At first glance, the Orion Nebula Cluster, the Pleiades, and the Hyades appear to be separate star groups, scattered across different parts of the night sky. Their distinct locations and appearances make it easy to assume they have no connection to one another.



However, new research suggests that these well-known star clusters might be more than neighbors - they might be snapshots of the same system, seen at different stages in life.



This surprising connection comes from scientists at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS) in Iran and the <a href="https://www.uni-bonn.de/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bonn</a> in Germany. 



The study shows that the Orion Nebula Cluster, the Pleiades, and the Hyades likely formed from the same original star system. The findings are changing how we think about star formation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-star-clusters-at-different-life-stages">Star clusters at different life stages</h2>



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massive-stars-shape-planetary-systems-like-ours-with-ultraviolet-radiation/">Orion Nebula</a> Cluster (ONC) is the youngest of the trio - just 2.5 million years old. It’s also the most active, filled with thousands of young stars and surrounded by the gas cloud that birthed them. 



You can spot it in Orion’s Sword, although it looks like just one bright “star” to the naked eye.



Then there’s the Pleiades - visible as a tight knot of stars nearby in the sky. At 100 million years old, its stars are more spread out, having had time to drift away from each other.



Finally, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hyades-star-cluster-may-contain-the-closest-black-holes-to-earth/">Hyades</a> is around 700 million years old. Its stars are far more scattered and fewer in number.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-snapshots-of-an-evolving-star-system">Snapshots of an evolving star system</h2>



Despite their different ages and distances, scientists believe these three clusters are linked. 



“Our highly precise stellar dynamics calculations have now shown that all three star clusters originated from the same predecessor,” said study co-author Dr. Pavel Kroupa.



“The Orion Nebula, Pleiades and Hyades are like three different photos of the same person. These three photos show this entity at different ages: as a baby, adolescent and elderly.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-star-clusters-follow-a-growth-pattern">Star clusters follow a growth pattern</h2>



This discovery isn’t just poetic - it’s pointing to something deeper about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fluffy-molecular-clouds-may-change-our-understanding-of-star-formation/">how stars form</a>. According to the researchers, open star clusters might follow a consistent pattern in their development, regardless of the specific molecular cloud that births them.



“It is a bit like if the same person was being born over and over again,” said Dr. Kroupa. “From this we can learn that open <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stunning-star-clusters-captured-in-the-extreme-outskirts-of-the-milky-way/">star</a> clusters seem to have a preferred mode of star formation.”



“It appears that there is a preferred physical environment in which stars form when they evolve within these clouds.”



To test this idea, Dr. Ghasem Safaei and his team at the <a href="https://iasbs.ac.ir/">IASBS</a> used powerful computer simulations.



The experts modeled how a dense, young cluster like Orion could naturally transform into the more spread-out Pleiades, and then into the elderly Hyades, over hundreds of millions of years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-millions-of-years-of-star-life">Millions of years of star life</h2>



The simulations were based on careful calculations of how the stars interact with each other and with their environment. Over time, a cluster loses stars and gas due to gravitational forces, both internal and external.



“This research shows that it is entirely plausible that star clusters such as the Orion Nebula Cluster follow a development path that transforms them into systems like Pleiades and later on Hyades,” said study co-author Professor Hosein Haghi.



The models ran for 800 million years and started with the latest real-world data - high star density, compact shapes, and a high number of double stars. 



“The results show that clusters such as the Orion Nebula Cluster can lose up to 85 percent of their stars but nevertheless retain a coherent structure similar to Hyades, after they have passed through an intermediate stage similar to Pleiades,” said Dr. Safaei.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-star-clusters-with-a-common-origin">Star clusters with a common origin</h2>



What makes this even more intriguing is the fact that all three clusters sit in roughly the same region of the night sky. For decades, astronomers have wondered if this is just a coincidence or something more.



The team believes this alignment supports the idea that they share a common origin. It could reflect how these clusters form and evolve in the same part of our galaxy, influenced by similar conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-stellar-story-in-motion">A stellar story in motion</h2>



Understanding these connections also helps astronomers grasp how internal and external forces shape a star cluster’s fate.



“This research gives us a deeper understanding of how star clusters form and develop and illustrates the delicate balance between internal dynamics and external forces such as the gravitational pull of the Milky Way,” said study co-author Professor Akram Hasani Zonoozi.



The research doesn’t just reveal how one star cluster ages. It shows how theory and observation can work hand-in-hand to reconstruct a cosmic story billions of years in the making. 



As researchers refine these models, they may unlock similar patterns in other parts of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cozmic-simulations-of-milky-way-use-strange-physics-laws-to-study-alternate-universes-cozmic/">Milky Way</a> - and perhaps even beyond.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/541/2/1753/8202867" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society</a>.



-----



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



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



-----

Trio of star clusters may be the same system at different ages

At first glance, the Orion Nebula Cluster, the Pleiades, and the Hyades appear to be separate star groups, scattered across different parts of the night sky. Their distinct locations and appearances make it easy to assume they have no connection to one another. However, new research suggests that these well-known star clusters might be more than neighbors - they might be snapshots of the same system, seen at different stages in life. This surprising connection comes from scientists at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences...

Rivers have been a steady source of life for many civilizations growing on their banks over thousands of years. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-moon-volcanoes-may-provide-astronauts-with-drinking-water/">Water</a> for drinking, irrigation and sanitation have always been essential.&nbsp;



However, there is a darker side to rivers. When they flood their banks, these powerful bodies of water can destroy crops, bring down buildings, and cause deaths.&nbsp;



Modern engineers strive to control rivers, but they can be unpredictable. Sometimes floods can even force a river to take an entirely new course, something called a river avulsion.&nbsp;



Now, a team of researchers from UC Santa Barbara has created the first list of river avulsions. The study finishes off a decade of work by the research group, and will significantly increase our understanding of avulsions.&nbsp;



&nbsp;“This dataset provides the first unambiguous test of the theory, which demonstrates that there are three distinct regimes of avulsions on fans and deltas,” said study co-author Professor <a href="https://www.geog.ucsb.edu/people/faculty/vamsi-ganti">Vamsi Ganti</a> of <a href="https://www.ucsb.edu/">UC Santa Barbara</a>. “This is a long way from where we started,” he added. “A decade ago, avulsions were thought to be these chaotic and stochastic events that were not very predictable.”



Because of the rarity of avulsions, they have been difficult to study and little has been known about them. Typically, a river would need to be studied for a long period of time for avulsions to be observed. Satellite photos are an answer to this problem - allowing researchers to instead monitor the whole planet looking for avulsions.&nbsp;



“Although avulsions are very rare, when you’re looking at practically every single delta on Earth, you’re going to get lucky on a few of them,” said study co-author Austin Chadwick, a postdoctoral scholar at University of Minnesota.&nbsp;



The team got lucky 113 times while combing the satellite data from 1973 to 2020 and historical maps. “Instead of having these few, deeply studied sites, we now have a representative sample of everywhere on Earth for the last 50 years,” said Chadwick.&nbsp;



The researchers found three types of avulsions. In the first, the river moved to a flatter landscape where it fanned out. In the second, the river avulsion was limited to a backwater area. Thirdly, the avulsion carried sediments quite far upstream.&nbsp;



Understanding avulsions can be important for human planning, especially as climate change continues to intensify. The scientists hope that this study is the start of a deeper understanding of avulsions and how they will affect us.&nbsp;



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



---



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

What happens when rivers jump their banks?

Rivers have been a steady source of life for many...

Palaeospondylus gunni is a mysterious <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fish-fossils-provide-new-insight-into-the-origins-of-teeth/">fish</a>-like fossil vertebrate discovered in 1890 in Scotland. This small animal with an eel-like body lived approximately 390 million years ago, in the Middle Devonian period. Its strange set of morphological features, including a lack of teeth and dermal bones in the fossil record, has made it one of the most enigmatic fossil vertebrates.&nbsp;



Although its phylogenetic position has remained unclear for over a century since its discovery, a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/">University of Tokyo</a> and the <a href="https://www.anu.edu.au/">Australian National University</a> (ANU) has now managed to classify the specimen, arguing that it is most likely one of the earliest ancestors of tetrapods (four-limbed animals).



“This strange animal has baffled scientists since its discovery in 1890 as a puzzle that’s been impossible to solve. Morphological comparisons of this animal have always been extremely challenging for scientists,” said study co-author Yuzhi Hu, an expert in early vertebrate evolution at ANU.



“However, recent improvements in high resolution 3D segmentation and visualization have made this previously impossible task possible. Finding a specimen as well preserved as the ones we used is like winning the lottery, or even better!”



Due to its cartilaginous skeleton and the absence of paired appendages, Palaeospondylus gunni is most likely a member of Sarcopterygii, a group of lobed-finned fishes which are considered to be the evolutionary ancestors of tetrapods – a superclass including amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. These findings could help scientists unlock a variety of unknown morphological features and evolutionary history of four-limbed animals.



However, according to Dr. Hu, it is still hard to accurately determine what this strange animal was, as well as its position on the evolutionary tree. “Even with this new information, long-lasting investigations with the joint effort of scientists from around the world is needed to give us the perfect answer of what actually is&nbsp;Palaeospondylus gunni,” she concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04781-3">Nature</a>.



---



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

Mysterious fish-like fossil finally classified

Palaeospondylus gunni is a mysterious fish-like fossil vertebrate discovered in...

Instead of recording single memories, our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bats-brains-are-highly-specialized-for-flight/">brains</a> store them into groups so that the recollection of a significant memory triggers the recall of other connected ones. However, as we age, our brains gradually lose the capacity to link related memories.&nbsp;



A team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.ucla.edu/">University of California, Los Angeles</a> (UCLA) has now discovered a key molecular mechanism behind memory linking, together with a way of restoring this crucial brain function in middle-aged mice. These findings could offer new methods for strengthening human memory in middle age and developing early interventions against dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases.



“Our memories are a huge part of who we are,” explained study senior author Alcino Silva, a distinguished professor of Neurobiology and Psychiatry at UCLA. “The ability to link related experiences teaches how to stay safe and operate successfully in the world.”



Professor Silva and his team focused on a gene called CCR5 which encodes a receptor that the HIV virus uses to infect brain cells and cause memory loss in AIDS patients. By performing several experiments on laboratory mice, the scientists found that boosting CCR5 expression in the brains of middle-aged mice interfered with memory linking. However, when deleting this gene, the mice were able to link memories that normal mice could not.



“Life would be impossible if we remembered everything,” said Professor Silva. “We suspect that CCR5 enables the brain to connect meaningful experiences by filtering out less significant details.”



The researchers also found that maraviroc – a drug used against HIV infections since 2007 – also suppressed CCR5 in mice’s brains. “When we gave maraviroc to older mice, the drug duplicated the effect of genetically deleting CCR5 from their DNA. The older animals were able to link memories again,” reported Professor Silva. Thus, maraviroc could be used off-label to restore middle-age memory loss, in addition to reversing the cognitive deficits induced by HIV infections.



“Our next step will be to organize a clinical trial to test maraviroc’s influence on early memory loss with the goal of early intervention. Once we fully understand how memory declines, we possess the potential to slow down the process,” concluded Professor Silva.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04783-1">Nature</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 does the brain connect meaningful memories?

Instead of recording single memories, our brains store them into...

Biodiversity brings to mind coral <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/healthy-coral-reefs-crackle-with-the-sounds-of-busy-inhabitants/">reefs</a> or dense tropical forests. In each of these environments, there are a large number of species with a lot of interactions between them. These animals cooperate to watch for predators, prey on each other, and parasitize one another. Fishes hide among corals and monkeys climb trees - and both may eat from their shelters.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Species interactions and biodiversity seem to increase together, and previous studies suggest that the two are interdependent. However, the question of how species interactions are impacted by biodiversity has not been thoroughly investigated.



Now, a new study from <a href="https://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en">Kyoto University</a> shows that although biodiversity increases with species interactions, the strength of these interactions decreases.



The strength of interactions among species can be measured in many different ways, with each technique yielding a different answer. Interaction strength is often used to predict stability and robustness within an ecosystem.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



"The total interaction strength experienced by a single species is a limiting factor, resulting in weakened interspecific interactions in a high-diversity community," said study lead author Masayuki Ushio.



He suggested that the interaction capacity hypothesis can be used to explain this phenomenon. This theory suggests that biodiversity and network connectance are driven by the sum of interaction strength that an individual species gives and receives. Connectance is the number of interaction links between two species compared to the potential links.&nbsp;



"This phenomenon can provide mechanistic explanations for many observed ecological patterns in nature," said Ushio.



To test this hypothesis, the researchers constructed interaction networks using DNA that was collected from the environment of 1,197 species found on experimental rice plots. The data was then mathematically modeled to test the hypothesis.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



The results of the analysis suggest that community diversity, interaction capacity and connectance are dependent on each other.&nbsp;



"Our meta-analysis of datasets on biodiversity suggests that the interaction capacity hypothesis might be applicable to a wide range of taxa and ecosystems," concluded Ushio.



---



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

How does biodiversity affect species interactions

Biodiversity brings to mind coral reefs or dense tropical forests....

Climate change is having a negative impact on many animals all around the world. However, a new study led by the <a href="https://umich.edu/">University of Michigan</a> has found that one species may in fact benefit from warming temperatures: rattlesnakes. Since they are cold-blooded animals, rattlesnakes prefer higher temperatures. Thus, a warming <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-u-s-corn-belt-will-take-a-hard-hit-from-climate-change/">climate</a> could make them spend less time hibernating and more being out in the wilderness.&nbsp;



Although rattlesnakes live in every state in the continental United States, they are most commonly found in the southwest. They are relatively reserved reptiles that mostly avoid confrontation with humans. However, when threatened, they often curl into striking position and begin rattling their tail before attacking. According to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/snakes/default.html">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> (CDC), between 7,000 and 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes every year, with about five deaths over this timespan. Even if rarely fatal, rattlesnake bites can leave lasting marks, with 10 to 44 percent of people bitten developing long-lasting injuries, such as losing the ability to use their extremities.



These snakes prefer body temperatures of 86 to 89 degrees Fahrenheit – much higher than those found in nature. Moreover, rattlesnakes living in hotter climates seem to be larger and more robust than those living in colder regions. “They’re&nbsp;existing in temperatures cooler than what they would want to be at&nbsp;in a perfect world,” said study lead author Hayley Crowell, a doctoral student in Thermal Ecology at the University of Michigan. “If there’s a couple degree increase in climate,&nbsp;these snakes, from a physiology standpoint, might&nbsp;be happier because it’s closer to their preferred body temperature.”



Thus, if temperatures continue to rise due to climate change, the rattlesnakes’ hibernation period could end earlier in the spring, and they could be active much later in the autumn than they previously used to be. However, even if these creatures seem to benefit from warmer temperatures, they may face some negative effects too, such as low availability of prey and water, and increased risk of exposure to wildfires.



As Crowell explained though, since rattlesnakes have lower metabolisms than other animals, they do not need a lot of food to survive. “A&nbsp;rattlesnake can totally survive just on one or two big ground squirrels a year if it needed to,” she said, suggesting that, overall, climate change will mostly benefit these venomous creatures.



Luckily, Crowell argued, there is no need to panic: more rattlesnake activity will not mean “a giant boom of millions of more rattlesnakes.” Instead, they will only be noticed more frequently. Most probably, she concluded, the annual number of bites will not rise drastically.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.7649">Ecology and Evolution</a>.



---



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

Rattlesnakes may benefit from climate change

Climate change is having a negative impact on many animals...

A research team led by the <a href="https://www.ku.dk/english/">University of Copenhagen</a> has recently discovered an entirely new class of highly reactive chemical compounds – hydrotrioxides (ROOH) – in Earth's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/methane-in-a-planets-atmosphere-could-be-a-sign-of-life/">atmosphere</a>. The chemicals are extremely oxidizing and likely to affect both human health and the global climate.



Scientists have long known that common chemical compounds called hydrogen peroxides, which contain two oxygen atoms attached to each other and are thus highly reactive and often flammable and explosive, are abundantly found in the atmosphere. Recent years have witnessed debates as to whether trioxides – chemical compounds with three oxygen atoms attached to one another and thereby even more reaction than the peroxides – are released in the atmosphere too. Until recently though, their existence has not been unequivocally proven.



“This is what we have now accomplished,” said study senior author Henrik Grum Kjærgaard, a professor of Chemistry at the University of Copenhagen. “The type of compounds we discovered are unique in their structure. And, because they are extremely oxidizing, they most likely bring a host of effects that we have yet to uncover.”



According to Professor Kjærgaard and his colleagues, hydrotrioxides are formed during the atmospheric decomposition of many widely emitted substances, such as isoprene and dimethyl sulfate. In fact, researchers estimate that almost all chemical compounds can form trioxides in the atmosphere with lifespans ranging from minutes to hours. Thus, these substances are stable enough to react with many other atmospheric compounds.&nbsp;



The scientists suspect that trioxides are able to enter into tiny airborne particles called <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/aerosols-swirling-around-the-earth/">aerosols</a>, which can be easily inhaled and lead to various health hazards, including cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Moreover, these aerosols may also have a significant impact on the climate.



“As sunlight is both reflected and absorbed by aerosols, this affects the Earth’s heat balance - that is, the ratio of sunlight that Earth absorbs and sends back into space. When aerosols absorb substances, they grow and contribute to cloud formation, which affects Earth’s climate as well,” explained study co-author Eva R. Kjærgaard, a PhD student in Chemistry at the University of Copenhagen.



Further research is needed to clarify the full range of effects atmospheric trioxides may have on human health and the climate, and to develop targeted interventions if they turn out to be dangerous. Moreover, future investigations of the chemical composition of the atmosphere are necessary to identify other potentially harmful substances.&nbsp;



“The discovery suggests that there could be plenty of other things in the air that we don’t yet know about. Indeed, the air surrounding us is a huge tangle of complex chemical reactions. As researchers, we need to keep an open mind if we want to get better at finding solutions,” concluded study co-author Jing Chen, a computational chemist at the University of Copenhagen.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abn6012">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

Highly reactive chemicals discovered in the atmosphere

A research team led by the University of Copenhagen has...

All <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wild-animals-can-evolve-faster-than-previously-thought/">animals</a> need survival skills, and one critical skill for mice is finding the quickest route to safety. Researchers at the <a href="https://www.sainsburywellcome.org/web/">Sainsbury Wellcome Centre</a> at UCL wanted to know how mice decide on the best route to safety when they are in a new environment.



Study co-author Tiago Branco explained why this experiment differs from previous studies. “In many neuroscience studies, mice are trained to solve complex mazes and are given lots of time to learn how to do so. But in nature, mice do not have that luxury – when faced with threat, they must escape to shelter as quickly as possible. The question is how do mice learn this very quickly, without the opportunity of trial and error.”&nbsp;



To answer this question, the neuroscientists presented two or three routes back to a shelter and exposed mice to simulated threats. Then they blocked the most direct route and watched to see which path the animals would choose. The experts found that the mice preferred the shortest way to shelter.



Next, the team analyzed the inexperienced mice encountering a threat for the first time. Surprisingly, the researchers discovered that these individuals preferred the shortest route after exploring their surroundings for only 10 minutes.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“Mice are predated on by many species and so for a mouse it’s very important to know how to escape to safety," explained Branco. "If you put a mouse in a new environment, its priority is to map out space and figure out how to get to a safe place. This is in the natural repertoire of the mouse’s behavior and does not have to be explicitly instructed.”



The experts ascertained that mice can discover the shortest route by exploring their environment and assuming the best path to safety. This Is known as an innate heuristic, meaning that mice have evolved neural circuits that facilitate making intrinsic choices after exploring their environment.



“Animals are very good at learning about the things that matter to them," explained Branco. "To understand the mouse brain and the algorithms and neural circuits that support learning, it is important to look at the behaviours that the mouse has evolved to do and the constraints that they are under to learn fast and efficiently.”



The researchers look forward to exploring other questions about how animals make choices based on expectations. They also believe their findings will prove useful in the area of rapid learning research.&nbsp;



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



---



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

Mice make it a priority to find the best escape route

All animals need survival skills, and one critical skill for...

Due to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-threatens-the-health-of-billions-of-people/">climate change</a>, temperatures in the Arctic are rising rapidly. As a result, the treeline for Siberian larch forests is steadily advancing northward, gradually replacing the broad expanses of tundra, which are home to a unique and diverse community of plants and animals, many of which are endemic to this region.&nbsp;



By using computer simulations, a research team led by the <a href="https://www.awi.de/en/">Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research</a> (AWI) has now found that only consistent climate protection measures could allow roughly 30 percent of the Siberian tundra to survive to mid-millennium. In less favorable greenhouse-gas reduction scenarios, this habitat may disappear completely.



“For the Arctic Ocean and the sea ice, the current and future warming will have serious consequences,” said study co-author Ulrike Herzschuh, Head of the Polar Terrestrial Environmental Systems Division at AWI.



“But the environment on land will also change drastically. The broad expanses of tundra in Siberia and North America will be massively reduced, as the treeline, which is already slowly changing, rapidly advances northward in the near future. In the worst-case scenario, there will be virtually no tundra left by the middle of the millennium.”&nbsp;



Professor Herzschuh and her colleagues simulated this process for the tundra in northeast Russia, and found that, in the majority of greenhouse-gas reduction scenarios, less than six percent of today’s tundra will survive by mid-millennium. Only drastic reductions in emissions could save about 30 percent of this habitat, which is currently home to a diversity of plant and animal species that are adapted to live in harsh conditions, including mountain avens, Arctic poppies, willows, birches, reindeer, lemmings, and Arctic bumblebees.



“At this point, it’s a matter of life and death for the Siberian tundra,” said Eva Klebelsberg, an expert in Sustainable Development at the <a href="https://www.arcticwwf.org/">World Wildlife Fund Arctic Program</a>. “Larger areas can only be saved with very ambitious climate protection targets. And even then, in the best case there will ultimately be two discrete refuges, with smaller flora and fauna populations that are highly vulnerable to disrupting influences. That’s why it’s important that we intensify and expand protective measures and protected areas in these regions, so as to preserve refuges for the tundra’s unparalleled biodiversity,” she concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://elifesciences.org/articles/75163">eLife</a>.



---



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

Siberian tundra could vanish by mid-millennium

Due to climate change, temperatures in the Arctic are rising...

Coral reefs have complex soundscapes – created by fish and other creatures living there - which can be used by scientists to measure <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/diversity-abundance-coral-reef-health/">coral health</a>. However, traditional acoustic surveys of reefs rely on labor-intensive methods which face significant difficulties in assessing reef health through the use of individual recordings.&nbsp;



Now, a research team led by the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> has trained a computer algorithm using multiple recordings of both healthy and degraded reefs, allowing the machine to learn the difference. When fed new data, this algorithm was able to successfully identify reef health 92 percent of the time. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“Coral reefs are facing multiple threats including climate change, so monitoring their health and the success of conservation projects is vital,” said study lead author Ben Williams, a doctoral student in Soundscape Ecology at the University of Exeter. “One major difficulty is that visual and acoustic surveys of reefs usually rely on labor-intensive methods. Visual surveys are also limited by the fact that many reef creatures conceal themselves, or are active at night, while the complexity of reef sounds has made it difficult to identify reef health using individual recordings.”



The scientists’ approach to this problem was to use machine learning in order to train computers to learn “the song of the reef.” Their findings suggest that computers can pick up patterns that are undetectable to the human ear, which they can use to faster and more accurately assess reef health. While the meaning of many individual calls of reef inhabitants remains unknown, this new method can nevertheless distinguish between the overall sounds of healthy and unhealthy reefs.



“This is a really exciting development,” said study co-author Timothy Lamont, a marine biologist at <a href="https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/">Lancaster University</a>. “Sound recorders and AI could be used around the world to monitor the health of reefs, and discover whether attempts to protect and restore them are working.”



“In many cases it’s easier and cheaper to deploy an underwater hydrophone on a reef and leave it there than to have expert divers visiting the reef repeatedly to survey it – especially in remote locations,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X22004575?via%3Dihub">Ecological Indicators</a>.&nbsp;



---



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

Coral reef health can be measured through sound

Coral reefs have complex soundscapes – created by fish and...

A new study led by the <a href="https://en.uniss.it/">University of Sassari</a> (UNISS) in Italy has found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bottlenose-dolphins-struggle-with-weight-in-their-40s/">bottlenose dolphins</a>’ signature whistles, which they use to identify one another, are strongly influenced by where they live, and by the size of their local population. 



Although these whistles are unique to each individual animal, the experts discovered that their acoustic features are structured to a certain degree by dolphins’ local habitats and communities – a phenomenon similar to the development of regional accents in humans.



&nbsp;“Even if the bottlenose dolphin is among the most studied species of Cetacean, many aspects of their ecology and behavior are still unknown,” said study lead author Gabriella La Manna, a marine biologist at UNISS.&nbsp;



“Given how quickly human activities are changing the oceans, it is important to understand the environmental and socio-behavioral factors that allow animals to adapt to their environment.”&nbsp;



The scientists investigated the whistling habits of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in six geographically distinct populations in the Mediterranean Sea. By analyzing 188 hours of recorded sounds, they mapped variations in acoustic features such as duration and changes in pitch, and identified 168 signature whistles. The analysis revealed that the local ocean environment and population size had a significant effect on the whistles’ acoustic features.



For instance, signature whistles in areas with sea grass, such as Port Cros or Lampedusa, were higher pitched and shorter in length compared to those of dolphins living in areas with muddy sea floors. Moreover, among small dolphin populations like those from the Gulf of Corinth, the whistles had more changes in pitch than among larger populations. These findings suggest that bottlenose dolphins develop signature whistles that are best suited to their local habitats (the so-called “acoustic adaptation hypothesis”).



“I would like people to reflect on the importance of the acoustic environment in which dolphins live for the development and maintenance of their communication,” said Dr. La Manna.&nbsp;“Human activities, such as commercial shipping and nautical traffic, can severely affect this fundamental aspect of dolphins’ life.”



Further research is needed to clarify why certain environmental features influence in specific ways dolphins’ signature whistles, and to assess what impact anthropogenic factors have on these animals’ behavior and social communication.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-10920-7#Sec2">Nature Scientific Reports</a>.



----



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

Dolphins have "accents" that vary by region

A new study led by the University of Sassari (UNISS)...

Social power among animal species has usually been characterized as being either male or female dominated. However, a new study published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2022.04.004">Trends in Ecology &amp; Evolution</a> argues that such a binary understanding of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/inequality-among-animals-can-shed-light-on-social-evolution/">inequality</a> in the degree of control or power that members of one sex exert over members of the other sex is too simplistic, failing to properly characterize the complex distribution of power between sexes.&nbsp;



The experts propose a new framework for assessing dominance, which places each species on a continuum, ranging from strict male to strict female dominance.&nbsp;



“Progress in this area has long been hampered by a binary vision of power asymmetries between the sexes, where most species were dominated by males and female dominance was anecdotal. This simplistic view has been reinforced by stereotypes that researchers carry because of the society in which they live and then unconsciously project onto the animals they're studying," explained study senior author Elise Huchard, a behavioral ecologist at the <a href="https://isem-evolution.fr/en/">Institute of Evolutionary Science of Montpellier</a> (ISEM).



According to Dr. Huchard, the distribution of power between the sexes has not been properly quantified in previous studies. By providing a comprehensive definition of intersexual power, together with a framework to measure it across various animal species, the researchers argued that each species could be placed on a continuum from strict male dominance to strict female dominance, so that hypotheses regarding how females or males can empower themselves can be better assessed.



While for males, the path to power seems rather simple and straightforward, involving physical dominance and coercion, for females the methods of establishing social power are more diverse, involving physiological, morphological, behavioral, and socio-ecological routes.&nbsp;



In the case of species where females are dominant, such as bonobos, hyenas, or lemurs, reproductive control (control over when and with which partners to mate) appears to be the main strategy for securing power. This comes in the form of resistance to mating, promiscuity, or even, in the case of hyenas, the evolution of genitals designed specifically for females to control fertilization.



“We hope that this framework will be used to quantify intersexual power in reproductive and social contexts and to facilitate the study and comparison of intersexual power relationships across mammalian societies, perhaps even including humans,” the authors concluded.



----



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

Power between the sexes has not been properly quantified

Social power among animal species has usually been characterized as...

Strong friendships between males aren’t very common in the animal kingdom. Instead, males typically compete among themselves for access to females. In some special circumstances though, male friendships can help with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gut-molecule-makes-animals-switch-from-eating-to-mating/">mating</a> success. In fact, some manakins depend on males working together to attract females with elaborate cooperative mating displays.&nbsp;



Among other animals, such as baboons, male friends can help each other rise in social status or defend females from another male, which promotes mating success.&nbsp;



Now, researchers from the <a href="https://www.dpz.eu/en/home.html">German Primate Center (DPZ) Leibniz Institute for Primate Research</a> looked into the benefits of male friendships among wild Guinea baboons in Senegal. These baboons are known for strong male social bonds but lack of a clear male hierarchy.



Among these baboons, the core social groups are made of one male with one to six females and their offspring, with the male typically fathering all of the offspring. The females choose a male freely and stay with him for a few weeks to several years. There are also bachelor males who are not usually sexually active. Several of these core groups along with bachelor males make up a “gang” of baboons.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The scientists wanted to know if male baboons with more friends attracted more females due to the possibility of greater levels of protection for the females and their offspring. Contrary to the hypothesis, males with more friends were not more attractive.&nbsp;



The study revealed that males also spent less time with their male friends once they started spending time with a female and especially when they fathered offspring. Males still maintained some friendships, but just adjusted the amount of time they spent with those friends.&nbsp;



To carry out the research, Federica Dal Pesco and her colleagues collected four years of field data. The experts observed the behavior of 30 males and determined paternity of 50 young.&nbsp;



"Contrary to our predictions, we found no evidence that male-male sociality was linked to higher reproductive success. Instead, we observed a strong negative relationship between bond strength and male reproductive success (i.e. number of associated females and paternities)," explained the study authors. "Guinea baboon males that were associated with a higher number of females spent less time affiliating with other males.&nbsp;



"While a number of now classic studies reported a positive relationship between sociality and reproductive success in both males and females across several mammalian and bird species, our results indicate that male-male sociality need not directly translate into increased short-term reproductive success. Instead, males that invest time and energy in relationships with females, at the expense of relationships with males, have the highest reproductive success."



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



---



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

Male baboons invest more time in relationships with females

Strong friendships between males aren’t very common in the animal...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



---



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



---



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



---



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



---



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



---



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



---



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



---



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



---



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



---



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



---



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



---



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



---



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



---



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



---



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

News coming your way