Tiny bits of plastic no wider than a human hair have turned up in some unexpected places, including the human bloodstream. 



Now, data presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology meeting shows that these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-spread-deep-into-the-ocean-far-below-the-surface/">fragments</a> have breached the fluids that surround eggs and travel with sperm.



The research team led by Dr. Emilio Gómez‑Sánchez of Next Fertility Murcia in Spain scanned <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/follicular-fluid" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">follicular fluid</a> from 29 women and seminal fluid from 22 men.



The experts found microplastics in 69 percent of the women and 55 percent of the men they studied. According to Dr. Gómez‑Sánchez, the team was surprised to find that the particles were so widespread.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plastics-in-human-reproductive-fluids">Plastics in human reproductive fluids</h2>



The study detected polymers such as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/polytetrafluoroethylene" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">polytetrafluoroethylene</a> and <a href="https://adrecoplastics.co.uk/polypropylene-uses/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">polypropylene</a>, materials better known for slick frying pans and food packaging. Seeing them next to human eggs turns a theoretical hazard into a measurable one.



Back in 2021, Italian obstetricians spotted twelve plastic fragments in every placenta they examined, confirming that particles smaller than five millimeters can cross the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33395930/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">maternal‑fetal boundary</a>.



Similarly sized particles have been uncovered deep in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35364151/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lung tissue</a> removed during surgery, proving that inhalation is a realistic delivery route for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/simple-way-to-remove-microplastics-from-tap-water-home-faucet/">plastic</a> dust.



Researchers in the Netherlands have even measured plastic mass circulating in human blood samples, an <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35367073/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">observation</a> that explains how fragments migrate to distant tissues.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-plastics-enter-the-human-body">How plastics enter the human body</h2>



Most people take in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-in-human-brains-may-affect-mental-health/">plastic</a> flecks by eating, drinking, or breathing, because everyday products shed invisible dust whenever they are heated, abraded, or exposed to sunlight. 



Once swallowed or inhaled, particles small enough can slip through the gut wall or the thin air‑blood membrane in the lungs.



Animal studies suggest that fragments under one micrometer can enter cells directly, whereas larger shards get trapped in tissue and spark local irritation. Either way, they bypass the body’s usual waste filters.



Laboratory work on mice shows that digestive uptake rises when <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/airborne-microplastics-where-they-come-from-and-where-they-go/">microplastics</a> hitchhike on fats, a detail that matters for fertility research because reproductive hormones ride on similar lipid highways. 



The overlap raises worry that plastics may act as endocrine mimics or carriers for other chemicals.



Dr. Gómez‑Sánchez’s team avoided laboratory contamination by collecting every human sample in glass vials and verifying the absence of background plastic. This means the polymers they found were genuine residents, not stray lab dust.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plastic-harms-fertility">Plastic harms fertility</h2>



Mice exposed to polystyrene fragments shed sperm with damaged DNA and sluggish movement, effects traced to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31896473/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">oxidative stress</a> that overwhelms antioxidant defenses.



Separate <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36948006/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> on rodent Leydig cells shows shriveled mitochondria after nanoplastic exposure, which throttles testosterone production and shrinks litter sizes.



Reviews published in 2024 concluded that microplastics can disrupt the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38750730/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hypothalamic‑pituitary‑gonadal axis</a>, leading to hormonal imbalances and faulty egg maturation.



Because human oocytes develop over months, chronic exposure could matter more than a short spike. That makes the repeated detection of PTFE in both eggs and sperm especially noteworthy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plastic-levels-in-eggs-and-sperm">Plastic levels in eggs and sperm</h2>



In the current data set, PTFE appeared in 31 percent of sampled egg fluid and 41 percent of semen. PP ranked second among women and <a href="https://www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/chemicals/polystyrene/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">polystyrene</a> second among men, with <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/polyethylene-terephthalate" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">polyethylene terephthalate</a> also present but in smaller numbers.



Annual plastic output has climbed from under two million tons in 1950 to about 460 million in 2019, a 230‑fold jump documented by the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36969097/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Minderoo‑Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health</a>.



Each uptick in production increases litter, weathering, and fragment release, tightening the feedback loop between plastics and people. Reproductive cells, delicate by design, stand on the front line.



Gómez‑Sánchez reported that most reproductive samples contained only one or two plastic particles, amounts considered low compared with overall debris in the fluids. Yet fertility specialists note that even trace metals can derail embryo development, so particle counts alone may not predict risk.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-fertility-research-must-include-plastics">Human fertility research must include plastics</h2>



“They should be considered an additional argument in favor of avoiding the generalized use of plastics in our daily lives,” said Professor Carlos Calhaz‑Jorge of the University of Lisbon. He also noted that further research is needed to prove causation.



The research team will now study hundreds of patients and link particle loads to embryo quality during <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/22457-ivf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">in vitro fertilization cycles</a>. Those correlations could supply the first direct human evidence beyond laboratory rodents.



They plan lifestyle questionnaires to test whether habits such as heavy bottled‑water use or microwaving food in plastic correlate with higher particle counts. The approach could convert abstract exposure theory into personal advice.



“Microplastics are just one variable in a complex equation,” said Dr. Gómez‑Sánchez. He urges moderation of plastic use rather than alarm. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-simple-habits-to-lower-exposure">Simple habits to lower exposure</h2>



Switching from plastic bottles to glass or stainless steel lowers ingestion because heat and time no longer leach particles from container walls. Replacing scratched nonstick pans can cut PTFE flakes in the diet.



Researchers advise skipping plastic cutting boards and using ceramic or bamboo instead, because knife action liberates shavings that cling to food. Letting take‑out cool before transferring it from polystyrene boxes also helps.



Air purifiers with HEPA filters capture airborne fibers shed by synthetic textiles, a step especially useful for nurseries. Regular vacuuming with a sealed system keeps particles from resuspending.



These tweaks are not foolproof, yet they come with side benefits like removing chemical additives that ride on plastic dust. They buy time while science sorts out the clinical stakes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-efforts-to-cut-human-plastics-pollution">Efforts to cut human plastics pollution</h2>



Public‑health researchers argue that personal choices alone cannot outrun a supply chain making more than a billion pounds of new plastic every day. 



Negotiators at the United Nations are hammering out a global treaty that could cap production and streamline recycling.



<a href="https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/morrissey/departments/biology/people/faculty-directory/Phil-Landrigan.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Philip Landrigan</a> of Boston College calls the treaty a once‑in‑a‑generation chance to protect human health, because curbing output remains the only sure way to slow microplastic fallout. He points to the emerging fertility data as evidence that time is short.



Whether lawmakers act or not, the science of sub‑visible plastic is moving fast thanks to sharper imaging tools and nanomechanical sensors. Studies that once took months now finish in days, filling the literature with fresh clues.



Every new dataset sharpens the same picture: plastics weather into dust, the dust goes everywhere, and living tissue keeps no closed doors. Eggs and sperm, it turns out, are no exception.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/humrep#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Human Reproduction</a>.



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Tiny plastic particles found in human egg and sperm fluids

Tiny bits of plastic no wider than a human hair have turned up in some unexpected places, including the human bloodstream. Now, data presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology meeting shows that these fragments have breached the fluids that surround eggs and travel with sperm. The research team led by Dr. Emilio Gómez‑Sánchez of Next Fertility Murcia in Spain scanned follicular fluid from 29 women and seminal fluid from 22 men. The experts found microplastics in 69 percent of the women and 55...

The source of the sound that is created by knuckle cracking has been the subject of debate since the early 1900s. A team of experts may be close to settling this debate after developing a mathematical model to represent the origin of the sound.

Chemical engineering student Vineeth Chandran Suja, who is now a doctoral candidate at Stanford University, teamed up with Professor Abdul Barakat of the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">University of California, Davis</a> to try and solve the mystery.

One of the many theories that has emerged over the years is that the knuckle cracking noise comes from the collapse or formation of bubbles as articular surfaces are separated in the synovial joint.

Researchers previously determined that the cracking sound is created as bubbles form inside of the joint, but Suja suspected that the noise is too intense to be produced by the formation of bubbles. 

For the current study, the team developed a mathematical model to represent the activities leading up to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/detect-silent-sound/">sound</a>.

“We model the sounds accompanying knuckle cracking by resolving the acoustic signature of cavitation bubbles inside the joint during articular release,” wrote the study authors. 

The researchers ultimately identified cavitation bubble collapse as the source of the cracking sound, and not the formation of the bubbles. 

“When we crack our knuckles we're actually pulling apart our joints. And when we do that the pressure goes down,” explained Suja. “Bubbles appear in the fluid, which is lubricating the joint - the synovial fluid.”

“During the process of knuckle cracking there are pressure variations in the joint which causes the size of the bubbles to fluctuate extremely fast, and this leads to sound, which we associate with knuckle cracking.”

The model also revealed that only a partial collapse of the bubble is needed to replicate the sound, which means that the bubbles may persist after the cracking noise is generated.

Suja said that improved models may be developed in the future based on this research that could identify the origin of the knuckle cracking sound beyond any doubt.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why do knuckles make that sound you when you crack them?

The source of the sound that is created by knuckle...

A new study has revealed that our brain’s structure may have a significant influence on our political preferences. A certain shape of the brain was found to be a strong predictor that individuals would find the current social system desirable and legitimate.

The research team used neuroimaging to observe which study participants were more likely to accept things the way they are and which participants were more likely to have <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/political-split-climate-change/">political opinions</a> that strongly oppose the order of society.

The study showed that individuals who had a larger volume of the amygdala, a region of the brain that is responsible for fear and other emotions, were found to be less likely to challenge the current social system or engage in political movements.

This type of “system justification” is strongly linked to conservatives.

“A system-justifying psychological orientation favors the social, economic, and political status quo, and may promote vigilance to social hierarchy and a preference for ideologies that characterize extant inequality as legitimate and necessary,” wrote the researchers.

Study co-author Jay Van Bavel is an associate professor of Psychology and Neural Science at <a href="https://www.nyu.edu/">New York University</a>. He explained that brain structure likely influences what political movement or parties we find appealing.

Van Bavel said that it is also likely that, as our political views change, there is a corresponding change in the brain's structure. “Virtually any change in behavior is mirrored by a change in brain structure,” said Van Bavel.

The research also corroborates the theory that political preferences are substantially influenced by genetics. “It seems quite likely that these biological predispositions are manifested in brain structure,” explained Van Bavel.

The study authors concluded: “The findings suggest that the amygdala may provide a neural substrate for maintaining the societal status quo, and opens up avenues for further investigation into the association between system justification and other neuroanatomical regions.”

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nathumbehav/">Nature Human Behavior</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Brain structure may be related to political opinions

A new study has revealed that our brain’s structure may...

A team of American and Canadian scientists report that, at some point in the next 10 years, it may be feasible to affordably capture <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/uk-cut-carbon-emissions/">carbon dioxide</a> (CO2) emissions from power plants and convert the CO2 waste for many important uses such as biofuels.

“Similar to how a plant takes carbon dioxide, sunlight, and water to make sugars for itself, we are interested in using technology to take energy from the sun or other renewable sources to convert CO2 into small building block molecules which can then be upgraded using traditional means of chemistry for commercial use,” said study first author Phil De Luna. “We're taking inspiration from nature and doing it faster and more efficiently.”

Thousands of metric tons of carbon dioxide are emitted from power plants each year. The new study has identified a series of small, useful molecules that could be made from captured carbon dioxide.

For example, hydrogen, methane, and ethane could be used in biofuels, while CO2-derived formic acid could be used by the pharmaceutical industry.

Current technologies that can capture CO2 waste are still relatively new, but strategies are being developed for commercial use. This gives the researchers hope that CO2 capture and conversion will soon become a reality. 

Technology which stimulates chemical reactions through electricity, or electrocatalysis, has the potential to expand the process of carbon capture and conversion within the next 5 to 10 years. According to the team, molecular machines or nanotechnology could drive conversion 50 years from now.

“This is still technology for the future, but it's theoretically possible and feasible, and we're excited about its scale up and implementation,” said study co-author Oleksandr Bushuyev. “If we continue to work at this, it's a matter of time before we have power plants where CO2 is emitted, captured, and converted.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/joule">Joule</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Capture and conversion of carbon emissions may soon be possible

A team of American and Canadian scientists report that, at...

The largest organ in the human body is the skin, but researchers may have discovered a new organ that’s even bigger. 

A team of researchers from the <a href="https://med.nyu.edu/">New York University School of Medicine </a>happened upon the discovery while studying bile ducts in cancer patients. 

What the researchers found was a vast network of connected fluid-filled compartments held together in a web of collagen and elastin. 

Called the interstitium, it is found all over the body just beneath the top layer of skin and lines the digestive tract, arteries, and lungs. The researchers say that the organ acts as a shock absorber. 

The results were recently published in the Journal Scientific Reports. 

According to the researchers, the interstitium acts as a fluid highway and drains into the lymphatic system. The amount of fluid moving throughout the compartments could also help explain how water in the body is dispersed. 

“You're talking about the remaining extracellular fluid that's unaccounted for,” said Neil Theise, the co-senior author of the study in an interview with <a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/03/interstitium-fluid-cells-organ-found-cancer-spd/">National Geographic.</a>

Scientists have long known that the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/body-temperature-obesity/">human body</a> is made up of 70 percent water, two-thirds of which is found in the cells. Where the remaining fluid originates in the body has not been well understood until now. 

The reason the interstitium has gone undetected for so long is that traditional methods of examining tissue samples under a microscope drained the interstitium’s compartments leaving it flat. 

Studying a tissue sample involves treating thinly sliced tissue with chemicals. The chemicals dye certain features in the tissue but drain away all fluid. Theise and his colleagues happened across their discovery by looking at live tissue samples. 

“This fixation artifact of collapse has made a fluid-filled tissue type throughout the body appear solid in biopsy slides for decades, and our results correct for this to expand the anatomy of most tissues,” said Theise. “This finding has potential to drive dramatic advances in medicine, including the possibility that the direct sampling of interstitial fluid may become a powerful diagnostic tool.”

[caption id="attachment_1177873" align="aligncenter" width="780"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/new-organ.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1177873" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/new-organ.jpg" alt="" width="780" height="438" /></a> Image Credit: Jill Gregory/Mount Sinai Health System[/caption]

First, the researchers used a new technology that allows scientists to view living tissues with a camera probe. 

The research team was originally studying the spread of cancer in the bile duct of several patients, but in doing so the team noticed a connective web of cavities. Upon further inspection, this web of fluid-filled compartments was found all over the body. 

The new discovery is exciting with a lot of promising implications for furthering our understanding of the human body. 

However, because it is such a radical finding, future studies will need to be conducted before the interstitium is officially recognized as a new organ. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Newly discovered organ may be the largest in the human body

The largest organ in the human body is the skin,...

According to previous research, during the last ice age, humans migrated from Asia across a former land bridge to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/more-snow-north-america/">North America</a>. While making this move almost 12,000 years ago, they reached what is now the west coast of British Columbia, Canada, as well as coastal regions to the south. Unfortunately, much of this shoreline is now covered in dense forest and is only accessible by boat, which makes it tough for archaeologists to dig up evidence that supports this research.

However, a new study published in the open-access journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a> by Duncan McLaren and colleagues from the <a href="https://www.hakai.org/">Hakai Institute</a> <a href="https://www.uvic.ca/">and University of Victoria</a>, Canada, details the discovery of human footprints found off the Pacific coast of Canada, which could be 13,000 years old.

[caption id="attachment_1177854" align="aligncenter" width="996"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/canada-footprints.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1177854 size-large" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/canada-footprints-1024x832.jpg" alt="" width="996" height="809" /></a> Image Credit: Duncan McLaren[/caption]

For the study, the researchers excavated intertidal beach sediments along the shoreline of Calvert Island, British Columbia. In this area, the sea level is two to three meters lower than it was at the end of the last ice age. The researchers found 29 human footprints of at least three varying sizes in the sediment. Using radiocarbon dating, the team estimated the footprints to be roughly 13,000 years old. Through measurements and digital photographic analysis, they determined that the footprints likely belonged to two adults and a child, all of whom were barefoot.

This discovery indicates that humans were likely present on the west coast of British Columbia about 13,000 years ago – while the region was emerging from the last ice age. The research adds to a growing body of evidence that supports the hypothesis of humans using a coastal route to migrate from Asia to North America during the most recent ice age. 

The study’s authors believe that further excavations using more advanced methods would likely uncover even more human footprints around this area, and these discoveries would serve to help us better understand the patterns of early human settlement along the coast of North America.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

13,000-year old footprints discovered of Pacific coast of Canada

According to previous research, during the last ice age, humans...

Researchers at the <a href="http://www.uchile.cl/english">University of Chile</a> have had a breakthrough that could ultimately lead to a cure for alcoholism. When the experts injected human stem cells into mice that had become binge drinkers, the animals cut their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marijuana-less-damaging-alcohol/">alcohol</a> intake by as much as 90 percent within two days.

A team of scientists led by Yedy Israel fed study rats a diet of unlimited heavy alcohol until they became dependent upon it. The animals were drinking the equivalent of a bottle of vodka each day until the researchers took the alcohol away for two weeks.

In an interview with <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/">ResearchGate</a>, Israel explained:

“At the end of this period, they were given alcohol for only 60 minutes a day. Typically, the animals would engage in binge-like drinking during this short period, consuming the human equivalent of about eight standard drinks.”

On the other hand, animals that received human stem cell injections consumed far fewer drinks compared to those who were left untreated. Israel explained that the alcohol intake of the treated mice dropped to levels that would be considered social drinking.

In fact, within 48 hours of treatment, the mice were drinking 90 percent less alcohol. While the control mice went right back to heavy alcohol intake, the study mice showed no signs of a relapse for the next four weeks.

The cells used in the experiment, mesenchymal stem cells, are found in human fat tissue and are known to have strong immunosuppressive properties.

Mesenchymal stem cells have the ability to stop the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are created in binge drinkers. These molecules damage neurons in the brain and promote alcoholism.

Even though issues related to alcoholism are much more complex in humans compared to mice, the researchers hope that the stem cell treatments will have a similar effect on people. They are currently developing human trials which will begin soon.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Stem cell injections have the potential to cure alcoholism

Researchers at the University of Chile have had a breakthrough...

Two major developments happening now in the motor vehicle industry involve the rise of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/self-driving-cars-sensors/">self-driving cars</a> and the push towards electric cars. Both technological advancements aim to increase efficiency – electric cars would make vehicles more fuel efficient, while self-driving cars could decrease motor vehicle accidents and aid with everything from shipping products to moving people.

Currently, electric vehicles make up less than one percent of new car sales. This is mainly attributed to slow charging capabilities, high prices, and limited travel ranges. Furthermore, self-driving cars still emit a significant amount of greenhouse gasses, and also have a major sticker price. But a recent study published in the American Chemical <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/toc/esthag/0/0">Society’s Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a> used a mathematical model to determine that self-driving, electric taxis may be able to reduce emissions, energy use, and overall costs.

Researchers Gordon Bauer, Jeffery Greenblatt and Brian Gerke developed a mathematical model in order to test the cost and capabilities of a fleet of shared, automated electric vehicles in New York City. They varied the types of vehicles used and charging infrastructure parameters, identifying which options cost the least amount of money and have the greatest impact on energy and greenhouse gas emission reductions. 

The results showed that roughly 6,500 vehicles with a battery range of 70 miles or more could be sustained on 1,500 medium-power electric vehicle chargers across Manhattan. These electric vehicles would produce about 33,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year. This would be a 57 percent reduction compared to a hybrid vehicle fleet, and a 73 percent reduction over an automated gasoline-powered car fleet. Furthermore, shared vehicles – especially self-driving electric ones – could place the up-front cost and burden on the taxi fleet operator, mitigating the cost of the relatively pricey automated vehicles.

Overall, the study’s results suggest that electric vehicles could reduce operating costs by as much as 18 percent, and energy consumption by up to 55 percent when compared to a fleet of hybrid or gasoline vehicles. However, the researchers do state that this model might be more difficult to apply to less dense regions, saying the more research needs to be done on this subject.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Self-driving electric taxis can cut both emissions and costs

Two major developments happening now in the motor vehicle industry...

The quest for clean energy alternatives may soon include the ability to harvest energy from leaves shifting in the wind. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://liu.se/en/research/laboratory-of-organic-electronics">Laboratory of Organic Electronics </a>at <a href="https://liu.se/en">Linköping University</a> have discovered a way to power a small electric circuit using the fluctuations between sun and shade, similar to a leaf fluttering in the wind. 

Although the technology is in its early stages, the study shows that heat fluctuations from sunlight to shade can be converted into <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/green-solar-panels-appealing/">energy</a>. 

“Plants and their photosynthesis systems are continuously subjected to fluctuations between sunshine and shade,” said Magnus Jonsson, an author of the study. “We have drawn inspiration from this and developed a combination of materials in which changes in heating between sunshine and shade generate electricity.” 

The study was published in the journal Advanced Optical Materials. 

Previously, Magnus Jonsson had worked on a project that developed small nanoantennas made up of gold nanodiscs with the ability to absorb sunlight and generate heat by reacting to near-infrared light. 

In this new study, the nanoantennas powered a tiny optical generator using pyroelectric film. Pyroelectric means that power is generated from changes in heat. 

As the antennae were subjected to fluctuations in sunlight and shade, they generated heat which was then converted to electricity. 

“The nanoantennas can be manufactured across large areas, with billions of the small discs uniformly distributed over the surface,” said Jonsson. “The spacing between discs in our case is approximately 0.3 micrometres. We have used gold and silver, but they can also be manufactured from aluminium or copper.” 

A polarized polymer was also required for energy conversion. 

“We force the polarisation into the material, and it remains polarised for a long time, “ said Mina Shiran Chaharsoughi, the lead author of the study. 

The researchers tested their theory with experiments and computer simulations. In one of the experiments, a twig with leaves in front of a fan powered a small external circuit. 

The study has many exciting applications and result in another dependable source of renewable energy. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Fluttering leaves could be one day generate electricity

The quest for clean energy alternatives may soon include the...

The Paris Agreement is a global collaboration that seeks to reduce carbon emissions and stop the world’s temperature from increasing past two degrees Celsius.

While many nations are already working to implement policies that reduce carbon emissions and transition from fossil fuels to renewables, the exact temperature and emissions requirements to meet the Paris Agreement are not widely understood.

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.nies.go.jp/index-e.html">National Institute for Environmental Studies</a> in Japan and the <a href="https://ncar.ucar.edu/">U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research</a> examined several new emissions and temperature scenarios to find out what exactly was needed to reduce emissions and mitigate climate change.

The new study found that meeting the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/country-paris-agreement/">Paris Agreement</a> does not necessarily mean cutting all greenhouse gas emissions and also that even under a zero-emission scenario, temperatures could still climb higher than preferred.

Their findings highlight the uncertainty and inconsistencies that come with the Paris Agreement’s plans.

“What we found is that the two goals do not always go hand in hand,” said Katsumasa Tanaka, a lead author of the study. “If we meet temperature targets without first overshooting them, we don't have to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero. But if we do reduce emissions to zero, we still might not meet the temperature targets if we don't reduce emissions quickly enough.”

The results were published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

For the study, the researchers used an integrated assessment computer model to create and analyze ten different emissions scenarios.

The model factored in both the environmental and economic impact of temperature and emissions reductions.

“We investigated the consistency between the Paris targets in two ways,” said Brian O'Neill, a fellow lead researcher. “First, we asked, what happens if you just meet the temperature target in a least-cost way? What would emissions look like? Then we said, let's just meet the emissions goal and see what kind of temperatures you get.”

The scenarios showed that if emissions were reduced sooner, the Earth’s temperature wouldn’t exceed two degrees Celsius.

All in all, the results showed that the biggest driver of temperature changes in the latter half of the century is when emissions are reduced.  

“The timing of when emissions are reduced really matters,” said O'Neill. “We could meet the goal set out in the Paris Agreement of reducing emissions to zero in the second half of the century and still wildly miss the temperature targets in the same agreement if we wait to take action.”

The researchers hope their work will help provide a better foundation for implementing the most effective and consistent policies under the Paris Accord.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Different methods of achieving the Paris Agreement climate goals

The Paris Agreement is a global collaboration that seeks to...

Looking for somewhere to move or vacation with a decent climate but don’t know where to start? A new, easy to use, interactive global climate map with a wide array of applications could be your best bet.

Tomasz Stepinski, a <a href="http://www.uc.edu/">University of Cincinnati</a> geography professor and expert on mapping data and statistics, created a new climate map that compares the climates of areas anywhere in the world.

The map also shows the drastic temperature and precipitation variations over the years due to climate change, and could predict which geographic regions may experience extreme weather events in the coming years.

“The map demonstrates climate change over time but also climate diversity. The concept is powerful and can inspire a lot of research,” Stepinski said.

The map is called <a href="http://www.climatex.com/en/">ClimatEx</a> and was created in Stepinkski’s <a href="http://www.artsci.uc.edu/departments/geography/research/space-informatics-lab.html">Space Informatics Lab</a> with the help of researcher Pawel Netzel.

The two collected five decades of data from monthly climate records from <a href="http://www.worldclim.org/">WorldClim</a>, a public database. This data was then used to develop a visual way to study patterns and climate variability in locations all over the world.

The data is mapped in a four-square-kilometer grid which allows people to see how temperatures and precipitations are changing in cities all around the globe. The map also shows which areas have experienced the most change over time, such as the warmer temperatures in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/warmer-arctic-northeast-winter/">Arctic</a>.

There are many potential applications for ClimateEx outside of educational purposes or research. The map could also help climatologists see which areas are most at risk of extreme weather due to climate change.

“ClimateEx enables an easy search for locations where climate change may lead to the occurrence of such extreme phenomena in the future,” said Stepinski. “The user simply indicates the location where tornadoes are presently frequent, and ClimateEx finds all locations where in 50 years the climate will be conducive to tornadoes.”

Stepinski says his map is a useful tool but also provides further proof of the way climate change is reshaping climate, weather, and precipitation on a global scale. 

“If you were looking at climate change at a scale of a million years, you wouldn't worry too much,” Stepinski said. “But if you see dramatic changes on the order of a few decades, it's a big problem. Personally, I'm not happy there are people who seem to disregard this as not much of a problem. It is a problem.”

[caption id="attachment_1171083" align="aligncenter" width="996"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/climate-map.png"><img class="wp-image-1171083 size-large" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/climate-map-1024x600.png" alt="" width="996" height="584" /></a> Green areas could see least change while white and brown areas are predicted to see the most. Image Credit: Tomasz Stepinski/ClimateEx[/caption]

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Tomasz Stepinski/ClimateEx

New map reveals the impact of climate change across the globe

Looking for somewhere to move or vacation with a decent...

Each year, scientists in the Arctic measure the region’s sea ice extent – the peak of the winter’s growth, before the ice begins to thaw for the spring and summer.

And this year, researchers found that the sea ice extent was one of the four lowest on record. The other three were 2015, 2016 and 2017.

"The Arctic sea ice cover continues to be in a decreasing trend and this is connected to the ongoing warming of the Arctic," Dr. Claire Parkinson of NASA's <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">Goddard Space Flight Center</a> said in a press release. "It's a two-way street: the warming means less ice is going to form and more ice is going to melt, but also, because there's less ice, less of the sun's incident solar radiation is reflected off, and this contributes to the warming."

Every year, sea ice in the Arctic Circle grows during the winter, peaking around mid-March, then shrinks until it reaches its minimum in September. Then, the cycle repeats.

On March 17, sea ice in the Arctic covered 5.59 million square miles – the peak for the year. That’s about 448,000 square miles smaller on average than the sea ice extent in winters from 1981 to 2010, about the size of California and Texas combined, according to the NASA researchers.

The only time the sea ice extent has been lower was in the winter of 2017. The National Snow &amp; Ice Data Center has <a href="http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/2018/03/arctic-sea-ice-maximum-second-lowest/">published an analysis</a> of this year’s study.

This winter, the Arctic saw several unusual warm spells, at several points reaching temperatures above freezing. In February, one of these warm periods lasted several days. Cooler weather in March spurred ice growth, but not enough to lift this year out of the second-lowest spot.

At one point in February, a thick, multiyear portion of the sea ice cover north of Greenland melted, exposing open water. While that area has refrozen, it remains fragile.

"This old, thicker ice is what we expect to provide stability to the Arctic sea ice system, since we expect that ice not to be as vulnerable to melting out as thinner, younger ice," ice research Dr. Alek Petty said. "As ice in the Arctic becomes thinner and more mobile, it increases the likelihood for rapid ice loss in the summer."

While the Arctic is beginning its melting season at a low point, the scientists can’t predict what that means for the coming months. Chilly spring temperatures or a cooler than usual summer could prevent another record-low summer, Parkinson said.

NASA’s aerial survey project, <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/icebridge/">Operation IceBridge</a>, is currently mapping the Arctic’s sea ice cover. In the fall, the agency will launch a new satellite mission to monitor the thickness of Arctic sea ice and how it is changing.

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By Kyla Cathey,<a href="http://www.earth.com"> Earth.com</a> staff writer

Image credit: Nathan Kurtz, <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a>

The not-so-big freeze: Arctic sea ice extent low again this year

Each year, scientists in the Arctic measure the region’s sea...

A study led by the <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/">University of New South Wales</a> has revealed that some symptoms of aging could be reversed by replenishing two molecules that occur naturally in the body. The discovery could help improve physical performance in older adults.

The two molecules can be boosted to reverse an age-related decline of blood flow to tissues and organs. This restoration process successfully increased exercise capacity and physical endurance in mice.

The research has demonstrated, for the first time, that the body's capacity for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/regular-exercise-slows-aging/">exercise</a> decreases as levels of the metabolite NAD+ decline. 

When mice were treated with the NAD+ booster NMN and increasing levels of hydrogen sulphide (H2S), physical endurance was improved by over 60 percent in both young and old mice.

The study revealed that endothelial cells, the cells that line the blood vessels, are the primary driver of aging and are most likely the reason that older people feel like they have less energy.

“We become weaker and less fit after 50, and eventually succumb to diseases of aging,” said senior author Dr. David Sinclair. “Remarkably, by feeding mice NMN and H2S it restores NAD+ levels in endothelial cells and makes them believe they are young and exercised.”

“With exercise, the effect is even more dramatic. We saw 32-month-old mice, roughly equivalent to a 90-year-old human - receiving the combination of molecules for four weeks ran, on average, twice as far as untreated mice. Mice treated only with NMN alone ran 1.6 times further than untreated mice.”

The researchers found that the protein SIRT1 was stimulated in the mice, which led to the restoration of capillary formation in muscle.

“Age plays a critical role in the links between blood vessels and muscle, and points to a loss of NAD+ and SIRT1 as the reason people lose the capacity to exercise as they age,” said lead author Dr. Abhirup Das.

“It has significant impact on frailty because one of the main reasons for frailty is reduced blood flow that affects every part of our body. And reduced muscle function makes us weak. Our bodies already make NAD+ in our cells, but after 50 its levels drop dramatically.” 

“Exercise is a way to prevent decline in blood flow but these findings show that by restoring the levels of NAD+ in mice equivalent to 60 year old humans, we can get the same benefits of exercise.”

Dr. Sinclair and Dr. Lindsay Wu have been working for five years to make NAD+ boosters into therapeutic agents. The ultimate goal is the development of NMN-based drugs that replicate the benefits of exercise by increasing blood flow and oxygenation of muscles.

“This new study adds to the body of work showing that the restoration of NAD in mammals can delay and reverse many of the effects of aging. NAD+ boosters, particularly when combined with H2S, are some of the most promising molecules in medical research today,” said Dr. Sinclair.

The research could ultimately lead to improved mobility in older adults, better athletic ability, and could help to reduce the risk of age-related diseases like dementia, liver failure, and stroke.

“If these findings translate from mouse to human, we could have a revolutionary impact on the quality of life of older people,and not to mention the benefits of avoiding diseases of aging,” said Dr. Wu.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.cell.com/">Cell</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Some aging systems can be reversed to improve quality of life

A study led by the University of New South Wales...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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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

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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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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