All living tissues give off photons as excited molecules shed excess energy. The phenomenon is so subtle - roughly a million times dimmer than the threshold of human vision - that researchers call it ultra-weak photon emission (UPE).



Because the brain consumes an exceptionally high metabolic budget and is packed with photoactive compounds such as flavins and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-dopamine-and-serotonin-shape-behavior/">serotonin</a>, scientists have long suspected it might glow more brightly than other organs. 



What they did not know was whether that ghostly glow fluctuates in ways that reveal real-time neural activity. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-turning-darkness-into-a-laboratory"><a></a>Turning darkness into a laboratory</h2>



To find out, a collaborative team from <a href="https://algomau.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Algoma University</a>, Tufts University, and Wilfrid Laurier University recruited 20 healthy adults and seated them in a light-sealed chamber.



Two photomultiplier tubes - devices capable of counting single photons - were aimed at the back (occipital) and side (temporal) regions of each participant’s head, while a third tube monitored background darkness.



Simultaneously, the researchers fitted the volunteers with a standard electroencephalography (EEG) cap to compare electrical rhythms with any optical rhythms.



The experiment lasted ten minutes and cycled through five simple conditions: eyes open, eyes closed, listening to a repetitive tone, eyes closed again, and finally, eyes open again. 



Each condition lasted two minutes - enough time for the researchers to watch the brain light settle into a steady signal before switching tasks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brain-glow-follows-a-rhythm">Brain glow follows a rhythm</h2>



Despite the photons’ extreme faintness, the team, led by Hayley Casey and Nirosha Murugan, successfully separated brain-derived light from background counts by examining complexity and variability.



In brief, the cranial signal showed higher entropy - richer fluctuation - than the near-constant dark noise inside the optics.



Spectral analysis revealed that these emissions waxed and waned at very slow frequencies below one hertz. This means a rise-and-fall cycle occurred every one to ten seconds. 



This low-frequency “heartbeat” was strongest over the occipital cortex, the very region that processes visual input.



Just as important, the photon stream reached a reproducible equilibrium within each two-minute block, then shifted when the task changed. That pattern strongly suggests the glow is not random metabolic chatter but reflects the brain’s moment-to-moment state.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-eyes-shut-photons-rise"><a></a>Eyes shut, photons rise</h2>



Closing one’s eyes is known to boost alpha-band electrical rhythms (8–12 hertz) in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-the-human-brain-processes-visual-information/">visual cortex</a>. This is a signature of relaxed wakefulness first reported in the 1920s.



The new study revealed that occipital photon counts modulated in tandem. Some participants’ emissions rose during eyes-closed periods, while others fell. However, each individual showed a consistent direction across the two eyes-closed blocks.



Occipital UPE also showed modest correlations with alpha power measured by EEG - evidence that the optical signal does tap into neural dynamics. However, the relationship is complex and needs further investigation.



Auditory stimulation, delivered through a simple repeating tone, produced subtler effects. The temporal sensor picked up changes in photon variability that tracked certain EEG rhythms recorded over the same region.



This hints that metabolic shifts linked to processing sound also leave a photonic fingerprint.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-window-into-brain-metabolism">A window into brain metabolism</h2>



Standard brain-monitoring tools, whether MRI, PET, or infrared spectroscopy, rely on sending energy into the skull and measuring what bounces back.



UPE recording, in contrast, is wholly passive: the detectors simply wait in the dark. That makes the technique conceptually similar to EEG or magnetoencephalography (MEG), but tuned to oxidative chemistry rather than electricity or magnetism.



The authors propose “photoencephalography” for a future technology that could use natural brain light as a clinical signal.



“We view the current results as a proof-of-concept demonstration that patterns of human-brain-derived UPE signals can be discriminated from background light signals despite very low relative signal intensity,” explained the researchers.



They speculate that refined detectors - equipped with wavelength-specific filters to isolate, say, green-emitting flavins from red-shifted lipofuscin - might one day diagnose metabolic stress. 



Such tools could also monitor aging or even flag <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coffee-grounds-could-help-prevent-neurodegenerative-diseases/">neurodegenerative disease</a> before symptoms emerge.



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



The pilot study sampled only 20 people and monitored just two scalp sites. Photomultiplier tubes counted all visible and near-infrared photons, drowning out any subtle color coding of brain chemistry in the noise.



Future setups will deploy arrays of narrow-band detectors to capture spatial and spectral detail, and will compare cranial readings with simultaneous measurements from non-neural tissues to confirm specificity.



The researchers also plan to test broader age ranges and clinical populations. They aim to see whether disorders that alter oxidative metabolism - such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-blood-test-can-track-the-progression-of-alzheimers/">Alzheimer’s disease</a>, traumatic brain injury, or chronic stress - produce distinctive optical signatures.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-the-brain-glows-at-all"><a></a>Why the brain glows at all</h2>



Though focused on measurement, the study builds on work linking UPE spikes to bursts of reactive oxygen in mitochondria. Those by-products can excite biomolecules; when the molecules relax, they release photons.



If so, the faint light may function as a built-in reporter of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-reveals-the-secret-to-keeping-your-brain-young/">brain</a>’s redox balance - a chemical ledger of energy production, stress, and recovery.



Electrical rhythms revolutionized neuroscience a century ago; functional MRI did the same in the 1990s. 



Photoencephalography, though still in its infancy, offers a tantalizing third window. It peers directly at the cell’s metabolic engine without injecting energy or contrast agents.



The current study lights the first path forward: prove the signal exists, show that it changes with mental state, and establish that it differs from background noise. 



The next challenge is to turn those wisps of light into a practical tool for medicine and cognitive science.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(25)00279-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">iScience</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Human brains emit light and glow in the dark, revealing our mental state

All living tissues give off photons as excited molecules shed excess energy. The phenomenon is so subtle - roughly a million times dimmer than the threshold of human vision - that researchers call it ultra-weak photon emission (UPE). Because the brain consumes an exceptionally high metabolic budget and is packed with photoactive compounds such as flavins and serotonin, scientists have long suspected it might glow more brightly than other organs. What they did not know was whether that ghostly glow fluctuates in ways that reveal real-time neural...

Little,Girl,Running,On,Meadow,With,Sunset

A recent study from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> has revealed that children with a connection to nature during the first <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/over-one-third-of-americans-had-covid-19-by-the-end-of-2020/">COVID-19</a> lockdown showed less behavioral and emotional problems than children without that connection. The study also found that children from wealthy economic backgrounds tended to increase their connection to nature during the pandemic.&nbsp;



The results of the study suggest that kids from less affluent backgrounds likely experienced more mental health challenges during COVID-19 because they had a lower connection with nature compared to their wealthier peers.



“We know that access to and engagement with nature is associated with wide-ranging benefits in children and adults, including lowering levels of anxiety and depression, and reducing stress," said study first author Dr. Samantha Friedman.



"The COVID-19 lockdowns meant that children no longer had their normal school activities, routines and social interactions. The removal of these barriers gave us a novel context to look at how changes in connection with nature affected mental health."



"Connecting with nature may have helped buffer some UK children against the effects of the lockdown, but we found that children from less affluent families were less likely to have increased their connection to nature during that time.”



The study used an online survey to collect data on 376 families with children from three to seven years old. Over half of these families reported that children increased their connection to nature during the pandemic. Not only does the research point to the benefits of a connection to nature for children, it also gives actionable data.&nbsp;



“Our study revealed the wide range of ways that parents can help children get more connected to nature. This might be a bit daunting to some, but it doesn’t have to be camping in the woods and foraging for food – it really can be as simple as going for a walk near your house or sitting outside for ten minutes a day," said Dr. Friedman.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/25758314">People and Nature</a>.



---



By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Nature improved mental health of children during lockdown

A recent study from the University of Cambridge has revealed...

Professor Tom Braden’s neuroscience lab at the University of Sussex recently examined how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/zebrafish-spinal-cord-injuries/">zebrafish</a> detect different colors. The results suggest that fish have better color perception than humans.&nbsp;



“Zebrafish, unlike humans, have four types of cone-photoreceptors, specialised neurons in the retina which respond to light," said Professor Braden. "These four types are often called red, green, blue and UV. The assumption is that each should do what it says on the tin - red should respond to red light, green to green light, and so on. However, we found that this isn’t the case.”



Using new in-vivo color detection methods, the researchers found that "red" cones also respond to brightness, while "green" cones respond to color information.&nbsp;



“In humans, some of these are distributed all over the eyes and brain in ways that are still far from understood. In contrast, zebrafish solve this basic problem themselves at the earliest possible site, in the synapse of the photoreceptors themselves," explained Professor Braden.



Zebrafish probably have a more evolutionarily conserved or “primitive” method of detecting colors, more similar to their ancestors than our own. Mammals hiding during the Mesozoic -age of the dinosaurs- were thought to be mainly nocturnal. During this nocturnal period, mammals largely lost their color vision.&nbsp;



Today, most mammals can see two colors but are red-green color blind. The primate group, which includes humans, evolved three color vision - possibly to identify ripe fruit in a forest environment. Regaining our color vision was more complicated than the original method though. This process was carried out in the brain as much as the eye.



“Our study essentially shows that vertebrates like zebrafish, and presumably most non mammalian vertebrates like other fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians, can actually solve this fundamental ‘colour puzzle’ right at the first synapse of vision," explained Professor Baden. "In comparison, humans are stuck with this overly complicated ‘knock-off’ strategy because of early mammalian ancestry!”



Interestingly, the research shows that insects have a color vision almost exactly the same as fish that evolved independently.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/journal/sciadv">Science Advances</a>.



---



By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Fish have better color perception than humans

Professor Tom Braden’s neuroscience lab at the University of Sussex...

A new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320721003931?via%3Dihub">Biological Conservation</a> has found that illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade threatens numerous <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-discovered-three-new-species-of-freshwater-goby-fish/">species</a>. It can significantly affect humans too, both through the potential of pathogen spillovers that can lead to pandemics and the social and economic impact that the implication of dangerous criminal networks in wildlife trade engenders.&nbsp;



Wildlife trade is on the rise in many areas of the world. An increasingly large number of wild animals are used for various purposes, including the provision of food, medicine, fashion, ornaments, or furniture. They play different social or economic roles for local communities and are either consumed locally or passed along complex multinational trade chains.&nbsp;



“When people think about wildlife trade, they may think about ivory smuggling or the commerce in wild pets. But wildlife trade is more present in our daily lives than people imagine. For example, the timber that was used to make the table where your family has dinner may be a product of the wildlife trade,” said&nbsp;study lead author Caroline Fukushima, a researcher at the <a href="https://www.luomus.fi/en">Finnish Museum of Natural History</a>.



Illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade significantly affects the ecosystem services on which many species, including humans, depend. It can be a major driver of extinction for a variety of animal species, it can facilitate outbreaks of zoonotic diseases, it can fuel corruption and the emergence and proliferation of criminal networks, and it could even affect climate regulation, pollination of crops, and other ecosystem services.



“Invasive alien species, zoonotic diseases, connection with corruption and crime networks, negative repercussions on the local and global economy, and promotion of social, economic, and environmental injustice, are some of the many negative consequences of wildlife trade that is not well managed and regulated,” explained study co-author Pedro Cardoso, another researcher at the Finnish Museum of Natural History.



Recently, an international group of conservation biologists, activists, and policy enforcers, have built on the manifesto "World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity," issued by the <a href="https://scientistswarning.forestry.oregonstate.edu/">Alliance of World Scientists</a>, in order to review the dangers of illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade and offer directions for mitigating its negative consequences.



Strategies to curb illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade should take into account the cultural roots and drivers of wildlife consumption, and provide accurate measurements of the scope, scale, and impact of wildlife trade on biodiversity. Most importantly, more cooperation between different individuals, organizations, and disciplines is urgently needed.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Wildlife trade poses many dangers to humans and animals

A new study published in the journal Biological Conservation has...

A new study reveals that snakes experienced a magnificent burst of evolution from unassuming insectivorous ancestors to diverse genealogies after the demise of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/two-new-predatory-dinosaurs-found-on-the-isle-of-wight/">dinosaurs</a>. The new families of reptiles that evolved incorporated newly available birds, fish, and small mammals in their diets.&nbsp;



Snake diversification was similar to the extraordinary diversification of mammals and birds that occurred after the extinction of dinosaurs 66 million years ago, according to research by Michael Grundler of UCLA and Daniel Rabosky of the University of Michigan.



The experts report that the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs combined with the long-term physiographic changes created new habitats that provided an ecological opportunity for various species to evolve and diversify.



The K-Pg mass extinction event occurred 66 million years ago and resulted in the extinction of 75 percent of all species, including all non-avian dinosaurs. The event heralded the start of the Cenozoic period and created a plethora of unfilled niches for the remaining species to exploit. Snakes, like mammals and birds, diversified fast during the Cenozoic era, ultimately yielding around 4,000 species that live today.



The study authors combined primary natural history observations with stochastic model-based comparative methods to explain the evolution of complex ecological phenotypes. The researchers compiled published data on the diets of 882 surviving snake species and employed advanced mathematical models to reconstruct how their ancestors' diets altered and diversified since the K-Pg boundary. The models helped the researchers in understanding the pace and sequence of this phenomenon.&nbsp;



The experts discovered that the most recent common ancestor of surviving snakes was an insectivore. However, following the K-Pg boundary, the snakes modified their diets rapidly to include birds, fish, and small mammals – vertebrate taxa that were also prospering in the aftermath of dinosaur extinction.



The research investigated the explosive adaptive radiation that resulted in creating the snake diversity we witness today. After the first radiation,&nbsp; diet diversification in snakes decreased, but some lineages underwent additional bursts of adaptive evolution. For example, Colubroid snakes diversified when Old World ancestors colonized North and South America.



According to the scientists, the findings from the study suggest that major extinctions and new biogeographic opportunities can stimulate evolutionary change.&nbsp;



“Much of the stunning ecological diversity in snakes seems to result from evolutionary explosions triggered by ecological opportunity,” said Grundler. “We find a major burst of snake diet diversification after the dinosaur extinction, and we also find that, when snakes arrive in new places, they often undergo similar bursts of dietary diversification,” he added.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/">PLOS Biology</a>.&nbsp;



---



By <a href="http://mailto:ashikha92@gmail.com">Ashikha Raoof</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Snakes had an evolutionary explosion after dinosaur extinction

A new study reveals that snakes experienced a magnificent burst...

Jellyfish have big appetites, and they mainly float around and eat whatever comes their way. Instead of actively seeking out <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dancing-bees-reveal-that-urban-gardens-are-a-good-source-of-food/">food</a>, jellyfish basically eat almost anything that is small enough for them to consume.



For this reason, it has been unclear which foods help jellyfish survive or exactly where they fall in the marine food web. But now, a new study from the <a href="https://oceans.ubc.ca/">Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries</a> (IOF) has begun to unravel this mystery.&nbsp;



The researchers analyzed unique isotope and fatty acid signatures, also known as “biomarkers,” that get passed from prey to predator. These markers can be used to trace connections in the food web and to identify the various elements of an animal's diet.



“Until now, jellyfish ecologists were using a generalized calibration value for these biomarkers because they didn’t have jellyfish-specific ones,” said study lead author Jessica Schaub. “This study tested how much the concentrations of isotopes and fatty acids changed, and how quickly they were absorbed when jellyfish digested their prey and incorporated prey signatures into their bodies.”



“The numbers we found were different enough that it’s worth going back to previous jellyfish studies that applied the general values - they will likely get different results if they applied our values."



In collaboration with staff members at the Vancouver Aquarium, the scientists fed jellyfish two unique crustacean prey diets. The larger Japanese sea nettle was also fed the smaller moon jellyfish.&nbsp;



The researchers measured how long it took for the jellyfish to incorporate the stable isotopes and fatty acids, and then calculated how much the two biomarkers changed.



“It seems straightforward, but it’s never that easy - you get the data and you’re like, ‘what’s happening here?' We were surprised about the moon jellyfish. We fed them two crustaceans, krill and artemia, but they didn’t really incorporate the krill," explained Schaub.



"We think of jellyfish as not being picky eaters, but in this case, it seemed that they didn’t like feeding on a single diet. Either it didn’t meet their nutritional needs, or they preferred the live artemia over the dead, frozen krill. The aquarium has been feeding them these krill for a long time, so it’s good to be able to tell the aquarium that it’s maybe not worth investing in the krill any longer.”



The investigation revealed that the jellyfish appeared to “elongate” fatty acids, indicating that jellyfish may be able to create their own essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for healthy body function. This finding came as a surprise to the experts, considering that most animals - with the exception of a rare few - have to obtain omega fatty acids from their diets.&nbsp;



The study authors hope that their findings will be a step towards better understanding the role that jellyfish play in marine ecosystems.



“Jellyfish have long been ignored in research, often considered more of a nuisance than an organism of interest”, said study co-author Dr. Brian Hunt. “However, there is a growing awareness that they can play a key role as both predators and prey.”



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-experimental-marine-biology-and-ecology">Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology</a>.



---



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

Secrets of the mysterious jellyfish diet revealed

Jellyfish have big appetites, and they mainly float around and...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/livingoceansfoundation/">Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation</a> (KSLOF) has investigated the state of coral reefs around the world. The researchers surveyed and mapped coral reefs in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans and the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deserted-oil-tanker-is-a-danger-to-public-health/">Red Sea</a>.



The <a href="http://www.livingoceansfoundation.org/publication/global-reef-expedition-final-report/">Global Reef Expedition Final Report</a> provides valuable baseline data on the status of coral reefs at a vital point in time that can aid the conservation efforts both locally and globally. The report also offers guidance to researchers and scientists on conservation measures.&nbsp;



Coral reefs are one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. They provide a wide range of environmental and economic benefits. Today, coastal reefs are declining due to various natural and man-made factors such as coastal development, pollution, disease, severe storms, and climate change.&nbsp;



As the oceans continue to warm, massive coral bleaching incidents have become increasingly common and severe. Scientists estimated that there was a 50 percent decline in coral reefs in the last 40 years.&nbsp;



To address this crisis, the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, a US-based nonprofit environmental organization, launched the Global Reef Expedition. This research was the result of the collective work of hundreds of scientists from around the world, who conducted tens of thousands of standardised scientific assessments at over 1,000 reefs in 16 nations.&nbsp;



Scientists working on the project collaborated closely with local experts, managers, educators, and government officials to assist the foundation in collecting the data needed to establish science-based solutions for the conservation of reefs.&nbsp;



The expedition aimed to map and characterize coral reef ecosystems, assess the current status of and threats to the world’s reefs and study the factors that enhance a reef’s ability to resist, survive, and recover from major disturbance events such as bleaching, cyclone damage, and crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks.



“The Global Reef Expedition was a monumental achievement. It owes its success to nimble planning and a common vision shared by a broad group of forward-thinking scientists, managers, and educators,” said Sam Purkis, KSLOF’s Chief Scientist. “I have no doubt that the baseline determined by the Global Reef Expedition for the world’s reefs will remain a reference for centuries to come."



During the course of the study, the Global Reef Expedition also engaged in education and outreach projects to promote ocean literacy, enlighten students and community leaders about coral reefs, and encourage conservation action.



The report emphasizes that in order to battle the coral reef crisis, prompt action is required to address climate change and overfishing.&nbsp;



“One of our most significant findings from the Global Reef Expedition was that nearly every country we studied showed signs of overfishing. Even on some of the most remote and well-protected reefs,” said Renée Carlton, the lead author of the report. She noted that finding fewer and smaller fish on the reef poses problems for the health of the reef itself as well as the people who depend upon them for protein and income.&nbsp;



“We know marine protected areas work, in most instances these reefs had some of the best coral cover and reef fish communities, but climate change, storms, and outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish can still have deadly consequences to a reef, no matter how remote or well-protected it is.”



According to the experts, control measures such as reducing pollution and establishing marine protected areas can be exercised to save local reefs from the adverse influences of these global problems. The report suggests that with proper implementation, these measures may be able to aid in the preservation of the remaining reefs.



The study found that the participation of local communities in the conservation efforts was essential to achieving success. The foundation was able to provide countries with the data they required to manage their marine resources effectively by involving local experts and government officials in data collection, combining scientific findings with outreach and education efforts, and addressing disparities in ocean literacy.



“Findings from the Global Reef Expedition are already helping countries protect and preserve their reefs and coastal marine resources,” said Alexandra Dempsey, the Director of Science Management at the Foundation. “Marine protected areas, fisheries closures, and traditionally managed areas have been established in The Bahamas, Jamaica, Fiji, and the Cook Islands, using information collected on the Expedition."&nbsp;



The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation ensured that the data and results from the study is shared freely with all stakeholders to aid them in their conservation efforts.&nbsp;



The Global Reef Expedition was funded and initiated by Prince Khaled bin Sultan. Upon completion of the research, he expressed his hope that the discoveries will help to “leave a legacy of ocean protection, so our children, and their children's children, can also enjoy the beauty and magic of a coral reef.”



Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation:&nbsp;



The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation is a non-profit environmental organization established in the United States that combines scientific study, outreach, and education to conserve and restore the world's oceans. The Living Oceans Foundation, as part of its commitment to Science Without Borders®, distributes data and information to organisations, governments, scientists, and local people so that they can use the most up-to-date science to work toward long-term ocean protection. www.livingoceansfoundation.org&nbsp;



The <a href="https://www.livingoceansfoundation.org/publication/global-reef-expedition-final-report/">Global Reef Expedition Final Report</a> was published on October 7th, 2021. Copies of the report are available to view and download on the foundation’s website at lof.org.



---



By <a href="http://mailto:ashikha92@gmail.com">Ashikha Raoof</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Global Reef Expedition reveals the extent of the coral reef crisis

A new study from the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans...

A recent review of over 25 studies into the effects of intermittent fasting shows that this is a safe <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-mind-diet-slows-cognitive-decline/">diet</a> strategy that can result in clinically significant weight loss ( greater than 5%) and improve several markers of metabolic health, including blood pressure and insulin resistance.&nbsp;



The review considered the effects of three types of intermittent fasting:&nbsp;



<ul><li>Alternate day fasting, which involves a day where normal calorie intake occurs, alternating with a fast day where only a single meal of 500 calories is consumed.&nbsp;</li><li>5:2 diet, which is a modified version of alternate day fasting that involves five days of normal calorie intake and two fast days per week.&nbsp;</li><li>Time-restricted eating, which confines eating to a specified number of hours per day, usually four to ten hours, with no calorie restrictions during the eating period.&nbsp;</li></ul>



All forms of fasting reviewed in this study produced mild to moderate weight loss (1–8% from baseline) and consistent reductions in energy intake (10–30% from baseline).&nbsp;



“We noted that intermittent fasting is not better than regular dieting; both produce the same amount of&nbsp;weight loss and similar&nbsp;changes in blood pressure, cholesterol&nbsp;and inflammation,” said&nbsp;Krista Varady, professor of nutrition at the UIC College of Applied Health Sciences and author of the review article.



Various studies of time-restricted&nbsp;eating&nbsp;showed participants with&nbsp;obesity&nbsp;losing an average of 3% of their body weight, while alternate day fasting resulted in weight loss of 3–8% of body weight over three to eight weeks.&nbsp;Studies for the 5:2 diet showed similar results, which surprised the study’s reviewers. The participants in the 5:2 diet fast much less frequently than alternate-day fasters do, but the weight loss results are similar.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The weight loss of participants in both the alternate day and 5:2 fasting regimes is comparable to more traditional diets involving daily calorie restriction. Participants in studies of both fasting diets were able to maintain an average of 7 percent weight loss for a year.&nbsp;



Professor Varady explained that the&nbsp;review set out to debunk some myths regarding intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting does not negatively affect metabolism, nor does it cause an increased incidence of eating disorders, according to the studies reviewed.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“Fasting people are worried about feeling lethargic and not being able to concentrate. Even though you are not eating, it won’t affect your energy. A lot of people&nbsp;experience a boost of energy on fasting days," explained Professor Varady.



Beyond promoting weight loss, intermittent fasting may lead to other health benefits such as decreased blood pressure and insulin resistance. In some cases, cholesterol and triglyceride levels are lowered. Some studies examined for the review also demonstrated improved appetite regulation and positive changes in the gut microbiome as consequences of intermittent fasting.



The study review includes a summary of practical considerations for those who may want to try intermittent fasting. Among the considerations are:&nbsp;



<ul><li>Adjustment time&nbsp;– Side effects such as headaches, dizziness and constipation subside after one to two weeks of fasting. Increased water intake can help alleviate headaches caused by dehydration during this time.&nbsp;</li><li>Exercise&nbsp;– Moderate to high-intensity endurance or resistance training during food abstention can be done, and some study participants reported having more energy on fast days. However, studies recommend those following alternate day fasting eat their fasting day meal after exercise.&nbsp;</li><li>Diet during fasting&nbsp;– There are no specific recommendations for food consumption during intermittent fasting, but eating fruits, vegetables and whole grains can help boost fiber intake and help relieve constipation that sometimes accompanies fasting.&nbsp;</li><li>Alcohol and caffeine&nbsp;– For those using an alternate day or 5:2 fasting plan, alcohol is not recommended on fast days as the limited calories should be used on healthy foods that provide nutrition.&nbsp;</li></ul>



There are several groups who should not undertake intermittent fasting, according to the studies. Those individuals include:&nbsp;



<ul><li>those who are pregnant or lactating;&nbsp;</li><li>children under 12;&nbsp;</li><li>those with a history of disordered eating; &nbsp;</li><li>those with a body mass index, or BMI, of less than 18.5;</li><li>shift workers (studies have shown they may struggle with fasting regimens because of shifting work schedules);&nbsp;</li><li>those who need to take medication with food at regimented times.&nbsp;</li></ul>



“People love intermittent fasting&nbsp;because it’s easy.&nbsp;People need to find diets that&nbsp;they&nbsp;can stick to long term.&nbsp;It’s definitely effective for weight loss and it’s gained popularity because there are no special foods&nbsp;or apps necessary. You can also combine it with other diets, like Keto,” said Professor Varady.&nbsp;



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/journal/nutr">Annual Review of Nutrition</a>.



---



By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Intermittent fasting has extraordinary health benefits

A recent review of over 25 studies into the effects...

In 1978, archaeologists found bone remains from the Late Pleistocene in the city of Nacaome in Costa Rica. During the 1990s, excavations revealed the remains of a giant <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seahorses-may-be-slow-but-they-are-fierce-ambush-predators/">horse</a>, a glyptodon (a large armadillo), a mastodon (an ancestor of the elephants), and a jawbone of what was initially thought to be a coyote skull. However, a team of Latin American scientists recently re-analyzed the jawbone and argued that the fossilized teeth appear to be more similar to a dog’s rather than a coyote’s.&nbsp;



"We thought it was very strange to have a coyote in the Pleistocene, that is to say 12,000 years ago. When we started looking at the bone fragments, we started to see characteristics that could have been from a dog,” explained Costa Rican researcher Guillermo Vargas. "So we kept looking, we scanned it... and it showed that it was a dog living with humans 12,000 years ago in Costa Rica."



According to previous research, dogs have been domesticated around 20,000 to 40,000 years ago in Eurasia. The domestication probably happened passively and gradually, with a population of wolves living around hunter-gatherer settlements and feeding off leftovers created by humans. Over the course of a few generations, these wolves managed to create closer relationships to humans, becoming more similar to today’s dogs.



Previously, the oldest attested dog remains on the American continent were found in Alaska and are 10,150 years of age. The jawbone discovered in Costa Rica could point to an even earlier presence of dogs on this continent. Moreover, while the presence of humans during the Pleistocene has already been attested in Mexico, Chile, and Patagonia, there was no evidence that they had also reached Central America during that period.



"This dog discovery would be the first evidence of humans in Costa Rica during a period much earlier than currently thought,” explained Vargas. "It would show us that there were societies that could keep dogs, that had food surpluses, that had dogs out of desire and that these weren't war&nbsp;dogs&nbsp;that could cause damage."



Currently, scientists from the <a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk/">University of Oxford</a> are conducting further investigations, including DNA and carbon dating tests, in order to discover more genetic information about the animal and its age.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Dogs lived with humans in Central America 12,000 years ago

In 1978, archaeologists found bone remains from the Late Pleistocene...

Animals are dependent on a source of environmental oxygen to produce energy in their cells. They make use of lungs, gills and skin in order to absorb the required oxygen into their blood streams. From there, it gets carried in blood vessels around their bodies and supplied to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-insects-have-more-than-200000-brain-cells/">cells</a> and organs that need it.



Not so with plants. Plants also need oxygen to produce energy in their cells, but they make their own. The process of photosynthesis, which involves making food from water, carbon dioxide and the sun’s energy, produces oxygen as a by-product. If animals could photosynthesize, they would not be dependent on oxygen supplies from the environment but could simply harness the energy produced as a result of the photosynthetic process.



In fact, there are several examples of animals that do host living colonies of photosynthetic cells within their bodies. In nature, photosynthetic cells in the form of unicellular algae live harmoniously in sponges, corals, and anemones, providing them with oxygen and sometimes nutrients.&nbsp;



Professor Hans Straka, a neurobiologist at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, was investigating oxygen consumption in the brains of tadpoles when a chance lunchtime conversation with a botanist led him to wondering whether he could harness the power of photosynthesis to supply oxygen to the brains of tadpoles. In principle, he could not see why such a symbiotic relationship should not work, given that tadpoles are largely translucent and light would be able to shine into them and provide energy for photosynthesis.



To test this, he and a team of researchers from LMU in Germany, injected green, single-celled algae (Chlamydomonas renhardtii) or cyanobacteria (Synechocystis) into the hearts of Xenopus laevis tadpoles. The heartbeat then pumped the algae through the tadpole’s blood vessels until the algal cells reached the brain. When light was shone on the tadpole, not only did the animal turn bright green, but the algal species began to produce oxygen in significant quantities.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Straka and the team wished to determine whether the quantity of oxygen produced this way was enough to revive oxygen-deprived nerve cells in the tadpole’s brain. They placed the tadpole in a water bath that contained essential nutrients to keep the cells functioning, but they gradually removed the oxygen from the water until the brain cells ceased to send nerve impulses.&nbsp;



When they illuminated the tadpole’s head, thereby initiating photosynthetic activity in the algal cells introduced into its brain, the nerves became active again within 15 to 20 minutes. The revived nerves also performed as well or even better than before oxygen depletion.



“The algae actually produced so much oxygen that they could bring the nerve cells back to life, if you will,” said Straka, senior author of the research paper published today in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/home">iScience</a>. “For many people, it sounds like science fiction, but after all, it’s just the right combination of biological schemes and biological principles.”



“We succeeded in showing the proof of principle experiment with this method. It was amazingly reliable and robust, and in my eyes, a beautiful approach,” said Straka. “Working in principle doesn’t really mean that you could apply it at the end, but it’s the first step in order to initiate other studies.”



The researchers recognize that there would be many practical problems in introducing algal cells into the blood vessels of most organisms. Not the least of these would be the immune reaction that would occur in response, and the fact that small blood vessels would become blocked by the algal cells. However, they feel that their findings might someday be useful to treat symptoms of oxygen deprivation, for example in stroke victims or in underwater or high-altitude environments.&nbsp;



“You have to have new ideas and new concepts to explore; this is one of the ways science is driven,” said Straka. “If you are open-minded and think it through, all of a sudden, you can see all the possibilities from one idea.”



---



By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Photosynthesis can supply oxygen to tadpole brains

Animals are dependent on a source of environmental oxygen to...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> and the Robert Koch Institute reveals that leprosy has been found in wild <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/roads-have-far-reaching-impacts-on-chimpanzees/">chimpanzees</a> for the first time. The origins of the infections discovered in Guinea-Bisau and Tai National Park are unclear, but scientists believe that it is probably circulating in more wild animals than previously suspected, either as a result of exposure to infected humans or other unknown environmental sources.



Humans are the main hosts of Mycobacterium leprae, the bacterium causing leprosy. However, spillovers to other mammals such as red squirrels, armadillos, or even captive primates have been known to occur occasionally. This study is the first to document the presence of leprosy in two distinct populations of wild chimpanzees.



"This is the first confirmation of leprosy in nonhuman animals in Africa," said study lead author&nbsp;Dr Kimberley Hockings, a senior lecturer in Conservation Science at University of Exeter’s&nbsp;<a href="http://biosciences.exeter.ac.uk/cec/aboutus/">Centre for Ecology and Conservation</a>. "It’s amazing that it also happens to be in our closest living relative, the chimpanzee, especially considering how well studied chimpanzees are in the wild.”



The scientists first noticed possible symptoms of leprosy, such as lesions and “claw” hands, in a population of wild chimpanzees in Guinea-Bissau. Since then, further cases have been identified in Tai National Park in western Ivory Coast.



"The strains identified in each chimpanzee population are different, and both are rare in humans and other animal reservoirs worldwide," reported Dr. Charlotte Avanzi, a postdoctoral fellow at <a href="https://www.colostate.edu/">Colorado State University</a>.



"This study unlocks a new step toward the understanding of the disease transmission in endemic countries and more investigations will eventually shed light on the dynamic of transmission between human, animal, and environmental sources."



According to the scientists, it is possible that in Guinea-Bissau chimpanzees acquired leprosy from humans. However, in Ivory Coast, chimpanzees are more distant from human settlements, so they might have acquired the infection from another animal species, or from environmental sources such as water bacteria or ticks.



Since western chimpanzees are already critically endangered, even the loss of a few individuals could be significant. Further research and long-term health monitoring are needed in order to establish the scale and effects of leprosy among wild chimpanzees.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03968-4%C3%B9">Nature</a>.&nbsp;



<div class="wp-block-group">
<div class="wp-block-columns">
<div class="wp-block-column" style="flex-basis:100%">
<div class="wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center">
<div class="wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center" style="flex-basis:100%">
<pre class="wp-block-code"><code>
<div id="insticator-container" class="embedid-36c98256-359c-4783-846a-2b7b20db39c7"><div id="div-insticator-ad-1"></div><div id="insticator-embed"></div><div id="div-insticator-ad-2"></div><script data-cfasync='false' type="text/javascript">Insticator.ad.loadAd("div-insticator-ad-1");Insticator.ad.loadAd("div-insticator-ad-2");Insticator.load("em",{id : "36c98256-359c-4783-846a-2b7b20db39c7"})</script></div>
</code></pre>
<div class="Insticator_Video"></div>
<script async="" id="earth.com_outstream_floating" src="https://d2nr2jos5slco1.cloudfront.net/video-script/earth.com_outstream_floating.js"></script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>



<h2 id="h-more-about-leprosy">More about leprosy</h2>



Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, is an infectious disease caused by two types of bacteria: Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after the scientist Gerhard Armauer Hansen who discovered it, the bacteria was the first disease-causing bacterium identified in humans. This slow-growing, chronic bacterial infection primarily affects the skin and nerves, but can also impact the eyes, the inside of the nose, and peripheral nerves in the limbs.



Here's a summary of what we know about leprosy:



<h3>Transmission:</h3>



Leprosy is not highly contagious, but it can be passed from person to person. It is believed to be transmitted via droplets from the nose and mouth during close and frequent contact with untreated cases. It is also worth mentioning that a significant portion of people are naturally immune to leprosy.



<h3>Symptoms:</h3>



The disease causes skin lesions that are lighter than the normal skin color and may become numb due to nerve damage. Other symptoms might include weakness and poor eyesight. Because the bacteria reproduce very slowly, the disease has a long incubation period, often taking 5 to 20 years for symptoms to appear after infection.



<h3>Types of Leprosy:</h3>



Leprosy can manifest in different forms, depending on the individual's immune response:



<ol>
<li>Tuberculoid: A mild, less severe form of leprosy. People with this type have only one or a few patches of flat, pale-colored skin (often with decreased sensation). The nerves may be enlarged and inflamed. Tuberculoid leprosy is less contagious than other forms.</li>



<li>Lepromatous: A more severe form of the disease. It causes widespread skin bumps and rashes, numbness, muscle weakness, and other complications. Lepromatous leprosy is more contagious.</li>



<li>Borderline: People with this type of leprosy have symptoms of both tuberculoid and lepromatous leprosy. The disease may get better or worse, or may switch between types.</li>
</ol>



<h3>Diagnosis:</h3>



Doctors often diagnose leprosy through a clinical examination of the characteristic skin lesions and testing sensation in the skin. Additionally, they may take a skin biopsy or a nasal swab for laboratory examination.



<h3>Treatment:</h3>



Leprosy is curable with a treatment known as multidrug therapy (MDT), as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The treatment uses a combination of antibiotics, usually dapsone, rifampicin, and clofazimine, to kill the bacteria. The duration of treatment can range from 6 months to 2 years or more, depending on the severity of the disease.



<h3>Effects:</h3>



Although treatment can cure the disease and prevent it from getting worse, it doesn't reverse nerve damage or physical disfigurement that occurred before treatment. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment are key to preventing disability due to leprosy.



<h3>Epidemiology:</h3>



The disease occurs worldwide, but it is most common in warm, wet areas in the tropics and subtropics. WHO is striving to eliminate the disease, and over the past decades, there has been significant progress towards this goal, with a major decrease in the number of cases.



However, leprosy remains a significant health problem in some areas, including parts of India, Brazil, and Indonesia.



In the animal kingdom, armadillos are the only known non-human carriers of leprosy. The bacterium causing leprosy has been found in wild armadillos in the southern United States, and there have been reported cases of transmission to humans.



It's important to note that information about leprosy continues to evolve, and research is 



ongoing to further understand the transmission, symptoms, treatment, and prevention of leprosy.



<h3>Vaccination and Immunity:</h3>



The BCG (Bacillus Calmette–Guérin) vaccine, initially developed for tuberculosis, offers some protection against leprosy and is often given in countries where leprosy is more common. However, the immunity it offers varies and is not fully protective.



In addition, it seems that a significant number of people are naturally immune to leprosy, likely due to genetic factors. It's worth mentioning that the majority of people who are exposed to the bacteria that cause leprosy never develop the disease.



<h3>Leprosy and Stigma:</h3>



Historically, leprosy has been a highly stigmatized disease due to its potential to cause physical disfigurement and disability. In some cultures, people with leprosy have been ostracized or segregated from the rest of society.



While effective treatments now exist, this stigma can still persist, contributing to delays in seeking treatment and psychological distress for those affected. Efforts are being made worldwide to combat this stigma and to ensure that people with leprosy can lead normal lives and are not discriminated against.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



<pre class="wp-block-code"><code><div class="instiengage-su-container"><div class="instiengage-su" data-su-uuid="a15ae51b-1aff-4062-9b23-d642ac4f6930" data-ext-page-id="{extPageId}" data-page-url="{articleUrl}"></div><script data-cfasync="false" type="text/javascript">Insticator.load('su', 'a15ae51b-1aff-4062-9b23-d642ac4f6930')</script></div></code></pre>



<div class="wp-block-columns">
<div class="wp-block-column" style="flex-basis:100%">
<div class="wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center">
<div class="wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center" style="flex-basis:100%">
<div class="wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center">
<div class="wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center" style="flex-basis:100%">
<pre class="wp-block-code"><code><div class="insticator-unit type-products"><div class="insticator-ads"><div id="div-insticator-ad-cmt-1"></div><div id="div-insticator-ad-cmt-2"></div><script data-cfasync="false" type="text/javascript">Insticator.ad.loadAd("div-insticator-ad-cmt-1");Insticator.ad.loadAd("div-insticator-ad-cmt-2");</script></div><div id="insticator-commenting"><div class="instiengage-comments" data-cu-uuid="556afc76-f7dc-410f-bd32-c6daa17ecaa1" data-ext-page-id="{extPageId}"></div><script>Insticator.load('comments')</script></div><div class="insticator-ads additional"><div id="div-insticator-ad-cmt-3"></div><div id="div-insticator-ad-cmt-4"></div><script data-cfasync="false" type="text/javascript">Insticator.ad.loadAd("div-insticator-ad-cmt-3");Insticator.ad.loadAd("div-insticator-ad-cmt-4");</script></div></div></code></pre>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>



<pre class="wp-block-code"><code><script src="https://soapps.net/live/loader/counter.js" async="" id="insticator-commenting-counter" data-integration-id="556afc76-f7dc-410f-bd32-c6daa17ecaa1"></script></code></pre>

Leprosy has been found in wild chimpanzees

A new study led by the University of Exeter and...

A team of astrophysicists led by the <a href="https://www.unige.ch/en/university/">University of Geneva</a> (UNIGE) and the <a href="http://nccr-planets.ch/">National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR) PlanetS</a> have recently investigated the past of the planet Venus to find out whether Earth’s sister planet once had oceans.&nbsp;



Venus is of comparable mass and size as the Earth, consists of rocky material too, and even holds some water and has an atmosphere. However, the differences are striking: its atmosphere consists mostly of CO2, it has extreme surface temperatures and pressures, and is covered by sulphuric acid clouds.&nbsp;



Previous studies have suggested that Venus may have been a much more hospitable place in the past, hosting its own seas and oceans. Over the next decade, three space exploration missions will be sent to Venus in order to answer these questions. In the meanwhile, the astrophysicists from UNIGE and NCCR PlanetS have tried to clarify these issues with tools available on Earth.



By using sophisticated 3D models of the atmosphere, similar to those employed to simulate the Earth’s current and future climate, the scientists studied how Venus’ atmosphere could have evolved over time.



&nbsp;“We simulated the climate of the Earth and Venus at the very beginning of their evolution, more than four billion years ago, when the surface of the planets was still molten”, explained study lead author Martin Turbet, a researcher at the <a href="https://www.unige.ch/sciences/en/larecherche/domainesderecherche/astronomie/">Department of Astronomy</a> of UNIGE and member of the NCCR PlanetS. “The associated high temperatures meant that any water would have been present in the form of steam, as in a gigantic pressure cooker.”



“Thanks to our simulations, we were able to show that the climatic conditions did not allow water vapor to condense in the atmosphere of Venus,” he added. “One of the main reasons for this is the clouds that form preferentially on the night side of the planet. These clouds cause a very powerful greenhouse effect that prevented Venus from cooling as quickly as previously thought.”



Thus, it seems that temperatures on Venus never got low enough for the water in its atmosphere to form raindrops that could fall on its surface and form oceans. “But we will not be able to rule on the matter definitively on our computers,” concluded co-author David Ehrenreich, a professor in the Department of Astronomy at UNIGE. “The observations of the three future Venusian space missions will be essential to confirm - or refute - our work.”&nbsp;



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Did the planet Venus have oceans in the past?

A team of astrophysicists led by the University of Geneva...

Many archaeologists believe that Native Americans migrated from Japan to the Americas 15,000 years ago based on similarities in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/capuchin-monkeys-stone-tools/">stone tools</a>. The idea is that the “Jomon” people of Japan moved along the Pacific ocean rim until reaching the Bering land bridge to reach North America.



As popular as this theory is, new research undermines the idea of Native Americans originating in Japan. The research claims that genetics and skeletal anatomy don’t support a human migration from Japan to the Americas. “We found that the human biology simply doesn’t match up with the archaeological theory," said study lead author Professor Richard Scott, an expert on human teeth. "We do not dispute the idea that ancient Native Americans arrived via the Northwest Pacific coast - only the theory that they originated with the Jomon people in Japan.”



Professor Scott's analysis of teeth from the Jomon people in Japan found only seven percent linked to non-arctic Native Americans. Just as damning for the theory, genetics didn’t support it either.&nbsp;



“This is particularly clear in the distribution of maternal and paternal lineages, which do not overlap between the early Jomon and American populations," said study co-author and human geneticist Dennis O’Rourke. "Plus, recent studies of ancient DNA from Asia reveal that the two peoples split from a common ancestor at a much earlier time,”&nbsp;



Altogether, the genetic and archaeological evidence paints a picture of Native American origin from Siberia.



“These people (the Jomon) who lived in Japan 15,000 years ago are an unlikely source for Indigenous Americans," said Professor Scott. "Neither the skeletal biology or the genetics indicate a connection between Japan and the America. The most likely source of the Native American population appears to be Siberia.”



Archaeology continues to be complicated and more evidence may emerge to challenge this new discovery. But until then, we have a new small piece of the puzzle of our species.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/20555563.2021.1940440">PaleoAmerica</a>.



---



By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Theory of Native American origins undermined

Many archaeologists believe that Native Americans migrated from Japan to...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elr4948_uOU
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Dr. Ronald Mallett from the University of Connecticut reveals secret mission to create working time travel device.</figcaption></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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







-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



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



-----

Retired professor claims he solved time travel

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



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



-----

The environmental problem we actually solved

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

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.



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Stowers...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

News coming your way