<p>A recent analysis of the Sapphire Canyon mudstone core, drilled by NASA’s Perseverance rover in July 2024, adds new and convincing evidence to the ongoing search for life on Mars.</p>



<p>The study describes minerals and textures that - on Earth - are often linked to microbial activity. At the same time, the authors stress that some unknown, nonbiological chemistry could also explain the signals.</p>



<p>“This finding by Perseverance is the closest we have ever come to discovering life on Mars. The identification of a potential biosignature on the Red Planet is a groundbreaking discovery, and one that will advance our understanding of Mars,” said acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy. </p>



<p>“NASA’s commitment to conducting Gold Standard Science will continue as we pursue our goal of putting American boots on Mars’ rocky soil.”</p>



<p>The core was taken from a rock named "<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/perseverance-rover-finds-best-evidence-yet-life-on-mars-cheyava-falls-rock/">Chevaya Falls</a>" in Neretva Vallis, an ancient river channel about a quarter mile wide that once fed Jezero Crater’s lake. </p>



<p>After drilling, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/perseverance-rover-captures-a-surprise-dust-devil-while-taking-high-resolution-selfie-on-mars/">Perseverance</a> sealed the sample for possible return to Earth, where laboratory instruments can perform tests far beyond the rover’s onboard capabilities.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-inside-the-martian-mudstone">Inside the Martian mudstone</h2>



<p>Lead author Joel A. Hurowitz of <a href="https://www.stonybrook.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stony Brook University</a> (SBU) reports a fine-grained mudstone with circular reaction fronts informally called leopard spots, plus small nodules embedded in layered sediments.</p>



<p>Perseverance’s <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/jpl/the-detective-aboard-nasas-perseverance-rover/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SHERLOC</a> and <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/heres-how-ai-is-changing-nasas-mars-rover-science/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PIXL</a> instruments mapped organic carbon with phosphate, iron, and sulfur arranged in distinct, repeating patterns.</p>



<p>Two minerals stand out: vivianite and greigite. Vivianite is an iron phosphate, while greigite is an iron sulfide associated with iron and sulfur cycling in oxygen-poor settings.</p>



<p>These features show up in rocks that settled from<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wave-ripples-discovered-mars-surface-indicate-liquid-water-present-4-billion-years-ago/"> water</a>, not in lavas. The site on Mars lies along Bright Angel, a set of outcrops that preserve layers and veins consistent with slow changes after the mud was laid down.</p>



<p>Textures and chemistry point to low temperature reactions that reorganized elements already present in the mud. </p>



<p>That detail matters because low temperatures fit environments that life can handle, while very hot conditions tend to erase delicate signals.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-earth-microbes-leave-similar-traces">Earth microbes leave similar traces</h2>



<p>On Earth, vivianite often forms where microbes reduce iron in water-rich sediments and trap phosphorus in blue-green nodules. </p>



<p>Laboratory and field work document biologically mediated vivianite through extracellular electron transfer.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/greigite" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Greigite</a> frequently appears where sulfate reducing bacteria drive chemistry in anoxic muds. In controlled experiments, greigite was detected only in live biotic setups after months of incubation.</p>



<p>The Martian rock shows rims rich in vivianite surrounding small cores enriched in greigite. That bullseye pattern matches a sequence of electron transfer reactions seen in some Earth sediments.</p>



<p>None of this proves metabolism happened in Bright Angel mud, but it shows the chemistry is right for it. That is a subtle point, and it is the reason scientists keep the language cautious.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evidence-of-life-on-mars">Evidence of life on Mars</h2>



<p>A potential biosignature is a feature that might have a biological origin but still needs more data to rule out nonbiological sources. </p>



<p>NASA points mission teams and the public to the Confidence of Life Detection, or CoLD scale, which encourages staged claims and independent checks.</p>



<p>The CoLD mindset is simple in practice. First detect a signal, then exclude contamination, then tackle alternatives, and only then talk about life on Mars with high confidence.</p>



<p>The Bright Angel work sits early on that ladder. It clears several necessary steps but leaves demanding tests for the lab.</p>



<p>Organic compounds can also arrive by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-meteorites-tell-us-about-their-birthplace-in-space/">meteorites</a> or form without biology. The authors note those routes and describe how future analyses could tell paths apart.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-organic-signals-but-no-certainty">Organic signals, but no certainty</h2>



<p>The Mars rover detected organic carbon in several targets within Bright Angel. Reaction fronts rimmed with vivianite surround cores richer in greigite, a pairing consistent with iron and sulfur cycling recorded in the paper.</p>



<p>Mineral veins include calcium sulfate, while the mudstone remains fine-grained and low in magnesium and manganese. There is no sign of intense heating that would reset the rock or scramble tiny textures.</p>



<p>The outcrop sits within layered sediments deposited by water flowing through Neretva Vallis. That channel spans roughly a quarter mile across, which implies sustained flow into Jezero’s ancient lake.</p>



<p>Low temperature context favors life-compatible chemistry, but it does not require life. Abiotic organics and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mineral-discovery-sheds-light-on-mars-fiery-past/">mineral</a> reactions can sometimes copy the same shapes and signals.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-not-proof-but-potential-life-on-mars">Not proof, but potential life on Mars</h2>



<p>“It’s not life itself,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, stressing that this is a potential biosignature, not proof of life. The lead author echoed that caution.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“We cannot claim this is more than a potential biosignature,” said Hurowitz. Other officials also underscored the stakes and the limits.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“[But] this very well could be the clearest sign of life that we’ve ever found on Mars,” said Sean Duffy, acting NASA administrator. </p>



<p>Caution is not hedging for its own sake. It is how science avoids false alarms when the question is this important.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/mars-life_olivine_leopard-spot_Cheyava-Falls_Perseverance-rover_NASA_1big.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/mars-life_olivine_leopard-spot_Cheyava-Falls_Perseverance-rover_NASA_1s.webp" alt="NASA’s Perseverance rover discovered leopard spots on a reddish rock nicknamed “Cheyava Falls” in Mars’ Jezero Crater in July 2024. Scientists think the spots may indicate that, billions of years ago, the chemical reactions in this rock could have supported microbial life; other explanations are being considered. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS" class="wp-image-1985874"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>NASA’s Perseverance rover discovered leopard spots on a reddish rock nicknamed “Cheyava Falls” in Mars’ Jezero Crater in July 2024. Scientists think the spots may indicate that, billions of years ago, the chemical reactions in this rock could have supported microbial life; other explanations are being considered. Click image to enlarge. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS</em></figcaption></figure>



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



<p>If the vivianite and greigite formed through microbe-like metabolisms, then <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/perseverance-rover-begins-steep-climb-up-martian-crater-rim-jezero-crater/">Bright Angel</a> captures a period when surface waters supported the same chemical strategies some cells use for energy today. </p>



<p>That would extend Mars's habitability into a window when this part of Jezero was still wet.</p>



<p>If abiotic paths made the same pattern, the rock still records redox organization of iron, sulfur, and phosphorus in Martian mud. That is a window into how the planet cycles key elements without biology.</p>



<p>Either outcome matters for the bigger story. Mars did not just dry out, it changed its chemistry over time, and these samples let researchers track that change layer by layer.</p>



<p>The work also flags what to measure next. Isotopes, microtextures, and the exact structure of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carbon-atoms-in-your-body-took-a-400000-light-year-journey-through-space/">carbon</a> in the core can separate metabolic signatures from chemical lookalikes.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-search-for-life-on-mars-moves-forward">Search for life on Mars moves forward</h2>



<p>The authors lay out lab experiments and field analogs on Earth to test whether nonbiological reactions can reproduce these textures and mineral pairings. </p>



<p>They also point to analyses that require the sample in a clean Earth lab, including isotope ratios that biology tends to skew.</p>



<p>Sample return planning will shape how fast those tests happen. Meanwhile, the rover can keep mapping where these features cluster and how they relate to other rock units nearby.</p>



<p>PIXL and SHERLOC have shown enough sensitivity to guide that search. The pairing of elemental maps and Raman detections gives a consistent picture that can be applied to other outcrops.</p>



<p>As new targets are logged, the CoLD framework will help communicate progress without getting ahead of the data. That is how a potential biosignature becomes a result people can trust.</p>



<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/ieJKWW8sp2A
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>This animation depicts water disappearing over time in the Martian river valley Neretva Vallis, where NASA's Perseverance Mars takes the rock sample named “Sapphire Canyon” from a rock called “Cheyava Falls,” which was found in the “Bright Angel” formation. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech</em></figcaption></figure>



<p>The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09413-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Nature</em></a>.</p>



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NASA announces discovery of life on Mars with high degree of confidence

A recent analysis of the Sapphire Canyon mudstone core, drilled by NASA’s Perseverance rover in July 2024, adds new and convincing evidence to the ongoing search for life on Mars. The study describes minerals and textures that - on Earth - are often linked to microbial activity. At the same time, the authors stress that some unknown, nonbiological chemistry could also explain the signals. “This finding by Perseverance is the closest we have ever come to discovering life on Mars. The identification of a potential biosignature on...

<p><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/grapevines-could-offer-a-breakthrough-alternative-to-plastic-packaging/">Plastic</a> bags are everywhere, and too many slip into rivers and onto beaches. A new analysis finds that policies that either charge a small fee per bag or prohibit them outright cut the share of bags found during shoreline cleanups by 25 to 47 percent.</p>



<p>The study combed through hundreds of city, county, and state rules passed between 2017 and 2023. It matched those policies to more than 45,000 volunteer cleanups across the United States to see what actually changed on the ground.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-ran-the-study">Who ran the study</h2>



<p>The research was coauthored by <a href="https://www.udel.edu/academics/colleges/ceoe/departments/smsp/faculty/kimberly-oremus/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kimberly L. Oremus</a> of the University of Delaware’s School of Marine Science and Policy (<a href="https://www.udel.edu/academics/colleges/ceoe/departments/smsp/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UDEL</a>). </p>



<p>Oremus and her collaborator set out to measure litter, not just shopping behavior, so the results speak to what ends up in nature.</p>



<p>The team relied on citizen science, meaning trained volunteers recorded what they collected during beach, river, and lake cleanups. </p>



<p>They drew on <a href="https://www.coastalcleanupdata.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">TIDES</a>, a public database that stores those counts in one place so researchers can analyze patterns across time and place.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-plastic-bag-policies">Studying plastic bag policies</h2>



<p>To isolate the effect of bag policies, the authors used a Difference-in-Differences (<a href="https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/research/population-health-methods/difference-difference-estimation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DiD</a>) approach that compares places with and without new laws over the same period. </p>



<p>That design helps rule out unrelated trends that affect everyone, such as national shifts in shopping or packaging.</p>



<p>The headline result is simple. In communities with full bans or fees, the share of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drinking-from-plastic-bottles-linked-to-high-blood-pressure-and-heart-problems/">plastic</a> bags in the litter mix fell relative to similar places without policies, and the decline grew in the years after a law took effect.</p>



<p>State level rules tended to be more reliable in the data than city or county policies. Effects looked similar along coasts and rivers, with hints of larger gains along lakes where winds and currents spread litter differently.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plastic-policy-fees-vs-bans">Plastic policy: Fees vs. bans</h2>



<p>Fees change the default at every checkout and discourage taking a bag when you do not need one, which reduces both thin and thicker bag use.</p>



<p>Other <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/carrier-bag-charge-summary-of-data-in-england/single-use-plastic-carrier-bags-charge-data-for-england-2024-to-2025" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence</a> points in the same direction outside the United States. England reports an almost 98 percent drop in single use carrier bags at major retailers since its charge began.</p>



<p>Policies that only restrict thin bags often allow thicker <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/agricultural-soil-is-now-the-worlds-biggest-plastic-dumping-ground/">plastic</a> labeled as reusable. </p>



<p>Those partial bans showed the smallest and least precise effects in the analysis, which is consistent with shoppers substituting one kind of plastic for another.</p>



<p>Some states also pass preemption <a href="https://www.ncsl.org/environment-and-natural-resources/state-plastic-bag-legislation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">laws</a> that block cities and counties from regulating bags at all. When local governments cannot act, the study’s data suggest statewide policies become especially important.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wildlife-and-entanglement">Wildlife and entanglement</h2>



<p>The cleanup records include notes on animals found <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-found-in-99-percent-sea-turtles-organ-tissue-reproductive-system/">entangled in debris</a>. </p>



<p>In areas with bag policies, the presence of entangled animals dropped by roughly 30 to 37 percent, although the authors caution that the estimates are imprecise and more data are needed.</p>



<p>That finding aligns with what we know about <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/stories/single-use-plastics-101" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">single-use-plastics</a>. Thin bags linger in water and along shorelines, where they can snag, smother, or be eaten by turtles, birds, and fish.</p>



<p>Many studies track what happens at store checkouts, but fewer track what ends up outdoors. Shoreline cleanups offer a window into that last step in the chain from purchase to pollution.</p>



<p>Across the study period, the share of bags among collected items rose overall, but it rose less where bag laws existed. That pattern is exactly what you want to see if policies are slowing the flow of litter into the environment.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-plastic-policy-steps">Global plastic policy steps</h2>



<p>A small, universal fee is a simple tool that nudges behavior without banning choices. Full bans can work too, and the analysis shows both approaches reduce the share of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/glass-bottles-contain-more-microplastics-than-plastic-containers/">plastic</a> bags found during cleanups.</p>



<p>The mix of policies should match local conditions. In places with more bag litter to begin with, impacts were largest, so targeting high problem areas with fast action can deliver quick gains.</p>



<p>Plastic bag rules are only one part of the picture. Negotiators from 175 countries are working toward a plastics treaty under <a href="https://www.unep.org/inc-plastic-pollution" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UNEP</a> that could standardize action on a wider set of products and chemicals.</p>



<p>The study notes that bottles, caps, and other items did not decline when bag policies passed. That is a signal that targeted rules for other single use products would be needed to curb overall litter.</p>



<p>Adopt a modest fee or a full ban that applies across retail and restaurant settings, and keep the text simple so it is easy to enforce. Pair the policy with clear signs at checkout and with retailer reporting that tracks compliance.</p>



<p>Measure results in the same way the researchers did. Recruit volunteers, log items in TIDES, and watch how the litter mix changes year over year so the policy can be adjusted as needed.</p>



<p>The study is published in <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adp9274" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Science</em></a>.</p>



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Studies confirm that a small tax definitely helps curb plastic pollution

Plastic bags are everywhere, and too many slip into rivers...

<p>People living on islands in Southeast Asia were not just getting by 40,000 years ago. They were heading into deep water and coming back with big, fast fish.</p>



<p>Organic boats and ropes usually rot away, so direct proof is rare. What survives are tools, fish bones, and clues in microscopic wear on stone edges.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-the-tools-really-show">What the tools really show</h2>



<p>Riczar Fuentes of <a href="https://www.ateneo.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ateneo de Manila University</a> and his colleagues focus on what stone tools reveal about plant processing and boat work. </p>



<p>Their approach links tool wear and plant fibers to practical needs like rope, nets, and bindings for watercraft and in a recent publication, they argued that a web of indirect signs can confirm real maritime skill. </p>



<p>“The identification of boat building materials through direct or indirect evidence is vital in understanding movements across and within island environments,” wrote Fuentes.</p>



<p>The same stone tools carry tiny traces that point to fiber extraction. Those fibers become cordage, lines, and netting strong enough for boat seams and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/one-third-of-shark-species-face-extinction-despite-fishing-bans/">fishing</a> gear.</p>



<p>This kind of tracing work has a name. Researchers call it traceology, a method that reads microscopic wear to reconstruct how a tool was used.</p>



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



<p>Crossing channels between islands takes planning, timing, and control. Drifting on rafts would not explain repeated arrivals in specific places over long spans of time.</p>



<p>The region in question is Island Southeast Asia, a sprawl of land and sea that demanded reliable water travel. Within it sits Wallacea, the chain of islands between Asia and Australia that always required open-water crossings.</p>



<p>Archaeologists now think people here were more than lucky passengers on currents. The tool evidence suggests deliberate building, organized labor, and coordination.</p>



<p>That kind of know-how changes how we picture daily life. It also explains how communities kept moving, trading, and adapting across thousands of years.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hooks-sharks-and-tuna-at-jerimalai">Hooks, sharks, and tuna at Jerimalai</h2>



<p>“Here we report remains of a variety of pelagic and other fish species dating to 42,000 years before the present,” wrote Sue O’Connor from Australian National University, in a <a href="https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstreams/395b3624-7aba-44e8-ae54-08a923e67615/download">report</a> describing the fish record and early gear.</p>



<p>The same study documents the earliest known shell fishhooks at Jerimalai, a rock shelter on Timor-Leste’s coast dated between about 23,000 and 16,000 years ago. These are small, precise tools that speak to careful crafting and targeted fishing.</p>



<p>The bone counts are not trivial. The team identified 38,687 fish bones from 2,843 individual fish. Crucially, the assemblage includes remains of pelagic species that live in deeper water beyond reefs.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-timor-to-the-philippines">From Timor to the Philippines</h2>



<p>Timor-Leste is only part of the picture. A broad record from the Philippines now shows long-term <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ice-age-art-discovery-reveals-15800-year-old-fishing-secrets/">fishing</a> that spans at least 30,000 years.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352409X23003978">Work</a> in Mindoro’s caves adds detail on how coastal people managed reefs and deeper zones. That study tracked which fish families show up, and when, across changing shorelines and habitats.</p>



<p>These finds tie into plant fibers and tool wear in the same region. The combined record points to people who planned, built, and fished with skill, not luck.</p>



<p>Patterns like these do not appear once and vanish. They persist, which suggests teaching, apprenticeship, and shared practice.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-boats-came-together">How boats came together</h2>



<p>Wood planks, sewn edges, and lashings would have relied on sturdy plant fibers. The tool traces match steps needed to strip, twist, and finish those fibers into ropes and lines.</p>



<p>Other <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-61839-w">research</a> shows that making string is not a recent trick, citing evidence that short fibres fragment from Abri du Maras in France records twisted plant strands more than 40,000 years ago.</p>



<p>This does not mean people in Europe and Southeast Asia did the same thing in the same way. It shows that fiber technology was within the reach of human hands and minds wherever materials allowed.</p>



<p>If people could twist string, they could weave nets, lash boat parts, and make lines. That opens the door to deep-water travel and targeted fishing.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-migration-across-islands">Rethinking migration across islands</h2>



<p>Obsidian moving between islands in southeastern Indonesia and Timor-Leste points to sustained contact. The <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0305440316301613">pattern</a> fits a late Pleistocene to early Holocene interaction zone rather than one-off drifts.</p>



<p>Stone does not sail itself, and it does not walk across channels. Its movement reflects planned trips, return journeys, and social ties.</p>



<p>Those ties likely included sharing routes and seasons. You do not reach a tuna run by guessing, you reach it by knowledge passed along.</p>



<p>As knowledge spreads, technology improves. Better ropes, better lines, and better boats raise the odds of a safe return.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-this-changes-the-story-we-tell">Why this changes the story we tell</h2>



<p>For a long time, scholars looked for the earliest big changes in a few famous regions. These finds push us to broaden the map and timeline.</p>



<p>Here, technical skill is not just tool design, it is teamwork. People needed group effort to build, carry, launch, and maintain boats.</p>



<p>But not teamwork alone, it is also about logistics. Fibers must be harvested, processed, and stored, and repairs must be made fast when seawater and sun wear things down.</p>



<p>Taken together, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-fish-bones-reveal-clues-about-the-evolution-of-eating/">fish bones</a>, the hooks, and the traces on stone tools point to a culture that understood the sea. The work looks careful, repeatable, and tied to seasons and migrations.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-remains-to-figure-out">What remains to figure out</h2>



<p>Boats do not preserve well, so many details will stay hidden. Even so, the indirect signs add up and form a consistent picture.</p>



<p>Future experiments can test which plants, tools, and fiber twists hold up under load. Those trials can feed back into the archaeological read on use wear.</p>



<p>More underwater and coastal work could reveal net weights, sinkers, or preserved cord in unusual conditions. Every new fragment can lock one more piece into place.</p>



<p>Across all of this, one message stands firm. People in Island Southeast Asia were organized and capable on the water far earlier than many assumed.</p>



<p>The study is published in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352409X25000525?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports</em></a>.</p>



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40,000 years ago, humans were already fishing for tuna and sharks in deep waters

People living on islands in Southeast Asia were not just...

<p>A team in central China has done something simple and bold, they directly dated dinosaur eggs instead of the rocks around them. The eggshell calcite from the Qinglongshan site yielded an age of 85.91 ± 1.74 million years.</p>



<p>This matters because it turns eggs from interesting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/where-did-dinosaurs-come-from-missing-fossils-hold-the-secret/">fossils</a> into reliable timestamps for life on land during the Late Cretaceous, a time of shifting climates and ecosystems.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dinosaur-eggshells-dated">Dinosaur eggshells dated</h2>



<p>The fossils come from Qinglongshan in the Yunyang Basin of Hubei Province, where thousands of intact eggs rest in stacked layers with little distortion.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“We show that these dinosaur eggs were deposited roughly 85 million years ago, in the Late Cretaceous period,” said <a href="https://loop.frontiersin.org/people/3140051/overview" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Bi Zhao</a>, from the Hubei Institute of Geosciences (<a href="https://en.cug.edu.cn/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">HIG</a>).</p>



<p>The group used carbonate <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/zircon-u-pb-dating" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U-Pb dating</a> on eggshell material, measuring uranium and lead atoms to calculate time since the shell formed. </p>



<p>In their tests, the radiogenic signal sits in biogenic calcite, the carbonate built by the egg-laying animal, which behaved as a semi-closed system for uranium uptake after burial.</p>



<p>The <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/earth-science/articles/10.3389/feart.2025.1638838/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">analysis</a> relied on <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/materials-science/laser-ablation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">laser ablation</a>, a micro laser that vaporizes pinpoint spots of carbonate which are then analyzed by a mass spectrometer for uranium and lead ratios.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The resulting age is not from ash fall or nearby minerals, it is from the eggshell itself, which frees researchers from indirect age constraints that can mislead if volcanic layers formed earlier or later than the nest horizon.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-carbonate-u-pb-works">How carbonate U-Pb works</h2>



<p>Uranium isotopes in carbonates decay into lead at known, constant rates, and the proportion of parent to daughter isotopes reveals elapsed time. </p>



<p>Cross checks, like repeated spots in different shell areas and agreement between fragments, keep the numbers honest, and the reported uncertainty of ± 1.74 million years reflects instrument precision and sample scatter, not guesswork.</p>



<p>Indirect <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1367912012005019" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">approaches</a> have anchored many Asian egg sites by dating interbedded tuffs, for example zircon based SIMS ages from the Tiantai Basin that bracket egg layers in the Laijia and Chichengshan formations at roughly 96 to 99 million years and 91 to 94 million years. </p>



<p>That prior dating set a framework that eggshell ages can now refine where ash is missing.</p>



<p>Carbonate geochronology has matured fast, with careful comparisons between uranium thorium and U-Pb techniques on the same samples showing strong consistency over wide timescales. </p>



<p>That broader look at geochronology <a href="https://gchron.copernicus.org/articles/7/335/2025/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">methods</a> helps explain why a tiny eggshell can carry a credible age.</p>



<p>The study team also separated signals, finding consistent ages from biogenic carbonates, and noisy or unusable signals from late pore filling calcite, a reminder that not all carbonates are equal for keeping time.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dinosaur-eggshell-site">Dinosaur eggshell site</h2>



<p>The Qinglongshan reserve preserves egg clutches in red siltstones and sandstones, with many eggs still three dimensional and minimally deformed, a rare condition that helps both taphonomy and dating. </p>



<p>The sampled clutch belonged to an oblate style of egg typical of the family <a href="https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Dendrobatidae/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Dendroolithidae</em></a>, which is known for highly porous shells.</p>



<p>Those Yunyang eggs have been assigned to <em>Placoolithus tumiaolingensis</em> by <a href="https://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app63/app005232018.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> that cleaned up the taxonomy and emphasized the diagnostic shell microstructure. That classification anchors the site in a broader Chinese record of <em>dendroolithid</em> eggs.</p>



<p>Porous eggshell architecture affects gas exchange and incubation, and the microstructure varies in ways that may reflect nesting style in a semi arid fluvial landscape. </p>



<p>The new age puts those choices in a tight slice of time, late Coniacian to early Santonian, rather than a vague Late Cretaceous window.</p>



<p>Thousands of eggs across stacked horizons also open the door to building a basin scale timeline where shell ages from different levels track local ecological change, sedimentation rates, and any shifts in the nesting fauna.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/dinosaur-eggs_dating-method_china_credit-Bi-Zhao_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/dinosaur-eggs_dating-method_china_credit-Bi-Zhao_1s.webp" alt="Egg clutch sampled for chronological studies. Credit Dr. Bi Zhao" class="wp-image-1985991"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Egg clutch sampled for chronological studies. Click image to enlarge. Credit Dr. Bi Zhao</em></figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dinosaur-climate-context">Dinosaur climate context</h2>



<p>Marine records indicate the Late Cretaceous did not stay uniformly hot. </p>



<p>One North Atlantic sea surface temperature <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24937202/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">record</a> shows a drop of about 7 degrees Celsius (12.6 degrees Fahrenheit), from around 35 degrees to below 28 degrees, between the earliest Campanian and the Maastrichtian.</p>



<p>Independent <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18187651/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence</a> from oxygen isotopes suggests brief glaciation episodes punctuated parts of the mid Cretaceous greenhouse, showing that climate could swing even when the world was generally warm. </p>



<p>Inland Asia would have felt those shifts in precipitation, seasonality, and vegetation.</p>



<p>Pinned ages on terrestrial <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dinosaur-extinction-theories-are-challenged-by-new-research/">fossils</a> let scientists ask tighter questions about whether nesting density changed across cooler intervals or whether certain egg types rose or fell with climate. </p>



<p>The eggshell ages at Qinglongshan now give one fixed point for such tests, and more layers can add the sequence needed to see patterns.</p>



<p>Cause and effect claims are premature at a single site, but a direct eggshell chronology makes it practical to compare neighboring basins and see whether bird and non avian <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dog-sized-baby-dinosaur-unearthed-after-166-million-years/">dinosaur</a> nesting moved, paused, or persisted during regional climate transitions.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-comes-next">What comes next</h2>



<p>The team plans to sample eggs from additional horizons at Qinglongshan, then from basins to the north and south, to build a regional timeline that can be compared with dated marine and volcanic records. </p>



<p>That will clarify which changes are local quirks and which ones reflect broader environmental forcing across East Asia.</p>



<p>Applying the same protocol to eggs in the Xixia, Jiaolai, and Nanxiong basins would close large age gaps where ash beds are absent. </p>



<p>Those basins have different egg assemblages, so a uniform clock could test migration ideas and turnover hypotheses without assuming rock ages transfer cleanly between sites.</p>



<p>Direct dinosaur eggshell dating also complements existing zircon frameworks rather than replacing them, since both tools answer different parts of the age question. </p>



<p>Zircons pin eruptive or depositional moments for ash, while eggshells date the biological event of nesting, and together they can resolve the tempo of life on land.</p>



<p>With better <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mammals-ground-dwellers-survived-the-asteroid-impact-that-killed-the-dinosaurs/">timescales</a>, small details like pore geometry, clutch spacing, and shell thickness will be tied to environmental context, not guesswork. </p>



<p>That is how a few careful ages can turn a crowded egg hillside into a precise chronicle of Late Cretaceous life in central China.</p>



<p>The study is published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/earth-science/articles/10.3389/feart.2025.1638838/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Frontiers in Earth Science</em></a>.</p>



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These dinosaur eggs tell an incredible story from 85 million years ago

A team in central China has done something simple and...

<p>Cancer sometimes gets the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/daylight-boosts-the-immune-systems-ability-to-fight-infections/">immune system</a> to back off. A new study shows that a natural signal, a hormone, can tell certain white blood cells to slow down, which lets tumors grow.</p>



<p>This finding points to a fresh target for treatment. It also helps explain why powerful cancer drugs work well for some people but not for others.</p>



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



<p>The work was co-led by Cheng Cheng “Alec” Zhang, Ph.D., Professor of Physiology at <a href="https://utswmed.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UT Southwestern Medical Center</a>.</p>



<p>Across common cancers like lung, kidney, and melanoma, only about 20 to 30 percent of patients benefit from these drugs called <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s12276-018-0130-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">immune checkpoint inhibitors</a> - medicines that remove natural brakes on T-cells so those cells attack tumors more strongly. </p>



<p>They help many people but not all. That leaves a lot of patients needing new options. </p>



<p>Many tumors build up cells from a group called <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41392-021-00670-9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">myeloid cells</a>, early responder white blood cells that usually help start immune defense. These cells can turn suppressive in cancer and hold back T-cells.</p>



<p>Cancer also changes the immune system beyond the tumor site. That broader shift matters for whether treatments work, a 2021 review explains.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-study-focuses-on-scg2">Study focuses on SCG2</h2>



<p>The team focused on <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/7857" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">secretogranin 2</a><strong> </strong>(SCG2) which acts like a hormone - a chemical messenger that cells release to send signals through the body. </p>



<p>They discovered that SCG2 latches onto <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/11006" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LILRB4</a>, a receptor, which is a docking site on the surface of certain myeloid cells that catches a signal like a hormone.</p>



<p>When SCG2 binds LILRB4, it tells those cells to ease off their tumor fighting jobs. It also interferes with the call for backup from T-cells.</p>



<p>Inside these cells, the signal turns on <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/gene/stat3/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">STAT3</a>, a protein that switches many genes on or off. When STAT3 is active in myeloid cells, those cells tend to suppress other immune cells.</p>



<p>The result is a one two punch. The early responders stop helping, and the later responders do not get to the tumor in normal numbers.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-tests-were-done">How the tests were done</h2>



<p>The researchers first confirmed the SCG2 to LILRB4 match in dishes of cells. They showed that the binding turned down myeloid cell activity that would otherwise help fight tumors.</p>



<p>They then used mice whose myeloid cells carried the human form of LILRB4. Tumors that produced SCG2 grew faster in those mice, while blocking LILRB4 slowed growth, and removing SCG2 also slowed growth.</p>



<p>The team also showed that the growth boost from SCG2 depended on T-cells. When T-cells were taken out of the picture, the advantage went away.</p>



<p>“Myeloid cells are among the first group of immune cells recruited to tumors, but very quickly these tumor-fighting cells turn into tumor-supporting cells. Our study suggests that receptors on these myeloid cells get stimulated by this <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oxytocin-cuddle-hormone-fosters-love-boosts-memory-and-may-cure-addiction/">hormone</a> and end up suppressing the immune system,” said Zhang.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-it-could-mean-for-care">What it could mean for care</h2>



<p>Blocking LILRB4 could become a new way to help more patients respond to treatment. It makes sense to test LILRB4 blockers with existing checkpoint drugs in careful trials.</p>



<p>There is early support for targeting this receptor from other diseases. In multiple <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/walking-each-day-at-any-speed-lowers-the-risk-of-cancer/">myeloma</a>, blocking LILRB4 slowed disease growth in lab and animal tests.</p>



<p>The pathway also leans on STAT3, which is a central control switch in these suppressive cells. A 2025 review notes that STAT3 helps these cells grow and shut down T-cells, so pairing a LILRB4 blocker with a STAT3 focused drug might be useful.</p>



<p>There is another angle too. Because SCG2 can quiet myeloid cells, carefully adding SCG2 might one day help calm certain inflammatory conditions that run too hot.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-questions-people-may-ask">Questions people may ask</h2>



<p>Can doctors measure SCG2 in blood or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/computer-model-can-identify-tumor-fighting-immune-cells/">tumor</a> tissue to guide care. That will require tests that are accurate and easy to run in clinics.</p>



<p>Will blocking LILRB4 cause infections or other issues since the receptor helps keep inflammation in check. Safety will need close monitoring in early trials.</p>



<p>Could tumors switch to a different signal if LILRB4 is blocked. Cancers often adapt, so combinations may be important.</p>



<p>How would doctors choose who gets a LILRB4 blocker. Matching the drug to tumors that use the SCG2 to LILRB4 route will likely matter.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-research-goes-next">Where research goes next</h2>



<p>Build a reliable test for SCG2 levels and LILRB4 activity. Use it to pick patients who are most likely to benefit.</p>



<p>Run trials that add LILRB4 blockers to checkpoint therapy. Track whether more patients respond and how long responses last.</p>



<p>Map this pathway in different <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pfas-forever-chemicals-in-tap-water-linked-to-33-percent-increase-in-cancer-rates/">cancers</a> and in human samples over time. Learn when the pathway turns on and how best to shut it off.</p>



<p>Study whether carefully giving SCG2 can help dial down harmful inflammation in certain diseases. Keep a close eye on side effects while doing so.</p>



<p>The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41590-025-02233-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Nature Immunology</em></a>.</p>



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New study shows how cancer tricks the immune system with the help of a hormone

Cancer sometimes gets the immune system to back off. A...

<p>In a new study, researchers analyzed 48 tiny bronze figurines and three copper ingots to figure out where the metals came from and how artisans made them. The team used multiple isotope tests and chemistry to follow the trail from ore to object.</p>



<p>The results point to a metal network that linked Sardinia to Iberia around 1000 to 800 BC. They also clarify that Sardinia’s famous figurines were not simply made from one local recipe.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-importance-of-sardinia-s-figurines">Importance of Sardinia's figurines</h2>



<p>The bronzes belong to the Nuragic culture of Sardinia, known for stone towers called nuraghi and for small bronze statuettes called bronzetti. These figures were often left at sanctuaries as offerings, and they depict warriors, leaders, animals, and boats.</p>



<p>Daniel Berger of the <a href="https://ceza.de/english/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Curt-Engelhorn Center for Archaeometry in Mannheim</a> (CEZA) led the lab work and data interpretation for the study, in collaboration with colleagues in Denmark, Italy, and Germany.</p>



<p>The <em>bronzetti</em> are ideal test cases because they were made on the island. If we can trace their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-discover-previously-unknown-properties-of-a-very-unusual-metal-gallium/">metals</a>, we can learn about Sardinia’s role in Bronze to Iron Age trade.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fingerprinting-ancient-alloys">Fingerprinting ancient alloys</h2>



<p>The team combined lead isotope analysis with copper, tin, and osmium isotopes. Each method adds a piece to the puzzle, since ore bodies carry distinct <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/archaeologists-find-a-luxurious-4000-year-old-tomb-for-a-teenager-with-gold-jewelry-and-mysterious-seals/">elemental</a> and isotopic fingerprints that survive smelting and casting.</p>



<p>Lead isotopes help match objects to mining districts, but overlaps can blur the picture. Osmium isotopes are rarely used in archaeology, yet they proved especially helpful here because they captured signals that lead isotopes alone could not.</p>



<p>Sampling was careful and selective. Analysts avoided corroded regions when measuring trace elements to make sure the numbers reflect the original alloy rather than weathering.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sardinian-copper-sources">Sardinian copper sources</h2>



<p>The <em>bronzetti</em> from one major sanctuary form a clear pattern that indicates mixing of different copper sources before casting. This is not random recycling, but deliberate blending of distinct metal stocks.</p>



<p>One copper pool matches southwest Sardinia, in the Iglesiente-Sulcis district. Within that district, the Sa Duchessa <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/over-100-tons-of-gold-discovered-in-a-once-hidden-mine-doropo-ivory-coast/">mine</a> is the strongest candidate based on the combined isotope and trace element signals.</p>



<p>A second copper pool points to Iberia, especially deposits in the Alcudia valley or Linares areas. Those signatures appear in several figurines from Sardinia and show that island workshops sometimes blended local copper with imported metal.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-two-sources-one-bronze">Two sources, one bronze</h2>



<p>The osmium readings are striking. Samples tied to Sardinia show unusually radiogenic osmium values, consistent with local geology, which helped rule out copper from the Levant for these figurines.</p>



<p>The Iberian-like pool carries less radiogenic osmium and different lead ratios. That contrast makes the case for mixing two supply streams during the late Nuragic period.</p>



<p>This mixing was not constant across sites, hinting at workshop choices, market availability, or both. It also suggests that Sardinia’s role was active rather than peripheral.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pinpointing-the-source-of-the-tin">Pinpointing the source of the tin</h2>



<p>Bronze is copper plus tin, yet the tin in these figurines does not match known Sardinian ore. The tin isotope values point to imports, likely from elsewhere in Europe, which aligns with broader evidence that tin traveled long distances in this era.</p>



<p>Tin isotopes have become a key tool for this question. A prior study on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bronze-age-technology-is-a-modern-solution-for-clean-energy/">Late Bronze Age</a> tin ingots showed how tin and lead isotopes, together with trace elements, can narrow down sources across the Mediterranean.</p>



<p>Cassiterite, the main tin ore, varies by region. The figurines’ tin looks lighter than Sardinian cassiterite, strengthening the case for nonlocal supply.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fingerprints-in-the-copper">Fingerprints in the copper</h2>



<p>Lead isotopes alone can be ambiguous because different regions sometimes overlap. That is why the osmium signal mattered so much in this work.</p>



<p>“The results show that <em>bronzetti</em> was primarily made from copper from Sardinia, sometimes mixed with copper from the Iberian Peninsula,” said Berger. The team could also exclude Levantine copper for these objects based on osmium.</p>



<p>Using several isotope systems together reduces the risk of misattribution. It also helps separate natural impurities from later additions when artisans alloyed or refined the metal.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sardinia-as-copper-hub">Sardinia as copper hub</h2>



<p>For decades, scholars debated whether Sardinia mainly received metals from abroad or tapped its own copper. A 2023 study reviewed that debate and argued the island may have been more autonomous than once thought.</p>



<p>The new isotope data back that view by confirming active use of Sardinia’s copper alongside imported Iberian metal. It shows choice, not dependence.</p>



<p>This is a significant shift for how we model exchange, workshop organization, and political economy in the west-central Mediterranean.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-workshop-metal-selection">Workshop metal selection</h2>



<p>If sanctuaries curated both <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/remarkable-viking-silver-hoard-discovery-reveals-far-reaching-global-trade-links/">ingots</a> and finished pieces, they likely sat inside a triangle that linked mines, villages, and ritual centers. The chemical evidence matches that kind of movement and storage.</p>



<p>Workshops probably selected copper based on availability, casting needs, or desired color and strength. Mixing two copper pools would have allowed smiths to fine-tune melt behavior without sacrificing durability</p>



<p>The absence of Cypriot copper in these figurines, despite many oxhide ingots on the island, suggests that specific object types followed distinct metal streams.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-small-figurines-big-routes">Small figurines, big routes</h2>



<p>The <em>bronzetti</em> are small, but the science behind them expands the map of who traded with whom. Sardinia shows up as a producer that knew its own ore and navigated choices among foreign supplies.</p>



<p>Iberian ties add a western thread to networks often told as an east-to-west story. Tin’s nonlocal signature weaves in yet another route.</p>



<p>A figure that is only a few inches tall can carry the story of mines, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-recreate-a-30000-year-old-epic-ocean-journey-by-canoe/">voyages</a>, and workshops across hundreds of miles. That is the power of careful measurements and cautious interpretation.</p>



<p>The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0328268" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>PLOS One</em></a>.</p>



<p>Image Credit: Berger et al., 2025, PLOS One, <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CC-BY 4.0</a> </p>



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Sardinia’s bronze figurines reveal ancient trade routes

In a new study, researchers analyzed 48 tiny bronze figurines...

<p>For a long time, the Stone Age has been painted in narrow strokes. Men hunted with stone tools, women cooked and children watched. This idea shaped research, museum displays, even the way skeletons were identified. But the ground in Latvia is telling a very different story.</p>



<p>At Zvejnieki, one of Europe’s largest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stone-tool-flint-discovery-challenges-theory-of-human-cultural-evolution/">Stone Age</a> cemeteries, archaeologists have found that tools buried with the dead were not just men’s possessions. Women had them too, so did children. </p>



<p>The way these objects were placed in graves shows they carried meaning far beyond daily work.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-graves-and-stone-tools">Ancient graves and stone tools</h2>



<p>Zvejnieki sits near Lake Burtnieks. The site has more than 330 graves, spanning over 5,000 years. Excavations began in the 1960s and continued for decades. </p>



<p>Thousands of ornaments made from animal teeth and amber came out of the ground. Red ochre stained the soil around many skeletons. These details have been studied again and again.</p>



<p>But stone tools? They were mostly ignored. Archaeologists thought of them as practical. Not decorative or symbolic. Just leftovers of everyday survival. </p>



<p>That view collapsed once Dr. Aimée Little and her team returned with new tools of their own.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-closer-at-stone">Looking closer at stone</h2>



<p>The Stone Dead Project used microscopes to search for tiny traces on the artifacts. The team studied how each tool was made, used, and finally placed in graves. </p>



<p>The results surprised everyone. Some scrapers showed wear from working animal hides. </p>



<p>Others looked fresh, almost untouched, as if they had been created only for burial. And many were broken on purpose before being laid to rest.</p>



<p>These details reveal that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-humans-traveled-long-distances-to-find-colorful-stones-for-tools/">stone</a> tools were not only about survival. They were part of rituals. Part of how people said goodbye. Part of how they thought about life and death.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tools-in-all-graves">Tools in all graves</h2>



<p>The discoveries challenged long-standing ideas about gender. Women were just as likely, sometimes even more likely, to be buried with stone artifacts. Children and older adults received them too. </p>



<p>That makes the picture clear: these objects were not reserved for hunters. They belonged to everyone.</p>



<p>“Our findings overturn the old stereotype of ‘Man the Hunter’ which has been a dominant theme in Stone Age studies, and has even influenced, on occasion, how some infants have even been sexed, on the basis that they were given lithic tools,” noted Dr. Little.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-changing-traditions-over-time">Changing traditions over time</h2>



<p>Burial practices at Zvejnieki shifted. In earlier centuries, tools were rare in graves. Later, by the 4th millennium BC, deposits grew larger. Some people were buried with dozens of flint artefacts. Many had never been used. Their role was clearly symbolic.</p>



<p>This change matched wider cultural <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stone-tools-flint-created-400000-years-show-technological-advancement-of-early-humans/">shifts</a> across the Baltic. Communities began to use more red ochre. They buried people collectively. Clay death masks appeared. The inclusion of flint tools fit into this wider move toward more elaborate rituals.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-the-tools-reveal">What the tools reveal</h2>



<p>Micro-wear analysis showed patterns that mattered. Scrapers often carried traces of hide working, suggesting that preparing skins was a valued activity even in death. </p>



<p>Bone and butchery marks appeared on some pieces. Mineral traces, connected to ochre, turned up only in female burials. That detail hints at gender-specific ritual roles.</p>



<p>Bifacial points - long seen as hunting weapons - often showed no use at all. They were made, broken, and buried. Their meaning was symbolic, not practical. Destroying them may have been part of letting go, part of a shared tradition that stretched beyond one community.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-special-graves-with-stone-tools">Special graves with stone tools</h2>



<p>Some graves stood out. An older child was buried with more than 40 tools, many unused, alongside ornaments of amber and animal teeth.</p>



<p>Another grave, belonging to a young woman, contained primary deposits with her body and additional offerings at her feet. These were not random choices. They were deliberate acts, full of meaning for the people who stood around the grave.</p>



<p>These burials show that women and children were not peripheral. They stood at the center of ritual traditions. Their graves carried messages for the living.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-breaking-old-assumptions">Breaking old assumptions</h2>



<p>The implications are clear. Tools in Stone Age burials were not simply for men. They were symbols for everyone - men, women, children, and elders. They carried social meaning and were part of rituals that bound communities together in the face of loss.</p>



<p>“This research demonstrates that we cannot make these gendered assumptions and that lithic grave goods played an important role in the mourning rituals of children and women, as well as men,” noted Dr. Anđa Petrović, from the <a href="https://www.bg.ac.rs/home/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Belgrade</a>.</p>



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



<p>What might look like simple flint flakes turn out to be keys to identity, memory, and ritual. They tell us that Stone Age communities valued more than hunting. They cared about symbolism. They cared about honoring all their members.</p>



<p>“The study highlights how much more there is to learn about the lives - and deaths - of Europe’s earliest communities, and why even the seemingly simplest objects can unlock insights about our shared human past and how people responded to death,” said Dr. Little.</p>



<p>The study shows that re-examining overlooked artifacts can transform our understanding of the past. At Zvejnieki, stone tools are no longer just tools. They are stories carved in flint, carrying the voices of communities that lived, grieved, and remembered.</p>



<p>The research is published in the journal <em><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0330623" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS One</a></em>.</p>



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Stone Age women and children were respected members of their societies

For a long time, the Stone Age has been painted...

<p>A tiny desert flower with horn-like tips has been hiding in plain sight in West Texas. Scientists have confirmed <em>Ovicula biradiata</em> is both a new species and a new genus, a rare one two in botany.</p>



<p>The plant, informally called the woolly devil, sits within the <a href="https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/family/25" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Asteraceae</a> family, the same group as sunflowers and daisies. It turned up inside Big Bend National Park and surprised experts who know this rugged country well.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-finding-ovicula-biradiata">Finding <em>Ovicula biradiata</em></h2>



<p>Lead researcher <a href="https://rockdaisy.wordpress.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Isaac H. Lichter Marck</a> works at the California Academy of Sciences (<a href="https://www.calacademy.org/scientists/botany" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CAS</a>) and coordinated the formal description.</p>



<p>Researchers compared its DNA and examined specimens in an herbarium, the scientific library of preserved plants, to check what it was not. </p>



<p>They then built a phylogenetic tree, a diagram that maps evolutionary relationships, to test where it belongs.</p>



<p>The detailed paper reports that the plant is a member of the sunflower group yet differs enough from its nearest relatives to require a new genus, which is a taxonomic rank above species. </p>



<p>“While many assume that the plants and animals within our country’s national parks have probably been documented by now, scientists still make surprising new discoveries in these iconic protected landscapes,” said Lichter Marck.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-makes-ovicula-biradiata-unique">What makes <em>Ovicula biradiata</em> unique</h2>



<p>The species is named <em>Ovicula biradiata</em>, nicknamed the woolly devil for its fuzzy leaves and small red and white flowers. It is tiny, usually about 1 to 3 inches across, and it grows low among pale limestone gravel.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/first-photograph-ovicula-biradiata-taken.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1985272"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">First photograph of <em>Ovicula biradiata</em> taken by Deb Manley on 2 March 2024.</figcaption></figure>



<p>Each head carries two ray florets, the narrow outer <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/corpse-flowers-amorphophallus-titanum-smell-like-death-but-thousands-rush-to-see-them-bloom/">flowers</a> that look like small petals in the daisy family. Seeds develop with a five scaled pappus, the set of small scales or bristles at the top of a seed that help it detach.</p>



<p>The leaves are covered with dense trichomes, which are tiny hairs that trap air and reduce water loss. That woolly coat likely helps the plant endure short bursts of sun and wind at ground level.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-it-lives-and-why-that-matters">Where it lives and why that matters</h2>



<p>Ovicula biradiata grows in the northern corner of Big Bend on coarse limestone alluvium within a very narrow range. The plant is ephemeral, which means it lives fast and blooms only after rain.</p>



<p>The Chihuahuan Desert is a hot, dry region spanning West Texas and northern Mexico, and Big Bend offers many microhabitats within that larger desert. </p>



<p>The park <a href="https://www.nps.gov/bibe/learn/news/new-plant-species-discovered-in-big-bend.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced</a> the discovery and noted that the plant appears after spring rainfall in harsh, rocky terrain.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ovicula-biradiata-extinction-risk"><em>Ovicula biradiata</em> extinction risk</h2>



<p>“We have only observed this plant in three narrow locations across the northernmost corner of the park, and it’s possible that we’ve documented a species that is already on its way out,” said Lichter Marck. </p>



<p>The study team withheld exact coordinates because of the small populations and sensitive habitat.</p>



<p>Based on known range and short life cycle, the authors note the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stressed-plants-make-sounds-and-moths-can-hear-them/">plant</a> would preliminarily qualify as vulnerable under IUCN criteria, the global standard for conservation status. </p>



<p>That call signals the need for careful monitoring, not panic, while scientists gather more data.</p>



<p>Big Bend has been surveyed for decades, yet a volunteer still found something new by looking closely at the ground. Community science tools like iNaturalist make it easier to flag unusual finds so specialists can respond quickly.</p>



<p>The woolly devil is also the first new plant genus described from a U.S. national park in nearly 50 years. The last time a similar step was taken was with July gold, a shrub described from Death Valley in 1976.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-scientists-figured-out-its-family-ties">How scientists figured out its family ties</h2>



<p>The team sequenced nuclear DNA and compared the results with related sunflowers stored in museum collections. The analysis shows Ovicula is sister to Psilostrophe, a western group sometimes called paper <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/both-bees-and-humans-like-these-flower-mixes-the-best/">flowers</a>.</p>



<p>That placement explains some of the look, such as very small flower heads and dense hair on leaves and stems. It also confirms that the unusual two ray florets are not a quirk of a known species but a trait of a line all its own.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-scientists-want-to-learn-next">What scientists want to learn next</h2>



<p>The plant’s glands could be chemically interesting because related sunflowers produce compounds linked to anti inflammatory and anti cancer activity. </p>



<p>The press team reports that researchers saw specific glands under the microscope and plan to test for these compounds in future work.</p>



<p>Climate trends raise concern because hotter, drier conditions can squeeze short lived desert annuals. Long term <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17412920/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">modeling</a> projects a more arid Southwest as temperatures rise, which could make rainy windows less frequent and shorter.</p>



<p>The obvious next steps include tracking when the plant appears, how many individuals emerge after different rain years, and what insects visit the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tonights-flower-moon-completes-2025s-micromoon-trilogy/">flowers</a>. Those answers will guide any long term protection plan.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-helping-ovicula-biradiata-thrive">Helping <em>Ovicula biradiata</em> thrive</h2>



<p>Small plants can be easy to overlook, yet they often hold the clearest signals about how a desert is changing. </p>



<p>Finding a new genus inside a well studied park is a reminder that careful field work still moves science forward.</p>



<p>It also shows why preserving habitat matters even when a species is tiny. If the habitat is intact, the species has a fighting chance to persist through hard years and rebound when conditions improve.</p>



<p>If you visit Big Bend during a wet spring, stay on durable surfaces and avoid fragile gravel flats where small annuals grow. </p>



<p>Report unusual wildflowers with clear photos and location details using community science apps, and let experts do the collecting.</p>



<p>That approach protects sensitive sites and gives researchers good data over time. It also makes every careful observer part of the discovery pipeline.</p>



<p>The study is published in <a href="https://phytokeys.pensoft.net/article/137624/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>PhytoKeys</em></a>.</p>



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New plant species has flowers with tiny 'horns' and a devilish appearance

A tiny desert flower with horn-like tips has been hiding...

<p>Hotter summers are not just uncomfortable, they also changing the odds of getting sick from food. A new analysis links warmer air, higher moisture, specific dewpoint ranges, and longer daylight to spikes in Salmonella infections across two European countries. </p>



<p>The team showed that risk climbs when average temperatures rise above about 50°F and days stretch past 12 to 15 hours.</p>



<p>Lead author <a href="https://www.londonntd.org/research/researchers/laura-c-gonzalez-villeta" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Laura C. González Villeta</a> of the University of Surrey’s <a href="https://www.surrey.ac.uk/school-veterinary-medicine" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">School of Veterinary Medicine</a><strong> </strong>led work that tied laboratory confirmed Salmonella cases to local weather conditions using a transparent statistical approach.</p>



<p>The bacteria called Salmonella cause <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15697-salmonella" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">food poisoning</a> that often brings diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. Common symptoms usually start within hours to a few days and most people recover without treatment.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-salmonella-and-the-weather">Salmonella and the weather</h2>



<p>Researchers linked daily case counts from the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-health-security-agency" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UK Health Security Agency</a> to detailed weather from the <a href="https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Met Office</a>, then checked the model with national surveillance data from the Netherlands. </p>



<p>They examined 14 factors, including temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, sunshine, and dewpoint temperature.</p>



<p>Instead of forcing a complex equation to fit the data, the group calculated a conditional incidence that directly describes how often cases occur when specific combinations of weather are present. </p>



<p>That method lets you see which trio of conditions lines up with higher infection counts without hiding the signal inside a black box.</p>



<p>The approach showed consistency when moved from one country to another after accounting for reporting differences. That matters because public <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/to-get-fit-and-stay-healthy-walk-this-exact-distance-every-day/">health</a> tools work best when they travel across borders without losing accuracy.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-the-model-found">What the model found</h2>



<p>Risk rose when average air temperatures topped roughly 50°F, day length sat between 12 and 15 hours, and dewpoint hovered around the mid 40s to about 50°F. The same pattern appeared regardless of location.</p>



<p>Not every weather knob seemed important. Wind speed, air pressure, and sunshine duration had little or no association with reported cases in this dataset.</p>



<p>Seasonal peaks in late summer were reproduced when the model fed on local weather. That gave officials a way to anticipate risk based on last week’s skies rather than waiting for lab reports to trickle in.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-weather-boosts-salmonella">How weather boosts Salmonella</h2>



<p>Broader evidence lines up with these findings. A large <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11530612/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">meta-analysis</a> of 23 Salmonella studies found about a 5 percent rise in risk for every 1.8°F increase in temperature.</p>



<p>Europe’s outbreak history shows why this topic matters. In 2018, nearly one in three foodborne outbreaks in the European Union were caused by Salmonella, according to an EFSA <a href="https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/news/salmonella-most-common-cause-foodborne-outbreaks-european-union" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">report</a>.</p>



<p>That baseline risk has not disappeared in recent years. Surveillance summaries still identify Salmonella as a leading cause of foodborne outbreaks across the region, with eggs and mixed foods often involved, as noted in EFSA’s public <a href="https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/7666" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">publication</a>.</p>



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



<p>“The study highlights how weather plays a significant role in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-are-overlooked-sources-of-antibiotic-resistant-salmonella/">Salmonella</a> outbreaks and provides a valuable tool for predicting future risks and tailoring interventions, particularly in the context of climate change,” said Dr. Villeta. The work is not just about describing patterns.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Weather aware forecasting can help agencies time inspections, target hygiene messaging, and plan surge capacity when the odds of illness tick up. </p>



<p>Food businesses can also adjust cold chain checks, staff training, and consumer advice when riskier conditions line up.</p>



<p>Individuals are not powerless either. Keep cold foods cold, cook poultry and eggs to safe temperatures, refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, and wash hands and surfaces, especially when the air is warm and the day runs long.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-high-tech-forecasting-tools">High-tech forecasting tools</h2>



<p>Most forecasting tools lean on regression or time series fits that struggle with tangled, non linear interactions. </p>



<p>The conditional incidence approach shows how combinations of temperature, humidity, and daylight align with cases, which is easier to interpret and to explain.</p>



<p>That clarity helps separate what drives risk from noise. It also allows public health teams to identify factor combinations that do not explain much, saving effort where it will not pay off.</p>



<p>Model outputs replicated real world peaks and mapped risk at fine spatial scales. That is the level where <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/childrens-screen-time-shapes-their-mental-health-as-teens/">health</a> departments and food producers make day to day choices.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-limits-and-next-steps">Limits and next steps</h2>



<p>The model tracks reported cases, which understate total infections. Even so, de trending and validation across two countries suggest the weather signals are real.</p>



<p>Future tests in different climates and income settings would show how far the method travels. Adding data on livestock density, land use, and consumer behavior could sharpen predictions without losing transparency.</p>



<p>Better early warnings do not replace basic food safety, but they can make those steps more timely. That is useful as warmer summers and longer heat seasons become more common.</p>



<p>The study is published in the <a href="https://www.journalofinfection.com/article/S0163-4453(25)00004-0/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Journal of Infection</em></a>.</p>



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Warmer weather is impacting global food supply, but not in the way you think

Hotter summers are not just uncomfortable, they also changing the...

<p>Archaeology often uncovers tools, bones, or shelters. Rarely do we get something that tells us how people looked in everyday life. </p>



<p>A small statue found in northern France now gives us a rare clue. It shows that Ice Age <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-clay-puppets-figurines-resemble-modern-toy-dolls-with-detachable-heads/">communities</a> paid close attention to how they styled their hair.</p>



<p>In 2021, archaeologists digging at a site called Amiens-Renancourt 1, about 140 kilometers north of Paris, pulled a miniature figure from the ground. </p>



<p>It looked like many Ice Age statuettes found across Europe, but researchers noticed one unusual detail that set it apart from the rest. The hair, carefully carved and strikingly patterned, immediately caught attention.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-striking-ancient-hairstyle">Striking ancient hairstyle</h2>



<p>The figure’s hair isn’t short or covered, as in most figurines from central and eastern Europe. Instead, it flows long and appears woven in a grid-like pattern, almost like braids or a hair net. </p>



<p>This detail makes the French figure stand out. It suggests that people in the region had their own way of presenting themselves, different from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meandering-rivers-shaped-early-landscapes-before-plants-arrived/">neighbors</a> further east.</p>



<p>The hairstyle wasn’t carved by accident. It took time, effort, and intention. This tells us that Ice Age groups cared about more than just survival. They also cared about style, identity, and the impression they made on others.</p>



<p>Hair could have carried meaning in rituals, daily <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-societies-used-mixed-strategies-to-survive-climate-change/">life</a>, or group belonging. We may never know which. But the statue proves that appearance mattered.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-capturing-details-of-human-life">Capturing details of human life</h2>



<p>Dating places the figure at roughly 27,000 years old. That makes it part of the Gravettian culture, which spread across Europe between 33,000 and 26,000 years ago. </p>



<p>This period produced the famous Venus figurines - small carvings of women with exaggerated features.</p>



<p>The Amiens find belongs to that tradition, but with a local twist. A few thousand years later, the last glacial maximum pushed people out of northwestern Europe for nearly ten millennia. </p>



<p>That break left gaps in what we know about their traditions.</p>



<p>The tiny carving shows real skill. The artist gave attention not only to the body but also to surface textures like hair. Such choices suggest more than simple representation. </p>



<p>The maker wanted to capture real details of human life. This wasn’t just <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/5000-year-old-fort-hidden-in-the-jungle-confirms-ancient-society-sophistication-lidar/">art</a> - it was record-keeping in its own way.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-patchwork-of-traditions">Patchwork of traditions</h2>



<p>The Amiens dig did not stop with one statue. Excavators uncovered more than a dozen figurines, plus fragments of many others. </p>



<p>Together they hint at something bigger: a workshop. Craftspeople may have gathered at this spot to carve, teach, or share techniques. It wasn’t random. The concentration points to organized production.</p>



<p>Across Europe, Venus figurines share certain traits. Many emphasize the body while leaving the head and hair vague or hidden. </p>



<p>That is why the Amiens example is so important. It pays attention to the head and hairstyle, a feature often overlooked.</p>



<p>This suggests that while Gravettian culture was widespread, local communities still expressed themselves differently. </p>



<p>These variations remind us that prehistoric Europe was not one uniform world but a patchwork of traditions.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-self-expression-and-survival">Self-expression and survival</h2>



<p>When we think of Ice Age life, we often imagine hardship, cold, and constant struggle. Yet finds like this show another side. </p>



<p>People had the space to create, to decorate, and to focus on details that went beyond food and shelter.</p>



<p>Art, fashion, and identity were part of their lives too. That balance of survival and self-expression makes them feel closer to us, reminding us that creativity and culture have always shaped human existence.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ancient-hairstyles_carved-figures_Amiens-Renancourt-1_Lancelot_Inrap_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ancient-hairstyles_carved-figures_Amiens-Renancourt-1_Lancelot_Inrap_1s.jpg" alt="Carved figure heads shown before and after cleaning of concretions. Credit: Stéphane Lancelot, Inrap/Science Direct" class="wp-image-1985943"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Carved figure heads shown before and after cleaning of concretions. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Stéphane Lancelot, Inrap/Science Direct</em></figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mystery-of-the-ancient-hairstyle">Mystery of the ancient hairstyle </h2>



<p>Even with all these finds, the purpose behind them remains uncertain. Did the figures serve as teaching tools, symbols of belief, or simple decorations? </p>



<p>The hairstyle may reflect everyday fashion, or it may have had deeper meaning tied to group identity. We can only guess. The figurines speak, but only in fragments.</p>



<p>This statue reminds us that Ice Age communities weren’t just hunters and survivors. They had style, taste, and a sense of expression. </p>



<p>They valued details like hair enough to carve them into stone, showing deliberate attention to individuality and identity.</p>



<p>For us, it’s a small but vivid link to people who lived almost thirty millennia ago, carrying their stories forward through silent figures that still speak today.</p>



<p>The study is published in the <em><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352409X25003189" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports</a>.</em></p>



<p>Image Credit: Stéphane Lancelot, Inrap</p>



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These sculpted figure heads may reveal how people wore their hair 27,000 years ago

Archaeology often uncovers tools, bones, or shelters. Rarely do we...

<p>In a lab in Genoa, Italy, volunteers teamed up with iCub, a child-sized humanoid robot, to slice a bar of soap using a steel wire. The task itself was simple. What surprised researchers was what happened afterward: the participants’ brains began treating iCub’s hand as if it were their own.</p>



<p>The study was led by experts at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (<a href="https://www.iit.it/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IIT</a>) and <a href="https://www.brown.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brown University</a>. The results suggests that collaboration with a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-attached-mushroom-mycelium-to-biohybrid-robot-body-amazing-results/">robot</a> does more than complete a task. It changes how our brains map the space around us.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brain-maps-with-robots">Brain maps with robots</h2>



<p>Our brains keep a constantly updating map of the body that helps us move without thinking about each step.</p>



<p>Swinging a tennis racket or reaching for a glass of water feels natural because the brain treats the racket or the glass as part of the body for that moment. This map is flexible. It expands and reshapes when new tools or objects prove useful.</p>



<p>The team wanted to know if a humanoid <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brainless-soft-robot-created-that-runs-and-swims-is-powered-solely-by-air/">robot</a> could fit into that same map. Could our brain adopt a robot hand the way it adopts a familiar tool? That was the puzzle.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brain-s-detection-of-robot-hands">Brain's detection of robot hands</h2>



<p>The experiment built on what scientists call the near hand effect. When a hand is near an object, the brain pays more attention to it. It prepares to act. </p>



<p>Earlier studies showed that this effect can even extend to another person’s hand, but only after working together. The researchers asked if the same could happen with a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/robots-are-using-game-theory-keep-humans-safe/">robot</a>.</p>



<p>Giulia Scorza Azzarà, a PhD student at IIT and first author of the study, designed the test. Volunteers and iCub cut soap together using a steel wire. Afterward, they did the Posner cueing task, a reaction-time test where images flash on a screen.</p>



<p>The results were striking. People responded faster when images appeared near iCub’s hand. Their brains had started to treat the robot’s hand almost like their own.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-actively-collaborating-with-a-robot-hand">Actively collaborating with a robot hand</h2>



<p>This effect didn’t happen automatically. A control study showed that when the robot’s hand was simply placed near the screen, without any shared task, there was no change in attention. </p>



<p>Unlike a rubber fake hand, which can trick the brain through sight alone, a robot’s hand needed active collaboration to matter. </p>



<p>Attention is prioritized to the space near another’s hand (human or robot) only after the latter becomes relevant to accomplish a shared goal.</p>



<p>The way iCub moved changed how people responded. When the robot’s movements were wide, fluid, and well synchronized, the effect grew stronger. </p>



<p>Distance also mattered. If the robot’s hand came close to a person’s personal space, the brain was more likely to accept it into its map. Engagement and closeness turned out to be powerful ingredients.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-brain-sees-robots">How the brain sees robots</h2>



<p>The study also measured how people felt about their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/aquatic-robot-inspired-by-flatworms-can-swim-in-harmony-with-nature/">robotic</a> partner. Questionnaires revealed that the more competent, likable, or animated iCub seemed, the stronger the effect became. </p>



<p>When participants thought of the robot as capable of feeling or acting intelligently, their brains gave more weight to its presence. The more human-like and competent the robot is perceived to be, the more impact its hand has after collaboration on human attentional prioritization.</p>



<p>What forms here is something called a joint body schema. During teamwork, our brains do not just map our own limbs. They also start to include a partner’s movements. </p>



<p>Athletes, dancers, and musicians rely on this unconscious merging all the time. The new study shows that robots can be part of it too.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-directions">Future research directions </h2>



<p>The researchers note that iCub’s behavior in the study was pre-programmed. It could not adapt in real time the way humans do. </p>



<p>Future robots will need to adjust their actions more flexibly, responding to the pace and style of their human partners. Adaptability could make the connection feel even more natural.</p>



<p>Future tests may also explore whether the same effect happens with non-humanoid objects, like a stick or another simple tool. That would show whether human-like design is essential, or whether collaboration itself is enough to reshape attention.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-power-of-working-with-robots">The power of working with robots</h2>



<p>The applications are clear. Robots that people can accept as extensions of themselves could transform rehabilitation and assistive care. </p>



<p>Patients recovering from injury may work with robots that help restore movement by literally feeling like part of their bodies. Virtual reality systems could integrate robotic partners that guide attention and enhance immersion.</p>



<p>This project is part of the ERC-funded wHiSPER initiative, coordinated by IIT’s CONTACT unit. It reveals a powerful idea: working with robots can change how we see ourselves. </p>



<p>Slicing soap may seem trivial, but the shift it triggered shows just how ready our brains are to make space for new partners - even mechanical ones.</p>



<p>The study is published in the journal <em><a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(25)01052-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">iScience</a>.</em></p>



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Why your brain might mistake a robot’s hand for your own

In a lab in Genoa, Italy, volunteers teamed up with...

<p>Your gut hosts a bustling community of microbes that help break down food, train immunity, and tune metabolism. New evidence shows that medicines you took years ago can still leave their mark on that community.</p>



<p>This study asks a simple question with big consequences for research and care: Do past prescription drugs change today’s gut <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/strength-training-can-boost-healthy-gut-bacteria/">microbiome</a> in ways we can still detect? The answer is yes, and the pattern is stronger and wider than most people think.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-past-prescriptions-matter-for-gut">Past prescriptions matter for gut</h2>



<p>The new study from the University of Tartu (<a href="https://ut.ee/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UT</a>) analyzed stool profiles and prescription records from 2,509 adults, then checked 328 of them again several years later. Dr. Oliver Aasmets of the University of Tartu Institute of Genomics led the work.</p>



<p>The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unstable-gut-microbes-can-worsen-child-malnutrition/">microbiome</a> is the collection of bacteria, archaea, viruses, and fungi that live in and on us. Its makeup shifts with diet, age, illness, and, as this team shows, medication history.</p>



<p>Researchers also looked across drug classes to see whether effects faded or built up. They tracked what happened when drugs were started or stopped, giving them a real-world view of change over time.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-differences-in-the-gut-microbiome">Differences in the gut microbiome </h2>



<p>The researchers linked biobank participants’ electronic health records to detailed metagenomic readouts of their stool, using <a href="https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Metagenomics" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">metagenomics</a> to estimate which microbial species were present and how abundant they were. </p>



<p>The team then tested whether active use, prior use, or the amount of past use best explained differences in the microbiome.</p>



<p>The design let them ask about carryover effects, additive effects, and drug initiation effects in the same cohort. Follow-up sampling added another check by comparing each person’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gut-bacteria-sniff-out-nutrients-with-big-effects-on-our-health/">microbiome</a> at two time points.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-prescription-drugs-change-gut-microbes">Prescription drugs change gut microbes</h2>



<p>Out of 186 drugs assessed, 89.8 percent showed some association with the microbiome, and 78 of those showed long-term effects that persisted years after the last dose. Benzodiazepines had effects on overall community structure that were comparable to broad-spectrum antibiotics.</p>



<p>Not all drugs in a class behaved the same. For example, alprazolam and diazepam differed in their impact, and common acid blockers varied by agent and dose.</p>



<p>Starting or stopping certain drugs produced predictable shifts in specific <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-think-they-found-two-key-bacteria-that-cause-multiple-sclerosis/">microbes</a>, consistent with a causal role. The history of prescriptions explained extra variation in microbiome profiles beyond whatever people were taking on the day of sampling.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-many-drugs-affect-microbes">Many drugs affect microbes</h2>



<p>Earlier lab screening of more than 1,000 marketed drugs showed that about 24 percent of human-targeted medicines slowed the growth of at least one gut bacterium in vitro. That finding set the stage for the real-world patterns seen here.</p>



<p>The Tartu results extend that lab signal into everyday life: antidepressants, beta-blockers, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560897/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">glucocorticoids</a>, and other agents left microbial fingerprints that were still detectable years later. The dose and the number of prior prescriptions often mattered.</p>



<p>Proton pump inhibitors, or proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) used for heartburn and reflux, stood out. Population <a href="https://gut.bmj.com/content/65/5/749" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">research</a> shows PPI users often carry more oral microbes in their gut, including Streptococcus and Veillonella.</p>



<p>The new work adds a long-term angle by showing that past PPI use, not just current use, is tied to these shifts. That means a former PPI user’s microbiome may still look different even after the medication is long gone.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-accounting-for-past-drug-use">Accounting for past drug use</h2>



<p>Drug history is a quiet confounder that can blur links between disease and microbes. A multi-cohort <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-14177-z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">meta-analysis</a> likewise found that PPIs, laxatives, and antibiotics produce the largest compositional shifts, especially when people take several drugs at once.</p>



<p>Ignoring long-term medication history can misattribute drug effects to a diagnosis or a lifestyle factor. </p>



<p>Accounting for past use sharpens the picture, which matters for biomarker discovery and for fair comparisons across clinics and countries.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-limitations-and-future-work">Limitations and future work</h2>



<p>These observational data cannot prove cause for every association, even though drug starts and stops point strongly in that direction. </p>



<p>Independent <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09217-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence</a> now suggests that some non-antibiotic drugs can weaken colonization resistance in microbial communities, which helps explain why effects might linger.</p>



<p>Dose, formulation, and co-prescriptions deserve closer study because drugs within the same class can diverge in their microbiome impact. </p>



<p>Future work using absolute counts, not just relative abundances, will help separate true losses of taxa from simple reshuffling.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-significance-of-the-research">Significance of the research</h2>



<p>“Most microbiome studies only consider current medications, but our results show that past drug use can be just as important as it is a surprisingly strong factor in explaining individual microbiome differences,” said Dr. Aasmets. </p>



<p>The practical takeaway is straightforward: a person’s medication history is not a minor footnote, but a defining factor in how their gut microbiome looks and behaves. </p>



<p>Experts need to treat past prescriptions with the same level of importance as diet, lifestyle, and symptoms when designing studies or interpreting results.</p>



<p>The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msystems.00541-25" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>mSystems</em></a>.</p>



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Prescription drugs leave lasting marks on gut health

Your gut hosts a bustling community of microbes that help...

<p>The Falkland Islands are known today for cool winds, broad grasslands, and very few trees. That modern picture is accurate, but it is not the whole story. Pollen found beneath the capital shows these islands once supported a cool-temperate forest - wet, shaded, and biologically rich.</p>



<p>The clue came from a dark, woody layer uncovered during construction in Stanley. It was not random debris. </p>



<p>It was a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossilized-frozen-forest-reveals-climate-impacts-on-ancient-alpine-ecosystems/">buried forest</a> bed - plant-heavy sediment preserved in place - holding microscopic grains and real pieces of ancient wood.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forest-pollen-and-wood-fragments">Forest pollen and wood fragments</h2>



<p>Scientists collected three kinds of evidence: pollen grains, spores, and chunks of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/north-americas-oldest-known-pterosaur-eotephradactylus-mcintireae-discovered-arizona/">fossilized wood</a>. </p>



<p>Pollen and spores keep their species-specific shapes for millions of years when they get trapped in wet sediment and then buried. </p>



<p>Wood fragments preserve internal features that point to the type of tree and the conditions in which it grew.</p>



<p>This layer is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/lignite" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lignitic</a> - formed as plant material piled up in waterlogged, low-oxygen settings where leaves and twigs do not fully rot. </p>



<p>Over time, that mush compressed into a dense, carbon-rich stratum, likely in a shallow, protected basin near the coast.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-collecting-and-identifying-samples">Collecting and identifying samples</h2>



<p>After the discovery, Dr. Zoë Thomas of the <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Southampton</a> hurried to the site with colleagues to salvage fresh samples before they dried and cracked. </p>



<p>“The tree remains were so pristinely preserved they looked like driftwood,” recalled Dr. Thomas.</p>



<p>In the lab, the team separated tiny grains from the sediment and examined them under high magnification. </p>



<p>The mix showed southern beech (<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/nothofagus" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nothofagus</a>) and podocarps - Southern Hemisphere conifers - alongside moisture-loving plants that thrive in soggy ground. </p>



<p>“The fossil pollen, spores, and wood paint a much different picture of the ancient environment, providing direct evidence of cool, wet forests,” noted Michael Donovan, collections manager at <a href="https://www.fieldmuseum.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chicago’s Field Museum</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reading-the-forest-s-pollen-and-wood">Reading the forest's pollen and wood</h2>



<p>Pollen alone can be misleading because wind can carry it far. That is why the wood matters. </p>



<p><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giant-trees-never-seen-before-up-to-3000-years-old-tessmannia-princeps-tasmania/">Wood anatomy</a> - cell sizes, pits, and rays - helps confirm whether pieces came from conifers or broadleaf trees and whether the community matches the pollen record. </p>



<p>Here, it does. The agreement points to a local forest, not distant pollen that drifted in.</p>



<p>Modern relatives of Nothofagus and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podocarpus" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">podocarps</a> form cool, mossy forests in parts of southern Chile and Patagonia. </p>



<p>Their presence in the Falklands’ fossil record supports the idea that the islands once held a wet, shaded habitat.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dating-the-forest-fossils">Dating the forest fossils</h2>



<p>Radiocarbon dating tops out around 50,000 years, so the team turned to regional comparison. They lined up the Falklands’ pollen 'cast' with well-dated South American records. </p>



<p>When the same key pollen types appear and fade in the same order across sites, timelines can be matched.</p>



<p>Those comparisons point to the mid-to-late Cenozoic - tens of millions of years ago - when warmer intervals let rainforests extend to higher latitudes and outlying islands.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ancient-forest_treeless-island_falklands_pollen-discovered_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ancient-forest_treeless-island_falklands_pollen-discovered_1s.webp" alt="Selected photomicrographs of fossil pollen produced in an ancient forest by gymnosperm and angiosperm living relatives in the rainforest of southern South America. Credit: Antarctic Science" class="wp-image-1985897"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Selected photomicrographs of fossil pollen produced in an ancient forest by gymnosperm and angiosperm living relatives in the rainforest of southern South America. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Antarctic Science</em></figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pollen-explains-the-disappearing-forest">Pollen explains the disappearing forest</h2>



<p>Islands get new species in bursts. Seeds and spores ride wind, float on ocean debris, and travel with birds. During milder, wetter stretches, the odds of survival jump. </p>



<p>Once early trees took root in a sheltered, waterlogged basin, they could trap moisture, calm ground-level winds, and gradually build a stable community.</p>



<p>That is a familiar pattern in island biology. Given time and the right conditions, a few arrivals can turn into a functioning forest.</p>



<p>The climate shifted. Cooling trends and glacial cycles brought colder, windier conditions. </p>



<p>The Falklands lack high mountains to block strong westerlies or snag extra rainfall, and many soils are thin and peaty. Those factors make it hard for trees to outcompete grasses today.</p>



<p>Ecosystems do not just follow latitude. Local wind, rainfall, and topography set the rules. Under the current rules, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mountain-greening-threatens-genetic-diversity-of-iconic-plants/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">open grassland</a> wins across most of the islands.</p>



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



<p>Fossil evidence gives climate scientists real targets for testing models. </p>



<p>If a model run with mid-to-late <a href="https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/cenozoic/cenozoic.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cenozoic</a> conditions places a cool-temperate rainforest on the Falklands, that is a sign it is on track. If it does not, something is missing. </p>



<p>These checks turn evidence from a single site into valuable test data.</p>



<p>There is also a wider lesson. Ecosystems can move, shrink, expand, or appear in places that seem unusual by today’s standards. </p>



<p>The Falklands’ buried forest shows how temperature, rainfall, and wind can reshuffle living communities over long spans of time.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-building-the-case">Building the case</h2>



<p>Fieldwork documented and sampled the lignitic layer in place. Lab work isolated pollen and spores, then identified them under microscopes. </p>



<p>Wood pieces were sectioned to reveal diagnostic features. Together, those signals established both habitat and local origin.</p>



<p>For age, researchers matched the Falklands’ pollen sequence to dated South American profiles, tracking the same marker taxa as they rose and fell. </p>



<p>That approach pinned the layer to a deep time window without relying on radiocarbon.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-have-we-learned">What have we learned?</h2>



<p>To sum it all up, hidden beneath Stanley on the Falkland Islands lies a pollen record of a cool, wet forest dominated by southern beech and podocarp relatives, growing in a sheltered, waterlogged basin. </p>



<p>The age falls in the mid-to-late Cenozoic, when warmer intervals allowed trees to push farther poleward and onto islands. </p>



<p>This clear snapshot - written in pollen, spores, and wood - adds a useful data point to Earth’s climate history and helps scientists check the tools we use to understand past, present, and future change.</p>



<p>The full study was published in the journal <em><a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antarctic-science/article/evidence-for-a-floristically-diverse-rainforest-on-the-falkland-archipelago-in-the-remote-south-atlantic-during-the-mid-to-late-cenozoic/B4CFF913DD8F1BB43B570E4086C7CF7B" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Antarctic Science</a></em>.</p>



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Ancient tropical rainforest accidentally discovered on a treeless island

The Falkland Islands are known today for cool winds, broad...

<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=lHHxOej4QfE
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Researchers found a correlation between Alzheimer's disease and traffic pollution.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-invisible-threat-in-urban-air"><strong>Invisible threat in urban air</strong></h2>



<p>City dwellers face an unseen danger with every breath. New findings from Emory University researchers suggest that fine particulate matter from <a href="http://earth.com/news/traffic-related-air-pollution-might-increase-alzheimers-risk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vehicle emissions may significantly elevate the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease</a>. The study examined brain tissue samples from 224 individuals who had confirmed diagnoses and volunteered their brains for scientific research.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-disturbing-connections-emerge"><strong>Disturbing connections emerge</strong></h2>



<p>Scientists analyzed neuritic plaques — protein clusters that characterize Alzheimer's — while mapping each participant's exposure to PM2.5 particles based on residential location and surrounding traffic density. The correlation proved more alarming than anticipated. Individuals experiencing higher pollution exposure showed nearly double the likelihood of elevated plaque accumulation in brain tissue.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-timing-matters"><strong>Timing matters</strong></h2>



<p>The research team discovered that pollution exposure during the final year before death demonstrated the strongest association with brain changes. This timeline suggests relatively rapid impacts from environmental toxins on neural health. The connection remained robust even after accounting for various demographic and health factors.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genetic-vulnerability-patterns"><strong>Genetic vulnerability patterns</strong></h2>



<p>Perhaps most concerning, people lacking the APOE gene—which naturally predisposes individuals to Alzheimer's — exhibited more than twice the susceptibility to pollution-related brain damage. Study author Dr. Anke Huels noted this indicates environmental elements like air contamination could trigger the disease in cases where hereditary factors don't explain.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-public-health-implications"><strong>Public health implications</strong></h2>



<p>These findings, published in <em><a href="https://www.neurology.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Neurology</a></em>, underscore the critical importance of air quality regulations in urban planning. The research suggests that implementing stricter emission controls and promoting alternative transportation could serve as powerful tools in Alzheimer's prevention.</p>



<p>As cities worldwide grapple with growing traffic congestion and aging populations, this study highlights an urgent need for comprehensive approaches to environmental health that protect both our lungs and our minds.</p>



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Traffic fumes may trigger Alzheimer's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHHxOej4QfE Researchers found a correlation between Alzheimer's disease and traffic...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

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

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0DuSr87SHY
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">57 million-year ice age mystery solved by Australian scientists.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-earth-became-a-frozen-wasteland">When Earth became a frozen wasteland</h2>



<p>Imagine Earth as a giant snowball, frozen solid from the North Pole to the equator. This wasn't the plot of a science fiction movie – it was our planet's reality 700 million years ago during an extreme ice age that has puzzled scientists for decades.</p>



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



<p>Australian researchers from the <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Sydney</a> have finally cracked one of geology's greatest mysteries: what caused the Sturtian glaciation and why it persisted for an unprecedented 57 million years. This period occurred long before dinosaurs roamed the Earth, when no complex plants or multicellular animals existed.</p>



<p>Dr. Adriana Dutkiewicz, the study's lead author, describes a world completely unlike today's climate. "Imagine the Earth almost completely frozen over," she explained. "The planet was blanketed in ice from poles to equator, and temperatures plunged."</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-combination-of-climate-factors">The combination of climate factors</h2>



<p>The research team discovered that this massive freeze resulted from a "double whammy" of geological events. First, plate tectonic activity reduced volcanic carbon dioxide emissions to historically low levels. Volcanic activity typically releases CO2 into the atmosphere, creating a greenhouse effect that keeps Earth warm.</p>



<p>Simultaneously, weathering of volcanic rocks in what is now Canada actively absorbed atmospheric CO2, further reducing greenhouse gas concentrations. When atmospheric carbon dioxide levels dropped below 200 parts per million – less than half of today's levels – glaciation engulfed the entire planet.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-climate-implications">Modern climate implications</h2>



<p>Published in the journal <em><a href="https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/geology" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geology</a></em>, this research provides crucial insights into Earth's climate system. While geological climate changes occur over millions of years, the study emphasizes that human-induced climate change is happening at a pace ten times faster than previously observed natural changes, highlighting the urgent need to understand our planet's delicate climate balance.</p>



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What caused the planet's longest ice age

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0DuSr87SHY 57 million-year ice age mystery solved by Australian scientists....

<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=WXXGGiynIjs
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Greenland is not sinking. In fact, it is the opposite.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-contrasting-climate-response">A contrasting climate response</h2>



<p>Most coastal towns are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sinking-land-will-intensify-the-effects-of-rising-sea-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">preparing for higher sea levels</a>, but <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenland-no-longer-has-to-worry-about-rising-sea-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Greenland presents</a> a different scenario during climate change. The ground there is rising at a remarkable rate. Over the past decade, some areas have lifted about 20 centimeters, which translates to roughly 2 meters per century. This rate significantly exceeds current projections for sea level rise.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-geological-rebound-process-through-climate-change">Geological rebound process through climate change</h2>



<p>The mechanism behind this phenomenon is straightforward. As the ice sheet melts, the immense weight is removed from the bedrock, causing the land to rebound upward. This process resembles the way compressed material springs back when pressure is released.</p>



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



<p>Researchers at the <a href="https://www.dtu.dk/english/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Technical University of Denmark</a> are documenting this uplift using the GNET network, consisting of 61 GPS stations positioned around Greenland's coast. These sensors can detect movement with millimeter precision, providing detailed measurements of the ongoing changes.</p>



<p>The data reveal that current uplift rates exceed the gradual rebound occurring since the last ice age ended approximately 12,000 years ago. This acceleration corresponds directly with increased ice sheet melting rates.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coastal-transformation">Coastal Transformation</h2>



<p>This uplift is actively reshaping Greenland's coastline. New islands and rocky formations, called "skerries," are emerging as previously submerged land surfaces rise above the water level. This represents a notable contrast to global concerns about rising seas.</p>



<p>The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, demonstrates the varied regional impacts of climate change. While many locations face rising water levels, Greenland's bedrock is literally rising above the surrounding seas.</p>



<p>The full study was recently published in <em><a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2023GL104851" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geophysical Research Letters</a></em>.</p>



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Greenland's ground rises while coasts worldwide face higher seas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXXGGiynIjs Greenland is not sinking. In fact, it is the...

<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=DSM3EVeGHJU
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Companies like MindStudio help companies train their employees to implement the latest AI Agent building platform.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ai-agent-training-transforms-the-workplace-fear-factor-into-a-competitive-advantage">AI agent training transforms the workplace 'fear factor' into a competitive advantage</h2>



<p>Organizations that offer comprehensive artificial intelligence training to their workers find remarkable value that extends well beyond basic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mind-wandering-might-be-more-productive-than-you-think/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">productivity improvements</a>. Emerging research demonstrates that carefully crafted AI training programs <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-does-not-replace-human-creativity-but-enhances-it/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">enhance</a> corporate performance, lower operational costs, and dramatically improve employee psychological well-being by turning workplace uncertainty into professional empowerment.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-addressing-the-widespread-ai-anxiety-crisis-among-us">Addressing the widespread 'AI anxiety' crisis among us</h2>



<p>A staggering 53% of employees expressed concern that the use of AI tools to automate work tasks could make them appear disposable to their employers, according to <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Microsoft</a>'s 2024 workplace survey. Such pervasive worry about being substituted by machines has caused what researchers have termed "AI technostress" – a psychological state that can result in occupational burnout and poorer mental well-being.</p>



<p>Data published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/palcomms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humanities and Social Sciences Communications</a> showed that belief in AI learning ability was a moderator in the link between technology adoption and work pressure, and higher confidence significantly lowered negative psychological responses. Workers provided ample training to become competent with AI software have significantly lower stress.</p>



<p>Companies like <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MindStudio</a> have platforms for building what are known as "AI Agents".  In essence, AI Agents are simply tools that employees can build for themselves or their teams quickly and inexpensively.   MindStudio will even train entire companies, from the CEO on down, at no cost. By letting MindStudio empower employees, companies avoid hiring more IT staff, buying more software, and implementing solutions to problems that do not exist.</p>



<p>MindStudio even has partners locally for companies, like <a href="http://www.dominnus.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dominnus</a> with offices in the Carolinas, California, and Denver, to help build AI Agents and support employees as they become resident AI experts for their organization.  The training provided by MindStudio is applicable across other AI Agent building platforms as well.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-productivity-through-focused-learning">Revolutionary productivity through focused learning</h2>



<p>Organizations that implement large-scale AI training programs achieve dramatic outcomes. Employees performed tasks significantly better when they utilized AI support compared to when they didn't, according to <a href="https://www.nngroup.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nielsen Norman Group</a> research findings. Their study documented productivity increases of 66% for a variety of professional tasks.</p>



<p>Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis research finds workers record 33% higher productivity in time working with generative AI tools. The benefit is equivalent to 5.4% of work time savings for AI users – around 2.2 hours per week for full-time workers.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-psychological-well-being-benefits-through-ai-competence">Psychological well-being benefits through AI competence</h2>



<p>The emotional transformation when employees are provided with proper technology training is a fundamental transformation from fear to professional confidence. A survey of 600 employees across industries, carried out by ScienceDirect, proved that AI capabilities strengthen work environment commitment and improve job satisfaction.</p>



<p>A <a href="https://www.lut.fi/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LUT University</a> study discovered that AI adoption has no direct effect on workers' well-being but does so indirectly through working conditions like task optimization and safety protocols. Strategically deployed AI that involves correct training can actually increase workplace mental well-being.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-replacement-anxiety-to-partnership-confidence">From 'replacement anxiety' to 'partnership confidence'</h2>



<p>Although 35% of those interviewed in recent McKinsey studies were concerned about workforce displacement, firms with large-scale training initiatives witness such fears dissipate quickly. The World Economic Forum found that two out of three respondents believe AI competencies will enhance their career prospects and job marketability.</p>



<p>This shift from fear to trust has measurable implications for job satisfaction. Applied Sciences research indicates AI can create tailored wellness programs based on individual employee requirements.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-financial-benefits-of-increased-retention">Financial benefits of increased retention</h2>



<p>The mental health advantages of AI learning have a direct impact on organizational bottom lines in the form of a positive feedback cycle with high retention of employees. Recent ROI research validates that artificial intelligence learning has a beneficial impact on employee turnover and satisfaction levels.</p>



<p>PriceWaterhouseCoopers' research documents 20% to 30% improvements in productivity, market speed, and revenue in organizations that attempt systematic AI adoption through comprehensive training.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-environmental-advantages-of-ai-enabled-teams">Environmental advantages of AI-enabled teams</h2>



<p>AI training has unforeseen environmental benefits as it makes the work environment more efficient. According to a study in Scientific Reports, the carbon footprint in writing and illustrating work is significantly lower when AI performs it compared to humans. AI software produces 130 to 1,500 times less CO2 equivalent per page of text created than human authors.</p>



<p>In addition, AI-driven remote work functionality significantly reduces environmental impact. Research by Cornell University and Microsoft indicates that remote workers reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 54% by not commuting daily to offices. Hybrid workers working remotely two to four days a week can reduce their carbon footprint by 11% to 29%.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cumulative-organizational-advantages">Cumulative organizational advantages</h2>



<p>The compounding gains of better mental well-being, reduced turnover, increased productivity, and environmental benefits flow to enterprises from the pairing. McKinsey analysis estimates the long-term AI potential at $4.4 trillion in incremental productivity growth opportunity from business use cases.</p>



<p>As of now, 75% of knowledge workers globally utilize generative AI, mirroring widespread adoption patterns. Organizations that provide organized training and assistance see the most favorable results in productivity, worker satisfaction, and ecological sustainability.</p>



<p>The research overwhelmingly indicates that companies that invest in proper AI education, like that offered through <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MindStudio</a>, establish win-win scenarios where employees are both more empowered and less stressed, and companies enjoy the gains of increased productivity, reduced turnover, and improved mental health outcomes throughout their workforce.</p>



<p>For more on MindStudio's free AI training for companies, visit the website's of MindStudio and Dominnus from the links below.</p>



<p>The research was published across a variety of peer-reviewed journals, including <a href="https://www.nature.com/palcomms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humanities and Social Sciences Communications</a>, <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence</a>, and <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci">Applied Sciences</a>.</p>



<p id="block-9bd989d6-2fd3-4580-957f-6cacce134f08">-----</p>



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<p id="block-1f9a227a-ec37-4140-81b8-ffa4a7cc6689">-----</p>



<p>MindStudio.AI: <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.mindstudio.ai</a></p>



<p>Dominnus: <a href="https://www.dominnus.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.dominnus.com</a></p>

AI agent training boosts mental health and profits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSM3EVeGHJU Companies like MindStudio help companies train their employees to...

<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=0HDXqTGEmi4
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Scientists give plants superpowers against bacterial disease</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-natural-solution-to-disease-through-crop-modification">A natural solution to disease through crop modification.</h2>



<p>The agricultural industry stands at a crossroads between productivity and environmental responsibility, and crop modification often carries a negative connotation. While chemical pesticides have long been the go-to solution for crop protection, their harmful effects on ecosystems and human health have prompted scientists to seek alternatives. The recent breakthrough by <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Southampton</a> researchers offers a promising path forward through the precise manipulation of plant-associated microbial communities.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-science-behind-microbial-partnerships">The science behind microbial partnerships</h2>



<p>Plants naturally harbor diverse ecosystems of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms that function as biological allies. These microscopic partners contribute to disease resistance, nutrient absorption, and stress tolerance. However, until now, scientists lacked the tools to deliberately reshape these communities to enhance crop protection.</p>



<p>The Southampton team's approach centered on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/engineered-plant-microbiomes-the-future-of-crop-protection/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">modifying lignin biosynthesis genes in rice plants</a>. This strategic intervention altered the plant's metabolic output, creating conditions that favored beneficial bacterial populations while suppressing harmful ones. The result was a living defense system embedded within the plant itself.</p>



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



<p>The successful demonstration against Xanthomonas oryzae, the pathogen responsible for bacterial blight in rice, represents more than a laboratory achievement. Rice feeds nearly half the world's population, and bacterial blight causes devastating crop losses annually. Traditional control methods rely heavily on pesticides that contaminate soil and water systems.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-beyond-disease-resistance">Looking Beyond Disease Resistance</h2>



<p>While disease protection represents the immediate application, the research framework opens doors to broader agricultural improvements. Future developments could engineer microbiomes to enhance nutrient uptake, reducing dependence on synthetic fertilizers. This dual benefit addresses both crop productivity and environmental sustainability.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-path-forward">The path forward</h2>



<p>As this technology advances from laboratory to field applications, it promises to reshape sustainable agriculture. The ability to program plants with their own biological defense systems could herald a new era where crops protect themselves naturally, reducing chemical inputs while maintaining yields necessary for global food security.</p>



<p>The study is published in the journal&nbsp;<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-44335-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Nature Communications</em></a>.</p>



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Revolutionizing agriculture through microbiome engineering

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HDXqTGEmi4 Scientists give plants superpowers against bacterial disease A natural...

<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=kVywlgRJXsc
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Some children read facial expressions when making food choices.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-other-people-s-reactions-influence-children-s-eating-habits">Other people's reactions influence children's eating habits</h2>



<p>Many children are finicky eaters, but research explains how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-have-learned-why-so-many-kids-dislike-vegetables/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">watching others eat and social modeling</a> influence the eating habits of children.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Study Methodology Demonstrates Social Learning Impact</h2>



<p>Researchers at <a href="https://www.aston.ac.uk/hls/school-of-psychology" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aston University School of Psychology</a> have published findings in Frontiers in Psychology that illuminate the neurobiological foundations of food preference development through observational learning. The investigation employed controlled video stimuli featuring adults consuming raw broccoli while displaying systematically varied facial expressions to measure participant responses.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Asymmetrical Response Patterns Identified</h2>



<p>The research, conducted with 204 female participants, revealed a pronounced asymmetry in social modeling effects. Negative facial expressions during vegetable consumption significantly diminished observer food preference ratings, while positive expressions failed to produce corresponding increases in vegetable appeal. This finding challenges conventional assumptions about the bidirectional nature of social influence in dietary behavior formation.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Evolutionary Psychology Framework Applied</h2>



<p>Dr. Katie Edwards and her research team propose that these results reflect adaptive mechanisms developed through evolutionary processes. The heightened sensitivity to disgust expressions likely functions as a protective system, enabling individuals to identify potentially harmful foods through social cues without direct risk exposure.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Clinical and Educational Implications</h2>



<p>These findings carry substantial implications for pediatric nutrition interventions and family meal dynamics. The research suggests that parental expressions of distaste during vegetable consumption may inadvertently reinforce children's existing food aversions through unconscious social transmission pathways.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Future Research Directions</h2>



<p>The study establishes a foundation for expanded investigation into real-time social modeling effects and cross-demographic applicability. Researchers emphasize the necessity for longitudinal studies examining actual consumption behaviors rather than preference ratings alone, particularly within family contexts where social learning occurs most frequently.</p>



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<p></p>

Social modeling affects our food choices

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVywlgRJXsc Some children read facial expressions when making food choices....

<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=JynHpMaNO8A
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Chaotic cancer protein finally controlled after decades of mystery</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cancer-causing-protein-bound-and-blocked">Cancer-causing protein bound and blocked</h2>



<p>In a discovery that can one day revolutionize cancer treatment, researchers at the <a href="https://www.ucr.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California, Riverside</a> have successfully developed a means of controlling MYC, a notoriously slippery protein that causes approximately <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chaotic-protein-that-fuels-75-of-cancers-can-be-controlled/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">75% of all cancers in humans</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-makes-myc-different">What makes MYC different</h2>



<p>MYC presents a unique challenge when studying cancer. Normally, this protein plays a vital role in healthy cells. It carefully controls transcription - the process that converts genetic information from DNA and RNA into proteins.</p>



<p>However, cancer changes everything. In cancer cells, MYC becomes a destructive force. It operates in overdrive mode with no regulation whatsoever.</p>



<p>Professor Min Xue, who led the research team, explains it simply: "MYC is less like food for cancer cells and more like a steroid. It drives cancer's aggressive growth." This superactive behavior makes MYC involved in three out of every four cancer cases.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-myc-is-hard-to-target">Why MYC is hard to target</h2>



<p>Despite its clear role in cancer, targeting MYC has been one of medicine's biggest challenges. The main problem lies in MYC's unusual structure - or rather, its complete lack of structure.</p>



<p>Professor Xue describes the protein as "basically a glob of randomness." This means conventional drug discovery methods don't work. These traditional approaches rely on sharply defined protein structures. MYC simply doesn't have one.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A New Approach to Fighting MYC</h2>



<p>The UCR research team developed a clever solution. They designed a special peptide molecule that could selectively bind to MYC. More importantly, this peptide could block MYC's destructive activity.</p>



<p>The key was fine-tuning two specific features: the peptide's stiffness and its shape. Through careful adjustments, researchers achieved something remarkable. They reached "sub-micro-molar affinity" - meaning their peptide binds as strongly as antibodies do.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-breakthrough-results">Breakthrough results</h2>



<p>This accomplishment represents a major leap beyond previous attempts. The researchers enhanced their peptide's binding strength by two orders of magnitude. This dramatic improvement brings the work significantly closer to practical drug development goals.</p>



<p>The research opens new possibilities for treating the vast majority of cancers where MYC plays a destructive role.</p>



<p>The researchers are presently optimizing peptide-delivery systems based on lipid nanoparticles that deliver the peptide effectively into cancer cells. The<a href="https://www.nih.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> National Institutes of Health</a> and the <a href="https://www.defense.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. Department of Defense</a> funded the study, which appeared in the Journal of the <a href="https://www.acs.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Chemical Society</a>.<br>This research offers renewed hope against cancer, and it can potentially open a door to more effective cancer therapies for most cancer patients worldwide.</p>



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The protein that fuels 3 out of 4 cancers has been controlled

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JynHpMaNO8A Chaotic cancer protein finally controlled after decades of mystery...

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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>-----</p>



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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>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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."</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



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



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>The forest was remarkably diverse. Scientists identified <em>Eospermatopteris</em>, 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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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."</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>The full study was published in the journal <em>Current Biology</em>.</p>



<p>-----</p>



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<p>-----</p>

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=Veg4HmmRVZY
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Our bodies hits two 'aging cliffs' at these ages.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientists-map-exact-ages-when-your-body-rapidly-ages">Scientists Map Exact Ages When Your Body Rapidly Ages</h2>



<p>Scientists have <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-bodies-begin-breaking-down-two-very-precise-ages/#google_vignette">discovered that aging</a> isn't the gradual, steady process many assume it to be. Instead, researchers from Stanford Medicine have found that our bodies undergo dramatic molecular changes at two specific ages: 44 and 60. This research, published in Nature Aging, reveals that aging happens in sudden bursts rather than smooth transitions.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-two-waves-of-rapid-aging">Two waves of rapid aging</h2>



<p>The Stanford study tracked over 135,000 different molecules and microbes in 108 participants aged 25 to 75 over several years. Results showed that 81% of all molecules studied exhibited non-linear changes, meaning they shifted dramatically at certain ages rather than changing gradually over time.</p>



<p>Michael Snyder, chair of genetics at Stanford School of Medicine and the study's senior author, noted significant findings. "We're not just changing gradually over time; there are some really dramatic changes. It turns out the mid-40s is a time of dramatic change, as is the early 60s. And that's true no matter what class of molecules you look at."</p>



<p>The first wave of changes occurs around age 44, affecting molecules related to alcohol metabolism, caffeine processing, lipid <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/age-related-changes-in-metabolism-dont-match-our-expectations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">metabolism</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heart-disease-remains-the-leading-cause-of-death-worldwide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cardiovascular disease</a>, and skin and muscle function. The second wave hits around age 60, involving changes in carbohydrate metabolism, immune regulation, kidney function, and again cardiovascular and muscle health.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happens-during-these-aging-bursts">What happens during these aging bursts</h2>



<p>During the mid-40s transformation, researchers observed significant changes in how the body processes alcohol and fats. This period often coincides with increased stress levels in many people's lives, potentially contributing to lifestyle factors that accelerate these molecular shifts.</p>



<p>"It's possible some of these changes could be tied to lifestyle or behavioral factors that cluster at these age groups, rather than being driven by biological factors," Snyder explained. For instance, alcohol metabolism dysfunction might result from increased consumption during the typically stressful mid-40s period.</p>



<p>The changes at age 60 are perhaps less surprising, as this is when many age-related diseases begin to manifest more prominently. The molecular shifts affect immune function and kidney health, both critical for maintaining overall wellness as we enter our senior years.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-latest-research-confirms-aging-patterns">Latest research confirms aging patterns</h2>



<p>Recent 2025 studies have validated these findings. Research examining tissue samples from 76 people found similar aging patterns, noting an "inflection point" between ages 45 and 55.</p>



<p>Scientists discovered that blood vessels, particularly the aorta, age fastest among all body tissues. This vascular aging may drive aging in other body parts, highlighting cardiovascular health's central role in the aging process.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cellular-changes-and-microbiome-shifts">Cellular changes and microbiome shifts</h2>



<p>The Stanford research revealed that these aging bursts affect our microbiome – the trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi living in and on our bodies. These microbial communities undergo substantial shifts during both aging periods, potentially affecting everything from digestion to immune function.</p>



<p>Additionally, researchers found that protein production and gene expression begin to fall out of sync as we age. This breakdown in cellular communication becomes especially pronounced during the two aging waves, contributing to the accumulation of damaged proteins associated with diseases such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alzheimers-may-not-be-brain-disorder-important-data-was-fabricated/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alzheimer's</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-health-implications-and-longevity-considerations">Health implications and longevity considerations</h2>



<p>Understanding these aging patterns has important implications for healthcare strategies. Research suggests that people should pay particular attention to their health during their 40s and 60s, when these dramatic molecular changes occur.</p>



<p>Snyder emphasized the importance of proactive health measures. "I'm a big believer that we should try to adjust our lifestyles while we're still healthy," he noted. This might include increasing exercise to protect heart health and maintain muscle mass, or reducing alcohol consumption in the 40s as the body's ability to metabolize it declines.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-approaches-to-anti-aging-treatment">New approaches to anti-aging treatment</h2>



<p>Aging research has seen notable advances in 2025. Harvard Medical School scientists developed chemical cocktails that reverse cellular aging without genetic modification. These six combinations restored aged cells to youthfulness in under a week, offering safer alternatives to gene therapy.</p>



<p>Researchers identified new biomarkers like "InflammAge," a saliva-based test measuring chronic inflammation associated with aging. This non-invasive approach could change how we monitor aging and intervention.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-directions-in-aging-research">Future directions in aging research</h2>



<p>Emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, cellular reprogramming, and senolytic therapies, are opening new possibilities for extending healthspan. Companies develop treatments targeting aging's fundamental mechanisms rather than just managing age-related diseases.</p>



<p>The Stanford findings provide a roadmap for implementing preventive measures. Rather than waiting for symptoms, people can prepare for and potentially mitigate these predictable aging waves.</p>



<p>As aging understanding evolves, one thing becomes clear: aging isn't inevitable decline, but specific biological events we may learn to prevent or reverse. The key is recognizing when these transitions occur and taking proactive health steps during vulnerable periods.</p>



<p>The study was published in the journal <em><a href="https://www.nature.com/nataging" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Aging</a></em>.</p>



<p>-----</p>



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<p>-----</p>

Scientists discover we age in bursts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Veg4HmmRVZY Our bodies hits two 'aging cliffs' at these ages....

<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=PqlF0XKzHY4
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The hidden science behind tickling.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientists-discover-the-brain-s-tickling-command-center">Scientists discover the brain's 'tickling command center'</h2>



<p>Researchers have finally solved one of humanity's most enduring mysteries: why we can't <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/after-centuries-of-debate-we-still-dont-know-how-tickling-works/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tickle</a> ourselves and what makes some people incredibly ticklish while others barely react? Recent scientific discoveries are revolutionizing our understanding of this peculiar human behavior.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-breakthrough-discovery-in-the-brain">Breakthrough discovery in the brain</h2>



<p>In 2023, Dr. Michael Brecht's team at <a href="https://www.hu-berlin.de/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humboldt University</a>-<a href="https://www.hu-berlin.de/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Berlin</a> made a major discovery published in the <a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(22)01991-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">journal <em>Neuron</em></a>. They identified the brain's actual "tickling command center" – specific neurons in a region called the periaqueductal gray that control both tickling responses and play behavior.</p>



<p>When researchers used cutting-edge optogenetic technology to shut down these neurons in laboratory rats, something remarkable happened. The animals completely lost their ability to be tickled or engage in playful behavior.</p>



<p>"We found that global blockade of the rat periaqueductal gray with either muscimol or lidocaine interfered with ticklishness and play," the research team reported in their study.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-two-types-of-tickling-revealed">Two types of tickling revealed</h2>



<p>What we call "tickling" is two completely different phenomena, according to the latest research. Light tickling – that feathery sensation that makes you want to scratch – is essentially your body's sophisticated bug detection system. This alerts you to potential insects or parasites on your skin.</p>



<p>Deep tickling – the kind that makes you laugh uncontrollably – involves complex brain circuits and is fundamentally social. You literally cannot tickle yourself with this type of stimulation.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-self-tickling-is-impossible">Why self-tickling is impossible</h2>



<p>Your cerebellum acts like a prediction machine, recent findings show. When you move your own hand to touch yourself, your brain generates precise predictions about what you will feel and then cancels out the tickling sensation through neural inhibition.</p>



<p>When someone else tickles you, your brain can't predict their movements, so the full tickling response activates. It's like your brain's way of distinguishing between self and others.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-individual-differences-explained">Individual differences explained</h2>



<p>Individual differences in ticklishness depend on genetics, psychology, and even trust. Dr. Xinzhong Dong at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Johns Hopkins University</a> notes that people with denser nerve endings tend to be more sensitive.</p>



<p>Psychological factors matter just as much. You respond more strongly when tickled by people you trust, and anxiety completely shuts down tickling responses. This explains why the same physical stimulus can produce completely different reactions depending on who's doing the tickling.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-controlling-your-ticklishness">Controlling your ticklishness</h2>



<p>Science offers answers for controlling your ticklishness. You can reduce tickling sensitivity through systematic desensitization – gradual exposure in controlled settings.</p>



<p>Dr. Konstantina Kilteni's 2025 research, published in <em><a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adt0350" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a></em>, reveals another technique: place your hand on the tickler's hand. This allows your brain to partially predict the sensations, reducing the tickling response by up to 90 percent.</p>



<p>"Your brain is essentially learning to override its own reflexes," Kilteni explained in her review of tickling research.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolutionary-purpose-discovered">Evolutionary purpose discovered</h2>



<p>From an evolutionary perspective, tickling serves vital functions according to <a href="https://www.umd.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Maryland</a> researcher Dr. Robert Provine's extensive studies. It trains our defense reflexes for vulnerable body areas and facilitates social bonding between family members.</p>



<p>Tickling-induced laughter is actually one of the first forms of communication between infants and caregivers. "Tickle involves a neurological self/nonself discrimination, providing the most primitive social scenario," Provine noted in his research.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clinical-applications-emerge">Clinical applications emerge</h2>



<p>Research shows people with autism spectrum disorder perceive touches as more ticklish than people without the condition. Investigating this difference could provide insight into brain differences and help advance autism research.</p>



<p>People with schizophrenia tend to experience self-touches similarly to external tickles, allowing them to essentially tickle themselves. This suggests altered sensory prediction mechanisms in the condition.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-animal-research-reveals-universal-nature">Animal research reveals universal nature</h2>



<p>Scientists have discovered that many species beyond humans are ticklish. Rats emit ultrasonic "laughs" when tickled, while chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans all respond to tickling stimulation.</p>



<p>This widespread occurrence across species suggests that tickling serves fundamental biological and social functions that evolved long before humans developed complex language and culture.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-directions">Future research directions</h2>



<p>Dr. Kilteni argues that tickling research deserves more scientific attention. "It is a complex interplay of motor, social, neurological, developmental, and evolutionary aspects," she stated in her recent review.</p>



<p>New haptic technologies and advanced research methodologies now permit scientists to investigate tickle sensation with unprecedented precision. Standardized experimental methods using mechanical tickling devices ensure consistent results across studies.</p>



<p>Recent findings published in <em>Science Advances</em> show that tickling research is opening new doors in neuroscience, potentially leading to a better understanding of social behavior, sensory processing, and neurological conditions.</p>



<p>-----</p>



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<p>-----</p>

Scientists solve the mystery of tickling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqlF0XKzHY4 The hidden science behind tickling. Scientists discover the brain's...

<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=elr4948_uOU
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Dr. Ronald Mallett from the University of Connecticut reveals secret mission to create working time travel device.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-could-an-equation-truly-bend-time-a-physicist-s-decades-long-quest-to-rewrite-reality">Could an equation truly bend time? A physicist's decades-long quest to rewrite reality</h2>



<p>Imagine the impossible: stepping back through time in a time machine, not in fantasy, but through a scientific endeavor driven by profound personal loss. For <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astrophysicist-says-hes-cracked-the-equation-for-time-travel/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Ronald Mallett</a>, a distinguished astrophysicist and professor emeritus at the <a href="https://uconn.edu/">University of Connecticut</a>, this deeply human longing has fueled a lifelong mission. He claims to have discovered the equation that could unlock temporal displacement, pushing boundaries once deemed purely science fiction.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-profound-grief-that-forged-a-vision">A profound grief that forged a vision</h2>



<p>Mallett's extraordinary pursuit began with devastating tragedy in 1955. At merely 10 years old, he endured his father Boyd's sudden death—a television repairman whose passion for science had ignited a similar spark in his young son. Boyd Mallett, only 33, succumbed to a heart attack, leaving behind a grief-stricken child searching for solace.</p>



<p>That solace came through H.G. Wells' <em>The Time Machine</em>. Within its pages, Mallett found a captivating concept: "Time is only a kind of Space." These words transformed from a literary phrase into a guiding principle, becoming the driving force behind his unwavering commitment to unraveling time's fundamental mysteries.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-humble-beginnings-to-academic-heights">From humble beginnings to academic heights</h2>



<p>Mallett's journey was far from straightforward. After serving in the Air Force during the Vietnam War era, he utilized the GI Bill for higher education, earning his Ph.D. in physics from Pennsylvania State University in 1973 at the age of 28.</p>



<p>In 1975, he made history as the first African American professor in the University of Connecticut's physics department, achieving full professorship in 1987 before retiring in 2024 as professor emeritus.</p>



<p>Throughout these successful academic years, Mallett harbored his radical ambition as a closely guarded secret. "I kept my time travel goal a secret," he confessed. "I worried people would think I was nuts." His public research centered on black holes, serving as a "cover story" while he quietly developed his revolutionary time travel theory.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-breakthrough-moment">The breakthrough moment</h2>



<p>His pivotal insight arrived while hospitalized for a heart condition—a profound irony given his father's heart attack started this journey. The breakthrough was elegantly simple yet revolutionary: "If gravity can bend time, and light can create gravity, then light can bend time."</p>



<p>"It turns out that black holes can create a gravitational field that could lead to the creation of time loops that could allow us to go back in time," he explained.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-blueprint-for-a-temporal-vortex">The blueprint for a temporal vortex</h2>



<p>Mallett's vision for a functioning time machine replicates spacetime-warping phenomena around black holes. He offers a compelling analogy: "Picture a cup of coffee. Stir it with a spoon, and the coffee swirls. A spinning black hole does the same to spacetime."</p>



<p>In Einstein's general relativity, the universe is a dynamic fabric woven from space and time. Massive objects like black holes warp this fabric—an effect we perceive as gravity. Mallett theorizes that an intense, continuous, circulating beam of light from a ring of powerful lasers could replicate this gravitational torsion, effectively twisting time into a loop.</p>



<p>This "time loop" would theoretically allow information—or perhaps matter—to travel backward in time. He detailed this mathematical concept in his 2006 autobiography, <em>Time Traveler: A Scientist's Personal Mission to Make Time Travel a Reality</em>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-published-research-and-recognition">Published research and recognition</h2>



<p>His work, published in respected journals including <em><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/physics-letters-a" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Physics Letters A</a></em> and <em><a href="https://link.springer.com/journal/10701" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Foundations of Physics</a></em>, suggests circulating laser light could generate gravitational fields potent enough to create closed timelike curves, enabling time travel for data.</p>



<p>Mallett's research has gained worldwide media attention, featured on <a href="https://www.thisamericanlife.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Public Radio's <em>This American Life</em></a>, the <a href="https://www.history.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">History Channel</a>, and <a href="https://www.today.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NBC's <em>Today Show</em></a>. The widespread interest reflects both his compelling personal story and rigorous scientific approach.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-galactic-hurdles-and-persistent-skepticism">The galactic hurdles and persistent skepticism</h2>



<p>While Mallett's equations captivate imagination, the path to reality faces immense obstacles. The energy requirement is staggering—Mallett acknowledges needing "galactic amounts of energy," far beyond current technological capabilities.</p>



<p>There's also a poignant limitation: even if realized, his machine could only send information back to when it was first activated, meaning it couldn't transport him to 1955 to prevent his father's death.</p>



<p>The scientific community remains skeptical. Physicists Ken Olum and Allen Everett argue that Mallett's proposed laser ring would need to be larger than the observable universe to achieve the necessary spacetime distortion. They invoke Stephen Hawking's chronology protection conjecture, suggesting physics may prevent macroscopic time travel.</p>



<p>Astrophysicist Paul Sutter has voiced doubts about Mallett's underlying mathematics, while science writer Brian Clegg finds the concept intriguing enough to warrant experimental investigation.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-legacy-that-transcends-time">A legacy that transcends time</h2>



<p>Now approaching 80, Dr. Mallett remains steadfast. "I believe my work will show time travel is possible," he asserts. "Future generations will build on it in ways we can't yet imagine."</p>



<p>His equations, though yet to physically bend time, have bent our collective imagination. Ongoing public interest, evidenced by his continued media appearances and Spike Lee's film adaptation of his memoir, underscores his ideas' profound impact.</p>



<p>More than a scientific pursuit, Mallett's story testifies to human resilience, intellectual courage, and hope's enduring power. Whether his theoretical time machine ever materializes, his legacy is immeasurable—inspiring countless individuals to challenge conventional limits and perceive time not as an unyielding barrier, but as a boundless frontier awaiting exploration.</p>



<p></p>



<p>-----</p>



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<p>-----</p>

Retired professor claims he solved time travel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elr4948_uOU Dr. Ronald Mallett from the University of Connecticut reveals...

<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>



<p>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?</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



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



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



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



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



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



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



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



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



<p><strong>Sources:</strong> <em>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.</em></p>



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



<p><strong>1. Is acid rain completely gone?</strong> 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.</p>



<p><strong>2. How long did solving take?</strong> 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.</p>



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



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



<p><strong>5. Could acid rain return?</strong> 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.</p>



<p><strong>6. Can you recommend any teaching tools on the subject of "acid rain"?</strong> 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></p>



<p>-----</p>



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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...

<p>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. </p>



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



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https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
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<p>Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. </p>



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



<p>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. </p>



<p>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).</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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>.</p>

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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<p>Today’s <strong>Video of the Day</strong> 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.</p>



<p>"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.</p>



<p>"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."</p>



<p><em>Video/ Image Credit: ESA</em></p>



<p><em>-</em><em>--</em></p>



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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<p>Today's <strong>Video of the Day</strong> 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.</p>



<p>"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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p><em>Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;</em></p>



<p><em>-</em><em>--</em></p>



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



<p>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.</p>

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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<p>Today’s <strong>Video of the Day</strong> 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;</p>



<p>"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.</p>



<p>"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."</p>



<p>"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."</p>



<p><em>Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;</em></p>



<p><em>-</em><em>--</em></p>



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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<p>Today's <strong>Video of the Day</strong> 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;</p>



<p>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;</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p><em>Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;</em></p>



<p><em>-</em><em>--</em></p>



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



<p>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.</p>

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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<p>Today’s <strong>Video of the Day</strong> from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Kainji Lake, a reservoir on the Niger River.</p>



<p>In 1968, Kainji Lake was created by the construction of the Kainji Dam. The Niger River, the third longest in Africa, enters the lake in the north.&nbsp;</p>



<p>According to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rivers-in-the-american-west-are-a-lifesaving-resource-for-birds/">ESA</a>, the creation of the lake submerged Foge Island and the town of Bussa and permanently flooded other riverine settlements, leaving around 50,000 people displaced.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Large parts of Foge Island are temporarily exposed during low water tides, and the land is often used by migrating fishermen. Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger River in Niger State of Central Nigeria. </p>



<p>Wild mammals occur at relatively low densities due to illegal hunting. Lake Kainji has suffered a dramatic decline as a fishery due to the high numbers of artisanal and subsistence fisherfolk using the lake. It has been suggested that a period of closure, together with controlled fishing rights may help improve fish stocks.</p>



<p>Kainji Lake National Park is the oldest of its kind in Nigeria. The park contains three distinct areas: a part of the Kainji Lake, the Borgu Game Reserve to the west of the lake, and the Zugurma Game Reserve to the southeast. The park is home to around 65 mammal species, 350 bird species, and 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. </p>



<p><em>Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;</em></p>



<p><em>-</em><em>--</em></p>



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



<p>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.</p>

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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