In the search for life beyond Earth, few places are as intriguing as Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. It's the only spot in the solar system where there are lakes and seas on the surface - only they're not made of water. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-does-saturns-moon-titan-have-rivers-but-not-deltas-scientists-have-an-idea/">Titan's lakes</a> overflow with liquid methane and ethane, producing a cold, bizarre, and mysterious world. Scientists have been exploring if life could emerge in such conditions.



Now, a new study from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a> offers a possible pathway for how tiny compartments called vesicles - which are critical in the early steps of cellular life - could naturally form in Titan’s frigid lakes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-vesicles-in-titan-s-methane-lakes">Vesicles in Titan's methane lakes</h2>



On Earth, life as we know it began in water. That’s where molecules came together in structures, got organized, and began to carry out the most fundamental functions of living cells. One of the first moves in this direction was the creation of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesicle_(biology_and_chemistry)" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vesicles</a>.



Vesicles are small sacs, like tiny bubbles, composed of molecules with one end that adores water and the other that shuns it. 



These <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/micrometeorites-may-have-helped-create-life-billions-of-years-ago/">amphiphiles</a> arrange themselves spontaneously in the form of spheres in water, with the water-attracting parts pointing outward and the water-repelling parts safely inside.



Over time, some of these spheres developed a second outer layer, creating a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK26871/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bilayer membrane</a>. This gave them the structure of a cell, able to enclose materials and protect them from the outside. 



But Titan isn’t <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-much-life-has-inhabited-earth-since-the-very-first-cell-scientists-found-out/">Earth</a>. There’s no liquid water. The chemistry and environment are entirely different.



That’s what makes this research so interesting. It suggests that vesicles might still form - just not in water. Instead, they could take shape in Titan’s methane and ethane-rich lakes through a different, but equally natural, process.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-titan-is-a-moon-with-weather">Titan is a moon with weather</h2>



Titan isn’t just the biggest of <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/saturn/moons/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Saturn’s moons</a>. It’s also the only one with a thick atmosphere. The orange haze surrounding it is mostly nitrogen, but it also includes <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/titans-weather-resembles-earths-but-runs-on-methane-instead-of-water/">methane</a>. 



This methane forms clouds, creates rainstorms, and carves rivers and lakes into the icy surface - just like water does on Earth.



NASA’s Cassini mission, which orbited Saturn from 2004 to 2017, gave us our first real look at this weather system in action. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Titan-surface_Huygens-probe_33000-feet_NASA_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Titan-surface_Huygens-probe_33000-feet_NASA_1s.webp" alt="Huygens captured this aerial view of Titan from an altitude of 33,000 feet. Credit: ESA/NASA" class="wp-image-1978881"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Huygens captured this aerial view of Titan from an altitude of 33,000 feet. Click image to enlarge. Credit: ESA/NASA</figcaption></figure>



What it saw changed our understanding of Titan forever. The methane doesn’t just sit there - it moves through a full cycle of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. Along the way, it also fuels complex chemistry <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saturns-moon-titan-has-a-mysterious-atmospheric-tilt/">in the atmosphere</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-complex-organic-molecules-form-on-titan">Complex organic molecules form on Titan</h2>



Sunlight breaks down methane molecules, which then recombine into more complex organic molecules. Some scientists believe this chemistry could be similar to what happened on early Earth, long before life began. 



If we want to understand how life started here, Titan might be one of our best laboratories in the solar system.



The study focused on how vesicles might form under Titan-like conditions. Instead of relying on water, it looked at how droplets of liquid, tossed into the air by splashing methane raindrops, might mix with molecules coating the surface of lakes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-making-vesicles-in-titan-s-methane-lakes">Making vesicles in Titan's methane lakes</h2>



Imagine a small droplet being launched into the air, its surface covered with <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/materials-science/amphiphile" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">amphiphiles</a>. When it lands back on the lake - which is also covered with these molecules - the two layers meet. That contact forms a vesicle with a double-layered membrane, trapping the droplet inside.



Now imagine this happening over and over again, with thousands or millions of these vesicles forming, spreading, and even interacting. It’s not life - but it could be the kind of chemical structure that life starts from.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Titan_cell-vesicle-formation_organic-material_life-building-blocks_nasa_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Titan_cell-vesicle-formation_organic-material_life-building-blocks_nasa_1s.webp" alt="An artist’s concept of the proposed mechanism for vesicle formation on Titan. (1) Methane lakes and seas on Titan’s surface become coated with a film of amphiphiles. (2) Methane raindrops splash the lake surface. (3) Splashes create a mist of droplets coated in the same film. (4) Droplets settle back onto the lake and sink, becoming coated in a bilayer which becomes a vesicle. Credit: Christian Mayer (Universität Duisburg-Essen) and Conor Nixon (NASA Goddard)" class="wp-image-1978879"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">An artist’s concept of the proposed mechanism for vesicle formation on Titan. (1) Methane lakes and seas on Titan’s surface become coated with a film of amphiphiles. (2) Methane raindrops splash the lake surface. (3) Splashes create a mist of droplets coated in the same film. (4) Droplets settle back onto the lake and sink, becoming coated in a bilayer which becomes a vesicle. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Christian Mayer (Universität Duisburg-Essen) and Conor Nixon (NASA Goddard)</figcaption></figure>



“The existence of any vesicles on Titan would demonstrate an increase in order and complexity, which are conditions necessary for the origin of life," said Conor Nixon from NASA’s <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Goddard Space Flight Center</a> in Greenbelt, Maryland.



"We’re excited about these new ideas because they can open up new directions in Titan research and may change how we search for life on Titan in the future.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-missions-to-titan">Future missions to Titan</h2>



Although this research is still theoretical, it’s a huge step towards thinking outside the box about what life could be like elsewhere. 



Titan’s lakes are not on the agenda for NASA’s next <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dragonfly-space-mission-saturn-moon-titan-gets-greenlight/">Dragonfly mission</a>, but the rotorcraft will investigate other areas of the surface. It'll fly between sites, gaining information on the composition of Titan, its atmosphere, and the possibility of habitability.



<a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/dragonfly/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dragonfly</a> will not have the equipment to directly detect vesicles, but its journey may serve to verify if Titan’s chemistry is suitable for them to exist.



If it does, we’ll be one step closer to answering one of the biggest questions of all: Are we alone, or can life begin in places completely unlike our own?



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-journal-of-astrobiology/article/proposed-mechanism-for-the-formation-of-protocelllike-structures-on-titan/F4093F34F6FD80380CEE909C37B2CECE" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">International Journal of Astrobiology</a>.



-----



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



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



-----

Study explains how living cells could form in methane lakes on Saturn's moon Titan

In the search for life beyond Earth, few places are as intriguing as Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. It's the only spot in the solar system where there are lakes and seas on the surface - only they're not made of water. Titan's lakes overflow with liquid methane and ethane, producing a cold, bizarre, and mysterious world. Scientists have been exploring if life could emerge in such conditions. Now, a new study from NASA offers a possible pathway for how tiny compartments called vesicles - which are critical...

The global food system is at a critical juncture with the impending surge in global population. This system, which currently contributes between 21% and 37% of Earth's yearly greenhouse gas <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-food-system-must-change-if-nations-hope-to-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions/">emissions</a>, could skyrocket its emissions contribution to anywhere between 50% and 80% by 2050.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-agricultural-technologies">Agricultural technologies&nbsp;</h2>



But now, a promising study published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000181">PLOS Climate</a> reveals how agricultural technologies can not only mitigate the escalation of emissions but potentially reverse it by ushering in net negative emissions.



The research was conducted by Benjamin Z. Houlton, the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at <a href="https://www.cornell.edu/">Cornell University</a>, and Maya Almaraz, an associate research scholar at Princeton University.



<h2 id="h-focus-of-the-study">Focus of the study&nbsp;</h2>



“Our study recognizes the food system as one of the most powerful weapons in the battle against global climate change,” stated Houlton. “We need to move beyond silver-bullet thinking and rapidly test, verify and scale local solutions by leveraging market-based incentives.”



<h2 id="h-dietary-changes">Dietary changes&nbsp;</h2>



Several past studies have vouched for the transformative power of global dietary shifts in curbing emissions. One of the prominent recommendations in this realm is the "flexitarian" diet, advocated by the EAT-Lancet Commission.&nbsp;



However, even if the entire global population adopted this diet by 2050, it would result in a mere gross reduction of 8.2 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions - a commendable yet inadequate figure in light of the net negative emissions target.



“Our study examines both dietary change and agricultural technologies, as various options for slashing emissions,” said Almaraz, emphasizing the inclusion of carbon sequestration analyses.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-innovative-techniques">Innovative techniques&nbsp;</h2>



Contrasting the minimal influence of dietary changes on carbon sequestration, Almaraz noted that the array of agricultural technologies - even those few they studied - presents huge promise.



Among the myriad of innovative techniques, the study highlights the potency of soil enhancements for crops such as biochar, compost, and rock amendments, the promotion of agroforestry, sustainable seafood harvesting, and the introduction of hydrogen-driven fertilizer production.&nbsp;



One intriguing method involves “enhanced weathering.” By integrating silicate rock dust into crop soils every half-decade, carbonate formation is expedited, gobbling up vast quantities of carbon dioxide.



<h2 id="h-promising-strategies">Promising strategies&nbsp;</h2>



Moreover, strategies like agroforestry, where trees are sowed on dormant farmlands, can sequester up to 10.3 billion metric tons of carbon annually.&nbsp;



In addition, farming seaweed at the ocean’s crest and subsequently submerging it into the ocean depths can pull out a staggering 10.7 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide.&nbsp;



Livestock feed supplementation and applying biochar to farmlands are other promising strategies, capable of slashing methane and nitrous oxide emissions significantly.



<h2 id="h-portfolio-of-solutions">Portfolio of solutions&nbsp;</h2>



Food-system environmental action needs to start regionally. Houlton said that anaerobic digesters have been converting manure from New York’s dairy farms into electricity since the mid-1970s, reducing emissions, supporting energy self-sufficiency, and assisting in water quality improvements.&nbsp;



The biogas resulting from the waste becomes energy that local electric companies can easily use, but this approach must avoid gas leaks and financial incentives are still necessary, explained Houlton. “We need a portfolio of solutions that are effective locally but have global impact."



While individual dietary shifts towards healthier alternatives are commendable, Houlton asserts that to genuinely counteract the escalating greenhouse gas emissions, we need to rely heavily on agricultural technologies and management techniques.



---



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



---



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

Agricultural technologies can reverse climate change

The global food system is at a critical juncture with...

Blackbirds, a common sight in many regions, carry with them a secret burden, one that may be more threatening than expected.&nbsp;



In a study from <a href="https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/">Lund University</a>, biologists investigated the effects of diseases on blackbirds. The findings challenge prior assumptions and shedding new light on the everyday struggles faced by wild animals.



<h2 id="h-how-the-research-was-conducted">How the research was conducted&nbsp;</h2>



For the study, birds were subjected to a simulated bacterial <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/poor-sleep-increases-risk-of-infection/">infection</a>, a strategy devised to spur their immune responses.&nbsp;



This allowed researchers to measure and compare their activity levels against those of birds that did not undergo immune system stimulation. The team used miniature data loggers to meticulously track the birds over several weeks.



<h2 id="h-what-the-researchers-learned">What the researchers learned&nbsp;</h2>



“We found that the birds whose immune system was stimulated had reduced activity for three weeks, which is much longer than we expected," said Arne Hegemann, the lead biologist of the study.



"We could also see that the 'sick' blackbirds stopped their activities almost an hour earlier in the evenings compared to the control group.”



<h2 id="h-significant-impacts">Significant impacts</h2>



It's a revelation that stands in stark contrast to previously held beliefs in the scientific community. Prior to this, it was widely assumed that the effects of a compromised immune system in birds would only take a day or two to dissipate.&nbsp;



However, this research shows that not only does it take birds a significantly longer period to recover, but the disease also curtails the duration of their daily activity, rather than diminishing the intensity of activity throughout the day.



<h2 id="h-study-implications">Study implications&nbsp;</h2>



“First of all, it is important to understand what happens to wild animals when they are affected by disease. Even mild ailments and short disease spans can have far-reaching consequences for animals, not least because it affects their everyday life," said Hegemann.



An intriguing yet unresolved question from the study pertains to the exact nature of the birds' reduced activity. Were they resting or simply remaining stationary? One thing, however, was clear – sick blackbirds turned in for the night considerably earlier.



<h2 id="h-greater-consequences">Greater consequences</h2>



“The difference is that when we humans are sick and have symptoms such as fever, reduced appetite or body pain, we may stay at home for a day or two and then return to normal life. Wild animals have the same symptoms but for them the consequences are greater," explained Hegemann.



"If small birds get sick and have 45 minutes less time per day to look for food, it can be the difference between life and death for both them and their young ones.”



The study not only improves our understanding of the impact of disease on blackbirds but also raises awareness about the unseen trials faced by wildlife on a daily basis.



<h2 id="h-more-about-blackbirds">More about blackbirds</h2>



Blackbirds are more than just common garden birds; they play a significant role in ecosystems by controlling insect populations.



<h3 id="h-physical-characteristics">Physical characteristics</h3>



Males are easily recognizable by their all-black plumage and bright yellow eyes, as well as a yellow-orange beak. In contrast, females have a brown body with a slightly rufous hue on the chest and throat. Their beaks are brownish-pink, and they have a faint mottled pattern.



<h3 id="h-habitat-and-distribution">Habitat and distribution</h3>



Blackbirds are primarily found across Europe, Asia, and North Africa. They have also been introduced to Australia and New Zealand. They are versatile in terms of habitat, thriving in woods, gardens, parks, and hedges.



While they are generally not migratory, blackbirds in the colder regions of Europe and Asia will move south to warmer areas during the winter months.



<h3 id="h-diet">Diet</h3>



These birds are omnivorous. Their diet mainly consists of insects, worms, and berries, but they also feed on fruits, seeds, and other small creatures.



<h3 id="h-behavior-and-breeding">Behavior and breeding</h3>



Blackbirds are known for their melodious songs, especially the males, who sing from high perches to mark their territory and attract females.



They usually breed between March and July. The female builds the nest, which is often a cup shape made of grass and mud.



Typically, a pair of blackbirds will produce 2-3 broods a year, with each brood consisting of 3-5 eggs.







<h3 id="h-song">Song</h3>



One of the most distinguishable features of the blackbird is its song. The male's melodious and varied song can often be heard during early morning and late evening, especially during the breeding season. Their song is known to be pleasing to the ear.



Want to read more? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



—-



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

When blackbirds get sick, it takes weeks for them to recover

Blackbirds, a common sight in many regions, carry with them...

In the 33rd annual State of the Climate report, experts have documented record concentrations of greenhouse gases, alarming rises in global sea levels, and significant increases in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/discovery-ancient-ocean-floor-surrounds-the-earths-core/">ocean</a> heat content in 2022.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-about-the-report">About the report</h2>



This annual review, which offers a detailed analysis of the world's climate, represents an international collaboration that includes contributions from 570+ scientists across 60 countries.



The report stands as an authoritative reference, bringing together an assortment of data meticulously collected from monitoring stations and instruments spread across land, water, ice, and even outer space.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-annual-checkup">Annual checkup</h2>



Derek Arndt, the Director of NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), likened the report to "an annual physical of the Earth system."



"It serves present and future generations by documenting and sharing data that indicate increasingly extreme and changing conditions in our warming world," said Arndt.



<h2 id="h-significance-of-the-findings">Significance of the findings&nbsp;</h2>



Paul Higgins, the associate executive director of the American Meteorological Society, conveyed the gravity of the findings: "People are causing the largest known change in global climate since our transition to agriculture thousands of years ago."&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-key-findings-from-the-report">Key findings from the report</h2>



The State of the Climate report has confirmed our worst environmental fears: greenhouse gas concentrations, global sea levels, and ocean heat content reached alarming highs in 2022. The report sends an urgent message about the current state of our planet:



<h3 id="h-greenhouse-gas-levels">Greenhouse gas levels</h3>



In 2022, atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations reached historical peaks. Specifically, carbon dioxide touched 417.1 ppm, a staggering 50% rise from pre-industrial levels and the highest ever recorded in over 800,000 years.&nbsp;



Concurrently, methane saw a 165% spike from its pre-industrial level, while nitrous oxide levels increased at rates unseen in the past decade, indicating an upsurge in emissions.



<h3 id="h-global-warming-trends">Global warming trends&nbsp;</h3>



Scientific analysis revealed that 2022 ranked amongst the six hottest years since the late 1800s. Despite La Nina's cooling effect, 2022 still managed to break the previous year's record, becoming the hottest La Nina year on record. Interestingly, the re-emergence of El Nino in 2023 is forecasted to surpass 2022's temperatures.



<h3 id="h-oceans-bear-the-brunt">Oceans bear the brunt</h3>



Oceans, which have absorbed over 90% of the excess heat resulting from greenhouse gases in the past 50 years, witnessed unprecedented heat content levels in 2022. Moreover, the global sea level set a record for the 11th consecutive year, measuring about 4.0 inches above the 1993 average.



<h3 id="h-la-nina-s-cooling-effect">La Nina's cooling effect</h3>



The persistent La Nina conditions in 2022 moderated sea surface temperatures, affecting global oceanic and climatic patterns. Despite this, about 58% of the ocean surface underwent marine heatwaves, indicative of the intensifying impact of climate change.



<h3 id="h-heatwaves-grip-the-planet">Heatwaves grip the planet</h3>



Europe was scorched by an intense heatwave in July, with temperature records being shattered across the continent. This resulted in unprecedented glacier melting, particularly in the Alps, leading to massive volume losses.



<h3 id="h-arctic-conditions-worsen">Arctic conditions worsen</h3>



The Arctic, having its fifth-warmest year, displayed signs of rapid warming, also known as Arctic amplification. The region witnessed a decline in multiyear ice, and its annual precipitation rates reached near-record levels.



<h3 id="h-tropical-cyclones">Tropical cyclones&nbsp;</h3>



While tropical cyclone activity was close to average, numerous storms inflicted significant damage. Hurricanes Fiona and Ian were particularly devastating, with the latter becoming one of the costliest disasters in the U.S.



The State of the Climate report is published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/2023BAMSStateoftheClimate.1">Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society</a>.



Want to read more? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



—-



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

State of the Climate: Greenhouse gases hit a record high in 2022

In the 33rd annual State of the Climate report, experts...

The origin of humanity has been a topic of debate for many years, and a recent discovery in Turkey has added a new piece to the puzzle. Historically, the most widely accepted belief has been that the birthplace of apes and humans was Africa. However, an ancient ape skull found in Turkey is now challenging this narrative.



The age of the ape skull, named Anadoluvius turkae, could change our understanding of the evolutionary journey of humans.



<h2 id="h-time-gap">Time gap</h2>



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sabertooth-skull-offers-new-clues-about-the-extinct-mammal/">skull</a> is estimated to be around 8.7 million years old. The significance of this timeframe lies in the fact that, up until now, there has not been any trace of early hominins, including humans and African apes, in Africa until seven million years ago.&nbsp;



This time gap has opened a new discussion among scientists: did our ancestors, the precursors of African apes and humans, first evolve in Europe before making their way to Africa?



<h2 id="h-skull-discovery">Skull discovery&nbsp;</h2>



The skull was discovered in 2015, but the debate around its significance gained momentum after it was described in a recent publication in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s42003-023-05210-5">Communications Biology</a>.&nbsp;



Professor David Begun is a paleoanthropologist at the <a href="https://www.utoronto.ca/">University of Toronto</a> and the co-senior author of the study.



The skull was recovered from the Çorakyerler fossil locality near Cankiri, a city in Turkey about 87 miles north of Ankara.



“The completeness of the fossil allowed us to do a broader and more detailed analysis using many characters and attributes that are coded into a program designed to calculate evolutionary relationships,” said Professor Begun.&nbsp;



“The face is mostly complete, after applying mirror imaging. The new part is the forehead, with bone preserved to about the crown of the cranium. Previously described fossils do not have this much of the brain case.”



<h2 id="h-anadoluvius-lifestyle">Anadoluvius lifestyle</h2>



The researchers say Anadoluvius was about the size of a large male chimpanzee (50-60 kg) – very large for a chimp and close to the average size of a female gorilla (75-80 kg). The ape lived in a dry forest setting, and probably spent a great deal of time on the ground.&nbsp;



“We have no limb bones but judging from its jaws and teeth, the animals found alongside it, and the geological indicators of the environment, Anadoluvius probably lived in relatively open conditions, unlike the forest settings of living great apes,” said study lead author Ayla Sevim-Erol.&nbsp;



“More like what we think the environments of early humans in Africa were like. The powerful jaws and large, thickly enameled teeth suggest a diet including hard or tough food items from terrestrial sources such as roots and rhizomes.”



<h2 id="h-early-hominines">Early hominines</h2>



Anadoluvius and other fossil apes from nearby Greece (Ouranopithecus) and Bulgaria (Graecopithecus) form a group that come closest in many details of anatomy and ecology to the earliest known hominins, or humans.&nbsp;



The new fossils are the best-preserved specimens of this group of early hominines and provide the strongest evidence to date that the group originated in Europe and later dispersed into Africa.&nbsp;



The study’s detailed analysis also reveals that the Balkan and Anatolian apes evolved from ancestors in western and central Europe.



<h2 id="h-hominin-evolution">Hominin evolution</h2>



"Our findings further suggest that hominins not only evolved in western and central Europe but spent over five million years evolving there and spreading to the eastern Mediterranean before eventually dispersing into Africa, probably as a consequence of changing environments and diminishing forests," said Professor Begun.



However, while these findings are monumental, Professor Begun is cautious about their implications.&nbsp;



"This new evidence supports the hypothesis that hominins originated in Europe and dispersed into Africa along with many other mammals between nine and seven million years ago, though it does not definitively prove it," said Professor Begun.&nbsp;



For a more comprehensive and&nbsp; understanding, Begun emphasizes the importance of additional fossils dating back seven to eight million years from both continents, Europe and Africa.



<h2 id="h-opposing-views">Opposing views</h2>



Not everyone in the scientific community agrees with this new theory. Professor Chris Stringer, a leader in human evolution research at the <a href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/">Natural History Museum in London</a>, believes that the narrative remains largely unchanged.&nbsp;



"This has been a long-running debate regarding great ape and our origins," said Professor Stringer. He references a recent paper in the journal Science which concluded, "Current evidence suggests that hominins originated in Africa from Miocene ape ancestors, unlike any living species."



With two opposing perspectives, what remains clear is that the story of our evolutionary past is still unfolding. This discovery might be a piece of the puzzle, but whether it’s a cornerstone or just another fragment remains to be seen.



Image Credit: Sevim-Erol, A., Begun, D.R., Sözer, Ç.S. et al.



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



—--



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

Did humans first evolve in Europe? Ape skull sparks new debate

The origin of humanity has been a topic of debate...

Medical,Technology,Concept,With,3d,Rendering,Doctor,Robot,With,Surgery

Breast cancer screening, normally through mammograms, is a critical tool in early detection. However, it’s not always flawless.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-supported-mammography-will-improve-breast-cancer-detection/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mammographic screenings</a>, while imperative, sometimes miss their mark, leading to false-positive interpretations. Such inaccuracies can put women who don't have cancer through unnecessary, and often stressful, imaging and biopsies.



One solution that has been proposed over the years to enhance the accuracy of these screenings is the so-called double reading, where two human experts interpret each mammogram. However, with a challenging backdrop of limited resources and occasional reader shortages, the method isn't always feasible.



<h2 id="h-ai-does-a-good-job-of-reading-mammograms">AI does a good job of reading mammograms</h2>



Enter the world of artificial intelligence (AI). AI algorithms have increasingly been seen as the answer to many such medical challenges, and breast cancer screening is no exception. But how does AI fare against human experts in this delicate and critical domain?



A comprehensive study led by Prof. Yan Chen, Ph.D., a professor of digital screening at the <a href="https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Nottingham</a>, sought to answer this very question. Their findings, recently published in <a href="https://pubs.rsna.org/journal/radiology">Radiology</a>, the journal of the <a href="https://www.rsna.org/">Radiological Society of North America</a> (RSNA), provide illuminating insights into the potential of AI in mammographic screenings.



According to the researchers, employing two readers can amplify cancer detection rates by 6 to 15%, all the while maintaining low recall rates. Yet, this approach isn’t without its challenges. Prof. Chen stated, “There is a lot of pressure to deploy AI quickly to solve these problems, but we need to get it right to protect women’s health.”



<h2>How the study was conducted</h2>



The research framework centered around the <a href="https://performs.nottingham.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Personal Performance in Mammographic Screening</a> (PERFORMS) assessment. This is a quality assurance test utilized by the UK’s National Health Service Breast Screening Program (NHSBSP). This test comprises 60 challenging exams that encompass abnormal, benign, and normal findings.



&nbsp;Using these test sets, the research team juxtaposed the performance of human readers with that of an AI algorithm. For each mammogram, scores from human readers were matched against the "ground truth" outcomes determined by the AI.



“The 552 readers in our study represent 68% of readers in the NHSBSP, so this provides a robust performance comparison between human readers and AI,” emphasized Prof. Chen.



In a meticulous classification, the breasts examined were categorized as 67% normal, 29% with malignancies, and 4% benign. The malignancies exhibited certain recurring patterns. Masses were predominant, followed by calcifications, asymmetries, and architectural distortions. On average, malignant lesions measured at 15.5 mm.



<h2>What the researchers learned</h2>



The crux of the study's findings revealed a compelling parallel in performance between AI and human experts. The average sensitivity and specificity showcased by human readers were 90% and 76% respectively. Meanwhile, the AI algorithm mirrored a nearly identical performance, registering a sensitivity of 91% and specificity of 77%.



Prof. Chen concluded, “The results of this study provide strong supporting evidence that AI for breast cancer screening can perform as well as human readers.”



However, the road ahead for AI in this realm isn’t entirely devoid of challenges. Highlighting the importance of continuous research and monitoring, Prof. Chen shared her views on AI's role in breast screening.



She stated that the ongoing large prospective clinical trials would provide more clarity. She further emphasized the importance of consistent performance monitoring for AI, especially as algorithms might experience performance drifts due to evolving operating environments.



Closing her remarks, Prof. Chen asserted, “It’s vital that imaging centers have a process in place to provide ongoing monitoring of AI once it becomes part of clinical practice.”



This study may well pave the way for an AI-driven future in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/common-dietary-supplement-proven-to-combat-breast-cancer/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">breast cancer</a> screenings, reinforcing the symbiotic relationship between human expertise and artificial intelligence.



<h2>More about mammograms</h2>



Mammograms serve as a front-line defense in breast cancer detection. This breast imaging test uses low-dose X-rays to visualize the internal structure of breasts, allowing doctors to spot tumors that may not be palpable and diagnose changes in the breast.



So, how does a mammogram work? When you go for a mammogram, a technician places your breast between two plates. These plates then compress the breast, ensuring a clear view of the breast tissue. An X-ray machine captures images of the breast from multiple angles. Though the compression might cause some discomfort, it lasts only a few seconds.



<h3>There are two types of mammograms:</h3>



Screening Mammogram: Routinely used for women who show no symptoms or signs of breast abnormalities. It typically captures two images of each breast.



Diagnostic Mammogram: Used when a woman shows symptoms like a lump, pain, nipple thickening or discharge, or if a potential issue arises in a screening mammogram. It captures more images from various angles.



<h3>The key benefits of mammograms include:</h3>



Early Detection: Mammograms can detect tumors that are too tiny to feel and identify cancers before symptoms develop, greatly improving the chances of successful treatment.



Decreasing Mortality: Regular mammograms reduce the risk of dying from breast cancer as early detection often means simpler, less invasive treatments.



However, it's crucial to note that while mammograms are effective, they're not perfect. They can miss some cancers, and sometimes, they may raise false alarms, leading to additional tests that reveal no cancer.



<h3>To get the most accurate results, women should:</h3>



Choose a Reputable Facility: Ensure you get your mammogram at a center with a strong reputation and certified technicians.



Maintain Regularity: Schedule regular mammograms. If you're 40 or older, or have a family history of breast cancer, discuss the best timeline with your doctor.



Stay Consistent: If possible, go to the same facility every time, so your mammograms are easy to compare year-to-year.



Report Any Changes: Always inform your doctor about any changes in your breasts or any potential issues.



In summary, mammograms play a vital role in breast health. They provide a powerful tool for early detection of breast cancer, helping save countless lives every year. Ensure you prioritize this crucial test and take proactive steps for your health.



---



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



—--



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



---

AI can read and diagnose mammograms just as well as humans

Breast cancer screening, normally through mammograms, is a critical tool...

For most people, welcoming a new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lab-grown-babies-revolutionary-science-or-ethical-disaster/">baby</a> into the world brings an abundance of joy. However, recent research highlights an often overlooked aspect of new parenthood: a significant sleep debt.



A new study from experts at <a href="https://www.silentnight.co.uk/">Silentnight</a> reveals that during the first year of their child’s life, parents miss out on the equivalent of over two months of sleep.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-hundreds-of-sleep-interruptions">Hundreds of sleep interruptions&nbsp;</h2>



On average, new parents lose about four and a half hours of sleep every night. This sleep debt amounts to over 31 hours per week or an astonishing 68 days before the child's first birthday.



Overall, the researchers found that new parents tend to their babies an average of 975 times at night during the first year. This equates to almost three night-time interruptions every night. Younger parents, especially those under 25, wake up almost four times during the night.



<h2 id="h-mothers-have-the-greatest-sleep-debt">Mothers have the greatest sleep debt</h2>



The study also revealed that sleep deprivation isn't distributed equally among both parents. The study showed that mothers bear the brunt of the sleeplessness, with an average loss of five hours each night compared to fathers, who typically miss three and a half hours. 



Why such a disparity between each parent? One significant factor is an imbalance in parental leave from work. 



"This is often down to men getting less leave from work post birth, meaning their bodies maintain a more regular sleep routine than mums, who get extended leave of up to 12 months," the study reports.&nbsp;



Furthermore, breastfeeding is primarily the responsibility of mothers, leading to increased night-time duties for them.



<h2 id="h-sleep-quality">Sleep quality</h2>



However, it’s not just about the quantity of interruptions, but the quality of sleep that follows. Even after these late-night baby care duties, not all parents find it easy to drift back to sleep.&nbsp;



Among fathers, 70 percent said they managed to get a good night’s rest after being woken up, while this was only the case for 44 percent of mothers.



<h2 id="h-common-reasons">Common reasons&nbsp;</h2>



The survey from Silentnight, which included 500 parents of children under five, sought to uncover the most common reasons for these sleep interruptions.&nbsp;



The results showed that over half of late-night wake-ups were due to the baby being hungry or thirsty. This was followed by teething, which accounted for 41 percent of the sleep interruptions.



<h2 id="h-importance-of-self-care">Importance of self-care&nbsp;</h2>



"Taking care of a baby or toddler can have a significant impact on the quality of sleep mums and dads get, especially in those first few months after birth," said Hannah Shore, a sleep expert at Silentnight.



Shore emphasized the importance of self-care during this challenging phase of life.&nbsp;



“All parents accept that their sleep quality and quantity will be reduced after becoming a new parent. However, if you’re feeling low, bad tempered and unable to cope, you need to find a way of getting more sleep – or at least more rest. Remember, taking care of yourself is essential for effectively caring for your newborn.”



According to Shore, prioritizing rest and seeking assistance where it's needed are all crucially important during this demanding time.



"And remember, where possible, ask for additional help from those around you," she said. "Having a child is not easy, and it’s OK to ask for a hand every now and then."



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



—--



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

Sleep debt: New parents lose two months of sleep in a baby's first year

For most people, welcoming a new baby into the world...

When it comes to romantic attraction, the belief that "opposites attract" has been promoted in popular culture for decades. But now, a study from the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Colorado, Boulder</a>, is challenging this idea. The experts have found that individuals are more often attracted to people who are similar to themselves.



Based on an extensive analysis of over 130 traits, covering millions of couples spanning more than a century, the evidence suggests that similarities, not differences, are the driving forces behind human attraction.



“Our findings demonstrate that birds of a feather are indeed more likely to flock together," said Tanya Horwitz, a doctoral candidate in CU Boulder's Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and the Institute for Behavioral Genetics (IBG).



<h2 id="h-human-mating-isn-t-random">Human mating isn't random</h2>



The study was focused on traits ranging from political inclinations to substance use habits. Out of the myriad traits analyzed, between 82% to 89% showed that partners were more likely to share similarities than not. Only 3% demonstrated any significant divergence.



Matt Keller is the senior author and the IBG Director. He provided a unique insight into the implications of these findings. Keller stated, “A lot of models in genetics assume that human mating is random. This study shows this assumption is probably wrong.” 



This concept of "assortative mating" - where individuals with similar characteristics tend to partner up - can significantly affect the conclusions of genetic research.



<h2 id="h-how-the-research-was-conducted">How the research was conducted&nbsp;</h2>



To ensure a comprehensive and robust analysis, the team at CU Boulder executed a meta-analysis of prior research and conducted their own original study. 



The researchers scrutinized 22 traits across 199 studies encompassing millions of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/older-couples-have-synchronized-heart-rates/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">couples</a>. Their analysis spanned over a century, with the earliest research dating back to 1903. 



In addition to this, the team utilized the UK Biobank dataset, observing 133 traits across nearly 80,000 opposite-sex pairs. It's essential to note that same-sex couples weren't a part of this research, and the authors are currently studying these patterns separately.



<h2 id="h-which-traits-drive-attraction">Which traits drive attraction?</h2>



The traits displaying the highest correlations included political and religious beliefs, educational levels, and certain IQ measures. For example, political values had a correlation of .58 on a scale where 1 denotes absolute similarity.&nbsp;



Substance use patterns also revealed substantial correlations. By contrast, traits such as height, weight, and medical conditions had positive yet lesser correlations.&nbsp;



For some traits, like extroversion, not much of a correlation was found. “People have all these theories that extroverts like introverts or extroverts like other extroverts, but the fact of the matter is that it’s about like flipping a coin: Extroverts are similarly likely to end up with extroverts as with introverts,” said Horwitz.



<h2 id="h-opposites-don-t-seem-to-attract">Opposites don't seem to attract</h2>



The study's meta-analysis did not find any substantial evidence to support the idea that opposites attract. However, in the UK Biobank sample, they identified a few traits with a negative correlation, albeit modest, such as chronotype, tendency to worry, and hearing difficulty.



“These findings suggest that even in situations where we feel like we have a choice about our relationships, there may be mechanisms happening behind the scenes of which we aren't fully aware," explained Horwitz.



<h2 id="h-study-implications">Study implications&nbsp;</h2>



The researchers also explored the wider implications of their findings. For instance, Horwitz suggested that if short individuals predominantly partner with other short individuals and tall with tall, there might be more people at height extremes in subsequent generations. This principle could also apply to psychiatric, medical, or other traits.



There might be societal ramifications as well. Some preliminary studies have suggested that couples in the U.S. are increasingly matching based on educational backgrounds. This could inadvertently intensify the socioeconomic divide. 



Moreover, the strength of attraction based on various traits can differ across different populations and may evolve over time.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-future-research">Future research&nbsp;</h2>



The researchers caution that the correlations were fairly modest and should not be overstated or misused to promote an agenda. However, they hope the study will be a catalyst for further research. 



“We’re hoping people can use this data to do their own analyses and learn more about how and why people end up in the relationships they do," said Horwitz.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01672-z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Human Behaviour</a>.



---



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



---



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

Opposites attract? Usually not, according to a new study

When it comes to romantic attraction, the belief that "opposites...

In recent times, tropical forests have been hailed as champions in the fight against climate change due to their ability to act as carbon sinks - effectively absorbing more carbon than they emit.&nbsp;



But what happens when these forests are subjected to extreme climate anomalies like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forecasters-warn-of-weather-chaos-as-el-nino-arrives-early/">El Niño</a>? This question has been addressed in a new study led by Dr. Amy Bennett of the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/">University of Leeds</a>.



<h2 id="h-focus-of-the-study">Focus of the study&nbsp;</h2>



The research reveals that the ability of tropical forests to absorb carbon falters during extreme hot and dry conditions. This discovery has heightened concerns over the long-term effects of climate change on these forests.



Historically, tropical forests have served as Earth’s lungs. They absorb vast quantities of carbon dioxide, releasing oxygen in return. Their immense capability to act as a carbon sink has been instrumental in countering the rising levels of greenhouse gases and tempering the impact of climate change.



However, the new study raises concerns about the forests’ ability to sustain this role under the strain of climate extremes.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-el-nino">El Niño</h2>



Specifically, during the 2015-2016 El Niño climate event – one that brought about unprecedented drought and the highest temperatures ever documented – South American forests ceased to act as a carbon sink.



The El Niño phenomenon causes a sharp rise in sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean. This catalyzes a significant shift in the world's climate system. For South America, the outcome in 2015-2016 was particularly scorching. A similar El Niño event is currently underway.



<h2 id="h-carbon-dioxide">Carbon dioxide</h2>



“Tropical forests in the Amazon have played a key role in slowing the build-up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere," said Dr. Bennett.



"Scientists have been aware of the sensitivity of Amazonian trees to temperature fluctuations and varying water availability. Yet, the precise ramifications of future climate shifts on individual forests remain a puzzle. This massive El Niño event has granted us a foresight into how anomalous climatic conditions can affect these forests.”



<h2 id="h-how-the-research-was-conducted">How the research was conducted&nbsp;</h2>



The study, published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01776-4">Nature Climate Change</a>, was a collaborative effort. The research team harnessed the resources of the RAINFOR and PPBio research networks. 



More than 100 scientists meticulously measured forests over decades. Their study spanned 123 experimental plots that include Amazon, Atlantic, and drier tropical forests of South America.



The intricate data, painstakingly recorded tree-by-tree, revealed that for almost three decades, the majority of these forests served as reliable carbon sinks.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-surge-in-tree-mortality">Surge in tree mortality&nbsp;</h2>



But, the 2015-2016 El Niño onset upset this balance. The primary reason? A significant uptick in tree mortality rates caused by the severe heat and drought.



Professor Beatriz Marimon is from Brazil’s Mato Grosso State University. He noted, “In the southeastern Amazon, at the rainforest's edge, trees may have transitioned from sequestering carbon to releasing it. Although tree growth sustained higher temperatures, mortality surged during this climatic extreme.”



<h2 id="h-what-the-researchers-discovered">What the researchers discovered&nbsp;</h2>



From the 123 plots examined, a staggering 119 experienced an average monthly temperature surge of 0.5 degrees Celsius, and 99 faced water deficits.&nbsp;



Predictably, where temperatures rose, conditions were drier. Before El Niño's onslaught, researchers estimated that these plots sequestered roughly a third of a ton of carbon per hectare annually. But this rate plummeted to zero amidst the El Niño-induced adversities.



A notable observation was the relatively higher impact of the El Niño in forests that were already leaning towards the drier side, suggesting that certain trees might already be grappling with their limit of tolerable conditions.



<h2 id="h-study-implications">Study implications&nbsp;</h2>



Professor Oliver Phillips, an ecologist at the University of Leeds who also supervised this research, remains optimistic despite the dire outlook.&nbsp;



“This El Niño, albeit the most intense drought ever recorded, was no more damaging to intact forests than previous droughts. The increased tree mortality was primarily observed in drier regions on the Amazon's periphery, where forests were already fragmented," said Professor Phillips.



“Land clearance intensifies the environmental conditions, making them drier and hotter, which in turn, puts added strain on the remaining trees. The overarching challenge is ensuring these forests remain undisturbed. If achieved, our empirical evidence suggests they can persist in their role as carbon sinks, mitigating the progression of climate change.”



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



—--



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

Extreme weather can flip forests from carbon sinks to carbon sources

In recent times, tropical forests have been hailed as champions...

At the core of Earth's biodiversity lies a fundamental question: Why do certain species thrive in abundance, while other species are dangerously rare? A recent groundbreaking study has shed light on this mystery, offering new insights into a debate that has been ongoing since the time of Darwin.



A pattern, long observed in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/citizen-scientists-gain-a-stronger-connection-with-nature/">nature</a>, has become more evident with over a century's worth of data: Most species are, intriguingly, rare, yet not exceedingly so. Meanwhile, only a select few species dominate in numbers.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-species-distribution">Species distribution&nbsp;</h2>



This phenomenon, known as the global species abundance distribution (gSAD), has been documented more conclusively for certain species, like birds.&nbsp;



However, when it comes to insects and several others, the clarity fades. This was the primary discovery made by an international team led by the <a href="https://www.idiv.de/en/index.html">German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research</a> (iDiv).



The research, published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02173-y">Nature Ecology and Evolution</a>, highlights the vital role of biodiversity monitoring in capturing the diverse essence of life on our planet.



The enigma of species distribution is not new. Charles Darwin, over 150 years ago, pondered in his revolutionary work, "The Origin of Species": “Who can explain why one species ranges widely and is very numerous, and why another allied species has a narrow range and is rare?”&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-two-primary-models">Two primary models</h2>



This query sparked the exploration of the gSAD, leading to the proposition of two primary models in the last century.



The first, introduced by R. A. Fisher - a renowned statistician and biologist - asserted that a vast majority of species are exceptionally rare. This perspective, known as the log-series model, implies that common species are a minority.&nbsp;



On the other hand, F. W. Preston, both an engineer and ecologist, brought forth the log-normal model, suggesting that truly rare species are few and far between, with most exhibiting an intermediate level of abundance. Yet, until this recent study, the scientific community remained divided on which model truly depicted Earth’s gSAD.



<h2 id="h-focus-of-the-study">Focus of the study&nbsp;</h2>



To address this conundrum, the researchers analyzed data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), which contains over a billion species observations spanning from 1900 to 2019.&nbsp;



Dr. Corey Callaghan, the study's lead author, extolled the GBIF database, acknowledging its significance in "bringing together both data collected from professional and citizen scientists all over the world.” The data was meticulously categorized into 39 species groups, from birds to mammals, each with its unique gSAD.



<h2 id="h-what-the-researchers-learned">What the researchers learned&nbsp;</h2>



The analysis revealed a potential universal pattern: most species are rare, but not exceedingly so, a finding consistent with Preston's log-normal model. However, the complete gSAD picture emerged only for specific groups, like birds and cycads. For others, the data remained limited.



Professor Henrique Pereira, the study's senior author, remarked on the intriguing shift witnessed with increasing data: “You start seeing that there are, in fact, more rare species than very rare species. This shift, evident for birds and cycads, illustrates the unveiling of the full species abundance distribution as Preston envisaged."



Yet, as Callaghan emphasized, there's a vast expanse of biodiversity yet to be charted. "Even though we have been recording observations for decades, we have only lifted the veil for a few species groups,” he said.



<h2 id="h-study-implications">Study implications&nbsp;</h2>



While the new study has made strides in unveiling gSADs for varied species, it has also opened doors to another profound question: Just how many species inhabit our planet? It appears that while some groups, like birds, have been exhaustively documented, others, including insects and cephalopods, remain shrouded in mystery.



These recent revelations not only bring us closer to answering Darwin’s question but also hint at the possible ecological and evolutionary mechanisms shaping species' rarity and abundance. Yet, this challenge will become much more complicated as human actions continue to reshape Earth's biodiversity.



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



—--



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

Nature's puzzle: Why are some species rare and others are common?

At the core of Earth's biodiversity lies a fundamental question:...

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ice-free-arctic-summers-could-be-the-new-normal-by-2030/">Arctic</a> is a hotspot that warms at a rate of nearly four times the global average in a phenomenon known as Arctic amplification. A new study has revealed the important role that tiny aerosols in blowing snow play in this rapid warming.



Aerosols - tiny suspended particles in the atmosphere - were already known to make a significant contribution to the Arctic warming trend, but their precise influence on the climate has remained a mystery.



<h2 id="h-focus-of-the-study">Focus of the study&nbsp;</h2>



Accumulations of pollutants from distant regions can dramatically alter the atmospheric chemistry of the Arctic.&nbsp;



These pollutants are proficient at absorbing sunlight and influencing local weather patterns, which in turn triggers localized warming, leading to the melting of ice and snow. Sea salt particles make up the majority of these aerosols.&nbsp;



Dr. Jian Wang, who heads the Center for Aerosol Science and Engineering (CASE) and serves as a professor at <a href="https://wustl.edu/">Washington University in St. Louis</a>, led a comprehensive investigation into the mysteries of sea salt aerosols.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-blowing-snow">Blowing snow&nbsp;</h2>



The study has revealed that blowing snow significantly increases the concentration of fine sea salt aerosol particles, which in turn influences cloud formation in the region.



“Over the past few decades, scientists have identified ‘Arctic haze’ as the primary source of aerosols in the Arctic during winter and spring. This haze results from the long-range transport of pollutants,” said study first author Dr. Xianda Gong.



“However, our study reveals that local blowing snow, which produces sea salt particles, contributes a more substantial fraction to the total aerosol population in the central Arctic.”



<h2 id="h-how-the-research-was-conducted">How the research was conducted&nbsp;</h2>



The team used data from the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC), an initiative that involved embedding an icebreaker in the central Arctic ice pack, allowing it to drift with the sea ice for a full year.&nbsp;



“The MOSAiC expedition let us observe how aerosols and clouds evolve over the course of a year and led to this discovery,” said Wang.&nbsp;



“Sea salt particles in the Arctic atmosphere aren’t surprising, since there are ocean waves breaking that will generate sea salt aerosols. But we expect those particles from the ocean to be pretty large and not very abundant. We found sea salt particles that were much smaller and in higher concentration than expected when there was blowing snow under strong wind conditions."



<h2 id="h-what-the-researchers-learned">What the researchers learned&nbsp;</h2>



Clouds, it seems, play a pivotal role in the Arctic's warming phenomenon. On the clearest and coldest of Arctic winter nights, Earth's heat can dissipate into the cosmos. However, under the protective canopy of clouds, this longwave radiation is ensnared, leading to warming.&nbsp;



Small aerosol particles, such as the ones thrown up by blowing snow, are adept at encouraging cloud formation.&nbsp;



“These sea salt particles can act as cloud condensation nuclei, leading to cloud formation,” said Gong. “Considering the absence of sunlight in the winter and spring Arctic, these clouds have the capacity to trap surface long-wave radiation, thereby significantly warming the Arctic surface.”



<h2 id="h-sea-salt-aerosols">Sea salt aerosols&nbsp;</h2>



Although these findings may seem surprising, the presence of fine sea salt aerosols from blowing snow has always been integral to the Arctic's climate dynamics.&nbsp;



The study has shown that these particles account for approximately 30% of all aerosol particles. With this revelation, climatologists can fine-tune their models for greater accuracy.



“Model simulations that don’t include fine sea salt aerosols from blowing snow underestimate aerosol population in the Arctic,” said Wang.&nbsp;



“Blowing snow happens regardless of human warming, but we need to include it in our models to better reproduce the current aerosol populations in the Arctic and to project future Arctic aerosol and climate conditions.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41561-023-01254-8">Nature Geoscience</a>.



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



—--



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

Blowing snow plays an important role in Arctic warming

The Arctic is a hotspot that warms at a rate...

A recent study presented at the <a href="https://www.escardio.org/Congresses-Events/ESC-Congress">European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2023</a> has found that physical inactivity during childhood and adolescence could set the stage for heart attacks and strokes later in life.



The researchers analyzed data from the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/library/special-collections/strengths/alspac/">Children of the 90s</a> study, one of the world’s largest cohorts with lifestyle measurements from birth. The analysis revealed that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-are-the-causes-of-sedentary-behavior-in-children/">sedentary</a> time accumulated from childhood to young adulthood was linked to heart damage, even in individuals with normal weight and blood pressure.&nbsp;



“All those hours of screen time in young people add up to a heavier heart, which we know from studies in adults raises the likelihood of heart attack and stroke,” said study author Andrew Agbaje, a clinical and pediatric epidemiologist at the <a href="https://www.uef.fi/en">University of Eastern Finland</a>.



<h2 id="h-focus-of-the-study">Focus of the study</h2>



At 11 years of age, children were asked to wear an activity tracker for a week. This was repeated when they were 15 and 24 years of age. Scientists assessed the weight of the heart’s left ventricle by echocardiography (a type of ultrasound scan), at 17 and 24 years of age and reported in grams relative to height (g/m2.7).&nbsp;



Then, the researchers analyzed the correlation between physical inactivity at 11 to 24 years of age and heart measurements at 17 to 24 years of age, after adjusting for factors such as age, sex, blood pressure, body fat, physical activity, smoking, and socioeconomic factors. The cohort included 766 children (55 percent girls and 45 percent boys).



<h2 id="h-what-the-researchers-discovered">What the researchers discovered&nbsp;</h2>



The analysis revealed that at 11 years of age, children were sedentary for an average of 362 minutes per day, a value increasing to 474 minutes in adolescence (15 years of age) and 531 minutes in young adulthood (24 years of age). Thus, sedentary time increased by an average of 169 minutes (2.8 hours) per day from childhood to young adulthood.



During this period, each one-minute increase in sedentary time was linked to a 0.004 g/m2.7&nbsp;increase in left ventricular mass between 17 to 24 years of age.&nbsp;



When multiplied by an additional 169 minutes this equates to a 0.7 g/m2.7&nbsp;daily rise – the equivalent of a three-gram increase in left ventricular mass between echocardiography measurements at the average height gain.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-increased-risk-of-heart-disease">Increased risk of heart disease&nbsp;</h2>



Unfortunately, a previous <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15752946/">study</a> conducted on adults has found that a similar increase in left ventricular mass over a seven-year period was associated with a two-fold increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and death.



“Children were sedentary for more than six hours a day and this increased by nearly three hours a day by the time they reached young adulthood. Our study indicates that the accumulation of inactive time is related to heart damage regardless of body weight and blood pressure," said Agjabe.



"Parents should encourage children and teenagers to move more by taking them out for a walk and limiting time spent on social media and video games. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, ‘If you can’t fly, run. If you can’t run, walk. If you can’t walk, crawl. But by all means keep moving.’”&nbsp;



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



—-



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

Physical inactivity during childhood linked to heart damage in early adulthood

A recent study presented at the European Society of Cardiology...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ants-show-signs-of-cognitive-sophistication/">Ants</a> forage for food either individually or in groups, by recruiting other members of their colonies to help search for and transport food back to their nests. Now, a team of biologists led by the <a href="https://www.ucla.edu/">University of California, Los Angeles</a> (UCLA) has found that ants’ foraging strategies play a larger role in how they build their nests than innate, evolutionary “blueprints” do.&nbsp;



According to the experts, when building their nests, ants reach a balance between architectural constraints and transportation efficiency, a finding which could help humans design more efficient transportation networks tailored to a variety of specific needs.



<h2 id="h-focus-of-the-research">Focus of the research&nbsp;</h2>



Scientists have long thought that the way ants build their nests is more influenced by the evolutionary history of each individual species than current ecological conditions.&nbsp;



However, the new study has revealed that the environments in which ants live and the ways they transport food are actually the main factors dictating how each species builds its own specific types of nests.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-significance-of-the-study">Significance of the study</h2>



These findings could have major implications for the ways humans could design more efficient transportation systems.&nbsp;



For instance, congestion on Southern California’s freeways could be improved if there were dedicated lanes or roads for trucks traveling to and from major logistics hubs such as ports, distribution centers, and warehouses.



“Ants deal with the same issues we deal with when it comes to living in crowded spaces,” said lead author Sean O’Fallon, a doctoral student in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UCLA. “We’re densely packed in cities, and ideally we should be densely connected, but there are constraints to how closely packed together we can be. There’s only so much space to construct buildings and roads.”



<h2 id="h-how-the-research-was-conducted">How the research was conducted&nbsp;</h2>



To better understand how ants build their nests, the researchers analyzed data from 439 nests representing 31 different ant species.&nbsp;



While information about 397 of these nests came from previously published studies, the authors also collected data from 42 additional nests located at the Archbold Biological Reserve near Venus, Florida.



<h2 id="h-what-the-researchers-learned">What the researchers learned&nbsp;</h2>



The analyses revealed that nest structures were largely determined by factors such as whether ants foraged alone or in teams, as well as the techniques they used to recruit other ants to help locate and carry food.&nbsp;



Thus, the ants’ behavior and activity seemed to play bigger roles in nest construction than any innate evolutionary template.



“You can think of the nest itself as a transportation network - it’s where ants live, but it’s also a kind of highway network they move things in and out of,” said senior author Noa Pinter-Wollman, a professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UCLA.



<h2 id="h-common-foraging-strategies">Common foraging strategies&nbsp;</h2>



The scientists investigated four common foraging strategies employed by ants. While in some species, individual ants forage for food, in others, an ant brings food to the nest as a way of recruiting other ants to accompany it to the food source.&nbsp;



Ants may also form a continuous trail between the food source and the nest which can persist for months, or they leave pheromone trails that other members of their colony can follow in large numbers (a phenomenon known as “mass recruitment”).



<h2 id="h-nest-chambers">Nest chambers</h2>



Ants’ nests consist of a tunnel connected to an entrance chamber, where ants “enlist” other conspecifics to help them find and transport food.&nbsp;



From this entrance chamber, more tunnels lead down to other chambers, which are connected by yet more tunnels to even deeper chambers. Different chambers have different purposes, such as food and waste storage or rearing offspring.



The scientists discovered that in ant species that use mass recruitment to forage, the nests’ entrance chambers were bigger than they were in other species’ nests, in order to allow a larger number of insects to interact.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-network-density">Network density&nbsp;</h2>



However, they also expected that nests for mass recruitment foragers would have greater network density – i.e. larger number of connections between chambers – than other species’ nests, to facilitate more movements of ants and resources throughout the nest.



Surprisingly though, the investigations revealed that, for ants representing all four foraging strategies, network density was relatively low, even in the case of large nests with hundreds of chambers. In fact, nests with the most chambers tended to have the lowest network density.



<h2 id="h-study-implications">Study implications&nbsp;</h2>



Although further research is needed to elucidate this phenomenon, the researchers assume that this could simply reflect an architectural constraint, since too many tunnels between chambers can weaken the structural integrity of the nest, causing the entire system to collapse.



“Ants have to balance the efficiency of highly connected nests with architectural stability. On one hand, they want transportation to be faster, but if they start making too many connections, the nest will crumble” Pinter-Wollman concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2022.0146">Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences</a>.



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



—--



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

Ant nests could help humans build better transportation systems

Ants forage for food either individually or in groups, by...

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing it with probiotics and prebiotics, aiming to create a treat that satisfies cravings while supporting gut health. 



The challenge lies in maintaining chocolate's beloved texture and flavor while adding health benefits.



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



Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



Prebiotics act as food for these microbes, helping them thrive. Together, they form "synbiotics," a powerful health combination.



Researchers Smriti Gaur and Shubhi Singh from India's Jaypee Institute of Information Technology took an innovative approach, using natural prebiotics like corn and honey instead of complex processing methods. 



They created five chocolate varieties: a control and four synbiotic versions containing different combinations of prebiotics, probiotics (Lactobacillus strains), and flavor enhancers (cinnamon or orange).



Laboratory simulations of human digestion showed the probiotics remained viable for over five hours, suggesting they could survive long enough to benefit gut health.



Taste tests were positive, with researchers particularly enjoying the orange-flavored variety, describing it as having "vibrant citrus notes" complementing the "rich cocoa" with a "luxurious" texture.



This research represents just the beginning. With further refinement of strains, textures, and flavors, chocolate could evolve beyond mere indulgence to become a functional food that nourishes while it delights.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.4c00741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing...

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



---



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Kainji Lake, a reservoir on the Niger River.



In 1968, Kainji Lake was created by the construction of the Kainji Dam. The Niger River, the third longest in Africa, enters the lake in the north.&nbsp;



According to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rivers-in-the-american-west-are-a-lifesaving-resource-for-birds/">ESA</a>, the creation of the lake submerged Foge Island and the town of Bussa and permanently flooded other riverine settlements, leaving around 50,000 people displaced.&nbsp;



Large parts of Foge Island are temporarily exposed during low water tides, and the land is often used by migrating fishermen. Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger River in Niger State of Central Nigeria. 



Wild mammals occur at relatively low densities due to illegal hunting. Lake Kainji has suffered a dramatic decline as a fishery due to the high numbers of artisanal and subsistence fisherfolk using the lake. It has been suggested that a period of closure, together with controlled fishing rights may help improve fish stocks.



Kainji Lake National Park is the oldest of its kind in Nigeria. The park contains three distinct areas: a part of the Kainji Lake, the Borgu Game Reserve to the west of the lake, and the Zugurma Game Reserve to the southeast. The park is home to around 65 mammal species, 350 bird species, and 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. 



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



---



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



---



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



---



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



---



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



---



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



---



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



---



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



---



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



---



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



---



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



---



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



---



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



---



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

News coming your way