A large new study followed 407,618 adults in six European countries for about 11 years and tracked the incidence of cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. 



The researchers examined how closely people stuck to a healthful, plant-based diet and how that related to developing more than one of the health conditions.



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



The project was led by Reynalda Córdova, a nutritional epidemiologist at the <a href="https://www.univie.ac.at/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Vienna</a>, working with colleagues across Europe. 



Their team centered the analysis on real-world eating patterns and combined two major datasets to see long term effects.



Chronic diseases often show up in pairs or more. When someone has two or more at the same time, clinicians call it <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5556462/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">multimorbidity</a>. Reducing the odds of multiple serious conditions can ease pressure on families and health systems.



In public health, preventing even a modest share of new cases matters because risk compounds when illnesses cluster. 



The analysis used the term “cardiometabolic” to group heart and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plant-extracts-may-help-treat-metabolic-syndrome/">metabolic</a> problems that often intersect with cancer risk. 



By treating the co-occurrence of conditions as the outcome, the study focused on how disease accumulates over time rather than on single diagnoses.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plant-based-diets-were-rewarded">Plant-based diets were rewarded</h2>



Participants came from the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12639222/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EPIC</a> study, and the <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1001779" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.K. Biobank</a> (a national research resource that invites adults to share health data for science). These two large cohort projects collect data that connects lifestyle and health records.&nbsp;



Diet quality was scored using a healthful, plant-based diet <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1002039" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">index</a> that rewards vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and coffee. 



Dietary intake of refined grains, sweets, and animal products, on the other hand, reversed the points.



A companion unhealthful, plant-based diet index scores higher for refined plant foods and sugary drinks, reflecting differences in plant food quality.



The models estimated <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/hazard-ratio" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hazard ratio</a>, which expresses how much risk changes with each 10-point rise in the score. This was calculated after accounting for age, sex, smoking, activity, and alcohol use. 



Events were counted and sequenced to see whether a first diagnosis was followed by another, which mirrors how disease accumulates in life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plant-based-diet-and-multimorbitity">Plant-based diet and multimorbitity</h2>



Across the combined cohorts, 6,604 people developed two of the three illnesses during follow up. 



A 10-point increase on the healthy <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666756825000613" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plant diet score</a> was linked to 11 percent lower risk in EPIC and 19 percent lower risk in UK Biobank data.



In adults younger than 60, the hazard ratio was 0.71, and in those of 60 or older it was 0.86. This shows a stronger association in midlife. 



The pattern for the unhealthful plant score was positive in UK Biobank data, and null in EPIC, underscoring that not all plant-rich eating is the same.



“A healthy plant-based diet might <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-diet-shifts-the-hidden-costs-of-what-we-eat/">reduce</a> the burden of multimorbidity of cancer and cardiometabolic diseases among middle-aged and older adults,” concluded Córdova.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-healthful-plant-based-diet-defined">Healthful plant-based diet defined</h2>



Scores for the healthy pattern rise with vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, nuts, and coffee. Less reliance on refined carbs, sweets, and red or processed meat helps keep the score high.



The unhealthful score climbs with sodas, sweets, white bread, and other refined items. Those choices can crowd out fiber-rich foods that support steady energy and metabolic health.



Separating the healthful and unhealthful versions explains why a plant-based diet can help or harm, depending on the mix. Quality matters more than labels, and the scale captures that difference.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-diet-quality-might-matter">Why diet quality might matter</h2>



A Lancet <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2818%2931809-9/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">review</a> linked higher fiber intake with lower risk of several noncommunicable diseases and better glycemic control. 



Fiber also feeds gut microbes that produce short chain fatty acids. These organic substances support metabolic and immune balance.



Other prospective evidence ties plant-based eating patterns to lower type 2 diabetes risk across populations. 



A comprehensive <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2738784" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">meta-analysis</a> reported that greater adherence to plant-based diets, especially those rich in healthful plant foods, was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.



These mechanisms align with the new results, where lower weight, lower inflammation, and better insulin sensitivity likely explain part of the link. Diet is not a cure, but quality changes can tilt the odds toward healthier aging.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-to-interpret-this-safely">How to interpret this safely</h2>



Self-reported diet is imperfect, and people may change how they eat after a diagnosis, which can blunt associations. 



Differences that are not measured can also shift estimates, so the authors tested many scenarios to check robustness.



The inconsistency for the unhealthful score between EPIC and UK Biobank suggests that context and measurement matter. Food culture, recall frequency, and how outcomes are captured can all influence results.



Even with caveats, the direction and size of the associations fit prior <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-humans-thrived-on-plant-based-diets-not-meat-alone-780000-years-ago/">literature</a> on plant-rich patterns and long term health. That consistency adds confidence without assuming what a single study proves in every setting.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-small-shifts-in-everyday-choices">Small shifts in everyday choices</h2>



The findings do not require strict rules or total exclusion of animal products. They point to a pattern where plants take the lead while animal products and refined items take a back seat.



Small shifts that raise the healthful plant score are realistic and sustainable. Those shifts also track with widely recommended approaches to lifelong health.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhl/article/PIIS2666-7568(25)00061-3/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Lancet Healthy Longevity</a>.



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Big health study shows how a plant-based diet protects against disease

A large new study followed 407,618 adults in six European countries for about 11 years and tracked the incidence of cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. The researchers examined how closely people stuck to a healthful, plant-based diet and how that related to developing more than one of the health conditions. Why this study matters The project was led by Reynalda Córdova, a nutritional epidemiologist at the University of Vienna, working with colleagues across Europe. Their team centered the analysis on real-world eating patterns and combined...

Within the sediment deposits that make up the Rock of Gibraltar and the dunes above Catalan Bay, researchers have uncovered an ancient footprint that may have belonged to a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-neanderthals-disappear/">Neanderthal</a>. 

If confirmed to belong to our early human relative, it would make the Catalan Bay Sand Dune in Gibraltar one of only two sites in the world where Neanderthal footprints have been found. 

The first Neanderthal footprint ever discovered was located in the Vartop Cave in Romania. 

The findings are part of a ten-year study conducted by researchers from the <a href="http://www.gibmuseum.gi/">Gibraltar National Museum</a> in collaboration with a team from Spain, Japan, and Portugal.

[caption id="attachment_1867849" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/footprint.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1867849" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/footprint.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="394" /></a> Image Credit: Universdad de Sevilla[/caption]

The study was published in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews. 

The researchers used OSL or <a href="https://www.usu.edu/geo/luminlab/whatis.html">Optically-Stimulated Luminescence </a>to date deposits of sediment that make up the lower cliff foot dunes above Catalan Bay. OSL works by dating quartz sediment deposits based on the last time the sediments were exposed to sunlight. 

The sands in the area were deposited by winds and are leftover from the last glaciation.

The researchers found the first traces of vertebrate footprints at the site and further research revealed footprints of Red Deer, an elephant and an early human, possibly even a Neanderthal that inhabited the area 29 thousand years ago. 

“This is extraordinary research and gives us an incredible insight into the wildlife community of Gibraltar's past,” said John Cortes MP, Gibraltar’s Minister for Education, Heritage, the Environment and Climate Change. “We should all take a moment to imagine the scene when these animals walked across our landscape. It helps us understand the importance of looking after our heritage. I congratulate the research team on uncovering this fascinating, hidden evidence of our Rock's past.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Possible Neanderthal footprint found in the dunes of Gibraltar

Within the sediment deposits that make up the Rock of...

A team of experts led by Meng Wang at the <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/">Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health</a> has discovered a ribosomal DNA (rDNA) clock that can be used to precisely measure an individual's chronological and biological age. The ribosomal clock will provide unprecedented insight into how the aging process is influenced by factors such as diet and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/exercise-improve-thinking-skills/">exercise</a>.

With age, individuals have a higher risk of developing serious illnesses, such as neurological diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. Chronological age represents the number of years a person has lived, while biological age accounts for different lifestyle factors that can shorten or extend a person's lifespan, including diet, exercise, and environmental exposure. Compared to chronological age, biological age is a better predictor of disease and all-cause mortality.

The ribosomal clock measures aging based on rDNA, which is the most active segment of the genome. Because it has been mechanistically linked to aging in a number of previous studies, the researchers theorized that rDNA is the “smoking gun” in the genomic control of aging. They also speculated that rDNA may harbor its own clock.

To investigate, the team examined epigenetic chemical alterations in CpG sites, where a cytosine nucleotide is followed by a guanine nucleotide. The study pinpointed the rDNA as a novel marker of age.

After analyzing genome-wide data from humans, mice, and dogs, the researchers found further evidence to confirm their theory. They identified numerous CpGs in the rDNA that exhibited signs of increased epigenetic chemical alterations, also known as DNA methylation, which result from aging. 

To further test the ribosomal clock, the experts analyzed data which showed how 14-week-old mice responded to calorie restriction, which is known to slow the aging process on a cellular level. The mice that had been given a calorie-restricted diet showed significant reductions in rDNA methylation at CpG sites compared with mice that consumed more calories. The calorie-restricted mice also showed rDNA age that was younger than their chronological age.

The researchers were surprised to find that their assessment of methylation in this small segment of the mammalian genome produced clocks as accurate as those that are built from hundreds of thousands of sites along the genome. The new approach will likely prove to be a faster and more cost effective method for determining biological and chronological age.

The researchers noted that, since the clocks respond to interventions, they could reveal how biological age responds to specific lifestyle choices and environmental exposures. An accurate measurement of biological age could help to determine whether someone has a heightened risk of developing a certain disease.

Study senior author Bernardo Lemos is an associate professor of Environmental Epigenetics.

“We have hopes that the ribosomal clock will provide new insights into the impact of the environment and personal choices on long-term health,” said Professor Lemos. “Determining biological age is a central step to understanding fundamental aspects of aging as well as developing tools to inform personal and public health choices.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://genome.cshlp.org/">Genome Research</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Newly discovered rDNA clock measures chronological and biological age

A team of experts led by Meng Wang at the...

There has been a long-standing debate around the decriminalization of marijuana and increasing the accessibility of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marijuana-less-damaging-alcohol/">medical marijuana</a> and cannabinoids. While more and more states are legalizing the drug for medicinal use, there are concerns that decriminalization will only lead to more widespread abuse, particularly among teenagers. 

But researchers from <a href="https://www.bc.edu/">Boston College</a> found the exact opposite to be true in a new study which showed that cannabis use among teenagers actually dropped in states where medicinal marijuana is legal. 

The study was published in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse and adds to the important body of work being done on cannabis and the impacts of legalization. 

The large-scale study analyzed survey results from 800,000 high school students across 45 states. 

Surveys were conducted over a 16-year period, and the researchers were able to track marijuana use among teenagers through the years and see how legislation in a particular state impacted cannabis use. 

The researchers also compared cannabis use among teens in states where the drug was still illegal to use among teens in states with legal medicinal marijuana. 

Not only did the researchers observe a decline in cannabis use where medical marijuana was decriminalized, but the longer the drug had been legalized, the fewer teens who reported using it. 

In states where medical marijuana laws (MML) were in place, there were 1.1 fewer teen cannabis users. 

“We found that for every group of 100 adolescents, one fewer will be a current user of marijuana following the enactment of medical marijuana laws,” said Rebekah Levine Coley, the leader of the study. “When we looked at particular subgroups of adolescents, this reduction became even more pronounced. For example, 3.9% less Black and 2.7% less Hispanic youths now use marijuana in states with MML.” 

The study shows that legalization does not correlate with a spike in cannabis use among teenagers, although the researchers were not sure what was driving the drop in teen cannabis use. 

“We were not able to determine why this is, but other research has suggested that after the enactment of medical marijuana laws, youths' perceptions of the potential harm of marijuana use actually increased,” said Coley. “Alternatively, another theory is that as marijuana laws are becoming more lenient, parents may be increasing their supervision of their children, or changing how they talk to them about drug use.”

The team also found that decriminalizing recreational marijuana had no effect on adolescent use besides a small decline among 14-year olds and a slight increase among white adolescents, but the policies were not enough to majorly sway teens in one direction or the other. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Study: Decriminalizing medicinal marijuana does not increase teen use

There has been a long-standing debate around the decriminalization of...

The latest <a href="https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/msu-food-literacy-and-engagement-poll-wave-iv">Food Literacy and Engagement Poll from Michigan State University</a> shows that although the majority of Americans are paying more attention to the amount of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/new-packaging-food-waste/">food waste</a> they produce, older Americans are the most aware and more likely to try to reduce.

The results of this survey, which asked 2,090 Americans about their attitudes and knowledge about food-related issues, were released February 14th at the <a href="https://meetings.aaas.org/">American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting</a>.

The survey found that 88% of all Americans say they take steps to reduce food waste in their homes. 94% of those Americans are over the age of 55 whereas 81% are under 30. 71% of those who reduce food waste say they do not purchase excess food and often consume their food before it spoils. And 34% share their food before it expires.

However, 12% of Americans reported they do not take extra steps to reduce food waste at home. 31% of this group say they don’t waste food and 20% are not concerned about food waste.

"Older Americans pay the closest attention to limiting food waste compared to their peers," said co-director of the MSU Food Literacy and Engagement Poll <a href="http://www.sherilkirshenbaum.com/">Sheril Kirshenbaum</a>. "Previous waves of the survey have revealed this group also performs best on general food literacy questions."

Furthermore, the study found that 49% of Americans stated they never, rarely, or aren’t sure how often they consume genetically modified organisms (GMOs), nor do they often seek information about where their food is grown or how it is produced.

"These findings continue to expand our insights into the attitudes and behaviors of consumers," said poll co-director <a href="https://www.canr.msu.edu/people/doug_buhler">Doug Buhler</a>, director of <a href="https://www.canr.msu.edu/research/">MSU AgBioResearch</a>. "Given the challenges ahead in feeding more people while preserving our natural resources and protecting our climate, getting a handle on the causes and remedies of food waste is key to meeting global food demand. It takes months to produce food, but we can waste it in an instant." 

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Older Americans are the most serious about cutting down on food waste

The latest Food Literacy and Engagement Poll from Michigan State...

A new study published by the <a href="http://www.apa.org/">American Psychological Association</a> has revealed that a child with more than one brother or sister is more likely to be the victim of sibling bullying. According to the research, firstborn children and older brothers tend to be the perpetrators.

Study lead author Dieter Wolke is a professor of Psychology at the <a href="https://warwick.ac.uk/">University of Warwick</a>.

“Sibling bullying is the most frequent form of family violence and it is often seen as a normal part of growing up by parents and health professionals, but there is increasing evidence that it can have long-term consequences, like increased loneliness, delinquency and mental health problems,” said Professor Wolke.

The investigation was focused on data from a study of 6,838 British children born in 1991 to 1992. For the study, sibling bullying was defined as psychological abuse, physical abuse, or emotional abuse. The kids were placed into four categories: bullies, victims, bully victims, or uninvolved.

When the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/kids-blocking-background-noise-focus/">children</a> were 5 years old, their mothers reported how often the children were victims or perpetrators of bullying in the household. The mothers also reported on sibling relations two years later. At age 12, the children were asked if they had been bullied by a sibling or if they had bullied a sibling within the previous six months.

The study revealed that around 28 percent of the children were involved in sibling bullying, and psychological abuse was found to be the most common issue. The majority of the children were found to be bully victims, meaning they were victims of bullying and were also bullies themselves.

“Bullying occurs in situations where we cannot choose our peers, like in families,” said Professor Wolke. “Siblings live in close quarters and the familiarity allows them to know what buttons to press to upset their brothers or sisters. This can go both ways and allows a child to be both a victim and a perpetrator of bullying.”

According to the researchers, family structure and gender were the strongest predictors of sibling bullying.

“Bullying was more likely to occur in families with three or more children and the eldest child or older brothers were more often the bullies,” said study co-author Slava Dantchev. “Female children and younger children were more often targeted.”

The experts believe that bullying often occurs in larger families because resources such as parental attention and material goods are more limited.

“Despite our cultural differences, humans are still very biologically driven. A firstborn child will have their resources halved with the birth of a sibling, and even more so as more siblings are added to the family,” said Professor Wolke. "This causes siblings to fight for those limited resources through dominance."

“Sibling bullying does not discriminate. It occurs in wealthy families just as much as lower-income families and it occurs in single-parent households just as much as two-parent households.”

Professor Wolke said the findings may be helpful to parents as they add to their families. 

“It will be important for parents to realize and understand that resource loss can affect an older child. It is a good idea for parents to manage this from the beginning by spending quality time with their firstborn or older children and by involving them in caring for younger siblings.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developmental_psychology">Developmental Psychology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Sibling bullying is more prevalent in large families

A new study published by the American Psychological Association has...

A study led by the <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/">University of East Anglia</a> has revealed that “older” sperm produce healthier offspring. According to the researchers, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/men-marijuana-higher-sperm-counts/">sperm</a> that have lived longer before fertilizing an egg not only have a positive impact on the health and lifespan of their own offspring, but also on the generation that follows.

The analysis, which also involved experts from <a href="https://www.uu.se/en">Uppsala University</a>, was focused on the shorter- and longer-lived sperm in the same ejaculate of a male zebrafish. The findings may have important implications for human reproduction and fertility, particularly for informing assisted fertilization techniques. 

“One male produces thousands to millions of sperm in a single ejaculate but only very few end up fertilizing an egg,” said lead author  Dr. Simone Immler. “The sperm within an ejaculate vary not only in their shape and performance, but also in the genetic material that each of them carries.”

“Until now, there was a general assumption that it doesn't really matter which sperm fertilises an egg as long as it can fertilize it. But we have shown that there are massive differences between sperm and how they affect the offspring.”

The research team collected both male and female gametes, and then split the ejaculate of a male into two halves. In one half, they selected for shorter-lived sperm and in the other for longer-lived sperm. The sperm were then added to two half clutches from a female to fertilize the eggs. The resulting offspring were reared into adulthood and monitored throughout their lifespans. 

“We found that when we select for the longer-lived sperm within the ejaculate of male zebrafish, the resulting offspring is much fitter than their full siblings sired by the shorter-lived sperm of the same male,” said Dr. Immler.

“More specifically, offspring sired by longer-lived sperm produce more and healthier offspring throughout their life that age at a slower rate. This is a surprising result, which suggests that it is important to understand how sperm selection may contribute to the fitness of the next generations.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/20563744">Evolution Letters</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New research shows that older sperm created healthier offspring

A study led by the University of East Anglia has...

While diet sodas and beverages with artificial sweeteners are touted as healthier, low-calorie alternatives to sugary drinks, simply swapping one for the other could have just as negative an impact on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/artificial-sweeteners-obesity-diabetes/">health as a high-calorie drink</a>. 

A new study, the first of its kind, examined the link between drinking diet beverages daily and cardiovascular disease. 

The results, published in the journal Stroke, show that post-menopausal women who consume multiple diet drinks a day have an increased risk of stroke due to a blocked artery. 

Researchers from the <a href="http://einstein.yu.edu/">Albert Einstein College of Medicine</a> in New York analyzed data from the <a href="https://www.whi.org/">Women’s Health Initiative Study</a> that took place between 1993 and 1998. 

Data on 81,714 women ages 50 to 79 who were part of the Health Initiative Study were reviewed by the researchers including how often in a three-month period each participant consumed a diet beverage. 

It’s important to note that the data did not reveal which artificial sweeteners or specific drinks were consumed so the researchers could not prove cause or effect. 

After accounting for different risk factors like age, past smoking history, and high blood pressure, the researchers identified a link between stroke risk and daily diet soda consumption. 

Overall, women who drank two or more diet beverages per day were 23 percent more likely to have a stroke. 29 percent were more likely to develop heart disease including heart attack, and 16 percent were more likely to die from stroke or heart disease. 

The risks were higher for some women compared to others as the researchers found that women without a history of heart disease or diabetes were 2.4 times more likely to have a stroke if they reported high consumption of diet drinks. 

Weight was an influencing factor, and African American women without a history of heart disease were nearly four times more likely to have a stroke due to a blood clot. 

“Many well-meaning people, especially those who are overweight or obese, drink low-calorie sweetened drinks to cut calories in their diet,” said Yasmin Mossavar-Rahmani, the lead author of the study. “Our research and other observational studies have shown that artificially sweetened beverages may not be harmless and high consumption is associated with a higher risk of stroke and heart disease.” 

There are several limitations to the research and the <a href="https://www.heart.org/">American Heart Association</a> which published the findings recently released an advisory stating that there was no conclusive scientific research proving that low-calorie drinks and artificial sweeteners increased heart disease risk. 

In addition, the women in the Health Initiative Study self-reported on their drinking habits and the data doesn’t include information on the type of sweetener shows that further research is needed to test these risk associations. 

“Unfortunately, current research simply does not provide enough evidence to distinguish between the effects of different low-calorie sweeteners on heart and brain health” said Rachel K. Johnson, the chair of the writing group for the American Heart Association’s science advisory, “This study adds to the evidence that limiting use of diet beverages is the most prudent thing to do for your health,” 

When it comes to the best alternative for sugary sodas, the American Heart Association recommends water, plain and simple, as the best no-calorie drink option.  

--

By <a href="mailto:kauvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Diet drinks could raise the risk of stroke for post-menopausal women

While diet sodas and beverages with artificial sweeteners are touted...

Researchers from <a href="https://www.massgeneral.org/">Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)</a> have found that getting enough <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sleep-helps-kill-infection/">sleep</a> protects against atherosclerosis, the buildup of arterial plaques. As the study’s authors describe in <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>, not getting adequate sleep can increase the production of inflammatory white blood cells that play into atherosclerosis.

"We have discovered that sleep helps to regulate the production in the bone marrow of inflammatory cells and the health of blood vessels and that, conversely, sleep disruption breaks down control of inflammatory cell production, leading to more inflammation and more heart disease," said senior author <a href="https://csb.mgh.harvard.edu/filip_swirski">Filip Swirski, PhD,</a> of the <a href="https://www.massgeneral.org/csb/">MGH Center for Systems Biology</a>. "We also have identified how a hormone in the brain known to control wakefulness controls processes in the bone marrow and protects against cardiovascular disease."

To test their theory, researchers subjected atherosclerosis-prone mice to multiple interruptions during sleep. These mice ultimately developed larger arterial plaques and had higher levels of monocytes and neutrophils — the inflammatory cells that contribute to atherosclerosis — within their blood vessels. Furthermore, the sleep-deprived mice had double the amount of stem cells that contribute to the production of white blood cells in their bone marrow. 

Researchers also found that hypocretin, a sleep regulation-contributing hormone produced in the brain’s hypothalamus, also plays a role in the controlling the production of white blood cells. Compared to healthy mice and humans who produce high levels of hypocretin when awake, the sleep-deprived mice showed an overall reduced level of hypocretin.

Hypocretin interacts with neutrophil progenitors in the bone marrow, which induces monocyte production via release of a factor called CSF-1. Investigators found through experiments on mice lacking hypocretin that CSF-1 expression, monocyte production and the development of arterial plaques. And in sleep-deprived mice, the drop in hypocretin led to increased CSF-1 production by neutrophils, elevated monocyte production and accelerated atherosclerosis.

"This is a direct demonstration that hypocretin is also an important inflammatory mediator," Swirski said. "We now need to study this pathway in humans, explore additional mechanisms by which proper sleep maintains vascular health and further explore this newly identified neuro-immune axis."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Getting enough sleep reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease

Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have found that getting...

Even though there are thousands of old rock monuments across Europe, perhaps most famously <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/stonehenge-built-remains/">Stonehenge</a>, their origin is still the topic of much debate. A new study by Dr. Bettina Schulz Paulsson, an archaeologist at the <a href="https://www.gu.se/english">University of Gothenburg</a>, may finally reveal the location where these ancient stone structures, or megaliths, were first built. 

Two main ideas about the origin of megaliths have persisted over the last century, according to a report in <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a>. One theory is that the structures emerged from a single source and were spread out across sea routes. The other theory is that megalith construction evolved independently in more than one region.

To investigate these theories, Dr. Schulz Paulsson analyzed the dates from more than 2,000 megaliths throughout Europe. Statistical methods were then used to narrow down previous estimates and to assemble a timeline that included when and where they were built.

The investigation revealed that megalith construction began in a single location in northwestern France around 4500 BC. The structures then spread along sea routes through Europe over the next 2,000 years, appearing primarily in coastal regions.


The locations in which the megaliths spread out over time suggest that people had access to sophisticated seafaring technology much earlier than what has been assumed.

“They were moving over the seaway, taking long distance journeys along the coasts,” Dr. Schulz Paulsson told New Scientist. This confirms previous research in which she linked megalithic engravings to boats large enough for 12 people. Boats of this size were not thought to have existed until about 2,000 years later. 


Across Europe, more than 35,000 megaliths still exist, including those found at Stonehenge. “There were probably a lot more. This is just a small proportion of what was originally there in the landscape,” said Dr. Schulz Paulsson.

The research is published in the journal  <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Science</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, Earth.com Staff Writer

Ancient stone monuments traced back to one single birthplace

Even though there are thousands of old rock monuments across...

Does social trouble at a young age have any lasting affect? According to a new study, being antisocial in kindergarten could lead to having a lower income as an adult.

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.umontreal.ca/en/">University of Montreal</a> conducted a 30-year follow-up study of boys in kindergarten and assessed the impacts of any behavior problems during early education on income later in life. 

The study was published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2724382?guestAccessKey=6c5b881d-e164-40ef-9784-7419ff54d8ba">JAMA Pediatrics</a>, and the results show that boys who were antisocial in kindergarten made less than their peers who had healthy <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fathers-age-social-development/">social skills</a> in school. 

Behavior problems are common amongst young children in schools today, and studies have found many links between <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-childhood-education-behavior/">early development and education problems</a> and long-term negative impacts including poor academic achievement and job performance. 

This new study is unique in that it shows a direct correlation between income and kindergarten social skills because the data spans such a long period. 

The researchers say that kindergarten teacher assessments are an important place to start when identifying struggling students that may need targeted interventions. 

“Kindergarten teacher assessments are good predictors of problems which accumulate over time - behavior problems with peers and adults, school failure, delinquent behavior, substance abuse, etc. - and lead to poor job market integration,” Sylvana Cote, the senior author of the study, told <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-school-behavior/kindergarten-teachers-assessments-may-be-linked-with-pupils-earnings-as-adults-idUSKCN1Q023K">Reuters</a>.

For the study, the researchers reviewed data for 920 male participants starting with kindergarten teacher assessments and linked these with salaries earned as an adult. 

All the participants came from low-income neighborhoods, and the researchers made sure to control for any influencing factors like education or parent’s income. 

During the follow-up period, the average age of the participants was 36, and the average salary was about $28,866. 

Teacher assessments that made a note of problems with focus and socializing correlated with an annual income decrease of $1,295.

The more significant the behavior problems were in kindergartens, the lower the annual income was for the participant. 

On the other hand, pro-social behaviors correlated with an increase of $406 in annual income for certain participants. 

The researchers say the results are worrying because low incomes negatively impact health and wellbeing and increase the risk of financial dependence, stress, and even early mortality.

It is then crucial for teachers and schools to identify struggling students and ensure those individuals have access to the right tools such as school programs to help with behavior issues. 

It’s also essential that teachers are fair and non-biased in their assessments and that all students, regardless of sociodemographic or ethnic background, be given equal opportunities to succeed. 

“Monitoring of inattention and low prosocial behavior should begin in kindergarten so that at-risk boys can be identified and targeted with early intervention and support,” the researchers conclude in their study. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Social problems in kindergarten linked to lower incomes as an adult

Does social trouble at a young age have any lasting...

They say letter writing is a lost art. But a few mentally unstable individuals keep it alive and... interesting. It’s not their scintillating prose or florid penmanship, though, that sustains the epistolary tradition. With a simple dash of white powder, once a year or so, these troubled correspondents bring the quaintest form of communication back into the news for all the wrong reasons. 

Sometimes they get really ambitious and season their greetings with anthrax, but easier to come by is ricin, a poison made from the castor bean (Ricinus communis). It’s Latin name, bestowed by Carl Linnaeus, means “tick,” a reference to its prickly fruiting bodies. Though called a “bean” it is not actually a legume; it is in the family Euphorbiaceae. The plant that produces the seed, a common ornamental native to Africa and Asia, can be grown in any old backyard and the process of refining the deadly lectin for which it is known only requires a <a href="https://archive.org/stream/Cyanide_and_Ricin_Homemade/Cyanide_and_Ricin_Homemade_djvu.txt">few easily available ingredients</a>. Patented by the U.S. Army in 1962, the recipe is still easily found online. Farm to table, indeed.

These attempts at murder by mail would be more troubling if these poison pen pals were more competent. But oftentimes their attempts to distill the poison meet with limited success. In 2018, one would-be assassin even tried <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/suspected-ricin-laced-letters-did-not-contain-finished-form-poison-n916271">sending crushed castor beans</a> to President Donald Trump and Senator Ted Cruz without even having tried to isolate the poison they contained. The seeds are only toxic if ingested and it would take more than a few to have any serious effect on most people. 

Though ricin is certainly toxic when inhaled, it must be in a very finely ground powder to have significant effect. Ten to twenty micrograms per kilogram of body weight are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441948/">potentially lethal</a> when inhaled or injected. The purified poison is also effective if ingested; one to twenty milligrams per kilogram can kill a person. If administered in adequate doses, it is among the most potent known poisons. However, while it can irritate the skin, it doesn’t absorb through the epidermis particularly well. In 1991, a homegrown terrorist cell in Minnesota planned to use dimethyl sulfoxide, a solvent, to facilitate the absorption of ricin through the skin of its victims when they touched contaminated door handles. It wouldn’t have worked. The molecules of ricin are too large.

The symptoms of ricin poisoning—ricinosis—vary according to the method of administration. If untreated, all can be fatal if sufficient amounts of the toxin are absorbed. When inhaled, ricin causes coughing, difficulty breathing, and fluid accumulation in the lungs, and can culminate in respiratory failure. When ingested, nausea and vomiting are common, as is diarrhea. This can result in dehydration. The heart rate may be elevated and seizures may be experienced. Further, the liver, kidney, and spleen may shut down, leading to death. Symptoms of the injected poison are similar. Victims usually begin feeling the effects within a few hours, though it make take up to 12 in some cases. Death usually occurs within three days. 

Discovered in 1888 by German researcher Peter Hermann Stillmark, ricin is a glycoprotein lectin composed of two parts, an A chain and a B chain, connected by a disulphide bond. The B chain attaches to carbohydrate receptors expressed on the surface of a cell, accounting for the poison’s unique mechanism of action. In addition to causing the agglutination, or clumping, of red blood cells, liver cells, and skin cells, killing them, it also facilitates the entry of the A chain into the cell to which it attaches. 

Once inside, the A chain wreaks havoc. It shears off an adenine base from a ribosome, inactivating it and making it incapable of protein synthesis. It then moves on to the next ribosome and can do the same to some <a href="https://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/P02879">1,500 of them</a> in a single minute. A single molecule of ricin is capable of killing a cell. This mechanism is shared by other ribosome-inactivating toxins such as Shiga toxin, from the Shigella dysenteriae bacteria. While Stillmark was the first to have noted the agglutinating properties, a toxic mechanism observed as early as 1860 when rattlesnake venom was introduced to pigeon blood, it wasn’t until 1987 that the ribosome-inactivating function was pinpointed.

While there is no generally effective antitoxin, supportive measures often save victims’ lives if initiated early enough. Those who have ingested the poison are typically subjected to gastric lavage, especially if they have not already vomited. Steroids may be administered to reduce inflammation and supplementary fluids can mitigate the effects of dehydration. Breathing support may also be provided. <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232219480_The_Production_and_Evaluation_of_Ricin_Antitoxins">Antibody therapies</a> are moving closer to production, though they would need to be administered soon after exposure to be effective. <a href="https://www.biospace.com/article/soligenix-discusses-ricin-toxin-vaccine-/">At least one vaccine</a> is awaiting approval for use in humans. 

Interestingly, ricin was among the first substances to be tested in the pioneering field of immunology. In 1891, Paul Ehrlich began administering small doses of ricin to mice, increasing them over time until the animals had built up a tolerance to the substance. He measured the quantities of what he termed antibodies (Antikörper) in the animals’ blood and determined that their bodies were responding to and neutralizing the poison. His work was highly influential on the fledgling field of immunology.

Ricin is, of course, far more well-known for its malign uses. Beginning in 1918, the U.S. War Department began investigating the possibility of employing ricin in warfare, either as a coating for bullets or as a dust cloud. Ricin, however, deteriorates when heated and the bullet idea was scrapped. The dust was never deployed, as it was feared that it might affect U.S. troops and there was no antidote. Nonetheless, research continued into World War II and bombs containing ricin were tested at the Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah in 1944. They were never used in battle. By 1972, the poison had been designated a schedule 1 toxic chemical by the Biological Weapons Conference and was thus deemed illegal to use in warfare. It was, nonetheless, possibly used by Iraq in the 1980s and was discovered in Afghanistan following the fall of the Taliban in 2001. 

Though it never gained much traction as a large-scale weapon, the use of ricin to assassinate individuals has persisted—with varying success. Perhaps the most famous of these incidents occurred in 1978. Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov was walking to a bus stop in London when a man jabbed him in the leg with an umbrella. The next day, he fell ill and was transported to a hospital. Despite his claim that he had been shot by a poison bullet, no diagnosis was made and three days later, he died. A post-mortem examination discovered a small platinum-iridium sphere, formerly a watch bearing, that had been filled with an unknown substance. Comparison of Markov’s symptoms with those experienced by a pig injected with ricin corroborated his claims of having been poisoned. 

Two Soviet defectors later confirmed the involvement of the KGB and a stockpile of weaponized umbrellas was later discovered in the offices of the Bulgarian interior ministry. Two weeks prior, another Bulgarian dissident, Vladimir Kostov, had been shot in the back in Paris with a similar pellet fired by a contraption hidden inside a briefcase. After hearing about Markov’s death, he went to the hospital and the pellet was extracted. It was found to contain ricin. A wax coating that was supposed to dissolve upon entry to his body had remained mostly intact, keeping the poison from entering his body and thus saving his life. Three years later, an attempt was made on the life of Polish double agent Boris Korczak using the same method.

Poisoned epistles, with their lower overhead and ease of delivery, have proven even more popular than the James Bond-style gadgets of the Cold War. In October and November 2003, two threatening letters were detected by law enforcement; one was headed for the White House. Written by a person using the pseudonym Fallen Angel, they claimed that if trucking regulations that reduced the time a driver could spend behind the wheel were not repealed, ricin would be used to turn Washington, D.C. into a “ghost town.” Both letters contained vials of ricin. The culprit was never discovered. 

In <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/paul-kevin-curtis-elvis-impersonator-ricin-assassinations">April 2013</a>, a Mississippi tae kwon do instructor attempted to frame his enemy, an Elvis impersonator, by sending envelopes of ricin to a local judge, Senator Roger Wicker, and President Barack Obama. His version of ricin, however, contained less than 1 percent of the toxin. Amusingly, he was a member of Mensa. A scant month later, actress Shannon Richardson <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2014/07/16/justice/texas-ricin-actress-sentenced/index.html">was arrested for having mailed ricin</a> to Obama, then-New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Mark Glaze, an anti-gun activist. She had been attempting to frame her estranged husband. And <a href="http://time.com/5046324/ricin-wake-robin-betty-miller-vermont/">in 2017</a>, a Vermont retiree, taking a more direct route, was arrested after confessing that she had tested ricin on her fellow residents at an assisted living facility, ultimately hoping to use it on herself.

For all of its use in spycraft and murder plots, ricin has actually shown promise as a cancer treatment. By modifying the type of receptors to which it binds, researchers have successfully induced it to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26349746">selectively kill cancer cells</a>. But for now, ricin remains the ultimate sign-off for homicidal scribes.

--

By <a href="mailto:rtpallardy@gmail.com">Richard Pallardy</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

What makes ricin toxic: A complicated history

They say letter writing is a lost art. But a...

A recent <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/romaine-lettuce-not-safe/">E. coli</a> outbreak caused by contaminated romaine lettuce was declared by federal investigators to be over, as there had been no cases of illness caused by the bacteria known as O157:H7 for over a month. 

However, the investigators who announced the end to this outbreak have let on that the investigation did not go as they had hoped. They were unable to confirm the source of the bacteria that led to over 90 people becoming ill. This is now the third failed investigation into romaine lettuce E. coli outbreaks in the last year.

Due to this inability to pinpoint the causes of these outbreaks, there hasn’t been a concentrated effort to make any changes that can prevent future issues – and there may be a reason behind the inability to solve contamination issues with lettuce. According to a report from <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/can-lettuce-survive-climate-change/">WIRED</a>, there is a growing concern within the industry that extreme weather events are making crops more vulnerable to contamination. If this is true, the effects of climate change are likely only to make things worse in the future.

After a major E. coli outbreak occurred in bagged raw spinach back in 2006 (resulting in 199 illnesses and three deaths), the industry passed major reforms in California and Arizona – the two main lettuce-growing states. Ensuing outbreaks have been smaller, but in the past year there has been a resurgence of outbreaks.

The proximate cause of the 2018 outbreaks was E. coli found in water used on farms, potentially due to the proximity of the water sources to livestock (although this was not supported by tests done on the suspected cows). As a solution, buffer zones where lettuce cannot be grown on farms near livestock operations were tripled in size, and open water sources have begun to be disinfected. But the extreme weather hypothesis held amongst some growers and investigators would not be addressed by those changes.

The outbreak in the spring of 2018 (210 illnesses and five deaths) was traced back to farms in Yuma, Arizona. While the suspected contaminated lettuce was still on the field, there was an extreme weather occurrence involving unusual frost followed by strong winds. It’s hypothesized that the freeze blistered the leaves, then the winds blasted bacteria into these blisters and allowed the pathogens to work their way into the vascular channels of the leaves where they could not be washed away.

According to <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/can-lettuce-survive-climate-change/">WIRED</a>, weather is not solely responsible for contamination. Rather, it can be thought of as “an amplifier,” according to Trevor Suslow, a plant pathologist and president of food safety for the Produce Marketing Association. He told <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/can-lettuce-survive-climate-change/">WIRED</a> that weather is ““something that shifts either the plant’s level of exposure or the conditions under which the E. coli can multiply.” According to Suslow, grows may have to monitor the air and water on their farms more closely, keeping an eye out for pathogens that could be transported onto their farms. They should also be watching the weather to be able to protect plants from damage. 

Given these recent outbreaks, the focus needs to be on protecting the consumer from deadly bacteria, rather than attempting to salvage the produce that’s left behind.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Is extreme weather behind the recent E. coli outbreaks?

A recent E. coli outbreak caused by contaminated romaine lettuce...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E0mn5mTvhQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that scientists never expected.</figcaption></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

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

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE
</div></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

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

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">New York is the site of the world's oldest forest.</figcaption></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

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

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The environmental problem we actually solved

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

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

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</div></figure>







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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



---



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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