species-this-scientist-has-an-idea/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">animal</a>’s physical structure.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-could-diet-play-a-role">Could diet play a role?</h2>



While breeding practices played a major role in shaping the skulls of domestic pigs, another factor may have contributed: diet. 



Nutrition is a key influence on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sheep-have-been-intertwined-with-humans-for-over-11000-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">growth and development</a> of animals. Modern pigs are primarily fed high-protein pellets designed to support rapid growth and efficient meat production.



By contrast, wild boars continue to consume a varied diet, including roots, nuts, and small animals. Their skulls have remained unchanged over the past century, suggesting that their natural feeding habits have helped maintain their original features. 



The study raises intriguing questions about the relationship between diet and physical evolution in domesticated animals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-power-of-human-influence">Power of human influence</h2>



The findings demonstrate the remarkable speed at which human intervention can shape animal species. While many assume that significant evolutionary changes take millions of years, selective breeding can accelerate these processes dramatically.



"Charles Darwin assumed that long periods of time - millions of years - are required for major changes to take place. Our work is further proof that humans can greatly accelerate this process through selective breeding," said co-author Dr. Frank Steinheimer, Head of the Central Repository of Natural Science Collections at MLU.



These insights have broader implications for agriculture and animal husbandry. As selective breeding continues to shape domesticated animals, researchers must consider the potential consequences, both intended and unintended. 



The study serves as a reminder that even small changes in breeding practices can have <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birds-are-moving-north-and-breeding-earlier-in-a-changing-climate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lasting effects</a> on animal physiology.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pig-breeding-may-continue-in-the-future">Pig breeding may continue in the future</h2>



As the global demand for meat continues to grow, breeding practices will likely continue to evolve. Understanding how these methods impact animal development is crucial for ensuring sustainable and ethical farming. 



Scientists will need to explore the long-term effects of breeding choices, considering not only productivity but also the health and well-being of animals.



The study was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (<a href="https://www.bmbf.de/EN/Home/home_node.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BMBF</a>) and the European Research Council (<a href="https://erc.europa.eu/homepage" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ERC</a>). 



The research offers a compelling look at the complex relationship between human influence and animal evolution, shedding light on the ways in which farming practices shape the very biology of domesticated <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-wildlife-conservation-day-2024-saving-species-from-extinction/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">species</a>.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.241039" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Royal Society Open Science</a>.



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Selective breeding has dramatically sped up the evolution of pigs

For centuries, humans have shaped the traits of domesticated animals...

Have you ever wondered about the ancient origins of the picturesque Great Lakes in North America? A recent study on ancient hotspots may completely change our understanding of how these lakes formed.



The research delves deep beneath the Earth's surface, uncovering a fascinating history in which a geographic hotspot may have played a key role in shaping the Great Lakes.



If confirmed, this discovery could reshape how we perceive not just these lakes, but the geological history of North America itself.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-the-great-lakes-the-basics">Understanding the Great Lakes - the basics</h2>



The Great Lakes - Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario - form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth. 



These massive bodies of water hold about 84% of North America's fresh surface water, shaping the landscape and climate of the surrounding regions. 



Cities like Chicago, Toronto, and Detroit owe much of their development to these lakes, which act as natural highways and economic lifelines.



Despite their beauty and importance, the Great Lakes face serious environmental challenges. Pollution, invasive species, and climate change threaten their delicate balance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-story-of-the-great-lakes">The story of the Great Lakes </h2>



The research was conducted at the <a href="https://uh.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Houston</a>, where scientists came across an unexpected protagonist in the story of the Great Lakes. 



The Cape Verde hotspot, currently located under the island nation in the Central Atlantic Ocean, is suggested to be the main player in designing the Great Lakes.



"We saw something strange in this area,” said Aibing Li, a&nbsp;UH&nbsp;seismologist and co-author of the study. “Before, people thought the Great Lakes were formed during the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-the-ice-age-can-tell-us-about-future-el-nino-events/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ice age</a>. Our study shows it started from the deep mantle.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-effects-of-an-ancient-hotspot">Effects of an ancient hotspot</h2>



The revelations from the study imply a journey that began hundreds of millions of years ago, long before the supercontinent <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/australia-north-america-supercontinent/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pangaea</a> began to drift apart. 



As North America split from this supercontinent and moved above the Cape Verde hotspot, it traversed the area where the Great Lakes currently reside.



Hotspots are intriguing geophysical phenomena, essentially plumes of hot material rising from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-volcanic-hotspots-are-all-connected-to-earths-interior-mantle/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth's mantle</a>.



When interacting with the Earth's surface, they can manifest as volcanoes. However, the effects of an ancient hotspot once housed in a continent can be harder to detect. 



“When the hotspot was in the continent, it behaved differently from when they were in the ocean,” said Li. “But if the hotspot was in the continent, the lithosphere (the rigid, outermost layer of Earth) is very thick - we don’t see the impact.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-forces-beneath-earth-s-crust">Hidden forces beneath Earth's crust </h2>



The team used a seismic velocity anisotropy model in northeastern America, which encompassed the eastern part of the Great Lakes region. 



They discovered an anomaly beneath the crust - earthquake waves traveling at different speeds horizontally and vertically.



Initially, the researchers did not consider a hotspot to be involved. However, closer examination of plate movements revealed that the Cape Verde hotspot had once been positioned under the modern-day Great Lakes' location, dating back 200 to 300 million years ago.



“My colleague showed me a video of hotspots and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/life-earth-tectonic-plates/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plate movement</a>. We saw the Cape Verde hotspot was right where the Great Lakes were for a pretty long time,” said Li.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rewriting-the-origin-of-lakes">Rewriting the origin of lakes</h2>



This discovery sheds new light on the forces that shaped the Great Lakes and, conceivably, other lakes or land masses around North America.



"This is a new idea, a change of the notion that lakes are formed more recently due to processes near the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/life-on-earth-may-have-first-sparked-in-shallow-soda-lakes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">surface</a>,” noted the researchers.



This new theory also raises interesting questions about the dynamics of hotspot-continent interaction and the possible effects of a hotspot on varied lithosphere types at different depths and surfaces.



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



While this remarkable study challenges long-held assumptions about lake formation, it also paves the way for new questions and research avenues.



Understanding how ancient hotspots interact with thick continental lithospheres could lead to broader insights into Earth’s geological evolution. 



Future studies will likely investigate whether other major lakes and basins, such as those in Africa or Asia, were shaped by similar deep-mantle processes.



Moreover, the study highlights the need for interdisciplinary approaches that combine seismic imaging, plate tectonics, and geochemical analysis to paint a more complete picture of how Earth’s landscapes have evolved over millions of years.



As scientists refine their models and expand their focus to other regions, this research may not only reshape our understanding of the Great Lakes but also redefine the forces that have sculpted our planet’s surface.



The <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024GL110777" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> is&nbsp;published&nbsp;in the journal&nbsp;Geophysical Research Letters.



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How did the Great Lakes form? Scientists think they figured it out

Have you ever wondered about the ancient origins of the...

Screen time has become an unavoidable part of modern childhood, with televisions, tablets, and smartphones capturing the attention of even the youngest minds. 



Each moment of a toddler's day is filled with discovery, growth, and learning, but as digital devices become increasingly woven into daily routines, concerns arise about their potential impact on early development. 



Could too much screen time derail this crucial stage of cognitive and language growth? An international team of researchers set out to answer this question, and their findings suggest that the answer might be yes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-screen-time-and-language-development">Screen time and language development</h2>



The research team included scientists from over 20 nations. Together, they carried out an extensive study to understand how screen time affects toddlers' <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/talking-to-babies-in-parentese-boosts-their-language-development/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">language development</a>.



Spanning from August 2021 until March 2023, the study explored the lives of 1,878 toddlers between the ages of 12 to 48 months across Latin America.



The experts investigated how the children interacted with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/excessive-smartphone-usage-linked-to-health-issues-in-adolescents/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">smartphones</a> and other devices. They also analyzed how screen time impacted the developmental progress of the toddlers.



"Descriptive studies show that children use screens before two years of age for an average of one hour a day or more," wrote the researchers.



"This reported use goes against the recommendations of pediatric societies, which advise against screen use for children under two years and suggests shared use with parents after two years."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sources-of-toddler-screen-time">Sources of toddler screen time</h2>



The analysis revealed that the young children most often engaged with television and smartphones. The study confirmed that toddlers' daily screen exposure often exceeds one hour, with TV and background TV serving as the primary sources. 



The genre of content most consumed was entertainment, closely followed by music and educational programming. 



The experts also found that screen time was not dramatically influenced by socio-economic status (SES) or nationality.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-screen-time-and-delayed-language">Screen time and delayed language</h2>



One might think that this growing engagement with electronic devices is merely a sign of our modern times, but the consequences might be far more severe. 



The study’s results revealed a negative association between screen time and language development. More screen exposure was linked to lower lexical density and delayed language milestone progress.



In simpler terms, the more time that children spend in the virtual world of screens, the more their real-world <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/native-language-is-specially-stored-in-the-brain-for-easy-access/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">language</a> skills seem to suffer.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shared-screen-time-and-books">Shared screen time and books</h2>



On the other hand, not all screen time was found to be detrimental to the toddlers. Shared screen engagement with adults and exposure to books appeared to shift the narrative, positively impacting language skills.



While the TV might be a foe when viewed alone, it seems to transform into an ally when the experience is shared with an adult.



The study’s results are clear: unchecked screen time negatively impacts early language development. However, adult-supervised screen time and exposure to books can serve as shields, protecting and even promoting toddlers' language skills.



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



With the rapidly evolving nature of technology, it's likely that screen use among toddlers will only increase and become more complex.



But the findings of this study offer a glimmer of hope. The research demonstrates that while screen time might be an inevitable part of our modern world, its potential negative impacts are not. 



With more research, we can gain a better understanding of how to maximize the benefits - and mitigate the drawbacks - of toddler screen time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-finding-balance-in-a-digital-world">Finding balance in a digital world</h2>



As technology continues to evolve, the conversation around screen time and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/genes-influence-blood-pressure-from-early-childhood/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">early childhood</a> development grows more urgent. While digital devices are here to stay, their impact depends on how they are used.



This study highlights the importance of mindful engagement. Interactive screen time with adults and regular book reading can help counteract the negative effects of screen time for children.



Future research is needed to explore not just the quantity, but also the quality of screen exposure. With digital learning tools on the rise, understanding their role in language development is crucial.



Instead of eliminating screens, the key lies in balancing digital engagement with real-world interactions to support healthy cognitive growth.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0314569" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS ONE</a>.



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Screen time delays language development in toddlers

Screen time has become an unavoidable part of modern childhood,...

Human DNA holds pieces of ancient viral code that used to be dismissed as junk. At least half of our genetic material consists of these strange segments, often called transposable elements, which were once part of the genetic material of active viruses.



Past generations of researchers had little interest in these remnants. Some thought they did nothing but clutter our genomes. Now, emerging findings suggest that they may play an important part in how embryos form, right after fertilization.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-embryos-activate-viral-dna-nbsp">Embryos activate viral DNA&nbsp;</h2>



Modern studies show that these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-and-imprint-new-era-dna-transformation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">elements</a> become active within the embryo during its earliest moments. This discovery hints that they might be influencing the ability of embryonic cells to become specialized tissue, a characteristic known as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/stem-cell-plasticity" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plasticity</a>.



<a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1089670" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Evidence</a> from mice has prompted deeper investigation, yet no one knew if this pattern held true for other mammals. Scientists wondered whether these viral fragments shared a similar function in every species or whether they simply took on specialized roles in certain groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-viral-dna-s-role-in-embryonic-growth">Viral DNA’s role in embryonic growth</h2>



These questions drew the attention of Professor Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla at Helmholtz Munich and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (<a href="https://www.helmholtz-munich.de/en/">LMU</a>).



Along with colleagues including study co-first author Dr. Marlies Oomen, Professor Torres-Padilla investigated the mysterious nature of ancient viral DNA in early embryos.



Rather than focusing on a single species, they decided to broaden their scope and examine embryos from multiple different mammals. This approach allowed them to pinpoint ancient viral fragments that appear to switch back on just as new life begins.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unexpected-viral-re-expression">Unexpected viral re-expression</h2>



Reports show that viral sequences which were once considered extinct, can reawaken during these initial stages of development.



These viral strands come in many varieties, and each mammal seems to have its own unique set that flares up.



The team relied on a specialized technique that captures changes in single embryos. This method can detect when and how each snippet of viral <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/selfish-dna-transposons-control-early-human-development-not-genes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DNA</a> code gets activated, revealing that this re-expression is more common among mammals than experts previously thought.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-controlling-how-cells-specialize">Controlling how cells specialize</h2>



“This approach offers a novel way to influence cell fate, such as directing stem cell differentiation, which typically requires the simultaneous manipulation of hundreds of genes,” said Dr. Oomen.



Researchers believe that this could shift how we view early life and stem cell therapy.&nbsp;



With these viral segments recognized as potential regulatory switches, experts are excited about developing new tools for adjusting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/beethovens-dna-reveals-unanswered-questions-about-his-death/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gene</a> activity in large numbers of cells at once.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-significance-for-embryonic-research">Significance for embryonic research</h2>



The first days after fertilization set the stage for every tissue in the body. Specialists in reproductive biology constantly seek clues about what shapes embryonic cells.



“Our research uncovered that <a href="https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/transposons-the-jumping-genes-518/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">transposable element</a> activation is a distinctive feature of early embryos in several mammalian species,” noted Professor Torres-Padilla, suggesting that the ancient code might be more than a quirky leftover. 



If these sequences hold sway over the way cells shift from one state to another, it opens fresh angles for exploring diseases and potential treatments.



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



Many conditions stem from glitches during embryonic development. Misfires in the normal cycle of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dna-technology-will-accelerate-the-pace-of-plant-species-discovery/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gene</a> activation can affect how organs form, leading to challenges later.



Scientists imagine that controlling these <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6069605/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">virus</a>-like elements might be key to preventing or limiting certain risks. By pinpointing which sections become active during critical windows, researchers may learn to flip those segments off or on at will.



This could pave the way for advanced interventions, though it is still early in the game.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-of-viral-dna-research">Future of viral DNA research</h2>



As investigators keep gathering data, they see that these pieces of our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dna-analysis-reveals-most-recent-modern-human-to-interbreed-with-neanderthals/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DNA</a> can be both helpful and harmful. Some might spur harmful mutations, while others may carry instructions that nudge cells in the right direction.



The team’s findings mark a step toward understanding what these fragments do in the embryo and beyond. By mapping where and when they resurface, new studies can dig deeper into the role these elements play in health and disease.



This line of work could eventually influence therapy approaches, especially for conditions that hinge on early developmental cues.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(24)01426-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cell</a>.



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Hidden viral DNA may control human embryonic growth

Human DNA holds pieces of ancient viral code that used...

<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.

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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"

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

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