The International Space Station (ISS) is not just a place to live in space - it’s an experimental laboratory. With astronauts onboard and Earth positioned below, the ISS offers a unique opportunity: long-duration research in microgravity. 



The space station also provides low Earth orbit views of our planet, along with a human crew who support experiments, swap samples, and troubleshoot in real time.



Since its launch, researchers have used the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/">space station</a> to conduct hundreds of studies. These range from characterizing fluid behavior in zero gravity to tracking changes in the human body. Their work advances science by answering questions that can’t be studied on Earth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-science-without-gravity">Science without gravity</h2>



Without Earth's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/matter-spacetime-gravitational-waves-fabric-of-the-universe/">gravity</a> pulling things down, scientists can run experiments that simply aren’t possible on the ground. For example, hot air doesn't rise. Flames take on a spherical shape. Fluids stop behaving the way they do in a glass of water.



This gives researchers a rare opportunity to examine physical, chemical, and biological processes in new ways. 



By eliminating variables like surface tension or capillary movement, they can get a much clearer picture of how things actually work.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-orbiting-lab-sees-it-all">Orbiting lab sees it all</h2>



The space station orbits Earth in about 90 minutes, traveling at 17,500 miles per hour from about 250 miles above the surface. 



This low vantage point means the ISS is able to make observations of the planet both in daylight and darkness, and from various angles and lighting conditions.



By being outside&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-shrinking-earths-atmosphere-and-thats-bad-for-satellites/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Earth's atmosphere</a>&nbsp;and magnetic field, the ISS carries instruments that could not be used on Earth. 



That makes it possible to study space radiation, neutron stars, and other phenomena - along with how materials and living organisms behave in space.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-iss-crew-makes-science-possible">ISS crew makes science possible</h2>



Other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/space-debris-issue-growing-exponentially-worse-now-threatens-working-satellites/">satellites</a> can carry instruments, but only the ISS has a living, breathing crew to run the science. Human operators are key. They adjust setups, monitor changes, fix problems, and pack samples for return to Earth.



This flexibility is critical for complex research on the ISS. It also means scientists can get a second chance if something doesn’t go as planned. 



Since experiments can stay on the station for months or even years, there's plenty of time to refine ideas and gather more data.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-body-changes-in-space">Body changes in space</h2>



Because the space station has been operating for over two decades, scientists have been able to track long-term changes - including how space affects the human body. One example: vision changes that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astronauts-can-survive-mars-space-journey-but-their-kidneys-will-be-permanently-damaged/">astronauts</a> began noticing after spending months in orbit.



Scientists launched the Fluid Shifts investigation in 2015 to understand what was happening. They suspected that in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microgravity-causes-big-problems-with-human-gene-expression/">microgravity</a>, fluids move from the lower to the upper body, increasing pressure in the head and possibly changing eye shape.



The study asked whether increased fluid pressure was the cause of these vision changes.



It ran through 2020 and tracked multiple astronauts over time. It marked a major step toward understanding the effects of spaceflight on human health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-research-on-the-space-station">Research on the space station</h2>



Research on the space station takes time. First, scientists have to identify a question and come up with a possible answer. Then, they design an experiment to test it, decide what data to collect, and figure out how.



Getting that experiment into space is its own process. NASA reviews proposals based on scientific value and relevance. 



Once approved, studies are scheduled for future missions - often many months away. Training, hardware development, flight procedures, and data collection plans all need to be worked out.



Once the experiment is on board, astronauts begin collecting data. After that, the real work begins: analyzing results and writing them up. That alone can take a year or more.



Before a study is published, it goes through peer review. One analysis found that peer review alone takes an average of 100 days. Editors may also ask for revisions or more analysis before giving the green light.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-small-crew-big-science">Small crew, big science</h2>



One challenge with human research on the International Space Station is the limited number of subjects. With only about six people on board at any given time, gathering enough data takes longer.



Consider the Lighting Effects study, which tested whether adjusting the station’s lighting could improve <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-prepares-the-brain-for-the-future-while-protecting-memories-of-the-past/">sleep</a>, mood, and performance by syncing with astronauts’ circadian rhythms.



Because researchers needed data from several astronauts, the study ran from 2016 to 2020. Other long-term human studies have looked at heart muscle loss and nutrition, including how to grow fresh food in space.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-space-station-research-takes-time">Space station research takes time</h2>



Research in physical science can often move more quickly. Scientists can send up batches of materials and collect results faster. But even then, one round of experiments often leads to more questions.



<a href="https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/space/iss-research/msg/bass/">The Burning and Suppression of Solids </a>(BASS) series ran from 2011 to 2017, studying how different fuels behave in space. That work led to the Saffire series, which began in 2016 and ended in 2024.



These fire safety demonstrations helped answer critical questions about how to prevent and put out fires in space.



Scientific breakthroughs don’t happen overnight, especially not in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shifts-in-earths-orbit-triggered-ancient-megadroughts/">orbit</a>. But the space station gives researchers something priceless: time, access, and the ability to keep going.



The payoff? New insights into how our bodies work, how materials behave, and how we can prepare for longer missions. That’s not just useful for life in space - it helps improve life back on Earth, too.



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What 20 years of space station research means for life on Earth

The International Space Station (ISS) is not just a place to live in space - it’s an experimental laboratory. With astronauts onboard and Earth positioned below, the ISS offers a unique opportunity: long-duration research in microgravity. The space station also provides low Earth orbit views of our planet, along with a human crew who support experiments, swap samples, and troubleshoot in real time. Since its launch, researchers have used the space station to conduct hundreds of studies. These range from characterizing fluid behavior in zero gravity to...

What happens when we die? While different theories about the afterlife continue to be debated, recent research has found that the brain continues to operate even after the body has expired. According to a new study, a person may be aware hours after they have been pronounced dead. 

The study, one of the largest of its kind, was conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://med.nyu.edu/">New York University Langone School of Medicine</a> and examined near-death experiences of patients who had been revived. 

Are near death experiences simply the product of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-replay-switching-tasks/">brain</a>, now cut off from oxygen, glitching as brain cells die off?

The researchers found accounts of patients who were technically dead, but would later describe what had been happening around them after being revived, including what the doctors and nurses were saying. 

In order to be pronounced dead, the heart must stop beating. 

“Technically, that's how you get the time of death – it's all based on the moment when the heart stops,” Dr. Sam Parnia, co-author of the study, told <a href="https://www.livescience.com/60593-flatliners-movie-death-resuscitation.html">LiveScience</a>. 

But even though someone’s heart has stopped, cutting off all blood supply and stopping all the major functions and reflexes of the body, there is evidence to show that the brain may still linger for even hours after as brain cells depleted of oxygen start dying. 

This could mean that even when a person is pronounced dead, they could hear their doctor announcing their own time of death. 

Reported near-death experiences share some similarities. People recall an out of body experience, or seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. These experiences have become so commonplace they are often used as cliches and plot devices in fiction and movies. 

This commonality is another reason that Dr. Parnia and colleagues are so invested in learning about the nature of consciousness after a person is pronounced dead. 

“In the same way that a group of researchers might be studying the qualitative nature of the human experience of 'love,' for instance, we're trying to understand the exact features that people experience when they go through death, because we understand that this is going to reflect the universal experience we're all going to have when we die,” Dr. Parnia told LiveScience. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New research shows the brain may be aware even after we die

What happens when we die? While different theories about the...

The inner workings of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/jealousy-root-brain/">brain</a> have been the subject of discussion and study ever since we humans have had the capacity for self-awareness. And while the control center of our bodies is well understood in some areas, there are many where it is not. 

A new study from <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a> (UCL) analyzing the brains of rats during maze runs has found that their brain is able to rapidly switch between operational modes in response to tasks. Furthermore, in replaying remembered experiences, their brains are able to better complete the task at hand.

“We know that the brain replays remembered experiences during rest to extract important information, this consolidation process preserves memories for recall in the future. But replay is also important for planning” says lead researcher, Dr. Freyja Ólafsdóttir of <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">UCL</a> Cell &amp; Developmental Biology.

Her study discovered the first evidence that switching between modes occurs dynamically as a result of the demands of the task, and shows that replay is a necessary spatial behavior.

In this study, rats were put in a Z-shaped track and allowed to run at their own pace. At each corner, rats were awarded food if they took the correct path. While the rats paused at the corners, the research team studied the responses of place cells in the brain’s hippocampus. This area is where planning happens and memories are formed. They also analyzed grid cells in the entorhinal cortex, which is important for consolidation.

The researchers found that when rats had just gotten to the corner or were about to start a new path from the corner, replay in the hippocampus showed navigational planning and decision-making. When the rats rested at corners, replay switched to a state favoring memory consolidation. 

“We saw the rats replaying the path they had just taken or the one that they were about to take. The brain was more engaged and task focused and the animals completed the task more successfully as a result,” explains co-author Dr. Caswell Barry of <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">UCL</a> Cell &amp; Developmental Biology.

They found that when rats rested for long periods of time, their replay still happened at the same rate, but it was less focused and the researchers could see that it featured different parts of the track. They concluded that these rats disengaged from the task and had begun to consolidate past experiences. The results showed that rats whose replay focused on the task at hand were better at navigating the track.

While their results didn’t show a causal link between types of replay and rat behavior, they plan on investigating this further. Replay has “important implications in learning, planning and decision making,” says Ólafsdóttir. “Our next step is to find out if we can disrupt or control this process and if so, how it affects behavior.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Replay in the brain is imperative for switching tasks

The inner workings of the brain have been the subject...

In the past 8 million years, the human brain has almost tripled in size, while primate brain size has stayed mostly the same. Until now, it had been widely accepted that human brain size developed in response to social factors.

The “social brain hypothesis,” as it is called, suggests that the human brain grew to such a comparatively large size in response to larger groups and social circles. 

But now, researchers from <a href="https://www.dur.ac.uk/">Durham University</a> have found compelling evidence to suggest that brain size correlates to some degree with ecological factors like home range and diet. 

Because modern humans drive and fly all around the world, we have access to a much more diverse diet, which has accelerated brain development.

The new study was published in the journal Royal Society's Proceedings B and included the analysis of more than 140 primate species, showing almost no supporting evidence to prove the social brain hypothesis. 

“Our research has shown the traditional approach of looking for correlations between brain size and behavior may not tell us much,” said Lauren Powell, the lead author of the study. “To better understand the evolution of the brain, we need to stop thinking of it as one single organ, and instead view it as a complex mosaic, in which different components specialize in different functions.” 

The researchers used data collected from different primates to see if any results could show that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/magic-mushrooms-depression-brain/">brain</a> development occurs in response to either social or ecological factors. 

Ecological factors refer to home range, or the size of the area in which the primates live, along with feeding patterns. 

The study showed much stronger evidence for brain size being associated with ecological factors. 

“To the extent that we find stability, there is stronger evidence for correlations with ecological factors, notably home range size, than for social group size. Evidence for a correlation between brain size and social group size after accounting for effects of other variables was weak,” said Powell. 

The researchers hope their efforts will spur further exploration into brain development and how it has evolved over the years. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The human brain tripled in size due to ecological factors

In the past 8 million years, the human brain has...

Neurodegenerative diseases affect millions, but there is still no cure to slow or stop the progression of deteriorating neurons in the brain and spinal cord. According to the <a href="https://neurodiscovery.harvard.edu/challenge">Harvard Neurodiscovery Center</a>, 5 million Americans currently suffer from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extra-virgin-olive-oil-protects-brain/">Alzheimer's</a>, 1 million have Parkinson's, and 400,000 have multiple sclerosis. 

Those numbers are predicted to continue to climb as the population ages, and as many as one in five Americans could be diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease by 2030. 

But now, a new study from the <a href="https://uiowa.edu/icru/">University of Iowa</a> demonstrates how roundworms may offer new solutions to help ward off neurodegenerative diseases. 

The research was published in the journal Science Signaling and focused on a defense mechanism known as the heat shock response that protects the body’s cells from stressors.

When exposed to stressors like changes in temperature, the body begins production of a protein that repairs and removes damaged proteins to keep the cell healthy. 

The researchers tested the roundworm's heat shock response by exposing a group of roundworms to the scent of a lethal bacterium and another group to the scent of a benign bacterium. 

The roundworms subjected to the dangerous scent were able to prime their defenses, and when put in contact with the bacterium, lived longer than those worms who weren’t primed for the odor. 

The study theorizes that it may be possible to prime this defense in humans so that it is “on guard” against neurodegenerative disease, the same way the worms were primed against the deadly bacterium through smell. 

The key, according to Veena Prahlad, an assistant professor of biology at the University of Iowa and corresponding author on the paper, is the protein HSF1, or the heat shock transcription factor. 

HFS1 is important in guarding against protein damage in neurons, but it was thought only to be activated after there was an overload of damaged proteins in cells. 

Prahlad hypothesized that HSF1 could be put on “standby” and activated quickly in response to damaged proteins, and tested this by exposing roundworms to the smell of a lethal bacterium. 

The promising results of the study show that it may be possible to prime humans for a quick defense against neurodegenerative diseases. 

“Theoretically, it should be possible to treat these types of diseases if we can figure out how to stimulate that defense mechanism in people and have it activated more consistently to fix damaged cells. We'd need to find the same sensory triggers in humans as we have demonstrated in worms,” said Prahlad. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Roundworms may hold the key to protection against Alzheimer’s

Neurodegenerative diseases affect millions, but there is still no cure...

We all learned in science class that the freezing or melting point for water is 32 degrees Fahrenheit, or 0 degrees Celsius. But as it turns out, not all water adheres to this strict rule.

Heavy water, also known as D2O, actually begins melting at around 39 degrees Fahrenheit. D2O is commonly called heavy water because it contains deuterium, a hydrogen isotope that has a mass double that of regular hydrogen.

Now, a new study by a team of chemists has revealed new ways that frozen water responds to temperatures to produce ice crystals formations.

The research was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Understanding how and when ice crystals begin to form has important implications for a wide variety of fields, including climate research, agriculture, and infrastructure.

Even though researchers understand basic fundamentals about water freezing and melting, there are many parts of the equation left unanswered. 

“These processes are surprisingly complex, however, and are not well understood because of the number of variables involved,” said Michael Ward, a <a href="https://www.nyu.edu/">New York University </a>professor and one of the study’s co-authors. “Our findings reveal some unusual dynamic properties of ice surfaces in contact with liquid water when the isotopic compositions of the solid and liquid differ.” 

The team focused on H20 and D20 to include water that had different hydrogen isotopes that could affect their mass and melting points.

It’s important for researchers to understand the different melting points because that data can help make sense of environmental conditions both past and present.

Ward and his colleagues wanted to know what happens when different water types interact. The researchers tested different samples with both H2O and D2O and exposed them to controlled temperature experiments. 

The researchers found that D2O crystals that contained liquid H2O had a scalloped appearance on the surface. 

The next step will be deciphering exactly that the oscillation or wave-like patterns indicate regarding freezing and melting, which will help continue the researcher's efforts to understand the properties of ice crystallization.

"If these processes can be unraveled completely, it may advance our understanding of the properties of ice that are important in numerous arenas, including climate research, frost damage in agriculture and construction, glacier dynamics, and food preservation," said Ward.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why freezing or melting water is more complex than you think

We all learned in science class that the freezing or...

Tightly knit families and groups of friends. Alliances toward specific goals. Teaching each other hunting techniques. If these sound like human behaviors to you, you’re not wrong – but they’re not. Whales and dolphins form human-like societies with complex relationships and culture, according to marine biologists.

In a new study, scientists found that Cetaceans generally have intricate societies complete with social play, transfer of knowledge, and even “dialects” in their vocal communication. Some of the whistles and chirps common in whale and dolphin song may even be names, the biologists said.

More complex societies appear to be linked to brain size in proportion to the whales’ or dolphins’ bodies, they said.

Humans have long known that whales and dolphins have elaborate cultures, said Dr. Susanne Shultz, an evolutionary biologist at the <a href="http://www.manchester.ac.uk/">University of Manchester</a>. But the insight into their behaviors and how they influence whales’ and dolphins’ human-like societies has added a new layer to the understanding of how intelligence evolves.

"That means the apparent co-evolution of brains, social structure, and behavioural richness of marine mammals provides a unique and striking parallel to the large brains and hyper-sociality of humans and other primates on land,” Shultz said. “Unfortunately, they won't ever mimic our great metropolises and technologies because they didn't evolve opposable thumbs."

The team, from the University of Manchester, <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a>, the <a href="http://www.lse.ac.uk/">London School of Economics and Political Science</a>, and the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia</a>, gathered information about 90 different species of whales, dolphins and porpoises. With that information, they created a database documenting cooperative behaviors and other aspects of the Cetaceans’ social structures.

They used the datasets to test evolutionary hypotheses about the social brain and cultural brain, two ideas proposed to explain the evolution of human society and intelligence in other land mammals.

The team of researchers found that the theories appear to apply to marine mammals as well.

 "This research isn't just about looking at the intelligence of whales and dolphins; it also has important anthropological ramifications as well,” said Dr. Michael Muthukrishna of the London School of Economics and Political Science. “In order to move toward a more general theory of human behaviour, we need to understand what makes humans so different from other animals. And to do this, we need a control group. Compared to primates, cetaceans are a more ‘alien’ control group.”

The research may also offer clues into how certain behaviors crop up in some animals but not others – especially as Cetacean brain structures are not very similar to those of land mammals.

Those different brain structures led some scientists to theorize that dolphins and whales couldn’t develop higher cognitive skills, let alone human-like societies, said Dr. Kieran Fox of Stanford.

“I think our research shows that this is clearly not the case,” he said. “Instead, a new question emerges: How can very diverse patterns of brain structure in very different species nonetheless give rise to highly similar cognitive and social behaviors?"

The team’s study has been published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41559-017-0336-y">Nature Ecology and Evolution</a>.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Scientists: whales and dolphins form human-like societies

Tightly knit families and groups of friends. Alliances toward specific...

Researchers from the<a href="https://www.ubc.ca/"> University of British Columbia </a>have created a super resilient, ductile spray coating that helps buildings keep structural integrity during major earthquakes. 

The spray, called Eco-Friendly Ductile Cementitious Composite (EDCC), will be applied to a local elementary school in Vancouver that is due for a seismic upgrade. 

There are also plans for the spray to be used in a variety of other buildings due for seismic upgrades, and parts of India have taken an interest in the material as well. 

“This UBC-developed technology has far-reaching impact and could save the lives of not only British Columbians, but citizens throughout the world,” Melanie Mark, the minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training, told the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4974780/New-concrete-enhance-earthquake-resistance.html">Daily Mail</a>. 

Even a thin, 10-millimeter coating kept walls resilient to shaking when tested with equipment that simulated earthquakes. One test subjected a wall with EDCC to an intensity similar to a 9.0 earthquake, the same magnitude that struck <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deadliest-earthquakes-top-10/">Tohoku, Japan</a> in 2011. 

The spray is extremely malleable, so if an earthquake occurs, it allows structures to bend instead of collapse instantly. 

EDCC uses polymer fibers and flyash (an industrial byproduct), and the product stands up to its eco-friendly title.

“We sprayed a number of walls with a 10 millimeter-thick layer of EDCC, which is sufficient to reinforce most interior walls against seismic shocks. Then we subjected them to Tohoku-level quakes and other types and intensities of earthquakes—and we couldn’t break them,” Salman Soleimani-Dashtaki, a Ph.D. candidate in the department of civil engineering at UBC, told the Daily Mail. 

The positive implications of EDCC are numerous, and the material could save lives and millions in damages. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

This spray-on coating can help buildings sustain earthquakes

Researchers from the University of British Columbia have created a...

An investigation by researchers at the <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/">Imperial College London</a> reveals that psilocybin, a compound found in psychedelic mushrooms, helps relieve depression in patients with conditions resistant to other forms of treatment. The study demonstrates that the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/magic-mushrooms-psychiatric-therapies/">psychoactive compound</a> may be capable of resetting the activity of key brain circuits that facilitate depression.

Researchers treated 20 patients, whose symptoms had persisted during conventional treatments, with psilocybin. Images of the patients' brains prior to administration of the drug were compared to images captured one day after the treatment. The experts identified changes in brain activity that are associated with significant reductions in depressive symptoms.

The patients reported benefits lasting up to five weeks after treatment. It appeared that psilocybin had reset the activity of a network of interconnected neurons in the brain known to play a role in depression.

The authors say that while the results of the study are exciting, further experimentation is needed using a larger sample size and a control group. Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris is in charge of psychedelic research at Imperial College London and lead author of the research.

"We have shown for the first time clear changes in brain activity in depressed people treated with psilocybin after failing to respond to conventional treatments” said Dr. Carhart-Harris. "Several of our patients described feeling 'reset' after the treatment and often used computer analogies. For example, one said he felt like his brain had been 'defragged' like a computer hard drive, and another said he felt 'rebooted.'”

The MRI imaging revealed decreased blood flow in areas of the brain including the amygdala - a small region of the brain known to be involved in processing emotional responses, stress, and fear. The imaging also showed increased stability in another brain network, which has been linked to the drug's immediate effects.

"Through collecting these imaging data we have been able to provide a window into the after effects of psilocybin treatment in the brains of patients with chronic depression,” said Dr. Carhart-Harris. “Based on what we know from various brain imaging studies with psychedelics, as well as taking heed of what people say about their experiences, it may be that psychedelics do indeed 'reset' the brain networks associated with depression, effectively enabling them to be lifted from the depressed state.”

The study is published today in <a href="http://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Magic mushrooms could treat depression by resetting brain

An investigation by researchers at the Imperial College London reveals...

A new study has identified the genes responsible for skin pigmentation and helps shed light on different skin conditions with genetic risk factors.

The study, published in the journal Science, was led by geneticists from the <a href="https://www.upenn.edu/">University of Pennsylvania</a>, and focused on the full range of skin color among African groups. 

The researchers were able to isolate the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/edit-genes-human-embryos/">genes</a> that are responsible for skin pigmentation and explain why there is such a wide variance of skin tones even within a continent or country. 

“Analysis of the genetic basis of variation in skin color sheds light on how adaptive traits evolve, including those that play a role in disease risk.” said Sarah Tishkoff, the senior author of the study. 

For the study, Tishkoff used a color meter to measure the light reflectance of the skin of more than 2,000 Africans from a diverse group of populations. This measurement indicated how much melanin was in the skin and gave the researchers a wide range to work from. 

Tishkoff and colleagues also collected genetic information from almost 1,600 people and conducted a genome-wide association study. 

The researchers found four key areas of the genome where variants in the genes were linked to skin pigmentation. 

One area containing the MFSD12 gene had the strongest link to skin pigmentation and was also present in individuals with vitiligo, a condition where parts of the skin have lost pigment. 

Mutations in the MFSD12 gene were present in those groups with the darkest skin tones. 

The researchers then needed to verify that MFSD12 was a major contributor to skin pigmentation. When the team blocked the expression of the gene in cells in culture, thye found an increase in the production of a pigment type responsible for black and brown skin. 

“We don't know exactly why, but blocking this gene causes a loss of pheomelanin production and an increase in eumelanin production. We also showed that Africans have a lower level of MFSD12 expression, which makes sense, as low levels of the gene means more eumelanin production,” said Tishkoff.

One especially exciting finding was that their discovery of the genes related to skin pigments further proves the theory that humans moved, via a mass migration, hundreds of thousands of years ago out of Africa to Asia.

“Our data are consistent with a proposed early migration event of modern humans out of Africa along the southern coast of Asia and into Australo-Melanesia and a secondary migration event into other regions,” said Tishkoff. 

This study also shows how skin color evolved, with evidence suggesting that early humans were moderately pigmented with variants arising as evolution took its course. 

“There is so much diversity in Africa that's not often appreciated. There's no such thing as an African race. We show that skin color is extremely variable on the African continent and that it is still evolving. Further, in most cases the genetic variants associated with light skin arose in Africa,” said Tishkoff. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scientists identify genes responsible for skin color

A new study has identified the genes responsible for skin...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/octopuses-social-thought/">Octopus</a> and cuttlefish are some of the most intelligent creatures in the world, a fact that scientists have known and studied for decades. But it’s not just their brains that can be called intelligent – it’s their skin as well. Both cephalopods are able to instantaneously change their skin pattern and color in order to camouflage and blend into their environment. But it doesn’t stop there; these animals can also mold their skin into a textured, 3D surface in order to mimic the landscape around them. 

Now, a team of engineers at <a href="https://www.cornell.edu/">Cornell University</a> have invented camouflage stretchable surfaces with programmable 3D texture inspired by the real skin of octopus and cuttlefish. The material mimics the 3D bumps on the surface of these animals’ skin – known as papillae. Cephalopods can express these papillae in one-fifth of a second in order to mimic textures, and then retract them in order to swim away without any hydrodynamic drag.

“Lots of animals have papillae, but they can't extend and retract them instantaneously as octopus and cuttlefish do," says Roger Hanlon, a cephalopod biologist at the <a href="http://www.mbl.edu/">Marine Biological Laboratory</a> (MBL) who is the leading expert on cephalopod dynamic camouflage. “These are soft-bodied molluscs without a shell; their primary defense is their morphing skin.”

Papillae are what are known as a muscular hydrostat, which is a biological structure that is entirely made of muscle with no skeletal support – such as your tongue. Hanlon and members of his laboratory were actually the first to describe the structure, function, and biomechanics of the morphing 3D papillae in detail. However, their major breakthrough was in creating synthetic tissue groupings that contain programmable, 2D stretchable materials that can extend and retract into 3D shapes.

“This is a classic example of bio-inspired engineering,” says Hanlon. He also believes it has a range of potential applications, such as being able to reflect light in its 2D spaces and absorb light in its 3D shapes. “That would have applications in any situation where you want to manipulate the temperature of a material,” he says.

When animals have survived for millions of years in one of the least-friendly environments on earth, it makes sense that we should study their most dynamic traits in an attempt to mold them to our own uses. Some day soon, we may see wearable materials that can camouflage you just as well as a cephalopod!

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Octopus skin helped scientists develop new camouflage material

Octopus and cuttlefish are some of the most intelligent creatures...

Countries that are considered to be better off have much higher rates of cancer than countries that are worse off, according to a new study. Researchers from the <a href="https://www.adelaide.edu.au/">University of Adelaide</a> explain that access to modern medicine is helping people survive cancer and, as a result, cancer genes are passed on to new generations.

This particular instance of human evolution is causing a major shift away from natural selection. Based on their investigation of global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/traditional-chinese-ink-cancer-treatment/">cancer</a> data from the World Health Organization combined with data from the United Nations and the World Bank of 173 countries, the researchers say that the rate of some cancers has doubled and even quadrupled over the past 100-150 years. 

"Modern medicine has enabled the human species to live much longer than would otherwise be expected in the natural world," says study co-author Maciej Henneberg. "Besides the obvious benefits that modern medicine gives, it also brings with it an unexpected side-effect: allowing genetic material to be passed from one generation to the next that predisposes people to have poor health, such as type 1 diabetes or cancer.”

The findings of the analysis, which are published in the journal <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1752-4571">Evolutionary Applications</a>, reveal an accumulation of cancer incidence over four to five generations.

"Because of the quality of our health care in western society, we have almost removed natural selection as the 'janitor of the gene pool'. Unfortunately, the accumulation of genetic mutations over time and across multiple generations is like a delayed death sentence," says Professor Henneberg.

The researchers determined the ten countries with the greatest chance for natural selection, the “worse off" countries, and compared them with the ten countries that have the least opportunity for natural selection, the “better off" countries. They found that the rate of most cancers in the 10 best countries is much greater than in the 10 worst countries. 

For example, the rate of testicular cancer is 14 times higher in the top 10 best countries and the lung cancer rate is 12 times higher. Furthermore, incidents of skin melanoma are 10 times higher in the countries considered to be better off, while rates of brain and pancreatic cancers are over 5 times higher.

Co-author Wenpeng You concludes, "It may be that the only way humankind can be rid of cancer once and for all is through genetic engineering - to repair our genes and take cancer out of the equation.”

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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

Wealthier countries have higher rates of cancer

Countries that are considered to be better off have much...

A new study from the <a href="https://twin-cities.umn.edu/">University of Minnesota</a> has examined the previously under-reported role of gut fungi in the development of obesity. 

Previous studies have focused solely on how gut bacteria opens the doors to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/working-night-shift-obesity/">obesity</a>, but very little attention has been paid to gut fungi, which researchers say may play just as crucial a role.

“We really need to be looking at all the microbes and how they are interacting with each other to get a full picture of what the microbiome structure and function is in a given individual,” said Dr. Cheryl Gale, associate professor in in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota, and the lead investigator. 

Gut fungi are just as instrumental to gut and metabolic health as bacteria and could also be directly linked to obesity. 

"Although they represent a small component of the microbiota, fungal communities are significant in that they potentially serve as a reservoir for pathogens as well as for keystone species with critical roles in maintaining the function of the gut microbiome,” said Gale. 

Researchers conducted the study using two groups of mice. One group was fed a high-fat diet, and the other kept to a normal diet. 

The mice that were fed a high-fat diet had drastically higher amounts of 19 bacterial and 6 fungal taxa, different than what was in the microbiome of the mice with a normal diet. The high-fat diet also lowered metabolic function. 

Dr. Gale noted that the gut fungi were greatly affected by just a change in diet.

“These kingdoms are not in isolation. If one changes, it is going to impact the community structure and maybe the functional structure of other kingdoms as well. I think that is where the microbiome field is moving,” said Gale. 

This study shows the need for further research into fungi as a part of the microbiome to see its effect on obesity. However, the technology to sequence gut fungi has not yet fully developed, but the researchers hope further studies will push those technologies along. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com,</a> Staff Writer

High-fat diets change your gut fungi and lead to obesity

A new study from the University of Minnesota has examined...

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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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