Young aspen trees in Yellowstone are doing something they have not done in almost 100 years. Rather than sprouting and being eaten back to nubs by elk and bison, they're actually growing into tall, adult forest trees rising up towards the canopy.



This matters more than it might seem, because it shows what happens when a missing piece of an ecosystem returns.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-yellowstone-aspens-and-elk">Yellowstone, aspens, and elk</h2>



In the 1920s, people <a href="https://www.yellowstone.org/wolf-project/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eliminated wolves in Yellowstone</a>. At the time, with limited scientific knowledge, managers believed it was the right thing to do.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/from-wolves-to-dogs-did-domestication-begin-without-human-help/">Without wolves</a>, elk herds grew very large. Elk love to eat aspen shoots - the tender young growth is highly palatable to them.



For roughly 70 years, elk browsed aspen sprouts down to stub height, and the trees couldn't grow. 



If you had walked through Yellowstone in the 1980s, you would have seen many tiny aspen shoots covering the ground, but almost no young trees gaining height. 



The forest's regeneration was stalled. Old trees died, and no new ones replaced them.



In 1995 and 1996, park managers reintroduced wolves into the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/yellowstone-supervolcano-eruption-study-sparks-new-debate-on-where-and-when-it-will-erupt/">Yellowstone Park ecosystem</a>. Scientists hoped and wondered whether this would change anything for the trees.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-aspen-matter-to-yellowstone">Why aspen matter to Yellowstone</h2>



Aspen groves provide habitat for many species. Birds nest in them. Beavers eat the bark and use the wood for dams. Butterflies and moths lay eggs on the leaves. 



Their canopy admits enough light for wildflowers and shrubs to grow beneath. When it rains, aspen groves hold water in the soil better than some other forest types.



In short, when aspen return, dozens of other species benefit. More trees support more insects, which in turn support more birds, enriching the ecosystem.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-checking-the-trees-three-decades-later">Checking the trees three decades later</h2>



<a href="https://fwcs.oregonstate.edu/users/luke-painter" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Luke Painter</a>, an ecologist at <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Oregon State University</a>, sought clear answers. His team returned to 87 aspen stands across Yellowstone that scientists had previously surveyed. 



They measured thousands of young trees, looked for bite marks, and counted how many stems were tall enough that elk could no longer reach the tips.



About a third of these stands now have many tall young aspens pushing toward the canopy. 



"About 26 of the 87 aspen stands we examined had large numbers of tall saplings throughout, a remarkable change from the 1990s when surveys found none at all," Painter said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-wolves-matter-to-yellowstone-aspens">Why wolves matter to Yellowstone aspens</h2>



Breaking it all down, the conclusions of this study are pretty simple. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wolves-move-pups-across-mountains-to-adapt-to-climate-pressure/">Wolves hunt elk</a>. When wolves came back, two things happened. First, elk numbers declined from unusually high levels. Second, elk changed their behavior. They spent less time in the same areas feeding.



With fewer elk and shorter feeding bouts, more aspen shoots survived long enough to exceed the browsing zone - about six to seven feet high. 



Once a sapling reaches that height, elk cannot easily reach the growing tip. The tree continues to grow.



"The reintroduction of large carnivores has initiated a recovery process that had been shut down for decades," Painter explained.



Scientists call this a <a href="https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/trophic-cascades-across-diverse-plant-ecosystems-80060347/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">trophic cascade</a> - when adding or removing one species causes changes that ripple through the whole system.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-some-places-recover-others-don-t">Some places recover, others don't</h2>



Unfortunately, not every aspen stand has recovered yet. Some valleys still have many short, heavily browsed shoots, because it's not only elk eating them anymore. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/yellowstones-iconic-bison-have-merged-into-a-single-herd/">Bison herds have grown</a>, and bison browse on aspen as well. They are strong enough to break young trees. 



"Increasing numbers of bison may be emerging as a new constraint to aspen in some areas," Painter confirmed.



Additionally, winter snow depth varies; droughts stress trees; bears and mountain lions also hunt elk; and hunting outside the park influences elk distribution. 



All of these factors interact, which is why some sites show strong recovery, others show moderate recovery, and a few have changed very little.



The key pattern is that places with many tall saplings experience little browsing, and aspen groves that remain popular eating grounds today stay short. 



This fact is the strongest indication that tree recovery is linked directly to wolf presence, not solely to weather or soil conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-proof-in-the-measurements">Proof in the measurements</h2>



Painter's team did not rely on casual observation. They used the same methods as earlier researchers, measuring the same plots. 



They counted recruitment - when young trees surpass browsing height and begin progressing toward maturity. This measure is crucial. Sprouts are insufficient if they never grow; without recruitment, the forest cannot replace itself.



The results are robust. After being stalled for most of a century, Yellowstone's aspens are increasing in height. In recovering stands today, you will see saplings - six, eight, or ten feet tall - that were not present in the 1990s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-future-of-yellowstone-s-aspens">The future of Yellowstone's aspens</h2>



"This is a remarkable case of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giant-viruses-found-in-yellowstones-hot-springs-may-be-near-the-root-of-all-life-on-earth/">ecological restoration</a>," Painter concluded. "Wolf reintroduction is yielding long-term ecological changes contributing to increased biodiversity and habitat diversity."



Trees grow slowly, so even with wolves restored, it will take decades for these young aspens to form a full-grown forest. 



Some areas might never fully recover if bison numbers continue to rise or if the climate becomes too hot and dry.



Thanks to the work of Painter and his team, scientists are now certain that restoring the Yellowstone predator has restarted aspen forest regeneration. Not everywhere and not perfectly, but enough to be measured, creating hope for the future.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112725004499?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Forest Ecology and Management</a>.



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Yellowstone's aspen trees are growing again thanks to the reintroduction of wolves

Young aspen trees in Yellowstone are doing something they have not done in almost 100 years. Rather than sprouting and being eaten back to nubs by elk and bison, they're actually growing into tall, adult forest trees rising up towards the canopy. This matters more than it might seem, because it shows what happens when a missing piece of an ecosystem returns. Yellowstone, aspens, and elk In the 1920s, people eliminated wolves in Yellowstone. At the time, with limited scientific knowledge, managers believed it was the right...

Reefs are usually pictured as underwater rainforests crammed with species, yet the planet’s first large animal‑built reefs tell a quieter story. New work on fossils from Nevada shows that early Cambrian seas looked nothing like the bustling coral gardens we know today.



Graduate researcher Casey Bennett of the <a href="https://missouri.edu/">University of Missouri</a> and colleagues spent weeks among dusty outcrops, chipping out blocks packed with shells no bigger than grains of sand.



The analysis reveals surprising patterns of life around those ancient <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-reef-awareness-day-2025-bringing-corals-back-to-life/">structures</a>, offering a fresh window onto evolution half a billion years ago.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-animal-reefs-spanned-ancient-nevada">Animal reefs spanned ancient Nevada</h2>



More than 514 million years ago, sponge‑like <a href="https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/porifera/archaeo.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">archaeocyathids</a> built the planet's earliest animal <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/3514525.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reefs</a> in shallow seas stretching from Siberia to what is now Nevada.



The Harkless Formation near modern Death Valley hosts dozens of these patch reefs, some only a few yards across yet stacked through hundreds of feet of limestone.



Packed between the stone cups of the sponges are fragments of <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342184591_Small_shelly_fossils_and_carbon_isotopes_from_the_early_Cambrian_Stages_3-4_Mural_Formation_of_western_Laurentia" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">small shelly fauna</a>, the quirky menagerie of early mineralized animals that heralded the Cambrian explosion. These fossils, most under a tenth of an inch long, include baby <a href="https://home.wgnhs.wisc.edu/wisconsin-geology/fossils/brachiopods/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">brachiopods</a>, snail‑like mollusks, and bristly <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0016699524000214" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">chancelloriids</a>.



Bennett’s team measured fossil assemblages in multiple vertical sections and compared them to the distance from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-reefs-cant-survive-rising-sea-urchin-numbers/">reef</a> walls.



The researchers logged grain size and chemistry of nearby layers to study how sediment influenced fossil preservation. The approach marries classic field mapping with CT scanning that can spot skeletal bits hidden in uncut rock.



That toolbox let the team count tiny creatures that earlier surveys missed, pushing sample sizes into the thousands.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tiny-fossils-trace-ancient-reefs">Tiny fossils trace ancient reefs</h2>



Small shelly fauna crop up worldwide in rocks dating to the first 25 million years after animals evolved skeletons, making them key markers for global correlation. 



Because many <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wild-temperature-swings-boost-coral-reef-resilience/">species</a> lived fast and died young, their remains provide fine‑scale time stamps that help synchronize distant stratigraphic sections.



The specimens also capture evolutionary experiments that never made it into the later fossil record, such as slug‑like <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rstb.1995.0029" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">halkieriids</a> that wore chain‑mail armor of overlapping plates. Linking these animals to specific habitats can explain why some lineages thrived while others fizzled.



Modern coral reefs often harbor dense banks of filter feeders and crustaceans whose larvae settle preferentially on hard walls. If early reefs played a similar ecological role, small shelly species should cluster close to archaeocyathid mounds. 



That prediction has floated in textbooks for decades but rested on scant quantitative data. Bennett’s dataset provided the first rigorous test at meter‑scale resolution.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-reefs-didn-t-increase-nearby-species">Ancient reefs didn’t increase nearby species</h2>



“With modern <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-coral-collapse-may-help-save-the-great-barrier-reef/">reefs</a>, biodiversity is expected to decrease as you move away from the reef structure due to reduced shelter and food access,” said Bennett. Yet her counts showed no clear pattern - some distant fossil layers were as species-poor as those near the mounds.



Instead, a few hardy taxa dominate whole <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336585971_Palaeoecology_of_the_archaeocyathan_reefs_from_the_lower_Cambrian_Harkless_Formation_southern_Nevada_western_United_States_and_carbon_isotopic_evidence_for_their_demise" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">layers</a>, suggesting that early oceans sorted communities by environmental filters rather than by proximity to the reef.



That pattern echoes observations from later Cambrian sections in Mongolia and Labrador, where reefs also failed to boost local diversity.



“Potentially, this happened by preferentially removing or keeping certain faunas, rather than the reef serving as a major food source for surrounding organisms,” added Assistant Professor Sarah Jacquet.



The remark points fingers at <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/hydrodynamics" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hydrodynamics</a> - the way water flow scours or blankets parts of the seafloor. Models show gentle currents around low-relief reefs can form eddies that trap shells or carry them away. Those physics could produce patchy fossil carpets without invoking biological competition.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sediment-dictated-fossil-survival">Sediment dictated fossil survival</h2>



The team noticed that changes in <a href="https://nautiluslive.org/blog/2023/08/18/science-lithology-dating-seafloors-movements-over-time" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lithology</a>, whether the rock was a grainy packstone or a micritic mud-governed which shells survived. Coarse beds preserved robust hyoliths, while fine muds favored delicate sponge spicules.



Taphonomic quirks can therefore mask true ecological signals, a warning for paleontologists who chase diversity curves through deep time. By pairing sedimentology with fossil tallies, Bennett shows how to tease apart the preservational filter.



The study also strengthens a growing view that archaeocyath reefs were short‑lived “experiments” rather than foundational keystones. 



Similar conclusions emerged from carbon‑isotope <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/390526423_Small_shelly_fauna_biodiversity_from_reef-adjacent_facies_of_the_lower_Cambrian_Harkless_formation_Nevada" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> that tracked the rise and crash of reef communities through Cambrian Stage 4.



Those geochemical shifts hint that global changes in seawater chemistry, perhaps tied to oxygen pulses, played a bigger role than local reef architecture. If true, the early oceans were less a patchwork of hotspots and more a landscape ruled by large‑scale physical drivers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-reefs-warn-us-about-today">Ancient reefs warn us about today</h2>



Coral ecologists <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225405507_Rapid_phase-shift_reversal_on_a_Jamaican_coral_reef">note</a> that today’s reefs often act as biodiversity magnets, with fish and invertebrate richness peaking on the reef and falling away into open sand. But those gradients may depend on the vertical relief and nutrient flow that Cambrian reefs lacked.



Understanding that difference matters because climate change is flattening many living reefs, slicing away the very architecture that supports complex food webs. 



Ancient analogues show that low-relief carbonate banks can persist without the riot of life we associate with reefs. This hints at future ocean floors that remain structurally intact but are ecologically simplified.



“Just because we know how the world works today doesn’t mean it worked the same way back then,” noted Professor Jacquet. Recognizing that flex in nature’s playbook can help scientists design conservation targets that account for multiple evolutionary baselines.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fossils-show-reef-loss-risk">Fossils show reef loss risk</h2>



Bennett plans to sample neighboring formations to see whether diversity patterns change in deeper water or in reefs built by different <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-sponges-play-a-critical-role-in-the-ocean-and-they-are-rapidly-vanishing/">sponge</a> species. 



Coupling those data with fluid‑dynamic models could finally pin down how current speed and direction sculpted early animal neighborhoods.



The Nevada hills still hold miles of limestone from ancient animal reefs, awaiting fresh eyes and new technology. Every chip of shale reminds us that even the smallest fossils can rewrite big chapters in Earth history.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S003101822500207X?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology</a>.



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Ancient reefs were surprisingly empty compared to today

Reefs are usually pictured as underwater rainforests crammed with species,...

New research reveals how the brain assigns emotional value to smells - and why it matters for health and happiness.



If you've ever recoiled from the smell of microwaved fish or smiled at the scent of fresh bread, you’ve experienced just how powerfully odors can stir emotions. But what makes our brains decide that a smell is pleasant - or downright awful?



A new study from researchers at the <a href="https://ufhealth.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Florida Health</a> reveals the neural pathways that give odors their emotional charge.



The findings provide the first detailed insight into how the brain categorizes smells as good or bad. This sheds light on why certain odors evoke such visceral reactions - and how that knowledge could eventually improve health outcomes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smell-s-path-to-the-brain">Smell's path to the brain</h2>



Dan Wesson is senior author of the study and a professor of pharmacology and therapeutics. He's also the interim director of the <a href="https://fcs.institute.ufl.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Florida Chemical Senses Institute</a>.



“Odors are powerful at driving <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-emotions-build-in-the-brain-and-why-they-linger/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emotions</a>," he said. "It’s long been thought that the sense of smell is just as powerful, if not more powerful, at driving an emotional response as a picture, a song, or any other sensory stimulus.” 



The research focused on the amygdala - the brain’s emotional command center - which interacts with all of our senses. It has especially close ties to smell. In fact, the olfactory system has a more direct route to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lizard-brain-shapes-social-abilities-in-humans/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">amygdala</a> than any other sense.



“This is, in part, what we mean when we say your sense of smell is your most emotional sense,” said first author Sarah Sniffen, a graduate research fellow.



“Yes, smells evoke strong, emotional memories, but the brain’s smell centers are more closely connected with emotional centers like the amygdala.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-good-vs-bad-smells">Good vs. bad smells</h2>



To understand how this connection works, researchers studied <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mice-use-scent-to-determine-whos-the-boss/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mice</a> - animals whose brains share many neurochemical similarities with humans. Like us, mice can learn to associate smells with positive or negative experiences.



By analyzing the mice’s brain activity, the researchers identified two genetically distinct types of brain cells in the amygdala that play a key role in determining the emotional value of a smell.



Surprisingly, they found that both cell types could be involved in generating either positive or negative responses. It all depended on where those cells were sending signals.



“It can make an odor positive or negative to you,” Wesson said. “And it all depends upon where that cell type projects in your brain and how it engages with structures in your brain.”



In other words, the same type of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-cell-origins-traced-to-creatures-that-lived-800-million-years-ago/">brain cell</a> could contribute to opposite emotional outcomes depending on its connections.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-odors-shape-daily-experience">Odors shape daily experience</h2>



Understanding smell responses may seem niche, but it has big implications - especially for those with heightened sensory sensitivity.



“We’re constantly breathing in and out and that means that we’re constantly receiving olfactory input,” Sniffen said.



“For some people that’s fine, and it doesn’t impact their day-to-day life. They might even think, ‘Oh, odors don’t matter that much.’ But for people who have a heightened response to sensory stimuli, like those with PTSD or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gut-microbes-have-an-unexpected-link-to-anxiety/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">anxiety</a> or autism, it’s a really important factor for their day-to-day life.”



Scents associated with trauma, illness, or discomfort can trigger disproportionately strong responses in certain individuals. These reactions can sometimes interfere with routine activities or medical treatment.



Wesson noted how a patient’s negative association with the smell of a clinic - tied to previous transfusions - could cause intense distress.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-scent-based-therapies">Future scent-based therapies</h2>



Understanding the specific brain circuits behind these reactions may open the door to targeted therapies. According to the researchers, it may one day be possible to modulate the activity of these odor-processing pathways with medications.



This could either dampen distressing responses or help restore emotional enjoyment in cases like appetite loss.



“Emotions in part dictate our quality of life, and we’re learning more about how they arise in our brain,” Wesson said. “Understanding more about how our surroundings can impact our feelings can help us become happier, healthier humans.”



By demystifying the deep link between scent and emotion, this research not only advances neuroscience - it also offers a potential path toward better mental and physical <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-environment-day-the-critical-role-of-nature-in-human-well-being/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">well-being</a>.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-025-03075-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature: Molecular Psychiatry</a>.



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How your brain decides what smells good or bad

New research reveals how the brain assigns emotional value to...

Plants are far more adventurous underground than scientists once believed. A new study reports that many species extend a second, hidden network of roots more than a meter below the surface.



This discovery could ultimately reshape how researchers model nutrient cycling, water use, and the planet’s carbon budget.



Mingzhen Lu, an assistant professor in <a href="https://as.nyu.edu/departments/environment.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York University’s Department of Environmental Studies</a>, led this multi-institutional project.



“Understanding where plants grow roots is vital, as deeper roots could mean safer and longer-term carbon storage," she said. "Harsher conditions at depth may prevent detritus-feeding microbes from releasing carbon back to the atmosphere."



The findings suggest that plant roots may already be storing climate-warming carbon well below areas tracked by most ecological surveys.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-data-goes-deeper">Data goes deeper</h2>



Traditional root research stops at roughly 30 centimeters, the depth that shovels and corers reach most easily.



Lu and her colleagues pushed past that limit by tapping into the <a href="https://www.neonscience.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Ecological Observatory Network</a> (NEON), which collects samples down to two meters at dozens of U.S. sites.



From Alaskan tundra to Puerto Rican rainforest, the database provided thousands of soil cores reaching 6.5 feet - deep enough to chart root presence in realms seldom studied.



With those records in hand, the team set out to answer three intertwined questions: How does root density shift as soil gets deeper? Which environmental factors govern that distribution? And are subterranean nutrients being tapped as thoroughly as surface nutrients?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-roots-defy-expectations">Roots defy expectations</h2>



The most eye-opening pattern was “bimodality.” Nearly one-fifth of the ecosystems examined showed two separate peaks in root abundance with depth: one in familiar shallow layers and another much farther down, often aligning with deposits of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nitrogen-was-plentiful-for-early-life-on-earth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nitrogen</a>, phosphorus, or moisture.



In other words, plants were quietly plumbing secondary resource pockets, countering the long-held assumption that root activity simply dwindles the deeper one goes.



“The current understanding of roots is literally too shallow. Aboveground, we have eagle vision - thanks to satellites and remote sensing. But belowground, we have mole vision,” Lu said.



That “mole vision,” she argues, has left major gaps in Earth system models that guide climate policy and land-management decisions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-carbon-storage-or-carbon-release"><a></a>Carbon storage - or carbon release?</h2>



The presence of deep roots raises a crucial follow-up: What happens to the carbon that plants ferry into those depths? Avni Malhotra, a co-author and lead investigator on a <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.07.647629v1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">companion paper</a>, notes that outcomes could diverge.



“Deep plant roots may cause increased <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/organic-farming-practices-boost-soil-carbon-storage/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">soil carbon storage</a> in one condition or lead to losses in other conditions due to a stimulation of soil microbes,” she said.



Cool, compacted subsoil tends to slow microbial digestion, potentially locking carbon away for centuries.



Yet in some settings, added root exudates might energize buried microbes, accelerating decomposition. Deciding which scenario dominates will require the kind of stratified sampling that NEON has only begun to provide.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-deep-roots-defy-models">Deep roots defy models</h2>



Global climate models often assume that most biologically relevant actions - plant root growth, microbial decay, nutrient turnover - occur in the topsoil.



Lu’s study indicates that a significant share of plant activity, including carbon allocation, happens far below that zone.



If roots can chase nutrients downward during <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/droughts-and-extreme-weather-events-are-escalating/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">droughts</a> or warming events, they may confer more resilience than current simulations capture. Conversely, land-use changes that compact or strip deep horizons could hamper an unseen but vital layer of carbon storage.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-putting-root-data-to-work">Putting root data to work</h2>



These subterranean discoveries matter for forestry, agriculture, and conservation. Crop breeders might select varieties with deeper, bimodal rooting patterns to better capture water in arid regions.



Restoration ecologists could prioritize species that drive carbon into stable subsoil pools. 



Policymakers aiming to offset emissions through <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/reforestation-cannot-offset-carbon-emissions-from-harvesting-wood/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reforestation</a> or soil-carbon credits will need estimates grounded in full-profile measurements rather than the customary shallow cores.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plant-roots-store-climate-secrets">Plant roots store climate secrets</h2>



“Scientists and policymakers need to look deeper beneath the Earth’s surface as these overlooked deep soil layers may hold critical keys for understanding and managing ecosystems in a rapidly changing climate,” Lu said. The team envisions denser networks of deep cores, advanced imaging, and sensor arrays able to watch roots grow in real time.



While many unknowns remain - How universal is bimodality? Which soil chemistries foster it? How stable is deep-buried carbon? - the message is cautiously optimistic.



“The good news is plants may already be naturally mitigating climate change more actively than we’ve realized - we just need to dig deeper to fully understand their potential,” Lu concluded.



By illuminating a hidden architecture beneath our feet, the study invites scientists and citizens alike to rethink what lies between the surface and bedrock - and to recognize that the battle against rising CO2 might have powerful, unseen allies in the dark below.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-60055-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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Plant roots could be key to fighting climate change

Plants are far more adventurous underground than scientists once believed....

Vultures cruising high above a savanna or hyenas crunching bones in the night are more than cinematic symbols of death - they are the planet’s front-line sanitation crew. By devouring carcasses quickly and completely, large scavengers deny dangerous microbes a foothold.



A wide-ranging study from <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stanford University</a> shows that these underappreciated scavengers are declining at an alarming pace.



The work draws on population assessments for more than 1,300 vertebrate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scavengers-clean-up-wetlands-and-boost-their-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">scavenger</a> species and reveals a worrisome pattern.



The steepest rates of scavenger decline were found among the biggest, most specialized carrion eaters, while adaptable opportunists such as rats and feral dogs surge in their absence.



“The evidence we found is very clear,” said senior author Rodolfo Dirzo, a professor of biology and environmental science at Stanford. "Scavengers are in decline, but it’s not homogeneous. It is particularly the large and specialized ones.”



“At the same time, this allows space for the smaller scavengers, which are problematic because they are themselves sources of zoonotic diseases.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-cleaners-to-contaminators">From cleaners to contaminators</h2>



The researchers cataloged everything from famous scavengers - Old World <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vanishing-vultures-may-threaten-public-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vultures</a>, spotted hyenas, condors - to less obvious diners such as pond turtles, catfish, even great white sharks.



Cross-referencing each species against the <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List</a> and regional studies, they found that 36 percent of the world’s scavenger populations are threatened or already shrinking.



When those dominant consumers disappear, their ecological niche is rapidly filled by smaller generalists in a process ecologists label “ecological release.” In temperate suburbs, that might mean raccoons and crows; in tropical villages, perhaps <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rats-are-spreading-a-deadly-disease-across-cities/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rats</a> and village dogs.



These newcomers rarely match the efficiency of an eagle or a vulture, leaving more rotting flesh on the landscape. Worse, many thrive near humans, turning carcasses into pathways for diseases to jump from wildlife to people.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-effects-of-scavenger-decline-in-india">Effects of scavenger decline in India</h2>



Few episodes capture the stakes so vividly as India’s vulture crisis in the 1990s. Veterinary use of the anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac proved fatal to vultures that scavenged treated cattle. Populations plummeted, opening a niche for free-roaming dogs.



With vultures gone, feral dog populations surged, leading to an estimated 39 million extra dog bites and 48,000 human deaths from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rabies-is-spreading-among-marine-animals-for-the-first-time/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rabies</a> between 1992 and 2006.



Once India banned diclofenac in 2006, vulture numbers began to inch upward. This reminded scientists and policymakers that timely intervention can halt or even reverse a downward spiral.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scavengers-quietly-protect-health">Scavengers quietly protect health</h2>



The study emphasizes that these issues are not confined to the Global South. In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem of the United States, eagles and ravens consume elk carcasses and even aborted fetuses.



By removing potential bacterial incubators within hours, scavengers help curb brucellosis, a livestock disease that can spill over to ranchers. A drop in scavengers there could raise veterinary costs and public-health risks despite the region’s strong infrastructure.



Lead author Chinmay Sonawane, a doctoral student in Dirzo’s lab, underscored humanity’s reliance on species most of us rarely notice: “We’re starting to understand exactly how we depend on each individual species.”



“As we become more aware of these connections, we're going to be more inclined to protect these species, because we are ultimately protecting our health.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-factors-driving-scavenger-decline">Factors driving scavenger decline</h2>



Three forces repeatedly surfaced in the team’s analysis. Expanding agriculture and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/urbanization-is-a-threat-to-78-of-the-worlds-bird-species/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">urbanization</a> fragment habitats, making it harder for wide-ranging birds and mammals to find carcasses or safe nesting sites.



Intensive livestock production brings direct conflict when ranchers poison or shoot scavengers they suspect of killing calves. At the same time, wildlife trade and trophy hunting remove lions, eagles, and other predators that double as high-capacity scavengers.



These pressures often overlap. Clearing forest for pasture, for instance, strips vultures of roosting trees while putting them nearer cattle treated with toxic veterinary drugs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ecosystem-function-and-human-well-being">Ecosystem function and human well-being </h2>



Public suspicion of scavengers compounds their plight. “There is this prejudice that these scavengers are nasty animals and that we should get rid of them, but they are important for the functioning of ecosystems, also for human well-being,” Dirzo said.



The authors call for multi-layered solutions. Conservationists must protect nesting cliffs and den sites and enforce tighter regulation of pharmaceuticals known to poison birds.



Outreach programs can dispel myths, showing local communities how vultures actually protect livestock by removing disease hotspots. Financial incentives or livestock-guarding measures could reduce retaliatory killings of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/spotted-hyena-returns-to-egypt-after-5000-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hyenas</a> and jackals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scavengers-are-public-health-allies">Scavengers are public health allies</h2>



Rather than tracking a handful of charismatic species, the Stanford team focused on a functional group - animals bound by what they do rather than by taxonomic labels.



That lens, they argue, reveals how losing one slice of biodiversity can disrupt entire healthcare networks in nature. If carcasses linger, fly populations balloon, dog packs expand, and viruses gain new hosts.



Scavengers may lack the appeal of pandas or coral reefs, yet their economic and public-health value is immense. The world’s oldest waste-management system runs on wings, paws, and powerful stomach acids.



Letting it collapse means footing a growing medical bill - one paid in outbreaks, veterinary losses, and human lives. Protecting vultures in India reduced rabies deaths; hyenas curb anthrax in Africa; condors help keep Americas’ pastures cleaner.



Ultimately, the study offers a simple equation: conserve the big eaters of the dead, and you safeguard the living. Ignore them, and the costs arrive on hospital ledgers and in destabilized ecosystems. The choice is clear - and action is urgently needed to halt scavenger decline. 



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2417328122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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Scavenger decline is a threat to ecosystems  - and human health

Vultures cruising high above a savanna or hyenas crunching bones...

Woman,Hand,Holding,Pre-rolled,Cones,For,Smoking,Cannabis,With,Cannabis

Cannabis is everywhere now. It’s in pharmacies, parties, pain clinics, and political speeches. Many use it to sleep better, relax, or deal with pain. Some cannabis users even see it as a natural alternative to pills.



However, while the world embraced cannabis, heart doctors started noticing something else. A new study published in the journal Heart, based on data from over 432 million people, has revealed a clear <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cannabis-extract-cbd-proven-highly-effective-at-killing-mosquitoes/">connection</a>. 



People who use cannabis have a much higher risk of heart attacks, strokes, and even dying from heart disease. That’s not fear-mongering - it’s data from .



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-people-are-using-stronger-cannabis">More people are using stronger cannabis </h2>



In over half of the states in the U.S., and in some countries in Europe, like France, doctors can give cannabis to patients as medicine, but using it just for fun is still illegal. 



Even though it's not allowed for fun, many young people in France still use it a lot. Germany recently changed its laws and now lets people use cannabis recreationally, starting in April 2024.



Now more people use cannabis, and the products they’re using are stronger than before. Today’s cannabis has more <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-reveal-the-most-complete-cannabis-genome-yet/">THC</a>. That means stronger effects on the brain and body - especially the heart.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cannabis-linked-to-heart-problems">Cannabis linked to heart problems</h2>



The researchers looked at 3,012 studies. Among them, 24 studies were focused on the link between cannabis and major heart problems.



An analysis of the research showed that people who use <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cbd-reduces-the-unwanted-side-effects-of-thc/">cannabis</a> have a 29 percent higher risk of heart attack, a 20 percent higher risk of stroke, and more than double the risk of dying from heart disease.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-regular-use-raises-stroke-risk">Regular use raises stroke risk</h2>



Stroke risk didn’t look the same in every study. A few didn’t find strong links, especially in people who used cannabis once or twice. But when the researchers zoomed in on heavy users or younger adults, the risk became clearer.



In Australia, one study found that people who used <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cannabis-use-in-any-form-directly-linked-to-significant-risk-of-heart-damage/">cannabis</a> weekly were nearly five times more likely to suffer a stroke or mini-stroke. A U.S. hospital database also found increased risk, especially in people aged 25 to 34.



These results suggest that occasional cannabis use may not be a red flag. But regular use, especially while young, is when things start looking risky.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cannabis-linked-to-more-heart-attacks">Cannabis linked to more heart attacks</h2>



One study showed that cannabis users aged 15 to 22 were 36 percent more likely to have a heart attack. Another found that people using cannabis <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cannabis-use-directly-linked-to-head-and-neck-cancer/">more than once a week</a> had more than double the odds.



That’s after adjusting for tobacco, cocaine, and other drugs. Cannabis came out as the strongest predictor in a French hospital study - even stronger than <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-cocaine-tricks-and-hijacks-the-brain/">cocaine</a>.



That’s not the story we usually hear about cannabis. But these numbers speak louder than opinions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-higher-death-risk-from-heart-disease">Higher death risk from heart disease</h2>



The risk of fatal cardiovascular events was also investigated. In one study, young patients who had heart attacks and also used cannabis were far more likely to die. The link remained consistent even after controlling for smoking and other conditions.



Another study conducted in the United States confirmed that cannabis users had a much higher chance of dying from heart-related causes. 



In the UK, a 2024 study revealed an unexpected twist. Women, not men, faced higher risks of heart-related death from heavy cannabis use.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-about-the-benefits-of-cannabis">What about the benefits of cannabis?</h2>



Cannabis has shown several proven medical benefits, especially when used under a doctor’s guidance. One of its most recognized uses is for managing chronic pain. 



People with conditions like arthritis, multiple sclerosis, or nerve-related injuries often find relief through cannabis-based treatments. 



The plant's compounds - mainly THC and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cannabis-extract-cbd-proven-highly-effective-at-killing-mosquitoes/">CBD</a> - can interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system to reduce pain signals and inflammation. 



Medical cannabis also <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cannabis-may-ease-cancer-symptoms-like-pain-and-nausea/">helps cancer patients</a> by easing nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy, and in some cases, it can stimulate appetite for those struggling with weight loss due to illness.



Doctors have also used cannabis to help patients with neurological disorders. In certain forms of epilepsy, especially in children, CBD-based medications have reduced the number and severity of seizures.



These examples reflect how cannabis, when used appropriately, can provide real and sometimes life-changing benefits for patients, making it easier for some to ignore the overall health implications attached to cannabis use.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-experts-urge-tobacco-style-warnings">Experts urge tobacco-style warnings</h2>



“Cannabis needs to be incorporated into the framework for prevention of clinical cardiovascular disease. So too must cardiovascular disease prevention be incorporated into the regulation of cannabis markets,” noted Professor Stanton Glantz and Dr. Lynn Silver.



The experts emphasized that today's cannabis is not what it used to be. It now includes potent concentrates, synthetic versions, and a growing variety of edible and inhalable forms. These may carry risks beyond the cannabinoids themselves.



“How these changes affect cardiovascular risk requires clarification, as does the proportion of risk attributable to cannabinoids themselves versus particulate matter, terpenes or other components of the exposure,” the authors noted.



“Specifically, cannabis should be treated like tobacco: not criminalized, but discouraged, with protection of bystanders from secondhand exposure.”



Doctors should ask about cannabis use, particularly when it comes to patients with heart problems. For people using cannabis regularly, it’s time to rethink the idea that it is harmless.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://heart.bmj.com/content/early/2025/06/10/heartjnl-2024-325429" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Heart</a>.



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Cannabis is worse for heart health than cocaine, according to a startling new study

Cannabis is everywhere now. It’s in pharmacies, parties, pain clinics,...

The Amazon Basin is no longer following its familiar seasonal rhythm. A new study shows that over the past four decades, the region’s wet months have grown markedly wetter, while its dry months are turning even drier.



The discovery comes from an unlikely archive: the annual growth <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-tree-rings-help-predict-extreme-solar-storms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rings</a> of rainforest trees. Their chemistry records the isotopic “fingerprint” of rainwater year by year.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rings-that-remember-rain"><a></a>Rings that remember rain</h2>



Every downpour carries a distinct ratio of oxygen isotopes. Heavy rains flush lighter isotopes out of clouds first, enriching the water in heavier variants.



When a tree absorbs that moisture, the isotope mix becomes locked into its wood. By extracting pencils of core wood from trunks and reading those ratios, scientists can reconstruct past rainfall with month-by-month resolution.



For the new analysis, researchers sampled Cedrela odorata, a mahogany relative that grows on well-drained terra-firme soils, and Macrolobium acaciifolium, a species rooted in seasonally flooded forests.



Those complementary habitats allowed the team to profile both wet- and dry-season water inputs. Their isotope record spans 1980 to 2010.



The verdict is striking: wet-season rainfall in the Amazon has climbed between 15 and 22 percent, while dry-season rainfall has dropped by roughly 6 to 14 percent. The shift is large enough to affect river levels, forest physiology, and regional weather far beyond the Amazon.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-oceans-influence-on-rainfall-patterns">Oceans’ influence on rainfall patterns</h2>



What is driving the divergence? The scientists point to changing sea-surface <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-temperatures-are-rising-faster-than-expected-and-likely-to-accelerate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">temperatures</a> in both the tropical Atlantic and Pacific. 



Warm anomalies in these oceans alter wind belts, convection, and therefore the intensity of rain systems that sweep across South America.



Some of that variability is natural, cycling over decades. But the authors warn that greenhouse warming is very likely amplifying the pattern.



“Our research demonstrates that the Amazon's hydrological cycle is becoming more extreme," said co-authors Roel Brienen and Emanuel Gloor from the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Leeds</a>.



"Increased wet season <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rainfall-is-increasingly-unpredictable-due-to-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rainfall</a> can lead to more frequent and severe flooding, while reduced dry season rainfall exacerbates drought conditions, impacting forest health and biodiversity.” 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seeing-deeper-than-standard-datasets"><a></a>Seeing deeper than standard datasets</h2>



Standard rainfall gauges and satellite products often underplay long-term trends because they cover limited areas or short periods. Isotope ratios aggregate the signal over large catchments, providing what the authors call a “basin-integrated” view.



“While traditional climate datasets may underestimate these changes, the tree ring isotope data offer a more integrated, large-scale perspective,” explained co-author Arnoud Boom of the <a href="https://le.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Leicester</a>.



By combining upland and floodplain samples, the team isolated changes unique to wet and dry months. That dual approach revealed a previously unrecognized “bimodality” in Amazon rainfall trends.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-amazon-s-pulse-grows-more-erratic">Amazon’s pulse grows more erratic</h2>



Seasonal extremes bring real-world consequences. In wetter months, swollen rivers inundate low-lying towns, destroy crops, and erode banks. In drier months, the receding waters limit transport, concentrate pollutants, and leave isolated villages without reliable fish stocks.



The study's co-author is Jochen Schöngart of Brazil’s <a href="https://www.gov.br/inpa/pt-br" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Institute for Amazon Research</a> (INPA).



“These findings highlight that the Amazon is not simply drying or wetting overall but experiencing more extreme seasonal swings,” he said. 



“This is of relevant concern as the intensification of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/distress-signals-earths-water-cycle-is-becoming-more-erratic/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hydrological cycle</a> impacts the functioning of ecosystems, water, and food security of millions of traditional and indigenous people.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-changing-amazon-endangers-climate-future">Changing Amazon endangers climate future</h2>



The ramifications go far beyond local hardship. The Amazon acts as a giant <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-carbon-sinks-are-being-pushed-to-their-limits/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbon sink</a>. Longer and hotter dry seasons stress trees, raising mortality and potentially tipping the forest from absorbing CO2 to emitting it. 



More intense wet seasons, on the other hand, can destabilize soils and release <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-extremes-will-boost-methane-emissions-in-the-amazon/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">methane</a> from flooded areas.



“The Amazon is a key component of the Earth's climate system," said lead author Bruno Cintra, a scientist at the <a href="https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Birmingham</a>. "Understanding how its hydrological cycle is changing is essential for predicting future climate scenarios and developing effective conservation strategies.”



He points to the 2025 UN climate summit in Belém - COP30 - as “a critical opportunity for world leaders to take decisive action.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tree-rings-reveal-rainfall-trends">Tree rings reveal rainfall trends</h2>



The researchers relied on the <a href="https://www.neonscience.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Ecological Observatory Network</a>’s deep-coring archive to calibrate tree-ring isotopes against rain gauges, reanalysis grids, and atmospheric models.



Sensitivity tests confirmed that temperature or evaporation could not alone explain the isotope trends; rainfall changes in the Amazon were the dominant driver.



Although the record ends in 2010, satellite data suggest the divergence has persisted - and may have accelerated - in recent years. That makes the study a baseline for assessing how future warming, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-deforestation-crisis-how-can-we-stop-massive-forest-losses/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">deforestation</a>, and fires will interact with ocean-driven variability.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-amazon-stability-demands-urgent-action">Amazon stability demands urgent action</h2>



Policy implications are clear: conserving intact forest buffers against drought by maintaining local moisture recycling, while curbing global emissions limits further ocean-atmosphere shifts.



The experts argue that accurate Amazon rainfall projections will require integrating deep tree-ring records with modern sensor networks.



“Urgent actions to mitigate climate change and simultaneously adapt the livelihood and traditional management of the populations are required,” Schöngart said.



The rings have spoken; the challenge now is to translate their warning into meaningful protection for the world’s largest rainforest - and the climate system it helps stabilize.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02408-9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications Earth &amp; Environment</a>.



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Tree rings show Amazon rainfall is getting more extreme

The Amazon Basin is no longer following its familiar seasonal...

Humans do more than share food, songs, and stories. Across every continent, people spend real energy making sure those same songs and stories outlive them. This deep investment in preserving tradition isn’t just sentimental - it may be vital for mental health and community resilience.



“These cultural aspects likely give people within that culture a sense of belonging and identity,” explained Cory Cobb of Texas A&amp;M University’s <a href="https://public-health.tamu.edu/">School of Public Health</a> after unveiling the new <a href="https://reviewboard.ca/upload/project_document/Chandler_and_Lalonde_1998_Paper__1265041839.PDF" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cultural continuity</a> hypothesis.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-holding-on-to-heritage">Holding on to heritage</h2>



The idea is simple: when a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/elephant-culture-could-be-lost-forever-if-elders-disappear/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">community</a> defends its language, rituals, or land, younger members see a future they want to join. 



Work with First Nations communities in British Columbia showed suicide rates plunge where elders keep control of schools, health care, and cultural programs.



A 2024 scoping review of 34 studies found that holding on to heritage customs often tracks with lower depression and better life satisfaction in <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11528972/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">migrant adolescents</a>. Not every paper agrees on the size of the benefit, yet the protective trend shows up on every inhabited continent.



Continuity is flexible, not fossilized. Groups routinely drop practices that no longer serve and elevate others that still feel useful. 



Cobb’s team argues that preserving a few high‑value traits is enough to satisfy deep psychological needs for identity and predictability. When those anchors vanish, people can feel unmoored and anxious.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-babies-show-early-cultural-leanings">Babies show early cultural leanings</h2>



Hints of this motive appear within days of birth. Two‑day‑old <a href="https://infantstudies-psych.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2015/03/Moon-et-al.-1993.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">infants</a> suck longer on a pacifier to hear recordings in their native language than to hear a foreign tongue.



By<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16246233/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> three months</a>, babies stare longer at faces matching the ethnic group they see most at home, yet newborns show no such bias. Culture, then, begins shaping preferences almost as soon as sensory systems come online.



Researchers see parallel effects in music exposure. Lullabies familiar to the mother’s culture calm infants faster than unfamiliar <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mutual-relationships-with-nature-offer-hope-for-a-sustainable-future/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">melodies</a>. 



These early preferences suggest that the brain tags familiar patterns as safe. Later in life the same circuitry likely scales up, nudging adults to conserve the customs that made them feel secure as children.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mental-health-and-cultural-retention">Mental health and cultural retention</h2>



Community‑wide data echo those cradle studies. In a landmark <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228465754_Aboriginal_language_knowledge_and_youth_suicide_Cognitive_Development_22_393-399" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">survey</a> of 150 First Nations bands, youth suicide dropped to nearly zero wherever at least half the residents could carry on a conversation in their ancestral language. Language is only one marker. 



Groups that manage their own schools, police, and child‑welfare agencies also record lower rates of violence and addiction.



Psychologists link these outcomes to <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4241300/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">psychological well‑being</a>: the sense that life is coherent and worth planning for. When continuity is strong, adolescents report higher self‑esteem and lower hopelessness. Loss, by contrast, can act like chronic stress. 



Communities stripped of land or policy control often watch mental‑health indicators deteriorate within a generation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-teens-caught-in-cultural-transition">Teens caught in cultural transition</h2>



Moving to a new country complicates continuity. Studies of Chinese American families show that when teens adopt U.S. norms faster than their parents, a pattern called the <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2746862/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">acculturation gap</a>, depressive symptoms rise sharply. 



The trouble is less about change itself and more about mismatch. Parents cling to rules they trust; teens chase acceptance at school, and both sides feel misunderstood.



Successful immigrant families create hybrid traditions. Friday night might feature salsa <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/partners-who-view-the-world-the-same-way-feel-more-secure/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lessons</a> followed by Thanksgiving‑style pumpkin pie. 



Those mash‑ups give young people continuity in a language they can live with. They also prove that culture is not a zero‑sum game.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-traditions-feel-threatened">When traditions feel threatened</h2>



“Perceived threats against a population’s cultural heritage often lead to greater efforts to retain important cultural aspects,” Cobb noted. 



People work hardest to defend heritage when they sense it is under attack. Anthropologists document <a href="https://oxfordre.com/anthropology/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780190854584.001.0001/acrefore-9780190854584-e-601" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">language‑revival classes</a> springing up after political upheaval. Sociologists see similar surges in folk‑dance clubs and craft cooperatives during economic downturns.



Threat can even come from success. Urbanization pulls young adults toward big‑city jobs, prompting rural elders to organize festivals that lure them home once a year. 



These efforts may look nostalgic, yet they serve concrete social functions. They rebuild networks that buffer against <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/people-are-falling-in-love-with-ai-companions-and-it-could-be-dangerous/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">loneliness</a> and poverty.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-culture-health-and-digital-life">Culture, health, and digital life</h2>



Cobb and colleagues want to know which traditions matter most for health. Is it stories, land rights, or food rules? 



The researchers also plan experiments to test whether continuity satisfies needs beyond identity, such as control or existential meaning. Long‑term studies tracking children into adulthood could clarify causal links.



Another open question involves digital life. Do online communities provide enough continuity, or must practices be embodied? Policymakers have a role, too. 



Funding local language programs may cost less than treating the mental‑health fallout of cultural loss.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Frev0000561" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Psychological Review</a>.



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Preserving your cultural traditions drastically improves mental health

Humans do more than share food, songs, and stories. Across...

Space may feel weightless, but its effect on oral health can be heavy. A new animal study shows that near-weightlessness speeds up gum disease - the kind that eats away at bone and can eventually cause teeth to fall out.



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.sharjah.ac.ae/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Sharjah</a> published these findings after using a lab setup to mimic space conditions. They placed mice in a simulated <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/myotonpro-device-helps-astronauts-maintain-their-muscles-microgravity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">microgravity</a> environment and compared the results with a group that remained under normal gravity on Earth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-simulating-space-without-leaving-earth">Simulating space without leaving Earth</h2>



To create these conditions, the team used a “hind-limb unloading” model. It’s a common method for simulating microgravity in rodents. 



The researchers placed the mice in tilted positions to remove weight from their back legs. Meanwhile, gum disease was induced placing ligatures around their molars.



“Six male C57BL/6J mice (3–4 months, ~30 g) were randomly divided into two groups (n=3 each): (a) ground control with ligature-induced periodontitis and (b) hindlimb unloaded with ligature-induced periodontitis," explained the study authors.



"All procedures followed ethical approval (ACUC-02-02-2023). Mice were anesthetized (100 mg/kg ketamine/5–10 mg/kg xylazine, intraperitoneally) prior to ligature placement between the first and second left maxillary molars."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gum-disease-in-space">Gum disease in space </h2>



The changes were clear. “Mice exposed to simulated microgravity showed much worse <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/citrus-drink-that-helps-remove-tartar-and-whitens-teeth-helps-bad-breath/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gum inflammation</a> and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/special-lettuce-could-protect-astronauts-from-bone-loss/">bone loss</a> compared to mice with induced periodontitis on the ground," said lead author Zahi Badran, a professor of periodontology at the University of Sharjah.



"They had higher levels of disease markers, more severe tissue damage, and more immune cells in the affected areas.” 



Additionally, the microgravity group exhibited a marked increase in CEJ-ABC distance, indicating significant bone resorption. 



They also showed elevated levels of alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP), a common marker of bone turnover, further suggesting heightened inflammation and accelerated bone loss linked to altered gravity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-beyond-oral-health">Beyond oral health </h2>



While the experiment focused on gum disease in space, the implications stretch further. “It also opens the door to better understanding how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fasting-helps-the-body-fight-inflammation-and-chronic-diseases/">inflamma</a><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fasting-helps-the-body-fight-inflammation-and-chronic-diseases/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">t</a><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fasting-helps-the-body-fight-inflammation-and-chronic-diseases/">ion</a> works in the body, both in space and on Earth,” said Dr. Badran.



The authors also note that researchers have largely overlooked oral health in space. “To the best of our knowledge, this is the first in vivo pilot study to investigate microgravity's effects on periodontitis progression using the combination of the hindlimb unloading,” they wrote.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-planning-for-the-next-space-frontier">Planning for the next space frontier</h2>



This research is especially timely as plans for longer space missions - such as journeys to Mars - move closer to reality.



Dr. Badran said the study highlights the importance of rethinking <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/flexible-wearable-devices-could-track-astronaut-health-in-space/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">astronaut health</a> protocols. “This calls for the integration of dental medicine, particularly periodontology, into astronaut/future space colonies' inhabitants' health protocols," he noted.



Specialized prevention and treatment strategies, along with in-mission monitoring tools, most probably will be essential in case of prolonged space stays.



Simultaneously, the model offers terrestrial benefits, providing insights into the periodontal status of immobilized bed patients, who experience similar effects of microgravity.



This model will be extensively studied to better understand the biological pathways underlying these outcomes. Researchers will also explore how periodontitis may influence other systemic diseases under microgravity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-directions">Future research directions </h2>



Although the study involved a small sample of six mice, the researchers believe it’s a strong start. They plan to expand the model and continue a new line of research on oral health and disease in microgravity. This work will shed more light on space medicine in general.



The experts also aim to study links between gum and systemic diseases in space by assessing more microbiological and immune factors in microgravity.



Future investigations may explore how prolonged space travel affects oral microbiomes,<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-people-have-unique-immune-responses-that-block-covid/"> immune response</a>, and tissue regeneration. Such insights could lead to the development of targeted countermeasures to protect astronauts on long-duration missions.



Space missions may be cutting-edge, but without proper dental care, astronauts could end up paying for it in plaque and pain. This study is a reminder that when it comes to space travel, even your gums aren’t immune to gravity - or the lack of it.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jre.70000">Journal of Periodontal Research</a>.



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Plaque in orbit: Gum disease gets worse in space

Space may feel weightless, but its effect on oral health...

Pressure can come from all directions - authority figures, peers, or the setting we find ourselves in. Most of us believe we’re strong enough to resist it. We think we’d stand up to an unjust command. We picture ourselves pushing back, refusing to cross ethical lines, and walking away with our values intact.



But a new study suggests this confidence may be misplaced. Scientists at <a href="https://www.osu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Ohio State University</a> tested how people judge their own willingness to follow an immoral order. Their work echoes the classic Milgram obedience experiments while adding a modern twist.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-modern-shock-experiment">A modern shock experiment</h2>



The team asked more than 400 adults to read a first-person account of the famous 1960s shock study. Half of the volunteers were told that 65 percent of the original participants obeyed every instruction from the authority figure.



The rest were given no extra facts. Each person then guessed when they would quit the experiment and when an “average participant” would quit.



Using a dial ranging from 1 (quitting after the first shock) to 31 (complete obedience), participants placed themselves around level 7. 



In contrast, they expected the average person to continue until about level 12. Interestingly, even those told that 65 percent of people fully obeyed still did not think their own obedience would be much higher.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-pressure-overrides-values">When pressure overrides values</h2>



This gap between “me” and “most people” is a classic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/teens-with-overbearing-parents-lack-self-esteem-in-adulthood/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">self-esteem</a> buffer. It helps protect how we see ourselves but it can leave us blind to real-world pressure.



“Social pressures are way more powerful and impactful than we give them credit for,” said Philip Mazzocco, the study’s lead author.



“If you fall under the sway of these pressures, you could end up engaging in behavior inconsistent with your values and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/online-avatars-sway-our-morals-through-social-influence/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">morals</a>.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reading-about-danger-vs-feeling-it">Reading about danger vs. feeling it</h2>



Simply imagining the situation was not enough to break the illusion. Participants still underpredicted their obedience - a finding that fits earlier research.



“Just reading about a situation is not sufficient, as doing so doesn’t really internalize the point that we're all really susceptible to these pressures,” Mazzocco explained.



The study compares this mental distance to watching a horror movie from the couch versus running for your life outside.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-personality-traits-and-obedience">Personality traits and obedience</h2>



The researchers also looked at <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/personality-traits-are-not-strongly-inherited-from-parents/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">personality</a> tests. Conscientious people - those who like rules and routines- were more likely to follow the authority figure all the way. Yet no single trait guaranteed resistance.



“Studies like these are relevant to society because if we all assume we’re so resistant to obedience, we are not going to immunize ourselves against authority figures who want to take advantage of us,” Mazzocco noted.



To help protect against this vulnerability, the team suggests a few practical strategies. One is to avoid high-pressure settings when possible. Another is to have an exit plan or coping strategy ready when pressure arises. 



And when leaving the situation isn’t an option, they recommend staying curious - asking questions, slowing things down, and checking whether what’s being asked truly aligns with your <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/peoples-moral-values-literally-change-with-the-weather/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">values</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-social-pressures-in-the-real-world">Social pressures in the real world</h2>



Social pressure isn’t limited to dramatic lab experiments or extreme situations. It shows up in daily life - at work, in families, in classrooms, and online.



People may go along with group opinions they privately disagree with, follow workplace practices they find questionable, or stay silent during conversations that challenge their values. These choices aren’t always driven by fear or weakness but by a deep desire to belong, fit in, or avoid conflict.



Social pressure can be subtle, even invisible, but its effects are powerful. What makes it especially tricky is that it often feels normal. Most people don't realize they're being influenced until much later - if at all.



Understanding that social pressure often operates quietly in the background can help us take it more seriously. Rather than assuming we’re immune, it’s more useful to accept that everyone is vulnerable - then plan accordingly.



Awareness isn’t about being perfect; it’s about being prepared. In the end, resisting pressure doesn’t always mean grand defiance. Sometimes, it just means pausing long enough to think for ourselves.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12144-025-07962-1#Abs1">Current Psychology</a>.



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Social pressure alters how you make decisions

Pressure can come from all directions - authority figures, peers,...

Early‑life environmental conditions can shape the adult traits of insects like dragonflies long before they take flight. 



A sweeping analysis of 87 <a href="https://dragonflies.online/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">European dragonfly</a> species now shows that the temperatures and seasonal rhythms a larva faces underwater matter more to adult trait variety than the climate the insect meets in the air, challenging long‑held conservation habits.



“This is really useful going forward, as the results will provide a new general rule to guide how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insects-are-still-disappearing-and-there-are-hundreds-of-reasons-why/">biodiversity</a> scientists forecast climate responses,” said Professor Lars L. Iversen of <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/">McGill University</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dragonfly-larva-life-shapes-adult-function">Dragonfly larva life shapes adult function</h2>



Early stages often happen out of sight, yet they leave lasting biological fingerprints that show up in community‑wide patterns.



The new work argues that <a href="https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/biodiversity" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">biodiversity</a> cannot be understood only by watching visible adults because carryover effects ripple from submerged childhoods into the adult population’s body sizes, wing shapes and flight ranges.



Functional biogeographers have long mapped where <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1415442111" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">traits cluster</a>, but they usually assume those traits respond directly to the present environment. Iversen’s team instead found that underwater experiences set constraints that later <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/very-little-is-known-about-99-of-all-insects-on-earth/">environments</a> can only tweak rather than erase.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pond-temperatures-shape-body-traits">Pond temperatures shape body traits</h2>



A dragonfly begins life as a bold little <a href="https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/dragonfly-larvae" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nymph</a> clinging to stems or burrowing in mud for up to two years before it ever unfurls a wing. 



The study linked cooler waters, steep temperature swings and irregular water levels with narrower adult trait ranges, while warmer, more stable ponds produced adults with a broader toolkit for dispersal.



“This is a really important study, as many predictions for how climate might affect diversity are based on observations of adult stages,” noted Lesley T. Lancaster of the University of Aberdeen.&nbsp;



To capture nuance across thousands of 31‑mile‑wide grid cells, the researchers calculated each community’s trait space as a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Three-dimensional-hypervolume_fig3_4201499" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">three‑dimensional hypervolume</a>. This is a statistical shape that shows how body length, wing size and other measurements spread out.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dragonfly-larva-shape-adult-traits">Dragonfly larva shape adult traits</h2>



Mean annual temperature emerged as the single strongest predictor of <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/geb.12525" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">adult trait diversity</a>, and most of that link flowed indirectly through its impact on larvae rather than adults themselves.&nbsp;



Topography, forest cover and the ratio of permanent to seasonal water bodies nudged the numbers too, but their direct and indirect <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-heat-shrinking-habitats-insects-face-hidden-threats/">effects</a> often pulled in opposite directions, dampening what surface observations alone would suggest.



Classic <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2307/1938285" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">experiments</a> show that overcrowded larvae shift strategies when food or space runs short, sharpening interference or exploitative tactics that later echo in adult sizes. 



By folding such legacy effects into structural‑equation models, the team could explain two‑thirds of the variation in adult functional diversity across the continent.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-carrying-larval-traits-into-adulthood">Carrying larval traits into adulthood</h2>



Similar carryover <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2021.0023" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">patterns</a> crop up in mosquitoes, mayflies and even beetles whose larvae face drying pools, hinting that early‑stage filters may be a widespread driver of community change. 



Because many freshwater insects are hemimetabolous, meaning they do not enjoy a complete makeover during metamorphosis, the traits they build early cannot be fully rebuilt later.



In systems where water is warming fastest, lake <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-020-0067-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studies</a> already record shifts in mixing regimes and ice cover that alter larval conditions, foreshadowing trait reshuffles in the flying stage. 



Understanding those lags may help explain why some species expand poleward quickly while others stall despite suitable adult habitats.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-advice-for-conservation-planners">Advice for conservation planners</h2>



Restoring riparian shade or managing water levels in breeding ponds can give juveniles the thermal and oxygen buffers they need, indirectly widening adult trait portfolios that support <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/modern-farming-is-causing-many-insect-species-to-collapse/">population</a> resilience. 



Policies that focus only on adult foraging grounds or migration corridors risk missing these upstream levers and may underestimate vulnerability under rapid warming.



By targeting nursery habitats, managers may also help a suite of terrestrial predators, birds, bats and spiders, that rely on the timing and size structure of dragonfly emergences.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-biodiversity-forecasting-tools">Biodiversity forecasting tools</h2>



Most current biodiversity models assume that traits are shaped in real time by adult habitat features, with little room for past influences. But these new findings show that such models may be incomplete.



To improve accuracy, researchers suggest future climate impact models should include developmental carryover effects as core parameters. 



Incorporating early-life trait-environment links could allow forecasts to anticipate shifts not just in where species live, but how they function once they arrive.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-biological-pathways-of-dragonfly-larva">Biological pathways of dragonfly larva </h2>



Researchers now want to see whether the same indirect pathways exist in tropical species, where seasonality is muted yet temperature ceilings are high.



Experts are also exploring genetic clues that might reveal how much of the carryover effect is plastic adjustment versus hard‑wired evolution. 



For now, the message is clear: if you want to protect an animal’s future, start where it begins, not where it ends.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/geb.70056" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Global Ecology and Biogeography</a>.



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Dragonfly larvae expose climate’s hidden influence on biology

Early‑life environmental conditions can shape the adult traits of insects...

Alcohol addiction has long resisted easy treatment. Many people try to quit. Some succeed, but most relapse. The current medications on the market work for only a few. 



Other drugs cause side effects that are bad enough to make people quit treatment altogether. For decades, scientists have searched for something better, something more effective, something people can actually stick with.



Now, a team of researchers from Sweden might have found a new path. Not with a brand-new molecule or an expensive designer drug. Instead, they reached into the medicine cabinet and pulled out two drugs we already know well. 



Varenicline is used to help smokers quit and Bupropion is used for depression and nicotine withdrawal. Neither of these drugs were designed to treat alcohol <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/more-americans-now-link-alcohol-consumption-to-cancer/">use</a> disorder, but something remarkable happened when researchers combined them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-alcohol-addiction-treatments">Alcohol addiction treatments </h2>



Alcohol use <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heavy-drinking-among-students-is-fueled-by-misperceptions/">disorder</a> kills. Not slowly, either. Severe cases can cut lifespans by more than 25 years. Treatments exist, but they’re not doing enough. 



Medications like disulfiram and naltrexone have been available for years, but their impact is limited. They help some people, but not the majority. The effects are modest, and many patients either don’t begin treatment or fail to stick with it.



Doctors and researchers have been hunting for something better. This time, they looked at the brain’s dopamine system. People with AUD may not get enough dopamine. That shortage could be what drives them to drink. So, what if we boosted dopamine instead?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-testing-the-drugs-for-alcohol-addiction">Testing the drugs for alcohol addiction </h2>



That’s where varenicline and bupropion come in. Varenicline nudges nicotine receptors, releasing dopamine. Bupropion stops dopamine from fading too fast. Put them together and you get a one-two punch.



Bo Söderpalm, co-lead author of the study, is an expert in the Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gu.se/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Gothenburg</a>.



“We observed approximately twice the effect compared to currently available medications, which is highly promising. However, additional studies are required before the combination treatment can be approved for alcohol use disorder,” noted Söderpalm.



The researchers recruited 384 adults with moderate to severe alcohol use <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alcohol-related-cancer-deaths-rise-steeply-in-the-united-states/">disorder</a>. The individuals received one of four treatments: varenicline plus bupropion, one of the two drugs, or a placebo.



The trial lasted 13 weeks. The scientists didn’t just ask people how much they drank. They tested blood for B-PEth, a marker that tracks alcohol use. They also looked at how many days people drank heavily.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-drug-combo-reduced-drinking">Drug combo reduced drinking</h2>



In nearly every measure, the drug duo outperformed the rest. In the group that followed treatment closely, alcohol addiction symptoms dropped the most. Blood tests showed significant improvements.



Self-reports did too. Total drinking went down, along with the number of heavy drinking days. Varenicline alone worked, but not as well. Bupropion alone did not make a meaningful difference.



Varenicline works, but it makes people nauseous. The study revealed something interesting. Bupropion seems to take the edge off. Fewer people got nauseous when they took both drugs. When they did feel sick, it didn’t last as long.



“Nausea is a well-known and troublesome side effect of treatment with varenicline. It was surprising but very encouraging to see that nausea decreased when bupropion was added," noted study co-lead author Andrea de Bejczy.



"The fact that the combination treatment is more tolerable for patients increases the chances that they will complete the full course of treatment."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-drinking-less-alcohol-lowered-health-risks">Drinking less alcohol lowered health risks</h2>



The team went further. They used earlier research to estimate what the drop in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/even-small-amounts-of-alcohol-increase-cancer-risk/">drinking</a> means for health. 



The analysis showed that if the average person kept drinking less, their risk of dying from alcohol-related causes could fall by as much as 70 to 76 percent.



Individuals tolerated the drug combo well, and serious side effects were rare. The most common complaints were headache, insomnia, and fatigue, and they happened about equally in all groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-two-old-drugs-offer-new-hope">Two old drugs offer new hope</h2>



The study didn’t include people fresh out of detox, so we don’t know how well the combo helps folks stay sober. Also, the team didn’t get to track nicotine use the way they planned. Supply issues blocked testing.



Still, the study stands out. It’s the first to use B-PEth as a main measure in a human trial for AUD. That matters. People often underreport drinking. Blood doesn’t lie.



These two drugs were never meant for alcohol addiction. But together, they just might be what many people need. The results show strong effects, fewer side effects, and better chances that people will actually finish treatment.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanepe/article/PIIS2666-7762(25)00102-4/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Lancet Regional Health - Europe</a>.



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Common medications may treat alcohol addiction

Alcohol addiction has long resisted easy treatment. Many people try...

Biofluorescent fish have been glowing across the ocean for at least 112 million years. When blue light hits their skin, these animals absorb it and re-emit it as green, yellow, orange, or red.



Fish biofluorescence is invisible to us in daylight, but under the right light it turns reefs into underwater neon signs. It is a natural light show that has evolved silently beneath the waves, largely unnoticed by human eyes until recently.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracing-the-origins-of-glowing-fish">Tracing the origins of glowing fish </h2>



Two new studies by scientists at the American Museum of Natural History’s <a href="https://www.amnh.org/research/richard-gilder-graduate-school">Richard Gilder Graduate School</a> trace how and when this glow took hold.



The research maps biofluorescence across 459 species and shows just how varied the colors have become.



The team combed through every known case of glowing bony fish, then added 48 previously unreported species. The analysis suggests that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-birds-use-biofluorescence-glowing-brightly-to-attract-mates-birds-of-paradise/">biofluorescence</a> first showed up in ancient eels and has evolved on its own more than 100 times since.



“Researchers have known for a while that biofluorescence is quite widespread in marine animals, from sea turtles to corals, and especially among fishes,” said Emily Carr, lead author of both studies. 



“But to really get to the root of why and how these species use this unique <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-species-are-pre-adapted-to-tolerate-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">adapta</a><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-species-are-pre-adapted-to-tolerate-climate-change/">t</a><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-species-are-pre-adapted-to-tolerate-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ion</a> - whether for camouflage, predation, or reproduction - we need to understand the underlying evolutionary story as well as the scope of biofluorescence as it currently exists.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coral-reefs-speed-up-the-glow">Coral reefs speed up the glow</h2>



Life on a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-grazing-halos-and-parrotfish-reveal-about-coral-reef-health/">coral reef</a> seems to speed up this evolutionary trick. Reef-dwelling fish acquire biofluorescence about ten times faster than species that stay in open water. 



After the mass extinction 66 million years ago, when <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dinosaurs-self-regulated-their-body-temperature/">dinosaurs</a> vanished and reefs rebounded, glowing species multiplied quickly, taking advantage of newly available habitats and ecological niches.



“This trend coincides with the rise of modern coral-dominated reefs and the rapid colonization of reefs by fishes, which occurred following a significant loss of coral diversity in the K-Pg extinction,” Carr said. 



"These correlations suggest that the emergence of modern coral reefs could have facilitated the diversification of fluorescence in reef-associated teleost fishes.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-color-spectrum-widens">The color spectrum widens</h2>



In a second set of experiments, the team photographed museum specimens under special lights. Some families flashed at least six distinct peaks of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cats-glow-in-the-dark-fluorescence-found-to-be-very-common-in-mammals/">fluorescence</a> - far more variety than scientists had documented.



“The remarkable variation we observed across a wide array of these fluorescent fishes could mean that these animals use incredibly diverse and elaborate signaling systems based on species-specific fluorescent emission patterns,” said study co-author John Sparks.



“As these studies show, biofluorescence is both pervasive and incredibly phenotypically variable among marine fishes. What we would really like to understand better is how fluorescence functions in these highly variable marine lineages, as well as its role in diversification.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-glowing-fish-could-help-medicine">How glowing fish could help medicine</h2>



Fluorescent proteins borrowed from jellyfish transformed molecular biology. The many new hues found in fish could lead to the next generation of imaging tools, helping doctors spot tumors or guide surgery with light.



For now, the ocean keeps many of its secrets hidden in plain sight. But every flash of color brings us closer to understanding how fish communicate, hide, hunt, and find mates - turning a midnight reef into a silent conversation of light.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-on-fish-biofluorescence">Future research on fish biofluorescence </h2>



While these findings shed light on the deep history and diversity of glowing fish, there is still a lot more to uncover.



Scientists are now working to understand how different species actually see and use these colors in their everyday lives. Do they glow to blend in, to attract mates, or to send messages we can’t decode yet? 



The answers could not only explain how these fish thrive in their underwater environments but also help us develop new tools in optics, communication, and even biotechnology.



Each discovery adds a small piece to a much bigger puzzle - one where light doesn’t just brighten the ocean, but also points the way to future innovation.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0316789">PLOS One</a>.



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How fish started glowing over 100 million years ago

Biofluorescent fish have been glowing across the ocean for at...

<figure class="wp-block-embed 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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E0mn5mTvhQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that scientists never expected.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-waters-beneath-ancient-craters">Hidden waters beneath ancient craters</h2>



Scientists have made a startling discovery that challenges everything we thought we knew about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saturn-moon-mimas-has-remarkably-young-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Saturn's moon Mimas</a>. Beneath the heavily cratered surface that earned it the nickname "Death Star" lies a global ocean that formed just 5 to 15 million years ago—a remarkably young age by cosmic standards.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cassini-data-reveals-orbital-secrets">Cassini data reveals orbital secrets</h2>



The discovery, led by Dr. Valéry Lainey of the <a href="https://observatoiredeparis.psl.eu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Observatoire de Paris</a>, emerged from careful analysis of <a href="https://www.nasa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>'s Cassini spacecraft data. By studying subtle irregularities in Mimas's orbit around Saturn, researchers detected the gravitational signature of liquid water hidden 20 to 30 kilometers beneath the moon's icy shell.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-unlikely-ocean-world">An unlikely ocean world</h2>



At only 400 kilometers in diameter, Mimas seemed like the least likely candidate to harbor a subsurface ocean. Unlike other ocean moons such as Europa and Enceladus, which show clear surface signs of internal activity, Mimas displays no obvious hints of the liquid water beneath its ancient, crater-scarred exterior.



"Mimas is a small moon, and its heavily cratered surface gave no hint of the hidden ocean beneath," explained Dr. Nick Cooper from <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queen Mary University of London</a>, a study co-author.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-astrobiology">Implications for astrobiology</h2>



The ocean's recent formation makes Mimas a prime target for studying how oceans develop and potentially support life. This discovery adds another member to the exclusive club of ocean worlds in our solar system, each offering unique insights into the conditions necessary for habitability.



The research, published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a> journal, demonstrates how advanced orbital analysis can reveal hidden features of celestial bodies, opening new possibilities for understanding ocean formation throughout the cosmos.



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Scientists discover unexpected young ocean on Saturn's cratered moon Mimas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E0mn5mTvhQ 'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that...

<figure class="wp-block-embed 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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE
</div></figure>



On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop and sunlight barely penetrates through the polar winter. It was here, however, that an international team of scientists found <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predatory-worms-were-terror-beasts-half-a-billion-years-ago/#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence of sea monsters</a> that would change our understanding of ocean life in the past.



This video captures the discovery of Timorebestia fossils that had been hidden for more than 500 million years in the Sirius Passet formation. The "terror beasts," as they are called, are a hidden chapter in the evolutionary history of <a href="https://www.earth.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth</a>, showing that sophisticated predator-prey interactions occurred much earlier than previously envisioned.



Dr. Jakob Vinther and his research team at the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bristol</a>, in collaboration with researchers at the <a href="https://eng.kopri.re.kr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Korean Polar Research Institute</a>, braved extreme weather conditions at 82.5 north latitude to locate these giant creatures. Using sophisticated electron microprobe analysis, they revealed the detailed anatomy of the animals, including their muscle and nerve tissues.



The find upsets the traditional timeline of sea predators. Although we've long appreciated that Cambrian oceans were at one time ruled by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWI3-UgA3_o&amp;list=PL1QLQMW9MWDwpkFOnvgAmu7wT6rZmYqdJ&amp;index=19" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">arthropods</a>, these discoveries indicate that relatives of arrow worms were first to dominate the seas. These worms were building sophisticated food webs several million years before other predator groups arose.



Each fossil is a story of ancient hunger, with fossil stomach contents revealing these meter-long beasts dined on heavily armored arthropods regularly, cementing their place as the ocean's first apex predators.



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop...

<figure class="wp-block-embed 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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">New York is the site of the world's oldest forest.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-385-million-year-old-trees-discovered">385-million-year-old trees discovered</h2>



Scientists have uncovered something extraordinary just two hours north of New York City. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-oldest-forest-discovered-close-to-new-york-city/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">world's oldest forest</a>, dating back 385 million years, offers a window into how Earth's first complex forests shaped our planet's atmosphere.



Located near <a href="https://townofcairo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cairo, New York</a>, in Greene County, these weren't merely primitive plants struggling to survive. These were sophisticated trees with root systems remarkably similar to modern forests. This ancient woodland predates dinosaurs by 140 million years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-cairo-forest-discovery">The Cairo forest discovery</h2>



385 million years ago, upstate New York was a tropical paradise near the equator. Thanks to continental drift, this ancient forest has traveled thousands of miles to its current location.



The fossil forest sits in an abandoned quarry, roughly half the size of a football field. This represents just a slice of what was likely a massive forest system stretching from New York into Pennsylvania.



Charles Ver Straeten, curator of sedimentary rocks at the <a href="https://www.nysm.nysed.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York State Museum</a>, made the discovery in 2009. While scouting the former highway department property, his trained eye spotted wandering patterns in the stone that looked like marine features.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-age-and-preservation">Revolutionary age and preservation</h2>



The site contains 385-million-year-old rocks with fossilized woody roots forming horizontal patterns up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) wide. As Christopher Berry, a paleobotanist at Cardiff University, explains: "You are walking through the roots of ancient trees."



This discovery pushes back advanced tree evolution by millions of years. The research, published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a> in December 2019, fundamentally changes our understanding of when complex forests first emerged.



Researchers believe a massive flood buried the forest floor, creating perfect fossilization conditions. Over millions of years, sediment hardened into rock, preserving these root patterns like nature's time capsule.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meet-archaeopteris-the-first-modern-tree">Meet Archaeopteris: the first modern tree</h2>



The star of this ancient forest is Archaeopteris – not to be confused with the feathered dinosaur Archaeopteryx. This tree was far older and more revolutionary.



William Stein from <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Binghamton University</a> describes the roots as "strikingly modern, essentially what you'd see outside in my yard right now." These weren't simple root systems you'd expect from ancient plants.



Some fossilized roots are six inches (15 centimeters) in diameter, forming 36-foot-wide (11-meter) patterns. These giants grew up to 65 feet (20 meters) tall with five-foot-diameter (1.5-meter) trunks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-changing-impact">Climate-changing impact</h2>



These trees fundamentally changed Earth's environment. Kevin Boyce, a Stanford University geoscientist, explains how their deep roots triggered "weathering," chemical reactions that pulled carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.



This process dropped atmospheric CO2 levels from 10-15 times higher than today to roughly modern concentrations. These ancient trees helped create atmospheric conditions that made complex life possible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-forest-ecosystem">Ancient forest ecosystem</h2>



The forest was remarkably diverse. Scientists identified Eospermatopteris, palm tree-like plants with short roots that reached 30 feet (9 meters) tall but lacked woody structure. The forest also housed cladoxylopsids and a mysterious third species still being studied.



All reproduced through spores rather than seeds – millions of years before seeds evolved. This tropical environment had no grass, flowers, or flying insects, just towering trees creating Earth's first complex forest canopy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientific-significance">Scientific significance</h2>



Before this finding, the Gilboa forest, located 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, held the "oldest forest" title. Cairo's trees are 2-3 million years older, showing that complex forest ecosystems developed much faster than scientists believed possible.



Patricia Gensel, a <a href="https://www.unc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of North Carolina</a> paleobotanist, notes: "The size of those root systems is really changing the picture. Even 20 years ago, researchers assumed trees with such complex root systems didn't evolve so early."



The Cairo site presents three unique root systems, suggesting Devonian period forests were diverse ecosystems with different trees occupying different environmental niches, much like today's forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-preservation-efforts">Modern preservation efforts</h2>



In 2022, New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey secured a $170,000 grant for the town of Cairo to construct specialized fencing around the fossil forest site. The town plans to conduct a feasibility study exploring the possibility of creating an educational center and working lab on-site.



Joe Hasenkopf, chair of the Cairo Planning Board, hopes to partner with educational institutions to create a research facility serving scientists, students, and the public.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-for-today-s-climate">Lessons for today's climate</h2>



Why does a 385-million-year-old forest matter today? It shows how dramatically forests can change Earth's climate. These ancient woodlands created the atmospheric conditions supporting complex life.



Understanding how prehistoric forests transformed the planet helps us appreciate modern forests' critical role in addressing climate change. Forests remain Earth's most effective carbon capture systems.



These prehistoric trees changed Earth's atmosphere by pulling massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the air. As we face modern climate challenges, this ancient forest reminds us of trees' incredible power to transform our planet's environment.



The next time you walk through a forest, remember you're experiencing an ecosystem whose blueprint was established 385 million years ago in upstate New York. These ancient pioneers didn't just survive – they thrived and changed the world forever.



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ New York is the site of the world's oldest...

<figure class="wp-block-embed 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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-don-t-we-ever-hear-about-acid-rain-anymore-the-environmental-crisis-that-was-solved">Why don't we ever hear about "acid rain" anymore? The environmental crisis that was solved</h2>



Remember the 1980s when acid rain dominated headlines? Dire warnings about rain eating buildings, killing fish, and destroying forests filled every news cycle. Then, almost like magic, acid rain vanished from public discourse. What happened? Did we actually solve one of the late 20th century's most pressing environmental challenges?



The answer might surprise you. Unlike many environmental issues that drag on indefinitely, acid rain represents one of modern history's most successful ecological recovery stories. It's a tale of science, politics, and technology working together to tackle what seemed impossible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What was acid rain?</h2>



Acid rain isn't regular rain having a bad day – it's precipitation that became significantly more acidic due to air pollution. When power plants, factories, and vehicles burn fossil fuels, they release sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The science behind it</h2>



Think of acid rain as nature's chemistry experiment gone wrong. These compounds react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. When mixed with water vapor in clouds, they create precipitation with dangerously low pH levels.



While clean rain has a pH of about 5.6, acid rain could drop as low as 4.2 to 4.4 – roughly as acidic as tomato juice or coffee. According to US Geological Survey documentation, Scottish chemist Angus Smith first coined "acid rain" in 1872, but it didn't become a household phrase until the 1960s and 1970s when Swedish scientist Svante Odén documented its devastating effects on Scandinavian lakes and European forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The crisis at its peak</h2>



During the height of public concern, environmental damage was both widespread and visible. This wasn't some abstract future threat – people could see destruction happening in real-time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Environmental devastation</h2>



The most dramatic impacts were impossible to ignore. Research documented by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation shows that in the Adirondack Mountains, more than 200 lakes became so acidic they couldn't support fish life. The Adirondack Council reports that 409 lakes once supported brook trout, but many lost their fish populations due to acid rain.



By 1976, when scientists cataloged all acidified lakes in the Adirondack Park, researchers found that half of the lakes over 2,000 feet above sea level had no fish, according to studies published in environmental journals. The acidification process worked like a slow-motion disaster. As acid rain fell into watersheds, it gradually lowered pH levels. Fish couldn't survive in acidic water, and their food sources died off too.



Trees at high elevations showed stress directly linked to acid rain. It weakened them by leaching nutrients and making them susceptible to disease. Historical records show Germany's Black Forest saw nearly half its trees damaged by the mid-1980s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic impact</h2>



Acid rain wasn't just environmental – it was expensive. Acidic precipitation corroded infrastructure, buildings, and monuments. Historic stone structures deteriorated at accelerated rates. Tourism suffered as lakes became fishless and forests declined. EPA economic analyses from the period documented repair costs mounting into billions annually.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The solution: government action and technology</h2>



Transformation from crisis to success required unprecedented cooperation between governments, industries, and environmental groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Clean Air Act of 1990</h2>



The turning point came with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, signed by President George H.W. Bush. This represented a fundamentally new approach to environmental regulation, as documented in EPA historical records.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cap-and-trade success</h2>



Instead of mandating specific technologies, the 1990 amendments introduced something revolutionary: a cap-and-trade system for sulfur dioxide emissions. EPA program documentation shows this market-based approach set overall limits but allowed companies to trade emission allowances.



The genius was harnessing market forces to find cost-effective pollution reduction. Companies reducing emissions cheaply could sell excess allowances to those facing higher costs. Research published in environmental economics journals and EPA progress reports shows this resulted in dramatic SO2 reduction at a fraction of projected costs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Technology advances</h2>



Policy provided the framework, but technology made reductions possible. Studies in atmospheric science journals document the widespread adoption of flue gas desulfurization systems ("scrubbers") that removed sulfur dioxide before it reached the atmosphere. By the 2000s, new installations could remove over 95% of SO2 emissions, according to EPA technical reports.



The push coincided with cleaner energy development. Natural gas produces fewer sulfur compounds than coal. Wind and solar, emerging in the 1990s, captured growing market share, reducing reliance on high-sulfur coal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-we-don-t-hear-about-it-today">Why we don't hear about it today</h2>



Why did acid rain disappear from headlines? Simple: the problem was largely solved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Success doesn't make news</h2>



There's an old journalism saying: "If it bleeds, it leads." Environmental success stories don't generate urgency like crisis reporting. Media attention shifted to other challenges: climate change, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss. There's only so much environmental anxiety the public can absorb, and newer concerns replaced acid rain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mission accomplished</h2>



The primary reason is beautifully simple: interventions worked. EPA monitoring data shows sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990. Academic research published in environmental science journals confirms pH levels in formerly affected areas returned closer to normal. This represents one of history's most dramatic environmental recoveries. Studies by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation show fishless lakes now support healthy populations. Forests recovered, and building damage slowed dramatically.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-it-really-gone">Is it really gone?</h2>



The crisis is largely resolved, but monitoring data shows the problem isn't completely eliminated – it's managed to acceptable levels. Some areas still experience occasional events during high pollution periods. International environmental research indicates that rapidly industrializing Asian countries face similar problems to what we experienced decades ago, though they're implementing successful strategies.



EPA research shows nitrogen oxide emissions proved more challenging than sulfur dioxide, coming from vehicles and mobile sources. Climate science studies suggest changing weather patterns add complexity to how acid rain forms and falls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What this teaches us</h2>



The acid rain experience proves that seemingly intractable environmental problems can be solved with scientific understanding, political will, and technological innovation. Environmental monitoring data shows recovery speed was remarkable – within a decade, measurable improvements appeared in air quality and ecosystem health.



Success came from bipartisan support across party lines. Policy analysis studies show the market-based approach appealed to those preferring economic incentives while achieving environmental goals. This support created lasting policy surviving political changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h2>



Acid rain's disappearance from public consciousness represents environmental science's greatest success stories. Through effective regulation, technological innovation, and international cooperation, we transformed an overwhelming crisis into a manageable challenge.



Today's silence isn't because we forgot – it's because we solved it. The 1990 Clean Air Act, combined with technology and energy market changes, reduced acid rain emissions over 90%, according to comprehensive EPA data analysis.



This success offers hope for current challenges. It proves complex problems can be solved when science, policy, and technology work together. As we face climate change and plastic pollution, acid rain reminds us that dramatic positive change is possible.



Next time someone asks whether environmental regulations work, remember acid rain. It's proof that sometimes, we get it right.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Sources: This article draws from EPA official documentation and progress reports, peer-reviewed research published in environmental and atmospheric science journals, historical data from the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation records, US Geological Survey publications, policy analysis studies, and environmental monitoring data collected over three decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



1. Is acid rain completely gone? No, but EPA monitoring shows it's reduced to manageable levels. US sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990, making acid rain much less severe than the 1980s crisis.



2. How long did solving take? Environmental monitoring data shows significant improvements began within 5-10 years of 1990s emission controls. Full ecosystem recovery took longer – some areas need 20-30 years for complete recovery.



3. What made the solution successful? Clear scientific understanding, visible damage motivating action, bipartisan support, available technology, and innovative market-based policies like cap-and-trade.



4. Do other countries have acid rain problems? Yes, particularly rapidly industrializing Asian countries. However, international environmental research shows many implement similar successful control strategies.



5. Could acid rain return? Potentially, if regulations weaken or we return to high-sulfur coal without controls, though effects would take years to become severe according to environmental projections.



6. Can you recommend any teaching tools on the subject of "acid rain"? The United States Environmental Protection Agency produced a wonderful teacher's guide for ages 14 and under that you can find on the EPA website here: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf</a>



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The environmental problem we actually solved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk Acid rain and a crisis solved. Why don't we...

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

<figure class="wp-block-embed 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/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex
</div></figure>







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.

<figure class="wp-block-embed 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/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.



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

[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 



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> 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

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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