Abuse or neglect in the preschool years appears to push a child’s internal clock forward while also steering their eyes away from the very cues that build trust. 



Two separate biological and social signals - faster cellular aging and reduced eye contact - foreshadow later struggles with emotions and behavior.



The evidence comes from the <a href="https://www.ugscd-osaka-u.ne.jp/en/">United Graduate School of Child Development</a>, a consortium of several leading Japanese universities specializing in child development research.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-quiet-footprint-of-maltreatment">The quiet footprint of maltreatment</h2>



Long-term studies already link childhood maltreatment to heart disease, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seven-healthy-lifestyle-habits-that-prevent-depression/">depression</a>, and premature death, yet pinpointing the earliest biological shifts has been tricky. 



Many investigations lean on teenagers’ memories or on broad stress hormones that rise for many reasons.



The Japanese team aimed lower in age and deeper in detail, asking what happens inside the body and in live social behavior before a child enters grade school.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clocking-childhood-stress-in-cells">Clocking childhood stress in cells</h2>



Ninety-six four- and five-year-olds visited the university lab with a caregiver they trusted. Thirty-six of them suffered confirmed severe childhood maltreatment; the remaining sixty formed a comparison group.



Technicians took a painless cheek swab and measured DNA methylation patterns with the Pediatric-Buccal-Epigenetic clock - a method this group refined in earlier work. 



The algorithm converts chemical tags on genes into an “epigenetic age.” If that number outruns the child’s actual age, researchers infer that wear and tear has set in early.



The abused children’s cells looked markedly older, even after the analysts adjusted for sex, birth weight, and household income. 



Accelerated <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/epigenetic-dna-clocks-predict-biological-age-more-accurately/">epigenetic clocks</a> in adults often foreshadow <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-type-of-diabetes-type-5-is-now-officially-recognized-linked-to-nutritional-deficiencies/">diabetes</a>, stroke, and early mortality. Spotting the same pattern in four-year-olds suggests damage is already under way while most of the brain is still wiring itself.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-abused-children-miss-social-cues">Abused children miss social cues</h2>



Next came a social test. High-resolution eye-tracking cameras recorded exactly where and how long each child looked while short videos played.



When faces appeared on screen, youngsters with a history of abuse spent far less time examining the eye region than their peers.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dog-and-human-brains-sync-up-during-eye-contact/">Eye contact</a> feeds children information about emotions, intentions, and safety. Avoiding it deprives them of a fast, intuitive map of other people’s feelings just when they are learning to navigate friendships.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-abuse-disrupts-on-two-fronts">Abuse disrupts on two fronts</h2>



Statistical models showed that cellular aging and gaze avoidance each predicted higher scores on caregiver checklists of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gut-microbes-have-an-unexpected-link-to-anxiety/">anxiety</a>, aggression, and attention problems.



Yet the two did not sit in a single chain. Faster clocks did not explain why eyes wandered, and wandering eyes did not explain the faster clocks. Trauma, it seems, injures children along at least two independent tracks.



“Our research sends a powerful message: child maltreatment can leave invisible but measurable marks on a child’s biology and social development. By identifying these early warning signs, we can step in earlier and provide targeted support,” said lead author Keiko Ochiai.



“Tools such as eye-tracking assessments and stress-related biological testing could help teachers, doctors, and caregivers expedite the identification of children at risk,” she added.



“Support programs can then be tailored to improve social skills, reduce emotional stress, and promote healthier development - potentially preventing more serious problems later in life.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-catching-childhood-maltreatment-early">Catching childhood maltreatment early</h2>



Because the study captured a single snapshot in time, it cannot prove that abuse causes every change.



Poverty, prenatal stress, or inherited risks may also accelerate epigenetic clocks or nudge eyes away from faces. Even so, the data place the first measurable cracks astonishingly early, suggesting that age four is not too soon - perhaps not even soon enough - to intervene.



Crucially, both assessments are simple to bring into clinics and preschools. Cheek swabs require no needles, and modern processors can read methylation signatures in hours. Portable eye trackers now fit on a laptop.



Embedding these tools into routine checkups could flag vulnerable youngsters before <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stress-hijacks-the-brain-disrupting-sleep-and-memory/">stress</a> cements into chronic disease or social isolation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-helping-young-people-reset-the-clock">Helping young people reset the clock</h2>



The researchers have already begun a follow-up that will revisit the same children in middle school to see whether early cellular age predicts adolescent depression, metabolic illness, or continued social withdrawal.



They also hope to test whether nurturing foster care, trauma-focused therapy, or parent-training programs can slow the epigenetic clock and coax eyes back to faces.



Childhood is meant to stretch time, not compress it. Yet when abuse or neglect crowds those years with fear, the body and mind appear to leap forward, aging faster and dodging the very gaze that could bring comfort.



Detecting those hidden signals of childhood maltreatment offers a rare chance to reset the clock and guide young people toward a future where curiosity, connection, and health unfold at the pace nature intended.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0321952">PLOS One</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Childhood maltreatment speeds up aging and alters behavior

Abuse or neglect in the preschool years appears to push a child’s internal clock forward while also steering their eyes away from the very cues that build trust. Two separate biological and social signals - faster cellular aging and reduced eye contact - foreshadow later struggles with emotions and behavior. The evidence comes from the United Graduate School of Child Development, a consortium of several leading Japanese universities specializing in child development research. The quiet footprint of maltreatment Long-term studies already link childhood maltreatment to heart disease,...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cold-winter-weather-later/">Winter</a> is coming in the Northern hemisphere, and for many colder places that means the arrival of snow and ice – always a hazard for drivers and pedestrians alike. However, new research published in <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/laps20">Applied Spectroscopy Reviews</a> suggests an improved, safer method for dealing with dangerous icy roads.

Researchers have detected a substance known as hydrohalite that forms on icy roads and can be very problematic for drivers. Because it does not respond to de-icing or road surface salting, hydrohalite usually stays on the road. Although it isn’t visible to the naked eye, this substance presents a major threat to all drivers if left untreated.

In order to test for a solution to removing hydrohalite, Dr. Rolf W. Berg – associate professor in the <a href="http://www.dtu.dk/english">Technical University of Denmark</a>’s Department of Chemistry – and colleagues recreated the conditions under which hydrohalite forms. During their experiments, they found that this substance can be easily detected by using Raman instruments, which are small laser devices that can identify the structure of a molecule and the presence of a substance.

If Raman instruments were installed in salt-spreading trucks and snow plows, either an automated system or the driver would be able to determine where the substance needs to be removed. In doing so, they could switch to a more appropriate de-icer for hydrohalite removal, which would consist of one mixed with sand and gravel.

“Equipping salt-spreading trucks with Raman detectors - essentially small boxes which would sit underneath the vehicles - would be a relatively straightforward solution,” says Berg, “potentially reducing the number of road traffic accidents and even saving lives.”

With millions of car accidents occurring in the U.S. alone each year, finding ways to improve road safety and thus decrease accidents is always a welcome area of study.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New laser technology could help clear up icy roads in the winter

Winter is coming in the Northern hemisphere, and for many...

There’s no denying global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-driving-climate-change/">climate change</a>... unless of course you specifically try and ignore facts. A new study has found that popular climate change denying websites and blogs do just that, by relying only on other blogs and websites instead of taking facts from scientific studies. 

Unfortunately, no matter how contestable the less than reputable stories are, there are many people who take information as fact, regardless of the source. 

On one side you have science-driven arguments, proving that an increase in greenhouse gas emissions caused by human-driven activities is warming our planet. On the other side, you have climate change deniers, who call the whole thing a hoax.

Researchers from the <a href="https://nioo.knaw.nl/en">Netherlands Institute of Ecology</a> examined climate blogs and found that even though climate deniers had almost no basis in fact, they had a much stronger social media influence than science-based blogs. 

“We found a major gap between the facts from scientific literature and the science-based blogs on the one hand, and the opinions aired in climate-change denying blogs on the other,” said Jeff Harvey, the first author of the study. “It's a very dangerous gap, as these blogs are read by millions.” 

According to the study authors, polar bears are the “poster species” of anthropogenic global warming. Polar bears, melting sea ice, weather extremes, these are all used as evidence of the impacts of global climate change. 

However, blogs devoted to climate change denial often downplay or disregard how climate change is negatively affecting polar bears and cast doubt on climate change arguments.  

For the study, the researcher read through 90 climate blogs and 92 scientific papers. Of those, 45 denier blogs didn’t include peer-reviewed evidence in the scientific papers and instead took their information from other climate denying blogs. 

80 percent of the climate-denying blogs got their facts from one blog that had no original research. 

45 of the science-based blogs did match up with the scientific papers, but there was a major gap between the blogs based in scientific fact and the ones just borrowing information from other similar blogs and websites. 

The researchers say this study is an opportunity to show how science-based blogs and climate change scientists can combat deniers by engaging more with the public on social media platforms. 

“Scientists, climb down from your desk and start to counter the misinformation on social media directly - and via the traditional media as well,” said Harvey. “Engage with the public via the blogosphere or citizen science for example. And very importantly, adjust your focus to what is clear instead of all the uncertain things still to be studied.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Ian Sterling

Fact vs opinion: Battling climate change misinformation online

There’s no denying global climate change... unless of course you...

When you hear about scientists creating artificial life in a lab, you might think of Frankenstein’s monster or Jurassic Park, but luckily reality is far from the realms of science fiction. 

In an exciting new breakthrough, a team of scientists have officially created a unique organism in a lab that uses letters other than the four building blocks of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dna-kits-wildlife-trafficking/">DNA</a>, which are A, T, C, and G. 

Floyd Romesberg, a chemical biologist from the <a href="https://www.scripps.edu/">Scripps Research Institute</a>, has successfully developed a synthetic strain of E. Coli using the unnatural letters X and Y. 

Creating artificial life has been Romesberg’s mission for the past 20 years, and in 2014 he and his colleagues were able to expand the genetic alphabet beyond the four main letters and create the strain of E. Coli. 

In his most recent development, Romesberg and his team discovered that the E.Coli can take instructions from its hybrid alphabet letters and create its own new proteins. 

“I would not call this a new lifeform—but it’s the closest thing anyone has ever made,” Romesberg told the <a href="http://dailym.ai/2k9qG5l">Daily Mail</a>. “This is the first time ever a cell has translated a protein using something other than G, C, A or T. It's the first change to life ever made.” 

Romesberg hopes to develop new, effective methods to treat disease. Most proteins used in treatments today are flushed out in the kidney quickly, but if researchers could custom make proteins, they could stay in the body longer. 

The researchers are aware of the controversy surrounding new life forms, but Romesberg’s E. Coli strain can’t survive outside of a lab, and so there’s no danger of the strain spreading or turning into something new. 

The breakthrough could pave the way for new treatments and further developments using new genetic alphabet hybrids. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Researchers are one step closer to creating artificial life

When you hear about scientists creating artificial life in a...

Pterosaurs were flying reptiles that existed between 228 to 66 million years ago. Researchers are now gaining more insight into the development and behavior of these prehistoric creatures thanks to a collection of more than 200 fossilized eggs.

Until recently, scientists only had a total of eight pterosaur eggs that were well-preserved in structure with an embryo inside. Three of these eggs had been recovered in Argentina and five were from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cremated-remains-china-buddha/">China</a>. 

But now, researchers have access to an unprecedented number of pterosaur eggs after 215 eggs were discovered on a Lower Cretaceous site in China.

Using computed tomography scanning, researcher Xiaolin Wang et al. was able to observe the inside the eggs, 16 of which contain embryonic remains of varying intactness. The most complete embryo has a partial wing and cranial bones visible, including a complete lower jaw. 

In addition, there are good quality samples of thigh bones which are well-developed. This indicates that the pterosaur, or Hamipterus tianshanensis, relied on functioning hind legs soon after hatching. 

The structure supporting the pectoral muscle, on the other hand, appears to be underdeveloped. This suggests that newly-hatched pterosaurs were most likely unable to fly, and leads the study authors to believe that newborns needed some parental care.

Over years of research, there has been a growing collection of evidence that pterosaurs had long incubation periods. This theory is supported by the discovery of an embryonic individual that appears to be at least two years old and was still growing when it died. 

The findings of this study will appear in an upcoming issue of the journal <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>, published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

--

By<a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com"> Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Alexander Kellner (Museu Nacional/UFRJ)

Fossilized eggs provide glimpse into prehistoric flying reptiles

Pterosaurs were flying reptiles that existed between 228 to 66...

Although stressful conditions cause infants to have a greater brain response to pain, this experience is not apparent in their behavior. According to new research, stress triggers a disconnect between brain activity and behavior in babies.

"When newborn babies experience a painful procedure, there is a reasonably well coordinated increase in their brain activity and their behavioral responses, such as crying and grimacing,"said study co-author Laura Jones of the <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a>. "Babies who are stressed have a larger response in the brain following a painful procedure. But, for these babies, this greater brain activity is no longer matched by their behavior."

The research team set out to determine if stress causes more pain in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/babies-intuition/">babies</a>, which is often the case with adults. The researchers examined 56 healthy newborns, measuring their stress levels based on heart rate patterns and the stress hormone cortisol. 

Stress was measured both before and after the babies underwent a minor procedure. Pain response was measured using EEG brain activity and facial expression.

The study showed that babies with higher levels of stress showed a bigger brain reaction to the procedure. This heightened brain activity, however, was not matched by the behavior of the babies.

While the increased brain response to stress did not come as a surprise, the researchers expected that the behavior of the babies would reflect their intensified perception of pain.

According to Laura Jones, the findings of the research reinforce the need to treat and care for babies in ways that minimize both pain and stress. Even though the brain is processing the pain, stressed babies may not appear to be experiencing more pain.

"This means that caregivers may underestimate a baby's pain experience," said Jones.

The researchers plan to explore how previous experiences may also influence the way newborns process and respond to pain. The study is published in <a href="http://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Stress causes babies pain that they can’t express

Although stressful conditions cause infants to have a greater brain...

An interdisciplinary team of researchers has discovered that the genetic makeup of skin pigmentation is much more elaborate than previously realized. Despite the fact that skin pigmentation is almost entirely inherited, it is far from uncomplicated.

Previous research has suggested that the genetics of human skin color are simple and straightforward. It has been assumed that a small number of genes account for about half of pigment variation. These studies, however, were primarily based only on northern Eurasian populations.

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.broadinstitute.org/">Broad Institute</a>, <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a>, and <a href="http://www.stonybrook.edu/">Stony Brook University</a> focused an investigation on the KhoeSan, a group of populations native to southern Africa. Over the course of seven years, the research team spent time with the KhoeSan, interviewing individuals and taking measurements of height, age, gender, and skin color. 

Samples for nearly 400 people were individually genotyped and compared to a dataset that included 5,000 representatives of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insecticide-resistance-spreads-africa/">Africa</a>, Asia, and Europe. The study revealed that the genetics of skin pigmentation became progressively complex the closer that populations were to the equator. The number of genes involved in skin color, both known and unknown, also increased in the direction of the equator.

"Africa has the greatest amount of phenotypic variability in skin color, and yet it's been underrepresented in large scale endeavors," said study co-author Alicia Martin. "There are some genes that are known to contribute to skin pigmentation, but by and large there are many more new genes that have not been discovered."

Study co-author Brenna Henn added, "We need to spend more time focusing on these understudied populations in order to gain deeper genetic insights.”

The widely accepted theory has been that "directional selection" moves pigmentation in a single direction, from dark to light in high latitudes and from light to dark in lower latitudes. But now, the findings of this study introduce a system that is much more complex. 

The concept of directional selection seems to hold up in far northern latitudes. As populations move closer to the equator, however, an increasing number of genes begin to influence variability.

"Southern African KhoeSan ancestry appears to neither lighten or darken skin," said Martin. "Rather, it just increases variation. In fact, the KhoeSan are approximately fifty percent lighter than equatorial Africans. Ultimately, in northern latitudes pigmentation is more homogenous, while in lower latitudes, it's more diverse--both genetically and phenotypically."

The study appears in the November 30 issue of <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

The color of human skin is more complicated than experts thought

An interdisciplinary team of researchers has discovered that the genetic...

A recent Pew Research Center study found that almost half of Americans surveyed (46%) say that they could not live without their smartphones. 

To the average American, this finding likely isn’t very surprising. You don’t have to go far in public to see a wide variety of people with their heads down staring at their phone. However, there has been a growing concern that young people may be spending too much time looking at their phones instead of interacting with those around them. This has led scientists to try to determine the effects this may have on the growing brain.

Using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), <a href="http://www.korea.edu/">Korea University</a>’s professor of neuroradiology Dr. Hyung Suk Seo and his colleagues attempted to gain insight into the brains of smartphone- and internet-addicted teenagers.

Their study analyzed the brains of 38 young people with a mean age of 15.5 years. Half of those surveyed had been diagnosed with internet or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/smartphones-kids-less-sleep/">smartphone</a> addiction, while the other half were controls. As part of the study, twelve of the addicted participants received nine weeks of cognitive behavioral therapy, modified from a cognitive therapy program for gaming addiction.

The researchers used standardized internet and smartphone addiction tests to measure the severity of internet addiction amongst the subjects. Questions on these tests revolved around the extent to which internet and smartphone use affects daily routines, productivity, social life, sleeping patterns, and feelings. The higher a participant scored on the tests, the more severe their addiction. The results showed that addicted teenagers had significantly higher scores in depression, anxiety, insomnia severity, and impulsivity.

Prior to the behavioral therapy, the researchers performed MRS exams on addicted youth and a single MRS study on the control patients in order to measure levels of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA). They also measured levels of glutamate-glutamine (Glx). GABA is a neurotransmitter in the brain that inhibits or slows down brain signals, while Glx is a neurotransmitter that causes neurons to become more electrically excited.

The MRS results revealed that the ratio of GABA to Glx was significantly increased in the anterior cingulate cortex of smartphone- and internet-addicted youth prior to therapy when compared to the healthy controls. According to Dr. Seo, the ratios of GABA to creatine and GABA to glutamate were significantly correlated to clinical scales of internet and smartphone addictions, anxiety, and depression. Having too much GABA is linked to side effects such as drowsiness and anxiety.

More research will need to be done in order to flesh out the clinical implications of this study. However, Dr. Seo believes that the increased GABA in the cingulate gyrus shown in smartphone and internet addicts could be related to the functional loss of integration and regulation of processing in the cognitive and emotional neural network. 

Luckily, the GABA to Glx ratios in addicted youth dropped significantly or returned to normal levels after cognitive behavioral therapy. Dr. Seo believes that understanding the pathophysiology behind why addiction leads to these problems will help us better understand and treat these 21st century addictions.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Addiction to smartphones causes imbalances in your brain

A recent Pew Research Center study found that almost half...

Researchers have tracked the movement of insecticide resistance across Africa by studying the DNA of mosquitoes. The analysis, which is the largest genetic study of insects to date, has identified several insecticide resistance genes that are rapidly progressing.

<a href="https://www.earth.com/video/satellites-predict-malaria-outbreaks/">Malaria</a>, which is spread by Anopheles mosquitoes, infects more than 200 million people every year. In 2015, malaria was to blame for the deaths of 429,000 people, with most fatalities occurring in sub-Saharan Africa.

Insecticides have helped control the spread of malaria since 2000, but the advancing insecticide resistance in mosquitoes is thwarting these efforts. In an attempt to understand how mosquitoes are evolving this resistance so quickly, researchers sequenced the DNA of 765 wild Anopheles mosquitoes from 15 locations in eight African countries.

By examining the genome of each mosquito, the experts discovered that wild mosquitoes are genetically far more diverse than had been previously realized. Overall, the researchers found 52 million differences among the mosquito genomes, and such high genetic diversity promotes rapid evolution.

Dr. Mara Lawniczak from the <a href="http://www.sanger.ac.uk/">Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute</a> is one of the study’s corresponding authors. 

"The diversity of mosquito genomes was far greater than we expected,” said Dr. Lawniczak. “Such high levels of genetic variation poise mosquito populations to rapidly evolve in response to our efforts to control them whether that be with insecticides or any other control measure, including gene drive."

Analysis of the mosquito genomes also revealed rapid evolution of several genes that had previously been linked to insecticide resistance. Within those genes, the researchers identified many previously-unknown genetic variants that may be causing the resistance. 

The research team established that the mosquitoes are spreading these genetic variants across the entire continent of Africa through migration.

Professor Martin Donnelly from the <a href="http://www.lstmed.ac.uk/">Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine</a> is a corresponding author of the study. 

"We know that mosquito populations are rapidly evolving resistance to insecticides, which is a serious threat to the future of malaria control in Africa,” said Professor Donnelly. “We have been able to see that a diverse array of genes linked to insecticide resistance are under very strong selection, confirming that they are playing an important role in the evolution of insecticide resistance in natural mosquito populations. Our study highlights the severe challenges facing public efforts to control mosquitoes and to manage and limit insecticide resistance."

Alistair Miles from the <a href="http://www.ox.ac.uk/">University of Oxford</a> and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute is the study’s lead author.

"The data we have generated are a unique resource for studying how mosquito populations are responding to our current control efforts, and for designing better technologies and strategies for mosquito control in the future,” said Miles. “More data will be needed to fill in the geographical gaps and study how mosquito populations change over time and in response to specific control interventions. However, this study demonstrates a clear path towards building a new and much-needed source of intelligence to support the campaign to eradicate malaria in Africa."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Insecticide resistance spreads across Africa

Researchers have tracked the movement of insecticide resistance across Africa...

When you notice your dog licking their lips, you might think it’s just because they’re hungry. But according to new research, dogs begin licking their mouths when confronted with an angry human face. 

The study was conducted by researchers from Brazil and the United Kingdom.

For the study, different dogs were filmed while being shown either angry or positive facial expressions and exposed to positive or negative sounds, some that were human and some that were from other dogs. 

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-expressive-looking/">dogs</a> sat with handlers, and the camera was able to capture gestures, so the researchers knew exactly when the dogs responded to the faces. 

The researchers noted that when the dogs saw an angry human face, they would lick their mouths. 

“Mouth-licking was triggered by visual cues only (facial expressions),” said Natalia Albuquerque from the <a href="http://www5.usp.br/english/?lang=en">University of Sao Paulo</a>, the study’s lead author. “There was also a species effect, with dogs mouth-licking more often when looking at humans than at other dogs.” 

The results of the study shed light on how dogs interact with their owners and the world around them. Mouth licking for dogs is a direct response to negative emotions displayed humans. 

“Humans are known to be very visual in both intra and inter-species interactions, and because the vision of dogs is much poorer than humans, we often tend to think of them using their other sense to make sense of the world,” said Daniel Mills, co-author. “But these results indicate that dogs may be using the visual display of mouth-licking to facilitate dog-human communication in particular.”

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

What dogs really mean when they lick their lips

When you notice your dog licking their lips, you might...

An international team of researchers have discovered deep ocean cave-dwelling organisms that can survive off methane gas.

The discovery was made near Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula in the Ox Bel Ha cave network, where both saltwater and freshwater mix. 

A research team from Mexico, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the <a href="https://www.uaf.edu/">University of Alaska-Fairbanks</a>, and the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">U.S. Geological Survey</a> led by David Brankovits from <a href="http://www.tamug.edu/">Texas A&amp;M Galveston</a>, found organisms that survived off <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-methane-bubbles/">methane</a> gas were a crucial part of the cave’s ecosystem. 

Studying the cave system was no easy feat. According to the to <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/news/mexico-s-yucatan-peninsula-reveals-a-cryptic-methane-fueled-ecosystem-flooded-caves">US Geological Survey</a>, this study was one of the most detailed surveys ever conducted for a cave ecosystem. 

The researchers used techniques from deep-sea vehicles so that they could best observe and analyze the underwater cave network.

The team found that some microbes were able to survive off methane gas in the water and organic material that had dissolved over time. 

“In the studied system, cave-adapted organisms exist where there is no sunlight, and virtually all food sources are present in dissolved forms,” said Brankovits. “Without the presence of microbes that can utilize methane and other dissolved energy sources, these animals could not live otherwise.”  

Brankovits wants to explore other cave systems that are similar to the Ox Bel Ha network because there is a high probability that additional methane consuming organisms also exist in those caves. 

Further research will need to be done to fully understand how cave ecosystems, especially in those passages without light and very little food, thrive. 

“Providing a model for the basic function of this globally-distributed ecosystem is an important contribution to coastal groundwater ecology and establishes a baseline for evaluating how sea level rise, seaside touristic development and other stressors will impact the viability of these lightless, food-poor systems,” said Tom Iliffe, and one of the most experienced cave divers in the world and a member of the research team. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: HP Hartmann

These deep underwater cave organisms survive off of methane gas

An international team of researchers have discovered deep ocean cave-dwelling...

Photos by Alastair Fyfe

Prehistoric women who lived during the Neolithic Era and the Bronze Age performed considerable physical labor, from tilling the soil for crops to grinding grain into flour by hand.

A new study has revealed that life was so labor intensive during these times that prehistoric women had stronger arms than today’s top female rowing athletes. 

The study was conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> and published in the journal Science Advances. 

It’s the first study of its kind to compare the bone strength in prehistoric women to modern women. Previous studies have made similar comparisons but usually to men, and male bones show wear and strain differently. 

“By interpreting women's bones in a female-specific context we can start to see how intensive, variable and laborious their behaviours were, hinting at a hidden history of women's work over thousands of years,” said Alison Macintosh, the lead author. 

The researchers analyzed arm and leg bones of female participants using a small CT scanner. The participants represented a wide range of physical fitness and sedentary lifestyles. 

Among the participants were members of the <a href="http://cuwbc.org.uk/">Cambridge University Women’s Boat Club</a>, who trained twice a day and rowed an average of 120 kilometers a week. 

The CT scans were compared to bones scans of women from early eras when agriculture and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/farming-changes-greenhouse-gases/">farming</a> were a prominent part of daily life. 

The reason the researchers chose to analyze bone strength is that bones can tell a great deal about the physical strains they’ve been subjected to. 

“It can be easy to forget that bone is a living tissue, one that responds to the rigours we put our bodies through,” said Macintosh. “Physical impact and muscle activity both put strain on bone, called loading. The bone reacts by changing in shape, curvature, thickness and density over time to accommodate repeated strain.” 

The researchers found that Neolithic women from 7,000 years ago had arms bones that were 11 to 16 percent stronger than the rowers. 

Women in the Bronze Age had arm bones that were nine to thirteen percent stronger than the rowers. 

The differences in arm strength make sense, even when you factor in the physical stamina of today’s rowing athletes. Prehistoric women spent much of their time tilling the soil by hand, taking care of livestock, and grinding grain into flour for hours at a time. 

“We can't say specifically what behaviours were causing the bone loading we found. However, a major activity in early agriculture was converting grain into flour, and this was likely performed by women,” said Macintosh.

The study gives a more accurate picture of what life was like for prehistoric women, fairly demonstrating their contribution to day to day work thousands of years ago. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Alastair Fyfe for the University of Cambridge

Prehistoric women had stronger arms than today’s rowing athletes

Prehistoric women who lived during the Neolithic Era and the...

The rise of sea-levels as a result of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-driving-climate-change/">climate change</a> carries many consequences, particularly for coastal areas and those living in them. But the wide-scale flooding that appears imminent in our future won’t just impact our present, it will also destroy some of our past.

According to a study published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>, sea-level rise may impact a great number of archaeological and historic sites, cemeteries, and landscapes on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the southeastern United States. 

David Anderson of the <a href="https://www.utk.edu/">University of Tennessee</a> and his colleagues estimated the impact of sea-level rise on archaeological sites by analyzing data from the Digital Index of North American Archaeology (DINNA). DINAA pulls together archaeological and historical data sets from numerous sources developed over the past century. This provides a comprehensive window into the history of human settlement for both research communities and the general public today.

The results of the study show that if projected trends in sea-level rise continue, over 13,000 recorded archaeological sites in the southeast alone may be submerged in the next 100 years. This includes over 1,000 sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places as important cultural properties – not to mention how many sites will be lost that have yet to be discovered.

Studies such as this – which rely on large linked data sets like DINAA – are essential to developing plans for sampling, triage, and mitigation efforts across entire regions. The data that is gathered and analyzed is essential for forecasting our future and making public policy decisions about the consequences of man-made climate change. “Developing informatics capabilities at regional and continental scales like DINAA is essential if we are to effectively plan for, and help mitigate, this loss of human history,” explains Anderson.

Now that we have access to this data and the scientists to analyze it, the push for action and results should be the logical next step.

[caption id="attachment_966117" align="aligncenter" width="273"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/archaeological-sites.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-966117" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/archaeological-sites-273x300.jpg" alt="" width="273" height="300" /></a> Image Credit: Anderson et al., 2017[/caption]

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Sea-level rise may destroy over 13,000 U.S. archaeological sites

The rise of sea-levels as a result of climate change...

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.



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Carl...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"]</div>



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)



---



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

News coming your way