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Scientists have long mapped separate brain areas for sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. Yet new research reveals that when we focus sharply on any of those senses, signals converge on the same two structures buried deep in the brain - the midbrain reticular formation and the central thalamus.



This finding highlights a shared neural pathway that sustains <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/our-brain-stops-paying-attention-to-repeated-distractions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">attention</a> and wakefulness and could inspire therapies for coma, epilepsy, and attention-deficit disorders.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-senses-in-a-single-brain-region">Senses in a single brain region</h2>



Research over the past century has shown that visual scenes activate the occipital cortex, melodies light up the temporal lobes, and so forth.



“We were expecting to find activity on shared networks, but when we saw all the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/our-sense-of-smell-and-different-odors-can-influence-how-we-see-colors/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">senses</a> light up the same central brain regions while a test subject was focusing, it was really astonishing,” said Aya Khalaf, a postdoctoral associate in neurology at <a href="https://medicine.yale.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Yale School of Medicine</a> and lead author of the study.



Those two regions - the reticular formation, a mesh of neurons in the upper brainstem, and the intralaminar and mediodorsal nuclei of the thalamus - form part of the so-called subcortical arousal system, a set of circuits long suspected to regulate alertness and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/consciousness-may-stem-from-unseen-dimensions-beyond-our-reality/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">consciousness</a>.



Previous work had linked these hubs to vigilance by studying patients emerging from coma or experiencing absence seizures. But most of those experiments examined responses to a single type of stimulus, for example flashing lights or chirping sounds.



Khalaf and colleagues asked the broader question: do different senses share the same arousal circuitry when people deliberately pay attention?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-massive-data-mine">A massive data mine</h2>



To answer that, the team turned to the publicly available <a href="https://www.humanconnectome.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Human Connectome Project</a> and other repositories, assembling functional MRI scans from 1,561 healthy adults.



Across 11 tasks, participants viewed moving shapes, listened to spoken stories, sampled liquid tastants, or felt puffs of air on their fingertips. Each task included abrupt cues that forced subjects to switch attention - for instance, a sudden change in picture orientation or a surprise tone embedded in white noise.



The investigators processed more than 500 hours of scan data through a pipeline that removed head motion and physiological noise, then aligned brain volumes to a common atlas.



In every sensory domain, when a cue demanded rapid attentional re-orientation, blood-oxygen signals spiked in the reticular formation and the central thalamus. The effect was absent or minimal during passive stimulation, underscoring the importance of active engagement.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-consciousness-in-the-brain">Consciousness in the brain</h2>



Why would a taste test and a vision task end up at the same neural address? The authors propose that the midbrain reticular formation integrates sudden sensory changes and broadcasts a “wake-up” volley to the thalamus, which relays it to widespread cortical areas.



That burst synchronizes cortical rhythms, priming the brain to process incoming information. The scheme dovetails with classical animal studies showing that electrical stimulation of the reticular formation induces cortical desynchronization and behavioral arousal, while lesions produce stupor.



“It tells us how important this brain region is and what it could mean in efforts to restore consciousness,” Khalaf said.



“This has also given us insights into how things work normally in the brain. It’s really a step forward in our understanding of awareness and consciousness,” said senior author Hal Blumenfeld, a neurologist at Yale.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-awakening-senses-in-the-brain">Awakening senses in the brain</h2>



Because the same deep-brain hubs fire regardless of which sense is active, treatments aimed at modulating those hubs could benefit diverse conditions.



Drugs that enhance thalamic neurotransmission, for instance, might improve focus in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/autism-and-adhd-disorders-directly-linked-amount-of-time-kids-spend-on-screens/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">attention deficit hyperactivity disorder</a>. Conversely, overactivity in the arousal circuit has been implicated in insomnia; dampening the circuitry could help induce sleep.



The results also support ongoing trials that deliver low-intensity ultrasound or deep-brain electrodes to the central thalamus in patients with disorders of consciousness. 



If attention triggers the thalamus to “switch on” the cortex, stimulating it directly might help rouse patients who are minimally conscious.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-sensory-rehabilitation"><a></a>Rethinking sensory rehabilitation</h2>



The discovery challenges sensory-specific training programs that ignore subcortical commonalities. 



For example, visual rehabilitation for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stroke-risk-is-elevated-by-air-pollution-and-traffic-noise/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stroke</a> survivors may benefit from pairing attentional cues with tactile or auditory tasks to engage the shared arousal pathway.



Likewise, virtual-reality therapies that bombard users with multi-sensory surprises might more effectively sharpen attentional control.



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



The Yale team plans to refine the timeline of activation using magnetoencephalography, which offers millisecond resolution. They also hope to dissect the frequency bands that link the thalamus to frontal and parietal cortices during attentional jumps. 



Such work could reveal whether gamma-band bursts or alpha-band suppression carry the critical “wake-up” message.



Another frontier involves patients. Investigators will compare responses in healthy volunteers with those in people who have attention deficits or who are emerging from anaesthesia. 



Identifying a lost or delayed thalamic spike could serve as a biomarker for impaired consciousness.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brain-regions-and-the-senses">Brain regions and the senses</h2>



For now, the study establishes the midbrain reticular formation and central thalamus as the universal relay through which sight, sound, taste, and touch gain conscious entry - at least when our minds snap to attention.



By showing that “all the senses light up the same central brain regions,” it confirms that consciousness depends not only on specialized cortical maps but also on a common deep-brain gatekeeper. 



Therapies that target this gatekeeper may eventually help restore awareness where it has dimmed and sharpen it where it wanders.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811925002277?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NeuroImage</a>.



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Scientists discover a brain region that connects all the senses

Scientists have long mapped separate brain areas for sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. Yet new research reveals that when we focus sharply on any of those senses, signals converge on the same two structures buried deep in the brain - the midbrain reticular formation and the central thalamus. This finding highlights a shared neural pathway that sustains attention and wakefulness and could inspire therapies for coma, epilepsy, and attention-deficit disorders. Senses in a single brain region Research over the past century has shown that visual scenes...

Common starfish will struggle to survive the extreme marine heatwaves that are expected to arrive by the end of this century, according to a study from the <a href="https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/">British Ecological Society</a>. The experts found that starfish are already experiencing long-term health impacts from current <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/severe-marine-heatwaves-are-becoming-much-more-common/">heatwaves</a>.

Researchers at the GEOMAR Helmholtz-Centre for Ocean Research Kiel used experiments to simulate heatwaves of +8 °C, which are projected to occur by 2100. All of the starfish tested were killed. Furthermore, heatwaves of this magnitude are only one degree warmer than heatwaves that were recorded in 2018 in the Kiel Fjord, where the study was conducted.

The experts determined that present day heatwaves of +5 °C negatively affected starfish feeding. The starfish were able to recover if the event was short, but struggled to endure longer heatwaves and lost weight.

"Our findings showcase that extreme environmental conditions such as marine heatwaves may temporally exceed a species tolerance limit with potential implications for populations at these shallow coastal depths," said study co-author Fabian Wolf.

The researchers also tested the compounding effects of other extreme events. Heatwaves were followed by a simulated hypoxic upwelling event, which is when coastal seawater becomes colder, more saline, more acidic, and higher in CO2.

"During spring and summer, plankton blooms (which often benefit from global warming) sink to the sea's bottom as dead material. Here, bacteria degrade this material, consuming oxygen and producing carbon dioxide," said Wolf. "In coastal areas, particularly strong and persistent winds may push the surface water away from land, while deep (acidified and hypoxic water) is shoaled up the shores."

The experiments revealed that starfish were more affected by a hypoxic upwelling event if they had not experienced a heatwave first. This indicates that the initial stressor, the heatwave, may provide resilience for the starfish that enables them to better cope with the upwelling event.

"Our results emphasize that it is crucial to study different stressors in combination and not isolation as stressors naturally occur in succession, meaning that they are never independent of each other," said Fabian.

Common starfish are abundant in the Northeast Atlantic, where their ecosystems depend on them as a keystone species. For example, common starfish prey on blue mussels and control their population size.

"If the common starfish is lost from a relatively species-poor system, blue mussels may grow uncontrolled and form monocultures," said Wolf. "Other habitat-forming species like seagrass and seaweed could be lost in the process of blue mussel propagation."

"It must also be considered that other, non-native species may come and fill these gaps, as can be seen by several recently introduced crab species to the Western Baltic Sea that have blue mussels as their preferred prey."

Even before common starfish are killed by heatwaves, weight loss will alter their foraging behavior. This is because starfish select their prey based on their own size - when they are smaller, they prefer smaller prey. 

The research will be presented at British Ecological Society's <a href="https://appliedecologistsblog.com/2020/12/14/our-guide-to-a-festival-of-ecology/">Festival of Ecology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Common starfish may not survive extreme ocean conditions

Common starfish will struggle to survive the extreme marine heatwaves...

Toxic algal blooms will become more frequent off the U.S. west coast. Rising ocean temperatures are increasing the frequency of algal blooms off the western coast of the United States, including one type of bloom that is extremely toxic, according to a new study published by <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/">Frontiers</a>. The algae produce domoic acid, a <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=neurotoxin&amp;cvid=6276f24e21734049bd798be2a26e0cea&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">neurotoxin</a> that is the cause of amnesic <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/shellfish-are-vanishing-from-the-gulf-of-maine/">shellfish</a> poisoning (ASP). 

In both humans and animals, domoic acid exposure can lead to short-term memory loss and brain damage, and severe cases can be fatal. 

"This study shows that climate change can influence the occurrence and intensity of some harmful algal blooms (HABs) by creating new seed beds for their survival and distribution," said lead author Dr. Vera L Trainer of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Toxic algal blooms will become more frequent off the U.S. west coast

"Coastal communities, including Native Tribes, will suffer from the effects of HABs more frequently in the future, illustrating the importance of early warning systems such as Harmful Algal Bloom Bulletins that are becoming operational in the U.S. and other parts of the world."

In 1998, Dr. Trainer and her colleagues began monitoring domoic acid, which is produced by Pseudo-nitzschia algae. The team collected shellfish and seawater samples along the West Coast.

A severe heatwave in the northeast Pacific Ocean in 2015 triggered a record-breaking Pseudo-nitzschia bloom that closed shellfish harvest and caused widespread marine mammal mortalities. Since then, a region in northern California near the Oregon border has become a new toxic hotspot that has prevented shellfish harvest.

Using multi-model datasets, the scientists found that the 2015 heatwave was five times more likely to have been caused by human influences rather than natural effects. 

Climate models that are based on several decades of relevant data predict that extreme marine heatwaves are now 20 times more likely to occur than they were before human-driven climate change. 

Ocean conditions in areas near the border of California and Oregon are favorable for recurring algal blooms, and the scientists have flagged them as what is known as "retentive regions." Across these sites, Pseudo-nitzschia can remain dormant in sediments for years until ocean upwelling brings the algal cells to the surface and temperatures become warm enough for the algae to multiply.

In response to the issue of more frequent algal blooms, NOAA, the University of Washington, and several government agencies have teamed up to create the Pacific Northwest Harmful Algal Bloom Bulletin to forecast these events. The warning system will inform local communities of when and where it is safe to collect shellfish. 

Dr. Trainer's team has found that these bulletins have become a cost-effective tool to help minimize the health and economic threats of the algal blooms.

"There is evidence that bacteria associated with seagrasses have algicidal properties, indicating that seagrass planting may be used to successfully control some HABs in Puget Sound," said Dr. Trainer. "But for large-scale marine HABs, early warning is our best defense and these HAB Bulletins will help preserve a way of life that includes wild shellfish harvest, on which coastal people depend."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/climate">Frontiers in Climate</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Toxic algal blooms will become more frequent off the U.S. west coast

Toxic algal blooms will become more frequent off the U.S....

Salmon fisheries in the North Pacific are facing multiple challenges, including declining <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/proactively-planning-for-climate-change-can-protect-fish-and-fisheries/">fish</a> populations and climate variability. In a new study from the Portland-based <a href="https://www.wildsalmoncenter.org/">Wild Salmon Center</a>, scientists report that Indigenous fishing practices can help revitalize Pacific salmon fisheries.

"Salmon and the communities that depend on them have been pushed to the brink by two centuries of extractive natural resource management," said study lead author Dr. Will Atlas."But the tools, practices, and governance systems of Indigenous Peoples maintained healthy salmon runs for millennia before that. Their knowledge is still here."

For thousands of years, Indigenous communities around the North Pacific maintained sustainable salmon harvests. Before commercial fisheries took over, traditional fisheries used tools like weirs, traps, wheels, reef nets, and dip nets. 

"As they're currently built, mixed-stock salmon fisheries are undermining the biodiversity needed for Pacific salmon to thrive," said Dr. Atlas. "Luckily, we have hundreds of examples, going back thousands of years, of better ways to fish. These techniques can deliver better results for all communities."

Indigenous people focus on targeting salmon runs in river systems, rather than in the ocean. Selective fishing tools enable in-season monitoring, where the health of the salmon can be assessed in real-time, and non-target species can be released unharmed.

Study co-author Andrea Reid is a citizen of the Nisga'a Nation and an assistant professor of Indigenous Fisheries at the University of British Columbia's Institute for Oceans and Fisheries

"In my Nation, we use fish wheels, an ancient technology that used to be made out of cedar and natural fibers," said Professor Reid. "Today, we use modernized fish wheels to monitor, mark, and study the fish, to understand how they are doing in a rapidly changing world."

For many Indigenous communities, salmon are much more than just a source of food. They are at the center of creation stories, ceremonies, family structures, and cultural identity.

"The ancient relationship between Heiltsuk and salmon infiltrates every aspect of Heiltsuk life," said co-author William Housty, a member of the Heiltsuk Nation and Board Chair with the Heiltsuk Integrated Resource Management Department in Bella Bella, British Columbia. "Our modern-day management of salmon is based on the values of respect, reciprocity, and well-being."

"In an era of rapid global change, we must explore different salmon management approaches," said study co-author Dr. Jonathan Moore, a professor in Biological Sciences at British Columbia's Simon Fraser University. 

"By reinvigorating Indigenous practices, we can bring time-tested lessons to salmon fisheries and take a positive step toward recognizing the cultural fabric that has woven salmon and humans together for millennia." 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/bioscience">BioScience</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Indigenous fishing practices are needed to revive salmon fisheries

Salmon fisheries in the North Pacific are facing multiple challenges,...

A simple way to assess your <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/substituting-plant-foods-for-red-meat-reduces-the-risk-of-heart-disease/">heart</a> health is to climb stairs, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.escardio.org/">European Society of Cardiology</a>. The researchers determined that climbing four flights of stairs in less than a minute indicates good heart health.

Study co-author Dr. Jesús Peteiro is a cardiologist at University Hospital A Coruña in Spain. 

"The stairs test is an easy way to check your heart health," said Dr. Peteiro. "If it takes you more than one-and-a-half minutes to ascend four flights of stairs, your health is suboptimal, and it would be a good idea to consult a doctor."

The researchers set out to investigate the relationship between a common activity like climbing stairs and the results of exercise testing in a laboratory. 

"The idea was to find a simple and inexpensive method of assessing heart health," said Dr. Peteiro. "This can help physicians triage patients for more extensive examinations."

The trial included 165 patients who were referred for exercise testing due to suspected or diagnosed coronary artery disease. Their symptoms included chest pain or shortness of breath during exertion. 

For the tests, the participants walked or ran on a treadmill as the intensity steadily increased, and they continued the activity until exhaustion. The exercise capacity of each individual was measured as metabolic equivalents (METs). 

After resting for 15 to 20 minutes, patients were timed while climbing four flights of stairs, or 60 stairs, at a fast pace without running. The individuals were instructed not to stop moving.

The researchers analyzed the relationship between the METs scores and the time it took to climb the stairs. Patients who climbed the stairs in less than 40 to 45 seconds achieved more than 9 to 10 METs. Previous studies have shown that 10 METs during an exercise test is linked with the low mortality rate of one percent or less per year or 10 percent or less in 10 years. 

By contrast, patients who took 1.5 minutes or longer to climb the stairs achieved less than 8 METs, which translates to a mortality rate of up to four percent per year or 30 percent in 10 years.

During the treadmill test, the researchers used cardiac imaging to assess heart function. If the heart works normally during exercise, this indicates a low likelihood of coronary artery disease. These findings were compared to the results of the stair climbing activity. 

The analysis showed that 58 percent of patients who completed the stair climb in more than 1.5 minutes had abnormal heart function during the treadmill examination. On the other hand, just 32 percent of those who climbed the stairs in less than one minute exhibited abnormal heart function.

Dr. Peteiro noted that the correlation between the stairs time and exercise capacity would be similar in the general population, but the corresponding heart function by imaging would be more favorable for individuals without symptoms of coronary artery disease.

The research was presented at <a href="https://www.escardio.org/Sub-specialty-communities/European-Association-of-Cardiovascular-Imaging-(EACVI)">EACVI</a> - Best of Imaging 2020, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Climbing stairs is a good way to test heart health

A simple way to assess your heart health is to...

In a new study, experts are describing the untapped potential of cassava, a low-cost root <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/how-does-rising-co2-affect-crop-production/">crop</a> that is nicknamed the "Rambo root" for its resilience. Cassava can endure rising temperatures and thrives in poor quality soils. In most tropical countries, cassava also produces the highest amount of calories per hectare.

Study co-author Eliza J. Villarino is a researcher at the Alliance of Bioversity International and the <a href="https://ciat.cgiar.org/">International Center for Tropical Agriculture</a> (CIAT). She explained that cultivating cassava has the potential to restore degraded land, which can reduce hunger, fight climate change, and even promote peace.

"Evidence suggests it could potentially revive degraded land and make it productive anew, generating numerous positive socioeconomic and environmental impacts with proper crop management," said Villarino.

Cassava would be ideal for farmers to grow on abandoned agricultural or pasture land. It could revive the soils and prepare the land for growing other crops such as cacao or coffee. According to the study authors, this would be especially helpful in Colombia's conflict areas as an alternative to illicit coca farming.

"Cassava has potential to restore degraded land, which in turn could lower greenhouse gas emissions, alleviate hunger and reduce poverty," said Villarino. "The solution could generate livelihoods and market opportunities, and even promote peace because countries with significant degraded areas are also those that are mired in or emerging from conflict."

Augusto Castro Nunez is a climate expert at the Alliance and the leader of the Sustainable Land Use Systems project.

"In Colombia, there is a link between illegal crops, cattle ranching, deforestation and conflict. We acknowledge that scaling up production of any commodity risks an increase in deforestation and biodiversity loss, and we need to do more research. But what we know is that we need something new; what has been done to prevent deforestation is not working, and this is something new," explained Nunez.

The researchers theorize that cassava may absorb cadmium, a metal found in the soil. High levels of cadmium prevent some cacao growers in Colombia and other parts of Latin America from exporting their cacao. Furthermore, cassava has the potential to replace starch from crops like maize and soybeans - two commodities that are tied to deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon.

"Studies in Brazil have shown that cassava has high heavy metal content when planted in heavy-metal contaminated areas," said study co-author Mayesse Da Silva. "We therefore suspect cassava might help absorb heavy metals from the soil and mitigate heavy metal contamination in cocoa while helping cocoa producers generate income from selling cassava while cocoa is not productive yet, since cassava takes six months to harvest and cocoa up to three years. However, this is only a hypothesis and requires further research."

"Cassava can offer a solution to put back degraded land while helping nature and farmers, pulling carbon out of the atmosphere and locking it into the soil or converting it into food," said Luis Augusto Becerra, who is a cassava geneticist at CIAT. "If properly managed, cassava can help smallholder farmers move to a forest-based agriculture for improved environmental outcomes, where high value fruit trees like cacao can be grown, also boosting incomes."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/25784854">Conservation Science and Practice</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Cassava could help restore degraded land

In a new study, experts are describing the untapped potential...

As temperatures rise, the bottom waters of lakes and reservoirs are becoming increasingly deprived of oxygen. Now, in a new study from <a href="https://vt.edu/">Virginia Tech</a>, experts have discovered that low oxygen levels lead to the production and emission of massive amounts of methane, which could accelerate global warming in a reinforcing feedback loop.

"We found that low oxygen levels increased methane concentrations by 15 to 800 times at the whole-ecosystem scale," said study co-author Alexandria Hounshell. "Our work shows that low oxygen levels in the bottom waters of lakes and reservoirs will likely increase the global warming potential of these ecosystems by about an order of magnitude."

To investigate the relationship between oxygen and methane concentrations, researchers conducted a three-year field experiment in two reservoirs outside of Roanoke. In collaboration with the Western Virginia Water Authority, the team operated an oxygenation system in Falling Creek Reservoir, which pumps oxygen into the bottom waters.

"Methane levels were much higher when there was no oxygen in the bottom waters of these reservoirs; whereas the carbon dioxide levels were the same, regardless of oxygen levels," said study co-author Professor Cayelan Carey. "With low oxygen levels, our work shows that you'll get higher production of methane, which leads to more global warming in the future."

"We were able to do a substitution of space for time because we have these two reservoirs that we can manipulate and contrast with one another to see what the future may look like, as lower bottom water oxygen levels become more common. We can say with high certainty that we are going to see these lakes become bigger methane emitters as oxygen levels decrease."

According to Hounshell, the strength of their results lie in the study's expanse over multiple years. The researchers confirmed that low oxygen conditions lead to higher methane concentrations every year, regardless of the air temperature.

Previous studies have shown that carbon cycling is changing in terrestrial and marine ecosystems worldwide. However, the current study is one of just a few to address this phenomenon in lakes and reservoirs.

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/23782242">Limnology and Oceanography Letters</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Lakes with low oxygen levels release large amounts of methane

As temperatures rise, the bottom waters of lakes and reservoirs...

Individuals with strong social support have a lower risk of mental <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ocean-pollution-threatens-the-health-of-more-than-three-billion-people/">health</a> issues. Researchers at <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/">McGill University</a> have found that the presence and awareness of social support can provide protection against depression, anxiety, and thoughts of suicide. 

In particular, the findings indicate that young adults at the age of 19 who perceived higher levels of social support, or the feeling that there is someone who they can depend on for help if they need it, showed lower levels of depression and anxiety symptoms one year later.

Study lead author Marie-Claude Geoffroy is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology at McGill and holds the Canada Research Chair in Youth Suicide Prevention.

"Our study shows that even in cases where people previously experienced mental health problems, social support was beneficial for mental health later on," said Professor Geoffroy. 

"We discovered potential benefits of promoting and leveraging social support as a means to protect the mental health of young adults, even in individuals who experienced mental health problems at an earlier developmental stage in life. That social support is not only beneficial for depression, but for other salient mental health outcomes as well."

The investigation was focused on data from the Quebec Longitudinal Study on Child Development, which followed over 1,000 participants since their birth in 1997 and 1998. The researchers analyzed levels of perceived social support at the onset of adulthood.

The study revealed that individuals who experienced greater levels of social support experienced 47 percent less severe depression and 22 percent less anxiety. The researchers also found that those who reported higher levels of perceived social support had a 40-percent reduced risk of experiencing suicidal ideation and attempts.

"Our study was conducted before the current COVID-19 pandemic, so we do not know whether our results will apply in the current context," said study co-author Sara Scardera. "However, in a 'normal' context, youth who perceived that they had someone to rely on reported better mental health outcomes. We believe that it is beneficial to offer help to those in need, and to make sure your friends know that they can count on you."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen">JAMA Network Open</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

Social support promotes better mental health

Individuals with strong social support have a lower risk of...

Planning ahead for warming <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ocean-pollution-threatens-the-health-of-more-than-three-billion-people/">ocean</a> waters will help both fish and fisheries withstand the impacts, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a>. Proactive strategies to cope with climate change could also help prevent future conflicts over ocean uses. 

"Sticking our heads in the sand doesn't work," said study lead author Professor Malin Pinsky. "Effective ocean planning that accounts for climate change will lead to better safeguards for marine fish and commercial fisheries with few tradeoffs."

On all seven continents, plans are underway for how parts of the ocean could be dedicated to energy development, fishing, conservation, recreation, and other uses. However, these efforts do not usually take the potential impacts of climate change into consideration.

As ocean waters continue to warm in the coming decades, many commercially valuable fish species are expected to move hundreds of miles north to find cooler temperatures. This shift, which is already underway, will cause major disruptions to commercial fisheries and complicate international fisheries conflicts.

The Rutgers team analyzed the costs and benefits of planning ahead for the impacts of climate change on marine species. The experts used a computer model to simulate the ocean planning process in the United States and Canada for conservation zones, fishing zones, and wind and wave energy development zones. 

The researchers also accounted for nearly 12,000 different projections of the movements of 736 fish species around North America through the end of this century. 

"We were worried that planning ahead would require setting aside a lot more of the ocean for conservation or for fishing, but we found that was not the case," said Professor Pinsky. 

"Instead, fishing and conservation areas can be set up like hopscotch boxes so fish and other animals can shift from one box into another as they respond to climate change. We found that simple changes to ocean plans can make them much more robust to future changes. Planning ahead can help us avoid conflicts between, for example, fisheries and wind energy or conservation and fisheries."

Professor Pinsky noted that while this study was focused on long-term changes, many fisheries decisions are focused on near-term changes - one to a few years ahead. With this in mind, the researchers are currently testing whether they can forecast near-term shifts in where fish will be found to help fisheries adapt more easily.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</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

Proactively planning for climate change can protect fish and fisheries

Planning ahead for warming ocean waters will help both fish...

The <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/peatlands-could-release-more-than-100-billion-tons-of-carbon-this-century/">carbon</a> fertilization effects that boost plant photosynthesis are slowing down as plants reach their greening limits, which means they will no longer be able to absorb as much atmospheric CO2. 

Carbon uptake by plants is primarily influenced by the availability of water and nutrients. According to an international team of researchers, this uptake process has progressively declined by 50 percent since 1982.

"There is no mystery about the formula, plants need CO2, water and nutrients in order to grow. However much the CO2 increases, if the nutrients and water do not increase in parallel, the plants will not be able to take advantage of the increase in this gas," explained study co-lead author Professor Josep Peñuelas of the <a href="http://rio.jrc.ec.europa.eu/country-analysis/organisations/spanish-national-research-council-csic">Spanish National Research Council</a> (CSIC).

Last year, experts at Boston University <a href="http://www.bu.edu/articles/2019/humans-are-officially-greening-the-earth-is-that-a-good-thing/">reported</a> that Earth increased its green leaf area by a total of five percent over the last two decades. This increase in greening is equivalent to the size of the entire Amazon rainforest.

Three years ago, however, Professor Peñuelas warned that the fertilizing effect of CO2 would not last forever. In a study published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, he explained that plants cannot grow indefinitely because there are other factors that limit this growth.

As the fertilizing capacity of CO2 continues to decline, the effects on the carbon cycle and on the climate will intensify. Plants and trees sequester massive amounts of CO2 from the air that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere, where carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases trap heat that accelerates global warming. 

"These unprecedented results indicate that the absorption of carbon by vegetation is beginning to become saturated. This has very important climate implications that must be taken into account in possible climate change mitigation strategies and policies at the global level," explained Professor Peñuelas. "Nature's capacity to sequester carbon is decreasing and with it society's dependence on future strategies to curb greenhouse gas emissions is increasing."

The study was focused on atmospheric, ecosystem, and satellite records, including data from sensors that use near-infrared and fluorescence to measure vegetation growth activity. In particular, the researchers analyzed hundreds of forests that have been surveyed over the last 40 years. 

According to the results, a lack of water and nutrients are the two major factors that reduce the fertilization capacity of CO2.

"These data show that concentrations of essential nutrients in the leaves, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, have also progressively decreased since 1990," said study first author Songhan Wang.

The experts determined that water availability and temporal changes in water supply also have a major influence on how plants respond to their environment. 

"We have found that plants slow down their growth, not only in times of drought, but also when there are changes in the seasonality of rainfall, which is increasingly happening with climate change," explained study co-author Yongguan Zhang.

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The greening effects of CO2 emissions are reaching their limit

The carbon fertilization effects that boost plant photosynthesis are slowing...

Eating certain foods can help protect us from cognitive decline later in life, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.iastate.edu/">Iowa State University</a>. The researchers found that cheese is linked to the greatest long-term protection against age-related cognitive issues, while a daily dose of red wine is associated with improvements in cognitive function.

"I was pleasantly surprised that our results suggest that responsibly eating cheese and drinking red wine daily are not just good for helping us cope with our current COVID-19 pandemic, but perhaps also dealing with an increasingly complex world that never seems to slow down," said Professor Auriel Willette. 

"While we took into account whether this was just due to what well-off people eat and drink, randomized clinical trials are needed to determine if making easy changes in our diet could help our brains in significant ways."

The researchers analyzed data from the UK Biobank on 1,787 aging adults, who were between the ages of 46 and 77 by the conclusion of the study.

The participants were tested on three separate occasions across ten years from 2006 to 2016. The individuals completed the Fluid Intelligence Test (FIT), which provides a real-time overview of an individual's ability to "think on the fly."

The volunteers also answered questions about their food and alcohol consumption during all three assessments. The Food Frequency Questionnaire was used to document the participants' intake of a wide variety of foods including fruit, vegetables, fish, cheese, bread, tea, beer, wine, liquor, and various types of meat. 

The study revealed that cheese was, by far, the most protective food against age-related cognitive decline, even late in life. The daily consumption of alcohol, especially red wine, was related to improvements in cognitive skills. The weekly consumption of lamb - but not other red meats - was also shown to improve long-term cognitive ability. 

"Depending on the genetic factors you carry, some individuals seem to be more protected from the effects of Alzheimers, while other seem to be at greater risk. That said, I believe the right food choices can prevent the disease and cognitive decline altogether," noted study co-author Brandon Klinedinst.

"Perhaps the silver bullet we're looking for is upgrading how we eat. Knowing what that entails contributes to a better understanding of Alzheimer's and putting this disease in a reverse trajectory."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.j-alz.com/">Journal of Alzheimer's Disease</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

Red wine and cheese help prevent cognitive decline

Eating certain foods can help protect us from cognitive decline...

Since 1996, a transmissible cancer has been wiping out Tasmanian devils in alarming numbers. But now, a new study from <a href="https://wsu.edu/">Washington State University</a> offers hope that the infectious <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/substituting-plant-foods-for-red-meat-reduces-the-risk-of-heart-disease/">disease</a> will not push the animals to extinction, as was predicted about ten years ago.

While most cancers remain confined in the body, the cells of devil facial tumor 1 (DFT1) can be transferred to new hosts through biting. These tumor cells are able to resist the Tasmanian devil's immune defenses and establish a new tumor that is usually fatal. 

A research team led by WSU biologist Andrew Storfer has used genomic tools of phylodynamics, which are typically used to track viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, to trace DFT1.

The results of the groundbreaking analysis suggest that the spread of the Tasmanian devil facial tumor disease is slowing down to the point that each infected animal is infecting only one additional individual or less.

"It is cautiously optimistic good news," said Storfer. "I think we're going to see continued survival of devils at lower numbers and densities than original population sizes, but extinction seems really unlikely even though it was predicted a decade ago."

The disease is still very deadly to Tasmanian devils who contract it, which usually occurs through biting and scratching during fights with infected animals. The cancer has reduced populations by as much as 80 percent since it was first discovered.

However, DFT1 appears to be reaching an equilibrium, according to the current analysis as well as evidence from previous field studies. The researchers say that, armed with this new evidence, managers should re-consider the practice of releasing captive-bred devils into the wild.

"Active management may not be necessary and could actually be harmful," said Storfer. "It looks like the devil populations are naturally evolving to tolerate and possibly even resist the cancer. By introducing a whole bunch of genetically naïve individuals, they could breed with the wild individuals, basically mix up the gene pool and make it less well-adapted."

The captive-bred individuals who have developed no resistance to DFT1 could also increase transmission of the disease among different groups of devils.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

 ---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Tasmanian devils are overcoming a deadly pandemic

Since 1996, a transmissible cancer has been wiping out Tasmanian...

By just four months of age, the cognitive abilities of ravens may be comparable to those of adult great <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/great-apes-understand/">apes</a>, according to a new study published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep">Scientific Reports</a>. 

Researchers have demonstrated that young ravens are intellectually advanced in how they interact with others, and also in how they execute tasks which test their understanding of the physical world.

A team of experts led by Simone Pika analyzed the cognitive skills of eight hand-raised ravens at four, eight, 12, and 16 months of age using a series of tests. 

The researchers were particularly focused on the following skills: spatial memory; object permanence - understanding that an object still exists when it is out of sight; relative numbers and addition; and the ability to communicate with and learn from a human.

The study revealed that the cognitive performance of ravens was relatively stable from four to 16 months of age. This finding indicates that the cognitive skills of the young birds have nearly or fully developed by four months of age. 

At four months, ravens become more and more independent from their parents and start to discover their ecological and social environments. 

While task performance varied among individuals, the birds generally had the highest scores in relative numbers and addition, and the lowest scores on spatial memory. 

In a previous study, 106 chimpanzees and 32 orangutans had completed similar tasks. The current investigation revealed that the cognitive performance of the ravens was very similar to that of both orangutans and chimpanzees.

The research provides evidence that ravens may have evolved general, sophisticated cognitive skills like great apes. The experts theorize that ravens developed these skills in response to living in a constantly changing environment where survival and reproduction are reliant on cooperation and alliances between ravens. 

The researchers emphasize, however, that the performance of the ravens observed for the study may not be representative of the species in general.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep">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

Ravens have sophisticated cognitive skills at four months old

By just four months of age, the cognitive abilities of...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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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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