A recent study by Princeton neuroscientists introduces a novel mathematical model that sheds light on how the brain integrates sensory cues - such as sights and sounds - when making decisions.&nbsp;



The findings, published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41593-025-01869-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Neuroscience</a>, could deepen our understanding of neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s and may also help improve artificial intelligence systems, such as digital assistants and self-driving cars.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-conflicting-sensory-information">Conflicting sensory information</h2>



Everyday decisions require the brain to juggle multiple sensory inputs. A commuter walking to work, for instance, might see a glowing crosswalk signal indicating it is safe to cross.&nbsp;



At the same time, they may hear the blaring siren of an ambulance approaching the intersection, forcing them to reassess their decision.



While scientists have long studied how the brain processes such competing signals, the precise mechanisms remain unclear.



One crucial region for decision-making is the prefrontal cortex, located just behind the eyes. This area is often regarded as the center of higher cognition. Previous studies have shown that neurons in the prefrontal cortex respond in complex ways during decision-making. 



For example, some <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-cells-communicate-to-support-decision-making/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">neurons</a> may fire only when a green traffic light appears and a car is blocking the crosswalk. However, a comprehensive model explaining how these neurons collectively process sensory information to generate behavioral decisions has remained elusive.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-new-model-to-explain-brain-circuitry">A new model to explain brain circuitry</h2>



Various mathematical models have been developed to explain how neural circuits link <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/emotions-sensory-perception-brain-fascinating-interplay/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sensory information</a> to behavior, each with its limitations.&nbsp;



One commonly used approach involves recurrent neural networks - models with interconnected units designed to simulate decision-making. However, these models are often difficult to interpret due to the complexity of their connections.



In their latest study, postdoctoral researcher Christopher Langdon and assistant professor of neuroscience Tatiana Engel - both from <a href="https://www.princeton.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Princeton University</a> - propose a new framework called the latent circuit model.



Instead of analyzing the entire brain network in overwhelming detail, Langdon and Engel suggest focusing on a few key neurons that act as “ringleaders” in decision-making, influencing the behavior of the entire network.&nbsp;



This approach, known as a low-dimensional mechanism, seeks to identify a small number of core processes that drive neural decision-making.



“The goal of the research was to understand if low-dimensional mechanisms were operating inside large recurrent neural networks,” Langdon said.



To test their hypothesis, the researchers applied the latent circuit model to a context-dependent decision-making task performed by humans, monkeys, and computer models.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-testing-the-decision-making-model-nbsp">Testing the decision-making model&nbsp;</h2>



In the experiment, participants were first shown a context cue - either a square or a triangle. Next, they saw a moving grid, which acted as the sensory cue.&nbsp;



Depending on the shape they were initially shown, participants had to focus on either the color (red vs. green) or the motion (left vs. right) of the grid to make their decision.



Using the latent circuit model, Langdon and Engel found that when motion was the relevant cue, neurons processing shape information suppressed those that processed color. The opposite occurred when color was the critical cue.



“It was very exciting to find an interpretable, concrete mechanism hiding inside a big network,” Langdon said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mapping-decision-making-in-the-brain">Mapping decision-making in the brain</h2>



The latent circuit model allows researchers to predict how decision-making changes when specific neural connections are strengthened or removed. By testing these predictions, scientists can verify whether the underlying connectivity is truly necessary for the task.



Indeed, the study confirmed that task performance deteriorated in predictable ways when certain neural connections were disrupted.



“The cool thing about our new work is that we showed how you can translate all those things that you can do with a circuit onto a big network,” Langdon said.&nbsp;



“When you build a small neural circuit by hand, there’s lots of things you can do to convince yourself you understand it. You can play with connections and perturb nodes, and have some idea what should happen to behavior when you play with the circuit in this way.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-neuroscience-and-ai">Implications for neuroscience and AI</h2>



With the human brain containing more neurons than there are stars in the Milky Way, understanding its complexity is a daunting challenge.&nbsp;



However, the latent circuit model opens new possibilities for studying how groups of interconnected neurons give rise to decision-making processes.



Disruptions in decision-making are a hallmark of numerous neurological and mental health disorders, including <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eating-fruit-can-protect-you-from-late-life-depression/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">depression</a>, schizophrenia, and ADHD. By revealing the mathematical computations that drive decision-making, this model may help researchers understand these conditions more effectively.



Beyond neuroscience, these insights could also enhance <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lawless-superintelligence-zero-evidence-ai-control-possible/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">artificial intelligence</a>. AI-driven systems, from digital assistants like Alexa to self-driving cars, rely on decision-making algorithms. Understanding how the human brain efficiently processes information could lead to more adaptable and intelligent AI systems.



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



The next phase of research will involve applying the latent circuit model to other commonly studied decision-making tasks.



“A lot of the tightly controlled decision-making tasks that experimentalists study, I believe that they likely have relatively simple latent mechanisms,” Langdon said. “My hope is that we can start looking for these mechanisms now in those datasets.”



By refining this approach, neuroscientists aim to unlock more secrets of how the brain translates complex sensory inputs into clear, decisive actions.



-----



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Key neurons act as 'ringleaders' to guide decision-making

A recent study by Princeton neuroscientists introduces a novel mathematical model that sheds light on how the brain integrates sensory cues - such as sights and sounds - when making decisions.&nbsp; The findings, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, could deepen our understanding of neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s and may also help improve artificial intelligence systems, such as digital assistants and self-driving cars. Conflicting sensory information Everyday decisions require the brain to juggle multiple sensory inputs. A commuter walking to work, for instance, might see a glowing...

Power was partially restored in Taiwan on Friday after a powerful typhoon slammed into the island's eastern coast with ferocious winds and torrential rains, killing two people and injuring 72. Super Typhoon Nepartak slams Taiwan

Typhoon Nepartak made landfall early morning in Taitung county, grounding planes and fishing boats. More than 15,000 people were evacuated. Super Typhoon Nepartak slams Taiwan

In the Philippine capital Manila and outlying provinces, government work and classes were suspended Friday as typhoon-induced <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sonoran-monsoon-blaming-climate-change/">monsoon</a> rains drenched many regions. Rescuers used rubber boats to move people around in waist-high floodwaters.

By late morning, Nepartak had weakened to a medium-strength typhoon, packing maximum sustained winds of 163 kilometers (100 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 230 kph (143 mph), Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau said. It was forecast to reach mainland China's Fujian province Saturday morning.

In Taiwan, about 430,000 households were affected by power cuts, but half of them had electricity restored in the afternoon.

The island's railway services also have been suspended, while more than 600 domestic and international flights were canceled on Friday.

Although the typhoon was losing power, disaster response officials said they remained concerned that the heavy rains would trigger floods and landslides in the rugged terrain.

<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan">Taiwanese</a> authorities reported that more than 15,400 people have been evacuated from 14 counties and cities.

Nepartak is a Micronesian word for a local warrior.

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Associated Press writer Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, contributed to this report.

© 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Super Typhoon Nepartak slams Taiwan

Power was partially restored in Taiwan on Friday after a...

Desert woman thirsty dehydrated in Death Valley

Study examines contribution of human activity to extreme hot weather. Climate study examines contribution of human activity to extreme hot weather events in Central Paris and Greater London during summer 2003

Combining climate and mortality data, researchers have estimated that 315 deaths in Greater London and 735 deaths in Central Paris can be strongly linked to the 2003 heatwave that set record-breaking temperatures across Europe. Taking their analysis a step further, they determine that 64 (± 3) deaths from the London dataset and 506 (± 51) deaths from the Paris dataset are attributable to anthropogenic climate change, which increased the risk of heat related mortality by 20% and 70%, respectively, in the two cities. The team, led by scientists from the University of Oxford and Public Health<a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=england&amp;cvid=b768c801005a428e80dd62b731bee3ca&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS"> England</a>, has reported its latest findings in the journal Environmental Research Letters.

Quantifying the impact of changes in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/switchgrass-could-be-a-major-weapon-in-the-fight-against-climate-change/">climate</a> on mortality will allow agencies to make more accurate emergency plans for extreme weather events and build a stronger case for longer term action, but there are hurdles to overcome. Study examines contribution of human activity to extreme hot weather

"Deaths are usually recorded as being due to a specific cause such as cardiovascular disease or cancer, which makes it difficult to make a direct connection between deaths recorded during a heatwave and exposure to heat specifically," explained Clare Heaviside of Public Health England's Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards. "So in order to calculate the number of deaths which can be attributed to the heatwave, we use a statistical relationship which relates increases in temperature above a certain threshold, to an increase in the number of deaths typically expected on a particular day of the year."

The temperature-mortality relationship depends on many factors. To improve the quality of the analysis, data is calculated separately for each region or city. The next step is to establish the coefficient relating high temperature and increased mortality and apply this expression to a period of hot weather (in this case the summer of 2003) to estimate how many deaths during this timescale can be attributed to heat.

To establish the proportion of these deaths that are due to human factors such as raised atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations (GHGs), the scientists run climate models for the baseline year (2003) according to different scenarios reflecting 'actual' and 'natural' conditions. "Under the simulations with pre-industrial levels of GHGs, the probabilities of extreme temperatures are lower," commented Heaviside. "To determine the influence of changed atmospheric gas composition on heat-related mortality, we combine the climate projections with our statistical mortality relationship."

Thanks to a large ensemble of simulations the team is able to capture the statistical distribution of extreme temperature events in great detail, but the researchers couldn't complete this task without the help of the public. "Our analysis is based on a citizen science activity, where individuals donate spare computing power to perform simulations as a screensaver, returning projections to the University of Oxford once the climate model has finished running," said Daniel Mitchell of the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford. "The total computing time to run all the simulations would be around 250 years if you had to perform the calculations on a single home PC."

Using the modelled data, the group has the potential to extend its analysis to include other cities, and also examine human factors in more detail. "In the future, we may investigate the partitioning of emissions between different sectors - for example, transport, industry and others, to see how the various sectors contribute to the effects of climate change," added Heaviside.

Study examines contribution of human activity to extreme hot weather

Study examines contribution of human activity to extreme hot weather....

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NASA sees Hurricane Blas weakening. Hurricane Blas is weakening in the Eastern <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=pacific&amp;form=EDGEAR&amp;qs=PF&amp;cvid=47aed0f7cf8245a98d9100af9aae27ea&amp;cc=US&amp;setlang=en-US&amp;elv=AY3%21uAY7tbNNZGZ2yiGNjfOabOUBoozd5xZV3aGO2sgHthXTivQYY8RTI5Ip0v2rnZZNHvbkxJBbF05agFYOhkh0O8UoWUS1Q*akkS9rPfv0&amp;plvar=0&amp;PC=HCTS">Pacific Ocean</a> and when the Suomi NPP satellite passed overhead visible imagery showed that the eye of the storm had become filled with high clouds. Infrared imagery, however, still revealed a pinhole eye as the eye was becoming cloud-filled.

On July 7 at 21:40 UTC (5:21 p.m. EDT) the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard NASA-NOAA-DOD's Suomi NPP satellite captured a visible image of Hurricane Blas in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The image showed that Blas' eye had become filled over with high clouds as the storm started to weaken. NASA sees Hurricane Blas weakening the whole coastline that it is on.

A pinhole or small eye in Blas was seen on infrared imagery taken on July 7 at 21:40 UTC (5:21 p.m. EDT) from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument that flies aboard NASA's Aqua satellite. The AIRS data showed powerful thunderstorms with cloud top temperatures as cold as minus 63 Fahrenheit (minus 53 Celsius) circling the small eye.

At 5 a.m. EDT (0900 UTC) on Friday, July 8, 2016 the center of Hurricane Blas was located near latitude 17.4 north and longitude 129.4 west. That's about 1,320 miles (2,120 km) west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California, Mexico. Blas was moving toward the west-northwest near 10 mph (17 kph). The National Hurricane Center expects a turn toward the northwest later in the day, and this motion is expected to continue through Saturday. A turn back toward the west-northwest is forecast Saturday night.

The estimated minimum central pressure is 972 millibars. Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 105 mph (165 kph).

Rapid weakening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Blas is expected to weaken to a tropical storm tonight. NHC expects Blas to become a post-tropical cyclone Sunday night or Monday, July 11. For updated forecasts visit the NHC website: <a href="http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.nhc.noaa.gov</a>


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NASA sees Hurricane Blas weakening

NASA sees Hurricane Blas weakening. Hurricane Blas is weakening in...

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Satellite sees Hurricane Celia moving away from Mexico. Tropical Storm Celia strengthened into a hurricane over the weekend of July 9 and 10 and NOAA's GOES-West satellite provided a visible look at the storm early on July 11.

A visible image of Hurricane Celia was taken from NOAA's GOES-West satellite on July 11 at 1200 UTC (8 a.m. EDT). Forecaster Stewart at the National Hurricane Center noted "after developing what had been a decent looking eye with a diameter of about 20 nautical miles, dry air has once again penetrated into the inner-core region and has eroded most of the eyewall convection."

NOAA manages the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA</a>/NOAA's GOES Project at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland uses the data from them to create images and animations.Satellite sees Hurricane Celia moving away from Mexico

At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) on July 11, the center of Hurricane Celia was located near 15.1 north latitude and 125.5 west longitude, about 1,150 miles (1,850 km) west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California, Mexico. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that Celia was moving toward the west near 13 mph (20 kph), and this motion is expected to continue today. A turn toward the west-northwest with a slight decrease in forward speed is forecast tonight.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 90 mph (150 kph) and some additional strengthening is expected today. Slow weakening is forecast to begin on Tuesday. The estimated minimum central pressure is 977 millibars.

For updated forecasts, visit the NHC website: <a href="http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.nhc.noaa.gov</a>


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Satellite sees Hurricane Celia moving away from Mexico

Satellite sees Hurricane Celia moving away from Mexico. Tropical Storm...

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Subtropical weather in Cornwall could mean exotic new crops. The subtropical weather in Cornwall means new exotic crops such as quinoa and Japanese persimmon are now more likely to succeed, according to a new technique developed by University of Exeter experts to monitor the climate.

Parts of Cornwall have become subtropical since 2000 and this could create opportunities to grow new, unusual plants. Sunflowers, maize, grapevines and tea are already grown in the Duchy.

Researchers from the Environment and Sustainability Institute in Penryn, Cornwall, have developed new techniques for modelling local microclimates. The models capture the effects of terrain, sea temperatures, altitude and soil properties to predict local temperatures, which can differ greatly from those measured at weather stations.

Using these models, they have been able to identify particularly mild parts of the landscape that would be most suitable for growing unusual crops associated with warmer climates. Sheltered coastal valleys are often buffered from the coldest temperatures by the more stable sea temperatures, and south-facing slopes are often up to 15 degrees warmer than the surrounding landscape.

The model shows that the amount by which temperatures have increased over the last 40 years has varied across the county, as Cornwall has become sunnier as well as warmer, but some locations have benefited from this more than others.

Dr Ilya Maclean, a Senior Lecturer in Natural<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/lakes-green-environment/"> Environment</a> who lead the research, said: "While sub-tropical conditions may create opportunities to grow exotic crops, the lower frequency of frosts is also making Cornwall more susceptible to invasive species. As the temperatures continue to warm, we need to ensure we manage the risks carefully as well as capitalising on the opportunities. This will require scientists to continue to work hand-in-hand with the horticultural sector."

The techniques build on those first developed by geographer Glenn Thomas Trewartha, of Cornish-American descent, who in 1966 developed the world famous classification system for grouping climates into polar, boreal, temperate, subtropical and tropical.

Using this system, regions in which temperatures are 10ºC or greater for 4-7 months of the year are considered temperate, and those with temperatures of 10ºC or greater for more than 7 months of the year are considered subtropical. At that time the system was developed Cornwall lay firmly in the temperate zone.

Climate change impacts and adaptive strategies: lessons from the grapevine is published in the journal Global Change Biology.


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Subtropical weather in Cornwall could mean exotic new crops

Subtropical weather in Cornwall could mean exotic new crops. The...

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Movie shows Tropical Cyclone Blas fading. An animation of visible and infrared imagery from NOAA's GOES-West satellite from July 9 to July 11 shows Tropical Cyclone Blas weakening to a remnant followed by a strengthening Tropical Cyclone Celia.

The animation shows that Blas had weakened from a tropical storm to a tropical depression by 5 a.m. EDT (0900 UTC) on Sunday, July 10, 2016. At that time, maximum sustained winds had decreased to near 35 mph (55 kph).NOAA manages the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites, and NASA/NOAA's GOES Project at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland uses the data from them to create images and animations.

By 11 a.m. EDT on July 10 Blas was considered a post-tropical storm. At that time, the center of Post-Tropical <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/tropical-cyclone-eloise-in-the-mozambique-channel/">Cyclone</a> Blas was located near 21.3 north latitude and 136.3 west longitude. The post-tropical cyclone was moving toward the west near 10 mph (17 kph).

By July 11, Blas' remnants were growing weaker and still moving in a westerly direction in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The remnants are expected to dissipate in a couple of days. Atlantic Pronunciation Guide (PDF) Since 1953, <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=atlantic+ocean&amp;cvid=c5aa8d42b04340f88e5891d94429d1c4&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Atlantic</a> tropical storms had been named from lists originatedby the National Hurricane Center. They are now maintained and updated througha strict procedure by an international committee of the World Meteorological Organization. The six lists above are used in rotation and re-cycled every six years, i.e., the 2019 list will be used again in 2025. The only time that there is a change in the list is if a storm is so deadlyor costly that the future use.


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Movie shows Tropical Cyclone Blas fading

&nbsp; Movie shows Tropical Cyclone Blas fading. An animation of...

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Study: Changes in cloud patterns are warming the planet. Scientists have found that changes in cloud patterns during the last three decades match those predicted by climate model simulations. These cloud changes are likely to have had a warming effect on the planet.

Records of cloudiness from satellites originally designed to monitor weather are plagued by erroneous variability related to changes in satellite orbit, instrument calibration and other factors, so the team used a new technique to remove the variability from the records. The corrected satellite records exhibited large-scale patterns of cloud change between the 1980s and 2000s that are consistent with climate model predictions, including poleward retreat of mid-latitude storm tracks, expansion of subtropical dry zones and increasing height of the highest cloud tops.

The research from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, Riverside and Colorado State University appears in the July 11 edition of the journal, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nature-walks-help-relieve-work-related-stress/">Nature</a>.

"What this paper brings to the table is the first credible demonstration that the cloud changes we expect from climate models and theory are currently happening," said study lead author Joel Norris, a climate researcher at Scripps.

Clouds substantially impact Earth's energy budget by reflecting solar radiation back to space (the albedo effect) and by restricting emission of thermal radiation to space. Most of the uncertainty in how much the planet will warm in response to greenhouse gas emissions is due to uncertainty in how clouds will respond and impact Earth's energy budget.

"After the spurious trends were removed, we saw consistent responses among several independent datasets and with model simulations," said Mark Zelinka, an LLNL scientist and co-author of the paper. "That is a nice confirmation of the models' predictions, at least for the types of cloud changes that models agree on."

The authors also were able to assess the causes of the observed cloud trends using a variety of climate model simulations with and without influences of humans, volcanoes and other factors.

"If models are correct, the observed cloud trends are very unlikely to have been caused by natural climate variability," said Stephen Klein, another LLNL scientist involved in the research. "Rather, we found that increasing greenhouse gas concentrations and a recovery from volcanic radiative cooling are the primary causes in these decades."

The scientists expect the cloud trends to continue in the future as the planet continues to warm due to increasing greenhouse gas concentrations.
###
The research is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Energy Office of Science and NASA.

Founded in 1952, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is a national security laboratory, with a mission to ensure national security and apply science and technology to the important issues of our time. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is managed by Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.

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Study: Changes in cloud patterns are warming the planet

Study: Changes in cloud patterns are warming the planet. Scientists...

Sea level rise is causing health issues. The Florida Institute for Health Innovation released a report today on communities from Palm Beach to Key West with the greatest risk for adverse health effects of sea level rise. In conjunction with the South Florida Regional Planning Council and Florida Atlantic University's Center for Environmental Studies, Florida Institute for Health Innovation mapped zones most prone to environmental sea level rise impacts, described associated public health risks and identified the region's socially, economically and medically vulnerable communities most susceptible to sea level rise health effects.
Using an innovative public health framework developed by the <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/florida-and-the-everglades-national-park/">Florida</a> Institute for Health Innovation, the research provides a foundation for health-related climate change studies. It informs adaptation, mitigation and infrastructure planning and provides a new method for linking socio-economic vulnerability and health risks to climate change effects. It also includes a tool kit with recommendations for local decision makers and planners. <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=sea&amp;cvid=c7a7d8a90aa8478ea40290a49e47523a&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Sea</a> level rise is causing health issues

Funded by the Kresge Foundation, the study findings provide significant indicators for communities and their socio-economic levels. It is also the beginning of better detection and monitoring of vector-borne illnesses such as the Zika virus and chikungunya fever.

"Sea level rise represents an unexpected public health concern," said Roderick King, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and CEO of the Florida Institute for Health Innovation. "We normally think of populations with the lowest socio-economic status as being the most vulnerable, due to lack of financial resources to pay for health care. In the case of sea level rise, the most vulnerable turn out to be the wealthier populations who can afford to live close to the ocean. They may also be older, with health issues that require regular treatment, and if they can't access health care because the streets are flooded, it poses a significant problem."

A result of two years of cross-sector research and outreach, the study, titled Health and Sea-level rise: Impacts on South Florida, serves as a guide for all coastal communities. Newly established vulnerability indicators include flooding risk; educational attainment, income and race; emergency department visits and hospitalizations due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and pneumonia, giardiasis, and healthcare access. Using these results, researchers mapped "hot-spots" in the region to be considered for Adaptation Action Areas, governmentally designated areas that experience sea-level rise impacts and coastal flooding.

Director of FAU's Center for Environmental Studies, Colin Polsy, Ph.D. stated: "The human health impacts from climate change is a relatively under-researched area, especially as applied to South Florida. The report reflects a significant positive step towards improving South Florida's coastal resilience with applicability to other regions."

Providing a next step for regional resiliency planning, the study directly addresses multiple recommendations outlined in the 2012 Regional Climate Action Plan led by the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact.

"This is an important new study that will support ongoing regional and local resilience planning initiatives," stated Jim Murley, Chief Resilience Officer for Miami-Dade County. "It informs our efforts by stressing the link between climate change impacts and public health."

###

The research team will host a webinar discussion of findings, methodology and implications for resiliency late summer, early fall. To receive webinar notifications and other briefings on the subject, please email info@flhealthinnovation.org.

About the Florida Institute for Health Innovation

The Florida Institute for Health Innovation (FIHI) believes that today's health challenges require a new way of working based on shared leadership, aligning root causes and strategy, and measurable results. A nonprofit public health institute, FIHI aims to achieve health equity for Florida's most vulnerable by addressing upstream factors that contribute to health. FIHI's mission states: Creating healthy and sustainable communities by championing innovative public health policy and cross-sector collaboration. They achieve this by facilitating data-driven, results- based collaborative action; conducting community-focused research, providing impartial analysis of policy health impacts and communicating accessibly. To learn more, visit http://www.flhealthinnovation.org.

Contact information:

Florida Institute for Health Innovation
2701 North Australian Ave., Suite 204; West Palm Beach, FL 33407
(561) 838-4444
info@flhealthinnovation.org
http://www.flhealthinnovation.org
Twitter: @flhealthinnova
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flhealthinnov

Sea level rise is causing health issues

Sea level rise is causing health issues. The Florida Institute...

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The environmental impacts of crime. Recent research by the University of Surrey's <a href="http://www.surrey.ac.uk/ces/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Centre for Environmental Strategy</a> has found that despite policy makers currently examining the economic and social impacts of crime, the environmental impacts have not, to date, been included.

The study, published in the Journal of Industrial Ecology, estimates the carbon footprint of crime. It was conducted by a UK-based research team led by an engineering doctorate student, Helen Skudder, in the Centre for Environmental Strategy at the University of Surrey. The environmental impacts of crime

The authors use a complex method of quantification--applying carbon emissions factors to the monetized costs of crime using environmentally-extended input-output analysis. This allowed them to estimate the carbon footprint of crime committed in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-footprints-oldest-england/">England</a> and Wales in 2011. They found it to be over 4 million metric tonne s CO2e, equivalent to the carbon emissions of around 900,000 UK homes.

Of the offence types considered, burglary resulted in the largest proportion of the total footprint (30%) due to large volume of offences and the carbon associated with replacing stolen or damaged goods. Criminal justice system services (policing, prisons and courts) also accounted for a large proportion of the total footprint (21% of all crime and 49% of police recorded offences).

The limitations to the findings are particularly interesting and predominantly result from the footprinting methodology. Although it is tempting to conclude from the research that crime reduction will automatically result in a reduction of carbon emissions, this is not necessarily the case, due to the rebound effect. That is, the study considered how money currently spent addressing crime might be spent in the absence of crime. By comparing the carbon emissions associated with this re-spending of the money with the carbon footprint of crime, it was found that the most likely rebound effect would be an increase in emissions of around 2%.

Author Helen Skudder, of the University of Surrey, said "Although there are limitations to the methodology, we've highlighted some interesting findings, such as the large proportion of the footprint which arises due to burglaries. Looking at burglary in more detail, we find that emissions not only arise from policing and the criminal justice system response to crime, but also that the carbon arising due to replacement of stolen items is significant. The analysis illustrates the complex ways that institutions in society and the associated economic activity shape the impact we have on our climate. We have shown that it is possible to take into account the environmental implications of crime alongside the social and economic costs, as part of crime prevention policy appraisals".
###
The article, "Addressing the Carbon-Crime Blind Spot: A Carbon Footprint Approach" is freely downloadable <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jiec.12457/epdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Media enquiries: Ashley Lovell, Media Relations Office at the University of Surrey, Tel: 01483 686141 or E-mail: <a href="mailto:a.lovell@surrey.ac.uk">a.lovell@surrey.ac.uk</a>

Notes to Editors:

About the University of Surrey

The University of Surrey is one of the UK's leading professional, scientific and technological universities with a world-class research profile and a reputation for excellence in teaching. Ground-breaking research at the University is bringing direct benefit to all spheres of life - helping industry to maintain its competitive edge and creating improvements in the areas of health, medicine, space science, the environment, communications, defence and social policy. Programmes in science and technology have gained widespread recognition and it also boasts flourishing programmes in dance and music, social sciences, management and languages and law.

In addition to the campus on 150 hectares just outside Guildford, Surrey, the University also owns and runs the Surrey Research Park, which provides facilities for 110 companies employing 2,750 staff.

The University of Surrey was named University of the Year by the Times and Sunday Times, both overall and for 'Student Experience', and achieved a top-five ranking in the Guardian University Guide 2017.

For more information about the University and its work, visit <a href="http://www.surrey.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">http://www.surrey.ac.uk</a>

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The environmental impacts of crime

The environmental impacts of crime. Recent research by the University...

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Ocean warming exacerbates impact on calcareous phytoplankton. Two new studies recently published in Limnology &amp; Oceanography and Biogeosciences report that ocean warming may exacerbate the impacts of ocean acidification on calcareous phytoplankton, and its evolutionary success and physiological performance will be hampered.

The oceans have absorbed more than a quarter of the human-made carbon dioxide (CO2) in the last century, changing the chemistry of the ocean and resulting in 'ocean acidification'. A rise in average temperatures is also warming the sea surface. The risks posed by warming and acidification are expected to become more acute in the next decades, as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">CO2</a> emissions into the atmosphere are increasing.

Coccolithophores is a very abundant calcifying phytoplankton group which plays a major role in the biogeochemical cycle and in the regulation of the global climate. These tiny algae which measure less than one hundredth of a millimeter "form the basis of the aquatic <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/trophic-rewilding-climate-change/">trophic</a> chain, and through calcification and photosynthesis coccolithophores regulate atmospheric and oceanic CO2 levels", says Dr Patrizia Ziveri, ICREA researcher at ICTA-UAB and author of the study. The effects of acidification - and in particular warming - are rarely considered for the organism itself, and there is very little knowledge on how warming and acidification combined may affect the physiological performance or evolutionary success of coccolithophores.

Therefore, it was the aim of the team to investigate not only how temperature affects the impact of acidification on the cocolithophores, but also on the sinking rate and coccolithophores morphogenesis. A culture experiment was conducted on Mediterranean Sea and North Pacific Ocean strains of Emiliania huxleyi, the most abundant coccolitophore species.

Using scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging, the researchers show in their study that there will be an increase in the percentage of malformed and incomplete coccoliths in a warmer and more acidified ocean. This will hamper the evolutionary success of these calcifiers and their role in regulating atmospheric carbon.

Since coccolithophores need to stay in the photic zone of the oceans, their sinking velocity affects their survival rate. Nothing is known about the response of coccolithophores to acidification and warming in terms of sinking rate, because it had been impossible to estimate sinking rate in the framework of a typical laboratory experiment. The team used a novel approach to calculate sinking rate from cell-architecture and showed that an increase in temperature will lead to an increase in sinking rate. Hence, the faster sinking for the organism itself has an impact on future global carbon cycling and therewith on atmospheric levels of CO2 and global climate.
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This work was funded by the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme under grant agreement 265103 (project MedSeA), the European Research Council (ERC grant 2010-NEWLOG ADG-267931 HE), the Natural Environment Research Council (Grant NE/N011708/1) and the Generalitat de Catalunya (MERS, 2014 SGR - 1356). This work is contributing to the ICTA-UAB 'María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence' (MinECo, MDM2015-0552).

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Ocean warming exacerbates impact on calcareous phytoplankton

Ocean warming exacerbates impact on calcareous phytoplankton. Two new studies...

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Typhoon Nepartak dropped almost 20 inches of rain. Typhoon Nepartak was a powerful category four tropical typhoon when it hit Taiwan last week but weakened to a tropical storm as it moved into the Taiwan Strait. NASA calculated the heavy rainfall the typhoon brought to Taiwan and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/historic-flooding-has-killed-hundreds-across-china/">China</a> before it dissipated over southeastern China.

Nepartak's winds and heavy rains caused severe problems when it moved ashore over southeastern China. Thousands of homes in China were destroyed by the storm. At least three deaths in Taiwan and six fatalities in China were attributed to Nepartak. Torrential rain caused flash flooding and mudslides in both Taiwan and China. Typhoon Nepartak dropped almost 20 inches of rain

<a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=nasa&amp;cvid=7483842c389943f5b116a82e2e9bc57f&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">NASA's</a> Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for the Global Precipitation Measurement or GPM mission (IMERG) were used to estimate the total amount of rain that Nepartak dropped over Taiwan and southeastern China. Totals were estimated during the period from July 3 through July 10, 2016 when the typhoon moved through the western Pacific. IMERG estimates indicated that the typhoon dropped over 500 mm (19.7 inches) in some areas. Even greater rainfall totals were calculated in areas of China and southern Japan that were not directly affected by typhoon Nepartak.


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Typhoon Nepartak dropped almost 20 inches of rain

Typhoon Nepartak dropped almost 20 inches of rain. Typhoon Nepartak...

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Gas causing ground to rise near Mount Vesuvius volcano. New work by <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/virus-killing-dolphins/">Italian</a> geochemists seems to indicate that the current ground movement around one of the world's most dangerous volcano systems may be due to gas pressure, and not because of a surge of volcanic magma. This work was recently presented at the Goldschmidt conference in Yokohama, Japan (30 June 2016).

The Campi Flegrei (Phlegraean Fields), just across the Bay of Naples from the famous Vesuvius volcano, is amongst the most dangerous volcanos on <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=earth+wiki&amp;form=EDGEAR&amp;qs=HS&amp;cvid=197419b1fd0e4faab09bac8a8c043c41&amp;cc=US&amp;setlang=en-US&amp;elv=AY3%21uAY7tbNNZGZ2yiGNjfNqIbOEKEZbuUqFXmqcpemEfleM0HF8bdm1Pd6C0xc49T3*BQd5YYqegbJpmu*JbdftEw98VI*hZAfiFFzcD9lI&amp;plvar=0&amp;PC=HCTS">Earth</a>. In the past it has been capable of a "VEI 7" eruption (Volcanic Explosivity Index of 7, meaning that it has produced an explosive eruption even bigger than the famous Krakatoa eruption of 1883). However, this was around 40,000 years ago. The last eruption, "VEI 2" occurred in 1538 AD.

Because of the geological instability in the area, the land in this area can rise and fall by several metres over just a few years, a phenomenon known as Bradyseism. The last few years have seen the ground in the area begin to rise again, with a 38 cm rise recorded since late 2005*. There have been worries that this may presage an eruption.

The last serious geological unrest in the area was in 1982-84, which saw ground levels rise by up to 1.8m. Most scientists think that the movement in this period was caused by mixed magmatic- hydrothermal activity (although some recent papers in the geochemical literature have suggested a major role for hydrothermal processes supported by deep magmatic gases, with pressurised water causing the land to rise). On the other hand, consensus exists that the current activity is caused by molten magma movement and accumulation under the Campi - which carries a greater risk of an eruption. Now however, a group of Geochemists from Second University of Naples and the Vesuvius Observatory think that the consensus has got it exactly the wrong way round.

Lead researcher, Professor Roberto Moretti (Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli) commented:

"Everyone accepts the geochemical evidence that current activity has different causes to that of 1982-84. Most geochemists are now showing that the 1982-84 movement was caused by hydrothermal activity and the current activity is caused by magma, but we think that it's exactly the other way round. We have checked geochemical records going back over more than 30 years, and our ongoing interpretation - looking at released gases and physical signals - seem to be consistent with current activity being hydrothermal, with the support of deep magmatic gases, rather than due to magma migration or growth of a shallow (3-4 km deep) magma chamber. We believe that this magma dynamics characterized the 1982-84 episode.Gas causing ground to rise near Mount Vesuvius volcano

This is apparently better news, at least for now; activity in which magma moves upward and accumulates tends to be associated with an increased chance of an eruption. However the change from hydrothermal to magmatic activity can take place at any time, so we're not in a position to say that everything is well under the Campi Flegrei. The Campi Flegrei is still a very volatile place. What it does show is the difficulty in interpreting the data, even from one of the most-studied volcanic areas in the world. Reconciling all of the data is a major issue, despite our efforts.

Achieving such a unique and consistent interpretation would probably require direct access to underground geochemical, geophysical and geochemical information in the areas of interest. However, there is still a debate over the safety of drilling in such a volatile area".

Commenting, Professor Jon Blundy (University of Bristol) said:

"Interpreting the causes of ground movement at restless volcanoes is an enduring problem for volcanologists. Both hot gases (steam) and magma are candidate causes, but with quite different implications for future eruptive activity. Moretti and others make a compelling case for gas, rather than magma, as the cause of the latest bradyseisms at Campi Flegrei. Their methods could be used at other restless volcanoes where there is evidence of ground uplift"


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Gas causing ground to rise near Mount Vesuvius volcano

Gas causing ground to rise near Mount Vesuvius volcano. New...

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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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" 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.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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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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

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes the first comprehensive estimate of carbon density in the Saharan, Sahel, and Sudanian zones of Africa. In an effort to measure the amount of carbon stored across these drylands, a team of scientists used high-resolution satellite images and artificial intelligence to map nearly 10 billion individual trees. 



"The high spatial resolution (50 cm) combined with AI and field measurements used in this study is key to improving tree inventories in drylands," said Pierre Hiernaux, a French researcher working for NASA. "The ever-increasing availability of very high-resolution satellite imagery will make it possible to assess carbon pools and their dynamics at the individual tree level on a global scale."



"This study is exceptional because it is pioneering a type of approach that will revolutionize the monitoring of trees and forests on a global scale: in the short term, it will be possible to map the world's trees from the centre of the Amazon to our schoolyards," said <a href="https://www.inrae.fr/en">INRAE</a> researcher Jean-Pierre Wigneron.



"Many fields of application will become much more efficient and accurate, such as tracking carbon stocks, biodiversity, monitoring logging and protection against illegal forest degradation, in near real time.”



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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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.

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...