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...

A massive meteor exploded in the Earth's atmosphere over the Bering Sea last year, but the event has only just now been investigated. Despite releasing ten times the energy of the Hiroshima atomic bomb, the explosion went nearly undetected over this remote region between Russia and Alaska.

The event was spotted by Peter Brown, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Western_Ontario">University of Western Ontario</a>. He posted his findings on Twitter, suggesting that this was the second largest meteor explosion in the last 30 years, and the largest since the Chelyabinsk fireball of 2013.  


While meteor explosions occur often, large meteor events only occur several times a century. The space rock approached our planet in the middle of the day on December 18, 2018, bursting just 16 miles above the Earth's surface. 

The meteor was 30 feet wide, weighed over 1,500 tons, and was traveling at approximately 71,600 miles per hour. This means that the force behind its disintegration would have released the same amount of energy as 173 kilotons of TNT.

Kelly Fast is the near-Earth objects observations program manager at NASA. 

“That was 40 percent the energy release of Chelyabinsk, but it was over the Bering Sea so it didn't have the same type of effect or show up in the news,” Fast told the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/">BBC</a>. “That's another thing we have in our defense, there's plenty of water on the planet.”

Incredible images show a bright orange fireball against a blue and white background. The meteorite broke up into multiple pieces as it entered the atmosphere, and scientists believe that the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/asteroid-impacts-earths-crust/">asteroid</a> may have been catapulted toward the Earth after colliding with another object. 
--
By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Simon Proud, University of Oxford/Japanese Meteorological Agency

Meteor explosion over the Bering Sea had the force of 10 atomic bombs

A massive meteor exploded in the Earth's atmosphere over the...

Bacteria tend to strengthen in the extreme conditions of spaceflight. The immune defenses of the crew become weakened, and the risk of infection grows as the mission endures. But now, researchers have demonstrated how astronauts can be protected from these potential superbugs.

The team tested an antimicrobial coating aboard the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/privatize-international-space-station/">International Space Station</a> (ISS). The study showed that the use of AGXX® dramatically reduced the number of bacteria on surfaces. The discovery is a step in the right direction toward deep space exploration.

Study senior author Elisabeth Grohmann is a professor at the <a href="http://www.beuth-hochschule.de/en/3001/">Beuth University of Applied Sciences Berlin</a>.

“Spaceflight can turn harmless bacteria into potential pathogens,” explained Professor Grohmann. “Just as stress hormones leave astronauts vulnerable to infection, the bacteria they carry become hardier - developing thick protective coatings and resistance to antibiotics - and more vigorous, multiplying and metabolizing faster.”


Professor Grohmann and colleagues tested a new antimicrobial coating, AGXX®, on the toilet door of the ISS.

“AGXX® contains both silver and ruthenium, conditioned by a vitamin derivative, and it kills all kinds of bacteria as well as certain fungi, yeasts and viruses. The effects are similar to bleach - except the coating is self-regenerating so it never gets used up,” said Professor Grohmann.

The AGXX® coating proved to be highly effective, and no bacteria were found on the tested surfaces after six months. At 12 and 19 months, bacteria was still reduced by about 80 percent.

“With prolonged exposure time a few bacteria escaped the antimicrobial action. The antimicrobial test-materials are static surfaces, where dead cells, dust particles and cell debris can accumulate over time and interfere with the direct contact between the antimicrobial surface and the bacteria,” said Professor Grohmann.

“Most importantly, no serious human pathogens were found on any surface. Thus, the infection risk for the ISS crew currently is low.”

“For our part, we are continuing to analyze the antimicrobial performance of AGXX®, most recently aboard the joint IBMP-NASA SIRIUS 18/9 isolation mission.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology">Frontiers in Microbiology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Spaceflight can turn normal bacteria into superbugs

Bacteria tend to strengthen in the extreme conditions of spaceflight....

A team of researchers from <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a> have created a method to produce hydrogen fuel via solar power, electrodes, and seawater from the San Francisco Bay. By using electricity, the researchers have figured out a new way to separate hydrogen and oxygen gas from seawater that does not require costly highly purified water like existing water-splitting methods do. 

Their research and methodology is published March 18th in the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

Hydrogen does not emit carbon dioxide, therefore making it an appealing option for fuel during the current climate crisis. However, using purified water to make enough hydrogen fuel to power cars and cities is not conceivable, according to Stanford’s Hongjie Dai, J.G. Jackson, and co-senior author C.J. Wood.

Splitting hydrogen and oxygen in water — electrolysis — is not a new concept. The process is completed by placing two electrodes in the water. When the power is turned on, hydrogen gas bubbles from the negative end (the cathode), and oxygen is produced at the positive end (the anode). But when electrolysis is done in seawater, the negatively charged chloride corrodes the anode.

But the team realized that by coating the anode in negatively-charged metallic layers (nickel-iron hydroxide over nickel sulfide, all covering a nickel foam core), they could protect the anode, therefore increasing the lifespan of the mechanism from 12 to more than 1,000 hours.

[caption id="attachment_1869892" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/hydrogen-fuel.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1869892" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/hydrogen-fuel.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="366" /></a> This prototype device, Image Credit: H. Dai, Yun Kuang, Michael Kenney[/caption]

The nickel foam core is the conductor, helping electricity travel form the power source. The nickel-iron hydroxide encourages electrolysis, separating oxygen from hydrogen. And the nickel sulfide transforms into a negatively-charged layer that protects the anode.

The team conducted the majority of their tests in a controlled lab setting. However, they also designed a solar-powered mechanism that ran electrolysis in seawater from San Francisco Bay.

Their simple design will now promote the creation of hydrogen fuel, with the entire process powered by solar and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/environmental-impacts-solar-wind-energy/">wind energy</a>. And the breathable oxygen can also be used by divers or submarine operators.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scientists create hydrogen fuel using solar power and seawater

A team of researchers from Stanford University have created a...

The various habitats and lifestyles of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mammals-survive-urban-areas/">mammals</a> create a demand for unique arms, which are part of what sets mammals apart from other species. A recent study has found that our early relatives started evolving diverse forelimbs as far back as 270 million years ago.

Study lead author Jacqueline Lungmus is a research assistant at the <a href="https://www.fieldmuseum.org/">Field Museum</a> and a doctoral candidate at the University of Chicago. 


“Aside from fur, diverse forelimb shape is one of the most iconic characteristics of mammals,” said Lungmus. “We were trying to understand where that comes from, if it's a recent trait or if this has been something special about the group of animals that we belong to from the beginning.”

Lungmus collaborated with Field Museum curator Ken Angielczyk to determine the origins of mammals' arms by examining the fossils of their ancient relatives. 

About 270 million years ago, a diverse line of our family tree emerged with the appearance of the therapsids.

[caption id="attachment_1869827" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/upper-arm-bones.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1869827" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/upper-arm-bones.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="316" /></a> Upper arm bones from seven kinds of early mammal relatives, Image (c) Jacqueline Lungmus, Field Museum[/caption]

“Modern mammals are the only surviving therapsids - this is the group that we're part of today,” said Lungmus. 

Therapsids really branched out, and the researchers wanted to investigate whether this explosion of diversity corresponded with a variety of different forelimb shapes. 

“This is the first study to quantify forelimb shape across a big sample of these animals,” explained Lungmus. 

The study revealed that a wide variety of different forelimb shapes evolved among the therapsids 270 million years ago.

“The therapsids are the first synapsids to increase the variability of their forelimbs - this study dramatically pushes that trait back in time,” said Lungmus. 

Prior to this study, diverse forelimbs had only been definitively traced back to 160 million years ago. The new research pushes this phenomenon back by more than 100 million years.


“This is something that's so cool about our evolutionary lineage,” said Lungmus. “These animals are in the same group as us - part of what makes this research compelling is that these are our relatives.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Mammals began to develop unique arms 270 million years ago

The various habitats and lifestyles of mammals create a demand...

A new study into how alligators determine where sounds are coming from has revealed a surprise about the evolution of spatial hearing in reptiles and birds.

The shared common ancestor of alligators, other reptiles and their feathered cousins probably evolved spatial hearing – the ability to tell the location of a sound – independently of one another. 

For more than a decade, Dr. Catherine Carr of the <a href="https://www.umd.edu/">University of Maryland, College Park</a> and Dr. Lutz Kettler of the <a href="https://www.tum.de/">Technische Universität München</a> have studied how spatial hearing evolved in reptiles and birds. 

Carr was part of a research team that discovered how alligators can have spatial hearing at all without external ears. That study revealed that alligators had evolved large, air-filled channels between their ears to make up for the problem. Like the neural maps, the channels gave a clue that alligators had developed spatial hearing far differently than mammals.

“Mammals usually have large moveable ears, but alligators do not, so they have solved the problems of sound localization a little differently. This may also be the solution used by the alligator's dinosaur relatives,” said Dr. Hilary Bierman, a co-author with Carr on the <a href="http://bbi.umd.edu/news/news_story.php?id=9388">2014 study</a>.

Kettler, on the other hand, has studied how spatial hearing works in barn owls. Like alligators, barn owls have an <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00422-016-0689-3">interaural canal</a> rather than external ears.

Now, working together, Carr and Kettler have analyzed how alligators determine the location of a sound. They found that their brains create a neural map to chart where a noise is coming from, much like barn owls and chickens – but unlike mammals.

As birds and reptiles are close relatives with a much more recent shared ancestor than either group shares with mammals, the similarities in how they analyze sound points to a separate evolution of spatial hearing, the researchers believe.

The study has been published in <a href="http://www.jneurosci.org/">Journal of Neuroscience</a>. Funding was provided by the <a href="https://www.nih.gov/">National Institutes of Health</a>.

—

By <a href="mailto:kyla.cathey@gmail.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Alligators evolved spatial hearing independent of mammals

A new study into how alligators determine where sounds are...

If you cut the leg off a salamander, it can grow back. Some animals, such as jellyfish and sea anemones, can actually <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/salamanders-human-regeneration/">regenerate</a> their entire bodies after being cut in half.

Now, a new study led by <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a> is providing new insight into how animals are capable of regeneration. The team has identified a DNA switch that appears to control genes for whole-body regeneration.

When the researchers set out to investigate using three-banded panther worms, they found that a section of non-coding DNA activates a “master control gene” called early growth response (EGR). Once it is active, EGR switches additional genes on or off to control a number of other processes.

“What we found is that this one master gene comes on...and that's activating genes that are turning on during regeneration,” said study co-author Andrew Gehrke. “Basically, what's going on is the non-coding regions are telling the coding regions to turn on or off, so a good way to think of it is as though they are switches.”


In order for this process to work, tightly compacted DNA in the worm’s cells shifted, making new areas available for activation.

“A lot of those very tightly packed portions of the genome actually physically become more open, because there are regulatory switches in there that have to turn genes on or off,” said Gehrke. “So one of the big findings in this paper is that the genome is very dynamic and really changes during regeneration as different parts are opening and closing.”


To understand the changing genetic dynamics, the team needed to first sequence the worm's genome. “That's a big part of this paper - we're releasing the genome of this species, which is important because it's the first from this phylum,” said study lead author Mansi Srivastava. “Until now there had been no full genome sequence available.”


The team identified as many as 18,000 regions of the genome that change during regeneration, and discovered that EGR acts like a power switch for regeneration.

“We were able to decrease the activity of this gene and we found that if you don't have Egr, nothing happens,” said Srivastava. “The animals just can't regenerate. All those downstream genes won't turn on, so the other switches don't work, and the whole house goes dark, basically.”


The study may explain why regeneration does not work in humans. “It turns out that Egr, the master gene, and the other genes that are being turned on and off downstream are present in other species, including humans,” said Gehrke.

According to Srivastava, the big question is why do humans not regenerate if we can turn on EGR when our cells are injured.

“The answer may be that if EGR is the power switch, we think the wiring is different. What EGR is talking to in human cells may be different than what it is talking to in the three-banded panther worm, and what Andrew has done with this study is come up with a way to get at this wiring.”

“So we want to figure out what those connections are, and then apply that to other animals, including vertebrates that can only do more limited regeneration.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scientists discover the genetic control switch for limb regeneration

If you cut the leg off a salamander, it can...

A restaurant in the Midwest has become the first to use gene-edited food in the United States. According to <a href="http://www.calyxt.com/">Calyxt</a>, a company making cooking oil from gene-edited soybeans, their oil is currently being distributed and used by a midwestern restaurant chain. 

While Calyxt cannot reveal the name of the restaurant, the Minnesota-based company is hoping the news will spark interest in the oil, which contains no trans fat and has a longer shelf life than other cooking oils. 

Last Friday, regulators made moves to allow <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/genetically-modified-salmon/">genetically modified salmon</a> to grow about twice as fast as normal. The fish will be the first genetically modified animal approved for human consumption in the country.

Although officials say genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are safe, critics have pushed for transparency, and soon companies will have to disclose when products have ingredients that have been altered using engineering techniques.

Calyxt explained that its cooking oil does not qualify as a GMO. It is made from soybeans with two inactivated genes to produce more heart-healthy fats and no trans fats. The company is also working on other gene-edited crops, which are faster to develop than conventional GMOs that require regulatory research. 

Tom Adams is the CEO of the biotech company Pairwise. He said that oversight of gene-edited foods could soon become stricter, depending on the public.

“You should never think of regulation as settled,” said Adams.

The <a href="https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/organic/nosb">National Organic Standards Board</a> determined that foods made with gene editing do not qualify as organic. In addition, Europe’s highest court announced last July that gene-edited crops are genetically modified organisms and should be regulated the same way as GMOs.

Some additional gene-edited crops that are currently being explored include mushrooms that do not turn brown, wheat with more fiber, improved tomatoes, and rice that does not absorb pollution from the soil during growth.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Restaurant in the midwest is first in the US to use gene-edited food

A restaurant in the Midwest has become the first to...

A growing collection of studies is changing what we know about how T. rex looked, behaved, and even how the massive dinosaur sounded. The new evidence reveals how differently <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/tyrannosaurus-rex-planted-fruit/">Tyrannosaurus rex</a> may have actually appeared as opposed to the image that has been presented in the past. 

Mark Norell is a curator at the <a href="https://www.amnh.org/">American Museum of Natural History</a> (AMNH), where a new exhibit has been introduced at the museum called “T. rex: The Ultimate Predator,” which highlights recent study findings. 

“Everyone's preconceived ideas of what T. rex acted like and looked like are going to be heavily modified,” Norell told <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/">Business Insider</a>. 

Tyrannosaurus rex was a dominant predator on the Earth during the late Cretaceous period between 68 million and 66 million years ago, just before the dinosaurs were all wiped out.

Among the revelations about T. rex, paleontologists have found that the enormous predators actually came into the world as small, fuzzy creatures about the size of a turkey. Scientists have also concluded that the adult T. rex was not just covered in scales, but also had a mullet of feathers on its head, neck, and tail.

Paleontologists have found that the majority of T. rex hatchlings did not survive, and infants had at least a 60 percent chance of being killed as a result of starvation, disease, or predators. The adults also had a shorter life expectancy, and the oldest known T. rex only lived to the age of 30.

According to AMNH paleontologists, no other animal has had a bite force that compares to T. rex, who could crush 7,800 pounds. While scientists believe that T. rex ate members of its own species, it is not clear whether they killed the dinosaurs or simply ate them because they were already dead.

Paleontologists have determined that the dinosaur had some of the largest eyes of any land animal that were about the size of oranges. The new model also portrays a T. rex with even smaller forelimbs and more prominent hind limbs than previously thought.

While T. rex has always been depicted as having dull colors, the AMNH exhibit suggests that T. rex would have been found in many bright colors just like the diverse reptiles we see today. 
--
By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New evidence reveals the real T. rex had feathers and massive eyes

A growing collection of studies is changing what we know...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.oist.jp/">Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University</a> (OIST) have sequenced the genome of the popular brown seaweed ito-mozuku. As pollution and rising temperatures transform the ocean waters, this data may ultimately provide critical information for local seaweed farmers.

Each year, thousands of tons of seaweed is harvested along the coast of Okinawa, Japan. But now, scientists are warning that a <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-shrunk-global-fisheries/">changing climate</a> and a polluted ocean will lower the annual yield and create a demand for new cultivation methods.

While this is the first time that the genome of ito-mozuku has been examined, the team had previously analyzed the genome of a different edible seaweed species called Okinawa mozuku. 

Both seaweed species contain exceptionally high concentrations of fucoidan, a substance that is believed to have enormous health benefits such as preventing the formation of blood clots and cancerous tumors. The scientists have now discovered which genes are responsible for the high fucoidan concentration. 

The researchers found that both mozuku species contain a fused gene that drives the production of fucoidan. On their own, the two genes code for two separate enzymes. Once they are fused, the genes can be expressed simultaneously and produce a single enzyme equipped with two functions. This enzyme is what enables mozuku to make fucoidan so efficiently.

The study also revealed that ito-mozuku has an additional pair of fused genes that is not present in Okinawa mozuku. They predict that these genes are responsible for a chemical reaction that could be key to the substance's health benefits.

Beyond the implications for the health food industry, the research is aimed at developing new farming techniques. Study first author Dr. Koki Nishitsuji, a staff scientist in the OIST Marine Genomics Unit, is now working to develop genetic markers to distinguish ito-mozuku from Okinawa mozuku.

“My future plan is to establish new methods for cultivation of this species,” said Dr. Nishitsuji. “Using those markers, we can do cross-breeding. This is a popular method for making new varieties of land plants, especially wheat and potatoes, but in the case of seaweed, no one has succeeded in cross-breeding.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/">The Lancet</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: OIST

Scientists sequence the genome of popular Japanese seaweed

Researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate...

Pi Day, so named for the number pi which has an infinite number of decimals and is used in equations involving circles, spheres, and ellipses falls on March 14th because pi is often rounded to 3.14. 

And this Pi Day, <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> created a series of puzzles that let you play space explorer for a day and try your hand at tackling pi math problems. 

For six years, the NASA Pi Day Challenge has been a unique way to engage with the public and share the complex puzzles and problems that a typical NASA scientist might deal with in the field.

The four puzzles this year are all based on real-world problems that NASA has encountered or equipment that NASA works with and operates. 

For example, the “Deadly Dust Challenge” asks puzzlers to use pi to calculate how much of Mars was covered by a dust storm.

 In 2018, a massive dust storm blanketed so much of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nasa-finds-the-building-blocks-of-life-on-mars/">Mars</a>, that NASA’s solar-powered rover <a href="https://mars.nasa.gov/mer/mission/rover-status/opportunity/recent/all/">Opportunity</a>, which had been in operation for 14.5 years, shut down and was unable to recover. 

Another puzzle involves calculating the volume of a cloud. 

The games are aimed at students grades six to twelve, but math fans of all ages are invited to try their hand at the problems which include colorful illustrations. 

“We design the challenge for students because we want them to see how pi, which they're learning about in math, is used at NASA,” said Lyle Tavernier, who helped develop the problems for the challenge with JPL's Education Office. “But it's a challenge we have found so many people really get onboard with because adults and kids alike get excited about pi.” 

You can try the puzzles yourself at the <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/nasapidaychallenge">Pi in the Sky Challenge website</a>, and the answers will be revealed on March 15th. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kavandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Celebrate Pi Day with NASA’s Pi in the Sky challenge

Pi Day, so named for the number pi which has...

Scientists have widely agreed that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/neanderthal-tools-hunt-distance/">tool-making</a> is one of the key behaviors that distinguished our human ancestors from other primates. But now, a new study from <a href="http://www.emory.edu/home/index.html">Emory University</a> suggests that it was not the act of tool-making that set hominins apart, but that it was the act of making tools smaller. 

“It's a need that we've been perennially faced with and driven by,” said study lead author and anthropologist Justin Pargeter. “Miniaturization is the thing that we do.”

The research, which provides the first comprehensive outline of prehistoric tool miniaturization, proposes that miniaturization is a central tendency in hominin technologies that dates back at least 2.6 million years.

“When other apes used stone tools, they chose to go big and stayed in the forests where they evolved,” said study co-author Professor John Shea. “Hominins chose to go small, went everywhere, and transformed otherwise hostile habitats to suit our changing needs.”

The study authors found that small stone flakes used for piercing, cutting, and scraping appeared in the archeological record at sites on every continent. According to Pargeter, these stone flakes were like the disposable razor blades or paperclips of today - easy to make and easily replaced.

As Pargeter explored ideas for a thesis topic, he examined artifacts from a South African site called Boomplaas. He discovered a sliver of crystal quartz that looked like it had been designed using a highly technical method called pressure flaking. “It was diminutive, about the size of a small raisin, and weighed less than half a penny. You could literally blow it off your finger.”

Under a magnifying glass, there was evidence that the tiny piece of quartz had been used for hunting. “It suddenly occurred to me that archeologists may have missed a major component of our stone tool record,” said Pargeter. “In our desire to make 'big' discoveries we may have overlooked tiny, but important, details. A whole technology could lay hidden behind our methods, relegated to bags considered waste material.”

Pargeter theorized that the tiny flake could have been hafted, using a plant-based resin, onto a link shaft that would fit onto a light arrow shaft.

“The link shaft goes into the animal, sacrificing the small blade, but the arrow shaft pops out so you can retain this more costly component. Our ancestors were masters of aerodynamics and acted like engineers, rather than what we think of as 'cave people.' They built redundancy into their technological systems, allowing them to easily repair their tools and to reduce the impact of errors.”

“The hands of other primates are not evolved for repeated fine manipulation in high-force tasks,” explained Pargeter. “We've evolved a unique precision grip that ratchets up our ability for miniaturized technology.”

Dietrich Stout is the director of the Paleolithic Technology Laboratory at Emory University. He described how Pargeter's work adds another dimension to the investigation of human evolution. “He's exploring what may have led to the compulsion to produce these tiny instruments - essentially the relationship between the tools and the human body, brain and the probable uses of the tools,” said Stout.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15206505">Evolutionary Anthropology</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: Emory University

The miniaturization of tools is a specifically human trait

Scientists have widely agreed that tool-making is one of the...

Gentrification is a problematic but all too common issue in urban planning and development in many cities in the US and Canada. 

The upscale transition of low-income neighborhoods renovated to accommodate middle class and affluent residents can drive up rental and housing prices and displace former residents.  But gentrification can also bring much-needed facilities, services, and goods that were otherwise absent from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-the-greening-of-cities-does-not-benefit-everyone-equally/">underserved pre-gentrified areas</a>.

While gentrification is becoming increasingly common and a political point of contention, it can be challenging to study or even to define gentrification as it occurs. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uottawa.ca/en">University of Ottawa </a>in Canada have developed a deep mapping computer model that takes data from Google Street View to track gentrification on a property-by-property basis. 

Previously, studies into gentrification analyzed census data, but this did little to identify warning signs of gentrification or show how individual properties changed over time in a gentrified neighborhood. 

“Gentrification is reshaping our cities, but at the same time it is hard to determine where and how fast the phenomena occurs in large dynamic urban centers,” the researchers said. 

In this new study, published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0212814">PLOS ONE</a>, the researchers used Google Street View panoramas of properties in the urban core of Ottawa from 2007 through 2016 and developed a deep-mapping computer model to read and process the data. 

The model searched through the panoramas looking for indicators of gentrification like home improvements and renovations. The model was able to identify gentrification with a 95 percent accuracy compared to a human. 

In the Greenbelt neighborhood, the computer found 3,483 indicators of gentrification at 2,922 properties. 

The model’s analysis matched a map that marked where development and building permits had been issued. Having a way to track gentrification at the property level will help aid in further defining and tackling the problems of gentrification in cities across North America. 

“These maps have direct implications for planning, social justice and addressing inequality in this large urban center,” the researchers concluded. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Ilic et al, 2019

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

New tool uses Google Street View to track neighborhood gentrification

Gentrification is a problematic but all too common issue in...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

[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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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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