Everyone talks about mindfulness these days. People say it helps with stress, improves sleep, and makes life calmer. But here is a question: can meditation actually sharpen your focus? Turns out, it can.



A new study from the <a href="https://gero.usc.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology</a> reveals something surprising: just thirty days of guided mindfulness meditation can change how quickly and accurately people focus. Age does not seem to matter here.



This is not about feelings or guesswork. Researchers used eye tracking, a tool that shows exactly where your <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mindfulness-meditation-is-a-powerful-weapon-against-chronic-pain/">attention</a> goes. 



“This study shows that mindfulness isn’t just about feeling more relaxed - it can literally change the way your brain handles attention,” said Andy Jeesu Kim, the study’s first author. “And that’s incredibly important for maintaining cognitive health as we age.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-focus-fades-with-age">Why focus fades with age</h2>



As people get older, their brains <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meditation-can-rapidly-reduce-ptsd-without-revisiting-trauma/">slow down</a>. They do not react as fast. Distractions take over easily.



This happens because of a brain system called the locus coeruleus–noradrenaline system. It controls attention, memory, and alertness - and it weakens with age.



Professor Mara Mather from the USC Leonard Davis School has studied this system for years. She found connections between its decline and early Alzheimer’s disease.



Earlier research hinted that mindfulness could strengthen this brain system. Meditation might boost areas that help with focus. But no one had tested this idea using precise eye-tracking methods - until now.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meditation-s-effect-on-focus">Meditation’s effect on focus</h2>



The researchers did not just ask people how mindful they felt. They watched their eyes when they recruited 69 people. Some were young adults. Others were middle-aged or older.



Half of the group practiced mindfulness meditation using the Headspace app. Just 10 to 15 minutes each day. The other half listened to an audiobook for the same amount of time.



Three times, participants visited the lab. They did visual tasks that measured how fast and accurately they could focus. Their eyes revealed everything. Every glance, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meditation-rewires-the-emotional-centers-of-the-brain/">distraction</a>, or quick decision.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-attention-improves-with-practice">Attention improves with practice</h2>



After a month of mindfulness meditation, something changed. People began reacting faster - their eyes moved directly to the right target, they ignored distractions more easily, and it didn’t matter how old they were.



“We expected older adults to benefit the most, but we found that mindfulness improved attention similarly across young, middle-aged, and older adults,” Kim said. “This suggests mindfulness can be a useful tool at any stage of life.”



Oddly, when the participants filled out mindfulness questionnaires, their answers did not change much. They did not <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-meditation-and-critical-thinking-matter-in-the-age-of-ai/">feel</a> different. Their brains, however, told a different story.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-second-test-backs-meditation">Second test backs meditation</h2>



The findings did not end there. Another study backed them up. Once again, participants practiced mindfulness meditation using Headspace for 30 days. 



The researchers tracked their eye movements while they performed attention tasks, examining both proactive focus and reactive responses. Reaction times improved again. People’s eyes became quicker - regardless of age.



However, not every gain came from meditation. Some improvements likely came from practicing the task itself. But meditation clearly sped up their visual attention.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meditation-works-quietly">Meditation works quietly</h2>



The second study confirmed something interesting. Meditation did not boost self-reported mindfulness. People did not feel much different.



But their eyes told a different tale. They reacted faster, spotted targets quicker, and showed subtle changes in focus.



This tells us something crucial. You might not notice the benefits of meditation right away. Yet your brain could already be working better in the background.



Both studies found that age did not limit the benefits. Young, middle-aged, or older, everyone improved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sharper-focus-for-daily-needs">Sharper focus for daily needs</h2>



People often think mindfulness is just about peace and calm. But these studies reveal something bigger.



Mindfulness can sharpen the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/action-observation-network-human-brain-perception-see-what-we-expect-to-see-mind-eye/">brain</a>’s attention. This affects everyday activities. Driving. Reading. Holding a conversation. Even crossing the street.



Sure, the audiobook group also improved a little. That is likely because they practiced the task more. But the meditation group improved faster and more clearly.



Mindfulness does not just make people feel calmer. It changes how the brain works with attention.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-on-meditation">Future research on meditation</h2>



The researchers are not done yet. They want to see what happens with longer mindfulness meditation programs. Could more time bring stronger results? They are also curious whether these quick gains stick around long term.



“We’re excited about the potential of digital mindfulness interventions to help people support their brain health,” Kim said. “It’s simple, low-cost, and widely accessible. The key is consistency.”



Mindfulness may seem small. Just a few minutes a day. But it is clear. It can quietly improve your brain’s focus, no matter your age. And all it takes is a little patience and practice.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.eneuro.org/content/early/2025/06/26/ENEURO.0356-23.2025" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eNeuro</a>.



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Mindfulness meditation can rewire your brain for sharper focus

Everyone talks about mindfulness these days. People say it helps with stress, improves sleep, and makes life calmer. But here is a question: can meditation actually sharpen your focus? Turns out, it can. A new study from the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology reveals something surprising: just thirty days of guided mindfulness meditation can change how quickly and accurately people focus. Age does not seem to matter here. This is not about feelings or guesswork. Researchers used eye tracking, a tool that shows exactly where your...

A new species of marsupial lion that has been extinct for 19 million years was recently discovered in a remote part of Queensland, Australia. 

The discovery was made by scientists from the <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/">University of New South Wales </a>who were excavating in the <a href="https://www.npsr.qld.gov.au/parks/boodjamulla-riversleigh/about.html">Riversleigh World Heritage Area</a>.

The researchers found fossilized remains including part of the animal's skull, teeth, and upper arm bone. After analyzing the fossil pieces, the researchers concluded that it was a newly discovered species that lived 18 to 26 million years ago during the Oligocene and Miocene epochs.

The new species was named Wakaleo schouteni and would have been comparable to a dog in size and have hunted in Australia’s ancient rainforests. 

The findings were featured in the Journal of Systematic Paleontology.

According to the <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/">UNESCO World Heritage Organization</a>, Riversleigh is one of the world's top ten richest fossils sites.

This discovery follows another new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marsupial-relative-powerful-bite/">marsupial lion</a> that was uncovered in the same site a year prior named Microleo attenboroughi. 

Wakaleo schouteni is now thought to be one of two marsupial lion species that lived during the late Oligocene epoch, the other species being Wakaleo pitikantensis, first discovered in South Australia in 1961.

The two species are extremely similar and are most likely the earliest members of their genus, according to the researchers. 

“The identification of these new species have brought to light a level of marsupial lion diversity that was quite unexpected and suggests even deeper origins for the family,” said Gillespie. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Illustration by Peter Schouten in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology

Extinct species of marsupial lion found in Australia

A new species of marsupial lion that has been extinct...

A new study from the <a href="https://carnegiescience.edu/">Carnegie Institution For Science</a> has found that climate models that project more severe warming are the most accurate according to observation of the current climate conditions. The research suggests that climate models used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are underestimating future warming.

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-ice-storms/">Climate</a> model simulations are used to forecast future warming for any given increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

"There are dozens of prominent global climate models and they all project different amounts of global warming for a given change in greenhouse gas concentrations, primarily because there is not a consensus on how to best model some key aspects of the climate system," explained study co-author Patrick Brown.

Climate models based on current emissions indicate that global temperatures will rise between 3.2 to 5.9 degrees Celsius over preindustrial levels by the end of the century.

The researchers set out to determine whether the upper or lower end of this temperature range is more likely to happen. The team started out their investigation based on the idea that climate models are the most useful when they precisely represent conditions of the recent past. 

The experts compared model simulations and observations of patterns of energy flow from Earth to space. The study revealed that the models that best represent recent  energy exchanges between the planet and its surroundings project warming that is greater than average. 

The findings of the study eliminated the lower end of the temperature range forecast by raw climate models. The results indicated that future average global warming will most likely be 0.5 degrees Celsius greater than what has been projected.

"Our results suggest that it doesn't make sense to dismiss the most-severe global warming projections based on the fact that climate models are imperfect in their simulation of the current climate," said Brown. "On the contrary, if anything, we are showing that model shortcomings can be used to dismiss the least-severe projections."

The uncertainty in predicting future warming is mostly due to discrepancies in the ways that models simulate changes in clouds. The cooling effect caused by clouds as they reflect the sun’s energy away from the planet is shown by some models to increase and by other models to decrease.

"The models that are best able to recreate current conditions are the ones that simulate a reduction in cloud cooling in the future and thus these are the models that predict the greatest future warming," said Brown.

"It makes sense that the models that do the best job at simulating today's observations might be the models with the most reliable predictions," added study co-author Ken Caldeira. "Our study indicates that if emissions follow a commonly used business-as-usual scenario, there is a 93 percent chance that global warming will exceed 4 degrees Celsius by the end of this century. Previous studies had put this likelihood at 62 percent."

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nature/">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The more severe climate models are likely the most accurate

A new study from the Carnegie Institution For Science has...

Have you ever tried to change course midstream and found yourself unable to? For instance, say you notice a traffic light change yellow and decide to accelerate through, but then you see a police car, but you still speed through anyway because you weren’t quick enough to stop.

There’s a reason we can’t just instantly switch actions or stop a movement that we’ve already started, and neuroscientists from<a href="https://www.jhu.edu/"> John Hopkins University</a> have uncovered why.

Their new study, which was published in the journal Neuron, shows the inner workings of the brain as it sends and receives signals. 

The researchers found that a lightning fast interaction between three different parts of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-processes-internal-experiences/">brain</a> is necessary to change or stop an action or behavior in process. 

Timing also played a major role in changing an action midstream, and the earlier you decide to change course, the better, according to the study.

“We have to process all of these pieces of information quickly,” said Susan Courtney, the senior author. “The question is: When we do succeed, how do we do that? What needs to happen in order for us to stop in time?”

It only takes a matter of milliseconds to go through with an action, and the research shows that if you can change your mind after 100 milliseconds or less, you can change or stop the plan.

The results could help with addiction treatments and understanding why people fall more as they get older.

For the study, the researchers had human and monkey subjects partake in an activity while their brains were monitored with MRI scanners. 

The activity involved shapes on a screen that were either blue, which meant stop or yellow which meant go. Another set of shapes used the same colors but they had the opposite meanings. The subjects followed the shapes and had to change directions or stop their already planned eye movements.

The MRI scans allowed the researchers to see how the brain processed information and quick changes while the subjects followed the shapes on the screen. 

Electrodes were implanted in the monkey subjects brain which gave the researchers a closer look at how different areas of the brain communicate with each other to stop. 

After monitoring the brain activity and analyzing the results, the researchers found that when the different parts of the prefrontal and pre-motor cortex didn’t communicate correctly or interact quickly enough, then the participants couldn’t change or stop a planned action or behavior.

Because cognitive functioning deteriorates  as we age, slower communication between these areas of the brain could explain why elderly people are prone to falling.

“We know people with damage to these parts of the brain have trouble changing plans or inhibiting actions,” Courtney said. “We know as we age, our brain slows down and it takes us longer to find words or to try to make these split-second plan changes. It could be part of the reason why old people fall.” 

The results could also better explain addiction behaviors and help people understand that the quicker you can “turn off” a thought about an addictive behavior like drinking, says Courtney, the more likely you will succeed in not following through on it. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Why we can’t always stop a course of action once we’ve started

Have you ever tried to change course midstream and found...

Cancer becomes an ever increasing risk as we age, and the association of old age with many cancer types has been well established. But scientists have also noticed that cancer incidence is increasing globally, and certain geographical populations seem to be at higher risk than others. Populations living in very low temperatures, such as Denmark and Norway, have some of the highest incidences of cancer in the world.

A recent paper published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/mbe">Molecular Biology and Evolution</a> has proposed a new hypothesis for this phenomenon: there is an evolutionary relationship between adaptation at extreme environmental conditions and increased cancer risk. 

“The findings of this study provide evidence that genetic variants found to be beneficial in extreme environments, can also predispose for cancer,” says Kostantinos Voskarides of the <a href="https://www.ucy.ac.cy/medical/en/">University of Cyprus Medical School</a>.

In his research, Voskarides focused on the effect of low temperatures at either high altitudes or in Arctic/Scandinavian climates. He used the GLOBOCAN-2012 database – the most accurate and reliable datasource for worldwide cancer incidence – and analyzed genetic clues in 247 different cancer genome-wide association studies. Voskarides also looked through the available literature’s bibliographic cancer incidence and genetic data for human populations in extreme cold and at very high altitudes.

The results showed a clear pattern, with the highest incidence of certain cancers linked to populations living in the coldest environments. 

“These data show that these populations exhibit extremely high cancer incidence, especially for lung, breast and colorectal cancer,” explained Voskarides.

Genetic evidence also showed that genes that are under selection to populations in order to survive in extreme conditions are also predisposed for cancer. The highest cancer associations with genes under selection were found to be colorectal cancer for Native Americans and Siberian Eskimos, esophageal cancer and lung cancer for Siberain Eskimos, leukemia for Oromi (a high-altitude population in Ethiopia) and a number of cancers for high-altitude dwelling Andeans-Tibetans.

“Evidence was found that cancer rates have been increased in those populations through natural selection procedures,” says Voskarides. “This is the first study that provides evidence that high cancer risk may be a result of evolutionary adaptation in certain environmental conditions.”

The ultimate conclusion of this study was that populations that are isolated in extreme environments also face extreme <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cancer-cases-modifiable-risk-factors/">cancer</a> risk. Further research will help better understand the key adaptive forces that may be behind cancer epidemiology.

[caption id="attachment_967257" align="aligncenter" width="279"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/cold-temperatures.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-967257" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/cold-temperatures-279x300.jpg" alt="" width="279" height="300" /></a> Image Credit: Konstantinos Voskarides, University of Cyprus Medical School[/caption]

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Extremely cold environments may increase risk of cancer

Cancer becomes an ever increasing risk as we age, and...

Researchers at the <a href="http://www.cdb.riken.jp/en/">RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology</a> (CDB) set out to determine how the brain distinguishes between breathing in air and sniffing. The team also set out to solve the mystery of how sniffing helps to identify odors. 

Each compound in a scent activates certain neurons in the nose, which meet in the olfactory bulb of the brain on structures called glomeruli. For example, the smell of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chocolate-red-wine-wrinkles/">chocolate</a> will activate "chocolate" glomeruli. 

Neurons in the nose also respond when air is inhaled, but the activation is not as specific. Therefore, sniffing activates both "chocolate" and "non-chocolate" glomeruli. 

But how can the brain tell whether signals received from the glomeruli contain air-flow information or odor information? The study revealed that the answer lies in the timing.

"Surprisingly, we found that temporal firing patterns of neurons can distinguish between airflow-driven mechanical signals and those generated by odors,” explained lead author Takeshi Imai. “Not only that, we discovered that the mechanosensation actually improves olfaction by acting as a pacemaker for temporal patterning."

The team created a system to artificially control rhythmic sniffing in mice. In the first phase of the experiment, they presented deodorized air to the mice and recorded activity from neurons in the glomeruli. 

This showed that a large number of glomeruli were activated by airflow, and that the activity spiked and fell  in cycles that matched the rate of the artificial sniffing. But, despite the fact that the rate was the same, the glomeruli were not in sync with each other. While one glomerulus could be the most active 200 milliseconds into a sniff, another could be be most active 230 milliseconds after the sniff. 

Next, the team examined how increasing airflow and odor stimulation affected the phase of activity in the glomeruli. They found that increasing the airflow speed increased the amount of glomeruli activity, but did not significantly change their timing. On the other hand, when the mice were exposed to odors, the timing of glomeruli activity shifted significantly within the sniff cycle. 

Additional testing revealed that the phases altered the same amount no matter what the concentration level of the odor. This discovery establishes that odor and airflow neural stimulation can be distinguished by looking at the phase of activity in the glomeruli.

"Phase-coding is not unique to the olfactory system,” said Imai. "Although it has also been found in the hippocampus in relation to memory formation, we still do not know much about it. Hopefully, our finding will facilitate a better understanding of how neurons communicate with each other and how meaning can be derived from their signals."

"Our next step is to understand how the precise temporal patterns are generated in the olfactory bulb, and why they are affected by odors but not mechanically originating signals."

The research is published in the journal <a href="http://www.cell.com/neuron/home">Neuron</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How the brain tells the difference between breathing and sniffing

Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology (CDB) set...

An international research team is describing a new genus and bird-like species of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dinosaur-fossil-racist-nazi-science/">dinosaur</a> which is extremely unique. The discovery of the 75 million-year-old predator, Halszkaraptor escuilliei, is giving scientists new insight into the lifestyle of some raptorial dinosaurs. 

A well-preserved dinosaur skeleton from Mongolia has a unique combination of features that is helping experts to define the new group of semi-aquatic predators, which are related to Velociraptor. The species lived during the Campanian stage of the Cretaceous period.

The fossil, nicknamed Halszka, was found in area of southern Mongolia that is often targeted by poachers. 

"Illicit fossil trade presents a great challenge to modern palaeontology and accounts for a dramatic loss of Mongolian scientific heritage," explained study co-author Pascal Godefroit. "Illegally exported from Mongolia, Halszka resided in private collections around the world before it was acquired in 2015 and offered to palaeontologists for study and to prepare its return to Mongolia.”

For 160 million years during the Mesozoic Era, terrestrial carnivores like Tyrannosaurus and Velociraptor became the dominant predators on all continents, yet never conquered aquatic environments. 

Using detailed 3D synchrotron analysis, the researchers found that Halszka had a swan neck and flippers on its forelimbs. This indicates that these dinosaurs adopted a semi-aquatic lifestyle, which is an unanticipated find. Halszka also had sickle-shaped “killer claws” on its feet like Velociraptor.

"The first time I examined the specimen, I even questioned whether it was a genuine fossil" said lead author Andrea Cau of the <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187801-d2002758-Reviews-Museo_Geologico_Giovanni_Capellini-Bologna_Province_of_Bologna_Emilia_Romagna.html">Geological Museum Capellini in Bologna</a>. "This unexpected mix of traits makes it difficult to place Halszka within traditional classifications.”

While several significant groups of predatory dinosaurs have been uncovered in Mongolia, Halszka does not belong to any of them. Features identified on the fossil resemble those of reptilian and avian groups with semi-aquatic or aquatic lifestyles.

"Our first goal was to demonstrate that this bizarre and unexpected fossil is indeed a genuine animal: multi-resolution scanning confirmed that the skeleton is not a composite assembled from parts of different dinosaurs," explained Dennis Voeten of the <a href="http://www.esrf.eu/">European Synchrotron Radiation Facility</a>. 

"We implemented new methods for the acquisition and optimisation of tomographic scan data, which not only confirmed the integrity of the specimen, but also revealed additional palaeontological information," said co-author Vincent Fernandez.

The synchrotron was even able to show parts of the skeleton that have been preserved deep within the rock ever since the dinosaur got buried. 

"Our analysis demonstrated that numerous teeth, which are not visible externally, are still preserved inside the mouth," said co-author Vincent Beyrand. "We also identified a neurovascular mesh inside its snout that resembles those of modern crocodiles to a remarkable degree. These aspects suggest that Halszka was an aquatic predator."

"When we look beyond fossil dinosaurs, we find most of Halszkaraptor's unusual features among aquatic reptiles and swimming birds," explained Cau. "The peculiar morphology of Halszkaraptor fits best with that of an amphibious predator that was adapted to a combined terrestrial and aquatic ecology: a peculiar lifestyle that was previously unreported in these dinosaurs. Thanks to synchrotron tomography, we now demonstrate that raptorial dinosaurs not only ran and flew, but also swam!"

The findings of the study are published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nature/">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Lukas Panzarin and Andrea Cau for scientific supervision

Newly discovered dinosaur displays surprising features

An international research team is describing a new genus and...

Experts from the UK and the United States are outlining the best investments in clean energy based on their analysis of recent research and innovation. The authors of the paper recommend that governments give technical experts more control of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/green-solar-panels-appealing/">clean energy</a> programs in order to achieve more long-term stability.

The researchers have drafted six "guiding principles,” and are encouraging the support of programs that have staying power rather than just “ quick win” potential. Among the principles proposed by the research team are to adopt an adaptive learning strategy and to keep clean energy research funding predictable and stable.

"As the window of opportunity to avert dangerous climate change narrows, we urgently need to take stock of policy initiatives around the world that aim to accelerate new energy technologies and stem greenhouse gas emissions," says Laura Diaz Anadon, Professor of Climate Change Policy at the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a>.

The authors are urging policymakers to learn what works from experience and build on it before time runs out. The experts say that some government officials are constantly reinventing clean energy goals and targets for the sake of political vanity.

"If we don't build on the lessons from previous policy successes and failures to understand what works and why, we risk wasting time and money in a way that we simply can't afford," says Anadon.

Public investments in energy research have steadily risen in recent years. For example, funding for new energy research and development by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) jumped to $16.6 billion in 2016 compared to $10 billion in 2010. In addition, the EU and other nations pledged to double clean energy investment as part of Paris Climate Change Agreement.

Regardless, the study authors point out that government funding for energy innovation has become highly volatile in the recent past. Political shifts in the UK and the U.S. have resulted in huge budget fluctuations and process reinventions.

The research team found, for example, that one in five technology areas funded by the U.S. Department of Energy experienced a budget shift of more than 30 percent up or down every single year from 1990 to 2017. In 2018, the Trump administration plans to cut the energy research and development budget by 35 percent across the board.

In the UK, every Prime Minister since 2000 has created new institutions to manage energy innovation. 

"Experimentation has benefits, but also costs," explains Anadon. "Researchers are having to relearn new processes, people and programs with every political transition - wasting time and effort for scientists, companies and policymakers."

"Rather than repeated overhauls, existing programs should be continuously evaluated and updated. New programs should only be set up if they fill needs not currently met."

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nature/">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Experts advise governments on effective clean energy strategy

Experts from the UK and the United States are outlining...

As climate change is projected to increase the frequency of severe ice storms, concerns are growing about how forest health will be impacted. Ecologist Lindsey Rustad of the <a href="https://www.fs.fed.us/">USDA Forest Service</a> set out to closely examine how ice storms affect the forest.

It is well-known that <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/artificial-ice-storms-severe-weather/">ice storms</a> can cause damage to communities as large frozen tree limbs can take down power lines and crash into houses, but the long-term damage that ice storms cause to the forest itself is relatively unknown.

Rustad teamed up with New England scientists to simulate an ice storm at the 8,000-acre USDA Forest Service Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire. The researchers used fire hoses to pump water from a creek over different sections of the forest. 

"It's not easy to study ice storms because they're difficult to predict," explained Rustad. "We didn't want to become storm chasers, so we decided to make our own."

Using various amounts of water, the team created a light icing with a quarter-inch of ice,  a significant icing of a half-inch of ice, and an extreme icing with three-fourths of an inch of ice.

The team will compare the frozen sections of forest to nearby forest area that has not been disturbed. They plan to focus their comparison on forest health indicators including soil nutrient cycling, forest regrowth, and wildlife. The research will contribute to an ongoing decades-long investigation on how a severe ice storm in 1998 affected the northeastern United States and Canada.

Although the project will not be completed until next year, Rustad has some predictions about what her team will discover. She explained that a light icing can be good for forests by thinning out branches and making room for new growth.

"Trees have a certain amount of stored carbon," she says. "With one icing, they have enough reserves to re-foliate and recover."

Severe icing events back to back like scientists have predicted to occur with climate change, however, can be devastating to a forest's carbon reserves. Despite this, Rustad still remains optimistic about the outcome.

"Our forests are tremendously resilient," said Rustad. "I grew up in the days of acid rain. So scientists embarked on a couple decades of exhaustive research and we passed the Clean Air Act, and reduced sulfur emissions by 80%."

During their research, the experts will develop a more accurate climate prediction model that will incorporate extreme ice events. They will also examine the forest health indicators, and hope to innovate new methods of warning the public about upcoming ice storms.

Rustad presented preliminary details of the research project at the October Annual Meeting of the <a href="https://www.agronomy.org/">American Society of Agronomy</a>, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America in Tampa, Florida.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Climate change could increase the frequency of severe ice storms

As climate change is projected to increase the frequency of...

We often take for granted our ability to take in sound and process the information into a cohesive meaning. It’s a complicated process that involves innumerable factors, not to mention the need to discern what you hear from distracting background noise. Now, researchers at <a href="http://www.auburn.edu/">Auburn University</a> have discovered that in demanding environments, both adults and children depend more on their right ear for processing and retaining what they hear.

Sounds that enter the right ear are processed by the left side of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-processes-internal-experiences/">brain</a>, which controls speech, language development, and parts of memory. Together, each ear takes in separate bits of information, which are then combined while being processed through the auditory system. However, past research has shown the young children’s auditory systems are unable to sort and separate simultaneous information from both ears. Because of this, children rely mostly on their right ear to capture sounds and language, as the pathway is more efficient. But what is less understood is if this right-ear dominance is still present in adulthood.

To answer this question, Danielle Sacchinelli and her colleagues had 41 participants (ages 19-28) go through both dichotic separation and integration listening tasks. Dichotic listening tests are used to diagnose auditory processing disorders that cause the brain to have difficulty processing what is heard. This test involves listeners receiving different auditory inputs that are delivered to each ear simultaneously. Participants are asked to pay attention to sounds delivered to one ear, while dismissing sounds delivered to the other (separation) or are required to repeat all words heard (integration). 

As the tests progressed, the researchers increased the number of sounds until they passed the point of an individual’s simple memory capacity. Once they were beyond the participant’s memory span, they found that an individual’s performance improved by roughly 8 percent – and in some cases up to 40 percent – when they focused on their right ear.

“Conventional research shows that right-ear advantage diminishes around age 13, but our results indicate this is related to the demand of the task. Traditional tests include four-to-six pieces of information,” says Aurora Weaver, an assistant professor at <a href="http://www.auburn.edu/">Auburn University</a> and member of the research team. “As we age, we have better control of our attention for processing information as a result of maturation and our experience.”

Enhancing our understanding of how we listen and process information in demanding environments may help improve diagnostic tools, auditory management – such as hearing aids – and auditory training. Weaver also believes that this may increase our ability to deal with the decline of cognitive abilities as people age.

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By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Listen up: Your right ear is more important for listening ability

We often take for granted our ability to take in...

The chronic sleep deprivation that many youth and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/screen-time-suicide-teens/">teens</a> face today has been well documented, with many health professionals calling for later start times in middle and high school, but these suggestions have gone largely unheard.

Adolescents need more sleep than adults, and chronic sleep deprivation in teens can actually raise their risk of depression and addiction, according to a new study. 

The study was conducted by researchers from the <a href="http://www.pitt.edu/">University of Pittsburgh</a> and documented the negative impact that sleep deprivation has on the brain’s reward system and mood. 

For the study, the researchers had 35 participants, ages 11 through 15, take part in a sleep lab study. 

For two nights, half the group slept for ten hours and the other half was only allowed to sleep for four fours. A week later, the participants came back to the lab but slept for the opposite amount of time they had for the first two nights. 

The study volunteers were also asked to play a game with monetary gains of one and ten dollars that activated the reward centers of the brain. The participants were given brain scans both weeks while they played the game. 

The researchers also had each participant answer questions about emotional functioning and if they experienced symptoms of depression. 

The results show that sleep deprivation impacted the putamen, a part of the brain involved with reward learning and goal-based movements. Even when the rewards in the game were higher during the sleep lab studies, the putamen was less responsive in the sleep-deprived subjects. 

The sleep-deprived participants also reported more symptoms of depression. These results correlate with research on how depression lowers activity in the brain’s reward system. 

Chronic sleep deprivation poses major health risks for all ages, but these results show that sleep deprivation in teens especially increases the risk of depression and addiction. 

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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

Sleep deprivation increases risk of depression in teens

The chronic sleep deprivation that many youth and teens face...

Since 2008, over 16,000 first-year students have discovered more than 8,000 bacteria-infecting viruses as part of a program designed to keep students engaged in the sciences.

The program is called SEA-PHAGES, and it’s a year-long course that’s part of the <a href="https://www.hhmi.org/developing-scientists/science-education-alliance">Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Science Education Alliance‘s</a> endeavor to isolate and characterize bacteria-infecting viruses called bacteriophages. 

Now, a new analysis has found that programs that offer authentic research opportunities like SEA-PHAGE have a stronger advantage of keeping students engaged in the sciences. 

“Compared to students at the same institutions who are taking traditional lab courses, students in this course score much higher in categories that correspond to persistence in science,” said David Asai, HHMI's senior director for science education.

David Hanauer, a professor at the <a href="https://www.iup.edu/">Indiana University of Pennsylvania</a>, created a new assessment that measured the success of SEA-PHAGE and its impact on the participating students. 

Hanauer focused on the aspects of student’s attitudes that influenced their intent to continue on in their fields of study.

“We looked into the psychological traits that tie into the identity aspects of being a scientist,” said Hanauer. “If you have a sense that 'this is my work;' you have a sense that 'I can do this;' you have a sense that you could be a scientist; you believe in the value of science; and you're talking to people about how you are a scientist--then you're going to stay in the sciences.”

2,850 students from 67 different institutions took Hanauer's PITS (Persistence In Science) survey. 

After analyzing the responses, Hanauer and his team found that SEA-PHAGES was more successful than traditional laboratory courses in developing the psychological traits that connect to identity in students. 

The SEA-PHAGE students were more confident in their abilities and had a better feel for the realities of lab research and a career in the sciences. 

Another promising result of the study was that the results were similar for all <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/high-achievement-high-risk-addiction/">students</a>, even when taking into account gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or college institution.

“The data show the inclusive nature of the experience really nicely,” said Professor Graham Hatfull. Hatfull’s group at the <a href="http://www.pitt.edu/">University of Pittsburgh </a>administer the SEA-PHAGE program and train faculty. 

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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

Science students help drive advances

Since 2008, over 16,000 first-year students have discovered more than...

Musical training is being linked to improved brain function in more and more studies. In particular, musical training is thought to help with important aspects of speech such as the perception of speech in a noisy environment. A study from the <a href="http://english.psych.cas.cn/">Institute of Psychology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences</a> has revealed that musicians have increased connectivity of the auditory-motor network which enhances their speech perception.

Dr. DU Yi teamed up with Dr. Zatorre Robert from the <a href="http://www.mcgill.ca/neuro/neuro-brain-research-patient-care-and-training">Montréal Neurological Institute</a> and <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/">McGill University</a> to understand how musical training benefits speech processes. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the researchers examined the brain activity of 15 musicians and 15 non-musicians while they identified speech syllables against changing levels of background noise.

The musicians had at least 10 years of musical training, including consistent practice over the past three years. The two groups of participants showed no difference in their educational level, hearing ability, education, auditory working memory, or non-verbal IQ.

Under a condition with no noise distractions, the two groups performed equally. At all other signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), however, the musicians outperformed the non-musicians. The researchers linked this exceptional ability in musicians to enhanced activation of the left inferior frontal and right auditory regions of their brains.

Further analysis showed that musicians had more distinguished neural patterns related to the composition of syllables in the bilateral auditory regions and frontal motor regions of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-talking-coherent-dirty/">brain</a>.

Most significantly, the research team found that the functional connectivity of the auditory-motor network was strengthened in the musicians compared to non-musicians. This means that musical training sharpens and bonds the ears with the speech motor system, or lips and tongue, so that musicians can hear speech better.

The findings of this study, which is published in the <a href="http://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Science</a>, show an enormous potential for the use of musical training to reduce speech perception difficulties that are commonly associated with hearing disorders and age.

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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Musical training can improve your perception of speech

Musical training is being linked to improved brain function in...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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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

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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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