The first weekend of September offers two dazzling lunar shows, depending on where you live. Across parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, the skies will host a total lunar eclipse.&nbsp;



For more than five hours, Earth will line up perfectly between the Sun and the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/when-is-the-black-moon-in-2025-and-why-does-it-occur/">Moon</a>, casting a deep shadow across the lunar surface.&nbsp;



During totality, which will last 82 minutes, only red light will filter through Earth’s atmosphere and reach the Moon. That’s what gives the lunar face its striking copper hue, earning the name “blood moon.”



Here in the United States, the eclipse will stay below the horizon. The wait won’t be long, though. According to <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>, the next blood moon lunar eclipse that will be visible from America will occur on March 3, 2026.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-a-total-lunar-eclipse">Understanding a total lunar eclipse</h2>



A total <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/total-lunar-eclipse-will-paint-the-moon-blood-red-tomorrow/">lunar eclipse</a> happens when the Earth moves directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting its shadow across the Moon’s surface. 



Instead of going completely dark, the Moon usually glows a deep red or copper color. That’s because Earth’s atmosphere bends and filters sunlight, letting only the longer, reddish wavelengths reach the Moon. 



It’s the same effect that makes sunsets look red, but in this case the Earth is creating a “sunset glow” that wraps all the way around and paints the Moon.



Unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are safe to watch with the naked eye - no special glasses are needed. They also last much longer: totality can stretch for over an hour, compared to just a few minutes for a total solar eclipse. 



Anyone on the night side of Earth can see it, which makes <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/harvest-moon-2024-will-feature-a-partial-lunar-eclipse/">lunar eclipses</a> more common to experience. 



For astronomers, these events are chances to study Earth’s atmosphere, since the way light bends and colors the Moon gives clues about dust, clouds, and even volcanic ash floating around our planet.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-final-full-moon-of-summer">Final full moon of summer</h2>



On Sunday, September 7, the Corn Moon will reach its peak illumination at 2:09 p.m. EDT. That moment takes place below the horizon for U.S. viewers, but the full moon will climb into the eastern sky, glowing bright and round by nightfall.



The Old Farmer’s Almanac notes that the Moon will look nearly full on both the nights before and after September 7. For sky watchers, that means an extended window to catch a glimpse.



Near the horizon, the Moon may appear golden or orange for a while, but as it rises higher, the glow will shift to a clearer white.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-is-it-called-the-corn-moon">Why is it called the Corn Moon?</h2>



The name Corn Moon traces back to the Algonquin tribes in the northeastern United States. 



Late summer was the time to gather their staple crops of corn, beans, pumpkins, squash, and wild rice.&nbsp;The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildlife-vehicle-collisions-surge-during-full-moon-nights/">full moon</a> served as a seasonal marker for this period of abundance and labor.



European traditions gave their own names to the September moon. Some called it the Fruit Moon, marking the ripening of orchard crops.



Others referred to it as the Barley Moon in recognition of the grain harvest. Each name reflects a calendar rooted in the cycles of planting and gathering.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-harvest-moon-is-next">The Harvest Moon is next</h2>



It’s tempting to confuse the Corn Moon with the better-known Harvest Moon, but the two aren’t the same.&nbsp;



The Harvest Moon is the full moon that falls closest to the autumn equinox. In 2025, that moment comes on October 7, which also happens to be the first supermoon of the year.



By contrast, the Corn Moon always comes in September. It marks the bridge between <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/this-weekends-sturgeon-moon-marks-a-turning-point-in-summer/">summer</a> and fall, when fields in the Northern Hemisphere are still heavy with late crops, but the days are growing shorter.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-lunar-calendar-of-2025">The lunar calendar of 2025</h2>



This year’s lunar calendar is a busy one. September’s Corn Moon is the ninth full moon of 2025.



There will be 12 full moons in total, including three supermoons. Two of those full moons will coincide with total lunar eclipses, offering the dramatic blood moon display.



The calendar has long served as a guide for both farmers and sky watchers. Each name tells a story about the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seasonal-timing-can-change-quickly-over-short-distances/">season</a> - what’s ripening, what’s ready, and what’s just around the corner.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-seasonal-marker-in-the-sky">A seasonal marker in the sky</h2>



For the Algonquin and other Native American tribes, September’s full moon was more than a sign of the corn harvest. Some called it the Corn Maker Moon or Corn Harvest Moon.&nbsp;



These names reflected not only the practical importance of gathering food but also the deep connection between community life and the cycles of nature.&nbsp;



The moon served as both a calendar and a cultural marker, guiding traditions that tied the sky to the land.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-symbolic-meaning-of-the-corn-moon">Symbolic meaning of the Corn Moon </h2>



Beyond the fields, the Corn Moon has taken on symbolic meaning. Some traditions frame it as a time of reflection and release - a moment to let go of stagnant energy and welcome change.&nbsp;



September’s full moon is also viewed as a time to embrace growth and intuition as the seasons shift.&nbsp;



The Corn Moon returns each year as summer fades into fall. It serves as a reminder of how the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-one-side-of-the-moon-still-glows-from-within/">Moon</a> has always been more than just a light in the night sky - it’s a companion through the seasons.



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This weekend's "Corn Moon" and total lunar eclipse usher in a beautiful end to summer

The first weekend of September offers two dazzling lunar shows, depending on where you live. Across parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, the skies will host a total lunar eclipse.&nbsp; For more than five hours, Earth will line up perfectly between the Sun and the Moon, casting a deep shadow across the lunar surface.&nbsp; During totality, which will last 82 minutes, only red light will filter through Earth’s atmosphere and reach the Moon. That’s what gives the lunar face its striking copper hue, earning...

Researchers have developed an incredibly accurate technique to measure the skill levels of professionals. The researchers compared the motor skills of both new and experienced surgeons by scanning their <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/brain-sleep-experiences-genetics/">brain activity</a>, and the study revealed fundamental differences. 

Based on the scans alone, the team could distinguish between expert surgeons and new surgeons. This discovery could lead to the development of new technology to evaluate proficiency among highly-skilled professionals, and non-invasive brain scans may ultimately be used by many employers to gauge competence.

“Measuring motor skill proficiency is critical for the certification of highly skilled individuals in numerous fields,” wrote the study authors. “However, conventional measures use subjective metrics that often cannot distinguish between expertise levels.”

The researchers performed scans using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), which is a relatively new neuroimaging technique that is considered to be promising for future scientific studies because it is non-invasive, inexpensive, and portable. Using fNIRS, brain activity is measured through responses that are associated with neuron behavior.

[caption id="attachment_1802098" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/brain-scans.png"><img class="wp-image-1802098" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/brain-scans.png" alt="" width="700" height="403" /></a> Image Credit: Nicolas Fernandez[/caption]

“Among all non-invasive functional brain imaging techniques, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) offers the unique ability to monitor and quantify fast functional brain activations over numerous cortical areas without constraining and interfering with bimanual task execution,” wrote the researchers. 

The study was focused on around 30 participants, including novice surgeons, expert surgeons, trained medical students, and also untrained medical students as a control group. The volunteers were wearing neuroimaging caps as they performed tasks that are required for surgeon certification. 

After the trials, the researchers used machine learning to analyze the scans. The analysis revealed that novice surgeons exhibited increased activity in different areas of the brain compared to the expert surgeons.

Brain activity spiked in the prefrontal cortex - which is responsible for planning complex behavior - for both novices and unskilled medical students. On the other hand, activity in the primary motor cortex - which controls the execution of movement - increased among experienced surgeons while decreasing in the other groups.

According to the researchers, this new method of measuring expertise is more reliable than that which is currently used in Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS), which is required for certification by the <a href="http://www.absurgery.org/">American Board of Surgery</a>. 

The study authors also pointed out, “These methodologies can be easily applied to other fields, including rehabilitation, brain computer interfaces, robotics, stroke, and rehabilitation therapy.”

The research is published in the journal <a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Companies may use brain scans to measure employee skill level

Researchers have developed an incredibly accurate technique to measure the...

Evidence of the earliest use of nutmeg, the key ingredient in all things pumpkin spice, was recently discovered in Pulau Ay in the Banda Islands.


Nutmeg comes from the seeds of the Myristica frangans tree which is native to the Banda Islands and was once a prized spice thought to contain healing properties in the middle ages. 

However, long before that, it seems people were using nutmeg as an ingredient as early as 3,500 years ago, 2,000 years before the prior first known use of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/spicy-food-less-salt/">spice</a>. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a>, <a href="https://ugm.ac.id/">Universitas Gadjah Mada</a> in Indonesia, the <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/">University of New South Wales</a> in Australia conducted two archeological excavations in 2007 and 2009 on the island of Pulau Ay. 

A study detailing the excavations and the researchers’ findings was published in the journal Asian Perspectives. 

The Pulau Ay site was occupied from 2,300 to 3,500 years ago and the researchers uncovered a number of artifacts including pottery, animal bones, and stone tools. 

Remnants of nutmeg were discovered on potsherds unearthed in the area which points to the use of the spice, either foraged or cultivated, as an ingredient. 

The excavation findings also show how the people of Pulau Ay shifted from eating primarily fish to living in permanent settlements and relying on domesticated pigs. 

“This site shows us how people adapted to living on these small tropical islands in stages, from occasional use as fishing camps to permanent occupation,” Peter Lape, a member of the archeological team said in a University of Washington <a href="https://www.washington.edu/news/2018/10/03/3500-year-old-pumpkin-spice-archaeologists-find-earliest-use-of-nutmeg-as-a-food/">news release</a>. “It’s also fascinating to see such early use of nutmeg, a spice that changed the world a few thousand years later.”

The potsherds and pottery also contained residue from six other plants including purple yam and sago (a starch that can be eaten from palms) along with nutmeg.

Palau Ay represents a unique opportunity for archeologists to piece together not just the early history of how nutmeg became the hugely coveted spice it was during the 14th century and beyond, but also more information on early Neolithic human settlements.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Humans have been crazy for pumpkin spice for thousands of years

Evidence of the earliest use of nutmeg, the key ingredient...

There is a crisis happening right under our noses in the scientific community that has to do with replicating studies, where researchers work to reproduce the same results of an experiment. 

Even though amazing breakthroughs are being made around the world, the actual nitty-gritty of setting up experiments, collecting data, analyzing data and forming a conclusion is, and I think most scientists would agree, unglamorous but vital work. 

Scientists and academics, though, face a host of pressures to publish successful and interesting studies for fear of losing funding for future work. 

For a teacher, having a larger number of published papers on their resume could spell the difference between achieving tenure or not. For a scientist working in a research lab, a new breakthrough could put the lab on the map and garner more funding or public attention. 

This <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3999612/">“publish or perish”</a> mindset, a phrase first coined in 1932,  can be so powerful it can motivate researchers to skew their results or tamper with experiments to purposely garner results with more shock value or that ensures success. 

A famous example of someone who had tampered with lab research is Dong-Pyou Han, a former Iowa State University scientist that was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jul/01/iowa-scientist-hiv-breakthrough-dong-pyou-han">sentenced to jail time and forced to pay a hefty fine</a> for spiking rabbit blood with human blood while researching potential vaccines for HIV. 

Initially, Han admitted that he had made a mistake, but instead of reporting it, continued to spike samples because it was producing false, but positive results. 

Scientists will even sabotage each other as a way to get ahead. 

One report in the <a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/lab-sabotage-some-scientists-will-do-anything-to-get-ahead/">Scientific American</a> discussed one such instance where a researcher was forced to retract his work due to the theft of his lab notebooks and blackmail. Without his notebooks, he was unable to reproduce his work. 

Conducting a <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/happy-marriage-extend-lifespan/">study</a>, writing an in-depth review of the research, and having that study published is hard enough. Why, then, are replication studies so important and yet so lacking in the scientific community? 

The problem is that a large portion of studies aren’t replicable, and replication research is done so little that most of what’s published is simply taken as fact, especially by the media covering new scientific breakthroughs. 

<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-018-0399-z.epdf?referrer_access_token=fCJ6q-E7wf6GaEuN-IJKkNRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0ODPoD_DniKOJV85YbvYREVGGFB1eoy7kg082aoxuQ7q5xSjHZjHeRsW8_eHmhJO2RfrZYCBRygCfI1Ux2M3Lr8ZUnVyx64bzR24rdXBbl6hfa9MSMckEo6lWcJjXQHeiSNGV8f3pK4jYc7b1233dvBmnROyE5_aq4yY7CFSg-cUHqTEDvQp1YHVZMqElEdaO8ExlItQJ_kdE-9jkhaeh54DzRqWsgAp3D5iQUTkl6aimRaBnT_UcTHzUXnQjQkbJderaWG3DM5OBnd1rOrRKmiVZsKXbNM2DSKvWsimFZrDw%3D%3D&amp;tracking_referrer=www.npr.org">One study</a> emphasizing this hugely lacking step in a majority of published research found that two-thirds of social science studies can’t be replicated. 

Researchers from the<a href="http://www.virginia.edu/"> University of Virginia</a> picked out 21 studies from the journals Science and Nature and attempted to reproduce the results from the key experiments conducted in the studies. 

Only 13 of the studies were replicable, while the rest resulted in different outcomes. 

That makes for a very large number of published results that don’t hold up to further study, so then is the information incorrect or did the journal that published it miss something major?

A lot of it has to do with above-stated pressure to publish and get flashy, engaging, “sexy” science out into the cultural zeitgeist which will, in turn, get recognition and a better chance of getting published again. 

It’s also important to realize that scientists are people and people make mistakes. Even the most rigorous and thorough by-the-book studies can yield strange results. It’s not always clear where or if there was a mistake in the data or the experiment. 

For example, in 2011, a group of researchers at the OPERA particle detector in Italy's subterranean <a href="https://www.lngs.infn.it/">Gran Sasso National Laboratory</a> observed a startling phenomenon, a neutrino that moved faster than the speed of light. 

The researchers re-checked their work for months and even published a hesitant paper that called for more research. 

Only then was it discovered that the fluke was due to a <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2012/06/once-again-physicists-debunk-faster-light-neutrinos">loose fiber optic cable.</a>

A study’s reproducibility, the rarely considered afterthought, is just as important as the conclusion itself. As the OPERA mishap showed, only through countless replications of the experiment was the mistake discovered. 

Replicating a study can catch problems that the researchers may not have even realized were there or factor in limitations that the original study authors ignored. Realistically though, calls for further research and replication are rarely met. 

There is good news though as it appears that the scientific community is becoming more and more aware of the reproducibility crisis and researchers want changes to be made. 

A<a href="https://knaw.nl/en/news/news/make-replication-studies-a-normal-part-of-science"> report</a> was released earlier this year by the <a href="https://www.knaw.nl/en/about-us">Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences </a>stating why researchers, universities, and journals need to do more to ensure their results are replicable. 

Some recommendations in the report including having academic institutions put more emphasis on training scientists to conduct replication studies. The report suggests that journals require authors to register reports before conducting any experiments or collecting data. 

There has also been a push to make raw data compiled from studies readily available which can help further verify a study’s findings and its reproducibility. 

Reproducibility needs to be just as central to the process as the other steps in the scientific method, but to achieve this, there must be a major shift in the way researchers, review committees, and the media handle a study’s results.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Replication studies are vital, so why are there so few of them?

There is a crisis happening right under our noses in...

Groundbreaking research from the <a href="http://www.dtu.dk/english">Technical University of Denmark</a> (DTU) has produced a new antivenom that is based on human antibodies. The experimental antivenom has been developed to counteract dendrotoxins from one of the most venomous snakes in the world, the black mamba, which is found in Africa.

Every year, more than 100,000 people die of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/decrease-rainfall-fewer-snakebites/">snakebite</a> envenoming and many more are disabled. Most snake bites occur in poor areas of the world, which means that the issue is not a primary focus for pharmaceutical companies.

DTU Professor Andreas Hougaard Laustsen said that the findings may lead to a paradigm shift in snakebite treatment.

“The leap forward in our experiments is that we used a biotechnological method to find and then propagate human antibodies in the laboratory to enable use in the treatment of experimental black mamba envenoming,” said Professor Laustsen. 

“The method we employed can be used to discover human antibodies in the lab by simulating of the human immune system, so we can avoid injecting patients with snake venom to raise antibodies by immunization.”

The antibodies for the black mamba antivenom were identified using a library of human antibody genes extracted from white blood cells in donor blood. Professor Laustsen explained why it could still take years before the production of the antivenom outside of the lab.

“We have shown that it is possible to produce an experimental human-based antivenom against important toxins from one snake species, the black mamba. Before clinical testing of the antivenom on humans will make sense, it is relevant to develop more antibodies for the antivenom to give it a broader spectrum against several types of snake venom.”

If the research is successful, a doctor will be able to use the antivenom even in cases where the source of the snakebite is unknown. This has the potential to save many lives all over the world.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New antivenom may revolutionize snakebite treatment

Groundbreaking research from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) has...

Major flood events cause more erosion and are a much greater hazard in mountainous regions than seasonal monsoon rainfalls, according to a new study. 

In 2016, a glacier moraine that had held back a lake in Nepal broke and caused a massive flood of over 100,000 tons of water to flow down the Bhotekoshi/Sunkoshi River. 

The flood was so catastrophic it triggered seismic activity, and as a result, residents were forewarned of the coming gush of water because of ground shaking. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.gfz-potsdam.de/en/home/">GGZ German Research Center for Geosciences</a> were able to record this activity thanks to seismometers that had been deployed a year prior after a huge earthquake in 2015. 

The GFZ recently published a study in the journal Science that shows how seismic technology can help with predicting <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/europe-coastal-overhaul-flooding/">flood events</a> and how much more of an impact flood events have on erosion rates compared to monsoon rainfall totals. 

Even though monsoons cause huge downpours of precipitation and can cause erosion, the displacement of large boulders and coarse sediment after a major flood does much more damage overall.  

Monsoons only drive the transportation of fine sediment and pebbles which aren’t enough to trigger landslides or large erosions, according to the researchers. 

This is why it’s important to factor in non-climate related impacts on erosion and flooding. 

“Erosion rates may be strongly influenced by non-climatological drivers such as earthquakes and the climatic factors that affect the size and distribution of glacial lakes,” wrote the authors in their study. 

The researchers visited the Nepal River valley where the flood occurred before and after the event, and observed the changes in seismic activity captured by different seismic stations in the nearby region. 

Kristen Cook, the first author of the study said that researchers identified two distinct “pulses” with the flood. 

First, the seismometers recorded activity from the wall of water that gushed down and the second pulse came from the rocks and sediment carried by the flow. 

Bridges, roads, and hydro-power stations were all destroyed due to the tumbling boulders and huge quantities of water. The flood also triggered landslides because the river had eroded so badly. 

Major floods from glacial lakes, like the one that happened in Nepal, are not unheard of and there are many glacial lakes currently dammed up that could burst and flood valleys in the Himalayas and other mountain ranges. 

The study’s results help show how floods impact erosion, and understanding this relationship can help predict landslide risks and erosions rates in at-risk mountain regions prone to earthquakes. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Kristen Cook/GFZ

Seismic technology can help predict flood events, erosion rates

Major flood events cause more erosion and are a much...

An analysis of some of the oldest human teeth found in Italy sheds insight into the evolution of humans, Neanderthals, and other ancient human relatives. 

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.univ-tlse3.fr/">Paul Sabatier University</a> in France examined dental remains, some of the very few fossils human remains from Middle Pleistocene Europe, that were discovered in sites across Italy. 

A study detailing the new research was published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0189773">PLOS ONE. </a>

Fossils found in these sites show that people inhabited the Italian Peninsula during a period known to have some of the harshest climate conditions in the Pleistocene and Holocene Epochs.

The Pleistocene was a period in Earth’s history spanning 2.6 million years ago to 11,700 years ago and it was an era that saw the evolution of Homo sapiens. 

Dating back 450,000 years, the dental remains were examined by the researchers using micro-CT scanning and detailed morphological analysis.

[caption id="attachment_1802053" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/fossil-teeth.png"><img class="wp-image-1802053" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/fossil-teeth.png" alt="" width="700" height="549" /></a> Image Credit: Zanolli et al 2018[/caption]

The researchers also compared the shape and arrangement of the tooth tissues with teeth and dental information from other ancient human species. 

Upon further analysis, the researchers concluded that the teeth had the most in common with Neanderthals and were unique from modern human teeth. 

Finding such early evidence of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/neanderthals-exterous-hands/">Neanderthals</a> suggests that Neanderthals and Homo sapiens diverged from a common ancestor early in the fossil record, around the Early-Middle Pleistocene transition. 

The researchers say that Eurasia at this time was likely populated by a diverse group of early humans and that modern humans evolved from the complex lineages around those regions. 

“The remains from Fontana Ranuccio and Visogliano represent among the oldest human fossil remains testifying to a peopling phase of the Italian Peninsula,” said Clément Zanolli, the lead author of the study. “Our analyses of the tooth internal structural organization reveal a Neanderthal-like signature, also resembling the condition shown by the contemporary assemblage from Atapuerca Sima de los Huesos, indicating that an overall Neanderthal morphological dental template was preconfigured in Western Europe at least 430 to 450 ka ago.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

450,000 year old fossil teeth reveal Neanderthal traits

An analysis of some of the oldest human teeth found...

Have you ever wondered why huskies, border collies, and some shepherd dogs have those piercing blue eyes? 

Consumer genetics, made popular by companies like <a href="https://www.23andme.com/">23andMe</a> and <a href="https://www.ancestry.com/">Ancestry</a>, may have provided an answer, according to a new study conducted by researchers from the canine DNA startup company <a href="https://embarkvet.com/">Embark Veterinary, Inc.</a>

The study was published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1007648">PLOS Genetics</a> and it's the first of its kind to use consumer genomics with non-humans as well as the largest canine genome-wide association study ever conducted. 

Consumer genetic testing has given people an unprecedented look at their <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/older-adults-dna-testing-results/">DNA</a> and genetic history. 

This is all made possible thanks to large databases of genomic data, and now this new study shows how consumer genomics can shed light on animal traits that have yet eluded scientists, like the blue eyes of the Siberian Husky. 

The researchers analyzed data from 6,070 genetically tested dogs along with phenotype data that had been submitted by owners via web surveys and uploaded photos. 

A 98.6 kilobase duplication on the canine chromosome 18 near the ALX4 gene was found to correlate strongly with eye color in huskies and Australian Shepherds. A kilobase represents 1,000 base pairs of DNA or the rungs of the ladder on a DNA strand. 

Just one copy of the gene variant could cause blue eyes or blue and brown eyes, but the researchers say there are still unknown genetic and environmental factors that have yet to be identified that influence husky eye color. 

“This study demonstrates the power of the approach that Embark is taking towards improving canine health,” said Aaron J. Sams, a co-author of the study and member of Embark Veterinary, Inc. “In a single year, we collected enough data to conduct the largest canine study of its kind. Embark is currently pursuing similar research projects in a range of morphological and health-related traits and we hope to continue to use our platform to move canine genetics and health forward in a very real way.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Jamie Leszczak

What gives huskies their piercing blue eye color?

Have you ever wondered why huskies, border collies, and some...

In eusocial species – organisms that are highly organized and have groups of infertile workers – altruism is a community trait that can help keep the group alive and fit. For many years, it has been thought that genetics and the level of relation between individuals was the most important factor for the evolution of altruistic social behavior in some organisms. Now, a new study from researchers at <a href="https://www.global.hokudai.ac.jp/">Hokkaido University</a> has found that this is not the case.

An organism’s “fitness” is directly related to its ability to successfully reproduce and propagate its genes. In this study, researchers studied the foraging and nesting behaviors of the sweat bee (Lasioglossum baleicum), and found that the fitness was more strongly linked to the bees’ cooperative behavior than it was to their genetic similarity. This is the first empirical evidence to suggest that social behavior in eusocial species is only somewhat attributed to how related the individuals are to each other.

The results of this study go against earlier theories that linked altruistic selfless behavior in eusocial species to genetic relatedness and a desire to propagate their own genes. Past studies have found that, in some insect species, genetic similarity is higher between sisters than between a sister and its own offspring – this has been considered the key factor in the formation of a eusociety.

In their study, evolutionary biologist Eisuke Hasegawa and his colleagues studied five aggregations of sweat bee nests in a variety of areas on the island of Hokkaido in Japan. Each aggregation contained two types of nests: one in which multiple females worked together to care for the offspring of a single queen, and one in which a mother bee took care of her own offspring.

Observations found that the females working in cooperative nests foraged more often than females in solitary nests. Solitary nests were also devoid of adult females for a much larger amount of time than social nests, which leaves the nest vulnerable to predators. The main predator of sweat bees is the ant, which a solitary female sweat bee is able to fend off by plugging the nest opening with her head to protect it from scout ants. Cooperative nests are much more efficiently defended, as other females are able to defend the nest when one goes off to forage.

Individual females in social nests were found to have higher fitness than solitary females, which means that social bees are more successful in propagating their <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/two-genes-control-genes/">genes</a>. The researchers found that 92 percent of the increase in fitness is a result of the benefits of grouping (i.e. more efficient foraging and defense). The other 8 percent is attributed to genetic similarity between individuals. 

“There has been a decade-long debate among scientists as to whether genetic similarity or the benefit of grouping is the primary drive of sociality,” says Hasegawa. “Our study could help reveal some of the factors behind the evolution of cooperation, including among humans, by quantifying how much cooperative behavior contributes to the increased fitness of altruistic individuals in a group.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Norihiro Yagi

Cooperation in a society matters more than genetic relations

In eusocial species – organisms that are highly organized and...

Researchers working on NASA's <a href="https://omg.jpl.nasa.gov/">Oceans Melting Greenland</a> (OMG) campaign have been flying over the coast of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/new-clues-about-greenlands-past-climate-will-help-predict-its-future/">Greenland</a> and dropping scientific probes into the surrounding water. The five-year project was designed to help scientists gain a better understanding of how Greenland's rapid ice loss is influenced by the ocean.

The team has collected measurements three times a year since 2016. During the spring, an aircraft measures the height of the ice sheet, while instruments are deployed by boat to map the seafloor around Greenland in the summer. 

During the fall, a team of OMG researchers led by principal investigator Josh Willis drop as many as 250 biodegradable probes from airplanes into very specific sites along the coastline. The goal is to measure the temperature of the water touching Greenland's glaciers.

The weather conditions at a particular drop site are impossible to know in advance. Willis explained, “If fog is low and we can't see that the water is clear of icebergs and people and whales, we can't drop.” At this point, the researchers would look for a similar site, or would simply move on to the next target.


Sea ice poses another major obstacle. The probes only weigh 14 pounds, which would not allow them to break through a site that is covered in ice. 


Many potential targets are located in areas where the sea ice has been broken up by large icebergs or has pulled away from the shore. When this happens, Willis must weigh the value of the probe - which may miss open water - versus the significance of data from that could be obtained from that particular location.

“There's always one or two spots where it seems impossible that we'll get a probe to fall between the icebergs and report data. And then we do,” said Willis. “Those Mission Impossible moments are pretty sweet.”

So far, the probes have provided experts with invaluable information. “We've had such spectacular success so far, I can hardly believe we get to do this for two more years,” said Willis. “I'm like a kid in a candy store.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="http://earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

What makes ice melt so rapidly off the coast of Greenland?

Researchers working on NASA's Oceans Melting Greenland (OMG) campaign have...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/humans-driving-climate-change/">Climate change</a> is coming – if it’s not already here – and scientists around the world are working hard to find ways to combat it. One of the most recent and involved efforts comes from a team of over a dozen international researchers from the <a href="https://www.iddri.org/en/publications-and-events/workshop/ocean-solutions-initiative-amagnan-j-p-gattuso-r-bille">Ocean Solutions Initiative</a>, including scientists from the <a href="http://www.cnrs.fr/">CNRS</a>, <a href="https://www.iddri.org/en">IDDRI</a>, and <a href="http://www.sorbonne-universite.fr/en">Sorbonne University</a>. 

The researchers have published a report in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science">Frontiers in Marine Science</a> in hopes that decision-makers gathering in Poland for the COP24 conference this December will take their data seriously. A major part of this report is an evaluation of the potential of thirteen ocean-based measures to counter climate change. 

Our oceans help regulate global warming by acting and both a carbon and heat sink. But they perform this duty at the cost of far-reaching effects that affect our marine physical and chemical processes, ecosystems, and the benefits they provide to our species. 

In this report, the researchers from the Ocean Solutions Initiative provide a first of its kind review of thirteen ocean-based measures, including local and global actions, that could potentially reduce the effects of climate change, or at least aid in our adaptation to a changing climate. They selected these measures based entirely off the frequency with which they are mentioned in scientific literature.

The measures assessed in this study fit into four categories: reducing atmospheric CO2 concentrations, increasing the proportion of solar radiation reflected back into space, protecting marine ecosystems, and manipulating biological and ecological adaptation to climate change impacts. Researchers analyzed each measure’s potential to reduce three climate-related drivers: ocean warming, ocean acidification, and sea-level rise. 

The measure with the highest potential for immediately addressing the causes of climate change was found to be a switch to ocean-based renewable energy. 

“Not only do offshore wind farms, wave energy and other ocean renewables have a very large potential to reduce carbon emissions, but they are also cost-effective and ready to be implemented at a large-scale,” says study co-author Dr. Alexandre Magnan of France's Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations.

The researchers also determined local efforts with moderate effectiveness to decrease ocean acidification and sea-level rise. 

“Reducing marine pollution, stopping overexploitation of marine resources, restoring hydrological flow and protecting marine habitats are all technologically ready and have significant benefits,” says lead author Dr. Jean-Pierre Gattuso of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in France. “Restoring and conserving coastal vegetation like mangroves, salt marshes and seagrass beds to enhance CO2 uptake and reduce further emissions is also already feasible with few disbenefits.”

Unfortunately, many of the other measures would be too costly or result in other – potentially more disastrous – environmental impacts. “Our study shows that all measures involve trade-offs and decisions should consider their relevance in terms of costs, benefits and ease of governability,” says Magnan. “The potential for ocean-based options to address climate change and its impacts is very high and depends on societies’ ability, from local to international levels, to decide about the right combination of measures.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Why solutions for climate change need to focus on oceans

Climate change is coming – if it’s not already here...

In a very short period of time, the term “<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/people-believe-fake-news/">fake news</a>” has gone from an almost oxymoronic turn of phrase to become a crisis for media outlets around the world. Countless fake news generators have sprung up in the last year, filling social media pages and general discourse with biased, nonfactual information. While websites such as Politifact and Snopes attempt to debunk fake news as it comes out – the process is long, tedious, and overwhelming.

That is why researchers in <a href="https://www.csail.mit.edu/">MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab</a> (CSAIL) and the <a href="https://www.qcri.org/">Qatar Computing Research Institute</a> (QCRI) set out to find a new approach to debunking fake news. Their idea was not to focus on each fact or lack thereof individually, but to assess the news sources themselves. With this approach, they have demonstrated a new system that uses machine learning to determine if a source is factually correct or politically biased. 

“If a website has published fake news before, there’s a good chance they’ll do it again,” says postdoctoral associate Ramy Baly, the lead author on a new paper about the system. “By automatically scraping data about these sites, the hope is that our system can help figure out which ones are likely to do it in the first place.” According to Baly, the system only needs about 150 articles to reliably detect if a news source is trustworthy.

This system is the result of a collaboration between computer scientists at MIT CSAIL and QCRI, which is part of the <a href="https://hbku.edu.qa/">Hamad Bin Khalifa University</a> in Qatar. Analysis of the system’s own accuracy in determining factuality showed that it was 65 percent accurate at detecting whether an outlet has a high, medium, or low level of factuality. It also was roughly 70 percent accurate at detecting if an outlet leaned to the right, left, or was in the middle.

The researchers found that the most reliable ways to detect fake news and biased reporting were to assess the common linguistic features across the source’s stories – including sentiment, complexity, and structure. Fake news outlets were more likely to use language that was hyperbolic, subjective, and emotional. The authors say that the system also found correlations with an outlet’s Wikipedia page and its credibility. The longer pages that had fewer target words such as “extreme” or “conspiracy theory” were found to be more accurate.

However, co-author Preslav Nakov does state that this system is very much a work-in-progress, and that – even if its own accuracy was improved – it would be best to have it work alongside traditional fact-checkers. “If outlets report differently on a particular topic, a site like Politifact could instantly look at our ‘fake news’ scores for those outlets to determine how much validity to give to different perspectives,” says Nakov, a senior scientist at QCRI.

The research team also formed a new open-source dataset of more than 1,000 news sources annotated with factuality and bias score. This is the world’s largest database of its kind. Moving forward, the team plans to assess whether the English-trained system can be adapted to other languages and also determine religion-specific biases.

“It's interesting to think about new ways to present the news to people,” says Nakov. “Tools like this could help people give a bit more thought to issues and explore other perspectives that they might not have otherwise considered.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New machine learning system helps debunk fake news

In a very short period of time, the term “fake...

Many of today's electronic devices such as televisions, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/teens-losing-sleep-smartphones/">smartphone</a>s, and computer monitors have displays made with liquid crystals, which are substances that flow like liquids but still have crystal-like structures. While liquid crystals play an important part in modern technology, researchers have discovered that these substances may have played a much more critical role in ancient history by helping to support the earliest life on Earth.

The experts found evidence that liquid crystals helped in the assembly of the first biomolecules on the planet. The team demonstrated that short RNA molecules can form liquid crystals that promote growth into longer chains.

Scientists have speculated that life on Earth originated in an “RNA world,” where RNA carried genetic information and conducted metabolism before DNA or proteins emerged. To support this theory, catalytic RNA strands, or “ribozymes,” have been found in modern genomes. 

Ribozymes are about 16 to 150 nucleotides in length, and the scientists set out to investigate how these sequences assembled in a time before ribozymes or proteins existed. The research team, led by Tommaso Bellini, speculated that liquid crystals could have helped to guide short RNA precursors to form longer strands.

The researchers explored different scenarios under which short RNAs could self-assemble. Short RNA sequences, at just six or 12 nucleotides long, were found to spontaneously arrange into liquid crystal phases at high concentrations. Liquid crystals formed even more rapidly when the researchers added magnesium ions, which stabilized the crystals.

Once the RNAs were held together in liquid crystals, a chemical activator could efficiently join their ends into much longer strands. This also helped to prevent the formation of circular RNAs that could not be lengthened further. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.acsnano.org/">ACS Nano</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="http://earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: American Chemical Society

Liquid crystals may have helped in the creation of life itself

Many of today's electronic devices such as televisions, smartphones, and...

<figure class="wp-block-embed 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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXXGGiynIjs
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Greenland is not sinking. In fact, it is the opposite.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-contrasting-climate-response">A contrasting climate response</h2>



Most coastal towns are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sinking-land-will-intensify-the-effects-of-rising-sea-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">preparing for higher sea levels</a>, but <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenland-no-longer-has-to-worry-about-rising-sea-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Greenland presents</a> a different scenario during climate change. The ground there is rising at a remarkable rate. Over the past decade, some areas have lifted about 20 centimeters, which translates to roughly 2 meters per century. This rate significantly exceeds current projections for sea level rise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-geological-rebound-process-through-climate-change">Geological rebound process through climate change</h2>



The mechanism behind this phenomenon is straightforward. As the ice sheet melts, the immense weight is removed from the bedrock, causing the land to rebound upward. This process resembles the way compressed material springs back when pressure is released.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientific-monitoring-networks">Scientific monitoring networks</h2>



Researchers at the <a href="https://www.dtu.dk/english/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Technical University of Denmark</a> are documenting this uplift using the GNET network, consisting of 61 GPS stations positioned around Greenland's coast. These sensors can detect movement with millimeter precision, providing detailed measurements of the ongoing changes.



The data reveal that current uplift rates exceed the gradual rebound occurring since the last ice age ended approximately 12,000 years ago. This acceleration corresponds directly with increased ice sheet melting rates.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coastal-transformation">Coastal Transformation</h2>



This uplift is actively reshaping Greenland's coastline. New islands and rocky formations, called "skerries," are emerging as previously submerged land surfaces rise above the water level. This represents a notable contrast to global concerns about rising seas.



The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, demonstrates the varied regional impacts of climate change. While many locations face rising water levels, Greenland's bedrock is literally rising above the surrounding seas.



The full study was recently published in <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2023GL104851" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.



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Greenland's ground rises while coasts worldwide face higher seas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXXGGiynIjs Greenland is not sinking. In fact, it is the...

<figure class="wp-block-embed 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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSM3EVeGHJU
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Companies like MindStudio help companies train their employees to implement the latest AI Agent building platform.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ai-agent-training-transforms-the-workplace-fear-factor-into-a-competitive-advantage">AI agent training transforms the workplace 'fear factor' into a competitive advantage</h2>



Organizations that offer comprehensive artificial intelligence training to their workers find remarkable value that extends well beyond basic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mind-wandering-might-be-more-productive-than-you-think/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">productivity improvements</a>. Emerging research demonstrates that carefully crafted AI training programs <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-does-not-replace-human-creativity-but-enhances-it/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">enhance</a> corporate performance, lower operational costs, and dramatically improve employee psychological well-being by turning workplace uncertainty into professional empowerment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-addressing-the-widespread-ai-anxiety-crisis-among-us">Addressing the widespread 'AI anxiety' crisis among us</h2>



A staggering 53% of employees expressed concern that the use of AI tools to automate work tasks could make them appear disposable to their employers, according to <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Microsoft</a>'s 2024 workplace survey. Such pervasive worry about being substituted by machines has caused what researchers have termed "AI technostress" – a psychological state that can result in occupational burnout and poorer mental well-being.



Data published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/palcomms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humanities and Social Sciences Communications</a> showed that belief in AI learning ability was a moderator in the link between technology adoption and work pressure, and higher confidence significantly lowered negative psychological responses. Workers provided ample training to become competent with AI software have significantly lower stress.



Companies like <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MindStudio</a> have platforms for building what are known as "AI Agents". In essence, AI Agents are simply tools that employees can build for themselves or their teams quickly and inexpensively. MindStudio will even train entire companies, from the CEO on down, at no cost. By letting MindStudio empower employees, companies avoid hiring more IT staff, buying more software, and implementing solutions to problems that do not exist.



MindStudio even has partners locally for companies, like <a href="http://www.dominnus.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dominnus</a> with offices in the Carolinas, California, and Denver, to help build AI Agents and support employees as they become resident AI experts for their organization. The training provided by MindStudio is applicable across other AI Agent building platforms as well.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-productivity-through-focused-learning">Revolutionary productivity through focused learning</h2>



Organizations that implement large-scale AI training programs achieve dramatic outcomes. Employees performed tasks significantly better when they utilized AI support compared to when they didn't, according to <a href="https://www.nngroup.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nielsen Norman Group</a> research findings. Their study documented productivity increases of 66% for a variety of professional tasks.



Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis research finds workers record 33% higher productivity in time working with generative AI tools. The benefit is equivalent to 5.4% of work time savings for AI users – around 2.2 hours per week for full-time workers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-psychological-well-being-benefits-through-ai-competence">Psychological well-being benefits through AI competence</h2>



The emotional transformation when employees are provided with proper technology training is a fundamental transformation from fear to professional confidence. A survey of 600 employees across industries, carried out by ScienceDirect, proved that AI capabilities strengthen work environment commitment and improve job satisfaction.



A <a href="https://www.lut.fi/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LUT University</a> study discovered that AI adoption has no direct effect on workers' well-being but does so indirectly through working conditions like task optimization and safety protocols. Strategically deployed AI that involves correct training can actually increase workplace mental well-being.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-replacement-anxiety-to-partnership-confidence">From 'replacement anxiety' to 'partnership confidence'</h2>



Although 35% of those interviewed in recent McKinsey studies were concerned about workforce displacement, firms with large-scale training initiatives witness such fears dissipate quickly. The World Economic Forum found that two out of three respondents believe AI competencies will enhance their career prospects and job marketability.



This shift from fear to trust has measurable implications for job satisfaction. Applied Sciences research indicates AI can create tailored wellness programs based on individual employee requirements.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-financial-benefits-of-increased-retention">Financial benefits of increased retention</h2>



The mental health advantages of AI learning have a direct impact on organizational bottom lines in the form of a positive feedback cycle with high retention of employees. Recent ROI research validates that artificial intelligence learning has a beneficial impact on employee turnover and satisfaction levels.



PriceWaterhouseCoopers' research documents 20% to 30% improvements in productivity, market speed, and revenue in organizations that attempt systematic AI adoption through comprehensive training.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-environmental-advantages-of-ai-enabled-teams">Environmental advantages of AI-enabled teams</h2>



AI training has unforeseen environmental benefits as it makes the work environment more efficient. According to a study in Scientific Reports, the carbon footprint in writing and illustrating work is significantly lower when AI performs it compared to humans. AI software produces 130 to 1,500 times less CO2 equivalent per page of text created than human authors.



In addition, AI-driven remote work functionality significantly reduces environmental impact. Research by Cornell University and Microsoft indicates that remote workers reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 54% by not commuting daily to offices. Hybrid workers working remotely two to four days a week can reduce their carbon footprint by 11% to 29%.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cumulative-organizational-advantages">Cumulative organizational advantages</h2>



The compounding gains of better mental well-being, reduced turnover, increased productivity, and environmental benefits flow to enterprises from the pairing. McKinsey analysis estimates the long-term AI potential at $4.4 trillion in incremental productivity growth opportunity from business use cases.



As of now, 75% of knowledge workers globally utilize generative AI, mirroring widespread adoption patterns. Organizations that provide organized training and assistance see the most favorable results in productivity, worker satisfaction, and ecological sustainability.



The research overwhelmingly indicates that companies that invest in proper AI education, like that offered through <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MindStudio</a>, establish win-win scenarios where employees are both more empowered and less stressed, and companies enjoy the gains of increased productivity, reduced turnover, and improved mental health outcomes throughout their workforce.



For more on MindStudio's free AI training for companies, visit the website's of MindStudio and Dominnus from the links below.



The research was published across a variety of peer-reviewed journals, including <a href="https://www.nature.com/palcomms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humanities and Social Sciences Communications</a>, <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence</a>, and <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci">Applied Sciences</a>.



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MindStudio.AI: <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.mindstudio.ai</a>



Dominnus: <a href="https://www.dominnus.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.dominnus.com</a>

AI agent training boosts mental health and profits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSM3EVeGHJU Companies like MindStudio help companies train their employees to...

<figure class="wp-block-embed 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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HDXqTGEmi4
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Scientists give plants superpowers against bacterial disease</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-natural-solution-to-disease-through-crop-modification">A natural solution to disease through crop modification.</h2>



The agricultural industry stands at a crossroads between productivity and environmental responsibility, and crop modification often carries a negative connotation. While chemical pesticides have long been the go-to solution for crop protection, their harmful effects on ecosystems and human health have prompted scientists to seek alternatives. The recent breakthrough by <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Southampton</a> researchers offers a promising path forward through the precise manipulation of plant-associated microbial communities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-science-behind-microbial-partnerships">The science behind microbial partnerships</h2>



Plants naturally harbor diverse ecosystems of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms that function as biological allies. These microscopic partners contribute to disease resistance, nutrient absorption, and stress tolerance. However, until now, scientists lacked the tools to deliberately reshape these communities to enhance crop protection.



The Southampton team's approach centered on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/engineered-plant-microbiomes-the-future-of-crop-protection/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">modifying lignin biosynthesis genes in rice plants</a>. This strategic intervention altered the plant's metabolic output, creating conditions that favored beneficial bacterial populations while suppressing harmful ones. The result was a living defense system embedded within the plant itself.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-global-food-security">Implications for global food security</h2>



The successful demonstration against Xanthomonas oryzae, the pathogen responsible for bacterial blight in rice, represents more than a laboratory achievement. Rice feeds nearly half the world's population, and bacterial blight causes devastating crop losses annually. Traditional control methods rely heavily on pesticides that contaminate soil and water systems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-beyond-disease-resistance">Looking Beyond Disease Resistance</h2>



While disease protection represents the immediate application, the research framework opens doors to broader agricultural improvements. Future developments could engineer microbiomes to enhance nutrient uptake, reducing dependence on synthetic fertilizers. This dual benefit addresses both crop productivity and environmental sustainability.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-path-forward">The path forward</h2>



As this technology advances from laboratory to field applications, it promises to reshape sustainable agriculture. The ability to program plants with their own biological defense systems could herald a new era where crops protect themselves naturally, reducing chemical inputs while maintaining yields necessary for global food security.



The study is published in the journal&nbsp;<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-44335-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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Revolutionizing agriculture through microbiome engineering

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HDXqTGEmi4 Scientists give plants superpowers against bacterial disease A natural...

<figure class="wp-block-embed 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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVywlgRJXsc
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Some children read facial expressions when making food choices.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-other-people-s-reactions-influence-children-s-eating-habits">Other people's reactions influence children's eating habits</h2>



Many children are finicky eaters, but research explains how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-have-learned-why-so-many-kids-dislike-vegetables/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">watching others eat and social modeling</a> influence the eating habits of children.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Study Methodology Demonstrates Social Learning Impact</h2>



Researchers at <a href="https://www.aston.ac.uk/hls/school-of-psychology" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aston University School of Psychology</a> have published findings in Frontiers in Psychology that illuminate the neurobiological foundations of food preference development through observational learning. The investigation employed controlled video stimuli featuring adults consuming raw broccoli while displaying systematically varied facial expressions to measure participant responses.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Asymmetrical Response Patterns Identified</h2>



The research, conducted with 204 female participants, revealed a pronounced asymmetry in social modeling effects. Negative facial expressions during vegetable consumption significantly diminished observer food preference ratings, while positive expressions failed to produce corresponding increases in vegetable appeal. This finding challenges conventional assumptions about the bidirectional nature of social influence in dietary behavior formation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Evolutionary Psychology Framework Applied</h2>



Dr. Katie Edwards and her research team propose that these results reflect adaptive mechanisms developed through evolutionary processes. The heightened sensitivity to disgust expressions likely functions as a protective system, enabling individuals to identify potentially harmful foods through social cues without direct risk exposure.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Clinical and Educational Implications</h2>



These findings carry substantial implications for pediatric nutrition interventions and family meal dynamics. The research suggests that parental expressions of distaste during vegetable consumption may inadvertently reinforce children's existing food aversions through unconscious social transmission pathways.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Future Research Directions</h2>



The study establishes a foundation for expanded investigation into real-time social modeling effects and cross-demographic applicability. Researchers emphasize the necessity for longitudinal studies examining actual consumption behaviors rather than preference ratings alone, particularly within family contexts where social learning occurs most frequently.



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Social modeling affects our food choices

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVywlgRJXsc Some children read facial expressions when making food choices....

<figure class="wp-block-embed 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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JynHpMaNO8A
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Chaotic cancer protein finally controlled after decades of mystery</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cancer-causing-protein-bound-and-blocked">Cancer-causing protein bound and blocked</h2>



In a discovery that can one day revolutionize cancer treatment, researchers at the <a href="https://www.ucr.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California, Riverside</a> have successfully developed a means of controlling MYC, a notoriously slippery protein that causes approximately <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chaotic-protein-that-fuels-75-of-cancers-can-be-controlled/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">75% of all cancers in humans</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-makes-myc-different">What makes MYC different</h2>



MYC presents a unique challenge when studying cancer. Normally, this protein plays a vital role in healthy cells. It carefully controls transcription - the process that converts genetic information from DNA and RNA into proteins.



However, cancer changes everything. In cancer cells, MYC becomes a destructive force. It operates in overdrive mode with no regulation whatsoever.



Professor Min Xue, who led the research team, explains it simply: "MYC is less like food for cancer cells and more like a steroid. It drives cancer's aggressive growth." This superactive behavior makes MYC involved in three out of every four cancer cases.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-myc-is-hard-to-target">Why MYC is hard to target</h2>



Despite its clear role in cancer, targeting MYC has been one of medicine's biggest challenges. The main problem lies in MYC's unusual structure - or rather, its complete lack of structure.



Professor Xue describes the protein as "basically a glob of randomness." This means conventional drug discovery methods don't work. These traditional approaches rely on sharply defined protein structures. MYC simply doesn't have one.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A New Approach to Fighting MYC</h2>



The UCR research team developed a clever solution. They designed a special peptide molecule that could selectively bind to MYC. More importantly, this peptide could block MYC's destructive activity.



The key was fine-tuning two specific features: the peptide's stiffness and its shape. Through careful adjustments, researchers achieved something remarkable. They reached "sub-micro-molar affinity" - meaning their peptide binds as strongly as antibodies do.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-breakthrough-results">Breakthrough results</h2>



This accomplishment represents a major leap beyond previous attempts. The researchers enhanced their peptide's binding strength by two orders of magnitude. This dramatic improvement brings the work significantly closer to practical drug development goals.



The research opens new possibilities for treating the vast majority of cancers where MYC plays a destructive role.



The researchers are presently optimizing peptide-delivery systems based on lipid nanoparticles that deliver the peptide effectively into cancer cells. The<a href="https://www.nih.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> National Institutes of Health</a> and the <a href="https://www.defense.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. Department of Defense</a> funded the study, which appeared in the Journal of the <a href="https://www.acs.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Chemical Society</a>. This research offers renewed hope against cancer, and it can potentially open a door to more effective cancer therapies for most cancer patients worldwide.



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The protein that fuels 3 out of 4 cancers has been controlled

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JynHpMaNO8A Chaotic cancer protein finally controlled after decades of mystery...

<figure class="wp-block-embed 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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE
</div></figure>



On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop and sunlight barely penetrates through the polar winter. It was here, however, that an international team of scientists found <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predatory-worms-were-terror-beasts-half-a-billion-years-ago/#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence of sea monsters</a> that would change our understanding of ocean life in the past.



This video captures the discovery of Timorebestia fossils that had been hidden for more than 500 million years in the Sirius Passet formation. The "terror beasts," as they are called, are a hidden chapter in the evolutionary history of <a href="https://www.earth.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth</a>, showing that sophisticated predator-prey interactions occurred much earlier than previously envisioned.



Dr. Jakob Vinther and his research team at the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bristol</a>, in collaboration with researchers at the <a href="https://eng.kopri.re.kr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Korean Polar Research Institute</a>, braved extreme weather conditions at 82.5 north latitude to locate these giant creatures. Using sophisticated electron microprobe analysis, they revealed the detailed anatomy of the animals, including their muscle and nerve tissues.



The find upsets the traditional timeline of sea predators. Although we've long appreciated that Cambrian oceans were at one time ruled by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWI3-UgA3_o&amp;list=PL1QLQMW9MWDwpkFOnvgAmu7wT6rZmYqdJ&amp;index=19" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">arthropods</a>, these discoveries indicate that relatives of arrow worms were first to dominate the seas. These worms were building sophisticated food webs several million years before other predator groups arose.



Each fossil is a story of ancient hunger, with fossil stomach contents revealing these meter-long beasts dined on heavily armored arthropods regularly, cementing their place as the ocean's first apex predators.



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop...

<figure class="wp-block-embed 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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">New York is the site of the world's oldest forest.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-385-million-year-old-trees-discovered">385-million-year-old trees discovered</h2>



Scientists have uncovered something extraordinary just two hours north of New York City. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-oldest-forest-discovered-close-to-new-york-city/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">world's oldest forest</a>, dating back 385 million years, offers a window into how Earth's first complex forests shaped our planet's atmosphere.



Located near <a href="https://townofcairo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cairo, New York</a>, in Greene County, these weren't merely primitive plants struggling to survive. These were sophisticated trees with root systems remarkably similar to modern forests. This ancient woodland predates dinosaurs by 140 million years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-cairo-forest-discovery">The Cairo forest discovery</h2>



385 million years ago, upstate New York was a tropical paradise near the equator. Thanks to continental drift, this ancient forest has traveled thousands of miles to its current location.



The fossil forest sits in an abandoned quarry, roughly half the size of a football field. This represents just a slice of what was likely a massive forest system stretching from New York into Pennsylvania.



Charles Ver Straeten, curator of sedimentary rocks at the <a href="https://www.nysm.nysed.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York State Museum</a>, made the discovery in 2009. While scouting the former highway department property, his trained eye spotted wandering patterns in the stone that looked like marine features.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-age-and-preservation">Revolutionary age and preservation</h2>



The site contains 385-million-year-old rocks with fossilized woody roots forming horizontal patterns up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) wide. As Christopher Berry, a paleobotanist at Cardiff University, explains: "You are walking through the roots of ancient trees."



This discovery pushes back advanced tree evolution by millions of years. The research, published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a> in December 2019, fundamentally changes our understanding of when complex forests first emerged.



Researchers believe a massive flood buried the forest floor, creating perfect fossilization conditions. Over millions of years, sediment hardened into rock, preserving these root patterns like nature's time capsule.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meet-archaeopteris-the-first-modern-tree">Meet Archaeopteris: the first modern tree</h2>



The star of this ancient forest is Archaeopteris – not to be confused with the feathered dinosaur Archaeopteryx. This tree was far older and more revolutionary.



William Stein from <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Binghamton University</a> describes the roots as "strikingly modern, essentially what you'd see outside in my yard right now." These weren't simple root systems you'd expect from ancient plants.



Some fossilized roots are six inches (15 centimeters) in diameter, forming 36-foot-wide (11-meter) patterns. These giants grew up to 65 feet (20 meters) tall with five-foot-diameter (1.5-meter) trunks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-changing-impact">Climate-changing impact</h2>



These trees fundamentally changed Earth's environment. Kevin Boyce, a Stanford University geoscientist, explains how their deep roots triggered "weathering," chemical reactions that pulled carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.



This process dropped atmospheric CO2 levels from 10-15 times higher than today to roughly modern concentrations. These ancient trees helped create atmospheric conditions that made complex life possible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-forest-ecosystem">Ancient forest ecosystem</h2>



The forest was remarkably diverse. Scientists identified Eospermatopteris, palm tree-like plants with short roots that reached 30 feet (9 meters) tall but lacked woody structure. The forest also housed cladoxylopsids and a mysterious third species still being studied.



All reproduced through spores rather than seeds – millions of years before seeds evolved. This tropical environment had no grass, flowers, or flying insects, just towering trees creating Earth's first complex forest canopy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientific-significance">Scientific significance</h2>



Before this finding, the Gilboa forest, located 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, held the "oldest forest" title. Cairo's trees are 2-3 million years older, showing that complex forest ecosystems developed much faster than scientists believed possible.



Patricia Gensel, a <a href="https://www.unc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of North Carolina</a> paleobotanist, notes: "The size of those root systems is really changing the picture. Even 20 years ago, researchers assumed trees with such complex root systems didn't evolve so early."



The Cairo site presents three unique root systems, suggesting Devonian period forests were diverse ecosystems with different trees occupying different environmental niches, much like today's forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-preservation-efforts">Modern preservation efforts</h2>



In 2022, New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey secured a $170,000 grant for the town of Cairo to construct specialized fencing around the fossil forest site. The town plans to conduct a feasibility study exploring the possibility of creating an educational center and working lab on-site.



Joe Hasenkopf, chair of the Cairo Planning Board, hopes to partner with educational institutions to create a research facility serving scientists, students, and the public.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-for-today-s-climate">Lessons for today's climate</h2>



Why does a 385-million-year-old forest matter today? It shows how dramatically forests can change Earth's climate. These ancient woodlands created the atmospheric conditions supporting complex life.



Understanding how prehistoric forests transformed the planet helps us appreciate modern forests' critical role in addressing climate change. Forests remain Earth's most effective carbon capture systems.



These prehistoric trees changed Earth's atmosphere by pulling massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the air. As we face modern climate challenges, this ancient forest reminds us of trees' incredible power to transform our planet's environment.



The next time you walk through a forest, remember you're experiencing an ecosystem whose blueprint was established 385 million years ago in upstate New York. These ancient pioneers didn't just survive – they thrived and changed the world forever.



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



-----



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ New York is the site of the world's oldest...

<figure class="wp-block-embed 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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Veg4HmmRVZY
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Our bodies hits two 'aging cliffs' at these ages.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientists-map-exact-ages-when-your-body-rapidly-ages">Scientists Map Exact Ages When Your Body Rapidly Ages</h2>



Scientists have <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-bodies-begin-breaking-down-two-very-precise-ages/#google_vignette">discovered that aging</a> isn't the gradual, steady process many assume it to be. Instead, researchers from Stanford Medicine have found that our bodies undergo dramatic molecular changes at two specific ages: 44 and 60. This research, published in Nature Aging, reveals that aging happens in sudden bursts rather than smooth transitions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-two-waves-of-rapid-aging">Two waves of rapid aging</h2>



The Stanford study tracked over 135,000 different molecules and microbes in 108 participants aged 25 to 75 over several years. Results showed that 81% of all molecules studied exhibited non-linear changes, meaning they shifted dramatically at certain ages rather than changing gradually over time.



Michael Snyder, chair of genetics at Stanford School of Medicine and the study's senior author, noted significant findings. "We're not just changing gradually over time; there are some really dramatic changes. It turns out the mid-40s is a time of dramatic change, as is the early 60s. And that's true no matter what class of molecules you look at."



The first wave of changes occurs around age 44, affecting molecules related to alcohol metabolism, caffeine processing, lipid <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/age-related-changes-in-metabolism-dont-match-our-expectations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">metabolism</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heart-disease-remains-the-leading-cause-of-death-worldwide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cardiovascular disease</a>, and skin and muscle function. The second wave hits around age 60, involving changes in carbohydrate metabolism, immune regulation, kidney function, and again cardiovascular and muscle health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happens-during-these-aging-bursts">What happens during these aging bursts</h2>



During the mid-40s transformation, researchers observed significant changes in how the body processes alcohol and fats. This period often coincides with increased stress levels in many people's lives, potentially contributing to lifestyle factors that accelerate these molecular shifts.



"It's possible some of these changes could be tied to lifestyle or behavioral factors that cluster at these age groups, rather than being driven by biological factors," Snyder explained. For instance, alcohol metabolism dysfunction might result from increased consumption during the typically stressful mid-40s period.



The changes at age 60 are perhaps less surprising, as this is when many age-related diseases begin to manifest more prominently. The molecular shifts affect immune function and kidney health, both critical for maintaining overall wellness as we enter our senior years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-latest-research-confirms-aging-patterns">Latest research confirms aging patterns</h2>



Recent 2025 studies have validated these findings. Research examining tissue samples from 76 people found similar aging patterns, noting an "inflection point" between ages 45 and 55.



Scientists discovered that blood vessels, particularly the aorta, age fastest among all body tissues. This vascular aging may drive aging in other body parts, highlighting cardiovascular health's central role in the aging process.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cellular-changes-and-microbiome-shifts">Cellular changes and microbiome shifts</h2>



The Stanford research revealed that these aging bursts affect our microbiome – the trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi living in and on our bodies. These microbial communities undergo substantial shifts during both aging periods, potentially affecting everything from digestion to immune function.



Additionally, researchers found that protein production and gene expression begin to fall out of sync as we age. This breakdown in cellular communication becomes especially pronounced during the two aging waves, contributing to the accumulation of damaged proteins associated with diseases such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alzheimers-may-not-be-brain-disorder-important-data-was-fabricated/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alzheimer's</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-health-implications-and-longevity-considerations">Health implications and longevity considerations</h2>



Understanding these aging patterns has important implications for healthcare strategies. Research suggests that people should pay particular attention to their health during their 40s and 60s, when these dramatic molecular changes occur.



Snyder emphasized the importance of proactive health measures. "I'm a big believer that we should try to adjust our lifestyles while we're still healthy," he noted. This might include increasing exercise to protect heart health and maintain muscle mass, or reducing alcohol consumption in the 40s as the body's ability to metabolize it declines.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-approaches-to-anti-aging-treatment">New approaches to anti-aging treatment</h2>



Aging research has seen notable advances in 2025. Harvard Medical School scientists developed chemical cocktails that reverse cellular aging without genetic modification. These six combinations restored aged cells to youthfulness in under a week, offering safer alternatives to gene therapy.



Researchers identified new biomarkers like "InflammAge," a saliva-based test measuring chronic inflammation associated with aging. This non-invasive approach could change how we monitor aging and intervention.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-directions-in-aging-research">Future directions in aging research</h2>



Emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, cellular reprogramming, and senolytic therapies, are opening new possibilities for extending healthspan. Companies develop treatments targeting aging's fundamental mechanisms rather than just managing age-related diseases.



The Stanford findings provide a roadmap for implementing preventive measures. Rather than waiting for symptoms, people can prepare for and potentially mitigate these predictable aging waves.



As aging understanding evolves, one thing becomes clear: aging isn't inevitable decline, but specific biological events we may learn to prevent or reverse. The key is recognizing when these transitions occur and taking proactive health steps during vulnerable periods.



The study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nataging" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Aging</a>.



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Scientists discover we age in bursts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Veg4HmmRVZY Our bodies hits two 'aging cliffs' at these ages....

<figure class="wp-block-embed 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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqlF0XKzHY4
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The hidden science behind tickling.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientists-discover-the-brain-s-tickling-command-center">Scientists discover the brain's 'tickling command center'</h2>



Researchers have finally solved one of humanity's most enduring mysteries: why we can't <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/after-centuries-of-debate-we-still-dont-know-how-tickling-works/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tickle</a> ourselves and what makes some people incredibly ticklish while others barely react? Recent scientific discoveries are revolutionizing our understanding of this peculiar human behavior.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-breakthrough-discovery-in-the-brain">Breakthrough discovery in the brain</h2>



In 2023, Dr. Michael Brecht's team at <a href="https://www.hu-berlin.de/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humboldt University</a>-<a href="https://www.hu-berlin.de/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Berlin</a> made a major discovery published in the <a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(22)01991-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">journal Neuron</a>. They identified the brain's actual "tickling command center" – specific neurons in a region called the periaqueductal gray that control both tickling responses and play behavior.



When researchers used cutting-edge optogenetic technology to shut down these neurons in laboratory rats, something remarkable happened. The animals completely lost their ability to be tickled or engage in playful behavior.



"We found that global blockade of the rat periaqueductal gray with either muscimol or lidocaine interfered with ticklishness and play," the research team reported in their study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-two-types-of-tickling-revealed">Two types of tickling revealed</h2>



What we call "tickling" is two completely different phenomena, according to the latest research. Light tickling – that feathery sensation that makes you want to scratch – is essentially your body's sophisticated bug detection system. This alerts you to potential insects or parasites on your skin.



Deep tickling – the kind that makes you laugh uncontrollably – involves complex brain circuits and is fundamentally social. You literally cannot tickle yourself with this type of stimulation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-self-tickling-is-impossible">Why self-tickling is impossible</h2>



Your cerebellum acts like a prediction machine, recent findings show. When you move your own hand to touch yourself, your brain generates precise predictions about what you will feel and then cancels out the tickling sensation through neural inhibition.



When someone else tickles you, your brain can't predict their movements, so the full tickling response activates. It's like your brain's way of distinguishing between self and others.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-individual-differences-explained">Individual differences explained</h2>



Individual differences in ticklishness depend on genetics, psychology, and even trust. Dr. Xinzhong Dong at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Johns Hopkins University</a> notes that people with denser nerve endings tend to be more sensitive.



Psychological factors matter just as much. You respond more strongly when tickled by people you trust, and anxiety completely shuts down tickling responses. This explains why the same physical stimulus can produce completely different reactions depending on who's doing the tickling.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-controlling-your-ticklishness">Controlling your ticklishness</h2>



Science offers answers for controlling your ticklishness. You can reduce tickling sensitivity through systematic desensitization – gradual exposure in controlled settings.



Dr. Konstantina Kilteni's 2025 research, published in <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adt0350" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>, reveals another technique: place your hand on the tickler's hand. This allows your brain to partially predict the sensations, reducing the tickling response by up to 90 percent.



"Your brain is essentially learning to override its own reflexes," Kilteni explained in her review of tickling research.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolutionary-purpose-discovered">Evolutionary purpose discovered</h2>



From an evolutionary perspective, tickling serves vital functions according to <a href="https://www.umd.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Maryland</a> researcher Dr. Robert Provine's extensive studies. It trains our defense reflexes for vulnerable body areas and facilitates social bonding between family members.



Tickling-induced laughter is actually one of the first forms of communication between infants and caregivers. "Tickle involves a neurological self/nonself discrimination, providing the most primitive social scenario," Provine noted in his research.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clinical-applications-emerge">Clinical applications emerge</h2>



Research shows people with autism spectrum disorder perceive touches as more ticklish than people without the condition. Investigating this difference could provide insight into brain differences and help advance autism research.



People with schizophrenia tend to experience self-touches similarly to external tickles, allowing them to essentially tickle themselves. This suggests altered sensory prediction mechanisms in the condition.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-animal-research-reveals-universal-nature">Animal research reveals universal nature</h2>



Scientists have discovered that many species beyond humans are ticklish. Rats emit ultrasonic "laughs" when tickled, while chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans all respond to tickling stimulation.



This widespread occurrence across species suggests that tickling serves fundamental biological and social functions that evolved long before humans developed complex language and culture.



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



Dr. Kilteni argues that tickling research deserves more scientific attention. "It is a complex interplay of motor, social, neurological, developmental, and evolutionary aspects," she stated in her recent review.



New haptic technologies and advanced research methodologies now permit scientists to investigate tickle sensation with unprecedented precision. Standardized experimental methods using mechanical tickling devices ensure consistent results across studies.



Recent findings published in Science Advances show that tickling research is opening new doors in neuroscience, potentially leading to a better understanding of social behavior, sensory processing, and neurological conditions.



-----



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Scientists solve the mystery of tickling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqlF0XKzHY4 The hidden science behind tickling. Scientists discover the brain's...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elr4948_uOU
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Dr. Ronald Mallett from the University of Connecticut reveals secret mission to create working time travel device.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-could-an-equation-truly-bend-time-a-physicist-s-decades-long-quest-to-rewrite-reality">Could an equation truly bend time? A physicist's decades-long quest to rewrite reality</h2>



Imagine the impossible: stepping back through time in a time machine, not in fantasy, but through a scientific endeavor driven by profound personal loss. For <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astrophysicist-says-hes-cracked-the-equation-for-time-travel/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Ronald Mallett</a>, a distinguished astrophysicist and professor emeritus at the <a href="https://uconn.edu/">University of Connecticut</a>, this deeply human longing has fueled a lifelong mission. He claims to have discovered the equation that could unlock temporal displacement, pushing boundaries once deemed purely science fiction.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-profound-grief-that-forged-a-vision">A profound grief that forged a vision</h2>



Mallett's extraordinary pursuit began with devastating tragedy in 1955. At merely 10 years old, he endured his father Boyd's sudden death—a television repairman whose passion for science had ignited a similar spark in his young son. Boyd Mallett, only 33, succumbed to a heart attack, leaving behind a grief-stricken child searching for solace.



That solace came through H.G. Wells' The Time Machine. Within its pages, Mallett found a captivating concept: "Time is only a kind of Space." These words transformed from a literary phrase into a guiding principle, becoming the driving force behind his unwavering commitment to unraveling time's fundamental mysteries.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-humble-beginnings-to-academic-heights">From humble beginnings to academic heights</h2>



Mallett's journey was far from straightforward. After serving in the Air Force during the Vietnam War era, he utilized the GI Bill for higher education, earning his Ph.D. in physics from Pennsylvania State University in 1973 at the age of 28.



In 1975, he made history as the first African American professor in the University of Connecticut's physics department, achieving full professorship in 1987 before retiring in 2024 as professor emeritus.



Throughout these successful academic years, Mallett harbored his radical ambition as a closely guarded secret. "I kept my time travel goal a secret," he confessed. "I worried people would think I was nuts." His public research centered on black holes, serving as a "cover story" while he quietly developed his revolutionary time travel theory.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-breakthrough-moment">The breakthrough moment</h2>



His pivotal insight arrived while hospitalized for a heart condition—a profound irony given his father's heart attack started this journey. The breakthrough was elegantly simple yet revolutionary: "If gravity can bend time, and light can create gravity, then light can bend time."



"It turns out that black holes can create a gravitational field that could lead to the creation of time loops that could allow us to go back in time," he explained.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-blueprint-for-a-temporal-vortex">The blueprint for a temporal vortex</h2>



Mallett's vision for a functioning time machine replicates spacetime-warping phenomena around black holes. He offers a compelling analogy: "Picture a cup of coffee. Stir it with a spoon, and the coffee swirls. A spinning black hole does the same to spacetime."



In Einstein's general relativity, the universe is a dynamic fabric woven from space and time. Massive objects like black holes warp this fabric—an effect we perceive as gravity. Mallett theorizes that an intense, continuous, circulating beam of light from a ring of powerful lasers could replicate this gravitational torsion, effectively twisting time into a loop.



This "time loop" would theoretically allow information—or perhaps matter—to travel backward in time. He detailed this mathematical concept in his 2006 autobiography, Time Traveler: A Scientist's Personal Mission to Make Time Travel a Reality.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-published-research-and-recognition">Published research and recognition</h2>



His work, published in respected journals including <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/physics-letters-a" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Physics Letters A</a> and <a href="https://link.springer.com/journal/10701" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Foundations of Physics</a>, suggests circulating laser light could generate gravitational fields potent enough to create closed timelike curves, enabling time travel for data.



Mallett's research has gained worldwide media attention, featured on <a href="https://www.thisamericanlife.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Public Radio's This American Life</a>, the <a href="https://www.history.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">History Channel</a>, and <a href="https://www.today.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NBC's Today Show</a>. The widespread interest reflects both his compelling personal story and rigorous scientific approach.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-galactic-hurdles-and-persistent-skepticism">The galactic hurdles and persistent skepticism</h2>



While Mallett's equations captivate imagination, the path to reality faces immense obstacles. The energy requirement is staggering—Mallett acknowledges needing "galactic amounts of energy," far beyond current technological capabilities.



There's also a poignant limitation: even if realized, his machine could only send information back to when it was first activated, meaning it couldn't transport him to 1955 to prevent his father's death.



The scientific community remains skeptical. Physicists Ken Olum and Allen Everett argue that Mallett's proposed laser ring would need to be larger than the observable universe to achieve the necessary spacetime distortion. They invoke Stephen Hawking's chronology protection conjecture, suggesting physics may prevent macroscopic time travel.



Astrophysicist Paul Sutter has voiced doubts about Mallett's underlying mathematics, while science writer Brian Clegg finds the concept intriguing enough to warrant experimental investigation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-legacy-that-transcends-time">A legacy that transcends time</h2>



Now approaching 80, Dr. Mallett remains steadfast. "I believe my work will show time travel is possible," he asserts. "Future generations will build on it in ways we can't yet imagine."



His equations, though yet to physically bend time, have bent our collective imagination. Ongoing public interest, evidenced by his continued media appearances and Spike Lee's film adaptation of his memoir, underscores his ideas' profound impact.



More than a scientific pursuit, Mallett's story testifies to human resilience, intellectual courage, and hope's enduring power. Whether his theoretical time machine ever materializes, his legacy is immeasurable—inspiring countless individuals to challenge conventional limits and perceive time not as an unyielding barrier, but as a boundless frontier awaiting exploration.







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Retired professor claims he solved time travel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elr4948_uOU Dr. Ronald Mallett from the University of Connecticut reveals...

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</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-don-t-we-ever-hear-about-acid-rain-anymore-the-environmental-crisis-that-was-solved">Why don't we ever hear about "acid rain" anymore? The environmental crisis that was solved</h2>



Remember the 1980s when acid rain dominated headlines? Dire warnings about rain eating buildings, killing fish, and destroying forests filled every news cycle. Then, almost like magic, acid rain vanished from public discourse. What happened? Did we actually solve one of the late 20th century's most pressing environmental challenges?



The answer might surprise you. Unlike many environmental issues that drag on indefinitely, acid rain represents one of modern history's most successful ecological recovery stories. It's a tale of science, politics, and technology working together to tackle what seemed impossible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What was acid rain?</h2>



Acid rain isn't regular rain having a bad day – it's precipitation that became significantly more acidic due to air pollution. When power plants, factories, and vehicles burn fossil fuels, they release sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The science behind it</h2>



Think of acid rain as nature's chemistry experiment gone wrong. These compounds react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. When mixed with water vapor in clouds, they create precipitation with dangerously low pH levels.



While clean rain has a pH of about 5.6, acid rain could drop as low as 4.2 to 4.4 – roughly as acidic as tomato juice or coffee. According to US Geological Survey documentation, Scottish chemist Angus Smith first coined "acid rain" in 1872, but it didn't become a household phrase until the 1960s and 1970s when Swedish scientist Svante Odén documented its devastating effects on Scandinavian lakes and European forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The crisis at its peak</h2>



During the height of public concern, environmental damage was both widespread and visible. This wasn't some abstract future threat – people could see destruction happening in real-time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Environmental devastation</h2>



The most dramatic impacts were impossible to ignore. Research documented by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation shows that in the Adirondack Mountains, more than 200 lakes became so acidic they couldn't support fish life. The Adirondack Council reports that 409 lakes once supported brook trout, but many lost their fish populations due to acid rain.



By 1976, when scientists cataloged all acidified lakes in the Adirondack Park, researchers found that half of the lakes over 2,000 feet above sea level had no fish, according to studies published in environmental journals. The acidification process worked like a slow-motion disaster. As acid rain fell into watersheds, it gradually lowered pH levels. Fish couldn't survive in acidic water, and their food sources died off too.



Trees at high elevations showed stress directly linked to acid rain. It weakened them by leaching nutrients and making them susceptible to disease. Historical records show Germany's Black Forest saw nearly half its trees damaged by the mid-1980s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic impact</h2>



Acid rain wasn't just environmental – it was expensive. Acidic precipitation corroded infrastructure, buildings, and monuments. Historic stone structures deteriorated at accelerated rates. Tourism suffered as lakes became fishless and forests declined. EPA economic analyses from the period documented repair costs mounting into billions annually.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The solution: government action and technology</h2>



Transformation from crisis to success required unprecedented cooperation between governments, industries, and environmental groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Clean Air Act of 1990</h2>



The turning point came with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, signed by President George H.W. Bush. This represented a fundamentally new approach to environmental regulation, as documented in EPA historical records.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cap-and-trade success</h2>



Instead of mandating specific technologies, the 1990 amendments introduced something revolutionary: a cap-and-trade system for sulfur dioxide emissions. EPA program documentation shows this market-based approach set overall limits but allowed companies to trade emission allowances.



The genius was harnessing market forces to find cost-effective pollution reduction. Companies reducing emissions cheaply could sell excess allowances to those facing higher costs. Research published in environmental economics journals and EPA progress reports shows this resulted in dramatic SO2 reduction at a fraction of projected costs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Technology advances</h2>



Policy provided the framework, but technology made reductions possible. Studies in atmospheric science journals document the widespread adoption of flue gas desulfurization systems ("scrubbers") that removed sulfur dioxide before it reached the atmosphere. By the 2000s, new installations could remove over 95% of SO2 emissions, according to EPA technical reports.



The push coincided with cleaner energy development. Natural gas produces fewer sulfur compounds than coal. Wind and solar, emerging in the 1990s, captured growing market share, reducing reliance on high-sulfur coal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-we-don-t-hear-about-it-today">Why we don't hear about it today</h2>



Why did acid rain disappear from headlines? Simple: the problem was largely solved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Success doesn't make news</h2>



There's an old journalism saying: "If it bleeds, it leads." Environmental success stories don't generate urgency like crisis reporting. Media attention shifted to other challenges: climate change, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss. There's only so much environmental anxiety the public can absorb, and newer concerns replaced acid rain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mission accomplished</h2>



The primary reason is beautifully simple: interventions worked. EPA monitoring data shows sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990. Academic research published in environmental science journals confirms pH levels in formerly affected areas returned closer to normal. This represents one of history's most dramatic environmental recoveries. Studies by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation show fishless lakes now support healthy populations. Forests recovered, and building damage slowed dramatically.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-it-really-gone">Is it really gone?</h2>



The crisis is largely resolved, but monitoring data shows the problem isn't completely eliminated – it's managed to acceptable levels. Some areas still experience occasional events during high pollution periods. International environmental research indicates that rapidly industrializing Asian countries face similar problems to what we experienced decades ago, though they're implementing successful strategies.



EPA research shows nitrogen oxide emissions proved more challenging than sulfur dioxide, coming from vehicles and mobile sources. Climate science studies suggest changing weather patterns add complexity to how acid rain forms and falls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What this teaches us</h2>



The acid rain experience proves that seemingly intractable environmental problems can be solved with scientific understanding, political will, and technological innovation. Environmental monitoring data shows recovery speed was remarkable – within a decade, measurable improvements appeared in air quality and ecosystem health.



Success came from bipartisan support across party lines. Policy analysis studies show the market-based approach appealed to those preferring economic incentives while achieving environmental goals. This support created lasting policy surviving political changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h2>



Acid rain's disappearance from public consciousness represents environmental science's greatest success stories. Through effective regulation, technological innovation, and international cooperation, we transformed an overwhelming crisis into a manageable challenge.



Today's silence isn't because we forgot – it's because we solved it. The 1990 Clean Air Act, combined with technology and energy market changes, reduced acid rain emissions over 90%, according to comprehensive EPA data analysis.



This success offers hope for current challenges. It proves complex problems can be solved when science, policy, and technology work together. As we face climate change and plastic pollution, acid rain reminds us that dramatic positive change is possible.



Next time someone asks whether environmental regulations work, remember acid rain. It's proof that sometimes, we get it right.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Sources: This article draws from EPA official documentation and progress reports, peer-reviewed research published in environmental and atmospheric science journals, historical data from the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation records, US Geological Survey publications, policy analysis studies, and environmental monitoring data collected over three decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



1. Is acid rain completely gone? No, but EPA monitoring shows it's reduced to manageable levels. US sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990, making acid rain much less severe than the 1980s crisis.



2. How long did solving take? Environmental monitoring data shows significant improvements began within 5-10 years of 1990s emission controls. Full ecosystem recovery took longer – some areas need 20-30 years for complete recovery.



3. What made the solution successful? Clear scientific understanding, visible damage motivating action, bipartisan support, available technology, and innovative market-based policies like cap-and-trade.



4. Do other countries have acid rain problems? Yes, particularly rapidly industrializing Asian countries. However, international environmental research shows many implement similar successful control strategies.



5. Could acid rain return? Potentially, if regulations weaken or we return to high-sulfur coal without controls, though effects would take years to become severe according to environmental projections.



6. Can you recommend any teaching tools on the subject of "acid rain"? The United States Environmental Protection Agency produced a wonderful teacher's guide for ages 14 and under that you can find on the EPA website here: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf</a>



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The environmental problem we actually solved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk Acid rain and a crisis solved. Why don't we...

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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features 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

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.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?

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features 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



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Santiago, Chile in South America

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