For decades, researchers have questioned whether boys and girls are born with the same natural ability in math. In 2005, cognitive psychologist Elizabeth Spelke took a firm stand, stating that there are no differences in overall intrinsic aptitude for science and mathematics among women and men.



Now, the evidence is even stronger. In a new study, researchers from <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harvard University</a> and several institutions across France examined math performance in more than 2.5 million French schoolchildren. 



The team found that at the very beginning of first grade, boys and girls start off nearly equal in math. But just four months into formal math instruction, a small gap appears - and it keeps growing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nationwide-study-tracks-the-math-gap">Nationwide study tracks the math gap</h2>



The research draws on a French government testing program that was launched in 2018. This nationwide effort tracked <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/reminiscing-can-boost-language-development-in-preschoolers/">language</a> and math skills of young students from first through sixth grade. 



Over five years and across four student cohorts, the program gave researchers an unmatched view of early math development.



At school entry, French girls scored slightly better than boys in language. Math scores, though, were essentially the same. 



"The headline conclusion is that the gender gap emerges when systematic instruction in mathematics begins," Spelke explained.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-for-gender-differences">Looking for gender differences </h2>



Spelke had already spent decades studying how young children understand numbers and shapes. Back in 2005, she wrote a major review for American Psychologist. The piece challenged the notion that boys are biologically wired for better math performance than girls.



"My argument was, 'OK, if there really were biological differences, maybe we would see them in the infancy period,'" said Spelke. 



She and her team always tracked <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/young-children-learn-gender-stereotypes-from-storybooks/">gender</a> in their studies, but they never found infant boys outperforming girls in math, or vice versa. Still, Spelke admitted that something could be happening later in development.



"The fact that there are no differences in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/conscious-awareness-when-does-our-sense-of-purpose-emerge/">infants</a> could be because the abilities that show gender effects actually emerge during preschool," she proposed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-math-instruction-for-boys-and-girls">Math instruction for boys and girls</h2>



In recent years, Spelke has turned her attention to how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-discover-a-better-way-for-kids-to-learn-math/">children learn counting</a> and numbers in real classrooms. 



Spelke partnered with Nobel Prize-winning MIT economist Esther Duflo to advise the Delhi office of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL). The team is helping four Indian states create and test math lessons for children in preschool through first grade.



In France, she works alongside her longtime collaborator, neuroscientist Stanislas Dehaene. Together, they serve on the French Ministry of Education's Scientific Council, which helped develop the EvalAide testing program. 



The idea was simple: measure where every child stands in math and language and use that data to guide better teaching.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gender-gap-emerges-in-math">Gender gap emerges in math</h2>



For this study, the team analyzed data from four full cohorts of first-graders entering school between 2018 and 2021. 



What they found was consistent: no math gap at the time of school entry, a small but significant gap favoring boys after four months, and a steadily widening gap by second, fourth, and even sixth grade.



"It was even bigger in fourth grade," Spelke said. "And in sixth grade it was bigger still."



Interestingly, the gender gap in language shrank slightly after the first few months of school and stayed relatively stable in later years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ruling-out-old-explanations">Ruling out old explanations</h2>



So why does the math gap grow with time in school? The researchers ruled out several familiar theories.



"If there was really a pervasive social bias, and the parents were susceptible to it, we would expect boys to be more oriented toward spatial and numerical tasks when they first got to school," said Spelke.



But that didn’t happen. At school entry, there was no math gap. This points away from both biological and early social bias explanations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-experiment-during-the-pandemic">An experiment during the pandemic </h2>



The EvalAide dataset offered other insights. French first-graders can be nearly a year apart in age, depending on when their birthday falls. 



The team wondered if the older students were skewing results. They weren’t. The widening gender gap aligned more closely with time spent in school than with age.



Then came an unusual variable: COVID-19. The 2019 cohort missed the final 2.5 months of first grade due to lockdowns. That gap year created a natural experiment.



"With less time in school, the amount of the gender gap grew by less than it did in the other years where there wasn't a long school closure," said Spelke.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-confirming-the-math-gender-gap">Confirming the math gender gap</h2>



The cohort also began school just after a national education crisis. In early 2019, French students had scored <a href="https://www.polytechnique-insights.com/en/braincamps/society/how-to-improve-the-relationship-between-education-and-employment/maths-an-essential-subject-whose-level-is-falling-in-a-majority-of-countries/#:~:text=In%202003%2C%2015%25%20of%20French,European%20average%20of%20527%20points.">lowest</a> among 23 European countries in math, according to international rankings. 



In response, the French Education Ministry - guided by its Scientific Council - called for more math teaching in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/covid-19-pandemic-setbacks-reduced-kindergarten-readiness/">kindergarten</a>.



Sure enough, a tiny math gender gap appeared in fall 2019 among new first-graders. That gap hadn’t shown up in 2018 but was still present in 2020 and 2021.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-problems-in-early-math-instruction">Problems in early math instruction </h2>



The study doesn't pinpoint a single cause, but its message is clear: differences in math achievement between boys and girls seem to grow as a result of what happens in early <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/schools-are-in-a-battle-with-cell-phones-to-keep-students-engaged/">school</a> instruction.



"We still don't know what that is exactly," Spelke said. "But now we have a chance to find out by randomized evaluations of changes to the curriculum."



The findings put pressure on education systems to ask hard questions about how math is taught in the early years - and what needs to change to make it fair for everyone.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09126-4">Nature</a>.



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Early math instruction may unintentionally favor boys

For decades, researchers have questioned whether boys and girls are born with the same natural ability in math. In 2005, cognitive psychologist Elizabeth Spelke took a firm stand, stating that there are no differences in overall intrinsic aptitude for science and mathematics among women and men. Now, the evidence is even stronger. In a new study, researchers from Harvard University and several institutions across France examined math performance in more than 2.5 million French schoolchildren. The team found that at the very beginning of first grade, boys...

Although scientists have already noticed that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chimpanzees-use-distinctive-drumming-styles-to-communicate/">chimpanzees</a> can coordinate their actions when working towards a goal – such as pulling a string to release food – much less was known about their propensity to coordinate spontaneously. Now, a team of experts from the <a href="https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/">University of St Andrews</a> and the <a href="https://www.ceu.edu/">Central European University</a> in Vienna has found that chimps share a well-known human tendency to unintentionally synchronize their steps when walking alongside one another.



By recording the walking behavior of chimpanzees at the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage Trust (a sanctuary in Zambia) both when walking alone and when walking next to others, the scientists observed that chimps exhibit unintentional synchronization in their steps when walking next to one another. These findings suggest that humans’ strong tendency to coordinate simple actions is shared with one of our closest primate relatives, and it might thus be an ancestral trait.



“Humans deliberately plan and coordinate actions with others during sport games, group dances, musical ensembles, or military actions. But it is also part of our daily life – like carrying items together or getting a child dressed. Indeed, joint actions have been suggested to be crucial for our success as a species because much more can be achieved together than alone. In fact, we can’t help it and coordinate actions even when it is not necessary to do so, such as falling into the same rhythm with someone walking next to us,” explained study lead author Manon Schweinfurth, a lecturer in Psychology and Neuroscience at St Andrews.



“In contrast, one of our closest living relatives, the chimpanzee, does not appear to show the same preference for rather complex joint actions. But little is known about simpler forms of joint action, such as a tendency to fall into inter-individual synchrony. Chimpanzees are particularly interesting here, as they are a good model for our last common ancestor with other African great apes.”



The new study, which involved both male and female chimpanzees of different ages, has provided clear evidence that, when they walked together, a step by one walker was followed by the same respective foot of the other walker in 79 percent of the cases within less than half a second.



“This study provides evidence that chimpanzees temporally synchronize their body movements to the movements of their conspecifics. This interpersonal coordination of movements is often called entrainment and relies on perception-action links that become coupled. Understanding which mechanisms humans share with other species can help us understand the evolutionary origins of more sophisticated forms of joint action,” Dr. Schweinfurth concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.09.059">Current Biology</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

Chimpanzees synchronize their steps when walking together

Although scientists have already noticed that chimpanzees can coordinate their...

The equatorial Pacific is a key oceanographic region in the Earth’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-testing-the-resilience-of-wheat-yields/">climate</a> system. According to a new study led by <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a>, warming of the upper ocean layers and stronger winds have been linked to increased rainfall in eastern China



Ocean heat content is a term that represents the amount of energy absorbed by seawater. Recent increases in ocean heat content have been implicated in the intensification of tropical storms - which draw their energy from the surface of the ocean.&nbsp;



The link between ocean heating and rainfall on land is unclear. The Rutgers study, which is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>, provides new insight into this link.



“Our study suggests variations in ocean thermal structure affect the delivery of moisture, latent heat, and what happens when they arrive on land,” said Yair Rosenthal, professor at the Rutgers’ School of Art and Sciences and School of Environmental and Biological Sciences.



The latitudinal temperature gradient is the difference in sea-surface temperature between low and high latitudes. Temperature changes control how energy is absorbed by the equatorial upper ocean but also how wind carries moisture onto land.



The researchers found that over the past 360,000 years, there has been a correlation between monsoon rainfall in eastern China and the heat content of the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool. In this region, sea surface temperatures remain above 82°F year-round due to transport of moisture and latent heat absorbed in the water vapor from the ocean to the continent.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The study revealed that changes in upper ocean heat respond to shifts in the Earth’s orbit that occur about every 23,000 years. This alters the distribution of solar radiation at each latitude.



By using two marine species - a surface dweller and an organism found 200 meters below the surface - the scientists reconstructed how the upper ocean thermal structure gets its heat and energy. The results were compared with climate model simulations and reconstructions of the monsoonal precipitation in eastern China.



The results have shown that the coupling of ocean heat content and monsoon variations is critical for regulating the global hydroclimate.



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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

Extreme rainfall in eastern China linked to ocean warming

The equatorial Pacific is a key oceanographic region in the...

Since the first Neanderthal draft genome was published in 2010, scientists from the <a href="https://www.eva.mpg.de/index/">Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology</a> have sequenced a further 18 genomes from 14 archaeological sites throughout Eurasia. Now, the experts turned their attention to southern Siberia – a regions where Denisovan <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hominin-fossils-are-a-million-years-older-than-estimated/">hominin</a> remains were also discovered for the first time – to find out more about the social structure of Neanderthals.



By focusing on the Neanderthal remains in Chagyrskaya and Okladnikov Caves, the researchers managed to successfully retrieve DNA samples from 17 fossils, including bones and tooth fragments. The analyses revealed that Neanderthals briefly occupied these sites about 54,000 years ago, and were hunting ibex, horses, bison, and other animals which were migrating through the nearby rivel valleys. However, they collected raw materials for their stone tools dozens of kilometers away.&nbsp;



Although previous data suggest that Neanderthals inhabited the Altai mountains even earlier – around 120,000 years ago – genetic analyses showed that the Neanderthals from the Chagyrskaya and Okladnikov Caves were not descendants of these earlier groups, but were closer related to European Neanderthals.



Among the remains found in these caves were those of a Neanderthal father and his teenage daughter, as well as a pair of second-degree relatives – a young boy and an adult female (possibly a cousin, aunt, or grandmother). Genetic investigations revealed that these Neanderthals must have lived – and died – at around the same time.



“The fact that they were living at the same time is very exciting. This means that they likely came from the same social community. So, for the first time, we can use genetics to study the social organization of a Neanderthal community,” said lead author Laurits Skov, a postdoctoral fellow at the Max Planck Institute.



Moreover, according to the scientists, this Neanderthal community was characterized by an extremely low genetic diversity, consistent with a group size of ten to 20 individuals. However, Neanderthals did not seem to live in completely isolated communities. By comparing the genetic diversity on the Y-chromosome (inherited from father to son) with the mitochondrial DNA diversity (inherited from mothers), the researchers found that the mitochondrial genetic diversity was considerably higher than the Y-chromosome diversity, suggesting that these Neanderthal communities were mainly linked by female migration. Despite the proximity to Denisova Cave, these migrations do not seem to have involved Denisovans, since the scientists found no proof of Denisovan gene flow in the Chagyrskaya Neanderthals during the last 20,000 years before these individuals lived.



“Our study provides a concrete picture of what a Neanderthal community may have looked like,” said senior author Benjamin Peter, an expert in Evolutionary Genetics at the Max Planck Institute. “It makes Neanderthals seem much more human to me.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05283-y">Nature</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

Study reveals the structure of Neanderthal communities

Since the first Neanderthal draft genome was published in 2010,...

A new study from <a href="https://www.princeton.edu/">Princeton University</a> suggests that experiencing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/families-are-less-stressed-when-they-eat-meals-together/">stressful</a> events can help people learn resilience. Using a mouse model, the researchers also found that dopamine may play an important role in building resilience and bouncing back quickly from adversity.



"Chronic stress can have lasting adverse consequences in some individuals, yet others are resilient to the same stressor," wrote the study authors. "Susceptible and resilient individuals exhibit differences in the intrinsic properties of mesolimbic dopamine (DA) neurons after the stressful experience is over. However, the causal links between DA, behavior during stress and individual differences in resilience are unknown."



For the investigation, the researchers placed small mice in close proximity with larger, aggressive mice. The team observed a display of defensive behaviors that could predict a mouse's level of resilience. When dopamine was activated as the small mice defended themselves, resilience appeared to be even stronger.



Study lead author Lindsay Willmore was intrigued by the group of mice who defended themselves tenaciously when faced with an aggressor.



“They’d turn back towards the aggressor, they’d throw their paws out, they’d jump on him, and they would just not give up,” said Willmore. “I thought, wow, there’s something going on in these guys’ brains that’s super interesting and could be the key to resilience.”



“It’s a complicated environment where a mouse has to decide what to do around a bully mouse,” said study co-author Professor Ilana Witten. “What decision it makes has profound consequences in terms of how it ends up.”



While the defensive stances associated with fighting back were key in predicting a mouse’s resilience in the face of attack, Willmore said that even more strongly related to resilience was how much dopamine the animals had in their reward system during the time when they were starting to fight back. "That’s what was really cool to me - that an animal that is not just fighting back but is rewarded for fighting back is the one that becomes resilient.”



“I’m very interested in the question of whether we can teach resilience,” said study co-author Professor Annegret Falkner. The results of the study indicate that the answer is yes, as the mice showed that they could be guided toward resilience.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05328-2">Nature</a>.



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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

Can we learn resilience from stressful events?

A new study from Princeton University suggests that experiencing stressful...

The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) is a vast system of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/atlantic-ocean-currents-may-soon-change-for-the-worse/">ocean currents</a> which carry warm water from the tropics into the North Atlantic ocean and transport cold water from the northern to the southern hemisphere, thus playing a major role in the regulation of the Earth’s climate. This system has collapsed in the past due to various natural factors, with its most recent collapse playing a key role in the last deglaciation.&nbsp;



Since AMOC is currently threatened by anthropogenic global warming, understanding the reasons for its past collapses is essential. According to a new study led by the <a href="https://www.fearp.usp.br/en/index.php/where-we-are/university-of-sao-paulo">University of São Paulo</a> in Brazil, AMOC past collapse was caused by the warming of the ocean subsurface resulting in a reduction of surface salinity due to the release of a large number of icebergs from glaciers into the sea.



“An investigation of marine sediments collected between Canada and Greenland led to the discovery that, in the past, glaciers covering the territories that now correspond to Canada and the northern United States released colossal numbers of icebergs into the Atlantic owing to ocean surface warming in the region,” explained study co-author Cristiano Chiessi, a paleoclimatologist at the University of São Paulo.



In the ocean, these icebergs melted and deposited continental sediments on the seabed. “Identification of these sediments and reconstitution of the subsurface temperature in the region enabled scientists to establish for the first time that subsurface warming preceded the mass iceberg release,” Chiessi said.



The massive volume of fresh water added by the melting of the icebergs changed the composition of the ocean at the high latitudes of the northern hemisphere, which had a tremendous impact on the global climate.&nbsp;



According to the scientists, AMOC collapsed several times during the last glacial period (between 71,000 and 12,000 years ago), causing torrential increases in rainfall in northeast Brazil and a sharp drop in rainfall in Venezuela, the north of Amazonia, and tropical areas of North Africa and Asia. By discovering that North Atlantic subsurface warming preceded the massive release of icebergs from the U.S. and Canada into the Atlantic ocean, the scientists were able to establish the sequence of events responsible for AMOC’s past collapse.



“The process begins with an apparently insignificant weakening of AMOC, which causes subsurface warming at high latitudes of the North Atlantic. This warming melts the glaciers’ sea snouts, moving the glaciers rapidly seaward and releasing colossal armadas of icebergs. As the icebergs melt, surface water salinity decreases in the region. The surface water isn’t dense enough to sink, and AMOC collapses,” Chiessi explained.



In recent decades, monitoring of AMOC has shown evidence that it is once more weakening due to three main reasons: the intensification of rainfall at high latitudes; the melting of the ice cap over Greenland; and the warming of the Earth’s surface. According to the experts, all three causes are associated with greenhouse gas emissions due to human activities. The new findings regarding AMOC’s collapse in the past suggest that the current weaker AMOC will cause anomalous subsurface warming at high latitudes, which could melt glaciers in Greenland, ultimately leading to another AMOC collapse and thus exacerbating the current climate crisis.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-31754-x">Nature Communications</a>.&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

Global warming could collapse the Atlantic circulation system

The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) is a vast system...

Researchers have confirmed that not <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hitting-snooze-is-common-among-sleep-deprived-people/">sleep</a> can negatively impact long-term health. During a 25-year study led by <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a> (UCL), experts gathered self-reported data from 7,000 men and women aged 50, 60, and 70. The data included how much sleep the participants got, their death rate, and whether they had been diagnosed with more than one disease (multimorbidity).&nbsp;



The analysis revealed that people who slept for five hours or less at age 50 were 20 percent more likely to be diagnosed with a chronic disease, and 40 percent more likely to be diagnosed with two or more chronic conditions over the course of 25 years, when compared with those who received up to seven hours of sleep.&nbsp;



Among the sleep deprived group, the rate of mortality also increased by 25 percent. When all ages were combined, those who received less than five hours of sleep were 30 to 40 percent more likely to experience multimorbidity.



"Multimorbidity is on the rise in high income countries and more than half of older adults now have at least two chronic diseases. This is proving to be a major challenge for public health, as multimorbidity is associated with high healthcare service use, hospitalisations and disability," said study lead author Dr. Severine Sabia.



"As people get older, their sleep habits and sleep structure change. However, it is recommended to sleep for 7 to 8 hours a night - as sleep durations above or below this have previously been associated with individual chronic diseases."



The researchers did not find any significant benefit to getting nine or more hours of sleep per night.&nbsp;



"Our findings show that short sleep duration is also associated with multimorbidity," said Dr. Sabia. "To ensure a better night's sleep, it is important to promote good sleep hygiene, such as making sure the bedroom is quiet, dark and a comfortable temperature before sleeping. It's also advised to remove electronic devices and avoid large meals before bedtime. Physical activity and exposure to light during the day might also promote good sleep."



"Getting enough sleep allows your body to rest. There are a host of other ways that poor sleep could increase the risk of heart disease or stroke, including by increasing inflammation and increasing blood pressure," said Jo Whitmore, a senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation.



"This research adds to a growing body of research that highlights the importance of getting a good night's sleep."



This research is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004109">PLOS Medicine</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

Lack of sleep linked to greater risk of comorbid disease

Researchers have confirmed that not sleep can negatively impact long-term...

Protected areas are vitally important for conserving <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marine-biodiversity-could-shift-rapidly-due-to-climate-change/">biodiversity</a> worldwide, hence the drive to increase the 16.8 percent of Earth’s surface area that is currently protected, to 30 percent by 2030. This is the aim of the UN’s Convention on Biological Diversity, as described in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. However, not all species are likely to respond in the same way to protected areas (PAs) and, while they are crucial for the maintenance of global diversity and ecosystem services, they may not be sufficient to halt the declines of some species, especially if they typically have large home ranges.



Elephants are a case in point here, and it is important to understand their use of PAs before declaring large new wildlife conservation areas in order to meet the 2030 global goals. In the Sundaic region (Borneo, Sumatra, Java and the Malaysian Peninsula), Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) occur in the wild and range widely to forage and interact. This species of elephants is now endangered in Southeast Asia and the remnant populations tends to live in highly fragmented landscapes. In the Sundaic region it is estimated that only about 50 percent of the original forest remains, and less of 10 percent of it is formally protected.&nbsp;



New research, giving the most comprehensive analysis of Asian elephant movement and habitat preference to date, has now been published in the British Ecological Society’s <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14286">Journal of Applied Ecology</a> in order to evaluate the role of PAs in the protection of Asian elephants and their habitats in the Sundaic region. The study was conducted by three different research teams between 2010 and 2020. More than 600,000 GPs locations were collected for a total of 102 elephants from two different populations. One of the populations was in Peninsular Malaysia, and the other in Sabah, Borneo; both of these areas are home to numerous managed and protected wildlife areas, with the levels of protection varying considerably.



The researchers found that, while PAs were important places of sanctuary, elephants from both populations spent more than half their time outside the boundaries of these PAs. They showed their biggest preference for areas within three kilometers of PA boundaries, according to the authors, which ties in with habitats such as secondary forest, forest edges, forest gaps and more open canopies. The elephants like to eat grasses, bamboo, palms and fast-growing trees, which are common in disturbed or more open environments, but relatively scarce under the canopy of old-growth forests.&nbsp;



Most of the tracked elephants had more than half of their home ranges, as well as their core areas outside PAs and they generally favored habitats outside, rather than inside them. This situation is of concern because it inevitably brings the elephants into conflict with humans who farm outside the PAs. While protected forests remain important places of refuge, they will not fulfil the elephants’ need to forage on faster-growing species at forest edges.



Dr. Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden and the University of Nottingham in Malaysia, and one of the lead authors of the study said: “Our results show that protected areas are very important, but not enough as an overall strategy for Asian elephant conservation.”



“Given their preference for habitats outside the protected areas, elephants will inevitably come into conflict with people. This highlights the importance of promoting human-elephant coexistence around protected areas."



The authors emphasize that their findings do not diminish the importance of protected areas, a cornerstone of global conservation strategies. Dr. Benoit Goossens from Danau Girang Field Centre and Cardiff University, the other lead author added: “We believe protected areas are the most effective tool for biodiversity conservation in general. In the case of Asian elephants, protected areas provide long-term safety and represent the core areas for elephant conservation.”



“Our results show that elephant conservation strategies need to be realistic and acknowledge the nuances of elephant habitat needs and preferences, integrating holistic human-elephant coexistence approaches outside protected areas.”



Based on their findings, the authors make three key recommendations for Asian elephant conservation:



<ol><li>include large protected areas with core areas where elephants can find safety;</li><li>incorporate ecological corridors to connect networks of protected areas;</li><li>mitigate against human-elephant conflict, especially around protected areas, with emphasis on protecting people’s safety and livelihoods, as well as promoting tolerance towards elephant presence.</li></ol>



Speaking on the next steps for research in this area and Asian elephant conservation, Dr. Antonio de la Torre, first author of the study, said: “Human-elephant conflict is now the main threat for Asian elephants, yet we know surprisingly little about the effectiveness of different mitigation strategies and how to promote long-term and sustainable human-elephant coexistence.”



“Understanding how we can reduce the costs of this conflict for both people and elephants, and how to increase people’s tolerance towards elephant presence, should be the top research priority in the area."



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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

Are protected forest areas valuable to Asian elephants?

Protected areas are vitally important for conserving biodiversity worldwide, hence...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.nd.edu/">University of Notre Dame</a> has shed more light on people’s tendency to hit the snooze button on their alarm devices. The experts found that 57 percent of the participants were habitual snoozers, most likely due to the fact that they are not getting sufficient <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-age-could-predict-health-and-lifespan/">sleep</a>. Although scientists and medical professionals have long advised against such behavior, the act of snoozing has remained until now virtually unstudied.



“Most of what we know about snoozing is taken from data on sleep, stress, or related behaviors,” said study lead author Stephen Mattingly, who conducted the research during a postdoctoral fellowship at Notre Dame. “Alarm clocks, smartphones, they all have snooze buttons. The medical establishment is generally against the use of snoozing, but when we went to look at what hard data existed, there was none. We now have the data to prove just how common it is — and there is still so much that we do not know.”



Since, according to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> (CDC), only one in three Americans get enough sleep, Dr. Mattingly and his colleagues suggest that snoozing may be how some of them battle their chronic exhaustion. “So many people are snoozing because so many people are chronically tired,” Mattingly explained. “If only one in three people are sleeping adequately, that means a lot of us are turning to other means to manage fatigue.”



By surveying 450 adults with full-time, salaried employment, the scientists found that females were 50 percent more likely to snooze than males, and that all snoozers tended to experience more disturbances during sleeping hours. Moreover, night owls – people who go to sleep later in the night – were found to snooze more and be more tired in general. “In the 9 to 5 world, night owls are losing,” Mattingly warned. Finally, respondents who woke naturally, without the help of an alarm, slept longer and consumed less caffeine.



“Part of the focus of this study was to demystify what is happening with snoozing,” said study senior author Aaron Striegel, a professor of Computer Science and Engineering at Notre Dame. “Is it really worse than waking up to an alarm on the first ring — is it that much different?"



"The recommendation against an alarm is well-founded, but as far as we can tell from the physiology and our data, waking to one alarm or hitting the snooze button and waking to two or three alarms doesn’t make much of a difference. If you need an alarm because you’re sleep-deprived — that’s the issue.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsac184">SLEEP</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

Hitting snooze is common among sleep-deprived people

A new study led by the University of Notre Dame...

Tropical cyclones are among the most costly and harmful of natural disasters. Annual global damages due to these meteorological events stand at more than $26bn and this only looks set to increase in future. In the US, tropical <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cyclones-and-fires-interact-worsening-the-effects-of-each-other/">cyclones</a> have caused more than half of all damages attributed to extreme weather since 1980. In a new study, published in <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac90d8">Environmental Research Letters</a>, scientists from Potsdam University in the Netherlands revisit Hurricane Harvey, one of the most destructive tropical cyclones to hit the U.S., and assess the possible economic repercussions under different scenarios of increased global warming.&nbsp;



“Tropical cyclones draw their energy from ocean surface heat. Also, warmer air can hold more water which eventually can get released in heavy rains and flooding that often occur when a hurricane makes landfall,” said study lead author Robin Middelanis. “It’s thus clear since long that hurricane damages will become bigger if we continue to heat up our Earth system.”&nbsp;



Hurricane Harvey made landfall along the Texas coast in August 2017 as a category four tropical cyclone. It hung around for four days releasing torrential rainfall and flooding large areas in the state of Texas, but also in Louisiana. Harvey resulted in 89 deaths and caused an estimated total damage of $125bn (in 2017 dollars). Adjusting for price inflation, this makes Harvey the second-costliest hurricane on record after Katrina (2005).



The scientists used information from Hurricane Harvey to model what the likely damages and costs would be today, under different global warming scenarios. At the time of Harvey, it was estimated that a significant share of Harvey's economic costs could be attributed to the ∼1 ∘C of global warming that had taken place by 2017, and the researchers wanted to highlight the potential impact of a repeat Harvey, but under future warming scenarios.&nbsp;



The experts state that, even though the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that tropical cyclone frequency will remain stable or even decrease in future, it projects an increase in intensity and precipitation during the most severe events.&nbsp;



When computing the national and global economic repercussions of Hurricane Harvey under more severe scenarios, the researchers considered not only the direct damages done, but also the economic consequences of local production losses from business interruption. These can propagate through the global supply chain network and lead to higher-order effects and associated economic repercussions elsewhere in the world. In their simulations of over 7000 regional economic sectors with more than 1.8 million supply chain connections, the scientists found that the US national economy’s supply chains cannot compensate future local production losses from hurricanes if climate change continues.



“We investigated global warming levels of up to 5°C – which unfortunately might be reached by the end of our century if climate policy fails us,” said study co-author Anders Levermann. “We do not want to quantify temperature thresholds for the limit of adaptation of the US economy’s national supply chains, since we feel there’s too much uncertainty involved. Yet we are certain that eventually the US economy’s supply chain capacities as they are now will not be enough if global warming continues. There is a limit of how much the US economy can take, we just don’t know exactly where it is.”



The projections were based on the expectation that precipitation will increase with global warming and that hurricanes may grow larger and have longer decay time on land, therefore affecting larger areas. They also considered three different scenarios in which wind speeds increase and assumed that damages would increase linearly with precipitation and that recovery time from business interruption would be proportional to damages. They state that the interruption of business while repairs are effected can lead to the redistribution of services, both locally and globally, which can affect quality and efficiency.



Ironically, in the case of hurricane Harvey it was particularly the oil and gas industry in Texas that suffered from the impacts. Global warming is driven by the emissions from burning oil and gas (and coal), and Texas is responsible for over 42 percent of U.S. crude oil production and 25 percent of natural gas production. The computer simulations showed that production losses in the U.S. fuel sector would be most strongly compensated by countries such as Canada, Norway, Venezuela and Indonesia, at the expense of the U.S. economy.



“When things break and production fails locally, there’s always someone in the world who is happy to make money by selling the replacement goods,” said Levermann. “So why worry? Well, reduced production means increasing prices, and even if that means it’s good for some economies, it is generally bad for the consumers – the people. Also from a global economic perspective, shifts due to disrupted supply chains can mean that less efficient producers step in. It’s a pragmatic, straightforward conclusion that we need to avoid increasing greenhouse gas emissions which amplify this kind of disruptions.”



The researchers conclude that, as the direct and indirect costs of tropical cyclone damage increase under future global warming, the U.S. will reach a point where it can no longer absorb or compensate for the losses. This will leave the U.S. at a competitive disadvantage as other, less affected countries step in to take over the services that have been disabled due to cyclone damage.



When considering the potentially larger impacts of future tropical cyclones, Middelanis said one of the important questions is whether can we deal with that, economically. "The answer is: not like this, we can’t. Our calculations show, for the first time, that the U.S. economy as one of the strongest on our planet, will eventually not be able to offset the losses in their supply chains on their own. Increasing hurricane damages will exceed the coping capacities of this economic super-power.”



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.



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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

Hurricanes are becoming too costly for the United States

Tropical cyclones are among the most costly and harmful of...

Most <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/male-spiders-transfer-more-sperm-when-mating-with-cannibals/">spiders</a> are anti-social, spinning their solitary webs to catch prey that wanders into some lonely corner. However, a few spiders have evolved social behaviors and hunt together.&nbsp;



In a new study led by the <a href="https://www.port.ac.uk/">University of Portsmouth</a>, experts have investigated the various hunting behaviors of social spiders. The scientists looked at the time it took for the first spider to attack a prey species, the number of spiders attacking a prey species, and the size of prey preferred. The study used grasshoppers, crickets and locusts as prey species.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The researchers observed that each of the three social spider species in the genus Stegodyphus hunted their prey differently.&nbsp;



“When spiders become social, they all end up becoming extremely inbred, they start caring for each other’s babies, and they hunt and feed together. What’s new in this study is that, despite these general similarities, we found there is not just one way of being a social spider. Environmental conditions and competition will have shaped different hunting strategies in different species," explained study lead author Dr. Lena Grinsted.



The Indian cooperative spider (Stegodyphus sarasinorum) attacked prey in large numbers, irrespective of the prey’s size, while most of the spiders attacked smaller prey. Interestingly, the African social spider (Stegodyphus dumicola) seemed to prefer medium-sized prey, with more spiders attacking smaller prey and fewer attacking larger prey.​​&nbsp;



The African velvet social spider (Stegodyphus mimosarum), which lives in the same area as the African social spider, hunted differently. African velvet social spiders were found to be shy, rejecting many potential prey species. They were slow to attack, regardless of size.&nbsp;



“This indicates that where two different social species share the same habitat, they have evolved their own niches in response to competition between them," said Dr. Grinsted.



The research is published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1636/JoA-S-20-097">Journal of Arachnology</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

Social spiders have very different hunting strategies

Most spiders are anti-social, spinning their solitary webs to catch...

A new project will identify unique species and assess their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-whale-species-is-already-threatened-with-extinction/">extinction</a> risk. This work aims to help benchmark biodiversity change in the Arctic Ocean and guide conservation efforts.



Arctic ecosystems are among the most impacted by global warming. The Arctic Ocean is an indicator of climate change consequences, yet it remains one of the most poorly understood environments.&nbsp;



An international team of scientists developed an EcoOmics dataset that reveals a year in the biological life of the central Arctic Ocean with emphasis on microbiomes, communities of micro-organisms living together in a habitat. This dataset aims to support the shortage of antibiotics and antiviral medication, and reveal novel biology that could influence our understanding of the evolution of life on Earth.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



The team includes researchers from the German Helmholtz Association, the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Joint Genome Institute (JGI, USA) and Earlham Institute (UK), as well as several other institutions.



Data samples will be used from the largest polar expedition in history, the study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) program. Hundreds of scientists coordinated marine, atmospheric, and sea-ice research to improve our understanding of the Arctic Ocean’s role in climate processes. This will help understand how sea ice and other organisms will sustain Arctic marine ecosystem services under climate change.



Marine microbes play pivotal roles in climate feedback and in sustaining food webs. They are central for conservation and ecosystem services. Microbes also serve as biological indicators due to their fast response to environmental change.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“This is the first and largest effort to sequence the central Arctic Ocean through space and time,” said Professor Thomas Mock of the <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/">University of East Anglia</a>. “MOSAiC gives us an important glimpse into the future of Arctic ecosystems beyond 2050, when the Arctic Ocean is predicted to be ice-free during summer. This integrative scientific approach is unprecedented for polar oceans, but it is needed to improve our projections of interacting species’ responses to climate change in the Arctic.”



The initial results provide the first evidence in the Arctic Ocean of habitat filtering - the process by which habitat characteristics select for species adapted to them. The team has also found that the central Arctic Ocean is a biological “treasure trove” which has evolved in order to thrive in the harsh environment.



“EcoOmics will contribute to conservation efforts and extend fundamental questions in biology including the evolution of life on planet Earth, which remains incomplete unless polar organisms are considered.” said Professor Mock.



“Those organisms are likely a treasure trove for discovering novel biology because of their unique adaptation. How our understanding of global biodiversity will be influenced by novel polar biology remains to be seen, but our preliminary insights hold great promise.”&nbsp;&nbsp;



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.



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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

Arctic Ocean found to be a biological "treasure trove"

A new project will identify unique species and assess their...

New research highlights the potential for sexual transmission of monkeypox in humans. The 2022 monkeypox outbreak has been linked to sexual contact in patients through direct contact with bodily fluids and skin lesions. Understanding the biology of monkeypox <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/smartphone-app-can-detect-covid-19-infection-in-your-voice/">infection</a> of the testes has substantial public health implications.



Investigators at the <a href="https://mrdc.health.mil/">U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases</a> (USAMRIID) analyzed tissue samples from crab-eating macaques, which serve as a primate model for studying the disease and the efficacy of vaccines and treatments against monkeypox.



“We examined tissue samples obtained during both the acute phase of the disease, when infection is at its peak, and the convalescent phase, when infection is gradually subsiding,” explained study senior author Dr. Xiankun (Kevin) Zeng. “We detected monkeypox virus in interstitial cells and seminiferous tubules of the testes, as well as the epididymal lumina, which are the sites of sperm production and maturation.”



The team also found evidence of persistent monkeypox infection in two macaques that survived the virus. While the virus cleared from most organs, it could be detected for up to 37 days post-exposure in the testes.



The USAMRIID team had previously demonstrated that other viruses, including Ebola, can persist in the organs of primates where the immune system is suppressed. Similar to humans, these immune privileged sites include the eyes, brain, and testes.



“Our data provide evidence that monkeypox virus may be shed into semen during both acute and convalescent stages of the disease in crab-eating macaques,” said Dr. Zeng. “It seems plausible, therefore, that human transmission in convalescent male patients might occur via semen.”&nbsp;



Further studies are needed to understand the origins and implications of viral DNA shed in semen, as well as to confirm whether semen from monkeypox patients contains infectious virus.&nbsp;



The researchers noted that the macaque model may not fully reflect monkeypox in humans. This is because the animals demonstrate a more severe disease than in humans.&nbsp; The incubation period in animals is also shorter.&nbsp;



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



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.



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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

Monkeypox may be sexually transmitted in humans

New research highlights the potential for sexual transmission of monkeypox...

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

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

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



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



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https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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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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