Music often does more than entertain. It paints images in our minds, builds worlds, and stirs emotions we can’t always explain. A new study shows how even the tiniest human touches in sound can influence this inner world.



The findings from the <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/music/our-research/cross-disciplinary-research/sydney-music-mind-and-body-lab.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sydney Music, Mind and Body Lab</a>, reveal how subtle shifts in rhythm and tone may fuel imagination in ways technology alone cannot replicate. 



These delicate imperfections - tiny fluctuations in timing or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/music-and-the-mind-new-clues-about-how-we-experience-pleasure/">volume</a> - can transform repetitive beats into living experiences, sparking imagery that feels real and immersive.



Rather than simply hearing structured sounds, listeners create journeys filled with color, movement, and narrative. The study suggests that the human quality of music holds unique power to trigger creativity and emotional depth. 



The research also shows why live performances, with all their small variations, can feel more moving than flawless recordings, and why imagination often thrives when music carries traces of human touch.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-small-musical-shifts-big-mental-impact">Small musical shifts, big mental impact</h2>



Researchers asked 100 participants to imagine a journey while listening to repetitive drumming. Some heard <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chimpanzees-use-rhythmic-drumming-to-communicate-in-forests/">drumming</a> with random micro-variations in loudness and timing, while others heard perfectly uniform beats or silence.



Those who listened to music with micro-variations reported richer imagery, longer imagined journeys, and more lifelike scenes. 



They often described environments filled with movement, color, or emotion that felt authentic and dynamic, which suggests these subtle rhythmic details significantly influence how the brain constructs vivid inner experiences.



"What excites me is that these little details in music are something we can all feel, even if we don't always notice them consciously," said lead researcher Ceren Ayyildiz.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-touch-makes-rhythm-alive">Human touch makes rhythm alive</h2>



The study, published in Scientific Reports, relied on computer simulations of drum <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-music-tunes-the-emotions-in-our-memories/">sounds</a>. Researchers created two versions: one with flawless uniformity and another with tiny, natural shifts mimicking human performance.



They then analyzed participants’ mental imagery responses with Bayesian multilevel modeling. The results showed that small fluctuations, often unconsciously introduced by performers, significantly enhance imagination.



These subtle imperfections did not distract listeners; instead, they added depth and texture to the soundscape, making the music feel more organic. Participants reported that the variations encouraged richer narratives, longer journeys, and greater immersion in imagined experiences.



This demonstrates that even the smallest rhythmic nuances can transform sound from a mechanical sequence into something that resonates with the human mind, shaping how people visualize and emotionally respond to music.



"It's not just technical perfection but the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-touch-molecular-basis-elkin1-discovery/">human touch</a> that makes music feel more alive and sparks the imagination," Ayyildiz said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-musical-skills-amplify-imagination">Musical skills amplify imagination</h2>



Listeners with musical training or strong immersion ability experienced even more vivid mental imagery. For them, micro-variations brought authenticity and richness missing from machine-perfect sounds.



"One possible explanation for this finding is that listeners may perceive drumming with tiny random changes - a core component of human music performance - as more natural and organic," said Ayyildiz.



The study highlights how human imperfections in rhythm bring authenticity and create a sense of connection.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-music-and-sound-variations-aid-therapy">Music and sound variations aid therapy</h2>



The insights also suggest therapeutic and practical applications. "Mental imagery already plays an important role in many cognitive therapies," said senior author Dr. Steffen Herff.



"Deliberately tailoring background music - for example through subtle changes in timing and loudness - could be used to either stimulate or dampen imagination depending on the specific therapeutic target," 



For audio engineers and producers, the study provides a new perspective. Micro-variations are already used in studio production as key aesthetic drivers in many forms of music including electronic dance music and hip-hop.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-expression-drives-connection">Human expression drives connection</h2>



For musicians, especially drummers, the findings emphasize the creative weight of subtle timing shifts. 



"This study demonstrates how the tiny details in rhythmic timing and expression can greatly alter our perceptions of music," said researcher Dr. Simon Barker.



"The relationship between micro-rhythmic variations and imagination, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/physicists-make-bold-claims-that-time-is-an-illusion-question-its-existence/">illusion</a>, and connection are at the core of the art of drumming, and this study is a lovely example of this central aspect of rhythmic expression and communication."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-music-s-power-comes-from-touch">Music’s power comes from touch</h2>



The study adds to a growing body of work exploring music’s role in imagination, connection, and even loneliness. 



Its message is clear: even in a world of machine-perfect precision, the smallest human variations breathe life into sound, reminding us of music’s timeless power to shape emotion, enrich creativity, strengthen bonds, and nurture a uniquely human sense of presence and belonging.



"Even tiny fluctuations can make music more meaningful," said Ayyildiz. "It's a reminder that the human feel still matters."



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/FEh_WfGeCTo?si=4ftg3JG20m5vyTxE
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Here, tiny fluctuations in timing and loudness introduce a human touch that breathes life into the rhythm - the kind of nuance shown to spark richer mental imagery. Credit: University of Sydney </figcaption></figure>



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-12604-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scientific Reports</a>.&nbsp;



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Tiny human touches can make music sound more powerful

Music often does more than entertain. It paints images in our minds, builds worlds, and stirs emotions we can’t always explain. A new study shows how even the tiniest human touches in sound can influence this inner world. The findings from the Sydney Music, Mind and Body Lab, reveal how subtle shifts in rhythm and tone may fuel imagination in ways technology alone cannot replicate. These delicate imperfections - tiny fluctuations in timing or volume - can transform repetitive beats into living experiences, sparking imagery that feels...

A new study has revealed that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) poses a greater cardiac risk among women. The research also indicates that OSA is severely underdiagnosed among snorers.

OSA is a common but dangerous <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/lack-sleep-anger-frustration/">sleep disorder</a> that causes an increased risk for left ventricular dysfunction in the heart. In rare cases, OSA causes right ventricular dysfunction.

OSA occurs during sleep when the throat muscles sporadically relax and block the airway. Loud snoring is very common with OSA, and other symptoms include gasping for air during sleep, waking up with a dry mouth, morning headaches, and irritability.

OSA can lead to many serious issues, such as daytime fatigue and sleepiness, complications with medications and surgery, and cardiovascular problems.

Using data from the UK Biobank, the researchers investigated cardiac function in relation to OSA and self-reported snoring. The experts focused on UK Biobank participants who had received a cardiac MRI.

The patients were split into three study groups including 118 patients with diagnosed OSA, 1,886 patients with self-reported snoring, and 2,477 patients  who were unaffected by OSA or snoring.

“Our analysis showed that in both genders of the OSA and snoring groups there was an increase in left ventricular mass, meaning that the walls of the heart's main pumping chamber are enlarged, making the heart work harder,” said study lead author Dr. Adrian Curta of <a href="http://www.klinikum.uni-muenchen.de/International-Patient-Office/en/index.html">Munich University Hospital</a>. “We also found that men showed an increase in the ejection fraction of both ventricles.”


The researchers compared the individuals who snored to the unaffected group, and found a more significant difference in the left ventricular mass in women than in men. In addition, cardiac changes in the self-reported snorers indicated undiagnosed OSA.

“We found that the cardiac parameters in women appear to be more easily affected by the disease and that women who snore or have OSA might be at greater risk for cardiac involvement,” said Dr. Curta. “We also found that the prevalence of diagnosed OSA in the study group was extremely low. Together with the alterations in cardiac function in the snoring group, it leads us to believe that OSA may be grossly underdiagnosed.”

The research suggests that the shift from snoring to OSA is an evolving process that is associated with left ventricular hypertrophy, which can cause death during medical procedures. Dr. Curta is urging people who snore to get tested for OSA.

“I would encourage people who snore to ask their partner to observe them and look for phases during sleep when they stop breathing for a short while and then gasp for air,” said Dr. Curta. “If unsure, they can spend the night at a sleep lab where breathing is constantly monitored during sleep and even slight alterations can be recorded.”

The research was presented at the 104th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Snoring linked to a higher risk of cardiac issues for women

A new study has revealed that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)...

Populations of Atlantic cod and Polar cod, both species of fish that spawn in extremely cold temperatures, could drastically decrease if climate change continues unchecked. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.awi.de/en.html">Alfred Wegener Institute</a> found that an increase in ocean temperatures and ocean acidification could force Polar and Atlantic Cod farther north, a move that could endanger populations and collapse an important link in the Arctic food web. 

If the cod die off, the Arctic seals and seabirds that depend on cod as a major food source will suffer, as will fishing operations that primarily catch Atlantic cod. 

The study was published in the journal Science Advances and the results highlight the necessity of limiting global warming and meeting the targets set by the Paris Climate Agreement. 

Both Atlantic cod and Polar cod thrive and spawn in cold waters, and increases in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/warming-waters-marine-ecosystems/">ocean temperature</a> could threaten the health and development of the cod eggs. 

To see just how much of a risk climate change poses to Atlantic and Polar Cod, researchers Flemming Dahlke and Daniela Storch used climate models and lab experiment data to show how increases in temperature and ocean acidification will impact embryo development. 

When cod larvae hatch, they are especially vulnerable to environmental changes, and even a small increase in water temperature can cause the larvae to die or become deformed according to the study. 

The researchers also found that ocean pH levels of 7.7 decrease the chance of survival by 20 to 30 percent. 

“We've observed that the young Atlantic cod not only react adversely to warmer temperatures, but also to especially cold ones,” said Storch. “The acidification amplifies this effect." In other words: the added burden of acidification reduces the suitable temperature range for Atlantic cod and polar cod to spawn.”

For the study, the researchers reviewed three climate scenarios, a business-as-usual scenario, a moderate warming scenario, and a scenario where the goals of the Paris Accord are met. 

“They show that, for the business-as-usual scenario, conditions for the young Atlantic cod will especially deteriorate in the North Atlantic near the end of this century,” said Dahlke. “In the regions around Iceland and Norway, up to 60 percent fewer cod larvae will hatch from their eggs.”

The team also found that if emissions are not reduced, Atlantic cod will be forced farther north and may encroach on the territory of Polar cod. 

“If the Atlantic cod populations and their spawning grounds shift to the northeast in the future, the fish will most likely spawn in completely different systems of currents,” said Dahlke. “If that happens, we can't yet begin to gauge the effects.”

The researchers say that if emissions are reduced and the goals of the Paris Accord achieved, it could have a drastic impact in reducing the threats climate change poses to Atlantic and Polar cod populations. 

--

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>

Warming waters will push Atlantic cod north and threaten populations

Populations of Atlantic cod and Polar cod, both species of...

In a new study, researchers from <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/">McGill University</a> used Twitter to measure the mood of a city and find out how unexpected events influence mood and risk-taking in city residents. 

Twitter and other social media platforms have helped researchers study everything from how partisan politics influence people’s willingness to accept climate science to measuring <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-jet-lag-twitter/">sleep debt and circadian rhythms</a> in cities across the US.

The millions of tweets that are sent every day are like a long-running diary of the human experience that social scientists can tap into. 

The new study was published in the journal PLOS ONE, and the results show that if people in a city are in a good mood after an unexpected event, it increases confidence and risk-taking behavior such as gambling. 

The researchers analyzed language used in five million Twitter posts from 2012 through 2013 across six major US cities to determine the mood and overall attitudes conveyed in the tweets.

From this data, the researchers were able to identify a city’s mood on any given day and find out what impacted these mood changes. 

The researchers found that unexpected positive outcomes like a sunny day after a week of rain or a surprising win from a local sports team could predict a positive city mood and even risk-taking to some extent. 

“We have found that Twitter users serve as the 'canaries' of their communities,” said Johannes Eichstaedt, a co-author of the paper. “What they say on Twitter is representative of the mood shared on the streets and in the local communities. So, using artificial intelligence, we were able to extract information about the mood of the community as a whole from what those on Twitter say.”

Previous research has shown that a positive mood increases risk-taking behavior in people and the researchers expanded on this concept to see how city moods correlated with risk-taking. 

In Chicago and New York, the researchers found that an increase in lottery ticket purchases was linked to positive city moods. 

“By using social media data we were able to examine the impact of collective events upon subjective well-being at the scale of large cities,” said Ross Otto, the lead author on the paper. “This information about how fleeting city moods are tied in with risk-taking behavior could potentially help those who want to discourage others from gambling decide when their responsible gambling promotion efforts will be most needed.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmai.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Unexpected positive events make the people of a city take more risks

In a new study, researchers from McGill University used Twitter...

Climate change isn’t a regional problem – it’s a global one. That’s why 130 national academies of science and medicine have now united in an effort to urge policy-makers to take immediate action on climate change to improve the sustainability of global food systems. 

The report is called “Opportunities for future research and innovation on food and nutrition security and agriculture: The InterAcademy Partnership’s global perspective,” and calls for an end to business as usual, urging leaders to use science to guide policy and innovation.

“It is not only the environment that is at stake, but health, nutrition, trade, jobs and the economy,” explains Joachim von Braun, co-chair of the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) project on Food and Nutrition Security and Agriculture. “Agriculture and consumer choices are major factors driving disastrous climate change. We need a robust and ambitious policy response to address the climate impacts of agriculture and consumer choices – and scientists have a major role to play. Our new report is a wake-up call to leaders.”

Not only does it show that food transport and other agriculture processes contribute between 20 to 25 percent of global annual emissions, but this past year has shown how vulnerable food systems are to extreme weather and climate change. Furthermore, the absolute number of undernourished people continued to increase in 2018. 

The report details how climate change is exacerbating food and nutrition insecurity and inequalities, as the drive for calories in food production has caused health problems such as obesity. “In addition to climate change, our current food systems are negatively impacting people’s health around the globe,” says Volker ter Meulen, M.D., Co-Chair of the IAP project on Food and Nutrition Security and Agriculture, as well as president of the IAP. “High-calorie diets have become cheaper, and this has serious implications for public health, obesity, and malnutrition. Science is critical to tackling the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular, hunger and health.”

It is clear that there is an urgent need for strengthening evidence-based policies and programs, and investing in solving the most dire challenges of our times: mitigating climate change through changes to food production and consumption, and ensuring that people globally have access to nutritious, affordable and environmentally sustainable food. These issues also have a trickle-down effect on the global economy, trade, and jobs. 

The IAP is calling for a shift to climate-smart food systems, and stresses that limiting agriculture’s <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/agriculture-higher-methane-emissions/">greenhouse gas emissions</a> would still be insufficient in addressing food systems’ impact on climate change. There is a need for incentives to encourage people to improve their diets both for public health and for the environment – so it’s imperative policymakers find ways to motivate this improved consumer behavior.

The group believes that creating an international advisory panel on food and nutrition security and agriculture that involves established academies would be a good first step, as this could help strengthen the necessary international governance changes.

--

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>

Inefficient global food systems are a catalyst of climate change

Climate change isn’t a regional problem – it’s a global...

Breakthrough research shows dads can pass along mitochondrial DNA. Researchers at the <a href="https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/">Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center</a> have found evidence that mitochondrial DNA can be inherited from both parents. While it has been long assumed that this particular type of DNA was passed down from moms only, the researchers have found that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/fathers-life-experiences-offspring/">dads</a> can pass it along as well. 

The evidence is based on 17 people from three different families, who inherited mitochondrial DNA from both their mother and father. Using different testing techniques, the results were also confirmed by two other labs.Breakthrough research shows dads can pass along mitochondrial DNA

Among mammals, mitochondrial DNA is known to be inherited from the mother, while mitochondrial DNA from the father is believed to be destroyed shortly after conception. According to previous studies, there are some exceptions that have been found in mice or sheep.

At Cincinnati Children's, experts set out to investigate the unusual genetic test results of a boy who was four years old that was suspected of having a mitochondrial disease. After sequencing his mitochondrial DNA, the researchers did not find any apparent disease-causing mutations. Surprisingly,  however, they found that the child had two sets of mitochondrial DNA.

Further analysis revealed that the boy's mom had inherited mitochondrial DNA from both of her parents, and she had passed down this set of mitochondrial DNA to her son. Ultimately. the researchers found that 10 people in the family from three generations had inherited “biparental mitochondrial DNA.”

The results of further testing found evidence of biparental mitochondrial DNA in seven additional people. 

“Our results clearly demonstrate biparental transmission of (mitochondrial DNA) in humans, counter to the central dogma of mitochondrial inheritance,” wrote the researchers.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Breakthrough research shows dads can pass along mitochondrial DNA

Breakthrough research shows dads can pass along mitochondrial DNA. Researchers...

This common bacterium is becoming increasingly antibiotic-resistant. A <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170119161551.htm">recent study</a> found that surgical site infections make up 20 percent of all infections obtained at hospitals, and in the US as many as 160,000 to 300,000 people develop an infection after surgery every year. 

While hospitals and surgeons work to minimize the risk of infection as much as possible, a new study has also found that there’s an often overlooked risk factor in the form of a potentially deadly bacterium that people could be carrying on their skin without even realizing it. 

Humans are host to a wide variety of microbes, bacteria, and bugs that live on our skin and in our bodies. One strain of usually harmless bacterium that resides on the skin of every person is  Staphylococcus epidermidis, but it’s becoming <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antibiotic-resistant-bacteria-environment/">increasingly antibiotic-resistant</a> and is a major driver of life-threatening infections after surgery. 

In a new study, researchers from the <a href="https://www.bath.ac.uk/research-centres/milner-centre-for-evolution/">Milner Centre for Evolution and the University of Bath</a> identified a set of 61 genes that increase the risk post-surgery infection. 

“Staphylococcus epidermidis is a deadly pathogen in plain sight,” said Sam Sheppard, the leader of the research. “It's always been ignored clinically because it's frequently been assumed that it was a contaminant in lab samples or it was simply accepted as a known risk of surgery.”

The study was published in the journal Nature Communications, and the researchers say that the bacterium needs to be taken more seriously especially if carriers of the risk-increasing genes undergo surgery. 

“Post-surgical infections can be incredibly serious and can be fatal. Infection accounts for almost a third of deaths in the UK so I believe we should be doing more to reduce the risk if we possibly can,” said Sheppard. “If we can identify who is most at risk of infection, we can target those patients with extra hygiene precautions before they undergo surgery.”

The researchers took samples from patients who developed an infection after surgery and from healthy patients. 

The team sequenced the genomes of the Staphylococcus epidermidis strains from the samples and looked for any gene variations that would explain why some people are more likely to get an infection compared to others. 

61 genes were identified in the samples of the infected patients, and some of the healthy volunteers were carrying dangerous risk increasing strains without even realizing it. 

The researchers discovered that the genes helped Staphylococcus epidermidis grow in the bloodstream and increased its resistant to antibiotics. 

The study sheds light on the increased risk of infections with certain strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis, and the researchers say that more attention needs to be paid to this particular bacterium. 

“If we do nothing to control this, there's a risk that these disease-causing genes could spread more widely, meaning postoperative infections that are resistant to antibiotics could become even more common,” said Sheppard.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

This common bacterium is becoming increasingly antibiotic-resistant

This common bacterium is becoming increasingly antibiotic-resistant. A recent study...

A new study from researchers at University of <a href="https://sph.unc.edu/">North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Gillings School of Global Public Health</a> has found that only one in eight American adults are metabolically healthy, despite being at a “normal” weight. 

Having optimal metabolic health is defined as having even levels of five different factors without needing medication — blood glucose, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood pressure, and waist circumference. Poor metabolic health can result in health issues ranging from Type 2 diabetes to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/wood-coal-cooking-cardiovascular/">cardiovascular disease</a>, among various other illnesses and diagnoses.

The study’s findings, published on November 28th in the journal <a href="https://home.liebertpub.com/publications/metabolic-syndrome-and-related-disorders/115/overview">Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders</a>, are the result of researchers analyzing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which recorded health stats of 8,721 Americans between 2009 and 2016. This data revealed that only 12.2% of Americans (about 27.3 million people) are metabolically healthy.

The study’s first author, Joana Araujo, a postdoctoral research associate in nutrition, said, “The study fills a gap. We wanted to know how many American adults really meet the guidelines for all of these risk factors and are within optimal levels for disease prevention and health. Based on the data, few Americans are achieving metabolic health, but the most disturbing finding was the complete absence of optimal metabolic health in adults who had obesity, less than a high school education, were not physically active and were current smokers.”

She continued, “Our findings should spur renewed attention to population-based interventions and widely accessible strategies to promote healthier lifestyles."

Those Americans who were more metabolically healthy were more likely to be younger, physically active, non-smoking females with a higher education. Non-Hispanic black Americans with higher body mass indexes were more likely to be less metabolically healthy. Researchers also found that less than 1% of obese Americans were metabolically healthy.

However, the team agrees that more research needs to be done to better understand risk factor development in both heavier and normal weight adults.

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By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study: Only 12 percent of Americans are metabolically healthy

A new study from researchers at University of North Carolina...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.med.upenn.edu/">Perelman School of Medicine</a> at the University of Pennsylvania may have solved the mystery of why we have hair on some parts of our body but not on others. The experts have discovered the presence of a naturally-occurring inhibitor in hairless skin that blocks signaling to the WNT pathway, which controls hair growth. 

“We know that WNT signaling is critical for the development of hair follicles; blocking it causes hairless skin, and switching it on causes formation of more hair,” said study co-senior author Dr. Sarah E. Millar. “In this study, we've shown the skin in hairless regions naturally produces an inhibitor that stops WNT from doing its job.”

This natural inhibitor is known as Dickkopf 2 (DKK2), a protein that is found in certain embryonic and adult tissues and plays a variety of different roles. 

In the plantar skin of mice, which is comparable to the skin on the underside of the human wrist, the researchers found that DKK2 was highly expressed. When DKK2 was genetically removed, hair began to grow in this hairless area of the skin. 

“This is significant because it tells us WNT is still present in hairless regions, it's just being blocked,” said Dr. Millar.

Unlike mice, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mammals-evolved-shrink-size/">mammals</a> such as rabbits develop hair in their plantar skin. The research team discovered that DKK2 is not highly expressed in rabbit plantar skin, which explains why hair develops there. 

The study findings suggest that the production of DKK2 has evolved to allow for hairy or hairless skin according to the needs of each animal.

The production of hair follicles stops after birth, and these follicles cannot regenerate after severe burns or deep skin wounds. The team is currently investigating whether WNT inhibitors suppress hair follicle regrowth in these cases. 

“We hope that these lines of investigation will reveal new ways to improve wound healing and hair growth, and we plan to continue to pursue these goals moving forward,” said Dr Millar.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/home">Cell Reports</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why do some parts of the body have hair and others don’t?

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University...

The environmental impact of everyday crops is something more and more people are aware of, and the rise of organic produce is proof of that.  What fewer people may consider, though, is the environmental impact of crops such as marijuana and how legalization may change that impact. 

A recent report in <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161019173110.htm">Science Daily</a> emphasizes how little consideration is given to things like water usage for marijuana agriculture.  This is especially a problem in states like California, already mired in water troubles. Research has shown that placement of some marijuana grow sights may have a negative impact on fish populations.  A piece in <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/8qpg8z/growing-weed-is-pretty-bad-for-the-environment-weedweek2017">Vice</a> is even more straight forward titled, ‘Growing Weed is Pretty Bad for the Environment’. In addition to impacting fish populations, the amount of electricity used for grow lights to cultivate marijuana is substantial. 

 Of course, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers that leak into the environment are a problem for any agriculture.  At this point it’s unclear whether legalizing and regulating a growing marijuana industry is a good thing or a bad thing for the environment.  It seems inevitable that environmental regulators will need to grapple with problems associated with marijuana agriculture and distribution, even if few of us ever think of those problems.  Even less considered than agriculture, though, is the impact of illegal drugs when dumped into the environment. 

For a long time, it’s been obvious that drugs such as hormonal birth control pills, leached into natural water sources through sewer treatment facilities have an impact on fish and other animals living in freshwater.  It’s been shown that fish exposed to estrogen, which is a contaminant that often shows up in the process of treating wastewater, are reproductively damaged. A study summarized by <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160304092230.htm">Science Daily</a> from 2016 shows that estrogen from birth control can actually alter fish genetics.  The study shows that fish exposed to estrogen have a harder time catching food as well as reproducing.  The overall impact from estrogen is that some fish populations can be entirely wiped out. Recently another drug has shown itself to be dangerous to a specific type of fish: the eel.  

In Europe, researchers have exposed European Eels (Anguilla anguilla) to cocaine in their tanks and found that it is indeed damaging to the fish.  Eels exposed to cocaine show significant musculature problems caused by the drug.  <a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/06/european-eels-on-cocaine-polluted-rivers-science-environment-animals/">National Geographic</a> reports that wild populations of the eel are critically endangered.  European Eels, similar to salmon, have complex life histories involving both fresh water and sea water.  The eels live for about 15 or 20 years in freshwater streams or brackish water before heading out to sea.  Damming, overfishing and importantly water pollution have all contributed to the status of critically endangered for these eels. 

A <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29879672">study</a> in The Science of Total Environment shows that cocaine in even small environmental amounts causes hyperactivity in exposed eels.  The long term problems caused by cocaine also affect skeletal muscles in eels, especially if exposure is early in development. Eels may also have a harder time reaching sexual maturity when exposed to cocaine.  

The upshot is that cocaine may actually negatively impact the survival of the European Eel in the wild.  How cocaine affects other organisms is largely unknown but it seems unreasonable to think that only one eel has a sensitivity to cocaine.  How cocaine gets into water supplies in the first place isn’t part of the recent study, but the levels of exposure are comparable to levels found in rivers near larger cities in Europe.

A 2014 report by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/oct/13/drugs-flushed-into-the-environment-could-be-cause-of-wildlife-decline">The Guardian</a>  emphasizes that exposure to drugs is a worldwide problem for wildlife, not something limited to European Eels.  The problem isn’t just about illegal drugs either, it seems that prescription drug problems aren’t limited to humans.  Just as estrogen from birth control is flushed into natural water sources through sewage, so too are a whole host of other pharmaceuticals used for a rage of problems.  Where drug residues are most common, research has found that up to 75% of freshwater animals are wiped out. In one of the studies cited by The Guardian, Tom Bean of the <a href="https://www.york.ac.uk/">University of York</a> and other researchers found that Starlings, a very common bird, eat less when exposed to a common antidepressant.  The problem is a global one as well.

According to research cited by <a href="https://www.dualdiagnosis.org/the-environmental-impact-of-growing-drugs/">DualDiagnosis.org</a>, scientists have found more than 150 human and veterinary medicines in the environment as far away from large human population densities as the Arctic.  According to statistics listed on <a href="https://talbottcampus.com/prescription-drug-abuse-statistics/">Talbottcampus.com</a>, roughly 1 in 10 people struggle from some type of substance abuse, including addiction to prescription drugs such as opioids.  There are an estimated 54 million people in the US over 12 years old that have used prescription drugs for non-medical uses at some point.  The use of these combined with outright illegal substances and even drugs used properly have an impact on the environment and the animals we share it with.  Even drugs such as caffeine can have an impact. It’s well known that some types of coffee agriculture are unsustainable and destructive to the rainforest and the lives of coffee plantation workers.  

What isn’t as well known is the impact of the caffeine being flushed down the toilet and out into lakes and streams every day. <a href="https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2017/06/05/your-caffeine-habit-may-be-harming-waterways-wildlife">News Deeply</a> reports that caffeine is expelled in urine and makes its way to natural water sources.  In North America, there are no natural sources of caffeine and yet it has been found in some level in even remote waterways throughout the continent.  Caffeine probably evolved as a natural pesticide for plants such as tea and coffee, so the possible consequences of it in water sources are great. Still, little is known about the impact of low levels of caffeine as found in the environment on wildlife and more research needs to be done.  Clearly with the growth of human populations and widespread use of a whole host of drugs, we need to start thinking more deeply about the environmental impact of our actions. 

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Drugs used by humans are increasingly impacting the environment

The environmental impact of everyday crops is something more and...

A new study from <a href="https://www.iastate.edu/">Iowa State University</a> is one of the first of its kind to confirm that a lack of sleep can cause anger. The researchers found that losing just two hours of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sleep-increases-car-crash-risk/">sleep</a> can greatly reduce our ability to handle frustrating situations. 

While previous studies have identified a link between sleep and anger, it has remained unclear whether anger disrupted sleep or if a lack of sleep was responsible for anger.

Study co-author Zlatan Krizan is a professor of Psychology at Iowa State.

“Despite typical tendencies to get somewhat used to irritating conditions - an uncomfortable shirt or a barking dog - sleep-restricted individuals actually showed a trend toward increased anger and distress, essentially reversing their ability to adapt to frustrating conditions over time. No one has shown this before,” explained Professor Krizan.

The participants were split into one group that maintained their normal sleep routine and another group that was instructed to restrict their sleep by two to four hours each night for two consecutive nights. 

The first group averaged about seven hours of sleep a night, while the second group only got about four and a half hours of sleep per night. Professor Krizan said that the difference reflects sleep loss we regularly experience in everyday life.

The team observed the participants in the lab, both before and after the sleep manipulation, as the individuals rated different products. While the individuals completed the tasks, either brown noise or more intrusive white noise was audible in the background. According to Professor Krizan, the purpose was to create uncomfortable conditions, which tend to provoke anger.

“In general, anger was substantially higher for those who were sleep restricted,” said Professor Krizan. “We manipulated how annoying the noise was during the task and as expected, people reported more anger when the noise was more unpleasant. When sleep was restricted, people reported even more anger, regardless of the noise.”

The researchers also tested whether sleepiness explained more intense feelings of anger. They found that sleepiness accounted for 50 percent of the experimental effect of sleep restriction on anger. This suggests that an individual's sense of sleepiness may predict if they are more likely to become angry. 

Based on the results, the team will now test whether or not a lack of sleep causes actual aggressive behavior toward others.

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/xge/">Journal of Experimental Psychology: General</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Lack of sleep can cause anger, impair ability to handle frustration

A new study from Iowa State University is one of...

A new study, presented on November 28th at the <a href="https://www.rsna.org/">Radiology Society of North America</a> annual meeting, reveals that men and women who are addicted to online gaming, and have been diagnosed with internet gaming disorder (IGD), exhibit differences in their brains.

The study's senior author, Yawen Sun, M.D., a diagnostic radiologist at the Department of Radiology of <a href="http://english.pudong.gov.cn/2017-07/19/c_84876.htm">Ren Ji Hospital</a>, affiliated with <a href="http://en.sjtu.edu.cn/academics/schools/school-of-medicine/">Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine</a> in Shanghai, China, said, "Internet use is an integral part of the daily lives of many young adults, and a loss of control over Internet use could lead to various negative effects. Internet gaming disorder has become a major public health concern worldwide among both adolescents and young adults."

Those diagnosed with IGD compulsively play online games and exclude outside activities and relationships. Their work, schooling, and interpersonal relationships suffer due to the distress and impairment an individual with IGD experiences when not playing the game. Withdrawal symptoms are often present when an individual with IGD attempts to function outside the virtual world.

To better understand how IGD affects men and women, researchers studied 32 men and 32 women diagnosed with IGD and compared them to 30 male and 22 female control participants. Using a functional MRI (fMRI), the team watched <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/college-binge-drinking-brain-activity/">brain activity</a> in the men and women when they were not focused on a particular task. They then linked said brain activity to the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11, a test which assesses behavioral inhibition.

Their study showed that men with IGD experienced regional- and network-level brain alterations, specifically in the superior frontal gyrus, where low brain activity signalled higher impulsivity. Women with IGD did not exhibit any such brain alteration.

Dr. Sun believes that the effects of IGD may be gender-specific due to the fact that the maturation of men and women’s brains differ. The prefrontal cortex, which controls function and inhibition, matures later in men than in women.

“Men have shown lower levels of impulse control in comparison with women, and their impulse control also increases more gradually," Dr. Sun said. "Given the role of inhibitory control in the initiation of IGD, young men may tend to experiment with pathological Internet use to a greater degree than young women do."

However, Dr. Sun notes that it is currently unclear if the dysfunctionalities of the prefrontal cortex in men with IGD is “gaming-induced or precursors for vulnerability.” She continues, “I think future research should focus on using functional MRI to identify brain susceptibility factors relating to the development of IGD."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Men with “internet gaming disorder” may exhibit higher impulsivity

A new study, presented on November 28th at the Radiology...

A team of researchers led by Professor Ulrich Laufs, of <a href="https://www.uni-leipzig.de/en/">Leipzig University</a>, Germany, found that endurance exercise, such as running, swimming, brisk walking, and dancing, promotes better aging in comparison to resistance exercise, such as strength training.

To come to their conclusion, the team looked at how three types of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/exercise-help-drug-addicts/">exercise</a> — endurance training, high intensity interval training, and resistance training — affect the aging of human cells. Their study, published in <a href="https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/eurheartj/ehy585">European Heart Journal </a>on November 28th, yielded results that showed endurance and high intensity interval training — such as lunges, burpees, and jumping jacks — slowed and even reversed cell aging. Resistance training did neither.

266 healthy, yet formerly inactive volunteers were split into three groups and tasked with following one of the above exercise routines for six months. Some ran, others warmed up, ran, slowed down, and cooled off, and the final group partook in circuit weight training on eight separate machines. Only 124 completed the six-month study.

After the six months period concluded, researchers examined the participants’ telomere length — that being the cap of a chromosome that protects the chromosome ends from deteriorating. Telomeres shorten as we grow older and their inability to protect our chromosomes leads to cell death. However, the enzyme telomerase has the ability to slow the telomere shortening, and can even reverse the process. 

Those who did endurance and high intensity interval exercise during the six months not only had longer telomeres, but their telomerase activity was doubled.

“Our main finding is that, compared to the start of the study and the control group, in volunteers who did endurance and high intensity training, telomerase activity and telomere length increased, which are both important for cellular aging, regenerative capacity and thus, healthy aging. Interestingly, resistance training did not exert these effects,” Professor Laufs said.

The study’s co-author, Dr. Christian Werner from <a href="https://www.uni-saarland.de/nc/en/home.html">Saarland University</a> added, “Our data support the <a href="https://www.escardio.org/">European Society of Cardiology</a>'s current guideline recommendations that resistance exercise should be complementary to endurance training rather than a substitute. The data identify telomerase activity and telomere length as sensitive ways to measure at cell level the effects of different forms of exercise. Using these measurements to guide training recommendations for individuals may improve both adherence to and efficacy of exercise training programmes in preventing cardiovascular disease."

The team hypothesizes that endurance exercise is so beneficial to the healthy aging of cells due to the fact that it affects nitric oxide in the blood vessels, which contributes to cell change.

Professor Laufs and his team hope that their findings not only encourage the public to live healthier lifestyles, but also help future researchers use telomere length as a “biological age” marker in studies to come.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Endurance training has more anti-aging effects than resistance

A team of researchers led by Professor Ulrich Laufs, of...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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-----

Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

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

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



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



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https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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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...

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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 



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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

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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

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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