Ever felt like that 30-minute workout dragged on like an agonizingly slow scene in a bad movie? It’s not your imagination. Turns out, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/this-exercise-routine-can-cut-your-risk-of-early-death-in-half/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">exercise</a> can warp your sense of time. A new study adds an exciting twist to the story.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exercise-and-time-perception">Exercise and time perception</h2>



A recent study found that our internal sense of time stretches out or slows down for many individuals during <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/women-achieve-greater-benefits-from-exercise-with-less-effort/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">exercise</a>. This feeling is more pronounced during exercise than when we're at rest, either before or after a workout.



The study is innovative because it looks specifically at how time perception changes during the kind of intense, self-regulated exercise that mimics real-life athletic competition. Previous research often used fixed-intensity exercise protocols, which weren't as reflective of the dynamic nature of sports or competitive workouts. This makes the findings more applicable to those situations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-einstein-was-right-time-nbsp-is-nbsp-relative">Einstein was right – Time&nbsp;is&nbsp;relative</h2>



Albert Einstein was a brilliant physicist who revolutionized our understanding of time and space. His theory of relativity suggests that the passage of time isn't absolute, but instead depends on the observer's frame of reference and the influence of gravity.



Einstein's thought experiment illustrated the subjective nature of time. A moment can seem to last forever in unpleasant situations, while time seems to rush by when we're engaged in enjoyable experiences. 



This workout study demonstrates that physical exertion can distort our perception of time, making it feel slower than usual.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-does-exercise-change-the-time-speed">How does exercise change the time speed?</h2>



Scientists are still figuring out the exact details of how several factors interact to distort time perception during <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-significantly-lowers-heart-disease-risk-by-reducing-stress/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">exercise</a>. It's a complex question with no simple answer yet. They propose the following theories: 



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-theory-1-the-brain-gets-overloaded">Theory 1: The brain gets overloaded</h3>



During exercise, your brain receives a massive surge of information from your body. That means a lot to process for your brain's attention and control centers.



Your brain has to monitor your breathing rate, adjust your heart rate, coordinate complex muscle movements, and manage any feelings of pain or fatigue. All this effort could divert your brain's resources away from its usual time-tracking mechanisms. 



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-theory-2-it-s-all-about-the-chemicals">Theory 2: It's all about the chemicals</h3>



Physical exertion triggers significant changes in your body's chemistry. A rush of hormones and neurotransmitters floods your system.



These are the brain's chemical messengers. Exercise increases the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine, endorphins, and adrenaline, which impact mood, arousal, and focus.



This change in brain chemistry could also affect areas related to our perception of time. It's like those chemicals change the "clock speed" of how your brain is operating, which could make time feel like it's moving faster or slower.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-does-competition-affect-time-perception-in-exercise">Does competition affect time perception in exercise?</h2>



The study distinguishes itself by investigating a crucial question: Does the presence of competition alter how we perceive time during exercise? Previous research hadn't fully explored this aspect of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-all-types-proven-to-ease-depression-symptoms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">exercise</a> psychology.



To test this, the researchers recruited a group of moderately to highly active individuals. Participants engaged in cycling trials on specialized stationary bikes designed to simulate a competitive race environment. The trials varied in condition: some were solo rides, while others involved either a non-responsive virtual competitor or a virtual opponent who actively changed pace throughout the race.



Surprisingly, the findings showed that the presence of virtual competitors had little to no impact on the participants' perception of time. This suggests that the primary factor influencing time distortion is the act of physical exertion itself, rather than the psychological pressure or excitement of a competitive setting.



“The take home message for this study is that our perception of time is indeed impacted by exercise,” said study author <a href="https://www.canterbury.ac.uk/people/andrew-edwards" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Andrew Mark Edwards</a>, a professor and Head of School for Psychology &amp; Life Sciences at <a href="https://www.canterbury.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Canterbury Christ Church University</a>.



“This could be useful information in terms of accurately pacing sport and exercise activities such as devising strategies to mitigate periods where time appears to drag and can be demotivating."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-does-this-mean-for-daily-workouts">What does this mean for daily workouts?</h2>



Most people who exercise regularly have experienced those moments where time seems to crawl, especially during challenging parts of a workout. This feeling of time slowing down can be incredibly demotivating and make it tempting to cut a workout short.



The key findings of this study could pave the way for new strategies to help both athletes and everyday gym-goers overcome this mental hurdle. The goal is to develop strategies specifically designed to combat those periods where our perception of time becomes distorted, making exercise feel less enjoyable and harder to sustain.



Intuitively, you might assume that the harder a workout feels, the more time would seem to drag. However, this study offers a surprising insight: there doesn't appear to be a direct relationship between your subjective rating of exertion (how intensely you're working out) and how much time seems to slow down. This means that even during less intense periods of exercise, your perception of time can still become warped.



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



"This was a study of recreationally active participants in only one mode of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-much-exercise-reduces-the-risk-of-premature-death/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">exercise</a> so the results ought to be considered in the context of that activity/population," Edwards explained. "More work is required to see if this is widely applicable." The team will explore this further with different types of athletes and exercise.



Beyond the workout world, this research might even be useful when folks are using exercise as therapy. "The main strands of the work are to see how we can motivate people to engage with exercise and avoid/mitigate negative associations with time appearing to move slowly," said Edwards.



Sweat sessions bend your mind in more ways than one. If your workouts feel tortuously long sometimes, you're not alone. Hopefully, this research will help us come up with ways to make exercise more enjoyable.



The study is published in the journal&nbsp;<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/brb3.3471" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brain and Behavior</a>.



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Slow motion: Exercise changes our perception of time

Ever felt like that 30-minute workout dragged on like an agonizingly slow scene in a bad movie? It’s not your imagination. Turns out, exercise can warp your sense of time. A new study adds an exciting twist to the story. Exercise and time perception A recent study found that our internal sense of time stretches out or slows down for many individuals during exercise. This feeling is more pronounced during exercise than when we're at rest, either before or after a workout. The study is innovative because...

Twice as much plastic waste is now produced compared to 20 years ago, and only nine percent of it is recycled, according to the recently published <a href="https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/environment/global-plastics-outlook_de747aef-en">Global Plastics Outlook</a> from OECD. The majority of plastic waste ends up in a landfill, incinerated, or leaking into the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unep-report-identifies-the-biggest-emerging-environmental-threats/">environment</a>.&nbsp;



Almost half of all plastic waste is produced in OECD member countries, some of which include the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Japan, France, and Germany. The Outlook notes that international cooperation on reducing plastic pollution should include supporting lower-income countries in developing better waste management infrastructure to reduce their plastic leakage.



"Reducing pollution from plastics will require action, and international cooperation, to reduce plastic production, including through innovation, better product design and developing environmentally friendly alternatives, as well as efforts to improve waste management and increase recycling."



While restrictions on single-use plastics exist in more than 120 countries, these actions are not doing enough to reduce overall pollution. The experts note that most regulations are limited to items like plastic bags, which make up a tiny share of plastic waste.



The report states that "as rising populations and incomes drive a relentless increase in the amount of plastic being used and thrown away, policies to curb its leakage into the environment are falling short."



The report summarizes the full life cycle of plastics globally, including production, consumption, waste, recycling, and disposal. The following are some key findings from the Outlook:



<ul><li>Plastic consumption has quadrupled over the past 30 years, driven by growth in emerging markets. Global plastics production doubled from 2000 to 2019 to reach 460 million tons. Plastics account for 3.4 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.</li></ul>



<ul><li>Global plastic waste generation more than doubled from 2000 to 2019 to 353 million tons. Nearly two-thirds of plastic waste comes from plastics with lifetimes of under five years, with 40% coming from packaging, 12% from consumer goods and 11% from clothing and textiles.</li></ul>



<ul><li>Only 9% of plastic waste is recycled (15% is collected for recycling but 40% of that is disposed of as residues). Another 19% is incinerated, 50% ends up in landfill and 22% evades waste management systems and goes into uncontrolled dumpsites, is burned in open pits or ends up in terrestrial or aquatic environments, especially in poorer countries.&nbsp;</li></ul>



<ul><li>In 2019, 6.1 million tons (Mt) of plastic waste leaked into aquatic environments and 1.7 Mt flowed into oceans. There is now an estimated 30 Mt of plastic waste in seas and oceans, and a further 109 Mt has accumulated in rivers. The build-up of plastics in rivers implies that leakage into the ocean will continue for decades to come, even if mismanaged plastic waste could be significantly reduced.</li></ul>



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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

Plastic waste grows "relentlessly" as recycling falls short

Twice as much plastic waste is now produced compared to...

In a new study led by <a href="https://www.byu.edu/">Brigham Young University</a>, researchers have analyzed the impact and value of school field trips. The experts report that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/video-games-linked-to-unhealthy-habits-among-male-college-students/">students</a> who participate in multiple field trips throughout the school year have better academic performance, higher test scores, and increased cultural conscientiousness.



“Field trips have been non-existent for the last two years, and many cultural institutions like museums and science centers were closed. Schools want to make up learning loss from the pandemic and might feel pressure to sacrifice a well-rounded education for increased seat-time,” said study lead author Professor Heidi Holmes Erickson.



“Field trips might be the first thing to go. Addressing student learning loss is crucial, but schools should be thoughtful in their approach.”



For the investigation, fourth- and fifth-grade students from 15 elementary schools were randomly assigned to participate in three culturally enriching outings during a school year. The students visited an art museum and attended a play and a symphony concert.



The study revealed that students who attended all three field trips scored higher on final exams, received better course grades, and had fewer absences.



“We anticipated that field trips wouldn’t harm test scores. However, we started seeing academic improvements and realized that students who participated in these field trips were doing better in class,” said Professor Erickson.&nbsp;



“One potential reason for this is that field trips expand students’ world concept and expose them to new ideas. Similarly, students might be more engaged in school thanks to field trips. Students find school more exciting and want to try harder in class.”



According to the researchers, the study provides more evidence that field trips are beneficial not only for academic success but for individual character development as well.



“Parents are very interested in the academic quality of their child’s school, but they’re also interested in the social skills and social engagement habits they develop. Cultural field trips are easy ways to help facilitate both.”



Professor Erickson hopes that this study will be a resource for policymakers and school principals who are interested in improving children’s growth during the children’s school experience.&nbsp;



“Contrary to practice where schools, facing accountability pressures, trade extracurriculars for increased seat time, we found that there’s no harm to academics by taking time out of the classroom,” said Professor Erickson. “It’s possible to expose students to a broader world and have culturally enriching curriculum without sacrificing academic outcomes, and it may actually improve academic outcomes.”



The study is published in the <a href="http://jhr.uwpress.org/">Journal of Human Resources</a>.



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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

School field trips linked to better student performance

In a new study led by Brigham Young University, researchers...

A massive solar eruption, which took place on February 15, 2022 and extended for millions of miles into space, has been caught on camera by the European Space Agency’s (ESA) <a href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Solar_Orbiter">Solar Orbiter</a> probe, a spacecraft loaded with ten highly proficient telescopes and direct sensing instruments. According to ESA, this is the largest solar prominence eruption ever observed in a single image with the full solar disc in shot.



Solar prominences are large structures of tangled magnetic field lines which maintain dense concentrations of solar plasma suspended above the Sun’s surface, sometimes taking the shape of arching loops. They are often associated with coronal mass ejections or bursts of radiation which, if directed towards the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/supermountains-were-essential-for-the-evolution-of-life-on-earth/">Earth</a>, can significantly interfere with our technological devices and daily lives. Fortunately, this time the radiation burst was not directed towards our planet, since it erupted from the opposite side of the Sun.&nbsp;



The eruption was filmed by state-of-the-art cameras located on ESA’s Solar Orbiter spacecraft. According to ESA, the “Solar Orbiter is the most complex scientific laboratory ever to have been sent to the Sun.” It was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida in February 2020 in order to capture images of the Sun from closer than any spacecraft before. By flying within 26 million miles of the Sun’s surface, the Solar Orbiter is an invaluable tool for inspecting the star’s poles and for recording and investigating the Sun’s more violent outbursts, such as this latest eruption.&nbsp;



“Although our life-giving star has been an object of scientific interest for centuries, its behavior still presents a puzzle for scientists,” the ESA wrote.



“By combining observations from Solar Orbiter’s six remote-sensing instruments&nbsp;and four sets of in situ instruments, scientists hope to find answers to some profound questions: What drives the Sun’s 11-year cycle of rising and subsiding magnetic activity? What heats up the upper layer of its atmosphere, the corona, to millions of degrees Celsius? What drives the generation of the solar wind? What accelerates the solar wind to speeds of hundreds of kilometers per second? And how does it all affect our planet?”



The Solar Orbiter will work closely with NASA’s <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/parker-solar-probe">Parker Solar Probe</a> – which was launched in August 2018 and is also studying the Sun’s corona – to reveal what triggers solar storms, in order to manage to better predict them in the future. While the latest solar eruption didn’t send a burst of deadly radiation towards the Earth, it is an important reminder of the unpredictable nature of the Sun and the importance of understanding and monitoring its behavior.



Image Credit: ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter team



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Massive solar eruption caught on camera

A massive solar eruption, which took place on February 15,...

Experts at <a href="https://ucsd.edu/">UC San Diego</a> have demonstrated that there are major differences in the psychological effects of listening to audio through headphones or speakers. According to the researchers, headphones have a much more powerful influence on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/expectations-change-perception-reality/">perception</a> and behavior of the listener. 



The average American spends about four hours per day listening to audio. Understanding which mediums are the most effective in delivering content could be very useful for advertising campaigns or remote work and training programs.



“We find that headphones produce a phenomenon called in-head localization, which makes the speaker sound as if they’re inside your head,” said study co-author Professor On Amir.



“Consequently, listeners perceive the communicators as closer - both physically and socially. As a result, listeners perceive the communicator as warmer, they feel and behave more empathically toward them and they are more easily persuaded by them.”



A new research paper combines the findings of five different studies from UC San Diego’s Rady School, UCLA and UC Berkeley. The studies involved fieldwork and online surveys with more than 4,000 participants. The collective results show that headphones make listeners feel closer to the speaker, induce feelings of empathy, and have an overall more persuasive effect that promotes action.&nbsp;



“If the aim is to have listeners feel close to the communicator, or be particularly persuaded by their message, such as in a public service announcement, managers should consider placing their advertisement or message on a program often consumed via headphones, like a podcast,” said UCLA Professor Alicea Lieberman.



“On the other hand, if a message does not require listeners to experience any feelings of closeness to the communicator, then where the message is placed (e.g., podcast vs. talk radio) would be less essential.”



In one experiment, listeners were presented with a tragic example of the dangers of texting while driving. After the presentation, participants who used headphones expressed that texting while driving was more dangerous and caused more deaths than those who listened to the same message through speakers.



In another experiment, participants were randomly assigned to listen to audio either on headphones or on speakers as a mother and daughter described what it is like to be homeless. Headphone listeners expressed more empathy toward the speakers, and felt that the mother and daughter came across as more genuine compared to people who listened to the story on speakers.



In a field study conducted on the UC San Diego campus, researchers set out to examine how headphones and speakers may influence behavior. Random people were presented with a segment of a podcast, and then were given the opportunity to write a letter in support of nominating the speaker for an award. Those who listened to the podcast via headphones were much more likely to write an award nomination letter.



“Organizations may consider this research when designing their trainings or webinars,” said Professor Juliana Schroeder of UC Berkeley. “For example, managers might encourage employees to listen to safety trainings or webinars using headphones, which may more effectively change their attitudes and behaviors, compared to listening via speakers.”



According to Professor Amir, companies could send employees headphones to encourage their use in phone conversations, as the medium could increase collaboration, especially in the era of remote work.



“Clearly, our research suggests that influencers, bloggers and podcasters want to try to make sure that people listen by headphones because that creates that attachment,” said Professor Amir. “Our research proposes that it is not only what or whom people hear that influences their judgments, decisions and behaviors, but also how they hear the message.”



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/organizational-behavior-and-human-decision-processes">Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes</a>.



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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

Headphones have a powerfully persuasive effect on listeners

Experts at UC San Diego have demonstrated that there are...

A research team led by the <a href="https://www.mit.edu/">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a> (MIT) has recently identified a population of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/neurons-in-the-spinal-cord-coordinate-walking/">neurons</a> in the human brain that activates when we hear singing, but not when we hear regular speech or instrumental music. This song-specific hotspot is located in the auditory cortex, at the top of the temporal lobe, close to regions that are selective for language and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/soft-music-linked-with-better-sleep-quality/">music</a>.



“The work provides evidence for relatively fine-grained segregation of function within the auditory cortex, in a way that aligns with an intuitive distinction within music,” said study lead author Sam Norman-Haignere, an assistant professor of Neuroscience at the <a href="https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/">University of Rochester Medical Center</a> and former postdoctoral fellow at MIT.



This work builds on a 2015 <a href="https://news.mit.edu/2015/neural-population-music-brain-1216">study</a> in which Dr. Norman-Haignere and his colleagues used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to identify a group of neurons that responded specifically to music. By analyzing the fMRI brain scans of participants as they listened to a collection of 165 different sounds, including various types of speech and music, and everyday sounds such as fingers tapping or a dog barking, the scientists managed to identify six neural populations with different response patterns, including speech- and music-selective groups of neurons.



In the new study, in order to obtain higher-resolution data, the scientists used a technique called electrocorticography (ECoG) that allows electrical activity to be recorded by electrodes placed inside the skull. This offered a much more precise map of the brain than the fMRI method, helping the researchers identify a neural response pattern that only responded to singing.



“There's one population of neurons that responds to singing, and then very nearby is another population of neurons that responds broadly to lots of music. At the scale of fMRI, they're so close that you can't disentangle them, but with intracranial recordings, we get additional resolution, and that's what we believe allowed us to pick them apart,” explained Dr. Norman-Haignere.&nbsp;



This song-specific neural population had very weak responses to either speech or instrumental music, and is thus different from the music- and speech-selective populations identified in 2015. The fact that these neurons are located at the top of the temporal lobe suggests that they may be responding to features such as the perceived pitch, or the interaction between words and perceived pitch.



The scientists are now investigating whether infants have music-selective brain areas, hoping to learn more about when and how these brain regions emerge and develop.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.01.069">Current Biology</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Some neurons respond to singing, but not instrumental music

A research team led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology...

Humans have always admired the grace and skill exhibited by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seafood-watch-may-red-list-fisheries-to-protect-right-whales/">fish</a> as they move through their viscous environment, and engineers have looked to them for inspiration when designing watercraft. Fish can be especially useful in developing underwater vehicles. Now, a new study published in the journal <a href="https://aip.scitation.org/journal/phf">Physics of Fluids</a> takes a closer look at fish propulsion.



Scientists at Harbin Engineering University in China have demonstrated that fish, using tightly controlled body fluctuations, create a pair of moveable vortices or high and low pressures, which allow them to move. The research lays the groundwork for the design of a new propeller.&nbsp;



"Fish need to evade predators, catch prey, and move through complex environments, and their motion advantage is unmatched by any man-made machinery. As such, many outstanding questions about the relationship between form and function in fish are biomechanically driven," wrote the researchers.



"The study of motion law, corresponding mechanical characteristics, and revelation of the hydrodynamic basis of the fish swimming process have significant implications for the optimal design of underwater vehicle propulsion methods."



Using high speed cameras and particle image velocimetry, the researchers analyzed zebra fish swimming in a tank. A fish speeds up as it bends its caudal fin to the side and then returns to a neutral position by straightening the whole body. This single tail swing, the researchers discovered, creates two vortices spinning in opposite directions.&nbsp;



On opposite sides of the body, one vortex is high pressure, while the other is low pressure. The low pressure pulls the fish, while the high pressure pushes the fish from the other direction, thus providing the zebrafish with propulsion.&nbsp;



When the fish was in a “J shaped” position with its tail bent, the high pressure area moved to the rear of the caudal fin and the low pressure area moved to the front of the caudal fin. This process repeats itself, allowing the fish to move continuously.&nbsp;



"The entire zebrafish in the swimming process is regarded as a body wave," said study co-author Yang Han. "Whether they accelerated forward or changed directions, the fish maintained a wavelike motion at all points of the body from the start of movement."



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Fish create moving vortices to power their propulsion

Humans have always admired the grace and skill exhibited by...

Madagascar is the most important country for vanilla production, with a vast vanilla orchid cultivated on the tropical northeastern region of the island. A research team led by the <a href="https://www.uni-goettingen.de/en/1.html">University of Göttingen</a>, Germany and the University of Antananarivo, Madagascar has spent the last five years studying vanilla cultivation and its impact on people and the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dog-feces-can-harm-the-environment-and-disrupt-ecosystems/">environment</a>. They found that vanilla cultivation on fallow land in agroforestry systems has significant benefits for both humans and nature, compared to other forms of land use.&nbsp;



Vanilla agroforestry systems are often established directly in the forest, with farmers removing shrubs and individual trees in order to plant vanilla orchids in the shade of the remaining trees. Alternatively, these systems can also be established on fallow land that was burned to accommodate rice fields. In such cases, the land used for vanilla farming is more open, allowing for trees to regrow.



By analyzing a rich array of data on biodiversity, ecosystem services such as carbon storage, and harvest and profitability, while taking into account how land was used in the past, the scientists found that vanilla agroforestry which is established on open fallow land has clear advantages for both people and nature.&nbsp;



By contrast, the conversion of forests into vanilla agroforestry systems causes disadvantages for animals and plants, because important functions of forests are lost during such processes. Thus, converting more forests to vanilla agroforests can only be justified as an alternative to burning the land, in which biodiversity and ecosystem services are even more negatively impacted.



The methods used in this study can be applied to investigate a wide range of farming practices all over the world and identify the most profitable and sustainable options. “Prior land use is crucial in assessing land-use change in other regions of the world as well. This means that our model is universally applicable, highlighting the relevance of our results for farming and ecology around the world,” concluded study coordinator Holger Kreft, a professor of Biodiversity, Macroecology, and Biogeography at the University of Göttingen.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/119/7/e2107747119">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Vanilla cultivation can be beneficial for people and nature

Madagascar is the most important country for vanilla production, with...

Many species of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wing-transparency-helps-butterflies-avoid-predators/">butterflies</a> use eyespots – circular markings of contrasting colors found on their wings – to intimidate or distract predators. A research team led by the <a href="https://www.nus.edu.sg/">National University of Singapore</a> (NUS) has investigated the evolutionary origins of these eyespots and discovered that they seem to be derived from the recruitment of a complex network of genes which was already operating in the body of the butterflies to build antennae, legs, and sometimes even wings.



“This new study addresses how novel complex traits might originate. These complex traits require the input of many interacting genes for their development, and are often illustrated by the vertebrate eye, or the bacteria flagellum,” said study senior author&nbsp;Antónia Monteiro, a professor of Biology at NUS.



“In our study, we looked at the how butterfly eyespots – an example of a complex trait - came about and concluded that a network recruitment approach is adopted by butterflies for the creation of eyespots. We have also identified the specific network of genes that was likely recruited.”



According to Professor Monteiro and her colleagues, the evolution of new complex traits such as the butterfly eyespots proceeds through mutations in the genetic code that recall pre-existent gene regulatory networks which were already used for other complex traits such as antennae or other limbs. These networks can be compared to subroutines in a computer program that perform specific tasks and, although they are written in the code only once, they are referred to repeatedly by the program as it runs.



By deleting unique DNA regulatory sequences in the genome of the butterflies, the researchers proved that a single gene regulatory network was responsible for the development of a variety of traits, including eyespots, antennae, legs, and wings. When the functioning of this regulatory network was disrupted, all of these highly different traits failed to develop properly.



“It was amazing to observe how these significant complex traits were affected by the same changes in DNA,” concluded study co-author Dr. Heidi Connahs, a postdoctoral fellow studying the evolution of morphological diversity at NUS.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/119/8/e2108661119">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



Image Credit: Kristof Zyskowski and Yulia Bereshpolova



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Butterfly eyespots reuse genes that pattern limbs and wings

Many species of butterflies use eyespots – circular markings of...

New research shows the potential of sildenafil, a generic version of viagra, for treating dogs with a dangerous eating disorder known as megaesophagus.



The disorder is characterized by an enlargement of the esophagus, which makes it hard for dogs to get food into their stomachs. Left untreated, dogs often vomit their food back up and aspirate pieces of food into their lungs. When food is ingested in the lungs, it can cause an infection called aspiration pneumonia.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The literature tells us that many dogs with the disease die from aspiration pneumonia or are humanely euthanized due to poor quality of life within eight months of diagnosis,” said Dr. Jillian Haines, a veterinarian at Washington State University who co-led the study.



Sildenafil relaxes the dogs’ esophagus, allowing food to pass through and into the stomach. The only known side effect is rare gastrointestinal irritation, but at the dosages in the current study, there were no side effects.&nbsp;



“If you look at the literature, there are no drugs we can use to manage megaesophagus. Sildenafil is the first to target these mechanisms and reduce regurgitation, which is big because that’s what ultimately kills these dogs,” said Haines.&nbsp;



“It opens the lower esophageal sphincter for 20 minutes to an hour, which works really well for dogs because we only want that to open when they are eating.”



In the study, ten dogs with megaesophagus were given either a placebo or sildenafil for a two week period. Next, after one week without either treatment, the control and experimental groups were switched.&nbsp;



The dog owners were asked to monitor regurgitations. None of the owners were told whether their dog was taking the placebo or sildenafil.&nbsp;



Despite no significant difference showing between sildenafil and a placebo during a 30 minute videofluoroscopy, nine of the ten owners reported less vomiting when sildenafil was being administered. Unfortunately, the drug does not seem to work as well on severe cases of the disorder - possibly because it is harder to get the drug into the dog’s stomach.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“Moderately affected dogs that were regurgitating frequently but not excessively seemed to see the most dramatic results,” Haines said. “I actually prescribed sildenafil to several of those patients after the study, and they are still using it today.”



The study is published in the <a href="https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/javma-overview.xml">American Journal of Veterinary Medicine</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Viagra is a possible treatment for dog eating disorder

New research shows the potential of sildenafil, a generic version...

Modern rates of sea level rise first emerged in 1863 as the Industrial Age ramped up, according to a new study led by <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a>. The experts report that this trend corresponds with evidence of early <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-heat-is-the-new-normal-for-the-ocean/">ocean warming</a> and glacier melt.&nbsp;



"Sea-level rise is a significant indicator of broader climate changes, and the time of emergence concept can be used to identify when modern rates of sea-level rise emerged above background variability," wrote the study authors. "Yet a range of estimates of the timing persists both globally and regionally."



The researchers used a global database of sea-level records spanning the last 2,000 years. The findings will ultimately help decision makers prepare for the local impacts of future sea-level rise.



The experts found that the earliest shift to modern rates of sea-level rise appeared in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States during the mid to late 19th century. Across Canada and Europe, this pattern had emerged by the mid-20th century.



The study may help explain the findings of a recent report from NOAA, which describes the rapid acceleration of sea-level rise along the U.S. coastline.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“We can be virtually certain the global rate of sea-level rise from 1940 to 2000 was faster than all previous 60-year intervals over the last 2,000 years,” said study lead author Jennifer S. Walker. “Having a thorough understanding of site-specific sea-level changes over long timescales is imperative for regional and local planning and response to future sea level rise.”



The statistical model used for the study could also be applied to more individual sites to further understand the processes driving sea-level change on global and regional scales, explained Walker.&nbsp;



“The fact that modern rates emerge at all of our study sites by the mid-20th century demonstrates the significant influence global sea-level rise has had on our planet in the last century."



“Further analysis of the spatial variability in the time of emergence at different locations will continue to improve society’s understanding of how regional and local processes impact rates of sea-level rise," said Walker.



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

Modern rates of sea level rise first emerged in 1863

Modern rates of sea level rise first emerged in 1863...

Modern approaches to animal tracking and monitoring are possible due to the development of technologies that generate large, high-resolution datasets. These technologies, along with advances in analytical methods, enable biologists to follow the movements of free-ranging mammals, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/big-brains-may-help-birds-cope-with-climate-change/">birds</a>, and fish at unprecedented scales. 



Modern technologies also help scientists understand how movement behavior helps animals survive and adapt in a changing world. These advantages do, however, come with typical big-data issues, such as computational load, intensive data management and processing, and challenging statistical analyses.&nbsp;



In a recent publication in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/">Science</a>, Professor Ran Nathan of the <a href="https://en.huji.ac.il/en">Hebrew University of Jerusalem</a>, together with students and colleagues from 12 countries around the world, reviewed a variety of technologies that have been used to gather information on the movements of animals in their natural environments.&nbsp;



All animals move, whether actively or passively, regularly or during specific life stages, to meet energy, survival, reproductive and social demands. Today, the ability of species to move is crucial if they are to cope with the effects of human-induced environmental changes.



In their review, Nathan and his colleagues assessed the main tools, insights, challenges and opportunities of the big-data revolution that has turned the field of movement ecology from a data-poor to a data-rich discipline.&nbsp; Wildlife tracking technologies vary in how they tackle the basic trade-offs between data collection rate, spatial coverage, tracking duration and the size of tracked animals.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Among eight major tracking technologies examined in this study, a technology called “reverse-GPS” stood out because of its capacity to produce big data on animal movement in a cost-effective manner. &nbsp;Other tracking technologies, such as GPS devices, computer vision systems and radars, can also produce big data, and the researchers recommended viewing all major tracking technologies as complementary rather than competing alternatives.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



The new reverse-GPS system, called ATLAS, was developed by Nathan and Professor Sivan Toledo of Tel Aviv University, and their teams, under the auspices of the Minerva Center for Movement Ecology. It is unusual in its ability to track dozens of wild animals simultaneously, to within a few meters of their actual location, and at a high resolution (every second), over months. In addition, this system uses small, inexpensive radio tags that are attached to each animal. The system has already been used in Israel, UK, the Netherlands, and Germany, where it has enabled researchers to answer questions about basic movement ecology that could previously not be investigated.&nbsp;



“This sophisticated tracking system has ushered in a range of exciting discoveries and novel insights, including the first evidence for the existence of a cognitive map in a wild animal (a fruit bat), a pioneering study linking variation among individual birds (pheasants) in their cognitive ability and space-use patterns, and a discovery of a notable spatial segregation in foraging areas among bats that roost in two adjacent colonies, owing to an individual’s memory and information transfer among bats, with surprisingly no evidence for competition as a driving force,” Nathan shared.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“Acoustic telemetry,” another example of a reverse-GPS system, uses acoustic tags to track fish and other aquatic animals under water. Systems of this kind have been used in rivers, lakes and seas around the world, to gain insights into dealing with risks for wildlife that derive from their interactions with humans.&nbsp;



For example, by using an acoustic tracking system in European rivers, researchers found that downstream-migrating eels (a critically endangered species) and Atlantic salmon change their movement behavior when they encounter dams, which is likely to result in increased energy expenditure and mortality risk.



GPS is another important tracking technology that has been used to track relatively large animals at high resolution. For example, GPS tracking allowed Nathan and his students to reveal that young vultures from the declining population in Israel climb the thermals (rising columns of warm air) much less efficiently than do experienced adult vultures when those thermals are drifted by winds. &nbsp;



Elsewhere, GPS tracking of critically endangered California condors can provide early alerts to avoid collisions with wind turbines in the area, while GPS tracking of albatrosses can help locate vessels fishing illegally in remote ocean areas. All these applications help to uncover the reasons why animal behavior varies and to assist in biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management.



In another fascinating application, GPS tracking provided unique information about the avian flu epidemic that led to the death of thousands of cranes in Israel earlier this winter. This is such recent research that it has not been included in the review article in Science.



“At the first sign of death among a few dozen cranes, a much greater proportion of our GPS-tagged cranes died or were suspected to be infected, given the sudden reduction in their movement and activity. We informed the authorities that a drastic mortality event was coming, as unfortunately did happen, and that urgent measures should be taken,” Nathan explained.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Later, the team was able to trace the fate of infected birds and found that some had eventually recovered. &nbsp;“We now closely watch the data from cranes that winter in Africa to monitor the possible second wave of the outbreak when millions of migrating birds will soon arrive,” Nathan emphasized. &nbsp;



The field of movement ecology is rapidly expanding scientific frontiers, not only through the use of the big-data technologies discussed by Nathan and colleagues, but also through enhanced opportunities for interdisciplinary and collaborative research projects.&nbsp;



“This is also the story of our research,” Nathan explained, referencing a Fish Telemetry workshop in the Czech Republic organized by Professor Ivan Jarić in 2018 that he was invited to attend. “I met a group of excellent researchers with backgrounds, expertise and research subjects quite different from mine.&nbsp; I remember the exact moment that gave birth to our joint project, when I shared my vision for a big-data revolution in movement ecology. &nbsp;Preparing our review together has been a wonderful experience; working together across disciplines is certainly the way to go."



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Big-data technologies reveal how animals survive in a changing world

Modern approaches to animal tracking and monitoring are possible due...

Stones,In,The,Calm,Water,Of,A,Mountain,Lake

Across North America and Europe, human activities are responsible for introducing salt pollution into freshwater ecosystems. Sodium chloride is used extensively to melt ice on roads in winter, and inorganic fertilizers contain various salts that can dissolve in rain water and run off into local waterways. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/illegal-gold-mining-dumps-mercury-in-the-peruvian-rainforest/">Mining</a> operations also introduce salts into the environment, many of which end up in freshwater ecosystems.&nbsp;



Freshwater organisms are very sensitive to the increased concentration of salts, and levels that are too high can result in decreased biodiversity. In particular, zooplankton are killed by increasing salt (sodium chloride) concentrations and, since these microscopic animals feed on algae and are eaten by young fish and many invertebrates, the entire food web is threatened when zooplankton populations decrease.&nbsp;



Many governments have environmental guidelines that limit the acceptable levels of salt in freshwater ecosystems. However, these vary widely and, as a new research study shows, negative impacts on zooplankton populations commonly occur at concentrations below these limits.&nbsp;The study, led by researchers from the University of Toledo and Queen’s University in Kingston, found that even at salt concentrations well below ranges that government regulators have deemed safe and protective of freshwater organisms, significant damage is being done to freshwater lakes.



“It’s clear that salt pollution in freshwater lakes, streams, and wetlands, even when constrained to levels specifically chosen to protect the environment, threatens the biodiversity and overall function of freshwater ecosystems. This is a global problem that has the potential to impact ecosystems and human health,” said study co-author Rick Relyea, an expert in the impacts of road salt on freshwater ecosystems, and director of Rensselaer’s Darrin Fresh Water Institute.&nbsp;



Dr. Relyea, a member of the Rensselaer Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies and director of the&nbsp;<a href="https://jeffersonproject.rpi.edu/">Jefferson Project at Lake George</a>, has conducted extensive research on the impacts of road salt pollution on aquatic environments. His previous work established that&nbsp;<a href="https://news.rpi.edu/content/2016/11/22/road-salt-%E2%80%9Cmasculinizes%E2%80%9D-frogs">road salt masculinizes developing frogs</a> and causes the population sex ratios to be biased in favor of males.&nbsp;



In addition, previous research has shown that, although some small zooplankton species can adapt to high levels of salt, this <a href="https://news.rpi.edu/content/2017/11/03/can-environmental-toxins-disrupt-biological-%E2%80%9Cclock%E2%80%9D">obliterates the circadian rhythm</a> in these individuals. In recent work, Dr. Relyea has collaborated with an experimental network of 16 sites in four countries across North America and Europe. Earlier this year, Dr. Relyea and that network produced experimental findings led by Canadian scientist Marie-Pier Hébert, which showed that&nbsp;<a href="https://aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/lol2.10239">lake salinization reduces zooplankton abundance and diversity</a>. &nbsp;



In the current study, researchers measured the chloride concentration in freshwater bodies across North America and Europe. They also quantified the population diversity and numbers of zooplankton present in naturally occurring communities in these habitats. The goal was to determine whether current chloride-based water-quality guidelines protect lake organisms in regions with different geology, water chemistry, land-use, and species pools.&nbsp;



In the United States, the limit to acceptable levels for chloride concentration in freshwater bodies is 230 milligrams of chloride per liter. This limit was established by the Environmental Protection Agency of the U.S. government. By contrast, the limit in Canada is 120 milligrams of chloride per liter. Throughout Europe, thresholds are generally even higher. For example, in Germany, chloride concentrations between 50 and 200 milligrams per liter are classified as “slightly polluted by salts,” while concentrations between 200 and 400 milligrams per liter are classified as “moderately polluted.” The drinking water guideline is 250 milligrams per liter across much of Europe.



Alarmingly, the results of the current study, published today in the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>, finds that negative impacts of salinization occur well below those limits. At nearly three quarters of the study sites, chloride concentration thresholds that caused more than a 50 percent reduction in zooplankton were at, or below, the governments’ established chloride thresholds.



Where zooplankton populations were reduced, numerous cascading ecosystem changes were recorded. For example, the biomass of phytoplankton (minute plants, also referred to as algae) increased where the numbers of herbivorous zooplankton were reduced, and this bloom in phytoplankton blocked the passage of sunlight to plants growing lower down in the water.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“More algae in the water could lead to a reduction in water clarity, which could affect organisms living on the bottom of lakes as well,” said Shelley Arnott, professor of aquatic ecology at Queen’s University and co-leader of the project and paper. “The loss of zooplankton leading to more algae has the potential to alter lake ecosystems in ways that might change the services lakes provide, namely recreational opportunities, drinking water quality, and fisheries.”



The researchers say their results indicate a major threat to the biodiversity and functioning of freshwater ecosystems and urge governments to reassess current threshold concentrations to protect lakes from salinization caused by sodium chloride.



“Many salt-contaminated lakes with chloride concentrations near or above thresholds established throughout North America and Europe might have already experienced food web shifts,” said Bill Hintz, assistant professor of ecology at the University of Toledo, author, and co-leader of the project. “This applies to lakes across the globe, not only among the study sites. And the variability in our experimental results demonstrates how new thresholds should integrate the susceptibility of ecological communities at the local and regional scale. While the government guidelines may protect freshwater organisms in some regions, that’s not the case for many regions in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.”



“Salt pollution occurring from human activities such as the use of road de-icing salts is increasing the salinity of freshwater ecosystems to the point that the guidelines designed to protect fresh waters aren’t doing their job,” said Dr. Hintz. “Our study shows the ecological costs of salinization and illustrates the immediate need to reassess and reduce existing chloride thresholds and to set sound guidelines in countries where they do not exist, to protect lakes from salt pollution.”



The experts conclude that potential solutions need to be identified that include finding ways to strike a careful balance between human use of salt and the ecological impacts on freshwater ecosystems. This might involve reducing the amount of road salt used to melt winter snow and ice to keep people safe and traffic moving.



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Salt pollution threatens freshwater ecosystems

Across North America and Europe, human activities are responsible for...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

[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



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The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" 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 the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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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



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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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...