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...

In humans, certain personality traits are connected to our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/harbor-seals-use-vocal-learning-to-sound-larger-than-they-appear/">learning</a> abilities. Historically, many have doubted that nonhumans have personalities, so this sort of connection in other animals has never been tested.&nbsp;



However, recent research has shown convincing evidence for personalities in spiders, apes and other animals. If you have a pet, you may wonder how it hasn’t always been obvious that we’re not the only creatures with individual personalities. Animals that seem to be friends or even entire groups often share similar personality traits.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Now, a study published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a> looks at the connection between personality and cognitive abilities in Marmoset monkeys. Vedrana Šlipogor and colleagues from the <a href="https://www.univie.ac.at/en/">University of Vienna</a> looked at marmosets because of their complex social lives, mirroring our own in many ways.&nbsp;



First, the scientists assessed individual monkey’s personalities by giving them tasks and looking at how engaged they were in novel situations. For instance, monkeys were trained to hold a stick, stand on a scale and reach as high as possible.&nbsp;



Overall, the monkeys fell into two broad categories. The scientists found the monkeys to be either bold or more shy. The monkey’s learning abilities were also tested as they were required to form associations between objects with similar sizes, shapes or colors.&nbsp;



The researchers found that female marmoset monkeys learned faster than males. The results also showed that monkeys with bolder personalities learned more quickly than shy individuals. However, there were many other social factors at play. Being part of certain social groups or families improved learning speed, for instance. This may be due to former social support as well as genetics.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“It seems that both certain personality traits as well as social environment have an effect on individual variation in cognition in marmoset monkeys," said Šlipogor. “In our future studies we aim to see whether these findings hold with other tasks that are perhaps more cognitively demanding for the monkeys, and whether this effect can be found in other highly social animals with similar socio-ecological features.”



---



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

Marmosets with bold personalities are faster learners

In humans, certain personality traits are connected to our learning...

A new study from <a href="https://www.sfu.ca/">Simon Fraser University</a> may revolutionize the way that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hunger-alters-the-behavior-of-worms-and-perhaps-humans-too/">humans</a> are trained for sports or how we are rehabilitated after injuries. The researchers have uncovered new clues about how the nervous system learns the optimal ways to move the human body.&nbsp;



“How does our brain figure out how to best move our body? It turns out that this can be a challenging problem for the nervous system, considering we have hundreds of muscles that can be coordinated hundreds of times per second - with more possible coordination patterns to choose from than moves on a chessboard,” explained study senior author Professor Max Donelan.



“We often experience changes to our body and our environment. Perhaps you enjoy a long run on a Saturday morning - your muscles may fatigue as the length of the run increases. Perhaps you choose to run on the beach on vacation - the sand may be uneven and loose in comparison to the pavement on the sidewalk. While we might register that these changes have occurred, we might not appreciate how our body adapts to these changes.”



In collaboration with mechanical engineers at Stanford, Professor Donelan’s team of neuroscientists investigated the walking characteristics of study participants who were wearing exoskeletons.



The study revealed that, in order to learn a new movement coordination pattern, the nervous system adapts by evaluating many different options. This evaluation measures the variability across levels of movements in the joints and muscles.



Ultimately, the team found that the nervous system learns to adapt to specific aspects of movement and simultaneously decreases variability among these aspects. The study also showed that these adaptive changes can improve movement while reducing the energy cost of walking by about 25 percent.



“We created new contexts using exoskeletons that act to assist walking, and then studied how people explore new movements and learn more optimal ones,” said study lead author Sabrina Abram.



The experts report that the nervous system appears to benefit from first searching among many different coordination patterns, and also benefits from reducing this search space over time. “This is because continuing to search among coordination patterns that already reduce energy can in turn increase energy, as well as add to the already challenging problem of figuring out the best way to move," said Abram.



“We would all like to move in the best way possible," said Professor Donelan. "For healthy people, it seems that, with the right circumstances, the brain can take care of this. For those recovering from an injury, we might learn about how to best rehabilitate this injury from a better understanding of how the nervous system learns to adapt.”



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.



---



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

Your nervous system learns how to move the best way possible

A new study from Simon Fraser University may revolutionize the...

One might assume that a two-mile high glacial sheet in the eastern <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giant-groundwater-system-discovered-beneath-antarctica/">Antarctic</a> would be resting on solid rock below. However, a recent study has revealed the presence of a lake underneath a section of this ice sheet, a lake that lies at the bottom of a mile-deep canyon. 



Scientists used sophisticated instruments on board a polar research aircraft to survey the underside of the world’s largest ice sheet, in Princess Elizabeth Land on the east of Antarctica. The task took them three years to complete and this was how they identified the presence of the deep canyon running under the ice sheet, with a large lake at its base. They named the lake after the research plane that enabled them to identify the feature – Lake Snow Eagle.&nbsp;



Initially, the scientists were alerted by an unusual smooth depression that appeared on satellite images of the ice sheet. In order to confirm the nature of this feature, they conducted systematic flights over the site, surveying it with ice penetrating radar and sensors that measure minute changes in Earth’s gravity and magnetic field.&nbsp;



Study lead author Shuai Yan is a graduate student in the Jackson School of Geosciences at <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">UT Austin</a>. He was the flight planner for the field research that investigated the lake.&nbsp;“I literally jumped when I first saw that bright radar reflection," said Yan.



What Yan saw was evidence of the lake’s water that, unlike ice, reflects radar like a mirror. Along with the gravity and magnetic surveys, which lit up the underlying geology of the region and the depth of water and sediments, Yan constructed a detailed picture of a jagged, highland topography with Lake Snow Eagle nestled at the base of a canyon.&nbsp;



The lake measures about 30 miles in length, is nine miles wide, and has a depth of around 650 feet. But what excited the scientists most was the fact that the sediments at the bottom of the lake are 1,000 feet deep and might contain river deposits that are older than the ice sheet itself. Such sediments would give a history of the ice sheet since its earliest beginnings and this would help scientists understand what Antarctica was like before it froze and how climate change has affected it over time.



“This lake is likely to have a record of the entire history of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, its initiation over 34 million years ago, as well as its growth and evolution across glacial cycles since then,” said study co-author and polar expert Don Blankenship. “Our observations also suggest that the ice sheet changed significantly about 10,000 years ago, although we have no idea why.”



In future, the researchers wish to drill into the sediment in order to extract cores that may fill in the gaps in understanding about Antarctica’s glaciation history. In addition, this may provide vital information about how the ice sheet will behave as the climate warms in future.&nbsp;



“This lake’s been accumulating sediment over a very long time, potentially taking us through the period when Antarctica had no ice at all, to when it went into deep freeze,” said co-author Martin Siegert, a glaciologist at Imperial College London. “We don’t have a single record of all those events in one place, but the sediments at the bottom of this lake could be ideal.”



Lake Snow Eagle is one of many features uncovered by ICECAP-2, an international collaboration to map the last unknown regions of East Antarctica by polar research teams from the U.S., U.K., China, Australia, Brazil and India. The team for this paper included scientists from UTIG, Scripps Institute for Oceanography, Imperial College London, the Australian Antarctic Division, and the Polar Research Institute of China. The research was supported by the G. Unger Vetlesen Foundation and funded by governments and institutions of the countries involved.



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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

New lake may hold the entire history of an Antarctic ice sheet

One might assume that a two-mile high glacial sheet in...

In Batesian mimicry, a harmless animal species imitates a more dangerous one in an evolutionary “ruse” that affords protection from potential predators. A research team led by the <a href="http://www.unina.it/">University of Naples Federico II</a> in Italy has now discovered the first case of acoustic Batesian mimicry in mammals: greater mouse-eared <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bats-play-an-active-role-in-plant-pollination/">bats</a> imitate the buzzing sound of hornets – a species of large, stinging wasps – in order to discourage predatory owls from eating them.



“In Batesian mimicry, a non-armed species imitates an armed one to deter predators,” said study senior author Danilo Russo, a professor of Ecology at the University of Naples. “Imagine a bat that has been seized but not killed by the predator. Buzzing might deceive the predator for a fraction of a second - enough to fly away.”



Professor Russo made this striking discovery while conducting field research in which he frequently trapped bats in mist-netting operations. “When we handled the bats to take them out of the net or process them, they invariably buzzed like wasps,” he said.



At the beginning, Professor Russo and his colleagues considered the buzzing as a type of unusual distress call, potentially aiming to send alert signals to conspecifics or to deter predators. A few years later, they designed a careful experiment to better understand the functionality of these peculiar sounds.&nbsp;



First, they looked at the acoustic similarity between the buzzing sounds of bats and those of stinging social hymenopteran insects. Next, they played these sounds on a speaker to captive owls to observe their reactions. The owls reacted in different ways, which is likely due to their previous experiences, yet most of them consistently reacted to insect and bat buzzes by moving away from the speaker.



Interestingly, the analyses of the sounds revealed that the similarity between the buzzes emitted by bats and hornets was most evident when acoustic parameters that owls are incapable of hearing were removed from the analysis. Thus, the buzzing sounds were even more similar when heard the ways owls hear them.



While there is a possibility that owls might simply avoid the buzzing sounds just because they have been stung by hornets before, there is not enough data to prove this hypothesis. Stronger evidence shows that birds avoid such potentially harmful insects in general, due to evolutionary reasons. For instance, if hornets move into tree cavities or nest boxes, birds will not explore these places and will definitely not nest there.&nbsp;



Since bats, owls, and hornets share many spaces, such as caves, rock crevices, or buildings, there are plenty of opportunities for them to interact. Even so, such an intricate example of Batesian mimicry among distantly related species is highly intriguing.



“It is somewhat surprising that owls represent the evolutionary pressure shaping acoustic behavior in bats in response to unpleasant experiences owls have with stinging insects. It is just one of the endless examples of the beauty of evolutionary processes!” Professor Russo concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(22)00486-9?utm_source=EA">Current Biology</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;



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

Some bats buzz like hornets to deter predators

In Batesian mimicry, a harmless animal species imitates a more...

A research team led by the <a href="https://ucsd.edu/">University of California, San Diego</a> (UCSD) has employed an unprecedented technique to discover that levels of helium are rising in the atmosphere at a very small but, for the first time, clearly measurable rate. This increase in the 4-helium (4He) isotope is caused by the burning and extraction of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossil-fuels-lower-energy-return/">fossil fuels</a>. Although the 4He isotope does not contribute to global warming, measuring its atmospheric levels could serve as an indirect marker of fossil fuel use.



“The main motivation was to resolve a longstanding controversy in the science community about atmospheric helium concentrations,” said study lead author Benni Birner, a postdoctoral researcher in Geoscience at UCSD. While no reliable method for measuring atmospheric helium levels has previously existed, Dr. Birner and his colleagues have now developed a precise technique to compare the 4He isotope to levels of the common atmospheric gas nitrogen. Since atmospheric nitrogen levels are fairly constant, an increase in He/N2 is indicative of the rate of 4He buildup in the atmosphere.



The isotope 4He is produced by radioactive decay in the Earth’s crust, and accumulates in similar reservoirs as fossil fuels, especially those of natural gas. During the extraction and burning of fossil fuels, the helium isotope is coincidentally released. Thus, measuring its atmospheric concentrations is an important step forward in better assessing the scale of (harmful) industrial activity.



This study also provides a foundation for scientists to understand more about the highly valuable 3-helium (3He) isotope, which is very useful for nuclear fusion or cryogenics. Since the 4He isotope seems to exist in the atmosphere in an unvarying ratio with the 3He one, the rises in 4He atmospheric levels detected by the researchers imply that the 3He isotope must be increasing at a comparable rate.



“We don't know for sure, but I wonder if there is more 3He coming out of the Earth than we previously thought, which could perhaps be harvested and fuel our nuclear fusion reactors in the future,” said Dr. Birner.



“The study lays in starker relief a controversy surrounding the rare helium isotope 3He,” added study co-author Ralph Keeling, a geochemist at UCSD. “The implications are far from clear, but it begs additional work.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41561-022-00932-3">Nature Geoscience</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

Fossil fuels linked to rise in atmospheric helium levels

A research team led by the University of California, San...

Pollination by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/invasive-insects-will-kill-more-than-a-million-street-trees-by-2050/">insects</a> is required for 75 percent of our food crops and more than 80 percent of wild plants. The value of crop pollination is estimated at 577 billion US dollars per year worldwide. The best-known pollinators are bees, but many others - flies, wasps, beetles, butterflies and moths - also play important roles.



In recent decades, several studies have identified a significant decline in insect populations due to the loss of habitats for insects. A major cause of habitat loss is the conversion of natural areas into agricultural or urban areas.&nbsp;



But what are the consequences of land use in combination with warmer climates for pollinating insects? And what could be done to mitigate possible negative consequences? This is the focus of a new study from <a href="https://www.uni-wuerzburg.de/en/home/">Julius-Maximilians-University (JMU) Würzburg</a>.



For the first time, the JMU research team revealed how climate and land use shape the diversity of pollinating insects at local and landscape scales across Bavaria.&nbsp;



Based on more than 3,200 identified pollinator species from 179 locations, they find homogenization of pollinator communities in warmer climates. This suggests an overall loss of pollinator diversity under future conditions.



Individual taxa such as bees, flies, beetles, butterflies, and moths showed different responses to warmer and drier climates. The general pattern indicates that landscapes with higher proportions of forest maintain diverse pollinator communities.&nbsp;



"One key finding therefore is that forest in the landscape can cushion the effects of climate warming to a certain extent." explained study lead author Cristina Ganuza.



“The study underpins that in addition to the importance of floral resources and the negative effects of land use intensification, climatic conditions play an increasingly important role for the maintenance of pollinator diversity. For example, the combination of high temperatures and low precipitation negatively affected total pollinator diversity, while bee richness in urban areas was negatively affected by higher mean temperatures," said Professor Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter.



High pollinator diversity is needed for high pollinator performance. However, climate change, in addition to land use, will only allow select pollinator species to survive.&nbsp;&nbsp;



"We conclude that a large proportion of forested land in the landscape could serve as refuge for insects from climate warming," said Ganuza. "This is likely because forests and forest edges provide largely natural conditions which buffer extreme heat and drought compared to more human-influenced habitats."



The researchers also suggest that increased green spaces could help lower temperatures in cities, which would make urban areas more livable for pollinators like bees.&nbsp;



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

Forested areas may help protect pollinators in a warming climate

Pollination by insects is required for 75 percent of our...

A new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-11593-y">Nature Scientific Reports</a> has found that long-duration <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extended-spaceflight-can-affect-the-human-brain/">spaceflight</a> alters fluid-filled spaces along the veins and arteries of the brain - the so-called “perivascular spaces” that are an integral part of the glymphatic system, a brain-wide network which clears metabolic proteins that would otherwise build up in the brain and possibly lead to various disorders, including dementia.



The researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure the perivascular space in the brains of 15 astronauts before and after they traveled to the International Space Station. They also took fMRI measurements of the space travelers’ brains at one, three, and six months after they returned on Earth. These images were then compared to those of the brains of 16 Earth-bound subjects from a control group.&nbsp;



By comparing before and after images, the scientists found an increase in the perivascular spaces in the brains of astronauts who traveled for the first time in space, but no difference among astronauts who previously served on the International Space Station. “Experienced astronauts may have reached some kind of homeostasis,” explained study senior author Juan Piantino, an assistant professor of Neurology at the <a href="https://www.ohsu.edu/">Oregon Health &amp; State University</a> (OHSU). &nbsp;



In all cases, the researchers did not find any problems with balance or visual memory which might suggest neurological deficits, regardless of the differences measured in the perivascular spaces.&nbsp;



According to Professor Piantino and his team, these modifications in brain physiology are caused by the lack of gravity astronauts experience during spaceflight. Since human physiology is based on the fact that life evolved over millions of years while tethered to our planet’s gravitational pull, the normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain is altered in space.&nbsp;



“We all adapted to use gravity in our favor,” Professor Piantino said. “Nature didn’t put our brains in our feet - it put them high up. Once you remove gravity from the equation, what does that do to human physiology?”



Besides better understanding how space travel affects the brain, this study could also be valuable in helping to diagnose and treat Earth-bound disorders caused by changes in the glymphatic system, such as hydrocephalus.



“These findings have important implications as we continue space exploration. It also forces you to think about some basic fundamental questions of science and how life evolved here on Earth,” concluded Professor Piantino.&nbsp;&nbsp;



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

Space travel alters the flow of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain

A new study published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports...

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has just released a <a href="https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2022-09556.pdf">plan</a> to eliminate two wild horse management areas and shrink the third significantly. Overall, this would remove an approximate one million acres of wild horse <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nature-needs-half-but-natural-habitats-are-vanishing/">habitat</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The agency's plan is focused on an area near Rock Springs, Wyoming, that is known as the Checkerboard. The wild horse areas set to be “zeroed out” are the Salt Wells Creek and Great Divide Basin management areas.&nbsp;



The BLM will effectively eliminate over 50 percent of the wild horse habitat in Wyoming. The plan has been strongly criticized by the <a href="https://americanwildhorsecampaign.org/">American Wild Horse Campaign</a> (AWHC).



"The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has just approved the largest ever eradication of federally-protected wild horses from western public lands. It will destroy what the BLM itself calls ‘some of the most breathtaking wild horses and habitat in the country,'” said Suzanne Roy, executive director of the AWHC.&nbsp;



“This unjustifiable action is being dictated solely by private ranching interests and is at odds with the wishes of<a href="https://americanwildhorsecampaign.org/media/3-out-4-americans-oppose-inhumane-helicopter-roundups-wild-horses"> 88 percent of Americans</a> who want wild horses protected in the wild where they belong.”



Originally, the BLM planned to manage a nearby herd in the White Mountain HMA, including the Pilot Butte Scenic Wild Horse Viewing Loop, as a non-producing herd. Under this plan, the animals would be sterilized. However, the agency changed its plan under the objections of locals, including Rock Springs City Councilman Tim Savage.



The current plan is the result of a lawsuit filed against the BLM by the Rock Springs Grazing Association (RSGA). The lawsuit demanded the removal of horses from the Checkerboard area, in favor of private ranching on public land with ridiculously low cost leases as well as on private land. In 2013, the lawsuit was settled by the BLM with a consent decree. Under the decree, it was agreed that the BLM would change their management plan to remove horses from the area.&nbsp;



Findings in lawsuits filed by AWHC have concluded that the BLM does not have an obligation to remove the horses simply because they exceed arbitrary population limits. However, they can remove the horses from public land while removing them from private land without undergoing review under the National Environmental Policy Act.&nbsp;



The BLM plan to remove horses to pens comes as some of their off range corrals are already being afflicted by an outbreak of a contagious disease known as strangles.&nbsp;



---



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

US agency to remove one million acres of wild horse habitat

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has just released a...

A social media break could significantly improve overall well-being and reduce symptoms of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/physical-exercise-reduces-chronic-anxiety-better-than-drugs/">anxiety</a> and depression, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.bath.ac.uk/">University of Bath</a>.



The researchers examined the mental health effects of stepping away from social media for one week. For some participants, the break freed up about nine hours that they would have normally spent on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.



"Social media (SM) has revolutionized how we communicate with each other, allowing users to interact with friends and family and meet others based on shared interests by creating virtual public profiles," wrote the study authors. "In the United Kingdom, the number of adults using SM has increased from 45 percent in 2011 to 71 percent in 2021."



The researchers noted that previous studies have found negative relationships between social media use and various mental health indices. For example, a study of US adults showed that participants who used social media the most frequently had much greater odds of suffering from depression.



To investigate the benefits of a social media break, the researchers focused on people between the ages of 18 and 72 who used social media every day. The individuals were randomly assigned to either stop using social media platforms altogether for seven days or to continue their social media engagement as usual.&nbsp;



At the beginning of the study, the participants had reported spending an average of eight hours per week on social media. Those who took a break showed significant improvements in well-being, depression, and anxiety.



“Scrolling social media is so ubiquitous that many of us do it almost without thinking from the moment we wake up to when we close our eyes at night," said lead researcher Dr. Jeff Lambert.



"We know that social media usage is huge and that there are increasing concerns about its mental health effects, so with this study, we wanted to see whether simply asking people to take a week’s break could yield mental health benefits."



“Many of our participants reported positive effects from being off social media with improved mood and less anxiety overall. This suggests that even just a small break can have an impact."



“Of course, social media is a part of life and for many people, it’s an indispensable part of who they are and how they interact with others. But if you are spending hours each week scrolling and you feel it is negatively impacting you, it could be worth cutting down on your usage to see if it helps.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://home.liebertpub.com/publications/cyberpsychology-behavior-and-social-networking/10/overview">Cyberpsychology Behavior and Social Networking</a>.



---



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

Social media break can significantly improve mental health

A social media break could significantly improve overall well-being and...

California's $58 billion wine industry is increasingly threatened by the glassy-winged sharpshooter – a half-inch-long <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/invasive-insects-will-kill-more-than-a-million-street-trees-by-2050/">insect</a> that feeds on grapevines and transmits bacteria causing Pierce’s Disease. Once it develops this disease, a grapevine is likely to die within three years. Until now, such infections could only be controlled through quarantines and increasingly less effective chemical sprays that the bacteria became highly resistant too.&nbsp;



Now, a research team from the <a href="https://www.ucr.edu/">University of California, Riverside</a> (UCR) has used CRISPR gene-editing technology to make permanent physical changes in the sharpshooter that could be passed down to three or more generations of insects. In a series of experiments, the scientists used this technology to knock out genes controlling the sharpshooter’s eye color (turning them white in one experiment, and cinnabar in another), and discovered that these changes were permanent and were passed along to the offspring of the modified parents.



Interestingly, sharpshooter eye color genes were found to be located on non-sexual, or autosomal, chromosomes. “Knowing that white and cinnabar genes are on autosomal chromosomes demonstrates that the inheritance of these genes is not related to the gender of the insect,” said study lead author Inaiara de Souza Pacheco, an entomologist at UCR. “This is important for developing control strategies.”



For instance, in mosquitoes, only females transmit viruses to humans. Thus, identifying genes on sex chromosomes that favor mosquito females is crucial for mosquito-control strategies. Conversely, it is also important to know which essential genes are located on autosomal chromosomes.



In order to protect grapevines from Pierce’s Disease, the researchers are now attempting to use gene-editing technology to modify the mouth parts of the sharpshooter, so they cannot pick up the bacteria that causes this disease. Given the efficiency with which they managed to change the genes controlling sharpshooters’ eye color, there is a high likelihood that the scientists will also succeed in modifying their mouths.



“It’s absolutely amazing because the success rate in other organisms is often 30 percent or lower,” said study co-author Linda Walling, a plant biologist at UCR. “The high rate of gene editing success in glassy-winged sharpshooters bodes well for our ability to develop new methods of insect control, as well as understanding the basic biology of this devastating pest.”



By using this groundbreaking technology, scientists hope that, in the near future, they will manage to create insects that are not infectious. “Before CRISPR, generating specific mutations with such ease at such high frequencies was virtually impossible,” said study senior author Peter Atkinson, a professor of Biology at UCR. “Now we are confident we can come up with ways to create insects unable to transmit this disease,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/05/220503083111.htm">Nature Scientific Reports</a>.



----



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

Grapevine killer controlled through gene editing strategy

California's $58 billion wine industry is increasingly threatened by the...

In many European countries, sewage sludge is commonly used in agriculture as a sustainable and renewable source of fertilizer, due to European Union directives promoting the diverting of sewage sludge away from landfill or incineration and towards agriculture and energy production. However, a new study led by <a href="https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/">Cardiff University</a> has found that sewage sludge contains a significant amount of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-found-in-the-human-blood-for-the-first-time/">microplastics</a> which end up in agricultural soils and are eventually transported back into the natural watercourse through surface water run-off or infiltration to groundwater.



Less than five millimeters in size, microplastics pose significant threats to wildlife and humans, since they are easily ingested and contain toxic chemicals, dangerous pathogens, and other contaminants. By analyzing samples from the Nash Wastewater Treatment Plant in Newport, South Wales, the scientists found that each gram of sewage sludge contained up to 24 microplastic particles (roughly one percent of its weight).&nbsp;



From these findings, the experts estimated that between 31,000 and 42,000 tons of microplastics (or 86 to 710 trillion microplastic particles) are applied to European soils annually, mirroring the concentration of microplastics from ocean surface waters. The United Kingdom was shown to have the highest amount of microplastics contamination in its agricultural soils - with 500 to 1000 microplastic particles per square meter of agricultural land applied each year – followed by Spain, Portugal, and Germany.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“Our results highlight the magnitude of the problem across European soils and suggest that the practice of spreading sludge on agricultural land could potentially make them one of the largest global reservoirs of microplastic pollution,” said study lead author James Lofty, a doctoral student at Cardiff University’s School of Engineering.



“At present, there is currently no European legislation that limits or controls microplastic input into recycled sewage sludge based on the loads and toxicity of microplastic exposure. Efforts should be made to increase standardized monitoring of microplastic concentrations in sewage sludge and agricultural soils, which would provide a more accurate picture of contamination levels in soils across Europe,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749122004122">Environmental Pollution</a>.



----



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

European farmland is a huge reservoir of microplastics

In many European countries, sewage sludge is commonly used in...

Since 2014, a deadly disease has been spreading across Florida's coral <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/experts-map-coral-reefs-before-and-after-marine-heat-wave/">reefs</a>. A new study has found that baby corals are just as likely as adults to die from the disease.



The study, led by scientists at the <a href="https://www.rsmas.miami.edu/">University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science</a>, is the first to show the impacts of any coral disease on baby corals. The findings reveal that stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) infects baby corals with similar severity and mortality that we see in adult colonies.&nbsp;



Since first appearing in Miami in 2014, SCTLD has now spread throughout all of Florida’s coral reefs as well as the Caribbean. The disease is affecting over 20 coral species and has killed millions of coral colonies by causing white lesions and rapid tissue loss.



Previous surveys did not include baby corals and this has likely caused scientists to underestimate the mortality of the disease. “That’s like trying to understand how COVID-19 spreads through a population by examining only adults, without looking at whether and how the disease affects children,” said study lead author Olivia Williamson.



To conduct the study, the scientists exposed lab-raised juveniles of two species of brain corals, four-month-old boulder brain coral (Colpophyllia natans) and eight-month-old grooved brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis), to water containing colonies with active SCTLD for four weeks. Within 48 hours of exposure, both species began to develop lesions.



Within two to eight days of developing lesions, 60 percent of the boulder brain baby corals lost all tissue and died. Meanwhile, 38 percent of the disease-exposed grooved brain babies exhibited active disease lesions during the same period and only one death occurred.



The study also found that larger babies, and those who are clustered together in groups, were less likely to become diseased and die compared to smaller or solitary babies.



“There is a ray of hope in that size matters, and there is safety in numbers,” said Williamson. “Since some of them avoided becoming infected at all, it suggests that some corals harbor a degree of resistance – or are at least, relatively less susceptible – to disease.”



To further test the resistance in the remaining coral babies, the researchers conducted a second exposure. Within six days, all were dead.



This research is a warning to coral restoration practitioners about the risk of SCTLD in baby corals The study suggests that the risk can be reduced by growing coral recruits larger and promoting grouping.



The research team plans to help breed and raise baby corals that will not succumb to this disease through further research.



The study was published in the May 2022 issue of the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science">Frontiers in Marine Science</a><a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.821165/full">.</a>



---



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

Baby corals do not have more disease resistance

Since 2014, a deadly disease has been spreading across Florida's...

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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</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...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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;



---



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...

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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



---



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;



---



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



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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



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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



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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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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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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