Most people have heard that black holes slowly lose mass through cosmic decay, radiating tiny amounts of energy. This idea has circulated for decades and suggests that nothing is truly permanent.



Experts now propose that other extremely dense <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/magnetar-flares-create-gold-platinum-uranium-in-seconds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">objects</a> might follow a related path. Their findings reveal a shorter timeline for everything, though not short on any human timescale.



Heino Falcke, a black hole researcher at <a href="https://www.ru.nl/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Radboud University</a>, stands at the forefront of this investigation. He collaborated with quantum physicist Michael Wondrak and mathematician Walter van Suijlekom to figure out how quickly these processes might happen.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-view-on-cosmic-decay">New view on cosmic decay</h2>



Scientists have long known about ideas related to black hole evaporation through a process first outlined by <a href="https://projecteuclid.org/journals/communications-in-mathematical-physics/volume-43/issue-3/Particle-creation-by-black-holes/cmp/1103899181.full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stephen Hawking</a>. The classic picture involves a black hole shedding mass over an incredibly long interval, eventually leaving no trace. 



Recent <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.14734" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> suggests that dense objects like neutron stars and white dwarfs might follow similar decay patterns, though at a snail’s pace.



Researchers wondered how these timelines compare to old predictions. They took the mathematics behind black hole evaporation and applied it to other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-space-cosmic-rays-from-supernova-sparked-rapid-earth-evolution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">celestial bodies</a>. The ultimate result? Those bodies still vanish, just more rapidly than many figured before.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-faster-fade-for-dense-objects">Faster fade for dense objects</h2>



“So the ultimate end of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/monster-in-the-shadows-giant-black-hole-emerges-from-cosmic-dust/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">universe</a> comes much sooner than expected, but fortunately it still takes a very long time,” said Heino Falcke. 



That statement might sound contradictory at first, but it sums up the team’s surprising takeaway. Ultimately, for everyday life, these timescales are beyond huge.



There is even a calculation for the disappearance of the Moon. The process would drag on for around 10^90 years. The details rest on <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/physics/research/gravitational-physics" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gravitational physics</a> equations and the idea that curving spacetime might gradually convert mass into particles that eventually slip away.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-neutron-stars-and-white-dwarfs-reveal">What neutron stars and white dwarfs reveal</h2>



Neutron stars have densities so immense that a teaspoon of their material on Earth would outweigh a mountain. Given their density, cosmic decay could affect these stellar remnants, causing them to evaporate too.



The group uncovered that neutron stars might take about the same time to fade as <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/universe/black-holes/types/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stellar black holes</a> in the same mass range.



These results highlight a fresh perspective on gravitational physics. They show that events at a star’s surface could mirror those at the fringes of a black hole’s boundary, with subtle differences in how each body might reabsorb part of its own radiation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-denser-objects-lose-mass-faster">Why denser objects lose mass faster</h2>



Dense <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/blazar-cosmic-objects-defy-classification-can-rapidly-change-its-identity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">objects</a> lose mass through minute particle streams. More density means an object’s gravitational pull is stronger, which changes how energy flows away. 



Draining that stored energy requires creative math, plus insights from quantum mechanics and general relativity.



A white dwarf, much less dense than a neutron star, might hold out for around 1078 years. That timeline sounds wildly big, yet it is significantly shorter than earlier guesses in the range of 101100 years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cosmic-decay-physics-and-math">Cosmic decay: Physics and math</h2>



“By asking these kinds of questions and looking at extreme cases, we want to better understand the theory, and perhaps one day, we unravel the mystery of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/black-hole-radiation-may-actually-be-a-catalyst-for-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hawking radiation</a>,” said Walter van Suijlekom, professor of mathematics at Radboud University.



That blend of math, astrophysics, and quantum ideas drives this line of work.



Probing new models can spur lively debates. Some wonder if there are hidden factors that might stretch these rates. 



Others note that experimental tests in labs are tricky at best because these processes are far too slow to detect directly.



Any attempt to grasp cosmic timescales boggles the mind. Changes in star systems usually unfold in billions of years. 



These calculations push things far beyond that, highlighting a universe that still has an expiration, even if it is unimaginably distant.



Better knowledge of exotic decay can guide how we interpret ancient remnants. If these estimates hold, the universe’s inventory of black holes, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/when-two-neutron-stars-collide-kilonova-explosion-very-bad-things-happen/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">neutron stars</a>, and other dense bodies eventually runs out far earlier than some old predictions claimed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revising-cosmic-timelines">Revising cosmic timelines</h2>



Revising cosmic timelines does not upend everyday astronomy, since these events are so far off. Yet it refines how scientists tally the lifetime of matter. 



Anyone who assumes that a star corpse lasts forever might have to rethink that stance now.



It also raises a question about the deep structure of spacetime. If space itself nudges these bodies toward decay, the nature of gravity might be more flexible than once supposed. 



Each object’s density appears to determine how quickly it joins the dust bin of cosmic history.



The study is published in the <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.14734" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics</a>.



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Cosmic decay: The universe will end sooner than we thought

Most people have heard that black holes slowly lose mass through cosmic decay, radiating tiny amounts of energy. This idea has circulated for decades and suggests that nothing is truly permanent. Experts now propose that other extremely dense objects might follow a related path. Their findings reveal a shorter timeline for everything, though not short on any human timescale. Heino Falcke, a black hole researcher at Radboud University, stands at the forefront of this investigation. He collaborated with quantum physicist Michael Wondrak and mathematician Walter van Suijlekom...

Experts at <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a> have proposed a theory that could explain the origin of the comet or asteroid that crashed into Earth about 66 million years ago, ultimately killing the dinosaurs.

Buried underneath the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, the Chicxulub crater is 93 miles wilde and 12 miles deep. The impact wiped out nearly three-quarters of the plant and animal species living on Earth.

The new Harvard study by Professor Avi Loeb and PhD student Amir Siraj may finally reveal the identity of the space object and how it ended up on a collision course with Earth. 

The researchers analyzed long-period comets from the Oort cloud, an icy sphere of debris at the edge of the solar system. They determined that a significant portion of these comets can be bumped off course by Jupiter's gravitational field.

"The solar system acts as a kind of pinball machine," said Siraj. "Jupiter, the most massive planet, kicks incoming long-period comets into orbits that bring them very close to the sun."

These so-called "sungrazers" can get broken apart into pieces of the rock and produce cometary shrapnel.

"In a sungrazing event, the portion of the comet closer to the sun feels a stronger gravitational pull than the part that is further, resulting in a tidal force across the object," explained Siraj. 

"You can get what's called a tidal disruption event, in which a large comet breaks up into many smaller pieces. And crucially, on the journey back to the Oort cloud, there's an enhanced probability that one of these fragments hit the Earth."

The findings increase the chances of long-period comets impacting Earth by a factor of 10, and show that about 20 percent of long-period comets become sungrazers. According to the researchers, their new rate of impact is consistent with the age of Chicxulub, providing a satisfactory explanation for its origin and other impactors like it.

"Our paper provides a basis for explaining the occurrence of this event," said Professor Loeb. "We are suggesting that, in fact, if you break up an object as it comes close to the sun, it could give rise to the appropriate event rate and also the kind of impact that killed the dinosaurs."

The new theory may also explain why the Chicxulub crater had rock that was composed of carbonaceous chondrite. It is widely believed that the Chicxulub impactor originated from the main belt, which is an asteroid population between the orbit of Jupiter and Mars. 

However, carbonaceous chondrites are rare among main-belt asteroids, but may be widespread among long-period comets, which provides additional support for the new calculations.

The new Vera Rubin Observatory in Chile may be able to observe tidal disruption of long-period comets after it becomes operational next year.

"We should see smaller fragments coming to Earth more frequently from the Oort cloud," said Professor Loeb. "I hope that we can test the theory by having more data on long-period comets, get better statistics, and perhaps see evidence for some fragments."

Professor Loeb said that understanding this is not just crucial to solving a mystery of Earth's history, but could prove pivotal if such an event were to threaten the planet. "It must have been an amazing sight, but we don't want to see that again."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep">Scientific Reports</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Sungrazing comet may have caused dinosaur extinction event

Experts at Harvard University have proposed a theory that could...

In a new study from the <a href="https://www.vims.edu/">Virginia Institute of Marine Science</a>, experts have found that it is important to measure biodiversity across regional landscapes over decades, rather than just across a small site in the short-term. The research will ultimately guide conservation planning and support efforts to make ecosystems more resilient.

Biodiversity is traditionally examined using short-term plot experiments in which ecologists monitor the health of a single meadow, forest grove, or pond. The new study emphasizes the importance of conducting biodiversity studies that provide insight on a larger scale. 

"Having low biodiversity is like putting all your eggs in one basket and puts us at greater risk of something catastrophic happening," said study lead author Dr. Christopher Patrick. "We've known this for a long time, but never before have we shown this to be true for entire regions and landscapes."

The team compiled, analyzed, and modeled data collected over decades across both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The investigation was focused on the abundance and diversity of 50 families of terrestrial beetles in the Sonoran Desert, 25 species of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in the Chesapeake Bay, and 56 species of fish from small streams in Maryland.

A recent drop in SAV coverage within the Chesapeake Bay, as recorded by VIMS' long-term monitoring program, demonstrates the threats posed by low biodiversity.

"For the past few years, our gains in seagrass coverage were mostly due to the expansion of one species, widgeon grass," said Dr. Patrick. "That made us vulnerable. When widgeon grass had a bad year in 2019, we saw the single biggest drop in Chesapeake Bay SAV in the history of the VIMS monitoring program. The lesson here is that promoting biodiversity will increase ecosystem resilience." 

Climate change is increasing the risk for local extinctions, promoting outbreaks of pests and diseases, and diminishing yields from human fisheries and agriculture. This means that conservation efforts are even more urgently needed. 

"Understanding the interplay between regional and local controls of ecosystem variability may aid in the design of more effective conservation actions, management practices, and monitoring networks worldwide," said Dr. Patrick.

"Our results, bolster the argument for conserving biodiversity by showing that it is needed at both local and regional scales to maintain stable delivery of ecosystem services across entire landscapes."

"We should not only avoid putting all our eggs in one basket, but ensure that we have lots of different kinds of eggs in lots of different kinds of baskets."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.esa.org/frontiers-in-ecology-and-the-environment/">Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Promoting biodiversity increases ecosystem resilience

In a new study from the Virginia Institute of Marine...

Throughout the animal kingdom, there are many species that form monogamous bonds with their mates just like humans. In a new study from <a href="https://duke.edu/">Duke University</a>, experts have discovered that the brain circuitry that supports lasting love in some species is not the same in others.

For the investigation, the researchers compared monogamous and promiscuous species within a closely related group of primates known as lemurs.

Red-bellied lemurs and mongoose lemurs are two of the only types of this group in which male-female pairs stick together to raise their young and defend their territory.

Once two lemurs have bonded, they spend about one-third of their lifetime together. The partners spend hours grooming each other or huddled side by side. 

Overall, monogamy is rare among mammals and remains somewhat of a mystery to biologists. While about 90 percent of bird species are usually faithful to one partner, only three to five percent of mammals practice fidelity. "It's an uncommon arrangement," said study lead author Nicholas Grebe.

The researchers set out to investigate what makes some species biologically inclined to monogamy. Previous studies have found evidence that two hormones released during mating, oxytocin and vasopressin, have an influence on lasting love according to how they affect the brain.

When experts compared the brains of monogamous prairie voles with two other vole species that behave promiscuously, they found that prairie voles had more "docking sites" for the hormones, especially in parts of the brain's reward system.

If these "cuddle chemicals" enhance lasting love in voles, the researchers theorized they may have the same influence on humans. The study was focused on lemurs because they are a closer genetic match to humans than voles.

The researchers used an imaging technique called autoradiography on 12 lemurs that had died of natural causes at the Duke Lemur Center. They used the images to map binding sites for oxytocin and vasopressin.

The team compared the brain imaging results in lemurs with previous results in voles and monkeys. This analysis revealed some noticeable differences in the density and distribution of hormone receptors. 

Essentially, oxytocin and vasopressin were found to act on different parts of the brain in lemurs, which means they may also have different effects depending on their target cell's location.

According to Grebe, oxytocin may be the "potion of devotion" for voles, but it may be the combined actions and interactions of multiple brain chemicals - along with ecological factors - that create lasting bonds in lemurs and other primates like humans.

"There are probably a number of different ways through which monogamy is instantiated within the brain, and it depends on what animals we're looking at," said Grebe. "There's more going on than we originally thought."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep">Scientific Reports</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The basis of lasting love is more complex than expected

Throughout the animal kingdom, there are many species that form...

For people living in urban areas, ditching the car on the daily commute just once per week can significantly lower their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/warming-of-2c-would-unleash-230-billions-tons-of-soil-carbon/">carbon</a> footprint. Experts at <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/">Imperial College London</a> report that "active travel," such as walking and cycling, can help tackle the climate crisis.

The researchers found that shifting to active travel could save as much as a quarter of personal carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from transport.

The study is the first of its kind to investigate the carbon-reducing impact of city-based lifestyle changes. The results suggest that increases in active mobility can even lower carbon footprints in European cities that already have a substantial number of people that walk and cycle.

"Our findings suggest that, even if not all car trips could be substituted by bicycle trips, the potential for decreasing emissions is huge," said study co-author Dr. Audrey de Nazelle.

"This is one more piece of evidence on the multiple benefits of active travel, alongside our previous studies showing cycling is the best way to get around cities for both physical and mental health, and that promoting cycling helps tackle obesity. This should encourage different sectors to work together to create desirable futures from multiple health, environmental and social perspectives."

The study was focused on nearly 2,000 people in seven European cities. The team collected data on the participants' daily travel behavior, as well as information on the location of their homes and work spaces.

The experts used statistical modeling to analyze how changes in the mode of daily travel may influence traffic-related CO2 emissions.

"We found that those who switch just one trip per day from car driving to cycling reduce their carbon footprint by about 0.5 tons over a year, representing a substantial share of average per capita CO2 emissions," explained study lead author Dr. Christian Brand from the University of Oxford.

"If just 10% of the population were to change travel behaviour, the emissions savings would be around 4% of lifecycle CO2 emissions from all car travel."

The study revealed that individuals who already cycled had 84 percent lower CO2 emissions from all daily travel compared to non-cyclists. The greatest benefits of switching to active modes of transport were for business travel, followed by leisure trips and commuting to work or place of study. 

"A typical response to the climate crisis is to 'do something', such as planting more trees, or switching to electric vehicles. While these are important and effective, they are neither sufficient nor fast enough to meet our ambitious climate targets," said Dr. Brand.

"Doing more of a good thing combined with doing less of a bad thing - and doing it now - is much more compliant with a 'net zero' pathway and preserving our planet's and our own futures. Switching from car to active mobility is one thing to do, which would make a real difference, and we show here how good this can be in cities."

According to the researchers, this will not only be good for the climate, but also for reducing social inequalities and improving public health and quality of life in urban areas. 

"To improve active travel take-up, cities across the world will need to increase investment in high-quality infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists and incorporate policy and planning concepts that require a fairly radical rethink of our cities," said Dr. de Nazelle.

"This is in turn likely to reduce inequalities, because the concepts involve mixing different population groups rather than maintaining the model of residential zoning by socioeconomic status currently used."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/global-environmental-change">Global Environmental Change</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Active travel can greatly reduce CO2 emissions in the city

For people living in urban areas, ditching the car on...

For animals in the Rocky Mountains, global warming is literally an uphill battle. A long-term study from <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">CU Boulder</a> has revealed that golden-mantled ground squirrels, along with many other small mammals, are climbing higher into the mountains to escape unsuitably warm <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-temperatures-linked-to-low-quality-diets-among-children/">temperatures</a>.

Study lead author Christy McCain is an associate professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a curator of vertebrates at the CU Museum of Natural History.

"It's frightening. We've been talking about climate change in the Rockies for a long time, but I think we can say that this is a sign that things are now responding and responding quite drastically," said Professor McCain.

The golden-mantled ground squirrel is a popular sight among tourists that has an appearance similar to a chipmunk. The squirrels live in conifer forests in the Rockies and several other western mountain ranges.

"It is likely one of the most photographed mammals in Rocky Mountain National Park as it poses and preens on rocks near the roadside and in campgrounds," said Professor McCain. "They hibernate in winter, are territorial in the summer, and they make distinctive alarm calls to notify each other of nearby dangers."

The research was focused on nearly 50 species of small mammals located in the Front Range and San Juan Rockies, including mice, shrews, and even the yellow-bellied marmot.

The experts determined that the ranges of these small mammals have shifted by an average more than 400 feet up in elevation since the 1980s. Meanwhile, the ground squirrels and other "montane mammals" which already live at higher elevations have shifted by up to 1,100 feet.

According to the researchers, this trend could squeeze many animals out of Colorado altogether. Professor McCain said that the small mammals may be bellwethers for larger and increasingly urgent changes in the Rocky Mountains.

"I was expecting that we would see something between 100 to 200 meters, but we saw a lot more. This is way bigger than the change that has been determined in other mountain regions around the world."

According to Professor McCain, the study paints a stark picture of a mountain range in crisis. The good news is that there may still be time to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to protect the animals and natural landscapes.

"It's a wake-up call," said Professor McCain. "We have to start taking this seriously immediately if we want to have healthy mountains and ecosystems."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19399170">Ecology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Squirrels are climbing high to escape global warming

For animals in the Rocky Mountains, global warming is literally...

Severe,Thunderstorm,At,Tobacco,Bay,Beach,In,St.,George's,Bermuda

The maximum wind speeds of hurricanes near Bermuda have more than doubled over the last six decades as a result of rising ocean temperatures, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/">University of Southampton</a>. Hurricanes pull energy from the ocean's surface, and warmer waters are now fueling more intense <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/severe-storms-triggered-a-decline-in-antarctic-sea-ice/">storms</a>.

The researchers determined that between 1955 and 2019, the average hurricane intensity near Bermuda increased from 35 to 73 miles per hour. This is equivalent to an increase of more than six miles per hour each decade. Meanwhile, the surface and subsurface temperatures in the region heated by up to 1.1 degrees Celsius.

Based on the average upper ocean temperature in the top 50 meters of the Atlantic Ocean, the experts developed a method for predicting the intensity of hurricanes near Bermuda.

"The approach we used could provide a better way to predict Bermuda storm intensity than current theory or operational methods alone," explained study lead author Samantha Hallam. "It could also be use elsewhere in the subtropical Atlantic where there is a shallow mixed layer depth, typically north of twenty five degrees north."

"We used hurricane potential intensity theory, locally-based weather balloon soundings, surface and upper ocean observations of conditions in and around hurricanes passing within 100km of Bermuda over the last 65 years (including direct hits and 'near-miss' storms)."

The researchers conducted a statistical analysis on hurricane paths within 100 kilometers of Bermuda over the last 60 years. Surface and subsurface ocean temperature observations were obtained from the Bermuda Atlantic Times Series (BATS) Hydrostation S program.

Study co-author Mark Guishard, director of the Bermuda Weather Service, said the findings demonstrate the greater relevance of upper ocean heat versus sea surface temperatures alone in the prediction of hurricane intensity. 

"Preliminary testing with the recent passage of Hurricane Paulette shows promising results that this technique could be further developed into an additional operational tool for forecasters locally."

By improving predictions of wind speeds from hurricanes, experts can determine the necessary level of response in advance of the storm and potentially mitigate some of the destructive impacts.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/1748-9326">Environmental Research Letters</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Hurricane intensity near Bermuda has doubled in 60 years

The maximum wind speeds of hurricanes near Bermuda have more...

Traditional,Organic,Chinese,Dry,Green,Tea,Leaves,On,Wooden,Spoon

A compound found in green tea may boost levels of the naturally occurring anti-cancer protein p53. According to new research, the green tea compound epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) presents a new target for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coffee-consumption-lowers-the-risk-of-prostate-cancer/">cancer</a> drug discovery.

P53 proteins control cell division and cell death, and have the ability to repair DNA damage or destroy cancer cells. For this reason, p53 is considered to be a tumor suppressor that is also known as the "guardian of the genome."

Meanwhile, the green tea compound EGCG serves as a powerful antioxidant that protects against cellular damage caused by free radicals. EGCG is believed to reduce inflammation, boost weight loss, and help prevent heart and brain disease. 

Study co-author Chunyu Wang is a professor of Biological Sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. 

"Both p53 and EGCG molecules are extremely interesting. Mutations in p53 are found in over 50% of human cancer, while EGCG is the major antioxidant in green tea, a popular beverage worldwide," said Professor Wang.

"Now we find that there is a previously unknown, direct interaction between the two, which points to a new path for developing anti-cancer drugs. Our work helps to explain how EGCG is able to boost p53's anti-cancer activity, opening the door to developing drugs with EGCG-like compounds."

Professor Wang is an expert in using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to study specific mechanisms in Alzheimer's disease and cancer. He describes p53 as "arguably the most important protein in human cancer."

The protein is responsible for multiple anti-cancer functions, such as inhibiting cell growth to allow for DNA repair, activating DNA repair, and initiating programmed cell death when DNA damage cannot be repaired.

After being produced in the body, p53 is quickly degraded. This cycle of production and degradation keeps p53 at low levels. However, in the new study, the experts have made the breakthrough discovery that interaction with EGCG prevents p53 from degrading. 

"Both EGCG and MDM2 bind at the same place on p53, the N-terminal domain, so EGCG competes with MDM2," explained Professor Wang. "When EGCG binds with p53, the protein is not being degraded through MDM2, so the level of p53 will increase with the direct interaction with EGCG, and that means there is more p53 for anti-cancer function. This is a very important interaction."

The fact that EGCG directly disrupts the binding of p53 to its regulator MDM2 means that the green tea compound may serve as the basis for future treatments to promote the death of cancerous cells and prevent the spread of cancer.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms">Nature Communications</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Green tea compound may be a powerful weapon against cancer

A compound found in green tea may boost levels of...

A study from <a href="https://www.bangor.ac.uk/">Bangor University</a> is providing new insight into how migratory birds manage to reorient themselves after venturing off course. The researchers found that reed warblers detect geomagnetic signatures that can guide them back to their migratory route after they have been displaced.

The study is the first of its kind to reveal that birds have the perceptive ability to navigate toward a magnetic position that they have experienced before along their normal migration route.

"What these birds are achieving is 'true navigation,'" explained study co-author Dr. Dmitry Kishkinev. "In other words, they are able to return to a known goal after displacement to a completely unknown location without relying on familiar surroundings, cues that emanate from the destination, or information collected during the outward journey."

Different locations on Earth have distinct geomagnetic signatures based on factors such as the strength of the geomagnetic field or the angle between directions to the geographic and magnetic North poles.

For the investigation, adult reed warblers were held in captivity for a short period of time. Because they were adults, the birds were already familiar with their migration route and its general magnetic signatures.

Once they were released, the warblers were exposed to a simulation of the Earth's magnetic signature at a location thousands of miles away from the birds' natural migratory range.

Despite all the sensory clues that showed the birds they were physically located elsewhere, they behaved based on the magnetic signals that they were experiencing. As a result, the reed warblers oriented themselves to fly in a direction which would lead them from the simulated location back to their migratory path.

The findings show that Earth's magnetic field is key in guiding reed warblers when they are off course.

"The overriding impulse was to respond to the magnetic information they were receiving," explained study co-author Richard Holland. 

"What our current work shows is that birds are able to sense that they are beyond the bounds of the magnetic fields that are familiar to them from their year-round movements, and are able to extrapolate their position sufficiently from the signals. This fascinating ability enables bird to navigate towards their normal migration route."

"We have already shown that the reed warblers use the same magnetic cues experienced within their natural range, but this study shows that they can extrapolate what they understand about how the magnetic field varies in space far beyond any previous experience they have had," said study co-author Florian Packmor.

While the research was focused on the Eurasian reed warbler, the researchers expect their findings can be applied to other migrating songbirds.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Reed warblers use Earth's magnetic field to get back on track

A study from Bangor University is providing new insight into...

Whales,Of,The,North,Shore,Quebec

The songs of fin whales can be used to survey the structure of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massive-concentrations-of-microplastics-found-on-the-seafloor-2/">seafloor</a>, according to a new study from <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a>. The experts report that fin whale songs contain signals that are reflected and refracted within the crust, including the sediment and the solid rock layers beneath. 

Study co-author John Nabelek explained that these signals can be used to determine the thickness of the layers as well as other information relevant to seismic research.

"People in the past have used whale calls to track whales and study whale behavior. We thought maybe we can study the Earth using those calls," said Professor Nabelek. "What we discovered is that whale calls may serve as a complement to traditional passive seismic research methods."

The songs of fin whales occur at frequencies known to travel well across the ocean floor, persisting for up to hours at a time. The vocalizations be as loud as large ships, and are often captured by seismometer (OBS) stations on the seafloor that monitor earthquake activity. 

Professor Nabelek said the study serves as a proof of concept that could provide new avenues for using data from whale calls in research.

"This expands the use of data that is already being collected. It shows these animal vocalizations are useful not just for understanding the animals, but also understanding their environment."

In collaboration with study lead author Vaclav M. Kuna, Professor Nabelek analyzed earthquakes from a network of 54 underwater seismometers positioned along the Blanco transform fault. At its closest point, the fault is around 100 miles off Cape Blanco on the coast of Oregon.

The team recognized strong signals on the seismometers that correlated with the presence of fin whales in the area.

"After each whale call, if you look closely at the seismometer data, there is a response from the Earth," said Professor Nabelek.

The calls recorded at the seismometer can provide information that allows researchers to estimate and map the structure of the crust. Based on a series of whale songs recorded by three seismometers, the researchers were able to pinpoint the whale's location and use the vibrations to create images of the Earth's crust layers.

According to Professor Nabelek, the current traditional method for imaging of the crust can be expensive and permits can be difficult to obtain because the work involves deploying air guns. While the whale songs are captured at a lower resolution, they are also much less invasive.

"The data from the whale songs is useful but it doesn't completely replace the standard methods," noted Professor Nabelek. "This method is useful for investigating the Earth's oceanic crust where standard science survey methods are not available."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Fin whale songs can help map the structure of the Earth's crust

The songs of fin whales can be used to survey...

Wicker basket with red ripe apples in the garden.

Natural compounds found in apples can improve brain function, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.isscr.org/">International Society for Stem Cell Research</a>. Using a mouse model, the experts demonstrated that apples and other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fruit-eating-mammals-fertilize-the-soil-in-tropical-forests/">fruits</a> help stimulate the production of new brain cells, and may ultimately boost learning and memory. 

Phytonutrients are chemical substances in plants that are known to have positive effects on the body. For example, resveratrol is a phytonutrient that is found in the skin of red grapes that is associated with a reduced risk of age-related conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

"Apart from being a source of energy, food is known to influence an individual's overall fitness. A growing number of studies have demonstrated the health benefits of phytochemicals, the chemical substances found in plants. Active dietary compounds are also vital for maintaining cognitive function," wrote the study authors.

The researchers set out to investigate the neural effects of specific compounds in apples. They discovered that high concentrations of phytonutrients found in apples can stimulate the process of neurogenesis, during which new brain cells are formed.

The study was focused on lab-grown stem cells from adult mouse brains. The researchers added phytonutrients commonly found in apples, including quercetin or dihydroxybezoic acid (DHBA), to the cell cultures. As a result, the stem cells appeared to be protected from death and generated more brain cells. 

Further experiments showed that, in distinct brain structures associated with learning and memory, stem cells multiplied and produced more neurons when the mice were given high doses of quercetin or DHBA. 

According to the researchers, the effects on neurogenesis were comparable to beneficial effects that have been observed after physical exercise, which is a known stimulus for neurogenesis.

Further research is needed to determine if quercetin, DHBA, and other phytonutrients can enhance learning and cognitive function.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/stem-cell-reports/home">Stem Cell Reports</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Apples stimulate the production of new brain cells

Natural compounds found in apples can improve brain function, according...

Portrait,Of,Primeval,Caveman,Wearing,Animal,Skin,Standing,In,His

In a new study on the evolution of the brain, researchers have discovered that a single <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/songbirds-rely-on-an-autism-gene-for-memorization/">gene</a> alteration may separate modern humans from our earlier ancestors. The team developed "mini brains" to gain a better understanding of what makes us so different from our relatives, the Neanderthals and Denisovans, 

Study senior author Dr. Alysson R. Muotri director of the <a href="https://ucsd.edu/">UC San Diego</a> Stem Cell Program and a professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine. Her work is primarily focused on how the brain develops.

Evolutionary studies rely heavily on genetics and fossil analysis to explore how a species changes over time, but neither approach can reveal much about brain development and function because brains do not fossilize, explained Dr. Muotri.

The researchers took a different approach to brain reconstructions by using stem cells, precursors of other cell types that can be used to grow miniature brains in the lab. 

The team has now documented the differences between the genomes of diverse modern humans and the Neanderthals and Denisovans, who lived approximately 2.6 million to 11,700 years ago. By mimicking an alteration they found in one gene of Neanderthals, the researchers used stem cells to create brain organoids.

"It's fascinating to see that a single base-pair alteration in human DNA can change how the brain is wired," said Dr. Muotri. "We don't know exactly how and when in our evolutionary history that change occurred. But it seems to be significant, and could help explain some of our modern capabilities in social behavior, language, adaptation, creativity and use of technology."

The study initially identified 61 genes that differed between modern and extinct humans. One of these genes, NOVA1, stood out because it is a master gene regulator that influences many other genes during early brain development. 

Using CRISPR gene editing, the experts engineered modern human stem cells with the Neanderthal mutation in NOVA1, and the stem cells were then transformed into brain cells and ultimately mini brains. These organoids are little clusters of brain cells, but they are not exactly the same as a brain. For example, they lack connections to other organ systems like blood vessels. 

However, organoids are useful models for studying genetics, disease development, and responses to drug treatment. Dr. Muotri's team has even managed to develop mini brains with organized electrical oscillatory waves similar to those produced by the human brain.

According to the researchers, the Neanderthal organoids looked very different from modern human brain organoids, even to the naked eye. Beyond having a distinctly different shape, these organoids varied in the way their cells proliferated and in how their connections between neurons, or synapses, formed.

Furthermore, the experts report that the electrical impulses of mini brains with the NOVA1 mutation were more active at earlier stages, but did not synchronize in networks.

Dr. Muotri pointed out that the neural network changes observed in Neanderthal-ized brain organoids parallel the way newborn primates acquire new abilities more rapidly than human newborns.

"This study focused on only one gene that differed between modern humans and our extinct relatives. Next we want to take a look at the other 60 genes, and what happens when each, or a combination of two or more, are altered," said Dr. Muotri.

"We're looking forward to this new combination of stem cell biology, neuroscience and paleogenomics. The ability to apply the comparative approach of modern humans to other extinct hominins, such as Neanderthals and Denisovans, using brain organoids carrying ancestral genetic variants is an entirely new field of study."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Modern humans are separated from Neanderthals by one gene

In a new study on the evolution of the brain,...

In a new study published by <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/">Frontiers</a>, four pigs learned how to play video games by moving a joystick with their snouts. According to the experts, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/changing-ocean-soundscapes-impact-animals-worldwide/">animals</a> demonstrated that they understood the concept of the computer games despite having some physical limitations. 

The researchers said the fact that these far-sighted animals with no opposable thumbs could succeed at the task is "remarkable."

The study was focused on two Yorkshire pigs and two Panepinto micro pigs. All four animals were trained to manipulate a joystick with their snouts in front of a computer monitor. Next, they were taught how to play a video game where the goal was to move a cursor toward up to four target walls on the screen.

Each pig performed well above chance, which indicates that the animals were fully aware of the connection between the movement of the joystick and the cursor on the computer screen. 

"It is no small feat for an animal to grasp the concept that the behavior they are performing is having an effect elsewhere. That pigs can do this to any degree should give us pause as to what else they are capable of learning and how such learning may impact them," said study lead author Dr. Candace Croney.

Previous research has shown that pigs are capable of various types of learning ranging from basic obedience commands to more complex behaviors.

The current study revealed that pigs become more persistent as a result of social contact. Verbal encouragement motivated them to complete the most challenging tasks. 

"This sort of study is important because, as with any sentient beings, how we interact with pigs and what we do to them impacts and matters to them," said Dr. Croney. 

"We therefore have an ethical obligation to understand how pigs acquire information, and what they are capable of learning and remembering, because it ultimately has implications for how they perceive their interactions with us and their environments."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology">Frontiers in Psychology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Pigs can learn how to play video games

In a new study published by Frontiers, four pigs learned...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Kainji Lake, a reservoir on the Niger River.



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;



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;



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. 



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.



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. 



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.igb.illinois.edu/">Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology</a> reveals how scientists can modify common crops like soybean, rice, and wheat to protect them from heat stress.



“We need to double crop production by 2050 to feed a growing global population, and not only are we not on track to do that, but climate change is further complicating things,” said Amanda Cavanagh, a lecturer at the University of Essex. 



The study is part of Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), an international research project that aims to develop food crops that turn the sun’s energy into food more efficiently.



“Using an engineering approach we designed multiple alternative metabolic pathways to photorespiration. Testing them in the field showed increases in productivity which led Amanda to significantly move the project forward by showing our engineered plants can withstand pretty extreme temperature stress,” said study co-author and RIPE researcher Paul South.&nbsp;



“As the climate changes and temperature stresses increase the pressure on our global food supply, farmers will need every tool available including engineering approaches like the synthetic biology used here to maintain safe and productive harvests.”



The experts tested plants modified to have more efficient photorespiration to see if they were better adapted to warmer temperatures.&nbsp;



The team found that the engineered plants produced 26 percent more biomass than the wild-type plants exposed to the same temperatures, and had 15 percent less yield loss under the higher temperatures.



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Carl...

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes the first comprehensive estimate of carbon density in the Saharan, Sahel, and Sudanian zones of Africa. In an effort to measure the amount of carbon stored across these drylands, a team of scientists used high-resolution satellite images and artificial intelligence to map nearly 10 billion individual trees. 



"The high spatial resolution (50 cm) combined with AI and field measurements used in this study is key to improving tree inventories in drylands," said Pierre Hiernaux, a French researcher working for NASA. "The ever-increasing availability of very high-resolution satellite imagery will make it possible to assess carbon pools and their dynamics at the individual tree level on a global scale."



"This study is exceptional because it is pioneering a type of approach that will revolutionize the monitoring of trees and forests on a global scale: in the short term, it will be possible to map the world's trees from the centre of the Amazon to our schoolyards," said <a href="https://www.inrae.fr/en">INRAE</a> researcher Jean-Pierre Wigneron.



"Many fields of application will become much more efficient and accurate, such as tracking carbon stocks, biodiversity, monitoring logging and protection against illegal forest degradation, in near real time.”



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> features a visual dataset of.methane emissions from wetlands across the globe. Atmospheric methane levels have reached record highs in recent years, and wetlands are a major source of these emissions.&nbsp;



"Methane is an important greenhouse gas that contributes substantially to global warming. On a molecule by molecule basis, methane is much more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, the main driver of warming," says NASA.



"Though human activities, including agriculture, oil and natural gas production and use, and waste disposal, collectively contribute the majority of methane to the atmosphere, about a third of total methane emissions comes from wetlands."&nbsp;



According to NASA, understanding methane emissions from wetlands and other natural sources is critically important for scientists and policymakers who are working to combat climate change by reducing emissions from human activities.



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes why experts are studying zebrafish to gain a better understanding of how the immune system responds to injury. Zebrafish have the ability to repair and regenerate organs.



“Organ regeneration offers an exciting opportunity for studying the immune system and to inquire why some species can regenerate organs like the heart or missing limbs while others like humans cannot,” explained Dr. Tatjana Piotrowski.



Zebrafish sensory organ hair cells are an ideal system to investigate the pathways and cell types involved in regeneration since they are easily destroyed with antibiotics and begin regenerating within five hours. This enabled the researchers to identify the exact timing and genetic programs for each anti-inflammatory macrophage activation state.&nbsp;



“Our hypothesis is that human macrophages do not receive the proper chemical activation 'cocktail' to instruct pro-regenerative processes,” said Dr. Nicolas Denans. “Identifying the molecular recipe of macrophage activation in zebrafish may one day enable us to design regenerative immunotherapies in humans.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The new evidence is a valuable resource for comparative studies on the genetic programs involved in macrophage-mediated repair and regeneration. In other words, different types of injuries may induce different kinds of inflammatory responses. We want to decipher whether this 'language' is universal or if there are a variety of dialects."



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes how record-breaking heat expressed itself around the world in 2022.



Scientists have determined that 2022 was the 5th warmest year since 1880. Furthermore, the last nine consecutive years have been the warmest on record.



From devastating floods and wildfires to natural disasters like Hurricane Ian, 2022 showed us yet again how a warming climate affects people across the globe.&nbsp;



"As we look back at 20:22 and years past, we see that each year we better understand the challenges we face and how important it is to meet them," says NASA.



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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