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...

Today, on <a href="https://worldoceanday.org/">World Ocean Day</a>, the global community unites to raise awareness about ocean <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/can-land-conservation-stop-the-biodiversity-crisis/">conservation</a>. This year's focus is the 30×30 goal, a worldwide initiative for governments to designate 30 percent of Earth's land and ocean area as protected areas by 2030.&nbsp;



In 2020, a comprehensive report by more than 100 economists and scientists confirmed just how valuable that the establishment of more protected areas would be for the global economy.&nbsp;



The experts considered various scenarios of protecting at least 30 percent of the world’s land and ocean. The study revealed that the benefits of protected areas outweigh the costs by a ratio of at least five to one.&nbsp;



In May 2019, the IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services revealed that one million species are threatened with extinction. The study also showed that three-quarters of the land-based environment and about 66 percent of the marine environment have been significantly altered by human actions.



The authors of the IPBES report said that it is not too late to conserve and restore nature, but that transformative change - such as expanding and effectively managing the current network of protected areas - will be needed.&nbsp;



"Leading scientists worldwide have determined a healthy ocean is a critical part of the solution to the climate and biodiversity crises," says the World Ocean Day network.



"By supporting 30×30, we can protect our planet’s life support systems - specifically the interconnected issues of ocean, climate, and biodiversity.  Currently, less than 17 percent of land and eight percent of the ocean worldwide is protected."



"The good news is, due to the efforts of the growing global 30×30 movement, including those involved in the World Ocean Day network, more than 90 countries have already committed to protecting at least 30 percent of their land and ocean by 2030."



"With your help, and by working with youth and organizational leaders worldwide, together we will continue to grow the global movement to protect at least 30 percent of our blue planet by 2030 and safeguard our future."



---



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

World Ocean Day: Take action to protect and restore nature

Today, on World Ocean Day, the global community unites to...

In recent winters, Northeast China has experienced more frequently persistent cold events with very low temperatures lasting for over three consecutive days. Such <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-hot-and-cold-weather-events-may-share-the-same-mechanism/">extreme weather events</a> had devastating effects on agriculture, transportation, power infrastructure, and health. 



For instance, the prolonged cold event of -30°C to -40°C observed in Northeast China and eastern Inner Mongolia Province from mid-January to mid-February, 2012, affected 41 thousand people, damaged 25 thousand houses, and led to $1.8 million in economic losses. Thus, understanding what drives the occurrence of such events is crucial for both scientists and the larger public.



While previously, scientists have argued that these persistent cold events are triggered by cold air from the polar regions, a recent study led by the <a href="https://en.nuist.edu.cn/">Nanjing University of Information Science &amp; Technology</a> (NUIST) has identified another crucial factor driving the occurrence of such events: the tropical thunderstorms related to eastward-propagating low-frequency cloud clusters (known in the meteorological community as the Madden-Julian oscillation).&nbsp;



“We found that occurrence probabilities of persistent extreme cold events over Northeast China are significantly increased when cloud clusters are located over the eastern Indian Ocean and the western Pacific,” explained study lead author Yitian Qian, a postdoctoral fellow at NUIST. “But the triggering mechanisms of tropical cloud clusters in the two basins (Indian Ocean vs. western Pacific) on the Northeast China’s cold events are distinct.”



According to the scientists, when the cloud clusters of Madden-Julian oscillation are located over the Indian Ocean, a cooling effect induced by ascending motion over Northeast China emerges, leading to the occurrence of persistent extreme cold events. However, when the tropical cloud clusters propagate toward the western Pacific region, extreme cold in Northeast China is caused by cold air transportation from northern regions.



“Understanding the influential factors of persistent extreme cold events in Northeast China may help us to better assess the model prediction skill and thus improve the models’ accuracy in predicting the disastrous extreme cold events in Northeast China in a few weeks ahead,” concluded study corresponding author Pang-chi Hsu, an expert in Atmospheric Science at NUIST.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/atmospheric-and-oceanic-science-letters">Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters</a>.



---



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

Tropical thunderstorms trigger extreme cold events in China

In recent winters, Northeast China has experienced more frequently persistent...

The importance of coral reefs in aquatic ecosystems cannot be underestimated. They are the engineers of the deep sea, creating habitat and helping to secure the survival of many species on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/how-the-ocean-and-climate-influence-each-other/">ocean</a> floor.&nbsp;



Yet, these heroes of the ocean are not invincible. Coral survival is impacted by changes in their environment, such as fluctuations in temperature, acidity, oxygen, and food availability. Any of these factors can affect the health of corals and the survival of the creatures who depend on them.&nbsp;



Researchers at the Center for Marine Environmental Sciences of the University of Bremen (<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/university-of-bremen-marum">MARUM</a>) wanted to know more about how corals are affected by environmental change. To investigate, they examined the cold-water coral species Lophelia pertusa.&nbsp;



“We looked back into the past to understand how Lophelia pertusa reacted to environmental changes," said study first author Rodrigo da Costa Portilho-Ramos.



The study considered the most crucial environmental parameters over the last 20,000 years. This time period represents the warming of the planet since the last glaciation.&nbsp;



The experts found that L. pertusa would disappear and then reappear from an area when the oxygen content or food supply changed. They also discovered that temperature and salinity did not seem to affect the ability of the coral to survive or reproduce.&nbsp;



“We therefore assume that food supply and availability of oxygen are the primary factors that determine the life or death of cold-water corals," said Portilho-Ramos.



The research team could not determine the effect of acidification over the long term because it was not possible to measure the history of acidification in the ocean.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Deep-sea corals affect many aspects of the marine ecosystem, from nutrient cycles to fish reproductive success. The team believes the information gathered in their study will help inform future marine conservation in an ever-changing climate.&nbsp;



"Here, we present the synthesis of 6 case studies from the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, revealing that food supply controlled by export production and turbulent hydrodynamics at the seabed exerted the strongest impact on coral vitality during the past 20,000 years, whereas locally low oxygen concentrations in the bottom water can act as an additional relevant stressor," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



"The fate of cold-water corals in a changing ocean will largely depend on how these oceanographic processes will be modulated. Future ocean deoxygenation may be compensated regionally where the food delivery and food quality are optimal."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/">PLoS Biology</a>.



---



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

Global warming and corals: How the past informs the present

The importance of coral reefs in aquatic ecosystems cannot be...

In winter and early spring, freezing rain is an increasingly frequent weather disaster in many regions of the world, sometimes occurring even in the tropics. Since it has a significant negative impact on electrical transmission infrastructure, transportation systems, and the general public, understanding the causes triggering this phenomenon is essential. A research team led by the <a href="http://english.iap.cas.cn/">Institute of Atmospheric Physics</a> (IAP) at the Chinese Academy of Sciences has now investigated the relation between <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/skin-hair-products-air-pollution/">air pollution</a> and the emergence of such weather events.



In order for freezing rain to occur, raindrops need to remain supercooled (below 0°C) in the atmosphere. While previous studies have attributed the presence of supercooled drops in the atmosphere to the lack of ice nuclei, recent research has found that this is in fact not the case, since ice nuclei remain in supercooled drops when snow melts and forms these drops at even higher and warmer atmospheric levels. According to the IAP researchers, elevated soluble chemicals help the drops stay supercooled through a chemical effect known as “freezing point depression.”



The scientists reached this conclusion by conducting a long-term measurement of the physical and chemical composition of freezing rain at Mount Heng in southcentral China. Since the elevation of the sampling site is 1265.9 meters, above the top of the atmospheric boundary layer, low temperatures in the winter favor the occurrence of supercooled fog and freezing rain. However, chemical analyses over a seven-year period have found that the freezing rain at Mount Heng was acidic, with higher concentrations of soluble ions and organic matter than those in rain. The study revealed that, as the concentrations of soluble ions (particularly ammonium nitrate) increase, the ambient temperatures of freezing rain showed decreasing trends.



“This study presented the first chemical view on freezing rain, a physical phenomenon in traditional belief,” said study co-author Ronald Stewart, an expert in Atmospheric Physics at the <a href="https://umanitoba.ca/">University of Manitoba</a> in Canada. “The higher ionic concentration may depress the temperature needed to freeze raindrops and this process prolongs the existence of freezing rain.”



“Against the background of global warming, the influencing area of the freezing rain will shift northward, and the effect of freezing point depression induced by air pollution in northern China may be amplified,” concluded co-author Xiaying Zhu, a climate scientist at the <a href="http://bcc.ncc-cma.net/">Beijing Climate Center</a>.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1352231022002059?via%3Dihub#!">Atmospheric Environment</a>.



---



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

Air pollution increases freezing rain in the Northern Hemisphere

In winter and early spring, freezing rain is an increasingly...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.izw-berlin.de/en/home.html">Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research</a> (Leibniz-IZW) has found that the numerous deaths of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bats-play-an-active-role-in-plant-pollination/">bats</a> caused by wind turbines (WT) in Germany have a negative impact on the populations of affected species, as well as far-reaching consequences for the biodiversity of rural areas. According to the experts, since bats play an important role in the natural regulation of insect populations, their loss makes ecosystems more vulnerable to disturbances and has negative effects on agriculture and forestry.&nbsp;



The researchers investigated the prey spectrum of the common noctule (Nyctalus noctula), a bat species that frequently dies at wind turbines in Germany. By analyzing the stomach content of 17 common noctules killed at wind turbines, they found DNA traces of 46 insect species from nine orders (most of them beetles and moths). Twenty percent of these insects – including, for example, the chestnut weevil (Curculio elephas) or the chestnut fruit moth (Cydia splendana) - are considered pests in agriculture and forestry. Thus, the loss of bats disrupts existing food chains and can lead to higher numbers of pests and nuisance species.



“We have to reckon with more than 200,000 bats per year dying at WTs,” said study co-author Christian Voigt, a wildlife biologist at Leibniz-IZW. “If we continue to tolerate this high number of victims at WTs, fewer and fewer insect pests will be consumed by bats.”&nbsp;



While energy production from wind power indisputably contributes to reductions of greenhouse gas emissions, the disruptions to food-webs caused by bat casualties can have major, unpredictable ecological side-effects for a variety of animal species. “We do not know the consequences of this current land use intensification for biodiversity and the resilience of these habitats. This is all the more regrettable because this transformation is currently being carried out on a grand scale in our landscapes,” explained Dr. Voigt.



“We still need to understand in much greater detail which effects the energy transition has on the biological diversity in these habitats. There is no question that the installed wind turbines contribute to the protection of the global climate and thus also to the conservation of biodiversity.”&nbsp;



However, according to study lead author Carolin Scholtz - a doctoral student in Ecological Dynamics at Leibniz-IZW - the numerous casualties of bats, “is often difficult for the populations to buffer, as the affected species have low reproduction rates. Unfortunately, not only do individuals disappear from the landscape, their interactions in complex food webs are also lost.”



According to the scientists, an important first step towards the conservation of bats and their crucial role in their habitats is the implementation of mandatory shutdowns of wind turbines during periods of high bat activity. Such actions would limit the negative consequences on ecosystems of the intensification of land use caused by the energy transition to wind power.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/csp2.12744">Conservation Science and Practice</a>.



---



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

Bat deaths caused by wind turbines disrupt natural food chains

A new study led by the Leibniz Institute for Zoo...

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent organic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eating-vegetables-can-protect-us-against-air-pollutants/">pollutants</a> (POPs) that are distributed globally, from the high Arctic and Antarctic to the Mariana Trench in the deep Pacific Ocean. Once used in dielectric fluids to reduce the risk of explosion in capacitors and transformers, and also used as plasticizers and flame retardants in products such as building materials and paints, the production of these chemicals was banned in most countries in the 1970s and 1980s. Today, the remaining stocks are managed globally under the Stockholm Convention on POPs, which requires signatory countries to have strategies for environmentally sound management (ESM) of PCBs by 2028.&nbsp;



In a new analysis of the progress towards environmentally sound management of PCBs, researchers from Masaryk University, the University of Toronto, and NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) have found that considerable impediments still exist in many countries, making the achievement of the goal of removing all stocks of these highly hazardous chemicals by the 2028 deadline almost unattainable.&nbsp;



The report, published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.2c01204">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a>, states that an estimated 1.3 million tons of pure PCBs were manufactured between 1930 and 1993 in at least 10 countries, primarily in the USA, followed by West Germany, the USSR, and France. These PCBs were widely exported from manufacturing countries, resulting in their use in at least 114 countries.&nbsp;



Through use and subsequent poor management, the 1.3 million tons initially produced expanded to 17 million tons of PCB-contaminated materials and waste. It is estimated that 20–35 percent of PCBs have already been released into the environment while more than 10 million tons of PCB-containing materials remain and pose public health and environmental threats globally.



The Stockholm Convention on POPs currently has 185 signatories (184 countries plus the European Union). It aims to ban the production of PCBs totally, and to phase out in-use PCBs by 2025. It also requires that signatory countries introduce inventories of their current stocks of the chemicals and establish strategies to ensure environmentally sound management (ESM) of materials with &gt;0.005% (50 mg/kg) PCB content by 2028. ESM largely consists of chemical destruction by high-temperature combustion methods for waste with high PCB content and burial in specially engineered landfills or underground mines for waste with low PCB content.&nbsp;



The purpose of the current report was primarily to understand the extent of the future threat still posed by PCBs to human and ecosystem health. In addition, it sought to assess the successes and failures of the world’s countries in managing PCBs and in moving towards environmentally sound management and permanent removal of these hazardous substances.&nbsp;



Some of the most important findings from the report, titled Persistent Problem: Global Challenges to Managing PCBs, include the following:&nbsp;



<ul><li>forty-two percent of signatories to the Stockholm Convention have no PCB inventories and are unaware of the amounts and locations of PCB stocks in their countries;</li><li>only 30 percent of signatories to the Stockholm Convention are on track to meet the target of environmentally sound management of all PCBs by 2028;&nbsp;</li><li>a lack of administrative, financial, and political capacities are key impediments to successfully managing PCB stocks, especially in low-income countries, despite these countries not being responsible for most PCB production or use;</li><li>the U.S., the world’s largest producer and user of PCBs, was found to have decreased its sizable stocks by only about 3 percent since 2006. Despite having the financial capacity to responsibly eliminate PCBs, the U.S. has no regulatory deadlines to do so, is not a party to the Stockholm Convention, and its PCB inventory is poorly documented compared to those of Canada and Czechia;</li><li>Canada and Czechia, both parties to the Stockholm Convention, are close to achieving the 2028 goal, having reduced their stocks of pure PCBs by 99% in the past ten years.</li></ul>



The analysis of progress towards ESM showed that, of the 174 signatory countries that have submitted reports, 72 national PCB inventories (42 percent) are partial or preliminary. Many inventories are limited to transformers and/or only to the public electricity sector, which may capture only half of the uses of PCBs (considering 48 percent of the chemicals produced were used in transformers). An additional 23 countries (13 percent) reported complete PCB inventories but no capacity to achieve ESM, while 11 countries had inventories and capacity to manage PCBs but had made no significant progress toward ESM. One country, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea), still manufactures PCBs.&nbsp;



The number of countries achieving or progressing toward ESM was small; 34 countries (18 percent) are progressing toward ESM through removal from use and destruction of PCB materials. Only 23 countries (13 percent) have achieved ESM of PCBs and, with three exceptions (Nepal, Kenya, and Micronesia), all of these 23 countries are classified as “high income” countries by the World Bank. Only three countries classified as “low development”/“low income” are currently making substantial progress toward ESM of PCBs: Benin, Rwanda, and Uganda.



The authors of the report state that their analysis has limitations and may therefore not be fully accurate. They say they may be presenting the worst-case scenario since countries may have made unreported progress toward PCB elimination. But conversely, many countries reported incomplete inventories (e.g., only inventories of transformers owned by a national electricity provider), and thus most may have under-recorded true stocks.



They conclude that the failure to manage global PCB stocks more than 30 years after the end of production highlights the possibility that similar problems may well plague the future control and management of other POPs. There is thus an urgent need to prioritize the reduction of manufacture and use of newer, more widely distributed POPs such as chlorinated paraffins and per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, as these management challenges are unlikely to be resolved in the coming decades.



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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

Long-banned toxic chemicals remain a global threat

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that are...

New research shows that the red panda, despite having fans everywhere, is being pushed closer to the precipice of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unchecked-emissions-may-lead-to-marine-mass-extinction/">extinction</a>. When PhD researcher Damber Bista of the University of Queensland tracked red pandas using GPS collars, he discovered that their habitat is being fragmented.



“Our research findings show that current patterns of habitat fragmentation and forest exploitation, from infrastructure projects such as new roads, are placing the red panda under increased threat,” said Bista.



“Because of this, red pandas are changing their activity to minimize their interactions with disturbances, such as humans, dogs, or livestock, and this is drastically interfering with natural interactions between the animals, resulting in population isolation.”



Bista traveled to Nepal to tag and collar pandas, which allowed him to track the animals remotely from Queensland on his computer. COVID restrictions made it impossible for him to return to Nepal, as was the original plan.&nbsp;



“The satellite tracking allowed me to monitor the red pandas remotely here in Brisbane, while I relied on my friends and colleagues in Nepal to install cameras and conduct the field surveys," said Bista. "It was a surreal experience, I would spend many hours a day during COVID lockdowns in my home, watching the movement of red pandas in Nepal on my computer.”



This study is only the fifth of its kind to be conducted on wild red pandas, and the second carried out in Nepal.&nbsp;



“It’s difficult to know how many red pandas are left in the world, but it is estimated that 10,000 are left in the wild, and between 500 to 1000 are in Nepal,” said Bista.“With the findings from this study showing fragmentation of their habitat, together with a previous study on the impacts of poaching, I am concerned about the future of this species."



“While red pandas can adapt to habitat impacts to some extent, they may be susceptible to local extinction under these conditions, placing the wider population of the species at risk.”



The shrinking forest habitat of the panda forces the animals to make hard decisions. For instance, they have to decide whether to live closer to predators or adapt to life near encroaching humans.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“As you’d expect, it’s in an animal’s best interest to avoid its predators, but as we continue to build more roads and infrastructure, that drastically reduces the capacity for red pandas to do this,” Bista said, “As the availability of suitable forests shrink, it’s up to the red panda to weigh up its options on how to best survive.



Unfortunately, these types of compromises can lead towards a decline in red panda populations and possibly to eventual extinction.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.springer.com/journal/10980">Landscape Ecology</a>.



---



By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Red pandas face shrinking habitats and tough decisions

New research shows that the red panda, despite having fans...

Babies who were exposed to COVID in the womb appear to have different neurodevelopmental outcomes than non-exposed infants at six weeks of age, according to research that was presented at the 30th <a href="https://epa-congress.org/">European Congress of Psychiatry</a>.



“Not all babies born to mothers infected with COVID show neurodevelopmental differences, but our data shows that their risk is increased in comparison to those not exposed to COVID in the womb," explained project leader Dr. Rosa Ayesa Arriola.



The babies of infected mothers found it more challenging to relax. They also had more difficulty controlling their head and shoulder movements.



“We found that certain elements of the NBAS [Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale] measurement were changed in 6-week-old infants who had been exposed to the SARS-COV-2 virus. Effectively they react slightly differently to being held, or cuddled," explained Águeda Castro Quintas&nbsp;



The researchers recognize that their sample size of 21 exposed infants and 21 non-exposed infants is small. They are also aware that a longitudinal study is needed.



“Of course, in babies who are so young there are several things we just can’t measure, such as language skills or cognition," said Nerea San Martín González. "We also need to be aware that this is a comparatively small sample, so we are repeating the work, and we will follow this up over a longer period. We need a bigger sample to determine the role of infection on offspring’s neurodevelopmental alterations and the contribution of other environmental factors.”



The study is part of a larger project, and the researchers plan to collaborate with other projects.&nbsp;



“We need to note that these are preliminary result, but this is part of a project following a larger sample of 100 mothers and their babies. They have also been monitored during pregnancy, and after birth," said Quintas.



"We also plan to compare these mothers and babies with data from another similar project (the epi-project) which looks at the effect of stress and genetics on a child’s neurodevelopment."



The researchers believe this study will help to inform how we treat affected individuals as they grow.&nbsp;



“Research in this field is vital in understanding and preventing possible neurological problems and mental health vulnerabilities in those children in the coming years," said Arriola.



---



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

Babies exposed to COVID may have slower neurodevelopment

Babies who were exposed to COVID in the womb appear...

A research team led by the <a href="https://ki.se/">Karolinska Institute</a> in Sweden has developed a tiny sensor which can detect <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/experts-develop-new-tool-to-design-safer-pesticides/">pesticides</a> on fruits very quickly, in just a few minutes. This innovative technique uses flame-sprayed nanoparticles made from silver to increase the signals from chemicals. Although these nano-sensors are still at a relatively early stage of development, the scientists hope that they could be soon used by consumers worldwide to quickly detect food pesticides.&nbsp;



“Reports show that up to half of all fruits sold in the EU contain pesticide residues that in larger quantities have been linked to human health problems,” said study senior author Georgios Sotiriou, an expert in Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology at the Karolinska Institute.&nbsp;



“However, current techniques for detecting pesticides on single products before consumption are restricted in practice by the high cost and cumbersome manufacturing of its sensors. To overcome this, we developed inexpensive and reproducible nano-sensors that could be used to monitor traces of fruit pesticides at, for example, the store.”



In designing these sensors, Professor Sotiriou and his team employed a 1970s discovery known as surface-enhancing Ramon scattering (SERS) – a powerful sensing technique which can increase the diagnostic signals of biomolecules on metal surfaces by over one million times – and used flame spray to deliver small droplets of silver nanoparticles onto a glass surface.&nbsp;



“The flame spray can be used to quickly produce uniform SERS films across large areas, removing one of the key barriers to scalability,” explained study lead author Haipeng Li, a postdoctoral researcher in Professor Sotiriou’s lab. The scientists then fine-tuned the distance between the individual silver nanoparticles to enhance their sensitivity. Repeated tests showed that the sensors reliably and uniformly detected molecular signals for at least 2.5 months, a feature underscoring their shelf life potential and feasibility for large-scale production.



To test whether the sensors can reliably detect pesticides, the researchers placed low concentrations of parathion-ethyl (a toxic agricultural insecticide banned in many countries) on part of an apple.&nbsp;



“Our sensors can detect pesticide residues on apple surfaces in a short time of five minutes without destroying the fruit,” Dr. Li reported. “While they need to be validated in larger studies, we offer a proof-of-concept practical application for food safety testing at scale before consumption.”&nbsp;



In future research, the scientists aim to explore whether these nano-sensors can be applied to other areas, such as discovering biomarkers for specific diseases in resource-limited settings.



The sensors are described as a proof-of-concept in an article published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/advs.202201133">Advanced Science</a>.



---



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

Nano-sensors can quickly detect pesticides on fruits

A research team led by the Karolinska Institute in Sweden...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.tsukuba.ac.jp/en/">University of Tsukuba</a> in Japan has found that listening to groove music – a genre defined by its “groove <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/primates-have-musical-rhythm-similar-to-humans/">rhythms</a>” that induce the sensation of wanting to move to the music, and exemplified by artists such as ABBA or the Bee Gees – can significantly increase measures of executive function and associated brain activity in participants who are familiar with the music.



Scientists have long known that groove rhythms elicit positive affective responses. “However, whether they influence executive function was unknown,” said study lead author Hideaki Soya, an expert in Exercise Biochemistry at the University of Tsukuba. “Accordingly, in the present study, we conducted brain imaging to evaluate corresponding changes in executive function, and measured individual psychological responses to groove music.”



Professor Soya and his colleagues performed functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) with a color word matching task to investigate inhibitory executive function before and after listening to groove music. They found that this type of rhythm enhanced executive function and activity in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (l-DLPFC) in participants who reported that the music elicited a powerful groove sensation and feelings of clear-headedness.&nbsp;



“Our findings indicate that individual differences in psychological responses to groove music modulate the corresponding effects on executive function. As such, the effects of groove rhythm on human cognitive performance may be influenced by familiarity or beat processing ability,” explained Professor Soya.



Strategies of enhancing executive function can have a variety of potential applications, including preventing dementia in elderly people, or helping employees enhance their work performance. Thus, listening to groove music could turn out to be highly beneficial, by increasing health, productivity, and well-being. Moreover, the connection between listening to this type of music and enhanced cognitive functioning could help explain the benefits of dancing or other forms of exercise conducted while listening to music.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-11324-3">Nature Scientific Reports</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;



---



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

Groove music enhances cognitive functioning

A new study led by the University of Tsukuba in...

A research team led by the <a href="https://www.uark.edu/">University of Arkansas</a> has recently gathered extensive data on hundreds of vertebrate and invertebrate species in order to shed more light on the specificity of the visual systems of various animals. The experts found that terrestrial animals are able to distinguish more <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-iridescent-colors-protect-animals-from-predators/">colors</a> than their aquatic counterparts, while animals adapted to open terrestrial habitats see a wider range of colors than those adapted to live in forests.&nbsp;



Most importantly though, evolutionary history appears to be a key factor structuring which colors different types of animals can see. For instance, the scientists discovered that invertebrate species see shorter wavelengths of light compared to vertebrate ones, due to the distinct evolution of some of their retinal cells.



“Scientists have long hypothesized that animal vision has evolved to match the colors of light present in their environments,” said study co-author Erica Westerman, an assistant professor of Biology at the University of Arkansas. “But this hypothesis is difficult to prove, and there is still so much we don’t know about animal vision. Gathering data for hundreds of species of animals living in a wide range of habitats is a monumental task, especially when considering that invertebrates and vertebrates use different kinds of cells in their eyes to turn light energy into neuronal responses.”



According to the researchers, animals’ ability to detect and process visual information depends on the wavelengths and intensity of light in specific environments, together with the sensitivity of a type of retinal proteins called opsins, which determine the spectrum of light a species can see. By collecting data for 446 animal species spanning four phyla, Professor Westerman and her doctoral student Matthew Murphy found that vertebrates and invertebrates use phylogenetically distinct opsins in their retinae.&nbsp;



Due to the physiological difference between ciliary opsins in vertebrates and rhabdomeric opsins in invertebrates, the latter appear to be better at seeing short wavelength light, even in cases when habitats should select for vertebrates to also be able to detect similar patterns. However, this difference could occur due to stochastic genetic mutations found in vertebrates, which may limit the range of light that they can perceive.



“Our study answers some important questions, but it also generates more questions that could help us understand animal vision even better. We can do more to assess differences in the structure of the vertebrate and invertebrate retinae, or how their brains handle visual information differently. These are exciting questions,” concluded Murphy.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/abs/10.1098/rspb.2022.0612">Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences</a>.



---



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

How do different types of animals see?

A research team led by the University of Arkansas has...

For the first time, experts at the <a href="https://www.buckinstitute.org/">Buck Institute</a> have identified a link between diet, circadian rhythms, eye health and lifespan. In addition, the researchers found that processes in the eye of a fruit fly are driving the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eating-sea-squirts-may-reverse-aging-processes/">aging</a> process.



In humans, previous studies have shown an association between eye disorders and poor health. “Our study argues that it is more than correlation: dysfunction of the eye can actually drive problems in other tissues,” said study senior author Dr. Pankaj Kapahi. “We are now showing that not only does fasting improve eyesight, but the eye actually plays a role in influencing lifespan.”



“The finding that the eye itself, at least in the fruit fly, can directly regulate lifespan was a surprise to us,” said study lead author Dr. Brian Hodge.



The explanation for this connection lies in circadian “clocks,” the machinery within every cell of every organism. These cells have evolved to adapt to changes in light and temperature caused by the rising and setting of the sun. These 24-hour oscillations, or circadian rhythms, affect complex animal behaviors, such as predator-prey interactions and sleep/wake cycles.&nbsp;



In 2016, Dr. Kapahi’s lab published a study which demonstrated that fruit flies on a restricted diet had significant changes in their circadian rhythms and a longer lifespan. For the current study, the researchers set out to investigate how circadian functions were altered by dietary change, and whether circadian processes were required for the longer lifespan associated with dietary restriction.



“The fruit fly has such a short lifespan, making it a really beautiful model that allows us to screen a lot of things at once,” said Dr. Hodge.&nbsp;



The study began with a broad survey to see what genes oscillate in a circadian fashion when flies on an unrestricted diet were compared with those fed reduced proteins.



The experts found that numerous genes were diet-responsive and also exhibited ups and downs at different time points, or “rhythm.” Under a restricted diet, the rhythmic genes activated were coming from the eye, specifically from photoreceptors, the specialized neurons in the retina of the eye that respond to light.



This led to a series of experiments to understand how eye function fits into the connection between dietary restriction and extended lifespan. The researchers used bioinformatics to ask: Do the genes in the eye that are also rhythmic and responsive to dietary restriction influence lifespan? The answer was yes.



Since the eyes are exposed to the outside world, immune defenses are active, which can lead to inflammation. When present for long periods of time, inflammation can cause or worsen chronic diseases. Light in itself can cause photoreceptor degeneration and lead to inflammation.



“Staring at computer and phone screens, and being exposed to light pollution well into the night are conditions very disturbing for circadian clocks,” said Dr. Kapahi. This could have consequences beyond vision, such as damaging the body and brain.&nbsp;



How eyes regulate the lifespans of other organisms, such as humans, is yet to be understood. Photoreceptors in mammals may not affect longevity as much as fruit flies, as the majority of energy in a fruit fly is devoted to the eye.&nbsp;



Dr. Hodge explained that since photoreceptors are just specialized neurons, the stronger link is likely the role that circadian function plays in neurons, and how these can be harnessed to maintain neuronal function throughout aging.



Dr. Hodge said that once the researchers understand how these processes work, they can target the molecular clock to slow aging, “It might be through diet, drugs, lifestyle changes… A lot of really interesting research lies ahead."



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

Study reveals a link between eye health and lifespan

For the first time, experts at the Buck Institute have...

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

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

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

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https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU
</div></figure>



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.



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"]</div>



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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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

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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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