Most people have heard that black holes slowly lose mass through cosmic decay, radiating tiny amounts of energy. This idea has circulated for decades and suggests that nothing is truly permanent.



Experts now propose that other extremely dense <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/magnetar-flares-create-gold-platinum-uranium-in-seconds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">objects</a> might follow a related path. Their findings reveal a shorter timeline for everything, though not short on any human timescale.



Heino Falcke, a black hole researcher at <a href="https://www.ru.nl/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Radboud University</a>, stands at the forefront of this investigation. He collaborated with quantum physicist Michael Wondrak and mathematician Walter van Suijlekom to figure out how quickly these processes might happen.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-view-on-cosmic-decay">New view on cosmic decay</h2>



Scientists have long known about ideas related to black hole evaporation through a process first outlined by <a href="https://projecteuclid.org/journals/communications-in-mathematical-physics/volume-43/issue-3/Particle-creation-by-black-holes/cmp/1103899181.full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stephen Hawking</a>. The classic picture involves a black hole shedding mass over an incredibly long interval, eventually leaving no trace. 



Recent <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.14734" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> suggests that dense objects like neutron stars and white dwarfs might follow similar decay patterns, though at a snail’s pace.



Researchers wondered how these timelines compare to old predictions. They took the mathematics behind black hole evaporation and applied it to other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-space-cosmic-rays-from-supernova-sparked-rapid-earth-evolution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">celestial bodies</a>. The ultimate result? Those bodies still vanish, just more rapidly than many figured before.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-faster-fade-for-dense-objects">Faster fade for dense objects</h2>



“So the ultimate end of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/monster-in-the-shadows-giant-black-hole-emerges-from-cosmic-dust/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">universe</a> comes much sooner than expected, but fortunately it still takes a very long time,” said Heino Falcke. 



That statement might sound contradictory at first, but it sums up the team’s surprising takeaway. Ultimately, for everyday life, these timescales are beyond huge.



There is even a calculation for the disappearance of the Moon. The process would drag on for around 10^90 years. The details rest on <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/physics/research/gravitational-physics" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gravitational physics</a> equations and the idea that curving spacetime might gradually convert mass into particles that eventually slip away.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-neutron-stars-and-white-dwarfs-reveal">What neutron stars and white dwarfs reveal</h2>



Neutron stars have densities so immense that a teaspoon of their material on Earth would outweigh a mountain. Given their density, cosmic decay could affect these stellar remnants, causing them to evaporate too.



The group uncovered that neutron stars might take about the same time to fade as <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/universe/black-holes/types/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stellar black holes</a> in the same mass range.



These results highlight a fresh perspective on gravitational physics. They show that events at a star’s surface could mirror those at the fringes of a black hole’s boundary, with subtle differences in how each body might reabsorb part of its own radiation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-denser-objects-lose-mass-faster">Why denser objects lose mass faster</h2>



Dense <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/blazar-cosmic-objects-defy-classification-can-rapidly-change-its-identity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">objects</a> lose mass through minute particle streams. More density means an object’s gravitational pull is stronger, which changes how energy flows away. 



Draining that stored energy requires creative math, plus insights from quantum mechanics and general relativity.



A white dwarf, much less dense than a neutron star, might hold out for around 1078 years. That timeline sounds wildly big, yet it is significantly shorter than earlier guesses in the range of 101100 years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cosmic-decay-physics-and-math">Cosmic decay: Physics and math</h2>



“By asking these kinds of questions and looking at extreme cases, we want to better understand the theory, and perhaps one day, we unravel the mystery of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/black-hole-radiation-may-actually-be-a-catalyst-for-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hawking radiation</a>,” said Walter van Suijlekom, professor of mathematics at Radboud University.



That blend of math, astrophysics, and quantum ideas drives this line of work.



Probing new models can spur lively debates. Some wonder if there are hidden factors that might stretch these rates. 



Others note that experimental tests in labs are tricky at best because these processes are far too slow to detect directly.



Any attempt to grasp cosmic timescales boggles the mind. Changes in star systems usually unfold in billions of years. 



These calculations push things far beyond that, highlighting a universe that still has an expiration, even if it is unimaginably distant.



Better knowledge of exotic decay can guide how we interpret ancient remnants. If these estimates hold, the universe’s inventory of black holes, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/when-two-neutron-stars-collide-kilonova-explosion-very-bad-things-happen/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">neutron stars</a>, and other dense bodies eventually runs out far earlier than some old predictions claimed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revising-cosmic-timelines">Revising cosmic timelines</h2>



Revising cosmic timelines does not upend everyday astronomy, since these events are so far off. Yet it refines how scientists tally the lifetime of matter. 



Anyone who assumes that a star corpse lasts forever might have to rethink that stance now.



It also raises a question about the deep structure of spacetime. If space itself nudges these bodies toward decay, the nature of gravity might be more flexible than once supposed. 



Each object’s density appears to determine how quickly it joins the dust bin of cosmic history.



The study is published in the <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.14734" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics</a>.



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Cosmic decay: The universe will end sooner than we thought

Most people have heard that black holes slowly lose mass through cosmic decay, radiating tiny amounts of energy. This idea has circulated for decades and suggests that nothing is truly permanent. Experts now propose that other extremely dense objects might follow a related path. Their findings reveal a shorter timeline for everything, though not short on any human timescale. Heino Falcke, a black hole researcher at Radboud University, stands at the forefront of this investigation. He collaborated with quantum physicist Michael Wondrak and mathematician Walter van Suijlekom...

According to a new study led by the <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a> (OSU), the damaging effects of daily, lifelong exposure to the blue light emanating from phones, computers, or household appliances worsen with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/swans-sacrifice-rest-to-defend-their-foraging-areas/">age</a>. Although the investigation was focused on the impact of blue light on the common fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster), the findings could potentially be extended to humans too, since this model organism shares many cellular and developmental mechanisms with us.



The scientists examined the survival rates of flies kept in darkness and then moved at progressively older ages (two, 20, 40, and 60 days) to an environment of constant blue light. By focusing on the impact of the light on flies’ mitochondria – which act as cells’ power plants, generating adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a source of chemical energy – the researchers discovered that prolonged exposure significantly affected flies’ longevity, regardless of whether they were able to visually perceive this light or not.



“The novel aspect of this new study is showing that chronic exposure to blue light can impair energy-producing pathways even in cells that are not specialized in sensing light,” said study lead author Jadwiga Giebultowicz, an expert in circadian clocks at OSU.&nbsp;



“We determined that specific reactions in mitochondria were dramatically reduced by blue light, while other reactions were decreased by age independent of blue light. You can think of it as blue light exposure adding insult to injury in aging flies.”&nbsp;



The flies exposed to blue light showed damage to their retinal cells and neurons and had impaired locomotion. Surprisingly, even mutant flies that didn’t develop eyes displayed such impairments, suggesting that flies don’t need to actually see the light in order to be harmed by it. The damage caused by exposure to blue light was strongly age-dependent.&nbsp;



“The same length of exposure to the same intensity of light decreases lifespan and increases neurodegeneration more significantly in old flies than in young ones,” said Giebultowicz.



While it is not yet clear whether these findings apply to humans too, there is a significant possibility that similar processes might be at play during humans’ exposure to blue light.&nbsp;



“There are increasing concerns that extended exposure to artificial light, especially blue-enriched LED light, may be detrimental to human health. While the full effects of blue light exposure across the lifespan are not yet known in humans, accelerated aging observed in this short-lived model organism should alert us to the potential of cellular damage by this stressor,” Giebultowicz concluded.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41514-022-00092-z">NPJ Aging</a>.&nbsp;



---



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

Damage from blue light exposure increases with age

According to a new study led by the Oregon State...

Researchers have found that cloudy ocean waters caused by climate change can make it harder for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seabirds-are-damaging-their-health-by-eating-plastic/">seabirds</a> to catch fish. Off the coast of Ireland, on a small island called Little Saltee, the scientists attached trackers to the feathers of Manx shearwaters.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The aim of the study was to understand how underwater visibility affects seabirds’ when foraging for fish and other prey. It is the first study to examine the impact of ocean clarity on seabirds’ diving abilities.



"An increasingly turbid ocean may have negative consequences for oceanic consumers that use visual cues for prey capture," wrote the researchers.



"Some fishes have reduced movement efficiency when foraging in turbid conditions, and one study found that fish biomass in the North Sea was 76–85% positively correlated with water visibility alone, suggesting that visibility is pivotal in the habitat preference of many fish species."



Study lead author Jamie Darby is a marine ecologist in the School of Biological Environmental and Earth Sciences and the MaREI centre at <a href="https://www.ucc.ie/">University College Cork</a>.



“The chemical and physical properties of the planet’s oceans are changing at an unnatural rate, bringing about challenges for marine life. One consequence of climate change is that large areas of our oceans are becoming cloudier," explained Darby.



The research team investigated the diving patterns of the black and white Manx shearwaters in relation to local environmental conditions like cloud cover and water clarity.&nbsp;



Birds dove deeper when sunlight could penetrate further underwater, suggesting that visibility is key when diving for food. As the planet continues to warm, oceans will become cloudier, leaving seabirds to overcome this challenge.&nbsp;



“Our findings support the idea that the birds needed sufficient sunlight to be able to forage at depth," said Darby. "While this study examined one particular seabird. The results can be extended to other animals. Many visually-dependent predators could find themselves struggling to find food as human activities continue to make the oceans murkier."



The study is published in <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2022.0862">Proceedings of the Royal Society B</a>.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:katherinebucko@gmail.com">Katherine Bucko</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Seabirds struggle to find food in cloudy ocean water

Researchers have found that cloudy ocean waters caused by climate...

According to a new population assessment conducted by the <a href="https://www.iucn.org/">International Union for the Conservation of Nature</a> (IUCN), an estimated 3,726 to 5,578 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tigers-are-threatened-by-road-and-railway-development/">tigers</a> currently live around the world – which represents a 40 percent increase since 2015. While part of this increase can simply be the result of improvements in monitoring, conservation efforts over the past years could also have played a major role in halting – and perhaps even reversing - the decline of this endangered species.



“A fairly significant chunk of that&nbsp;40 percent increase&nbsp;is explained by the fact that we’re better at counting them, that many governments in particular have really sort of moved heaven and earth to do massive scale surveys,” said Luke Hunter, the executive director of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) <a href="https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&amp;ai=DChcSEwjhycOOk5b5AhUIg4MHHdz3DPoYABAAGgJlZg&amp;ae=2&amp;ohost=www.google.com&amp;cid=CAESbeD2gHdx4PS47HzT4ej9WQb5Ew3Q4i04q0k4c_ccs5Qfp2I8nzUIhxwsW8Zk2VbWlpM6Ob0PHS1joQhjgESIu75eoYH-5A_qBWwh06PTdsM9-1znzOAUouRUJrAYYVJyNRzkdGANKjS6-IIzH_o&amp;sig=AOD64_0khdBoNlBMaUaKmaezqZ3uS1Drfw&amp;q&amp;adurl&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj59LWOk5b5AhUsif0HHVwOCyYQ0Qx6BAgCEAE">Big Cats</a> program.



Besides better monitoring, Hunter also attributes the higher tiger numbers to increased conservation efforts in the countries where these rises in tiger populations were identified. However, this species is still considered endangered by IUCN, since tiger populations continue to decline in many parts of the globe and have lost a huge amount of their range due to poaching, habitat loss, and other human-caused factors.



Although tigers are just one among an enormous number of endangered species, efforts to conserve them could benefit other ecosystems surrounding them, as well as humans. “When you succeed in saving tigers or conserving tigers, you are conserving very large wilderness landscapes, with a huge host of biodiversity but also a whole bunch of benefits to the human communities that live in and around those landscapes,” Hunter explained.



IUCN’s tiger assessment is an important proof that conservation interventions can work and tiger populations are beginning to recover. “Expanding and connecting protected areas, ensuring they are effectively managed, and working with local communities living in and around tiger habitats, are critical to protect the species,” IUCN experts concluded.



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

Tiger populations increased by 40 percent since 2015

According to a new population assessment conducted by the International...

A new study led by <a href="https://english.tau.ac.il/">Tel Aviv University</a> has found that, contrary to popular belief, the reproductive capacity of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chemical-found-in-soft-corals-could-be-used-to-treat-cancer/">soft coral</a> is much weaker for deep water reefs than for those living in shallow waters. While many scientists hoped that deep water coral populations may help replenish degraded shallow ones – which endure significant damage from climate change and human activities – the experts discovered that coral spawning events at the deep end of the species’ depth range (30 to 45 meters) occur in fact at much lower intensities than those in shallower water (0 to 30 meters). Thus, in order to survive, deeper coral populations may more often rely on shallow-reef coral than vice-versa.



The researchers examined five breeding seasons of a species of soft coral called Rhytisma fulvum from the Gulf of Aqaba and Eilat, which lives along a large depth range. This type of coral reproduces by “surface-brooding” - a process that begins when male colonies release sperm cells in a synchronized manner, which then reach female colonies where internal fertilization occurs. Unlike in most other coral species, where embryos develop internally within the coral, in this species the fertilized eggs are released and cling to the colony via mucus for about six days before developing into larvae.



“The developing embryos have such a vibrant yellow color that makes it a very colorful event, lasting for several days. Thanks to that fact, we were able to monitor rather easily a large number of colonies along a large depth range throughout five annual reproductive seasons,” said study lead author Ronen Liberman, a doctoral student in Zoology at the Tel Aviv University.



By diving to various depths and positioning temperature sensors, the scientists examined the characteristics of coral breeding events, such as their timing, duration, and intensity. The analysis revealed that the timing and synchronization of reproduction events are associated with fast increases in water temperatures – a type of “heat wave” common in the Gulf of Aqaba and Eilat in early summer. In shallow water, the reproductive events occurred days to weeks earlier than at greater depths, most likely due to the fact that these “heat waves” occurred later on in deeper water.



Moreover, the researchers found that the number of colonies releasing embryos was significantly smaller at depths greater than 30 meters. “Whereas at a shallow depth, about half of the colonies participated in each spawning event, in the deeper water the participation rate dropped to only 10–20 percent,” said Liberman.



These findings suggest that, due to lower breeding intensity, deep-water coral populations are less likely to thrive on their own, and are reliant on corals from shallower reefs. “Therefore, these hidden deep reefs require attention and protection on their own right, perhaps even more than the shallow reefs,” the authors concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ecy.3760">Ecology</a>.



&nbsp;---



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

Coral reproductive capacity decreases with depth

A new study led by Tel Aviv University has found...

Plesiosaur <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massive-marine-ichthyosaur-fossils-found-high-in-the-alps/">fossils</a> occur commonly in deposits from the late Triassic Period, through the Jurassic and right to the end of the Late Cretaceous Period. These iconic reptiles, with their small heads, long necks, rounded bodies and four long flippers, reigned for over 100 million years and had a wide geographical distribution. They are considered to be highly successful marine reptiles and so many of their fossils have now been found that over a hundred different extinct species are recognized today.&nbsp;



The majority of these fossil remains have been recovered from ancient marine rocks, although a few have also been found in coastal environments, such as shallow waters, bays or estuaries, where salinity would have been lower than in the ocean. Now, in a new study led by the <a href="https://www.bath.ac.uk/">University of Bath</a>, the fossil remains of small plesiosaurs have been reported from a Cretaceous-aged river system in Africa.



The fossils have been accumulated from several different regions of the Kem Kem deposits in eastern Morocco and include vertebrae from the neck, back and tail regions, shed teeth and a small flipper bone thought to be from a juvenile individual. Initially, Dr. Nick Longrich from the University of Bath’s Milner Centre for Evolution identified the flipper bone mixed in amongst various fossils in a rock shop in Erfoud, on the edge of the Sahara. He was surprised to find it there, as he thought of plesiosaurs as marine reptiles and the Kem Kem is in an ancient river system.&nbsp;



Once his interest had been piqued, he began to search around for other plesiosaur fossils from the area. His student, Georgina Bunker, identified the flipper bone as a humerus and his colleague Dave Martill, from the University of Portsmouth, recognized the bone as most likely belonging to a member of the Leptocleididae, a family of small plesiosaurs that typically only grows to around 3 m in length. Over next few years, the scientists gathered a small collection of teeth and vertebrae that had been found in the Kem Kem deposits; their analysis of these fossils appears in a publication in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/cretaceous-research">Cretaceous Research</a>.



“It’s scrappy stuff, but isolated bones actually tell us a lot about ancient ecosystems and animals in them. They’re so much more common than skeletons, they give you more information to work with,” said Dr. Longrich, who is corresponding author on the paper.



“The bones and teeth were found scattered and in different localities, not as a skeleton. So each bone and each tooth is a different animal. We have over a dozen animals in this collection.”



The researchers were interested in the fact that the numerous shed teeth showed significant signs of wear, including damage to the tips. This pattern was also found on the teeth of the fish-eating dinosaurs,&nbsp;Spinosaurus, which are found in the same deposits. Damage to the teeth is thought to have resulted from preying upon the heavily armored fish species that are also represented in the Kem Kem fossil record, and that attained enormous sizes. Furthermore, the authors feel that this implies the newly discovered plesiosaurs fed routinely on the same resources as Spinosaurus and were therefore not simply occasional visitors to the freshwater environment.&nbsp;



Although plesiosaur fossils have occasionally been found in estuarine or brackish water environments, they are not thought of as fresh water inhabitants. However, at Kem Kem they lived amongst numerous other freshwater species, such as frogs, salamanders, turtles, Spinosaurus, lungfish and bivalves. This has led the researchers to propose that these plesiosaurs were fully adapted to living in fresh water habitats and spent most of their time, if not all of it, in this environment.



Dr. Longrich said: “We don’t really know why the plesiosaurs are in freshwater. It’s a bit controversial, but who’s to say that because we paleontologists have always called them ‘marine reptiles’, they had to live in the sea? Lots of marine lineages invaded freshwater.”



Marine mammals sometimes enter fresh water environments to seek refuge, while river dolphins and the Baikal seal only inhabit fresh water habitats. In fact, fossils from the family Leptocleididae – to which the Kem Kem plesiosaurs are thought to belong – have been found in brackish or freshwater deposits elsewhere, in England, Africa, and Australia. And other fossil plesiosaurs, including the long-necked elasmosaurs, turn up in brackish or fresh waters in North America and China.



Based on these various lines of evidence, the researchers hypothesize that the new plesiosaurs were adapted to life in fresh water.&nbsp;



“We don’t really know, honestly,” said Dr. Longrich. “That’s how paleontology works. People ask, how can paleontologists know anything for certain about the lives of animals that went extinct millions of years ago? The reality is, we can’t always. All we can do is make educated guesses based on the information we have. We’ll find more fossils. Maybe they’ll confirm those guesses. Maybe not.”



"It's been really interesting to see the direction this project has gone in,” said lead author Georgina Bunker. The study initially began as an undergraduate project involving a single bone, but over time, more plesiosaur fossils started turning up, slowly providing a clearer picture of the animal.



The new discovery also expands the diversity of Morocco’s Cretaceous fauna. “This is another sensational discovery that adds to the many discoveries we have made in the Kem Kem over the past fifteen years of work in this region of Morocco," noted Dr. Samir Zouhri. "Kem Kem was truly an incredible biodiversity hotspot in the Cretaceous.”



“What amazes me,” said co-author Dave Martill, “is that the ancient Moroccan river contained so many carnivores all living alongside each other. This was no place to go for a swim.”



---



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

Plesiosaur fossils found in a 100-million-year old river

Plesiosaur fossils occur commonly in deposits from the late Triassic...

While it is clear that vertebrates can feel pain, whether this holds for invertebrates too has been a matter of fierce debate in the scientific community. Now, a research team led by <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/">Queen Mary University of London</a> has discovered that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/temperature-changes-negatively-impact-bumblebees/">bumblebees</a> are not only intelligent and innovative creatures, but may also be capable of experiencing pain. These findings suggest that bumblebees – and perhaps many other species of insects - should be included in animal welfare laws.



Previous studies have found that bumblebees are highly intelligent insects, able to do simple mathematics, understand the concept of zero, and distinguish among human – and probably bee – faces. Moreover, they show optimism when successfully foraging, and can become depressed if they are momentarily trapped by a spider. Thus, they are clearly capable of experiencing emotional states.



To discover whether these emotions include pain, the scientists looked at one of the criteria most commonly used to define pain in animals: “motivational trade-offs.” For instance, humans will endure a significant amount of pain at the dentist for the longer-term benefits of having healthy teeth, and hermit crabs will leave preferred shells to escape an electric shock only if the jolt is particularly high.



In order to assess whether bumblebees are capable of similar behaviors, the researchers gave them a choice between two high-quality feeders containing a 40 percent sugar solution, and two feeders with low percentages of sucrose. The feeders were placed on top of individual heating pads, which were initially all turned off. In such a situation, all the bees preferred the feeders containing the most sugar.



When the pads beneath the high sucrose feeders were warmed up to 55°C – a temperature high enough to cause discomfort, but not as high as to cause significant injuries - the bees were still choosing these feeders in order to get more sugar. However, when both the hot and the cool feeders contained high-sugar solutions, the insects always avoided the hot ones. “This is the first direct demonstration that arthropods can also do trade-offs,” said Jonathan Birch, an expert in Animal Sentience at the <a href="https://www.lse.ac.uk/">London School of Economics</a> who was not involved in the study.



However, it still remains unclear whether bees really feel what we call pain. Nevertheless, given that insects represent at least 60 percent of all animals, this possibility should not be ignored. “There is still anthropocentrism in Western science that rejects the idea of caring about ‘dumb invertebrates.’ Papers like this one will gradually chip away at this self-centered attitude,” concluded Jennifer Mather, a zoologist at the <a href="https://www.ulethbridge.ca/welcome-university-lethbridge">University of Lethbridge</a>.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2205821119">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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

Bumblebees may be able to experience pain

While it is clear that vertebrates can feel pain, whether...

On Wednesday, July 27, 2022, the Senate Democrats announced a surprising agreement that would open the path for the most ambition climate action ever undertaken by the United States. The $369 billion climate and tax package will significantly reset this country’s role in the global fight against <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/how-does-the-climate-affect-the-behavior-of-migratory-birds/">climate</a> change, by ramping up wind, solar, geothermal, battery, and several other sustainable energy industries over the next decade.



“By a wide margin, this legislation will be the greatest pro-climate legislation that has ever been passed by Congress,” said Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democratic majority leader. “This is the action the American people have been waiting for,” President Biden added, praising the bill’s “investments in our energy security for the future.”



This groundbreaking deal will provide companies financial incentives to keep open nuclear plants that might have otherwise closed, and to capture emissions from industrial facilities and bury them underground before they can contribute to global warming. Moreover, car buyers with income beneath a certain threshold will receive a $7,500 tax credit to purchase a new electric car and $4,000 for a used one, while most Americans will be offered rebates to install heat pumps in order to make their homes more energy-efficient.



According to the Senate Democrats, this legislation would enable the U.S. to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent below 2005 levels by the end of the decade, thus coming closer to President Biden’s earlier promise to reduce emissions by 50 percent over the following years. This would be a major step forward to limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius below pre-industrial levels - a threshold beyond which the chance of extreme climate events, such as droughts, wildfires, storms, and catastrophic floods would significantly increase.



The bill “keeps us in the climate fight and makes it possible that executive action, state and local government policies, and private sector leadership can get us across the finish line,” said Jesse Jenkins, a macro-scale energy systems engineer at <a href="http://www.princeton.edu/">Princeton University</a>. “Without this bill, we’d be hopelessly far from our climate goals.”



Climate experts hope that this new deal will revitalize international efforts to curb climate change and restore American credibility in international negotiations. “You can’t preach temperance from a bar stool, and you can’t ask China, India, Brazil or other countries to cut emissions if we’re not doing it ourselves in a significant way,”&nbsp;said Democrat Senator Edward J. Markey.&nbsp;



The bill – which will hopefully pass as early as next week – includes $30 billion in incentives for companies to construct wind turbines, solar panels, and batteries, and to process critical minerals in the United States,&nbsp;as well as&nbsp;$60 billion to solve the disproportionate burden of pollution on low-income and minority communities, $27 billion for a “green bank” that will offer financial support to clean energy projects, and $20 billion for programs to cut agricultural emissions.



“The entire clean energy industry just breathed an enormous sigh of relief,” said Heather Zichal, chief executive of the <a href="https://cleanpower.org/">American Clean Power Association</a>. “This is an 11th-hour reprieve for climate action and clean energy jobs.”



---



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

Groundbreaking climate action underway in the United States

On Wednesday, July 27, 2022, the Senate Democrats announced a...

Recent research completed by Elephants Without Borders (EWB) and <a href="https://www.ru.nl/en">Radboud University</a> demonstrates that human land use directly influences elephant movement through corridors.



The expansion of human-dominated landscapes means huge consequences for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/huge-win-for-wildlife-endangered-species-act-is-restored/">wildlife</a>. Not only can these environments make navigation more difficult for animals, they are also a driving factor for human-wildlife conflict. Habitat loss and fragmentation are some of the leading threats to biodiversity, and well-managed corridors are essential for species survival.&nbsp;



"This is the first study of this type that takes an in-depth look at comparing how varying land-use affects elephant movements and their use of wildlife corridors," said study lead author Tempe Adams of EWB.



The researchers spent seven years observing elephant movements through six wildlife corridors in Botswana and Zambia. They used camera traps to determine whether elephants used agricultural and urban corridors differently.&nbsp;



The experts found that varying land use can affect the times of day elephants move through passageways. Elephants using corridors in landscapes dominated by agriculture opted for nocturnal movement, thereby avoiding human activity. On the other hand, elephants did not alter when they moved through urban corridors, so their movements often coincided with human activity.



"This was a great opportunity to link our work on examining human pressures on biodiversity at Radboud University with the conservation work being done by Elephants Without Borders,' said study co-author Marlee Stevens. "Our results show that elephants alter their behaviour in human-modified landscapes, but their response varies depending on the human disturbance."



Since the study demonstrates wildlife may alter their behavior based on the type of human environment they encounter, corridor management strategies should consider land use.



"What is truly remarkable is that we found elephants do not perceive all human development the same way, but they are adjusting their behaviors to adapt to the variations and human pressure," said Adams. "It also further highlights the need for transparent documentation of human pressure within and around protected wildlife areas, which is critical to assist in the conservation of species."



This study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/conservation-science">Frontiers in Conservation Science</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Land use changes affect elephant movement

Recent research completed by Elephants Without Borders (EWB) and Radboud...

A new study led by the <a href="https://uiowa.edu/">University of Iowa</a> has found that, for some <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/managing-invasive-species-can-improve-climate-resilience/">invasive species</a> aiming to conquer new territory, their success may lie in living fast and dying young. By examining a type of invasive snail that has become established in a variety of freshwater ecosystems worldwide, the experts discovered that the most successful invaders matured and reproduced much faster than their non-invasive conspecifics.



The freshwater mud snails studied by the scientists are native to New Zealand, and have spread all over the world (most likely through commercial ships at first), coming to dominate numerous lake and river ecosystems in North America, Europe, and Asia. Since the invasive snails reproduce both sexually and asexually, it can be used to better understand the advantages and disadvantages of sexual reproduction.



The scientists found that the asexual snails – with females reproducing without males by making genetic copies of themselves – have been the most successful invaders, although they have lower genetic diversity than those reproducing sexually. Moreover, these highly successful invaders had slower growth rates and were smaller in size than the sexual snails.



“It’s like these snails have this unusual constellation of traits that becomes almost ubiquitous in the invaders. So, that gets to the core question we’re asking, ‘What makes an invasive lineage invasive?’” said study senior author Maurine Neiman, a professor of Biology at Iowa. “I think the data suggest there seems to be a real advantage to this combination of slow growth rate and early reproductive maturity. Their generation times are faster, and they are likely to outcompete other snail lineages that mature more&nbsp;slowly.”&nbsp;&nbsp;



In the laboratory, Professor Neiman and his team grew populations of freshwater snails originally collected in Belgium and in six regions of the United States and examined their “life history traits” - the features related to their fitness and reproductive success that allows them to thrive in new environments.



“They grow up substantially faster than their New Zealand counterparts,” reported study lead author Carina Donne, a doctoral student in Biology at the <a href="https://www.colostate.edu/">Colorado State University</a>. “That just shortens the whole life cycle. If you can make babies at a younger age, then all things being equal, your populations will grow&nbsp;faster.”



Further research is needed to discover the life history traits that make other invasive species successful. “A lot of invasive species research focuses on prevention measures. We have so many invasive species, once they’re there and established, it’s harder to get rid of them. If we can find some way to predict what would be good invasive species, we could implement prevention&nbsp;measures,” Professor Nieman concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00442-022-05222-8">Oecologia</a>.



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

Invasive snails live fast and die young

A new study led by the University of Iowa has...

By investigating the differences between climate models, a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">University of Colorado Boulder</a> and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) has found that Arctic sea ice and wildfires may be more interconnected than previously thought. 



According to the experts, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exploring-the-climate-warming-effects-of-wildfire-soot/">soot</a> and other burned biomass from wildfires in the Northern Hemisphere can eventually reach the Arctic, where they affect how much – or how little – sea ice persists at any given time. This can cause ripple effects on climatic patterns all over the globe, reinforcing a previously unobserved feedback loop between these two systems.



“This research found that particles emitted from wildfires where people live can really impact what happens in the Arctic thousands of miles away,” said study lead author Patricia DeRepentigny, a postdoctoral fellow in Climate and Global Dynamics at NCAR. 



“Sometimes the Arctic can be seen as this region that we shouldn’t care about because it’s so far away from where we live … but the fact that there’s this back-and-forth of what happens here with the wildfires can affect the sea ice, and a diminishing sea ice can then lead to more wildfires here, connects us with the Arctic a little bit more.”



Governments and other organizations have often used <a href="https://www.climate.gov/maps-data/climate-data-primer/predicting-climate/climate-models">climate models</a> that simulate how different parts of the climate interact to help guide future climate change policies. By examining one of these models – the NCAR-based Community Earth System Model version 2 (CESM2) – Dr. DeRepentigny and her colleagues found that the model identified a drastic acceleration of Arctic sea ice loss towards the end of the 20th century that was not seen in other models. Further investigations revealed that, by contrast to previous models, this one took into account biomass burning emissions.



When aerosols released by wildfires interact with Arctic clouds non-linear effects can emerge. For instance, during heavy fire years, when many aerosols are released, clouds in the Arctic get thicker, whereas in lighter fire years, those clouds are thinner and allow for more solar radiation to get through and melt more ice. Thus, surprisingly, smoke from wildfires could actually help protecting Arctic ice.



“When we think about climate, everything’s really interconnected, and this is really a great example of that,” said study co-author Alexandra Jahn, an associate professor of Atmospheric and Ocean Sciences at CU Boulder. “When we’re thinking about climate processes, it’s really a global problem, and we can’t study it in any isolated fashion. We really always have to look at the global picture to understand all these different interactions.”



Further research is needed to pinpoint the effects of specific wildfires and to fine-tune the existing climate models. “The goal that we’re trying to achieve here is to have these climate simulations be more reliable and give us projections that can then inform policy makers and societal choices,” Dr. DeRepentigny concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abo2405">Science Advances</a>.&nbsp;



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

Wildfire smoke impacts Arctic ice thousands of miles away

By investigating the differences between climate models, a team of...

According to a recent study published in the <a href="https://www.jneurosci.org/content/early/2022/07/06/JNEUROSCI.2355-21.2022">Journal of Neuroscience</a>, powerful nerve connections link dogs’ noses to a wide variety of brain regions, including the occipital lobe, a part of the brain responsible for vision. This is the first time such as connection between smell and vision has been discovered in any animal species.&nbsp;



Dogs are known to have an amazing sense of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-viruses-make-people-smell-more-enticing-to-mosquitos/">smell</a>. Their olfactory bulbs can be up to 30 times larger than those of humans, and their noses hold between 200 million and one billion odor molecule sensors, compared with the meagre five million receptors estimated to dwell in human noses. In order to investigate how olfactory information is transmitted to a variety of brain regions, a team of researchers led by <a href="https://www.cornell.edu/">Cornell University</a> performed MRI scans on 20 mixed-breed dogs and three beagles.&nbsp;



By using a method called “diffusion tensor imaging,” which relies on the movement of water molecules along tissue, the scientists identified tracts of white matter fibers carrying signals between different brain areas. After smells enter the nose, they first reach the olfactory bulb, a brain structure located behind the dogs’ eyes. However, the signals then travel to a wide range of other brain areas, including those associated with emotions and memories. What was most surprising though was that olfactory information also reached the occipital lobe, which is responsible for handling vision.



“There have been lots of people who theorized that this connection existed, based on the behavior of trained dogs and detection dogs,” said Eileen Jenkins, a retired army veterinarian who was not involved in the study. “But nobody has been able to prove it. This is fabulous.”



This newly discovered connection between smell and sight suggests that, in dogs, the two senses are intricately linked. According to study senior author Phillipa Johnson – an expert in Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging at Cornell – this anatomical link could explain why smell can often compensate when dogs lose their sight. “Blind dogs can still play fetch,” she said.



Further research is needed to investigate the structure and functions of these olfactory tracts in different dog breeds, such as scent hounds that are trained for hunting, fishing, finding disaster survivors, or identifying diseases such as cancer or Covid-19.&nbsp;



Moreover, exploring the olfactory tracts of other animals could lead to unexpected surprises too.&nbsp;“I have actually had a play with some cat data,” Johnson confessed. “Cats have the most amazing olfactory system too, and probably more connections than the dog that I can see.”&nbsp;



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

Dogs can “see” with their noses

According to a recent study published in the Journal of...

Most species of bats are nocturnal hunters and use high-frequency sounds to locate their prey in the darkness. Many <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hawk-moths-in-the-bahamas-are-the-smallest-ever-found/">moths</a> are also nocturnal foragers and are favorite food items for hungry bats. However, recent research shows that moths are far from defenseless targets of successful bat echolocation. Some emit their own ultrasonic signals that may startle a bat into giving up the chase, convince the bat that the moth is toxic, or may even surround the moth in a shroud of sonar-jamming static.



Until now, anti-bat ultrasound production has been considered fairly rare in moths. It was recorded in tiger moths, hawk moths and a single species of geometrid moth. However, the results of a decade-long moth survey that involved collecting and studying thousands of moths in Ecuador, French Guiana, Mozambique and Malaysian Borneo have now revealed that such auditory defense mechanisms are far more common than previously thought. In fact, the night can be filled with so much bat chat and moth back-chat, that it would be quite overwhelming if we could hear any of it.&nbsp;



“It's not just tiger moths and hawk moths that are doing this. There are tons of moths that create ultrasonic sounds, and we hardly know anything about them,” said study senior author Akito Kawahara, a curator at the Florida Museum of Natural History's McGuire Center for Lepidoptera &amp; Biodiversity.



The findings of the study, published in the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>, identified no less than three new types of sound-producing organs in moths, and added eight new subfamilies and potentially thousands of species to the list of moths that use ultrasonic signals. The authors estimate that around 20 percent of moth species use ultrasonic signals to defend themselves against becoming bat fodder.



The ultrasonic emissions are so successful at thwarting bat attacks that they have evolved independently in moths many times over. In each instance, moths have modified a different part of the body to become a finely tuned ultrasonic instrument.



“Tiger moths have structures called tymbals, which buckle inward and outward,” Kawahara said. “Some of them [the moth species] use structures on their wings, some use their abdomens, while others use modified genitals!”



The authors describe several of the newly identified clickers and scrapers that moths use to produce bat-repellant ultrasounds. This includes a species of calpine moth that rubs together overlapping abdominal scales, similar to the way crickets make their characteristic chirping sounds. Another species, in a group called the snout moths, makes noise by using a structure resembling a guitar pick between its wings, which is strummed against when the moth is in flight.



The researchers undertook a final two-week project in Ecuador, where they recorded the alarm calls of every moth they could catch. Afterwards, they analyzed these recordings with the help of a theoretical physicist and a machine learning algorithm that scrutinized each note, looking for similarities.



The results showed that moth species don’t all make up their own ultrasonic melodies; instead, they tend to copy the calls of other species, especially those that are toxic or bad-tasting to bats. Some moths are not good to eat and they warn bats not to waste their time, by making ultrasonic calls when they detect a bat. Bats soon associate these warning calls with noxious-tasting moths and do not bother to catch them. The researchers propose that a surprising number of non-toxic moth species have developed acoustic mimicry and protect themselves by calling just like the toxic species do.&nbsp;



Study lead author Jesse Barber is a biology professor at Boise State University. He said that more work is needed to uncover the exact nature of these sounds, but he suspects the trailblazing moths at the center of these acoustic mimicry rings are likely noxious, while the copycats at the fringes are merely false advertisers.



“Moths and butterflies are collectively one of the most diverse groups on the planet, containing one of every 10 named animals. If these results pan out, it will likely be the largest set of mimicry complexes on Earth,” noted Professor Barber.



Anti-bat signaling isn't just restricted to moths. Some tiger beetles can also create defensive clicks at bats by beating their wings against their protective casings. Other insect groups, such as katydids, crickets and mantids can hear incoming bats, and Barber notes the possibility that some may have the yet-unknown ability to communicate with their pursuers. But with roughly 40 percent of insect species currently at risk of extinction, at a rate that eclipses the ability to researchers to discover and name them, he warns of the very real possibility that this ultrasonic symphony may fall silent before we’ve had a chance to hear it or learn what it means.



“These mimicry complexes are likely not just limited to moths," said Professor Barber. “The whole tapestry of nocturnal insect life is probably involved, but the chance to understand the natural world is going away. So many lineages are going extinct that we're likely in the last golden age of biology. We can still understand how life unfolded, if we do it now.”



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

Moths use ultrasonic back-chat to fend off bat attacks

Most species of bats are nocturnal hunters and use high-frequency...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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