Sexual behavior and preference - whether in humans or animals - isn’t random. It’s shaped early on, during fetal development, by how the brain responds to hormones like androgens (male sex hormones). 



This early exposure is known to affect adult traits like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/relentless-sex-drive-may-lead-northern-quolls-to-extinction/">sex drive</a> and cognition. But there's been one big obstacle: how do you measure that influence without invasive methods?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rat-fingers-hint-at-sexual-behavior">Rat fingers hint at sexual behavior </h2>



Researchers from <a href="https://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/index_e.html">Okayama University</a> in Japan may have found an answer - by looking at rats’ fingers.



In a recent study published on May 14, 2025, a team led by Professor Hirotaka Sakamoto and Dr. Himeka Hayashi found that a simple finger measurement - the ratio of the second digit to the fourth digit, known as 2D:4D - can predict sexual behavior and preference in rats.



This digit ratio has been studied in humans for years. On average, men tend to have a lower 2D:4D ratio than women, meaning their index fingers are shorter relative to their ring fingers. 



That difference has been linked to prenatal androgen exposure. It’s also been tied to traits like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/practicing-yoga-nidra-improves-sleep-memory-and-cognition/">cognition</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/personality-traits-are-not-strongly-inherited-from-parents/">personality</a>, and sexual orientation. But surprisingly, there hasn’t been much research testing whether this holds true in other animals. That’s what drew the researchers to rats.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shorter-fingers-stronger-sex-drive">Shorter fingers, stronger sex drive</h2>



“We found that the 2D:4D ratio serves as a reliable biological marker for predicting sexual activity in rats,” said Sakamoto. “Rats with shorter second digits were not only more sexually active but also showed a clear preference for female scent.”



Building on their initial measurements, the team then ran mating trials to observe <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/science-behind-predicting-and-changing-human-behavior/">behavior</a>.



The results were clear. Male rats that ejaculated during their first encounter had shorter second digits compared to those that didn’t. 



These males also showed signs of higher sexual drive: they ejaculated more often, did so more quickly, and had stronger erectile function.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-scent-of-sexual-behavior">The scent of sexual behavior </h2>



To go beyond behavior and look at preference, the researchers ran a simple but telling test. They placed male rats in a cage with two kinds of bedding: one scented by females, and the other by males.



All the male rats initially explored the male-scented bedding. But only those with shorter second digits stayed interested in the female-scented bedding. They sniffed, explored, and spent more time with it - indicating a clear sexual preference.



“While most studies have only linked the digit ratio to morphological sex differences, we noticed a surprising lack of research connecting digit ratio to the biological basis of sex itself - especially sexual activity and preference,” notes Hayashi. “This curiosity marked the start of our study.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fingers-mirror-brain-wiring">Fingers mirror brain wiring</h2>



Beyond offering insight into rat behavior, the study points to a deeper question: how early hormone exposure shapes the brain in lasting ways.



Before birth, hormone exposure might wire our brains in ways that the 2D:4D ratio later reflects - potentially shaping complex behaviors like sexual orientation or emotional attachment.



“Our results suggest a profound link between the body and mind, with significant scientific and clinical implications,” said Sakamoto. “Simply examining our fingers could one day help identify aspects of our behavioral tendencies.”



The findings also offer a practical model for exploring biological questions that are difficult - or impossible - to study directly in humans. 



Because 2D:4D is also connected to cognitive traits and mental health conditions, this research could help explain sex-based differences in disorders like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/toddler-screen-time-linked-to-atypical-sensory-behaviors/">autism</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-gut-bacteria-morganella-morganii-could-cause-depression-not-a-brain-disorder/">depression</a>, or attachment issues.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-biology-is-not-the-whole-story">Biology is not the whole story</h2>



While the findings are compelling, they also raise important questions. For one, it’s still unclear how well results from rats translate to humans. 



Rats provide a useful model for controlled experiments, but human sexuality is influenced by many layers - cultural, social, psychological - that go far beyond biology.



The researchers also focused only on male rats. Future studies will need to explore whether similar patterns hold true for females, and how other factors like environment or stress interact with digit ratios to shape behavior.



Another key question is causation. Rats with shorter 2D:4D finger ratios tend to show more sexual activity and stronger preferences, but scientists aren’t yet sure whether the digit ratio drives this behavior - or if both stem from shared prenatal influences.



None of this takes away from the value of the study. But it highlights the importance of treating biological markers like 2D:4D as part of a much larger picture. 



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/expanim/advpub/0/advpub_24-0159/_article">Experimental Animals</a>.



-----



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Does your finger length predict sexual behavior? A rat study says yes

Sexual behavior and preference - whether in humans or animals - isn’t random. It’s shaped early on, during fetal development, by how the brain responds to hormones like androgens (male sex hormones). This early exposure is known to affect adult traits like sex drive and cognition. But there's been one big obstacle: how do you measure that influence without invasive methods? Rat fingers hint at sexual behavior Researchers from Okayama University in Japan may have found an answer - by looking at rats’ fingers. In a recent...

Weak pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF)-based therapies use weak magnetic fields on body tissues to improve the symptoms of a number of diseases – including <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/depression-anxiety-heart-attack/">depression</a> and Parkinson’s disease. 

However, it is still unclear whether they actually provide any beneficial effects, and the mechanisms by which they work are still unknown. But a new study published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/">PLOS Biology</a> may have just found the previously undiscovered mechanism.

Researchers from <a href="https://www.xavier.edu/">Xavier University</a> have reported that the effects of exposure to PEMFs may be determined by a protein related to one that helps birds migrate. Margaret Ahmad and colleagues knew that the magnetic field strength used in PEMF-based therapies was below what is required to cause neurons to fire. Because of this, they wanted to see whether the effects might instead be a result of activation of a protein that senses magnetic fields. An example of these types of proteins is a group called cryptochromes, which are found in a wide variety of organisms, and help orient birds to Earth’s magnetic field during their migration.

When the researchers subjected human cells to a week magnetic field, they found that the cells increased their production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) – a group of molecules involved in cell signaling, among other roles. They found that the increase in ROS slowed cell growth, and led to the expression of numerous ROS-responsive genes. 

With these results, the study’s authors believe they have found a new mechanism to explain the effects of weak magnetic fields on human cells. Their findings also fit with the proposed harmful effects of PEMFs on human health, as the cryptochrome-induced production of ROS can be damaging in excess. Additionally, the potential benefits of PEMF-based therapy may be due to the signaling function of ROS, which is induced by activation of cryptochrome. Because both cryptochrome activation and ROS production can be measured, these results may lead to further examination and understanding of crpytochrome’s contribution to both the benefits and harms of exposure to PEMFs. 

“Our findings provide a rationale for optimizing low-strength magnetic fields for novel therapeutic applications,” says Ahmad. “At the same time, they suggest that alone, or in combination with other environmental triggers of ROS production, such fields have the potential to negatively impact public health.”

The authors are careful to state that this study was not perfect, and future studies can certainly improve on their methods.

 “Should this paper be independently replicated by multiple labs it will undoubtedly be influential,” say Lukas Landler and David Keays in a “Primer” article accompanying the study. “It is conceivable that leukemia associated with 50 Hz power lines, PEMF mediated ROS generation, and animal magnetoreception are mechanistically similar – each requiring the presence of cryptochrome... It may well transpire that cryptochrome is a magnetosensor, but one with a sinister side.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Weak magnetic fields can both help and harm public health

Weak pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF)-based therapies use weak magnetic fields...

Experts at <a href="https://ww2.mc.vanderbilt.edu/">Vanderbilt University Medical Center</a> have investigated the brain networks involved in free will using a new technique known as lesion network mapping. The study revealed that all brain activity related to the power to act, or volition, falls within the same <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/brain-sleep-experiences-genetics/">brain network</a>.

The experts teamed up with researchers from <a href="https://hms.harvard.edu/">Harvard Medical School</a> to analyze  cases of akinetic mutism, patients who lack the motivation to move or speak, and alien limb syndrome, which is when patients feel that their movement is generated by someone else.

The study revealed that even though injuries disrupting volition can occur in many different locations, they are still part of the same brain network. Furthermore, injuries that disrupt agency, or a feeling of responsibility for carrying out those actions, fall within a separate network.


Dr. Ryan Darby is an  assistant professor of Neurology at Vanderbilt and the lead author of the study.

“Our approach challenges the assumption that neuropsychiatric symptoms should localize to one brain region, and instead shows that these symptoms localized to interconnected brain networks,” said Dr. Darby. “Once we understand that agency and volition localize to brain networks, can we then take that knowledge and develop a new approach to treating a symptom?”

The researchers concluded that stimulation in different parts of brain networks could change free will perception.

The team also studied psychiatric patients with disrupted free will, including motor conversion disorder and catatonia. These psychiatric patients had neuroimaging abnormalities in brain networks associated with volition and agency.

“There are very few approaches where you can compare a similar type of symptom in a neurological patient and a psychiatric patient,” said Dr. Darby. “Our study shows the promise of using our network localization method in neurological patients to better understand symptoms in psychiatric patients. That being said, it's the first time we have used our technique with neuroimaging abnormalities in psychiatric patients. It would require further study and validation, but I think the promise is there.”

The study is published in the <a href="http://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

Stimulating different areas of the brain can alter free will

Experts at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have investigated the brain...

The newest innovation in cube technology – the RainCube – is actually more weatherman than cube. This satellite is no bigger than a shoebox, yet it contains enough experimental technology to see storms by detecting rain and snow, and does so from way up above our heads.

The RainCube is a small satellite prototype that could one day be the first of a fleet of RainCubes to help us monitor severe storms and improve the accuracy of weather forecasts – as well as track <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/severe-storms-climate-change/">climate change</a> over time. 

“We don’t have any way of measuring how water and air move in thunderstorms globally,” says Graeme Stephens, director of the <a href="https://climatesciences.jpl.nasa.gov/">Center of Climate Sciences at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> in Pasadena, California. “We just don’t have any information about that at all, yet it’s so essential for predicting severe weather and even how rains will change in a future climate.”

The device is able to “see” objects using radar, and has an umbrella-like antenna to send our specialized radar signals that bounce off raindrops, and reveals a picture of what the inside of a storm looks like. “The radar signal penetrates the storm, and then the radar receives back an echo,” explains Principal Investigator Eva Peral. “As the radar signal goes deeper into the layers of the storm and measures the rain at those layers, we get a snapshot of the activity inside the storm.”

RainCube was first deployed into low-Earth orbit from the International Space Station in July. It sent back its first images of a storm over Mexico in August, and would later send a second wave of images in September in the first rainfall of Hurricane Florence.

However, the RainCube was never designed to track entire storms by itself. This first deployment was simply a demonstration of how the mini-rain radar could work. Many more of these satellites could be sent into orbit, tracking storms and relaying updated information every few minutes. 

“We actually will end up doing much more interesting insightful science with a constellation rather than with just one of them,” Stephens says. “What we’re learning in Earth sciences is that space and time coverage is more important than having a really expensive satellite instrument that just does one thing.”

This new technology could potentially lead to an entirely novel way for us to observe our planet using many small radars. 

“There’s a plethora of ground-based experiments that have provided an enormous amount of information, and that’s why our weather forecasts nowadays are not that bad,” says Simone Tanelli, the co-investigator for RainCube. “But they don’t provide a global view. Also, there are weather satellites that provide such a global view, but what they are not telling you is what's happening inside the storm. And that’s where the processes that make a storm grow and/or decay happen.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: UCAR

NASA is testing tiny, new satellites to monitor global storms

The newest innovation in cube technology – the RainCube –...

A new berry may soon be coming to your supermarket thanks to gene editing technology.

Groundcherries are a little-known fruit native to Central and South America. With a distinct and delicious taste, groundcherries are well-loved by those who have been lucky enough to try them, but because they have remained undomesticated, the berry has yet to reach mainstream markets.

This makes the groundcherry an orphan crop, a group of plants that are grown locally in small-scale. Quinoa is a rare example of an orphan crop that can be found in supermarkets across the world, but most orphan crops are only known in their native regions.

Researchers from <a href="https://www.hhmi.org/">Howard Hughes Medical Institute</a> and the <a href="https://btiscience.org/">Boyce Thompson Institute</a> recently published a study outlining plans to make the groundcherry a feasible option for large-scale agricultural production.

According to the results, published in the journal Nature Plants, it’s now possible with gene editing and genomic research to take a wild plant and domesticate it in a matter of years.

“I firmly believe that with the right approach, the groundcherry could become a major berry crop,” said Zachary B. Lippman, an author of the study. “Some scientists might consider the idea a reach, he adds. “But I think we're now at a place where the technology allows us to reach.”

Groundcherries are drought tolerant and have a complex flavor, according to Lippman, which makes them an excellent candidate for large-scale production.

However, getting the plants to a place where they can be grown as a major crop through using traditional breeding methods would be a costly and time-consuming investment.

Instead, the researchers turned to gene editing to see if it was possible to speed up the domestication process for the groundcherry.

In order to domesticate the groundcherry, the researchers used genome sequencing, gene editing CRISPR technology, and gene identification to improve the plant.

As it’s grown now, the groundcherry needs to be more compact, with larger fruits and flowers and a more robust flavor to be more appealing to a mass market, according to the researchers.

This study is the first of its kind that showcases how genome editing could make orphan crops widely available.

The researchers say that some traditional plant breeding will be needed to make the groundcherry ready for large-scale production.

Exactly when the groundcherry will be available at your local supermarket, the researchers can’t say, but the study gives hope to creating new, innovative methods for improving crops and making orphan crops mainstream. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Sebastian Soyk

Little-known berry could become the next big fruit

A new berry may soon be coming to your supermarket...

An international research team led by <a href="http://www.anu.edu.au/">Australian National University</a> has found that the productivity of corn can be boosted by targeting the enzyme in charge of capturing <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/co2-emissions-cost-us-economy/">CO2</a> from the atmosphere.

Corn is a staple food for billions of people around the world, with more maize grown annually than rice or wheat. In Australia, maize takes up a lot of space geographically but is still a relatively small plant.

According to the new research, however,  maize has the potential to become the crop of the future for both fuel and food. 

“We developed a transgenic maize designed to produce more Rubisco, the main enzyme involved in photosynthesis, and the result is a plant with improved photosynthesis and hence, growth. This could potentially increase tolerance to extreme growth conditions,” said study lead author Dr. Robert Sharwood.

“There is an urgent need to deliver new higher-yielding and highly adapted crop species, before crops are affected by the expected climate change conditions. These conditions will increase the threats against global food security, and the only way to prepare for them is through international research collaborations.”

All plants use photosynthesis to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but this is not always done in the same way. Plants like wheat and rice use the less efficient C3 photosynthetic path, while other plants such as maize use the more efficient C4 path.


Rubisco is the main enzyme of photosynthesis which controls the conversion of CO2 into organic compounds. In C4 plants, Rubisco works much faster and is much more resilient. 

“Maize has one of the most efficient Rubiscos and they need less nitrogen to work,” said study co-author David Stern. “So, our main question was, if we increase Rubisco content in maize, what would it do for the plant? We found that by boosting Rubisco inside the maize cells, we get an increase in crop productivity.”

This discovery shows that, even in the more productive C4 crop species, there is room for improvement.

“In our study we improved CO2 assimilation and crop biomass by 15%, but now we know that we can also increase the pool of active Rubisco and these numbers will increase even higher,” said Dr. Sharwood.

“Our next step is to do field trials to see how our maize behaves in real field conditions. We have tested them in glasshouse and cabinet conditions, but now we need to go into the next phase.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://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

New discovery could increase the productivity, resilience of corn

An international research team led by Australian National University has...

Turns out, we may all be aliens. Scientists recreating interstellar ice grains say that their research offers compelling new evidence of the outer space origins for all <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ancient-life-mars-underground/">life</a> on Earth.

The key, they say, is phosphine, which cosmic radiation can convert into phosphorus oxoacids like phosphoric diphosphoric acid that are vital to the formation of life.

“On Earth, phosphine is lethal to living beings,” Dr. Andrew Turner, the paper's lead author, told the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/">Daily Mail</a>. “But in the interstellar medium, an exotic phosphine chemistry can promote rare chemical reaction pathways to initiate the formation of biorelevant molecules such as oxoacids of phosphorus, which eventually might spark the molecular evolution of life as we know it.”

[caption id="attachment_1801939" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Screen-Shot-2018-10-01-at-6.19.35-AM.png"><img class="wp-image-1801939" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Screen-Shot-2018-10-01-at-6.19.35-AM.png" alt="" width="700" height="449" /></a> Image Credit: AFP/Getty[/caption]

Turner, now a professor at the <a href="https://www.upike.edu/">University of Pikeville</a>, was a graduate student at the <a href="https://manoa.hawaii.edu/">University of Hawaii at Manoa</a> when he and a group of colleagues recreated “ice grainy” to study the space origins of life on our planet. Working with colleagues in France and Taiwan, the team used a high-vacuum chamber cooled to about negative-450 degrees Fahrenheit to recreate the conditions of space. Then they created the grains coated in carbon dioxide and frozen water known to exist in outer space.

They found that the conditions could convert lethal phosphine to compounds that make up the building blocks of DNA. The icy grains themselves may have originated in comets like 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, which is suspected to contain phosphorus, co-author Ralf Kaiser of UH-Manoa said.

“Upon delivery to Earth by meteorites or comets, these phosphorus oxoacids might have been available for Earth's prebiotic phosphorus chemistry,” the team wrote.

Understanding how the exposure of phosphine to the conditions of space, as well as how the phosphorus-containing icy grains made it to Earth, could help us understand not just our own space origins, but also whether other planets elsewhere in the universe could harbor the building blocks of life.

--

By <a href="mailto:kyla.cathey@gmail.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Interstellar ice grains reveal space origins of life on Earth

Turns out, we may all be aliens. Scientists recreating interstellar...

According to the <a href="https://www.healthyagingpoll.org/">National Poll on Healthy Aging</a>, more than half of people in their 50s and 60s are interested in having their <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dna-test-illegal-ivory-poachers/">DNA</a> tested to find out more about their ancestry, understand various health risks, and to improve medical care.

On the other hand, two thirds of those polled said that DNA testing would probably cause them to worry too much about their future health.

The poll, which included 993 adults between the ages of 50 and 64, was conducted by the University of Michigan <a href="http://ihpi.umich.edu/healthcare-policy-innovation">Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation</a>.

Survey respondents were asked if they would be interested in taking tests to learn their genetic risk for three later-life disorders including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, or macular degeneration. Around two-thirds of the respondents had at least some interest in each test.


The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recently approved several disease-specific tests to be marketed directly to the public. Only one in 10 respondents  reported taking genetic tests offered directly to consumers, while one in 20 had taken genetic tests ordered by a doctor.


Dr. Scott Roberts worked on both the design and the analysis of the survey. He has studied the use of direct-to-consumer genetic testing and found that people who take these tests with the primary goal of learning about their ancestral heritage often end up being “blindsided” by findings that show they have a high risk of developing diseases such as Alzheimer's.

“Compared to previous findings in the general adult population, this age group appears to be a little more lukewarm about their views of the benefits versus the risks of genetic testing overall,” said Dr. Roberts. “The majority said they might be interested in knowing their risk for specific conditions, but on other hand they were worried about potential psychological distress from the results.”

According to Dr. Roberts, the accuracy of any genetic test is not 100 percent. He also pointed out that testing ordered by a physician often includes a genetic counselor who can help to prepare patients for handling the results and can help them understand what the test results actually mean. 

Dr. Preeti Malani is the director of the poll and a professor of Internal Medicine at the U-M Medical School who has special training in geriatric medicine.

“Patients may not think about the downstream effects of direct-to-consumer genetic testing. An unexpected positive result may lead to several additional tests that may or may not be covered by insurance,” explained Dr. Malani.

More than 70 percent of the participants who had taken a direct-to-consumer test said they were interested in learning more about their ancestry, while just under 10 percent said they got tested to find out more about their health in general or their risk of a particular disease.

“We're living in an era when advances like DNA testing are providing an amazing amount of useful health information,” said Dr. Alison Bryant, senior vice president of research for <a href="https://www.aarp.org/">AARP</a>. “As genetic testing becomes even more sophisticated and common among older adults, the challenge will be to ensure that people understand the benefits and limitations of these tests.”

This research was funded by the University of Michigan and AARP.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study: Most older adults are interested in DNA testing results

According to the National Poll on Healthy Aging, more than...

Study: community care helped build human social networks. The early evolution of modern human societies may have relied on more than innovation. Archaeologists have found that community care – separating the ill to prevent the spread of disease – may have preceded the development of agriculture.

Small, low-population groups of humans appear to have established community care in rudimentary hospitals before 10,000 BCE, a new study has found. Study: community care helped build human social networks

“Caregiving for the diseased evolved as part of the unique suite of cognitive and socio-cultural specializations that are attributed to the genus Homo,” the researchers wrote in <a href="http://www.nature.com/scientificreports">Scientific Reports</a>.

Most early caregiving efforts probably relied on kinship, with family members watching over the ill member. This would have limited exposure of other community members to any illnesses.

But as human communities grew, so did their community care efforts.

Led by Dr. Sharon Kessler of <a href="https://www.dur.ac.uk/">Durham University</a>, the researchers used ancient DNA, the fossil record, human ecology and models of disease transmission to study how human ancestors may have cared for sick members of their communities.

Then they used computer modeling to reconstruct communities of 50 to 200 members for five different recent hominid species. The models showed that as populations grew, community care would likely have become an important factor in daily life.

“Complex societies often have larger social networks providing more opportunities for disease to spread,” Kessler told the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/">Daily Mail</a>. “Our models show that by providing care cooperatively, populations could suppress disease spread down to the level seen in populations with less complex networks. This meant that by controlling disease spread, early humans could evolve greater social complexity without suffering from greater levels of disease.”

By having networks of caregivers – often made up of several family members – community care was spread out among individuals, reducing the spread of disease. At the same time, if the illness did spread, it was contained to a small group.

As social networks became more complex, these caregiver networks expanded beyond family members, and helped to build closer interdependence between members of a community.

“In this case, individuals provided care to unrelated individuals who needed it, and then when they themselves were ill, they could receive care from an unrelated individual (who might not be the same person they cared for),” Kessler told the Mail.

Study: community care helped build human social networks

Study: community care helped build human social networks. The early...

Coral reef decline has been a growing global problem influenced by many different factors including ocean acidification and warmer ocean temperatures driven by climate change, overfishing, pollution, tourism, and coral mining.

There are many different rehabilitation efforts being tested out around the world, but few have shown any real promise over a large scale.

But researchers led by the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">University of California, Davis</a> have now developed a new technique that successfully rehabilitated large portions of coral reefs in Indonesia’s Coral Triangle.

A study documenting how they rehabilitated the severely degraded reefs was published in the journal Restoration Ecology.

The researches installed 11,000 hexagonal structures called “spiders” across five acres of damaged reef in Indonesia, with an approximate cost of $25 per square meter.

Although the Coral Triangle has some of the richest coral diversity on Earth, the reefs there face many threats.

For three years starting in 2013, the researchers attached coral fragments to the structures in the hopes that it would motivate coral growth on the “spiders”.

The hexagons were optimal for the project because it kept the coral fragments stable while still allowing for the free flow of water around the corals.

At the end of the study, the researchers observed that live coral cover on the spiders increased to over 60 percent. The corals also were more resilient to bleaching after 2015 even though widespread coral bleaching events were a frequent occurrence between 2014 and 2016.

“Coral reef rehabilitation and restoration efforts are rapidly increasing around the world, but there are few large-scale examples of successful projects,” said Christine Sur, the corresponding author of the study. “Our study demonstrates a cost-effective, scalable method that can inform other coral reef restoration efforts aimed at reducing the global decline of these valuable and unique ecosystems.”

The researchers emphasize that the “spider” technique is not a one-stop solution for coral reef decline. In order to fully reverse coral decline, many different factors like human-driven climate change and overfishing need to be addressed.

Instead, the rehabilitation method could help buy corals some much needed time and give reefs more of a fighting chance in the face of climate change.
--
By <a href="http://kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer
Image Credit: Christine Sur/UC Davis

New methods of rehabilitating coral reefs have proven successful

Coral reef decline has been a growing global problem influenced...

According to a report from the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/">New York Times</a>, the <a href="http://epa.gov">Environmental Protection Agency</a> (EPA) has plans to get rid of the Office of the Science Advisor (OSA), which was designed to ensure that the highest quality scientific research is integrated into new policies and decisions made by the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/asbestos-comeback-loosened-epa-rules/">agency</a>. 

According to an anonymous source, the OSA will be merged into the Office of Research and Development. 

While the decision has not yet been made public, the New York Times has obtained a statement from Dr. Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, who currently serves as the EPA’s science advisor and the deputy assistant administrator of the Office of Research and Development. Dr. Orme-Zavaleta said that the move aims to “eliminate redundancies” and “combine offices with similar functions.”

Michael Halpern is the deputy director of the Center for Science and Democracy with the Union of Concerned Scientists.

“It’s certainly a pretty big demotion, a pretty big burying of this office,” Halpern told the New York Times. “Everything from research on chemicals and health, to peer-review testing to data analysis would inevitably suffer.”

The <a href="https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/principal-deputy-assistant-administrator-science-office-research-and-development-and-epa">EPA’s website</a> states that Dr. Orme-Zavaleta has been with EPA since 1981, working in areas such as human health and ecological research.

“The focus of her experience includes the evaluation of risks to human and ecosystem health, and the influence of environmental change on human health in response to a variety of stressors including synthetic organic and inorganic chemicals, radionuclides, microorganisms, and vector-borne disease.”

It is not yet clear if Dr. Orme-Zavaleta  will remain in charge of the Office of Research and Development once the changes are officially announced.

Another EPA official in charge of human health, the head of the Office of Children’s Health, was put on administrative leave earlier this week. Dr. Ruth Etzel was not given a reason for the suspension, but her office is known to push for tougher regulations to combat pollution, which can be exceptionally  damaging to children's health. Mike Mikulka is the president of the <a href="https://www.afge.org/">American Federation of Government Employees</a>, which represents hundreds of EPA employees. 


Mikulka told the New York Times: “Clearly, this is an attempt to silence voices whether it’s in the agency’s Office of Children’s Health or the Office of the Science Advisor to kill career civil servants’ input and scientific perspectives on rule-making.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

EPA to eliminate the office of its top science advisor

According to a report from the New York Times, the...

At The Maryland Zoo, a turtle is rolling around on a wheelchair made out of Legos while recovering from surgery. The wild Eastern box turtle was found in July with injuries and was taken to the zoo’s hospital.

Dr. Ellen Bronson is the senior director of Animal Health, Conservation, and Research at The Maryland Zoo. 

She explained in a <a href="https://www.marylandzoo.org/news-and-updates/2018/09/injured-turtle-at-the-maryland-zoo-fitted-with-customized-lego-wheelchair/">news release</a>: “He had multiple fractures on his plastron, the bottom part of his shell. Because of the unique placement of the fractures, we faced a difficult challenge with maintaining the turtle’s mobility while allowing him to heal properly.”

The veterinary team performed surgery to save the turtle’s fractured shell, which is now held together with metal bone plates, sewing clasps, and surgical wire. 

Garrett Fraess is a fourth year veterinary student who works at The Maryland Zoo. 

“It was important to keep the bottom of the shell off the ground so it could heal properly,” said Fraess. “They don’t make turtle-sized wheelchairs. So, we drew some sketches of a customized wheelchair and I sent them to a friend who is a LEGO® enthusiast.”


A few weeks after the surgery, the turtle received his custom-made wheelchair. The frame built out of Legos surrounds the turtle's shell and rests on four Lego wheels. 

The device was attached to the upper shell with plumbers putty, which lifts the turtle up enough to free his legs for movement. According to Fraess, the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/turtles-shell-toothless-beak/">turtle</a> took to his new wheelchair right away. 

“He never even hesitated,” said Fraess. “He took off and has been doing great. Turtles are really good at healing as long as the shell remains stable.”

The turtle uses his front legs to wheel around, and the wheelchair design allows for natural movement. The turtle can even fully close his shell if he feels threatened. 

“Turtles heal much slower than mammals and birds, since their metabolism is slower,” said Dr. Bronson. “So, this turtle will likely use his LEGO® wheelchair through the winter and into the spring until all of the fragments have fused together and the shell has completely healed.”


The Maryland Zoo has conducted the Druid Hill Park Eastern box turtle monitoring project since 1996, tagging and releasing 132 wild turtles so far. 

“This particular turtle was originally tagged in 2000, making him at least 18-years-old,” said Dr. Bronson. “We are very happy that he is recovering well from his injuries and we plan to return him to the wild once he is fully healed.”

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Maryland Zoo

Zoo builds wheelchair to help turtle recovering from a broken shell

At The Maryland Zoo, a turtle is rolling around on...

Researchers have created a new polymer coating that could one day be used to efficiently reflect sunlight and keep homes and buildings cool. 

In a world where temperatures are only projected to climb and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/heat-waves-brain-performance/">heat waves</a> to get more severe, finding sustainable, effective, and easily accessible methods for keeping people cool will be critical. 

Today, air conditioners are a common way to keep cool but they are costly, consume energy, and require electricity. In parts of the world where access to electricity is limited, air conditioning is not an option and often times, these areas are where sufficient access to cooler spaces is most needed. 

Researchers from <a href="https://engineering.columbia.edu/">Columbia Engineering</a> may have found a solution with a new passive radiative cooling (PDRC) polymer coating that applies like a clear liquid but dries to an opaque white that reflects sunlight and keeps surfaces cool. 

A study on the new polymer coating was published in the journal Science. 

PRDCs are considered the most effective if its surface can reflect a lot of sunlight but designing an optimal PRDC has remained a challenge. 

The Columbia researchers knew that polymers and plastics like acrylic and silicone excelled at radiating heat and could be used to develop a PRDC if there was a way to manipulate the transparency of the polymer. 

By using phase inversion, a chemical process wherein polymer liquids are transformed to a more solid phase, the researchers were able to create a porous polymer foam that turns white as it dries and reflects heat. 

The coating could be applied to paints and even dyed different colors without negatively impacting the integrity of the coating. 

The researchers also tested the coating in different temperatures to mirror surfaces exposed to different climates, and found that it kept cool in a wide range of environments.

“The fact that cooling is achieved in both desert and tropical climates, without any thermal protection or shielding, demonstrates the utility of our design wherever cooling is required,” said Yuan Yang, a member of the research team

The researchers are working on fine-tuning the coating to make it more versatile for a wide range of applications and also considering how to incorporate biocompatible polymers and solvents in the future. 

“Now is a critical time to develop promising solutions for sustainable humanity,” said Yang. “This year, we witnessed heat waves and record-breaking temperatures in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. It is essential that we find solutions to this climate challenge, and we are very excited to be working on this new technology that addresses it.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Jyotirmoy Mandal/Columbia Engineering

New polymer coating reflects heat and keeps surfaces cool

Researchers have created a new polymer coating that could one...

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

[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

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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"

[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

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

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