Quantum entanglement is a mind-boggling phenomenon in quantum mechanics that intrigues both scientists and the public alike.



Unlike the predictable nature of classical physics, quantum mechanics thrives on unpredictability, often challenging our everyday perceptions. This is particularly evident in the behavior of entangled particles.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-quantum-entanglement">Understanding quantum entanglement</h2>



In quantum mechanics, particles can exist in multiple states simultaneously, a concept known as superposition. Entanglement elevates this idea: when <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-entanglement-laws-thermodynamics-follow-entropy-rule/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">particles become entangled</a>, their states are interlinked.



A change in one particle's state instantly influences the other, regardless of distance—imagine two distant light bulbs flickering in sync across the cosmos.



Entanglement suggests that information can be shared instantaneously between particles, defying the notion that nothing travels faster than light.



This "<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-entanglement-spooky-action-at-a-distance-persists-between-top-quarks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">spooky action at a distance</a>," as Albert Einstein famously termed it, prompts profound questions about the nature of space and time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-challenges-of-measurement">Challenges of measurement</h2>



Measurement in quantum mechanics presents unique challenges. Observing one particle in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-dance-entangled-photons-wave-functions-captured-real-time/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">an entangled pair</a> determines the states of both, leading to critical inquiries: What constitutes a 'measurement,' and how does it influence our understanding of reality?



The complex mathematics underpinning quantum mechanics -- incorporating concepts like Hilbert spaces, wave functions, and operators -- can be intimidating, rendering entanglement less accessible to many.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fascinating-puzzle">Fascinating puzzle</h2>



Simply put, quantum entanglement is just too complicated for most people to fully understand. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-tunneling-allow-particles-break-light-speed-barrier/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">It defies classical intuitions</a>, involves sophisticated mathematics, and urges us to reevaluate our understanding of reality.



That is, until now. 



Enter Professor Carl Kocher, a pioneer of the study of quantum entanglement. He is currently a member of the <a href="https://quantumfoundry.ucsb.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Quantum Foundry</a> at University of California Santa Barbara and Professor Emeritus at <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Oregon State University</a>.



Professor Kocher is the author of a new article in Frontiers in Quantum Science and Technology, explaining his groundbreaking 1964-67 experiments in quantum entanglement and discussing the 'paradox' of quantum entanglement.



In the following guest editorial, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Carl-Kocher" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Professor Kocher</a> helps us stretch our minds to understand this apparently paradoxical phenomenon.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-quantum-entanglement-0">Understanding quantum entanglement</h2>



My new article, ‘<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/quantum-science-and-technology/articles/10.3389/frqst.2024.1451239/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Quantum Entanglement of Optical Photons: The First Experiment, 1964-67</a>’, is intended to convey the spirit of a small research project that reaches into uncharted territory. 



The article breaks with tradition, as it offers a first-person account of the strategy and challenges for the experiment, as well as an interpretation of the final result and its significance. 



In this guest editorial, I will introduce the subject and also attempt to illuminate the question ‘What is a paradox?’



Let’s begin with the gyroscope that I bought when I was eight, from a store that sold novelties and magic tricks. The spinning disk, supported at one end of its shaft, did not fall, but moved slowly around in a horizontal plane. 



This behavior seems mysterious or paradoxical in the context of common experience that excludes gyroscopes, but makes complete sense in the context of Newtonian mechanics, which resolves the paradox by predicting precisely how gyroscopes will behave.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolution-of-quantum-theory">Evolution of quantum theory</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/radical-new-theory-finally-unites-gravity-spacetime-and-the-quantum-realm/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Quantum theory</a>, conceived in the mid-1920s, has been impressively successful in accounting for the properties and interactions of atoms and molecules. 



In 1935, Einstein, Podolsky, and Rosen stirred controversy with a thought experiment in which two particles of common origin move apart, noting that quantum theory predicts correlations in subsequent measurements of their spins.



The correlation may seem quite puzzling, as a measurement on one of the particles appears to influence a subsequent measurement on the other, even if the particles do not interact.



In current terminology, these correlations are an example of entanglement, and the correlation phenomenon is known as the EPR paradox.



The puzzle has become a subject for much discussion and analysis, especially because there was (and is) no known mechanism for measurements to communicate with each other.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-disentangling-quantum-entanglement">Disentangling quantum entanglement</h2>



In 1964 I was intrigued by this unfamiliar effect and began to think of a way to actually perform the EPR experiment -- or at least a version of it -- for observing the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-entanglement-discovery-is-a-revolutionary-step-forward/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">correlation and entanglement</a>. It would be a low-energy experiment that could be set up in a small laboratory.



For the experiment outlined here, the particles of interest are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-entanglement-photons-used-to-measure-earth-rotation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">visible-light photons</a>, which are noninteracting, emitted by excited calcium atoms in a two-stage spontaneous emission process. The polarization states of the photons, which are related to their spins, can be measured simply, with ordinary linear polarizers. 



Photomultiplier detectors count the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-dance-entangled-photons-wave-functions-captured-real-time/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">individual photons</a>, #1 (green) and #2 (violet), and timing circuits enable the identification of photon pairs from the same atom. A rotatable linear polarizer is mounted in front of each detector.



In simplest terms, the experiment involves counting the rate at which photon pairs are detected, as a function of the orientation of the polarizers. A photon pair detected from the same atom is recorded as a “coincidence count.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-theory-and-experiment-agree">Theory and experiment agree</h2>



Quantum theory makes the following predictions:



<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-computer-photons-create-vortex-when-they-collide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Each photon</a>, taken separately, has a 50% chance of being transmitted by its polarizer, regardless of its angle of orientation. </li>



<li>If the polarizer axes are parallel, both photons from the same atom can pass through their polarizers and be counted. Coincidence counts will be observed. </li>



<li>If the polarizer axes are perpendicular, it never happens that both photons pass through their polarizers. Therefore, no coincidence counts will be observed.</li>
</ol>



Predictions #1 and #2 are not surprising, as the green and violet beams of light are unpolarized.



Prediction #3, discussed further in my article, is a quantum entanglement effect with no analog in classical (non-quantum) physics. It is especially interesting because it can be tested experimentally. I designed the experiment specifically for this purpose.



The results of the experiment, after nearly three years of effort in the laboratory, clearly demonstrate that coincidence counts are recorded if the polarizer axes are parallel, and that no coincidences are recorded if the polarizers are perpendicular. The agreement between theory and experiment is unequivocal and striking.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-so-is-there-a-paradox">So is there a paradox?</h2>



In our brief discussion of the gyroscope, no paradox was acknowledged because Newton’s theory (classical dynamics) fully explains how a gyroscope moves. 



Furthermore, both the theory and the observed gyroscopic behavior are compatible with our life experience and intuitive ability to grasp natural processes in the classical realm.



In the entanglement case, quantum theory accounts for the observed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/super-photons-fascinating-behavior-in-quantum-realm/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">correlation of the photon polarizations</a>. But even when a theory predicts experimental results, a paradox may remain if the intuition cannot reach out to connect with it.



Take another look at predictions #1 and #3 above. If we draw on our experience of life in a non-quantum world, we may notice something very strange when the polarizers are “crossed” at 90 degrees. 



If each photon has a 50% chance of transmission through its polarizer, why don’t we get coincidences 25% of the time? Instead, we observe none at all. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stretching-the-mind-to-resolve-the-paradox">Stretching the mind to resolve the paradox</h2>



At first consideration, this <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/impossibility-paradox-calculating-incalculable-quantum-realm-particles/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">does seem to qualify as a paradox</a>. One possible explanation could involve a missing component of quantum theory - perhaps a causal mechanism that could allow one photon, or one measurement, to communicate with the other. 



However, despite extensive research, no evidence has been found for such a mechanism.



As we do not live in an <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-quantum-revolution-will-impact-all-aspects-of-society/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">overtly quantum world</a>, classical phenomena may influence our thought processes - even when we venture into the quantum realm. It may therefore remain a challenge to assimilate entanglement into the intuition.



I believe that the paradox can be at least partially resolved when further thought and experience, such as the experiment considered here, ‘stretch the mind’ to more fully embrace entanglement and other quantum phenomena.



I have come to view these aspects of nature as ‘strangely wonderful’.



The full paper and study can we read at <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/quantum-science-and-technology/articles/10.3389/frqst.2024.1451239/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Quantum Science and Technology</a>.



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Quantum entanglement: A simple way to fully grasp this 'impossible' concept

Quantum entanglement is a mind-boggling phenomenon in quantum mechanics that intrigues both scientists and the public alike. Unlike the predictable nature of classical physics, quantum mechanics thrives on unpredictability, often challenging our everyday perceptions. This is particularly evident in the behavior of entangled particles. Understanding quantum entanglement In quantum mechanics, particles can exist in multiple states simultaneously, a concept known as superposition. Entanglement elevates this idea: when particles become entangled, their states are interlinked. A change in one particle's state instantly influences the other, regardless of distance—imagine...

Scientists uncover new clues about how the brain smells. A team of neuroscientists from <a href="https://www.cshl.edu/">Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL)</a> have discovered that, unlike prior studies that showed predictable links between molecular properties of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/odors-healthy-animals-change/">odors</a> and early stage activity in the olfactory system, these correlations "held little predictive power when new odor pairs or shuffled properties were tested."

These new findings are published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/neuro/">Nature Neuroscience</a>.

"We don't really know what the brain is looking for [when it comes to smell], and we don't know what physical or chemical features, if any, the brain extracts," said Florin Albeanu from CSHL.

It’s understood that odor particles first enter via the nasal cavity, where they are bound to odorant receptors expressed by the olfactory receptor neurons within the sensory tissue. Then, the olfactory bulb processes information sent up from the receptors. 

It then sends this information to processing areas in the brain, including the cerebral cortex, where the olfactory output messages are analyzed and broadcasted throughout the brain, eventually being conveyed back to the bulb. Scientists uncover new clues about how the brain smells

"Rich feedback makes the olfactory system somewhat different from the visual system," Alexei Koulakov said. "Olfactory experience is very subjective, perception of smells actually depends on the context, and on an individual's prior experience."

Therefore, Albeanu and Koulakov believe it’s probably that the entry-level of olfactory inputs and the further processed bulb outputs pick up on the different aspects of smell.

These new results provide an opportunity to build a more comprehensive computational model for the odor space that captures the differences in informational relevance for scent features across the landscape of olfactory processing.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Yuganov Konstantin

Scientists uncover new clues about how the brain smells

Scientists uncover new clues about how the brain smells. A...

Researchers from <a href="https://www.colostate.edu/">Colorado State University</a> suggest that a new approach must be taken to understand the environmental risks within the current <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/age-of-man-scientists-officially-recognize-the-anthropocene-era/">Anthropocene</a> geological age, in which humans are the dominant force of environmental change. 

"The Anthropocene is a time of rapid global change — socially, environmentally, and geophysically," said lead author Patrick Keys, a research scientist in the <a href="https://sustainability.colostate.edu/">School of Global Environmental Sustainability at CSU</a>. "Typical notions of neatly and cleanly delineating complex environmental risks are changing in unexpected ways. It's becoming clear that a more holistic perspective, including social history, power relations, and environmental ethics may be important components of Anthropocene risks."

Keys provided the Syrian civil war, believed to be driven by drought and climate change, as an example, stating that although these two causes are more than likely at play, incentives by Syrian government officials that kept farmers on agriculturally precarious land for decades hugely contributed to the climate impact the war revolves around today. 

"If we ignore the social and political economic factors that deliver us to this present, we will attribute an event to being caused by the environment when, in fact, that was just one cause or the icing on top of the cake,” Keys said. “If we look at things only in the present, we will come up with solutions to a problem defined in the present, but we may not be defining the problem correctly."

This new study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/natsustain/">Nature Sustainability</a>.

"As the Anthropocene unfolds, navigating new and emerging risks will require considering changes that happen over years, decades, centuries, or even millennia." Keys said. "In this increasingly interconnected and accelerating world, it's on us to really educate ourselves about how to interact intelligently and meaningfully to work toward a more sustainable world."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Nicole S Glass

Scientists warn a new approach must be taken to deal with Anthropocene risk

Researchers from Colorado State University suggest that a new approach...

Scientists nearly eliminate disease-carrying mosquitoes with new technique. Scientists in China, led by Zhiyong Xi from <a href="https://msu.edu/">Michigan State University</a>, have nearly eliminated dengue-fever-carrying <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mosquitoes-attracted-humans-sugar/">mosquitoes</a> on two islands using a unique approach that, unfortunately, may not be cost-effective for larger areas of land. The method and the corresponding study appear in <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

To rid the island of Asian tiger mosquitoes, which can also carry Zika and other deadly diseases, the scientists first infected the bugs with a virus-fighting bacterium, used to kill off the remaining population, and then zapped them with a small dose of radiation, which is meant to sterilize infected mosquitoes.

According to <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7257753/Scientists-new-way-kill-disease-carrying-mosquitoes.html">Daily Mail</a>, Xi and colleagues released the treated male mosquitoes onto islands near Guangzhou, China during a period of 18 weeks in 2016 and 2017. They then watched as the number of female mosquitoes responsible for disease spread dropped by 83% to 94% each year. And some weeks there was no trace of disease-carrying mosquitoes at all.

However, the problem with this method is that it required swarming the islands with up to 4 million mosquitoes each week. By the end of the two-year study period, over 200 million mosquitoes had been released.

“It's hard for me to see how this can be scaled up [to help residents],” Scott O'Neill of the <a href="https://www.worldmosquitoprogram.org/">World Mosquito Program</a> told Daily Mail. And biologist Brian Lovett from the <a href="https://www.umd.edu/">University of Maryland</a> added that the process must be ongoing.

“You have to keep doing it,” Lovett told the Mail. “And if you don't keep doing it, then populations can fairly quickly reestablish.” And this was true of the experiment in China.

But, as technology improves, the researchers say that this method may become more cost effective, and perhaps even as cost effective as current agricultural pest sterilization and insecticides.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/nechaevkon

Scientists nearly eliminate disease-carrying mosquitoes with new technique

Scientists nearly eliminate disease-carrying mosquitoes with new technique. Scientists in...

In February, NASA announced <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/moon-station-nasa-plans/">plans to return to the Moon</a> – permanently. A proposed lunar space station could serve as the home base to launch missions to Mars and beyond, the agency said.

Information on exactly how they were going to do this was not available six months ago.

But now, <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a> is working with Russia and the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> to make the announcement a reality. The American space agency has shared its first plans for the lunar space station, which will be known as Gateway. 

Like the International Space Station, the Lunar Gateway would stay in space permanently, though it will orbit the Moon rather than Earth. It will also be smaller than the ISS, since it will be a temporary home for missions to the Moon and beyond, not manned year-round.

Gateway will orbit the Moon on an elliptical path. It will house temporary living quarters, research laboratories and docking ports for visiting ships. Robotics will automate some research tasks, NASA said, so even when there are no crew members aboard, the lunar space station will continue sending data back to Earth.

“NASA is looking at options for astronauts to shuttle between the Gateway and the Moon on reusable landers. Just like an airport here, spacecraft bound for the lunar surface or for Mars can use the Gateway to refuel or replace parts, and resupply things like food and oxygen without going home first,” NASA wrote on its website. “For months-long crew expeditions to the Gateway, this could allow multiple trips down to the lunar surface, and exploration of new locations across the Moon.”

The elliptical orbit would allow astronauts to visit the lunar surface every seven days, experts told <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/">The Telegraph</a> on July 18.

“To escape Earth’s gravitational pull requires a huge amount of energy,” Dr. Florian Renk of the <a href="https://www.esa.int/About_Us/ESOC">European Space Operations Centre</a> told The Telegraph. “To then land on the Moon and not hurtle straight past it, we have to slow down by losing that same energy. We can save some of this energy by leaving parts of the spacecraft in orbit, taking only what we need to the surface of the Moon.”

On July 26, NASA experts will host a <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-invites-media-to-gateway-logistics-industry-day">Media Day</a> to share more details about plans for the lunar space station. 

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Image credit: NASA

Lunar space station will be home base for exploration

In February, NASA announced plans to return to the Moon...

Understanding science can actually promote faith in spirituality and God. While science and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/religion-shaped-environment-views/">religion</a> are considered to be conflicting subjects by most Americans, a new study from <a href="https://www.asu.edu/">Arizona State University</a> (ASU) suggests that an understanding of science can actually promote faith and religion. The researchers found that scientific facts can create a feeling of awe, which leads to belief in more abstract views of God. 

"There are many ways of thinking about God. Some see God in DNA, some think of God as the universe, and others think of God in Biblical, personified terms," said study lead author Professor Kathryn Johnson. "We wanted to know if scientific engagement influenced beliefs about the existence or nature of God."

Study co-author and graduate student Jordan Moon explained that, even though science is often thought of in terms of data and experiments, it may mean more to some people. 

The research team examined two types of scientific engagement - logical thinking or experiencing the feeling of awe - to get a better understanding of how they may affect an individual's religious beliefs. 

The study participants were asked to report on how interested they were in science and how committed they were to logical thinking. The individuals were also asked how often they felt awe, or an overwhelming feeling of wonder that often leads to open-mindedness.

The participants who reported both a strong commitment to logic and having experienced awe were found to be the most likely to have faith in God. These individuals commonly described God in an abstract and unconventional way, as being mystical or limitless.

"When people are awed by the complexity of life or the vastness of the universe, they were more inclined to think in more spiritual ways," said Professor Johnson. "The feeling of awe might make people more open to other ways of conceptualizing God."

"A lot of people think science and religion do not go together, but they are thinking about science in too simplistic a way and religion in too simplistic a way," said study senior author Professor Adam Cohen. "Science is big enough to accommodate religion, and religion is big enough to accommodate science."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-experimental-social-psychology">Journal of Experimental Social Psychology</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: Shutterstock/Triff

Understanding science can actually promote faith in spirituality and God

Understanding science can actually promote faith in spirituality and God....

Scientists reveal how sex impacts gene expression in mammals. According to a new study from the <a href="https://www.aaas.org/">American Association for the Advancement of Science</a>, genome-wide variations in gene expression in female and male mammals provides new insight into the origins and evolution of mammalian sexual dimorphism, thus providing a potential explanation for sex-specific differences in human health and disease.

To better understand how sex affects the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/jurassic-fossil-mammals-swallow/">mammalian</a> genome, research Sahin Naqvi and colleagues performed a genome-wide, multi-tissue comparative survery across five mammalian species, investigating sex-biased gene expression. Scientists reveal how sex impacts gene expression in mammals

They did so by collecting RNA sequencing data from female and male macaques, mice, rats and dogs for 12 different tissues, each of which represented a germ layer as well as most major organ systems. 

Then, non-human data was compared to human RNA-sequencing data from the Genotype Tissue Expression Consortium (GTEx), a catalogue of all major tissue gene expression in the human body. 

This comparison revealed hundreds of conserved sex-biased gene expressions in each tissue, each of which contributes to sex-biased differences. 

For example, the researchers found that almost 12% of the sex difference in average human height is caused by conserved sex biases in gene expression. 

However, the researchers also found that most sex bias in gene expression is a relatively recent evolutionary adaptation, and is therefore not shared between all mammalian lineages.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Explode

Scientists reveal how sex impacts gene expression in mammals

Scientists reveal how sex impacts gene expression in mammals. According...

Researchers have successfully identified the earliest example of the ability to swallow in a 165-million-year-old fossil, dubbed Microdocodon gracilis, which was a tiny, shrew-like mammal. Microdocodon gracilis was one of the first <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mammal-brain-fertility-caregivers/">mammals</a> to develop modern hyoid bones, which link the back of the mouth (pharynx) to the esophagus and larynx, and help mammals, including humans, swallow food.

These findings are published in <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

"Mammals have become so diverse today through the evolution of diverse ways to chew their food, weather it is insects, worms, meat, or plants. But no matter how differently mammals can chew, they all have to swallow in the same way," said senior author Zhe-Xi Luo, PhD, a professor of organismal biology and anatomy at the <a href="https://www.uchicago.edu/">University of Chicago</a>. "Essentially, the specialized way for mammals to chew and then swallow is all made possible by the agile hyoid bones at the back of the throat.”

Scientists have wondered how and when the unique “U”-shaped hyoid structure found in modern mammals developed. Other vertebrates have hyoid bones, but their hyoids are less intricate and more rod-like, lacking mobile joints between segments. These creatures can only swallow food whole or in large chunks.

So when Microdocodon gracilis was discovered in China in 2014, scientists were thrilled to see the hyoid bones in exquisite condition.

[caption id="attachment_1875371" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/fossil.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1875371" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/fossil.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="467" /></a> Fossil of Microdocodon gracilis, Image Credit: Zhe-Xi Luo[/caption]

"It is a pristine, beautiful fossil,” Luo said. “I was amazed by the exquisite preservation of this tiny fossil at the first sight. We got a sense that it was unusual, but we were puzzled about what was unusual about it. After taking detailed photographs and examining the fossil under a microscope, it dawned on us that this Jurassic animal has tiny hyoid bones much like those of modern mammals."

"Now we are able for the first time to address how the crucial function for swallowing evolved among early mammals from the fossil record," Luo continued. "The tiny hyoids of Microdocodon are a big milestone for interpreting the evolution of mammalian feeding function."

Furthermore, by studying Microdocodon, Luo and his colleagues were able to track mammal evolution based on the status of the creature’s ear bones. Modern mammal jaws and middle ears are developed from or around the first pharyngeal arch, which are structures in a vertebrate embryo that develop into other recognizable bones and tissues. The hyoids are developed separately from the second and third pharyngeal arches.

Microdocodon, however, showed a primitive middle ear that was still attached to the jaw like that of other early mammals such as cynodonts, which is unlike the ear of modern mammals. However, its hyoids are like those of modern mammals.

"Hyoids and ear bones are all derivatives of the primordial vertebrate mouth and gill skeleton, with which our earliest fishlike ancestors fed and respired," said postdoctoral scholar Bhart-Anjan Bhullar, PhD, from <a href="https://www.yale.edu/">Yale University</a>. "The jointed, mobile hyoid of Microdocodon coexists with an archaic middle ear — still attached to the lower jaw. Therefore, the building of the modern mammal entailed serial repurposing of a truly ancient system."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: April I. Neander

Jurassic fossil reveals how early mammals developed the ability to swallow

Researchers have successfully identified the earliest example of the ability...

Newly-discovered organisms are relatives to real-life carnivorous plant. A team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia</a> have discovered two new organisms that are seemingly relatives of an ancient organism that resembled the human-eating “triffid,” the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/carnivorous-plants-fought-evolution/">carnivorous plant</a> from John Wyndham's 1951 science-fiction novel The Day of the Triffids. 

Their findings are published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

Although this ancestor was much smaller than what Wyndam described in his book, the scientists conclude that the microscopic protists, named Rhodelphis limneticus and Rhodelphis marinus, each have a non-photosynthetic chloroplast, which points to their close ties with ancient plants. However, they also each have flagella, a whip-like tail which allows them to move around and hunt for their dinner.

"Rhodelphis shows that there was a period of time when the ancestors of plants and algae probably absorbed sunlight to generate energy, while also swimming around eating things," said senior author Patrick Keeling, a biologist at the University of British Columbia.

Furthermore, Rhodelphis limneticus and Rhodelphis marinus are genetically 'sisters' to red algae, even though they seemingly share more differences than similarities. For example, red algae are similar to plants in that they are fleshy, large organisms with a simple genome that perform photosynthesis. Rhodelphis are single-cell predators with a much more complex genome.

[caption id="attachment_1875338" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/red-algae.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1875338" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/red-algae.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="551" /></a> Red Algae, Image Credit: Patrick Keeling Lab[/caption]

The researchers believe that this family tie means that robust sampling must be used to get a more rounded view of life as we know it.

"Most people don't look twice at organisms like this under a microscope, and getting them into culture may be hard work but it's the only way to really see the true diversity of life," said Denis Tikhonenkov, the UBC and <a href="http://www.ras.ru/indexeng.html">Russian Academy of Science</a> microbiologist who first captured the Rhodelphis organisms.

"There are gems in nature we haven't found, and sadly the importance of 'old-fashioned' exploration is being forgotten," Keeling says. "These new lineages are a great example — making us realize we were previously seeing things backwards and now we recognize plants had ancestors we couldn't have imagined."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Denis Tikhonenkov

Newly-discovered organisms are relatives to real-life carnivorous plant

Newly-discovered organisms are relatives to real-life carnivorous plant. A team...

Plant extract could help Mars astronauts stay strong during space travel. A popular plant extract found in grapes and red wine could help <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-experiment-life-mars/">Mars</a> explorers stay strong during the nine-month journey from Earth to the Red planet, according to a new study. 

It’s only a matter of time before human-crewed Mars missions become a reality, but it is crucial to ensure that astronauts who undertake the voyage reach their destination fit and healthy.

Space travel takes a toll on the human body, and spending a prolonged amount of time suspended in microgravity reduces muscle mass and bone density. 

But now, researchers from <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a> have discovered a potential solution that could keep muscles strong and lessen the impacts of living on Mars. 

In a new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2019.00899/full">Frontiers in Physiology</a>, the researchers found that resveratrol, a part of a plant compound found in grape skin and blueberries, keeps muscles strong in rats. 

Resveratrol is a compound widely studied for its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties. 

“Resveratrol has been shown to preserve bone and muscle mass in rats during complete unloading, analogous to microgravity during spaceflight,” said Dr. Marie Mortreux, lead author of the study. “So, we hypothesized that a moderate daily dose would help mitigate muscle deconditioning in a Mars gravity analogue, too.”

The researchers simulated a microgravity environment by suspending rats in harnesses to see how spending time in Mars-like gravity impacts strength and muscle mass. 

24 rats were split into two groups. One group was left to roam on the floor of their cages to mimic Earth gravity and the other was suspended to mimic the 40 percent gravity on Mars for 14 days. 

In each group, half of the rats were given 150 milligrams of resveratrol in water, and the other half were not given the supplement. 

Each week, the researchers measured calf circumference and grip force for both the front and rear paws. 

The rats that were “Mars conditioned” had weaker grips and smaller calf muscles, yet those who were given resveratrol had stronger grips.

Muscle mass was also protected with the rats who had been given resveratrol. It was not a complete reversal for the Mars rats, but it significantly reduced the negative impacts of being suspended in the air for 14 days. 

The study offers a potential treatment that could be taken in supplement form by astronauts to help preserve muscle mass and keep muscles healthy while conducted fieldwork on Mars. 

“Further studies are needed to explore the mechanisms involved, as well as the effects of different doses of resveratrol (up to 700 mg/kg/day) in both males and females,” said Mortreux. “In addition, it will be important to confirm the lack of any potentially harmful interactions of resveratrol with other drugs administered to astronauts during space missions.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, Earth.com Staff Writer

Plant extract could help Mars astronauts stay strong during space travel

Plant extract could help Mars astronauts stay strong during space...

Climate engineering has been gaining traction in recent years with proposals ranging from creating artificial rain to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/artificially-cooling-atmosphere-geoengineering/">spraying aerosols in the atmosphere</a> that will help cool the planet.

But these “planet hacking” methods are also viewed as extreme and are not without their risks and high economic costs. 

As impacts of climate change become more severe, high-risk, high-cost geoengineering may outweigh the projected socio-economic and environmental costs of rising sea levels. 

A new study published in the journal Science Advances details an extreme but potentially successful solution that could help stabilize the West Antarctic ice sheet. 

If the West Antarctic ice sheet melts, projections estimate that it could raise sea levels by nearly ten feet, enough to cause significant damage and displace populations in New York, Calcutta, Shanghai, and Tokyo. 

The ice sheet is already melting, and in this new study, a potential solution to stop it would be to cover the area in artificial snow. 

Pumping ocean water onto the coastal areas of the region and converting the water into snow could help stabilize the ice sheet. While the solution is doable and not as risky as other potential stabilizing proposals, the researchers of the study warn that it would be incredibly costly. 

Not only would the artificial snow come with a hefty price tag, but carrying out the plan could harm marine wildlife.

For the study, the researchers used a 3-D Parallel Ice Sheet Model to simulate how creating artificial snowfall around the Thwaites Glacier and Pine Island would impact melting rates. 

Artificial snowfall would increase surface elevation and could reduce sea level by two to five centimeters. To achieve this, it would require at least 7,400 gigatons of artificial snow applied over ten years, 

The study did not factor in projected warming or changes in precipitation which could influence ice sheet collapse, but the research does propose a potentially effective, albeit costly, solution to prevent future catastrophic sea-level rise.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, Earth.com Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory

Artificial snow could help stabilize the West Antarctic Ice Sheet

Climate engineering has been gaining traction in recent years with...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.medschool.pitt.edu/">University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine</a> have found evidence that healthspan, or the number of years a person is healthy, may be more important than lifespan. The new study suggests that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/height-weight-womens-lifespans/">lifespan</a> and healthspan are controlled independently of one another on a molecular level. 

Healthspan is represented by a set of parameters that are distinct from lifespan, such as mobility and immune resistance. While healthspan is not as simple to measure as lifespan, the researchers explained that it may be more relevant to modify healthspan in the long run. 

Study senior author Dr. Arjumand Ghazi referenced the Greek myth of Eos and Tithonus to emphasize the significance of healthspan. "The goddess Eos fell in love with a mortal man, Tithonus, and asked that he be granted eternal life, but forgot to ask for eternal youth. Tithonus lived forever but as a frail and immobile old man."

The research was focused on a protein called TCER-1 in the worm Caenorhabditis elegans. The team previously demonstrated that this particular protein promotes longevity in worms and is critical to their fertility.

Since longevity genes are known to increase resistance to stressors in many animals, the researchers expected that removing TCER-1 would make the worms less resilient. What they found, however, was just the opposite. 

When infected with bacteria, subjected to DNA-damaging radiation, or exposed to high temperatures, the worms without TCER-1 survived much longer than normal worms. 

The worms lacking TCER-1 also had improved mobility with age and were less prone to protein clumping that causes human neurodegenerative diseases. By contrast, increased levels of TCER-1 were found to suppress the animal's immune defenses.

"I was sure I'd made a mistake somewhere," said study lead author Dr. Francis Amrit. "But I repeated the experiments and realized that TCER-1 was unlike any other longevity gene we'd seen before - it was actually suppressing immune resistance."

The researchers explained that TCER-1 only appeared to be useful for the worms that were young and still capable of laying eggs.

"I liken TCER-1 in C. elegans to a DJ who controls the base, treble and other tones to get the music to sound just right," said Dr. Amrit. "During its reproductive age, TCER-1 tunes all the molecular dials to ensure that the animal reproduces efficiently to propagate the species, partly by diverting resources meant for stress management."

Dr. Ghazi said it is too soon to draw any conclusions about human healthspan, but that the findings should change how the molecular basis of aging is understood.

"It will be interesting to understand how the body allocates resources," said Dr. Ghazi. "For example, could women one day take a pill once they decide to stop having children that would improve their healthspan by diverting resources used for reproduction toward improved stress resilience?"

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/articles">Nature Communications</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/Flamingo Images

A healthy life may be a better indicator of longevity than lifespan

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have...

Despite fears, Asteroid 2006 QV89 will not collide with Earth this year. Recent reports have suggested that a small object known as asteroid 2006 QV89 may collide with the Earth in early September of this year. However, a study from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> (ESA) and the European Southern Observatory (ESO) has concluded that the asteroid is not currently on a collision course and that any impact in the future is highly unlikely. 

When asteroid 2006 QV89 was first discovered 13 years ago, scientists were only able to observe the object for ten days before it became undetectable. Based on these brief observations, experts estimated the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/americans-asteroid-protection-lunar-base/">asteroid</a> had a 1-in-7,000 chance of impacting our planet. Despite fears, Asteroid 2006 QV89 will not collide with Earth this year

An asteroid that is found to be risky is usually evaluated through further observations and measurements. According to the ESA, these "astrometric" data provide a better understanding of the asteroid’s path, as well as the actual risk it poses.

[caption id="attachment_1875288" align="aligncenter" width="580"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/asteroid.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1875288" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/asteroid.jpg" alt="" width="580" height="536" /></a> Image Credit: ESA[/caption]

In the case of asteroid 2006 QV89, its position is difficult to predict because it has not been observed in more than a decade. The researchers developed a strategy to assess the threat of asteroid 2006 QV89 by investigating where the object would be in the sky if it was, in fact, on a dangerous trajectory. 

Using ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT), the team obtained "deep" images in a small area of the sky where the asteroid would be visible if it was on track to collide with our planet in September. In particular, the experts pinpointed three specific locations to search for asteroid 2006 QV89, but the bright round object could not be seen.

Even if the asteroid was smaller than expected, it would have been visible in the image if it was big enough to penetrate the Earth's atmosphere without burning up. The study is the first known case of ruling out an asteroid impact through a "non-detection." 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Shutterstock/Dima Zel

Despite fears, Asteroid 2006 QV89 will not collide with Earth this year

Despite fears, Asteroid 2006 QV89 will not collide with Earth...

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



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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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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