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...

Life on Earth has faced immense challenges in recent years. The pandemic, heatwaves, and natural disasters remind us how fragile our existence is. These events fuel the argument for seeking a new home in space where humanity might reproduce and thrive.



However, for humans to live and grow on other planets, we must first understand if it’s possible to have children in space. This is a critical question because reproduction is essential for population growth in a new environment.



To address this, scientists are conducting novel experiments involving freeze-dried mouse sperm that is stored aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The results could provide vital insights into the possibility of mammalian reproduction beyond Earth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-frozen-sperm-experiment-in-space">Frozen sperm experiment in space</h2>



Freeze-dried mouse sperm is currently stored on the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ISS</a> in a radiation-protected environment. 



In 2025, the samples will return to Earth, where Professor Teruhiko Wakayama from Japan’s <a href="https://www.yamanashi.ac.jp/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Yamanashi</a> will study them. He aims to determine the impact of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dart-mission-debris-will-create-a-human-made-meteor-shower/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">space environment</a> on reproduction and assess whether these samples can create healthy offspring.



Wakayama has ambitious goals. He is developing a device to enable astronauts to conduct rodent in vitro fertilization (IVF) aboard the ISS. This could pave the way for human reproduction in space and may even provide an avenue to safeguard Earth’s genetic diversity.



“Our aim is to establish a system for safely and permanently preserving Earth’s genetic resources somewhere in space – whether on the moon or elsewhere – so that life can be revived even if Earth faces catastrophic destruction,” said Wakayama.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sending-mouse-sperm-to-space">Sending mouse sperm to space</h2>



Wakayama is no stranger to pushing scientific boundaries. In 1997, he co-developed a method to clone the first mouse from adult cells. Since then, he has conducted various studies on reproduction in space.



His team pioneered a freeze-drying method to send mouse sperm to the ISS, where it was stored for six years. Upon its return, the sperm produced healthy baby mice.



The findings revealed that freeze-dried sperm could remain viable for up to 200 years in space. 



“That’s absolutely not long enough for our future,” Wakayama admits. He is now testing a new radiation-resistant storage device to extend the viability of reproductive cells indefinitely.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-creatures-that-reproduced-in-space">Creatures that reproduced in space</h2>



Scientists have long studied Earthly organisms in space to understand how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astronauts-are-surprisingly-good-at-flying-in-space/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">microgravity and cosmic radiation</a> affect biological processes. 



In 1989, fertilized chicken eggs traveled to space in an experiment nicknamed “Chix in Space.” Frogs and fish have also reproduced in space, though with mixed success. In 2007, a cockroach gave birth to offspring conceived in orbit, though the young displayed some abnormalities.



“We have seen that most of the specific phases of the reproductive cycle can occur in space, at least in a species or two, not always completely successfully. Going to mammals is the next natural step,” explained Virginia Wotring, a professor at the International Space University in France.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-challenge-of-sustaining-life">Challenge of sustaining life</h2>



Human reproduction in space faces significant hurdles. Cosmic radiation can damage DNA, increasing the risk of genetic abnormalities in offspring. Microgravity may interfere with embryo development, including critical processes like forming the nervous system and limbs.



“There is other information that we need right now in order to care for the astronauts we’re sending to space now,” said Wotring. Immediate priorities include mitigating the effects of radiation, muscle loss, and weakened immunity.



Despite these challenges, Wakayama believes his work is essential for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-like-ecosystem-necessary-for-humans-to-live-in-deep-space/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">long-term space exploration</a>. He noted that understanding how reproduction works in space could help humans settle on other planets and even bring livestock and pets to sustain life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-possibility-of-reproducing-in-space">Possibility of reproducing in space</h2>



Wakayama’s IVF project has been accepted by Japan’s space agency, and he hopes to launch the necessary device to the ISS within two years. His experiments could reveal whether mammals, including humans, can reproduce and develop normally in space.



“In sci-fi movies, people live on other planets and babies are born, but we don’t even know if that’s possible yet,” said Wakayama. His work aims to answer this fundamental question.



“If we can confirm that, it will bring reassurance. And if it doesn’t work, we need to understand how to address that challenge.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-broader-implications-of-the-research">Broader implications of the research </h2>



Humanity has made strides toward becoming a multi-planetary species. NASA’s <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/artemis/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Artemis</a> program plans to return astronauts to the Moon in 2026, while SpaceX envisions a crewed mission to Mars in the near future. However, these ambitious plans hinge on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astronauts-microbiome-health-is-crucial-to-future-space-exploration/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">solving critical issues</a>, including reproduction.



Wakayama’s research represents a vital step in understanding how life can sustain itself in space. Whether his experiments confirm or challenge the possibility of reproduction, they will shape the future of human space exploration.



As we look to the stars, questions about survival and reproduction remind us of the complexities of leaving Earth behind. Whether or not we can thrive in space remains one of humanity’s greatest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marss-space-debris-should-be-regarded-as-historical-artifacts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">scientific frontiers</a>.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abg5554">Science Advances</a>.



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Frozen sperm can remain viable in space for over 200 years

Life on Earth has faced immense challenges in recent years....

When we talk about the prevention and management of cancer, we don’t usually think that diet changes would be very helpful. But a recent study begs to differ.



The research suggests that dietary changes, such as different types of cooking oils, may play a role in slowing tumor growth in cancer patients.



Experts at UCLA focused on men with early-stage prostate cancer and observed notable differences in tumor progression based on dietary habits.



The findings could pave the way for lifestyle changes to complement cancer treatment strategies.



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



Cooking oils are a kitchen staple that come in all shapes, sizes, and flavors -- there’s an oil for every cooking need. 



Coconut oil has become popular for its unique taste and high smoke point, making it ideal for high-heat cooking, while avocado oil offers a buttery flavor and is packed with healthy fats. 



Each oil brings something different to the table, whether you're whipping up a quick stir-fry or baking your favorite cookies.



Beyond just flavor, cooking oils also play a big role in your health. Many oils, like olive and flaxseed, are loaded with heart-healthy fats that can help lower bad cholesterol and keep your heart happy. 



On the flip side, it’s good to watch out for oils high in saturated fats, such as palm oil, if you’re trying to maintain a balanced diet. Choosing the right oil can enhance your meals both taste-wise and nutritionally. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-diet-and-cancer-progression">Diet and cancer progression</h2>



The year-long study included 100 men with early-stage prostate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ketogenic-diet-may-help-the-body-kill-cancer-cells/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cancer</a>. Researchers divided participants into two groups. 



One group followed a diet low in omega-6 fats (found in seed oils) and high in omega-3 fats (found in fish like salmon). The other group continued their usual Western diet.



By the end of the study, participants who adjusted their diets showed a&nbsp;15% decrease in tumor aggression markers. 



Meanwhile, the group on a standard Western diet saw a&nbsp;24% increase&nbsp;in these markers. These results suggest that dietary fats may influence cancer progression.



"Our findings suggest that something as simple as adjusting your diet could potentially slow cancer growth and extend the time before more aggressive interventions are needed," noted Dr. William Aronson, a professor of urology at <a href="https://www.ucla.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UCLA</a> and the study’s lead researcher.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seed-oils-of-the-western-diet">Seed oils of the Western diet </h2>



Seed oils, such as canola, corn, and cottonseed oils, are staples of the Western diet. They are rich in omega-6 fats, which have been linked to increased inflammation in some studies. 



Inflammation, in turn, can fuel cancer growth by damaging tissues and weakening the body’s ability to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-is-the-next-frontier-in-cancer-treatment/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fight tumors</a>.



On the other hand, omega-3 fats, found in fish, nuts, and flaxseeds, are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. 



They may support the immune system and reduce tumor growth risks. Previous animal studies also support the idea that lowering omega-6 intake while increasing omega-3 intake can slow cancer progression.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-non-invasive-interventions">Non-invasive interventions</h2>



Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/banana-peel-flour-adds-cancer-fighting-nutrients-to-snacks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cancer</a>-related deaths in American men. An estimated&nbsp;299,010 cases&nbsp;will be diagnosed in 2024, with approximately&nbsp;201,000 patients&nbsp;in the early stages of the disease. 



Many patients opt for active monitoring rather than immediate surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy.



For these patients, lifestyle changes, including diet modifications, could delay the need for aggressive treatments. The study’s results highlight a potential non-invasive option to manage early-stage prostate cancer. 



"This significant difference suggests that the dietary changes may help slow cancer growth, potentially delaying or even preventing the need for more aggressive treatments," said Dr. Aronson.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seed-oils-and-cancer-risks">Seed oils and cancer risks</h2>



Despite these findings, leading medical bodies, including the American Heart Association, maintain that seed oils are safe and not linked to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/which-dietary-changes-are-best-for-cancer-prevention/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cancer</a>. 



However, public opinion on seed oils has become increasingly divided. Critics, including public figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., claim seed oils contribute to the obesity epidemic and related health concerns.



Adding to the controversy, a recent study from the University of South Florida linked seed oils to rising cases of colon cancer in young adults. 



The researchers suggested that the fats in seed oils might promote inflammation, thus creating an environment conducive to tumor growth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-balanced-approach-to-diet">Balanced approach to diet</h2>



The UCLA researchers emphasized that, while their findings are promising, more research is needed to confirm the connection between diet and cancer progression. 



They also stressed the importance of maintaining a balanced diet rather than eliminating specific foods.



According to Dr. Aronson, the study&nbsp;is an important step toward understanding how diet can potentially influence prostate cancer outcomes.



Future studies could offer more targeted dietary recommendations for the thousands of men diagnosed with prostate cancer each year. 



A deeper understanding of how dietary fats influence cancer might help to reduce reliance on invasive and costly treatments like surgery or chemotherapy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-can-diet-be-a-tool-against-cancer">Can diet be a tool against cancer?</h2>



The evidence suggests that cutting back on omega-6 fats and incorporating omega-3-rich foods could slow the progression of early-stage prostate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/molecular-jackhammers-a-breakthrough-in-cancer-treatment/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cancer</a>. 



However, experts agree that there is a need for further research to validate these findings and provide actionable dietary guidelines.



For now, adopting a balanced diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods like fish, nuts, and seeds may offer additional benefits for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/caterpillar-fungus-slows-down-growth-of-cancer-cells/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cancer</a> patients. While diet alone may not cure cancer, it could play a significant role in improving outcomes and quality of life.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://ascopubs.org/doi/abs/10.1200/JCO.24.00608">Clinical Oncology</a>.



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Cooking oils and omega fats are linked to cancer

When we talk about the prevention and management of cancer,...

How does a barn owl, with its striking white plumage, vanish seamlessly against a night sky? A recent study conducted by a team of biology and optics researchers from various Spanish institutions unveils the intriguing secrets behind the barn owl’s stealthy hunting strategies.



The findings reveal how the barn owl’s distinctive white underbelly and face help it remain nearly invisible to its prey under moonlit and starlit skies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-barn-owls-are-skilled-hunters">Barn owls are skilled hunters</h2>



Barn owls, scientifically known as Tyto alba, are medium-sized <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/great-gray-owls-thrive-closer-to-human-areas/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">owls</a> found across a wide range of habitats - including grasslands, farmland, and woodlands - throughout much of the world.



Recognized for their distinctive heart-shaped face, they have a striking appearance with a light-colored underbelly and a mottled brown and gray upper body. 



The owls have a unique facial disc that helps funnel sound directly into their ears, giving them exceptional hearing - which is crucial for hunting in low-light conditions.



Unlike most owls that hunt at dusk or in the early morning, barn owls are primarily nocturnal, relying on their acute sense of hearing to locate prey in complete darkness. 



Their diet mostly consists of small mammals, particularly rodents like mice and voles, but they also hunt birds, insects, and reptiles.



Barn owls are highly skilled hunters, capable of flying silently thanks to their specialized feather structure. The soft, velvety feathers on their wings and facial disc help reduce sound as they swoop in on their prey.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-barn-owls-hunting-in-the-moonlight">Barn owls hunting in the moonlight</h2>



Most owls rely on dark feather colors to blend into their surroundings, allowing them to remain inconspicuous while hunting. In contrast, barn <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-silent-flight-of-owls-is-one-of-natures-great-mysteries/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">owls</a> stand out with a strikingly pure white underbelly and a round white face. 



At first, this coloration seems counterintuitive, as it could potentially make the owl more noticeable to prey.



However, researchers propose that this seemingly conspicuous trait is actually a highly effective adaptation for nocturnal hunting. The barn owl’s white feathers may serve as camouflage when seen against a clear, moonlit, or starlit night sky.



To test this theory, the researchers conducted an extensive study using advanced techniques. They measured light conditions in various nighttime scenarios, created models to simulate visibility, and used hyperspectral imaging to analyze how light interacts with the owl’s plumage.



These methods provided a detailed understanding of how the barn owl’s unique coloring aids its stealthy hunting strategy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-barn-owls-blend-into-the-night-sky">Barn owls blend into the night sky</h2>



The researchers used sophisticated techniques to evaluate how visible barn <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/u-s-plans-to-save-spotted-owls-by-killing-450000-barred-owls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">owls</a> are under various nighttime lighting conditions. 



The team recreated scenarios involving moonlight, starlight, and reflected light to study how these light sources interact with the owl’s plumage, the night sky, and the ground below.



The analysis revealed that the white feathers of barn owls closely mimic the reflectance of moonlight. This alignment significantly reduces the contrast between the owl’s body and its background, making it exceptionally difficult for prey to detect the owl until it is too late.



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



A critical part of the study involved using hyperspectral imaging to measure how light reflects off different parts of the owl’s body. 



This technique provided precise data on how the feathers interact with various wavelengths of light, reinforcing the finding that the owl’s white plumage effectively minimizes visibility under moonlit conditions.



As discussed above, on clear nights illuminated by moonlight, the barn owl’s white underbelly blends almost perfectly with the bright night sky. 



This seamless blending reduces the chance of prey, such as rodents, spotting the owl as it silently approaches.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-owl-s-feathers-reflect-light">How the owl’s feathers reflect light</h2>



The owl’s feathers reflect light in a manner that significantly lowers the contrast between its body and the sky. This optical effect makes the barn owl nearly invisible to its prey, providing it with a crucial camouflage advantage during nighttime hunting.



Data from hyperspectral imaging confirmed these observations by showing how the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/white-barn-owls-hunting/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">owl’s feathers</a> reflect specific wavelengths of light. 



The measurements indicated that the plumage’s reflectance closely matches the light of the moonlit sky, further reducing visibility and enhancing its ability to evade detection.



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



This study presents an opportunity for further exploration into how other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/when-barred-owls-live-in-the-city-they-prefer-affluent-neighborhoods/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nocturnal predators</a> might employ similar strategies to avoid detection. 



The role of light reflectance in predator-prey dynamics opens a promising avenue for interdisciplinary research, integrating biology, optics, and behavioral science.



As barn owls continue to intrigue both researchers and bird enthusiasts, studies like this contribute to a greater understanding of how these silent hunters master the art of invisibility. 



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2406808121" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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Stealthy hunters: Barn owls use moonlight for camouflage

How does a barn owl, with its striking white plumage,...

In the quiet stillness of the ocean, when the sun dips below the horizon, marine creatures on coral reefs experience a significant shift.



As daytime creatures retreat into the safety of corals, nocturnal predators begin their evening hunt.



This fascinating cycle is as routine as the setting sun – until the intrusion of artificial light disrupts the natural order.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-study-on-coral-reef-nightlife">A study on coral reef nightlife</h2>



A recent press release revealed the details of an insightful study on the effects of light pollution on coral reef communities.



The research is recognized as the first, large-scale experiment addressing the influence of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/artificial-light-pollution-disrupts-entire-ecological-networks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">light pollution</a> on coral reef nightlife. 



The study was conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bristol</a>, the Centre de Recherches Insulaires et Observatoire de l’Environnement (CRIOBE) in French Polynesia, and Chile's Pontificia Universidad Católica.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-artificial-light-a-silent-intruder">Artificial light: A silent intruder</h2>



"When the sun sets, coral reefs undergo a dramatic transformation," noted Dr. Emma Weschke, the study's lead author from the University of Bristol’s School of Biological Sciences.



The vibrant fish that command our attention during the day retreat to rest among the corals, and elusive nocturnal species emerge from caves and crevices in pursuit of prey.



"The night usually brings a veil of darkness that allows <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/largest-ever-ocean-dna-study-uncovers-mysteries-of-marine-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">marine life</a> to hide from nocturnal predators. But artificial light generated by human activities exposes coral reef inhabitants to unexpected danger," explained Professor Andy Radford, the study's senior author.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-night-vision-experiment">The night vision experiment</h2>



The team utilized specially designed underwater infrared cameras to observe a coral reef at night.



These cameras allowed the researchers to film the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/overfishing-and-habitat-degradation-have-devastated-marine-ecosystems/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">marine ecosystem</a> without altering fish behavior since fish cannot see in the infrared spectrum.



What they discovered was quite alarming. Compared to control sites that lacked artificial light, a larger number of different fish species were present on artificially illuminated reefs at night.



Further investigation revealed these species to be predatory fish feeding on zooplankton, small fish, and invertebrates.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dangers-of-light-pollution">Dangers of light pollution</h2>



Dr. Weschke explained that many species detected on artificially lit reefs were not nocturnal. Instead, these fish are usually active during the day.



"Finding that light pollution can cause fish to stay awake later than usual is concerning because sleep - like for us - is likely essential for regenerating energy and maintaining fitness," said Dr. Weschke.



"<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/young-clownfish-are-struggling-to-survive-under-artificial-lights/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Artificial light</a> makes it much easier for predators to locate and capture prey, reducing their foraging effort. Which is why we think that greater numbers are being attracted to artificially illuminated coral reefs at night," noted Professor Radford.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reducing-the-impacts-of-artificial-light">Reducing the impacts of artificial light</h2>



However, the situation isn’t completely bleak. The researchers observed changes in the reef's nightlife after an average of 25 consecutive nights of being exposed to artificial light.



Brief periods of exposure didn't cause noticeable changes in fish communities. This suggests that implementing low-cost solutions rapidly could have a positive impact.



"Reducing the impacts of artificial light could help build resilience on valuable coral reefs," noted study co-author Professor Steve Simpson.



"Unlike greenhouse gases and plastics, artificial light is a pollutant that doesn’t leave a residue when switched off. Limiting artificial light in both its intensity and duration, prioritizing it for essential needs and reducing aesthetic use, will help re-establish naturally dark nights that marine ecosystems evolved with."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-preserving-coral-reefs-in-a-brightening-world">Preserving coral reefs in a brightening world</h2>



Coral reefs, often referred to as the "rainforests of the sea," are among the most diverse and vital ecosystems on the planet. 



They support nearly 25% of all marine species, provide coastal protection, and serve as critical sources of food and income for millions of people globally. 



However, the increasing intrusion of artificial light adds another stressor to already vulnerable <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-reef-food-webs-threatened-by-the-loss-of-picky-eaters/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">coral reef systems</a>, which are struggling against threats such as climate change, overfishing, and pollution. 



Mitigating light pollution is one of the easiest ways to support coral reef health. By prioritizing low-impact lighting technologies and implementing targeted lighting practices near reef habitats, significant strides can be made in preserving these ecosystems.



Reinstating natural light-dark cycles by limiting artificial light exposure provides reefs a better chance to recover and thrive. 



As urban expansion and tourism increase near coastal regions, innovative solutions to minimize light pollution are becoming essential to ensure the survival of these ecological treasures.



The full study was published in the journal Global Change Biology.



Image Credit: Emma Weschke



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Light pollution is transforming nightlife on coral reefs

In the quiet stillness of the ocean, when the sun...

Cow,At,A,Meadow,In,Austria

We've all heard it before -- to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and curb fossil fuel dependency, we should consider reducing the energy and resources we use to make meat and animal products.



The entire lifecycle of raising animals for beef production -- from planting and harvesting feed crops to transportation, processing, and refrigeration -- consumes a very substantial amount of energy, mostly coming from fossil fuels.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-a-baby-calf-to-one-single-hamburger">From a baby calf to one single hamburger</h2>



Raising a cow from calf to hamburger really puts a strain on our planet's resources. For starters, producing a single quarter-pound hamburger can use up to 1,600 gallons of water. 



This water goes into growing the feed the cow eats, irrigating crops, and managing waste. Plus, producing beef from animals is very energy-intensive, requiring around 2 to 3 kilowatt-hours of energy for each burger -- and that energy comes from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cop28-agreement-marks-the-beginning-of-the-end-of-fossil-fuels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fossil fuels</a>.



On top of that, each cow needs about 4.5 acres of land for grazing and feed production -- that's 4.5 acres for every cow in the world that is being raised to ultimately become hamburger. That's an incredible amount of land, to say the least.



Next, beef farming is a major source of greenhouse gases, releasing roughly 44 to 55 pounds of CO₂ equivalent per hamburger. Think about how many hamburgers are eaten around the world every day, and you'll start to get the idea.



But the impact doesn't stop there. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cattle-farming-expansion-could-expose-more-than-a-billion-cows-to-heat-stress/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cattle farming</a> often leads to deforestation and habitat loss, especially in sensitive areas like the Amazon rainforest, which harms biodiversity and disrupts ecosystems while adding to carbon emissions. 



Cows are also not very efficient at turning feed into meat, needing about 15 pounds of feed to produce just 5 pounds of beef. To make beef production more sustainable, we can adopt several strategies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-raising-animals-takes-lots-of-energy">Raising animals takes lots of energy</h2>



A new study recently attempted to put a quantifiable number on this entire process, proving that it's not just about reducing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/u-s-greenhouse-emissions-rebounded-in-2021/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">greenhouse emissions</a>.



Scientists from Norway, Austria, and Switzerland, based at the <a href="https://www.ntnu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Norwegian University of Science and Technology</a>'s (NTNU) Industrial Ecology Programme, have put a microscope to the energy requirements of our global food system. 



The study reveals that our consumption of animal products has a more significant impact than we might have imagined.



Crunching the numbers from 2015-2019, they found that a whopping 60% of the energy footprint of agriculture worldwide is attributed to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animal-products-linked-to-double-the-emissions-of-plant-based-foods/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">animal-based products</a>.



"That energy is predominately from fossil fuels," said Edgar Hertwich, a professor at NTNU’s Industrial Ecology Programme and the senior author of the paper.



As we have seen, societies are increasingly looking at electricity as a cleaner energy option. However, this does not readily apply to agriculture.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-eating-animals-an-energy-hungry-industry">Eating animals: An energy hungry industry</h2>



One of the key challenges highlighted in the study is the inefficiency of animal husbandry. 



In simple terms, we grow food to feed animals, and then we consume the animals -- but the energy return on this "investment" is disappointingly low.



The research found that whilst livestock accounted for the majority of agriculture's energy footprint during the study period, it only provided a minor 18% of the calories consumed worldwide.



Led by Kajwan Rasul, the team sought to calculate the energy return on the energy investment, essentially benchmarking the efficiency of our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-meat-and-dairy-alternatives-will-dramatically-transform-the-global-food-system/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">food system</a>.



It's a simple equation. If the figure is less than 1, it signifies that it takes more energy to produce the food than we get back from consuming it.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mapping-out-the-energy-footprint">Mapping out the energy footprint</h2>



To conduct this study, Rasul employed two models, EXIOBASE and FABIO, that respectively allowed him to estimate energy use across various sectors and track the production, trade, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plant-based-food-consumption-doubled-in-the-last-decade/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">consumption of food</a>. 



Integrating these two models using innovative methodologies enabled the team to examine the energy footprint of our food system on a much deeper level than previously possible.



Their study covered ten food categories, broken down from 123 different commodities, across a global spread of 20 regions. 



They also investigated the food system's energy footprint over two, five-year phases, namely 1995-1999 and 2015-2019, which enabled them to identify trends.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-bright-side-positive-trends-over-time">The bright side: Positive trends over time</h2>



There is some good news to share. 



Rasul and the team of scientists found a noticeable improvement in the energy efficiency of global food systems over the two decades.



The energy return on energy investment shifted from 0.68 in 1995 to 0.91 in 2019. Yet, this still meant that, in 2019, it cost 10% more energy to produce every calorie provided to society than was returned in consumption.



Regions with less industrialized food systems, like parts of Africa and Asia, consistently had energy returns on investments higher than one. 



This is encouraging as these regions are home to 68% of the world's population.



Rasul noticed that this trend was also reflected in four of the world's five high-income regions. However, he expressed caution over whether this trend was genuinely due to efficiency improvements.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-food-security-and-the-fossil-fuel-energy-equation">Food security and the fossil fuel energy equation</h2>



The findings of this study raise broader implications beyond greenhouse gas emissions.



If energy for food production was boundless and environmentally neutral, we wouldn't need to worry about inefficiencies in agriculture. But that's not our reality.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seed-systems-will-play-a-key-role-in-future-food-security/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Food security</a> is a significant concern. If our agriculture continues to depend heavily on fossil fuels, we may face a significant crisis. 



This isn't just a theoretical proposition: historical incidents, like the 1970s energy crisis or the more recent ripple effects from conflicts, highlight the potential risk.



As the authors of the study succinctly put it, agricultural systems heavily reliant on fossil fuels "turn the question of food security into a question of energy security." 



It's time for us all to take note and reconsider what's on our dinner plate.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/3/12/pgae524/7919164" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PNAS Nexus</a>.



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The amount of energy it takes to make one hamburger is hard to believe

We've all heard it before -- to reduce greenhouse gas...

A concentrated sugar solution might be just as effective as antibiotics in treating a prevalent infection in dairy cows, according to new research led by Penn State.



The findings could significantly reduce antibiotic use in dairy farming, combating antimicrobial resistance in both animals and humans.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-antimicrobial-resistance-in-the-dairy-industry">Antimicrobial resistance in the dairy industry</h2>



Antimicrobial resistance poses a growing public health concern, making alternatives to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antimicrobial-resistance-could-cause-39-million-deaths-by-2050/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">antibiotics</a> vital. 



“The main goal of this research was to test an antibiotic-free alternative option against the current gold standard for treating this prevalent disease,” said Erika Ganda, assistant professor of food animal microbiomes at <a href="https://www.psu.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Penn State</a>.



The study focused on treating clinical metritis, a uterine infection that affects cows after calving. This condition, one of the most common diseases in U.S. dairy cattle, is typically treated with antibiotics like ceftiofur. 



While effective, such treatments may contribute to antimicrobial resistance, a pressing issue for farm workers and their communities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sugar-solution-as-an-alternative-to-antibiotics">Sugar solution as an alternative to antibiotics </h2>



The researchers explored intrauterine dextrose, a sugar solution, as an alternative to systemic antibiotics. Dextrose kills bacteria by pulling water out of them, causing the cells to dry out and die. 



“We have been searching for alternative therapies that can effectively treat metritis without relying on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/soil-plays-an-overlooked-role-in-antibiotic-resistance/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">antibiotics</a>,” explained Adrian Barragan, associate research professor and co-lead author of the study.



This approach has shown promise in human wound healing but had previously delivered mixed results in cattle. Encouragingly, the study found that dextrose worked just as well as antibiotics for mild cases of metritis. 



“We were definitely not expecting to find that both treatments worked similarly for mild cases,” Barragan said. “That was a very exciting discovery.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-comparing-the-effects-of-sugar-and-antibiotics">Comparing the effects of sugar and antibiotics </h2>



The study was conducted on 77 dairy cows from a farm in Pennsylvania that were diagnosed with clinical metritis.



The researchers divided the cattle into two groups for treatment comparison. One group received intrauterine dextrose while the other group was treated with systemic ceftiofur, a commonly used <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nanoplastics-can-alter-the-course-of-antibiotics-within-our-body/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">antibiotic</a>.



To assess the effectiveness of both treatments, the researchers carefully monitored the cows' recovery. They also analyzed the microbial communities in the cows' reproductive tracts using advanced DNA sequencing techniques.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-preservation-of-microbial-health">Preservation of microbial health</h2>



The analysis provided insights into how the treatments affected the bacterial populations in the uterus.



The results revealed that both treatments had similar success rates in curing mild cases of metritis. However, there were variations in how the treatments performed depending on the severity of the infection. 



A key finding was that dextrose, unlike <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-create-viruses-to-combat-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">antibiotics</a>, did not disturb the natural balance of bacteria in the uterus. 



This preservation of microbial health could have long-term benefits for the cows, potentially improving their overall reproductive health and reducing the risk of complications.



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



The discovery of an effective sugar-solution holds particular promise for organic dairy farms, where antibiotics are restricted.



“Our findings may be applicable to reproductive disease in human medicine. In fact, we were inspired by medical literature and sugar-based wound treatments for people,” noted Barragan.



Ganda emphasized the benefits of minimizing antibiotics. "We treat cows with antibiotics only when necessary to ensure their welfare,” she said. "Minimizing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-sea-microbes-show-promise-as-new-antibiotic-drugs/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">antibiotic use</a> helps reduce the risk of resistant bacteria that can impact farm workers, families, and communities.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reducing-dependency-on-antibiotics">Reducing dependency on antibiotics </h2>



While the study’s results are promising, the researchers acknowledge the need for further investigation. 



The study's relatively small sample size means the researchers cannot make definitive conclusions about the effectiveness of sugar-based treatments in curing uterine infections. 



However, the results are promising and provide an important starting point for further research. These findings suggest that sugar-based treatments could potentially be developed as viable alternatives to antibiotics. 



This can be used not only for treating infections in animals like dairy cows but also for addressing similar reproductive health issues in humans. The study opens the door to new, antibiotic-free approaches in both veterinary and human medicine.



By reducing antibiotic dependence, this research could have far-reaching impacts on animal welfare, public health, and the fight against antimicrobial resistance. 



“Antimicrobial resistance in human and veterinary medicine is a growing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antimicrobial-resistance-projected-to-kill-10-million-people-each-year/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">public health concern</a>,” Ganda noted. This sweet solution might just be a game-changer for addressing it.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2024.1478288/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Veterinary Science</a>.



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Sugar solution could replace antibiotics for treating dairy cows

A concentrated sugar solution might be just as effective as...

In an increasingly industrialized world, the effects of air pollution on our health are undeniable. 



However, while many studies have focused on death rates, less attention has been paid to hospital admissions - especially those related to mental health. Scottish researchers are trying to change that.



Based at a renowned university in Scotland, the scientists have examined the effect of long-term air pollution exposure on mental, behavioral, and physical health.



The findings, published in the journal BMJ Open, reveal a glaring correlation - prolonged exposure to ambient air pollution increases the risk of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-linked-to-hospital-visits-among-autistic-children/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hospital admission</a> for a plethora of illnesses.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-scottish-longitudinal-study">The Scottish longitudinal study</h2>



The research was based on the Scottish Longitudinal Study, an extensive dataset representing 5% of the Scottish population. The researchers traced the health and hospital admission records of 202,237 individuals aged 17 and above.



The team cross-referenced this data with levels of four key pollutants - nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/breast-cancer-incidence-linked-to-high-particulate-air-pollution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">particulate matter</a> with diameter of at least 10 μm (PM10), and small particulate matter of 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5) - between 2002 and 2017.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-air-pollution-the-invisible-culprit">Air pollution: The invisible culprit?</h2>



The trend emerged clearly: higher cumulative exposure to NO2, PM10, and PM2.5 was proportionally related to increases in hospital admissions for a variety of diseases.



Specifically, each 1 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 and NO2 pollutants propelled the incidence rate for respiratory disease hospital admissions by just over 4% and 1%, respectively.



Moreover, NO2 was particularly associated with a greater number of hospital admissions for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfire-smoke-exposure-linked-to-mental-health-issues/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mental illness</a> and behavioral disorders.



The researchers controlled for demographics such as age, gender, ethnicity, and education level. However, other potentially influential factors - like lifestyle, weight (BMI), noise pollution or lack of green spaces - weren't taken into account. 



Despite the inherent limitations, the findings resonate with previously published research.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-prevention-is-better-than-cure">Prevention is better than cure</h2>



The researchers caution that the study is observational and thus causal relationships cannot be definitively identified. They also emphasized the need for robust measures and monitoring.



“Policies and interventions on air pollution through stricter environmental regulations, long term planning, and the shifting towards renewable energy could eventually help ease the hospital care burden in Scotland, in the long term," noted the study authors. 



They propose an increased number of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/residual-emissions-must-be-addressed-to-reach-net-zero/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">zero-emission</a> zones, particularly in pollution-heavy cities, to improve air quality and reduce hospital admissions.



The research urges us to rethink our environmental policies, and reinforces the adage, "prevention is better than cure."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-residential-exposure-and-health-outcomes">Residential exposure and health outcomes</h2>



A significant feature of the study was its focus on residential exposure to air pollution. 



By linking yearly air pollution data to individuals’ residential postcodes, the researchers could examine the long-term impact of localized <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/u-s-air-pollution-levels-have-dropped-but-not-for-everyone/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pollution levels</a> on health outcomes. 



The findings revealed that individuals living in urban areas, particularly in cities like Glasgow and Edinburgh, faced higher concentrations of pollutants due to increased traffic and industrial activity.



This urban-rural divide highlights the critical need for localized strategies to mitigate the health effects of air pollution.



Interestingly, the cumulative impact of exposure across the study period had a stronger association with mental and behavioral health admissions than the yearly fluctuations.



This suggests that the prolonged effects of pollution may exacerbate conditions that develop over time, such as anxiety and depression, adding another layer of urgency to address air quality issues in densely populated areas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-air-pollution-impacts-health">How air pollution impacts health</h2>



The researchers also explored the potential biological mechanisms by which air pollution affects health.



Gaseous pollutants, like NO₂ and SO₂, irritate the respiratory system, leading to inflammation and a cascade of effects on the cardiovascular and immune systems.



Fine particulate matter (PM2.5), due to its microscopic size, penetrates deep into the lungs and bloodstream, triggering oxidative stress and exacerbating chronic diseases.



Notably, the research highlighted that mental and behavioral disorders might be influenced by pollution through neurological pathways. 



Prolonged exposure to pollutants could increase the production of free radicals, which may impair brain health and heighten the risk of mental illnesses. 



These findings highlight the multifaceted nature of air pollution's impact, extending beyond physical ailments to mental health.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/14/12/e084032" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BMJ Open</a>.



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Air pollution linked to rising hospital admissions

In an increasingly industrialized world, the effects of air pollution...

People with severe, treatment-resistant depression who underwent nerve-stimulating therapy experienced significant improvements in their symptoms, quality of life, and ability to carry out daily tasks after one year.



The research was focused on a large, multicenter clinical trial led by Washington University School of Medicine.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-patients-with-treatment-resistant-depression-nbsp">Patients with treatment-resistant depression&nbsp;</h2>



This national study, part of the <a href="https://trials.recovercovid.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RECOVER trial</a>, involved nearly 500 participants at 84 sites across the United States. 



All were dealing with severe depression that had proven unresponsive to traditional treatments; on average, each had tried 13 unsuccessful therapies and had spent more than half of their lives living with this debilitating mood disorder.&nbsp;



Many of the participants were so ill that they could not hold jobs or manage everyday activities. While this arm of the RECOVER trial focused on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ketamine-offers-hope-for-treatment-resistant-depression/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">treatment-resistant major depression</a>, the other arm addressing bipolar depression is ongoing.



“These patients are extremely ill, and most have been for a very long time,” said Charles R. Conway, principal investigator of the RECOVER trial and a professor of psychiatry at <a href="https://washu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Washington University</a>. 



“Despite that super-high level of sustained illness, we still see statistically significant, measurable improvements in depressive symptoms, quality of life, and functional outcomes.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-vagus-nerve-stimulation-works">How vagus nerve stimulation works</h2>



The therapy at the heart of this trial is vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), which involves implanting a small, pacemaker-like device under the skin in the chest.&nbsp;



A thin wire connects the device to the left vagus nerve in the neck - a major nerve that serves as a communication highway between the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/your-brain-literally-changes-based-on-daily-activities-and-lifestyle/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">brain</a> and the body’s internal organs. By sending mild electrical pulses through the nerve, the device stimulates areas of the brain involved in regulating mood.



Nearly two decades ago, the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Food and Drug Administration</a> (FDA) approved VNS therapy for treatment-resistant depression, but it never became widely available. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cost-of-vagus-nerve-stimulation-nbsp">Cost of vagus nerve stimulation&nbsp;</h2>



The combined cost of the device and the implantation surgery can be substantial, and since the <a href="https://www.cms.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services</a> (CMS) and most private insurers do not cover it, many patients could not afford the therapy.



The RECOVER trial was designed in collaboration with CMS to generate data that might encourage coverage of VNS therapy for these severely ill patients.&nbsp;



CMS provided some funding and helped plan the study, which aims to produce the evidence needed to determine whether to reimburse for the device and its surgical implantation.&nbsp;



If CMS decides to cover the treatment, private insurance companies may follow suit, potentially making this therapy accessible to many more people.



“This study may help make this therapy more accessible,” Conway said. “If CMS decides to cover it, that will likely open the door for thousands of patients who have run out of other options.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-inside-the-trial-activated-vs-inactive-devices">Inside the trial: Activated vs. inactive devices</h2>



In total, 493 participants were implanted with the VNS device. Roughly half - 249 people - had their devices turned on (activated) for the first 12 months of the trial, while the other half had implants that remained off during the same period.&nbsp;



Throughout the trial, all participants continued their usual care for depression and kept seeing their mental health providers. They were discouraged from starting new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-antidepressants-could-help-treat-brain-tumors/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">antidepressants</a> during the trial but were encouraged to maintain ongoing treatments.



Over the course of the year, the researchers regularly assessed the participants’ progress using multiple validated tools.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-measuring-changes-in-depressive-symptoms-nbsp">Measuring changes in depressive symptoms&nbsp;</h2>



Four well-established measures were used to gauge changes in depressive symptoms: two completed by off-site clinicians who were blinded to the treatment conditions, one by an on-site mental health professional, and one by the participants themselves.&nbsp;



In addition, the participants provided self-reports of their quality of life and ability to perform daily activities every three months using three standardized quality-of-life tools and two functional assessments.



By examining various metrics, the researchers sought to understand how often participants experienced any relief of symptoms - even if temporary - and whether those improvements translated into tangible gains in their daily lives.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-significant-improvements-in-daily-functioning">Significant improvements in daily functioning</h2>



After adjusting each device’s electrical parameters individually for the first two months, the investigators began measuring outcomes in month three and continued monthly evaluations for the remainder of the year.&nbsp;



While the primary outcome measure - one particular assessment chosen as the trial’s main benchmark - showed no statistically significant difference between the activated and inactivated groups at the end of the year, many of the other measures told a more promising story.



Overall, individuals with active VNS therapy experienced more frequent improvements in their depressive symptoms than those whose devices were off.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-vagus-nerve-stimulation-and-quality-of-life">Vagus nerve stimulation and quality of life</h2>



Complete remission from depression was rare and did not differ significantly between the two groups, but people with activated devices reported feeling better more often. They also described meaningful gains in their quality of life and their ability to manage everyday tasks.



“They’re not just saying, ‘Yeah, I feel a little better,’” Conway explained. “They’re reporting that their lives are improving in real, tangible ways.”



“For a population that has been failed by a long list of treatments - including some of the most aggressive therapies like electroconvulsive therapy - even moderate improvements can be transformative.”



One reason the primary outcome measure may not have shown a clear difference is that the group with inactive devices improved more than expected as the trial reached its end.&nbsp;



Conway noted that all participants knew the devices in the inactive group would be turned on at the end of the year, which may have given those participants hope and a positive psychological boost. This phenomenon could have reduced the contrast between the two groups on the primary measure.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-slow-and-steady-gains">Slow and steady gains</h2>



Another key observation was that most improvements became evident during the last three months of the 12-month trial. This timing aligns with prior research suggesting that VNS therapy’s benefits develop slowly over time.&nbsp;



At the end of the year, the inactive devices were switched on, allowing those participants the opportunity to catch up with their counterparts who had been receiving stimulation all along.



“The nice thing about vagus nerve stimulation, we know from other studies, is that when the patient responds, the effects usually stick,” Conway said.



With a more extended follow-up planned - participants will be monitored for another four years - the researchers aim to see how these improvements hold up over time and whether they continue to grow. This long-term data will help them understand just how durable VNS benefits can be.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-toward-the-future">Looking toward the future</h2>



Beyond establishing the potential effectiveness of vagus nerve stimulation therapy for patients with treatment-resistant depression, the researchers hope to identify which individuals stand to benefit the most.&nbsp;



Pinpointing characteristics tied to the best responses could help personalize this therapy, making it even more effective and efficient.



“We want to know who stands to gain the most,” Conway said. “If we can identify certain traits - such as specific clinical histories or patterns of treatment failures - that predict a good response, we might be able to tailor VNS therapy to the patients who need it most and are most likely to benefit.”



In the broader landscape of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mental-health-the-hidden-casualty-of-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mental health</a> care, these findings offer renewed hope. 



For decades, patients with severe, long-standing depression have had limited options after multiple therapies failed. VNS therapy, while not a cure-all, appears capable of delivering meaningful, lasting improvements to people who might otherwise remain stuck in severe depression.



“For these patients, even partial relief can mean the difference between being unable to get out of bed and being able to engage with life,” Conway said.&nbsp;



“We’re hopeful that this study will ultimately help make vagus nerve stimulation available to more people who need it and provide them with a better chance at a more fulfilling life.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.brainstimjrnl.com/article/S1935-861X(24)01390-1/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brain Stimulation</a>.



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Vagus nerve stimulation offers new hope for treating severe depression

People with severe, treatment-resistant depression who underwent nerve-stimulating therapy experienced...

A new study of more than 26,000 white dwarf stars has finally confirmed a subtle, long-predicted phenomenon: hotter white dwarfs are slightly larger than cooler ones, even when they share the same mass.&nbsp;



The research, led by experts at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Johns Hopkins University</a>, verifies a key aspect of how these incredibly dense stellar remnants behave under extreme gravity. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dead-stars-and-the-search-for-dark-matter-nbsp">Dead stars and the search for dark matter&nbsp;</h2>



The study, published in <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad8ddc" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Astrophysical Journal</a>, lays important groundwork for using <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hungry-white-dwarf-stars-eat-heavy-metals/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">white dwarfs</a> as astrophysical laboratories to probe fundamental physics and search for elusive dark matter.



“White dwarfs are one of the best characterized stars that we can work with to test these underlying theories of run-of-the-mill physics in hopes that maybe we can find something wacky pointing to new fundamental physics,” said Nicole Crumpler, a Johns Hopkins astrophysicist who led the work.&nbsp;



“If you want to look for dark matter, quantum gravity, or other exotic things, you better understand normal physics. Otherwise, something that seems novel might be just a new manifestation of an effect that we already know.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dead-stars-with-tremendous-density-nbsp">Dead stars with tremendous density&nbsp;</h2>



White dwarfs are the remnants of once-sunlike stars that have burned through their nuclear fuel. These stripped-down cores are so compact that a teaspoonful of their matter weighs more than a ton.&nbsp;



Such tremendous density produces gravitational pulls hundreds of times stronger than Earth’s, profoundly affecting the physics of light and matter in their vicinity.



The researchers relied on how light escaping these dead stars becomes stretched - “redshifted” - as it fights against the intense gravitational field, a phenomenon predicted by Einstein’s general relativity. 



By examining the redshift and understanding the stars’ gravity, the team could disentangle the various effects on the white dwarfs’ size.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-temperature-influences-dead-stars">How temperature influences dead stars</h2>



The new result builds on a 2020 study from the same group that confirmed white dwarfs shrink as they gain mass due to “electron degeneracy pressure,” a quantum mechanical effect stabilizing their cores.&nbsp;



Until now, however, scientists lacked sufficient data to confidently verify the more subtle temperature effect.



In this study, the researchers used data from the <a href="https://www.sdss.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sloan Digital Sky Survey</a> and the <a href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Gaia" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">European Space Agency’s Gaia mission</a>, both of which continuously map millions of cosmic objects.&nbsp;



By carefully averaging measurements of the white dwarfs’ motions and grouping the stars according to their mass and gravity, the team isolated how temperature influences the stars’ volumes.&nbsp;



The analysis shows that hotter white dwarfs “puff up” slightly compared to cooler ones, confirming the long-predicted effect.



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



The implications extend beyond confirming existing theories. White dwarfs can help researchers understand processes in massive star evolution, including what determines whether a star ends its life as a white dwarf, neutron star, or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-would-it-be-like-to-fall-into-a-black-hole/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">black hole</a>.



“The next frontier could be detecting the extremely subtle differences in the chemical composition of the cores of white dwarfs of different masses,” said Nadia Zakamska, a Johns Hopkins astrophysics professor who directed the research.&nbsp;



“We don’t fully understand the maximum mass a star can have to form a white dwarf, as opposed to a neutron star or a black hole.”



“These increasingly high-precision measurements can help us test and refine theories about this and other poorly understood processes in massive star evolution.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-step-toward-dark-matter-detection">A step toward dark matter detection</h2>



Crumpler and her team also view this better understanding of white dwarf physics as a stepping-stone toward detecting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dark-matter-does-not-exist-universe-27-billion-years-old-study/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dark matter</a>, the invisible substance believed to comprise most of the universe’s matter.&nbsp;



If certain models of dark matter affect stars’ structures in predictable ways, comparing white dwarfs in different regions of the galaxy might reveal subtle patterns.



“We’ve banged our heads against the wall trying to figure out what dark matter is, but I’d say we have jack diddly squat,” said Crumpler. 



“We know a whole lot of what dark matter is not, and we have constraints on what it can and can’t do, but we still don’t know what it is. That’s why understanding simpler astrophysical objects like white dwarf stars is so important, because they give hope of discovering what dark matter might be.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-deeper-understanding-of-the-universe">A deeper understanding of the universe</h2>



White dwarfs’ extreme conditions provide a unique testbed for exploring both everyday and exotic physics.&nbsp;



By confirming this subtle temperature-size relationship, the new study strengthens the foundation on which scientists can stand as they chase the most elusive mysteries of the universe - be it the nature of dark matter, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unraveling-gravity-quantum-nature-entanglement-mechanics/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">quantum gravity</a>, or the lifecycle of stars.



With ever-improving data, researchers are one step closer to unlocking the full potential of these ultra-dense cosmic remnants, ensuring that what may seem ordinary at first glance can help illuminate the extraordinary truths hidden in the cosmos.



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Dead stars reveal the hidden physics of the universe

A new study of more than 26,000 white dwarf stars...

Sleep schedules are often disrupted when people rush to complete their end-of-year tasks. But those looking forward to a cheerful holiday season might want to reconsider.&nbsp;



A new study from the <a href="https://umich.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Michigan</a> (U-M) suggests that when <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-sleep-patterns-affect-your-health-over-time/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sleep patterns</a> fall out of sync with the body’s internal clock, it can have dramatic effects on mood.



Conversely, getting rest aligned with our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/colors-of-sunset-and-sunrise-reset-our-circadian-rhythms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">circadian rhythms</a> can deliver a powerful emotional boost and potentially lessen the burden of mood disorder symptoms, said senior author Daniel Forger.



“This is not going to solve depression. We need to be very, very clear about that,” said Forger, a professor in the Department of Mathematics and director of the Michigan Center for Applied and Interdisciplinary Mathematics.&nbsp;



“But this is a key factor that we can actually control. We can’t control someone’s life events. We can’t control their relationships or their genetics. But what we can do is very carefully look at their individual sleep patterns and circadian rhythms to really see how that’s affecting their mood.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-strong-link-between-sleep-and-mood">Strong link between sleep and mood</h2>



While the link between sleep and mood is well-known in a casual sense - people might say someone is “cranky” or “fussy” after poor rest - previous studies have linked sleep issues to serious mental health concerns, including elevated suicide risk.



“Sleep is important to us, but maybe not in the same way we care about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/getting-high-quality-sleep-helps-prevent-depression-and-anxiety/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">depression</a>,” Forger said. “But there’s been a tremendous amount of research coming out showing that mood affects circadian rhythms and sleep, and that circadian rhythms and sleep affect mood.”



However, these findings often stem from controlled laboratory settings. Forger and his team aimed to observe how these interactions play out in everyday life.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sleep-circadian-rhythms-and-mood-nbsp">Sleep, circadian rhythms, and mood&nbsp;</h2>



The team leveraged data from the <a href="https://www.internhealthstudy.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Intern Health Study</a>, funded by the <a href="https://www.nih.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Institutes of Health</a>, which monitors first-year medical interns. P



The participants regularly completed mood surveys while wearing fitness trackers - Fitbits - to measure heart rate, activity, and sleep patterns.&nbsp;



By applying specialized algorithms to the Fitbit data, the researchers extracted insights into each individual’s circadian rhythms, sleep cycles, and how well these were aligned.&nbsp;



When combined with daily mood assessments and quarterly depression screening questionnaires (such as the widely used PHQ-9), the team could correlate patterns of sleep alignment with tangible measures of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mental-health-crisis-half-of-the-worlds-population-will-be-affected-by-age-75/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mental health</a>.



They found that when sleep and internal rhythms drifted apart, PHQ-9 scores often rose by an average of 2.5 points - a clinically meaningful change.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-aligning-sleep-and-internal-clocks">Aligning sleep and internal clocks</h2>



One of the study’s lead authors, undergraduate researcher Minki Lee, emphasized the importance of timing rather than just sleep duration or start time.



“It’s not just, ‘If you go to bed earlier, you will be happier,’” Lee said. “To some degree, that will be true, but it will be because your sleep schedule is aligning with your internal rhythms.”



The team examined three key patterns: the body’s central circadian clock in the brain, the peripheral circadian clock (such as that in the heart), and the interns’ sleep cycles.&nbsp;



Typically, the heart’s peripheral clock anticipates more daytime activity than nighttime activity. The researchers discovered that having sleep schedules out of sync with this peripheral clock tended to negatively affect mood.



Interestingly, a misalignment between the central circadian rhythm and sleep was especially problematic for those engaged in shift work. When work demands led to a significant disconnect between sleep timing and the central internal clock, mood issues intensified.



Co-lead author Dae Wook Kim conducted the study as a postdoctoral fellow at U-M and is now an assistant professor at the <a href="https://www.kaist.ac.kr/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology</a>.



“Specifically, the misalignment between the central circadian clock and sleep exhibited the strongest negative association with mood and depressive symptoms, including poor sleep, appetite issues and even <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/suicide-rate-increases-during-the-week-of-a-full-moon/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">suicidal thoughts</a>,” said Professor Kim.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-context-matters-for-circadian-disruptions">Context matters for circadian disruptions</h2>



These findings challenge earlier assumptions that all circadian disruptions affect mood similarly.&nbsp;



Understanding how misalignment operates in real-world conditions - like the demands of working interns - could explain why some people cope better with “all-nighters” or jet lag without long-lasting emotional fallout.



The team plans to apply their research methods to other groups, such as students, older adults, and individuals diagnosed with psychiatric disorders, to better understand when and why these disruptions matter.



“This shows us we have to look at different rhythms representing different parts of your body and consider them in light of your working conditions and your lifestyle in general,” Lee said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-how-sleep-disruptions-impact-mood">Understanding how sleep disruptions impact mood</h2>



The good news is that everyday technology - like wearable fitness trackers - can reveal these hidden patterns of circadian misalignment and guide interventions that restore better sync between sleep and internal clocks.



“That’s why this is scalable,” Forger said. “That’s why I think this could help tons of people.”



By understanding when and how sleep disruptions truly impact mood, individuals and clinicians can take steps to preserve emotional <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-environment-day-the-critical-role-of-nature-in-human-well-being/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">well-being</a> - even during the busiest times of the year.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41746-024-01348-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">npj Digital Medicine</a>.



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Sleep timing has a powerful effect on our mood

Sleep schedules are often disrupted when people rush to complete...

For decades, experts have wondered if electrons could form strange patterns when squeezed into tight corners. The idea that hidden routes might appear within cramped quantum territories has teased researchers since the early 1980s. Many scientists doubted anyone would ever see these routes with their own eyes, but recent progress in imaging technology has finally allowed scientists to spot these unusual paths and confirm a theory first proposed around 40 years ago.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-quantum-chaos-of-electrons">Quantum chaos of electrons</h2>



In November 2024, a team of researchers captured a direct view of electron patterns inside a material just one atom thick. 



Although these electrons behave in a famously puzzling way, the team spotted precise paths that ran through a carefully arranged <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/google-record-shattering-quantum-ai-chip-accesses-parallel-universes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">quantum</a> device.&nbsp;



According to physicist <a href="https://scholar.google.de/citations?user=YySNkzIAAAAJ&amp;hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jairo Velasco Jr </a>at the University of California, Santa Cruz (<a href="https://www.ucsc.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UCSC</a>), these stable electron routes suggest that what some called <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/quantum-chaos/129F113966F35AECCE0C6951870D6FF3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">quantum chaos</a> is actually well-organized motion hiding beneath a messy surface.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-name-and-face-for-chaos">A name and face for chaos</h2>



After so many years of theory, it is now certain that electrons can move in ways that appear chaotic yet follow lasting patterns, commonly called quantum scars. 



This concept first emerged in the <a href="https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.53.1515" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> of <a href="https://www.physics.harvard.edu/people/facpages/heller" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric J. Heller</a> at <a href="https://www.harvard.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harvard University</a> in 1984. The team behind the new <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08190-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> used scanning tunneling microscopy to confirm that the paths do not scatter randomly. Instead, the electrons stay on certain lines that loop back onto themselves.



“Scarring is a localization around orbits that come back on themselves,” said Heller, who also contributed to the new work.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-quantum-electron-behavior-with-graphene">Quantum electron behavior with graphene</h2>



The study involved <a href="https://www.repsol.com/en/energy-and-the-future/technology-and-innovation/graphene/index.cshtml#:~:text=Graphene%20is%20a%20material%20that,and%20with%20a%20high%20resistance." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">graphene</a>, a sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a flat, hexagonal grid. Graphene’s smooth, two-dimensional structure makes it easier to watch how electrons move.&nbsp;



The researchers confined electrons inside a carefully shaped “stadium,” a region about 0.000016 inches long. This tiny field acted like a specialized arena, allowing the team to see whether the electrons spread out randomly or settled into specific pathways.&nbsp;



To accomplish this, they hovered a scanning tunneling microscope above the graphene, mapping out electron locations step by step without nudging them off their routes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-quantum-chaos-of-electrons-can-look-organized">Quantum chaos of electrons can look organized</h2>



The confirmed patterns show that, in certain conditions, electrons form orderly paths that stand out against the usual randomness.&nbsp;



The finding matters because electrons carry information, and their behavior forms the backbone of the devices we use every day. 



The study’s authors found that since electrons tend to keep their special patterns, it might be possible to move and guide them through future electronic systems more efficiently.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fresh-angles-for-next-generation-devices">Fresh angles for next-generation devices</h2>



When electrons follow stable routes, engineers can potentially build tiny devices that waste less energy. <a href="https://builtin.com/hardware/transistor#:~:text=Is%20a%20Transistor?-,A%20transistor%20is%20a%20device%20that%20controls%20an%20electrical%20current,from%20computers%20to%20space%20satellites." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Transistors</a>, the small switches inside electronics, rely on controlling electron flow.



If electrons move along predictable lines, next-generation transistors could send information through smaller and smaller spaces without losing too much energy as heat.&nbsp;



“By slightly disturbing, or ‘nudging’ these orbits, electrons could travel predictably across a device,” said Velasco. 



This hint that electrons may cruise along known paths rather than scatter into confusion could make today’s power-hungry gadgets more energy-friendly.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bridging-two-separate-worlds">Bridging two separate worlds</h2>



Classical physics describes the behavior of large, everyday objects, where anything rolling or bouncing around tends to scatter and spread out. In <a href="https://quantumatlas.umd.edu/entry/quantum-classical/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">contrast</a>, quantum physics deals with incredibly small scales, where particles behave like waves. When electrons swim through tight spaces, one might expect chaos to run wild, with no pattern at all. Instead, the electron patterns highlight a <a href="https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.114101" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">surprising link</a> between the classical world of random bounces and the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-computer-can-instantly-execute-a-task-that-would-normally-take-47-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">quantum world</a> of orderly waves.



This connection helps researchers understand where the rules of large-scale chaos end and where the strange order of quantum effects picks up.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-confirming-quantum-scars-evidence-of-electron-patterns">Confirming quantum scars: Evidence of electron patterns</h2>



Before this study, quantum scars were mostly considered exotic quirks backed by computer <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/building-quantum-computers-just-got-easier-with-new-technique/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">simulations</a> and high-level math.



Now, scientists can say with confidence that these <a href="https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.114101" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">patterns truly exist</a> in real materials. This evidence encourages others to think about how to control and use these previously hidden features.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-endless-possibilities-for-refinement">Endless possibilities for refinement</h2>



With the knowledge that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-quantum-revolution-will-impact-all-aspects-of-society/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">quantum</a> scars show up in actual systems, the researchers plan to test different shapes, sizes, and conditions to see what else might appear.



They might tweak the shape of their graphene arenas or play with different materials, always searching for new ways to influence the electrons’ organized paths.&nbsp;



Any steps forward might reveal more secrets about the relationship between seemingly wild <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-computing-giant-leap-forward-breakthrough-ultra-pure-silicon-discovery/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">quantum</a> behavior and the subtle patterns lurking behind it.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-glimpse-into-future-controls">A glimpse into future controls</h2>



A co-author of the paper, <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=emSppUsAAAAJ&amp;hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Zhehao Ge</a>, who was a graduate student at UC Santa Cruz at the time of the study, expressed excitement over the direct imaging of quantum scars. 



“I am very excited we successfully imaged quantum scars in a real <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-entanglement-instead-of-oil-or-coal-powers-a-new-kind-of-engine/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">quantum system</a>,” said Ge. 



This move from quantum theory to sight offers a rare opportunity to steer the bizarre movements of electrons rather than just watch them from afar.



Such control could encourage researchers to imagine entirely new categories of smaller, smarter devices that rely on subtle nudges instead of brute force to direct electrons, altering how we think about tomorrow’s electronics.



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Electrons can follow neat paths, even in chaotic quantum systems

For decades, experts have wondered if electrons could form strange...

Human beings have tested their grit in every corner of the planet. Some live at remote poles where the sun barely shows up. Others venture down deep, such as in submarines, to mine precious materials. A few strap themselves into rockets and hurtle through the vast expanse of space.



Against the prospective backdrop of future space travel, it should come as no surprise that our experience manning modern submarines through the ocean’s quiet depths, may offer valuable lessons on how astronauts might endure the isolation and stress of future space missions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-spending-two-months-underwater">Spending two months underwater</h2>



A team of volunteers has just surfaced after spending two months <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mysterious-melt-patterns-seen-by-ran-robot-underneath-antarctic-ice/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">underwater</a> as part of <a href="https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2024/12/Portuguese_submarine_for_space_research" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the SubSea effort</a>. 



They adapted to a life where every inch mattered, equipment was close, privacy was rare, and normal routines were turned upside down.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-space-meets-the-submarine-crew">Space meets the submarine crew</h2>



<a href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Submarines_for_space_exploration">This initiative</a> brought together researchers from Germany, Italy, and Portugal to observe how crews behave and feel in places that limit freedom of movement and personal comfort. 



After all, astronauts on long voyages will rely on understanding the best ways to stay balanced, calm, and productive when support lines to home are stretched thin.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-than-just-surveys-and-samples">More than just surveys and samples</h2>



Over that stretch of time, the volunteers filled out questionnaires designed to measure stress and mood. Scientists took samples of hair and saliva to examine shifts in hormones like cortisol that rise when people are tense.&nbsp;



They tracked immune markers to spot any telltale signs of the body struggling under strange conditions. 



Instead of assuming that what works in normal offices or busy labs would hold true in a sealed compartment, the project gathered raw data from individuals who lived it for real.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-from-submarine-crews-for-space-travel">Lessons from submarine crews for space travel</h2>



Astronauts in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/civilian-spacewalk-is-a-giant-leap-in-space-exploration/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">space</a> handle issues like microgravity, tricky sanitation, and complicated experiments. 



Submariners deal with water pressure, humidity, and the hum of machinery. Both groups work in shifting conditions that test their ability to think clearly and solve problems. <a href="https://www.marinha.pt/en/a-marinha/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Portuguese Navy</a> has significant experience in maritime operations, and by coordinating with organizations like the <a href="https://ptspace.pt/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Portuguese Space Agency</a>, experts are looking at ways to translate know-how earned beneath the waves to activities beyond Earth’s atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-subsea-experience">SubSea experience</h2>



“SubSea is an essential initiative to understand human resilience in extreme <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nasa-swot-satellite-mission-maps-earths-ocean-floors-from-space-in-stunning-detail/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">environments</a>,” said <a href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Andreas_Mogensen" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Andreas Mogensen</a>, who previously became the first Danish citizen in space in 2015 and recently served as pilot on the Crew Dragon spacecraft Endurance launched on August 26, 2023.&nbsp;



“Research into life and work in confined environments, whether under the sea, in space or in remote locations on Earth provide invaluable insights into how humans adapt physically and mentally to isolation and stress,” Morgensen added.&nbsp;



During his <a href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Huginn" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Huginn mission</a> (named after one of Odin’s ravens), Andreas sat as pilot beside NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, became ISS commander for more than five months, and returned to Earth on March 12, 2024 after 199 days in orbit.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-submarine-crews-insights-for-space-explorers">Submarine crews insights for space explorers</h2>



“These efforts deepen our understanding of extreme environments and play a crucial role in preparing the global space community for the challenges of future missions to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/its-official-earth-now-has-two-moons-captured-asteroid-2024-pt5/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Moon</a>, Mars, and beyond,” said <a href="https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Corporate_news/Daniel_Neuenschwander_Director_of_Human_and_Robotic_Exploration">Daniel Neuenschwander</a>, ESA’s Director of Human and Robotic Exploration. Drawing connections between submarine crews and off-world explorers may sound unusual, but the logic is straightforward: stress is stress, confinement is confinement, and humans are still human regardless of their surroundings.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-portugal-s-path-to-analog-mastery">Portugal’s path to analog mastery</h2>



Portugal’s commitment to building its space sector, detailed in its national strategies, reflects a vision that extends from submarine operations on the ocean floor to distant planets.



The Portuguese Space Agency has been working with <a href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Exploration/ESA_and_NASA_to_team_up_on_lunar_science" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">multiple partners</a> to strengthen the nation’s role in the global space scene, not just through satellites and launch services, but also by investing in <a href="https://ptspace.pt/portuguese-space-analogue-sites-and-facilities/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">analog sites</a> across the Azores and Madeira.&nbsp;



Real places, like volcanic and coastal areas that resemble lunar or Martian terrain, are already identified for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/spaceship-thruster-technology-fueled-by-any-type-of-metal-could-fly-indefinitely/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">exploration research</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-submarine-lessons-beyond-space">Submarine lessons beyond space</h2>



There is more at stake than guiding future astronauts who may travel millions of miles from home. Knowledge gained here might find its way back into our everyday lives. If certain routines or schedules keep spirits up in a submarine, perhaps those same methods can help teams thrive in remote military outposts or medical facilities serving isolated communities. Understanding how to manage stress and remain healthy has no single application. The same lessons may improve the conditions for researchers in polar stations or workers in locked-down regions who must make do with limited interaction and resources.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-long-term-vision">Long-term vision</h2>



Portugal’s broader <a href="https://ptspace.pt/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/PortugalSpace2030_EN_web.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plans</a>, as seen in the <a href="https://ptspace.pt/space-2030/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Portugal Space 2030 Strategy</a>, outline how growth in the space sector could generate jobs and spur innovations with direct ties to activities in the ocean. Future projects may support local businesses, enhance international cooperation, and expand educational opportunities for new generations. As new technologies emerge, the bond between underwater studies and space exploration may deepen even further.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-building-confidence">Building confidence</h2>



Each submarine mission or test site visit is another piece in a large puzzle. Even small details matter. Maybe it’s how meals are scheduled, how people share tasks, or how privacy is managed in cramped quarters. Every bit of data helps shape training and protocols, ensuring that when the time comes for longer <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-may-have-captured-the-moon-from-space/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">space</a> journeys, crews carry the knowledge earned through real, sometimes uncomfortable, but always meaningful experiences in submarines and below the surface of our own planet.



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Living in submarines can help astronauts prepare for future space missions

Human beings have tested their grit in every corner of...

<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...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE
</div></figure>



On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop and sunlight barely penetrates through the polar winter. It was here, however, that an international team of scientists found <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predatory-worms-were-terror-beasts-half-a-billion-years-ago/#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence of sea monsters</a> that would change our understanding of ocean life in the past.



This video captures the discovery of Timorebestia fossils that had been hidden for more than 500 million years in the Sirius Passet formation. The "terror beasts," as they are called, are a hidden chapter in the evolutionary history of <a href="https://www.earth.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth</a>, showing that sophisticated predator-prey interactions occurred much earlier than previously envisioned.



Dr. Jakob Vinther and his research team at the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bristol</a>, in collaboration with researchers at the <a href="https://eng.kopri.re.kr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Korean Polar Research Institute</a>, braved extreme weather conditions at 82.5 north latitude to locate these giant creatures. Using sophisticated electron microprobe analysis, they revealed the detailed anatomy of the animals, including their muscle and nerve tissues.



The find upsets the traditional timeline of sea predators. Although we've long appreciated that Cambrian oceans were at one time ruled by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWI3-UgA3_o&amp;list=PL1QLQMW9MWDwpkFOnvgAmu7wT6rZmYqdJ&amp;index=19" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">arthropods</a>, these discoveries indicate that relatives of arrow worms were first to dominate the seas. These worms were building sophisticated food webs several million years before other predator groups arose.



Each fossil is a story of ancient hunger, with fossil stomach contents revealing these meter-long beasts dined on heavily armored arthropods regularly, cementing their place as the ocean's first apex predators.



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">New York is the site of the world's oldest forest.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-385-million-year-old-trees-discovered">385-million-year-old trees discovered</h2>



Scientists have uncovered something extraordinary just two hours north of New York City. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-oldest-forest-discovered-close-to-new-york-city/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">world's oldest forest</a>, dating back 385 million years, offers a window into how Earth's first complex forests shaped our planet's atmosphere.



Located near <a href="https://townofcairo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cairo, New York</a>, in Greene County, these weren't merely primitive plants struggling to survive. These were sophisticated trees with root systems remarkably similar to modern forests. This ancient woodland predates dinosaurs by 140 million years.



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



385 million years ago, upstate New York was a tropical paradise near the equator. Thanks to continental drift, this ancient forest has traveled thousands of miles to its current location.



The fossil forest sits in an abandoned quarry, roughly half the size of a football field. This represents just a slice of what was likely a massive forest system stretching from New York into Pennsylvania.



Charles Ver Straeten, curator of sedimentary rocks at the <a href="https://www.nysm.nysed.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York State Museum</a>, made the discovery in 2009. While scouting the former highway department property, his trained eye spotted wandering patterns in the stone that looked like marine features.



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



The site contains 385-million-year-old rocks with fossilized woody roots forming horizontal patterns up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) wide. As Christopher Berry, a paleobotanist at Cardiff University, explains: "You are walking through the roots of ancient trees."



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



Researchers believe a massive flood buried the forest floor, creating perfect fossilization conditions. Over millions of years, sediment hardened into rock, preserving these root patterns like nature's time capsule.



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



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



William Stein from <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Binghamton University</a> describes the roots as "strikingly modern, essentially what you'd see outside in my yard right now." These weren't simple root systems you'd expect from ancient plants.



Some fossilized roots are six inches (15 centimeters) in diameter, forming 36-foot-wide (11-meter) patterns. These giants grew up to 65 feet (20 meters) tall with five-foot-diameter (1.5-meter) trunks.



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



These trees fundamentally changed Earth's environment. Kevin Boyce, a Stanford University geoscientist, explains how their deep roots triggered "weathering," chemical reactions that pulled carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.



This process dropped atmospheric CO2 levels from 10-15 times higher than today to roughly modern concentrations. These ancient trees helped create atmospheric conditions that made complex life possible.



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



The forest was remarkably diverse. Scientists identified Eospermatopteris, palm tree-like plants with short roots that reached 30 feet (9 meters) tall but lacked woody structure. The forest also housed cladoxylopsids and a mysterious third species still being studied.



All reproduced through spores rather than seeds – millions of years before seeds evolved. This tropical environment had no grass, flowers, or flying insects, just towering trees creating Earth's first complex forest canopy.



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



Before this finding, the Gilboa forest, located 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, held the "oldest forest" title. Cairo's trees are 2-3 million years older, showing that complex forest ecosystems developed much faster than scientists believed possible.



Patricia Gensel, a <a href="https://www.unc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of North Carolina</a> paleobotanist, notes: "The size of those root systems is really changing the picture. Even 20 years ago, researchers assumed trees with such complex root systems didn't evolve so early."



The Cairo site presents three unique root systems, suggesting Devonian period forests were diverse ecosystems with different trees occupying different environmental niches, much like today's forests.



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



In 2022, New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey secured a $170,000 grant for the town of Cairo to construct specialized fencing around the fossil forest site. The town plans to conduct a feasibility study exploring the possibility of creating an educational center and working lab on-site.



Joe Hasenkopf, chair of the Cairo Planning Board, hopes to partner with educational institutions to create a research facility serving scientists, students, and the public.



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



Why does a 385-million-year-old forest matter today? It shows how dramatically forests can change Earth's climate. These ancient woodlands created the atmospheric conditions supporting complex life.



Understanding how prehistoric forests transformed the planet helps us appreciate modern forests' critical role in addressing climate change. Forests remain Earth's most effective carbon capture systems.



These prehistoric trees changed Earth's atmosphere by pulling massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the air. As we face modern climate challenges, this ancient forest reminds us of trees' incredible power to transform our planet's environment.



The next time you walk through a forest, remember you're experiencing an ecosystem whose blueprint was established 385 million years ago in upstate New York. These ancient pioneers didn't just survive – they thrived and changed the world forever.



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ New York is the site of the world's oldest...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The environmental problem we actually solved

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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