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Water rarely behaves the way casual observers expect. Chill a pond on a still night and it hardens from the top down, but zoom in far enough and the story grows far more intricate. 



Scientists have cataloged more than 20 distinct kinds of ice, each forming under its own mix of temperature and pressure. The familiar hexagonal variety that turns into snowflakes is only one chapter in a much thicker book.



That complexity matters. How and where ice first appears shapes the way clouds brighten the sky, how food keeps its texture in the freezer, and even how frost creeps across a windshield. 



Until now, the earliest moments of freezing - especially in tiny droplets - have remained hazy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-beneath-the-surface-of-ice-0">Beneath the surface of "Ice 0"</h2>



New simulations point to an <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/superionic-ice-found-inside-ice-giant-planets-only-melts-at-very-high-temperatures/">elusive form of ice</a>, nicknamed ice 0, as the spark that starts the freeze. Instead of blooming deep inside a droplet, nuclei with an ice 0-like structure gather a few billionths of an inch under the water-air boundary. 



Those clusters act as staging grounds: once they grow large enough, the surrounding molecules quickly rearrange into ordinary ice.



The work appears in Nature Communications and comes from a team at the <a href="https://www.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Institute of Industrial Science</a> at The University of Tokyo. Their calculations settle a long debate about whether a bare water surface encourages or suppresses crystallization.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-makes-ice-0-special">What makes ice 0 special</h2>



Ice 0 looks halfway between liquid water and the rigid lattice that glistens on a skating rink. Its network mixes five-, six-, and seven-membered rings, so the energy penalty for shifting from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-matter-solid-liquid/">liquid to solid</a> shrinks. 



That easy entry explains why water prefers to “test the waters” with ice 0 before locking into its more orderly cousins.



Because the surface stretches the top layers just enough to create a slight negative pressure, those mixed-ring motifs pop up more often near the boundary than in the bulk. The discovery underlines the subtle ways surface tension steers molecular choreography.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-computer-experiments-probe-freezing">Computer experiments probe freezing</h2>



Tracking single molecules in a lab is nearly impossible, so the group turned to molecular dynamics simulations. 



They used the fast yet realistic mW water model, which preserves the tetrahedral bonding shape while stripping away explicit charges. 



That shortcut let the team run hundreds of independent trials and watch rare <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unexpected-beauty-revealed-in-ice-formation/">nucleation events</a> without waiting months of real time.



To spot ice 0, they needed a new yardstick. Earlier studies relied on a sixfold symmetry metric that misses the odd-sized rings. 



The researchers instead chose an order parameter sensitive to twelvefold correlations, giving equal weight to the messy motifs that mark ice 0 and to the tidy hexagons of common ice.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-close-to-air-not-glass">Close to air, not glass</h2>



The simulations show that droplets rarely freeze at the container wall. Instead, crystallization begins just under the free surface, confirming that the air–water interface, not the glass, often calls the shots. 



“Simulations have shown that a water droplet is more likely to crystallize near the free surface under isothermal conditions,” says lead author Gang Sun. 



“This resolves a longstanding debate about whether crystallization occurs more readily on the surface or internally.”



Once an ice 0 nucleus reaches a critical radius, it converts almost instantly into the familiar hexagonal or cubic ice. 



That <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ice-sheet-fracture-sets-a-speed-record-in-antarctica/">lightning-fast flip</a> explains why direct experiments, which usually detect only the final lattice, long overlooked the prelude.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-ice-0-to-frost">From ice 0 to frost</h2>



Ice 0 never lasts long. After serving as the starter, it morphs into ice I - the variety that piles up in kitchen freezers. 



The transformation preserves the nucleus’s location, so the finished crystal still hugs the subsurface zone. 



That layout may influence how quickly droplets shed latent heat, a key factor in cloud glaciation and aircraft icing.



Because the mechanism depends on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ice-piracy-antarctic-glacier-discovered-stealing-ice-from-its-neighbor-and-thats-not-a-good-thing/">surface tension</a>, curved droplets and thin films feel its effects more strongly than large pools. 



The finding helps interpret puzzling data from atmospheric studies where tiny particles often freeze sooner than bulk water.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-cloud-droplets-care">Why cloud droplets care</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/clouds-have-become-less-reflective-making-global-warming-worse/">Cloud microphysics</a> hinges on who gets cold first. A shift of only a few tenths of a degree can decide whether supercooled mist stays liquid or seeds snowflakes. 



Ice 0’s role means that models must treat the outer shell of each droplet as a privileged zone, not just another layer. 



That adjustment could refine predictions of cloud brightness and precipitation, improving climate projections.



In <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fire-and-ice-volcanic-ash-plays-a-surprising-role-in-cloud-formation/">cirrus clouds</a> high above, where temperatures plunge below –22 °F, even slight changes in nucleation timing alter how much sunlight bounces back to space. Small droplets dominate those altitudes, so surface-focused freezing grows even more important.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-does-any-of-this-matter">Why does any of this matter?</h2>



Food engineers wrestle with similar physics when <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_freezing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">flash-freezing</a> berries or ice cream. Faster, surface-initiated crystallization can trap cells in shapes that preserve crunch and flavor. 



Insights from ice 0 may guide new protocols that cut energy bills while keeping taste intact.



The refrigeration industry, keen to stop frost from clogging heat exchangers, might also lean on the findings. Coatings that disrupt ice 0 formation could delay the first crystals and extend maintenance intervals.



Senior author <a href="https://www.softmatter.rcast.u-tokyo.ac.jp/Members_E.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hajime Tanaka</a> captures the broad potential: “The findings regarding the mechanism of surface crystallization of water are expected to contribute significantly to various fields, including climate studies and food sciences, where water crystallization plays a critical role.” 



Future lab experiments will chase the fleeting signature of ice 0 with ultrafast lasers and X-ray flashes. Success would turn the computer-generated picture into a confirmed piece of nature’s script.



For now, the study rewrites the opening scene of freezing. A narrow band beneath every droplet’s skin holds the key, and ice 0 is the quiet player that unlocks the chill.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-50188-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communication</a>.



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Scientists discovered a new and unusual form of ice called 'Ice 0'

Water rarely behaves the way casual observers expect. Chill a...

Oceanographers have long used a simple rule of thumb: green water teems with microscopic life, while ultramarine blue usually signals relative scarcity.



A fresh analysis of two decades of satellite images suggests that the dividing line between those hues is on the move. 



Scientists have determined that open-ocean waters are steadily <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-ocean-turning-green-thanks-to-climate-change-algae-blooms/">greening</a> at high latitudes and becoming bluer in the tropics and subtropics.



Because the tint of seawater tracks chlorophyll - the pigment that phytoplankton use for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/revealing-the-secrets-of-photosynthesis-through-pep/">photosynthesis</a> - the trend hints at a large-scale rearrangement of life at the base of marine food webs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-our-oceans-shifting-color-code">Our oceans' shifting color code</h2>



The research team, led by <a href="https://duke.edu/">Duke University</a> post-doctoral scholar Haipeng Zhao, sifted through global data captured from 2003 to 2022. The data came from <a href="https://aqua.nasa.gov/modis">NASA’s MODIS-Aqua</a> instrument, which scans the planet every two days.



Each pass measures subtle shifts in reflected light that reveal chlorophyll concentration right at the surface. To avoid the optical noise of sediment-rich coastlines, the researchers focused exclusively on the open ocean.



“In the ocean, what we see based on satellite measurements is that the tropics and the subtropics are generally losing chlorophyll, whereas the polar regions - the high-latitude regions - are greening,” Zhao said.



In practical terms, that means less plankton in warm, blue waters flanking the equator and a rising abundance in polar waters.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-inventive-math-for-a-noisy-planet"><a></a>Inventive math for a noisy planet</h2>



Working with satellite imagery always involves gaps - patches of cloud, sensor dropouts, differences in daylight.



To tease out a coherent story, Zhao and colleagues borrowed a pair of statistical tools more often used to study household incomes: the Lorenz curve and the Gini coefficient.



Lead investigator Nicolas Cassar, a scientist at Duke, explained the leap from economics to oceanography: “We borrowed concepts from economics called the Lorenz curve and the Gini index, which together show how wealth is distributed in a society.



“We thought, let’s apply these to see whether the proportion of the ocean that holds the most chlorophyll has changed over time.”



The result? Over twenty years, the ‘chlorophyll rich’ zones - already green - grew greener, particularly in the northern hemisphere, while blue regions lost even more pigment. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-testing-the-climate-connections"><a></a>Testing the climate connections</h2>



Greener poles and bluer tropics might sound like a straightforward fingerprint of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-is-accelerating-beyond-control-as-co2-levels-rise/">global warming</a>. However, the study stops short of that conclusion.



The authors compared chlorophyll shifts with four environmental variables: sea-surface water temperature, wind speed, light availability, and mixed-layer depth. 



Only warming tracked consistently with the observed color change; the others showed no strong association.



Even so, co-author Susan Lozier of <a href="https://www.gatech.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Georgia Tech</a> cautioned against a rush to label climate change the culprit. “The study period was too short to rule out the influence of recurring climate phenomena such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/el-nino-climate-shifts-date-back-250-million-years/">El Niño</a>,” Lozier said.



“Having measurements for the next several decades will be important for determining influences beyond climate oscillations.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-changing-plankton-big-impact">Changing plankton, big impact</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/invisible-forest-of-phytoplankton-thrives-in-a-warming-climate/">Phytoplankton</a> do more than tint the waves. Through photosynthesis, they absorb carbon dioxide and convert it to organic matter, sequestering carbon when dead cells sink.



A poleward migration of productivity could rearrange that natural pump. Cassar notes that the geographic shift may decide how long that captured carbon remains out of circulation.



“If carbon sinks deeper or in places where water doesn’t resurface for a long time, it stays stored much longer. In contrast, shallow carbon can return to the atmosphere more quickly, reducing the effect of phytoplankton on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carbon-storage-mystery-emerges-in-the-southern-ocean/">carbon storage</a>,” he said.



Food security is another concern. Many equatorial nations rely on rich fisheries sustained by plankton blooms. A steady drop in primary producers could disrupt the food web, reducing fish stocks vital to diets and economies.



“Phytoplankton are at the base of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oceans-twilight-zone-stabilizes-the-marine-food-chain/">marine food chain</a>. If they are reduced, then the upper levels of the food chain could also be impacted, which could mean a potential redistribution of fisheries,” Cassar warned.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ocean-color-shift-continues">Ocean color shift continues</h2>



The study adds the open ocean to a list of Earth systems already showing poleward ecological drift. On land, satellite records have documented expanding forests in high latitudes and stressed vegetation in the subtropics. 



Now, with the ocean’s own chlorophyll belt shifting, researchers see a consistent planetary story unfolding.



Still, the authors emphasize that two decades are only an opening chapter. Longer records, deeper observations, and improved models of phytoplankton physiology are needed to predict the full ecological impact.



The ocean’s color shift signals change - green in high latitudes, blue near the equator - as ecosystems quietly reorganize. It silently tracks a significant re-ordering of marine life that could reshape climate feedbacks and global fisheries alike.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.adr9715" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



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Ocean waters are changing colors and pushing marine life toward the poles

Oceanographers have long used a simple rule of thumb: green...

When a bonobo wrinkles its nose or lifts its browridge, those expressions do more than pose for the camera. Those flashes of movement form a language that researchers have struggled to pin down.



Now an international team has sharpened that language map by adapting a human facial‑coding toolkit to <a href="https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Pan_paniscus/">Pan paniscus</a> (bonobos), cataloging 28 distinct moves and <a href="https://peerj.com/articles/19484/">showing</a> that 22 stem from specific muscles.



Dr. Catia Correia‑Caeiro of <a href="https://www.lw.uni-leipzig.de/institut-fuer-biologie" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Leipzig University’s Institute of Biology</a> leads the project, which unites experts from Germany, Switzerland, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. 



The team borrowed the Facial Action Coding System, a 1978 catalog that labels every visible muscle shift with a numeric action unit, then upgraded the scheme for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bonobo-communication-shares-many-structural-similarities-with-human-language/">bonobos</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bonobos-use-expressions-to-communicate">Bonobos use expressions to communicate</h2>



“This adaptation of <a href="https://www.animalfacs.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ChimpFACS</a> for bonobos fills an important gap in our ability to study facial expressions across different primate species,” said Dr. Correia‑Caeiro, who is also affiliated with the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. 



The new manual lets scientists compare <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-bonobo-day-a-celebration-of-love-peace-and-conservation/">bonobo</a>, chimpanzee, and human faces move for move.



Humans can muster about 30 action units, yet bonobos rival their chimpanzee cousins with 22, demonstrating the social weight of facial cues rather than sheer anatomical range. 



The catalog even adds a rarely recorded brow‑lowering move, <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7790396/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AU41</a>, that deepens the <a href="https://www.imaios.com/en/e-anatomy/anatomical-structures/glabella-1536895880#" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">glabella</a> without the human‑exclusive corrugation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bonobo-expressions-mirror-spoken-language">Bonobo expressions mirror spoken language </h2>



The team sifted through roughly 55 hours of high‑definition <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12169169/#supplemental-information" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">video</a> featuring 241 bonobos in zoos, sanctuaries, and the wild, coding each frame by hand.



The footage revealed three independent ear gestures, ears forward, ears elevated, ears flattened, expanding the expressive palette beyond eyes and mouth. 



The researchers also spotted brief lid‑tightening blinks that accompany nose wrinkles, hinting at graded intensity in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bonobos-and-chimps-express-empathy-much-like-humans/">bonobo</a> signals.



The experts noticed that some action units, such as cheek‑raisers and glabella‑lowerers, often fire in rapid succession - suggesting combination rules that mirror syllables in spoken language.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-bonobos-needed-their-own-system">Why bonobos needed their own system</h2>



Despite their similarities to chimpanzees, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bonobos-are-more-endangered-than-previously-known/">bonobos</a> have distinct facial features that complicate direct comparison. 



Subtle traits, like lighter lip coloration, reduced brow-ridge prominence, and more flexible lower lips, affect how facial movements appear and are perceived. These differences can confuse coders if using chimpanzee references alone.



Without a dedicated coding system, earlier studies on bonobos varied wildly in the number of described expressions, from just 5 to as many as 46. 



That inconsistency made it hard to compare results or identify patterns. A tailored toolkit ensures more reliable tracking and opens the door to rigorous, reproducible analysis.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-decoding-expressions-helps-bonobo-care">Decoding expressions helps bonobo care</h2>



“By better understanding their facial expressions, we can more accurately evaluate their emotional states and overall well‑being,” Correia‑Caeiro explained. Caretakers can now read those signals with new confidence.&nbsp;



Bonobos are endangered, with population estimates hovering between 29,000 and 50,000 individuals according to the <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/15932/102331567" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IUCN Red List</a>.



Knowing when a captive ape is tense or relaxed helps zoos tweak enrichment schedules, separate clashing individuals sooner, and design habitats that cut social friction before it spirals into injury.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bonobo-expressions-and-social-units">Bonobo expressions and social units</h2>



Shared action units let scientists trace which facial abilities pre‑date the split between humans and the Pan lineage six million years ago. 



A 2020 multi‑species <a href="https://researchportal.port.ac.uk/files/19273293/Measuring_the_evolution.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">review</a> argues that facial mobility scales with social complexity, placing bonobos near the top of the primate scale.



Bonobos live in female‑bonded, relatively tolerant groups, so extra facial nuance may diffuse conflicts without resorting to violence, offering a living model for hypotheses on early human cooperation.



The <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13428-021-01692-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NetFACS project</a> applies network analysis to thousands of coded faces, revealing that great‑ape expressions form dense interaction graphs where muscle combos shift with context. 



In bonobos, preliminary graphs show tighter clustering of play‑related units than threat units, hinting that relaxed social atmospheres encourage richer facial “vocabularies.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-facial-complexity-and-social-evolution">Facial complexity and social evolution</h2>



Computer‑vision engineers are training algorithms on the new bonobo library, aiming for real‑time welfare dashboards that flag stress before keepers can see it. 



The advanced systems could eventually watch forest camera traps, letting conservationists gauge mood across remote populations without intrusive tagging.



Comparative biologists plan to pit bonobo, chimpanzee, and human FACS data against group size, food‑sharing rates, and dominance styles. 



If facial complexity tracks tolerance as predicted, the findings could rewrite textbooks on primate social evolution.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://peerj.com/articles/19484/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PeerJ</a>.



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Facial expressions of bonobos offer a window into their lives

When a bonobo wrinkles its nose or lifts its browridge,...

Bee populations around the world have been slipping for decades, even in areas with meadows. Across the United States, managed hives have dropped from about five million in the 1940s to 2.7 million in <a href="https://www.pollinator.org/threats" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2023</a>.



Pollination keeps the produce aisle stocked, and honey bees alone add roughly <a href="https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/general-information/initiatives-and-highlighted-programs/peoples-garden/importance-pollinators/honey-bees" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">$15 billion</a> to the value of U.S. crops every year. 



Kathrin Czechofsky of the University of Göttingen says the latest <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.70074" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fieldwork</a> shows there is still room for optimism when farms and conservation <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-bee-day-2025-protecting-the-pollinators-that-feed-the-world/">habitats</a> are planned together.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bees-are-disappearing-despite-meadows">Bees are disappearing despite meadows</h2>



Habitat loss, pesticide exposure, and disease form a triple threat, yet land conversion remains the clearest driver of wild <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-dangers-threaten-the-survival-of-bees-and-pollinators/">bee</a> decline. 



Climate stress adds another layer, and recent work warns that many bumblebee broods fail when nest temperatures top 96 °F, a threshold that rising heat waves frequently exceed.



Fields blanketed in a single commodity crop create long floral dry spells that leave solitary bees hungry between brief bloom windows. 



Even well‑intended local actions, such as installing small flower strips, often struggle to reverse losses because bees forage across landscapes, not single fields.



Without a coordinated plan, conservation patches can cancel one another out or fail to meet nesting needs over an entire season.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-different-farm-types-were-tested">How different farm types were tested</h2>



To explore what really works, researchers at the <a href="https://www.uni-goettingen.de/">University of Göttingen</a> mapped 32 German farm landscapes roughly 0.6 mile across.



Each circular site combined different shares of organic cropland, annual flower strips, and <a href="https://xerces.org/sites/default/files/publications/23-028_01_Creating-Perennial-Habitat-Using-Plugs-FS_web.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">perennial habitat</a> dominated by long‑lived plants such as meadow knapweed.



Transects criss‑crossed wheat, clover, hedgerows, and the open lanes where <a href="https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/learn-about-bumblebees/species-guide/red-tailed-bumblebee/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bombus lapidarius</a> and dozens of lesser‑known species feed. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-overlapping-support-for-bees">Overlapping support for bees</h2>



Over three summer runs, the team recorded more than 4,500 individual bees, and then scaled those counts to the full landscape for a big‑picture view.



The design allowed the researchers to test whether habitats simply add, work together in a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/synergistic-effect" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">synergistic effect</a>, or cancel each other out.



The analysis leaned on the same statistical muscle used in crop‑yield forecasting, but here the harvest metric was buzz and diversity. 



Organic acreage, flower strips, and perennial pockets each lifted flower cover, yet the payoff for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-are-highly-concerned-that-so-many-bee-hives-have-disappeared/">bees</a> hinged on how those elements overlapped.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bees-thrive-when-farms-meet-meadows">Bees thrive when farms meet meadows</h2>



Organic fields, managed without synthetic pesticides, proved especially valuable when at least five percent of the surrounding land also held perennial <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bees-sleep-like-humans-with-similar-brain-patterns/">habitat</a>. 



Densities of non‑bumblebee wild species climbed steeply under that mix, evidence of a synergy between pesticide‑free forage and nearby nesting ground.



“This study offers important guidance for shaping future measures for agriculture and the environment. It highlights the value of coordinated, landscape‑scale planning,” noted Dr. Annika Haß, a lead scientist on <a href="https://www.uni-goettingen.de/en/646422.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the ComBee project</a>.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stable-meadow-edges-support-bees">Stable meadow edges support bees </h2>



Organic plots alone boosted bumblebee numbers too, yet the gains were additive rather than synergistic. 



Many common Bombus species nest flexibly in grass margins or old rodent burrows, so they profit from pesticide‑free blossoms even without extra meadows. 



For orchard managers in the United States pondering organic transitions, the message is clear: pesticide reduction helps, but pairing it with stable meadow edges helps even more.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-flower-strips-meadows-and-mixed-signals">Flower strips, meadows, and mixed signals</h2>



Annual flower fields, those bright strips tilled and reseeded every spring, sound perfect on paper but told a more tangled story in practice. 



When large flower strips were paired with broad organic acreage, overall bee numbers often plateaued rather than doubled because both habitats bloom at similar times. Redundancy in food, without added nesting sites, meant no bonus for pollinators.



Perennial meadows, by contrast, flower in staggered waves and offer bare or lightly vegetated soil where ground‑nesting bees dig. Their long-lived stems survive winter, protecting larvae and overwintering adults. 



That structural difference explains why meadows completed the resource puzzle alongside organic crops, while annual strips sometimes crowded it.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/honey-bees-spread-viruses-to-bumblebees-in-the-spring/">Bumblebees</a>, with their social colonies and bigger flight ranges, took advantage of annual strips only in simple landscapes that lacked meadows. For solitary bees with shorter foraging ranges, perennial patches again tipped the scale.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-benefits-of-diversified-landscapes">Benefits of diversified landscapes</h2>



The ComBee team calculated practical thresholds: organic farming starts to raise species richness when annual strips cover less than five acres inside a 500‑acre landscape. 



Synergy with perennial meadows kicks in once those meadows reach about 12 acres. These numbers translate neatly to many Midwestern farm sections or European parish blocks, giving planners concrete targets instead of guesswork.



Because budgets are limited, the authors argue for steering organic incentives toward places where annual flower strips are scarce, while investing separate funds to create long‑term meadows in regions already rich in organic acreage.



Such mixing of functionally different habitats promises the biggest biological return per dollar. Beyond bees, diversified landscapes cushion farms against drought, improve soil structure, and harbor predators that curb <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bats-assist-farmers-by-consuming-harmful-pests/">crop pests</a>.



Policies that reward cooperation among neighboring landowners, rather than isolated actions, could therefore yield multiple wins.



The study is published in the <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.70074" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Applied Ecology</a>.



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Organic farms and meadows can help save wild bees

Bee populations around the world have been slipping for decades,...

The smell of toast drifts from the kitchen. Across the room, you notice a hand reach for a butter knife. Without thinking, you already sense the next move. 



Your brain predicts that a slice of bread will meet a dab of butter, and it usually gets the call right. That quiet, automatic guesswork keeps everyday scenes feeling smooth rather than jumbled.



Behind this split-second foresight is a set of brain regions known to researchers as the "<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2021.627983/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">action observation network (AON)</a>," a collection that fires up whenever we watch another person reach, grasp, or tinker with an object. 



Decades of lab tests - often showing only one- to two-second video snippets - mapped out the basics of that network. 



Yet real life rarely serves actions in single bites. It offers full recipes, packed with intention and order. That difference set the stage for a revealing new study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-action-observation-network-in-the-brain">Action observation network in the brain</h2>



The project came from a team at the <a href="https://nin.nl/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience</a> led by Christian Keysers and Valeria Gazzola. 



Keysers puts it simply: “What we would do next becomes what our brain sees,” a reminder that prediction lies at the heart of perception. 



Earlier work suggested that information flows in one direction - visual regions pass details to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sitting-for-hours-daily-shrinks-your-brain-even-if-you-exercise/">parietal and premotor hubs</a>, which then plan a matching response. The new study asked whether that pipeline flips when a viewer can forecast the next step.



To probe the question, researchers created two versions of everyday scenes - say, building a sandwich or folding a shirt. 



In the natural cut, actions played out in their expected order; in the scrambled cut, the same clips were shuffled. Volunteers watched both while their brain activity was recorded. 



Because some participants were epilepsy patients already implanted with intracranial electrodes for medical monitoring, the team captured electrical signals deep <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-brain-pathways-identified-as-being-unique-to-humans/">inside the cortex</a> with millisecond precision.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-you-and-your-brain-see">What you and your brain see</h2>



When the action order made sense, the brain worked differently than textbook diagrams predicted. Feedback signals ran from higher-level motor regions down to the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/sensory-cortex" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sensory cortex</a>. 



That top-down push quieted visual areas, as if the brain decided it could lighten the workload because the next move was practically a foregone conclusion. 



In contrast, the jumbled cut forced the cortex to lean on incoming sight alone, reviving the classic feed-forward path from eye to hand.



The switch was clearest in the premotor cortex. This area, best known for preparing our own movements, pulsed first when scenes unfolded logically. Electrical rhythms then traveled backward toward regions that handle <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/blinking-plays-crucial-role-vision-human-perception/">touch and vision</a>. 



The result hints that motor memories - habits such as slicing a roll - prime the brain to handle what our eyes are about to see.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brain-uses-memory-to-see">Brain uses memory to 'see'</h2>



Valeria Gazzola puts the reversal in plain terms: “Now, information was actually flowing from the premotor regions, that know how we prepare breakfast ourselves, down to the parietal cortex, and suppressed activity in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/visual-cortex" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">visual cortex</a>.” 



She adds, “It is as if they stopped to see with their eyes, and started to see what they would have done themselves.” 



The quotes capture a striking idea: in familiar settings, action perception may depend more on stored know-how than raw sight.



That idea slots neatly into the larger framework of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-nose-is-a-clever-smell-prediction-system/">predictive coding</a>, a theory proposing that the brain constantly compares expectations to incoming data, then sends error signals when reality misses the mark. 



By showing the mechanism in natural sequences, the study strengthens the view that prediction is not a special feature reserved for high-stakes moments. It is a default mode woven into everyday social life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-efficiency-through-feedback-loops">Efficiency through feedback loops</h2>



Suppressing the visual cortex during a well-known routine might sound risky, yet it saves energy and speeds comprehension. 



If the brain trusts its guess, it trims redundant sensory checks, freeing resources for surprises - such as an unexpected ingredient swap. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/caffeine-at-night-disrupts-sleep-and-brain-activity-especially-in-young-adults/">Electroencephalography</a> and functional MRI data from the same study revealed lower metabolic demand when actions were predictable, backing the idea that foreknowledge cuts neural overhead.



These feedback loops also clarify how we keep track of other people in noisy or visually cluttered places. 



By leaning on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-does-the-human-brain-create-retrieve-memories-engram-cells-connections/">motor memories</a>, the brain can stitch together patchy views into a coherent scene, a skill vital for teamwork on a crowded street or communication across a dinner table.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-this-is-weird-why-does-it-matter">This is weird, why does it matter?</h2>



Understanding how the motor system shapes perception could help fine-tune rehabilitation after stroke. Therapies that train patients to anticipate movement sequences - rather than simply imitate single motions - might better rewire damaged circuits. 



The findings also inspire engineers working on assistive robots and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/augmented-reality-ar-glasses-bring-3d-holograms-closer-to-reality/">augmented-reality glasses</a>. Systems that predict human intent a fraction of a second early can choose safer paths, hand over tools at the right moment, or flag anomalies before accidents unfold.



Beyond medicine and machines, the work nudges us to appreciate the hidden labor our brains perform. Every time we pass the salt or catch a tossed set of keys, layers of neural forecasting keep the exchange seamless. 



By mapping that choreography with intracranial precision, the researchers have shown that much of what we ‘see’ comes from inside, projected forward by experience rather than painted on solely by the eye.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-studies-on-how-the-brain-sees">Future studies on how the brain sees</h2>



Future studies will test whether the same feedback pattern appears in more complex social exchanges - playing music together, learning a new sport, or reading facial expressions in fast-moving conversations. 



If motor-based prediction proves central across those domains, training programs that expand a person’s movement repertoire could sharpen perceptual skills as well.



For now, the take-home message is clear. When an action unfolds in a familiar rhythm, the brain lets memory call many of the shots. That shortcut keeps life running smoothly, one well-timed guess at a time.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(23)01444-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cell Reports</a>.



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Human minds see what we "expect" to see, not what we actually see

The smell of toast drifts from the kitchen. Across the...

Tsunami warning sirens on Vancouver Island have never sounded for real, yet scientists know the lull is temporary. A new study says artificial intelligence could sharpen the split‑second calls that decide whether visitors and locals can reach higher ground.



The work zeroes in on Tofino, a surfing town whose beaches and hotels fill with travelers year‑round. Researchers tested different warning strategies and found that machine learning might save more people than the rules emergency crews use today.



Earth‑science professor <a href="https://www.uwo.ca/earth/people/faculty/goda.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Katsuichiro Goda</a> at <a href="https://www.uwo.ca/sci/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Western University</a>, the <a href="https://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/chairholders-titulaires/profile-eng.aspx?profileId=4507" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Canada Research Chair in Multi‑Hazard Risk Assessment</a>, led the project. 



He and his team compared traditional statistical models with newer random forest algorithms and neural network tools, checking how long officials can wait before pressing the alert button.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-high-stakes-for-tofino">High stakes for tofino</h2>



Tofino sits a short drive from the <a href="https://www.pnsn.org/outreach/earthquakesources/csz" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cascadia Subduction Zone</a>, the 600‑mile fault where the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/subduction-juan-de-fuca-plate-beneath-north-american-pla" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Juan de Fuca plate</a> dives under North America. 



A magnitude‑9 rupture on that boundary could send a 65‑foot wall of water ashore in roughly 20 minutes.



<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261304047_Japan_Trench_earthquake_and_tsunami_monitoring_network_of_cable-linked_150_ocean_bottom_observatories_and_its_impact_to_earth_disaster_science" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Japan’s S‑net network</a> packs 150 ocean‑bottom sensors along deep‑sea cables, yet Vancouver Island relies on only four nodes for real‑time data.<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261304047_Japan_Trench_earthquake_and_tsunami_monitoring_network_of_cable-linked_150_ocean_bottom_observatories_and_its_impact_to_earth_disaster_science?utm_source=chatgpt.com"> </a>



That imbalance matters because Tofino’s hotels, marinas, and boardwalk shops represent more than 2 billion Canadian dollars in at‑risk assets during a severe inundation.<a href="https://cheknews.ca/new-study-shows-ai-could-help-sharpen-tsunami-warnings-for-b-c-s-coast-1259866/?utm_source=chatgpt.com"> </a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-minutes-matter">Why minutes matter</h2>



Evacuation drills show that even fit hikers need up to 17 minutes to climb from the waterfront to designated hills. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/strong-geomagnetic-solar-storm-alert-issued-auroras-expected-farther-south/">Alerts</a> that come too late jam the single highway out of town, trapping beachgoers behind stalled traffic.



Canada lacks a local catalog of historic tsunamis, so the study fed the computer thousands of simulated waveforms instead of real past events. 



The team discovered that performance swings wildly when the training set omits certain rupture styles, an uncertainty coastal planners rarely see in public briefings.



Adding synthetic events from <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.16344" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bayesian “digital twin” models</a> could close that gap, a method now being tested for the Cascadia coast.<a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.16344?utm_source=chatgpt.com">&nbsp;</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-random-forests-vs-human-judgment">Random forests vs human judgment</h2>



“When waiting times are too short, performances of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mega-tsunamis-triggered-by-earthquakes-could-wipe-part-of-us-off-the-map/">tsunami</a> early warning models vary significantly in terms of success,” said Goda. 



His favorite tool, the random forest, stacks dozens of mini decision trees, each weighing different seismic variables before voting on the safest moment to send a text <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/noaa-issues-a-severe-solar-storm-alert-with-auroras-expected-across-most-of-us/">alert</a>.



In test runs the algorithm beat multiple‑linear regression by about 15 percent on successful evacuations, echoing results from international trials that link seafloor gauges with machine‑learning forecasts.<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0098300423001279?utm_source=chatgpt.com">&nbsp;</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tsunami-warning-sirens">Tsunami warning sirens</h2>



Japan’s 150‑station array beams pressure and seismic data along 3,600 miles of fiber‑optic cable, giving residents clearer information on wave height and arrival time.



Vancouver Island’s four‑sensor network, run by Ocean Networks Canada, limits early detection accuracy near tourist beaches like Cox Bay. 



Goda argues that even a modest expansion - one extra sensor for each 25 miles of coastline, would feed the hungry algorithms and shorten the interval between quake and alert.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tourist-economies-in-the-crosshairs">Tourist economies in the crosshairs</h2>



Peak season pushes Tofino’s population from 2,500 to nearly 20,000, magnifying the challenge of moving people uphill before a wave arrives. 



Business owners note that a single false alarm can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in canceled bookings, so accuracy and trust go hand in hand.



Locals say the success of any alert system depends on whether people trust it. That trust hinges on understanding how and why evacuation orders are made. 



Workshops and school programs that explain <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/650-foot-mega-tsunami-sends-seismic-waves-around-world-dickson-fjord-swot-mission/">tsunami</a> dynamics and how warnings work have helped raise awareness in Tofino. 



These efforts build a culture of readiness, making it more likely that people will act quickly when seconds count.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-toward-smarter-evacuations">Toward smarter evacuations</h2>



“We need to start using more AI models to get better results, but they are more data‑hungry and only perform better with more data,” explained Goda. 



The Western study suggests a counter‑intuitive tactic: wait a handful of extra seconds before issuing an alert so that messages include firmer wave‑height estimates.



Past disasters show why precision matters: surveys after the 2011 <a href="https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/2011-japan-earthquake-and-tsunami-facts" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tohoku tsunami</a> found that repeated false alarms made some residents less likely to flee small waves later.<a href="https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/2011-japan-earthquake-and-tsunami-facts?utm_source=chatgpt.com"> </a>



Next fall Goda's group will join residents during Tofino’s annual drill to test an AI‑assisted alert generator in real time. If the prototype works, the same code could guard resorts from Bali to Havana, shrinking the casualty gap between well‑monitored and overlooked coastlines.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21664250.2025.2516324" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Coastal Engineering Journal</a>.



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New study proposes using AI to improve tsunami warnings in tourist areas

Tsunami warning sirens on Vancouver Island have never sounded for...

Since 2014, June 21 has been observed globally as World Giraffe Day. Chosen deliberately for its distinction as the longest day of the year, the date honors the world’s tallest land mammal. The symbolism is compelling, but the message is urgent. 



Giraffes are undergoing a rapid and largely unrecognized population decline. While often admired for their appearance, their ecological importance and conservation status remain overlooked by the global public.



The <a href="https://giraffeconservation.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Giraffe Conservation Foundation</a> emphasizes that celebrating giraffes must go hand-in-hand with acknowledging the threats they face. Current trends suggest that without widespread intervention, these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giraffes-are-suffering-a-silent-extinction-and-need-more-protection/">animals</a> could disappear within our lifetime.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ecological-roles-of-giraffes">Ecological roles of giraffes </h2>



Giraffes may be quiet and unassuming, but they play a vital role in nature. They perform key ecological functions that support <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/its-world-giraffe-day-celebrate-the-worlds-tallest-animal-on-the-earths-longest-day/">biodiversity</a> in savanna ecosystems.



While feeding, giraffes naturally trim tree canopies, allowing more sunlight to reach the plants below. This promotes understory growth and enhances the structural diversity of the ecosystem.



As giraffes move across landscapes, they disperse seeds, contributing to forest regeneration.



Giraffes help many other animals by changing their surroundings. Birds, insects, and mammals all benefit. Yet, much like their silent presence, the decline of giraffes has largely gone unnoticed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-world-giraffe-day-a-quiet-decline">World Giraffe Day: A quiet decline</h2>



Over the past three decades, giraffe <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giraffes-gained-their-long-necks-for-food-not-sex/">populations</a> have declined by nearly one third. They have been extirpated from at least seven African countries. Despite this, their situation has received minimal public attention. Conservationists have described this phenomenon as a “silent extinction,” noting the contrast between the giraffe’s visibility in tourism and media, and its invisibility in conservation policy.



In comparison to elephants and rhinos, which receive considerable international focus, giraffes rarely appear in global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giraffes-hate-slopes-and-its-threatening-their-survival/">conservation</a> discourse. Their quiet presence may be contributing to their neglect. Yet, the threats they face are no less severe.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-drivers-of-population-loss">Drivers of population loss</h2>



Habitat fragmentation is a primary driver of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giraffes-have-gut-bacteria-that-are-unaffected-by-their-diet/">population</a> decline. Human expansion through agriculture, infrastructure, and urban development has significantly reduced the land available to giraffes. 



Poaching also persists. Some giraffes are killed for meat; others for tails, which are used as charms or tools.



Climate change compounds these pressures. Droughts force giraffes to approach farmlands, leading to human-wildlife conflict. In these cases, crop protection often results in giraffe fatalities. 



The cumulative effect of these stressors is a gradual erosion of giraffe populations across the continent.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-emerging-scientific-urgency">Emerging scientific urgency</h2>



Recent genetic studies have shifted scientific understanding of giraffe taxonomy. What was once considered a single species with subspecies is now recognized as four distinct <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-reveals-four-unique-giraffe-species-across-africa/">species</a>. 



This taxonomic clarification carries conservation implications. Protection strategies must now be tailored to individual species, as threats and habitat needs vary. 



With improved clarity comes a renewed obligation to act swiftly. Several giraffe species are critically endangered, with populations below 2,000 individuals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-supporting-active-conservation-efforts">Supporting active conservation efforts</h2>



The Giraffe Conservation Foundation leads key interventions across Africa. One major strategy involves tracking giraffes using GPS collars to map their movement patterns and identify ecological corridors. These insights inform landscape-level protection strategies.



Translocation efforts have also proven successful. In areas where populations are especially vulnerable, small herds have been moved to protected zones with favorable conditions. 



Though resource-intensive, this approach has led to successful breeding and the birth of new calves, offering cautious optimism.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-public-action-on-world-giraffe-day">Public action on World Giraffe Day </h2>



Public involvement remains essential. While direct participation in fieldwork is not feasible for most individuals, awareness-raising remains powerful. 



Sharing verified information, supporting conservation organizations, and advocating for sustainable tourism all contribute to broader efforts.



Educators can also play a key role by integrating giraffe conservation into curricula. Artists, writers, and communicators can amplify messages that connect people emotionally and intellectually with the issue.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cultural-significance-of-giraffes">Cultural significance of giraffes</h2>



Beyond biology, giraffes hold symbolic importance in many African cultures. Their image appears in rock art, oral traditions, and modern storytelling. 



Often associated with grace, patience, and heightened vision, giraffes represent qualities that humans value deeply.



In this sense, their disappearance would constitute not only an ecological loss but also a cultural one. Preserving giraffes means preserving shared human heritage.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-than-a-celebration">More than a celebration </h2>



This observance offers more than celebration. It invites reflection. Why has the decline of such an iconic animal gone largely unnoticed? What assumptions have shaped our collective inaction? And more importantly, how do we shift from admiration to responsibility?



The extra daylight on June 21 becomes a metaphor for awareness. The question is whether we will use it wisely. We already have the tools and science is catching up. 



Protecting giraffes isn’t just about saving a species - it’s about preserving the wild itself. We can’t afford to wait. What stands tall today could disappear tomorrow.



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World Giraffe Day 2025 calls for urgent action to save giraffes

Since 2014, June 21 has been observed globally as World...

Hope isn’t just a nice feeling - it is a lifeline. While happiness and gratitude often get the spotlight in discussions around well-being, new research shows that hope might be even more important. 



A recent study from researchers at the <a href="https://missouri.edu/">University of Missouri</a> challenges long-held assumptions about hope. It’s not about wishful thinking - hope gives life depth, purpose, and direction.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-powerful-emotional-force">A powerful emotional force </h2>



For years, hope has been primarily linked to motivation and setting goals. But this latest research suggests that there’s something deeper going on. 



Hope is not just about achieving things. It’s a powerful emotional force that helps us feel like our lives matter.



Study lead author Megan Edwards earned a doctorate at Mizzou and is now a postdoctoral scholar at Duke University.



"Our research shifts the perspective on hope from merely a cognitive process related to goal attainment to recognizing it as a vital emotional experience that enriches life's meaning," said Edwards. "This insight opens new avenues for enhancing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/houseplants-boosted-psychological-well-being-during-covid-19-lockdown/">psychological well-being</a>.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hope-isn-t-a-luxury-it-s-essential">Hope isn’t a luxury - it’s essential</h2>



The study, conducted in the Department of Psychological Sciences, included six experiments and more than 2,300 participants from different backgrounds. 



The team looked at a wide range of positive emotions - amusement, excitement, contentment, happiness. But again and again, one emotion stood out.



Only hope consistently predicted a stronger sense of meaning in life. This isn’t just an abstract idea. Feeling like your life has meaning has real-world effects. It’s tied to better relationships, improved physical health, higher income, and greater emotional well-being.



“<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/we-often-undervalue-the-most-meaningful-experiences-in-life/">Experiencing life as meaningful</a> is crucial for just about every good thing you can imagine in a person's life,” said study co-author Professor Laura King.



“This cornerstone of psychological functioning is not a rare experience - it is available to people in their everyday lives and hope is one of the things that make life feel meaningful.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-sets-hope-apart">What sets hope apart</h2>



So what sets hope apart from other positive emotions? It isn’t just about feeling good in the moment - it’s about feeling like tomorrow might be better than today.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/where-does-happiness-come-from-it-depends-on-who-you-are/">Happiness</a>, for example, is often tied to what’s happening right now. A fun event, a compliment, a good day. 



Gratitude reflects on what has already happened - what you’ve received or survived. But hope is forward-looking. It lives in possibility, and that’s what gives it power.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-getting-through-the-tough-times">Getting through the tough times</h2>



Hope helps people move through hard times, not by pretending things are perfect, but by allowing them to imagine that things could improve. 



It’s that sense of potential - even when things are rough - that keeps people going. Hope is what helps someone apply for a job after a rejection, try again after a setback, or get out of bed when life feels heavy.



And unlike fleeting moments of happiness, hope can stick around. It can grow quietly, even in tough conditions, shaping how we see our lives and what we believe is possible.



This emotional staying power might explain why hope plays such a strong role in shaping how meaningful life feels. It’s not just a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/houseplants-improve-mood-and-productivity/">mood</a> - it’s a mindset. One that’s deeply connected to resilience, purpose, and mental health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-simple-ways-to-build-hope-daily">Simple ways to build hope daily</h2>



You don’t need a big life overhaul to build hope. The researchers suggest simple, practical habits that can make a real difference. 



Start by noticing the good moments - even something as small as a peaceful morning or a kind gesture. These small wins remind us that things can go right.



In chaotic times, look for small chances to move forward. Even tiny steps can help you feel more in control. 



Recognize and celebrate progress - in yourself and others. Whether it’s healing, learning something new, or simply getting through a tough week, every step forward can fuel hope.



Taking care of something - a plant, a pet, or another person - reinforces the idea that the future matters.



And above all, remember that nothing stays the same forever. Hard times don’t last. Change is always possible, and hope begins with believing that.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-the-research-is-going">Where the research is going</h2>



This study opens up a lot of questions, and the researchers are already looking ahead. They plan to dig deeper into how hope works in the middle of serious challenges. 



Can it help people find meaning even when they’re going through <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cats-mourn-the-loss-of-other-pets-similar-to-human-grief/">grief</a>, illness, or major setbacks? That’s what they want to find out next.



One thing is clear: hope isn’t just a feel-good emotion. It’s something we need to live well. And it’s something we can practice every day. 



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Femo0001513">Emotion</a>.



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Experts identify the simple emotion that gives life meaning - and it's not happiness

Hope isn’t just a nice feeling - it is a...

It started with a speck so small that a grain of sand could drown it in shadow. Yet that speck, now officially named ehrigite, may give geologists a fresh way to read Earth’s hidden pages.



The crystal is classified as a bismuth telluride and measures less than one‑tenth of a human hair across. Associate Professor <a href="https://researchers.adelaide.edu.au/profile/cristiana.ciobanu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cristiana Ciobanu</a> of the University of Adelaide documented the phase with mineralogist Professor <a href="https://researchers.adelaide.edu.au/profile/nigel.cook" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nigel Cook</a> after more than a decade of detective work.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-tiny-minerals-matter">Why tiny minerals matter</h2>



Only about 100 new mineral species gain formal approval in a typical year. The official catalogue now lists 6 145 validated entries, according to the International Mineralogical Association’s May 2025 <a href="https://cnmnc.units.it/files/editor/IMA_Master_List_%282025-05%29.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">master list</a>.



Each addition does more than swell a database. Novel species refine pressure-temperature limits, trace ancient hydrothermal fluids, and flag pockets of elements that feed renewable‑energy supply chains.



Mineral names usually honor a person, place, or chemistry, and the <a href="https://mineralogy-ima.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">International Mineralogical Association</a> (IMA) vetting process involves independent reviewers from at least a dozen countries. 



That rigor explains why acceptance can stretch for years but also why the final vote carries so much weight within the earth‑science community.



Tellurium occurs in Earth’s crust at roughly one part per billion. So any mineral that concentrates it (even microscopically) offers a geochemical signpost that can save exploration budgets millions of dollars.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-ehrigite-hides-in-plain-sight">How ehrigite hides in plain sight</h2>



Ehrigite shows up as sub‑100‑micron grains trapped in hedenbergite skarn from the Good Hope mine in British Columbia. Its formula, Bi₈Te₃, slots it into the tetradymite group, a family famous for semiconducting tellurides.



Because the grains are so fine, Ciobanu’s team relied on an <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-43634-z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">atomic‑resolution transmission microscope</a> able to see individual columns of atoms. Similar tools recently exposed hidden zirconium telluride sheets inside carbon nanotubes.



The group used aberration correction and ptychographic reconstruction, a method that stitches thousands of diffraction patterns into a single image with <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/11218780_Sub-Angstrom_Resolution_Using_Aberration_Corrected_Electron_Optics" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sub‑ångström clarity</a>. 



That level of detail makes it possible to test theoretical bond models against direct observation instead of indirect diffraction peaks.



The Adelaide images revealed bismuth triplets alternating with tellurium layers, a pattern distinct enough that the International Mineralogical Association granted a new name. Full crystallographic details appear in American Mineralogist’s “<a href="https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/msa/ammin/article/110/5/826/653900/New-Mineral-Names" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New Mineral Names</a>” series, proposal 2023‑074.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bismuth-telluride-and-ehrigite">Bismuth telluride and ehrigite</h2>



Telluride minerals seldom occur in bulk, yet their chemistry underpins modern thermoelectric devices. Pure <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-43879-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bismuth telluride modules</a> have topped six percent conversion efficiency at 482 °F, turning waste heat into electricity.



A cousin like ehrigite could mark zones enriched in tellurium, a critical component of thin‑film solar panels and high‑capacity batteries. 



Because ehrigite holds more bismuth than classic Bi₂Te₃, researchers suspect unique electronic pathways that might shape next‑generation alloys.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/ehrigite_new-mineral_microscopic_atomic-microscope_UAdelaide_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/ehrigite_new-mineral_microscopic_atomic-microscope_UAdelaide_1s.webp" alt="Ehrigite as seen under the atomic-resolution transmission microscope. Credit: University of Adelaide" class="wp-image-1974714"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Ehrigite as seen under the atomic-resolution transmission microscope. Click image to enlarge. Credit: University of Adelaide</figcaption></figure>



Tellurium appears on the 2022 <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/news/national-news-release/us-geological-survey-releases-2022-list-critical-minerals" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. Critical Minerals List</a> issued by the U.S. Geological Survey. Identifying natural stores ahead of demand curves therefore carries both strategic and economic value.



Every watt harvested from industrial heat trims fossil‑fuel demand. Mapping telluride‑bearing systems links blue‑sky mineralogy directly to green‑energy engineering.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-geometallurgy-connects-ore-and-plant">Geometallurgy connects ore and plant</h2>



The mineral also mirrors the career arc of its namesake. Geometallurgy blends petrography with metallurgy to forecast how ore behaves once it hits the mill, and case studies report processing‑cost cuts of up to 15 percent when such models guide scheduling.



At <a href="https://www.bhp.com/what-we-do/global-locations/australia/south-australia/south-australia-olympic-dam" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BHP’s Olympic Dam</a>, Ehrig’s models linked copper grade, alteration halos, and grinding energy to predict recovery long before ore reached the plant. 



Better prediction trims reagent use and tailings volumes, reducing both costs and environmental risk per pound of metal produced. Such gains turn intangible petrological data into daily operational savings.



The discipline’s strength lies in teamwork: field geologists, statisticians, and plant metallurgists feed data into shared models that update in real time as ore comes online.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-turning-microscale-clues-into-exploration-maps">Turning microscale clues into exploration maps</h2>



Ciobanu and Cook have secured an $894 000 Australian Research Council grant to weave computational mineralogy into sulphide exploration. 



By coupling atom‑scale images with machine‑learning clusters, they hope to forecast where skarn reactions lock bismuth and tellurium together.



Their prototype pipeline ingests chemical assays, textural scans, and thermodynamic phase diagrams, then outputs probability maps for high‑grade micro‑tellurides. 



Such data‑driven targeting can shave months off drill programs and lower the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carbon-atoms-in-your-body-took-a-400000-light-year-journey-through-space/">carbon</a> footprint per discovery.



Tellurium’s scarcity matters because most supply comes as a by‑product of copper refining. Locating primary sources could shield supply chains from price spikes as demand grows for thermoelectrics and cadmium‑telluride photovoltaics.



The team will also test whether ehrigite can act as an early proxy for processing friendliness. If the mineral forms only under specific redox conditions, its presence may signal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-largest-iron-ore-deposits-reveal-a-1-3-billion-year-old-secret/">ore</a> blocks with lower energy grinding profiles, intelligence that plant managers crave years ahead of first production.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-wider-lens-on-mineral-discovery">A wider lens on mineral discovery</h2>



Ehrigite’s tale shows that minerals need not sparkle in hand specimen to change industry practice. 



Each pixel the microscope resolves sharpens our map of deep‑time processes, letting companies chase ore blocks that yield more metal with less energy.



The next wave of discoveries will likely surface from datasets larger than the grains themselves. High‑throughput spectroscopy, atom probe tomography, and cloud‑based phase matching can sift drill‑core chips for signals of unseen alloys.



Emerging techniques like <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41524-023-01142-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">autonomous TEM scanning</a> promise to spot unknown phases overnight, freeing scientists to interpret rather than hunt. Even a lone speck can tip the scales when the right eyes (and the right tools) are looking.



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New microscopic mineral discovered that could revolutionize geological exploration

It started with a speck so small that a grain...

For over 100 years, the North Atlantic has hosted an anomaly. South of Greenland lies a patch of cool ocean water. This region, called the North Atlantic Warming Hole (NAWH), defies global warming. 



Scientists long debated its cause. A new study now shows that the weakening of a vital <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/atlantic-ocean-current-system-will-weaken-but-is-unlikely-to-collapse/">ocean</a> current - the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) - explains it best.



“People have been asking why this cold spot exists,” said climate scientist Wei Liu. “We found the most likely answer is a weakening AMOC.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-source-of-the-atlantic-cold-spot">Source of the Atlantic cold spot</h2>



The AMOC moves warm, salty water northward and cooler water southward. This system shapes climate across continents. When it slows, less heat and salt reach the north. The result? Cooler, fresher waters south of Greenland.



Liu and Kai-Yuan Li from <a href="https://www.ucr.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California Riverside</a> studied temperature and salinity data spanning a century. 



Direct AMOC measurements only cover 20 years. But using six long-term sea surface temperature (SST) datasets and three salinity datasets, the researchers built a much clearer picture. They also tested 94 global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/collapse-of-main-atlantic-ocean-circulaton-current-amoc-is-already-happening/">climate</a> models.



Only models simulating a slowing AMOC recreated the observed North Atlantic cooling. These models showed trends of up to −0.3 °C per century (about −0.54 °F per century), matching the real-world pattern known as the NAWH.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clear-signs-of-amoc-weakening">Clear signs of AMOC weakening</h2>



The team defined <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/weakening-ocean-currents-provide-a-rainfall-boost-in-the-amazon/">AMOC</a> fingerprints using a dipole pattern: cooling in the subpolar gyre (south of Greenland) and warming near the Gulf Stream. This contrast, visible in SST and salinity (SSS), offers a reliable way to track AMOC strength.



From the observations, they estimated that the AMOC weakened by −1.01 to −2.97 Sverdrups per century from 1900 to 2005. 



A single Sverdrup equals one million cubic meters of water per second. That’s a massive loss of energy transport across the Atlantic.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-atlantic-cold-spot-reaches-the-deep-ocean">Atlantic cold spot reaches the deep ocean</h2>



The cooling and freshening do not stop at the surface. The study reveals that subsurface waters down to 3,000 meters also exhibit clear signs of this trend. 



The vertical profile shows cooling and freshening at depth, confirming that AMOC’s slowdown affects the entire ocean column.



Model comparisons between weakened and strengthened AMOC simulations highlighted another key point. 



A slower <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/polar-warming-could-reduce-ocean-currents-amoc-and-cause-massive-flooding-in-the-us/">AMOC</a> causes a heat transport gap - less warm water moves northward. This creates a cold zone between 40°N and 65°N, which matches the NAWH location.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-long-term-amoc-slowdown-confirmed">Long-term AMOC slowdown confirmed</h2>



Salt transport in the North Atlantic also changes. A weakened AMOC means more freshwater sits at the surface. This freshening was strongest across the NAWH and extended to the Labrador Sea. 



While observations showed some salinity increase in the Labrador Sea, models still closely captured the broad trend.



Both the SST- and SSS-based fingerprint indices (FPISST and FPISSS) showed strong correlation with AMOC weakening. These patterns help researchers verify the slowdown, even without direct current measurements.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-other-theories-on-north-atlantic-cold-spot">Other theories on North Atlantic cold spot</h2>



Some past theories suggested the NAWH came from changes in wind patterns or reduced air pollution. These theories were tested in the new study. 



In experiments with slab-ocean models (which isolate atmospheric effects), the cooling did not appear. Only in fully coupled models - with real ocean circulation - did the NAWH form.



“We tested CO₂ experiments in slab-ocean and fully coupled models,” the authors wrote. “Only the fully coupled models with a weakening AMOC showed the cooling feature.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-broader-climate-concern">A broader climate concern</h2>



The South Greenland anomaly in the North Atlantic affects more than just <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/have-global-temperatures-breached-the-1-5c-threshold/">temperature</a>. It reshapes the jet stream and alters weather across Europe and North America.



The cold zone also threatens marine ecosystems. Many fish species rely on certain salinity and temperature levels. Disruptions could shift where they live, breed, and migrate.



“Our results show that only the models with a weakening AMOC get it right. That means many of the recent models are too sensitive to aerosol changes, and less accurate for this region,” noted Liu.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-ahead-with-better-tools">Looking ahead with better tools</h2>



This study helps improve <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/looking-to-earths-ancient-climate-to-predict-our-future/">climate forecasts</a> by identifying the most realistic models. It also highlights the value of indirect evidence. Fingerprints built from ocean temperature and salinity can track changes even when direct measurements are sparse.



“We don’t have direct observations going back a century, but the temperature and salinity data let us see the past clearly,” Li noted.



If greenhouse gas emissions keep rising, the AMOC may continue to weaken. That means more pronounced cooling near Greenland and stronger climate impacts across Europe.



By understanding this cold patch, scientists gain a clearer view of Earth's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-experts-predict-global-warming-will-far-exceed-paris-goals/">climate system</a>. The North Atlantic Warming Hole is not a mystery anymore. It’s a sign - quiet, persistent, and measurable - of a changing ocean current that affects us all.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02403-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Communications Earth &amp; Environment</a>.



Image description: The ocean anomaly map reveals the Atlantic sea surface temperature trend between 1900-2005 (color shading in °C) for the average of six observation datasets. 



Image Credit: Kai-Yuan Li/UCR



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Cold spot in the Atlantic could signal big trouble for global climate

For over 100 years, the North Atlantic has hosted an...

Venus has long carried the nickname “Earth’s twin,” yet most people picture it as a static, oven‑hot wasteland with a geologically dead surface. 



A fresh look at radar and gravity records from NASA’s <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/magellan/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Magellan</a> orbiter now shows the planet is still shifting and rumbling in real time, rewriting that bleak image.



Study lead <a href="https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/solarsystem/p3g/bio/gael.cascioli" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gael Cascioli</a> of the <a href="https://umbc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Maryland</a> in Baltimore County and <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center</a> says his team’s work has provided a new and important insight into the possible subsurface processes currently shaping the surface of Venus.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-venus-the-basics">Understanding Venus - the basics</h2>



Venus, the second planet from the Sun, has evolved in a dramatically different direction than Earth. 



Its thick atmosphere is composed mainly of carbon dioxide, with clouds of sulfuric acid, creating a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-the-hellish-planet-venus-can-help-us-find-alien-life/">runaway greenhouse effect</a> that pushes surface temperatures to around 900 degrees Fahrenheit (475°C) - hot enough to melt lead. 



This oppressive heat makes Venus the hottest planet in our solar system, even hotter than Mercury, which is closer to the Sun.



The planet rotates very slowly and in the opposite direction of most other planets, including Earth. A day on Venus - measured from one sunrise to the next - lasts about 117 Earth days. 



Curiously, its rotation is so slow that a Venusian day is longer than its year, which lasts about 225 Earth days. 



Scientists believe that billions of years ago, Venus might have had liquid water and Earth-like conditions, but extreme volcanic activity and atmospheric changes turned it into the scorching, uninhabitable world we see today.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-venus-keeps-reshaping-its-surface">Venus keeps reshaping its surface</h2>



Out of 75 giant circular scars on the surface called <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-020-0606-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">coronae</a>, 52 sit above hot, buoyant mantle plumes that continue to push and pull the crust today. That tally alone means tectonic motion on the second planet is the rule, not a rare exception.



Venus lacks moving tectonic plates like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mars-gravity-pulls-earth-closer-to-the-sun-warming-our-climate-scientists-say/">Earth</a>, yet its crust still buckles because the mantle’s heat has few ways to escape. The result is a landscape that rises, splays outward, and sinks in a perpetual slow‑motion churn.



Temperatures near 867 °F and a surface pressure ninety times that of Earth would seem to freeze rocks in place, but the same harsh <a href="https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/planet_table_british.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">conditions</a> help preserve the telltale deformations for scientists to study. 



Magellan’s radar, which peered through the cloud deck between 1990 and 1994, mapped 98 percent of that tortured terrain in detail.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coronae-offer-clues-to-hidden-forces">Coronae offer clues to hidden forces</h2>



A corona can span hundreds of miles, ringed by concentric fractures that betray the upward shove of rising magma blobs. <a href="https://annagulcher.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Anna Gülcher</a> of the <a href="https://www.unibe.ch/index_eng.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bern</a> calls them “very large features” whose variety shows “ongoing active processes driving their formation.”



Some show hints of subduction, where surface slabs sink back toward the mantle despite the absence of plate boundaries. 



Others display telltale trenches that form when dense surface material breaks loose and drips downward, a process geophysicists label lithospheric dripping.



Computer models that match Magellan’s gravity readings reveal warm, low‑density zones beneath the most active coronae. 



Those zones act like slow‑boiling pots, flexing the overlying crust and sometimes punching magma to the surface as fresh lava flows.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tectonic-tricks-on-venus-surface">Tectonic tricks on Venus' surface</h2>



Magellan data reanalyzed in 2023 showed a volcanic vent near eight‑mile‑high Maat Mons doubling in size within eight months, proof that eruptions are not ancient history. 



Further radar comparisons in 2024 uncovered young lava draping the plains around <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia00108-venus-3-d-perspective-view-of-sif-mons/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sif Mons</a> and <a href="https://www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/venus_maps/2467_1/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Niobe Planitia</a>, suggesting eruptions there are even more widespread than first thought.



These eruptions differ from Earth’s ring‑of‑fire blasts. Without water to lubricate cracks, Venusian magma seeps and oozes, forming broad shields and flood lavas instead of explosive cones.



Cascioli’s catalog, however, shows that plume‑powered coronae may mimic proto‑plate behavior. They redistribute crust, recycle material, and could have shaped early Earth before modern plate tectonics took over.



“The <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/PSJ/ad991a" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">VERITAS</a> gravity maps of Venus will boost the resolution by at least a factor of two to four,” notes <a href="https://science.jpl.nasa.gov/people/smrekar/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Suzanne Smrekar at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a>, she sees the upcoming VERITAS mission, set to launch in 2031, as the game changer that’s promising sharper insight into the processes now only glimpsed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-it-means-for-early-earth">What it means for early Earth</h2>



If plume‑driven coronae once dotted our young planet, they may have provided the first recycling engine for crust and atmosphere. Studying them on Venus offers a time capsule into that primordial era.



Active geology also keeps atmospheres fresh by venting gases. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/is-venus-alive-new-signs-of-volcanic-activity-emerge/">Venus</a> clearly retains enough internal heat to power frequent eruptions, so questions grow about how its once‑Earth‑like climate tipped into today’s hellish greenhouse.



A lingering mystery is whether hidden pockets of cooler terrain or highland plateaus shelter minerals that hint at lost oceans. Future radar and near‑infrared scans will probe for basalt alteration that water would leave behind.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-missions-ready-for-answers">Future missions ready for answers</h2>



VERITAS will orbit with a synthetic‑aperture radar six times sharper than Magellan’s and track the craft’s slight wobbles to map the planet’s gravity shell‑by‑shell. That data will locate fresh lava flows only yards thick and measure how the crust flexes in real time.



<a href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Envision/ESA_selects_revolutionary_Venus_mission_Envision" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Europe’s EnVision probe</a> will follow later in the decade, bouncing radio waves to pick out variations in surface roughness that betray young volcanic rock.



 Together, the pair should turn Venus from a blurry enigma into a laboratory for planetary change.



Earth’s twin is hot, crushing, and toxic, yet it refuses to sit still. Every new line of evidence points to a world that continues to stretch, bend, and breathe beneath its sulfurous clouds.



The study is published in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40367154/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>.



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NASA discovers that Earth's twin planet, Venus, is not geologically dead

Venus has long carried the nickname “Earth’s twin,” yet most...

Earth leaks roughly 47 terawatts of heat into space, a trickle compared with the Sun’s input yet vital for plate tectonics, volcanoes, and the magnetic field. This outward flow is usually thought to rise slowly through mantle convection, like steam seeping through thick soup. 



A new study proposes that some of the heat takes express lanes known as mantle plume columns, a concept first drawn by <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/230042a0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">W. Jason Morgan</a> in 1971.



Now researchers report the first “ghost plume” with no evidence of surface volcanism, hiding beneath Oman’s eastern deserts. Lead author <a href="https://cpg.kfupm.edu.sa/bio/dr-simone-pilia/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Simone Pilia</a> of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals analyzed thousands of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mega-tsunamis-triggered-by-earthquakes-could-wipe-part-of-us-off-the-map/">earthquake</a> signals and named the buried column the Dani plume after his son.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-oman-s-mantle-plume-rises-but-does-not-erupt">Oman’s mantle plume rises but does not erupt</h2>



Typical plumes reach the surface and build features like Hawaii or Yellowstone, but Oman shows no fresh lava fields. That absence makes the Dani plume a ghost: hot enough to soften rock, not hot enough to punch through a thick continental lid.



“The more we gathered evidence, the more we were convinced that it is a plume,” said Pilia. His team traced the column to a depth of at least 410 miles (660 kilometers), where seismic waves slowed in a neat cylinder about 125 miles (200 kilometers) wide.&nbsp;



Independent checks found the mantle transition zone warped downward at a depth of 255 miles (410 kilometers) and lifted again at 410 miles (660 kilometers), giving a classic thermal fingerprint of rising <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/solar-heat-and-earthquake-activity-is-there-a-connection/">material</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-earthquake-waves-reveal-hidden-mantle-plume">Earthquake waves reveal hidden mantle plume</h2>



The hunt relied on <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031920103001560?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">seismic tomography</a>, Earth’s version of a CT scan, which turns quake vibrations into 3‑D velocity maps. A temperature rise of about 200 °F (93 °C) can drop shear‑wave speeds by roughly three percent.



In Oman, shear speeds fell by that amount inside the column, implying an excess temperature of roughly 200–500 °F (93–260 °C). That is warm enough to soften peridotite yet still below the melting threshold under 130‑mile‑thick (209-kilometer-thick) <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earthquake-activity-will-increase-due-to-glacial-retreat/">lithosphere</a>.



Saskia Goes of <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Imperial College London</a>, who was not involved in the work, reviewed the data and called the detection “plausible,” noting that narrow columns are notoriously hard to image.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-oman-s-land-lifts-without-any-volcano">Oman’s land lifts without any volcano</h2>



Even without lava, surface clues do exist. Eastern Oman’s <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/356429226_The_Salma_Plateau_-post-mid-Eocene_to_Quaternary_uplift_and_karstification_eastern_Oman_Geological_Society_of_Oman_Field_Trip_A_Geological_Society_of_Oman_GSO_fieldtrip_November_12th_2021" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Salma Plateau</a> is puzzlingly high, topping 6,500 feet (1,980 meters), despite little crustal shortening.



GPS and shoreline studies show the coast is still inching upward at under 0.04 inches (0.1 centimeters) per year. Dynamic support from hot, buoyant mantle at depth offers the simplest explanation for this.



Similar uplift blankets the <a href="https://cmes.utah.edu/news/deeperyellowstonemagma.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Yellowstone</a> area, where the well‑known plume feeds long‑lived volcanic and hydrothermal activity in the American West. Oman’s quieter rise suggests plumes can lift crust even when they stay bottled deep below solid rock.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-plume-may-have-shifted-india-s-path">Hidden plume may have shifted India’s path</h2>



Geological reconstructions hint that the Dani plume slid under the Indian Plate about 40 million years ago, coinciding with a subtle eastward bend in India’s path. Pilia’s group argues that viscous drag from the plume’s flow nudged the plate like a hidden hand.



Torque calculations in the study show that a conduit around 125 miles (201 kilometers) wide, moving a few cubic miles of hot rock per year, could supply the needed force. No other nearby tectonic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-dangerous-part-of-this-west-coast-earthquake-fault-cascadia-subduction-zone/">event</a> explains the timing as neatly.



If a single, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0040195120300020" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">amagmatic</a> plume can steer continents, multiple hidden plumes may have quietly shaped plate motions through Earth’s past.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-hidden-plumes-matter">Why hidden plumes matter</h2>



The Dani plume also carries implications for Earth’s heat budget. If many columns like it bypass slow mantle convection, more heat than expected streams straight from the core, potentially shortening estimates of how long the inner dynamo can continue to run.



Future arrays of ocean‑bottom seismometers and satellite gravity missions could uncover other silent plumes under thick cratons or old ocean basins, refining models that tie deep‑Earth processes to surface hazards and resource formation.



The new findings suggest the Dani plume may trace its roots to the same deep reservoir as the Afar plume, which is located beneath the Horn of Africa. 



Seismic imaging from the DETOX‑P3 global tomography model reveals that both plumes could be branches of a broader low‑velocity structure at the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/core-mantle-boundary" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">core‑mantle boundary</a>, which stretches thousands of miles across the lower mantle.



This tree‑like formation supports growing theories that mantle plumes may not rise as isolated columns but as parts of interconnected <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ngeo1348" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">superplume networks</a>. 



If so, hotspots like Afar, Yellowstone, and now Oman might share common origins, linking surface activity across continents to single, deep‑Earth sources.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-tools-reveal-hidden-mantle-plumes">New tools reveal hidden mantle plumes</h2>



Traditional methods for detecting mantle plumes rely heavily on surface volcanism, which may overlook features hidden under thick continental crust. 



The Dani plume shows that relying on lava flows and volcanic rocks alone can miss major drivers of Earth’s internal dynamics.



Instead, combining seismic tomography, plate motion analysis, and topographic signals opens new paths for identifying ghost plumes. 



This interdisciplinary approach could help researchers locate more hidden structures in places that were once thought plume-free, thus reshaping how we map the heat flow from Earth's core to its surface.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012821X25002663?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth and Planetary Science Letters</a>.



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Earth has a 'ghost plume' rising from deep within the planet's mantle up to the surface

Earth leaks roughly 47 terawatts of heat into space, a...

A single fossil of a giant Appalachian salamander has been discovered by scientists at East Tennessee State University. 



Millions of years ago, this 16-inch salamander with a powerful bite threaded its way through the soft earth of what is now northeastern Tennessee.



The salamander tunnels criss-crossed ancient forests, and its appetite likely shaped the mix of smaller <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saving-amphibians-wildlife-tunnels-prevent-road-deaths/">amphibians</a> in the surrounding ecosystems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fossil-may-explain-salamander-diversity">Fossil may explain salamander diversity </h2>



Today, the fossil of this new species may help explain how the region's salamanders became so diverse. The specimen surfaced at the Gray Fossil Site &amp; Museum, a dig next door to <a href="https://www.etsu.edu/ehome/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">East Tennessee State University</a> (ETSU).



After careful study, researchers described the animal - Dynamognathus robertsoni - in a publication in the journal Historical Biology.



The work comes from a team that includes assistant collections manager Davis Gunnin, professor of geosciences Dr. Blaine Schubert, head curator Dr. Joshua Samuels, museum specialist Keila Bredehoeft, and assistant collections manager Shay Maden.



“Our researchers are not only uncovering ancient life, they are modeling the kind of collaboration and curiosity that define ETSU,” said Dr. Joe Bidwell, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. 



“This exciting find underscores the vital role our university plays in preserving and exploring Appalachia’s deep natural history.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-species-named-for-its-powerful-jaw">Species named for its powerful jaw</h2>



Dynamognathus robertsoni ranks among the largest of the lungless salamanders from the family Plethodontidae. It exchanged gases through its skin and the lining of its mouth, rather than by means of lungs. 



The jaw anatomy of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/salamanders-can-adapt-better-to-climate-change-than-previously-thought/">ancient salamander</a> suggests a striking bite force, which would have made it a formidable predator.



“This group of salamanders has unusual cranial anatomy that gives them a strong bite force, so the genus name, Dynamognathus – Greek for ‘powerful jaw,’ is given to highlight the great size and power of the salamander compared to its living relatives,” explained Maden.



The species name honors Wayne Robertson, a longtime volunteer who spotted the first bone and has sifted through more than 50 tons of sediment since 2000.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-appalachia-s-surprising-salamander-legacy">Appalachia’s surprising salamander legacy</h2>



Today, the Southern Appalachian forests host more than 50 salamander species - about one-eighth of all known salamanders on Earth. 



Many of them are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/plethodontidae" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plethodonts</a> like the new fossil species. Scientists have long wondered how so many species could have arisen in this small corner of the world.



“Finding something that looks like a Red Hills salamander here in East Tennessee was a bit of a surprise,” Gunnin said. 



“Today they’re only found in a few counties in southern Alabama, and researchers thought of them as a highly specialized dead-end lineage, not particularly relevant to the evolution of the dusky salamanders."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolution-of-salamander-communities">Evolution of salamander communities </h2>



The discovery of Dynamognathus robertsoni in Southern Appalachia indicates that this type of relatively large, burrowing salamander was once more widespread in eastern North America, explained Gunnin.



He noted that this may have had a profound impact on the evolution of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/three-new-black-bellied-salamanders-were-hidden-in-plain-sight/">Appalachian</a> salamander communities.



Modern dusky salamanders max out at about seven inches (18 centimeters) - less than half the length of the fossil giant. The research team suspects that predators like D. robertsoni drove smaller stream-dwellers to diversify rapidly, setting the stage for today’s variety.



“The warmer climate in Tennessee 5 million years ago, followed by cooling during the Pleistocene <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/disastrous-climate-changes-of-the-last-ice-age-could-happen-again/">Ice Ages</a>, may have restricted large, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/red-backed-salamanders-will-struggle-to-adapt-to-climate-warming/">burrowing salamanders</a> to lower latitudes, like southern Alabama, where the Red Hills salamander lives today,” said Samuels.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-significance-of-the-salamander-fossil">Significance of the salamander fossil</h2>



“The latest salamander publication is a testament to this teamwork and search for answers,” said Schubert. 



“When Davis Gunnin, the lead author, began volunteering at the museum as a teenager with an interest in fossil salamanders, I was thrilled because this region is known for its salamander diversity today, and we know so little about their fossil record."



From high-school volunteers to seasoned faculty, the Gray Fossil Site team keeps uncovering stories buried beneath Appalachian soil.



The stories explain why a walk through a modern Tennessee stream still reveals more salamander shapes and colors than almost anywhere else on Earth.



This shared effort blends curiosity, dedication, and local pride in a way that brings science to life. With each new find, the team adds another piece to the puzzle of Appalachia’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/triassic-fossils-shed-new-light-on-ancient-ecosystems/">ancient ecosystems</a>.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08912963.2025.2501332" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Historical Biology</a>.



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Giant salamander fossil reveals deep roots of Appalachian diversity

A single fossil of a giant Appalachian salamander has been...

Scientists discovered human footprints preserved in ancient mud at White Sands, New Mexico. These footprints appear to date back to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) - a period during the last Ice Age roughly 23,000 years ago when glaciers were at their largest.



This finding sparked a lot of interest because it suggested that humans were in North America much earlier than previously believed. However, some experts questioned the accuracy of the dating methods. 



<a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abg7586" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The original study</a> used radiocarbon dating on plant seeds and pollen, which some argued might not have been reliable enough.



A few years later, the same research team returned to the White Sands footprints and obtained new dates from highly reliable sources. 



<a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adh5007" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Those results</a> showed the same timeline of 20,000 to 23,000 years ago, reconfirming that humans were present far south of the ice sheets during the Last Glacial Maximum. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-confirming-human-arrival-in-north-america">Confirming human arrival in North America</h2>



Back in 2012, Vance Holliday, an archaeologist and geologist at the <a href="https://www.arizona.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Arizona</a>, got a rare chance to study one of the most unusual landscapes in America - the otherworldly dunes of White Sands, New Mexico.



Now, Holliday is back again with new research that offers fresh evidence to settle the debate, once and for all. This time, the team used <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/radiocarbon-could-be-key-in-predicting-earths-future/">radiocarbon dating</a> on ancient mud found with the footprints. An independent lab handled the analysis.



The results? The mud dated between 20,700 and 22,400 years old - lining up with the original footprint age range. That makes three different materials (seeds, pollen, and now mud) dated by three different labs, all telling the same story.



"It's a remarkably consistent record," said Holliday, also a professor emeritus in the School of Anthropology and the Department of Geosciences, who has spent nearly five decades studying <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/archaeologists-discovered-ancient-footprints-that-rewrite-the-story-of-humans-in-america/">early human migration</a> across the Great Plains and the American Southwest.



"You get to the point where it's really hard to explain all this away,” he added. “As I say in the paper, it would be serendipity in the extreme to have all these dates giving you a consistent picture that's in error."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-life-in-the-americas">Human life in the Americas </h2>



For decades, the story of how humans first arrived in America centered on the Clovis culture. Named after artifacts found near Clovis, New Mexico in the 1930s, this group was long believed to represent the earliest known humans to set foot on the continent. 



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-americans-relied-on-mammoths-for-food-and-survival/">Clovis people</a> were thought to have crossed from Siberia into Alaska via the Bering Land Bridge around 13,000 years ago, then spread southward into the rest of North America.



This timeline shaped textbooks, museum exhibits, and generations of archaeological research. It set a clear point of origin for human life in the Americas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shifting-migration-timeline">Shifting migration timeline</h2>



But the White Sands discovery challenges that foundation. If humans were already walking across the region 23,000 years ago - well before the end of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/disastrous-climate-changes-of-the-last-ice-age-could-happen-again/">last Ice Age</a> - then the Clovis-first model no longer holds up.



It suggests people reached the continent thousands of years earlier, potentially by different routes or under very different conditions.



That changes not just when we think people arrived in America, but how they lived, moved, and adapted. It opens new questions about migration patterns, technology, and survival in prehistoric landscapes that looked nothing like the ones we know today.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-story-of-human-arrival-in-america">New story of human arrival in America </h2>



Thousands of years ago, the White Sands region was a series of lakes. As the lakes dried, the wind sculpted gypsum into dunes. The footprints were found in the bed of an ancient stream that once fed into one of those lakes.



"The wind erosion destroyed part of the story, so that part is just gone," Holliday said. "The rest is buried under the world's biggest pile of gypsum sand."



To get a closer look, the University of Arizona team returned in 2022 and 2023. They dug fresh trenches through the lake beds.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/first-human-footprints_white-sands-new-mexico_Alkali-Fat-basin-map_UWisconsin_1s.webp" alt="The northern Tularosa Basin showing the area of the White Sands (“Gypsum Sand Dunes”), the Alkali Fat deflation basin, modern Lake Lucero, and present-day Lost River, which drains southwest across the distal piedmont until it is buried by the gypsum dunes (see also fig. S4). The 1204-m contour line approximates the proposed extent of paleolake Otero (15). It was likely more extensive given the &gt;4 m of lake beds at “G.” The two field areas (red dots) are as follows: “G” is the area of Gypsum Overlook, the Central study area, and WHSA Locality 2; “Loc 1” is a stratigraphic section along the west margin of Alkali Flat. The brown pattern at G is the area of exposures of deposits linked to paleolake Otero and overlain by truncated Holocene dunes (31). The inset shows the location of the White Sands and the Tularosa Basin within New Mexico [based on figure 1 in (31)]. Image credit: X. Gong and A. Cowart, University of Wisconsin Cartography Lab." class="wp-image-1974696"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The northern Tularosa Basin showing the area of the White Sands (“Gypsum Sand Dunes”), the Alkali Fat deflation basin, modern Lake Lucero, and present-day Lost River, which drains southwest across the distal piedmont until it is buried by the gypsum dunes. The 1204-m contour line approximates the proposed extent of paleolake Otero. It was likely more extensive given the >4 m of lake beds at “G.” The two field areas (red dots) are as follows: “G” is the area of Gypsum Overlook, the Central study area, and WHSA Locality 2; “Loc 1” is a stratigraphic section along the west margin of Alkali Flat. The brown pattern at G is the area of exposures of deposits linked to paleolake Otero and overlain by truncated Holocene dunes. The inset shows the location of the White Sands and the Tularosa Basin within New Mexico. Click image to enlarge. Credit: X. Gong and A. Cowart, University of Wisconsin Cartography Lab.</figcaption></figure>



Jason Windingstad, a doctoral candidate in environmental science, had previously worked in the area as a consulting geoarchaeologist and agreed to join the project.



"It's a strange feeling when you go out there and look at the footprints and see them in person," Windingstad said. "You realize that it basically contradicts everything that you've been taught about the peopling of North America."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-missing-artifacts">The missing artifacts</h2>



Of course, one big question still hangs in the air: where are the tools, shelters, or other remains you’d expect from ancient people? It's a fair concern, the researchers admit.



Some of the footprints were part of quick trackways - paths that could’ve been walked in just a few seconds. That short window of time may explain the lack of material left behind.



"These people live by their artifacts, and they were far away from where they can get replacement material. They're not just randomly dropping artifacts," Holliday said. "It's not logical to me that you're going to see a debris field."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-early-human-arrival-in-north-america">Early human arrival in North America </h2>



While he always believed the 2021 results were solid, he says it’s good to have new data that reinforces them.



"I really had no doubt from the outset because the dating we had was already consistent," Holliday said. "We have direct data from the field – and a lot of it now."



This additional evidence strongly supports the idea that the footprints were made during the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-the-ice-age-can-tell-us-about-future-el-nino-events/">Last Glacial Maximum</a>. It gives scientists greater confidence that humans were present in North America much earlier than most theories had assumed.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adv4951" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>.



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Footprints rewrite the timeline of human arrival in North America

Scientists discovered human footprints preserved in ancient mud at White...

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic dream. It’s already shaping how people learn, work, communicate, and make decisions. 



From virtual assistants and advertising to grading exams and diagnosing diseases, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/evolutionary-ai-can-balance-climate-goals-and-economic-progress/">artifical intelligence</a> is everywhere. With each breakthrough, the future of the workplace evolves in ways many people never imagined.



As AI takes on more complex roles, many jobs that humans do today may disappear. This reality creates both a challenge and an opportunity. Governments and schools now face the question: How can they prepare people for a future dominated by AI?



New research from the University of Georgia (<a href="https://www.uga.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UGA</a>) offers answers. It explores how 50 countries are dealing with this shift, especially in education and workforce development. 



The study's findings show a wide range of strategies and priorities, offering a glimpse into what the future of work might look like worldwide.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ai-will-replace-jobs-and-create-jobs">AI will replace jobs and create jobs</h2>



The fear that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-the-human-brain-thinks-differently-than-ai/">machines</a> will replace humans has existed for centuries. But this time, it's not just physical labor at risk. White-collar and creative roles are also under pressure. 



Previous research estimates that nearly half of today’s jobs could disappear within the next 20 years.



Still, this change is not entirely negative. Researchers also believe that 65% of today’s elementary school students will work in careers that don’t yet exist. 



Most of these new roles will require deep knowledge of AI tools, systems, and logic. That means the real risk lies not in losing jobs but in failing to prepare for the jobs of the future.



The human element remains essential. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-is-transforming-pollen-science-and-health-planning/">Machines</a> may learn patterns, but they lack emotional intelligence and intuition. These traits will continue to set people apart.



"Human soft skills, such as creativity, collaboration and communication cannot be replaced by AI," noted Lehong Shi from the College of Education.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-countries-are-planning-for-ai-jobs">How countries are planning for AI jobs</h2>



The UGA study, led by Lehong Shi, reviewed national <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/if-ai-has-free-will-whos-responsible-when-things-go-wrong/">artificial intelligence</a> strategies from 50 countries. It looked closely at how each nation planned to educate its citizens and train workers in AI-related areas. 



Shi examined six indicators to rank these efforts: the strategy’s goals, methods of implementation, examples of projects, success metrics, support structures, and timelines.



Based on this analysis, countries were grouped into three categories: high, medium, or low priority for developing an AI-ready workforce. Only 13 countries earned a high-priority status. Eleven of them were European, with Mexico and Australia rounding out the group.



This shows that some nations are already thinking long-term. According to Shi, European countries often benefit from strong educational systems and cultures that support lifelong learning. These factors make it easier for them to act quickly and plan deeply.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-the-united-states-stands">Where the United States stands</h2>



The U.S. did not make the high-priority list. It was among 23 countries that placed medium importance on preparing for AI. This means its national AI strategy lacks the same level of detail found in more committed countries.



That doesn’t mean nothing is happening. American universities are building AI labs, and companies are offering training. But without a coordinated national effort, the U.S. risks falling behind. 



Nations that make bigger investments now may have a stronger and more flexible workforce in the future.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-expanding-ai-programs-for-students">Expanding AI programs for students</h2>



Despite their differences, countries often shared certain priorities. Nearly every nation aimed to expand AI programs in universities. Many also wanted to include AI in primary and secondary education, preparing students from an early age.



More than half of the countries focused on using AI for on-the-job training. These efforts ranged from formal internships to custom programs for industries like healthcare, finance, or manufacturing. 



While these steps are helpful, the study found a lack of focus on vulnerable groups. Older adults, unemployed people, and those with limited education were often left out of national strategies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-national-priorities-for-the-use-of-ai">National priorities for the use of AI</h2>



Some countries focused their efforts in other directions. For instance, several Asian countries prioritized AI for defense and healthcare instead of education. Shi emphasized that these choices reflect national priorities and don’t mean AI is being ignored.



A few countries stood out for their unique approaches. Germany, for example, chose to build a culture around AI awareness. The goal is to promote long-term interest in AI, rather than just offering training. 



Spain took a different but equally impressive route. It started teaching AI-related skills to children in preschool. These examples show that preparing for AI does not begin in adulthood. 



Building curiosity and confidence from an early age helps children adapt easily to future careers. It also reduces fear and builds resilience in the face of rapid change.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-many-countries-lack-a-key-strategy">Many countries lack a key strategy</h2>



Yet, even among countries with strong strategies to prepare for the age of AI, one key area was often ignored. 



"Human soft skills, such as creativity, collaboration and communication cannot be replaced by AI," Shi said. "And they were only mentioned by a few countries."



This is a critical oversight. Machines can analyze data and solve technical problems, but they can’t brainstorm like humans. 



Soft skills support teamwork, leadership, and customer service. Without them, even the most technically skilled worker may struggle.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-toward-an-ai-ready-future">Looking toward an AI-ready future</h2>



The study has a clear conclusion. Some countries are charging ahead with AI workforce plans. Others are still testing the waters. A few focus mostly on education and training. Others lean into AI <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/neuromorphic-computing-where-ai-meets-human-brain/">technology</a> for healthcare, security, or economics.



The routes vary, but the finish line looks the same. To keep up, people need real skills - not just tech know-how, but the ability to think clearly, lead with confidence, and connect with others. 



Some countries begin this work early, ohers drag their feet, and a few cast a wide net. Too many still leave entire groups behind.



What happens next isn’t about machines. It’s about the decisions we make now. The countries that keep learning, stay flexible, and bring everyone along will handle the AI wave better than the rest.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/15344843251332360" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Human Resource Development Review</a>.



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AI is disrupting jobs, but countries are learning to adapt

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic dream. It’s...

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Abeego Giant Wrap

Abeego beeswax wrap keeps food fresh in a natural, plastic-free...

This adjustable toilet flapper can save up to 2.5 gallons per flush when installed in an old 5 to 7 GPF toilet! Read more Overview Your toilet tank may have a slow leak, which is undetectable to the eye, but can slowly waste you hundreds of gallons each month. One way to check is to put some food coloring dye in your tank, and see in an hour if the water in the toilet bowl turns the same color. If you do have a leaky flapper, this is a great replacement part. It stops flapper leaks in almost every toilet, it's easy to install, and it's adjustable. You can decide how much water you need per flush for your toilet. You can make a big old toilet more efficient by limiting how much water is released for the flush ' you'll just have to experiment to find the ideal amount. EarthA(R) Premier 5-Year Adjustable Flapper Features & Benefits Fits 1.6, 3.5, 5 and 7-gallon toilets Simply lengthen or shorten the chain to adjust how much water is released for the flush. Can save up to 2.5 gallons per flush when installed in an old 5 to 7 GPF toilet! Stops existing leaks; prevents new leaks for 5 years Virgin PVC material Stainless steel ball chain, clasp & hook Installs by hand in seconds, no tools needed Chlorine- and chloramines-resistant Adjustable end cap for maximum flushing power 5-year warranty Made in North America For BULK orders, please email orders@eartheasy.com

Adjustable Toilet Flapper

This adjustable toilet flapper can save up to 2.5 gallons...

The "All-American" is the best among home pressure canners. With proper care it will last a lifetime. Made in the USA since 1930. Read more Overview Only All-American Pressure Cookers/Canner feature an exclusive, precision machined "metal-to-metal" sealing system. Positive action clamping locks align the cover to the base, forming a steam-tight seal. At the same time, this metal-to-metal seal automatically permits venting under unusual pressure conditions, providing an extra margin of safety over conventional rubber or composition gasket cookers. The All-American Pressure Cooker/Canner is, first and foremost, a canner. It is large and heavy-cast for processing larger quantities of food per load. The USDA recommends pressure canning as the only safe way to can meat, fish, poultry and vegetables. "Pressure cookers" are not recommended for canning because a fully loaded canner takes a longer time for heating and cooling. This time is taken into account when determining processing times in standard canning timetables. Features & Benefits: Crafted of the finest hand cast aluminum Stay-cool bakelite top handle Geared steam gauge Pressure regulator weight with settings of 5, 10 and 15 psi Smooth, easy to clean satin finish Exclusive metal-to-metal seal - no gaskets to crack, burn, replace or clean Double thickness edges for additional protection on points of heaviest wear Automatic overpressure release Includes canning rack, instructions & recipe book Available in 6 sizes Made in the USA since 1930 Specifications for Model 910: Capacity - 10.5 Quarts (Liquid), 4 Quart Jars, 7 Pint Jars* Inside diameter - 10 1/4 inches Inside Height - 7 3/4 inches Overall Height - 12 inches Weight - 11.5 pounds Includes 1 rack *Jar capacities based on standard Mason jar sizes All-American Pressure Cooker/Canners are intended for home use applications. Models 910, 915, 921 and 925 are suitable for use on newer glass/flat top ranges. We recommend verifying weight restrictions with your stove manufacturer. Larger models 930 and 941 are heavy and not suitable for glass top ranges. "We bought an All-American Pressure Canner (Model 921) over 30 years ago, and have used it exclusively for all our canning. It is still as good as new." Greg Seaman, Founder, Eartheasy.com

All-American Pressure Canner/Cooker - 10.5 quart

The "All-American" is the best among home pressure canners. With...

The "All-American" is the best among home food production pressure canners. With proper care it will last a lifetime. Made in the USA since 1930. Read more Overview Only All-American Pressure Cookers/Canner feature an exclusive, precision machined "metal-to-metal" sealing system. Positive action clamping locks align the cover to the base, forming a steam-tight seal. At the same time, this metal-to-metal seal automatically permits venting under unusual pressure conditions, providing an extra margin of safety over conventional rubber or composition gasket cookers. The All-American Pressure Cooker/Canner is, first and foremost, a canner. It is large and heavy-cast for processing larger quantities of food per load. The USDA recommends pressure canning as the only safe way to can meat, fish, poultry and vegetables. "Pressure cookers" are not recommended for canning because a fully loaded canner takes a longer time for heating and cooling. This time is taken into account when determining processing times in standard canning timetables. Features & Benefits: Crafted of the finest hand cast aluminum Stay-cool bakelite top handle Geared steam gauge Pressure regulator weight with settings of 5, 10 and 15 psi Smooth, easy to clean satin finish Exclusive metal-to-metal seal - no gaskets to crack, burn, replace or clean Double thickness edges for additional protection on points of heaviest wear Automatic overpressure release Includes canning rack and instructions Available in 6 sizes Made in the USA since 1930 Specifications for Model 915: Capacity - 15 1/2 Quarts (Liquid), 7 Quart Jars, 10 Pint Jars* Inside diameter - 12 5/8 inches Inside Height - 7 3/4 inches Overall Height - 12.5 inches Weight - 15 pounds Includes 1 rack *Jar capacities based on standard Mason jar sizes. All-American Pressure Cooker/Canners are intended for home use applications. Models 910, 915, 921 and 925 are suitable for use on newer glass/flat top ranges. We recommend verifying weight restrictions with your stove manufacturer. Larger models 930 and 941 are heavy and not suitable for glass top ranges. "We bought an All-American Pressure Canner (Model 921) over 30 years ago, and have used it exclusively for all our canning. It is still as good as new." Greg Seaman, Founder, Eartheasy.com

All-American Pressure Canner/Cooker - 15.5 quart

The "All-American" is the best among home food production pressure...

The "All-American" is the best among home food production pressure canners. With proper care it will last a lifetime, which is why we recommend getting the best. Made in the USA since 1930. Read more Overview Only All-American Pressure Cookers/Canner feature an exclusive, precision machined "metal-to-metal" sealing system. Positive action clamping locks align the cover to the base, forming a steam-tight seal. At the same time, this metal-to-metal seal automatically permits venting under unusual pressure conditions, providing an extra margin of safety over conventional rubber or composition gasket cookers. The All-American Pressure Cooker/Canner is, first and foremost, a canner. It is large and heavy-cast for processing larger quantities of food per load. The USDA recommends pressure canning as the only safe way to can meat, fish, poultry and vegetables. "Pressure cookers" are not recommended for canning because a fully loaded canner takes a longer time for heating and cooling. This time is taken into account when determining processing times in standard canning timetables. Features & Benefits: Crafted of the finest hand cast aluminum Stay-cool bakelite top handle Geared steam gauge Pressure regulator weight with settings of 5, 10 and 15 psi Smooth, easy to clean satin finish Exclusive metal-to-metal seal - no gaskets to crack, burn, replace or clean Double thickness edges for additional protection on points of heaviest wear Automatic overpressure release Includes canning racks and instructions Available in 6 sizes Made in the USA since 1930 Specifications for Model 921: Capacity - 21 1/2 Quarts (Liquid), 7 Quart Jars, 19 Pint Jars Inside diameter - 12 5/8 inches Inside Height - 10 1/2 inches Overall Height - 16 inches Weight - 17.75 pounds Includes 2 racks *Jar capacities based on standard Mason jar sizes. All-American Pressure Cooker/Canners are intended for home use applications. Models 910, 915, 921 and 925 are suitable for use on newer glass/flat top ranges. We recommend verifying weight restrictions with your stove manufacturer. Larger models 930 and 941 are heavy and not suitable for glass top ranges. "We bought an All-American Pressure Canner (Model 921) over 30 years ago, and have used it exclusively for all our canning. It is still as good as new." Greg Seaman, Founder, Eartheasy.com

All-American Pressure Canner/Cooker - 21.5 quart

The "All-American" is the best among home food production pressure canners. With proper care it will last a lifetime. Made in the USA since 1930. Read more Overview Only All-American Pressure Cookers/Canner feature an exclusive, precision machined "metal-to-metal" sealing system. Positive action clamping locks align the cover to the base, forming a steam-tight seal. At the same time, this metal-to-metal seal automatically permits venting under unusual pressure conditions, providing an extra margin of safety over conventional rubber or composition gasket cookers. The All-American Pressure Cooker/Canner is, first and foremost, a canner. It is large and heavy-cast for processing larger quantities of food per load. The USDA recommends pressure canning as the only safe way to can meat, fish, poultry and vegetables. "Pressure cookers" are not recommended for canning because a fully loaded canner takes a longer time for heating and cooling. This time is taken into account when determining processing times in standard canning timetables. Features & Benefits: Crafted of the finest hand cast aluminum Stay-cool bakelite top handle Geared steam gauge Pressure regulator weight with settings of 5, 10 and 15 psi Smooth, easy to clean satin finish Exclusive metal-to-metal seal - no gaskets to crack, burn, replace or clean Double thickness edges for additional protection on points of heaviest wear Automatic overpressure release Includes canning racks and instructions Available in 6 sizes Made in the USA since 1930 Specifications for Model 925: Capacity - 25 Quarts (Liquid), 7 Quart Jars, 19 Pint Jars Inside diameter - 12 5/8 inches Inside Height - 12 1/4 inches Overall Height - 16 3/4 inches Weight - 18.25 pounds Includes 2 racks *Jar capacities based on standard Mason jar sizes. All-American Pressure Cooker/Canners are intended for home use applications. Models 910, 915, 921 and 925 are suitable for use on newer glass/flat top ranges. We recommend verifying weight restrictions with your stove manufacturer. Larger models 930 and 941 are heavy and not suitable for glass top ranges. "We bought an All-American Pressure Canner (Model 921) over 30 years ago, and have used it exclusively for all our canning. It is still as good as new." Greg Seaman, Founder, Eartheasy.com