Most of us have heard a parent or grandparent say, “Time goes by faster every year,” while shaking their head at how quickly July 4 seems to roll around. 



When you’re twelve, however, the brain has a different perception of time - the wait for summer vacation feels endless, and a single school day can feel as slow as a traffic jam in August heat.



That gap between the child’s long afternoon and the adult’s lightning-fast month isn’t just storytelling, it’s how our brain's perception of time changes, altering the way it measures all of the moments that make up our lives.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-first-vs-fresh-experiences">First vs. fresh experiences</h2>



Children cram their days with firsts: a first dive into the pool, a first try at long division, a first sleepover away from home.



These fresh experiences swarm the brain with new images to file away, stretching the subjective length of a single afternoon.



Adults, by contrast, tend to replay <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-heat-impacts-our-daily-routines-and-transportation/">familiar routines</a>. With fewer novel snapshots to store, the days collapse into something closer to a highlight reel than a feature film.



According to psychologist Marc Wittmann at the Institute for Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health <a href="https://igpp.de/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">(IGPP</a>), the feeling that time accelerates is tightly linked to how much new material our brains record each day.



He points out that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/memory-clutter-speeds-up-aging-in-the-brain/">memory</a> and time perception sit on the same neural bench; when one slows, the other shrinks. "Newness" holds the key to this phenomenon.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-brain-and-time-perception">Human brain and time perception</h2>



Whenever a brain encounters something it has never processed before, a quick surge of attention flags the event as worth keeping. The more flags raised, the thicker the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-brains-use-storage-trick-to-keep-your-memories-in-sequential-order/">memory log</a> becomes, and the longer that span later feels.



Kids, still green to nearly everything, throw flags left and right. A lunchroom joke, a new word in science class, or a game of tag - each registers as its own small chapter.



Adults often glide through copy-and-paste days that differ only by the date on the calendar. With fewer chapters recorded, the book of any given week reads as a short story.



Research using immersive virtual reality in 2024 showed that older volunteers underestimated simple time intervals by roughly 15 percent, highlighting how novelty <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S096800042300302X" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sharpens the inner clock</a>.



Routine doesn’t just compress the past; it also drains the present.



Studies tracking holiday seasons in several countries found that people who stuck to predictable daily rhythms felt that Christmas or Ramadan arrived sooner every year, while those who sprinkled in new activities reported a slower march toward the festivities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brain-processing-speed-linked-with-time">Brain processing speed linked with time</h2>



Every sensation has to travel from eye or ear to cortex. In youngsters, those <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/speech-pattern-wfd-that-is-a-clear-indication-a-person-is-in-cognitive-decline/">neural highways</a> are short and well-paved. As bodies grow, the routes lengthen, and the conduction speed though still quick can’t match its earlier zip.



Add natural age-related slowing of signal processing and the brain starts sampling the world less often each second.



Fewer samples mean fewer “ticks” on the subjective stopwatch, so a morning meeting seems to vanish faster for a forty-year-old than for a fourth grader.



This sampling <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-link-pupil-dilation-to-brains-working-memory-levels/">shows up in the eyes</a>. Our eyes jerk from point to point in rapid saccades, pausing in brief fixations while the brain grabs a visual frame.



Young, rested eyes squeeze in more fixations per minute. Older or fatigued eyes lag, offering the brain fewer still frames to stitch together. With a thinner film strip, the projection of the day speeds along.



Scientists studying eye movements liken perception to a flipbook. Each fixation is a page; flip them fast enough and you see smooth action.



When fixations slow, the flipbook loses pages. Motion still appears, but the storyline gets choppy, and, in recall, it shortens.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sleep-and-alertness">Sleep and alertness</h2>



A single night of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-can-boost-memory-in-a-surprising-way/">good sleep</a> can pull the brake on runaway days. When neurons are well-rested, they fire faster, notice more, and form clearer memories.



Athletes know the flip side: stepping onto the field after too little shut-eye makes the whole match blur. The plays happen, but the mind records only a highlight or two before the final whistle.



Students grinding through an all-nighter meet the same fate - an exam that seems to finish moments after it starts.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-is-the-best-treatment-for-excessive-daytime-sleepiness/">Chronic fatigue</a> magnifies the effect. Continually short-changing rest lowers baseline alertness, trimming snapshots day after day.



Over months, life can feel like it’s slipping through the cracks, not because the clock sped up but because the recorder slowed down.



<a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/dopamine-the-pathway-to-pleasure" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dopamine</a>, a neurotransmitter tied to motivation and time estimation, also dips with sleep debt, further warping the <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1364166/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sense of duration</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-social-media-and-lost-time-perception">Social media and lost time perception</h2>



Endless feeds promise variety, yet most algorithms serve look-alike posts. Swipe through video after video of the same dance trend, and the brain barely registers a change.



Hours evaporate while the memory log remains nearly blank. Compound that with the blue-light-induced bedtime delay, and you have a double punch: fewer snapshots captured and fewer hours slept.



Cutting back on passive scrolling or swapping it for an activity with genuine novelty - trying a new recipe, learning a chord on guitar - feeds the brain more distinct moments. Those moments stretch subjective time, turning a blur of an evening into something that feels full.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-with-age-comes-responsibility">With age comes responsibility</h2>



Beyond slower processing, adults juggle long lists of responsibilities. Focus narrows to tasks at hand - emails, errands, budgets - scanning less of the environment for new input. Novelty drops, and subjective days shorten.



<a href="https://www.tiaa.org/public/institute/publication/2023/young-adults-their-attitudes-and-outlook-toward-retirement-and-the-future" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A 2023 survey</a> comparing young adults with retirees found that the older group reported the year as “rushing by” nearly twice as often, linking the feeling to the predictability of daily routines rather than to health issues.



Even so, not every senior feels the rush. Researchers tracking so-called “<a href="https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/4-habits-super-agers" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">super-agers</a>” note that those who keep learning new skills and staying socially engaged maintain sharper senses of time, along with stronger memory performance. Variety keeps the brain’s camera clicking.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-use-your-brain-to-slow-time-perception">Use your brain to slow time perception</h2>



Here's the good news - the tools to lengthen your days fit into ordinary life. Go to bed on a schedule that honors the seven-to-nine-hour rule.



Plan at least one activity each week that forces you out of autopilot: a different jogging route, a museum you’ve never visited, a new language app.



While doing it, pay close attention to sights, sounds, and textures. Engagement packs extra snapshots into the mental album.



Stay curious daily. Swap a lunchtime scroll for a short walk and notice five things you’ve never clocked before - a mural, a bird call, the scent of a bakery vent.



Those micro-discoveries add pages to the flipbook, expanding the subjective afternoon. Over time, the habit can "thicken" the memory book that tells the story of a year, making December feel like it belongs twelve full months away, right where the calendar says it should be.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/european-review/article/why-the-days-seem-shorter-as-we-get-older/2CB8EC9B0B30537230C7442B826E42F1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">European Review</a>.



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Scientists explain why time seems to move faster and 'fly by' as we age

Most of us have heard a parent or grandparent say, “Time goes by faster every year,” while shaking their head at how quickly July 4 seems to roll around. When you’re twelve, however, the brain has a different perception of time - the wait for summer vacation feels endless, and a single school day can feel as slow as a traffic jam in August heat. That gap between the child’s long afternoon and the adult’s lightning-fast month isn’t just storytelling, it’s how our brain's perception of time...

When it comes to lifespan, researchers have found that four bat species have other animals beat. A team from the <a href="https://www.umd.edu/">University of Maryland</a> has worked to pinpoint two traits in the species that could offer up part of the secret to mammal longevity.

Their new study, published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2018.0860">Biology Letters</a>, found that common vampire bats, horseshoe bats, long-eared bats and one lineage of mouse-eared bats live up to four times as long as other mammals the same size. Among those four species, they found that a tolerance for variations in body temperature and differences in body size between males and females are signs that a species might be longer lived.

“This study provides multiple cases of closely related species with varying longevity, which gives us many opportunities to make comparisons and look for some underlying mechanism that would allow some species to live so long,” lead author Dr. Gerald Wilkinson said. 

Mammal longevity is, in most cases, tied to body size. African elephants have an average lifespan of 70 years, and blue whales can live up to 90. Smaller mammals like mice live one to three years. 

Humans are unusual, living about four times longer than other mammals the same size, and about twice as long as our closest primate relatives. Bonobos life about 40 years, and chimpanzees average 50 years.

The researchers believed that singling out unusually long-lived bat species could offer clues as to what traits go with that longevity.

The team analyzed a suite of traits, from hibernation, cave use, sex-based size differences, home range latitude, and tolerance for temperature changes.

They found that bats in extreme latitudes tend to live longer than those that lived near the equator. Those at more extreme locations – especially hibernators – tended to see their body temperatures rise and fall. 

“Of the lineages of bats that live a long time, three of them are hibernators and one of them is the vampire bat,” Wilkinson said. “The vampire bat is very unusual for a mammal in that it can let its body temperature rise and fall throughout the day.” 

Variations in body temperature could help mammals fight infections and preserve energy, the scientists theorized – similar to how humans’ fevers are a mechanism to fight infection.

Additionally, species where males and females were close to the same size tended to live longer than those in which the males were much longer.

The researchers are hoping to continue looking into exactly how those traits came to be linked with mammal longevity, and whether than can be used to increase our own lifespans.

“If we lived as long as bats, adjusted for size, we could live 240 years,” Wilkinson said. “Everybody wants to know how these animals can live so long. This kind of work can help us get to the answers.”

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Bats may hold key to mammal longevity – including humans

When it comes to lifespan, researchers have found that four...

A new study from <a href="https://english.tau.ac.il/">Tel Aviv University</a> has revealed that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-neanderthals-cannibalism/">Neanderthals</a> and woolly mammoths shared DNA that allowed them to adapt to freezing cold environments hundreds of thousands of years ago. The researchers also discovered genes that the ancient humans and animals had in common which would have increased the production of hair and skin.

“Neanderthals and mammoths lived together in Europe during the Ice Age. The evidence suggests that Neanderthals hunted and ate mammoths for tens of thousands of years and were actually physically dependent on calories extracted from mammoths for their successful adaptation,” said study co-lead author Professor Barkai. “Neanderthals depended on mammoths for their very existence.”

“They say you are what you eat. This was especially true of Neanderthals; they ate mammoths but were apparently also genetically similar to mammoths.”

To investigate these similarities, the archaeologists reviewed three case studies that compared the genomes of woolly mammoths and Neanderthals. 

The first case study described the mutual appearance of the LEPR gene, which is related to thermogenesis and fat storage in the body. The second study found genes related to keratin protein activity in both species, and the third study focused on skin and hair pigmentation variants in the genes MC1R and SLC7A11.

“Our observations present the likelihood of resemblance between numerous molecular variants that resulted in similar cold-adapted epigenetic traits of two species, both of which evolved in Eurasia from an African ancestor,” explained study co-lead author Meidad Kislev. “These remarkable findings offer supporting evidence for the contention regarding the nature of convergent evolution through molecular resemblance, in which similarities in genetic variants between adapted species are present.”

“We believe these types of connections can be valuable for future evolutionary research. They're especially interesting when they involve other large-brained mammals, with long life spans, complex social behavior and their interactions in shared habitats with early humans.”

The researchers concluded that both species likely had ancestors that came from Africa and adapted to living conditions in Ice Age Europe. The species also became extinct at around the same time.

“It is now possible to try to answer a question no one has asked before: Are there genetic similarities between evolutionary adaptation paths in Neanderthals and mammoths?” said Professor Barkai. “The answer seems to be yes. This idea alone opens endless avenues for new research in evolution, archaeology and other disciplines.”

“At a time when proboscideans are under threat of disappearance from the world due to the ugly human greed for ivory, highlighting our shared history and similarities with elephants and mammoths might be a point worth taking into consideration.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/human-biology">Human Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Neanderthals and woolly mammoths shared much of the same DNA

A new study from Tel Aviv University has revealed that...

A new study has revealed that bacteria in the human body are sharing genes with each other at a much higher rate than expected. Using a new molecular data-mining method, the team discovered that some of the genes are even moving themselves from one part of the body to another without depending on their microbial hosts to carry them. 

The mining technique used for the study was initially conceptualized by Kyung Mo Kim, a senior research scientist at the Korea Polar Research Institute, and was developed by Biology Professor Gustavo Caetano-Anollés at the <a href="https://illinois.edu/">University of Illinois</a>. This new method allowed the experts to pinpoint cases of “horizontal gene transfer,” which is the direct transfer of genes between organisms outside of sexual or asexual reproduction.

“Horizontal gene transfer is a major force of exchange of genetic information on Earth,” said Professor Caetano-Anollés. “These exchanges allow microorganisms to adapt and thrive, but they are likely also important for human health. There are some bacteria that cannot live outside our bodies and some without which we cannot live.”

“A better understanding of this phenomenon also will have significant public health value, since the emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens as a result of the horizontal spread of antibiotic-resistant genes has become a global concern,” said Arshan Nasir, a former student of Professor Caetano-Anollés who assisted in developing the technology used for the study. 

The scientists used genomic information to build tens of thousands of “family trees” of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-travel-thousands-miles/">bacteria</a> that colonize the human body. By comparing these bacterial family trees with trees of microbial genes, the team was able to identify which genes had been inherited and which were the result of horizontal gene transfer.

“Most current methods for determining horizontal gene transfer compare DNA features or statistical similarity between genomes to identify foreign genes,” said Nasir. “This works fairly well for relatively recent gene transfers, but often fails to identify transfer events that occurred millions or billions of years ago.”

“We studied human-associated microorganisms, since they are known to be key players in maintaining human health and metabolism. We calculated gene-transfer rates and direction - who transferred what to whom - for more than 1,000 reference bacterial genomes sampled by the National Institutes of Health Human Microbiome Project.”


Bacteria samples had been collected from the skin, blood, oral cavity, gut, airway, and the urogenital tract. According to Professor Caetano-Anollés, the researchers found evidence to support earlier findings that human-associated bacteria are quite promiscuous with their genes.

“The horizontal exchange between microbes in our bodies is about 30 percent higher than what you'll find on the rest of the planet. This implies that our bodies provide a niche that is unique and facilitates innovation at the microbe level.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/scientificreports">Scientific Reports</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Bacteria in humans are swapping genes at a surprisingly fast rate

A new study has revealed that bacteria in the human...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">University of California Davis</a> has found that heavy rainfall over the Indian Ocean, eastern Pacific Ocean, and Southeast Asia can be used to predict <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/extreme-heat-waves-weaken-flu/">heat waves</a> across central California. According to the researchers, a major rainfall event in one of these regions is a good indication that temperatures will reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit within four to 16 days.

Study co-author Richard Grotjahn is a professor in the Department of Land, Air, and Water Resources at UC Davis.

“We want to know more about how extreme events are created,” said Professor Grotjahn. “We know that such patterns in winter are sometimes linked with areas of the tropics where thunderstorms are enhanced; we wondered if there might be similar links during summer for those heat waves.”

Heat waves are not uncommon across the Central California Valley, which spans 450 miles from just north of Los Angeles up to Redding. Around half of the nation’s fruits and nuts are grown on trees across the region, and heat waves can lead to major agricultural losses. 

In 2006, central California’s dairy industry was hit hard with about $1 billion in economic losses from extreme heat, and the ability to predict these weather events could lead to proactive solutions. 

For the current study, the scientists analyzed summer heat wave data from from 1979 to 2010 that had been collected by 15 National Climatic Data Centers stations located throughout the Valley. Based on this information, the researchers identified 24 heat waves.

These hot weather events were then compared to the phases of a large, traveling atmospheric circulation pattern called the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO). This pattern is characterized by heavy rain that migrates across the tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Study first author Yun-Young Lee is a researcher at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APEC_Climate_Center">Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Climate Center</a> in Busan, South Korea.

“It's well known that tropical rainfall, such as the MJO, have effects beyond the tropics,” said Lee. “So, a question comes to mind: (is) hot weather in the Central California Valley partly attributable to tropical rainfall?”

The study revealed that enhanced rainfall in the tropics does, in fact, precede heat waves in specific and relatively predictable patterns. The researchers also determined that hot weather in the Central Valley is most common after intense MJO activity in the eastern Pacific Ocean, followed by strong MJO activity in the Indian Ocean.

“The more we know about such associations to large-scale weather patterns and remote links, the better we can assess climate model simulations and therefore better assess simulations of future climate scenarios,” said Professor Grotjahn.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/journal/376">Advances in Atmospheric Sciences</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

California heat waves can be predicted by thunderstorms across the globe

A new study from the University of California Davis has...

Researchers from the <a href="https://medschool.ucsd.edu/Pages/default.aspx">University of California San Diego School of Medicine</a> examined how a long-term stay in space can affect a human body on a molecular, physiological, and behavioral level via a <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a> twin study. The team looked into how space can affect the bodily regulation of proteins and metabolites, and how impact <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/exposure-radiation-astronaut-lives/">space travel</a> can have on cardiovascular health and vision, among other things.

"This first-of-its-kind investigation has provided clues about how a long duration space flight changes the regulation of molecules in the body and the relationship of these changes with physiological changes in the body due to space flight such as vascular remodeling and vision problems," said senior author Brinda Rana, PhD, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine. 

She continued, "Not only does the study provide insight into the body's response to space flight, by simultaneously studying the astronaut's identical twin brother who served as our 'ground control,' we captured an integrated view of the molecular, behavioral and physiological changes experienced by a middle-aged man on Earth over a two-year period."

Identical twin astronauts Scott and Mark Kelly were studied by 10 teams of investigators while Scott stayed at the International Space Station (ISS) for 342 days in 2015 and 2016, and Mark remained on Earth.

"A primary issue that astronauts have in space is Space-Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome or SANS," Rana said. "Many astronauts develop SANS-related vision impairment that may be the result of multiple hits on the vascular system involving microgravity-related fluid shifts, environmental changes, and possibly a genetic predisposition."

Rana also stated that cardiovascular changes similar to atherosclerosis, an arterial disease, have also been observed in astronauts who have returned home after a long-duration flight. “Both SANS and cardiovascular issues are major physiological hurdles which <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a> wants to address before they can embark on longer space flight missions, such as the proposed mission to Mars in the 2030s."

Biofluid samples were collected and transported from the ISS while Scott was mid-travel. It was difficult to collect enough blood for 10 investigative teams to study, however Rana said researchers put protocols in action to prevent astronaut dehydration.

One such finding from the study, which will be published in <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>, was that the teams found Scott exhibited an increase in collagen proteins in his urine while at the ISS compared to his brother at home. This correlates with indications of vascular remodeling during space flight.

"The overall Twins Study demonstrated the resilience and robustness of how a human body can adapt to a multitude of changes induced by the spaceflight environment, such as microgravity, radiation, circadian disruption, elevated CO2, isolation from friends and family and dietary limitations," Rana said. "The results will serve as a roadmap for future interdisciplinary studies aimed at better understanding potential health risks of long-duration missions and developing personalized countermeasures."

-- 

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How does a year in space impact the human body?

Researchers from the University of California San Diego School of...

Paleontologists have found an extremely rare set of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dinosaurs-nasal-passages-cool/">dinosaur</a> footprints from tens of millions of years ago that still contain well-preserved skin. The tiny footprints, which measure about an inch in length, were discovered at a site near Jinju City in South Korea and date all the way back to the Cretaceous Period.

The tracks were left behind by a Minisauripus, which is a small theropod about the size of a blackbird. According to the researchers, this is the 10th discovery of Minisauripus footprints and the first-ever tracks found to contain traces of skin.

[caption id="attachment_1871095" align="aligncenter" width="303"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/12055872-6903423-image-m-6_1554824957024.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1871095" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/12055872-6903423-image-m-6_1554824957024.jpg" alt="" width="303" height="416" /></a> Image Credit: Nature[/caption]

Even though less than one percent of the imprints still have skin present, impressions of the skin were reportedly found across all of the tracks. The findings indicate that a rain shower had just occurred before the impressions were made.

“The tracks were made on a very thin layer of fine mud, rather like a coat of fresh paint only a millimeter thick,” said study co-author Martin Lockley. “These are the first tracks ever found where perfect skin impressions cover the entire surface of every track.”

The prints were first spotted by Dr. Kyung-Soo Kim, a professor in the Department of Science Education at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinju_National_University_of_Education">Chinju National University of Education</a>, and were nearly missed altogether. During large-scale excavations, Dr. Kim noticed five of the tiny tracks in a broken slab.

[caption id="attachment_1871096" align="aligncenter" width="304"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/12055874-6903423-image-m-8_1554824972346.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1871096" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/12055874-6903423-image-m-8_1554824972346.jpg" alt="" width="304" height="416" /></a> Image Credit: Nature[/caption]

The skin texture of the dinosaur’s foot was perfectly preserved. The study authors compared the skin texture to a medium grade of medium sandpaper, but with half-millimeter-wide scales arranged like a woven fabric.

The research expands the known range of the Minisauripus, and the discovery is considered to be the earliest documentation of the small dinosaurs in Korea. The unique set of 95 footprints may help to settle the debate of whether tiny tracks such as these represent small species or the juveniles of large species.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/scientificreports">Scientific Reports</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Perfectly preserved tracks contain traces of dinosaur skin

Paleontologists have found an extremely rare set of dinosaur footprints...

The Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor (ASIM) was launched last April in an effort to study severe thunderstorms. Just a year later, the observation facility is already providing scientists with a better understanding of the role that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/thunderstorms-nuclear-reactions/">thunderstorms</a> play in the Earth’s atmosphere and climate and how lightning is created.

Located on the exterior of the International Space Station (ISS), the ASIM is flying 400 meters above the Earth to observe upper-atmospheric lightning known as terrestrial gamma-ray flashes, which occur at higher altitudes than normal lightning. 

According to a report from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a>, the first ASIM measurements have revealed how terrestrial gamma-ray flashes form in the atmosphere. The observations have also produced an unprecedented amount of data showing blue lightning above thunderclouds.

“We are seeing new things and have gained so much knowledge on the internal anatomy of lightning. Besides the terrestrial gamma-flashes our recordings show lots of blue lightning that spread like fireworks above thunderclouds. It looks crazy,” said Torsten Neubert, who is the lead scientist for the ASIM project at DTU Space.

[caption id="attachment_1871088" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/thunderstorm.png"><img class="wp-image-1871088" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/thunderstorm.png" alt="" width="650" height="394" /></a> Thunderstorm seen from the International Space Station, Image Credit: ESA/NASA[/caption]

The images are particularly important because they are captured from an angle that will makes it easier for researchers to view what is occurring.

“ASIM is an excellent example of the exciting and important research we carry out aboard the International Space Station,” said Andreas. “Research that will contribute with new knowledge about our world. Filming the blue lightning was undoubtedly one of the highlights of my mission in 2015.”


A better understanding of processes occurring in Earth’s atmosphere can help to improve atmospheric models and climate projections. In the future, the science team may also use the ASIM observation facility to study aurora and meteors over the Earth.

The ASIM discoveries were presented at a European Geosciences Union conference in Vienna.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How do thunderstorms affect the Earth’s climate?

The Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor (ASIM) was launched last April in...

An international team of researchers has discovered the 50,000 year-old remains of a previously unknown species of human in the Philippines. The new species has been named Homo luzonensis after Luzon Island, where the fossils were found in the Callao Cave.

The research supports the idea that this region played an important role in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/earliest-hominins-migrating/">hominin evolutionary history</a>. Study co-author Professor Philip Piper from <a href="http://www.anu.edu.au/">The Australian National University</a> (ANU) said the findings represent a major breakthrough in our understanding of human evolution across Southeast Asia.

The fossils, which were obtained from within the same archaeological deposits, belonged to at least two adults and one juvenile.

“The fossil remains included adult finger and toe bones, as well as teeth. We also recovered a child's femur. There are some really interesting features - for example, the teeth are really small,” said Professor Piper.

“The size of the teeth generally, though not always, reflect the overall body-size of a mammal, so we think Homo luzonensis was probably relatively small. Exactly how small we don't know yet. We would need to find some skeletal elements from which we could measure body-size more precisely.”

“It's quite incredible, the extremities, that is the hand and feet bones are remarkably Australopithecine-like. The Australopithecines last walked the earth in Africa about 2 million years ago and are considered to be the ancestors of the Homo group, which includes modern humans.”

“So, the question is whether some of these features evolved as adaptations to island life, or whether they are anatomical traits passed down to Homo luzonensis from their ancestors over the preceding 2 million years.”

The origins of Homo luzonensis and their duration on the island of Luzon are not yet known. Recent excavations near Callao Cave produced evidence of a butchered rhinoceros and stone tools dating back about 700,000 years.

“No hominin fossils were recovered, but this does provide a timeframe for a hominin presence on Luzon. Whether it was Homo luzonensis butchering and eating the rhinoceros remains to be seen,” said Professor Piper said.

“It makes the whole region really significant. The Philippines is made up of a group of large islands that have been separated long enough to have potentially facilitated archipelago speciation. There is no reason why archaeological research in the Philippines couldn't discover several species of hominin. It's probably just a matter of time.”

There is evidence to suggest that Homo luzonensis may have inhabited many of the large islands of Southeast Asia. In addition, the remains share some unique skeletal features with the hobbit, or Homo floresiensis, which were found southeast of the Philippines on the island of Flores.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</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: Callao Cave Research Project

New species of ancient humans discovered in the Philippines

An international team of researchers has discovered the 50,000 year-old...

Could methane-eating bacteria keep methane emissions in check?. Numerous climate studies have shown how increases in CO2 emissions caused by human activities play a significant role in climate change. When working on solutions to help reduce CO2 emissions, one potential method involves planting more trees and plants to take in more CO2 which will then be converted to oxygen. 

Recent studies have focused on potential solutions like increasing tree cover to mitigate climate change... but what about other potent greenhouse gasses? Are there natural safeguards that we can turn to help decrease <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/clams-worms-high-methane/">methane</a> (CH4) or ozone? 

The answer is yes. 

Some strains of bacteria in the soil take in methane and convert it into oxygen. These bacteria are called methane-oxidizing bacteria, and they are the only known “biological sink” for trapping and storing methane. 

Now for the first time, researchers from the <a href="https://www.univie.ac.at/en/">University of Vienna</a> and the <a href="https://en.uit.no/">Arctic University of Norway</a> have analyzed bacteria cultures and discovered the underlying mechanisms that drive this mysterious and vulnerable methane-eating microbe. 

A <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2019/04/02/1817812116">study</a> describing the bacteria Methylocapsa Gorgana was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Could methane-eating bacteria keep methane emissions in check?

The bacteria could help reduce atmospheric methane emissions by trapping methane in the soil before it makes its way to the atmosphere. Methane is a particularly potent greenhouse gas and has much more warming potential than carbon dioxide. 

The first methane-oxidizing bacteria were discovered in 1906, but it wasn’t until recently that researchers were able to study these microbes in detail. 

In this study, the researchers found that the bacteria can survive on just small amounts of methane but could potentially feed on carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen as well. 

Currently, the bacteria doesn’t take in nearly enough methane to offset methane emitted from human activities and livestock. 

To help enhance the methane-eating potential of the bacteria, the researchers recommend genetically modifying the bacteria to take in more methane and other greenhouse gasses. 

The researchers do warn that the bacteria is extremely fragile and vulnerable to disruptions in the soil from agriculture and development. 

“The isolation and characterization of a member of these recalcitrant organisms have direct implications for our understanding of the biological sink of atmospheric CH4 and how atmospheric trace gases support life on our and possibly other planets,” the researchers conclude in their study.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Could methane-eating bacteria keep methane emissions in check?

Could methane-eating bacteria keep methane emissions in check?. Numerous climate...

Ice core extraction near Concordia station

An international team of researchers is working to obtain Antarctic ice cores that hold a historical record of the climate over the past 1.5 million years. After searching for three years to find the ideal site, the scientists have selected “Little Dome C,” one of the coldest and most lifeless places on Earth.

The project, known as <a href="https://www.beyondepica.eu/">Beyond EPICA - Oldest Ice (BE-OI)</a>, is being led by Olaf Eisen from the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research.

Little Dome C is a three hour drive by snowmobile from the Concordia Antarctic station, which is a site where researchers previously drilled more than 3,000 meters deep. The analysis of the resulting ice cores produced a climate record that dates back  800,000 years. 

“During that time, there were alternating periods: long glacials and shorter interglacials, at an interval of roughly every hundred thousand years,” explained Eisen. 

Tiny bubbles trapped in the prehistoric ice contain air from the time when the ice formed, which means they can be used to measure concentrations of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/carbon-dioxide-levels-spike/">carbon dioxide</a> and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/global-atmospheric-methane-ozone/">methane</a>. The researchers found that when the Earth's climate was cold, there was considerably less carbon dioxide and methane in the air compared to warmer time periods.

The experts do not yet have any ice cores from the time period when the alternating  rhythm between cold and warmer intervals changed significantly. 

“More than 1.2 million years ago, the cycles were only roughly 40,000 years long, and were set off by regular changes in the angle of the Earth's axis,” explained Eisen. “This was followed by a transitional period of roughly 300,000 years, before the hundred-thousand-year rhythm began, roughly 900,000 years ago.”

Testing the air bubbles trapped in the ice is the only way for scientists to gather data on carbon dioxide and methane, as well as their impact on the climate. “Accordingly, after having gathered the 800,000-year-old EPICA samples, there are very good reasons for drilling into ice that's at least 1.5 million years old,” explained Eisen. 

This would give the scientists a better understanding of the environmental  conditions during the “mid-Pleistocene transition” and the 40,000-year rhythm that preceded it.

If the European Union approves the second phase of BE-OI, the drilling at Little Dome C will begin in November of 2021. The drilling will continue over three Antarctic summers until a depth of 2,730 meters is reached, where the ice should be at least 1.5 million years old.


The <a href="https://www.beyondepica.eu/">BE-OI</a> presented its findings at the General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union in Vienna.

--

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 © Thibaut Vergoz

The oldest ice on Earth could reveal key insight into climate change

An international team of researchers is working to obtain Antarctic...

After searching for coronal rain, sometimes known as 'plasma' rain, in photos of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/earths-water-older-sun/">Sun</a> for nearly a year and a half, <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> scientist Emily Mason realized that she had been looking at it all along. When she finally turned her attention to small, previously overlooked magnetic loops, she discovered images of coronal rain.

Mason was looking for coronal rain in helmet streamers when she noticed tiny magnetic structures that were unfamiliar to her. 

“They were really bright and they kept drawing my eye,” said Mason. “When I finally took a look at them, sure enough they had tens of hours of rain at a time.”

At first, Mason was unaware of the significance of the small magnetic loops. 

“She came to group meeting and said, ‘I never found it - I see it all the time in these other structures, but they're not helmet streamers,’” said study co-author and NASA solar scientist Nicholeen Viall. “And I said, ‘Wait...hold on. Where do you see it? I don't think anybody's ever seen that before!’”

Mason explained that coronal rain works similarly to rain falling on the Earth, “but instead of 60-degree water you're dealing with a million-degree plasma.”

Plasma is an electrically-charged gas that flows along the curving lines of powerful magnetic fields to form coronal loops. At the point where the loop is attached to the Sun, the plasma is superheated from a few thousand to over 1.8 million degrees Fahrenheit. Next, it expands up the loop and gathers at its peak. When the plasma cools, it condenses and falls back to the surface of the Sun as coronal rain. 

“These loops were much smaller than what we were looking for,” said study co-author Spiro Antiochos. “So that tells you that the heating of the corona is much more localized than we were thinking.”

While the findings do not solve the mystery of how the Sun’s corona is 300 times hotter than its surface, the research does narrow down the region where coronal heating is taking place. “We still don't know exactly what's heating the corona, but we know it has to happen in this layer,” said Mason.

The study results also indicate that these coronal rain events may be the source of the mysterious slower and denser parts of solar wind. Based on past observations of solar wind, scientists expected to find coronal rain in helmet streamers, which are magnetic loops millions of miles tall that stick out from the sun during solar eclipses.

Experts have known for more than two decades that helmet streamers are one source of slow solar wind, which undergoes a similar extreme heating and cooling process as coronal rain. Computer simulations have shown that coronal rain is also present in these massive magnetic loops, and the NASA team will continue to investigate. 

The study is published in <a href="https://phys.org/journals/astrophysical-journal-letters/">Astrophysical Journal Letters</a>.
--

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: NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory/Scientific Visualisation Studio/Tom Bridgman

‘Plasma rain’ on the Sun has been linked to an unexpected source

After searching for coronal rain, sometimes known as 'plasma' rain,...

A team of researchers led by Dennis Claessen, an associate professor at the <a href="https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/science/biology">Institute of Biology at Leiden University</a>, discovered that bacteria that grows in partial gravity accumulates waste that cannot be discarded. Applying anti-gravity to specific antibiotic-growing microbes could be the key to fighting antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

According to the <a href="http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Engineering_Technology/Martian_soil_detox_could_lead_to_new_medicines">European Space Agency</a>, Claessen and his team, who presented their findings at the <a href="https://igem.org/Main_Page">iGEM International Genetically Engineered Machine</a> competition, were initially attempting to solve the problem of growing non-toxic plants on <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/rivers-persisted-mars/">Mars</a>, and needed “Martian” gravity to test their theory. 

“The soil on Mars has perchlorate chemical compounds in it, which can be toxic for humans,” Claessen said. “Our students started ‘building’ a bacterium that would degrade the perchlorate to chlorine and oxygen, but they needed to know whether that bacterium would behave the same way in the partial gravity of Mars as it would on Earth.”

To do this, the team assembled a random positioning machine (RPM), which allows researchers to experiment with zero or reduced gravity. The RPM works by continually shifting its orientation at random, so whatever items are within it do not have a chance to adjust to steady gravity.

“During [the team’s] experiments they noticed that when bacteria grew in partial gravity, they became stressed as they accumulated waste around them that they couldn’t get rid of,” Claessen said. “This holds great potential because when microbes belonging to the Streptomyces family become stressed, they usually start making antibiotics.”

Claessen noted that 70% of all antibiotics used to treat human diseases and infections are derived from Streptomyces bacteria, “and we know they have the potential to produce even more,” he said. Claessen believes that using RPM can help scientists discover new antibiotics.

He is spearheading a Dutch consortium to investigate soil detoxification on a bigger scale. Claessen plans to use soil from Chile’s Atacama Desert, which is also high in perchlorate, to continue their Mars-related experimentation. The team will also look into Streptomyces microbes, found in Earth’s soil, and their potential to form new antibiotics within an RPM.

“To find that they hold the potential for discovering new antibiotics as well is even more exciting, as antibiotic resistance is something we need to tackle urgently,” said Derk Schneemann at <a href="https://verhaert.com/">Verhaert Netherlands</a>. 

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum)

Detoxifying Martian soil could help scientists discover new antibiotics

A team of researchers led by Dennis Claessen, an associate...

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

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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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



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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

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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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

[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Stowers...

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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



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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



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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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