Can farms produce enough food to feed us while still leaving space for wildlife? A new proposal says they can.



By setting aside one-fifth of farmland for nature, and tweaking everyday practices on the rest, we can help wildlife recover without sacrificing the food on our tables.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-farming-with-wildlife-in-mind">Farming with wildlife in mind</h2>



The plan comes from ecologists at the <a href="https://www.ceh.ac.uk/">UK Centre for Ecology &amp; Hydrology</a> and the University of Alcalá in Spain. Study co-author Professor James Bullock elaborated on the importance of the research.



“Reversing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/un-report-calls-for-global-change-to-stop-biodiversity-loss/">biodiversity loss</a> and degradation of ecosystems is essential both for nature as well as long-term global food security. But there is no single silver bullet for nature recovery and so far it has been unclear how to integrate rewilding into agricultural landscapes," said Professor Bullock. 



“Our proposed approach moves beyond land sparing versus land sharing. We believe rewilding can be interwoven into agricultural landscapes and could be key to maintaining <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/increasing-plant-based-food-production-would-have-extremely-positive-impact/">food production</a> in a way that is sustainable in the long term for people and the planet.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dedicating-land-to-nature-recovery">Dedicating land to nature recovery</h2>



According to the study, fostering rewilding approaches alongside farming could create agroecological landscapes that accommodate biodiversity while remaining resilient and functionally connected. Certain incentives would encourage farmers to adopt this approach.



“While setting aside land for nature recovery could potentially be made a legal requirement for farmers and landowners, there is more likely to be acceptance and success of rewilding if there are incentives in the form of payments for ecosystem services and tax deductions,” noted Professor José María Rey Benayas, lead author on the study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-farming-needs-wildlife">Why farming needs wildlife</h2>



Modern farming has greatly increased food production since the 1940s. But this has often come at the expense of nature. 



Clearing land, using heavy fertilizers and pesticides, and removing natural features like hedgerows have pushed many plant and animal species to the edge.



This loss doesn’t just affect wildlife - it disrupts vital services that farms depend on, such as healthy soil, natural pest control, and water retention. As these services decline, the long-term productivity and resilience of farming systems are put at risk.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-cost-of-declining-wildlife">The cost of declining wildlife</h2>



Across Europe and beyond, once-common species are disappearing from farmland. For example, the U.K. has lost over 40 million birds since 1970, and wild bee populations have declined in more than half of European countries, according to multiple long-term surveys.



These animals aren’t just part of the scenery - they’re key to food production. Birds eat crop pests. Bees and other insects pollinate the flowers that develop into fruits and vegetables. Their loss means greater reliance on artificial fertilisers, pesticides, and expensive manual labour.



Bringing wildlife back isn’t just a conservation goal - it’s a practical step toward more affordable and reliable <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mixed-cover-crops-may-be-the-future-of-sustainable-farming/">farming</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-steps-to-farming-alongside-wildlife">Steps to farming alongside wildlife </h2>



The researchers suggest a four-part plan that links nature conservation with everyday farming. 



First, they recommend reserving at least 20% of farmland for nature. This space would include large patches of woodland, wetlands, and species-rich grassland to form strong core habitats. 



Second, these patches should be connected by green corridors - such as hedgerows, ponds, and strips of scrubland - that allow wildlife to move, feed, and reproduce.



Third, they propose protecting small hotspots within working fields. This would involve setting aside about 10% of cropped land for flower strips, beetle banks, and bird perches, bringing the total to the 30% global restoration goal. 



Finally, they call for small changes in daily farming practices, like reducing chemical use, planting flowers for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pollinators-face-extinction-risk-due-to-climate-change/">pollinators</a>, and letting livestock graze more freely to help spread seeds and support healthy soil.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rewilding-has-benefits-for-farmers">Rewilding has benefits for farmers</h2>



Many European regions cannot host bears or bison. However, smaller species such as lynx, wildcat, or European hare can still boost ecosystem health. Choosing the right mix depends on local conditions.



Helping wildlife can pay off in more ways than one. When farms support natural habitats, they often see practical benefits in return. 



Better soil retains more water and nutrients, which supports stronger <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/farmers-can-help-make-crops-more-resilient/">crops</a>. Pollinators and natural predators of pests can help increase yields in nearby fields. 



Farmers may also spend less on fertilizers and pesticides, lowering overall input costs. In some places, governments might provide payments or tax breaks to reward efforts that support biodiversity and ecosystem services.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-making-room-for-wildlife">Making room for wildlife</h2>



Reaching the 20% target may be challenging for small farms, but collective action can make it achievable. At the same time, each region will need to adapt the plan to fit its local conditions. 



Areas with heavily degraded farmland have the most to gain, while places with traditional, low-impact farming may require fewer changes. 



The researchers emphasize that this is just a starting point - but the message is clear: making room for wildlife alongside farming can help secure both indigenous species and food for the future.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fee.2860">Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment</a>.



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Farming for wildlife: How traditional practices can protect nature

Can farms produce enough food to feed us while still leaving space for wildlife? A new proposal says they can. By setting aside one-fifth of farmland for nature, and tweaking everyday practices on the rest, we can help wildlife recover without sacrificing the food on our tables. Farming with wildlife in mind The plan comes from ecologists at the UK Centre for Ecology &amp; Hydrology and the University of Alcalá in Spain. Study co-author Professor James Bullock elaborated on the importance of the research. “Reversing biodiversity loss...

When we were children, many of us experienced the illusion that summers or other periods of time were much longer than how we perceive the passage of a similar amount of time in adulthood. Now, a team of scientists led by <a href="https://www.elte.hu/en/">Eötvös Loránd University</a> in Hungary has investigated empirically whether the perception of time changes with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/aging-female-monkeys-focus-more-on-meaningful-relationships/">age</a> and, if so, how and why.



The experts enrolled a cohort of participants from three age groups (4-5, 9-10, and above 18 years old) and asked them to watch two one-minute long videos. The samples were extracted from a popular animated series, and were balanced in visual and acoustic features, expect for one feature – eventfulness. While one clip consisted of a rapid succession of events (a policemen rescuing animals and then arresting a thief), the other was a monotonous, repetitive sequence (six prisoners escaping on a rowing boat). After watching the videos, the participants were asked which was longer.&nbsp;



The answers revealed that, while two-thirds of the pre-kindergartners perceived the eventful video as longer, three-fourths of the adults felt the same thing about the uneventful one. The middle group, in which participants expressed a similar but more moderate bias than the adults, helped researchers estimate a shift in time perception occurring around the age of seven.



To explain these differences in time perception between age groups, the experts relied upon the concept of “heuristics,” which was introduced in Cognitive Science by Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman, and refers to our ability to use mental shortcuts or proxies to help us make fast decisions. Since our brain does not have a reliable central clock or a direct sensory mapping of durations (unlike in the case of distances or pitch), we must use a proxy to get a handle on temporal passage.&nbsp;



According to the scientists, children use a “representativeness heuristics” to measure time. For instance, they ask themselves which video they can talk more about. 



Since the eventful video was packed with actions and consisted of several episodes, they could talk more about it and they thus felt that it was longer. However, between six to ten years of age, children learn the concept of “absolute” or “universal” time, which is conceptualized as a physical entity independent of the events that it connects, and can help us make appointments, organize our tasks, and follow timelines by clocking the time. 



With such a development, our representativeness heuristics for measuring time changes into a “sampling heuristics,” which helps us check the flow of time by frequently sampling it, for instance, by looking at a clock or watching the traffic flow.



Thus, as adults, when we watch a captivating movie, our mind becomes highly immersed in the story, while during a boring movie, we are going to repeatedly check our watch or think about something else, and all of these distractions will enable us to sample the flow of absolute time.&nbsp;



According to the researchers, these two types of heuristics can explain the rather bizarre switch at about age seven and give rise to the persistent bias that uneventful meetings, for example, are much longer than they actually are. However, more research is needed to properly understand the mystery of time and how our minds can make sense of it.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-27419-4">Nature Scientific Reports</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Children and adults perceive time differently

When we were children, many of us experienced the illusion...

An international research team has recently discovered that Daurian redstarts, a passerine bird <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/among-californias-bird-species-there-are-winners-and-losers/">species</a>, have evolved a strategy to avoid cuckoo brood parasitism. Cuckoo birds and other brood parasites lay their eggs in the nests of other species to be incubated and raised.



Cuckoo birds are weary of people and usually nest far from human-dominated environments. The researchers found that Daurian redstarts in northeastern China purposefully choose nesting sights near or even inside human settlements. As a result, their risk of becoming a host is reduced.&nbsp;



The Daurian redstart has two breeding periods per season. During the first breeding event, cuckoos are not present. However, the cuckoos migrate to the area during the second breeding event.



The researchers noticed that the Daurian redstarts nested farther away from human settlements during the first breeding period, and then moved closer to human settlements in the second period when cuckoos were present. The experts concluded that the birds moved their nests closer during the second breeding period to avoid parasitism.



Moreover, the researchers were able to elicit this anti-parasitism strategy by presenting cuckoo models and artificial calls. Although these simulations were conducted during the first egg-laying period, the Daurian redstarts were motivated to move closer to human environments in response to the simulations. This suggests that the Daurian redstarts change their nesting behavior in response to the presence of cuckoos, regardless of the breeding period.



“We were able to show experimentally for the first time that Daurian redstarts adapt their nesting behavior depending on whether they notice cuckoos in the area,” said Jinggang Zhang, a researcher at the <a href="https://www.bi.mpg.de/en">Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence</a>.&nbsp;



We must wonder about the ecological impacts of this interaction in an ever-changing environment.&nbsp;



“Urbanization affects habitats and animal populations around the world in many ways. Cuckoos may have to adapt to this development by venturing closer to human settlements as well, or by expanding the range of host species,” said Bart Kempenaers, a director at the institute.&nbsp;



A second study conducted by the researchers demonstrates the cuckoo’s adaptability. Daurian redstarts have two colored eggs - red and blue. The research team found that female cuckoos showed a “clear preference for nests with blue eggs”&nbsp; in the hopes that the foster parents will not reject the parasitic egg.



“We were surprised to find such a clear preference for nests with blue eggs," said Kempenaers. "Our observations suggest that cuckoo females are quite sensitive to characteristics of the nest and do not just dump their eggs in any host nest they can find."&nbsp;



The research is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2023.01.047">Current Biology.</a>



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Birds move closer to humans to avoid brood parasites

An international research team has recently discovered that Daurian redstarts,...

Intermittent fasting has gained popularity of late and has been associated in the press with various health benefits including <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cut-your-gym-time-in-half-by-lowering-weights/">weight</a> reduction, reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, extended longevity and improved cognitive function. However, the vast majority of fasting research has been conducted with animals, and evidence of health improvements from fasting in humans is preliminary at best.&nbsp;



A new study from scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at <a href="https://www.mountsinai.org/locations/mount-sinai/about/history">Mount Sinai Hospital introduces</a> a note of caution to those wishing to use fasting as a route to improved health. Their study on mice found that skipping meals triggers a response in the brain that negatively affects immune cells and may make the mice less able to fight off infections.&nbsp;



“There is a growing awareness that fasting is healthy, and there is indeed abundant evidence for the benefits of fasting. Our study provides a word of caution as it suggests that there may also be a cost to fasting that carries a health risk,” says lead author Filip Swirski, PhD, Director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute at Icahn Mount Sinai. “This is a mechanistic study delving into some of the fundamental biology relevant to fasting. The study shows that there is a conversation between the nervous and immune systems.”



Not much is understood about the mechanisms by which fasting brings about the beneficial changes observed, but studies of humans fasting between dawn and dusk during Ramadan have indicated that inflammatory cytokines are suppressed in fasting individuals. Cytokines are crucial in the immune system for controlling the growth and activity of other immune cells.&nbsp;



In the current study, researchers aimed to better understand how fasting affects the immune system in mice. They analyzed two groups of mice, one that ate breakfast immediately after waking and the other that had no breakfast. Fasting mice were kept from eating for a few hours, or up to 24 hours, before being given food. Their blood was sampled after waking up and then four hours and eight hours later.



The results, published in the journal Immunity, show distinct differences in blood characteristics between the fed and the fasting mice. Specifically, the researchers saw a difference in the number of monocytes, which are white blood cells that are made in the bone marrow and travel through the body, where they play many critical roles, from fighting infections, to repairing tissues and preventing heart disease and cancer.



After waking, all mice had the same levels of monocytes in their blood. But after four hours, 90 percent of these important immune system cells had disappeared from the bloodstream of the fasting mice. Monocyte levels in mice that didn’t skip breakfast were unchanged from the initial values. The researchers discovered that monocytes in fasting mice had travelled back to the bone marrow, where they remained inactive.&nbsp;



While hibernating in the bone marrow, the monocytes underwent significant changes. They aged differently and survived for longer than they would have in the bloodstream. In addition, the production of new monocytes in the bone marrow declined while the hibernating cells were present.&nbsp;



Once food was again given to the fasting mice, the monocytes hiding in the bone marrow flooded back into the bloodstream within a few hours. This surge of altered monocytes resulted in increased levels of inflammation that would have made their bodies less able to fight infections.



This study is among the first to find a connection between the brain and the behavior of these immune cells during fasting. Researchers found that specific regions in the brain controlled the monocyte response during fasting. This study demonstrated that fasting elicits a stress response in the brain and this instantly triggers a large-scale migration of these white blood cells from the blood to the bone marrow, and then back to the bloodstream, shortly after food is reintroduced.



Dr. Swirski emphasized that while there is also evidence of the metabolic benefits of fasting, this new study is a useful advance in the full understanding of the body’s mechanisms.



“The study shows that, on the one hand, fasting reduces the number of circulating monocytes, which one might think is a good thing, as these cells are important components of inflammation. On the other hand, reintroduction of food creates a surge of monocytes flooding back to the blood, which can be problematic. Fasting, therefore regulates this pool in ways that are not always beneficial to the body’s capacity to respond to a challenge such as an infection,” explains Dr. Swirski. “Because these cells are so important to other diseases like heart disease or cancer, understanding how their function is controlled is critical.”



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Skipping breakfast may have unwanted immune effects

Intermittent fasting has gained popularity of late and has been...

Galaxy.,Elements,Of,This,Image,Furnished,By,Nasa.

An international team of astrophysicists has discovered mysterious objects hiding in images captured by the James Webb Space Telescope. Six potential galaxies were identified that emerged so early in the universe’s history - and are so massive - that they should not be possible under cosmological theory.



Each potential galaxy may have existed at the dawn of the universe roughly 500 to 700 million years after the Big Bang. They’re also gigantic, containing almost as many <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sunflower-sea-stars-could-help-save-kelp-forests/">stars</a> as the Milky Way Galaxy. Calculations suggest that there shouldn’t have been enough matter at that time to form so many stars so quickly.



“You just don’t expect the early universe to be able to organize itself that quickly. These galaxies should not have had time to form.” said study co-author Professor Erica Nelson of the University of Colorado Boulder.



The James Webb Telescope was launched in December 2021 and is the most powerful telescope ever sent into space. Last year, four galaxies were spotted that likely coalesced from gas around 350 million years after the Big Bang. Those objects, however, are miniscule in size compared to the new galaxies.



More data is needed to confirm the size and date these galaxies formed. It is also possible that they could be a different object entirely.&nbsp;



Last year, Professor Nelson and her colleagues from the United States, Australia, Denmark and Spain, formed a team to investigate the data James Webb was sending back to Earth.&nbsp;



Nelson was peering at a postage stamp-sized section of one image when she spotted a few “fuzzy dots” of light that looked way too bright to be real. “They were so red and so bright. We weren’t expecting to see them.”



In astronomy, red light usually equals old light. The universe has been expanding since the dawn of time. As it expands, galaxies and other celestial objects move farther apart, and the light they emit stretches out. The more the light stretches, the redder it looks to human instruments.



“The Milky Way forms about one to two new stars every year,” said Professor Nelson. “Some of these galaxies would have to be forming hundreds of new stars a year for the entire history of the universe.”



The researchers will continue to collect more information about the newly discovered objects. “If even one of these galaxies is real, it will push against the limits of our understanding of cosmology,” said Professor Nelson.



The research is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-05786-2">Nature</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:katherinebucko@gmail.com">Katherine Bucko</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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James Webb captures galaxies that are too old to exist

An international team of astrophysicists has discovered mysterious objects hiding...

According to a new study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s <a href="https://accscientificsession.acc.org/">Annual Scientific Session Together with the World Congress of Cardiology</a>, getting good sleep might play a key role in protecting against cardiovascular and other types of diseases, and possibly even influence life expectancy. The experts found that about eight percent of deaths from any cause could be attributed to poor sleep patterns, and that young people who have better sleep habits are incrementally less likely to die prematurely.&nbsp;



“We saw a clear dose-response relationship, so the more beneficial factors someone has in terms of having higher <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-reduces-sleep-quality-elevates-disease-risk/">quality of sleep</a>, they also have a stepwise lowering of all cause and cardiovascular mortality,” said study co-author Frank Qian, an internal medicine resident physician at <a href="https://www.bidmc.org/">Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center</a> and clinical fellow in Medicine at <a href="https://hms.harvard.edu/">Harvard Medical School</a>. “I think these findings emphasize that just getting enough hours of sleep isn’t sufficient. You really have to have restful sleep and not have much trouble falling and staying asleep.”



The scientists analyzed data from 172,321 participants in the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/index.htm">National Health Interview Survey</a> between 2013 and 2018 (average age 50, 54 percent women, two-thirds White, 14.5 percent Hispanic, 12.6 percent Black, and 5.5 percent Asian). By linking the participants to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/ndi/index.htm">National Death Index</a> records, the researchers were able to investigate the association between individual and combined sleep factors and all-cause and cause-specific mortality. During the period that participants were followed (4.3 years), 8,681 individuals died (30 percent from cardiovascular disease, 24 percent from cancer and 46 percent due to other causes).



In order to determine the relationship between sleep quality and health/life expectancy, the researchers assessed five different factors of quality sleep: ideal sleep duration (seven to eight hours per night); difficulty falling asleep less than two times per week; trouble staying asleep less than two times per week; not using any sleep medication; and feeling rested after waking up at least five days per week.



The analysis revealed that, compared to participants who had zero to one favorable sleep factors, those who had all five were 30 percent less likely to die for any reason, 21 percent less likely to die from cardiovascular issues, 19 percent less likely to die from cancer, and 40 percent less likely to die from other causes (such as accidents, infections, or neurodegenerative conditions). Surprisingly, among men and women who reported having all five quality sleep measures, life expectancy was 4.7 years greater for men and only 2.4 years greater for women compared to those with none or only one of the factors. Further research is needed to explore these sex differences.



“Even from a young age, if people can develop these good sleep habits of getting enough sleep, making sure they are sleeping without too many distractions and have good sleep hygiene overall, it can greatly benefit their overall long-term health. It’s important for younger people to understand that a lot of health behaviors are cumulative over time. Just like we like to say, ‘it’s never too late to exercise or stop smoking,’ it’s also never too early. And we should be talking about and assessing sleep more often,” Qian concluded.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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High quality sleep increases life expectancy

According to a new study presented at the American College...

Joseph Grinnell, born in 1877, was an American field biologist and zoologist who served as the first director of the&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_of_Vertebrate_Zoology">Museum of Vertebrate Zoology</a>&nbsp;and a professor at the&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_California,_Berkeley">University of California, Berkeley</a>. One of Grinnell’s goals for the museum was to build a specimen collection of the fauna of California, a project he began in 1908, with his first field expedition to the Colorado Desert. Over time, he surveyed the birds, mammals and other vertebrates of California, right up until he died, in 1939.



Grinnell developed a systematic and detailed protocol for recording field observations involving not only the specimens he collected, but also written records kept in notebooks and journals. He kept accounts of species’ behaviors, made maps, took photographs of collecting sites and documented weather conditions, vegetation types, vocalizations and other evidence of animal presence.&nbsp;



These very detailed records have enabled scientists at UC Berkeley to conduct a subsequent resurvey of most of the original sites, and to compare the numbers of animals with Grinnell’s original findings in order to understand they ways in which animal populations have changed.&nbsp;



In a report published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abn0250">Science Advances</a>, the biologists present the latest results from the <a href="https://mvz.berkeley.edu/Grinnell/">Grinnell Resurvey Project</a>, particularly those relating to the numbers of birds and small mammals at the sites first surveyed by Grinnell, more than a century ago. The researchers were able to resurvey the birds at 71 of the original sites in L.A. and the Central Valley, and to use the comparisons to identify how shifts in climate and land use may have contributed to changes in the bird populations.



The study revealed that urbanization and much hotter and drier conditions in L.A. have driven declines in more than one-third of bird species in the region over the past century. Meanwhile, agricultural development and a warmer and slightly wetter climate in the Central Valley have had more mixed impacts on biodiversity.



Study senior author Steven Beissinger is a professor of Environmental Science, Policy and Management at UC Berkeley and a researcher at the&nbsp;<a href="https://mvz.berkeley.edu/">Museum of Vertebrate Zoology</a>.



“It's pretty common in studies of the impact of climate change on biodiversity to only model the effects of climate and not consider the effects of land use change,” said Professor Beissinger. “But we’re finding that the individual responses of different bird species to these threats are likely to promote unpredictable changes that complicate forecasts of extinction risk.”



In L.A., the experts found that 40 percent of bird species were present at fewer sites today than they were 100 years ago, while only 10 percent were present at more sites. Meanwhile, in the Central Valley, the proportion of species that experienced a decline (23 percent) only slightly outnumbered the proportion that increased (16 percent). In many cases, opposing responses to climate and land use change by bird species, where one threat caused a species to increase while another caused the same species to decline, moderated the impacts of each threat alone.



“The Central Valley had less change, in general – there were winners and losers,” Beissinger said. “Whereas in L.A., we saw mostly losers.”



To identify the roles of land use change and climate change in determining current bird numbers, the researchers analyzed historical maps of urban development and agriculture to establish how the landscape at each study site has been modified since Grinnell’s original survey. They also obtained data on historical average temperatures and rainfall at each site.



In L.A., they found that species such as Anna’s hummingbird and the American crow were able to tolerate the hotter and drier conditions, and the level of urban development, thus experiencing what the researchers call a population “windfall.” Other species, such as the western meadowlark and the lark sparrow, were negatively impacted by both categories of change, experiencing instead a “double whammy.”



Species that experienced mixed impacts include the black phoebe, the great egret, the house wren and the blue-gray gnatcatcher.



“Our findings really highlight the fact that we’ve got climate and land use change happening at the same time, creating happy conditions for some species, while other species are declining from the same changes,” Beissinger said. “Sometimes, species might also be pushed and pulled in different directions from the climate and land use changes.”



Bird species in the Central Valley also experienced a combination of windfalls, double whammies and mixed impacts, but the proportion of species that experienced windfalls was much higher in the Central Valley than in L.A. and nearly offset the proportion that experienced double whammies.



“There are some species that have been able to persist under the agricultural changes, and some that even colonized and increased because of those changes. But they tend to be species that are more common and widespread, and the more sensitive species are the ones that started disappearing when the natural grasslands were replaced by agriculture,” Beissinger explained. “In the urban areas, there are just fewer species that are able to find what they need and avoid the city hazards.”



The detailed field notes kept by Grinnell and his field biologists enabled Bessinger and his team to locate the original study sites, and to construct a historical baseline of California’s bird life at the turn of the 20th century. The notes are so detailed that the researchers were able to reconstruct the birds encountered on each day in the field, and to account for the ways in which new technologies, such as better binoculars and field guides, have made it easier for contemporary biologists to detect birds.&nbsp;



“In those days, they didn't have fancy binoculars. They didn't have recordings of bird calls. So, they had to get in and learn the birds through the resources that were available. Oftentimes that was from specimens in museums. Sometimes that was through popular guides or handbooks,” said Bessinger. “Grinnell was ahead of his time in the way that he was taking field notes, and he was really draconian in also making all his students take those notes.”



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Among California’s bird species, there are winners and losers

Joseph Grinnell, born in 1877, was an American field biologist...

In July 2013, sea stars of several different species began to die along the northwest Pacific coast, all the way from Washington to Baja California. Populations of the sunflower sea star (Pycnopodia helianthoides), among other species, were decimated by what became known as sea star wasting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-u-s-is-alarmingly-unprepared-for-zoonotic-diseases/">disease</a> (SSWD) and numbers declined by more than 97 percent. Since then, there have been few signs of recovery, and the species is now considered critically endangered. The ecological consequences have been massive.



The sunflower sea star is one of the largest in the world, reaching more than 1m in diameter. It is a highly mobile and voracious predator that hunts down a range of invertebrate prey, including bivalves, gastropods, echinoderms, crabs and carrion of any origin. In particular, they readily prey on purple sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus), that are important herbivores in several different marine and coastal ecosystems.&nbsp;



The loss of&nbsp;sunflower sea stars in parts of British Columbia and California has been associated with drastic changes in community structure in the forests of bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) in the nearshore waters off these regions. With fewer predators, sea urchin populations exploded and the herbivores began to graze the kelp to the ground.&nbsp;



The occurrence of a simultaneous marine heatwave in the same area compounded the problems as warm temperatures are also a major stressor of kelp forests. The action of the sea urchins has led kelp forests to collapse along the California coast, where they have been replaced by so called “barrens” – areas where sea urchins have settled in abundance and have grazed away the seaweeds and left very little primary production upon which to feed.



There is now growing interest in understanding how to control sea urchin numbers and encourage the recovery of kelp forests. With this in mind, a research team including scientists from <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a>, the University of Oregon, the University of Washington, and The Nature Conservancy has undertaken a study into the feeding habits of sunflower sea stars, focusing particularly on whether they will consume the starving sea urchins that are typical of barren ecosystems and, if so, how fast can they eat them. 



The findings, published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2022.1897">Proceedings of the Royal Society B</a>, indicate that these sea stars play a much more important role in kelp forest health than was previously thought. In fact, the researchers suggest that sunflower sea stars may be key in controlling urchin density and therefore kelp forest growth.



“What we saw suggests a clear link between the crash of sea stars, the explosion in sea urchin populations and the decline in kelp,” said Sarah Gravem, a research associate in the Oregon State College of Science. “It also points to sea star recovery as a potential key tool for kelp forest recovery.”



The researchers collected 24 sunflower sea stars and kept them in laboratory tanks for four months while conducting feeding experiments. They found that the sea stars consumed urchins at an average rate of 0.68 per day, and that they even ate the starving individuals that are associated with urchin barrens. In fact, they consumed the starving urchins 21 percent more rapidly than they did the well-fed urchins that are typically found in healthy kelp forests. The authors report that this rate of consumption is sufficient to maintain and even restore the health of kelp forests.&nbsp;



“Eating less than one urchin per day may not sound like a lot, but we think there used to be over 5 billion sunflower sea stars,” said Gravem. “We used a model to show that the pre-disease densities of sea stars on the U.S. West Coast were usually more than enough to keep sea urchin numbers down and prevent barrens.”



Bull kelp is an important commercial commodity that is harvested for use in medicines and fertilizers, and as feed in aquaculture. Kelp forests thrive in cold waters and form a crucial habitat for a large number of other species, both invertebrates and vertebrates. Their sensitivity to certain growing conditions means climate change and a warming ocean are particularly problematic for them.



Researchers have long suspected that the sea star decline upset the balance between predators and herbivores in kelp forest ecosystems, allowing the herbivore populations to go unchecked. The overabundance of urchins was thought to place additional pressure on kelp forests that are already stressed by marine heatwaves. However, prior to the current study, the relationship between sea stars, urchins and kelp had not been quantified.



“This study addresses that gap, and the findings are significant and somewhat surprising,” said principal investigator Aaron Galloway of the University of Oregon Institute of Marine Biology. “We found that these stars are eager consumers of purple urchins and, most importantly, they even eat the nutritionally poor, starving ‘zombie’ urchins.”



Other important predators of purple sea urchins, such as sea otters, are generally known to avoid eating starving urchins from barrens, where the dense underwater carpets of urchins have devoured all available food and can live for years in an emaciated state, waiting for the kelp to grow back.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The researchers emphasize the need for sunflower sea stars in the remaining kelp forests in order to prevent overgrazing by urchins. Since sea star recovery has been negligible since the SSWD event, they also support the reintroduction of sea stars that have been bred in captivity. These individuals may be able to aid in the recovery of kelp forests that have become barrens because they eat the emaciated urchins that reside there.&nbsp;



The authors conclude that sunflower sea star recovery may be an effective and long-lasting method to control sea urchin populations and restore kelp forest ecosystems.



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</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.

Sunflower sea stars could help save kelp forests

In July 2013, sea stars of several different species began...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/warm-river-habitats-are-important-for-cold-water-fish/">River</a> temperature is an important water quality measure which regulates physical, chemical, and biological processes in flowing water and has a significant impact on ecosystems, human health, and industrial, domestic, and recreational uses by humans. 



Now, a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/index.aspx">University of Birmingham</a> and <a href="https://www.indiana.edu/">Indiana University</a> has argued that a better global understanding of river temperature and the factors driving temperature increases can provide a critical barometer for climate change and the effect of other human activities.



According to the experts, a comprehensive database about this water quality measure will increase our understanding of the impact of temperature changes on biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and a variety of possible risks, including early warning of algal blooms, waterborne pathogens, and changes in fish populations.&nbsp;



In many areas of the globe, these aspects could turn out to be critical for human survival. Moreover, rethinking how we monitor and model river temperatures will play a major part in our ability to manage, mitigate, and adapt to temperature extremes that negatively impact aquatic organisms and the ecosystem services they provide.



“More attention has been given to other water quality indicators, such as nutrients and contaminants,” said study co-lead author David Hannah, an expert in Water Sciences at Birmingham. “However, river temperature influences many of these factors. Emerging evidence shows that river temperatures are rising in response to climate change in many regions worldwide. On top of this, human activity is altering water temperature further; but we still need to better understand this phenomenon and its implications.”



“The knowledge we currently have is inconsistent, with large variations in scale and detail – and primarily taking place in richer countries. This severely limits our ability to sustainably manage river systems, protect ecosystems, and balance the competing interests of stakeholders,” added co-lead author Darren Ficklin, an associate professor of Geography at Indiana.



The scientists argue that a first step in this direction is to build a more complete and accessible river temperature archive, which gathers all available data in order to highlight information gaps and underpin models for places and times for which we currently lack data. In addition, the researchers also hope to promote collaborative research and management efforts with local and indigenous communities, thus avoiding the current “top-down” decision-making on what types of data are more valuable.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natwater/">Nature Water</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Rising river temperatures provide new clues about climate change

River temperature is an important water quality measure which regulates...

In the United States, about 2.1 million osteoporosis-related bone fractures occur each year, resulting in $20.3 billion in annual direct health costs. Osteoporosis disproportionally impacts women compared to men, with 80 percent of the ten million Americans suffering from this disease being females. Moreover, postmenopausal women appear to be at higher risk, with one in two women older than 50 experiencing bone fractures due to osteoporosis.



Now, a team of researchers led by <a href="https://www.columbia.edu/">Columbia University</a> has found that high levels of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-linked-to-a-higher-risk-of-stroke/">air pollution</a> are associated with bone damage among postmenopausal women. These negative effects were most evident on the lumbar spine, with nitrous oxides - a type of pollutants found in car and truck exhaust and emissions from electrical power generation plants - twice as damaging to this area than seen during normal aging. 



While previous studies on individual pollutants have examined their adverse effects on bone mineral density, osteoporosis risk, and fractures in older individuals, this is the first study to comprehensively assess the connection between air pollution and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women, as well as the first to explore the impact of air pollution mixtures on bone outcomes.



The experts examined data on an ethnically diverse cohort of 161,808 postmenopausal women and estimated their exposure to several pollutants (PM10, NO, NO2, and SO2) based on their home addresses. In order to clarify the impact of these pollutants, they measured bone mineral density (BMD) in the whole body, total hip, femoral neck, and lumbar spine at enrollment, as well as after one, three, and six years.



The analysis revealed that the effect of nitrous oxides on lumbar spine BMD would amount to 1.22 percent annual reductions, which is nearly double the effect of age on any of the anatomical sites evaluated. According to the researchers, these effects happen most likely through bone cell death caused by oxidative stress and other mechanisms.



“Our findings confirm that poor air quality may be a risk factor for bone loss, independent of socioeconomic or demographic factors. For the first time, we have evidence that nitrogen oxides, in particular, are a major contributor to bone damage and that the lumbar spine is one of the most susceptible sites of this damage,” reported study lead author Diddier Prada, an expert in Environmental Health Science at Columbia.



“Improvements in air pollution exposure, particularly nitrogen oxides, will reduce bone damage in postmenopausal women, prevent bone fractures, and reduce the health cost burden associated with osteoporosis among postmenopausal women. Further efforts should focus on detecting those at higher risk of air pollution-related bone damage,”&nbsp;concluded senior author Andrea Baccarelli, the Chair of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at the same university.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.101864">EClinicalMedicine</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</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.

Air pollution increases bone loss from osteoporosis

In the United States, about 2.1 million osteoporosis-related bone fractures...

Although in recent years, educators have explored the use of social <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/robots-influence-children-education/">robots</a> to help students learn, they focused mostly on children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Now, a team of scientists led by the <a href="https://uwaterloo.ca/">University of Waterloo</a> in Canada has designed a socially assistive robot to help keep students with learning disabilities focused on their work. According to the experts, using this robot was highly successful, with both pupils and their instructors valuing the positive classroom contributions made by the robot.



“There is definitely a great potential for using robots in the public education system,” said study senior author Kerstin Dautenhahn, a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Waterloo. “Overall, the findings imply that the robot has a positive effect on students.”



The researchers conducted a series of experiments with a small humanoid robot called QT, which has the ability to perform gestures using its head and hands, accompanied by speech and a variety of facial expressions. To test whether this robot was suitable for use with children with learning disabilities, they divided 16 students into two groups. While in the first group, students worked one-on-one with a human instructor only, in the second one they worked both with the instructor and a QT robot.&nbsp;



Although the instructor controlled the sessions, the robot took over occasionally, triggered by the instructor, to lead the student. If necessary, the robot set goals and provided self-regulating strategies and, if the learning process was getting off-track, it also used strategies such as games, jokes, riddles, breathing exercises, and physical movements to redirect the students back to their tasks.



“Our qualitative analysis suggests that instructors and students showed positive attitudes towards the social robot in their one-to-one sessions. In addition, the students were more engaged with their task in the presence of the robot, and displayed fewer off-task behaviors in the intervention condition, compared to the control condition. These results suggest that a social robot can be used as an effective educational tool for instructors in boosting engagement and mitigating off-task behaviors for students with learning disabilities,” the authors concluded.



The study is published in the proceedings of the <a href="https://www.icsr2022.it/">International Conference of Social Robotics</a> from Florence, Italy and can be found <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-24670-8_14">here</a>. 



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</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.

Social robots can help students stay focused

Although in recent years, educators have explored the use of...

In March 1946, less than a year after the end of World War II, the Medical Research Council of the UK commenced a longitudinal study to follow the health and development of 5,362 babies, all born in the same week in England, Wales and Scotland. Today, this is the longest running major birth cohort study in the world, and the surviving participants are soon to turn 77 years old. There have been at least 24 follow-up contacts with all surviving members of the cohort, with the latest full testing conducted when they were aged 69.



Previous research using data from this 1946 British birth cohort has demonstrated the beneficial effects of being physically during the midlife period on verbal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/edible-mushrooms-boost-nerve-growth-and-enhance-memory/">memory</a>. Following on from this, researchers from the MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at University College London have now investigated whether the timing of physical activity has an influence on improved cognitive function in later life.&nbsp;



The participants reported their levels of physical activity at follow-up surveys conducted at the ages of 36, 43, 53, 60–64 and 69, by which time only 1,417 of the original participants were available. At each age they completed a questionnaire to assess how often they had taken part in any sports, vigorous leisure activities or exercise in the previous month.&nbsp;



Their responses were categorized into: not active (no participation in physical activity/month); moderately active (participated 1–4 times/month); most active (participated 5 or more times/month), and then summed across all 5 assessments to create a total score ranging from 0 (inactive at all ages) to 5 (active at all ages).&nbsp;



The researchers assessed cognitive function at age 69 using the validated ACE-111, which tests attention and orientation, verbal fluency, memory, language, and visuospatial function. They also used tests of verbal memory (word learning test) and processing speed (visual search speed), and analyzed the associations between cognitive function and levels of physical activity.&nbsp;



The researchers were particularly keen to know if physical activity is most beneficial to later-life cognitive function when undertaken in specific ‘sensitive’ periods across the life course, or when undertaken across multiple time periods.&nbsp;



Their results, published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jnnp-2022-329955">Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery &amp; Psychiatry</a>, show compelling evidence of the positive effects of being, and remaining, physically active across 30 years of adulthood on later-life cognition. Essentially, they find that any regular leisure time physical activity, carried out at any age during adulthood, is significantly associated with better brain function in later life. However, maintaining an exercise routine throughout adulthood seems to be best for preserving mental acuity and memory.



The researchers found that 11 percent of participants were physically inactive at all five survey times. Around 17 percent of participants were active at only one of the survey times, whereas 20 percent were active at two and three of them; 17 percent were active at four of the survey times, and 15 percent were active at all five. Those people who reported being physically active at all five of the survey times were more likely to have higher cognitive performance, better verbal memory and faster processing speed at the age of 69.



The effect sizes were similar across all adult ages, and for those who were moderately and most physically active, “suggesting that being physically active at any time in adulthood, even if participating as little as once per month, is linked to higher cognition,” wrote the researchers.&nbsp;



The positive association between cumulative physical activity and later life cognitive performance was partly explained by childhood cognition, socioeconomic position, and education. However, the effect remained significant even when these variables were accounted for in the statistical analysis.&nbsp;



“Together, these results suggest that the initiation and maintenance of physical activity across adulthood may be more important than the timing … or the frequency of physical activity at a specific period,” explained the researchers.



The study has some limitations, including the fact that it is an observational investigation and so cannot attribute cause to the differences identified in cognitive function. In addition, all the participants were White and there was a disproportionately high attrition rate among socially disadvantaged participants. No data were collected from participants about the intensity or duration of physical exercise that they undertook, nor about whether they actually adhered to the regimen they selected during the surveys.&nbsp;



But the researchers nevertheless conclude: “Our findings support guidelines to recommend participation in any physical activity across adulthood and provide evidence that encouraging inactive adults to be more active at any time, and encouraging already active adults to maintain activity, could confer benefits on later life cognition.”



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</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.

Any type of physical activity can help protect the brain

In March 1946, less than a year after the end...

Digital,Interface,With,Digital,Icons,Over,Mid,Section,Of,Man

A large part of modern life is spent immersed in a variety of digital media, ranging from websites and Zoom meetings to videogames and social media. According to a recent study led by the <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/">Binghamton University</a>, since online content of various types often differs in terms of visual orientation from real images that we perceive in natural, urban, and suburban environments, it could significantly alter our visual perception.&nbsp;



“With the continued growth of digital device use, a greater portion of the visual world experienced daily by many people has shifted towards digital environments. The “oblique effect” denotes a bias for horizontal and vertical (canonical) contours over oblique contours, which is derived from a disproportionate exposure to canonical content,” the authors explained.



In the natural world, although we are mostly exposed to horizontal phenomena such as the horizon and vertical ones like trees, we also see objects oriented at a variety of angles, such as tree branches or sloping hillsides. By contrast, in a “carpentered” environment largely manufactured by humans, many of these oblique lines are eliminated and the landscape becomes dominated by horizontal and vertical objects such as buildings, powerlines, road signs, or street lamps. Suburban environments, since they often contain small pockets of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nature-increased-well-being-during-the-pandemic/">nature</a>, are somewhere in between.



By comparing the visual orientation of various kinds of digital media with real-life scenes from natural, suburban, and urban environments, the researchers found that many types of media also exhibit the oblique effect. Although videogames aiming to imitate the natural world often (partially) succeed, pixilated videogames and social media sites - which are essentially composed of boxes of various sizes – exhibit the oblique effect to an extreme not seen in real-world environments.



“The question is: Is this shifting our overall profile of orientation sensitivity? People are spending so much time looking at these digital environments that it may become influential,”&nbsp;said study lead author Nicholas Duggan, a professor of Psychology at Binghamton.&nbsp;



Previous research has found that over-exposure to digital content – such as playing Minecraft for several hours – can shift what our brain pays attention to visually, increasing our sensitivity to horizontal and vertical lines. While this oblique effect tends to fade once viewers stop playing the game and re-engage with the natural world, it is not yet clear how people with digital media overuse disorder are affected.&nbsp;



“We’re talking about kids who were dropping out of school because they play video games every waking moment. The conjecture is that these people may be subjecting themselves to a digital environment that is substantively different from what other people typically experience on a daily basis,” explained study co-author Peter Gerhardstein, an expert in Developmental Psychology at Binghamton.&nbsp;



However, further research is needed to clarify how overexposure to digital media affects visual perception. “There is a lot of benefit to online content in general. Unless you are overusing it, we strongly suspect there is no real impact here. But if you are heavily overusing digital content, you could be altering some aspects of your basic visual perception,” Gerhardstein concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/03010066221148673">Perception</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</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.

Digital media can alter our visual perception

A large part of modern life is spent immersed in...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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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

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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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

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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

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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

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