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>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



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



-----

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...

Biodiversity is declining across Japan’s countryside, even as villages empty and young people move to the cities. Many would expect birds, insects, and native plants to return when humans leave. A new study shows that’s not happening.



The research team examined land-use change, temperature records, and nearly two decades of citizen-science observations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-population-loss-doesn-t-equal-biodiversity-gain">Population loss doesn’t equal biodiversity gain</h2>



The researchers mapped population change across rural Japan and overlaid 1.5 million sightings of 464 animal species and 2,922 plant species collected between 2004 and 2021. 



Shrinking towns did not rebound ecologically. Instead, abandoned rice fields turned into either housing estates or weed-choked lots. Both outcomes hurt wildlife.



Study co-author Dr Peter Matanle is a senior lecturer in Japanese Ssudies at the <a href="https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Sheffield</a>.



“Japan is one of many countries whose demographic trends point to long-term population loss. We call it a 'Depopulation Vanguard Country' because it presages losses in similar neighboring countries such as South Korea and China," said Dr. Matanle.



“We find that expected biodiversity gains from fewer people may not be occurring, and that losses are continuing. This indicates possible similar effects in other world regions such as Southern Europe, with Italy as its DVC, and Eastern Europe, with Bulgaria and Latvia as its DVCs. 



Dr. Matanle noted that his team would like to study other regions in the future such as Europe and Latin America to find out if similar effects are being felt there.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-citizen-scientists-fill-the-data-gap">Citizen scientists fill the data gap</h2>



Volunteers across Japan recorded birds, butterflies, fireflies, frog spawn, and local flora. Their notebooks and apps supplied one of the richest ecological datasets on Earth. 



The study shows how community monitoring can spot silent declines that official surveys might miss.



The study suggests that modest, steady farming often supports more life than sudden abandonment. When fields are left untended, invasive weeds can outcompete native plants. Without people to manage canals and paddies, wetlands dry out and the species they harbor disappear.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-traditional-practices-support-biodiversity">Traditional practices support biodiversity </h2>



“Japan’s biodiversity has long been sustained by traditional rural livelihood practices such as wet rice agriculture, forest and soil management, and the maintenance of rural landscapes. These human activities have shaped and supported ecological richness for centuries," said Kei Uchida, an associate professor at Tokyo City University.



“Even as populations decline, human interventions continue in some areas, while others are left to ecological succession. This uneven pattern of change produces a mosaic landscape which is accelerating the degradation of rural environments and undermining the biodiversity they support."



According to Professor Uchida, the research has implications for maintaining biodiversity in other depopulating countries in East Asia, and contributes to knowledge about the outcomes of human depopulation worldwide.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-population-loss-is-a-global-issue">Population loss is a global issue</h2>



The United Nations expects 85 countries to decline in population by 2050, including much of Eastern and Southern Europe. The researchers urge governments to blend rewilding with rural job programs so that landscapes do not slide into neglect.



Shorter workweeks for farmers, subsidies for low-impact cultivation, and support for local wildlife groups are among the proposed ideas.



The lesson is clear: people leaving an area can harm nature as easily as they can help it. Careful planning is needed to tip the balance toward recovery.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-population-and-biodiversity-loss">Population and biodiversity loss</h2>



Biodiversity loss is not just a local issue - it’s a global concern that affects ecosystems, economies, and everyday life. The decline of species, whether plants, insects, or animals, disrupts food chains, weakens soil health, and reduces the resilience of natural systems. 



When biodiversity shrinks, the services ecosystems provide - like pollination, water purification, and climate regulation - begin to break down.



In Japan, the study highlights how biodiversity continues to decline even as people leave rural areas. But similar trends are being seen worldwide, in both developed and developing regions. 



Land-use change, habitat fragmentation, invasive species, pollution, and climate change all contribute to the problem. Even regions experiencing depopulation are not immune - sometimes, they’re more vulnerable if the land is mismanaged or neglected.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-strategies-to-protect-wildlife">New strategies to protect wildlife</h2>



This research adds to the growing body of evidence that simply removing human pressure isn’t always enough. 



Without intentional support, many landscapes fail to recover. Rewilding, conservation, and traditional ecological practices all have a role to play in reversing the loss. 



As countries face changing demographics and population loss, preserving biodiversity will require new strategies that account for both ecological and social realities.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-025-01578-w" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Sustainability</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Population loss in Japan's countryside linked to declining biodiversity

Biodiversity is declining across Japan’s countryside, even as villages empty...

Carbon pollution in the atmosphere is already causing dangerous changes to the climate. Cutting greenhouse gas emissions is not enough to keep the planet within safe temperature limits. 



Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) strategies aim to slow climate warning by removing CO2 pollution from the atmosphere. An in-depth analysis explains why the job cannot fall on machines alone. 



Plants, soils, and other ecosystems have a part to play in carbon dioxide removal, and this help is urgently needed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nature-technology-and-co2-removal">Nature, technology, and CO2 removal</h2>



“We must rapidly reduce the production of new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenhouse-gas-emissions-reach-another-all-time-high/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">greenhouse gas emissions</a> worldwide. At the same time, we must also remove and store excess carbon already polluting the atmosphere," said Charlotte Streck of the <a href="https://www.uni-potsdam.de/en/university-of-potsdam" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Potsdam</a>.



Streck noted that in recent years, innovative high-tech CDR companies have introduced promising solutions for capturing carbon. 



However, these solutions are still in research and development stages, and they are not yet proven at the scale needed, she added.



“At the same time, it’s well established that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mixed-forests-with-many-tree-species-are-more-effective-at-carbon-storage/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">forests</a> and other ecosystems are effective at storing carbon - while also providing clean air and water, safeguarding biodiversity and keeping the planet cool. We must embrace both high-tech and natural methods of CDR to succeed," said Streck.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nature-based-carbon-removal">Nature-based carbon removal</h2>



Matthew Brander of the <a href="https://www.business-school.ed.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Edinburgh</a> Business School explained that nature-based and engineered carbon dioxide removal can be deployed synergistically.



“Engineered novel CDR methods offer higher durability and lower reversal risks. However, conventional nature-based CDR methods that rely on storing carbon in vegetation and soil are the most immediately deployable methods at scale, and costs are comparatively low," said Brander.



"It’s clear that high-tech and natural CDR methods can complement - not compete with - one another.”



Peter Ellis of <a href="https://www.nature.org/en-us/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Nature Conservancy</a> pointed out that engineered CDR is extremely expensive and will require huge amounts of cheap renewable energy, along with years of investment in research and development, before it’s ready to scale.



“In contrast, nature-based CDR is cheap and powered by photosynthesis, which has been in research and development in efficient self-replicating prototypes called plants for 3 billion years,” he added.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-defining-carbon-dioxide-removal">Defining carbon dioxide removal </h2>



The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defines carbon dioxide removal (CDR) as any human activity that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and stores it securely - whether in rocks, soils, oceans, or long-lived products.



These methods differ based on how the CO₂ is captured, such as through photosynthesis, chemical processes, or other reactions.



The removal methods also depend on where the carbon is stored and how long it remains stored - whether in living biomass, mineralized form, or deep ocean sediments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-best-path-for-co2-removal">The best path for CO2 removal</h2>



No single <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-based-carbon-dioxide-removal-may-not-be-effective/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CDR option</a> checks every box for cost, speed, scale, and long-term storage. The analysis shows that matching methods to specific needs - and mixing several of them - is the safest path forward.



High-tech systems can lock carbon away for centuries once they work at scale. Yet they are young, expensive, and energy-hungry. 



Natural pathways, such as restoring forests or rebuilding soils, are ready today, cost less, and offer side benefits like habitat and clean water. The downside is that trees can burn, pests can spread, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lightning-near-the-north-pole-signals-major-climate-shifts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate shifts</a> can undo the gains.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-a-mixed-approach-works-best">Why a mixed approach works best</h2>



CDR planners often talk about “reversal risk” - the chance that stored carbon could leak back into the atmosphere. For example, injecting CO₂ into rock is risky at first, before it hardens into minerals. 



Forests, meanwhile, can be lost to fire, pests, or land use changes before they reach full maturity. That’s why success depends on mixing solutions so the weaknesses of one are offset by the strengths of another.



“Policymakers and investors should encourage a balanced, comprehensive approach to investments in both nature- and tech-based CDR,” said Streck. 



“A balanced portfolio mitigates against risks of any one strategy and is most likely to make meaningful contributions toward achieving <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/paris-agreement-which-countries-are-honoring-their-pledges/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Paris Agreement</a> goals.”



Currently, most investment is going toward new technologies that haven’t yet scaled. 



But by also supporting proven nature-based projects, we can remove carbon right away - while giving engineers the time to develop more durable, high-tech options for the future.



And there’s no time to waste. Climate math is unforgiving, and every year of delay makes the job harder. 



By pairing shovels and sensors with seeds and soil, we can cut emissions, store carbon, and offer future generations a better shot at a stable climate.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14693062.2025.2501267" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Climate Policy</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

We cannot rely on technology alone for carbon dioxide removal

Carbon pollution in the atmosphere is already causing dangerous changes...

In science fiction movies like Frankenstein and Re-Animator, human bodies are revived, existing in a strange state between life and death. While this may seem like pure fantasy, a recent study suggests that a “third state” of existence might actually be present in modern biology.&nbsp;



According to the researchers, this third state occurs when the cells of a dead organism continue to function after its death, sometimes gaining new capabilities they never had while the organism was alive.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-third-state-beyond-traditional-boundaries-nbsp">"Third state" beyond traditional boundaries&nbsp;</h2>



Amazingly, if further experiments on cells from dead animals -- including humans -- prove this ability, it could even challenge the definition of legal death.&nbsp;



The study, published in the journal <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/physiol.00004.2024" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Physiology</a>, was led by Professor Peter Noble from the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Washington in Seattle</a> and Alex Pozhitkov from the <a href="https://www.cityofhope.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">City of Hope National Medical Center</a> in Duarte, California.



“Life and death are traditionally viewed as opposites,” the researchers wrote in an article for The Conversation. 



“But the emergence of new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/past-snowball-earth-conditions-drove-evolution-complex-multicellular-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">multicellular life-forms</a> from the cells of a dead organism introduces a 'third state' that lies beyond the traditional boundaries of life and death.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cells-come-alive-after-death">Cells come alive after death</h2>



In this third state, certain cells -- when given nutrients, oxygen, bioelectricity, or biochemical signals -- have the capacity to transform into new multicellular organisms, exhibiting new functions even after <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/millions-of-near-death-experiences-validated-by-new-study/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">death</a>.



The researchers reviewed recent studies showing the incredible capability of cells to reorganize and take on new forms after the death of the organism.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-skin-cells-become-xenobots-nbsp">Skin cells become xenobots&nbsp;</h2>



In 2021, U.S. scientists found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-have-bioprinted-fully-functional-human-skin/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">skin cells</a> from dead frogs could adapt to a lab environment and spontaneously form multicellular organisms -- actual living machines called “xenobots.”&nbsp;



While most machines are constructed from materials like steel and plastic, which can degrade or break over time and have harmful side effects, living systems made from self-renewing and biocompatible materials would avoid those negative consequences.



These <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-can-design-and-build-walking-robots-in-seconds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">xenobots</a> displayed behaviors far beyond their original biological purpose, using hair-like structures called cilia to move through their surroundings.



They also proved adept at material collection, information recording, self-healing, and limited replication.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lung-cells-become-anthrobots-nbsp">Lung cells become anthrobots&nbsp;</h2>



Similarly, other researchers discovered that human lung cells could self-organize into tiny multicellular organisms known as “anthrobots.”&nbsp;



Anthrobots range in size from the width of a human hair to the tip of a sharpened pencil. Remarkably, these multicellular robots are designed to self-assemble and have demonstrated a pronounced healing effect on other cells.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/anthrobots-scientists-create-tiny-biological-robots-from-human-cells/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">These anthrobots</a> could not only move independently but also repair themselves and heal damaged nerve cells nearby.



They have shown capabilities surpassing those of the xenobots, addressing critical questions about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/engineered-proteins-can-record-cellular-memories/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cellular assembly</a>&nbsp;and cooperation in the body, and the potential for cells to be reassembled into different structures for varied functions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cells-functioning-in-the-third-state">Cells functioning in the third state</h2>



The experts point to these examples as evidence of new cellular functions that don’t exist during life, illustrating cellular changes in unexpected ways.&nbsp;



However, how exactly these cells function in the third state after an organism dies remains a mystery. 



One possible explanation, reminiscent of Frankenstein-style ideas, involves a hidden system of “electrical circuits” that reanimate the cells.



These channels and pumps may generate electrical signals that allow cells to communicate and perform specific functions like growth and movement, shaping the structure of the new organism they form.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-factors-that-influence-the-third-state-nbsp">Factors that influence the third state&nbsp;</h2>



Whether cells can enter this third state depends on several factors, including environmental conditions such as temperature and energy availability. 



Access to fuel and the ability to metabolize that energy also play a crucial role in whether cells can survive and continue functioning postmortem.



Other variables, like the organism’s age, health, sex, and species type, also influence whether cells can enter the third state. 



The research team suggests that these factors “shape the postmortem landscape” -- determining whether or not cells can persist in this unique state.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unexplored-frontiers-in-biology">Unexplored frontiers in biology</h2>



The research opens up “unexplored frontiers” in biology that could one day bring animal cells, and potentially human cells, into this third state.&nbsp;



However, whether this future will resemble something out of Re-Animator, where reanimated tissue leads to catastrophic consequences, remains to be seen. 



In the 1980s cult film, a medical student discovers how to bring human tissue back to life, with dire and violent results.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-possibilities-for-innovative-treatments-nbsp">Possibilities for innovative treatments&nbsp;</h2>



This third state not only sheds light on the remarkable adaptability of cells, but also opens up possibilities for innovative <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gene-regulation-controlling-cells-to-improve-medical-treatments/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">treatments</a>.



For instance, anthrobots could be created from a person’s own living tissue to deliver medication without triggering an immune response.



Each Anthrobot starts as a single cell from an adult donor’s trachea, equipped with cilia that facilitate movement. 



Researchers at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (<a href="https://www.njit.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NIJT</a>) developed conditions to maximize this motility, observing various shapes and movement types, marking a significant feature of this biorobotics platform.



These engineered anthrobots, when introduced into the body, could dissolve arterial plaque in patients with atherosclerosis or help clear excess mucus in those with cystic fibrosis.



They are biodegradable and safe, with a limited lifespan and strictly laboratory-bound existence, eliminating concerns of external exposure or uncontrolled proliferation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-transformative-potential-of-the-third-state">Transformative potential of the third state</h2>



Notably, these multicellular organisms have a limited life span, breaking down naturally after four to six weeks. This built-in “kill switch” prevents the risk of potentially harmful cell growth.



“This research has the potential to transform regenerative medicine, redefine legal death, and provide insights into life's physiological limits, paralleling inquiries in embryogenesis,” the authors concluded.&nbsp;



To sum it all up, gaining a deeper understanding of how certain cells can continue functioning and transform into multicellular organisms after an organism’s death, the "third state," holds great potential for advancing both personalized and preventive medicine. 



Stay tuned...this field of biology is getting very interesting, indeed.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-ralls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric Ralls</a> and Earth.com.



-----

"Third state" of existence between life and death confirmed by scientists

In science fiction movies like Frankenstein and Re-Animator, human bodies...

Scoops of lunar soil still surprise half a century after Apollo 17. The latest astonishment comes from specks of glass "moon beads" that sparkle like confetti under laboratory lights. 



Each bead measures under a millimeter and erupted 3.3 to 3.6 billion years ago, yet it keeps the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/asteroid-that-once-threatened-earth-may-target-the-moon/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Moon</a>’s volcanic diaries locked inside.



The team behind the new analysis includes Thomas Williams, Stephen Parman, Alberto Saal, and Ryan Ogliore of <a href="https://washu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Washington University in St. Louis</a> and <a href="https://www.brown.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brown University</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fiery-eruptions-left-moon-beads-behind">Fiery eruptions left moon beads behind</h2>



Molten basalt once blasted into vacuum, froze mid flight, and rained back as droplets now known as <a href="https://academic.oup.com/petrology/article/65/4/egae026/7622998" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pyroclastic glass beads</a>. 



These eruptions behaved like the fiery fountains seen today on Kīlauea, launching material dozens of miles high.



Because no atmosphere cushioned the spray, the droplets cooled instantly and recorded chemical signals from deep lunar magma. That process turned them into perfect time capsules for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/young-ridges-on-moons-surface-suggest-that-it-is-still-active/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">planetary</a> scientists.



Astronauts found the first orange deposit at <a href="https://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1990lgvp.work...56S" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shorty Crater</a> in 1972 and packed pounds of the vivid soil for study. 



Those bright colors hinted at titanium rich magmas that differ from the darker green beads sampled elsewhere on the Moon.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-moon-beads-hold-gas-and-water">Moon beads hold gas and water</h2>



Researchers prize the beads because they trap internal gases that never leaked to space. Melt inclusions inside similar beads carry 615 to 1,410 parts per million <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21617039/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">water</a>, rivaling Earth’s upper mantle.



That unexpected moisture rewrote textbooks that once labeled the Moon bone dry. It also raised questions about how much volatile material escaped during the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/total-lunar-eclipse-will-paint-the-moon-blood-red-tomorrow/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Moon</a> forming impact.



The new study focuses less on what sits inside each bead and more on what clings to the outside. There, nanoscale minerals reveal the chemistry of eruption clouds that once roared above the surface.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-tools-reveal-fine-details">New tools reveal fine details</h2>



Ogliore’s lab used a <a href="https://snsf.stanford.edu/facilities/xsa/nanosims" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NanoSIMS instrument</a> that bombards samples with ions and counts the fragments one atom at a time. 



Complementary microscopes and an <a href="https://www.cameca.com/products/apt/technique" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">atom probe tomography system</a> in partner institutions filled out the picture.



Earlier Apollo <a href="https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20070025090" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reports</a> listed the beads’ colors but could not inspect coatings thinner than a red blood cell. Today’s gear slices those coatings like digital deli meat, mapping every element.



“We’ve had these samples for 50 years, but we now have the technology to fully understand them,” said Ogliore.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-moon-bead-coatings-show-eruption-clues">Moon bead coatings show eruption clues</h2>



The shine comes from mounds of zinc sulfide just billionths of an inch high. In mineral form that compound is called sphalerite, the chief ore of zinc on Earth. 



Each mound starts rich in iron where it touches the glass, then grades to purer zinc toward the top. That gradient suggests eruption clouds cooled and thinned as the beads rode outward.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/moon_sparkling-volcanic-glass-beads_credit-Icarus_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/moon_sparkling-volcanic-glass-beads_credit-Icarus_1s.webp" alt="Schematic diagram of a lunar lava fountaining volcanic eruption. Two glass bead trajectories through the volcanic gas cloud are illustrated with the arrowed lines (one lofted, one shallow). Three stages of bead evolution are depicted: 1) outgassing, 2) ingassing, 3) desublimation/condensation. Beads on different trajectories will encounter different conditions during stage 3 along different path lengths. Credit: Icarus" class="wp-image-1973856"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Schematic diagram of a lunar lava fountaining volcanic eruption. Two glass bead trajectories through the volcanic gas cloud are illustrated with the arrowed lines (one lofted, one shallow). Three stages of bead evolution are depicted: 1) outgassing, 2) ingassing, 3) desublimation/condensation. Beads on different trajectories will encounter different conditions during stage 3 along different path lengths. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Icarus</figcaption></figure>



Coatings on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dry-side-of-the-moon-reveals-new-details-about-its-evolution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lunar</a> beads elsewhere carry sodium chloride, gallium, or fluorine, supporting the idea that fire fountain gases were packed with volatile metals. 



Those films are just a few hundred atoms thick, yet they store clues about pressure, temperature, and gas composition with a fidelity unmatched by larger rocks. They also explain why small beads can sparkle against a dusty gray landscape.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-moon-beads-guide-future-missions">How moon beads guide future missions</h2>



Knowing how volatiles behaved in ancient eruptions helps refine models of lunar resource distribution. Future astronauts looking for sulfur or zinc deposits might follow pathways mapped by these tiny mounds.



The coatings also record sulfur isotope shifts that trace gas flow, information that can calibrate seismic and orbital data about past volcanic vents. 



Such cross checks are vital as NASA targets Artemis <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-provides-update-on-artemis-iii-moon-landing-regions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">landing zones</a> near similar pyroclastic plains.



These glass beads reveal that the Moon’s volcanic past was more dynamic than previously assumed. Rather than being geologically quiet, ancient eruptions threw material high into space, cooled it instantly, and preserved complex gas chemistry.



By identifying specific minerals on the bead surfaces, scientists can now trace how gas pressures dropped and compositions shifted within seconds. That kind of resolution reshapes how we think about volcanic eruptions in a vacuum.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-does-any-of-this-matter">Why does any of this matter?</h2>



These beads do more than tell us about the Moon, they offer a glimpse into how volcanic processes might look on other airless worlds. 



Planets and moons without atmospheres, like Mercury or some asteroids, may also host surface materials with preserved eruption signatures if similar pyroclastic activity occurred.



Studying these processes in lunar samples gives researchers a benchmark for interpreting future samples from other missions, such as Mars’ moons or even returned asteroid regolith. 



This broader view helps scientists compare geologic histories across the solar system and refine our understanding of how planetary bodies lose or retain volatiles.



Williams and colleagues now want to compare orange, green, and black beads across core samples to watch eruption styles evolve over minutes. 



They will also hunt for any beads that show metallic zinc rather than <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/zincblende" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sphalerite</a>, a sign of even lower eruption pressures.



The Moon still keeps many secrets, but its glittering beads talk louder each time a new tool listens. Continued cooperation between microscopists and mission planners promises to turn more of that lunar whisper into a readable history.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001910352500154X?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Icarus</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Moon volcanoes left sparkling clues behind in the form of tiny glass beads

Scoops of lunar soil still surprise half a century after...

A roaring hockey crowd can spark brain energy in an arena faster than anything else. The sight of skaters hurtling across the ice excites viewers, but deeper <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stress-hijacks-the-brain-disrupting-sleep-and-memory/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">brain</a> activity may be flickering beneath the surface of a fan’s mind.



Fans come from all walks of life. Some passively watch the puck glide around, while others hang on every shift, penalty, and shot attempt as if the future of the universe depends on the next goal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brains-of-hockey-fans-during-a-game">Brains of hockey fans during a game</h2>



In a recent study by the <a href="https://uwaterloo.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Waterloo</a>, researchers used a tool known as functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to see if certain people’s brains respond differently during key points in a game. 



<a href="https://uwaterloo.ca/recreation-and-leisure-studies/people-profiles/luke-potwarka" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Luke Potwarka</a>, associate professor at the University of Waterloo, led this project and took a keen interest in moments that even casual observers might shrug off. 



“We found that for fans who really love the sport, these face-offs were moments of intense <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/your-brain-literally-changes-based-on-daily-activities-and-lifestyle/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mental</a> engagement,” said Dr. Potwarka. 



These were the moments when fans weren’t just watching, they were mentally preparing, anticipating, and evaluating what might come next.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-hockey-moments-activate-the-brain">Key hockey moments activate the brain</h2>



Face-offs happen countless times in any hockey match. They reset play and give teams a chance to gain control of the puck in strategic areas.



Serious fans often lean forward at that moment. They know a face-off close to the opponent’s net can decide momentum, even if it does not produce an immediate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brains-learn-new-skills-much-faster-than-expected/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">goal</a>.



The <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/immunology-and-microbiology/dorsomedial-prefrontal-cortex" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dorsal medial prefrontal cortex</a> is one region that can show stronger signals when emotional intensity ramps up. Researchers noticed that fans with higher <a href="https://pure.psu.edu/en/publications/an-examination-of-the-relationship-between-leisure-activity-invol" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ego involvement</a> showed more activation in that area during offensive face-off moments.



For casual observers, these face-offs seemed more ordinary. They responded strongly to obvious events such as a goal, but their brains did not light up as much for plays setting the stage for potential scores.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-emotional-attachment-changes-brain-activity">Emotional attachment changes brain activity</h2>



People who identify with a sport often build personal rituals around watching games. They might rearrange plans or wear specific clothing to support their team.



That personal attachment can translate into heightened emotional states when a possible shift in the game’s balance is on the line. Researchers suggest that these insights could help broadcasters tailor content to engage longtime supporters and casual viewers alike.



Fans with strong ego involvement don’t just enjoy hockey, they see it as part of who they are. That identity shapes how they process information, narrowing their focus during key game moments and increasing emotional investment in outcomes.



In the study, individuals who felt most connected to the sport showed heightened activity in both sides of their dorsomedial prefrontal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-the-brain-learns-study-reveals-an-unexpected-twist/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cortex</a>, especially when offensive face-offs occurred. 



This suggests that identity-linked attention kicks in before anything major happens on the ice, not just after a big play unfolds.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-using-brain-data-from-hockey-fans">Using brain data from hockey fans </h2>



Sports broadcasters could focus on face-offs or other subtle cues with more compelling commentary. That extra detail might capture the attention of viewers who have yet to develop a strong bond with the game.



Production crews might also highlight slow-motion replays of a critical face-off to show tactics and anticipation. This approach could gradually spark interest for newcomers while feeding the excitement of loyal fans.



Hockey is a fast-moving event. Goals and penalties are the high-drama moments that grab headlines. Yet this study shows that smaller details can captivate those who hold hockey close to their hearts.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-casual-fans-might-miss">What casual fans might miss</h2>



The absence of strong neural responses from casual fans during offensive face-offs highlights how much knowledge shapes perception. 



Without a deeper understanding of hockey strategy, these viewers may not recognize the tension and possibilities building in those moments.



This difference matters because it means broadcasters can’t assume every viewer sees the same game. What seems ordinary to one person might feel like a make-or-break moment to someone else, depending on how much of their identity is tied to the sport.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exploring-brain-responses-beyond-hockey">Exploring brain responses beyond hockey</h2>



These findings open up possibilities for researchers who want to see how fans react in other sports. 



Differences in knowledge, loyalty, and emotional ties likely play a role in how viewers respond to game events. Basketball, soccer, and baseball each have distinct moments akin to hockey’s face-offs. 



As scientists continue to refine <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2024/sep/wearable-brain-imaging-device-shines-light-how-babies-respond-real-world-situations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wearable brain-imaging devices</a>, they may reveal new ways to understand the bond between spectators and the sports they love.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-96895-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scientific Reports</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Loyal hockey fans show higher brain activity during matches

A roaring hockey crowd can spark brain energy in an...

School,,Education,And,Laziness,Concept,-,Tired,Teenage,Student,Girl

Late nights are a badge of honor in many high‑school hallways, yet the cost often hides in plain sight. When classes, homework, and screens shave hours off nightly rest, stress hormones rise and moods wobble. 



A new investigation of nearly two thousand middle‑schoolers marks out a simple guardrail: sleep in a little on weekend mornings, but stop well before lunchtime.



After tracking wrist‑device data and mental‑health scores, the team observed the best outlook in teens who added under two extra hours of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-prepares-the-brain-for-the-future-while-protecting-memories-of-the-past/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shut‑eye</a> on Saturdays and Sundays.



<a href="https://cas.uoregon.edu/directory/natural-sciences/all/sojeongk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sojeong Kim</a> of the University of Oregon, presenting the findings today at the SLEEP 2025 meeting in Seattle, led the study with colleagues from the <a href="https://abcdstudy.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development project</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-most-teens-don-t-sleep-enough">Most teens don’t sleep enough</h2>



Only <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/yrbs/dstr/pdf/dstr-dietary-physicalactivity-sleepbehavior2013-2023-508.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">23 percent</a> of U.S. high‑school students log at least eight hours on a school night, federal surveyors reported last year. Sparse rest shows up as poorer attention, slower memory consolidation, and heavier <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-quality-could-be-the-key-to-better-metabolic-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emotional swings</a>.



The <a href="https://aasm.org/advocacy/position-statements/teen-sleep-duration-health-advisory/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Academy of Sleep Medicine</a> advises 13‑ to 18‑year‑olds to bank eight to ten hours each night for steady growth and learning. 



Yet biology pushes adolescents to prefer late bedtimes, while early bells drag them out of bed before their <a href="https://nigms.nih.gov/education/fact-sheets/Pages/circadian-rhythms" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">circadian rhythm</a> finishes its natural cycle.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-teens-naturally-sleep-and-wake-up-late">Teens naturally sleep and wake up late</h2>



Teenagers experience a biological delay in their circadian rhythm, meaning they naturally fall asleep and wake up later than younger children or adults. 



This shift is caused by changes in <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/melatonin-for-sleep-does-it-work" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">melatonin</a> production during puberty, which pushes the body's internal clock back by one to two hours.



Because school start times don’t align with this shift, teens are often forced to wake up while still in their biological night. 



The resulting disconnect between natural sleep patterns and social demands is known as <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8707256/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">social jetlag</a>, a condition that has been linked to mood disorders and reduced academic performance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-weekend-sleep-boost-of-1-2-hours-helps-mood">Weekend sleep boost of 1–2 hours helps mood</h2>



Researchers call the practice of extending weekend sleep <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36612896/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">weekend catch‑up sleep</a>. Kim’s group sorted participants into three bands: no catch‑up, one to two hours, and more than two hours.&nbsp;



Those in the middle group scored lowest on internalizing symptoms, a bundle of anxiety and low mood markers, even after the team adjusted for sex, race, and socioeconomic status. 



The results echo a South Korean cohort in which teens adding 60–119 minutes on weekends reported higher well‑being than those who slept in longer.



“The results show that both <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-new-mothers-feel-exhausted-despite-getting-sleep/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sleeping</a> less on weekends than weekdays and sleeping substantially more on weekends were associated with higher anxiety symptoms,” explained Kim.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-weekend-sleep-tracked-using-fitbits">Weekend sleep tracked using fitbits</h2>



Researchers collected data from 1,877 teens with an average age of 13.5 years. Each participant wore a Fitbit device to objectively measure sleep duration across both weekdays and weekends.



To track mental health, the team used the <a href="https://aseba.org/wp-content/uploads/BPM-Y11-18_511-sample-copy-watermark-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brief Problem Monitor–Youth</a>, a tool that evaluates internalizing symptoms like anxiety and low mood. 



Weekend catch‑up sleep was calculated by subtracting average weekday sleep from weekend totals, then categorizing teens into three groups based on this difference.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-too-much-rebound-can-backfire">Why too much rebound can backfire</h2>



At first glance, extra hours of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/one-night-of-lost-sleep-can-trigger-hidden-health-issues/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rest</a> should erase weekday debt. But oversleeping drags the body clock later, making Sunday night shut‑eye harder to achieve and starting a fresh deficit cycle. 



Long morning lie‑ins also trim daylight exposure, one of the easiest cues for resetting melatonin release.



Laboratory work <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11578994/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">links</a> irregular sleep‑wake patterns with higher evening cortisol and amygdala reactivity, biological changes tied to anxious rumination. 



Kim’s data reinforce the idea that stability, not sheer quantity, keeps teenage brains on an even keel.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-parents-can-support-better-sleep-routines">Parents can support better sleep routines</h2>



A two‑hour allowance is practical: if a teen usually rises at 6:30 a.m., a target of 8:30 a.m. on Saturday lets friends stay up for a movie without wrecking Monday. 



Families can dim house lights an hour before bed, swap late‑night scrolling for music or journaling, and schedule weekend sports or chores mid‑morning so alarms are still needed.



“Many teens try to make up for lost sleep by sleeping in on weekends,” Kim said. Parental buy‑in helps translate that urge into a measured routine rather than an open‑ended Sunday sleep marathon.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-school-schedules-still-matter">School schedules still matter</h2>



Household tweaks compete with systemic hurdles. U.S. high schools typically start before 8:00 a.m., yet laboratories show adolescent brains remain in a biological night until about that hour. 



Districts that shifted bells past 8:30 a.m. report stronger attendance and lower crash rates, supporting the idea that policy can lighten the private work parents now shoulder.



Weekend guidelines will not replace nightly sufficiency. The new study found no benefit for teens who grabbed little or no rebound sleep, underscoring that weekday restriction still carried emotional costs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-better-tools-may-guide-weekend-sleep-habits">Better tools may guide weekend sleep habits</h2>



Kim’s team plans longitudinal analyses to test whether moderate weekend recovery predicts future mental‑health resilience. 



Wearable devices give scientists a sharper lens than self‑reports and may soon guide personalized alerts, nudging students to adjust bedtime before mood dips.



Until then, a modest Saturday lie‑in stands out as a simple win: enough to refill the tank, not enough to flood the system.



The study is published in <a href="https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/48/Supplement_1/A115/8136037" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sleep</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Weekend catch up sleep benefits teens when done right

Late nights are a badge of honor in many high‑school...

We often hear advice about healthy eating: reduce sugar, increase vegetables, eat local. But one question rarely gets attention: how do we actually know what nutrient data our food contains?



The answer lies in food composition databases (FCDBs). These databases list the nutrients in food: proteins, fats, vitamins, and more. They also include complex compounds like phytochemicals and antioxidants. 



Food composition databases help guide nutritionists, policy makers, researchers, and even farmers. But how reliable are they?



A new review published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition highlights a major problem. Many FCDBs are outdated, incomplete, or hard to access. This issue hits hardest in regions that need <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/food-waste-has-a-surprising-impact-on-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nutritional insights</a> the most.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-status-of-food-data">Global status of food data</h2>



The researchers reviewed 101 FCDBs from 110 countries, and their findings raise concerns. 



Many FCDBs can be found online, but that’s not enough. Only 30% of databases are truly accessible. Just 69% can work with other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-day-2025-what-were-really-fighting-for/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">systems</a>. Only 43% allow data to be reused easily. These weaknesses reduce their long-term value.



The problem is not evenly spread. Europe, North America, and parts of Asia have better data systems. But many countries in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central America lack updated or complete databases.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-this-matters">Why this matters</h2>



Food databases are essential for crafting policies, health programs, and food safety rules. 



Without reliable food data, countries cannot detect nutrient gaps or create effective school <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/food-waste-crisis-why-u-s-goals-remain-out-of-reach/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">meals</a>. Breeding crops for nutrition or enforcing labeling laws becomes impossible.



There is also a cultural cost. Many Indigenous and rural communities have rich food traditions. If these foods do not appear in databases, they risk being excluded from nutrition programs and policy debates. Eventually, they might disappear from farms and markets too.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-food-databases-lack-local-data">Food databases lack local data</h2>



The review highlights several major gaps. Many FCDBs rely on borrowed data from other countries. That creates problems. A food’s nutrient content can vary depending on the soil, climate, crop variety, and how it's cooked.



There is also no global agreement on food names, nutrient definitions, or measurement units. That makes international comparisons difficult. 



Most databases list just 38 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/future-of-food-safety-ai-can-detect-contamination-early/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">food</a> components. But modern research shows food contains thousands of biomolecules with health effects.



Another concern is how rarely databases get updated. About 39% have not been revised in over five years. Some, like those in Ethiopia and Sri Lanka, have not been updated since they were created over 50 years ago.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cost-of-not-updating-food-data">Cost of not updating food data</h2>



Food systems are changing rapidly. Climate shifts, migration, and technology are altering what people eat. Old data cannot reflect those changes. To maintain reliable FCDBs, countries need labs, specialists, and steady funding. 



Many low and middle-income nations do not have these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vicious-cycle-food-systems-both-suffer-from-and-cause-emissions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">resources</a>. The gap between well-covered regions and underrepresented ones keeps growing. But there is hope. The review also points to an initiative doing things differently.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-profiling-foods-from-every-continent">Profiling foods from every continent</h2>



The Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI) stands out. Managed by The American Heart Association and the Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT, PTFI tackles the very problems holding back most FCDBs.



What makes it unique? PTFI goes far beyond the 38 commonly tracked nutrients. Using advanced techniques like metabolomics and mass spectrometry, food is analyzed for over 30,000 biomolecules.



Unlike most databases focused on national diets, PTFI is profiling foods from every continent, with special attention to underrepresented and Indigenous foods that are often left out of traditional systems. 



It is designed to be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable - the gold standard for data sharing and transparency. All of PTFI’s data is freely available online, using globally accepted protocols so that anyone, from a government to a food startup, can use it.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-improving-global-nutrition">Improving global nutrition </h2>



The study makes one thing clear. We cannot improve global nutrition if we do not understand our food at the molecular level. Right now, outdated and uneven food databases keep many people in the dark.



Better food data means better policies, healthier people, and stronger food systems. Initiatives like PTFI show that change is possible. They help us view food not just as calories or nutrients but as a source of cultural identity, health, and resilience.



We need global cooperation, advanced technology, and fairness in data access. Everyone should have the right to know what’s in their food and to have their food traditions valued and preserved.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1552367/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Nutrition</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Common food nutrition labels may be based on 50 year-old data

We often hear advice about healthy eating: reduce sugar, increase...

In a warming world, the health of forests can change in surprising ways. A new analysis highlights how a weakening Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) might bring a bit more rain to the southern portion of the Amazon during its most water-limited months. 



Scientists have been measuring changes in ocean temperatures and current <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-oceans-day-2025-sustaining-what-sustains-us/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">patterns</a> for decades. They have uncovered evidence that suggests a weakened AMOC, marked by cooler waters in the northern Atlantic, influences rainfall across South America. 



The research was led by Dr. Annika Högner from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (<a href="https://iiasa.ac.at/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IIASA</a>), working with other experts in climate science.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-weak-ocean-currents-bring-more-amazon-rain">Weak ocean currents bring more Amazon rain</h2>



The AMOC sits among several large systems with the potential to shift in irreversible ways. A drop in its strength alters heat flow toward the northern <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/national-dolphin-day-2025-honoring-the-oceans-most-playful-minds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">latitudes</a>. That temperature change can trigger atmospheric responses, leading to higher moisture flow toward parts of South America.



Dry spells in the Amazon can stress trees and put biodiversity at risk. The study found an approximate 4.8% jump in dry season rain for each one million cubic meters per second of weakened AMOC. 



At the same time, the researchers warn that overall rainfall is still declining across parts of this massive rainforest, due to rising temperatures and <a href="https://www.globalforestwatch.org/dashboards/global/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">deforestation</a> linked to anthropogenic <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03629-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pressures</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ocean-currents-and-amazon-rainfall">Ocean currents and Amazon rainfall </h2>



“The dry <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-seaweed-day-2025-saving-the-oceans-sustainable-powerhouse/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">season</a> is the most vulnerable time for the Amazon rainforest. Our findings reveal that a weakening AMOC contributes to increased rainfall in the Southern Amazon during this time,” explained Högner.&nbsp;



To confirm the link, the team examined reanalysis datasets covering 40 years. They focused on how cooler northern waters influenced the <a href="https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/joc.7843" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">teleconnection patterns</a> carrying moisture toward the southern Amazon. 



The researchers also studied the <a href="https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/clim/23/6/2009jcli3210.1.xml" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Caribbean low-level jet</a>, a key wind corridor that channels airflow into the region.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-balancing-effects-and-ongoing-concerns">Balancing effects and ongoing concerns</h2>



Study co-author Nico Wunderling is a professor at the Center for Critical Computational Studies and scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.



“The Amazon is still drying. The stabilizing interaction we found from the AMOC onto the Southern Amazon competes with other effects like those arising from deforestation and increasing temperatures,” noted Wunderling.



Experts stress that the added rainfall from the weakened AMOC has not been enough to halt the broader decline in water supply. The dryness is spreading because temperature spikes intensify evaporation, while land use changes reduce forest cover and moisture recycling.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-forest-health-from-space">Tracking forest health from space</h2>



The researchers used <a href="https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/data/dataprod/mod13.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">satellite-derived NDVI data</a> to assess vegetation greenness in the southern Amazon. This index helps measure how well plants are photosynthesizing, providing a direct window into forest vitality during stressful seasons.



By analyzing four decades of satellite records, the team linked higher NDVI values with years of boosted dry season rainfall. 



This connection reinforces the view that precipitation gains from weakened ocean currents are having a tangible, though limited, effect on Amazon forest health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-emissions-cause-long-term-harm">Emissions cause long-term harm</h2>



Climate tipping elements may reinforce or oppose one another. In this instance, a softer AMOC has slowed the drop in dry season rain over certain areas, offsetting about 17% of the rainfall deficit since the early 1980s. 



Although this partial relief is important, it cannot overcome the warming trends that harm the region.



Researchers emphasize the need to lower greenhouse gases quickly, because the planet’s wide network of climatic interactions is complicated. 



A cooling effect in one corner of the Atlantic might help in small ways, but it does not override the damage caused by ever-rising temperatures.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-land-use-and-future-rainfall">Climate, land use, and future rainfall</h2>



Analysts say it is vital to keep monitoring the Amazon and the AMOC. Satellite data and field observations could reveal if these current interactions hold steady in the next few decades. 



Shifts in <a href="https://earth.gsfc.nasa.gov/climate/data/deep-blue/aerosols" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">aerosols</a>, land cover, and ocean conditions will likely shape future rainfall patterns.



The Amazon remains a centerpiece of global biodiversity, storing significant carbon and housing countless species. Insights into how ocean currents modulate rainfall are important for understanding new stressors on forest stability. 



Strengthening local protections also remains a priority. These measures can help the forest withstand the extra hits brought on by warming.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-ocean-currents-affect-amazon-health">How ocean currents affect Amazon health</h2>



The dry season is when the southern Amazon is most vulnerable to fire, tree mortality, and loss of ecosystem function. 



Even slight drops in rainfall during this period can create long-term stress that reduces forest density and lowers the forest’s ability to recycle moisture.



Studies show that dry season length and intensity are among the key variables predicting whether forests can remain stable. Any rainfall buffering during this season - even if partial - is particularly relevant to forest survival.



The study is published in <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/addb62" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Environmental Research Letters</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Weakening ocean currents provide a rainfall boost in the Amazon

In a warming world, the health of forests can change...

Somewhere deep inside a salt cave in Hallstatt, Austria, a small crystal disk stores the entire human genome. Called a "5D memory crystal," it may hold the key to humanity’s future, while also offering a second chance for species currently on the brink of extinction. 



This silica disc, smaller than a poker chip, carries every one of the three billion letters in human DNA, locked away in a format designed to shrug off fire, ice, radiation, and the slow grind of time itself. 



Its makers want it to outlast oceans, continents, and even the universe itself, ready to give future explorers a snapshot of who we were.



This bold initiative is made possible by a technological leap in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cells-called-astrocytes-help-human-brains-store-massive-amounts-of-information/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">data preservation</a>. Hard drives corrode, magnetic tape demagnetizes, and cloud servers rely on electricity that must never blink. 



A storage method capable of surviving billions of years pushes the conversation from quarterly backups to civilizational memory. If humanity ever blinks out, this disc could become the spark that lights the way back.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tiny-disk-will-protect-the-human-genome">Tiny disk will protect the human genome</h2>



A single five-dimensional memory crystal holds up to 360 terabytes - enough room for roughly seventy-five million songs. 



The medium is fused quartz, one of Earth’s toughest glasses, famous for shrugging off chemical attack and temperature swings. 



Tests show the crystal keeps its data after heating to 1,832 °F, freezing to the cold of liquid nitrogen, or absorbing cosmic rays that would fry silicon chips. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/5D-memory-crystal_human-genome-storage_eternity_credit-USouthampton_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/5D-memory-crystal_human-genome-storage_eternity_credit-USouthampton_1s.webp" alt="The 5D memory crystal was developed by the University of Southampton's Optoelectronics Research Center (ORC)." class="wp-image-1973755"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The 5D memory crystal was developed by the University of Southampton's Optoelectronics Research Center (ORC). Click image to enlarge.</figcaption></figure>



Engineers have even pressed it with 10 tons of force per square centimeter without leaving a scar. No wonder Guinness World Records called it the most durable data storage material back in 2014.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/goodbye-electrons-future-computers-may-be-powered-by-magnons/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Durability matters</a> because information usually vanishes long before the heat death of the universe. Everyday flash memory may lose bits after a decade on the shelf. 



Film yellows, parchment crumbles, and even punched tapes break their sprocket holes. In contrast, the five-dimensional approach literally engraves data inside the glass. 



Tiny patterns, each only 20 nanometers wide - about one six-thousandth the width of a human hair - change how light passes through. 



Those subtle tweaks can later be read with a microscope and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-secrets-of-water-molecules-discovered-in-the-lab-through-spectroscopy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">polarized beam</a>. Because the marks hide beneath the surface, scratches, oxidation, and mold barely touch them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-writing-in-five-dimensions">Writing in five dimensions</h2>



Writing the code is a dance of ultrafast laser pulses. Each burst lasts only a few femtoseconds - a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/watching-electrons-move-1-quintillionth-of-second-attoseconds-attomicroscopy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">femtosecond</a> is one quadrillionth of a second - yet it leaves a permanent imprint. 



The pulses create tiny voids whose orientation, size, and position encode bits in two optical axes plus three spatial coordinates. That is why technologists call it five-dimensional data. 



Unlike ink, magnetic domains, or pits on a compact disc, these features stack in three-dimensional layers, using the entire volume of the glass instead of its skin.



Because the process needs pinpoint accuracy, the laser setup sits on vibration-damped tables in clean rooms. A single misaligned pulse could blur the pattern, so motion stages move in nanometer steps while real-time optics check focus. 



It can take hours to write a complex file, yet the payoff is permanence. 



Once sealed, the disc rests at room temperature - no batteries and no hard drive platters spinning at 7,200 rpm. In archival terms, that is invincibility on a budget.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-etching-the-human-genome-onto-a-disk">Etching the human genome onto a disk</h2>



The idea is more than laboratory tinkering. After perfecting the technique, researchers at the Optoelectronics Research Center of the <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Southampton</a> decided to pack humanity’s most precious dataset into a single disc. 



The effort is headed by physicist <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/people/5wzgcb/professor-peter-kazansky" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Peter Kazansky</a>, whose group has spent years refining femtosecond-laser writing. They etched the entire human genome - about 3.2 billion base pairs - into the crystal, sequencing each letter 150 times to catch errors, with help from <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/helixworks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Helixwork Technologies</a>.



“We know from the work of others that genetic material of simple organisms can be synthesized and used in an existing cell to create a viable living specimen in a lab,” Professor Kazansky explains.



“The 5D memory crystal opens up possibilities for other researchers to build an everlasting repository of genomic information from which complex <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-deciphers-plant-dna-a-breakthrough-that-will-transform-agriculture/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">organisms like plants</a> and animals might be restored should science in the future allow.” 



Those ambitions reach beyond curiosity; they sketch a plan for a biological seed bank that could survive long after today’s seed vaults crumble.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-storing-the-disk-that-holds-the-code">Storing the disk that holds the code</h2>



The finished disc now sits in the <a href="https://www.memory-of-mankind.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Memory of Mankind archive</a>, a cavern carved into Austrian salt deposits. Above its dense planes of data lies a visual key. 



The engravings show hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen; the familiar A, C, G, and T bases; a double helix; and finally a chromosome sliding into a cell. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/5D-memory-crystal_memory-of-humankind-cave_credit-USouthampton_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/5D-memory-crystal_memory-of-humankind-cave_credit-USouthampton_1s.webp" alt="Memory of Mankind archive in Hallstatt, Austria. Credit: University of Southampton" class="wp-image-1973757"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Memory of Mankind archive in Hallstatt, Austria. Click image to enlarge. Credit: University of Southampton</figcaption></figure>



The design assumes the finder may have no cultural reference points, only the universal language of chemistry and geometry.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bringing-humans-back-from-extinction">Bringing humans back from extinction</h2>



It's one thing to find the disk, but it's another thing entirely to actually do something with it.



An alien civilization that uncovers this 5D crystal disk would hold a vast instruction set explaining how to build a human, but it will be written in an unfamiliar language. 



Decoding the sequence demands mastery of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/universal-rule-of-biology-sai-proposed-to-explain-aging-and-how-to-control-it/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">molecular biology</a>, cellular development, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/random-dna-mutations-shape-biological-aging/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">epigenetics</a>, because sequence data alone cannot produce a person. 



Researchers must first synthesize flawless DNA strands, assemble them into forty-six chromosomes, position them inside a nucleus, and place that nucleus in an enucleated human egg. 



Yet the embryo’s journey <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-life-begins-egg-sperm-and-a-covert-team-of-proteins/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">from zygote to adult</a> depends on more than genetic code. 



Chemical gradients, mechanical forces, and maternal hormones orchestrate the timed expression of genes that sculpt tissues and organs. 



Without that context, the visitors must reconstruct life’s regulatory software, mapping how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rna-breakthrough-sheds-light-on-the-beginning-of-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RNA and proteins fold</a>, interact, and direct cognition and behavior. 



This incredible storage disk reveals our ingredients, but not the recipe for animation. Transforming code into consciousness would resemble crafting a violin solely from sheet music.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-beyond-humanity-a-genetic-ark">Beyond humanity: a genetic ark</h2>



The same technology could house the genomes of mountain gorillas, Tasmanian devils, or giant sequoias - organisms edging uncomfortably close to oblivion. 



A single shoebox of crystals would dwarf the capacity of today’s cold-storage DNA banks while avoiding their dependence on liquid nitrogen. 



In a nod to <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/resource/pioneer-plaque/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA’s Pioneer plaques</a>, Kazansky’s team etched a silhouette onto the disc’s surface as a greeting to whoever encounters it. 



“The visual key inscribed on the crystal gives the finder knowledge of what data is stored inside and how it could be used,” says Professor Kazansky. 



“We don't know if memory crystal technology will ever follow these plaques in distance traveled, but each disc can be expected, with a high degree of confidence, to exceed their survival time."



Five-dimensional crystals will not solve every backup headache, but they make one promise: once data goes in, it stays. 



That promise turns a fragile string of nucleotides into a message that can cross oceans of time, waiting for minds clever enough to read it - and perhaps brave enough to breathe life into it.



This extraordinary achievement was made possible through a collaboration with <a href="https://www.helix.works/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Helixworks Technologies</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



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



-----

The human genome is stored on this tiny crystal disk, hoping future visitors will 'de-extinct' us

Somewhere deep inside a salt cave in Hallstatt, Austria, a...

Air pollution causes around 50,000 deaths each year in the U.S. Yet, not all pollutants are equally harmful. Among the most dangerous are fine airborne particles.



Historically, research has focused on PM 2.5, particles smaller than 2.5 microns. Now, scientists have turned to an even finer <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-environment-day-2025-plastic-pollution-is-choking-our-planet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pollutant</a>: PM 1. These particles, less than one micron wide, are small enough to infiltrate deep into human lungs.



A recent study&nbsp;by a team at <a href="https://washu.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Washington University in St. Louis</a> offers the first high-resolution, 25-year dataset of PM 1 levels across the contiguous United States.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-particle-pollution-needs-to-be-mapped">Particle pollution needs to be mapped</h2>



“This measurement serves as a starting point to understand which <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/millions-of-people-die-from-air-pollution-each-year-yet-theres-still-a-lack-of-monitoring/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pollutants</a> regulators could target to make the most effective health impact,” said study co-author Dr. Randall Martin.



Unlike PM 2.5, which includes larger particles like dust, PM 1 is mostly made up of combustion products: black carbon, sulphates, and organic matter. 



These smaller particles reach the alveolar regions of the lungs and cause more damage per unit mass. PM 1 can come from diesel exhaust, wildfires, and also industrial emissions.



Because the pollutant bypasses the body’s defenses more easily, its impact may be more severe. These particles are about six times smaller than red blood cells. Their size allows them to travel deep into lung tissues and even the bloodstream.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wildfires-are-a-setback">Wildfires are a setback</h2>



Thanks to environmental regulations, average PM 1 levels have dropped. From 1998 to 2022, the U.S. saw a significant decline in PM 1 levels at about 0.23 µg/m³ per year. This accounted for 86 percent of the total PM 2.5 reduction. 



But since 2010, this progress has slowed due to wildfires, especially in the western states. Areas like Los Angeles and Phoenix now show higher uncertainties in PM 1 estimates because wildfires boost organic matter concentrations. 



According the study, some western regions see annual PM 1 uncertainty levels exceeding 30 percent, mainly due to wildfire smoke.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-uneven-distribution-of-particle-pollution">Uneven distribution of particle pollution </h2>



The study shows that PM 1 levels remain highest in the eastern U.S. and in major cities. PM 1 sources are mostly human-made, making it easier to manage compared to natural dust. 



Urban populations, especially Black and Asian communities, have seen the greatest improvements due to reduced combustion <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-day-2025-our-power-our-planet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emissions</a>.



But not all communities benefit equally. Native American communities, often living in the arid west, saw smaller reductions. Wildfires and natural dust contribute more heavily to their exposure, and these are harder to control.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-long-term-monitoring-of-pm-1">Long-term monitoring of PM 1</h2>



This study used satellite data, chemical models, and ground stations to estimate particle levels across over eight million land pixels. The data aligns well with physical ground measurements from devices like MOUDI and TEOM.



According to the analysis, 83 percent of the U.S. population lived in areas with PM 1 uncertainty under 10 percent. “Putting the seven species together, we can calculate the total PM 1 concentration over the country,” said Dr. Chi Li, lead author of the study.



In 2022, the major components of PM 1 included organic matter, which made up 47 percent of the total, followed by sulphate at 22 percent, nitrate at 12 percent, black carbon at eight percent, and ammonium at seven percent. 



In contrast, dust and sea salt, which are more prominent in PM 2.5, contributed less than five percent to PM 1.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-this-means-for-future-policy">What this means for future policy</h2>



“When EPA first promulgated a fine PM air quality standard in 1997, there was considerable discussion about regulating PM 1 or PM 2.5,” said study co-author Professor Jay Turner. 



“For numerous reasons, including but not limited to the lack of health impacts studies for PM 1 compared to studies for PM 2.5, the latter was chosen.”



That may change. PM 1 is more closely tied to urban combustion, which makes it easier to regulate. Unlike mineral dust, these emissions can be managed through policy. The study strongly recommends integrating PM 1 into monitoring systems and health impact studies.



“This dataset offers unprecedented information for the United States about an important <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-can-reshape-a-babys-brain-before-birth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pollutant</a> for which few other measurements exist,” said Dr. Martin.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-targeting-tiny-particles-to-save-lives">Targeting tiny particles to save lives</h2>



As air pollution continues to change due to shifting environmental conditions and human activities, it becomes increasingly important to pay closer attention to these specific particles. 



Although they are extremely small, they pose serious risks to human health and can penetrate deep into the body. For a long time, these harmful particles have not received enough attention in air quality regulations, making them a hidden danger in many communities. 



However, researchers now have access to better tools, advanced monitoring technologies, and long-term data that make it possible to track and understand their impact more clearly. 



With this new information, there is a real opportunity to create stronger protections and shape policies that respond more accurately to the health risks posed by particle pollution.



With continued efforts, PM 1 could become the next target for environmental health policy in the U.S. - a shift that might save thousands of lives each year.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(25)00094-4/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Lancet Planetary Health</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Air pollution map reveals health threats from tiny particles

Air pollution causes around 50,000 deaths each year in the...

The brain makes everyday tasks feel simple, even when they involve many moving parts. It does this by breaking big goals into smaller, bite-sized steps. That’s how someone can head out for coffee without thinking twice about elevators, crosswalks, or checkout lines.



Researchers at the <a href="https://www.mit.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a> designed a study to investigate how the brain manages complex choices when perfect solutions are out of reach.



Volunteers watched a ball disappear into a four-arm maze and then tried to guess which exit it would use, guided only by two timed sounds inside the maze.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brains-use-shortcuts-to-solve-problems">Brains use shortcuts to solve problems </h2>



Humans rarely run every possible scenario in their heads. Instead, the brain relies on two well-known strategies to simplify complex problems.



One is hierarchical <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/where-logic-lives-experts-identify-the-brain-region-responsible-for-reasoning/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reasoning</a>, which involves breaking a puzzle into layers and solving one step at a time. The other is counterfactual reasoning, where a person imagines what might have happened if a different choice had been made.



Study senior author Mehrdad Jazayeri is a professor of brain and cognitive sciences, a member of MIT’s McGovern Institute for Brain Research, and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.



“What humans are capable of doing is to break down the maze into subsections, and then solve each step using relatively simple algorithms," noted Professor Jazayeri.



"Effectively, when we don’t have the means to solve a complex problem, we manage by using simpler heuristics that get the job done." 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-problem-solving-strategies-of-the-brain">Problem-solving strategies of the brain</h2>



The MIT team recorded each participant’s timing accuracy first. They then built computer models that tested three possibilities: pure hierarchy, pure counterfactual thinking, or a flexible mix. 



Real-world performance lined up with the flexible model. The brain seemed to favor following one branch of the maze, checking the next tone, and only sometimes backtracking if the tone felt “off.”



“This is really a big question in cognitive science: How do we <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/intelligent-minds-take-longer-to-solve-difficult-problems/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">problem-solve</a> in a suboptimal way, by coming up with clever heuristics that we chain together in a way that ends up getting us closer and closer until we solve the problem?” said Professor Jazayeri.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-memory-and-the-choice-to-backtrack">Memory and the choice to backtrack</h2>



Switching sides in the maze depends on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/researchers-successfully-restore-sugar-in-the-brains-sweet-layer-and-recover-memory/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">memory</a>. To reconsider an earlier turn, a person must recall the first tone and judge whether it still fits.



“It requires four parallel simulations in your mind, and no human can do that. It’s analogous to having four conversations at a time,” noted Professor Jazayeri. “The task allows us to tap into this set of algorithms that the humans use, because you just can’t solve it optimally.”



People who trust their memory more often jumped back to the alternate path. Those who sensed their recall was shaky stuck with their first guess.



“People rely on counterfactuals to the degree that it’s helpful,” Jazayeri said. “People who take a big performance loss when they do counterfactuals avoid doing them. But if you are someone who’s really good at <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/secrets-of-learning-how-our-brains-neurons-make-and-retrieve-memories/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">retrieving information</a> from the recent past, you may go back to the other side.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-neural-networks-and-human-behavior">Neural networks and human behavior </h2>



The team also trained a neural network on the same task. With unlimited capacity, the model nailed every trial. 



Once the researchers limited its memory and forced it to give up tracking all four paths, the network used the same two shortcuts - and the same decision rule about when to switch - that the humans showed.



“What we found is that networks mimic human behavior when we impose on them those computational constraints that we found in human behavior,” explained Professor Jazayeri. “This is really saying that humans are acting rationally under the constraints that they have to function under.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-the-brain-s-strategy-matters">Why the brain’s strategy matters</h2>



By pinpointing when and why the brain flips between hierarchical and counterfactual thinking, the study sheds light on real-world planning, from driving routes to business decisions. 



Future work aims to trace the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-connection-behind-brain-signals-and-human-consciousness/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">brain signals</a> that trigger each switch, offering clues for both neuroscience and artificial-intelligence design.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-025-02232-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Human Behaviour</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Human brains solve complex problems with simple tricks

The brain makes everyday tasks feel simple, even when they...

Some bacteria have a chilling plan B. When nutrients vanish, they kill nearby cells and feast on the remains. A recent study shows this grisly move is anything but rare - it’s a survival trick hiding in plain sight.



The research was conducted by scientists from Arizona State University (<a href="https://www.asu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ASU</a>), <a href="https://ethz.ch/en.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ETH Zurich</a>, and the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (<a href="https://www.eawag.ch/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eawag</a>).



The experts discovered that hungry bacteria switch on a tiny weapon called the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-pseudomonas-build-tiny-nano-spearguns-to-fight-back-against-attack/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Type VI Secretion System</a> (T6SS) to stay alive.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-some-bacteria-eat-their-neighbors">Some bacteria eat their neighbors</h2>



Dr. Glen D’Souza, a co-author of the study, does not sugar-coat the finding. “The punchline is: when things get tough, you eat your neighbors,” he said.



“We’ve known bacteria kill each other, that’s textbook. But what we’re seeing is that it's not just important that the bacteria have weapons to kill, but they are controlling when they use those weapons specifically for situations to eat others where they can't grow themselves.” 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hungry-bacteria-turn-predatory">Hungry bacteria turn predatory</h2>



The T6SS is a needle-like harpoon. A cell fires it into a neighbor and injects lethal toxins. Earlier studies suggested the device cleared space for growth. 



The new data show a darker aim. The killer waits until food is gone, then strikes so it can feed on leaking nutrients.



Ferran Garcia-Pichel puts it in human terms. “Most bacteria quietly gather nutrients from their surroundings, but a few are known to be specialist hunters, killing and consuming other organisms or cells,” he says. 



“This study and Dr. D’Souza’s team reveal that even so-called harmless bacteria can become killers under stress. When resources run low, even seemingly harmless bacteria can flip, a microbial Jekyll and Hyde. Their beauty, it turns out, is only skin-deep.” 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-silent-arms-race-among-microbes">A silent arms race among microbes</h2>



In the microbial world, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/city-microbes-are-finding-surprising-new-ways-to-survive/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">survival</a> depends not only on speed or size, but also on strategy. And weapons like the T6SS are just one part of a much larger arms race happening invisibly all around us. 



Many bacteria live in dense, competitive communities - inside <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-soil-bacteria-contribute-to-atmospheric-co2/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">soil</a>, seawater, or even your digestive tract - where the line between coexistence and conflict is razor-thin.



These microscopic organisms are constantly scanning their surroundings, sizing up friend or foe. Some form alliances. Others, like those with T6SS, keep quiet until resources run low - then strike with precision. 



What makes this tool unique is that it’s not used randomly. It’s a calculated move, triggered only under stress. This level of control suggests bacteria are not mindless killers, but adaptive survivors with a strong sense of timing. 



Bacteria don’t just fight for territory - they wait until the cost of not attacking is greater than the risk of war. In that way, bacterial life mirrors the same resource-driven dynamics seen in larger ecosystems, just on a much smaller scale.



By decoding how and when <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-pass-down-their-memories-to-fight-viruses/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bacteria fight</a>, scientists are beginning to map the invisible power structures that govern the microbial world.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hungry-bacteria-kill-to-eat">Hungry bacteria kill to eat</h2>



The team used time-lapse imaging, genetic switches, and chemical labels. They watched the tiny hunters pierce victims, wait, and then grow on the spill. 



When the scientists disabled the harpoon in some strains, those mutants starved. The untouched strains thrived.



“This isn’t just happening in the lab,” noted Dr. D’Souza. “It’s present in many different environments and it's operational and happening in nature from the oceans to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-gut-bacteria-feed-on-complex-plant-sugars/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">human gut</a>.”



Astrid Stubbusch saw the attacks frame by frame. She said that watching these cells in action really drives home how resourceful bacteria can be.



“By slowly releasing nutrients from their neighbors, they maximize their nutrient harvesting when every molecule counts - revealing a new link in the microbial food web that we’ve not appreciated before," said Stubbusch.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tiny-killers-big-impact">Tiny killers, big impact</h2>



Understanding these weapons could shape better probiotics that patrol the gut. The same tool might inspire new antibiotics that shove drugs straight into harmful bugs. 



On a global scale, bacterial skirmishes may even nudge the carbon cycle by changing which microbes break down algae in the sea.



Bacteria are not just passive recyclers. When the cupboard is bare, they turn into hunters. In the microscopic world, survival sometimes means eating the neighbor next door.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adr8286" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

When bacteria get hungry, they turn on each other

Some bacteria have a chilling plan B. When nutrients vanish,...

<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.



—–



Like what you saw and read?&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a>&nbsp;for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



—–



Check us out on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/author/eralls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric Ralls</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth.com</a>.



—–

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.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



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



-----

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.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



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



-----

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>



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



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



-----

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.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by <a href="https://www.earth.com/author/eralls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric Ralls</a> and Earth.com.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



-----

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>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



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



-----

Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

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

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



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



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



---



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



---



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



---



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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"

[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"] Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"]</div>



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)



---



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

News coming your way