Tiny bits of plastic no wider than a human hair have turned up in some unexpected places, including the human bloodstream. 



Now, data presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology meeting shows that these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-spread-deep-into-the-ocean-far-below-the-surface/">fragments</a> have breached the fluids that surround eggs and travel with sperm.



The research team led by Dr. Emilio Gómez‑Sánchez of Next Fertility Murcia in Spain scanned <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/follicular-fluid" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">follicular fluid</a> from 29 women and seminal fluid from 22 men.



The experts found microplastics in 69 percent of the women and 55 percent of the men they studied. According to Dr. Gómez‑Sánchez, the team was surprised to find that the particles were so widespread.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plastics-in-human-reproductive-fluids">Plastics in human reproductive fluids</h2>



The study detected polymers such as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/polytetrafluoroethylene" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">polytetrafluoroethylene</a> and <a href="https://adrecoplastics.co.uk/polypropylene-uses/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">polypropylene</a>, materials better known for slick frying pans and food packaging. Seeing them next to human eggs turns a theoretical hazard into a measurable one.



Back in 2021, Italian obstetricians spotted twelve plastic fragments in every placenta they examined, confirming that particles smaller than five millimeters can cross the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33395930/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">maternal‑fetal boundary</a>.



Similarly sized particles have been uncovered deep in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35364151/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lung tissue</a> removed during surgery, proving that inhalation is a realistic delivery route for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/simple-way-to-remove-microplastics-from-tap-water-home-faucet/">plastic</a> dust.



Researchers in the Netherlands have even measured plastic mass circulating in human blood samples, an <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35367073/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">observation</a> that explains how fragments migrate to distant tissues.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-plastics-enter-the-human-body">How plastics enter the human body</h2>



Most people take in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-in-human-brains-may-affect-mental-health/">plastic</a> flecks by eating, drinking, or breathing, because everyday products shed invisible dust whenever they are heated, abraded, or exposed to sunlight. 



Once swallowed or inhaled, particles small enough can slip through the gut wall or the thin air‑blood membrane in the lungs.



Animal studies suggest that fragments under one micrometer can enter cells directly, whereas larger shards get trapped in tissue and spark local irritation. Either way, they bypass the body’s usual waste filters.



Laboratory work on mice shows that digestive uptake rises when <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/airborne-microplastics-where-they-come-from-and-where-they-go/">microplastics</a> hitchhike on fats, a detail that matters for fertility research because reproductive hormones ride on similar lipid highways. 



The overlap raises worry that plastics may act as endocrine mimics or carriers for other chemicals.



Dr. Gómez‑Sánchez’s team avoided laboratory contamination by collecting every human sample in glass vials and verifying the absence of background plastic. This means the polymers they found were genuine residents, not stray lab dust.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plastic-harms-fertility">Plastic harms fertility</h2>



Mice exposed to polystyrene fragments shed sperm with damaged DNA and sluggish movement, effects traced to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31896473/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">oxidative stress</a> that overwhelms antioxidant defenses.



Separate <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36948006/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> on rodent Leydig cells shows shriveled mitochondria after nanoplastic exposure, which throttles testosterone production and shrinks litter sizes.



Reviews published in 2024 concluded that microplastics can disrupt the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38750730/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hypothalamic‑pituitary‑gonadal axis</a>, leading to hormonal imbalances and faulty egg maturation.



Because human oocytes develop over months, chronic exposure could matter more than a short spike. That makes the repeated detection of PTFE in both eggs and sperm especially noteworthy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plastic-levels-in-eggs-and-sperm">Plastic levels in eggs and sperm</h2>



In the current data set, PTFE appeared in 31 percent of sampled egg fluid and 41 percent of semen. PP ranked second among women and <a href="https://www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/chemicals/polystyrene/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">polystyrene</a> second among men, with <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/polyethylene-terephthalate" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">polyethylene terephthalate</a> also present but in smaller numbers.



Annual plastic output has climbed from under two million tons in 1950 to about 460 million in 2019, a 230‑fold jump documented by the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36969097/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Minderoo‑Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health</a>.



Each uptick in production increases litter, weathering, and fragment release, tightening the feedback loop between plastics and people. Reproductive cells, delicate by design, stand on the front line.



Gómez‑Sánchez reported that most reproductive samples contained only one or two plastic particles, amounts considered low compared with overall debris in the fluids. Yet fertility specialists note that even trace metals can derail embryo development, so particle counts alone may not predict risk.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-fertility-research-must-include-plastics">Human fertility research must include plastics</h2>



“They should be considered an additional argument in favor of avoiding the generalized use of plastics in our daily lives,” said Professor Carlos Calhaz‑Jorge of the University of Lisbon. He also noted that further research is needed to prove causation.



The research team will now study hundreds of patients and link particle loads to embryo quality during <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/22457-ivf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">in vitro fertilization cycles</a>. Those correlations could supply the first direct human evidence beyond laboratory rodents.



They plan lifestyle questionnaires to test whether habits such as heavy bottled‑water use or microwaving food in plastic correlate with higher particle counts. The approach could convert abstract exposure theory into personal advice.



“Microplastics are just one variable in a complex equation,” said Dr. Gómez‑Sánchez. He urges moderation of plastic use rather than alarm. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-simple-habits-to-lower-exposure">Simple habits to lower exposure</h2>



Switching from plastic bottles to glass or stainless steel lowers ingestion because heat and time no longer leach particles from container walls. Replacing scratched nonstick pans can cut PTFE flakes in the diet.



Researchers advise skipping plastic cutting boards and using ceramic or bamboo instead, because knife action liberates shavings that cling to food. Letting take‑out cool before transferring it from polystyrene boxes also helps.



Air purifiers with HEPA filters capture airborne fibers shed by synthetic textiles, a step especially useful for nurseries. Regular vacuuming with a sealed system keeps particles from resuspending.



These tweaks are not foolproof, yet they come with side benefits like removing chemical additives that ride on plastic dust. They buy time while science sorts out the clinical stakes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-efforts-to-cut-human-plastics-pollution">Efforts to cut human plastics pollution</h2>



Public‑health researchers argue that personal choices alone cannot outrun a supply chain making more than a billion pounds of new plastic every day. 



Negotiators at the United Nations are hammering out a global treaty that could cap production and streamline recycling.



<a href="https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/morrissey/departments/biology/people/faculty-directory/Phil-Landrigan.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Philip Landrigan</a> of Boston College calls the treaty a once‑in‑a‑generation chance to protect human health, because curbing output remains the only sure way to slow microplastic fallout. He points to the emerging fertility data as evidence that time is short.



Whether lawmakers act or not, the science of sub‑visible plastic is moving fast thanks to sharper imaging tools and nanomechanical sensors. Studies that once took months now finish in days, filling the literature with fresh clues.



Every new dataset sharpens the same picture: plastics weather into dust, the dust goes everywhere, and living tissue keeps no closed doors. Eggs and sperm, it turns out, are no exception.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/humrep#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Human Reproduction</a>.



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Tiny plastic particles found in human egg and sperm fluids

Tiny bits of plastic no wider than a human hair have turned up in some unexpected places, including the human bloodstream. Now, data presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology meeting shows that these fragments have breached the fluids that surround eggs and travel with sperm. The research team led by Dr. Emilio Gómez‑Sánchez of Next Fertility Murcia in Spain scanned follicular fluid from 29 women and seminal fluid from 22 men. The experts found microplastics in 69 percent of the women and 55...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.parisnanterre.fr/">Paris Nanterre University</a> has found that cats may change their behavior when they hear their owner’s voice talking in a tone directed to them, but not when hearing the voice of stranger addressing them, or the voice of their owner directed at another person. These findings suggest that cats may form strong affective bonds to their owners.



Scientists have long known that human tone varies depending on who the speech is directed to, such as when talking to infants or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cats-know-how-to-use-catnip-as-a-potent-insect-repellent/">pets</a> versus when talking with other adults. While previous studies have shown that the tone of human speech changes when directed to cats, little has been known about how cats react to this.



Now, the researchers investigated how 16 cats reacted to pre-recorded voices from both their owners and strangers when saying phrases in cat-directed and human adult-directed tones. The scientists examined three conditions: in the first, the voice of the speaker changed from a stranger’s voice to the cat’s owner, while in the second and third, the tone of the cat’s owner and a stranger’s, respectively, changed from cat-directed to adult-directed.



In the first condition, ten out of 16 cats exhibited a decrease in behavior intensity while they heard three audio recordings of a stranger’s voice calling them by their names. When hearing their owner’s voice though, their behavior intensity significantly increased again, and the cats started displaying behaviors such as turning their ears to the speakers, moving across the room, and showing pupil dilation. According to the experts, this shift in behavior shows that cats can discriminate their owner’s voice from that of a stranger’s.



In the second experimental condition, ten cats decreased their behavior intensity when hearing audio recordings of their owner in an adult-directed tone, but significantly increased it when hearing their owner speak in a cat-directed tone. Such a change in behavior intensity was not identified in the third condition, when a stranger was speaking in either adult-directed or cat-directed tones. Thus, the cats appeared to be able to distinguish when their owner was talking in a cat-directed tone compared to an adult-directed one, but did not react differently when a stranger’s voice shifted its tone.



However, further research is needed to investigate if these findings could be replicated in the case of more socialized cats that are used to interact with strangers.



“These findings bring a new dimension to the consideration of human–cat relationship, as they imply the development of a particular communication into human–cat dyads, that relies upon experience. Our results highlight the importance of one-to-one relationships for cats, reinforcing recent literature regarding the ability for cats and humans to form strong bonds,” the authors concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10071-022-01674-w">Animal Cognition</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

Cats can tell when speech is directed at them

A new study led by the Paris Nanterre University has...

As people live for longer, the prevalence of dementia increases. This trend is apparent in all countries in the world where medical and health interventions are able to extend <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/life-expectancy-continues-to-decline-due-to-covid/">lifespan</a>. Currently, around 55 million people suffer from dementia and there are some 10 million new cases diagnosed each year. This number is expected to rise to 78 million sufferers in 2030 and more than 100 million by 2050.&nbsp;



Dementia is the seventh leading cause of death among all diseases and one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people worldwide. It is characterized by cognitive difficulties that begin in adulthood and affect a person’s ability to function independently and perform everyday activities.&nbsp;Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), on the other hand, is thought to indicate a transitioning phase between normal aging and dementia, although not everyone who has MCI will go on to develop dementia.



Since these conditions have significant physical, psychological, social and economic impacts, not only for sufferers themselves, but also for their carers, families and society at large, it is critical that authorities have an up-to-date understanding of their prevalence in populations, in order to formulate appropriate support policies.&nbsp;



In the first nationally representative study of cognitive impairment prevalence in more than 20 years, <a href="https://www.columbia.edu/">Columbia University</a> researchers, along with colleagues from several other U.S. universities, have analyzed data from individuals enrolled in the&nbsp;nationally representative Health and Retirement Study.&nbsp;This is an ongoing study that started in 1992 and the current researchers randomly selected a subsample of 3,500 participants who were 65 years or older in 2016.&nbsp;



Known as the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP), the current study was developed to update national estimates of the prevalence of MCI and dementia in the U.S. and to examine differences by age, race, ethnicity, and gender. Participants completed a comprehensive set of neuropsychological tests and in-depth interviews, and dementia and MCI were classified using an algorithm based on standard diagnostic criteria and comparing test performance to a robust normative sample.



“Such data are critical for understanding the causes, costs, and consequences of dementia and mild cognitive impairment in the United States, and for informing policies aimed at reducing their impact on patients, families, and public programs,” says&nbsp;<a href="https://www.neurology.columbia.edu/profile/jennifer-j-manly-phd">Jennifer J. Manly, PhD</a>,&nbsp;the study’s lead author and professor of neuropsychology in neurology at the Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center and the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain at Columbia University.



Although dementia and MCI are known to be common in the U.S., accurate, up-to-date measures of their national prevalence have been infrequent. In addition, previous estimates of dementia and MCI have tended to focus on populations that are college-educated and White, and have not been nationally representative. Participants in the new study are representative of older adults and this allows researchers to examine differences in the national prevalence of dementia and MCI by age, race and ethnicity, gender, and education level.&nbsp;



The results of the analysis, published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2022.3543">JAMA Neurology</a>, show that the incidence of dementia and MCI rises sharply with age: 3 percent of people between 65 and 69 had dementia, while the prevalence was 35 percent among people who were aged 90 and over.&nbsp;&nbsp;Overall, the study found that almost 10 percent of U.S. adults aged 65 and older have dementia, while another 22 percent have mild cognitive impairment.&nbsp;



In addition to the association with age, the data show a disproportionate burden of dementia among older adults who self-identified as Black or African American, of mild cognitive impairment among older adults who identify as Hispanic, and of both categories of cognitive impairment among people who had fewer opportunities to obtain higher education.



The economic impact of dementia, including unpaid family caregiving, is estimated to be $257 billion per year in the United States and $800 billion worldwide. And this is set to increase in future as populations age and people experience greater longevity.



“With increasing longevity and the aging of the Baby Boom generation, cognitive impairment is projected to increase significantly over the next few decades, affecting individuals, families, and programs that provide care and services for people with dementia,” Manly says.



“Dementia research in general has largely focused on college-educated people who are racialized as white,” she explains. “This study is representative of the population of older adults and includes groups that have been historically excluded from dementia research but are at higher risk of developing cognitive impairment because of structural racism and income inequality. If we’re interested in increasing brain health equity in later life, we need to know where we stand now and where to direct our resources.”



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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

One-third of older Americans have dementia

As people live for longer, the prevalence of dementia increases....

A team of neuroscientists from <a href="https://www.northwestern.edu/">Northwestern University</a> and clinicians from the <a href="https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/landing-pages/epilepsy">University of Chicago Epilepsy Center</a> has recently explored the role of sleep in consolidating memories. By recording electrophysiological responses to a series of sounds connected to daytime learning activities that were repeatedly presented to five participants during sleep, the experts found that the participants significantly improved their performance in a recall test the next morning, suggesting that sleep plays a crucial role in consolidating <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/having-a-sense-of-purpose-improves-memory/">memory</a> processing and storage.



The scientists enrolled a group of five epilepsy patients who had electrode probes implanted into the brain for the purpose of investigating potential treatments to their seizure disorders. During sleep, the participants were repeatedly exposed to 10-20 sounds, half of which were associated with objects and their precise spatial locations that patients learned before sleep.



The analysis revealed systematic improvements in spatial recall, with the object sounds presented during sleep eliciting increased oscillatory activity, including rises in theta, sigma, and gamma EEG bands, as well as significant activity in the hippocampus – a part of the brain that helps structuring and consolidating spatial and temporal patterns – and the adjacent temporal area of the cerebral cortex, reflecting the reactivation and strengthening of corresponding spatial memories.



“We are investigating how people manage to remember the things they’ve learned, rather than forgetting them,” said&nbsp;study senior author Ken Paller, the director of the Cognitive Neuroscience Program at Northwestern. “Our view is that sleep contributes to that ability.”



“The orthodox assumption used to be that such sounds would be blocked out when people are sleeping. Instead, these sounds allowed us to demonstrate that brain structures such as the hippocampus are responsive when memories are reactivated, helping us to retain the knowledge we gain when we’re awake.”



“At times, remembering and forgetting seems random. We can remember irrelevant details while forgetting what we most want to remember. The new answer to this long-standing mystery, highlighted by this research,&nbsp;is that memories are revisited when we sleep, even though we wake up not knowing it happened,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2123430119">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

Sleep helps the brain consolidate memories

A team of neuroscientists from Northwestern University and clinicians from...

According to a recent study led by the <a href="https://www.demogr.mpg.de/en">Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research</a> and the <a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk/">University of Oxford</a>, global life expectancy did not recover in 2021 after the mortality shock caused by the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/covid-related-deaths-are-much-higher-than-the-official-count/">Covid</a> pandemic. However, comparing this findings to historical events such as the Spanish flu pandemic from 1918, offers hope for rapid improvements in life expectancy over the next years.



By examining changes in life expectancy in 29 countries, the experts found that most countries in the study – including the United States, Chile, and 27 European countries – experienced period life expectancy (a measurement of the risk of death to which a population is exposed to within a year) decline for a second year in a row.&nbsp;



“The United States is a particularly tragic example; in 2021 the country managed to normalize mortality among those over 80 to pre-pandemic levels, but mortality among those under 80 increased,” said study lead author Jonas Schöley, an expert in Population Health at Max Planck. Thus, period life expectancy in the U.S. declined for two years in a row - by 25.5 months in 2020 and by another 2.7 months in 2021.



Life expectancy returned to pre-pandemic levels in just a few Western European countries, such as Belgium, France, Switzerland, and Sweden. In much of Eastern Europe, for example, the mortality crisis worsened from 2020 to 2021. “This is particularly evident in Bulgaria. In 2021, period life expectancy was 3.6 years below pre-pandemic levels,” said Schöley. Although Bulgaria had the lowest vaccination rate by the fall of 2021 among all the countries studied, this factor alone cannot fully explain the recent disparities in life expectancy between Eastern and Western Europe. According to Schöley and his colleagues, differences in healthcare systems and general living conditions may have also played a critical role.



A worrisome finding regards the change in age patterns related to Covid-induced mortality. “A notable shift between 2020 and 2021 was that the age patterns of excess mortality shifted in 2021 towards younger age groups, as vaccines began to protect the old,” said study co-author Ridhi Kashyap, a professor of Demography and Computational Social Science at Oxford.



Fortunately, historical comparisons show that, although previous pandemics such as the Spanish flu in 1918 also caused period life expectancy to plummet, the recovery was quite rapid. “Covid-19 has triggered one of the most severe mortality crises worldwide in the past 100 years. Past crises, however, only temporarily interrupted the trend of increasing life expectancy,” Schöley concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01450-3">Nature Human Behavior</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

Life expectancy continues to decline due to Covid

According to a recent study led by the Max Planck...

For so long, the world has been focused on the impacts of carbon dioxide (CO2) <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unchecked-emissions-could-kill-90-percent-of-marine-species/">emissions</a> on global warming and subsequent changes in climate. But CO2 is not the sole product released as a result of industrial processes or the combustion of fossil fuels. There is an array of other airborne pollutants that enter the atmosphere along with CO2 that behave very differently from the greenhouse gases. A new study finds that the impacts of these other pollutants on human health, economies, and agriculture differ drastically depending on where the pollutants are emitted.



Led by scientists from the <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">University of Texas at Austin</a> and the University of California San Diego, the study is the first to simulate how aerosol pollution affects both climate and air quality for locations around the globe. Although the atmosphere is made up largely of gases, there are also tiny solid particles and droplets of liquid that are present, suspended in the air. These small suspended droplets and particles are known as aerosols. They originate from natural sources, such as ocean spray and mineral dust from deserts, and also from human activities, including the combustion of fossil fuels.&nbsp;



Unlike CO2, which is a long-lived gas that spreads out through the atmosphere globally, aerosols are short-lived and tend to have more local and regional effects. Aerosols can absorb incident sunlight and scatter it back into the atmosphere, meaning that they actually have a cooling effect that is opposite to the effect of greenhouse gases. However, if they occur at high densities, the aerosols can also prevent light from reaching the leaves of crops where photosynthesis takes place. They are also involved in the formation of smog. In these ways, aerosols can impact human health and agricultural and economic productivity.



Although CO2&nbsp;and aerosols are often emitted at the same time during the combustion of fuels, the two substances behave differently in Earth’s atmosphere, said co-lead author Geeta Persad, an assistant professor at the UT Austin Jackson School of Geosciences. “Carbon dioxide has the same impact on climate no matter who emits it,” said Persad. “But for these aerosol pollutants, they tend to stay concentrated near where they're emitted, so the effect that they have on the climate system is very patchy and very dependent on where they’re coming from.”



The researchers investigated the influence of aerosols in worsening the social costs of carbon (a measure of the economic costs of greenhouse gases on society) in eight key regions of the world: Brazil, China, East Africa, Western Europe, India, Indonesia, United States and South Africa. They considered these costs both for the region producing the aerosols and for neighboring countries.&nbsp;



In order to do this, the researchers created a set of climate simulations using the Community Earth System Model version 1 developed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research. They then ran simulations in which each of the eight regions produced identical aerosol emissions and mapped how temperature, precipitation, and surface air quality were affected in these regions and across the globe.



The experts connected this data with known relationships between climate and air quality and infant mortality, crop productivity, and gross domestic product across the eight regions. In a final step, they compared the total societal costs of these aerosol-driven impacts against the societal costs of co-emitted CO2&nbsp;in each of the eight regions, and produced global maps of the combined effects of aerosols and CO2 emissions. The researchers said the study is a big step forward from previous work, which either only estimated the air quality impacts of aerosols or didn’t consider their diverse global climate effects.



The findings showed that, depending on the geographic location of the emissions, aerosols can increase the social costs of carbon emissions by as much as 66 percent. Aerosols can directly affect human health and the climate independently of CO2. They are associated with negative health impacts when inhaled, and can affect the climate by influencing temperature, precipitation patterns and how much sunlight reaches the Earth’s surface.



“This research highlights how the harmful effects of our emissions are generally underestimated,” said Jennifer Burney, co-lead author and the Marshall Saunders Chancellor’s Endowed Chair in Global Climate Policy and Research at the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy. “CO2&nbsp;is making the planet warmer, but it also gets emitted with a bunch of other compounds that impact people and plants directly and cause climate changes in their own right.”



The outcome paints a fairly complicated picture. Emissions from some regions produce climate and air quality effects that are between two and 10 times more severe as those seen in other regions. In addition, the social costs of this pollution can sometimes affect neighboring regions more than the region that produced the aerosol emissions. For example, in Europe local emissions result in four times as many infant deaths outside Europe as within its borders. Despite the complex relationships that emerge from the modelling exercise, the researchers note that aerosol emissions are always bad for both the emitter and the planet overall.



“While we might think about aerosols, which cool the climate, as having the silver lining of counteracting CO2-driven warming, when we look at all these effects in combination, we find that no region experiences overall local benefits or generates overall global benefits by emitting aerosols,” said Persad.



For example, the study found that adding aerosol costs to CO2&nbsp;costs could double China’s incentive to mitigate emissions. And it switches the impact of local emissions in Europe from a net local benefit to a net cost. The study also shows that some emerging economies, like in East African nations and India, might be motivated to collaborate on emission cuts since they are strongly impacted by each other’s emissions.&nbsp;



Overall, the findings indicate that individual countries would often benefit from working together with their neighbors to cut emissions since regional emissions affect everyone, not just the country doing the emitting. Researchers also said the findings create potentially new motivations for countries to cut emissions – and to care about other countries cutting their own emissions.



The framework developed in this study can also be applied to maximize societal benefits from current mitigation strategies being considered by policy makers. For example, the researchers applied it to the “fair-share” approach laid out in the Paris Climate Agreement in which all countries target the same per-capita CO2&nbsp;emissions. They found the approach, while beneficial for climate stability, does not improve the mortality and crop impacts from combined aerosol and CO2&nbsp;emissions because it focuses mitigation in regions that already have fairly low aerosol impacts, like the U.S. and Europe.



“By expanding societal cost calculations to include the geographically-resolved societal impacts of co-emitted aerosols, we’re showing that the incentive for individual countries to mitigate and collaborate on mitigation is much higher than if we only think about greenhouse gases,” Burney said.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/journal/sciadv">Science Advances</a>.



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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

Airborne pollutants amplify the effects of climate change

For so long, the world has been focused on the...

As the world’s cities grow, it becomes increasingly important to find ways of making them greener and more sustainable. A popular option for achieving this goal are rooftop gardens and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/noise-from-wind-farms-could-affect-marine-mammal-behavior/">farms</a> which take advantage of underutilized roof space, providing new food resources, while at the same time cooling the surrounding area, increasing building insulation, and improving air quality. Yet, conditions on rooftops such as higher solar radiation, more wind exposure, and lesser soil moisture often make plants grow smaller and be less healthy. 



Now, a research team led by Sarabeth Buckley, an expert in Plant Sciences at the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a>, has found that repurposing the CO2 from building exhaust as a kind of fertilizer may help counter some of these challenges.



“We wanted to test whether there is an untapped resource inside buildings that could be used to make plants grow larger in rooftop farms. Creating more favorable conditions that increase growth could help make rooftop farms more successful and therefore more viable options for installation on buildings,” said Dr. Buckley.



The researchers chose corn and spinach as a test case, since they are edible plants that use different pathways to photosynthesize, one of which – called “C3” and used by spinach but not by corn – being highly sensitive to elevated CO2 levels, and grew them on the roof of a campus building at <a href="https://www.bu.edu/">Boston University</a>. Thus, corn acted as a control used to explore how other aspects of placement close to the exhaust vents, such as different temperatures, affected plant growth.&nbsp;



Moreover, the rooftop garden also featured controls that were fanned by large fans without any exhaust air, to check whether air movement from the vents was a contributing factor. The concentrations of CO2 in the classrooms and on the roof were regularly measured to see how much extra CO2 is reaching the plants.



The scientists monitored the plants during their growth for size, number of leaves, and – after harvesting – for wet and dry biomass. The examination revealed that spinach grown next to the exhaust vents had four times the biomass of spinach grown next to a control fan and, even when high winds decreased the size advantage, these plants were still twice as large as the ones in the control group.



“We are hoping this could lead to the further development of this system and eventual implementation in rooftop gardens and farms. If that happens, then hopefully more rooftop farms will be installed. They could provide a multitude of environmental and social benefits such as energy savings for the building, carbon drawdown, climate mitigation, urban heat reduction, local food production, community building opportunities, and aesthetic and mental health benefits,” Dr. Buckley concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2022.918027">Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems</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

How building exhaust could boost rooftop gardens

As the world’s cities grow, it becomes increasingly important to...

Many studies have reported associations between video gaming and increases in depression, violence, and aggressive behavior. However, a recent study of nearly 2,000 children has now found that those playing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/playing-action-video-games-can-improve-reading-skills/">video games</a> for three hours per day or more performed better on cognitive skills related to impulse control and working memory compared to children who never played video games.&nbsp;



“This study adds to our growing understanding of the associations between playing video games and brain development,” said study co-author Nora Volkow, the director of the <a href="https://nida.nih.gov/">National Institute of Drug Abuse</a> (NIDA). “Numerous studies have linked video gaming to behavior and mental health problems. This study suggests that there may also be cognitive benefits associated with this popular pastime, which are worthy of further investigation.”



The researchers analyzed survey, cognitive, and brain imaging data from about 2,000 participants in the ongoing&nbsp;<a href="https://abcdstudy.org/">Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development&nbsp;(ABCD) Study</a>, which aims to understand the factors that influence brain, cognitive, and social-emotional development, in order to help devising interventions to enhance young people’s life trajectories. They separated the participants into two groups – those reporting playing no video games versus those playing such games for three or more hours daily, and evaluated their performance on two cognitive tasks that reflected their capacity to control impulsive behavior and to memorize information, as well as their brain activity while performing these tasks.



The analysis revealed that the children playing video games were faster and more accurate on both tasks and showed higher activity in areas of the brain associated with attention and memory, as well as in the frontal lobes, which play a fundamental role in the performance of cognitively demanding tasks. Although some of the children playing video games reported higher mental health and behavioral issues compared to those who played no video games, this association did not appear to be statistically significant.



“While we cannot say whether playing video games regularly caused superior neurocognitive performance, it is an encouraging finding, and one that we must continue to investigate in these children as they transition into adolescence and young adulthood,” said study lead author Bader Chaarani, an assistant professor of Psychiatry at the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/">University of Vermont</a>. “Many parents today are concerned about the effects of video games on their children’s health and development, and as these games continue to proliferate among young people, it is crucial that we better understand both the positive and negative impact that such games may have.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.35721">JAMA Network Open</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

Video gaming may increase cognitive performance

Many studies have reported associations between video gaming and increases...

Scientists have long investigated the connection between <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meal-timing-decrease-appetite/">meal timing</a>, sleep, and obesity, arguing that overnutrition could disrupt circadian rhythms and change fat tissues. However, the mechanism behind why eating late at night is linked to weight gain and health issues such as diabetes is still poorly understood. 



Now, a team of scientists from the <a href="https://www.northwestern.edu/">Northwestern University</a> has found that energy release may be the molecular mechanism through which our internal clocks control energy balance – an aspect which suggests that, for humans, daytime is the ideal time in the light environment of the Earth’s rotation when it is optimal to dissipate energy as heat. These finding could have a range of implications, from dieting and sleep loss to how clinicians feed patients who require long-term nutritional assistance.



“It is well known, albeit poorly understood, that insults to the body clock are going to be insults to metabolism,” said study corresponding author Joseph T. Bass, a professor of Medicine at Northwestern. “When animals consume Western style cafeteria diets — high fat, high carb — the clock gets scrambled. The clock is sensitive to the time people eat, especially in fat tissue, and that sensitivity is thrown off by high-fat diets. We still don’t understand why that is, but what we do know is that as animals become obese, they start to eat more when they should be asleep. This research shows why that matters.”



In this recent study, the scientists focused on mice, which are nocturnal animals. By feeding them a high-fat diet either exclusively during their inactive or active period – while setting the lab temperature to 30 degrees, at which mice expand less energy, to mitigate the effects of temperature on their findings - the researchers discovered that those fed during light hours gained more weight compared to those fed in the dark.



“We thought maybe there’s a component of energy balance where mice are expending more energy eating at specific times,” said study first author Chelsea Hepler, a postdoctoral fellow in Professor Bass’ lab. “That’s why they can eat the same amount of food at different times of the day and be healthier when they eat during active periods versus when they should be sleeping.”&nbsp;



These findings could inform chronic care, particularly in cases where patients have gastric feeding tubes. Such patients are commonly fed at night while they sleep and they are releasing the least amount of energy. Since many of them tend to develop obesity and diabetes, medical professional should re-think their strategy to improve their patients’ health and well-being.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abl8007">Science</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

Why does eating late lead to obesity and diabetes?

Scientists have long investigated the connection between meal timing, sleep,...

Panama disease is one of the most destructive plant <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-heightens-risk-of-most-infectious-diseases/">diseases</a> of modern times. It is caused by a fungal pathogen called Fusarium oxysporum cubense, and is also known as Fusarium wilt. It infects banana plants, causing the leaves to turn yellow and wilt, the corm to rot and the vessels to become blocked. Infected plants will invariably die. The fungus is easily spread in the form of hardy spores residing in the soil and also by the transplantation of young banana suckers that appear uninfected but do, in fact, already carry the fungus.&nbsp;



Bananas are one of the most important crops in the world. Over 100 million metric tons are produced in total each year, in more than 150 countries. Not only are they exported and consumed world-wide, but also they provide staple local food for almost half a billion people. They are thus an essential calorie crop and a revenue-generating trade commodity.&nbsp;



In the 1950s, a race of the same fungus (Fusarium oxysporum cubense&nbsp;Race 1) was responsible for an outbreak of Panama disease that almost wiped out commercial banana production around the world. At that time the ‘Gros Michel’ cultivar was the dominant variety of banana and was relied upon for almost all exports. In order to overcome the disaster, a new variety known as ‘Cavendish’ was introduced. This cultivar was not susceptible to the disease and soon replaced the Gros Michel bananas in terms of exports.&nbsp;



Unfortunately, by 1967, a new race of the fungus, known as Tropical Race 4 (TR4), was detected in Taiwan and proved infectious even to the Cavendish variety of banana plants. Since then TR4 has spread rapidly to continents across the world; it reached Africa by 2015 and, by August 2019, had arrived in Colombia in Latin America, a region famed for being the world’s biggest exporters of bananas. This aggressive fungus once again places banana production in jeopardy, threatening to inflict enormous costs on farmers and local people who depend on the fruit for income as well as nutritional value.&nbsp;



The new Panama disease threat is of particular significance as Cavendish bananas currently account for about 40 percent of world production and more than 90 percent of all exports. Normally the best method of controlling fungi on crops is to use fungicides but, so far, none of the usual chemical measures has shown much efficacy against TR4. In a systematic new study, reported in the journal&nbsp;<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1010860">PLOS Pathogens</a>, University of Exeter scientists have now tested 21 fungicides of seven different types, in the hope of identifying a chemical agent that can control Panama disease.&nbsp;



Funded by the BBSRC Global Food Systems initiative (GFS), the team of researchers, led by Professor Steinberg and Professor Sarah Gurr, used a multi-disciplinary approach to improve their understanding of why the trusted fungicides did not appear to work on Panama disease. They tested the fungicides against TR4 spores and hyphae in laboratory cultures, as well as in infected banana corms and roots in the field. By combining expertise in cell and molecular biology, bioinformatics and plant pathology, the team revealed that all major classes of single-site fungicides do not work against this troublesome pathogen.&nbsp;



Their results did, however, provide insight about the molecular reason behind the “tolerance” of these fungicides exhibited by Fusarium TR4. Guided by this understanding, the research team tested seven different multi-site fungicides and discovered that some of this specialized class of anti-fungal chemistries, not previously used on bananas, are toxic to TR4 spores. Further tests using different concentrations of these potentially effective fungicides, and monitoring for possible negative outcomes on plant leaves and corms, revealed two types of fungicides that do protected bananas against TR4-induced Panama disease. They identify these substances as captan and three types of mono-alkyl lipophilic cations (MALCS).



This discovery opens new avenues to develop efficient control strategies and provides a significant step forwards in the fight to protect this valuable crop. Professor Steinberg, who led the molecular and cellular aspects of the work, said: “Bananas are Britain's favorite fruit and Panama disease may ‘wipe’ them off the supermarket shelves. On top, millions of people in producer countries live on bananas. Providing an important step towards safeguarding bananas from Panama disease gives me great pride.”



"Our success is due to an enormous amount of dedicated work over several years with co-workers with hugely disparate skills," said Professor Sarah Gurr, the plant pathology expert who led all work on banana infection and pathogen cultivation. "We are highly delighted and excited by the outcome of our work and by the glimmer of hope that the beloved banana may remain as part of our daily diet.”



Professor Dan Bebber, who was not involved in the study but heads the Exeter Global Food Security program, said: “This work has rather excitingly opened the door to development of safe and effective ways of protecting the UK’s favorite fruit by demonstrating good levels of disease control with lesser known antifungals. It also confirms that basic research has the potential to provide answers to pressing challenges in global food security.”



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.



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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

New research will help keep bananas on supermarket shelves

Panama disease is one of the most destructive plant diseases...

During evolution, when there are limited resources available, plants and animals often compete for nutrients, mates, and habitats. This makes the flower-covered meadows of China’s Hengduan mountains an evolutionary mystery, sporting dozens of species of closely-related rhododendrons – a family of flowering shrubs – which all live in harmony. Now, a team of scientists led by the <a href="https://www.fieldmuseum.org/">Field Museum</a> in Chicago has found that these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mountain-formation-led-to-an-explosion-in-plant-diversity/">plants</a> are able to co-exist because they burst into bloom at different times of the season, and thus, don’t have to compete for pollinators.&nbsp;



“There’s this basic idea in ecology of the niche, that a species’ lifestyle, like what it eats and how it fits into the environment, cannot be replicated in the same community. If two species with the same lifestyle are living in the same space, they’ll compete with each other, so either one or both of them will adapt to have different, non-overlapping lifestyles, or they’ll go extinct,” explained study lead author Rick Ree, a curator at the Field Museum. “Since there are so many closely-related species of&nbsp;rhododendrons all living together in these mountains, we wanted to figure out how they were able to co-exist.”



According to Ree, the rhododendron diversity in this area is partly caused by speciation – the divergence of new ecologically-similar species from a common ancestor. This process, however, would theoretically increase the likelihood that the various species will need to compete with one another. Thus, in order to survive, they need to adapt so they can co-exist, by using different strategies.



“They can become very different in terms of their preferences for soil, light, and moisture, very basic physiological functional traits,” Ree said. “They can also evolve differences to reduce this potential for cross pollination or competing for pollinators. That would be manifested through differences in flower shape, size, or color, or could be manifested in when they make their flowers available for pollinators. By partitioning that timeline, they can reduce their chances of wasting their pollen and the resources that go into reproduction.”



By examining over 100 sites in the Hengduan mountains four times throughout the season, the scientists discovered that the key factor in allowing these plants to co-exist was that they all flower at different times. Unfortunately, while this strategy allows them to survive and share resources, it also makes the highly sensitive to climate change.



“There’s abundant evidence that the pace of climate change is messing with plants’ flowering times, causing population declines and extinctions. The question is, how are plant communities around the globe going to respond? Weather is part of what signals them to blossom, and since climate change affects the weather, it’s likely to shift that competitive landscape. When the environment changes, species have three choices: you move, you adapt, or you die. Climate change is accelerating that dynamic,”&nbsp;Ree concluded.



The study is published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.14002">Journal of Ecology</a>.&nbsp;



Image Credit: Qin Li



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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

Flowers share resources by blooming at different times

During evolution, when there are limited resources available, plants and...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-confirms-microplastics-have-entered-our-food-chain/">Microplastics</a> are tiny pieces of plastic which can get into our bodies through our food, drinks, or even the air that we breathe. Although scientists are not yet sure what is the effect of these compounds on human health, increasingly more studies have provided clear evidence that exposure to microplastics can lead to oxidative stress, inflammation, and even DNA damage.&nbsp;



A research team led by <a href="https://en.scu.edu.cn/">Sichuan University</a> in China has now found that drinking a single cup of takeaway coffee per week could expose a person to over 90,000 microplastic particles each year.



The scientists examined three different types of plastic cups in which takeaway coffee is usually served: polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyethylene (PE). They filled each of the three kinds of cups with 400 milliliters of water, sealed them with foil to avoid airborne microplastics entering the cups, and shook them for one minute. These procedures were carried out on a clean glass beaker, in order to avoid potential procedural contaminations.&nbsp;



The analysis revealed that, in about five minutes, the number of microplastic particles in the water reached between 723 and 1,489 particles per cup. Polypropylene cups produced the highest numbers of particles, which is highly concerning, considering the widespread use of such materials all over the world.&nbsp;



Moreover, cups containing hot liquids released significantly more microplastics than those with cold ones. Finally, shaking of the cups – which is common in the case of takeaway coffee – further promoted the release of microplastics.



“Based on the results, we estimated that people may unconsciously ingest 37,613–89,294 microplastics a year due to the use of one plastic cup every 4–5 days. Considering the potential harm of microplastics, the contamination of microplastics resulting from the use of plastic cups for drinks needs to be taken seriously,” the authors warned.



The study is published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129982">Journal of Hazardous Materials</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

One carryout coffee could expose you to 1,500 plastic particles

Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic which can get into...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vitamin-d-is-essential-for-heart-health/">Vitamin D</a> deficiency is currently considered by many as a pandemic, affecting over one billion people worldwide. This vitamin is well-known for its major role in maintaining calcium levels in the body, contributing to the proper functioning of bones and muscles. However, its range of biological functions is much wider, and prolonged vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a variety of health conditions, such as heart and autoimmune diseases, cancers, and respiratory infections.



While vitamin D’s function in humans has been widely explored, comparatively little is known about its role in non-human primates. Now, an international team of scientists and zoo veterinarians has set up a Europe-wide research project to investigate the presence and role of this vitamin in chimpanzees. Their analysis revealed that inadequate vitamin D levels are widespread in chimpanzees living in Europe, which could turn out to be a significant risk factors for the development of Idiopathic Myocardial Fibrosis (IMF), a mysterious heart condition that commonly affects them.



“This is essential research to further understand the factors contributing to maintaining a healthy in-human-care chimpanzee population for the future of the species. Such a wide range of individuals and locations has not been explored before and this reveals potential new ways to care for these animals,” said study co-author Melissa Grant, a senior scientist at the <a href="https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/index.aspx">University of Birmingham</a>.&nbsp;



The researchers analyzed samples from around 20 percent of the chimpanzees living in Europe in 32 zoos and sanctuaries, and found significant vitamin D deficiencies in many of these samples. However, the findings showed that unlimited outdoor access resulted in higher vitamin D levels, even for animals living in Northern Europe, where sunny days are relatively rare. Moreover, there were also differences in vitamin D between seasons – as it happens in humans too. Yet, for many chimpanzees their end-of-summer vitamin D levels are usually not high enough to avoid winter deficiencies.&nbsp;



“Vitamin D plays an important role in the transcriptional control of pro-fibrogenic and pro-inflammatory factors in the body, so adequate Vitamin D levels are vital for the health of chimpanzees in our care,” said study senior author Kerstin Baiker, a pathologist at the <a href="https://www.cityu.edu.hk/">City University of Hong Kong</a>.&nbsp;



These findings could inform how chimpanzees are cared for in zoos and sanctuaries, hopefully contributing to improvements in welfare standards. “This is a really good example of clinical research informing best practice: unlimited outdoor access for these captive animals is likely to be more important than we previously thought,” concluded co-author Kate White, an expert in Veterinary Medicine at the <a href="https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/">University of Nottingham</a>.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-21211-6">Nature Scientific Reports</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

Many European chimps suffer from vitamin D deficiency

Vitamin D deficiency is currently considered by many as a...

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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https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
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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

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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...

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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

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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