Rare earth elements are everywhere - in your smartphone screen, in the MRI machine at the hospital, in the battery of an electric vehicle, and even in oil and gas refining. They are a key ingredient of modern life.



As global tensions rise, so does the competition for access to these minerals. Recent headlines show the stakes: China has halted rare earth exports to the United States, and a deal was just signed to secure U.S. access to Ukraine’s mineral resources.



Despite their name, rare earth elements aren’t actually scarce; what’s rare is finding them in high enough concentrations to mine economically. These deposits are scattered unevenly across the globe and often buried deep underground, shaping who controls their production and the global supply chain.



Scientists at <a href="https://www.tufts.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tufts University</a> are trying to better understand how and why rare earth minerals ended up where they did. Their research reveals how the movement of continents over billions of years helped form - and hide - these valuable deposits.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-supercontinents-shaped-rare-deposits">Supercontinents shaped rare deposits</h2>



To explain how this mineral drama began, we need to go back in time. Way back. Earth's surface is always on the move. Over millions of years, massive landmasses shift, collide, and break apart, reshaping the planet in the process.



"Most of us are familiar with <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/supercontinents-101-pannotia-gondwana-and-pangea/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pangea</a> - the supercontinent that formed about 300 million years ago and that the current seven continents broke off from to form their present-day arrangement," said Jill VanTongeren, professor and chair of the Department of Earth and Climate Sciences.



"But Pangea is only the most recent supercontinent. Throughout Earth history, there have been at least five major <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/australia-north-america-supercontinent/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">supercontinent</a> cycles - periods when continents all come together and then spread back out again into different pieces. We think this process happens roughly every 500 million years."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-minerals-begin">Where minerals begin</h2>



As these continents drifted apart, they created rifts - places where the Earth's tectonic plates pulled away from each other. These rifting zones became birthplaces for rare earth element-rich magmas.



"As the rocks are pushed apart, they decompress, causing melting. It's kind of like taking the lid off a soda bottle, and the bubbles rise to the surface," said VanTongeren.



"Those early magmas contain the highest abundance of rare earth and other incompatible elements that then enter the crust, either erupting in volcanic centers or solidifying at depth."



Some of these mineral-rich magmas cooled and stayed near the surface. Others got dragged back down into the mantle or remain buried too deep to mine with today’s technology.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-race-for-control-resources">A race for control resources</h2>



Today, the number of economically viable rare earth deposits is limited. China dominates the market, with nearly 70% of global production coming from its Bayan Obo mine. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/crucial-rare-earth-elements-discovered-coal-mines-united-states/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S.</a> has a smaller operation at Mountain Pass in California, and a few other countries have scattered deposits.



In the late 1990s and early 2000s, China flooded the market with rare earth minerals, driving down prices and shutting down other global producers. That move reshaped global dependence.



In response, the U.S. government took steps to re-establish a domestic supply. Recent investments from the 2021 Infrastructure and Jobs Act and the Department of Defense aim to restart full operations at the Mountain Pass mine, though it could take up to a decade.



There’s also hope that Ukraine's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nasa-is-on-a-mission-to-map-americas-mineral-wealth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mineral deposits</a> could help diversify supply. But for now, their potential remains unclear.



"Political boundaries and the desire to obtain access to mineral resources have been the source of economic and military conflicts throughout human history," said VanTongeren. "This is likely to continue as the world shifts toward green energy and a greater dependence on rare earth elements in the future."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hunting-for-mineral-deposits">Hunting for mineral deposits</h2>



VanTongeren’s work tracks these mineral stories from source to surface. Her fieldwork has taken her from a ship near Antarctica to platinum mines in South Africa, Morocco’s mountains, and even a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/huge-lithium-deposit-from-volanic-ash-found-in-pennsylvania/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lithium</a> discovery in Maine.



"It's a fascinating area of study partly because it lies at the intersection of science, economics, and politics," she said. Back on the Tufts campus, this intersection takes a more visual form.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tufts-secret-mineral-vault">Tufts' secret mineral vault</h2>



Tucked into the basement of Lane Hall, the P.T. Barnum Mineral Collection offers a glimpse into the Earth’s treasures. It includes thousands of mineral specimens, some collected by Barnum himself. He was an early supporter of Tufts and a major collector of natural history in the 1800s.



"In the late 1800s, it was considered fashionable for many prominent individuals to accumulate their own natural history collections," noted VanTongeren.



"P.T. Barnum was one of the biggest collectors of the time. His collection of animals, plants, and minerals was among the first gifts to Tufts University and part of an endowment to establish Tufts as one of the major natural history museums in the country."



After a fire destroyed the Barnum Museum in 1975, the mineral collection moved to Lane Hall. Now, it’s about to move again - this time to Bacon Hall, the new home for the Department of Earth and Climate Sciences.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-hunt-for-rare-earth-elements">Global hunt for rare earth elements</h2>



VanTongeren hopes this new home will be more than just a storage site. She wants it to become a space that encourages curiosity and exploration, not just for scientists, but for everyone.



"My pie-in-the-sky vision is to set up a mineral gallery with both a permanent exhibit as well as pop-up exhibitions every semester highlighting minerals important for technology, related to other research at the university, or to global events," said VanTongeren.



"I'd like to help bring back Barnum's vision of bringing the beauty of, and an appreciation for, the natural world to campus."



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Global hunt for rare earth elements is underway

Rare earth elements are everywhere - in your smartphone screen, in the MRI machine at the hospital, in the battery of an electric vehicle, and even in oil and gas refining. They are a key ingredient of modern life. As global tensions rise, so does the competition for access to these minerals. Recent headlines show the stakes: China has halted rare earth exports to the United States, and a deal was just signed to secure U.S. access to Ukraine’s mineral resources. Despite their name, rare earth elements...

Many studies have shown that tiny plastic particles are now spread everywhere on Earth – in the water, food, and air, and even inside the human body, in our blood, lung tissue, and stool. According to a recent cover story published in <a href="https://cen.acs.org/">Chemical &amp; Engineering News</a>, an independent news outlet of the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS), scientists are just beginning to investigate the health and environmental risks of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-confirms-microplastics-have-entered-our-food-chain/">microplastics</a> and nanoplastics, by using lessons learned from nanotoxicology.&nbsp;



Microplastics (plastic particles smaller than five millimeters in diameter) and nanoplastics (particles smaller than one µm) can be made of a variety of materials, and are of different sizes and shapes. Due to their diversity, a proper investigation of their health and environmental effects is a complicated matter.&nbsp;



So far, scientists have mostly used polystyrene beads in their experiments since they are easily accessible. However, these beads are far from being representative of the diversity of microplastics found in the environment: most of these particles are irregular fragments rather than spheres, and environmental factors such as ultraviolet light can change their properties after they are released in the environment. Moreover, polystyrene is not the only polymer found in the environment; fragments of polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyamide are also abundant in our surroundings.



Since there is limited data regarding the effects of exposure to microplastics, making regulatory decisions is challenging. This is a problem that the toxicology community has also faced over the past decade when trying to assess the risks of nanoparticles, so scientists hope that lessons from nanotoxicology could be applied to our understanding and assessment of micro- and nanoplastics.&nbsp;



Currently, researchers are beginning to standardize the various microplastics used in studies, in order to be able to reproduce results and better replicate real-world situations. Moreover, laboratory systems simulating bodily functions are increasingly used to investigate how ingested or inhaled plastic particles could affect human gut and lung cells.



“We really need to launch a micro- and nanoplastic safety consortium similar to what we did with nanomaterials and bring a lot of groups and scientists together to address these fundamental questions,” said Philip Demokritou, an expert in Nanoscience and Environmental Bioengineering at <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a>. “Because right now, with a little bit of funding here and a little bit there, we won’t be able to generate the data that risk assessors need.”&nbsp;



The full cover story - written by senior correspondent Britt Erikson - can be accessed <a href="https://cen.acs.org/biological-chemistry/toxicology/Microplastics-health-risk-toxicology-particle-characterization-nanomaterials/100/i19">here</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

Nanotoxicology could help assess the risks of microplastics

Many studies have shown that tiny plastic particles are now...

A rare, spectacular <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/aprils-night-sky-is-set-for-a-spectacular-planetary-alignment/">planetary alignment</a> will be visible starting in the early morning hours of Friday, June 3, 2022, when Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will line up in order of their distance from the Sun across the pre-dawn sky. While it is quite common to see two or three planets close together, seeing all these five planets aligned is an infrequent event that has not occurred since December 2004.



“This is really cool,” said Prof Beth Biller, an expert in exoplanet characterization at the <a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/">University of Edinburgh</a>. “We now know of many other stars hosting multiple planets. This is a rare opportunity to see the same thing closer to home, with all five ‘naked eye’ planets in our solar system visible at once.”



According to Dr. Greg Brown, the public astronomy officer at <a href="https://www.rmg.co.uk/">Royal Museums Greenwich</a>, Venus and Jupiter will be the easiest to see since they will appear first in the night sky, while Mercury will be rather hard to spot because it will only rise later, just before dawn.&nbsp;



“Your only chance to see all five planets at the same time is during a very narrow window after Mercury has risen but before the sun has,” Dr. Brown said. “A pair of binoculars or a telescope may well be enough to overcome the twilight in the case of the fainter planets, but do be very careful when trying to observe particularly Mercury in this way. Ensure that the sun is below the horizon to avoid accidentally looking directly at it, which would be very dangerous for your eyes.”



However, Mercury will become easier to spot later in June, as it rises in the sky and brightens. In addition, on June 24, the five planets will be joined by a crescent moon between Venus and Mars, making for an “extraordinary scene” – as Dr. Samantha Rolfe, the principal technical officer at the <a href="https://www.herts.ac.uk/">University of Hertfordshire</a>’s observatory put it.



“You do not need binoculars or a telescope if you don’t have them – just enjoy the sight from wherever you can, even if you can’t see all five from your location,” Dr. Rolfe said. “This is a rare spectacle that can help us feel connected to nature and the world around us, and enjoying the night sky in general is a great wellbeing exercise.”



“Knowing that so many people are looking up at the same sky, as our ancestors did, and our descendants will, is something to behold. Check the weather forecast for clear or even partially clear skies, and set an alarm – it will be worth getting up for.”&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

Rare planetary alignment will be visible during June

A rare, spectacular planetary alignment will be visible starting in...

To discern evolutionary relationships and family trees, biologists focus on physical characteristics (morphology), but this can be tricky. For example, the wings of birds, bats and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/light-pollution-disorients-monarch-butterflies/">butterflies</a> may look superficially similar, yet it is not a sign of close relatedness.  



Now, scientists at the <a href="https://www.bath.ac.uk/">University of Bath</a> have managed to use molecular data to reconstruct family trees and to examine the relatedness of organisms. The study, published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/commsbio/">Communications Biology</a>, compares the older method with the molecular method for building family trees.&nbsp;



Interestingly, the research shows that family trees of organisms built by molecular methods are more closely grouped together geographically than those in evolutionary trees based on morphology.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“It turns out that we’ve got lots of our evolutionary trees wrong," said Matthew Wills, professor of Evolutionary Paleobiology at the <a href="https://www.bath.ac.uk/research-centres/milner-centre-for-evolution/">Milner Centre for Evolution</a>. “For over a hundred years, we’ve been classifying organisms according to how they look and are put together anatomically, but molecular data often tells us a rather different story."



“Our study proves statistically that if you build an evolutionary tree of animals based on their molecular data, it often fits much better with their geographical distribution."



“Where things live – their biogeography – is an important source of evolutionary evidence that was familiar to Darwin and his contemporaries. For example, tiny elephant shrews, aardvarks, elephants, golden moles and swimming manatees have all come from the same big branch of mammal evolution - despite the fact that they look completely different from one another (and live in very different ways)."



“Molecular trees have put them all together in a group called Afrotheria, so-called because they all come from the African continent, so the group matches the biogeography.”



It makes sense that biogeography might be more important than morphology as something pointing towards relatedness. Similar body parts might develop independently, something called convergent evolution, and a huge red herring in the search for a tree of life.



“We already have lots of famous examples of convergent evolution, such as flight evolving separately in birds, bats and insects, or complex camera eyes evolving separately in squid and humans," explained Professor Wills.



"But now with molecular data, we can see that convergent evolution happens all the time – things we thought were closely related often turn out to be far apart on the tree of life."



"People who make a living as lookalikes aren’t usually related to the celebrity they’re impersonating, and individuals within a family don’t always look similar - it’s the same with evolutionary trees too."



"It proves that evolution just keeps on re-inventing things, coming up with a similar solution each time the problem is encountered in a different branch of the evolutionary tree. It means that convergent evolution has been fooling us - even the cleverest evolutionary biologists and anatomists - for over 100 years!”



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

We may have family trees all wrong

To discern evolutionary relationships and family trees, biologists focus on...

According to previous research, cuttlefish transformation is a relatively simple <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/traffic-noise-in-school-linked-to-slower-cognitive-development/">cognitive</a> process involving one of three body patterns to help the animals blend in with their background. Still, scientists have yet to explain how these stunning masters of disguise can express approximately 30 different body pattern components.&nbsp;



Like other cephalopods (i.e., octopi), cuttlefish are able to camouflage themselves by using their brains to control chromatophores - special cells all over their body surface. A new study led by <a href="https://www.city.ac.uk/">City University London</a> has shown that European cuttlefish (sepia officinalis) camouflage may be more complex than previously thought.&nbsp;



"To examine how cuttlefish deploy this vast potential, we recorded cuttlefish on seven experimental backgrounds, each designed to resemble a pattern component, and then compared their responses to predictions of two models of sensory control of component expression," wrote the study authors.



The scientists observed and analyzed 15 European cuttlefish and found that the patterns displayed by cuttlefish could only be explained by the involvement of more than one distinct neural system. These systems are activated selectively and process features from the cuttlefish’s immediate environment and the overall background, which allow the cuttlefish to camouflage themselves on the ocean floor.&nbsp;



“The cuttlefish provides a fascinating window into perceptual processing of such an alien species by expressing its perception of the surroundings on the dynamic canvas of its skin surface," said study co-author Professor Christopher Tyler.



The research supports the findings of a previous study, which suggests that cuttlefish have the cognitive ability to process specific and background features. Furthermore, the results support another model suggesting that cuttlefish only employ these cognitive skills when they deem them necessary to improve their camouflage.&nbsp;



“The findings also lay the groundwork for further study to investigate which specific aspects of the patterned features used here are responsible for activating distinct groups of body components in cuttlefish, and indeed, whether these artificial visual cues are reflective of what is encountered in the animal’s natural environment," concluded Professor Tyler.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.



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

Cuttlefish camouflage: more than meets the eye

According to previous research, cuttlefish transformation is a relatively simple...

Rudyard Kipling might very well have chosen to write a "Just So" story about how the giraffe got its long neck. It would probably have been about how the leaves of the tall Acacia trees are preferred food for giraffes but only those with the longest necks could reach them. For although there have been many different views about the exact evolutionary process of giraffe neck elongation, scientists have never doubted that the impetus for neck elongation was high <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-adapt-to-altitude-by-sensing-oxygen-levels/">altitude</a> foliage.



However, the analysis of a strange new fossil by researchers from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the <a href="https://english.cas.cn/">Chinese Academy of Sciences</a> may cast new light on this age-old story. The fossil is a type of early giraffoid known as Discokeryx xiezhi, and among the fossilized remains are a well preserved skull and four neck vertebrae. The remains were found in early Miocene strata, dated at about 17 million years ago, on the northern margin of the Junggar Basin, Xinjiang.&nbsp;



Details of the study, published today in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/">Science</a>, point to some unusual morphological adaptations in this ancient species. Although it is a giraffoid and possible precursor to modern giraffes, it did not have a long neck. It did, however, have a most unusual bony pad right in the middle of its forehead, and its cervical vertebrae showed unique connections that hint the animal was adapted to survive the heavy impacts associated with head-butting.&nbsp;



“Discokeryx xiezhi&nbsp;featured many unique characteristics among mammals, including the development of a disc-like large ossicone in the middle of its head,” said study co-author Professor Deng Tao. He noted that the single ossicone resembles that of the&nbsp;xiezhi, a one-horned creature from ancient Chinese mythology – thus giving the fossil its name.



As far as the neck vertebrae are concerned, the researchers report that these were very stout and strong, and the animal had the most complex joints between head and neck and between adjacent cervical vertebrae of any mammal. The team demonstrated that the complex articulations between the skull and cervical vertebrae of&nbsp;Discokeryx xiezhi&nbsp;were particularly adapted to high-speed head-to-head impact, a behavior often associated with conflict between rival males during breeding time.



They researchers found that the large, bony pad (or ossicone) of&nbsp;Discokeryx xiezhi&nbsp;was far more effective than that of extant animals, such as musk oxen, that are also adapted to tolerate severe head impacts. In fact,&nbsp;Discokeryx xiezhi&nbsp;may have been the best adapted head-butting vertebrate ever.



Interestingly, modern giraffes also show butting behavior. Male giraffes compete for females by fighting with other males. During this fighting, a male swings his heavy skull, armed with bony ossicones and osteomas, into his opponent’s vulnerable soft tissues. The authors of the study propose that this aspect of giraffe behavior would conceivably also favor the possession of a long neck. The longer the neck, the greater the momentum of the swing and the more damage done.



“Both living giraffes and&nbsp;Discokeryx xiezhi&nbsp;belong to the Giraffoidea, a superfamily. Although their skull and neck morphologies differ greatly, both are associated with male courtship struggles and both have evolved in an extreme direction,”&nbsp;said WANG Shiqi, first author of the study.



The experts state that this unusual fossil giraffoid helps to understand how the modern giraffe's long neck may have evolved as well as to appreciate the extensive integration of courtship struggles and feeding pressure. In fact, they propose that the neck size of male giraffes is directly related to social hierarchy, and that courtship competition is the driving force behind the evolution of long necks.



When the research team compared the horn morphology of several groups of ruminants, including giraffoids, cattle, sheep, deer and pronghorns, they found that horn diversity in giraffes is much greater than in other groups. In addition, the horns of giraffes tend toward extreme differences in morphology, indicating that courtship struggles are more intense and diverse in giraffes than in other ruminants.



Furthermore, the ecological environment that Discokeryx xiezhi occupied was most probably fairly dry, barren grassland, which would not necessarily have contained an abundance of available food. The Earth was in a warm period and generally densely forested at that time, but the Xinjiang region, where&nbsp;Discokeryx xiezhi&nbsp;lived, was somewhat drier than other areas because the Tibetan Plateau to the south had been rising dramatically, thus blocking the transfer of water vapor.



“Stable isotopes of tooth enamel have indicated that&nbsp;Discokeryx xiezhi&nbsp;was living in open grasslands and may have migrated seasonally,”&nbsp;said study co-author Meng Jin. For animals of the time, the grassland environment was more barren and less comfortable than the forest environment, which may have led to the violent fighting behavior of&nbsp;Discokeryx xiezhi&nbsp;as it competed to survive in this more stressful landscape.&nbsp;



Around seven million years ago, when the genus Giraffa first emerged on the East African Plateau, the environment was also undergoing a change from forest to open grassland, and the direct ancestors of giraffes had to adapt to these changes. It is possible that, among giraffe ancestors during this period, mating males developed a way of attacking their competitors by swinging their necks and heads. This extreme struggle, supported by sexual selection, could thus have led to the rapid elongation of the giraffe's neck.



Thus, the researchers propose, the original purpose of a long neck in early Giraffa species was to compete successfully with other males for access to females. However, having a long neck would also have predisposed these animals for the niche of feeding on high altitude foliage. Furthermore, occupying a marginal ecological niche may have led to more extreme intraspecific courtship competition, which in turn may have promoted even more extreme morphological evolution.



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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

Strange fossil suggests giraffes evolved long necks for courtship

Rudyard Kipling might very well have chosen to write a...

Picture,Of,School,Busses

The location of a school can affect the success of pupils at that school, as evidenced by previous research studies that link poor performance with exposure to aircraft noise and to traffic-related air pollution. Now, in a study led by the <a href="https://www.isglobal.org/en">Barcelona Institute for Global Health</a> (ISGlobal), a center supported by the “la&nbsp;Caixa” Foundation, researchers have tested whether <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/parents-with-more-children-risk-faster-cognitive-decline/">cognitive</a> development in pupils at 38 primary schools in Barcelona, Spain, is linked to the levels of traffic noise in the streets outside the school.&nbsp;



Road traffic noise is a widespread problem in cities and yet its impact on children’s health remains poorly understood. The current study, which forms part of the BREATHE project and was led by ISGlobal researchers&nbsp;Maria Foraster and Jordi Sunyer, included&nbsp;2,680 children between the ages of seven and ten years. Over the course of a year (between 2012 and 2013), the children completed sets of cognitive tests four times: these tests focused on measuring the children’s working memory and attention skills, as well as enabling the researchers to study the evolution of these cognitive skills over time.&nbsp;



Over the same period, noise measurements were taken in front of the 38 participating schools, as well as in their playgrounds and classrooms. The two cognitive skills investigated, namely working memory and ability to pay attention, are known to develop rapidly during preadolescence and are essential for learning and for achieving success at school.



Attention includes processes such as selectively attending to specific stimuli or focusing on a specific task for a prolonged period of time. Working memory is the system that allows us to hold information in the mind and manipulate it over a short period of time. When we need to process information stored in the working memory, we use what is known as&nbsp;complex working memory.



The findings of the study, published today in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/">PLoS Medicine</a>, show that the&nbsp;development of working memory,&nbsp;complex working memory and attention skills during the year was slower&nbsp;in students who attended schools with higher levels of traffic noise. More specifically, the results showed that a 5&nbsp;dB increase in outdoor noise levels resulted in working memory development that was 11.4 percent slower than average and complex working memory development that was 23.5 percent slower than average. Similarly, exposure to an additional 5&nbsp;dB of outdoor traffic noise resulted in attention capacity development that was 4.8 percent slower than average.



In terms of traffic noise outside the classroom, both higher average noise levels and greater fluctuation in noise levels were associated with poorer student performances on all tests.&nbsp;Inside classrooms, greater fluctuation in noise levels was also associated with slower progress on all cognitive tests over the course of the year. But inside these same classrooms, exposure to higher average noise levels over the year was only associated with worse performance on attention tests, and not on tests of working memory.&nbsp;



“This finding suggests that noise peaks inside the classroom may be more disruptive to neurodevelopment than average decibel level,” commented Foraster, lead author of the study. “This is important because it supports the hypothesis that noise characteristics may be more influential than average noise levels, despite the fact that current policies are based solely on average decibels.”



“Our study supports the hypothesis that childhood is a vulnerable period during which external stimuli such as noise can affect the rapid process of cognitive development that takes place before adolescence,” explained Sunyer.



The researchers also investigated whether cognitive development in the children was associated with average noise levels at each participant’s home. To do this, they estimated the levels of ambient noise using a 2012 road traffic noise map of the city of Barcelona. The analysis showed no association between residential noise and the cognitive development of the school children.



“This could be because noise exposure at school is more detrimental as it affects vulnerable windows of concentration and learning processes,” explained&nbsp;Foraster. “On the other hand, although noise measurements were taken at the schools, noise levels at the children’s homes were estimated using a noise map that may be less accurate and, in any case, only reflected outdoor noise. This, too, may have influenced the results.”



The researchers emphasize the need for further studies on road traffic noise in other populations to determine whether these initial findings can be extrapolated to other cities and settings.



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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

Traffic noise in school linked to slower cognitive development

The location of a school can affect the success of...

Alpine,Forest,On,A,Mountain,Slope.,Beautiful,Mountain,Forest,In

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.unil.ch/central/en/home.html">University of Lausanne</a> and the <a href="https://www.unibas.ch/en.html">University of Basel</a> has found that global warming has a significant impact on the Alpine region. Just like the Arctic, this European mountain range is becoming greener, with satellite data showing evidence that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/changes-in-vegetation-are-a-key-driver-of-global-temperatures/">vegetation</a> above the tree line has increased in nearly 80 percent of the Alps. Moreover, the experts have also detected decreases in snow cover in 10 percent of the area.



By using high-resolution satellite data from 1984 to 2021, the scientists discovered that, over this period, the plant biomass above the tree line increased in more than 77 percent of the observed regions – a phenomenon of “greening” caused by climate change that is already well documented in the Arctic.



“The scale of the change has turned out to be absolutely massive in the Alps,” said study lead author Sabine Rumpf, an assistant professor of Ecology at the University of Basel. 



According to Professor Rumpf and her colleagues, the Alps are becoming greener because an increasing number of plants are colonizing new areas, and the vegetation is becoming denser and taller due to changes in precipitation and rising temperatures. Yet, although Alpine plants are well-adapted to harsh conditions, they are not very competitive, and may soon lose their evolutionary advantage. “The unique biodiversity of the Alps is therefore under considerable pressure,” Professor Rumpf warned.



In contrast to such massive changes in vegetation, the extent of snow cover above the tree line has not changed so radically since 1984. Although significant decreases in snow cover have only been found in about 10 percent of the Alps, the researchers consider it a worrying trend.



“Previous analyses of satellite data hadn’t identified any such trend,” explained study senior author Antoine Guisan, an ecologist at the University of Lausanne. “This may be because the resolution of the satellite images was insufficient or because the periods considered were too short.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;



“For years, local ground-based measurements have shown a decrease in snow depth at low elevations,” added study co-author Grégoire Mariéthoz, an expert in Earth Surface Dynamics at the same university. “This decrease has already caused some areas to become largely snow-free.”



According to the scientists, as global warming continues, the Alps will turn increasingly greener, creating a vicious circle. &nbsp;



“Greener mountains reflect less sunlight and therefore lead to further warming – and, in turn, to further shrinkage of reflective snow cover,” explained Professor Rumpf. In addition, rising temperatures will cause further melting of glaciers and thawing of permafrost, which can lead to landslides, mudflows, and rockfalls. Finally, snow melting will have a significant impact on drinking water supplies, as well as on tourism and recreation activities.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abn6697">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

Greening in the Alps is visible from space

A new study led by the University of Lausanne and...

Neptune,Seagrass,Posidonia,Oceanica,Underwater,With,Natural,Sunlight,In,Mediterranean

A research team led by the <a href="https://www.uwa.edu.au/">University of Western Australia</a> has recently identified the world’s largest living plant in the shallow waters off the coast of Western Australia. Posidonia Australis is a sprawling seagrass that stretches for over 112 miles/180 kilometers (the equivalent of the distance between San Diego and Los Angeles) in Shark Bay, a wilderness area declared by UNESCO a <a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/">World Heritage Site</a>.&nbsp;



The scientists have long believed this to be a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massive-amounts-of-sugar-found-under-seagrass-meadows/">seagrass meadow</a> - a collection of genetically related yet different individual plants. “We often get asked how many different plants are growing in a seagrass meadow. Here we used genetic tools to answer it,” said study senior author Elizabeth Sinclair, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Western Australia.



To answer this question, Dr. Sinclair and her team collected samples from 10 locations across the range of this seagrass meadow, and performed a series of genetic tests. “The answer definitely surprised us - just ONE! That’s it, just one plant has expanded over 180 km in Shark Bay, making it the largest known plant on Earth,” Dr. Sinclair reported.



According to the researchers, the plant is so large because it is able to clone itself, creating genetically identical offshoots.&nbsp;This type of reproduction is rare in the animal kingdom and occurs more often among some plants, fungi, and bacteria.



“The plant has been able to continue growing through vegetative growth - extending its rhizomes (rootstalks) outwards - the way a buffalo grass would in your back garden, extending runners outwards. The only difference is that the seagrass rhizomes are under a sandy seafloor so you don’t see them, just the shoots within the water column,” explained Dr. Sinclair. “What was even more interesting was that it has double the number of chromosomes than in other populations we had been studying. It has 40, not the usual 20” - a phenomenon called “polyploidy.”&nbsp;



The scientists argued that polyploidy, combined with reproducing via cloning, helped this seagrass expand over the past 4,500 years and adapt to more extreme environmental conditions than other seagrasses can withstand, including saltier waters, wider temperature fluctuations, and higher levels of light. “It seems to have a way to hunker down and have the genetic toolkit to survive, no matter what conditions have been thrown at it so far,” concluded study co-author Martin Breed, an expert in Ecosystem Health at <a href="https://www.flinders.edu.au/">Flinders University</a>.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2022.0538">Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological 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

World’s largest plant found in Western Australia

A research team led by the University of Western Australia...

Beta diversity is a measure of site-to-site variation in the composition of species within a certain area. A new study led by <a href="https://wustl.edu/">Washington University in St. Louis</a> has found that tree beta diversity matters more for ecosystem functioning than other components of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-impacts-biodiversity-in-protected-areas-worldwide/">biodiversity</a> at larger scales, such as local or regional diversity. The experts have also discovered that the relationship between beta diversity and tree biomass strengthens with increasing spatial scale.&nbsp;



“A lot of studies have focused only on small scales when they look at biodiversity and ecosystem functioning,” said lead author Dr. Jacqueline Reu. “Our study is one of the first that looks at multiple different measures of biodiversity, as well as direct and indirect effects of the environment, on ecosystem functioning as you increase scale in a natural system.”



“Our results back the theory that beta diversity, or the variation in species composition across space, is the best biodiversity measure at larger scales,” she explained. “It’s stronger than the other diversity measures that we considered, like local and regional diversity. And its importance increases as you increase spatial scale.”



Dr. Reu and her colleagues studied 14 landscapes of oak-hickory forest in the Ozark region, each of which contained at least three major habitat types common to Ozark forests, including sunnier, drier, and nutrient poor west- or south-facing slopes; shady, nutrient-rich valleys and bottom lands; and east- and north-facing slopes, which are the most productive in terms of tree cover. Each of these landscapes also included an environmental gradient of nutrient and moisture availability, light availability, and a wide range of topographic conditions.



The scientists quantified the direct effects of three diversity components – beta diversity, local diversity, and regional diversity – and calculated the strength of the relationship between each of these components and aboveground tree biomass, a property of forests closely related to ecosystem functioning. Their results revealed that the relationship between beta diversity and tree biomass strengthened with increasing spatial extent, and that ecosystem functioning was highly dependent upon variations in beta diversity.



“It’s not just the gain or the loss and the number of species that matters, it’s also changes in the distribution of these species and where you might find them in an ecosystem,” said study co-author Christopher Catano, a postdoctoral fellow in Ecology at <a href="https://msu.edu/">Michigan State University</a>. “This study and a few others recently have been pretty consistent, in the sense that they’re showing it’s (species) turnover, or variation across space, that seems to be really critical.”



“Beta diversity is driving a variety of different functions, as well as the stability of these functions over time, as you scale up from small, local plot-based ecosystems to large, heterogeneous landscapes,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3774">Ecology</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

Beta diversity contributes to ecosystem stability

Beta diversity is a measure of site-to-site variation in the...

Deep in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forests-will-be-our-allies-in-the-fight-against-climate-change/">forests</a> of India, scientists have discovered a colorful new gecko. The species has been named Eublepharis pictus, also known as the Painted Leopard Gecko.



In 2017, researchers Zeeshan A. Mirza of the National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bangalore and C. Gnaneswar of the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust in Chennai found a gecko in a water tank during a field survey. At the time, the creature was identified as the East Indian Leopard Gecko species (Eublepharis hardwickii).



The researchers conducted a phylogenetic study to look for the evolutionary history within the leopard gecko species. The team made morphological comparisons using molecular data from specimens across natural history museums. The results revealed that the gecko may represent a distinct new species.



“These lizards have conserved morphologies and most species are quite similar in general appearance,” explained Mirza. “With a few characters based on the number of specimens examined, we described the species and named it the Painted Leopard Gecko – in Latin, Eublepharis pictus, for its colouration.”&nbsp;



With this new addition, the gecko genus Eublepharis now contains 7 species. Two of them - E. pictus and E. satpuraensis - were described by Mirza.



The new species lives in dry evergreen forests mixed with scrub and meadows. The gecko is nocturnal, and forages along trails in the forest after dusk. It licks surfaces to look for food as it moves, which suggests it might use its tongue as a sensory organ.



Although the Painted Leopard Gecko is newly discovered, the researchers are already concerned about its conservation. “The species is collected for the pet trade and even now may be smuggled illegally," said the researchers. For this reason, they have refrained from identifying the exact locations where it may be found.



To protect the gecko, the authors suggest listing it as Near Threatened based on IUCN conservation criteria, until more is known about the size of its populations.



Further research may also encourage better protection of biodiversity in the area. “The Eastern Ghats are severely under-surveyed, and dedicated efforts will help recognize it as a biodiversity hotspot,” concluded the study authors.



This study is published in the open-access scientific journal<a href="https://evolsyst.pensoft.net/"> Evolutionary Systematics</a>.



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

Colorful new gecko found in the forests of India

Deep in the forests of India, scientists have discovered a...

At the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cop26-deal-failure-or-historic-achievement/">COP26</a> climate congress in 2021, the United States has set a very ambitious goal: to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent until 2030. A recent study led by an international team of scientists and policy analysts has described the necessary actions the US needs to take to accomplish this goal. The experts suggest that, although there are multiple pathways to achieve this, strong and immediate commitments are absolutely necessary to keep the plan firmly on track.



“This study should give policy makers and other energy stakeholders some level of comfort, by showing that everybody in the field is pointing in the same direction. The case for clean energy is stronger than ever before and our study shows that the 2030 emission target can be achieved,” said study co-author Nikit Abhyankar, an expert in Electricity Markets and Policy at the <a href="https://www.lbl.gov/">Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory</a>. “With the right policies and infrastructure, we can reduce our emissions, while saving American consumers billions of dollars and generating new employment.”



According to Dr. Abhyankar and his colleagues, the most urgent actions that should be taken will be to double the amount of renewable capacity built each year, and to transition predominantly to electric vehicles by the end of this decade. In order to reduce emissions by 50 percent, the electricity grid will need to run on 80 percent clean energy (up from today’s 40 percent). To accomplish this, a coordinated policy response between states and the federal government will be necessary.&nbsp;



A clean-energy transition would significantly reduce air pollution, and prevent up to 200,000 premature deaths, while avoiding over $800 billion in health and environmental costs by mid-century. Many of this health benefits will occur in minority communities, which are currently disproportionately exposed to vehicle and industrial pollution.



“Our study provides the first detailed roadmap for how the United States can reach its 50 percent greenhouse gas emissions-reduction target by 2030,” said study lead author&nbsp;John Bistline, program manager in the Energy Systems and Climate Analysis Group at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.epri.com/">Electric Power Research Institute</a>. 



“This will require tripling the pace of historic carbon reductions, an ambitious but achievable target if stakeholders collaborate across all sectors. By comparing results across six independent models, we provide greater confidence about the policies and technology deployment needed to achieve near-term climate goals, laying the groundwork for an affordable, reliable, and equitable net-zero future.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abn0661">Science</a>.



---



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

How U.S. emissions could be cut in half by 2030

At the COP26 climate congress in 2021, the United States...

A virus that infects honeybees has a dangerous new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alpaca-nanobodies-can-neutralize-coronavirus-variants/">variant</a> on the rise worldwide. The virus deforms their wings, causing the animals to die.&nbsp;



The new variant, which has already replaced the original strain in Europe, is spreading to other regions of the world and collapsing entire bee colonies. As pollinators, honeybees play a major role in fruit yields and preserving biodiversity. The loss of honeybee colonies is a major concern to experts around the world.



A new international study led by <a href="https://www.uni-halle.de/?lang=en">Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg</a> (MLU), analyzed data on virus variants over the past 20 years.&nbsp;



Deformed wing virus (DWV) is transmitted by the parasitic Varroa mite. “These mites not only transmit viruses between honeybees, they also eat the bees’ tissues,” explained Professor Robert Paxton, a bee researcher from MLU. “Deformed wing virus is definitely the biggest threat to honeybees”.



The original strain of the virus (“DWV-A”) was discovered in Japan in the early 1980s and the new variant “DWV-B” was first identified in the Netherlands in 2001.&nbsp;



“Our laboratory studies have shown that the new variant kills bees faster and is more easily transmitted,” said Professor Paxton. It will only be a matter of time before it becomes the dominant strain around the world.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The team wanted to find out how widespread the new variant has become. They evaluated 3,000 datasets for honeybees, large earth bumblebees and Varroa mites.&nbsp;



In the 2000s, the new variant was found in Europe and Africa, the homeland of the honeybee. It was discovered in North and South America in the early 2010s, and in Asia in 2015. The variant has now been detected globally with the exception of Australia.&nbsp;



Evidence of the virus was also found in samples taken from large earth bumblebees. “Whether the virus will have similarly devastating consequences in bumblebees and other wild bees remains uncertain. So far, commercial bumblebee colonies infected with the virus are not dying at a significantly higher rate,” said Professor Paxton.&nbsp;



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213224422000451">International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife</a>.



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

Honeybee virus has a new strain that is even more lethal

A virus that infects honeybees has a dangerous new variant...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

[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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

[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

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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

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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

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