<p>Mammals are not only good at hearing sounds, they are especially tuned to voices. A new cross-species study compared humans, dogs, and pigs and mapped how fast the brain flags a voice, then sorts out whether it belongs to one of our own.</p>



<p>The researchers recorded tiny pulses of brain activity while participants listened to people, dogs, and pigs, plus everyday noises. The animals were awake, relaxed, and unmedicated, and the sessions used gentle scalp sensors, not implants.</p>



<p>A team from <a href="https://www.elte.hu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eötvös Loránd University</a> (ELU) focused on two questions that cut to the heart of social hearing in mammals. </p>



<p>The first was whether the brain treats vocal sounds as a distinct category, separate from other noises. The second was whether it goes a step further, recognizing and highlighting voices that belong to members of the same species - a process known as conspecific recognition.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-brain-signals-to-sound">Tracking brain signals to sound</h2>



<p>The setup used non-invasive EEG sensors to track the brain’s fast electrical responses to sound. The signal components the team examined are called event-related potentials, and they are well suited for timing how processing unfolds.</p>



<p>Participants heard short clips such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/laughter-makes-the-stress-of-life-feel-less-overwhelming/">laughs</a>, barks, and grunts, alongside non vocal noises like traffic or a closing door. </p>



<p>The recordings let the researchers compare voice versus non-voice processing, then compare same species voices to all other sounds.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-two-step-brain-response">Two-step brain response</h2>



<p>In humans and pigs, the brain marked any voice very quickly, within about 0.2 seconds after the sound began. </p>



<p>Later, after roughly 0.3 seconds and beyond, all three species showed a second step that tagged same species voices as a special category.</p>



<p>“These patterns were very similar despite the large evolutionary distance between the three species, pointing to shared neural mechanisms that likely predate the divergence of their lineages some 90 million years ago,” said Boglárka Morvai, the study's lead author.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dogs-pigs-and-people">Dogs, pigs, and people</h2>



<p>Dogs did not show the early “any voice” signal as clearly as humans and pigs, even though they live closely with people. </p>



<p>They did show the later step that marked dog sounds as different from other sounds, which matches the idea that same species calls matter most for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gut-bacteria-influence-our-social-behavior-and-sense-of-fairness/">social behavior.</a></p>



<p>Pigs showed both steps and did so on a similar time course to people. That pattern strengthens the case that the early voice flag is a general feature of mammal hearing, not a quirk of primates.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-voice-areas-in-mammals">Voice areas in mammals</h2>



<p>For two decades, brain imaging in humans has found voice sensitive regions in the superior temporal cortex, often called temporal voice areas. </p>



<p>A comprehensive review outlines how these regions support recognition of who is speaking, what they feel, and how the voice changes over time.</p>



<p>Dogs have their own voice sensitive patches too, and they align in function with human areas when both species listen to vocal sounds.</p>



<p> A comparative paper showed that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lost-in-translation-how-we-misread-our-dogs-emotions/">dog</a> and human brains both devote cortex to processing voices, including sensitivity to emotional tone.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-speed-of-voice-detection">Speed of voice detection</h2>



<p>Past EEG work in people has reported early differences between voice and non-voice sounds on the order of a fifth of a second. </p>



<p>One open access article found effects emerging around 0.164 seconds and peaking near 0.2 seconds on frontotemporal sensors.</p>



<p>These timings line up with the early “any voice” response reported in the recent study. The later same species effect fits with known windows for categorical decisions in auditory cognition.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pig-brains-and-voices">Pig brains and voices</h2>



<p>Pigs are increasingly used in neuroscience because their brains share organizational features with ours. </p>



<p>Recent physiology work has mapped clear auditory event-related responses in healthy piglets using scalp EEG, strengthening their value as a model species.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Finding the early voice flag in pigs suggests that this quick detection step is not limited to primates or carnivores. It likely reflects a basic property of mammalian hearing tuned by social life.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolutionary-roots-of-voice">Evolutionary roots of voice</h2>



<p>The two-step pattern, first voice detection, then same species sorting, makes evolutionary sense. Fast detection buys time to orient toward a biologically relevant sound, then a later pass adds the social label needed to decide how to react.</p>



<p>If distantly related species share both steps, the underlying circuitry likely traces back to a common ancestor. That is consistent with decades of work showing conserved organization for voice and affect processing across mammals.</p>



<p>All recordings relied on cooperative, awake participation. Dogs and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/selective-breeding-has-dramatically-sped-up-the-evolution-of-pigs/">pigs</a> were measured in calm settings, often near their owners, and no training or sedation was required for them to rest while the sensors recorded.</p>



<p>The protocol emphasizes trust and low stress, which improves data quality and respects the welfare of companion animals. The approach also allows direct comparisons with human EEG.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sorting-same-species-voices">Sorting same-species voices</h2>



<p>Same-species voices carry information about identity, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/experts-identify-the-simple-emotion-that-gives-life-meaning-and-its-not-happiness/">emotion</a>, age, and intent. That richer meaning calls for more processing than a quick voice versus non-voice flag.</p>



<p>The later timing suggests a categorical decision process in which the brain checks acoustic features against learned templates for its own kind. </p>



<p>In humans, that machinery feeds into language, but it operates in social mammals that do not use speech.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-of-voice-studies">Future of voice studies</h2>



<p>Future studies can add more species and test a wider range of calls to see how acoustic structure shapes the early and late steps. Portable EEG could expand testing into natural settings where animals communicate most.</p>



<p>Combining EEG with imaging can also map the timing onto brain regions, tying the fast electrical signatures to specific circuits. That could clarify how the two steps interact during real world social listening.</p>



<p>Better models of voice processing can guide assistive tech for people with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drugs-may-be-available-to-prevent-hearing-loss/">hearing</a> or language challenges. They can also inform animal welfare by helping us detect stress or need from vocal cues in pets and livestock.</p>



<p>Cross species designs like this one keep us honest about what is uniquely human and what is widely shared. That distinction matters for both neuroscience and ethics.</p>



<p>The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811925003581?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>NeuroImage</em></a>.</p>



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Mammals share ancient brain mechanisms for voice recognition

Mammals are not only good at hearing sounds, they are especially tuned to voices. A new cross-species study compared humans, dogs, and pigs and mapped how fast the brain flags a voice, then sorts out whether it belongs to one of our own. The researchers recorded tiny pulses of brain activity while participants listened to people, dogs, and pigs, plus everyday noises. The animals were awake, relaxed, and unmedicated, and the sessions used gentle scalp sensors, not implants. A team from Eötvös Loránd University (ELU) focused on...

<p>A female Western gull pulled off an unusual commute in 2018 and handed biologists a head scratcher. She rode a long-haul garbage transfer truck about 80 miles (130 kilometers) from San Francisco to a Central Valley compost site, then repeated the same trip two days later.</p>



<p>Her tiny GPS tag traced freeway lines at car speed, not wing beats across open water. The episode reads playful at first, yet it opens a serious window into how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagulls-birds-more-intelligent-than-believed/">adaptable seabirds</a> can be in cities that are shaped by waste, weather, and shifting prey.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gps-tracks-a-seagull-moving-too-fast">GPS tracks a seagull moving too fast</h2>



<p>The work was led by Megan A. Cimino, a biologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz (<a href="https://www.ucsc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UCSC</a>). </p>



<p>The team documented the behavior in a peer reviewed study that marks the first GPS observation of a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/big-brained-seagulls-choose-more-challenging-nesting-sites/">Western gull</a> using a long haul garbage transfer truck for transit.</p>



<p>“It was surprising and comical, so much so that we wanted to look closely into this one individual’s behavior to understand how this happened,” said Cimino. </p>



<p>The two truck-assisted trips were about 14 to 18 hours longer and 59 to 80 miles (95 to 130 kilometers) farther from the colony than the bird’s other trips during that week.</p>



<p>The gull was originally tagged on the Farallon Islands west of San Francisco, where researchers monitor breeding birds during incubation. </p>



<p>The light tracking device rides near the tail, records locations, and lets scientists reconstruct trips in time and space.</p>



<p>One detail in the record stood out right away. The tag showed freeway speeds that far exceed routine flapping flight in this species of gull.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-gull-and-the-garbage-truck">The gull and the garbage truck</h2>



<p>The map painted a tidy route that urban commuters would recognize. She left a Recology transfer station near Candlestick Point, crossed the Bay Bridge, moved along Interstate 880, and continued on Highway 580 to a compost center near Modesto.</p>



<p>“I have not seen that behavior in any other species that I’ve studied,” said Scott Shaffer, a biologist at San Jose State University (<a href="https://www.sjsu.edu/people/scott.shaffer/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SJSU</a>) who helped lead the tracking. </p>



<p>The bird spent the night near the compost site and flew back to the islands the next day.</p>



<p>Two days later, she tried a different crossing and reached the same destination. The pattern made the team look twice at whether this was a fluke or a tactic.</p>



<p>Trip timing, distance from the colony, and the long return flight all lined up with a foraging run that traded effort for predictable calories. The tracker provided a clean timeline rather than a guess based on sightings.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-does-a-gull-hitch-a-ride">How does a gull hitch a ride</h2>



<p>Researchers think the first trip was accidental. These trucks often have mesh covers to keep material from spilling, and a bird feeding on scraps could end up under the cover as the driver prepares to leave.</p>



<p>The second ride is harder to explain. The data say what happened, not why it happened.</p>



<p>Gulls are quick at <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gulls-are-shifting-their-habitats-to-urban-areas/">learning patterns</a> that lead to food. A quiet loading yard, routine schedules, and a river of edible waste can add up to a repeatable choice.</p>



<p>The tactic carries risks, however. Moving traffic, heavy equipment, and contaminated scraps are a rough bargain compared with a clean fish near the surface.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-a-gull-turns-to-land-foraging">Why a gull turns to land foraging</h2>



<p>Western gulls switch between coastal waters and urban landscapes, and the balance changes with ocean conditions. </p>



<p>In years when upwelling is compressed and prey near the surface is scarce, gulls spend more time on land, as shown in a <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.790559/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> that tracked foraging shifts between 2013 and 2019.</p>



<p>That work also noted how gull behavior overlaps with whales that push prey toward the surface during feeding bouts. When prey is less available at sea, birds turn inland and trips on land run longer and farther.</p>



<p>Urban foraging taps a steady stream of wasted calories. Stadium leftovers, dumpsters behind restaurants, and transfer stations make dependable stops.</p>



<p>These are anthropogenic food sources, meaning they arise from human activity and infrastructure. Birds adjust when natural prey waxes and wanes.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-it-says-about-cities-and-climate">What it says about cities and climate</h2>



<p>The truck rides are rare, but they fit a larger theme. Wildlife uses human built networks in unexpected ways when those networks lead to food.</p>



<p>The episode is a reminder that waste management footprints reach far beyond pickup routes. They also shape behavior in opportunistic species that watch and learn.</p>



<p>Climate variability can magnify these choices by pushing prey around. When winds reshape upwelling and surface feeding ebbs, birds that cannot dive must improvise.</p>



<p>Other animals use human transport in different ways. Land birds crossing the Mediterranean have been recorded resting on vessels during harsh weather, according to a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ibi.13103" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">paper</a> in <em>Ibis</em> that assessed ship-borne stopovers.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-scientists-are-watching-next">What scientists are watching next</h2>



<p>One bird does not make a trend, but it can point to one. The team’s long term tagging on the Farallones helps reveal whether this tactic spreads as conditions change.</p>



<p>Small biologgers now carry longer-lasting batteries and store precise fixes. That lets field crews compare land trips and sea trips across years, storms, and marine heat waves.</p>



<p>If rides like this become more common, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gulls-are-shifting-their-habitats-to-urban-areas/">gulls</a> could end up as inadvertent couriers of pathogens or plastics. Managers might revisit how transfer stations and compost sites handle the edible waste that attracts birds.</p>



<p>For now, the record sits as a sharp, slightly comic case that still matters. It shows how a common seabird reads a human system and, for a day, lets the trucks do the work.</p>



<p>The study is published in <a href="https://bioone.org/journals/waterbirds/volume-48/issue-1/063.048.0101/The-First-GPS-Observation-of-a-Western-Gull-Larus-occidentalis/10.1675/063.048.0101.short" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Waterbirds</em></a>.</p>



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GPS tells the incredible story of a seagull that traveled 80 miles in a garbage truck

A female Western gull pulled off an unusual commute in...

<p>The air we breathe today carries a story millions of years in the making. Carbon dioxide, a gas central to life and climate, has always risen and fallen with Earth’s rhythm of ice ages and warm interglacial periods. </p>



<p>A new study from the <a href="https://www.gu.se/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Gothenburg</a> reveals that this story may have an unexpected twist. A large share of carbon dioxide released after the last ice age likely came from thawing permafrost rather than <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-permafrost-vanished-in-the-past-will-it-happen-again/">oceans</a> alone.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-climate-patterns">Ancient climate patterns</h2>



<p>For centuries, scientists linked carbon dioxide changes mainly to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/permafrost-thaw-is-a-rising-threat-to-arctic-communities/">oceans</a>. During ice ages, CO2 levels dropped, then rose by nearly 100 parts per million as interglacial warmth returned. </p>



<p>Warmer oceans could not hold as much carbon, so they released it. That was the accepted explanation. But new evidence suggests land north of the Tropic of Cancer also played a huge role when the northern hemisphere warmed.</p>



<p>"We have concluded that land north of the Tropic of Cancer, 23.5 degrees north, emitted a lot of carbon when the average temperature rose in the northern hemisphere after our last ice age," said study lead author Amelie Lindgren.</p>



<p>"We estimate that this carbon exchange may have accounted for almost half of the rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere."</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-permafrost-soils-and-earth-s-climate">Permafrost soils and Earth's climate </h2>



<p>During the Ice Age, vast landscapes turned into natural vaults of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/permafrost-is-no-longer-permanent-arctic-communities-in-danger/">carbon</a>. Grasses and plants froze into the ground and were buried under thick layers of windblown dust called loess. These deposits stretched across Europe, Asia, and North America, sometimes tens of meters thick. </p>



<p>Permafrost preserved the organic matter within, slowing decomposition and holding more carbon than unfrozen soils could ever store.</p>



<p>To understand this hidden reservoir, the researchers combined pollen records spanning 21,000 years with climate model data. This allowed them to reconstruct vegetation patterns and estimate how much carbon soils stored over time.</p>



<p>“We have chosen to take a snapshot every thousand years. Once we know what type of vegetation prevailed, we can estimate how much <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thawing-permafrost-may-release-billions-of-tons-of-carbon-by-2100/">carbon</a> were stored in the soil. In this way, we can model how carbon exchange between the soil and the atmosphere has looked since the last ice age,” said Lindgren.</p>



<p>As the ice sheets retreated between 17,000 and 11,000 years ago, northern soils thawed. This sudden release of carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere, shifting the balance of Earth’s climate.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-thawed-permafrost-and-lost-carbon">Thawed permafrost and lost carbon</h2>



<p>The new study provides numbers that highlight the scale of change. Loess deposits stored about 363 petagrams of carbon at the peak of the last glaciation. After thaw, only about 57 petagrams remain today. </p>



<p>Most losses occurred before 10,000 years ago, representing one of the largest carbon shifts of the period.</p>



<p>At the same time, peatlands spread and became powerful carbon sinks. Over the Holocene, they absorbed about 450 petagrams of carbon - more than any other land system. Their expansion marked the only sustained drawdown of atmospheric carbon in this long timeline.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ice-retreat-and-seas">Ice retreat and seas</h2>



<p>The retreat of massive ice sheets changed landscapes in several ways. Soils under glaciers lost carbon, but new ground emerged for vegetation to colonize, creating fresh carbon stores. Rising seas also submerged large continental shelves. </p>



<p>Whether submerged soils released carbon quickly or preserved it as subsea permafrost remains uncertain. </p>



<p>The study estimates that at least some carbon cycled back into the atmosphere during inundation, but much may have been buried in marine sediments.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-natural-rise-in-carbon-dioxide">Natural rise in carbon dioxide </h2>



<p>Ice cores confirm the bigger picture. Around 21,000 years ago, carbon dioxide levels hovered at 180 ppm during the peak of the ice age. By 11,000 years ago, they had climbed to 270 ppm, marking the interglacial phase. </p>



<p>Afterward, increases slowed, thanks to peatlands that absorbed significant amounts of carbon and balanced out permafrost emissions.</p>



<p>‘We see that peatlands stored large amounts of carbon during the Holocene. Over time, the uptake in peatlands has actually compensated for the emissions that occurred from the permafrost," said Lindgren.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-land-as-source-and-sink">Land as source and sink</h2>



<p>The researchers show that northern lands acted both as sources and sinks of carbon. Deglacial losses were abrupt, linked to thawing loess and permafrost. Later, peatland growth reversed the flow. </p>



<p>The team's reconstructions suggest that these land processes were strong enough to shape atmospheric changes, alongside ocean shifts. </p>



<p>The timing of losses and gains created a complex signal in the atmosphere, sometimes masking the full impact of each process.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-humans-broke-the-natural-cycle">Humans broke the natural cycle</h2>



<p>This natural cycle held steady until humans began altering it. Over the past 250 years, the combustion of coal, oil, and gas has added immense amounts of fossil carbon into the air. Levels have surged from 280 ppm during the Industrial Revolution to 420 ppm today.</p>



<p>"There are extremely high levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere right now, and the permafrost is thawing as temperatures rise. What helped us the last time the permafrost decreased was increased carbon storage in peatlands and new land areas becoming available when the continental ice sheets retreated," said Lindgren.</p>



<p>"In the future, we will have less land due to sea level rise, and it is difficult to see where we will store the carbon that will be released."</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-for-tomorrow">Lessons for tomorrow</h2>



<p>The study highlights how fragile Earth’s carbon balance can be. While natural systems once offset permafrost losses, today’s world faces shrinking land and rising seas. </p>



<p>Understanding the past may not provide comfort, but it gives clarity. The carbon locked in frozen soils could again shape our climate, only this time against a backdrop of human-driven warming.</p>



<p>The study is published in the journal <em><a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adt6231" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>.</em></p>



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Thawing permafrost could tip Earth's climate balance

The air we breathe today carries a story millions of...

<p>The mystery of love and attraction may not just be in our hearts. Scientists now think that gut microbes could be part of the story. </p>



<p>In a new study, researchers at <a href="https://www.flinders.edu.au" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Flinders University</a> suggest microbes in our gut and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-type-of-microbes-found-earths-deep-soil-critical-zone/">environment</a> may shape the hormones behind lust, attraction, and attachment.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-microbes-may-influence-love">Microbes may influence love</h2>



<p>"We're not claiming microbes 'cause' love," said Dr. Jake Robinson. "Our aim is to map plausible biological routes, grounded in microbiology and endocrinology, that researchers can now evaluate with rigorous human studies."</p>



<p>Instead of searching for a single cause, the team looks at how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microbes-laid-the-foundation-for-early-life-on-earth/">microbes</a> interact with the body’s hormone systems. These interactions may influence emotions linked with romance and even other states like aggression.</p>



<p>Lust involves testosterone and estradiol. Attraction is tied to dopamine and serotonin, while attachment depends on oxytocin and vasopressin. </p>



<p>These chemicals shape how people feel and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/one-trillion-microbes-can-live-in-a-single-tree/">connect</a>. The review argues that microbes might tweak these hormones, changing how love plays out in real life.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gut-microbes-lust-and-attraction">Gut microbes, lust, and attraction</h2>



<p>Gut microbes can alter testosterone and estrogen levels through the body’s hormone pathways. Microbial byproducts increase or decrease hormone availability, which may shift sexual desire. </p>



<p>When the microbiome falls out of balance, hormone activity suffers, sometimes lowering libido.</p>



<p>Attraction lights up the brain’s reward system. Dopamine surges, serotonin drops, and infatuation follows. Here too, microbes take part. </p>



<p>Around 95 percent of serotonin is made in the gut, where bacteria help produce it and send signals to the brain through the vagus nerve.</p>



<p>Even fruit fly studies show the link. Flies with different diets built different <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gut-bacteria-sniff-out-nutrients-with-big-effects-on-our-health/">microbiomes</a> and then preferred partners with the same microbial background. Antibiotics erased the preference. The microbes seemed to drive the choice.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-microbes-influence-bonding">Microbes influence bonding</h2>



<p>Attachment keeps relationships going. Oxytocin, often called the cuddle hormone, plays a major role. Probiotics have been shown to increase oxytocin levels. Certain microbes also correlate with stronger oxytocin activity. </p>



<p>Vasopressin, another bonding hormone, may be influenced by microbes too. Experiments in animals show that gut bacteria can shift how vasopressin works in the brain.</p>



<p>Smell adds another layer. Some microbes release compounds that change how hosts perceive odors. That may alter how attractive someone seems.</p>



<p>Scientists call this the holobiont idea: humans and microbes acting together as one system. In this view, microbes influence choices that we think are entirely our own. This raises provocative questions about autonomy in human attraction.</p>



<p>Could subtle microbial shifts make us view one partner more favorably than another? Researchers suggest it is possible. If so, then relationships might partly reflect microbial influence, adding another hidden dimension to how people connect, bond, and choose mates over time.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-soil-microbes-may-affect-love">Soil microbes may affect love</h2>



<p>Dr. Robinson and colleagues also point to the environment. Healthy soils, for instance, release microbial signals and support vegetation that benefits our nervous and immune systems. </p>



<p>"As well as emitting important chemical and microbial signals, healthy soils support vegetation that improves air quality, buffer noise and moderate temperature to create immersive environments that affect our nervous, endocrine and immune system," explained Professor Martin Breed.</p>



<p>When soils degrade, mental health may also suffer. Microbial richness falls, inflammation rises, and well-being declines.</p>



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



<p>"We are exploring how the evolutionary underpinnings of microbial-endocrine interactions could provide important insights into how microbes influence emotions beyond love, including hate and aggression," said Dr. Robinson.</p>



<p>"If these pathways are confirmed, the findings could open avenues for microbiome-informed strategies to support mental health and relational well-being."</p>



<p>Some researchers even imagine “green prescriptions” where exposure to nature supports emotional health. Others explore psychobiotics, probiotics designed to influence mood. </p>



<p>The concept is still young, but it shows how microbiology might one day connect with therapies for relationships.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-microbes-help-us-understand-love">Microbes help us understand love</h2>



<p>The research doesn’t reduce love to microbes. It shows how biology, environment, and culture all overlap. Microbes may just be another piece in the puzzle.</p>



<p>For scientists, it opens new paths to explore. For the rest of us, it suggests love might be shaped by forces we rarely notice. It also reminds us that emotions are never isolated. They reflect a mix of chemistry, ecology, and lived experience. </p>



<p>Understanding this complexity could change how we think about relationships, health, and even the environments we build. Love may be personal, but it is also deeply biological.</p>



<p>The study is published in <em><a href="https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msystems.00415-25" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mSystems</a></em> and <em><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s44284-025-00294-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Cities</a></em>.</p>



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Love and attraction may be influenced by gut microbes

The mystery of love and attraction may not just be...

<p>Longer thumbs do much more than help primates climb trees. Thumb size evolution tracks with bigger brains, which hints that hands and minds expanded together across our lineage.</p>



<p>A new analysis links thumb length to brain size across <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-primates-evolved-in-cold-climates-not-tropical-jungles/">many</a> primates and points to the outer brain’s thinking centers as key players. Dr. Joanna Baker of the University of Reading led the work.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-longer-thumbs-improve-grip">Longer thumbs improve grip</h2>



<p>Manual dexterity means precise control of the fingers to handle small objects, and it underpins tool use, food processing, and daily tasks. </p>



<p>Longer thumbs increase the area where the thumb meets the fingers, which improves precision grips without needing extra force.</p>



<p>“We've always known that our big brains and nimble fingers <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-endangered-primate-species-identified-in-new-report/">set us apart</a>, but now we can see they didn't evolve separately,” said Dr Baker. </p>



<p>These results connect everyday hand skills to the energetic costs of building neural tissue across evolutionary time.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-thumb-length-and-brain-size">Thumb length and brain size</h2>



<p>The team focused on the first and second metacarpal bones, the long bones in the hand that sit between the wrist and the thumb or index finger. </p>



<p>That choice allowed scientists to compare living species with fossils, because bones preserve while behavior does not.</p>



<p>The new <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-025-08686-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> examined 95 fossil and living primate species and tested how relative thumb length tracks with brain size. </p>



<p>The researchers used phylogenetic <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6130602/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">models</a> that control for shared ancestry. The relationship stayed positive when humans were excluded, which means the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-happened-to-10-foot-tall-primates-that-once-lived-in-china-gigantopithecus-blacki/">signal</a> is primate wide, not only human.</p>



<p>The analysis also checked whether tool-using species looked different from those that have never been recorded using tools. </p>



<p>There was no special offset for tool users after accounting for brain size and hand proportions, which cautions against reading tool use from one bone alone.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-thumb-length-links-to-brain-s-thinking-areas">Thumb length links to brain's thinking areas</h2>



<p>The big surprise sat in which brain parts matched with longer thumbs. Instead of the cerebellum, which helps coordinate movement, the correlation showed up in the neocortex, the sheet of tissue involved in sensation, planning, and flexible control.</p>



<p>Earlier <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25283776/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a><strong> </strong>documented rapid cerebellar expansion in apes, alongside changes in the neocortex. This means that the new finding does not downplay movement control, it refines where manipulation costs likely landed. </p>



<p>It suggests that sensing, mapping, and planning the contact between fingers and objects scales with hand skill.</p>



<p>In people, primary motor cortex grey matter <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38771243/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">volume</a> is linked to how well the hand learns a new skilled movement, and disrupting this region can block learning. </p>



<p>That kind of result fits with the new cross-species pattern that ties fine control to cortical resources.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tool-use-without-shortcuts">Tool use without shortcuts</h2>



<p>Tool use is not a single trait, and it varies with ecology and learning. Some primates build complex routines that require choosing, transporting, and sequencing objects.</p>



<p>Wild <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/srep33089" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">capuchins</a> select and adjust stone hammers as nut properties change, which shows sensitive tuning rather than a one size fits all behavior. </p>



<p>Chimpanzees use different kits for termites versus honey, and group traditions shape how juveniles learn, but none of that maps cleanly onto one hand bone.</p>



<p>This is why the new result matters. It connects a simple, measurable piece of anatomy to overall brain investment while avoiding the trap of over claiming about culture from a single metric.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unusual-thumb-and-brain-pattern">Unusual thumb and brain pattern</h2>



<p>Most primates fell along the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-thumbs-shaped-our-brains-and-intelligence/">same line</a>. Humans and our closest fossil relatives do not sit outside the broader pattern, once brain size is considered.</p>



<p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21903806/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Australopithecus sediba</em></a>’s hand stands out as it combines a long thumb with traits linked to climbing and precise grips. </p>



<p>Even here, the message is nuanced, because a long thumb without the full neural and skeletal package may not yield modern, human-like manipulation.</p>



<p>The study also checked where species defied expectations after accounting for brain size and intrinsic hand proportions. </p>



<p><em>Sediba</em> remained unusual, while others did not, which invites deeper tests that mix simple measures with detailed biomechanics.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-this-means">What this means</h2>



<p>The link between relative thumb length and brain size supports a simple idea. </p>



<p>As species improved their fine control, they paid neural costs in circuits that represent the skin, the joints, and the sequences needed to handle objects.</p>



<p>This does not say that bigger brains came purely from tool use or that dexterity is the only driver. </p>



<p>It shows that everyday actions, like pinching and rotating small items, likely nudged brains to expand in networks that could keep up.</p>



<p>It also sets a baseline for fossils. When researchers add more species and include additional features like joint shape and muscle attachment points, they can test which combinations departed from the primate wide rule and when.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-ahead">Looking ahead</h2>



<p>Future work can map which neocortical fields scale with precision tasks across species. That could include motor and parietal areas that track finger positions in real time and combine touch with vision.</p>



<p>Better fossils and more high resolution scans will help resolve when different hominin lineages shifted their hands and their cortices together. </p>



<p>The same approach can test links between other body parts and neural systems that carry hidden processing costs.</p>



<p>The take home point is clear. Hands and brains changed together, and the bond runs deeper than any single tool tradition or famous species.</p>



<p>The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-025-08686-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Communications Biology</em></a>.</p>



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Thumbs and brains grew larger together as primates evolved over time

Longer thumbs do much more than help primates climb trees....

<p>Gaia has transformed how we see the night sky. What looks calm and unchanging is actually full of motion - stars racing across space, clusters forming and breaking apart, and entire star families stretching thousands of light-years. </p>



<p>For the past decade, the <a href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Gaia/Gaia_proves_our_skies_are_filled_with_chains_of_starry_gatherings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gaia space observatory</a> has been quietly watching it all unfold with its twin telescopes. Since 2014, Gaia has collected more precise information about our galaxy than any mission before.</p>



<p>The telescopes tracked nearly two billion stars and watched how they move, change, and where they came from. The mission has reshaped our understanding of the Milky Way - and we’re still just scratching the surface.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-accuracy-that-sets-gaia-apart">The accuracy that sets Gaia apart</h2>



<p>Gaia didn’t just capture stunning images. It measured the exact positions, movements, brightness, and colors of stars with mind-blowing accuracy. Most telescopes focus on a few objects, but the Gaia mission surveyed billions. And this huge-scale approach has changed everything.</p>



<p>Gaia has caught stars doing strange things like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wobbling-stars-reveal-giant-companions/">wobbling</a>, expanding, shrinking, or flying into our galaxy after being kicked out of another.</p>



<p>The space observatory achieved its mission of creating the most precise and comprehensive 3D map of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/milky-way-galaxys-sagittarius-a-black-hole-is-spinning-at-maximum-speed-and-pointing-at-earth/">Milky Way</a>, pinpointing exactly where stars live in space, and how fast they’re headed in any direction.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gaia-s-view-of-star-clusters">Gaia’s view of star clusters</h2>



<p>For decades, scientists believed star clusters were just small, separate groups. There are two main types: open clusters (with hundreds or thousands of stars, mostly near the galaxy’s disc), and globular clusters (which are older and live near the galaxy’s center or edges). </p>



<p>Most stars are born in clusters, but over time, these families break up and drift apart. But Gaia’s data showed that clusters are more connected than we thought. </p>



<p>Some clusters move together in chains or families, stretching far beyond what we could previously detect. The data also revealed that clusters that don’t behave like typical families - some stars fly off in random directions, which is something we never expected.</p>



<p>The mission made it easier to tell which stars actually belong to a cluster and which are just nearby by chance. </p>



<p>“Thanks to Gaia, we can find and remove rogue stars that don’t actually belong to a cluster, making all of our science far more accurate,” said Antonella Vallenari, deputy chair of the Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC).</p>



<p>“Gaia can spot and group stars that are born together and moving similarly, even if they’re spread out through space. We’ve used Gaia to find new open clusters ranging from the very small - just a few pairs of co-moving stars! - all the way up those a few thousands strong."</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-neighborhood-around-the-sun">The neighborhood around the Sun</h2>



<p>Gaia didn’t just zoom in on faraway corners of the galaxy. It revolutionized our understanding of the space around our own <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/widest-high-resolution-photo-of-the-sun-ever-captured-solar-orbiter/">Sun</a>. It mapped young stars, dark clouds, and even entire star nurseries - places where stars are still being born.</p>



<p>Scientists used to think that some loose groups of young stars, like Orion OB1, were just old clusters that had drifted apart. Gaia proved they were actually born loose, not broken apart. And many of these young stars don’t live in isolation - they’re often part of larger “families” or chains of clusters with common origins.</p>



<p>Gaia’s ability to trace where young stars come from helped scientists study how stars influence their surroundings. As stars explode or throw off gas, they shape the clouds around them and affect how new stars form. This process, called stellar feedback, is messy and complex, and Gaia’s data brought it into focus.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-connections-in-the-milky-way">Connections in the Milky Way</h2>



<p>Using Gaia’s giant dataset, scientists have discovered that the Milky Way is much more connected than we thought. Star-forming regions and clusters are linked over massive distances. </p>



<p>For instance, a star ring named the Gould Belt proved to be an illusion. Gaia instead revealed stars aligned in long, thin gas structures such as the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/our-solar-systems-journey-through-the-milky-way-may-have-altered-earths-climate/">Radcliffe Wave</a> and the Split.</p>



<p>The mission also taught scientists more about the spiral arms of the Milky Way. It appears young clusters behave differently based on their location in a spiral arm. The arms aren’t as permanent as we assumed - they’re more like temporary features.</p>



<p>Gaia revealed that young clusters often form in unusual shapes - like strings, beads, rings, or filaments. These patterns stick around for millions of years. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tidal-tails-star-clusters-unraveling">Tidal tails: Star clusters unraveling</h2>



<p>As star clusters move through the galaxy, they get pulled and stretched by gravity from clouds, dark matter, and other galactic features. This tug-of-war creates long trails of stars called tidal tails.</p>



<p>“Tidal tails aren’t just remnants of a cluster's past: they’re powerful dynamical tracers that tell the tale of a cluster's lifetime and place in the galaxy,” said Tereza Jeřábková of Masaryk University.</p>



<p>Before Gaia, these tails were hard to spot - especially in crowded areas of the galaxy. But Gaia’s precision made them clear. It spotted massive tails around the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hyades-star-cluster-may-contain-the-closest-black-holes-to-earth/">Hyades cluster</a>, which look small to us but stretch thousands of light-years across the sky.</p>



<p>Scientists also used Gaia to confirm that these stars truly broke off from clusters, not just random stars passing by. By studying how the stars in these tails spin, researchers could prove they came from the same place.</p>



<p>Gaia’s methods are now being used to find more tidal tails, even in clusters like Coma Berenices and Praesepe. “Current efforts are focused on detecting more tidal tails, pushing to larger extents and fainter limits, and refining what we know of the constituent stars,” noted Tereza.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gaia-s-legacy-and-what-comes-next">Gaia’s legacy and what comes next</h2>



<p>Gaia stopped collecting data in March 2025, but its mission is far from over. At this point, less than one-third of its data has been released.</p>



<p>A major data release is coming in December 2026, with the final one expected around the end of 2030. These releases will add even more depth to our understanding of the galaxy.</p>



<p>“Gaia’s datasets are significantly more detailed and precise than any that have come before. It’s no exaggeration to say that the mission has brought about a revolution in Milky Way astronomy, especially when it comes to star clusters,” said Johannes Sahlmann, ESA project scientist for Gaia.</p>



<p>According to Sahlmann, the mission’s discoveries aren’t ending anytime soon. “Gaia’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/farewell-to-gaia-the-spacecraft-that-mapped-the-milky-way/">spacecraft</a> operations may have ended, but its contributions to science are in full swing."</p>



<p>Image Credit: ESA / Gaia / DPAC / Stefan Payne-Wardenaar.</p>



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Gaia reveals the hidden architecture of the Milky Way

Gaia has transformed how we see the night sky. What...

<p>September 1 is International Primate Day - a day to honor the creatures swinging through forests and cracking nuts with stones. First established in 2005, this day calls attention to the vital role primates play in shaping forests, spreading seeds, and teaching us how intelligence and culture evolve. </p>



<p>In primates, we find reflections of our own nature - curiosity and innovation, loyalty and love, and the flaws that remind us of our shared fragility.</p>



<p>In 2025, research shed new light on chimpanzees, orangutans, lemurs, and other primates - revealing remarkable abilities but also stark signs of their vulnerability. These discoveries remind us that protecting primates is not just an option - it’s an urgent responsibility.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-primates-build-and-talk">How primates build and talk</h2>



<p>Scientists discovered that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chimpanzees-select-the-best-materials-for-termite-fishing/">chimpanzees</a> don’t just grab any stick when fishing for termites. They pick the right material. They test flexibility and texture. Their choices look more like engineering decisions than simple trial and error.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Communication research added another twist. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chimpanzees-mix-vocal-calls-to-create-new-meanings-like-humans/">Chimpanzees</a> can mix their calls to create new meanings. They don’t just copy sounds. They combine them in ways that resemble basic language rules.&nbsp;</p>



<p>These findings show how us closely related chimpanzees are to humans. They build, plan, and talk in ways we once thought only humans could. </p>



<p>Their skills reveal deep intelligence, social awareness, and remarkable adaptability that connect directly with our own evolutionary story.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-orangutans-use-complex-calls">Orangutans use complex calls</h2>



<p>In Indonesia’s forests, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/orangutans-use-complex-vocal-patterns-found-in-human-language/">orangutans</a> revealed something unexpected this year. Their calls carry patterns that resemble human language. Scientists found recursion - layers of meaning packed into single vocalizations.&nbsp;</p>



<p>This shows that orangutans use far more than simple calls. They can structure information and send complex signals. The discovery pushes back the idea that only humans layer communication this way.</p>



<p>It also forces us to rethink how language itself might have evolved. If orangutans can demonstrate this ability in the wild, then human language may have emerged more gradually - and may be less exclusive - than we once believed.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-primates-face-risk-and-resilience">Primates face risk and resilience</h2>



<p>Madagascar’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/endangered-lemurs-millions-of-years-of-diversity-at-risk">lemurs</a> carry millions of years of history in their DNA. But their future looks fragile. In 2025, scientists warned that habitat destruction and climate change place many species close to extinction.</p>



<p>A <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lemur-evolution-happened-in-waves-not-a-single-burst/">separate study</a> showed that lemurs did not evolve in one burst. They diversified in waves, and hybridization played a major role.&nbsp;</p>



<p>This means their story is one of resilience and reinvention. Yet all of that evolutionary history could disappear within decades if forests vanish and conservation fails. </p>



<p>Without urgent global action, entire species may vanish, taking with them unique behaviors, genetic diversity, and lessons about survival that humanity cannot afford to lose.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-macaques-enjoy-drama-and-friends">Macaques enjoy drama and friends</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/monkeys-love-watching-videos-of-fights-and-friends-just-like-humans">Macaques</a> don’t just live in the moment. In 2025, researchers played them videos and noticed a pattern. The monkeys paid more attention to fights and familiar faces. They preferred drama and recognition.&nbsp;</p>



<p>This behavior looks oddly familiar. Humans scroll through news and entertainment for conflict and connection. Macaques seem to share that instinct. It suggests that curiosity about social tension runs deep in primate evolution.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-female-power-in-the-troop">Female power in the troop</h2>



<p>A long-held belief in primatology is fading. For decades, people assumed male dominance was the rule. But <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/female-dominance-in-primates-is-more-common-than-we-thought/">recent research</a> revealed a different picture. Female dominance is common across primate species.</p>



<p>This discovery rewrites our understanding of how groups function. Power does not always come from size or aggression. In many cases, females lead decisions, control resources, and hold influence that shapes survival.</p>



<p>It reminds us that primate societies, like human societies, come in many forms.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-edge-of-survival">The edge of survival</h2>



<p>Alongside these discoveries came grim news. Conservationists released a 2025 report listing the 25 most <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-endangered-primate-species-identified-in-new-report/">endangered</a> primate species. Gorillas, gibbons, and lesser-known monkeys appear on the list.</p>



<p>Each species faces threats from hunting, deforestation, or climate change. International Primate Day is a reminder that awareness must turn into action. Without protection, we may lose them within our lifetime.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-international-primate-day-matters">Why International Primate Day matters</h2>



<p>International Primate Day is not just about admiration. It is a call for <a href="https://ippl.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">action</a>. The stories of 2025 show primates as thinkers, builders, and communicators. They are not background animals. They are relatives whose survival depends on what we choose now.</p>



<p>Conservation is not charity - it is responsibility. Protecting primates also protects forests, biodiversity, and the stability of the planet. </p>



<p>Every choice we make, from supporting conservation groups to reducing deforestation, directly shapes their future, as well as our own.</p>



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International Primate Day: Listening to the voices of the wild

September 1 is International Primate Day - a day to...

<p>When our bodies get injured, cells spring into action. They clean up the mess, patch the damage, and sometimes even hit the reset button. </p>



<p>Scientists have known for a long time that cells can self-destruct or revert to a younger, more flexible state to repair tissue. But now researchers have uncovered something new - an unexpected shortcut these repair systems use when they’re in a hurry.</p>



<p>This shortcut might help damaged cells bounce back faster, but it’s not without risk. It’s messy, and that mess could be part of what makes chronic injuries more dangerous over time, even raising the odds of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-discover-molecular-switch-revert-method-turns-cancer-cells-into-normal-cells/">cancer</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cells-take-shortcuts-to-heal-injury">Cells take shortcuts to heal injury</h2>



<p>Inside every mature cell is a complex setup of parts that keep it running like a factory. But when injury hits - especially in places like the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/your-stomachs-natural-rhythm-is-directly-connected-to-brain-and-mental-wellbeing/">stomach</a> - that factory setup gets in the way of repair. </p>



<p>Normally, cells clear out old parts through a slow, careful breakdown process using structures called lysosomes. This controlled cleanup helps prepare the cell to transform into a stem cell-like version of itself, ready to rebuild tissue.</p>



<p>Researchers at <a href="https://medicine.washu.edu/">Washington University School of Medicine</a> in St. Louis and Baylor College of Medicine found that in injured stomach cells, something else was going on. The affected areas weren’t just cleaning house quietly. They were dumping waste out of the cell entirely, fast and all at once.</p>



<p>The experts have named this process cathartocytosis, which means “cellular cleansing” in Greek. But instead of a deep clean, it’s more like a sudden purge.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-vomit-response-in-cells">A vomit response in cells</h2>



<p>The scientists noticed piles of debris outside of injured <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drugs-targeting-gut-cells-not-brain-cells-are-better-at-treating-depression-and-anxiety/">stomach cells</a>. At first, they thought it was just junk from the surrounding environment. But they kept seeing it - and always at the same time the cells were reprogramming themselves for repair.</p>



<p>“In these gastric cells, paligenosis - reversion to a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stem-cell-therapy-improves-brain-activity-after-stroke/">stem cell</a> state for healing - is a risky process, especially now that we’ve identified the potentially inflammatory downsizing of cathartocytosis within it,” said Dr. Jason C. Mills, who led the study.</p>



<p>Paligenosis is the name for the healing process where mature cells turn back into stem-cell-like versions of themselves. It helps damaged tissues regenerate. </p>



<p>Until now, scientists thought this involved only quiet, inside-the-cell cleanup. But cathartocytosis adds a new layer to that: big chunks of cellular machinery get thrown out all at once to speed up the transformation.</p>



<p>“After an injury, the cell’s job is to repair that injury. But the cell’s mature cellular machinery for doing its normal job gets in the way,” said study first author Dr. Jeffrey W. Brown. </p>



<p>“So, this cellular cleanse is a quick way of getting rid of that machinery so it can rapidly become a small, primitive cell capable of proliferating and repairing the injury.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-faster-healing-with-higher-risk">Faster healing with higher risk</h2>



<p>Cathartocytosis speeds up the healing process by helping cells ditch the clutter quickly. But speed comes with consequences. </p>



<p>The waste that is ejected doesn’t just disappear. It builds up, and that buildup can trigger <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fasting-helps-the-body-fight-inflammation-and-chronic-diseases/">inflammation</a> - especially if the injury keeps happening again and again.</p>



<p>“If many older mutated cells revert to stem cell states in an effort to repair an injury - and injuries also often fuel inflammation, such as during an infection - there’s an increased risk of acquiring, perpetuating and expanding harmful mutations that lead to cancer as those stem cells multiply,” said Dr. Mills.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-potential-for-early-cancer-detection">Potential for early cancer detection </h2>



<p>The research team believes that cathartocytosis might be useful not just for understanding how injuries heal - or don’t - but also for catching early signs of trouble. </p>



<p>Dr. Brown and collaborator Dr. Koushik K. Das have created an antibody that can bind to parts of the ejected waste. That could make it possible to detect when a lot of cathartocytosis is happening, maybe even before cancer shows up.</p>



<p>“If we have a better understanding of this process, we could develop ways to help encourage the healing response and perhaps, in the context of chronic injury, block the damaged cells undergoing chronic cathartocytosis from contributing to cancer formation,” said Dr. Brown.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cells-healing-the-body">Cells healing the body</h2>



<p>This study focused on the stomach, using a mouse model of injury. But the scientists think cathartocytosis may be happening in other organs, too. </p>



<p>The research opens the door to exploring how this fast purge response plays a role in other diseases, and whether it could become a target for future treatments.</p>



<p>The experts are especially interested in how it connects to Helicobacter pylori infections, which damage the stomach lining, cause ulcers, and are known to raise the risk of stomach cancer. </p>



<p>If cathartocytosis turns out to be part of the reason chronic inflammation leads to cancer, stopping it - or at least keeping it in check - could change how these conditions are treated.</p>



<p>For now, cathartocytosis gives scientists a new way to think about how cells respond to injury. It’s fast, it’s messy, and it might be both a hero and a villain in the body’s efforts to heal.</p>



<p>The full study was published in the journal <em><a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2211124725008411">Cell Reports</a></em>.</p>



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Cells ‘vomit’ waste to speed up healing in our body

When our bodies get injured, cells spring into action. They...

<p>More than half a billion years ago, a tiny ancestor of today’s arthropods scuttled along the floor of a shallow sea in what’s now Yunnan, China. It had large grasping arms, stalked eyes, and a surprisingly modern-looking brain tucked into a head barely wider than the tip of a pencil.</p>



<p>Now, a new look at this ancient fossil - <em>Jianfengia multisegmentalis</em> - is reshaping what scientists thought they knew about how these animals first branched into two major evolutionary paths.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-arthropods-rule-the-world">Arthropods rule the world</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-people-think-insects-will-become-a-sustainable-food-source/">Insects</a>, spiders, crabs, centipedes - all of them are arthropods. This massive group includes more than a million known species. </p>



<p>Arthropods live everywhere: in the ocean, on land, in the air, and even inside of other animals. Their tough exoskeletons, segmented bodies, and jointed legs have helped them survive and thrive for over 500 million years.</p>



<p>But one big puzzle has remained: where exactly did the two main branches of arthropods come from?</p>



<p>On one side, you have mandibulates - creatures like insects, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-invasive-crustacean-species-discovered-in-the-mediterranean/">crustaceans</a>, and millipedes, which have antennae and use jaws (or mandibles) to eat. On the other hand, chelicerates - spiders, scorpions, and horseshoe crabs - have fangs or pincers instead of jaws.</p>



<p>Until now, scientists weren’t sure when or how these two groups split. That’s where <em>Jianfengia</em> comes in.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-fossil-that-tells-a-different-story">A fossil that tells a different story</h2>



<p>At first, <em>Jianfengia</em> was thought to belong to a group called megacheirans, meaning “large hands” in Greek. </p>



<p>These extinct animals had long, claw-like limbs sticking out from their heads - similar to the claws of modern <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/horseshoe-crabs-view-the-world-through-compound-eyes/">horseshoe crabs</a>. Because of that, scientists had placed them in the chelicerate group.</p>



<p>But when researchers took a closer look at the fossilized brain of <em>Jianfengia</em>, they noticed something didn’t add up.</p>



<p>The research team, led by the <a href="https://www.arizona.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Arizona</a>, reconstructed the nervous system from four well-preserved specimens. </p>



<p>What they found was unexpected: a brain that looked a lot like that of a modern shrimp or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bright-coloration-in-crayfish-does-not-serve-an-evolutionary-purpose/">crayfish</a>. It even had features seen in simple freshwater crustaceans, like brine shrimp - the kind sold as “sea monkeys.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-ancestors-of-antennae">The ancestors of antennae </h2>



<p>“These megacheirans didn't have antennules, which are antenna-like appendages that are common to crustaceans, insects and centipedes,” said lead researcher Nicholas Strausfeld, a professor in the U of A Department of Neuroscience. </p>



<p>“Instead we see these strange, quite sturdy head appendages that were specialized for reaching and clasping things.”</p>



<p>Turns out, those big “claws” weren’t early versions of spider fangs after all. Instead, they were likely the ancestors of antennae - the kind found in today’s insects and crustaceans.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seeing-with-ancient-eyes">Seeing with ancient eyes</h2>



<p><em>Jianfengia’s</em> head was only about 0.08 inches wide, but it packed in a lot of sensory power. It had stalked compound eyes, like those of insects and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/do-crabs-and-lobsters-have-emotions-and-feelings/">crabs</a>, plus at least three single-lens eyes - the simple kind also seen in many modern arthropods.</p>



<p>In one fossil, the researchers even looked inside the compound eyes and saw fossilized cone cells that once supported light-sensitive parts of the eye. </p>



<p>“What we saw was unexpected: the brain looks really modern, comparable to that of a living crustacean,” Strausfeld said.</p>



<p>This level of detail is almost never seen in fossils this old. Soft tissues like brains usually break down long before they can fossilize. But thanks to the fine-grained rock and lucky conditions in this ancient seabed, a few rare specimens kept their delicate neural features.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-cousins-go-separate-ways">Ancient cousins go separate ways</h2>



<p>Another fossil - <em>Alalcomenaeus</em> - also belonged to the megacheiran group and had similar body parts. However, it turned out to be quite different on the inside. Its brain looked more like that of <em>Limulus</em>, the horseshoe crab, which is a chelicerate.</p>



<p>So even though these two creatures looked similar on the outside, their brains revealed that they were actually early members of different arthropod groups. One led to modern crustaceans and insects. The other led to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giant-species-joro-spiders-has-invaded-the-united-states-heres-what-to-look-for/">spiders</a> and scorpions.</p>



<p>“Many repeats of these comparisons revealed that in the arthropod tree of life, <em>Jianfengia</em> sat at or near the root of all mandibulates, whereas its putative cousin, <em>Alalcomenaeus</em>, has the same status, but within the chelicerate branch of the tree of life,” said co-author David Andrew of Lycoming College.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-same-tools-different-outcomes">Same tools, different outcomes</h2>



<p>The key body part in all of this are the large claws sticking out of the head. Over hundreds of millions of years, evolution shaped them into very different things.</p>



<p>“In chelicerates, these ‘great appendages’ shrunk, so they eventually became the spider fangs,” said Strausfeld. “In mandibulates, evolution modified them into segmented antennules.”</p>



<p>Some tiny marine crustaceans alive today - called ostracods - still have antennules tipped with claspers, offering living proof of this evolutionary transition.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-arthropods-from-the-inside-out">Arthropods from the inside out</h2>



<p>Looking at a creature’s shell or limbs can tell scientists part of the story. But to really understand where an animal fits in the family tree, the brain may offer better clues.</p>



<p>“Our results demonstrate that close examination of fossilized neural remains can provide powerful data indicating evolutionary relationships impossible to obtain just from features of the exoskeleton,” Strausfeld said. </p>



<p>“One needs to know what to look for in the fossil brain because it tells us a lot about a fossil’s identity.”</p>



<p>Frank Hirth, a co-author from King’s College London, noted that the organization of their fossilized brains perfectly aligns with that of living arthropods, suggesting that their ancient constituents are extraordinarily robust, yet diverse.</p>



<p>This may explain why arthropods are the most successful inhabitants of this planet, said Hirth.</p>



<p>Ultimately, the tiny brain of a long-dead sea creature has helped scientists solve one of the oldest mysteries in animal evolution - where the arthropod family tree began to branch.</p>



<p>The full study was published in the journal <em><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-62849-w">Nature Communications</a></em>.</p>



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<p></p>

Tiny fossil rewrites the giant arthropod family tree

More than half a billion years ago, a tiny ancestor...

<p>Wildfire season is no longer a far off worry for people living near trees and brush in the West. It is a yearly test of how well homes and neighborhoods are built and maintained.</p>



<p>New research says everyday choices, from your roof to the plants near your walls, can change the odds in a big way. The message is simple: what you and your neighbors do before a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-wildfire-exposure-rises-worldwide-despite-less-land-burning/">blaze</a> arrives often decides what is left after.</p>



<p>The study was led by Michael Gollner, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at the <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California Berkeley</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-which-homes-survive-wildfires">Which homes survive wildfires?</h2>



<p>The <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-63386-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> suggests that combining home hardening with defensible space can double survival of homes in large California fires. Furthermore, clearing the first five feet around a structure can cut predicted losses by 17 percent. </p>



<p>The researchers analyzed five major fires, the 2017 Tubbs and Thomas fires, the 2018 Camp Fire, the 2019 Kincade Fire, and the 2020 Glass Fire. </p>



<p>The team paired field inspections with computer reconstructions to estimate how flames and embers hit each address, then trained a model that reached 82 percent accuracy at predicting whether a building survived or was destroyed.</p>



<p>One result stood out. Structure separation distance was the strongest driver of loss in dense areas where one burning house can ignite the next, while flame length and embers explained much of the risk elsewhere.</p>



<p>“CalFire maps are meant to highlight areas where you need more fuel clearing or more hardening for new construction,” said Gollner. He contrasted state scale <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfire-seasons-are-now-overlapping-worldwide/">hazard</a> maps with the block scale modeling used in this work.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-homes-ignite-in-the-first-place">Why homes ignite in the first place</h2>



<p>Most destruction in the wildland urban interface (WUI) happens when embers land on something that burns, or when radiant heat and direct flames expose weak points. Windows can crack, vents can suck in sparks, and dry debris near siding can light off and climb upward.</p>



<p>The study confirms that both external <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forests-now-emit-more-carbon-than-they-store-due-to-wildfires/">exposure</a> and building features matter together. That is why a single change almost never tells the whole story.</p>



<p>Home hardening focuses on the weak links that let heat and embers get inside. Class A roofs, well screened vents, enclosed eaves, and multi pane tempered glass reduce the chance that a small ignition turns into a total loss.</p>



<p>Materials and details count because fires attack by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfire-smoke-is-an-escalating-public-health-emergency/">heat</a>, sparks, and time. Better windows, vents, and siding shorten that attack and give firefighters and residents more time to act.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clearing-cuts-wildfire-risk">Clearing cuts wildfire risk</h2>



<p>California’s fire safety <a href="https://www.fire.ca.gov/dspace" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">guidance</a> describes three zones around a home, and it calls the first five feet the most important because most houses are lost to wind blown embers that ignite nearby fuels. </p>



<p>Zone 0 is the strip right against the building, and it is where wood mulch, stacked lumber, and plants against siding often start trouble. Clearing and hardscaping this narrow band does not erase a view or a garden, it simply moves burnable items a few steps farther away.</p>



<p>The new analysis shows that removing vegetation in the first five feet lowers predicted structure losses by 17 percent on average across the test fires. It is a small change on the ground with a large effect on outcomes.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-community-action-matters">Community action matters</h2>



<p>The data here back that point. One hardened home can still be overrun if every house around it becomes fuel, while a street full of hardened homes with clean Zone 0 space breaks the chain of ignitions.</p>



<p>The model’s top feature, separation distance, cannot be changed quickly in existing neighborhoods. That is exactly why shared action on vents, roofs, windows, siding, and near home fuels is the practical lever to pull now.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wildfire-safety-costs-and-home-rules">Wildfire safety costs and home rules</h2>



<p>Independent national <a href="https://www.wbdg.org/files/pdfs/MS2_2017Interim%20Report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">assessments</a> estimate that each dollar invested in hazard mitigation saves about four dollars in long run losses, which helps explain why insurers and public agencies reward proactive steps. </p>



<p>When a retrofit list feels long, start with the parts most likely to ignite and the places where embers land first.</p>



<p>New homes built to modern codes already gain many of these protections. Older homes can phase in upgrades, beginning with fine mesh vent screens, noncombustible six-inch siding clearance at the base, and replacing fragile windows in the most exposed room.</p>



<p>Cities and counties are updating their standards to ensure neighbors work together rather than at odds. Pairing inspections with small grants or reduced fees can encourage broader participation, especially in areas where a few holdouts might otherwise leave the whole community at risk.</p>



<p>The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-63386-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Nature Communications</em></a>.</p>



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Simple improvements can help homes survive wildfires

Wildfire season is no longer a far off worry for...

Close,Up,Of,A,Head,Of,A,Woman,Standing,Near

<p>A recent case study describes a teenager who can summon personal memories with unusual speed, detail, and control - a very rare condition known as hyperthymesia. She can also use the same mental machinery to imagine future events with striking richness.</p>



<p>Scientists call this autobiographical <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/autobiographical-memory" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">memory</a>, the long term store of events from our own lives that includes <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/memory-isnt-only-stored-in-our-brains-other-cells-can-remember-too/">feelings</a>, places, and people. </p>



<p>Cognitive scientists also speak of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11752477/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">autonoetic consciousness</a>, the reflective awareness that lets us mentally re-experience a past moment and place ourselves in a future one.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hyperthymesia-autobiographical-memory">Hyperthymesia - autobiographical memory</h2>



<p>The new paper is led by <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Valentina-La-Corte" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Valentina La Corte</a> at <a href="https://u-paris.fr/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Paris Cité University</a> and the Paris Brain Institute (<a href="https://parisbraininstitute.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PBI</a>). The phenomenon itself is rare, and a comprehensive <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11965258/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">review</a> notes that the literature is still small and methods vary across studies.</p>



<p>“In these individuals, known as hyperthymesics, memories are carefully indexed by date. Some will be able to describe in detail what they did [on a specific date], and experience again the emotions and sensations of that day,” explained La Corte.</p>



<p>The case centers on TL (initials that do not correspond to her real name were given to preserve her anonymity), a 17 year old who does not just recall, she organizes. </p>



<p>She reports fine grained control over access to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-prepares-the-brain-for-the-future-while-protecting-memories-of-the-past/">memories</a> that many others with hyperthymesia do not describe.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-she-organizes-memories">How she organizes memories</h2>



<p>TL distinguishes a factual store she calls black memory from the personal trove that matters to her sense of self. </p>



<p>She sorts that personal trove in an internal archive she calls the white room, where memories are arranged in binders by theme and date.</p>



<p>She places hard experiences in containers to keep their emotional impact manageable, like a chest holding the death of a grandparent. </p>



<p>She also created adjacent rooms for anger, problems, and even a military room that appeared when her father left for service.</p>



<p>This mental layout seen in hyperthymesia cases is unusual because it blends chronology, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/common-and-inexpensive-supplement-prebiotic-fructooligosaccharides-protects-your-brain-from-dementia/">emotion</a> regulation, and self narrative in one controllable space.</p>



<p>It reflects an effort to keep intrusive details in check without losing access to information that still matters.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-testing-hyperthymesia">Testing hyperthymesia</h2>



<p>The team used established tools that probe memory for life events and the feeling of mentally traveling through time. </p>



<p>One of them, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19524095/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">TEMPau</a>, measures the sense of reliving across a person’s lifespan and separates richly lived episodes from facts.</p>



<p>They also used the Temporal Extended Autobiographical Memory task (<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022096513000398" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">TEEAM</a>) to extend the timeline and gauge how easily she can move across past and future. </p>



<p>Across tasks, TL produced unusually vivid, detailed reports and could shift perspective between first person and observer viewpoints.</p>



<p>The study also considered accuracy. People with very strong autobiographical memory remain vulnerable to distortions, and prior <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1314373110" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">research</a> shows that even highly superior autobiographical memory participants can form false memories under standard laboratory tests.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-hyperthymesia-matters">Why hyperthymesia matters</h2>



<p>This case is not only about the past. Evidence shows that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-brains-use-storage-trick-to-keep-your-memories-in-sequential-order/">remembering</a> and imagining recruit overlapping cognitive and neural systems, a point advanced by influential <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17700624/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">research</a>. </p>



<p>When TL constructs rich scenes about tomorrow, she appears to harness the same machinery that helps her rebuild yesterday.</p>



<p>That overlap matters for everyday life. The ability to plan with concrete, sensory details is linked to better goal setting, clearer time estimates, and a stronger sense of identity.</p>



<p>It also offers a window into clinical puzzles. If future thinking and remembering share processes, then changes that blunt rich recall may also weaken the ability to imagine next week in detail.</p>



<p>Across published work, highly superior autobiographical memory often involves fast, date anchored retrieval and abundant sensory detail. </p>



<p>A systematic <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11965258/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">review</a> reports patterns of overactivation in autobiographical memory networks, including visual regions, during recall.</p>



<p>At the same time, structural brain differences are not consistent across cases. Functional connectivity differences sometimes appear, but anatomy alone does not explain the skill.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-costs-and-benefits">Human costs and benefits</h2>



<p>Many reported cases carry emotional downsides because painful memories can flood awareness. TL’s approach is notable because she uses mental tools to tag and quarantine difficult episodes without erasing them.</p>



<p>That strategy raises practical questions for therapy and education. If people can be taught to structure personal memories with themes and timelines, perhaps they can gain clarity without amplifying distress.</p>



<p>It also raises ethical questions. A mind that retrieves with this intensity may feel compelled to revisit moments that others allow to fade, which can complicate decision making and mood.</p>



<p>The field still needs better tools to check the accuracy of distant life events against real dates and sources. It also needs longitudinal data to see whether abilities like TL’s change with age or with life transitions.</p>



<p>“It is difficult to generalize findings about hyperthymesia, since they rely on only a few cases,” concluded La Corte. The next wave of studies will need larger samples, tighter validation, and standardized tasks across labs.</p>



<p>The study is published in <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13554794.2025.2537950" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Neurocase</em></a>.</p>



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Mental time travel: People with 'hyperthymesia' remember literally everything

A recent case study describes a teenager who can summon...

<p>The record holder for the most distant star known to date, nicknamed Earendel, is 12.9 billion light-years away. It's light left the source when the Universe was less than a billion years old. </p>



<p>However, new data from the James Webb Space Telescope (<a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">JWST</a>) suggest that Earendel could actually be <a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/james-webb-earendel-star.jpg">a compact group of stars</a> bound together by gravity.</p>



<p>If that reclassification holds, it would reshape how astronomers use rare cosmic alignments to probe the young universe. It would also expand what we can learn about how today’s ancient star clusters first came together.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-earendel-fooled-us">Why Earendel fooled us</h2>



<p>Lead author Massimo Pascale of the University of California, <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Berkeley</a>, and collaborators, revisited Earendel because the original Hubble detection left room for more than one interpretation. </p>



<p>A recent <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04449-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> pinned the source at redshift 6.2, or about 900 million years after the Big Bang, but a single unresolved point in a highly magnified arc can hide complexity.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Earendel sits behind a foreground galaxy cluster that acts as a natural telescope through gravitational lensing, the bending and amplification of light by mass. </p>



<p>Subsequent JWST imaging pushed the lower limit on the magnification above 4,000, as reported in a study, which makes an intrinsically tiny source look bright and compact.</p>



<p>With JWST spectroscopy, Pascale’s team also measured a precise redshift for the host, z = 5.926, which set the scene for physically motivated modeling. </p>



<p>Their study explores whether the observed continuum can be explained by a simple stellar population rather than a single hot star.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-jwst-added">What JWST added</h2>



<p>JWST’s NIRSpec prism provides a smooth spectrum across near infrared wavelengths, which lets astronomers fit how brightness changes with color. </p>



<p>When the team compared Earendel’s spectrum with models of compact clusters that differ in age and chemical content, they found strong consistency with a cluster solution.</p>



<p>“What’s reassuring about this work is that if Earendel really is a star cluster, it isn’t unexpected!” said Pascale.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“At the spectral resolution of the NIRSpec instrument, the spectrum of a lensed star and a star cluster can be very similar,” said Brian Welch, a postdoctoral researcher at the <a href="https://umd.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Maryland</a> and NASA's <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Goddard Space Flight Center</a>. Not everyone is ready to close the case, and that caution matters. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lone-stars-differ-from-star-clusters">Lone stars differ from star clusters</h2>



<p>One line of evidence comes from microlensing, a temporary brightening that happens when a smaller mass drifts across the line of sight and briefly focuses the light from the background source. </p>



<p>A compact star should fluctuate more sharply than a larger cluster, so time series monitoring can reveal which interpretation fits the data. </p>



<p>JWST can also test for subtle spectral signatures that would favor a dominant massive star. If those features are absent, and the light instead aligns with a mix of stars with low metallicity, the cluster hypothesis grows stronger.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-early-clusters-and-star-formation">Early clusters and star formation</h2>



<p>If Earendel is a compact cluster, it may be a direct ancestor of the dense globular cluster populations seen in nearby galaxies today. </p>



<p>The <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.05483" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">modeling</a> points to low heavy element content and intermediate ages, which is the kind of fingerprint expected for early cluster formation. </p>



<p>That scenario would give researchers a rare laboratory for star formation under the harsh conditions of cosmic dawn. </p>



<p>It would show that clusters were already assembling packed stellar systems when the universe was young, and that some survived to the present.</p>



<p>There is also a practical payoff for future surveys that chase extreme magnification. Knowing when a bright, unresolved spot is a cluster rather than a single star helps teams plan follow ups that ask the right questions.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-earendel-and-cosmic-alignments">Earendel and cosmic alignments</h2>



<p>Rare alignments like the one that revealed Earendel are more than lucky accidents. They allow astronomers to study extremely faint and distant objects at levels of detail that would otherwise be impossible with today’s instruments. </p>



<p>Without gravitational lensing, a source this far away would be invisible even to JWST.</p>



<p>Because these alignments are scarce, each one provides unique insights into the universe’s first billion years. </p>



<p>They can reveal galaxies, clusters, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/interstellar-tunnel-cosmic-channel-discovered-connects-our-solar-system-to-other-stars/">individual</a> stars that serve as anchors for testing models of early structure formation and stellar evolution.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-next">What to watch next</h2>



<p>Astronomers will keep an eye on Earendel’s brightness to probe for microlensing, a telltale flicker that is more pronounced for small sources. </p>



<p>If the light curve stays steadier than expected for a star, that will further support the cluster view.</p>



<p>Additional spectra with higher resolution could isolate faint absorption features that are easier to interpret in a cluster context. </p>



<p>They could also refine the contribution from any cooler <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tiny-star-giant-gas-planet-toi-6894b-breaks-current-planetary-formation-rules/">companions</a> if a star still plays a role.</p>



<p>Either way, the path forward is clear. Better time coverage, sharper spectra, and more lens modeling will push Earendel from a nickname to a well understood object in the early universe.</p>



<p>The study is published in <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/aded93" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>The Astrophysical Journal Letters</em></a>.</p>



<p>-----</p>



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Most distant star found to date may not be a lone star at all

The record holder for the most distant star known to...

<p>Yellowstone’s bison are not just big animals grazing grass. They are busy engineers that shape how plants grow, how nutrients flow, and who else can thrive.</p>



<p>Fresh research shows that when these herds move freely, the park’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-may-trigger-rapid-release-of-soil-carbon/">grasslands</a> stay productive and become more nutritious, without losing soil health.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bison-grazing-helps-grasslands">Bison grazing helps grasslands</h2>



<p>A research team led by Chris Geremia, a wildlife biologist at the National Park Service, found that grazing bison stabilized plant production while speeding up nitrogen turnover across northern Yellowstone. The team also documented higher plant nitrogen, without a drop in soil carbon.</p>



<p>Between 2015 and 2021, researchers ran field experiments comparing grazed and ungrazed plots. They then scaled up their findings using satellite images and GPS collar tracks to map effects across the migration corridor. </p>



<p>The experts used movable exclosures - simple fenced frames that keep <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gene-edited-wheat-turns-soil-microbes-into-fertilizer/">herbivores</a> out - to measure how much plant matter bison consumed and how fast plants regrew.</p>



<p>Collectively, the results revealed a pattern that challenges old grazing rules. Productivity held steady, plant biodiversity rose along the route, and the nutritional quality of grasses improved - even where animals fed heavily.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bison-grazing-boosts-plant-protein">Bison grazing boosts plant protein</h2>



<p>The work focuses on the nitrogen cycle - the movement of nitrogen between plants, animals, soil, and air. The experts report that regrowing plants in heavily grazed patches contain about 150 percent more crude protein than plants in areas without bison.</p>



<p>Soil microbe populations increase after a graze. They quickly recycle organic matter into plant-ready nitrogen, and plants pull that nitrogen back into new tissue. “Just the animals and plants doing their thing,” said Bill Hamilton from Washington and Lee University (<a href="https://www.wlu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">WLU</a>).</p>



<p>By mid-summer, this feedback keeps some river valley meadows clipped, dense, and nitrogen rich. Other places remain taller and less grazed, which helps spread different plant types across the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/organic-matter-helps-soil-hold-water-even-in-conditions-like-mars/">landscape</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-free-ranging-bison-in-yellowstone">Free-ranging bison in Yellowstone </h2>



<p>Yellowstone is the only place in the lower 48 that has had a free-ranging bison population since prehistoric times. </p>



<p>According to the Park's history, numbers had fallen to about two dozen individuals by 1902. In recent years, however, estimates have ranged roughly from 3,500 to nearly 6,000 animals within and near the park.</p>



<p>Herds gather in river valleys each spring and summer, then shift as seasons change. That movement matters because it spreads grazing pressure in pulses rather than as a constant, even bite.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cultural-significance-of-bison">Cultural significance of bison</h2>



<p>For many Indigenous nations, bison are more than just <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/soil-is-losing-nitrogen-along-with-its-climate-fighting-power/">wildlife</a>. They hold spiritual, cultural, and economic significance that stretches back thousands of years. </p>



<p>The return of herds carries meaning that goes far beyond ecology. These communities view the animal’s recovery as a restoration of identity as well as ecosystems.</p>



<p>Partnerships between Indigenous groups and conservationists have already brought bison back to several reservations and protected areas. These initiatives add to a growing collection of evidence that restoration can support both cultural renewal and ecological health.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-keeping-ecosystems-balanced">Keeping ecosystems balanced</h2>



<p>Earlier <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/news/featured-story/yellowstones-migrating-bison-manipulate-springtime-green" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> showed Yellowstone bison can alter the timing and intensity of spring greening, creating rich patches where new growth keeps coming. </p>



<p>The new study builds on that insight by tying plant chemistry, soil microbes, and herd movement together at landscape scale.</p>



<p>Wet, nutrient rich habitats showed the strongest nutritional boost under heavy grazing, while drier areas saw lighter use and weaker effects. That uneven pattern, called <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-020-00986-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">heterogeneity</a>, is a feature to keep, not a flaw to fix.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-grazing-aids-climate-resilience">Grazing aids climate resilience</h2>



<p>Ecologists note that large herbivores like bison may also help buffer grasslands against climate variability. </p>



<p>By keeping plants shorter and nutrient rich, bison grazing could support faster regrowth after droughts or extreme weather events. This dynamic may become increasingly valuable as Yellowstone faces hotter summers and shifting precipitation patterns.</p>



<p>At the same time, warming climates could alter migration timing and plant growth cycles. Understanding how bison adapt to these shifts will be critical for long term conservation and for anticipating how ecosystems across the West will respond to environmental change.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-lessons-from-yellowstone">Global lessons from Yellowstone</h2>



<p>Similar grazing-driven nutrient cycles have been <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289484248_The_Gnu's_World_Serengeti_Wildebeest_Ecology_and_Life_History" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">documented</a> in Africa’s Serengeti, where wildebeest herds recovered in the mid 20th century and reshaped entire food webs. Ecologists point to those parallels to show how large, migratory herbivores can restore balance far beyond the boundaries of one park.</p>



<p>Across North America, efforts to return bison to tribal lands and conservation areas are expanding. The Yellowstone study highlights that allowing animals space to move at scale may be just as critical as reintroducing them in the first place.</p>



<p>“With the current large herds of bison, Yellowstone grasslands are functioning better than in their absence,” said Hamilton.</p>



<p>Ultimately, the message is simple: restoring the natural movement and scale of bison allows these large grazers to enhance food quality for countless species without sacrificing carbon storage or overall productivity. </p>



<p>For land managers, the lesson is to aim for flexible goals that respect the ecological limits of each habitat, ensuring both biodiversity and resilience can thrive.</p>



<p>The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adu0703" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Science</em></a>.</p>



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Bison grazing boosts grass nutrition without harming soil

Yellowstone’s bison are not just big animals grazing grass. They...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXXGGiynIjs
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Greenland is not sinking. In fact, it is the opposite.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-contrasting-climate-response">A contrasting climate response</h2>



<p>Most coastal towns are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sinking-land-will-intensify-the-effects-of-rising-sea-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">preparing for higher sea levels</a>, but <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenland-no-longer-has-to-worry-about-rising-sea-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Greenland presents</a> a different scenario during climate change. The ground there is rising at a remarkable rate. Over the past decade, some areas have lifted about 20 centimeters, which translates to roughly 2 meters per century. This rate significantly exceeds current projections for sea level rise.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-geological-rebound-process-through-climate-change">Geological rebound process through climate change</h2>



<p>The mechanism behind this phenomenon is straightforward. As the ice sheet melts, the immense weight is removed from the bedrock, causing the land to rebound upward. This process resembles the way compressed material springs back when pressure is released.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientific-monitoring-networks">Scientific monitoring networks</h2>



<p>Researchers at the <a href="https://www.dtu.dk/english/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Technical University of Denmark</a> are documenting this uplift using the GNET network, consisting of 61 GPS stations positioned around Greenland's coast. These sensors can detect movement with millimeter precision, providing detailed measurements of the ongoing changes.</p>



<p>The data reveal that current uplift rates exceed the gradual rebound occurring since the last ice age ended approximately 12,000 years ago. This acceleration corresponds directly with increased ice sheet melting rates.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coastal-transformation">Coastal Transformation</h2>



<p>This uplift is actively reshaping Greenland's coastline. New islands and rocky formations, called "skerries," are emerging as previously submerged land surfaces rise above the water level. This represents a notable contrast to global concerns about rising seas.</p>



<p>The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, demonstrates the varied regional impacts of climate change. While many locations face rising water levels, Greenland's bedrock is literally rising above the surrounding seas.</p>



<p>The full study was recently published in <em><a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2023GL104851" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geophysical Research Letters</a></em>.</p>



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Greenland's ground rises while coasts worldwide face higher seas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXXGGiynIjs Greenland is not sinking. In fact, it is the...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSM3EVeGHJU
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Companies like MindStudio help companies train their employees to implement the latest AI Agent building platform.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ai-agent-training-transforms-the-workplace-fear-factor-into-a-competitive-advantage">AI agent training transforms the workplace 'fear factor' into a competitive advantage</h2>



<p>Organizations that offer comprehensive artificial intelligence training to their workers find remarkable value that extends well beyond basic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mind-wandering-might-be-more-productive-than-you-think/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">productivity improvements</a>. Emerging research demonstrates that carefully crafted AI training programs <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-does-not-replace-human-creativity-but-enhances-it/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">enhance</a> corporate performance, lower operational costs, and dramatically improve employee psychological well-being by turning workplace uncertainty into professional empowerment.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-addressing-the-widespread-ai-anxiety-crisis-among-us">Addressing the widespread 'AI anxiety' crisis among us</h2>



<p>A staggering 53% of employees expressed concern that the use of AI tools to automate work tasks could make them appear disposable to their employers, according to <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Microsoft</a>'s 2024 workplace survey. Such pervasive worry about being substituted by machines has caused what researchers have termed "AI technostress" – a psychological state that can result in occupational burnout and poorer mental well-being.</p>



<p>Data published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/palcomms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humanities and Social Sciences Communications</a> showed that belief in AI learning ability was a moderator in the link between technology adoption and work pressure, and higher confidence significantly lowered negative psychological responses. Workers provided ample training to become competent with AI software have significantly lower stress.</p>



<p>Companies like <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MindStudio</a> have platforms for building what are known as "AI Agents".  In essence, AI Agents are simply tools that employees can build for themselves or their teams quickly and inexpensively.   MindStudio will even train entire companies, from the CEO on down, at no cost. By letting MindStudio empower employees, companies avoid hiring more IT staff, buying more software, and implementing solutions to problems that do not exist.</p>



<p>MindStudio even has partners locally for companies, like <a href="http://www.dominnus.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dominnus</a> with offices in the Carolinas, California, and Denver, to help build AI Agents and support employees as they become resident AI experts for their organization.  The training provided by MindStudio is applicable across other AI Agent building platforms as well.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-productivity-through-focused-learning">Revolutionary productivity through focused learning</h2>



<p>Organizations that implement large-scale AI training programs achieve dramatic outcomes. Employees performed tasks significantly better when they utilized AI support compared to when they didn't, according to <a href="https://www.nngroup.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nielsen Norman Group</a> research findings. Their study documented productivity increases of 66% for a variety of professional tasks.</p>



<p>Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis research finds workers record 33% higher productivity in time working with generative AI tools. The benefit is equivalent to 5.4% of work time savings for AI users – around 2.2 hours per week for full-time workers.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-psychological-well-being-benefits-through-ai-competence">Psychological well-being benefits through AI competence</h2>



<p>The emotional transformation when employees are provided with proper technology training is a fundamental transformation from fear to professional confidence. A survey of 600 employees across industries, carried out by ScienceDirect, proved that AI capabilities strengthen work environment commitment and improve job satisfaction.</p>



<p>A <a href="https://www.lut.fi/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LUT University</a> study discovered that AI adoption has no direct effect on workers' well-being but does so indirectly through working conditions like task optimization and safety protocols. Strategically deployed AI that involves correct training can actually increase workplace mental well-being.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-replacement-anxiety-to-partnership-confidence">From 'replacement anxiety' to 'partnership confidence'</h2>



<p>Although 35% of those interviewed in recent McKinsey studies were concerned about workforce displacement, firms with large-scale training initiatives witness such fears dissipate quickly. The World Economic Forum found that two out of three respondents believe AI competencies will enhance their career prospects and job marketability.</p>



<p>This shift from fear to trust has measurable implications for job satisfaction. Applied Sciences research indicates AI can create tailored wellness programs based on individual employee requirements.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-financial-benefits-of-increased-retention">Financial benefits of increased retention</h2>



<p>The mental health advantages of AI learning have a direct impact on organizational bottom lines in the form of a positive feedback cycle with high retention of employees. Recent ROI research validates that artificial intelligence learning has a beneficial impact on employee turnover and satisfaction levels.</p>



<p>PriceWaterhouseCoopers' research documents 20% to 30% improvements in productivity, market speed, and revenue in organizations that attempt systematic AI adoption through comprehensive training.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-environmental-advantages-of-ai-enabled-teams">Environmental advantages of AI-enabled teams</h2>



<p>AI training has unforeseen environmental benefits as it makes the work environment more efficient. According to a study in Scientific Reports, the carbon footprint in writing and illustrating work is significantly lower when AI performs it compared to humans. AI software produces 130 to 1,500 times less CO2 equivalent per page of text created than human authors.</p>



<p>In addition, AI-driven remote work functionality significantly reduces environmental impact. Research by Cornell University and Microsoft indicates that remote workers reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 54% by not commuting daily to offices. Hybrid workers working remotely two to four days a week can reduce their carbon footprint by 11% to 29%.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cumulative-organizational-advantages">Cumulative organizational advantages</h2>



<p>The compounding gains of better mental well-being, reduced turnover, increased productivity, and environmental benefits flow to enterprises from the pairing. McKinsey analysis estimates the long-term AI potential at $4.4 trillion in incremental productivity growth opportunity from business use cases.</p>



<p>As of now, 75% of knowledge workers globally utilize generative AI, mirroring widespread adoption patterns. Organizations that provide organized training and assistance see the most favorable results in productivity, worker satisfaction, and ecological sustainability.</p>



<p>The research overwhelmingly indicates that companies that invest in proper AI education, like that offered through <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MindStudio</a>, establish win-win scenarios where employees are both more empowered and less stressed, and companies enjoy the gains of increased productivity, reduced turnover, and improved mental health outcomes throughout their workforce.</p>



<p>For more on MindStudio's free AI training for companies, visit the website's of MindStudio and Dominnus from the links below.</p>



<p>The research was published across a variety of peer-reviewed journals, including <a href="https://www.nature.com/palcomms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humanities and Social Sciences Communications</a>, <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence</a>, and <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci">Applied Sciences</a>.</p>



<p id="block-9bd989d6-2fd3-4580-957f-6cacce134f08">-----</p>



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<p>MindStudio.AI: <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.mindstudio.ai</a></p>



<p>Dominnus: <a href="https://www.dominnus.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.dominnus.com</a></p>

AI agent training boosts mental health and profits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSM3EVeGHJU Companies like MindStudio help companies train their employees to...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HDXqTGEmi4
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Scientists give plants superpowers against bacterial disease</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-natural-solution-to-disease-through-crop-modification">A natural solution to disease through crop modification.</h2>



<p>The agricultural industry stands at a crossroads between productivity and environmental responsibility, and crop modification often carries a negative connotation. While chemical pesticides have long been the go-to solution for crop protection, their harmful effects on ecosystems and human health have prompted scientists to seek alternatives. The recent breakthrough by <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Southampton</a> researchers offers a promising path forward through the precise manipulation of plant-associated microbial communities.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-science-behind-microbial-partnerships">The science behind microbial partnerships</h2>



<p>Plants naturally harbor diverse ecosystems of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms that function as biological allies. These microscopic partners contribute to disease resistance, nutrient absorption, and stress tolerance. However, until now, scientists lacked the tools to deliberately reshape these communities to enhance crop protection.</p>



<p>The Southampton team's approach centered on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/engineered-plant-microbiomes-the-future-of-crop-protection/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">modifying lignin biosynthesis genes in rice plants</a>. This strategic intervention altered the plant's metabolic output, creating conditions that favored beneficial bacterial populations while suppressing harmful ones. The result was a living defense system embedded within the plant itself.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-global-food-security">Implications for global food security</h2>



<p>The successful demonstration against Xanthomonas oryzae, the pathogen responsible for bacterial blight in rice, represents more than a laboratory achievement. Rice feeds nearly half the world's population, and bacterial blight causes devastating crop losses annually. Traditional control methods rely heavily on pesticides that contaminate soil and water systems.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-beyond-disease-resistance">Looking Beyond Disease Resistance</h2>



<p>While disease protection represents the immediate application, the research framework opens doors to broader agricultural improvements. Future developments could engineer microbiomes to enhance nutrient uptake, reducing dependence on synthetic fertilizers. This dual benefit addresses both crop productivity and environmental sustainability.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-path-forward">The path forward</h2>



<p>As this technology advances from laboratory to field applications, it promises to reshape sustainable agriculture. The ability to program plants with their own biological defense systems could herald a new era where crops protect themselves naturally, reducing chemical inputs while maintaining yields necessary for global food security.</p>



<p>The study is published in the journal&nbsp;<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-44335-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Nature Communications</em></a>.</p>



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Revolutionizing agriculture through microbiome engineering

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HDXqTGEmi4 Scientists give plants superpowers against bacterial disease A natural...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVywlgRJXsc
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Some children read facial expressions when making food choices.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-other-people-s-reactions-influence-children-s-eating-habits">Other people's reactions influence children's eating habits</h2>



<p>Many children are finicky eaters, but research explains how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-have-learned-why-so-many-kids-dislike-vegetables/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">watching others eat and social modeling</a> influence the eating habits of children.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Study Methodology Demonstrates Social Learning Impact</h2>



<p>Researchers at <a href="https://www.aston.ac.uk/hls/school-of-psychology" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aston University School of Psychology</a> have published findings in Frontiers in Psychology that illuminate the neurobiological foundations of food preference development through observational learning. The investigation employed controlled video stimuli featuring adults consuming raw broccoli while displaying systematically varied facial expressions to measure participant responses.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Asymmetrical Response Patterns Identified</h2>



<p>The research, conducted with 204 female participants, revealed a pronounced asymmetry in social modeling effects. Negative facial expressions during vegetable consumption significantly diminished observer food preference ratings, while positive expressions failed to produce corresponding increases in vegetable appeal. This finding challenges conventional assumptions about the bidirectional nature of social influence in dietary behavior formation.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Evolutionary Psychology Framework Applied</h2>



<p>Dr. Katie Edwards and her research team propose that these results reflect adaptive mechanisms developed through evolutionary processes. The heightened sensitivity to disgust expressions likely functions as a protective system, enabling individuals to identify potentially harmful foods through social cues without direct risk exposure.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Clinical and Educational Implications</h2>



<p>These findings carry substantial implications for pediatric nutrition interventions and family meal dynamics. The research suggests that parental expressions of distaste during vegetable consumption may inadvertently reinforce children's existing food aversions through unconscious social transmission pathways.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Future Research Directions</h2>



<p>The study establishes a foundation for expanded investigation into real-time social modeling effects and cross-demographic applicability. Researchers emphasize the necessity for longitudinal studies examining actual consumption behaviors rather than preference ratings alone, particularly within family contexts where social learning occurs most frequently.</p>



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<p></p>

Social modeling affects our food choices

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVywlgRJXsc Some children read facial expressions when making food choices....

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JynHpMaNO8A
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Chaotic cancer protein finally controlled after decades of mystery</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cancer-causing-protein-bound-and-blocked">Cancer-causing protein bound and blocked</h2>



<p>In a discovery that can one day revolutionize cancer treatment, researchers at the <a href="https://www.ucr.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California, Riverside</a> have successfully developed a means of controlling MYC, a notoriously slippery protein that causes approximately <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chaotic-protein-that-fuels-75-of-cancers-can-be-controlled/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">75% of all cancers in humans</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-makes-myc-different">What makes MYC different</h2>



<p>MYC presents a unique challenge when studying cancer. Normally, this protein plays a vital role in healthy cells. It carefully controls transcription - the process that converts genetic information from DNA and RNA into proteins.</p>



<p>However, cancer changes everything. In cancer cells, MYC becomes a destructive force. It operates in overdrive mode with no regulation whatsoever.</p>



<p>Professor Min Xue, who led the research team, explains it simply: "MYC is less like food for cancer cells and more like a steroid. It drives cancer's aggressive growth." This superactive behavior makes MYC involved in three out of every four cancer cases.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-myc-is-hard-to-target">Why MYC is hard to target</h2>



<p>Despite its clear role in cancer, targeting MYC has been one of medicine's biggest challenges. The main problem lies in MYC's unusual structure - or rather, its complete lack of structure.</p>



<p>Professor Xue describes the protein as "basically a glob of randomness." This means conventional drug discovery methods don't work. These traditional approaches rely on sharply defined protein structures. MYC simply doesn't have one.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A New Approach to Fighting MYC</h2>



<p>The UCR research team developed a clever solution. They designed a special peptide molecule that could selectively bind to MYC. More importantly, this peptide could block MYC's destructive activity.</p>



<p>The key was fine-tuning two specific features: the peptide's stiffness and its shape. Through careful adjustments, researchers achieved something remarkable. They reached "sub-micro-molar affinity" - meaning their peptide binds as strongly as antibodies do.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-breakthrough-results">Breakthrough results</h2>



<p>This accomplishment represents a major leap beyond previous attempts. The researchers enhanced their peptide's binding strength by two orders of magnitude. This dramatic improvement brings the work significantly closer to practical drug development goals.</p>



<p>The research opens new possibilities for treating the vast majority of cancers where MYC plays a destructive role.</p>



<p>The researchers are presently optimizing peptide-delivery systems based on lipid nanoparticles that deliver the peptide effectively into cancer cells. The<a href="https://www.nih.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> National Institutes of Health</a> and the <a href="https://www.defense.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. Department of Defense</a> funded the study, which appeared in the Journal of the <a href="https://www.acs.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Chemical Society</a>.<br>This research offers renewed hope against cancer, and it can potentially open a door to more effective cancer therapies for most cancer patients worldwide.</p>



<p>-----</p>



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<p>-----</p>

The protein that fuels 3 out of 4 cancers has been controlled

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JynHpMaNO8A Chaotic cancer protein finally controlled after decades of mystery...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE
</div></figure>



<p>On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop and sunlight barely penetrates through the polar winter. It was here, however, that an international team of scientists found <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predatory-worms-were-terror-beasts-half-a-billion-years-ago/#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence of sea monsters</a> that would change our understanding of ocean life in the past.</p>



<p>This video captures the discovery of Timorebestia fossils that had been hidden for more than 500 million years in the Sirius Passet formation. The "terror beasts," as they are called, are a hidden chapter in the evolutionary history of <a href="https://www.earth.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth</a>, showing that sophisticated predator-prey interactions occurred much earlier than previously envisioned.</p>



<p>Dr. Jakob Vinther and his research team at the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bristol</a>, in collaboration with researchers at the <a href="https://eng.kopri.re.kr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Korean Polar Research Institute</a>, braved extreme weather conditions at 82.5 north latitude to locate these giant creatures. Using sophisticated electron microprobe analysis, they revealed the detailed anatomy of the animals, including their muscle and nerve tissues.</p>



<p>The find upsets the traditional timeline of sea predators.  Although we've long appreciated that Cambrian oceans were at one time ruled by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWI3-UgA3_o&amp;list=PL1QLQMW9MWDwpkFOnvgAmu7wT6rZmYqdJ&amp;index=19" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">arthropods</a>, these discoveries indicate that relatives of arrow worms were first to dominate the seas.  These worms were building sophisticated food webs several million years before other predator groups arose.</p>



<p>Each fossil is a story of ancient hunger, with fossil stomach contents revealing these meter-long beasts dined on heavily armored arthropods regularly, cementing their place as the ocean's first apex predators.</p>



<p>-----</p>



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<p>-----</p>

Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">New York is the site of the world's oldest forest.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-385-million-year-old-trees-discovered">385-million-year-old trees discovered</h2>



<p>Scientists have uncovered something extraordinary just two hours north of New York City. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-oldest-forest-discovered-close-to-new-york-city/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">world's oldest forest</a>, dating back 385 million years, offers a window into how Earth's first complex forests shaped our planet's atmosphere.</p>



<p>Located near <a href="https://townofcairo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cairo, New York</a>, in Greene County, these weren't merely primitive plants struggling to survive. These were sophisticated trees with root systems remarkably similar to modern forests. This ancient woodland predates dinosaurs by 140 million years.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-cairo-forest-discovery">The Cairo forest discovery</h2>



<p>385 million years ago, upstate New York was a tropical paradise near the equator. Thanks to continental drift, this ancient forest has traveled thousands of miles to its current location.</p>



<p>The fossil forest sits in an abandoned quarry, roughly half the size of a football field. This represents just a slice of what was likely a massive forest system stretching from New York into Pennsylvania.</p>



<p>Charles Ver Straeten, curator of sedimentary rocks at the <a href="https://www.nysm.nysed.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York State Museum</a>, made the discovery in 2009. While scouting the former highway department property, his trained eye spotted wandering patterns in the stone that looked like marine features.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-age-and-preservation">Revolutionary age and preservation</h2>



<p>The site contains 385-million-year-old rocks with fossilized woody roots forming horizontal patterns up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) wide. As Christopher Berry, a paleobotanist at Cardiff University, explains: "You are walking through the roots of ancient trees."</p>



<p>This discovery pushes back advanced tree evolution by millions of years. The research, published in <em><a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a></em> in December 2019, fundamentally changes our understanding of when complex forests first emerged.</p>



<p>Researchers believe a massive flood buried the forest floor, creating perfect fossilization conditions. Over millions of years, sediment hardened into rock, preserving these root patterns like nature's time capsule.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meet-archaeopteris-the-first-modern-tree">Meet <em>Archaeopteris</em>: the first modern tree</h2>



<p>The star of this ancient forest is <em>Archaeopteris</em> – not to be confused with the feathered dinosaur <em>Archaeopteryx</em>. This tree was far older and more revolutionary.</p>



<p>William Stein from <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Binghamton University</a> describes the roots as "strikingly modern, essentially what you'd see outside in my yard right now." These weren't simple root systems you'd expect from ancient plants.</p>



<p>Some fossilized roots are six inches (15 centimeters) in diameter, forming 36-foot-wide (11-meter) patterns. These giants grew up to 65 feet (20 meters) tall with five-foot-diameter (1.5-meter) trunks.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-changing-impact">Climate-changing impact</h2>



<p>These trees fundamentally changed Earth's environment. Kevin Boyce, a Stanford University geoscientist, explains how their deep roots triggered "weathering," chemical reactions that pulled carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.</p>



<p>This process dropped atmospheric CO2 levels from 10-15 times higher than today to roughly modern concentrations. These ancient trees helped create atmospheric conditions that made complex life possible.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-forest-ecosystem">Ancient forest ecosystem</h2>



<p>The forest was remarkably diverse. Scientists identified <em>Eospermatopteris</em>, palm tree-like plants with short roots that reached 30 feet (9 meters) tall but lacked woody structure. The forest also housed cladoxylopsids and a mysterious third species still being studied.</p>



<p>All reproduced through spores rather than seeds – millions of years before seeds evolved. This tropical environment had no grass, flowers, or flying insects, just towering trees creating Earth's first complex forest canopy.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientific-significance">Scientific significance</h2>



<p>Before this finding, the Gilboa forest, located 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, held the "oldest forest" title. Cairo's trees are 2-3 million years older, showing that complex forest ecosystems developed much faster than scientists believed possible.</p>



<p>Patricia Gensel, a <a href="https://www.unc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of North Carolina</a> paleobotanist, notes: "The size of those root systems is really changing the picture. Even 20 years ago, researchers assumed trees with such complex root systems didn't evolve so early."</p>



<p>The Cairo site presents three unique root systems, suggesting Devonian period forests were diverse ecosystems with different trees occupying different environmental niches, much like today's forests.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-preservation-efforts">Modern preservation efforts</h2>



<p>In 2022, New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey secured a $170,000 grant for the town of Cairo to construct specialized fencing around the fossil forest site. The town plans to conduct a feasibility study exploring the possibility of creating an educational center and working lab on-site.</p>



<p>Joe Hasenkopf, chair of the Cairo Planning Board, hopes to partner with educational institutions to create a research facility serving scientists, students, and the public.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-for-today-s-climate">Lessons for today's climate</h2>



<p>Why does a 385-million-year-old forest matter today? It shows how dramatically forests can change Earth's climate. These ancient woodlands created the atmospheric conditions supporting complex life.</p>



<p>Understanding how prehistoric forests transformed the planet helps us appreciate modern forests' critical role in addressing climate change. Forests remain Earth's most effective carbon capture systems.</p>



<p>These prehistoric trees changed Earth's atmosphere by pulling massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the air. As we face modern climate challenges, this ancient forest reminds us of trees' incredible power to transform our planet's environment.</p>



<p>The next time you walk through a forest, remember you're experiencing an ecosystem whose blueprint was established 385 million years ago in upstate New York. These ancient pioneers didn't just survive – they thrived and changed the world forever.</p>



<p>The full study was published in the journal <em>Current Biology</em>.</p>



<p>-----</p>



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<p>-----</p>

Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ New York is the site of the world's oldest...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Veg4HmmRVZY
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Our bodies hits two 'aging cliffs' at these ages.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientists-map-exact-ages-when-your-body-rapidly-ages">Scientists Map Exact Ages When Your Body Rapidly Ages</h2>



<p>Scientists have <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-bodies-begin-breaking-down-two-very-precise-ages/#google_vignette">discovered that aging</a> isn't the gradual, steady process many assume it to be. Instead, researchers from Stanford Medicine have found that our bodies undergo dramatic molecular changes at two specific ages: 44 and 60. This research, published in Nature Aging, reveals that aging happens in sudden bursts rather than smooth transitions.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-two-waves-of-rapid-aging">Two waves of rapid aging</h2>



<p>The Stanford study tracked over 135,000 different molecules and microbes in 108 participants aged 25 to 75 over several years. Results showed that 81% of all molecules studied exhibited non-linear changes, meaning they shifted dramatically at certain ages rather than changing gradually over time.</p>



<p>Michael Snyder, chair of genetics at Stanford School of Medicine and the study's senior author, noted significant findings. "We're not just changing gradually over time; there are some really dramatic changes. It turns out the mid-40s is a time of dramatic change, as is the early 60s. And that's true no matter what class of molecules you look at."</p>



<p>The first wave of changes occurs around age 44, affecting molecules related to alcohol metabolism, caffeine processing, lipid <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/age-related-changes-in-metabolism-dont-match-our-expectations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">metabolism</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heart-disease-remains-the-leading-cause-of-death-worldwide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cardiovascular disease</a>, and skin and muscle function. The second wave hits around age 60, involving changes in carbohydrate metabolism, immune regulation, kidney function, and again cardiovascular and muscle health.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happens-during-these-aging-bursts">What happens during these aging bursts</h2>



<p>During the mid-40s transformation, researchers observed significant changes in how the body processes alcohol and fats. This period often coincides with increased stress levels in many people's lives, potentially contributing to lifestyle factors that accelerate these molecular shifts.</p>



<p>"It's possible some of these changes could be tied to lifestyle or behavioral factors that cluster at these age groups, rather than being driven by biological factors," Snyder explained. For instance, alcohol metabolism dysfunction might result from increased consumption during the typically stressful mid-40s period.</p>



<p>The changes at age 60 are perhaps less surprising, as this is when many age-related diseases begin to manifest more prominently. The molecular shifts affect immune function and kidney health, both critical for maintaining overall wellness as we enter our senior years.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-latest-research-confirms-aging-patterns">Latest research confirms aging patterns</h2>



<p>Recent 2025 studies have validated these findings. Research examining tissue samples from 76 people found similar aging patterns, noting an "inflection point" between ages 45 and 55.</p>



<p>Scientists discovered that blood vessels, particularly the aorta, age fastest among all body tissues. This vascular aging may drive aging in other body parts, highlighting cardiovascular health's central role in the aging process.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cellular-changes-and-microbiome-shifts">Cellular changes and microbiome shifts</h2>



<p>The Stanford research revealed that these aging bursts affect our microbiome – the trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi living in and on our bodies. These microbial communities undergo substantial shifts during both aging periods, potentially affecting everything from digestion to immune function.</p>



<p>Additionally, researchers found that protein production and gene expression begin to fall out of sync as we age. This breakdown in cellular communication becomes especially pronounced during the two aging waves, contributing to the accumulation of damaged proteins associated with diseases such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alzheimers-may-not-be-brain-disorder-important-data-was-fabricated/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alzheimer's</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-health-implications-and-longevity-considerations">Health implications and longevity considerations</h2>



<p>Understanding these aging patterns has important implications for healthcare strategies. Research suggests that people should pay particular attention to their health during their 40s and 60s, when these dramatic molecular changes occur.</p>



<p>Snyder emphasized the importance of proactive health measures. "I'm a big believer that we should try to adjust our lifestyles while we're still healthy," he noted. This might include increasing exercise to protect heart health and maintain muscle mass, or reducing alcohol consumption in the 40s as the body's ability to metabolize it declines.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-approaches-to-anti-aging-treatment">New approaches to anti-aging treatment</h2>



<p>Aging research has seen notable advances in 2025. Harvard Medical School scientists developed chemical cocktails that reverse cellular aging without genetic modification. These six combinations restored aged cells to youthfulness in under a week, offering safer alternatives to gene therapy.</p>



<p>Researchers identified new biomarkers like "InflammAge," a saliva-based test measuring chronic inflammation associated with aging. This non-invasive approach could change how we monitor aging and intervention.</p>



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



<p>Emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, cellular reprogramming, and senolytic therapies, are opening new possibilities for extending healthspan. Companies develop treatments targeting aging's fundamental mechanisms rather than just managing age-related diseases.</p>



<p>The Stanford findings provide a roadmap for implementing preventive measures. Rather than waiting for symptoms, people can prepare for and potentially mitigate these predictable aging waves.</p>



<p>As aging understanding evolves, one thing becomes clear: aging isn't inevitable decline, but specific biological events we may learn to prevent or reverse. The key is recognizing when these transitions occur and taking proactive health steps during vulnerable periods.</p>



<p>The study was published in the journal <em><a href="https://www.nature.com/nataging" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Aging</a></em>.</p>



<p>-----</p>



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<p>-----</p>

Scientists discover we age in bursts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Veg4HmmRVZY Our bodies hits two 'aging cliffs' at these ages....

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqlF0XKzHY4
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The hidden science behind tickling.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientists-discover-the-brain-s-tickling-command-center">Scientists discover the brain's 'tickling command center'</h2>



<p>Researchers have finally solved one of humanity's most enduring mysteries: why we can't <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/after-centuries-of-debate-we-still-dont-know-how-tickling-works/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tickle</a> ourselves and what makes some people incredibly ticklish while others barely react? Recent scientific discoveries are revolutionizing our understanding of this peculiar human behavior.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-breakthrough-discovery-in-the-brain">Breakthrough discovery in the brain</h2>



<p>In 2023, Dr. Michael Brecht's team at <a href="https://www.hu-berlin.de/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humboldt University</a>-<a href="https://www.hu-berlin.de/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Berlin</a> made a major discovery published in the <a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(22)01991-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">journal <em>Neuron</em></a>. They identified the brain's actual "tickling command center" – specific neurons in a region called the periaqueductal gray that control both tickling responses and play behavior.</p>



<p>When researchers used cutting-edge optogenetic technology to shut down these neurons in laboratory rats, something remarkable happened. The animals completely lost their ability to be tickled or engage in playful behavior.</p>



<p>"We found that global blockade of the rat periaqueductal gray with either muscimol or lidocaine interfered with ticklishness and play," the research team reported in their study.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-two-types-of-tickling-revealed">Two types of tickling revealed</h2>



<p>What we call "tickling" is two completely different phenomena, according to the latest research. Light tickling – that feathery sensation that makes you want to scratch – is essentially your body's sophisticated bug detection system. This alerts you to potential insects or parasites on your skin.</p>



<p>Deep tickling – the kind that makes you laugh uncontrollably – involves complex brain circuits and is fundamentally social. You literally cannot tickle yourself with this type of stimulation.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-self-tickling-is-impossible">Why self-tickling is impossible</h2>



<p>Your cerebellum acts like a prediction machine, recent findings show. When you move your own hand to touch yourself, your brain generates precise predictions about what you will feel and then cancels out the tickling sensation through neural inhibition.</p>



<p>When someone else tickles you, your brain can't predict their movements, so the full tickling response activates. It's like your brain's way of distinguishing between self and others.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-individual-differences-explained">Individual differences explained</h2>



<p>Individual differences in ticklishness depend on genetics, psychology, and even trust. Dr. Xinzhong Dong at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Johns Hopkins University</a> notes that people with denser nerve endings tend to be more sensitive.</p>



<p>Psychological factors matter just as much. You respond more strongly when tickled by people you trust, and anxiety completely shuts down tickling responses. This explains why the same physical stimulus can produce completely different reactions depending on who's doing the tickling.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-controlling-your-ticklishness">Controlling your ticklishness</h2>



<p>Science offers answers for controlling your ticklishness. You can reduce tickling sensitivity through systematic desensitization – gradual exposure in controlled settings.</p>



<p>Dr. Konstantina Kilteni's 2025 research, published in <em><a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adt0350" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a></em>, reveals another technique: place your hand on the tickler's hand. This allows your brain to partially predict the sensations, reducing the tickling response by up to 90 percent.</p>



<p>"Your brain is essentially learning to override its own reflexes," Kilteni explained in her review of tickling research.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolutionary-purpose-discovered">Evolutionary purpose discovered</h2>



<p>From an evolutionary perspective, tickling serves vital functions according to <a href="https://www.umd.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Maryland</a> researcher Dr. Robert Provine's extensive studies. It trains our defense reflexes for vulnerable body areas and facilitates social bonding between family members.</p>



<p>Tickling-induced laughter is actually one of the first forms of communication between infants and caregivers. "Tickle involves a neurological self/nonself discrimination, providing the most primitive social scenario," Provine noted in his research.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clinical-applications-emerge">Clinical applications emerge</h2>



<p>Research shows people with autism spectrum disorder perceive touches as more ticklish than people without the condition. Investigating this difference could provide insight into brain differences and help advance autism research.</p>



<p>People with schizophrenia tend to experience self-touches similarly to external tickles, allowing them to essentially tickle themselves. This suggests altered sensory prediction mechanisms in the condition.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-animal-research-reveals-universal-nature">Animal research reveals universal nature</h2>



<p>Scientists have discovered that many species beyond humans are ticklish. Rats emit ultrasonic "laughs" when tickled, while chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans all respond to tickling stimulation.</p>



<p>This widespread occurrence across species suggests that tickling serves fundamental biological and social functions that evolved long before humans developed complex language and culture.</p>



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



<p>Dr. Kilteni argues that tickling research deserves more scientific attention. "It is a complex interplay of motor, social, neurological, developmental, and evolutionary aspects," she stated in her recent review.</p>



<p>New haptic technologies and advanced research methodologies now permit scientists to investigate tickle sensation with unprecedented precision. Standardized experimental methods using mechanical tickling devices ensure consistent results across studies.</p>



<p>Recent findings published in <em>Science Advances</em> show that tickling research is opening new doors in neuroscience, potentially leading to a better understanding of social behavior, sensory processing, and neurological conditions.</p>



<p>-----</p>



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<p>-----</p>

Scientists solve the mystery of tickling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqlF0XKzHY4 The hidden science behind tickling. Scientists discover the brain's...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



<p></p>



<p>-----</p>



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<p>-----</p>

Retired professor claims he solved time travel

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



<p>-----</p>



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<p>-----</p>

The environmental problem we actually solved

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

<p>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. </p>



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



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https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



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



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



<p>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. </p>



<p>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).</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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>.</p>

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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<p>Today’s <strong>Video of the Day</strong> 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.</p>



<p>"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.</p>



<p>"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."</p>



<p><em>Video/ Image Credit: ESA</em></p>



<p><em>-</em><em>--</em></p>



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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

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<p>Today's <strong>Video of the Day</strong> 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.</p>



<p>"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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p><em>Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;</em></p>



<p><em>-</em><em>--</em></p>



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



<p>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.</p>

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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<p>Today’s <strong>Video of the Day</strong> 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;</p>



<p>"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.</p>



<p>"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."</p>



<p>"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."</p>



<p><em>Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;</em></p>



<p><em>-</em><em>--</em></p>



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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<p>Today's <strong>Video of the Day</strong> 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;</p>



<p>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;</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p><em>Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;</em></p>



<p><em>-</em><em>--</em></p>



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



<p>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.</p>

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



<p>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;</p>



<p>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;</p>



<p>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. </p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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. </p>



<p><em>Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;</em></p>



<p><em>-</em><em>--</em></p>



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



<p>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.</p>

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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

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<p>Today’s <strong>Video of the Day</strong> 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.</p>



<p>“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. </p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>“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;</p>



<p>“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.”</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p><em>Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois</em></p>



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



<p>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.</p>

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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<p>Today’s <strong>Video of the Day</strong> 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?</p>



<p>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;</p>



<p>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;</p>



<p><em>Video Credit: ACS Reactions</em></p>



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



<p>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.</p>

How does salt makes things taste better?

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<p>Today’s <strong>Video of the Day</strong> 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;</p>



<p>'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)."</p>



<p>"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.</p>



<p><em>Video/ Image Credit: ESA</em></p>



<p><em>-</em><em>--</em></p>



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



<p>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.</p>

Santiago, Chile in South America

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