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...

Beautiful marmoset monkey on top of tree

In a new study from the <a href="https://www.uzh.ch/en.html">University of Zurich</a>, researchers report that marmoset <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/monkeys-show-us-why-humans-keep-trying-even-when-we-should-give-up/">monkeys</a> eavesdrop on conversations among other individuals. Not only do the marmosets seem to understand these conversations, but they also appear to form judgements based on what they hear. 

It is very common for humans to observe and evaluate interactions between other people as they decide who they would interact with in the future. With animals, it is difficult to measure what they are picking up on as they eavesdrop. Even if they do understand a chat between other individuals, animals do not express their reactions in ways that can be easily observed.

A team of anthropologists at Zurich used behavioral analyses and thermal imaging to investigate the emotional states of the marmosets.

Thermal imaging provided the researchers with a noninvasive tool to measure temperature changes in the faces of marmoset monkeys to identify subtle emotional responses. 

"We were able to use this technique to show that the marmosets did not perceive the vocal interactions between conspecifics as the mere sum of the single call elements but rather perceived them holistically, as a conversation," said study first author Rahel Brügger.

When an animal experiences an increase in emotional arousal, this corresponds with a drop in facial surface temperature - especially in the most exposed regions like the nose. Thermal imaging makes it possible to record these changes.

The researchers obtained recordings of vocal exchanges between marmosets, as well as calls of nearby animals that were not involved in the interaction. As the recordings were played from a hidden loudspeaker, the team used thermography to measure the monkeys' reactions. 

"This showed that the response to call interactions was significantly different than the response to individual calls," said Brügger. "Marmoset monkeys are thus able to distinguish a dialogue among conspecifics from a pure monologue."

The researchers distinguished between the recorded interactions that were cooperative and those that were competitive. 

After the marmosets heard the different interactions, they had the opportunity to approach the sources of the sounds. This experiment revealed that the monkeys preferred to approach individuals who had been involved in a cooperative interaction with a third party.

"This study adds to the growing evidence that many animals are not only passive observers of third-party interactions, but that they also interpret them," said study co-author Professor Burkart. "In addition, our study shows that thermography can help unveil how these social interactions are perceived by nonverbal subjects."

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Marmosets eavesdrop on conversations and form judgements

In a new study from the University of Zurich, researchers...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.agronomy.org/">American Society of Agronomy</a> has investigated sources of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/late-rainy-season-signals-upcoming-food-insecurity/">food</a> contamination in the soil. According to Professor Angelia Seyfferth, it all comes down to the soil's chemistry. 

For her latest research, Professor Seyfferth has been studying rice. She reports that the elements arsenic and cadmium are often present in the paddies where rice is grown. 

"Contaminants being taken up by crop plants is a route of dietary exposure to contaminants that is understudied," said Professor Seyfferth. "We can help decrease human exposure to toxins by applying our knowledge of soil chemistry."

Small amounts of arsenic and cadmium are present in many food products. In fruits and vegetables, the elements can pose a threat to human health depending on their levels of concentration and how much of the contaminated food an individual eats. 

Arsenic and cadmium are harmful to the body in high concentrations, and can even cause cancer over time. These elements are found in different chemical forms depending on their environment. If a contaminant in the soil resembles a nutrient, it is likely to be taken up by plants growing in the soil. 

"How food is grown affects not only the concentration of contaminants, but also where the contaminants are stored within the food," explained Professor Seyfferth. "If we understand the chemical forms of contaminants in soil, we can design solutions to decrease plant uptake of them."

When it comes to rice, arsenic can be taken up when the field is flooded, while cadmium is more likely to be taken up when the field is not flooded. 

Professor Seyfferth has been searching for a way to prevent plants from taking up arsenic and cadmium. One method that can be used is adding materials to the soil, called amendments. By using these materials, researchers can help control the chemical forms and plant uptake of contaminants in the soil.

In the current study, Professor Seyfferth found that adding rice husk residue to rice paddy soils can help lower the amount of arsenic and cadmium absorbed by plants. 

Rice husk residue is high in the element silicon, which is an important nutrient for rice. The chemical form of silicon is similar to the form of arsenic taken up by rice plants when fields are flooded. Rice husk residue also makes the soil less acidic, which can help lock up cadmium so that it is not readily available.

"Not all sources of silicon behave the same way though," said Professor Seyfferth. "In order for it to be effective, the silicon source must provide silicon in a high enough concentration during the time the rice plant is filling grain. Rice husk residue is a successful source because it breaks down slowly and releases silicon throughout the growing season."

The study showed that adding rice husk residues can also help prevent yield loss. Considering that half of the world depends on rice as a staple food, the research has great potential.

For most American adults, the amount of arsenic and cadmium they consume from rice is not enough to cause concern. However, there are other populations that eat these products more frequently.

"People need to be aware of their daily load of contaminants, which depends on their body weight, the concentration and chemical form of the contaminant in the food, and the amount consumed," said Professor Seyfferth.

"The daily load is highest for people who consume rice multiple times a day and who may also have arsenic in their drinking water. Some examples include populations in South and Southeast Asia."

The study was supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the University of Delaware. 

The research was presented at the 2020 <a href="https://www.acsmeetings.org/">ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Soil is a source of food contamination

A new study from the American Society of Agronomy has...

During the last ice age, extensive sea ice prevented oxygen from reaching waters in the deep ocean. This interference complicated the relationship between oxygen and carbon, according to a new study from <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a>.

"The sea ice is effectively like a closed window for the ocean," said study co-author Andreas Schmittner. "The closed window keeps fresh air out; the sea ice acted as a barrier to keep oxygen from entering the ocean, like stale air in a room full of people. If you open the window, oxygen from outside can come in and the air is not as stale."

The results of the research contradict previous ideas about the relationship between oxygen and carbon dioxide in deep ocean waters. A better understanding of this relationship will provide valuable insights into how the world's oceans may respond to climate change, explained Schmittner.

The ocean plays an important role in the carbon cycle, in which carbon dioxide from the atmosphere dissolves in surface waters. Here, algae convert the carbon into organic matter, and respiration of that organic matter removes oxygen as carbon sinks to the deep ocean. 

The process of transferring carbon from the surface waters to the deep ocean is called the biological pump.

As temperatures rise, the ocean is losing oxygen - a trend that is expected to persist. This would lead scientists to expect higher oxygen concentrations during the last ice age when oceans were colder, said Schmittner, but sediment collected previously from below the sea floor shows lower oxygen levels in the deep ocean during that period.

To investigate, the researchers used modeling to calculate the lower oxygen levels in the deep ocean. The study revealed that disequilibrium played an important role in the carbon cycle. Deep ocean oxygen concentrations were reduced because surface waters were less equilibrated with the atmosphere. 

According to Schmittner, the disequilibrium was a result of the vast sea ice mainly over the Southern Ocean, as well as higher iron fertilization from the ice age atmosphere, which was dustier.

This means that deep ocean oxygen levels are not just influenced by the biological pump process, but also by sea ice extent, just as a room's air quality may change by the opening or closing of a window, said Schmittner. He noted that the method used for this study could also be applied to future climate modeling.

"Current models cannot separate effects from the biological pump on ocean oxygen from sea ice or other influences," said Schmittner. "This changes our understanding of the process and the reasons for those changes."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ngeo">Nature Geoscience</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Deep ocean oxygen levels are affected by sea ice

During the last ice age, extensive sea ice prevented oxygen...

Dionaea,Muscipula,,,Known,As,Flytrap,,In,Closeup,,Isolated,On

The Venus flytrap is equipped with an elaborate system for trapping its <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-lions-have-mastered-the-timing-to-prey-on-chinook-salmon/">prey</a>. The leaves of the flytrap contain highly sensitive hairs, and even the slightest touch to one of these hairs produces an electrical signal that spreads throughout the entire leaf. The Venus flytrap responds to the electrical signals, known as action potentials, by snapping shut in a matter of milliseconds.

In a new study from the <a href="https://www.uni-mainz.de/eng/">Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz</a>, researchers have discovered that the electrical signals produced by flytraps generate magnetic fields. The experts managed to measure this biomagnetism using atomic magnetometers.

"You could say the investigation is a little like performing an MRI scan in humans," said study lead author and physicist Anne Fabricant. "The problem is that the magnetic signals in plants are very weak, which explains why it was extremely difficult to measure them with the help of older technologies."

The researchers noted that upon stimulation, plants elicit electrical signals that can travel within a cellular network analogous to the animal nervous system. 

"It is well-known that in the human brain, voltage changes in certain regions result from concerted electrical activity which, in the form of action potentials (APs), travels within nerve-cell arrays," they wrote. 

"Electro- and magneto physiological techniques like electroencephalography, magnetoencephalography, and magnetic resonance imaging are used to record this activity and to diagnose disorders." 

The interdisciplinary team of researchers has demonstrated that electrical activity in the Venus flytrap is also associated with magnetic signals. 

"We have been able to demonstrate that action potentials in a multicellular plant system produce measurable magnetic fields, something that had never been confirmed before," said Fabricant.

The Venus flytrap is triggered shut after receiving two consecutive electrical signals. These signals are not just produced as result of touch, but also by other stimuli such as heat. For the study, the researchers used heat stimulation to induce electrical signals and obtain their magnetic measurements.

The detection of magnetic signals from living organisms, also known as biomagnetism, has been studied much more in humans and animals than in plants.

Using atomic magnetometers, the researchers detected magnetic signals with an amplitude of up to 0.5 picotesla from the Venus flytrap. This level of magnetism is millions of times weaker than the Earth's magnetic field. 

"The signal magnitude recorded is similar to what is observed during surface measurements of nerve impulses in animals," explained Fabricant. 

Going forward, the researchers plan to measure smaller signals from other plant species. This type of technology may ultimately be used as a noninvasive method for testing the electromagnetic responses of crop plants to threats in their environment, such as pests or sudden temperature changes.

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

Venus flytraps produce magnetic fields

The Venus flytrap is equipped with an elaborate system for...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.ku.dk/english/">University of Copenhagen</a> have developed a new method for predicting how fast the sea level will respond to global warming. The study reveals that previous projections have been too conservative, and that ocean levels will rise faster than what has been predicted.

Professor Aslak Grinsted explained that ocean levels have been rising throughout the last 150 years, which is called the industrial period.

"We expect, of course, that there is a connection between rising temperature and the rate indicating the momentum of the rise. Observations are telling us that the rate has been accelerating over the past 150 years," said Professor Grinsted. 

"This means we can create a picture of how the connection between temperature and sea level rise has been, historically. But 150 years is not very long, actually, because of the great inertia in the warming of the oceans and inland ice sheets, so several hundreds of years can pass before we see the full consequences of warming in the atmosphere." 

"This is why we compare the observations with the results from the detailed computer models we use to depict a future scenario. Among others, the climate panel of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), has gathered these projections, made from a collection of many smaller models. These, in turn, have been validated, obviously, as well as can be done."

The IPCC predictions of future ocean levels are based on a complex network of models for ice sheets, glaciers and rising sea temperatures.  However, when there is only a limited amount of data for the models, the projections are not reliable. For example, there was no data available to account for melting ice in Antarctica before satellite observations in the 1990s. 

"We have better historical data for the sea level rise in total, which, in principle, allows for a test of the combined puzzle of models. However, it has not been part of the routine to make sea level hindcasts at IPCC, so presently we are not able to tell if these models are capable of reproducing the historical sea level," explained Professor Grinsted.

"At the Niels Bohr Institute, we have used this situation as our starting point, and so we observe how sensitive the models are in reacting to warming. We expect that if we compare observational data from the fairly short period of time from 1850 onwards with the sensitivity of the models, it should allow us to assess whether the models are realistic or not."

The researchers hope their new method of validating future scenarios by looking into the past can improve how sea level rise will be analyzed in the future. 

"Apparently, the models we are basing our predictions of sea level rise on presently are not sensitive enough. To put it plainly, they don't hit the mark when we compare them to the rate of sea level rise we see when comparing future scenarios with observations going back in time," said Professor Grinsted.

According to Professor Jens Hesselbjerg Christensen, it is crucial for our faith in model-based climate predictions that they are able to reproduce the climate as realistically as possible.

"We hope this new comparison metric will be adopted to as large extent as is possible and can become a tool we can apply in comparing different models," said Professor Christensen. "A good example is that we don't expect the sensitivity to be the same all the way back to the last millennium or several millions of years back in time, but the added understanding of how the sensitivity might change over time is something we can add to the comparisons between models and observations." 

"Besides, we'd like to see the method applied to the individual processes contributing to sea level rise. This might make the understanding of the sensitivity even more detailed, we believe."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.springer.com/journal/12601">Ocean Science</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ocean levels are set to rise faster than expected

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have developed a new...

Many people blame the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic on a lack of safety precautions and social distancing measures, but a new study suggests that a second outbreak of COVID-19 was inevitable due to the weather. 

Experts at the <a href="https://www.aip.org/">American Institute of Physics</a> report that specific weather parameters - including temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed - can be used to predict the second wave of a pandemic.

In a previous study, the AIP team set out to understand how various components of the climate influence the spread of the coronavirus. 

The researchers analyzed the effects of temperature, humidity, and wind speed on the aerosol droplet cloud and virus viability. They found that evaporation is a critical factor in virus transmission.

"We found high temperature and low relative humidity lead to high evaporation rates of saliva-contaminated droplets, thus significantly reducing the virus viability," said study co-author Talib Dbouk.

The experts determined that the concentration of the aerosol droplet cloud, as well as the distance it travels, can persist at high temperatures when the relative humidity is high. The study also revealed that wind speed plays a role in the spread of viruses.

The results of the study predicted a second wave of the pandemic in the fall and winter seasons, when low temperatures and high wind speeds would increase airborne virus survival and transmission.

In the current study, Dbouk and co-author Dimitris Drikakis emphasize that climate effects must be accounted for in models that are used to predict the behavior of an epidemic. 

Current epidemiological models typically rely on only two basic parameters, transmission rate and recovery rate. While these two rates are often assumed to be constants, the researchers say this is not the case. They have developed a new weather-dependent variable called the Airborne Infection Rate index.

When the experts applied the AIR index to models of Paris, New York City, and Rio de Janeiro, the timing of the second outbreak in each city was accurately predicted. 

Furthermore, the data showed that the virus behaved very differently in Rio de Janeiro compared to Paris and New York, which can be explained by seasonal variations in the northern and southern hemispheres.

The study authors stress the importance of accounting for these seasonal variables when designing safety measures.

"We propose that epidemiological models must incorporate climate effects through the AIR index," said Drikakis. "National lockdowns or large-scale lockdowns should not be based on short-term prediction models that exclude the effects of weather seasonality."

"In pandemics, where massive and effective vaccination is not available, the government planning should be longer-term by considering weather effects and design the public health and safety guidelines accordingly," said Dbouk. "This could help avoid reactive responses in terms of strict lockdowns that adversely affect all aspects of life and the global economy."

Drikakis and Dbouk expect another improvement in infection numbers as temperatures rise and humidity falls. Regardless, they note that masks should still be worn and social distancing guidelines should continue to be followed. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://aip.scitation.org/journal/phf">Physics of Fluids</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Second wave of COVID-19 pandemic was driven by the weather

Many people blame the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic...

Researchers at <a href="https://wsu.edu/">Washington State University</a> have identified several factors that historically contributed to the strong mutual connection that exists between humans and dogs. Based on the analysis of more than 140 past societies, the study revealed that when women were involved in the care of a dog, it was more likely to be treated as part of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/family-wastes-food/">family</a>. 

"We found that dogs' relationships with women might have had a greater impact on the dog-human bond than relationships with men," said study first author Jaime Chambers. 

"Humans were more likely to regard dogs as a type of person if the dogs had a special relationship with women. They were more likely to be included in family life, treated as subjects of affection and generally, people had greater regard for them."

Despite the fact that dogs are the most widespread domesticated animal, very few anthropological studies have focused on the origins of the relationship between humans and canines. 

The WSU researchers searched an extensive collection of ethnographic documents in the Human Relations Area Files database, and found thousands of records that mentioned dogs. Overall, the team analyzed data from more than 844 ethnographers writing on 144 traditional societies worldwide. 

According to Chambers, looking at these cultures can provide insight into how the dog-human connection developed.

"Our modern society is like a blip in the timeline of human history. The truth is that human-dog relationships have not looked like they do in Western industrialized societies for most of human history, and looking at traditional societies can offer a wider vision."

The researchers found documented evidence of the mutually beneficial relationship of dogs and humans. In many instances, canines were treated like people - they were given names, allowed to sleep in the same beds as their owners, and were mourned when they died.

A pattern emerged from the data which showed that dogs were more likely to be regarded as family when they had a special relationship with women. In addition, the experts noted that dogs seemed to less useful to humans in warmer climate conditions. 

"Relative to humans, dogs are really not particularly energy efficient," said study co-author Professor Robert Quinlan. "Their body temperature is higher than humans, and just a bit of exercise can make them overheat on a hot day. We saw this trend that they had less utility to humans in warmer environments."

This was a fairly consistent trend, according to Professor Quinlan, but there were some exceptions to this with a few dog-loving cultures in the tropics.

The dog-human connection also seemed to be strengthened by hunting. In cultures that hunted with dogs, the animals were more valued by their human partners. Furthermore, the research suggests that hunting cultures relied more on dogs than those that were more dependant on farming. 

Thy experts said their findings support the theory that dogs and humans "chose each other," as opposed to the idea that humans sought out wolf pups to raise.

"Dogs are everywhere humans are," said Chambers. "If we think that dogs are successful as a species if there are lots of them, then they have been able to thrive. They have hitched themselves to us and followed us all over the world. It's been a very successful relationship."

The study is published in the <a href="https://ethnobiology.org/publications/journal-of-ethnobiology/current">Journal of Ethnobiology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Women had a stronger influence on the dog-human connection

Researchers at Washington State University have identified several factors that...

A new study from <a href="https://aru.ac.uk/">Anglia Ruskin University</a> (ARU) has investigated the mating behavior of female field crickets under different acoustic conditions. The researchers found that when crickets are exposed to traffic noise, they are no longer picky about who they choose for a mate. 

Understanding how crickets are affected by traffic and other types of noise could help safeguard the future success of the species.

To gain the attention of a potential mate that is nearby, male crickets perform a courtship song by rubbing their wings together. Because the song is energetically costly, it can provide the females with important information about the male's fitness and other qualities. 

To investigate, the researchers paired female crickets with silenced male crickets under three different conditions: ambient noise, artificial white noise, and recordings of traffic noise captured at a ground level.

When the males attempted to perform their songs, an artificial courtship song was played instead that was either high or low quality. In some experiments, no song was played at all. 

When exposed to ambient noise, the females mounted the males much sooner and more frequently when a high-quality courtship song was played back. 

However, a high-quality courtship song provided no benefit with exposure to white noise and traffic noise. The researchers found that under these conditions, mate selection and mounting frequency were not influenced by the quality - or even by the presence of a song.

The findings suggest that man-made noise interferes with the perception of the females as they make important mating decisions, which could affect the overall fitness of a population.

"In the short-term, we found that males paired with high-quality songs in noisy environments are receiving no benefit over those paired with a low-quality song, or no song at all. As a result, males that produce high-quality songs may attempt to expend more energy into their calls to gain an advantage, potentially affecting that individual's survival," said study lead author Dr Adam Bent.

"At the same time, female crickets may choose to mate with a lower-quality male as they are unable to detect differences in mate quality due to the man-made noise, and this may lead to a reduction or complete loss of offspring viability."

"Traffic noise and the crickets' courtship song do not share similar acoustic frequencies, so rather than masking the courtship song, we think the traffic noise serves as a distraction for the female cricket."

"Humans are continually changing the characteristics of environments, including through the production of anthropogenic noise," said study co-author Dr Sophie Mowles.

"As mate choice is a powerful driving force for evolution through sexual selection, disruptions may cause a decline in population viability. And because anthropogenic noise is a very recent evolutionarily selection pressure, it is difficult to predict how species may adapt."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/beheco">Behavioral Ecology</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

Mating crickets lower their standards when exposed to traffic noise

A new study from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) has investigated...

The analysis of two decades of satellite images has revealed that Antarctic ice is not as melting as consistently as previously thought. 

The researchers found annual fluctuations in the rate of melting ice in Antarctica, which means that scientists may need to adjust climate models used to predict sea level rise. 

Study lead author Lei Wang is an assistant professor of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering at <a href="https://www.osu.edu/">The Ohio State University</a>.

"The ice sheet is not changing with a constant rate - it's more complicated than a linear change," said Professor Wang. "The change is more dynamic: The velocity of the melt changes depending on the time."

The investigation was focused on data from NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), a two-satellite mission that measures changes in the world's oceans and ice sheets.

Models that predict sea-level rise are typically based on the assumption that ice is melting in Antarctica and Greenland at a consistent rate. But the new study suggests that these projections are not completely reliable, considering that the rate of ice melt fluctuates from year to year. 

For example, the amount of ice in Antarctica may increase during a year with extreme snowfall, yet decrease the next year as a result of atmospheric changes. 

Professor Wang explained that overall, the volume of ice in Antarctica is decreasing. However, if this decline was charted on a line graph, it would have spikes and valleys depending on environmental conditions.

To analyze those changes, the researchers evaluated data on the gravitational field between the satellites over Antarctica and ice on the continent. This gravitational field is influenced by changes to the ice's mass.

The experts found that from 2016 to 2018, the ice sheet in West Antarctica actually expanded after extreme snowfall. At the same time, the ice sheet in East Antarctica shrank.

"I'm not saying Antarctica's ice melt is not an acute problem - it is still very acute," said Professor Wang. "All of Antarctica is losing mass, very rapidly. It's just a time scale problem and a rate problem, and our models that predict sea-level change should reflect that."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19448007">Geophysical Research Letters</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

The rate of melting ice in Antarctica is not consistent

The analysis of two decades of satellite images has revealed...

Scientists at <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Penn State</a> have discovered a trait that provides some cereal crops with roots that can push through dry, compacted soils. By harnessing this trait, experts could grow crops with stronger roots, higher yields, and more resistance to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-reaction-norms-will-become-more-common-in-plants/">climate</a> change. 

"This discovery bodes well for American and global agriculture because the trait helps corn, wheat and barley grow deeper roots, which is important for drought tolerance, nitrogen efficiency and carbon sequestration," said study co-author Professor Jonathan Lynch. "Breeding for this trait should be helpful in developing new crops for climate mitigation."

For deeper root penetration in compacted soils, the plants use multiseriate cortical sclerenchyma (MCS). Cereal crops with the MCS genotype have a greater concentration of lignin that creates tough, rigid roots.

The extra lignin gives the MCS roots greater tensile strength and greater root tip bending to penetrate hard soil layers.

The experts found that corn genotypes with MCS had root systems with 22 percent greater depth and 39 percent greater shoot biomass in compacted soils compared to lines without MCS.

According to study lead author Hannah Schneider, soil compaction reduces porosity, limits water infiltration, reduces aeration and restricts root growth by presenting a physical impediment.

"Compacted soil layers constrain crop productivity by restricting root growth and exploration in deeper soil layers, which in turn limits access to nutrients and water," said Schneider. "Plants with roots that are able to penetrate hard soil and forage deeper have an advantage in capturing water and nutrients - ultimately performing better in drought or low soil fertility."

To visualize the anatomy of the plant roots, the researchers used laser ablation tomography (LAT). This technology was created by Professor Lynch's team in 2011.

Genetic variation for MCS was found in each of the cereal crops examined by the researchers. They noted that heritability was relatively high, which suggests that this trait can be selected in breeding programs. Overall, MCS was present in 30 to 50 percent of modern corn, wheat, and barley.

Schneider pointed out that the implications of corn crops growing deeper roots to range farther for water and nutrients - and as a consequence producing larger yields - would be immense in regions where the populace is food-insecure. 

"We observe MCS in corn, wheat, barley and many other cereal crops, and our work suggests that many of the benefits of MCS may be analogous across different species," said Schneider. "MCS could be an important trait for stress tolerance and increased yields in cereal crops."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</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

Cereal crops have a secret trait that gives them deeper roots

Scientists at Penn State have discovered a trait that provides...

A global analysis of how human disturbances impact animal movement has revealed widespread impacts that threaten the survival of many species. The experts report that human activities force <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-needed-sleep-before-they-even-had-brains/">animals</a> to move an average of 70 percent further to survive. 

"Movement is critical to animal survival, but it can be disrupted by human disturbances," said study lead author Dr. Tim Doherty, a wildlife ecologist at the <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/">University of Sydney</a>. "Animals adopt behavioral mechanisms to adjust to human activity, such as by fleeing or avoiding humans, traveling further to find food or mates; or finding new shelter to avoid humans or predators."

It is well documented that long-term disturbances, such as logging and urbanization, have major impacts on wildlife. But the new study shows that periodic events like hunting, recreation, and military activity can trigger even bigger changes in animal behavior.

The researchers analyzed 208 separate studies on 167 animal species over four decades to investigate how human disturbances influence animal movement. In more than one-third of cases, animals were forced into changes that saw movement increase by more than 50 percent.

The species examined in the analysis range from the tiny sleepy orange butterfly to the massive great white shark. 

The study revealed that changes in animal movement in response to human disturbances are common. Episodic disturbances like hunting were found to have the strongest effect, and ncreases in animal movement averaged 70 percent.

In some cases, human activity forced a reduction in animal movement, and these decreases averaged 37 percent.

According to the study, animals moved less when they encountered increased access to food in human locations, the reduced ability to move from a modified habitat, or restrictions to their movement by physical barriers.

"As well as the direct impact on animal species, there are knock-on effects," said Dr. Doherty. "Animal movement is linked to important ecological processes such as pollination, seed dispersal and soil turnover, so disrupted animal movement can have negative impacts throughout ecosystems."

"In marine environments and landscapes relatively untouched by human impact, it is important that habitat modification is avoided. This could involve strengthening and supporting existing protected areas and securing more areas of wilderness for legal protection."

"It is vital we understand the scale of impact that humans have on other animal species. The consequences of changed animal movement can be profound and lead to reduced animal fitness, lower chances of survival, reduced reproductive rates, genetic isolation and even local extinction."

The study is published in journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natecolevol">Nature Ecology and Evolution</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

Human disturbances are globally restructuring animal movement

A global analysis of how human disturbances impact animal movement...

In national parks throughout Japan, park rangers are faced with the daunting and time-consuming task of tracking deer populations. Deer are not native to these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carnivores-that-eat-human-foods-are-altering-their-ecosystems/">ecosystems</a>, and can have damaging effects if they are not monitored and controlled. 

In a new study, experts at the <a href="https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/">University of Tokyo</a> have developed a new technique for tracking deer movements using unmanned listening devices.

"Determining deer position enables the elimination of repetitive calls from the same deer, thus providing a promising tool to track deer movement," explained the researchers. "The validation results revealed that the proposed technique can provide reasonable accuracy for the experimental and natural environment."

The technology could soon take the place of current methods of monitoring deer populations, which range from counting droppings to using images from trail cameras.

"The problem with using recording devices to estimate the size of deer populations in the past was that it was difficult to avoid counting the same deer multiple times - by setting up a grid of listening stations, we are able to triangulate the position of each deer with precision and track its movements," explained study co-author Tadanobu Okumura.

The researchers built a prototype listening station which is powered by solar panels and automatically synchronizes its internal clock with a GPS satellite. The recordings can be used to determine the precise location of deer based on a triangulation technique.

"When we tested our prototype in an experimental setting in the playground of the University of Tokyo, we were able to pinpoint the location of a sound within five meters. In a second trial under more realistic conditions in the marshland at Oze National Park, it was possible to locate a sound to within about fifteen meters," said study co-author Kazuo Oki. During a two-hour trial, the system picked up 72 distinct deer calls. 

"The identification of deer calls in Oze National Park over a period of two hours emphasizes the great potential of the proposed technique to detect repetitive deer calls, and track deer movement," wrote the study authors. 

"Hence, the technique is the first step toward designing an automated system for estimating the population of deer or other vocal animals using sound recordings."

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sensors">Sensors</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Tracking deer using only sound

In national parks throughout Japan, park rangers are faced with...

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

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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

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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



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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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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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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