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Varicose veins bulge and twist across the calves of up to 30 percent of adults, a reminder that blood sometimes pools instead of flowing home to the heart. When sluggish blood flow lingers, clots can form and, in rare cases, travel to the lungs or brain.



Centuries ago physicians in China brewed teas from <a href="https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=z990" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ginkgo biloba</a> leaves to sharpen memory. Today researchers wonder whether the same ginkgo leaves might support weary leg veins and cut the risk of small, yet dangerous, blood clots.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-circulation-can-falter">Why circulation can falter</h2>



Blood rising from the feet must fight gravity, and faulty valves can leave veins stretched and valves leaky. The lingering pressure distends vein walls, encourages <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fasting-helps-the-body-fight-inflammation-and-chronic-diseases/">inflammation</a>, and slows platelet aggregation, the first step toward clotting.



Slow venous return creates the setting for deep‑vein thrombosis as well as the aching, throbbing symptoms many patients feel after a day of standing. 



That overlap has pushed vascular specialists toward plant‑based compounds that might tone the vein wall and limit sticky platelets.



After logging stroke cases at Xuanwu Hospital in Beijing, neurologist <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Xiangqian-Huang-2265510495" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Xiangqian Huang</a> of <a href="https://ccmu.cucas.cn/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Capital Medical University</a> began probing ginkgo’s effects on clot behavior in the brain, work that now informs leg‑vein research.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ginkgo-leaves-and-blood-flow">Ginkgo leaves and blood flow</h2>



Ginkgo extract made <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drinking-from-plastic-bottles-linked-to-high-blood-pressure-and-heart-problems/">blood platelets</a> less sticky when triggered by one type of chemical but didn’t have much effect when triggered by another. 



Dr. Xiangqian Huang and the team also noticed that blood took slightly longer to clot after treatment with the extract.



The leaf contains natural compounds that seem to interact with enzymes responsible for forming clots. 



In a 2025 animal <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40462336/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>, researchers found that ginkgo reduced damage inside blood vessels in rats with clotting problems and slightly increased the time it took for their blood to clot. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-insights-from-a-beijing-stroke-ward">Insights from a Beijing stroke ward</h2>



Huang’s real‑world study followed 99 patients for five days. Among stroke survivors who received ginkgo plus baby <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/daily-aspirin-use-strongly-tied-to-colorectal-cancer-prevention/">aspirin</a>, arachidonic‑acid platelet aggregation fell more than in peers on aspirin alone, while major bleeding did not rise.



Minor nose or gum bleeds surfaced in four of thirty‑three combination patients, a signal that enhanced anticoagulation deserves monitoring. No severe hemorrhages occurred, suggesting short‑term safety when doses stay low.



The design also enrolled participants with internal jugular venous stenosis, a group whose <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/artificial-sweetener-erythritol-sugar-substitute-linked-to-blood-clots-heart-disease/">clots</a> mirror those in leg veins. 



In that arm ginkgo alone curbed blood platelet stickiness within 24 hours, and the effect held steady through day five.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-aspirin-ginkgo-and-blood-clots">Aspirin, ginkgo, and blood clots</h2>



A team of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17982321/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">scientists</a> led by <a href="https://med.stanford.edu/profiles/christopher-gardner" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Christopher Gardner</a> from <a href="https://med.stanford.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stanford Department of Medicine</a> examined the potential adverse effects of concomitant aspirin and Ginkgo biloba on blood platelet function after giving the duo to older adults for four weeks. The worry was that the herbs might blunt or boost common drugs. 



Gardner and colleagues detected no dangerous bleeding, yet laboratory tests showed additive platelet inhibition, suggesting that low‑dose pairings could protect high‑risk patients who cannot tolerate stronger pharmaceuticals. 



Doctors, however, should adjust regimens around surgeries or when other blood thinners enter the mix.



Because the leaf targets arachidonic‑acid pathways that aspirin already touches, the partnership makes pharmacologic sense. 



Still, anyone taking nonsteroidal anti‑inflammatory drugs should discuss timing and dosage to avoid stacking identical mechanisms.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-helping-legs-feel-lighter">Helping legs feel lighter</h2>



Deep veins are not the only place where endothelial cells detach under strain. 



In a classic double‑blind trial, scientists found that a capsule combining ginkgo, troxerutin, and heptaminol cut circulating endothelial cell counts by 14.5 percent in patients with chronic varicose veins, placebo achieved only 8.4 percent.



<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK26848/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Endothelial cells</a> are early barometers of vein injury, so their decline hints at real structural healing. 



Participants also reported reduced ankle swelling and night cramps, benefits echoed by later Russian and Italian studies that tracked leg circumference.



Modern <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/home/phl" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">phlebology</a> still relies on compression stockings and laser ablation, yet many sufferers ask for gentler first steps. 



A standardized ginkgo formula, already licensed for vascular disorders in parts of Europe, may slot neatly between lifestyle changes and invasive procedures.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-blood-clot-prevention-with-ginkgo">Blood clot prevention with ginkgo</h2>



Yang’s rat data showed lighter <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cause-of-strokes-cervical-artery-dissection-has-increased-400-percent-since-2005/">clots</a>, higher nitric‑oxide levels, and longer clotting times after gavage with 60 milligrams per kilogram of extract. 



Nitric oxide relaxes vessel walls and counters platelet stickiness, aligning with human data from stroke and vein clinics.



<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26030402/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Network‑pharmacology</a> maps place AKT1, ALB, and TNF at the center of ginkgo’s target web. Those same genes regulate inflammation, suggesting that the tree’s reach extends beyond platelets to the very lining of our veins.



Because oxidative stress weakens venous valves, the antioxidant side of the extract warrants equal attention. 



Flavonols scavenge free radicals, potentially slowing the progressive dilation that makes early spider veins blossom into rope‑like cords.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-talking-with-your-doctor">Talking with your doctor</h2>



Ginkgo supplements crowd store shelves, yet extracts used in clinical trials are highly standardized. Look for<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12757407/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> EGb 761</a> or products specifying at least 24 percent flavonol glycosides and 6 percent terpene lactones.



Patients on warfarin, <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.120.017559" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">direct oral anticoagulants</a>, or upcoming dental work should alert their clinicians before starting any form of ginkgo. 



Health professionals may stagger doses, check clotting labs, or advise pausing the herb to keep bleeding risk low.



For those with aching calves and a family history of clots, discussing ginkgo as an adjunct to compression or low‑intensity exercise could make sense. 



Evidence remains preliminary, yet the plant’s dual action on platelets and vein walls is steadily moving from bench to bedside.



Future multicenter trials ought to track long‑term safety and measure quality‑of‑life changes such as heaviness, itch, and nightly restlessness. If findings stay positive, an ancient tree might soon earn a modern role in vascular medicine.



The study is published in <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11803947/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Thrombosis Journal</a>.



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Leaves from this popular tree may improve circulation and prevent blood clots

Varicose veins bulge and twist across the calves of up to 30 percent of adults, a reminder that blood sometimes pools instead of flowing home to the heart. When sluggish blood flow lingers, clots can form and, in rare cases, travel to the lungs or brain. Centuries ago physicians in China brewed teas from Ginkgo biloba leaves to sharpen memory. Today researchers wonder whether the same ginkgo leaves might support weary leg veins and cut the risk of small, yet dangerous, blood clots. Why circulation can falter...

Earth Day is a good time to stop and think about everything the world gives to us – and how we can give a little back. Working for the good of the environment may seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t need to be. There are plenty of little ways to help the planet. Here are six easy steps you can try today, plus a bonus challenge:
<h3>1. Buy a water bottle.</h3>
Instead of buying water by the bottle, buy a metal or BPA-free plastic water bottle intended to be used over and over again.

People go through about 480 billion disposable plastic water bottles each year; Americans alone throw out a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-swimming-waste-plastic/">staggering 35 billion bottles</a> each year. Many of these bottles end up among the plastic waste that forms the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Plastic doesn’t biodegrade, but it does break down in the sun, looking enough like food that fish eat it. Then, seabirds and even young whales <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/young-sperm-whale-dead-trash/">eat the plastic-clogged fish</a>, causing health problems.

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-bottle-threatens-environment/">Less than half of disposable bottles are recycled</a>, scientists found. Even worse, a high number of those single-use plastic bottles are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bottled-water-contaminated-microplastics/">contaminated with microplastics</a>.

Buying a reusable water bottle is as simple as going to a supermarket or big-box store. Most have them on the shelves – along with water filtering pitchers and systems, for those who live in an area where tap water needs some extra cleaning.
<h3>2. Volunteer.</h3>
Whether trash clean-up days, community gardening groups, water monitoring teams or other eco-minded groups, most places have plenty of opportunities for volunteers to help the planet.

<a href="https://www.volunteermatch.org/">VolunteerMatch</a> is a great place to find environmental volunteering jobs that need doing, along with dozens of other categories. So is the <a href="https://oceanconservancy.org/trash-free-seas/international-coastal-cleanup/">International Coastal Cleanup</a> – don’t be fooled by the name. There are plenty of inland cleanups along lakes and rivers. 

Can’t find an opportunity near you? Look around and see what needs doing, whether it’s picking up trash or beautifying empty lots with new plants. Then, get to work. Be sure to contact any affected property owners before planting anything, though!
<h3>3. Drive less.</h3>
A study by <a href="https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/">Lund University</a> last summer found that going without a car can be a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/effective-steps-battle-climate-change/">more effective way</a> for individuals to fight climate change than recycling or using more efficient lightbulbs.

If you have a daily commute that public transportation can’t cover or you live in a rural area, going car-free might not be possible.

However, you can still work to reduce your time on the road as much as possible. Run as many errands as possible in one trip. Consider carpooling if you live near co-workers, or discuss working from home one day a week with your employer. Every little bit helps.
<h3>4. Eat less meat.</h3>
The same Lund University study showed that a plant-based diet is one of the most effective ways an individual can fight climate change. Want to give it a try? There are dozens of good resources out there. <a href="https://www.forksoverknives.com/plant-based-primer-beginners-guide-starting-plant-based-diet/">Forks Over Knives</a> offers a great primer for beginners.

If you’re not ready to take the plunge and switch to a completely meat-free diet, though, if everyone adopted <a href="http://www.meatlessmonday.com/articles/cop21-meatless-monday-less-meat-less-heat/">Meatless Mondays</a>, it could help the planet by reducing greenhouse gas emissions as much as 1.3 gigatons by 2050.

And that’s not even taking into account the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662288/">growing body of literature</a> suggesting plant-based diets are healthier.
<h3>5. Tell businesses what they’re doing right, and how they can improve.</h3>
As nice as it would be to believe we can save the world by picking up some trash and changing a lightbulb, there’s a much bigger picture out there. What businesses choose to do – or choose to ignore – can have a much bigger impact than even a committed group of people choosing to change their lifestyles.

That’s no reason to give up! It just means it’s time to reach out to businesses and ask them to help the planet when they can, too.

For example, do you buy from a grocery store that carries only paper bags, or an online retailer that uses as little packaging as possible? Let them know you appreciate it. Make an effort to buy <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eco-friendly-office-supplies/">eco-friendly office supplies</a> or shampoo in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/beach-plastic-shampoo-bottles/">bottles made from recycled plastic</a>. 

And when businesses can do better, let them know. Ask your favorite restaurant to switch to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/village-scotland-plastic-straws/">paper straws</a>, and encourage your local sports venues to aim for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/college-sporting-venues-zero-waste/">zero waste</a>. 
<h3>6. Write to your elected officials.</h3>
Like with No. 5, you can get more done by reaching out to people with power than trying to make a few small changes yourself. Ask your elected officials to offer incentives to businesses that switch to greener products, or to remove regulations that keep them from doing so. Encourage tax breaks for homeowners who add solar panels or rain collection systems to their homes.

You can also encourage your city and county officials to adopt greener practices on government-owned properties, such as switching offices to solar energy systems, installing car charging stations and adopting landscaping practices that use less water or prevent pesticide runoff.
<h3>Bonus: Want to take on a bigger task to help the planet?</h3>
Here’s a challenge that can be done a little at a time or all at once, depending on how much work you’re up for: Replace your landscaping with native plants.

Native plants tend to need less work and save water, since they’re already adapted for the location where they’re being planted. Better yet, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/prepare-bees-pollinator-garden/">local pollinators tend to do better with native plants</a> as food sources than with those imported from other areas. Some even rely on specific plants for breeding or laying eggs.

You don’t have to switch all at once, and there’s no need to get rid of your favorite flowers. However, replacing a few water-hungry, poorly adapted shrubs or a lawn for natives can add a small but meaningful boost to the local ecosystem.

—

By Kyla Cathey,<a href="http://www.earth.com"> Earth.com</a> staff writer

Want to help the planet this Earth Day? Here's how

Earth Day is a good time to stop and think...

Airtight buildings are growing more popular, and with lower heating and cooling costs it’s easy to see why.  

But high performance, super-insulated buildings are not without their disadvantages. Poor air quality, mold and mildew growth, and stuffy and stale air are all possible in airtight building environments.

Airtight buildings are also potentially hazardous if carbon monoxide, ozone, and toxic fumes from paints, carpets, and furniture accumulate throughout the building. 

People in industrialized countries spend roughly 80 percent of their time indoors, and if air quality in airtight buildings is a cause for concern, it’s important to understand how to mitigate these risks and improve super-insulated homes and buildings. 

One little-studied method with potential promise is using plants to improve indoor air quality in these self-contained environments. 

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.ipsp.cnr.it/?lang=en">National Research Council of Italy - Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection</a> recently published a review in the journal <a href="http://www.cell.com/trends/plant-science/fulltext/S1360-1385(18)30046-3">Trends in Plant Science</a> detailing how a better understanding of plant physiology could sustainably improve indoor air quality. 

Plants can absorb toxins, increase humidity, and create oxygen by absorbing carbon dioxide. 

However, when plants are chosen for indoor use, the main deciding factors tend to be appearance and how much maintenance the plants require.

To find out which plants will help clean the air in your home, see our in-depth feature on <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/houseplants-reduce-indoor-air-pollution/">house plants that reduce air pollution</a>.

“For most of us plants are just a decorative element, something aesthetic, but they are also something else,” said Frederico Brilli, who led the research. 

In order to find out how plants can best improve air quality, further research is needed to study plant leaf size, shape, anatomy, and physiology, along with how quickly absorb carbon dioxide.

Research that, according to Brilli, is lacking save for some work done NASA in the 1980s. 

The researchers also note that future plant research should delve into plant microbiomes which  aid in the plant’s ability to absorb toxins. Microbiomes are the collective populations of microorganisms that live in an environment, in this case, the bacteria and fungi that reside in the soil and on the plants. 

The strategic placement of plants along with smart-sensor-controlled air cleaning technologies could drastically improve indoor air quality in super-insulated airtight buildings while still keeping energy costs down. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Plants help airtight buildings maintain clean air

Airtight buildings are growing more popular, and with lower heating...

Photo taken by Professor Richard Shefferson of the University of Tokyo.

A study led by Professor Richard Shefferson at the <a href="https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/">University of Tokyo</a> is shedding new light on the ability of some plants to remain dormant underground in the soil for up to 20 years. The team found this survival mechanism in at least 114 plant species from 24 different plant families across the planet.

The plants remain alive but do not emerge from the ground every <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/spring-arriving-earlier/">spring</a>, enabling them to survive in difficult times. This behavior was referred to by the scientists as a “bet hedging” strategy, in which the plants are weighing the long-term advantages of survival against the short-term disadvantages of missing out on growth and reproduction for a season.

The researchers expected to find that dormancy would be more common in plants at higher altitudes or colder latitudes where the growing season is shorter. However, dormancy was found to be more prevalent near the equator - possibly in response to threats such as disease, competition, and fire.

Study co-author Dr. Eric Menges explained, “In fire-prone areas, there appears to be an advantage to plants remaining dormant and then sprouting after fire when favorable conditions exist for growth and flowering.”


Study co-author Michael Hutchings is an Emeritus Professor in Ecology at the <a href="http://www.sussex.ac.uk/">University of Sussex</a>.

“It would seem to be paradoxical that plants would evolve this behavior because being underground means they cannot photosynthesise, flower or reproduce,” Professor Hutchings. “And yet this study has shown that many plants in a large number of species frequently exhibit prolonged dormancy.”

“Many of these species have found ways to overcome the loss of opportunities to photosynthesise during dormancy, especially by evolving mechanisms enabling them to obtain carbohydrates and nutrients from soil-based fungal associates. This allows them to survive and even thrive during dormant periods.”

“The study has revealed some of the conditions under which dormancy is triggered, and the evolutionary benefits of such behavior, but more work is still needed to fully explain the influences of factors such as weather conditions, and the threats from herbivores and competition from other vegetation, on the decision to go dormant.”

According to Professor Hutchings, phylogenetic testing of the plants showed that dormancy has adapted and persisted many times throughout their evolutionary history.

“This suggests not only that it has proved beneficial under many different ecological circumstances, but also that its evolution may be achievable through the occurrence of a small number of mutations at only a few genetic loci.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14610248">Ecology Letters</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Photo Credit: Richard Shefferson

Some plants can hibernate underground for up to 20 years

A study led by Professor Richard Shefferson at the University...

Understanding and modeling the impacts of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-big-business/">climate change</a> in order to prepare for the future is now more important than ever. 

Once critical factor to consider for future climate projections is how plants will respond to increased carbon dioxide emissions, and research has found that some plants gain a considerable amount of biomass with rising CO2 levels.

Scientists categorize plants on how they process carbon, and studies have found two classes of plants have opposing reactions to increases in carbon dioxide. 

C3 plants, which include rice, wheat, and trees, are more sensitive to carbon dioxide and increase their biomass with rising levels of CO2, while C4 plants do not gain as much biomass. 

Now, new research shows that C4 plants and C3 plants trade places, and the pattern reverses over a longer period of the time. 

The study was conducted by researchers from <a href="https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/">Western Sydney University</a>, the<a href="https://www.uwec.edu/"> University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire,</a> and <a href="https://twin-cities.umn.edu/">the University of Minnesota</a>. 

Published in the journal Science, the results show the importance of conducting long-term studies and double checking previously established results with long-term observations. 

Past experiments that found C3 plants are more sensitive to CO2 emissions only looked at rising emissions over a short period. 

Researchers led by Peter Reich found contrasting results after monitoring 88 plots in Minnesota for a period of 20 years. 

During the first twelve years of the 20-year period, the researchers noticed that an average 20 percent increase in the biomass of the C3 plots and only a one percent increase in C4 plots. 

After the twelve years though, the pattern switched, and C3 plots had less growth than C4 plots which averaged a 24 percent increase in biomass. 

External factors like precipitation did not seem to affect this change, but the researchers did note that nitrogen mineralization played a role in the increased biomass over the years. 

The study is important as it shows the limits of short-term research.  C4 plants contribute to 25 percent of land biomass globally, and now researchers will have a better understanding how plants will be affected by rising levels of CO2, especially plant groups that are such a critical part of global agriculture and the ecosystem. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Plants respond to rising CO2 levels in some surprising ways

Understanding and modeling the impacts of climate change in order...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.med.unc.edu/">University of North Carolina School of Medicine</a> are describing the extraordinary ability of plants to heal their DNA after it is damaged by ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure. The scientists have found that the “nucleotide excision repair” system works much better in plants than in animals.

The study, which is the first to map the repair network of an entire multicellular organism, also revealed that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-genes/">DNA</a> repair systems in plants depend on the day-night cycle for their efficiency.

“These findings advance our understanding of DNA repair mechanisms common among all organisms and may also have practical applications,” said co-corresponding author Dr. Ogun Adebali.


“DNA damage accumulating in a plant will impair its growth and development, so boosting the excision repair system could be a good strategy for improving crop yields,” explained first author Dr. Onur Oztas.


The investigation was led by Dr. Aziz Sancar, who was awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his research on excision repair, which is now widely accepted as the primary mechanism of DNA repair in living organisms. 

Up until now, little has been known about how the system works in plants. But, unlike humans and other animals, plants cannot avoid sunlight and must have efficient systems that can repair DNA after UV exposure.

The research team recently developed an excision-repair mapping technique called XR-seq which was used for the current study. This groundbreaking approach allows the scientists to find and sequence damaged DNA that are cut from chromosomes during the excision repair process.

By sequencing these short sections of discarded DNA, the scientists can match them to their corresponding sections on a genome that has been mapped as a reference, allowing the experts to pinpoint where DNA damage is being repaired.

“The results show that excision repair in plants is regulated in much the same way it is in other organisms - in order to maximize efficiency,” said Dr. Oztas.

The team plans to follow up with studies focused on learning more about excision repair in plants. For example, they will investigate why suppression of the excision repair system leads to an increase in plant genome mutations even when the plant is kept in the dark with no exposure to light.

“This implies that excision repair is needed to fix DNA damage from other, unknown factors besides UV,” said Dr. Oztas. “We'd like to identify and characterize those unknown factors and find out how excision repair fixes the types of damage they cause.”


The research is published in the journal <a href="https://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

Plants have a special system to protect their DNA from sun damage

Researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine...

When <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/false-news-stories-twitter/">Twitter</a> isn’t the breeding ground of unique viral stories or contentious political debates, it can actually be a useful tool of productive collaboration. This was on display in an interaction between <a href="https://www.bucknell.edu/">Bucknell University</a> Professor Chris Martine and his Twitter followers.

While searching for the Pennsylvania state-endangered golden corydalis on steep cliffs this past summer, Martine came across some specimens of what he believed to be Heuchera americana. He took a quick picture of a bumblebee on the plant, and tweeted it out. The interactions spurred by this post led Ryan Folk of the <a href="https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/">Florida Museum of Natural History</a> to correct Martine, informing him that it was actually Heuchera alba, which is “quite rare.” This may be the first record of this plant in the state of Pennsylvania. 

Upon returning from collecting specimens they gathered rappelling up and down the cliffs, the research team examined historical collections held at Bucknell University. Through their analysis, they determined that local botanists have been misidentifying this species for over 100 years. With this new information, the researchers were able to discover seven additional populations of H. alba, which indicates a major range expansion for a species that has only been known to exist in small populations in the mountains of West Virginia and Virginia.

[caption id="attachment_1212945" align="aligncenter" width="996"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/167881.jpg"><img class="size-large wp-image-1212945" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/167881-1024x784.jpg" alt="" width="996" height="763" /></a> Image Credit: Christopher T. Martine[/caption]

The research team has recorded their observations – as well as tips for how other can locate and protect more H. alba populations – in the open access journal <a href="https://phytokeys.pensoft.net/">PhytoKeys</a>. 

This combination of scientific work with modern social media platforms points towards a more modern way of conducting field research. If scientists can use these platforms to better collaborate, it may help expedite discoveries such as these. 

“Importantly, this discovery is not just a cool showcase for how science and modern communications outlets can work together, it also gave us key information on the status of H. alba that can guide future conservation efforts,” explains Martine.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image: <a href="https://twitter.com/martinebotany?lang=en">@MartineBotany</a> on Twitter

Twitter post leads to discovery of endangered plant population

When Twitter isn’t the breeding ground of unique viral stories...

Researchers at <a href="https://www.su.se/english/">Stockholm University</a> have discovered a type of moss that can eliminate arsenic from water. The removal process is not only effective but it is also very fast, transforming contaminated water to a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/radioactive-material-drinking-water/">safe drinking</a> level in just one hour.

“Our experiments show that the moss has a very high capacity to remove arsenic,” said study co-author Arifin Sandhi. “It takes no more than an hour to remove 80 percent of the arsenic from a container of water. By then, the water has reached such a low level of arsenic that it is no longer harmful to people.”

Warnstorfia fluitans, an aquatic moss that grows in northern Sweden, is known for its incredible absorption abilities. 

Arsenic occurs naturally in the ground and bedrock in some parts of Sweden. For this reason, mining activities can pollute water and soil with arsenic.


Study lead author Maria Greger is an associate professor in the <a href="https://www.su.se/deep/english/">Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences</a> at Stockholm University.

“We hope that the plant-based wetland system that we are developing will solve the arsenic problem in Sweden's northern mining areas,” said Professor Greger.


When ground and water systems are contaminated, drinking water and water used for crops are polluted as well. In Sweden, crops such as wheat, root vegetables, and leafy greens may be tainted with arsenic. In other parts of the world, arsenic is often found in other foods like rice.

"How much arsenic we consume ultimately depends on how much of these foods we eat, as well as how and where they were grown,” said Professor Greger. 

“Our aim is that the plant-based wetland system we are developing will filter out the arsenic before the water becomes drinking water and irrigation water. That way, the arsenic will not make it into our food.”

The findings of the research may ultimately lead to an environmentally friendly way of purifying water. For example, Warnstorfia fluitans could be grown in waterways with high levels of arsenic.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/environmental-pollution/">Environmental Pollution</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Arifin Sandhi

This aquatic moss quickly removes arsenic from water

Researchers at Stockholm University have discovered a type of moss...

Researchers may have found a way to control the random germination that occurs as a protective measure in plants. 

Plants “hedge their bets” and have their seeds germinate at different times. It’s part of the unavoidable, random nature of biochemical processes in cell biology. 

Germinating at different times is meant as a preemptive guard against environmental challenges that plants can face. 

While helpful for the plants, this gambling approach to germination can be problematic for farmers who want uniform fields of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/crops-use-less-water/">crops</a>. 

The new research could help aid the agricultural industry and reduce the varying germination times. 

The study was conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/">University of Birmingham</a> and was published in the Journal of The Royal Society Interface. 

The researchers focused on stochasticity in the thale cress plant in order to identify and analyze the circuitry in plant cells that control random germination. 

Hormone levels are difficult to observe in plant embryos so the researchers had to use mathematical modeling to predict different biological processes in the thale cress. 

“It's really this interface of biology with maths that lets us understand and predict the processes generating variability in plant cells,” said Iain Johnston, from the School of Biosciences at the University of Birmingham. 

By better understanding the inner workings of the plants, the researchers were able to determine potential ways for reducing this variability. 

The results could help create uniformity in crops and aid in future global food security challenges. 

“Our identification of this variability-generating circuit provides the opportunity to synchronize and enhance future agricultural production,” said George Bassel, a co-author of the study.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Iain Johnston

Plants have their seeds germinate at different times

Researchers may have found a way to control the random...

Elon Musk’s mission to Mars has been all the rage among space enthusiasts, and his <a href="http://www.spacex.com/about">SpaceX</a> enterprise is the only private company with successful return missions from space under its belt. 

Plans involving future Mars trips have been discussed before, but learning to optimally grow food in space and enclosed environments will be critical to the success of those missions. 

The <a href="http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Engineering_Technology/TTP2/Top_tomatoes_thanks_to_Mars_missions">European Space Agency</a> (ESA) recently reported on a company that has been working to find the best way to fertilize plants in space and has created better solutions for fertilization on Earth. 

The Dutch company <a href="http://www.agrocontrol.nl/en/">Groen Agro Control</a>, inspired by President Obama’s 2010 speech on the importance of missions to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/life-earths-driest-desert-mars/">Mars</a>, invested considerably in fertilization research.

“In space, you can fertilize plants only with the minerals you take with you, but you still want them to produce the best possible crops,” said Lex de Boer, a Groen Agro Control employee told ESA. 

Groen Agro Control met with a team from ESA, which helped the company create a smart service for horticulturalists on Earth.

Because any sort of crop or plant growth in space will happen in a closed environment with only the supplies brought along, the goal was to create a system that utilized the perfect amount of minerals, and reused and recycled water and carbon dioxide produced by plants with very little waste. 

The <a href="http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Engineering_Technology/MELiSSA_life_support_project_an_innovation_network_in_support_to_space_exploration">ESA’s Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative Project</a> is a perfect example of this symbiotic kind of relationship. 

“Ideally, you would also use the water that evaporates from the plants as a source of drinking water, with the minimum amount of purification. That means you have to apply doses of each mineral extremely carefully so that as little as possible ends up unused in the drain water,” said de Boer. 

Groen Agro Control built an enclosed system and conducted different experiments with tomato and pepper plants. 

The plants were given doses of 16 minerals and the researchers recorded how different doses affected the plants’ growth. 

During these experiments, the company developed a fertilization plan for growers on Earth that maximizes growth and crop yield. Growers who are signed up for the service will receive alerts from the Dutch company as they continue to test and modify their fertilizer solution. 

Even though the ultimate goal of the project was to create a fertilization system in space, the smart service could help the agricultural industry in the coming years as global concerns involving food security increase. The techniques cultivated inadvertently resulted in some of the most healthy looking tomatoes, which could help further driver agricultural strategies.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Techniques to grow plants in space offer perfect tomatoes

Elon Musk’s mission to Mars has been all the rage...

A recent study has revealed that sweet potatoes emerged before there were any humans around. The research also indicates that the sweet potato made its way from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/americans-benefit-cutting-salt/">America</a> to Polynesia without human assistance 

“Apart from identifying its progenitor, we also discovered that sweet potato originated well before humans, at least 800,000 years ago,” said study co-author Robert Scotland from the <a href="http://www.ox.ac.uk/">University of Oxford</a>. “Therefore, it is likely that the edible root already existed when humans first found this plant.”

The research team set out to investigate the origin and evolution of the sweet potato and also to determine how the sweet potato was widespread in Polynesia by the time Europeans first arrived. Because the crop originated in America, the presence of sweet potatoes in Polynesia was thought to be evidence of pre-European contacts between Americans and Polynesians.

The experts sequenced the DNA of almost 200 specimens, including the sweet potato and all of its relatives found in the wild. The analysis produced evidence which strongly suggests that sweet potatoes arose as the result of a genome duplication event.

The researchers concluded that the only species that was involved in the origin of the sweet potato was its closest wild relative, Ipomoea trifida.

“We demonstrate that the existence of those two different lineages is the result of an ancient hybridization between sweet potato and its progenitor,” said study first author Munoz-Rodriguez.

“We conclude that sweet potato evolved at least 800,000 years ago from its progenitor, and then after the two species became distinct, they hybridized.”

Scotland explained that, now that the sweet potato’s progenitor has been identified, scientists can examine its potential for breeding.

“Our results challenge not only the hypothesis that the sweet potato was taken to Polynesia by humans, but also the long-time argued existence of ancient contacts between Americans and Polynesians,” said Munoz-Rodriguez. 

“These contacts were considered as true based on evidence from chickens, humans, and sweet potato. Evidence from chickens and humans is now considered questionable, and thus sweet potato was the remaining biological evidence of these alleged contacts. Therefore, our results refute the dominant theory and call into question the existence of pre-European contacts across the Pacific.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Sweet potatoes emerged before humans 800,000 years ago

A recent study has revealed that sweet potatoes emerged before...

“Why would a plant give a shit about Mozart?” I remember him saying. “And even if it did, why should that impress us?  I mean they can eat light.  Isn’t that enough?” 
- One River by Wade Davis
<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-know-start-flowering/">Plants</a> are easy to overlook.  Plants are inanimate (mostly) and often become more of a background or a food item than a dynamic, living, breathing aspect to our world.  It’s easy to forget the casual, everyday miracle that plants can take dirt, sunlight and water and turn it into delicious food, building an ecosystem from the bottom up.  Beyond the everyday characteristics of plants that we so take for granted, they are firmly rooted (pun intended) in mythology, religion and spirituality. In a word, many plants are sacred.  

Trees cover the gamut from sacred to almost evil depending on your perspective.  The story of Cain and Abel, as well as their parents of Adam and Eve show interesting insights into the early Israelite relationship to the earth.  Of course, the knowledge of good and evil are imparted to Eve and then to Adam from the fruit of a tree. The curious revelations from the fruit lead to Adam and Eve’s expulsion from Eden and a life of toil.  The curious thing is that later, Cain a man growing fruit seems to be rejected or at least ignored by the God of the Bible, while Abel, a herdsman is embraced. To some the story of original sin as well as Cain and Abel is a veiled tale of a people torn between a sedentary life of agriculture and a pastoral, free roaming, nomadic lifestyle.  In this way, a life of tree planting is seen as a life of hardship and toil, out of balance with a more natural life of gathering or perhaps pastoralism. In this light, fruit trees are cast as a sort of villain, a harsh master demanding so much work for the mixed blessing of their fruit. 

Trees continue to be villainized throughout the Bible.  In Exodus, Deuteronomy and Kings, you see the God of the Bible connecting groves of trees to pagan worship and even commanding Jews to burn pagan groves.  To me, this hints that Judaism may have itself risen from an early polytheistic religion that included tree planting. The mention of sacred groves certainly says that other religions in the Biblical Middle East connected trees to their deities.  In many other parts of the world there are other religions with their own sacred trees. 

There are groves of trees sacred to Hindus in India where hunting and other activities have traditionally been strictly regulated.  There are also a few Indian Islamic and Buddhist groves. It’s said that the Buddha himself reached enlightenment meditating beneath a Bodhi Tree (Ficus religosa).  Japan has groves associated with Shinto shrines and the Celts throughout Europe had groves, usually associated with the Druid goddess Nemetona.  In Norse mythology, the tree Yggdrasil is an enormous ash that connects the nine worlds from the roots of the dark underworld to the airy heavens together.  

Plants are the primary source of food, fiber and medicine for traditional cultures, so it’s not surprising that sometimes they’re endowed with special powers.  What may be surprising to some is that plants actually do have special powers, containing millions of bioactive compounds. Some compounds such as caffeine are easily taken for granted but imagine the world without coffee, tea or chocolate.  Some compounds and plants are stranger and harder to discount. Quanah Parker, a Comanche Chief and proponent of the Native American Church, highlights the power of some plants in this quote: 

“The White Man goes into his church and talks about Jesus. The Indian goes into his tipi and talks with Jesus.”

Parker is talking about using Peyote in the American Indian Church.  Peyote is just one of many mind bending, plants imbued with spiritual powers.  There is even talk that psychedelic plants were instrumental in creating even the most popular of modern religions.  Looking again at the Bible story of Adam and Eve, one wonders if there is another interpretation to be made. Perhaps the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is a psychedelic plant giving revelation from a powerful wallop of drug.  Ayahuasca is another drug, derived from vines and other plants that is becoming more popular. The drink is a powerful hallucinogen from the Amazon region and extremely important in Native South American culture. These days tourists visit retreats to take Ayahuasca as a sort of short cut to ‘instant Karma’ or enlightenment.  There are hints that the ancient Greeks may have mixed hallucinogenic plants into their wine on special occasions.

Of course our most common mood altering drugs also come from plants in their own way, alcoholic beverages although created by yeast are created from plants.

Marijuana is also obvious as a mind altering plant and is considered something sacred by the Rastafarian religion.  Rastafarians even believe marijuana is mentioned several times in the Bible, such as in Revelations 22:2, “The herb is the healing of the nations”

Plants provide medicine as well as enlightenment.  Many modern drugs are derived from plants. Heart medicine is made from the poisonous flowering plant foxglove; aspirin was originally discovered in tree bark.  Quinine, a drug used for malaria was discovered in the bark of the Cinchona tree of South America, despite that malaria originated in Africa. 

With all the uses of plants and our dependence on them, it’s hard to say they aren’t sacred.  If you consider your own life special, sacred, valuable, consider this: your life depends on plants for almost everything.                       

 --

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Sacred plants in mythology, religion, and spirituality

“Why would a plant give a shit about Mozart?” I...

As far as the natural world is concerned, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/us-mexico-border-wall-threaten-100-endangered-species/">international borders</a> are just lines drawn on a map.  Abstract. A wall is a way to manifest an unnatural idea. 

Jaguars perhaps most famously often cross the fluid border between the US and Mexico.  Fish seem to wander at will along the very fluid border set by the Rio Grande between Texas and the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila and Tamaulipas.

Of course it’s little different with people.  Native American tribes such as the Tohono O’odham and Yaqui have lived on both sides of the US-Mexico border since before either country existed, often travelling across the not yet existing border.  Today the reality hasn’t changed much, with many tribes crossing the borders for ceremonies, work or simply to visit family members and friends. 

The truth of the ecological unity between the United States of America and Mexico is shown quite clearly in the lands protected by governments on both sides of the border.  

Organ Pipe National Monument is a desert park taking up 330,689 acres of land on the southern border of Arizona and Mexico.  95% of the land in Organ Pipe is set aside as wilderness area. From peaks inside Organ Pipe National Monument, you can look across the border into Mexico and see El Picante y Gran Desierto de Altar.  El Picante y Gran Desierto de Altar is considerably larger than the US Organ Pipe, measuring approximately 1,765,731 acres. Organ Pipe also partners with Delta de Rio Colorado and Alto Golfo de California in Mexico for management.  The landscape of broken volcanic geology and spare desert vegetation is common to Organ Pipe as well as El Picante y Gran Desierto de Altar. Sonoran Pronghorn are monitored by staff in both desert parks. The parks on the coast in Mexico share water from the Colorado River originating in the US.  

Of course, the border is a stark reality to humans on both sides of it.  In the 90s, border security in urban areas increased dramatically; forcing Mexicans seeking a better life, and illegal smuggling operations into the desert to cross into the US.  According to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/">The Guardian</a>, border patrol intercepted about 23 people in Organ Pipe National Monument per day in 2015.  The remains of 129 people who crossed the border illegally were found in the desert of southern Arizona in 2014.       

The reality of Organ Pipe National Monument has changed radically in recent decades.  In 2002 Kris Eggle, a Park Law Enforcement Officer, was killed by members of a drug cartel fleeing Mexico.  The murder prompted closing the majority of the park, an order that remained largely in effect for almost 11 years.  When the park completely reopened to the public in 2014, it was with a very different face. <a href="https://www.hcn.org/">High Country News</a> reported that the park in 2014 had 20 law enforcement officers compared to 5 in 2003.  Likewise, Border Patrol agents increased 20-fold to a total of over 500. The park is now said to be safe for tourists.

Big Bend National Park in Texas shares a border with Mexico for 118 miles says the National Park Service website.  On the same website, under the heading of ‘Safety Advice’ is a recommendation: 

“People in distress may ask for food, water, or other assistance. It is recommended that you do not make contact with them, but note the location, and immediately notify park rangers. Lack of water is a life-threatening emergency in the desert.”

It’s clear from the context that this refers to illegal immigrants from Mexico.  Elsewhere on the website, the subject of border merchants is broached. On the U.S. side of the border, tourist items such as walking sticks and bracelets are left for sale by Mexican merchants.  The website says buying these items encourages illegal crossing of the river which may lead to incarceration. 

According to <a href="https://www.npr.org/">NPR</a>, The Big Bend Sector of the border has had the lowest apprehension rate of illegal crossers annually for the last 44 years.  The inhospitable terrain might be the reason why. Unlike in the Sonoran desert, the terrain of Big Bend might keep many from even trying to cross into the US, outside of border merchants.

In Big Bend, the Rio Grande River which already forms a natural border between US and Mexico is also of supreme importance to wildlife.  A potential border wall could kill animals searching for a drink in the arid Chihuahuan Desert. Black Bears, Mountain Lions, Big Horn Sheep, Coyotes, and Coati all live in the park.  Wildlife doesn’t respect borders and needs freedom to move for survival, especially in demanding desert regions. 

Bordering Big Bend National Park on the Mexico side are Cañón de Santa Elena Flora and Fauna Protection Area and Maderas Del Carmen Biosphere Reserve, both of which are sister parks to Big Bend.  As sister parks, the managing agencies of the parks in the US and Mexico work together on things such as wildlife monitoring on both sides of the border. All together, the two Mexican protected areas and the one in the US make up The Big Bend Conservation Corridor Initiative, protecting more than 3 million acres, an area Wikipedia notes, as large as the US state of Connecticut.  As the name corridor implies, the area has been set aside partially to enable migration of wildlife north to south through the border region. 

At the turn of the last century, Black Bears were said to be common in the Chisos Mountains of Big Bend National Park.  Ranchers, hunters and federal predator control agents put an end to Black Bears in the Big Bend region. By 1944 when Big Bend National Park was established, there were virtually no Black Bears at all.

In the 1980s bears made a comeback in Big Bend, journeying across the deserts of Mexico, swimming the Rio Grande a female from Sierra Del Carmen crossed even more desert in Texas to re-establish her species in the Chisos Mountains of Big Bend once again.  Without the corridor left intact between the US and Mexico, Black Bears could never have come back to Big Bend. 

So far, the president and his cabinet have said that Big Bend won’t be a place where an actual border wall will be built.  

All along the border, parks and preserves in the US partner with those in Mexico to protect the land and wildlife common to both.  Chiricahua National Monument, Saguaro National Park, Coronado National Memorial all in Arizona have sister Parks in Mexico. White Sands National Monument in New Mexico partners with Cuatrocienagas Biosphere Reserve to develop shared inventory and monitoring programs.  Besides Big Bend in Texas, Padre Island National Seashore also partners with a Biosphere Reserve and a National Park in Mexico. 

Beyond parks, projects such as the Northern Jaguar Project bridge the international border between the US and Mexico.  Monarch Butterflies that pollinate millions of flowers in the US winter in Mexico, where tourists flock to see magical clouds of the insect.  

It’s easy to forget that nature works as a whole and isn’t divided by artificial boundaries drawn on the map so human can cut the world into chunks easily used for human purposes.  For now, the border between US and Mexico remains fluid in many areas. 

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Life on the US-Mexico border is fluid for many wildlife species

As far as the natural world is concerned, international borders...

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;



---



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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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 



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[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

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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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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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



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



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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes a new map of Mars that is providing insight into the planet’s watery past. The map also reveals where future missions could safely land on Mars.&nbsp;



The map has been created over the last decade using observations of water-rich rocks and mineral deposits. The images were captured by ESA’s Mars Express and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.



"A big surprise is the prevalence of these minerals, with the map revealing hundreds of thousands of water-affected locations in the oldest parts of the planet," says ESA. "The new data will help answer exciting questions about Mars’ climate history, whether water was globally persistent or confined to short, intense episodes, and whether the conditions were ever suitable for life."



"Specifically, the map shows the locations and abundances of aqueous minerals. These are from rocks that have been chemically altered by the action of water in the past, and have typically been transformed into clays and salts."



According to John Carter of the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), our collective understanding of Mars has been oversimplified. He explained that planetary scientists have tended to think that only a few types of clay minerals on Mars were created during its wet period, then as the water gradually dried up, salts were produced across the planet.



The new map shows that the composition of Mars is much more complicated than what we thought. For example, while many salts formed after Martian clays, there are some salts that are presumed to be older than some of the clays.&nbsp;



“The evolution from lots of water to no water is not as clear cut as we thought, the water didn’t just stop overnight. We see a huge diversity of geological contexts, so that no one process or simple timeline can explain the evolution of the mineralogy of Mars. That’s the first result of our study. The second is that if you exclude life processes on Earth, Mars exhibits a diversity of mineralogy in geological settings just as Earth does,” said Carter.



Video 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 history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes how cavefish adapted to a sedentary lifestyle over tens of thousands of years. 



The experts found that the muscle metabolism of cavefish has been genetically reprogrammed over time. As a result, the animals have experienced major changes in their morphology and behavior. Despite these changes, however, the cavefish remain healthy and fit.



The research may provide new clues about the evolutionary consequences of prolonged physical inactivity in humans.&nbsp;



“It’s no surprise that people are moving less and less as technology has advanced,” said Rohner. “With cavefish, we have a unique system where we can study what might happen if people remained couch potatoes over very, very long periods of time.”



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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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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Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> some of the most incredible waves in the world, as seen by Landsat satellites.



"With more than 370,000 miles of coastline on Earth, there are plenty of places where epic waves build up, curl over, and hurtle toward the shore.- much to the thrill of surfers," says NASA. "There are some places where these waves are so magnificent that they can be seen from space."



"With the broad perspective of satellites, we can see how these iconic waves develop into the world’s tallest, longest, fastest, and heaviest."



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&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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Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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