Everyone talks about mindfulness these days. People say it helps with stress, improves sleep, and makes life calmer. But here is a question: can meditation actually sharpen your focus? Turns out, it can.



A new study from the <a href="https://gero.usc.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology</a> reveals something surprising: just thirty days of guided mindfulness meditation can change how quickly and accurately people focus. Age does not seem to matter here.



This is not about feelings or guesswork. Researchers used eye tracking, a tool that shows exactly where your <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mindfulness-meditation-is-a-powerful-weapon-against-chronic-pain/">attention</a> goes. 



“This study shows that mindfulness isn’t just about feeling more relaxed - it can literally change the way your brain handles attention,” said Andy Jeesu Kim, the study’s first author. “And that’s incredibly important for maintaining cognitive health as we age.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-focus-fades-with-age">Why focus fades with age</h2>



As people get older, their brains <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meditation-can-rapidly-reduce-ptsd-without-revisiting-trauma/">slow down</a>. They do not react as fast. Distractions take over easily.



This happens because of a brain system called the locus coeruleus–noradrenaline system. It controls attention, memory, and alertness - and it weakens with age.



Professor Mara Mather from the USC Leonard Davis School has studied this system for years. She found connections between its decline and early Alzheimer’s disease.



Earlier research hinted that mindfulness could strengthen this brain system. Meditation might boost areas that help with focus. But no one had tested this idea using precise eye-tracking methods - until now.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meditation-s-effect-on-focus">Meditation’s effect on focus</h2>



The researchers did not just ask people how mindful they felt. They watched their eyes when they recruited 69 people. Some were young adults. Others were middle-aged or older.



Half of the group practiced mindfulness meditation using the Headspace app. Just 10 to 15 minutes each day. The other half listened to an audiobook for the same amount of time.



Three times, participants visited the lab. They did visual tasks that measured how fast and accurately they could focus. Their eyes revealed everything. Every glance, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meditation-rewires-the-emotional-centers-of-the-brain/">distraction</a>, or quick decision.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-attention-improves-with-practice">Attention improves with practice</h2>



After a month of mindfulness meditation, something changed. People began reacting faster - their eyes moved directly to the right target, they ignored distractions more easily, and it didn’t matter how old they were.



“We expected older adults to benefit the most, but we found that mindfulness improved attention similarly across young, middle-aged, and older adults,” Kim said. “This suggests mindfulness can be a useful tool at any stage of life.”



Oddly, when the participants filled out mindfulness questionnaires, their answers did not change much. They did not <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-meditation-and-critical-thinking-matter-in-the-age-of-ai/">feel</a> different. Their brains, however, told a different story.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-second-test-backs-meditation">Second test backs meditation</h2>



The findings did not end there. Another study backed them up. Once again, participants practiced mindfulness meditation using Headspace for 30 days. 



The researchers tracked their eye movements while they performed attention tasks, examining both proactive focus and reactive responses. Reaction times improved again. People’s eyes became quicker - regardless of age.



However, not every gain came from meditation. Some improvements likely came from practicing the task itself. But meditation clearly sped up their visual attention.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meditation-works-quietly">Meditation works quietly</h2>



The second study confirmed something interesting. Meditation did not boost self-reported mindfulness. People did not feel much different.



But their eyes told a different tale. They reacted faster, spotted targets quicker, and showed subtle changes in focus.



This tells us something crucial. You might not notice the benefits of meditation right away. Yet your brain could already be working better in the background.



Both studies found that age did not limit the benefits. Young, middle-aged, or older, everyone improved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sharper-focus-for-daily-needs">Sharper focus for daily needs</h2>



People often think mindfulness is just about peace and calm. But these studies reveal something bigger.



Mindfulness can sharpen the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/action-observation-network-human-brain-perception-see-what-we-expect-to-see-mind-eye/">brain</a>’s attention. This affects everyday activities. Driving. Reading. Holding a conversation. Even crossing the street.



Sure, the audiobook group also improved a little. That is likely because they practiced the task more. But the meditation group improved faster and more clearly.



Mindfulness does not just make people feel calmer. It changes how the brain works with attention.



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



The researchers are not done yet. They want to see what happens with longer mindfulness meditation programs. Could more time bring stronger results? They are also curious whether these quick gains stick around long term.



“We’re excited about the potential of digital mindfulness interventions to help people support their brain health,” Kim said. “It’s simple, low-cost, and widely accessible. The key is consistency.”



Mindfulness may seem small. Just a few minutes a day. But it is clear. It can quietly improve your brain’s focus, no matter your age. And all it takes is a little patience and practice.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.eneuro.org/content/early/2025/06/26/ENEURO.0356-23.2025" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eNeuro</a>.



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Mindfulness meditation can rewire your brain for sharper focus

Everyone talks about mindfulness these days. People say it helps with stress, improves sleep, and makes life calmer. But here is a question: can meditation actually sharpen your focus? Turns out, it can. A new study from the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology reveals something surprising: just thirty days of guided mindfulness meditation can change how quickly and accurately people focus. Age does not seem to matter here. This is not about feelings or guesswork. Researchers used eye tracking, a tool that shows exactly where your...

A plant’s biological clock could set the time for crop spraying. Like humans, plants run on an internal clock that helps with growth and adapting to environmental changes. 

In a new study, researchers from the <a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> have found that taking advantage of a plant’s circadian rhythm could help reduce the amount of herbicide needed for spraying crops. 

The concept is similar to chronotherapy, which factors in a person’s internal clock to determine the optimal time for taking medication. In this study, the researchers say that crop spraying should be applied at certain times, and this schedule should line up with a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-biological-clocks-grow/">plant’s biological clock</a>.

The researchers found that the time of day that crops were treated with glyphosate impacted the death of plant tissue and the slow down in growth. 

Less herbicide was needed at different times of the day. 

“This proof of concept research suggests that, in future, we might be able to refine the use of some chemicals that are used in agriculture by taking advantage of the biological clock in plants,” said Dr. Antony Dodd. the senior author of the paper. “Approaches of this type, combining biotechnology with precision agriculture, can provide economic and environmental benefits.” 

Dodd’s work at the University Of Bristol focuses on the molecular biology of how plant biological clocks can be used to help improve plant growth and performance. 

Finding more sustainable ways to improve crop resistance and performance in a future where food availability is uncertain due to climate change and population growth is crucial. 

Using less herbicide would not only be cost-effective but could also reduce the environmental impacts of harmful pest and weed killers. 

The study was published in the journal Nature Communications. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Dr. Antony Dodd

A plant’s biological clock could set the time for crop spraying

A plant’s biological clock could set the time for crop...

New non-verbal marker could help diagnose autism. There may be a new way to help screen for autism that uses neural markers. Researchers from <a href="https://home.dartmouth.edu/">Dartmouth</a> led a study that identified the first neural, non-verbal marker of autism of its kind. 

Currently, screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is difficult because there is no conclusive test to prove a diagnosis as there are for other diseases. Doctors screen for specific <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/autism-less-empathy/">behavior and development delays. </a>

Even if a trained clinician suspects ASD, an official diagnosis may not come until much later. 

In this study, researchers were able to identify an objective, non-verbal marker of autism independent of intelligence. 

“Autism is hard to screen for in children, when the first signs are present. A trained clinician may be able to detect autism at 18-months or even younger; yet, the average age of a diagnosis of autism in the U.S. is about four years old,” said Caroline Robertson, the lead author of the study. “We need objective, non-invasive screening tools that don’t depend on assessing a child’s behavior.”New non-verbal marker could help diagnose autism

It’s been thought that people with autism have differences in the way neural signals are inhibited in the brain and how certain information is processed. 

Robertson’s past research found that when presented two images at the same time, an autistic brain is slower when switching back and forth from one image to the other, something called slower binocular rivalry.

In this new study, the researchers measured the rate of slower binocular rivalry in people with autism using an electroencephalography (EEG) electrode placed over the visual region of the brain on a participants head. 

Once the electrode was in place, participants were shown two images that flickered back and forth. 

The EEG neural data were then used to predict whether or not an individual had autism, and the researchers were able to accurately identify autism in the brain 87 percent of the time. 

The study paves the way for developing new non-verbal markers for diagnosing and screening for ASD. 

“This visual test may be a non-verbal marker of autism in adults,” said Robertson, “Our next steps are to learn whether this test could potentially be used to detect autism in pre-verbal children and non-verbal adults and develop it into a screening tool for the condition. In the meantime, this result gives us new insight into the brain in autism, showing that visual regions of the brain are affected.” 

The study findings were published in the journal Current Biology. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Photographee.eu

New non-verbal marker could help diagnose autism

New non-verbal marker could help diagnose autism. There may be...

A team of engineers at <a href="https://www.hw.ac.uk/">Heriot-Watt University</a> is developing a microsensor that can track changes in a wound as it heals. The sensor will ultimately be used in smart bandages to keep doctors and patients informed on the progress.

Wounds such as cuts, burns, and surgical incisions cause significant <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/pain-signals-travel-fast/">pain</a> to patients and their treatment can take up a lot of clinical resources, including time and money. 

Dr. Michael Crichton, a biomedical engineer at <a href="https://www.hw.ac.uk/">Heriot-Watt</a>, has received a grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to develop the microsensor. The device will detect tiny, microscale changes which occur in the body tissue as a wound heals. 

Dr. Crichton has been collaborating on the two-year project with Dr. Jenna Cash, a specialist in wound healing immunology at the University of Edinburgh.

"We want to understand what actually happens in a wound. Lots of research has looked at the biological properties of wounds, but we know very little about the mechanics of how wounds heal, especially at the microscale, which is where changes are happening at sub-hair width scales," said Dr Crichton.

“We’re working to create a small sensor that can be embedded in a bandage to measure changes in a wound’s properties without interfering with the process. The sensor will make small mechanical measurements - much like how a doctor would prod a lump - and will tell us how the tissue is changing, or whether the wound needs a different dressing or treatment."

Dr. Crichton explained that, currently, the progress of a wound is based on self-reported pain levels by patients and by how the wound appears to the naked eye of health professionals. "Our smart sensor will alert the patient and their care team when intervention is needed to make sure the wound heals better, or when it is all progressing nicely under the bandage."

According to the researchers, the findings could later be applied to other tissues and organs, such as for monitoring liver or kidney damage. 

"This is an innovative, patient-focused research project that addresses the urgent need for us to better understand wounds," said Dr. Cash. "Our work on the immunological response during healing is reflected in mechanical changes, and anything that combines these has the potential for new therapies in this area."

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Tatumphoto9129

New smart bandages will be able to monitor the healing progress of wounds

A team of engineers at Heriot-Watt University is developing a...

It was once considered impossible to estimate the number of stars in the universe, yet astronomers have since determined that there are about one billion trillion of them. In a groundbreaking new study from <a href="https://hms.harvard.edu/">Harvard Medical School</a>, experts have discovered that there may be more genes in the collective <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/childs-skin-microbiome-delivery/">human microbiome</a> than stars in the observable universe. 

Perhaps even more surprising is the fact that, in an individual microbiome with millions of genes, half of these appear to be unique to each individual. Microbial diversity of this magnitude was far beyond what the researchers expected.

While past studies have focused on either the mouth or the gut microbiome, the current study is the first to include DNA from both. Regardless, this research still only scratches the surface of understanding the entire genome of the human microbiome.

"Ours is a gateway study, the first step on a what will likely be a long journey toward understanding how differences in gene content drive microbial behavior and modify disease risk," said study first author and graduate student Braden Tierney.

Across the entire human microbiome, trillions of bacteria found in the skin, mouth, and gut play a major role in health and disease. While most bacteria are harmless and even beneficial, some act as dangerous pathogens. 

The Harvard team set out to calculate the extent of microbial genes in the human body by using all of the available DNA sequencing data on human oral and gut microbiomes. Overall, the experts analyzed the DNA of about 3,500 human microbiome samples, which contained a total of nearly 46 million bacterial genes. 

More than 23 million of these bacterial genes were found to be unique to an individual, and were referred to as "singletons." 

Intriguingly, singletons behave differently from other genes, performing specialized functions like building resistance against antibiotics and other pressures. According to the researchers, this finding suggests that singleton genes are key parts of a microbe's evolutionary survival kit.

"Some of these unique genes appear to be important in solving evolutionary challenges," said Tierney. "If a microbe needs to become resistant to an antibiotic because of exposure to drugs or suddenly faces a new selective pressure, the singleton genes may be the wellspring of genetic diversity the microbe can pull from to adapt."

Further research is needed to determine what fuels this diversity, but the team has concluded that it may be driven by bacteria's ability to evolve their DNA rapidly in response to changes in the host environment. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-host-microbe/home">Cell Host &amp; Microbe</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Alpha Tauri 3D Graphics

The human microbiome may have as many genes as the universe has stars

It was once considered impossible to estimate the number of...

Scientists have developed tests for sleep impairment by tracking eye movements. A new report published by <a href="https://www.physoc.org/">The Physiological Society</a> describes the development of simple testing for sleep-related impairment based on a range of movement in the eyes. 

At NASA's Ames Research Center, a team of experts has identified eye-movement measures that can be easily and reliably tested to detect small neural deficits.

When humans operate on a <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/poor-sleep-male-fertility-problems/">lack of sleep</a>, they are often unaware that they are dangerously affected, yet sleep deprivation is believed to play a role in up to 30 percent of all motor vehicle crashes. Lack of sleep has also been implicated in many catastrophic accidents, including the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

“There are significant safety ramifications for workers who may be performing tasks that require precise visual coordination of one’s actions when sleep deprived or during night shifts,” said study senior author Lee Stone.

“By looking at a wide variety of components of human eye movements, we could not only detect sleepiness but also distinguish it from other factors, such as alcohol use or brain injury, that we have previously shown cause subtly different deficits in eye movements.”

For two weeks, study participants were instructed to sleep 8.5 hours each night on a consistent schedule and to abstain from any alcohol, drugs, or caffeine so that the individuals started the trial completely rested with no sleep deficit.

Next, the participants spent up to 28 hours awake in the Fatigue Countermeasures Laboratory at NASA Ames, as researchers tested their eye-movement performance periodically to track how it changed throughout the day and night.

By using advanced eye movement scanning techniques, the team pinpointed consistent effects that represented increasing impairment throughout the night for components of motion perception. When participants were asked to track stimuli with unpredictable direction, speed, or starting location, their eye movements were dramatically impaired.

According to the researchers, the findings have important implications for individuals who work in jobs that require vigilant monitoring and precise motor action, such as military personnel, surgeons, and truck drivers. The eye-movement measures could be used to gauge whether individuals are impaired when starting off the work day with a lack of sleep or before working a night shift.

The study is published in the <a href="https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14697793">Journal of Physiology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Sam Wordley

Scientists have developed tests for sleep impairment by tracking eye movements

Scientists have developed tests for sleep impairment by tracking eye...

The appearance of the eukaryotic cell represents a major milestone in the evolution of life, giving rise to all multicellular organisms, including humans. However, the origin of the eukaryotic cell remains a mystery that has baffled scientists for nearly a century. 

Eukaryotes contain cells that have a volume of around 10,000 times greater than the single cell of organisms known as prokaryotes, such as bacteria. Emerging as far back as four billion years ago, prokaryotes are the most ancient forms of life on Earth. The earliest evidence of eukaryotes does not appear in the fossil record until more than a billion years later. 

The eukaryotic cells found in humans and plants have a much more complex composition than bacteria, including specialized structures called mitochondria that power the cells. As for how eukaryotes evolved, one prevailing theory is that a single cell essentially swallowed another. In a new study, a microbe collected off the coast of Japan is shedding new light on this phenomenon. 

Previously, a team led by Thijs Ettema of Wageningen University had analyzed sediment from the bottom of the Arctic Ocean and found that it contained DNA from an unknown microorganism. The sediment originated in the hydrothermal vents of a region called Loki’s Castle, named after the Norse god of mischief. 

The organism was an archaean, a prokaryote which diverged from <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-boost-coral-resilience/">bacteria</a> about 3.7 billion years ago. However, the single-celled organism was found to have genes that were thought to belong only to eukaryotes, including some that can break down the outer membranes of cells. This suggests that the archean, which is known as Lokiarchaeota, may have had the ability to swallow other cells.

In the years following this discovery, several related archaea were identified through their DNA, and the group became collectively known as the Asgard archaea.

In 2006, off the southern coast of Japan, a sediment core was pulled up from an area of seabed more than 2,500 meters down in the Nankai Trough. Upon learning about Asgard archaea a few years later, Hiroyuki Imachi and his team at the <a href="http://www.jamstec.go.jp/e/">Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology</a> attempted to grow microorganisms from the 2006 sediment sample in an incubator.

The researchers developed a mixture of nutrients and other chemicals that allowed them to produce an Asgard archaean in the lab for the very first time. 

"Several groups worldwide are trying this, including my lab,” Ettema told <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a>. “They’ve beat us to it.”

After studying the behavior of the new microbe, Prometheoarchaeum syntrophicum, the team discovered that it has some very unique characteristics. 

The experts have found that Prometheoarchaeum does not live on its own, and could only be grown alongside at least one other microbe. Experiments showed that it breaks down amino acids into simpler chemicals that are eaten by the neighboring microbes. This may have led to the opportunity for the Asgard archaean to swallow one of its microbial partners. 

Prometheoarchaeum was also found to have unusually long arms that may have fused with the nearby bacteria, ultimately leading to more complex cells. 

“This is a very influential and monumental paper,” Ettema told New Scientist. "It will be very exciting if we can cultivate other Asgard members to see if they have similar types of protrusions. Only then will we be able to infer the ancestral characteristics of the Asgard cell from which eukaryotes evolved."

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/urfin

Scientists may have finally uncovered the origin of eukaryotic cells

The appearance of the eukaryotic cell represents a major milestone...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/wind-energy-facilities-birds/">Wind energy</a> continues to displace more expensive and polluting sources of energy by claiming larger shares of the electricity market. In a new study published by the <a href="https://www.aip.org/">American Institute of Physics</a>, German researchers have investigated the potential for this renewable energy source to maintain its increasing popularity.

The use of wind turbines for electricity has grown substantially over the last four decades. By 2018, the use of wind energy in the United States alone had expanded enough to power more than <a href="https://www.energy.gov/eere/wind/history-us-wind-energy">28 million homes</a>.

According to the current study, wind energy growth has been primarily driven by dramatic improvements in the technology behind it. Experts have not only adapted the technology for cold climates and offshore use, but have also developed more accurate methods to forecast wind speed and power.

Additionally, the wind turbines used today can generate at least 100 times more power compared to turbines produced in the 1970s. Large turbines now have the capacity to generate roughly 5 megawatts, while the market expectations for future turbine capacity are as high as 15 megawatts. 

"The size of a state-of-the-art turbine is extremely impressive. The swept area of the rotor of a standard turbine is now twice the size of a football field," said study co-author Berthold Hahn. "In parallel to the development in size, the technology has also become mature, meaning cost-effective and reliable."

Over the last 40 years, the cost to produce electricity from wind has dropped from $500 to $50 per megawatt-hour.

[caption id="attachment_1876456" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/wind-energy.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1876456" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/wind-energy.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="366" /></a> The growth in wind energy solutions over the decades.Image Credit: Fraunhofer IWES[/caption]

"The technical developments, like floating offshore turbines enabling the harvest of wind energy in very deep waters, integrated control strategies considering the needs of the grid, and artificial intelligence permanently assessing the performance of the turbines, have contributed to the impressive cost reductions," explained Hahn.

Despite this, the wind power industry still faces pressure to reduce costs. While investigating more economical ways to maintain the turbines, the study authors noted that turbine failures could be detected earlier by combining historical maintenance data and real-time measurements.

Hahn predicts that, once improvements are made in power storage, wind technology will play a critical role in managing electricity supply and demand volatility. 

"In many countries, wind energy has started to take over tasks of stabilizing the grid from large conventional plants, meaning that the energy systems are now eventually changing from a mainly centralized structure to a decentralized one."

Stefan Gsänger, who was not involved in the research, is the Secretary General of the <a href="https://wwindea.org/">World Wind Energy Association</a> and one of the creators of the International Renewable Energy Alliance. 

"The global transformation of the energy system towards renewable energy is on its way, and wind power is a major force in this development, having become a major pillar of power supply throughout the world," said Gsänger. "Some countries are making very good progress in accelerating wind power deployment rates." 

"Such acceleration is imperative not only to achieve the objectives of the Paris Climate Change agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals, but also for every country to participate in the full socio-economic advantages of renewable energy."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://aip.scitation.org/journal/are">Applied Physics Reviews</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Main Image Credit: Shutterstock/Mimadeo

Advancing technology is driving the increased use of wind energy

Wind energy continues to displace more expensive and polluting sources...

Gut-brain connection sheds light on how overeating causes obesity. According to a new study from researchers at <a href="https://www.bcm.edu/">Baylor College of Medicine</a>, a previously unknown connection between the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/organic-apples-best-bacteria/">gut</a> and the brain helps explain why overeating leads to weight gain. 

"We have uncovered a new piece of the complex puzzle of how the body manages energy balance and affects weight," said corresponding author Dr. Makoto Fukuda, assistant professor of pediatrics at Baylor and the <a href="https://www.bcm.edu/departments/pediatrics/sections-divisions-centers/childrens-nutrition-research-center">USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center at Baylor</a> and Texas Children's Hospital.

The study looked at mice consuming a high-fat diet, which increased their levels of gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP), a gut hormone involved in managing the body’s energy balance. The researchers found that excess GIP travels through the blood and into the brain, thus inhibiting the action of leptin, a satiety hormone that triggers the sensation of being full within the brain. Therefore, the mice continued to eat and gain weight.

Blocking the link between GIP and the brain restored the leptin’s ability to subdue appetite and led to eventual weight loss.

"We didn't know how a high-fat diet or overeating leads to leptin resistance," Fukuda said. "My colleagues and I started looking for what causes leptin resistance in the brain when we eat fatty foods. Using cultured brain slices in petri dishes we screened blood circulating factors for their ability to stop leptin actions. After several years of efforts, we discovered a connection between the gut hormone GIP and leptin."

The first task the researchers had to complete was to figure out if GIP was involved in leptin malfunctioning. They did so by confirming that the GIP receptor, the binding molecule on cells that grabs hold of GIP and balances its effects, is expressed in the brain. They then experimented with blocking GIP receptors via a monoclonal antibody infusion within the brain. This experiment reduced body weight of obese mice. Gut-brain connection sheds light on how overeating causes obesity

"The animals ate less and also reduced their fat mass and blood glucose levels," Fukuda said. "In contrast, normal chow-fed lean mice treated with the monoclonal antibody that blocks GIP-GIP receptor interaction neither reduced their food intake nor lost body weight or fat mass, indicating that the effects are specific to diet-induced obesity."

"In summary, when eating a balanced diet, GIP levels do not increase and leptin works as expected, triggering in the brain the feeling of being full when the animal has eaten enough and the mice stop eating," Fukuda continued. "But, when the animals eat a high-fat diet and become obese, the levels of blood GIP increase. GIP flows into the hypothalamus where it inhibits leptin's action. Consequently, the animals do not feel full, overeat and gain weight. Blocking the interaction of GIP with the hypothalamus of obese mice restores leptin's ability to inhibit appetite and reduces body weight."

These findings show that GIP and its receptor in the brain’s hypothalamus, the area that regulates appetite, are needed and sufficient to evoke leptin resistance. More research is needed, however, researchers believe that these findings could be used to develop weight-loss strategies in the near future.

The research is published in the <a href="https://www.jci.org/">Journal of Clinical Investigation</a>.

&nbsp;

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Anatomy Insider

Gut-brain connection sheds light on how overeating causes obesity

Gut-brain connection sheds light on how overeating causes obesity. According...

The Perseid meteor shower, one of the most spectacular meteor showers of the year, is set to peak on August on 12th and 13th. 

While a full moon and cloudy skies will make it difficult to see the shower, lucky stargazers can still expect to see a few <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lyrid-meteor-shower-returns/">streaking meteors</a> make their way across the night sky. 

According to the<a href="https://www.amsmeteors.org/meteor-showers/meteor-shower-calendar/#Perseids"> American Meteor Society,</a> the Perseids are active from July 17th through August 24th, but during the evening and early hours of Monday and Tuesday, the shower will reach its peak. 

What makes the Perseids so popular are the number of meteors visible during the peak. 

“Up to 100 meteors per hour will occur during the peak night,” said Dave Samuhel, an Astronomy expert for <a href="https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/tonight-perseid-meteor-shower-to-peak-with-dozens-of-shooting-stars-per-hour/70009021">AccuWeather.</a> “Perseids are not only numerous, they are beautiful. Most of the meteors leave a glittering trail as they pass.” 

The Perseids meteor shower seems to originate from the constellation Perseus, which is where the shower gets its name. The meteors themselves are the debris left behind by the comet Swift-Tuttle, according to the <a href="https://blogs.nasa.gov/Watch_the_Skies/tag/perseids-meteor-shower/">National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).</a> 

If you live in the western United States and the southern plains you may be lucky enough to see the shower. For the best chance to see the Perseids, look to the darkest parts of the sky, keeping the moon out of sight. 

The Northeast and Canada will have mostly cloudy skies, making meteor spotting difficult, according to AccuWeather. 

If cloudy conditions obstruct your view or you live in a densely populated city, NASA will be <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NasaMeteorWatch/">broadcasting coverage</a> of the shower starting tonight at nine p.m. Eastern time. 

“The Perseids are most active after midnight through daybreak. However, there are so many meteors during this shower, don’t hesitate to view during the evening,” said Samuhel.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Muskoka Stock Photos

Perseid Meteor Shower to peak tonight and tomorrow

The Perseid meteor shower, one of the most spectacular meteor...

Psychophysical laws use mathematical terms to help describe connections that tie the physical world to the mental world. In particular, these laws measure the mind's psychological sensations in response to physical stimuli.

The oldest and most firmly established law in psychophysics is Weber's Law, which is the idea that a just-noticeable difference in a stimulus is proportionate to its original magnitude.

This law was established about 200 years ago, when German physician Ernst Heinrich Weber determined that the probability of a person correctly guessing the heavier of two objects depended on the ratio between the two weights.

For example, a participant who correctly compared two objects 75% of the time with a weight of 1 Kg and 1.1 Kg would also be right 75 percent of the time when comparing a pair of weights of 2 and 2.2 Kg. In other words, this individual would have a success rate of 75 percent when comparing any pair of weights where one was 10 percent heavier than the other. 

Weber's discovery opened the door to the quantification of behavior in terms of mathematical laws. This simple yet precise rule of perception is important because it can be used to obtain mathematical explanations of behavior in terms of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/brain-learning-ultrafast-artificial-intelligence/">brain processes</a>.

Many explanations for Weber's law have been proposed, but no experimental test has been found to identify which model is correct. But now, a team of researchers at the <a href="http://first.fchampalimaud.org/en/the-foundation/champalimaud-centre-unknown/">Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown</a> may have finally solved this puzzle by identifying a new psychophysical rule that underlies Weber's law.

According to the study, which was led by Alfonso Renart, Weber's Law can be explained by the amount of time that it takes to make a choice, and not just by the decision itself. 

For the investigation, rats were trained to discriminate between two sounds of slightly different intensities and to indicate their selection by orienting toward the louder sound. The rats could listen to the coinciding sounds as long as they needed, which means that every attempt provided not only a choice, but also a decision time.

"Our experiments confirmed that the animals' behavior matched Weber's Law," explained study co-author José Pardo-Vazquez. "Their ability to tell which of the two sounds was louder only depended on the ratio between the sounds' intensities. If the rat had to compare the intensities of two sounds that were played softly, its accuracy was just as good as with a pair of sounds that were played loudly, as long as both pairs had the same intensity ratio."

"Typically, studies of Weber's law focused on the accuracy of the discrimination, which is what Weber himself described," said Pardo-Vazquez. "Surprisingly, the time taken to decide has received little attention." 

The team realized that the decision times were linked to the volume of the pairs of sounds in a very distinct way - the louder the sound, the shorter the decision time. The nature of this link was found to be so mathematically precise that the decision times observed for two quiet sounds were exactly proportionate to the decision times measured for two loud sounds, as long as their relative intensities were constant.

The experts named this new psychophysical law the Time-Intensity Equivalence in Discrimination (TIED), which is more rigid than Weber's Law because it links the accuracy of selections and their associated decision times. "The precision of this relationship between the decision times in our experiments is amazing," said Pardo-Vazquez  "It is unusual that the behavior of animals can be described with such mathematical precision."

The researchers applied the conditions of TIED to a model in order to test how accurately it accounted for the behavior of the rats and found that their model was a perfect fit. "Even the simplest model effectively captured everything we could measure with almost no error. This greatly strengthened our confidence that the model describes something true about how perception works," said Renart.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/neuro/">Nature Neuroscience</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Psychophysical laws explore how the mind perceives the physical world

Psychophysical laws use mathematical terms to help describe connections that...

Recent studies have suggested that there is a connection between Arctic events and colder winters in moderate latitudes, like the Polar Vortex cold waves in North America, yet the underlying mechanism that links these incidents has remained unclear. 

On the other hand, a new study from the <a href="https://www.rug.nl/?lang=en">University of Groningen</a> has revealed that even though cold winters tend to coincide with melting events in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/arctic-wildfires-carbon-dioxide/">Arctic</a>, there is no causal relationship involved.

The chaotic nature of the climate system has made it challenging to investigate the potential for such a connection between Arctic events and ice-cold winters elsewhere. 

For the first time, researchers used a very extensive set of data produced by two detailed climate models, including the KNMI climate model EC-Earth. This massive dataset made it possible for the team to identify statistical connections that were previously overlooked. 

After analyzing relevant information, the researchers determined that even when cold winters and Arctic sea ice decline occur at the same time, one does not trigger the other. Both events appear to be the result of a completely different mechanism: large-scale anomalies in atmospheric circulation. 

Significantly, both climate models used for the investigation produced the exact the same conclusion. In addition, a simulation of Arctic sea ice decrease did not lead to cold winters. 

"The findings in our article show that a further decrease in Arctic sea ice in the near future will most likely not lead to more and intense wintry cold waves, because episodes with little Arctic sea ice are the result of unusual atmospheric circulation patterns, and not the cause," said study co-author Professor Richard Bintanja.

The research is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Richard Bintanja

Events in the arctic may not trigger colder winters elsewhere

Recent studies have suggested that there is a connection between...

While <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/self-driving-car-operators-complacent/">driving</a> at night or in low-visibility conditions, road sings with important information may be difficult to see.

Researchers from China’s <a href="http://www.fudan.edu.cn/en/">Fudan University</a> and <a href="http://www.buffalo.edu/">University of Buffalo</a> have developed a new film that reflects light and changes color at night when light is shined upon it. 

The hope is that this new material could be added to road signs in order to improve visibility and safety for nighttime drivers. 

"You can use this material to make smart traffic signs," said co-first author Qiaoqiang Gan, PhD, an associate professor of electrical engineering in the <a href="http://engineering.buffalo.edu/">UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences</a>. "If a person is listening to loud music or isn't paying attention while they're walking or driving, a color-changing sign can help to better alert them to the traffic situation."

[caption id="attachment_1876330" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/208238.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1876330" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/208238.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="526" /></a> Boxes A-F show how the sign changes color, from the perspective of drivers on the road, as they pass by. Image Credit: Fan et al., Sci. Adv. 2019[/caption]

The film is made of polymer microspheres placed on the sticky side of a transparent tape. When white light shines on the film at night, some viewers will see a single, stable color reflected back, whereas others will observe changing colors. This depends on the angle of observation and whether or not the light source in question is moving. 

However, from the driver's perspective, the film’s color remained stable. But to pedestrians standing on the side of the road, the color of the film appears to flicker and blink as the car’s headlights speeds past.

"If the car goes faster, the pedestrian will see the color change more quickly, so the sign tells you a lot about what is going on," said co-author Haomin Song, PhD, UB assistant professor of research in electrical engineering.

These findings are published in <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Fan et al., Sci. Adv. 2019

New material can help make safer ‘retroreflective’ road signs

While driving at night or in low-visibility conditions, road sings...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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