In a remarkable medical breakthrough, engineers have developed a light-activated pacemaker so tiny that doctors can inject it into the body through a syringe. Remarkably, the device simply dissolves after it’s no longer needed.&nbsp;



Designed for newborns, the pacemaker could transform temporary heart care after congenital defect surgeries.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-controlling-the-heart-with-light">Controlling the heart with light</h2>



The new pacemaker is smaller than a grain of rice. It's wirelessly activated through pulses of light which are delivered by a soft, wearable device mounted on the patient’s chest.



The external controller detects abnormal rhythms and sends light through the body to activate the pacemaker and restore heartbeat. The study demonstrates the device’s effectiveness across animal and human donor hearts.&nbsp;



The development of the pacemaker was led by John A. Rogers, a professor of material science, biomedical engineering, and neurological surgery at <a href="https://www.northwestern.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Northwestern University</a>.&nbsp;



“We have developed what is, to our knowledge, the world’s smallest pacemaker,” said Professor Rogers.



“There’s a crucial need for temporary pacemakers in the context of pediatric heart surgeries, and that’s a use case where size miniaturization is incredibly important. In terms of the device load on the body - the smaller, the better.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-solution-designed-for-newborns">Solution designed for newborns</h2>



Though the light-activated pacemaker can function in patients of all sizes, its miniaturized design was motivated by the needs of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/infant-speech-is-driven-by-heart-rate-activity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">infants</a>. 



Igor Efimov is a co-leader of the study and experimental cardiologist at Northwestern.&nbsp;



“About 1% of children are born with congenital heart defects. The good news is that these children only need temporary pacing after a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-smallest-robot-could-transform-minimally-invasive-surgery/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">surgery</a>. In about seven days or so, most patients’ hearts will self-repair. But those seven days are absolutely critical," said Efimov.



Traditional pacemakers require surgery and have wires sticking out of the chest to connect to an external device. When they are no longer needed, the wires are removed - risking bleeding, tissue damage, or even death.



“Wires literally protrude from the body, attached to a pacemaker outside the body,” Efimov explained. “When the pacemaker is no longer needed, a physician pulls it out. The wires can become enveloped in scar tissue. That’s actually how Neil Armstrong died.”



The new injectable pacemaker addresses these risks. All of its components are biocompatible and bioresorbable, meaning they safely dissolve in the body’s fluids without needing surgical removal. Once the device has served its purpose, it simply disappears.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-refining-the-light-activated-pacemaker">Refining the light-activated pacemaker</h2>



This innovation builds on <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-021-00948-x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">earlier work</a> by Rogers and Efimov, who developed a quarter-sized dissolvable pacemaker in 2021. Surgeons asked for a smaller version to allow easier placement and suit the smallest patients.&nbsp;



The original device used near-field communication (NFC), but its antenna limited how small the device could be made. To overcome this, the team replaced the NFC system with a novel light-based mechanism.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/pacemaker_light-activated_worlds-smallest_heart-health_Northwestern_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/pacemaker_light-activated_worlds-smallest_heart-health_Northwestern_1s.webp" alt="The tiny pacemaker sits next to a single grain of rice on a fingertip. The device is so small that it can be non-invasively injected into the body via a syringe. Credit: John A. Rogers/Northwestern University" class="wp-image-1964846"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The tiny pacemaker sits next to a single grain of rice on a fingertip. The device is so small that it can be non-invasively injected into the body via a syringe. Click image to enlarge. Credit: John A. Rogers/Northwestern University</figcaption></figure>



“Instead of using the radio frequency scheme for wireless control, we developed a light-based scheme for turning the pacemaker on and delivering stimulation pulses to the surface of the heart. This is one feature that allowed us to dramatically reduce the size,” said Professor Rogers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-powered-by-the-body-s-own-fluids">Powered by the body’s own fluids</h2>



The engineers also reimagined how to power the tiny pacemaker. Rather than requiring a battery or external power source, the device uses a simple galvanic cell - a chemical battery formed by two different metals as electrodes.&nbsp;



When the device is inside the body, surrounding biofluids act as the electrolyte, allowing electrical current to flow and stimulate the heart.



“A very tiny light-activated switch on the opposite side from the battery allows us to turn the device from its ‘off’ state to an ‘on’ state upon delivery of light that passes through the patient’s body from the skin-mounted patch,” explained Professor Rogers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reducing-trauma-and-risk">Reducing trauma and risk</h2>



Using infrared light, which can safely penetrate deep into the body, the wearable controller detects when a patient’s heart rate falls too low. It then triggers a light-emitting diode (LED) to flash on and off at the desired pacing rhythm.&nbsp;



“Infrared light penetrates very well through the body,” Efimov said. “If you put a flashlight against your palm, you will see the light glow through the other side of your hand. It turns out that our bodies are great conductors of light.”



Despite its microscopic size - just 1.8 mm wide, 3.5 mm long, and 1 mm thick - the pacemaker delivers stimulation on par with traditional devices. “The heart requires a tiny amount of electrical stimulation,” Rogers said.&nbsp;



“By minimizing the size, we dramatically simplify the implantation procedures, we reduce trauma and risk to the patient, and, with the dissolvable nature of the device, we eliminate any need for secondary surgical extraction procedures.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-new-era-of-heart-care">A new era of heart care</h2>



Because these light-activated pacemakers are so small and wireless, doctors could one day deploy multiple units on different parts of the heart to create more advanced pacing systems. 



Each device could be controlled independently using different light wavelengths, enabling personalized and precisely timed stimulation across the heart’s surface.



“We can deploy a number of such small pacemakers onto the outside of the heart and control each one,” Efimov said. “Then we can achieve improved synchronized functional care.”



Professor Rogers noted that because it’s so small, the pacemaker can be integrated with almost any kind of implantable device.



“We also demonstrated integration of collections of these devices across the frameworks that serve as transcatheter aortic valve replacements to address complications that can occur during a patient’s recovery process," said Rogers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-of-bioelectronic-medicine">Future of bioelectronic medicine</h2>



While this breakthrough has clear implications for pediatric heart care, the technology could pave the way for a new generation of bioelectronic medicine.&nbsp;



These tiny, dissolvable devices could one day be adapted to promote nerve and bone regeneration, manage <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mindfulness-meditation-is-a-powerful-weapon-against-chronic-pain/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pain</a>, support wound healing, and more.



Northwestern engineers shrank the device and removed risks by making it dissolve after use. In doing so, they’ve created a tool that could reshape how doctors care for the heart - from the tiniest patients to adults.



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Click here to <a href="https://youtu.be/j_0hZ8cUwgo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">watch a video interview...</a>



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08726-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



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World's smallest pacemaker is set to revolutionize heart health

In a remarkable medical breakthrough, engineers have developed a light-activated pacemaker so tiny that doctors can inject it into the body through a syringe. Remarkably, the device simply dissolves after it’s no longer needed.&nbsp; Designed for newborns, the pacemaker could transform temporary heart care after congenital defect surgeries. Controlling the heart with light The new pacemaker is smaller than a grain of rice. It's wirelessly activated through pulses of light which are delivered by a soft, wearable device mounted on the patient’s chest. The external controller detects...

The rapid expansion of satellite "megaconstellations" is jeopardizing the recovery of the ozone hole.



As satellites fall into Earth's atmosphere and burn up, they release tiny particles of aluminum oxide. These particles can severely damage Earth's protective ozone layer. 



A recent study revealed that aluminum oxides increased eight-fold between 2016 and 2022, with more accumulation expected as the number of <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/what-is-low-earth-orbit-leo/">low-Earth-orbit satellites</a> continues to rise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-satellite-megaconstellations">Satellite megaconstellations</h2>



Megaconstellations are large groups of low Earth orbit satellites working together for global coverage. Companies like <a href="https://www.spacex.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SpaceX</a> and Amazon lead this effort, aiming to provide high-speed internet worldwide. Starlink, SpaceX's project, plans up to 42,000 satellites. 



Amazon's <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/what-we-do/devices-services/project-kuiper" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Project Kuiper</a> will launch thousands more. These satellites orbit closer to Earth, reducing signal delay and improving internet access in remote areas.



However, megaconstellations pose environmental and space traffic risks. When satellites re-enter the atmosphere, they release aluminum oxides, threatening the ozone layer. 



The rapid increase in satellite numbers raises concerns about space debris, which can cause collisions and damage other satellites.



Despite these challenges, megaconstellations represent a significant technological advance, potentially revolutionizing global communication. Balancing their benefits with environmental and safety considerations is crucial for sustainable space development.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shrinking-ozone-hole">Shrinking ozone hole</h2>



The 1987 Montreal Protocol successfully regulated ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), resulting in a shrinking <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-ozone-hole-exposes-wildlife-to-harmful-uv-radiation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ozone hole</a> over Antarctica.



Full recovery was anticipated within fifty years. However, the unexpected rise in aluminum oxides may halt this progress in the coming decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-proliferation-of-low-earth-orbit-satellites">Proliferation of low-earth-orbit satellites</h2>



Currently, there are 8,100 objects in low Earth orbit, with 6,000 of them being Starlink satellites that were recently launched.



The demand for global internet coverage drives the rapid increase in the number of small <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/communications-satellites-may-disrupt-astronomical-observations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">communication satellites</a>.



SpaceX leads this effort, with permission to launch another 12,000 Starlink satellites and plans for up to 42,000 in total.



Companies like Amazon are also planning constellations ranging from 3,000 to 13,000 satellites.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ozone-threat-from-satellite-lifespans">Ozone threat from satellite lifespans</h2>



Internet satellites in low Earth orbit have a short lifespan of about five years. To maintain internet service, companies must continually launch replacement satellites, perpetuating a cycle of planned obsolescence and unplanned pollution.



Aluminum oxides from these satellites trigger destructive reactions between ozone and chlorine, depleting the ozone layer. 



These oxides persist in the atmosphere for decades, continually destroying ozone molecules.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lack-of-attention-to-satellite-pollutants">Lack of attention to satellite pollutants</h2>



Despite the potential damage, little attention has been paid to pollutants formed when satellites burn up in the upper atmosphere. 



Previous studies focused on the consequences of launching vehicles into space, such as the release of rocket fuel. 



The new study by researchers from the University of Southern California <a href="https://viterbischool.usc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Viterbi School of Engineering</a> provides the first realistic estimate of the extent of long-lived pollution in the upper atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-satellite-pollution-and-ozone-damage">Satellite pollution and ozone damage</h2>



“Only in recent years have people started to think this might become a problem,” said Joseph Wang, a researcher in astronautics at the University of Southern California and corresponding author of the study. “We were one of the first teams to look at what the implication of these facts might be.”



The experts used advanced modeling to estimate pollution from satellite re-entry. Previous estimates based on micrometeoroids were inaccurate due to the low aluminum content in micrometeoroids compared to satellites.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ozone-depletion-and-satellite-re-entry">Ozone depletion and satellite re-entry</h2>



In 2022, re-entering satellites increased atmospheric aluminum by 29.5% over natural levels.



The study found that a typical 250-kilogram satellite, with 30% of its mass as aluminum, generates about 30 kilograms of aluminum oxide nanoparticles during re-entry. 



Most of these particles are created in the mesosphere, 50-85 kilometers above Earth’s surface.



The researchers estimate that it will take up to 30 years for these particles to drift down to the stratosphere, where 90% of Earth's ozone is located.



By the time the planned <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/see-the-satellite-constellations-posing-risks-to-night-sky-observations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">satellite constellations</a> are complete, approximately 912 metric tons of aluminum will fall to Earth annually, releasing around 360 metric tons of aluminum oxides each year, a 646% increase over natural levels.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ozone-layer-recovery-at-risk">Ozone layer recovery at risk</h2>



The rapid expansion of satellite megaconstellations poses a significant threat to the recovery of the ozone layer. 



Immediate attention and further research are crucial to mitigate this emerging environmental challenge and ensure the continued protection of Earth's ozone layer.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024GL109280" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.



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Burning up of satellites severely harms ozone recovery

The rapid expansion of satellite "megaconstellations" is jeopardizing the recovery...

A mother's love is a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/emotions-sensory-perception-brain-fascinating-interplay/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">powerful force</a>, shaping not just our childhood but potentially our entire lifespan. Recent research suggests a fascinating link between the depth of maternal care and the evolution of longer lifespans in both humans and animals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mystery-of-human-longevity">Mystery of human longevity</h2>



Humans are an anomaly in the animal kingdom. We outlive many other mammals of comparable size, and scientists have long puzzled over the reasons behind our exceptional longevity. 



<a href="https://as.cornell.edu/people/matthew-zipple" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Matthew Zipple</a>, a Klarman Postdoctoral Fellow at <a href="https://www.cornell.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cornell University</a>, believes the answer may lie in the unique bond between mother and child.



Zipple's research, conducted alongside colleagues H. Kern Reeve and Orca Jimmy Peniston, challenges us to reconsider the significance of maternal care. "It's one of the really mysterious things about humans, the fact that we live these super long lives as compared to so many other mammals," said Zipple.



"What we're putting forward is that a part of the explanation for our long lifespan is this other foundational aspect of our lives, which is the relationship between the mother and her child."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mother-s-care-and-evolution">Mother's care and evolution</h2>



Zipple and his team propose that species in which offspring survival depends heavily on extended maternal care tend to evolve longer lifespans and slower reproductive rates. This pattern is evident in humans and a surprising array of other mammals, including hyenas, whales, and elephants.



"As we see these links between maternal survival and offspring fitness grow stronger, we see the evolution of animals having longer lives and reproducing less often – the same pattern we see in humans," noted Zipple.



"And what's nice about this model is that it's general to mammals overall, because we know these links exist in other species outside of primates, like hyenas, whales and elephants."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-motherhood-s-influence">Motherhood's influence</h2>



To test their hypothesis, the researchers developed a mathematical model that demonstrates the relationship between maternal survival, offspring fitness, and the pace of life. 



This model, along with two additional empirical models, provides a framework for understanding how maternal care shapes the evolution of lifespan.



The team envisions that their models could be utilized by field ecologists to analyze long-term demographic data and predict the impact of maternal care on the evolution of various species.



"We hope we've made the model straightforward enough, that field ecologists can take their existing long-term demographic data that they've been collecting for decades and apply it to this model, and come up with this estimate of how much they expect mother’s maternal care to have shaped the evolution of their study system,” said Zipple.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mother-and-grandmother-hypothesis">Mother and grandmother hypothesis</h2>



The new research builds upon the existing Mother and Grandmother hypothesis, which posits that offspring have higher survival rates when their mothers and grandmothers are present in their lives. 



While this theory has primarily been used to explain menopause in humans, Zipple's work expands its scope, incorporating a wider range of ways in which maternal care influences offspring <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-environment-day-the-critical-role-of-nature-in-human-well-being/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fitness</a>.



The team's models delve into the specific effects of a mother's death after weaning but before the offspring's sexual maturation. Zipple's doctoral research on baboons and other primates revealed that such a loss can have profound negative impacts on offspring and even grand-offspring.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-power-of-mother-s-care-and-love">The power of mother's care and love</h2>



For Zipple, whose research involved observing mother-<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/severe-childhood-obesity-can-cut-life-expectancy-in-half/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">infant</a> interactions in baboons, the connection between motherhood and longevity resonates deeply. 



"When you watch mothers and infants in nonhuman primates interact, you can just see in the faces of the infants that there’s nothing more important in the world than the presence of its mother."



Zipple's research reminds us of the profound and enduring influence of maternal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/having-a-sense-of-purpose-makes-you-more-likely-to-find-love/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">love</a>. It suggests that the bond between mother and child, a universal thread across the animal kingdom, may hold the key to unlocking the secrets of longevity and understanding the very essence of what it means to be human. 



Part of the long-term aspiration of this line of research is linking maternal love to longevity - two mysterious and central aspects of what it is to be human.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2403491121" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)</a>



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Mother's care linked to the evolution of longer lifespans

A mother's love is a powerful force, shaping not just...

The world of birdsong may be shrinking, and not just because our forests are dwindling. A remarkable study has unveiled a list of 126 bird species that have effectively vanished from scientific records. These "lost birds" haven't been seen or heard in over a decade, and many are teetering on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/the-12-endangered-birds-most-at-risk-of-extinction/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">brink of extinction</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-digital-archives-of-lost-birds">Digital archives of lost birds</h2>



The creation of this unprecedented list was a collaborative effort, led by the <a href="https://searchforlostbirds.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Search for Lost Birds</a> project and relying heavily on the vast digital archives of the Macaulay Library at the <a href="https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cornell Lab of Ornithology</a>.



"We started with the Macaulay Library because it is the richest depository of bird media, and we quickly found documentation for the vast majority of the world's birds," said lead author Cameron Rutt, a bird biologist with the <a href="https://abcbirds.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Bird Conservancy</a>.



Rutt and his team combed through an astounding 42 million photos, videos, and audio recordings, hunting for species that lacked any recent documentation. This involved not just identifying the absence of evidence but also the evidence of absence – a meticulous process of elimination that required both scientific rigor and a touch of digital sleuthing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-unseen-and-the-unsung">The unseen and the unsung</h2>



The resulting list is a sobering reminder of the biodiversity crisis we face. While 126 species may seem like a small fraction of the roughly 11,000 known bird species, it represents a significant chunk of avian diversity that has slipped through the cracks of scientific observation.



These lost birds hail from all corners of the globe, with concentrations in Asia, Africa, and the remote islands of Oceania. Some have been lost due to habitat destruction, while others may simply inhabit areas so remote that no one has ventured there in recent years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-conservation-of-lost-birds">Conservation of lost birds</h2>



The publication of this list isn't just an academic exercise; it's a call to action. By identifying these lost birds, scientists and conservationists can prioritize their efforts to rediscover them and assess their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/island-bird-communities-are-changing-in-unexpected-ways/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">conservation needs</a>.



"Once absent species are identified, we can look for them and see if they need some kind of protection – this method helps identify research priorities for possible conservation action," explained study co-author Eliot Miller, a former postdoctoral researcher at the Cornell Lab.



The search is already underway. Since the study's initiation, several lost birds have been rediscovered, including the black-naped pheasant-pigeon, which hadn't been documented on a remote island of Papua New Guinea in over a century.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-whimbrels-and-curlews-a-family-in-peril">Whimbrels and curlews: A family in peril</h2>



The study's findings highlight a concerning trend: a disproportionate number of whimbrels and curlews are among the lost bird species. 



This suggests that these shorebirds, known for their long, curved bills and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wings-without-borders-the-significance-of-world-migratory-bird-day/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">migratory habits</a>, are facing significant threats which are likely linked to human activities such as habitat destruction, pollution, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-birds-are-at-great-risk-from-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate change</a>.



The decline of these birds underscores the need for targeted conservation efforts to protect their vulnerable populations and the coastal ecosystems they inhabit.



"One of the things I learned from doing this is how many whimbrel and curlew relatives have likely gone extinct or seem to be heading in that direction," said Miller. "It seems to be a group of birds that does not do well with people."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-importance-of-local-knowledge">Importance of local knowledge</h2>



Rediscovering these lost birds won't be easy. It will require a combination of scientific expertise, local knowledge, and a bit of luck. 



The Search for Lost Birds project is already working with on-site partners to tap into local knowledge and fund expeditions to find these elusive species.



"A narrow slice of the world’s birds has fallen through the cracks," said Rutt. "The coming years and decades will be critical if these birds are going to persist."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-glimmer-of-hope">A glimmer of hope</h2>



The rediscovery of these lost bird species is a critical undertaking with the potential to prevent extinctions. By identifying and locating these birds, scientists can initiate targeted conservation efforts, protecting their habitats and addressing the factors that led to their disappearance. 



Though the task is challenging, the successful rediscovery of several species since the study's inception provides hope that with dedicated research and collaboration, we can safeguard these avian populations and ensure their continued presence in the natural world.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fee.2778" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment</a>.



Image Credit: Photo by Wang Bin | Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.



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More than 100 bird species have been lost for over a decade

The world of birdsong may be shrinking, and not just...

An international team of astronomers has uncovered the formation history of young <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/uma3-u1-faintest-star-system-found-orbiting-milky-way-galaxy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">star</a> clusters, many of which are visible to the naked eye at night.



This remarkable research reveals that most nearby young star clusters belong to only three families, each originating from very massive star-forming regions.



The findings offer new insights into the effects of supernovae on the formation of giant gas structures in galaxies like our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stars-at-the-edge-of-our-milky-way-galaxy-travel-more-slowly/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milky Way</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-young-star-clusters">Young star clusters</h2>



Young star clusters have formed relatively recently in the cosmic timeline, typically within the last few hundred million years.



These groups of stars often emerge from large clouds of gas and dust, known as molecular clouds, where new stars are born. They are crucial for astronomers studying stellar evolution, as they provide snapshots of the early stages of star development.



There are two main types of young star clusters: open clusters and globular clusters. Open star clusters, which formed more recently, contain a few hundred to a few thousand stars that are loosely bound by gravity and can disperse over time.



"Found in irregular galaxies and spiral galaxies like the Milky Way, open clusters contain both old and young stars and are generally much younger than globular clusters –&nbsp;typically they are less than a billion years old," noted <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/universe/star-clusters-inside-the-universes-stellar-collections/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>.



Star clusters can vary in size and brightness, and their stars often range from very massive and hot to smaller, cooler ones. Studying these stellar groups helps scientists understand the processes of star formation and the dynamics of stellar populations in galaxies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancestry-of-young-star-clusters">Ancestry of young star clusters</h2>



The research team was led by Cameren Swiggum and João Alves from the <a href="https://www.univie.ac.at/">University of Vienna</a>, along with Robert Benjamin from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.



Using precise data from the European Space Agency's (ESA) Gaia mission and spectroscopic observations, the researchers traced the origins of 155 young star clusters within a radius of about 3,500 light-years around the Sun. 



Their analysis shows that these star clusters can be divided into three families, named after the most prominent clusters within them: Collinder 135 (Cr135), Messier 6 (M6), and Alpha Persei (αPer).



"Young star clusters are excellent for exploring the history and structure of the Milky Way. By studying their movements in the past and thus their origin, we also gain important insights into the formation and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massive-galactic-explosion-provides-clues-about-galaxy-evolution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evolution of our galaxy</a>," noted Alves.



The team's findings suggest that these star clusters originate from only three very active and massive star-forming regions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-interconnectedness-of-star-clusters">Interconnectedness of star clusters</h2>



"These findings offer a clearer understanding of how young star clusters in our galactic neighborhood are interconnected, much like members of a family or ‘bloodlines’," said Swiggum, lead author of the study.



 By examining the 3D movements and past positions of these star clusters, the team identified their common origins and located the regions in our galaxy where the first stars in these respective star clusters formed up to 40 million years ago.



The study revealed that over 200 supernova explosions must have occurred within these three star cluster families, releasing enormous amounts of energy into their surroundings. The volatile energy likely had a significant impact on the gas distribution in the local Milky Way.



"This could explain the formation of a superbubble, a giant bubble of gas and dust with a diameter of 3,000 light-years around the Cr135 family," explained Swiggum.



Our solar system is also embedded in such a bubble, known as the Local Bubble, which is filled with very thin and hot gas. 



"The Local Bubble is probably also linked to the history of one of the three star cluster families," noted Swiggum. "And it has likely left traces on Earth, as suggested by measurements of iron isotopes (60Fe) in the Earth's crust."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-galactic-time-machine">A galactic time machine</h2>



"We can practically turn the sky into a time machine that allows us to trace the history of our home galaxy," said Alves. "By deciphering the genealogy of star clusters, we also learn more about our own <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-stars-shakti-shiva-shaped-milky-way-galaxy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galactic ancestry</a>."



In the future, the experts plan to investigate more precisely whether and how our solar system has interacted with interstellar matter in our home galaxy, the Milky Way.



This research not only advances our understanding of <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/messier-82-unlocking-the-mysteries-of-star-formation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">star formation</a> but also provides a deeper insight into the complex history of our galaxy.



The findings underscore the interconnectedness of stellar phenomena and their lasting impact on the structure of the Milky Way.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07496-9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



Image Credit: ESO/STScI Digitized Sky Survey II



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-----

Secret origins of young star clusters traced to three families

An international team of astronomers has uncovered the formation history...

For the first time since November 2023, <a href="https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA’s Voyager 1</a> spacecraft has started transmitting useful data back to Earth about the status and functionality of its onboard systems. 



The mission team is now preparing for the spacecraft to resume sending back scientific data. Voyager 1, along with its sibling Voyager 2, are the only spacecraft to venture into <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-received-laser-communication-from-10-million-miles-away/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">interstellar space</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unreadable-data-from-voyager-1">Unreadable data from Voyager 1</h2>



Voyager 1 had ceased transmitting intelligible science and engineering data on November 14, 2023. Although the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/space-travel-has-left-a-metal-mark-on-earths-stratosphere/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">spacecraft</a> appeared to be receiving instructions and operating as expected, the data it sent back was unreadable. 



In March, the engineering team at NASA’s <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> (JPL) in Southern California diagnosed the problem as being related to a malfunction in one of the spacecraft’s three onboard computers, specifically the flight data subsystem (FDS). 



This system is responsible for organizing the science and engineering data before it is sent to Earth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-malfunction-traced-to-a-single-chip">Malfunction traced to a single chip</h2>



The resurgence of data transmission in April 2024 was met with celebrations by the Voyager team at JPL. The malfunction was traced back to a single memory chip within the FDS that had failed.&nbsp;



This chip was crucial as it held part of the FDS's memory, including segments of its software code, essential for processing the data sent to Earth.&nbsp;



With the chip non-functional and irreplaceable, the team attempted to reassign the code to different parts of the FDS memory. However, no single section of the memory was sufficiently large to accommodate the entire code.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-voyager-1-issue-was-resolved">How the Voyager 1 issue was resolved</h2>



The solution involved fragmenting the code into smaller segments and reallocating these across several memory locations.&nbsp;



This intricate process required adjustments to ensure the fragmented code could operate seamlessly as a whole. This also involved updating references to the code’s location in the FDS memory.



The focus initially was on the segment of the code responsible for collating the spacecraft’s engineering data. This was successfully relocated within the FDS memory on April 18.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-billions-of-miles-from-earth">Billions of miles from Earth</h2>



Given Voyager 1's immense distance - over 15 billion miles (24 billion kilometers) from Earth - it takes about 22 ½ hours for a signal to travel from Earth to the spacecraft and another 22 ½ hours for the response to return.&nbsp;



When communications were reestablished on April 20, the team confirmed that the adjustments were successful, marking the first time in five months that they could verify the spacecraft's operational health and status.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-resuming-transmission-from-voyager-1">Resuming transmission from Voyager 1</h2>



In the upcoming weeks, the Voyager team plans to reposition and modify the remaining sections of the FDS software, which are crucial for resuming the transmission of scientific data.



Meanwhile, <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/voyager/voyager-2/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Voyager 2</a> remains fully functional. Launched more than 46 years ago, the Voyager spacecraft - both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 - are the most enduring and farthest-traveling spacecraft ever launched. 



Prior to entering interstellar space, each <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/voyager-spacecraft-fighting-survival-cosmic-threats-outside-our-solar-system/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">spacecraft</a> conducted flybys of Jupiter and Saturn, with Voyager 2 also visiting Uranus and Neptune.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-voyager-mission">The Voyager mission</h2>



The Voyager mission, launched by NASA in 1977, comprises two spacecraft, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, designed to explore the outer planets of our solar system and beyond.&nbsp;



Initially intended to study Jupiter and Saturn, the mission's success led to extended objectives, including flybys of Uranus and Neptune by Voyager 2. Both spacecraft provided unprecedented data and images of these distant planets and their moons, rings, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/milky-way-galaxy-is-surrounded-by-massive-magnetic-fields/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">magnetic fields</a>.



Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 have since journeyed into interstellar space, transmitting data back to Earth about the heliosphere's outer edges and the interstellar medium.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-extraterrestrial-messages-in-the-golden-records-nbsp">Extraterrestrial messages in the Golden Records&nbsp;</h2>



The Voyager mission includes extraterrestrial messages that are encapsulated in Golden Records, which are phonograph records attached to both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-content-nbsp">Content&nbsp;</h3>



These records were designed to communicate the story of our world to any extraterrestrial beings who might find them. The content of the Golden Records was curated to present a snapshot of life on Earth, reflecting the planet's diversity, culture, and technological achievements.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-images-and-sounds-nbsp">Images and sounds&nbsp;</h3>



Each Golden Record contains 115 images depicting a variety of subjects, including humans, animals, plants, architecture, and landscapes, as well as scientific and technical diagrams.&nbsp;



Additionally, the records include a selection of natural sounds, such as thunder, birdsong, and the calls of whales.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-music">Music</h3>



To convey the essence of human culture, the records feature a rich assortment of music from different cultures and eras, spanning classical, jazz, folk, and traditional pieces from around the world.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-greetings">Greetings</h3>



The records include spoken greetings in 55 different languages - from ancient Sumerian to modern languages like English and Mandarin - as well as a greeting from Kurt Waldheim, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations.&nbsp;



There are also printed messages from U.S. President Jimmy Carter and NASA Administrator James Fletcher.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-lasting-message">A lasting message</h3>



Instructions on how to play the records, including the stylus needed to play them, are also included.&nbsp;



The records were created under the guidance of a committee led by Carl Sagan, who aimed to create a comprehensive and lasting message about Earth and its inhabitants, offering a friendly greeting to any potential finders in the vastness of space.



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Voyager 1 is 15 billion miles from Earth and still sending data

For the first time since November 2023, NASA’s Voyager 1...

Have you ever wondered why a doctor might ask for your <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/consensual-touch-greatly-benefits-mental-physical-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">consent</a> before touching you during an examination? Or why your partner might ask before giving you a hug? It turns out, there's more to these seemingly small gestures than simple politeness. 



Recent research has revealed that the mere act of asking for consent before touching someone can significantly enhance their experience. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-science-of-touch-and-consent">Science of touch and consent</h2>



Touch is a fundamental aspect of human connection, playing a vital role in our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mixed-emotions-linked-to-unique-brain-activity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emotional</a> and physical well-being. From a comforting hug to a gentle caress, touch can convey warmth, support, and affection. 



However, not all touch is created equal. The way we experience touch can be profoundly influenced by whether or not we <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-pinpoints-the-brain-regions-that-regulate-emotions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">feel</a> we have a say in it.



Researchers at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (<a href="https://www.lmu.de/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LMU</a>), the <a href="https://www.unibw.de/home-en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of the Bundeswehr Munich</a>, and <a href="https://tu-dresden.de/?set_language=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dresden University of Technology</a> designed a series of experiments to investigate the impact of consent on the perception of touch. Participants were gently stroked on their arm by a researcher under various conditions. 



In some trials, participants were given a choice regarding aspects of the touch, such as where on their arm they would be touched or the color of the glove worn by the researcher. In other trials, participants were not given any choice.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-consent-before-touch-enhances-pleasure">Consent before touch enhances pleasure</h2>



The results of the study were striking. When given any choice, even over seemingly trivial matters like the color of the glove, participants reported the same touch as significantly more pleasurable. This effect was consistent across different speeds of touch, known to influence the perceived pleasantness.



Furthermore, researchers used pupillometric technology to measure participants' physiological arousal levels. The data revealed that the act of choosing boosted arousal levels in anticipation of being touched. 



"It seems the simple act of choosing enhances how our body and mind respond to intimate contact," noted Lenka Gorman, a doctoral candidate at LMU's Cognition, Values, Behaviour Lab.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-profound-implications-of-choice">Profound implications of choice</h2>



These findings have far-reaching implications for various aspects of human interaction. In personal relationships, the act of asking for consent before initiating physical contact can deepen intimacy and foster trust. 



In clinical settings, such as touch-based therapies, providing patients with more perceived control over their treatment could enhance the therapeutic benefits.



"Choice and consent are ethical concerns; they're also fundamental to how we experience things. We know that choosing taps into the same dopamine system as money, food, sex, and other rewards we actively seek," said Professor Ophelia Deroy, Chair of Philosophy of Mind at LMU.



The fact that choice can enhance even passive experiences highlights its crucial role in building strong connections.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-choice-as-a-double-edged-sword">Choice as a double-edged sword</h2>



While the research underscores the positive impact of choice on our experiences, it also raises cautionary notes. 



"Our research also found that even minor choices, like picking a color, can make people more open to an experience," noted Professor Deroy. "This makes us think about why these choices are offered, especially in marketing situations where they can be used to trick us."



This insight suggests that the power of choice can be exploited for manipulative purposes. Marketers and advertisers may offer consumers seemingly inconsequential choices to make them more receptive to their products or services. 



Therefore, it's crucial to be aware of the subtle ways in which choice can influence our perceptions and decisions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-of-choice-and-consent">Future of choice and consent</h2>



The research on touch and consent opens up new avenues for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/can-you-train-your-brain-to-manage-strong-emotions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">exploration</a>. Future studies could investigate the impact of choice on other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/emotions-sensory-perception-brain-fascinating-interplay/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sensory experiences</a>, such as taste or smell. 



Additionally, researchers could delve deeper into the neural mechanisms underlying the link between choice and pleasure.



The implications of this research extend beyond the laboratory. By recognizing the profound impact of choice on our experiences, we can foster healthier relationships, enhance therapeutic practices, and navigate the complexities of modern life with greater awareness and autonomy. 



So, the next time you reach out to touch someone, remember the power of asking, "May I?"



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13414-024-02887-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Attention Perception &amp; Psychophysics</a>.



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Asking for consent before touching someone enhances the experience

Have you ever wondered why a doctor might ask for...

Close,Up,Of,Female,Famer,Hands,Holding,Soil,Outdoors,At

Regenerative agriculture has become the focus of the agricultural community as farmers in the U.S. face the harsh realities of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-pool-of-global-soil-carbon-alters-climate-change-models/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate change</a> -- extreme heat, drought, heavy rainfall, flooding, and erosion.



This innovative approach promises not only to improve <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/soil-microbes-may-shape-the-flavor-of-food/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">soil health</a> but also to provide financial opportunities through "carbon farming.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-regenerative-agriculture">What is regenerative agriculture?</h2>



Regenerative agriculture is a farming approach that focuses on enhancing and restoring the health of the soil, ecosystems, and the environment while producing food. It goes beyond sustainable practices, which aim to maintain the status quo, by actively improving the land. 



The key principles of regenerative agriculture include:



<ul>
<li>Minimizing soil disturbance: Reducing tillage and avoiding the use of heavy machinery to maintain soil structure and integrity.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Maximizing crop diversity: <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mixed-farming-could-increase-food-productivity-and-reduce-emissions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Planting a variety of crops</a> and using crop rotation to enhance soil health and reduce pests and diseases.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Keeping the soil covered: Using cover crops, mulch, and crop residues to protect the soil from erosion, regulate temperature, and retain moisture.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Maintaining living roots in the soil: Planting cover crops and perennials to keep roots in the soil year-round, which supports soil microorganisms and improves soil health.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Integrating livestock: Using managed grazing to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-dormant-soil-microbes-survive-in-a-60-year-old-fire/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">improve soil fertility</a>, control weeds, and enhance biodiversity.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Reducing external inputs: Minimizing the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, and instead relying on natural processes to maintain soil health and productivity.</li>
</ul>



<ol></ol>



By implementing these practices, regenerative agriculture aims to sequester carbon in the soil, improve water retention and infiltration, enhance biodiversity, and create more resilient food systems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-financial-and-practical-challenges">Financial and practical challenges</h2>



Despite the potential benefits, many farmers have been hesitant to join carbon market programs. Surveys indicate that low carbon prices and extensive paperwork deter participation.



However, a recent study published in Agriculture and Human Values reveals that financial factors are not the only barriers. 



Many farmers view soil health improvement as a pathway to a better quality of life, reducing their dependence on agrochemical companies' products and advice.



"Farmers are really looking to get off that treadmill of high-input, high yield commodity agriculture," says Susanne Freidberg, a professor of geography at <a href="https://home.dartmouth.edu/">Dartmouth College</a> and co-lead author of the study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-insights-from-the-field">Insights from the field</h2>



The study, based on interviews with over 80 farmers in Kansas and Nebraska, explores their experiences with regenerative practices. 



These farmers, managing farms ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand acres, shared a range of experiences from recent adopters to veterans with over 20 years of practice.



Recent adopters cited high input costs, soil erosion concerns, and success stories from other farmers as motivations to explore <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/grasslands-can-be-managed-to-benefit-biodiversity-and-soil-health/">soil health</a>. They often began their journey by attending field days or conferences.



As they implemented new practices, they developed new mindsets and relationships.



"Farmers who had implemented regenerative practices talked a lot about how they paid attention to interactions between the different kinds of life in their fields -- cover crops, earthworms, and especially soil microbes," Freidberg noted.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-social-dynamics-of-regenerative-agriculture">Social dynamics of regenerative agriculture</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/secrets-of-soil-microbes-could-revolutionize-climate-predictions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Below-ground microbial activity</a> not only builds soil fertility, allowing farmers to use less fertilizer, but also helps reduce erosion, conserve water, and sequester carbon.



However, practices beneficial to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/can-soil-microbes-survive-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">soil microbes</a> sometimes strained relationships with neighbors and landlords.



"Farmers mentioned that when they stopped tilling and started planting multi-species cover crops, they started getting strange looks at their local coffee shop because now their fields looked messy," Freidberg explained.



These tensions underscored the importance of support networks among regenerative farmers. Many joined informal "support groups" to share experiences or farm equipment. 



"Farmers who viewed regenerative agriculture as a way to gain more personal freedom also saw that this freedom depended on the support of other farmers," Freidberg said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-personal-fulfillment-and-carbon-programs">Personal fulfillment and carbon programs</h2>



Farmers also appreciated the return of birds and wildlife to their fields and found their daily work more enjoyable and interesting. 



Those who signed up for carbon programs preferred ones without long-term commitments or major changes to their practices. 



One farmer described the extra income from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/reducing-carbon-footprint-urban-farms-and-agriculture/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbon</a> farming as "beer money."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-of-carbon-farming">Future of carbon farming</h2>



The opportunities for carbon farming expanded with the rollout of USDA-funded "climate smart" commodities projects in 2023, around the time the Dartmouth study concluded. 



These projects, often led by large food and agribusiness companies, offer financial incentives for adopting regenerative practices. However, widespread farmer participation will depend on how well these projects align with farmers' values.



"When farmers talk about the return on investment on regenerative agriculture, they're talking about more than just money," Freidberg emphasized.



In summary, while the financial benefits of regenerative agriculture are significant, many farmers are drawn to these practices for the broader improvements they bring to their lives and communities.



By focusing on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-soil-bacteria-contribute-to-atmospheric-co2/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">soil health</a>, farmers are not only nurturing their land but also fostering a more sustainable and fulfilling way of farming.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10460-024-10558-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Agriculture and Human Values</a>.



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Farmers are adopting regenerative agriculture for better soil health

Regenerative agriculture has become the focus of the agricultural community...

Top,View,Square,Block,Cement,Concrete,Green,Grass,Pattern,Parking.

A research team led by Reza Moini, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Princeton University, has developed a new cement composite material that is remarkably more crack-resistant and flexible than <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/recycled-cement-is-an-absolute-miracle-to-lower-concrete-emissions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">standard cement</a>. 



The findings, published on June 10 in the journal Advanced Functional Materials, could <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mycocrete-new-material-made-of-fungi-hopes-to-replace-concrete-in-construction-projects/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">revolutionize the construction industry</a> and improve the safety and durability of a wide range of brittle ceramic materials.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nature-s-blueprint-provides-secret-recipe">Nature's blueprint provides secret recipe</h2>



The inspiration for this innovative cement composite came from an unlikely source: the material that makes up oyster and abalone shells, known as nacre or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mother-pearl-record-ancient-ocean-temperatures/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mother of pearl</a>. 



Shashank Gupta, a graduate student in Moini's <a href="https://www.princeton.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Princeton University</a> lab, explained that at the microscopic level, nacre consists of hexagonal tablets of a hard mineral called aragonite, glued together by a soft biopolymer.



"This synergy between the hard and soft components is crucial to nacre's remarkable mechanical properties," Gupta said.



The aragonite tablets contribute significantly to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-study-of-earths-stratosphere-has-important-implications-for-life-on-earth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nacre's strength</a>, while the biopolymer adds flexibility and crack resistance. 



When under stress, the aragonite tablets slide, allowing the nacre to dissipate energy and maintain its structural integrity, making it both strong and resilient.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-engineering-a-tougher-cement-material">Engineering a tougher cement material</h2>



Inspired by nacre's unique properties, the Princeton team set out to create a cement composite that mimics its structure using conventional <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cement-absorbs-co2-emissions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">construction materials</a> like Portland cement paste and a limited amount of polymer.



The researchers created multi-layered small beams by alternating cement paste sheets with thin layers of a highly stretchable polymer called polyvinyl siloxane. 



They then subjected these beams to a notched three-point bending test to evaluate their crack resistance and fracture toughness.



The team produced three types of beams:



<ol>
<li>one with alternating layers of cement paste sheets and thin polymer</li>



<li>another with hexagonal grooves engraved into the cement paste sheets using a laser</li>



<li>a third with completely separated hexagonal tablets connected by the polymer layer, similar to how aragonite lies on the biopolymer layer in nacre</li>
</ol>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-remarkable-results-17-times-more-crack-resistant">Remarkable results: 17-times more crack-resistant</h2>



The experiments revealed that the beams with completely separated hexagonal tablets, which closely resemble nacre's structure, exhibited the most significant improvements. 



These beams demonstrated 19 times the ductility and 17 times the fracture toughness while retaining nearly the same strength as the solid cement paste beam.



"Our bio-inspired approach is not to simply mimic nature's microstructure but to learn from the underlying principles and use that to inform the engineering of human-made materials," Moini said. "We intentionally engineer defects in the brittle materials as a way to make them stronger by design."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-era-in-cement-construction-materials">New era in cement construction materials</h2>



While the findings are based on lab conditions and additional research is needed to develop the techniques for use in the field, the potential implications for the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wind-farms-quickly-neutralize-carbon-footprint-from-their-construction/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">construction industry</a> are vast.



"If we can engineer concrete to resist crack propagation, we can make it tougher, safer and more durable," Gupta said.



The researchers are working to determine whether the structures' fracture toughness and ductility apply to other ceramic materials beyond cement paste, such as concrete.



"We are only scratching the surface; there will be numerous design possibilities to explore and engineer the constitutive hard and soft material properties, the interfaces, and the geometric aspects that play into the fundamental size effects in construction materials," Moini said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crack-resistant-cement-inspired-by-nature">Crack-resistant cement inspired by nature</h2>



In summary, the research conducted by Princeton engineers opens up a world of possibilities for creating stronger, safer, and more durable <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/food-waste-can-be-recycled-into-construction-materials/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">construction materials</a>. 



By drawing inspiration from the intricate design of nacre found in oyster and abalone shells, the team has developed a cement composite that dramatically improves crack resistance and flexibility. 



As the researchers continue to explore the potential applications of this bio-inspired approach, the construction industry stands to benefit from a new era of resilient and sustainable materials. 



The future of building lies in the hands of innovative minds who dare to look to nature for solutions, and the Princeton team has taken a significant step forward in cracking the code of engineered resilience.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adfm.202313516" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Advanced Functional Materials</a>.



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New crack-resistant cement material inspired by nature

A research team led by Reza Moini, an assistant professor...

A recent study has revealed that U.S. adults are more confident in associating <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfire-smoke-significantly-impacts-lake-ecosystems/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wildfires</a> and heat with climate change compared to other extreme weather events such as hurricanes, flooding, or tornadoes. The research was based on a survey of 1,071 U.S. adults in September 2021.



The recurring biweekly AmeriSpeak Omnibus survey aims to understand public perceptions of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctica-shattered-extreme-cold-records-during-global-heat-wave/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">extreme weather</a> events and their links to anthropogenic climate change.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-change-and-human-activities">Climate change and human activities </h2>



Climate change refers to significant and lasting changes in weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. 



These environmental changes are primarily linked to human activities - such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes - which increase greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The gases trap heat, leading to global warming and alterations in weather patterns.



Consequences include more frequent and severe extreme weather events, rising sea levels, melting glaciers, and disruptions to ecosystems. 



Addressing climate change requires global efforts to reduce emissions, transition to renewable energy, and implement sustainable practices to protect the planet for future generations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-political-views-and-personal-experience">Political views and personal experience</h2>



The findings indicate that politics and personal experiences significantly influence people's beliefs about climate change.



Self-identified Republicans were generally less likely than Democrats to attribute extreme weather events to climate change. 



However, Republicans who had personally experienced negative impacts from extreme weather were more likely to make the connection than those who had not.



Overall, 83% of respondents believed there is some link between extreme weather events and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/indisputable-evidence-of-human-caused-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">human-caused climate change</a>, while about 17% thought climate change had no connection to extreme weather.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-public-perceptions-and-event-attribution">Public perceptions and event attribution</h2>



“There is a growing field of scientific extreme event attribution to climate change, but we know less about what the public thinks,” said Hilary Boudet, co-author of the study and an associate professor in <a href="https://catalog.oregonstate.edu/college-departments/liberal-arts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">OSU’s College of Liberal Arts</a>.



“This work helps us to better understand public perceptions of event attribution to climate change. What the public thinks is important because these perceptions shape individual behavior and policy support.”



The survey participants were asked to rate their confidence on a scale of 1 to 5 in linking the increasing frequency and severity of wildfires, heat, rainfall/flooding, hurricanes, and tornadoes to anthropogenic climate change.



For instance, a respondent absolutely certain that climate change is to blame for increased wildfires would choose “5” for that question. 



The survey also inquired if respondents had personally experienced any negative impacts from these extreme weather events.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wildfires-heat-and-climate-change">Wildfires, heat and climate change</h2>



The study found that more than 47% of respondents were "very" or "extremely confident" in linking increased wildfires to climate change. Similarly, roughly 42% expressed the same level of confidence regarding <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/billions-of-people-endured-an-extra-month-of-extreme-heat-in-the-past-year/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">extreme heat</a>.



Differences between political affiliations were most pronounced in the context of extreme heat and least pronounced regarding hurricanes. Additionally, factors such as race, education, and income also influenced responses.



Although the survey did not ask respondents to explain their confidence ratings, study co-author Professor Philip Mote offered some insights.



For example, the impact of wildfires extends far beyond the flames. Last year, during massive wildfires in eastern Canada, New Yorkers 1,500 miles away experienced poor air quality due to drifting smoke. In contrast, hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods tend to affect more localized areas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-public-attribution-of-extreme-weather">Public attribution of extreme weather </h2>



The researchers also examined how closely public attribution of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-will-climate-change-affect-extreme-weather-events/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">extreme weather events</a> aligns with scientific consensus. The weakest alignment was observed in the context of wildfires.



This discrepancy might be due to the narrow scientific definition that only records the number of extreme fires, rather than overall fire weather. The general public likely considers all hot, dry conditions contributing to worsening wildfires amid climate change.



The researchers emphasize that understanding and improving public perceptions of extreme weather linked to climate change is crucial for maximizing the impact of mitigation efforts.



Accurate perceptions ensure that resources are directed towards actions that can make a real difference, rather than towards events that trigger the largest public response.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10584-024-03735-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Climatic Change</a>.



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Most people attribute extreme heat and wildfires to climate change

A recent study has revealed that U.S. adults are more...

In response to mounting environmental crises, countries worldwide have recognized the urgent need for more robust ocean conservation and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-ocean-day-a-unified-approach-to-protect-biodiversity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">protection</a> of our planet.



The ambitious "30x30" initiative, which aims to protect 30 percent of Earth's surface by 2030, was proposed to address this need.



However, despite the popularity of conservation in principle, the high costs often hinder significant progress.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-market-based-approach-to-conservation">Market-based approach to conservation </h2>



Researchers from <a href="https://www.ucsb.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UC Santa Barbara</a> have introduced a novel market-based approach to achieve the 30x30 targets for ocean conservation.



Their study explores whether a system allowing countries to trade conservation credits can reduce costs and incentivize nations to meet their goals.



The findings are promising: voluntary trade always reduced the cost of conservation, sometimes by more than 90 percent.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-biodiversity-framework">Global biodiversity framework</h2>



The 30x30 initiative is part of the Convention on Biological Diversity, established in the early 1990s. Specifically, it is Target No. 3 of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), adopted by 196 countries at the UN Biodiversity Conference in 2022.



The GBF aims to protect and manage 30% of the world's terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, and marine areas by 2030. 



Achieving this goal is crucial for the planet's long-term health. However, the framework does not specify which areas to protect, how to do so inclusively, or how to fund these efforts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-four-year-journey-of-the-project">Four-year journey of the project </h2>



"This project started just over four years ago," noted study co-author Juan Carlos Villaseñor-Derbez. At the time, many countries struggled to meet even the 10% protection benchmark.



"It seemed like most nations were genuinely committed to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marine-protected-areas-fall-short-on-2030-biodiversity-targets/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">marine conservation</a>, but the costs were preventing some from engaging at all."



The cost of ocean conservation varies significantly by location, as do the ecological benefits. Protecting high-value fisheries can conflict with important <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-stress-causes-undetected-changes-in-marine-ecosystems/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">marine ecosystems</a> like coral reefs and seagrass meadows. 



"Without an innovative policy solution, the cost of conservation for many nations could stall progress toward 30x30," said Villaseñor-Derbez.



The researchers proposed that trade could incentivize additional gains. Instead of investing in high-cost or low-benefit areas, countries could trade their conservation duties to focus on regions where protection yields higher returns.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ocean-conservation-credit-system">Ocean conservation credit system</h2>



Environmental economists and scientists at UC Santa Barbara’s Environmental Markets Lab (emLab) designed an ocean conservation credit system. 



This system allows countries to trade their conservation obligations within a "transferable conservation market" policy, adhering to strict ecological principles.



"Like existing mandates, this approach requires every country to protect a certain fraction (say 30%) of its marine habitat," said Professor Christopher Costello, emLab’s director.



"But unlike other approaches, we allow those obligations to be traded across countries, within strict ecological constraints."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-potential-cost-savings">Potential cost savings</h2>



Costello, Villaseñor-Derbez, and co-author Professor Andrew Plantinga created a model to estimate the potential costs and benefits of a conservation market. Using data from 23,699 marine species and fisheries revenue, they built conservation supply curves for coastal nations.



Furthermore, they defined “trade bubbles” based on biological and geographic factors, allowing countries to trade conservation credits within these predefined bubbles. This ensured equitable conservation across different marine habitats.



The model showed that a market for marine conservation always reduced costs, with potential savings ranging from 37.4 to 98 percent.



"It highlighted how inefficient it is to require uniform conservation obligations from each nation," noted Villaseñor-Derbez. "National boundaries don’t align with marine <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-ocean-day-a-unified-approach-to-protect-biodiversity/">biodiversity</a> distribution patterns."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-balancing-conservation-efforts">Balancing conservation efforts</h2>



While a global market offered the highest savings, it risked focusing efforts on a single habitat type, neglecting others. To counter this, the team introduced the trade bubble constraint.



"When nations facing high costs are allowed to trade, they can ask, ‘Should I conserve in my waters at this high cost, or can I find someone in my bubble with similar habitat at a lower price?’” said Villaseñor-Derbez.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fair-compensation-in-ocean-conservation">Fair compensation in ocean conservation</h2>



Some may worry that wealthy nations could exploit this system by offloading their conservation obligations onto poorer nations. 



However, the market is voluntary. "The selling nation only engages in trade if they find it advantageous," said Plantinga, who heads emLab’s Productive Landscapes Group.



The market approach offers flexibility for developing nations. It allows them to balance their finances against conservation costs, deciding how much to conserve domestically, buy from others, or offer for sale. This flexibility is not possible under the current 30x30 scheme.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-incentivizing-habitat-restoration">Incentivizing habitat restoration</h2>



The system could also promote habitat restoration, aligning with Target No. 2 of the Global Biodiversity Framework. Nations specializing in marine resource exploitation could compensate those focusing on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/effective-conservation-efforts-key-to-saving-biodiversity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">biodiversity</a> conservation.



"Our approach provides an explicit payment for conserving marine ecosystems," said Costello. "Under the current system, there is rarely a payment to conserve."



Lowering costs incentivizes action, a central tenet of economics used by governments and industries worldwide. 



The authors argue that these savings could be redirected toward other pressing environmental issues, leveraging economic principles to advance global ocean conservation efforts.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://10.1126/science.adl4019" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



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Ocean conservation: Credit system could reduce costs

In response to mounting environmental crises, countries worldwide have recognized...

Bacteriophages, viruses that attack and destroy <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-method-for-classification-of-bacteria-includes-all-strains/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bacteria</a>, are ubiquitous in nature. They play a vital role in regulating microbial populations, although their mechanisms are not yet fully understood.



Recent research has uncovered that plant bacterial pathogens can repurpose elements of their bacteriophages, or phages, to eliminate competing microbes. This discovery opens new possibilities for alternative antibiotics.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bacteriophage-research">Bacteriophage research</h2>



A collaborative study led by the <a href="https://www.utah.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Utah</a> and University College London (<a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UCL</a>) has revealed that plant bacterial pathogens utilize bacteriophage-derived elements to combat rival bacteria.



According to Talia Karasov, an assistant professor at the University of Utah’s School of Biological Sciences, these findings could lead to the development of new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antimicrobial-resistance-projected-to-kill-10-million-people-each-year/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">antimicrobial</a> treatments.



This unexpected result emerged from research focused on the interactions between plants and microbial pathogens. 



The primary interest was understanding what keeps these pathogens in check and what causes them to lead to sickness and epidemics.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-investigating-pathogen-behavior">Investigating pathogen behavior</h2>



The research team examined the behavior of the bacterial <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/common-crop-pathogens-are-finding-new-hosts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pathogen</a> Pseudomonas viridiflava in both agricultural and wild environments.



On cultivated land, one variant would dominate a crop field, but this was not the case in uncultivated areas. This discrepancy prompted further investigation.



"We see that no single lineage of bacteria can dominate. We wondered whether phages, the pathogens of our bacterial pathogens, could prevent single lineages from spreading," Karasov explained.



"Maybe phages were killing some strains and not others. That’s where our study started, but that’s not where it ended up."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bacteriophages-turned-into-bacterial-weapons">Bacteriophages turned into bacterial weapons</h2>



The research involved analyzing the genomes of plant bacterial pathogens to identify which bacteriophages were infecting them. 



It wasn’t the phage itself that was interesting, but rather how the bacteria had repurposed it. The bacteria were using bacteriophage elements, now called tailocins, to kill competing bacteria.



The study, published in Science, showed that these non-self-replicating clusters of repurposed phage elements penetrate the outer membranes of other pathogens, killing them. 



This ongoing bacterial warfare prompted the researchers to mine the genomes of modern and historical pathogens to understand how bacteria evolve to target one another.



"You can imagine an arms race between the bacteria where they’re trying to kill each other and trying to evolve resistance to one another over time," said Hernan Burbano, a researcher from UCL. 



"The herbarium samples from the past 200 years that we analyzed provided a window into this arms race, giving insight into how bacteria evade being killed by their competitors."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-historical-insights-from-herbarium-specimens">Historical Insights from herbarium specimens</h2>



The UCL lab has pioneered the use of herbarium specimens to explore the evolution of plants and their microbial pathogens. 



By sequencing the genomes of both host plants and the microbes they harbored at the time of collection over a century ago, the researchers gained valuable insights.



For the phage research, historical specimens of Arabidopsis thaliana, commonly known as thale cress, collected in southwestern Germany, were compared to modern plants from the same region.



The analysis revealed that all historical tailocins were present in the present-day dataset, suggesting that evolution has maintained the diversity of tailocin variants over a century.



"This likely indicates a finite set of possible resistance/sensitivity mechanisms within our studied bacterial population," said Burbano.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tailocins-and-antibiotic-resistance">Tailocins and antibiotic resistance</h2>



The lead author, Talia Backman, a graduate student in the Karasov lab, believes that tailocins could help address the growing issue of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antibiotic-resistance-increasing-enterococci-looming-global-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">antibiotic resistance</a>.



"We as a society are in dire need of new antibiotics, and tailocins have potential as new antimicrobial treatments," Backman said. "While tailocins have been found previously in other bacterial genomes and studied in lab settings, their impact and evolution in wild bacterial populations were not known." 



The fact that we found these wild plant pathogens all have tailocins and these tailocins are evolving to kill neighboring bacteria shows how significant they may be in nature.



Tailocins offer greater specificity than most modern antibiotics, targeting only a select few strains of bacteria. This specificity suggests they could be used without harming entire biological communities.



"This is basic research at this point, not yet ready for application, but I think there is good potential that this could be adapted for treating infection," said Talia Karasov. 



"We as a society have, in how we treat both pests in agriculture and bacterial pathogens in humans, used uniform and broad-spectrum treatments. The specificity of tailocin killing is a way that you could imagine doing more finely tailored treatments."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-continuing-the-fight-against-antibiotic-resistance">Continuing the fight against antibiotic resistance</h2>



In summary, the research led by Talia Karasov and Hernán Burbano unveils a fascinating aspect of the microbial world, where bacteria engage in a relentless arms race using repurposed phage elements called tailocins. 



This discovery sheds light on the complex interactions between bacteria and their phages while opening up exciting possibilities for the development of targeted antibiotics. 



As scientists continue to explore the potential of tailocins as a new class of antimicrobial treatments, we move closer to a future where more precise and effective strategies can be employed to combat the growing threat of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-create-viruses-to-combat-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">antibiotic resistance</a>. 



The findings of this study serve as a reminder of the untapped potential that lies within the intricate relationships between microorganisms, and how understanding these interactions can lead to groundbreaking advancements in the fight against harmful bacteria.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ado0713" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



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Bacteriophages: How bacteria harness viruses to do their bidding

Bacteriophages, viruses that attack and destroy bacteria, are ubiquitous in...

Night,Landscape,With,Colorful,Milky,Way,And,Yellow,Light,At

Our Sun may seem like the center of the universe to us, but it's actually on the move, orbiting the Milky Way galaxy at a speed of nearly half a million miles per hour. That's fast, but it's nothing compared to a recently discovered star runaway that's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/flares-shed-light-on-the-milky-ways-supermassive-black-hole/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">blazing a trail</a> across the cosmos. 



This stellar speedster, known as CWISE J124909+362116.0 (J1249+36 for short), is a low-mass star, or L subdwarf, that's not only hypervelocity but potentially on a trajectory to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/star-collapse-black-hole-instead-of-supernova-vanish-from-sky/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">escape the Milky Way</a> altogether.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-runaway-stars">Runaway stars</h2>



A runaway star is a star moving through space at an unusually high velocity, often exceeding 30 km/s. 



These stars are ejected from their original location, typically a star cluster, due to gravitational interactions or supernova explosions. In gravitational interactions, close encounters with other massive stars can sling a star out of its cluster. 



Alternatively, if a star in a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exoplanet-found-in-the-habitable-zone-of-a-binary-star-system/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">binary system</a> explodes as a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/t-coronae-borealis-nova-explosion-nearby-star-light-up-earths-skies/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">supernova</a>, the remaining star may be propelled away at high speed. Runaway stars can travel vast distances, sometimes leaving their galaxies.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/star-J1249-36_runaway_milkyway_UCSD_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/star-J1249-36_runaway_milkyway_UCSD_1s.jpg" alt="Runaway star J1249+36 going nova. Credit: UCSD" class="wp-image-1936771"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Runaway star J1249+36 going nova. Credit: UCSD</figcaption></figure>



Their high speeds and trajectories can provide insights into the dynamics and past events of their regions of origin. 



Studying runaway stars helps astronomers understand star formation, stellar <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trappist-1-has-seven-earth-like-planets-that-may-support-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evolution</a>, and the gravitational forces within star clusters. 



Their movement through the interstellar medium can also create shock waves, affecting the surrounding gas and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/baby-stars-release-sneezes-of-gas-and-dust-as-they-develop/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dust</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-citizen-science">Citizen science</h2>



The discovery of J1249+36 is a testament to the power of citizen science. It was first spotted by volunteers participating in the <a href="https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/marckuchner/backyard-worlds-planet-9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project</a>, a collaborative effort between scientists and the public. 



These citizen scientists sift through massive amounts of data collected by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (<a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/wide-field-infrared-survey-explorer-wise" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">WISE</a>) mission, looking for moving objects in the sky. 



The human eye's knack for pattern recognition makes it an invaluable tool for spotting anomalies that computer algorithms might miss.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-runaway-star-j1249-36">Runaway star J1249+36</h2>



J1249+36 caught the attention of volunteers due to its remarkable speed. Initial estimates pegged it at a mind-boggling 1.3 million miles per hour, fast enough to break free from the Milky Way's gravitational grip. 



To learn more about this speedy star, astronomers turned to the <a href="https://www.keckobservatory.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">W.M. Keck Observatory</a> in Hawaii, where they used its powerful instruments to analyze the star's light. 



The findings revealed that the runaway star J1249+36 is an L subdwarf, a type of star that's both small and cool, representing some of the oldest stars in our galaxy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-the-origin-story">What's the origin story?</h2>



The question that intrigued scientists most was: What gave this star such a tremendous kick? Two leading theories emerged. 



One possibility is that J1249+36 was once part of a binary star system with a white dwarf, the dense remnant of a dead star. 



If the white dwarf siphoned off too much material from its companion, <a href="https://youtu.be/lUijqBYb83w" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">it could have triggered a supernova explosion</a>, flinging J1249+36 into space at high velocity.



The second theory involves a close encounter with a black hole. Globular clusters, dense swarms of stars, are thought to harbor black holes at their centers. 



If J1249+36 strayed too close to a black hole binary (two <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/colossal-black-hole-found-in-our-galaxy-is-33-times-the-suns-mass/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">black holes</a> orbiting each other), the gravitational chaos could have ejected it from the cluster at an incredible speed.



"This is where the source became very interesting, as its speed and trajectory showed that it was moving fast enough to potentially escape the Milky Way," explained Adam Burgasser, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the <a href="https://www.ucsd.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California San Diego</a> and the lead researcher on the project.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chemical-fingerprint-of-runaway-star">Chemical fingerprint of runaway star</h2>



To determine which scenario is more likely, scientists are looking for clues in the runaway star's chemical composition. 



If J1249+36 was launched by a supernova, its atmosphere might contain traces of heavy elements created in the explosion. Alternatively, the star's chemical makeup could reveal whether it originated in a globular cluster.



"We’re essentially looking for a chemical fingerprint that would pinpoint what system this star is from," said Roman Gerasimov, a UC San Diego alumnus who developed new models to study L subdwarfs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-milky-way-s-mysteries">Milky Way's mysteries</h2>



Whether J1249+36's incredible journey was triggered by a supernova, a close encounter with a black hole, or some other cosmic event, its discovery offers valuable insights into the Milky Way's history and dynamics. 



This runaway star, hurtling through space at unimaginable speeds, serves as a reminder of the vastness and complexity of our universe.



The research on J1249+36 was presented at the <a href="https://aas.org/meetings/aas244" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">244th national meeting</a> of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) in Madison, Wisconsin. 



This ongoing study, fueled by the combined efforts of citizen scientists and professional astronomers, is a shining example of how collaboration can lead to remarkable discoveries.



As we continue to explore the cosmos, who knows what other stellar surprises await us in the vast expanse of the Milky Way.



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Runaway star spotted trying to escape the Milky Way galaxy

Our Sun may seem like the center of the universe...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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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?

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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

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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

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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"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&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.

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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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.

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



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.

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes a new map of Mars that is providing insight into the planet’s watery past. The map also reveals where future missions could safely land on Mars.&nbsp;



The map has been created over the last decade using observations of water-rich rocks and mineral deposits. The images were captured by ESA’s Mars Express and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.



"A big surprise is the prevalence of these minerals, with the map revealing hundreds of thousands of water-affected locations in the oldest parts of the planet," says ESA. "The new data will help answer exciting questions about Mars’ climate history, whether water was globally persistent or confined to short, intense episodes, and whether the conditions were ever suitable for life."



"Specifically, the map shows the locations and abundances of aqueous minerals. These are from rocks that have been chemically altered by the action of water in the past, and have typically been transformed into clays and salts."



According to John Carter of the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), our collective understanding of Mars has been oversimplified. He explained that planetary scientists have tended to think that only a few types of clay minerals on Mars were created during its wet period, then as the water gradually dried up, salts were produced across the planet.



The new map shows that the composition of Mars is much more complicated than what we thought. For example, while many salts formed after Martian clays, there are some salts that are presumed to be older than some of the clays.&nbsp;



“The evolution from lots of water to no water is not as clear cut as we thought, the water didn’t just stop overnight. We see a huge diversity of geological contexts, so that no one process or simple timeline can explain the evolution of the mineralogy of Mars. That’s the first result of our study. The second is that if you exclude life processes on Earth, Mars exhibits a diversity of mineralogy in geological settings just as Earth does,” said Carter.



Video 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 history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

[sendtonews key="qas3EhyI0Y-2220951-12187" 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.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes how cavefish adapted to a sedentary lifestyle over tens of thousands of years. 



The experts found that the muscle metabolism of cavefish has been genetically reprogrammed over time. As a result, the animals have experienced major changes in their morphology and behavior. Despite these changes, however, the cavefish remain healthy and fit.



The research may provide new clues about the evolutionary consequences of prolonged physical inactivity in humans.&nbsp;



“It’s no surprise that people are moving less and less as technology has advanced,” said Rohner. “With cavefish, we have a unique system where we can study what might happen if people remained couch potatoes over very, very long periods of time.”



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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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.

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

[sendtonews key="vpljfR2VBX-2560867-12187" 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> some of the most incredible waves in the world, as seen by Landsat satellites.



"With more than 370,000 miles of coastline on Earth, there are plenty of places where epic waves build up, curl over, and hurtle toward the shore.- much to the thrill of surfers," says NASA. "There are some places where these waves are so magnificent that they can be seen from space."



"With the broad perspective of satellites, we can see how these iconic waves develop into the world’s tallest, longest, fastest, and heaviest."



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&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.

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

[sendtonews key="MHyhtebibJ-2200368-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

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