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We all know the pull of one more episode. Streaming services make it easy to keep watching, and though it often feels like a guilty pleasure, new research suggests it may not be entirely bad.



A study from the University of Georgia (<a href="https://www.uga.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UGA</a>) highlights that binge-watching or marathon reading can actually strengthen how we remember stories. 



These memories may not vanish once the credits roll but instead linger in our minds, shaping imagination and reflection.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-binge-watching-strengthens-memory">Binge watching strengthens memory</h2>



The research connects this phenomenon to something called <a href="https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/34268/chapter-abstract/290548954?redirectedFrom=fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">retrospective imaginative involvement</a>, or RII. It refers to how people continue to think about characters and events after finishing a story.



Rather than ending with the last chapter or episode, stories are reconstructed, expanded, and sometimes even altered in imagination.



“Humans are storytelling creatures. One of the functions of narratives is the ability to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-media-use-increases-smoking-vaping-risks-among-youth/">satisfy motivations</a> for things like connecting with other people, feeling autonomous and confident, and even security and safety. Stories have characters that fulfill these roles, and we can satisfy those needs through them,” noted Joshua Baldwin, lead author of the study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-memory-and-imagination">Memory and imagination</h2>



The study shows that people who binge-watch are more likely to engage with stories later, carrying them into daydreams. 



Consecutive viewing appears to help audiences create richer mental models of characters and worlds, which makes these stories more accessible in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/emotions-shape-what-goes-viral-on-social-media/">memory</a>.



By consuming content in longer stretches, viewers weave tighter connections across episodes and character arcs, allowing subtle details to resonate more clearly.



This means binging may support stronger recall in the short term, even if some details fade over time. 



More importantly, it keeps the emotional and thematic essence alive, which is what fuels imagination and encourages people to revisit stories in new, creative ways.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-people-binge-watch">Why people binge watch</h2>



The reason behind a person's binge-watching habits also matters. Some are drawn to stories to escape stress, while others seek to expand their sense of self through new perspectives.



The Temporarily Expanding Boundaries of the Self (<a href="https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/34268/chapter-abstract/290539200?redirectedFrom=fulltext">TE</a><a href="https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/34268/chapter-abstract/290539200" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">B</a><a href="https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/34268/chapter-abstract/290539200?redirectedFrom=fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">OTS</a>) model suggests narratives allow people to step outside daily limits and experience autonomy, competence, and connection in imagined worlds.



Escapism-driven viewing, on the other hand, gives relief by pushing aside everyday stress. 



The study found both motivations can lead to retrospective imagination, though expansion motives appear more powerful in creating long-lasting engagement.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-enjoyment-versus-appreciation">Enjoyment versus appreciation</h2>



Not all stories affect memory the same way. Lighter tales that are fun and easy to watch often spark simple recollections. 



By contrast, appreciated stories (those that feel deep, moving, or even bittersweet) encourage people to reimagine, expand, and reshape them.



These more reflective narratives are especially likely to trigger dynamic forms of imagination, such as changing events or exploring hidden backstories.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stress-and-leisure-time">Stress and leisure time</h2>



Stress does not influence story recall in a simple way. When stress is low or moderate, imagination can act as a relief, giving people a way to unwind and mentally process experiences. In these cases, stories serve as a calming outlet.



However, when stress levels rise too high, the brain becomes overloaded, leaving fewer mental resources available for remembering or reflecting on narratives. 



Instead of nurturing imagination, the mind directs energy toward coping with immediate pressures.



Leisure time changes the picture. When people have free, relaxed moments, their minds are more open to revisiting favorite stories. 



These quiet breaks - during a walk, while chatting, or simply reflecting - create mental space for narratives to return, grow, and shape daydreams.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-binge-watching-can-support-coping">Binge watching can support coping</h2>



Binge-watching has often been criticized for harming sleep and well-being. But this research suggests the picture is more nuanced. 



For some, it builds mental models that last well beyond the show itself. These memories and imagined extensions may even help people cope with challenges, making stories an ongoing psychological resource.



“People who have that habit of binge-watching shows often aren’t doing it passively but are actually actively thinking about it afterwards. They’re very much wanting to engage with stories, even when they’re not around to watch shows,” Baldwin explained.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stories-live-on-beyond-the-screen">Stories live on beyond the screen</h2>



Most people think bingeing means wasting hours in front of a screen. But the study shows it can be much more than that. 



When you get lost in a story, the characters and emotions often tag along even after you stop watching. Sometimes they reappear in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-dogs-binge-watch-television-everyday/">daydreams</a>, other times in quiet reflections when your mind drifts.



This habit doesn’t just strengthen memory. It can stir creativity, spark imagination, and even help people make sense of their own lives. 



Stories can offer comfort, connection, or a fresh perspective - things we all need from time to time. That’s why they rarely end with the credits. Instead, they linger in our thoughts, shaping how we dream, reflect, and connect with the world.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691825004147?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Acta Psychologica</a>.



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Why binge-watching TV shows may actually be good for your mind

We all know the pull of one more episode. Streaming services make it easy to keep watching, and though it often feels like a guilty pleasure, new research suggests it may not be entirely bad. A study from the University of Georgia (UGA) highlights that binge-watching or marathon reading can actually strengthen how we remember stories. These memories may not vanish once the credits roll but instead linger in our minds, shaping imagination and reflection. Binge watching strengthens memory The research connects this phenomenon to something called...

Scientists are examining the fate of fatty acids that are released from cooking into the atmosphere. A recent study suggests that frying food has the potential to change the weather and possibly even counteract global warming.

The experts believe that molecules emitted from cooking oil contribute to the formation of clouds that cool the planet, and their research will provide new insight on how aerosols affect temperatures in the long term. 

While it is known that aerosols significantly impact the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/immigration-america-climate-change/">climate</a>, their composition is not clearly understood. The researchers set out to establish how compounds are arranged within aerosol droplets.

Oleic acids are the primary fatty acids found in cooking oils. Using ultrasonic levitation, the researchers managed to hold individual droplets of brine and oleic acid in place so they could examine them with a laser beam and X-rays. 

The research team discovered that these fat molecules assemble into intricate 3D structures within aerosol droplets. These complex structures enable the aerosols to linger in the atmosphere longer.

Dr. Christian Pfrang is a professor of Physical &amp; Atmospheric Chemistry at the <a href="http://www.reading.ac.uk/">University of Reading</a> and lead author of the study.

Dr. Pfrang told <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news">BBC News</a>, "We found these drops could form these self-assembled phases which means these molecules can stay much longer in the atmosphere. These self-assembled structures are highly viscous so instead of having a water droplet you have something that behaves much more like honey, so processes inside the droplet will slow down.”

Dr. Pfrang explained that the structures are resistant to oxidation which allows them to persist longer, making cloud formation easier.

Dr. Adam Squires from the <a href="http://www.bath.ac.uk/">University of Bath</a> is the co-lead author of the study.

“We know that the complex structures we saw are formed by similar fatty acid molecules like soap in water,” said Dr. Squires."There, they dramatically affect whether the mixture is cloudy or transparent, solid or liquid, and how much it absorbs moisture from the atmosphere in a lab.”

Dr. Squires added, “The idea that this may also be happening in the air above our heads is exciting, and raises challenges in understanding what these cooking fats are really doing to the world around us."

The scientists hope this research will lead to further exploration of how fatty acids affect the atmosphere. The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Frying food can affect the weather and climate

Scientists are examining the fate of fatty acids that are...

Humans are exposed to radiation in some form or fashion every day. But a new study demonstrates that radiation is coming from an unexpected source - thunderstorms.

The researchers have discovered that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/summer-storms-severe/">thunderstorms</a> create radioactive particles in the atmosphere that are shot down to Earth as lightning strikes. They also found that gamma radiation is produced when lightning reacts with nitrogen in the atmosphere. 

Dr. Teruaki Enoto, a scientist at <a href="http://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en">Kyoto University</a>, is the study’s lead author.

“We already knew that thunderclouds and lightning emit gamma rays, and hypothesized that they would react in some way with the nuclei of environmental elements in the atmosphere,” said Dr. Enoto.

The team focused their study on Japan's western coast, which is ideal for viewing thunderstorms and lightning in the wintertime. In 2015, the experts started building small gamma-ray detectors and placed them in various locations along the coast.

During a storm in February, a gamma flash was recorded in Kashiwazaki city, Niigata. Immediately after lightning struck a few hundred feet away, detectors recorded the flash which had a duration of less than one millisecond. 

“It was the moment we realized we’re seeing a new, hidden face of lightning,” said the study authors. “When we analyzed the data, we found three distinct gamma-ray bursts.”

The first spike was followed by a second gamma-ray afterglow that lasted dozens of milliseconds, while a third flash lasted over a minute.

“We could tell that the first burst was from the lightning strike. Through our analysis and calculations, we eventually determined the origins of the second and third emissions as well,” Dr. Enoto. “The second afterglow, for example, was caused by lightning reacting with nitrogen in the atmosphere.”

He continued, “The gamma rays emitted in lightning have enough energy to knock a neutron out of atmospheric nitrogen, and it was the reabsorption of this neutron by particles in the atmosphere that produced the gamma-ray afterglow.”

According to Dr. Enoto, the final emission was from the breakdown of the unstable nitrogen atoms. The neutron-deprived atoms released positrons, “which subsequently collided with electrons in annihilation events releasing gamma rays.”

While these radioactive particles have been detected for decades by various forms of observation such as aircrafts and satellites, it was unclear whether the nuclear reactions were caused by lightning. 

The scientists say that the radiation is no more threatening to life on Earth than the radiation we are exposed to in everyday life.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Thunderstorms can cause nuclear reactions

Humans are exposed to radiation in some form or fashion...

Rainfall plays a critical role in food security, and rain shortages or excessive rainfall can cause poverty and hunger, particularly in low income countries. A new study reveals that rainfall may also become key in planning strategies to eliminate food insecurity. 

The study is the first to examine the association between food insecurity, smallholder farms, and rainfall patterns on a large scale. The research may provide a range of interventions to address the issue of hunger.

Smallholder farms are farms with few resources that depend on the family for labor and on their own crops for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/food-cues-people-overeat/">food</a> or income. There are 460 to 500 million of these smallholder farms in the world. They grow approximately 80 percent of the food consumed in the world’s poorest countries.

The researchers investigated the conditions of 2,000 smallholder farms in Africa and Asia. Meredith Niles of the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/">University of Vermont</a>'s Department of Nutrition and Food Science is the lead author of the study. 

"The big picture is that one strategy is unlikely to work everywhere," said Niles. "Understanding the climate context is important in determining what interventions may be most effective.”.

The farms analyzed in the study were grouped into three categories including those that received less than average rainfall, those that received average rainfall, and those that received more rain than average.

The farms with less than average rainfall experienced more food insecurity. These operations saw an average of 3.81 months without enough productivity in the year of the study. The average farms experienced 3.67 less productive months, while the wetter farms had 2.86 months with less food. Every farm surveyed experienced significant food insecurity. 

"The study reaffirms what we know: that food insecurity is a widespread problem in these areas," said Niles.

The study found that whether or not various interventions resulted in improved food security was statistically linked with the amount of rain the farms had received in the previous year.

For farms with drier than average conditions, cash from other businesses, loans, and cash gifts were more frequently correlated with better food security. 

"Water is a fundamentally limiting factor," Niles said. "If you don't have it, then agricultural inputs likely don't matter. What you need, at least in the short term, is cash."

With wetter farms, the use of pesticides, fertilizer, and veterinary medicines led to increased food security. For the farms with average rainfall, both strategies worked.

"We don't see an effect that financial strategies in wetter than average households make a difference in the short-term," said Niles. "But these financial strategies seem to be especially important when drought or reduced rainfall impacts crop production and income sources."

Niles explained that establishing which interventions work and which do not is increasingly urgent because of climate change. 

"The majority of smallholder farms rely on rain-fed agriculture, so they are vulnerable to climate change, which is slated to likely increase rainfall variability,” said Niles. “Our work suggests that absent appropriate interventions, these future conditions may worsen food insecurity."

The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep">Scientific Reports</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Weather statistics could help eliminate world hunger

Rainfall plays a critical role in food security, and rain...

A recent study suggests that babies have intuition that helps them perceive how people make decisions. According to the research, infants can assess how badly a person wants to accomplish a specific goal through observation.

Researchers from the <a href="http://web.mit.edu/">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a> and <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a> teamed up for the groundbreaking research, which has established that babies as young as 10 months old can evaluate how much someone values a particular goal by noticing how hard they work to achieve it.

"Infants are far from experiencing the world as a 'blooming, buzzing confusion,'" said lead author Shari Liu. "They interpret people's actions in terms of hidden variables, including the effort [people] expend in producing those actions, and also the value of the goals those actions achieve."

Previous studies have demonstrated that adults and older children can interpret the motivations of others by gauging how much effort is being put in. For the current study, the research team set out to determine when and how this ability develops. 

The researchers showed 10-month-old infants animated videos in which an "agent," a cartoon character shaped like a bouncing ball, tries to reach a certain goal by leaping over walls. First, the agent jumped over a low wall but then refused to jump over a medium-sized wall. Next, the agent jumped over the medium-sized wall but refused to jump over a high wall.

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/babies-understand-related-words/">babies</a> were then shown a scene in which the agent could choose between the two goals, with no obstacles in the way. An adult would assume that the agent would choose the second goal, because he had obviously worked much harder to reach that goal. 

Remarkably, the researchers found that 10-month-olds reached this same conclusion.  When the agent was shown choosing the first goal instead of the second, the infants gazed at the scene longer, which indicated to the experts that they were surprised by the scene’s outcome. In studies, the length of time an infant looks at something is commonly used to measure surprise.

During similar trials, the researchers got the same reaction from the babies.

"Across our experiments, we found that babies looked longer when the agent chose the thing it had exerted less effort for, showing that they infer the amount of value that agents place on goals from the amount of effort that they take toward these goals,"said Liu.

The results of the study indicate that babies calculate the value of a reward based on the energy that is put into getting it.

Study co-author Josh Tenenbaum said,"This paper is not the first to suggest that idea, but its novelty is that it shows this is true in much younger babies than anyone has seen. These are preverbal babies, who themselves are not actively doing very much, yet they appear to understand other people's actions in this sophisticated, quantitative way.”

The findings of the study are published in the journal<a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/"> Science</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Babies have intuition that senses how much adults want something

A recent study suggests that babies have intuition that helps...

Why do humans fall in love? Scientists have the answer. Researchers may have finally solved the mystery of why people fall in love. For the very first time, scientists have found that the emotion of love evolved as a way to increase the likelihood of reproductive success.

Dr. Piotr Sorokowski, an expert in cultural and biological anthropology at the <a href="https://international.uni.wroc.pl/en/s3.php">University of Wroclaw</a>, led the study. The research team set out to find the “biological basis” of love, and focused their investigation on the Hadza people of Tanzania, a traditional hunter-gatherer population. 

Considering that contraception disrupts the natural connection between love and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bilingual-children-learn-faster/">children</a>, this group was ideal for the study because they do not use modern contraception. Furthermore, the lives of the Hadza people have changed very little over the last 10,000 years, making them a useful resource for insight into the lives of our prehistoric ancestors.

With the help of a local interpreter, the experts interviewed Hadza individuals about love. The researchers used Sternberg’s Triangular Love Scale as their model. This theory measures three main components of love including intimacy, passion, and commitment. The participants also answered questions about children born in their current marriage. 

The study revealed a positive connection between passion and reproductive success in both sexes. This is likely due to the fact that passion increases the number of sexual encounters between partners. 

Commitment was also established as a significant positive predictor of the number of children in a marriage. This makes sense due to the fact that commitment helps people maintain stable relationships and stick together.

The study authors wrote, “Our study provides the ﬁrst evidence that human love is related to reproductive success. Among the three investigated love components, commitment was positively related to reproductive success for both the sexes.”

The researchers found a decline in the amount of intimacy associated with having more children, which could be simply due to the stress involved in raising kids. In addition, women can satisfy their need for intimacy by spending time with their children.

The scientists concluded that passion and commitment are the two main components of love that humans have adapted for procreative success.

“We hypothesize that passion and commitment were among the key factors increasing ﬁtness, and therefore that selection might promote love in human evolution,” said the study authors.

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology">Frontiers in Psychology</a>. 

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why do humans fall in love? Scientists have the answer

Why do humans fall in love? Scientists have the answer....

One of the most popular forms of exercise is called HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, where quick bursts of intense activity are punctuated by short recovery periods. 

High-intensity interval exercise is an excellent workout, but now a new study has found that it also improves memory. 

The study was conducted by researchers from <a href="http://www.mcmaster.ca/">McMaster University,</a> and the results show that six weeks of 20-minute interval training exercises help improve high-interference memory. 

High-interference memory enables people to do things like distinguish one car from another of the same model.  

For the study, the researchers split 95 participants into three different exercise groups. 

The first group did high-intensity interval training, the second combined exercise with cognitive training, and the third group was the control and didn’t do any form of exercise.

The researchers observed changes in fitness, memory and neurotrophic factor in the study participants both before and after the six-week program. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor is a protein vital to the growth and function of brain cells. 

The two groups that were part of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hour-exercise-prevent-depression/">exercise</a> and cognitive training programs did better on high-interference memory tasks than the control group, and those that showed improved fitness gains had greater increases in the neurotrophic factor protein. 

According to the researchers, the results show an important connection between exercise and improved memory performance. 

“Improvements in this type of memory from exercise might help to explain the previously established link between aerobic exercise and better academic performance,” said Jennifer Heisz, the lead author of the study.

The researchers hope to expand their findings further to examine if this exercise-memory connection could help older adults who deal with memory impairment.

“At the other end of our lifespan, as we reach our senior years, we might expect to see even greater benefits in individuals with memory impairment brought on by conditions such as dementia,” said Heisz. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

High-intensity exercise can improve your memory

One of the most popular forms of exercise is called...

Being left-handed may actually give you an advantage in a number of different sports, according to new research. 

Historically, being left-handed was not always looked on in the best light, and lefties only make up about ten percent of the population today. 

But in certain sports where time pressure is a factor, being left-handed gives many players an edge because of the element of surprise. 

A new study, conducted by Florian Loffing from the <a href="https://www.uni-oldenburg.de/en/">University of Oldenburg Germany</a>, discovered that left-handed players succeed in some sports because their opponents can’t anticipate their moves. 

Loffing observed the top 100 players in different sports between 2009 and 2014, and measured the speed of the game that the players participated in. 

The results show that in fast-paced <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/watching-sports-heart-stress/">sports</a> there were more left-handed athletes and star players. 

According to a recent piece in the <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lefthanded-sports-players-have-an-advantage-scientists-argue-w2vd0lndn">Times</a>, almost one in three star pitchers in baseball are left-handed. 

Loffing concluded that left-handed players were almost three times as likely to excel in sports like cricket, tennis, baseball, and table tennis compared to right-handed players. 

The reason behind this advantage, according to the study, is the “fighting hypothesis.” The theory postulates that because left-handed people are few and far between, in combat situations lefties have the high ground because they are unexpected.

Loffing’s study seems to support the fighting hypothesis. 

“According to the fighting hypothesis, frequency-dependent selection gives relatively rarer left-handers a competitive edge in duel-like contests and is suggested as one mechanism that ensured the stable maintenance of handedness polymorphism in humans,” wrote Loffing in his study.  

The study is good news for left-handed people who don’t always have it easy maneuvering in a right-hand dominated society. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="http://www.earthc.com">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Being left-handed gives you an advantage in sports

Being left-handed may actually give you an advantage in a...

Researchers from <a href="http://www.ox.ac.uk/">Oxford University</a> are emphasizing that the value of water cannot be measured. The team has developed a new framework to value water for the Sustainable Development Goals, which they have published in the journal <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>. Their report highlights the increasing need for water management both locally and globally, and proposes a plan for better policy and practices.

The urgent need to re-evaluate the importance of water is due to a number of reasons. 

The study authors write, “Water is not just about sustaining life, it plays a vital role in sustainable development. Water's value is evident in all of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, from poverty alleviation and ending hunger, where the connection is long recognised - to sustainable cities and peace and justice, where the complex impacts of water are only now being fully appreciated.”

The researchers also point out that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hot-water-freezes-faster-cold-water/">water</a> security is now a global concern that is growing more serious. 

They explain, “The negative impacts of water shortages, flooding and pollution have placed water related risks among the top 5 global threats by the World Economic Forum for several years running. In 2015, Oxford-led research on water security quantified expected losses from water shortages, inadequate water supply and sanitation and flooding at approximately $500B USD annually.” 

According to the World Bank, “the cost of a drought in cities is four times greater than a flood, and a single drought in rural Africa can ignite a chain of deprivation and poverty across generations.”

The <a href="https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/HLPWater">UN High Level Panel on Water</a> has launched a new strategy on “Valuing Water,” and the growing consensus is that the profit of water is beyond monetary value. With this in mind, governments need to look at valuing water as a challenge that requires investment in better policies going forward.

The study authors suggest that water management must be focused on four priorities: measurement, valuation, trade-offs, and capable institutions for allocating and financing water. Dustin Garrick is the lead author of the study.

"Our paper responds to a global call to action: the cascading negative impacts of scarcity, shocks and inadequate water services underscore the need to value water better,” says Garrick. “There may not be any silver bullets, but there are clear steps to take. We argue that valuing water is fundamentally about navigating trade-offs. The objective of our research is to show why we need to rethink the value of water, and how to go about it, by leveraging technology, science and incentives to punch through stubborn governance barriers. Valuing water requires that we value institutions."

Study co-author Richard Damania explains,"Current water management policies are outdated and unsuited to addressing the water related challenges of the 21st century. Without policies to allocate finite supplies of water more efficiently, control the burgeoning demand for water and reduce wastage, water stress will intensify where water is already scarce and spread to regions of the world - with impacts on economic growth and the development of water-stressed nations."

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Experts warn that humans take water for granted

Researchers from Oxford University are emphasizing that the value of...

When you hear the term “spy plants,” you might think of something out of a James Bond film. But the <a href="https://www.darpa.mil/">Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency</a> (DARPA) is currently working to develop genetically modified plants that could be used for a wide range of military applications, including spying and detecting threats like radiation. 

DARPA is the branch of the US military that creates new military technology, and spy plants could help identify where landmines are located and sense deadly pathogens in an area. 

These <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pests-genetically-modified-crops/">genetically modified</a> plants are not yet a reality, but DARPA’s <a href="http://www.clemson.edu/centers-institutes/itg/departments/apt/index.html">Advanced Plant Technologies </a>(APT) program is hosting a Proposers Day where researchers can weigh in and make suggestions on which types of plants would work best. 

The program’s goal is to build on the natural ability of plants to sense outside stimuli like pollution, and then genetically modify the plants to be hyper-tuned to threats like chemicals or electromagnetic signals. 

“Plants are highly attuned to their environments and naturally manifest physiological responses to basic stimuli such as light and temperature, but also in some cases to touch, chemicals, pests, and pathogens,” said Blake Bextine, the Program Manager for the APT program.

Satellites will be used to monitor these “smart plants,” and the APT program will work closely with federal regulations and biosafety committees to ensure that the plant’s survival is not hindered. 

Bextine added that the new plant technologies would also reduce the risks posed to military personnel and prove less costly than traditional military sensor technology. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Military announces plans for genetically modified spy plants

When you hear the term “spy plants,” you might think...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.utoronto.ca/">University of Toronto</a> have determined that noise encountered on public transportation can be harmful to your health. The experts say that exposure to noise while biking or taking the train over long periods of time can cause hearing loss and increase other serious health risks as well.

"This study is the first to look at and quantify the amount of noise people are exposed to during their daily commute, specifically on the Toronto Transit System,” said study co-author Dr. Vincent Lin. “We now are starting to understand that chronic excessive noise exposure leads to significant systemic pathology, such as depression, anxiety, increased risk of chronic diseases and increased accident risk. Short, intense noise exposure has been demonstrated to be as injurious as longer, less intense noise exposure."

Using noise dosimeters, the researchers measured noise on public means of transit including <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trillions-of-microbes-are-riding-the-subways/">subways</a>, trams, and buses in Toronto. They also measured the noise encountered through private modes of transportation such as biking, walking, and driving in a car. 

While the analysis of 210 total noise measurements revealed that noise stayed at recommended safe levels on average, the experts discovered that bursts of loud noise were at high enough levels to put people at risk whether they were travelling in public or private. In addition, the researchers established that average noise levels by bike were greater than any other mode of transportation.

"We were surprised at the overall average noise exposure commuters experience on a daily basis, especially the peak noise intensity not only on trains but also on buses,” said Dr. Lin. “Planners need to be more considerate of noise exposure in future planning of public spaces and public transit routes. Toronto in particular, as the transit network expands, needs to consider ways to reduce noise exposure as a preventative measure for future health risks."

The authors of the study recommend the use of hearing protection during public transport. They explained that further studies are needed to investigate other noise exposure factors, such as lengthy transit times and the use of music players.

The research is published in the <a href="https://journalotohns.biomedcentral.com/">Journal of Otolaryngology - Head &amp; Neck Surgery</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Public transportation may damage your hearing

Researchers at the University of Toronto have determined that noise...

Can your taste in music be changed with magnets? According to researchers at <a href="http://www.mcgill.ca/">McGill University</a>, the answer is yes. By stimulating the brain with magnets for a few moments, the experts can control how much a person enjoys the music they are hearing. 

For the study, the research team asked 17 participants to listen to various clips of music and also informed them that the music was available for purchase. The individuals rated how much they enjoyed each of the tracks. Next, the researchers used a technique called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to arouse part of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stress-risky-decision-making/">brain</a> during each track. 

The magnets were used to either stimulate or suppress the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), which helps to regulate the executive functions such as reasoning, planning, memory, and inhibition.

The study revealed that participants gave music substantially higher ratings when the DLPFC was stimulated. In addition, they spent ten percent more money on music they had not even enjoyed at the beginning of the experiment. When the DLPFC was suppressed, on the other hand, the individuals gave the music lower ratings and spent 15 percent less money to purchase songs.

Previous studies have shown that using magnetic stimulation on the DLPFC alters the amount of dopamine released by the brain. This technique was found to particularly affect the amount of dopamine released in the striatum, which is a region of the brain that controls reward processing. In the past, research has shown that the striatum is activated when music is extremely pleasing to a person.

Dr. Robert Zatorre is a cognitive neuroscientist at McGill University and lead author of the study.

Dr. Zatorre told New Scientist, “The physiology had been established, but the idea that you could make people like music more or less was a little bit science-fiction. This mechanism is unlikely to be particular to pleasure experienced from music, and may apply to other types of stimuli.”

The researchers believe this type of therapy may help patients with brain disorders that prevent them from enjoying experiences that they once took pleasure in. Magnetic stimulation of the DLPFC may also be used to treat people with depression, obsessive behaviors, or addiction.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The type of music you like can be totally changed using magnets

Can your taste in music be changed with magnets? According...

When driving home from work, you might get a craving for fast food even though you know you have food to make at home. The fast-food chains and neon signs catch your eye and practically beg you to take a quick detour. Even if you just ate, you still might be tempted to get something greasy and fried.

Now, a new study from the <a href="https://umich.edu/">University of Michigan</a> has found that food cues, such as advertisements for restaurants and fast food menu signs, can be a powerful motivator and drive people to overeat.

Food cues stimulate brain activity and activate cravings and hunger, but indulging in these cravings has no impact on personal enjoyment of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/spicy-food-less-salt/">food</a> in question.

"Food-related cues can make people want or crave food more, but don't have as much of an impact on their liking or the pleasure they get from eating the food," said Michelle Joyner, the study's lead author.

For the study, the researchers set up two different food laboratories. One was set up to look like a fast food restaurant with tables and chairs, and the other was just a regular lab meant to be a neutral environment.

The researchers then randomly assigned a lab to 112 study participants. 

If the participants had eaten lunch an hour before the study’s trial, they were given tokens which could be used to get food, such as milkshake, or for an activity like playing games on a tablet. 

The participants put in the fast food setting reported feeling more hungry than those in the neutral lab, and the fast food lab group ate 220 more calories because of the food cues around them. 

The results show that food cues can activate hunger and cravings even if you’ve already eaten. Researchers warn that it’s important for people to understand the effect that food cues can have. 

“It is hard it is to avoid food cues in our current environment, but people can try some strategies to minimize their exposure by not going into restaurants and using technology to skip food advertisements in TV shows,” said Joyner.

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Food cues like ads and images can push people to overeat

When driving home from work, you might get a craving...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE
</div></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



-----



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The environmental problem we actually solved

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

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

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex
</div></figure>







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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

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

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

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU
</div></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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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?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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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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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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