Scientists have proposed a new explanation for dark matter and how the elusive substance that anchors galaxies might have taken shape in the newborn universe.



The scenario begins with weightless particles zipping through the cosmic furnace and ends with a chill population of massive pairs that could still be drifting through space today.



The work - carried out by physicists at <a href="https://home.dartmouth.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dartmouth College</a> - offers predictions that astronomers can check against existing observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background, the after-glow of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/if-the-big-bang-theory-is-correct-what-exactly-happened/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Big Bang</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-particles-after-the-big-bang">Particles after the Big Bang </h2>



“Dark matter <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/existence-of-dark-matter-confirmed-by-new-study/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">started its life</a> as near-massless relativistic particles, almost like light,” said Robert Caldwell, senior author of the study. “That’s totally antithetical to what dark matter is thought to be - it is cold lumps that give galaxies their mass.”



In the model designed by Caldwell and undergraduate researcher Guanming Liang, countless high-energy quanta filled the universe just after the Big Bang. These particles, similar to the photons that carry light, hurtled about at near-light speed.



Under certain conditions, two such quanta could lock together because their spins pointed in opposite directions, rather like the attraction between the north and south poles of tiny magnets. 



The moment they bonded, the new entity’s energy plummeted and its inertia skyrocketed. Within a flash it went from a racing ray to a hefty relic.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-sudden-drop-in-energy"><a></a>A sudden drop in energy</h2>



“The most unexpected part of our mathematical model was the energy plummet that bridges the high-density energy and the lumpy low energy,” Liang explained.



The researchers liken the transformation to steam condensing into water - a hot, diffuse gas suddenly collapses into a cooler, denser phase.



“At that stage, it's like these pairs were getting ready to become dark matter,” Caldwell said. “This phase transition helps explain the abundance of dark matter we can detect today. It sprang from the high-density cluster of extremely energetic particles that was the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-planets-formed-in-the-harsh-early-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">early universe</a>.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cooper-pairs-as-a-clue"><a></a>Cooper pairs as a clue</h2>



The paper introduces a brand-new particle to trigger the shift, yet the authors argue that nature already provides a parallel. In certain superconducting metals, two <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massless-dirac-electrons-seen-moving-in-four-dimensions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">electrons</a> with opposite spins form so-called Cooper pairs that glide without electrical resistance.



“We looked toward superconductivity for clues as to whether a certain interaction could cause energy to drop so suddenly,” Caldwell noted. “Cooper pairs prove that the mechanism exists.”



If the analogy holds, the relic pairs born in the cosmic dawn would have cooled into a nearly pressure-free state - a key hallmark of the unseen matter whose <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/theory-gravity-exists-without-mass-so-dark-matter-does-not-exist/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gravity</a> sculpts galaxies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-simple-model-for-dark-matter">A simple model for dark matter</h2>



Dark matter accounts for roughly eighty-five percent of all mass, yet the universe’s overall energy density has fallen dramatically since its first moments.



Liang points out that the new theory addresses both facts at once: “Structures get their mass due to the density of cold dark matter, but there also has to be a mechanism wherein energy density drops to close to what we see today.”



The abrupt condensation of massless quanta into massive pairs drains energy from the radiation budget while boosting the matter budget, squaring theory with observation.



“The mathematical model of our theory is really beautiful because it's rather simplistic - you don't need to build a lot of things into the system for it to work,” said Liang. “It builds on concepts and timelines we know exist.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-signature-written-in-ancient-light">A signature written in ancient light</h2>



Because the transition would have left the paired particles almost motionless, the team predicts a distinctive imprint on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/universe-more-complicated-less-clumpy-than-it-should-be-cosmic-microwave-background-cmb/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cosmic microwave background</a>.



The CMB has already been mapped by satellites and ground-based projects, and more precise surveys are under way at the Simons Observatory in Chile and in planned CMB Stage-4 experiments.



“It's exciting,” Caldwell said. “We're presenting a new approach to thinking about and possibly identifying dark matter.”



The researchers emphasize that their proposal is testable: if future CMB data reveal the subtle pattern predicted by their equations, the case for heavy pairs born from light-like quanta will strengthen. If not, the idea will need revision or replacement - exactly how science should proceed.



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



For now the paper stakes out a middle ground between theoretical elegance and observational reach. 



Upcoming missions will either expose the predicted CMB trace or tighten the limits on how dark matter could have formed. Either outcome will refine our view of the invisible framework that holds the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/more-than-one-big-bang-may-explain-cosmic-expansion-without-dark-matter/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cosmos</a> together.



Should the ancient sky bear the scar of those primordial pairings, physicists might finally glimpse how ghostly matter traded light speed for lasting weight - and reshaped the universe in the process.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.191004" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Physical Review Letters</a>.



Image Credit: NASA, ESA and M. Montes (University of New South Wales)



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Where did dark matter come from? The answer may be surprisingly simple

Scientists have proposed a new explanation for dark matter and how the elusive substance that anchors galaxies might have taken shape in the newborn universe. The scenario begins with weightless particles zipping through the cosmic furnace and ends with a chill population of massive pairs that could still be drifting through space today. The work - carried out by physicists at Dartmouth College - offers predictions that astronomers can check against existing observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background, the after-glow of the Big Bang. Particles after the...

In a new study led by the <a href="https://www.si.edu/">Smithsonian</a>, researchers have discovered electric eels hunting in groups for the first time. The unexpected behavior was observed in a small lake in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/jaguars-in-the-amazon-are-threatened-by-climate-extremes/">Amazon</a> River basin that was filled with more than 100 adult electric eels.

The eels teamed up to herd small fish called tetras into tightly packed balls. Groups of up to 10 eels collaborated to launch an attack, surrounding the fish and shocking them into submission. 

"This is an extraordinary discovery," said study senior author David de Santana. "Nothing like this has ever been documented in electric eels."

The findings raise new questions about the lifestyle and behavior of electric eels, which were previously thought to be solitary predators. 

"Hunting in groups is pretty common among mammals, but it's actually quite rare in fishes," said de Santana. "There are only nine other species of fishes known to do this, which makes this finding really special."

The research is the latest of de Santana's ongoing investigation into freshwater fish diversity in South America. His expeditions to the remote waters of the Amazon and its many tributaries have uncovered 85 new species of electric fish. 

Last year, de Santana identified two new species of electric eels. One of the new species, Volta's electric eel, is capable of producing 860-volt electric shocks. This is not only the strongest electric discharge of any animal on Earth, but is also 210 volts higher than the previous record. 

The current study was focused on Volta's electric eels, which can reach lengths of 8 feet.

"If you think about it, an individual of this species can produce a discharge of up to 860 volts - so in theory if 10 of them discharged at the same time, they could be producing up to 8,600 volts of electricity," said de Santana. "That's around the same voltage needed to power 100 light bulbs."

De Santana's team first witnessed Volta's electric eels hunting in groups during a field expedition in August of 2012. Study first author Douglas Bastos discovered a small lake directly connected with the Iriri River. He was amazed to find that the lake held more than 100 adult electric eels.

Two years later, the team logged 72 hours of continuous observation of the eels congregating in this location along the Iriri River.

For most of the day and night, the eels layed almost motionless in the deeper end of the lake, only coming to the surface occasionally to take a breath. The scientists found that the eels became active at dusk and dawn - interacting with each other and then swimming in a large circle. 

The eels corralled thousands of the tiny tetras into tighter and tighter shoals as they herded them into shallow water. Once the tetras were trapped by the main group, de Santana said that bands of two to 10 eels would move in closer and then launch synchronized electric attacks on the prey ball. 

The electric shocks sent the tetras flying out into the air, and then they fell back into the water stunned and motionless. De Santana noted that each dawn or dusk hunting ritual took around one hour and contained between five to seven high-voltage attacks.

"This is the only location where this behavior has been observed, but right now we think the eels probably show up every year," said de Santana. "Our initial hypothesis is that this is a relatively rare event that occurs only in places with lots of prey and enough shelter for large numbers of adult eels."

According to de Santana, these large gatherings of electric eels are not likely to be very common. 

"These animals can be 8 feet long and produce 860-volt electric shocks; if 100 of them being in one place was a common occurrence, I think we would have heard about it before now."

With the Amazon under threat from deforestation, wildfires, and climate change, de Santana said there is a profound sense of urgency to accelerate biodiversity assessment in the region. 

"Electric eels aren't in immediate danger, but their habitats and ecosystems are under immense pressure. This paper is an example of how much we still don't know, how many organisms whose life histories we don't yet understand."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/mbe">Biology and Evolution</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Electric eels found hunting in groups

In a new study led by the Smithsonian, researchers have...

Oolong tea burns fat while you sleep. Researchers at the <a href="https://www.tsukuba.ac.jp/en/">University of Tsukuba</a> have found that tea and caffeine help you lose weight while you <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/the-covid-19-pandemic-has-caused-severe-sleep-disruptions/">sleep</a>. The experts report that drinking two cups of oolong tea per day triggers the breakdown of fat overnight.

"The effects of oolong tea consumption to increase fat oxidation during sleep may have clinical relevance for controlling body weight and glucose metabolism," wrote the researchers. 

"Several lines of evidence suggest that an individual’s capacity to oxidize dietary fat is a metabolic determinant of future weight gain."

All tea originates from the same plant, Camellia sinensis, by they are distinguished by their processing techniques. Unoxidized tea is green tea, while fully oxidized tea is black tea. Oolong tea is half-oxidized and shares characteristics with both green and black tea. 

The health benefits of green tea, such as lower blood pressure and cholesterol, are well documented. The potential effects of oolong tea, however, have remained somewhat of a mystery.

"Like all teas, oolong contains caffeine, which impacts energy metabolism by increasing our heart rate. However, studies suggest that tea consumption may also increase the breakdown of fat, independent of the effects of caffeine," said study senior author Professor Kumpei Tokuyama. 

"We therefore wanted to examine the effects of oolong consumption versus caffeine alone on energy and fat metabolism among a group of healthy volunteers."

The researchers found that both oolong tea and pure caffeine increased fat breakdown by about 20 percent in the healthy volunteers, and oolong tea continued to have an effect while the participants were asleep. 

The experts report that neither treatment caused an increase in energy expenditure, which means that the volunteers developed a tolerance to the stimulatory effects of caffeine over the two-week study period.

Furthermore, the tea did not disrupt the sleeping patterns of the individuals. This indicates that drinking oolong tea, and burning fat overnight, did not prevent any of the participants from getting a good night's sleep.

"The stimulatory effects of oolong tea on fat breakdown during sleep could have real clinical relevance for controlling body weight," said Professor Tokuyama.

"However, we need to determine whether the effects we observed in the 2-week study translate into actual body fat loss over a prolonged period."

"In addition, we want to trial a decaffeinated oolong tea to better distinguish the effects of caffeine from other components of tea, which will help us understand exactly how oolong helps with fat breakdown."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients">Nutrients</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Oolong tea burns fat while you sleep

Oolong tea burns fat while you sleep. Researchers at the...

A shocking number of lakes in the Northern Hemisphere may soon lose their ice cover for good, according to a study from <a href="https://www.yorku.ca/">York University</a>. The experts report that at the current rate of greenhouse gas emissions, about 5,700 lakes could permanently lose their ice by the end of this century, and 179 of them will become ice-free within the next decade.

The affected areas include large bays in some of the deepest of the Great Lakes, such as Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. These regions could lose their ice by 2055, unless urgent action is taken to slow global warming.

Many of the lakes that are predicted to stop freezing serve as important sources of drinking water for nearby communities. Losing ice will impact the quantity and quality of the water.

"We need ice on lakes to curtail and minimize evaporation rates in the winter," said study lead author Professor Sapna Sharma. "Without ice cover, evaporation rates would increase, and water levels could decline. We would lose freshwater, which we need for drinking and everyday activities. Ice cover is extremely important both ecologically and socio-economically."

The analysis was focused on 51,000 lakes in the Northern Hemisphere.  The researchers combined annual winter temperature projections from 2020 to 2098 with 12 climate change scenarios to determine which lakes will become ice-free.

"With increased greenhouse gas emissions, we expect greater increases in winter air temperatures, which are expected to increase much more than summer temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere," said study co-author Alessandro Filazzola. "It's this warming of a couple of degrees, as result of carbon emissions, that will cause the loss of lake ice into the future."

The lakes that have the greatest risk of losing ice cover are those in southern and coastal regions of the Northern Hemisphere, and some of them rank among the largest lakes in the world.

"It is quite dramatic for some of these lakes, that froze often, but within a few decades they stop freezing indefinitely," says Filazzola. "It's pretty shocking to imagine a lake that would normally freeze no longer doing so."

The study showed that when the air temperature was above -0.9 C, most lakes no longer froze. 

"Ice cover is also important for maintaining the quality of our freshwater," said Professor Sharma. "In years where there isn't ice cover or when the ice melts earlier, there have been observations that water temperatures are warmer in the summer, there are increased rates of primary production, plant growth, as well as an increased presence of algal blooms, some of which may be toxic."

According to Professor Sharma, more aggressive measures to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions are urgently needed to preserve lake ice cover. "I was surprised at how quickly we may see this transition to permanent loss of ice cover in lakes that had previously frozen near consistently for centuries."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19448007">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Hundreds of northern lakes will permanently lose their ice cover

A shocking number of lakes in the Northern Hemisphere may...

Earth's terrestrial ecosystems will soon transition from climate-stabilizing <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/peatlands-could-release-more-than-100-billion-tons-of-carbon-this-century/">carbon</a> sinks to sources of greenhouse gases that will accelerate climate change. At the current rate of global warming, this tipping point could be reached within 20 to 30 years, according to an alarming new study led by <a href="https://nau.edu/">Northern Arizona University</a>.

Over the past few decades, the biosphere has absorbed more carbon than it has released, which prevents one-third of human-caused carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere.

The team has identified a temperature threshold beyond which plants will release more carbon than they absorb. The researchers noticed sharp declines in photosynthesis above this temperature threshold in nearly every biome across the globe, even after removing other factors such as water and sunlight.

"The Earth has a steadily growing fever, and much like the human body, we know every biological process has a range of temperatures at which it performs optimally, and ones above which function deteriorates," said study lead author Katharyn Duffy. "So, we wanted to ask, how much can plants withstand?"

Based on data from the world's largest continuous carbon monitoring network, the experts determined that up to half of land ecosystems will make the transition from carbon sinks to carbon sources by the end of the century. 

However, the study also predicts that ecosystems which store the most carbon, such as rainforests and Taiga forests, could lose more than 45 percent of their carbon sink capabilities by the middle of the century. 

The research is the first of its kind to establish a temperature threshold for photosynthesis based on observational data at a global scale. "We know that the temperature optima for humans lie around 37 degrees Celsius (98 degrees Fahrenheit), but we in the scientific community didn't know what those optima were for the terrestrial biosphere," explained Duffy.

To investigate, the scientists developed a new approach called the MacroMolecular Rate Theory (MMRT), which is based on the principles of thermodynamics. This method allowed the researchers to generate temperature curves for every major biome in the world.

"Different types of plants vary in the details of their temperature responses, but all show declines in photosynthesis when it gets too warm," said study co-author George Koch.

Currently, less than 10 percent of all terrestrial ecosystems experience temperatures beyond the photosynthetic maximum. At the current rate of emissions, however, up to half the terrestrial biosphere could experience temperatures beyond that productivity threshold by mid-century. 

Some of the most carbon-rich biomes in the world, including the Amazon, will be among the first to reach the tipping point.

"The most striking thing our analysis showed is that the temperature optima for photosynthesis in all ecosystems were so low," said study co-author Vic Arcus. 

"Combined with the increased rate of ecosystem respiration across the temperatures we observed, our findings suggest that any temperature increase above 18 degrees C is potentially detrimental to the terrestrial carbon sink." 

"Without curbing warming to remain at or below the levels established in the Paris Climate Accord, the land carbon sink will not continue to offset our emissions and buy us time."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Earth's temperature could reach a tipping point within 20 to 30 years

Earth's terrestrial ecosystems will soon transition from climate-stabilizing carbon sinks...

Arguments demand a lot more <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/animals-needed-sleep-before-they-even-had-brains/">brain</a> power than agreements, according to a study from <a href="https://www.yale.edu/">Yale University</a>. While imaging neural activity, the researchers discovered that disagreements demand a lot more space in the brain. 

"Our entire brain is a social processing network," said study senior author Professor Joy Hirsch. "However, it just takes a lot more brain real estate to disagree than to agree."

The experts report that when two people agree, their brains are engaged in calm, synchronized activity that is concentrated in sensory areas of the brain. However, disagreements involve many other cognitive areas that are in charge of executive neural functions. These brain regions become mobilized as the individuals engage in a heated exchange. 

"There is a synchronicity between the brains when we agree," explained Professor Hirsch. "But when we disagree, the neural coupling disconnects."

In collaboration with experts at University College London, the researchers recruited 38 adults who were asked to either agree or disagree with a series of statements such as "Same-sex marriage is a civil right" or "Marijuana should be legalized." 

The individuals were paired together for face-to-face discussions based on their responses. Meanwhile, the researchers used an imaging technique called functional near-infrared spectroscopy to record their brain activity.

As people agreed on various topics, harmonious brain activity was observed in sensory areas of the brain such as the visual system. On the other hand, these areas of the brain were less active during disagreements. 

Heated debates were associated with increased activity in the brain's frontal lobes - the control center for higher executive functions.

According to Professor Hirsch, understanding how our brains function while disagreeing or agreeing is particularly important in a polarized political environment.

In discord, two brains engage many emotional and cognitive resources like a symphony orchestra playing different music, explained Professor Hirsch. In agreement, she said, there is less cognitive engagement and more social interaction between the brains, similar to a musical duet.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience">Frontiers in Human Neuroscience</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Disagreements demand more space in the brain

Arguments demand a lot more brain power than agreements, according...

Stress in the workplace is a major public health issue that affects the mental and physical <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/everyday-activities-improve-well-being-and-boost-brain-health/">well-being</a> of people worldwide. A new study from the <a href="https://www.tsukuba.ac.jp/en/">University of Tsukuba</a> has found a very simple way to help relieve work-related stress, and the solution is in nature.

Led by Professor Shinichiro Sasahara, the team set out to investigate how taking walks in greenspaces such as parks and forests may affect an individual's sense of coherence (SOC), or the coping capacity that people use to deal with stressors in everyday life.

The concept of SOC was introduced in 1979 by Aaron Antonovsky to explain why some people become sick under stress while others stay healthy. 

People with strong SOC are known to have greater resilience to stress. The SOC scale is used to assess how people perceive life based on three key elements: meaningfulness - having a sense of purpose; comprehensibility - the ability to recognize and understand stress; and manageability - feeling equipped with the resources to solve problems. 

Previous studies have found that SOC scores are influenced by factors such as martial status, education, and physical fitness. 

For the current investigation, the researchers analyzed data on more than 6,000 Japanese workers between 20 and 60 years old. The experts found stronger SOC, and therefore greater resilience to work-related stress,  among people who regularly took walks in forests or greenspaces.

"SOC indicates mental capacities for realizing and dealing with stress," said Professor Sasahara. "With workplace stress as a focal issue, there's a clear benefit in identifying everyday activities that raise SOC. It seems we may have found one."

In many countries like Japan, urban greenspaces are increasing in popularity. This gives workers easier access to nature, and the research indicates that taking advantage of these spaces is a simple way to increase SOC and relieve work-related stress.

"Our study suggests that taking a walk at least once a week in a forest or greenspace can help people have stronger SOC," explained Professor Sasahara. "Forest/greenspace walking is a simple activity that needs no special equipment or training. It could be a very good habit for improving mental health and managing stress."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/public-health-in-practice/">Public Health in Practice</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Nature walks help relieve work-related stress

Stress in the workplace is a major public health issue...

Oceans absorbed a record amount of heat in 2020. Ocean temperatures reached a record high in 2020, according to an international team of scientists from 13 institutes around the world. The experts report that ocean temperatures from the surface <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/groundwater-has-a-larger-impact-on-ocean-chemistry-than-expected/">water</a> all the way down to a depth of 2,000 meters reached their hottest levels since 1955.

Study lead author Lijing Cheng is a professor in the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the <a href="https://english.cas.cn/">Chinese Academy of Sciences</a>. 

"Over 90% of the excess heat due to global warming is absorbed by the oceans, so ocean warming is a direct indicator of global warming - the warming we have measured paints a picture of long-term global warming," said Professor Cheng.

"However, due to the ocean's delayed response to global warming, the trends of ocean change will persist at least for several decades, so societies need to adapt to the now unavoidable consequences of our unabated warming. But there is still time to take action and reduce our emissions of greenhouse gases."

The investigation into ocean temperatures and salinity was focused on data from the World Ocean Database, which is overseen by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. 

The analysis revealed that in 2020, the upper 2,000 meters of the world's oceans absorbed 20 more Zettajoules compared to 2019. This amount of heat is enough to boil 1.3 billion kettles.

"Why is the ocean not boiling? Because the ocean is vast. We can imagine how much energy the ocean can absorb and contain, and, when it's released slowly, how big the impact is," explained Professor Cheng.

The researchers found that other effects, including ocean salinity, were amplified in the hotter upper layer of the ocean. Marine life is threatened by both the heat and the increased salinity. 

"The fresh gets fresher; the salty gets saltier," said Professor Cheng. "The ocean takes a large amount of global warming heat, buffering global warming. However, the associated ocean changes also pose a severe risk to human and natural systems."

"Warmer oceans and a warmer atmosphere and also promote more intense rainfalls in all storms, and especially hurricanes, increasing the risk of flooding. Extreme fires like those witnessed in 2020 will become even more common in the future. Warmer oceans also make storms more powerful, particularly typhoons and hurricanes."

The researchers will continue to monitor rising ocean temperatures and the subsequent effects on salinity and stratification.

"As more countries pledge to achieve 'carbon neutrality' or 'zero carbon' in the coming decades, special attention should be paid to the ocean," said Professor Cheng. 

"Any activities or agreements to address global warming must be coupled with the understanding that the ocean has already absorbed an immense amount of heat and will continue to absorb excess energy in the Earth's system until atmospheric carbon levels are significantly lowered."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.springer.com/journal/376">Advances in Atmospheric Sciences</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Oceans absorbed a record amount of heat in 2020

Oceans absorbed a record amount of heat in 2020. Ocean...

There is no limit to the cardiovascular benefits of <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/high-intensity-exercise-can-help-you-live-longer/">exercise</a>, according to a new study published by <a href="https://plos.org/">PLOS</a>. The researchers found that people who are the most active have the lowest risk of cardiovascular disease.

While the link between exercise and reduced cardiovascular risk was previously established, the extent of these benefits remained unclear. 

A team led by Terence Dwyer of University of Oxford set out to investigate by analyzing data from 90,211 UK Biobank participants who did not have cardiovascular disease. The individuals had worn activity trackers over a 7-day period from 2013 through 2015.

During five years of follow-up, 3,617 of the participants were diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. The more physically active the individuals were, the less likely they were to develop cardiovascular issues. For example, those who exercised the least were about 54 percent more likely to be diagnosed with cardiovascular disease compared to the most active people. 

Participants in the lowest category of physical activity, who also smoked more and had higher body mass index, were most often diagnosed with hypertension. 

"This is the largest ever study of exquisite device-measured physical activity and cardiovascular disease. It shows that physical activity is probably even more important for the prevention of cardiovascular disease than we previously thought," said Professor Aiden Doherty. 

"Our findings lend further weight to the new WHO guidelines on physical activity which recommend at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity per week for all adults."

According to Professor Dwyer, the results of the study reaffirms that physical activity is an important way of preventing cardiovascular disease. 

"The potential risk reduction estimated in those engaging in relatively high levels of activity is substantial and justifies a greater emphasis on measures to increase levels of physical activity in the community."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/">PLOS Medicine</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The cardiovascular benefits of exercise are unlimited

There is no limit to the cardiovascular benefits of exercise,...

In a new study from <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Penn State</a>, researchers have found that climate change reduces the abundance and diversity of wild bees. The experts report that wild bees are more affected by climate change than by disturbances to their <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/bumblebees-in-low-quality-habitats-are-more-susceptible-to-disease/">habitats</a>.

Furthermore, the research suggests that addressing land-use issues will not be enough to protect wild bees.

"Our study found that the most critical factor influencing wild bee abundance and species diversity was the weather, particularly temperature and precipitation," said Professor Christina Grozinger. 

"In the Northeastern United States, past trends and future predictions show a changing climate with warmer winters, more intense precipitation in winter and spring, and longer growing seasons with higher maximum temperatures. In almost all of our analyses, these conditions were associated with lower abundance of wild bees, suggesting that climate change poses a significant threat to wild bee communities."

According to Melanie Kammerer, few studies have considered the effects of both climate and land use on wild bees.

"We thought this was an oversight because, like many organisms, bees are experiencing habitat loss and climate change simultaneously," said Kammerer. "By looking at both factors in the same study, we were able to compare the relative importance of these two stressors."

The investigation was focused on a 14-year dataset from the United States Geological Survey that documented wild bee occurrences from more than 1,000 locations in Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C. 

Based on this data, the researchers examined how different bee species respond to land-use and climate changes.

"To really understand the effects of weather and climate, particularly as weather patterns become more variable with climate change, we need to use these very large, long-term data sets," said Grozinger. "We hope that our study, and others like it, will help encourage the collection and integration of these data sets for future research."

The team used land cover maps and spatial models to analyze the landscape surrounding each of the sampling locations. The experts also used machine learning to identify the most important climate variables that affect wild bees. 

"We found that temperature and precipitation patterns are very important drivers of wild bee communities in our study, more important than the amount of suitable habitat or floral and nesting resources in the landscape," said Kammerer.

According to Grozinger, different bee species were most impacted by different weather conditions. For example, areas with more rain had fewer spring bees, she explained.

"We think the rain limits the ability of spring bees to collect food for their offspring," said Grozinger. "Similarly, a very hot summer, which might reduce flowering plants, was associated with fewer summer bees the next year."

"This result coincides with studies showing that, with earlier spring onset, overwintering adults had higher pre-emergence weight loss and mortality and shorter life span post-emergence."

Kammerer noted that these weather changes will likely worsen in the coming years.

"In the future, warm winters and long, hot summers are predicted to occur more frequently, which we expect will be a serious challenge to wild-bee populations," said Kammerer. 

"We are just beginning to understand the many ways that climate influences bees, but in order to conserve these essential pollinators, we need to figure out when, where and how changing climate disrupts bee life cycles, and we need to move from considering single stressors to quantifying multiple, potentially interacting pressures on wild-bee communities."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652486">Global Change Biology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Climate change is the biggest threat to wild bees

In a new study from Penn State, researchers have found...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/groundwater-has-a-larger-impact-on-ocean-chemistry-than-expected/">Ocean</a> temperatures are becoming increasingly unsuitable for baby sharks, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.coralcoe.org.au/">ARC Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies</a>. The researchers found that as a result of global warming, baby sharks are born smaller, exhausted, and undernourished. The animals are also being birthed into environments that are already difficult for them to survive in.

The study was focused on epaulette sharks, an egg-laying species found only on the Great Barrier Reef. The team examined the impacts of warmer temperatures on the growth, development, and physiological performance of the sharks as embryos and as hatchlings.

"We tested shark embryos in waters up to 31°C," said study lead author Carolyn Wheeler. "The hotter the conditions, the faster everything happened, which could be a problem for the sharks." 

"The embryos grew faster and used their yolk sac quicker, which is their only source of food as they develop in the egg case. This led to them hatching earlier than usual." 

The hatchlings were not only smaller, but were undernourished, lacked energy, and needed to feed almost right away.

Study co-author Dr. Jodie Rummer noted that the waters of the Great Barrier Reef will likely experience summer averages close to or even in excess of 31°C by the end of the century.

Dr. Rummer warned that rising ocean temperatures are a major concern for the future of all sharks, whether they lay eggs or give birth.

"The epaulette shark is known for its resilience to change, even to ocean acidification. So, if this species can't cope with warming waters then how will other, less tolerant species fare?" 

"Our future ecosystems depend us taking urgent action to limit climate change."

Sharks belong to a group of animals that develop and grow slowly, like rays and skates, and they do not reproduce as often as other fish.

The findings suggest that the sharks of the future will be born at a major disadvantage healthwise. To make matters worse, their environments will already be the warmest temperatures that the sharks can tolerate.

"The study presents a worrying future given that sharks are already threatened," said Wheeler. "Sharks are important predators that keep ocean ecosystems healthy. Without predators, whole ecosystems can collapse, which is why we need to keep studying and protecting these creatures."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/?gclid=Cj0KCQiArvX_BRCyARIsAKsnTxM7BZ8nYNx5N0Pi-LOdKZiJCT5EHNkwJZzUmIRfI5MxnPaCv7UY3sgaArNsEALw_wcB">Scientific Reports</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Oceans are already too warm for baby sharks

Ocean temperatures are becoming increasingly unsuitable for baby sharks, according...

In a new study published by the <a href="https://www.bmj.com/company/newsroom/higher-coffee-intake-may-be-linked-to-lower-prostate-cancer-risk/">BMJ</a>, experts have confirmed that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/coffee-before-breakfast-has-a-negative-impact-on-metabolism/">coffee</a> has a protective effect against certain types of cancer. In particular, the researchers found that people who drink several cups of coffee per day are less likely to develop prostate cancer.

The study suggests that a higher intake of coffee is associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer, with every additional cup reducing the risk by one percent.

Previous studies have linked coffee consumption to a lower risk of developing liver, bowel, and breast cancers. Prior to the current investigation, however, there was no conclusive evidence that coffee protects against prostate cancer, which is the second most common cancer. 

The researchers analyzed the results of relevant cohort studies involving more than one million men that were conducted in North America, Europe, and Japan. Overall,  57,732 of these men developed prostate cancer.

The highest level of coffee consumption ranged from 2 to 9 or more cups a day, while the lowest ranged from none to fewer than 2 cups a day. Individuals who consumed the most coffee were found to lower their likelihood of prostate cancer by nine percent.

Furthermore, the analysis showed that the highest intake was associated with a 12 percent lower risk of the cancer becoming advanced, as well as a 16 percent lower risk of the cancer becoming fatal.

According to the study authors, coffee improves glucose metabolism, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, and affects sex hormone levels, all of which may influence the initiation, development and progression of prostate cancer.

"This study suggests that increased coffee consumption may be associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Further research is still warranted to explore the underlying mechanisms and active compounds in coffee," explained the researchers.

"If the association is further proved to be a causal effect, men might be encouraged to increase their coffee consumption to potentially decrease the risk of prostate cancer."

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://bmj.com">BMJ Open</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Coffee consumption lowers the risk of prostate cancer

In a new study published by the BMJ, experts have...

Poor gut health may increase the severity of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/covid-19-immunity-may-persist-for-eight-months-or-more/">COVID-19</a>, which is often accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea. According to the <a href="https://asm.org/">American Society for Microbiology</a>, a growing collection of evidence shows that having an altered gut microbiome allows the virus to gain entry into the GI tract.

Dr. Heenam Stanley Kim, an expert at the Korea University Laboratory for Human-Microbial Interactions, reports that gut dysfunction may exacerbate the severity of infection by enabling the virus to access the surface of the digestive tract and internal organs.

COVID-19 patients experience a wide range of symptoms, the most common of which are high fevers and respiratory problems. Autopsies have confirmed that COVID-19 infection can also affect the liver, kidney, heart, spleen, and the gastrointestinal tract. These organs are vulnerable to infection because they have a number of ACE2 receptors that are targeted by the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

A substantial amount of hospitalized patients with breathing problems also have diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. This indicates that when the virus breaches the GI tract, it worsens the severity of the disease. "There seems to be a clear connection between the altered gut microbiome and severe COVID-19," explained Dr. Kim.

Older adults and people with underlying medical conditions including high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity are known to face a higher risk of severe COVID-19. Both of these factors - age and chronic conditions - are also associated with an altered gut microbiome. 

Dr. Kim noted that this imbalance can affect gut barrier integrity, which can give pathogens easier access to cells in the intestinal lining. He is not the only expert who has promised the idea that unhealthy gut microbiomes may be an underlying reason for why some people have such severe infections.

In Singapore, a study on symptomatic COVID-19 patients found that about half had a detectable level of the coronavirus in fecal tests, but only about half of those experienced GI symptoms. Dr. Kim pointed out that a person's gut health at the time of infection may be critical for symptom development.

The disease has been linked to a decrease in beneficial gut bacterial species, as well as an increase in pathogenic bacteria. Furthermore, many recent studies have found reduced bacterial diversity in gut samples collected from COVID-19 patients compared to samples from healthy people. 

The researchers have identified bacterial species which may provide resistance to COVID-19 infection, including some families that are responsible for producing butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid. This bacteria plays a critical role in gut health by reinforcing gut-barrier function.

Dr. Kim said he started analyzing studies on the link between COVID-19 severity and gut health after realizing that wealthy countries with a good medical infrastructure, including the United States and nations in Western Europe, were among the hardest hit by the virus. The most common diets in these countries are low in fiber. 

"A fiber-deficient diet is one of the main causes of altered gut microbiomes, and such gut microbiome dysbiosis leads to chronic diseases," explained Dr. Kim.

Eating more fiber, he said, may lower a person's risk of serious disease. And fecal microbiota transplantation might be a treatment worth considering for patients with the worst cases of COVID-19.

According to Dr. Kim, the problem with poor gut health goes beyond COVID-19. "The whole world is suffering from this COVID-19 pandemic, but what people do not realize is that the pandemic of damaged gut microbiomes is far more serious now."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://mbio.asm.org/">mBio</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Gut health may protect you from severe COVID-19

Poor gut health may increase the severity of COVID-19, which...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



In 1968, Kainji Lake was created by the construction of the Kainji Dam. The Niger River, the third longest in Africa, enters the lake in the north.&nbsp;



According to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rivers-in-the-american-west-are-a-lifesaving-resource-for-birds/">ESA</a>, the creation of the lake submerged Foge Island and the town of Bussa and permanently flooded other riverine settlements, leaving around 50,000 people displaced.&nbsp;



Large parts of Foge Island are temporarily exposed during low water tides, and the land is often used by migrating fishermen. Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger River in Niger State of Central Nigeria. 



Wild mammals occur at relatively low densities due to illegal hunting. Lake Kainji has suffered a dramatic decline as a fishery due to the high numbers of artisanal and subsistence fisherfolk using the lake. It has been suggested that a period of closure, together with controlled fishing rights may help improve fish stocks.



Kainji Lake National Park is the oldest of its kind in Nigeria. The park contains three distinct areas: a part of the Kainji Lake, the Borgu Game Reserve to the west of the lake, and the Zugurma Game Reserve to the southeast. The park is home to around 65 mammal species, 350 bird species, and 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. 



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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