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For millions of Americans, daily life involves coping with altered vision, from blurriness to complete blindness. Glasses and contact lenses offer solutions, yet many prefer not to rely on them. 



In response, hundreds of thousands turn to corrective eye surgeries every year. Among the most common is LASIK, a laser-assisted procedure that reshapes the cornea to sharpen sight.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-lasik-has-limits">Why LASIK has limits</h2>



Although considered safe, LASIK comes with risks. Cutting into the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-eyes-retina-sync-everything-they-see-before-sending-visual-signals-to-the-brain/">cornea</a> weakens the eye’s structure and can cause unwanted side effects. Researchers are now working on a way to reshape the cornea without any incisions at all.



Michael Hill, a professor of chemistry at <a href="https://www.oxy.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Occidental College</a>, is presenting this new work at the <a href="https://www.acs.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Chemical Society</a>’s Fall 2025 meeting.



“LASIK is just a fancy way of doing traditional surgery. It’s still carving tissue - it’s just carving with a laser,” said Hill. The new method asks a simple question: what if reshaping the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eye-strain-in-young-adults-is-linked-to-the-type-of-content-consumed/">cornea</a> required no cutting?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-discovery-of-a-lasik-alternative">Discovery of a LASIK alternative </h2>



Hill and collaborator Brian Wong, a professor and surgeon at the&nbsp;<a href="https://uci.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California, Irvine</a>, are exploring electromechanical reshaping (EMR). 



“The whole effect was discovered by accident. I was looking at living tissues as moldable materials and discovered this whole process of chemical modification,” noted Wong.



The team's approach relies on the chemistry of collagen-rich tissues, which hold their shape through charged molecular bonds and high water content. 



By applying an electric potential, the experts can temporarily loosen these bonds, making the tissue malleable. Restoring the original conditions then locks in the new form.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-electric-reshaping-on-corneas">Electric reshaping on corneas</h2>



Electromechanical reshaping (EMR) was first tested on animal tissues like rabbit ears and pig skin, where it successfully reshaped cartilage and reduced scars. Because the cornea is also rich in collagen, the researchers saw it as an ideal next step.



The team designed platinum “contact lenses” that could act as electrodes, providing both a template for the desired curvature and a tool to deliver a controlled electric current. 



In experiments, these lenses were placed on rabbit eyeballs immersed in a saline solution that mimicked natural tears. When a small electric charge was applied, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/your-eyes-vision-could-alert-you-to-dementia-alzheimers-disease-up-to-12-years-earlier/">cornea</a> softened and quickly molded itself to the shape of the lens.



Within just a minute, the cornea had adopted its new curvature. This was comparable in speed to LASIK surgery but did not involve cutting, required simpler tools, and avoided risks linked to incisions, making it a promising alternative for future vision correction.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-testing-on-rabbit-eyes">Testing on rabbit eyes</h2>



The team ran trials on 12 rabbit eyeballs, simulating myopia in most of them. In every case, the treatment adjusted the focusing power toward clearer vision. The corneal cells survived, thanks to careful control of pH gradients.



Beyond vision correction, EMR showed potential in reversing certain types of corneal cloudiness. Currently, that condition can only be treated with a full transplant, making this approach especially promising.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hurdles-before-human-trials">Hurdles before human trials</h2>



Despite encouraging results, research on this LASIK alternative remains at an early stage. Wong emphasized that the next steps involve “the long march through animal studies that are detailed and precise,” including experiments on living rabbits.



The team also wants to map the full range of corrections EMR could offer, from astigmatism to farsightedness. But scientific funding uncertainties have slowed progress. 



“There’s a long road between what we’ve done and the clinic. But, if we get there, this technique is widely applicable, vastly cheaper and potentially even reversible,” noted Hill.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-forward">Looking forward</h2>



If electromechanical reshaping proves successful, it could transform vision correction by eliminating the need for surgical cuts. The method uses electricity to gently reshape the cornea, offering a safer and less invasive option. 



Unlike LASIK, it may lower risks and reduce costs. This innovation has the potential to make clearer <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/long-space-missions-in-microgravity-take-a-toll-on-astronauts-eyes/">vision</a> accessible to more people while preserving the eye’s natural strength and structure.



Ultimately, the study represents a shift in how vision correction could be approached in the future.



The research was supported by the <a href="https://www.nei.nih.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Eye Institute</a> of the National Institutes of Health and the John Stauffer Charitable Trust. 



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LASIK alternative reshapes vision with electricity, not lasers

For millions of Americans, daily life involves coping with altered...

A team using <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/garden-sprinkler-s-shaped-jet-found-distant-neutron-star-circinus-x1/">MeerKAT in South Africa</a> spotted a new repeating source of short, sharp radio pulses and, within days, tracked it through an intense outburst that produced hundreds of events across multiple frequency bands.



These bursts belong to a class known as fast radio burst (<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/farthest-known-fast-radio-burst-traced-to-rare-cluster-of-galaxies/">FRB</a>) events, which last only milliseconds and come from far beyond our galaxy, with properties that let astronomers study matter scattered across the universe.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-capturing-the-radio-bursts">Capturing the radio bursts</h2>



Lead author <a href="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1914-877X" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jun Tian</a> of the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics at The University of Manchester (<a href="https://www.jodrellbank.manchester.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">JBCA</a>) and collaborators in the MeerTRAP project used MeerKAT’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-detect-more-than-20-mysterious-radio-signals-from-space/">real time system</a> to search for fast transients while other observations were running.



“FRB 20240619D was first discovered on 2024 June 19 with three bursts being detected within two minutes in the MeerKAT L-band,” wrote Tian. 



A week later, the team followed up across ultra high frequency, L band, and S band and recorded a total of 249 bursts.



That pace puts the source among the most active repeaters seen so far, and it gives scientists a rare chance to compare how burst counts change with observing frequency in the same time window.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-the-radio-bursts-revealed">What the radio bursts revealed</h2>



The catalog shows a clear frequency preference during the campaign, with far more activity centered in the L band than at lower or higher radio frequencies, a clue that the burst energy distribution turns over near that range.



Individual pulses are often confined to slices of the band rather than filling the entire tuning, and some show substructures that drift downward in frequency over time, a pattern common in repeaters and important for modeling the emission region.



In several other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/glitching-star-explains-cosmic-radio-bursts/">repeaters</a>, microsecond and even nanosecond scale features have been measured, pointing to compact emission zones and rapid variability that are hard to reconcile with distant shock models.



The new source adds to that picture by presenting complex, sometimes <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-space-radio-burst-frb-20220610a-reaches-earth-after-8-billion-year-journey/">multi-component bursts</a> that change their frequency drift from one sub burst to the next, which strengthens the case for small scale structure close to the engine.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-polarization-plays-a-role">Polarization plays a role</h2>



Polarimetric data show most bursts are nearly fully linearly polarized, with a significant minority carrying measurable circular polarization, a combination that narrows the viable physical models for where and how these pulses arise.



Highly ordered polarization and fast microstructure often point to emission produced in or very near the magnetic environment of a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unusual-activity-detected-from-earths-closest-magnetar/">magnetar</a>, rather than far from the star in an external shock, as seen in other active repeaters.



Across the pulse window, the polarization angle can stay flat, swing smoothly, or jump between levels, which hints at dynamic geometry or propagation effects in the local plasma around the source.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-no-optical-flash-tighter-limits">No optical flash, tighter limits</h2>



Alongside the radio work, the team coordinated optical observations with the <a href="https://astro.ru.nl/blackgem/?page_id=76" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MeerLICHT</a> telescope and reported a stringent upper limit on any simultaneous optical flash at the burst times&nbsp;



“We find no optical counterpart of FRB 20240619D in the MeerLICHT optical observations,” wrote Tian.



For context, independent programs have been pushing optical searches to millisecond time resolution and are beginning to set even deeper fluence ratio limits in other repeating sources. 



This helps to rule out bright optical companions to the radio bursts on those time scales.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-the-source">Tracking the source</h2>



Astronomers have long debated whether repeating and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fast-radio-burst-frb-20240209a-detected-from-dead-galaxy-should-not-be-possible/">non-repeating FRBs</a> come from the same kind of source or if they reflect different origins. 



Some models suggest highly magnetized neutron stars undergoing starquakes, while others point to interactions between compact objects in binary systems. 



The extreme activity of <a href="https://www.wis-tns.org/object/FRB20240619D/discovery-cert" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FRB 20240619D</a> gives researchers a chance to test these ideas against detailed data.



Earlier repeaters such as <a href="https://www.wis-tns.org/object/FRB20121102A/discovery-cert" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FRB 20121102A</a> and <a href="https://www.wis-tns.org/object/FRB20201124A/discovery-cert" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FRB 20201124A</a> also produced storms of hundreds of bursts per hour, and the similarities between them and the new source could mean there is a common underlying mechanism. 



Careful comparison of their timing, polarization, and frequency behavior will be crucial for narrowing down which physical processes are responsible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-deep-space-radio-bursts-matter">Why deep space radio bursts matter</h2>



By capturing hundreds of radio bursts in a very short period of time, the well documented campaign lets researchers take several important steps. 



They can test how burst counts scale with radio fluence, measure dispersion measure and rotation measure precisely, and compare activity across frequencies without months of waiting.



Because FRBs accumulate signals as they cross intergalactic space, they can trace otherwise invisible ionized gas, so tracking their activity and pinpointing hosts helps map the cosmic web and its <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-space-radio-burst-frb-20220610a-reaches-earth-after-8-billion-year-journey/">missing baryons</a>.



The study is published in <a href="https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/540/2/1685/8131527" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society</a>.



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Repetitive radio bursts from deep space hit Earth hundreds of times in a matter of minutes

A team using MeerKAT in South Africa spotted a new...

The brain plays a constant role in managing blood sugar, one of the body’s most vital energy sources. Every cell depends on glucose, and it’s the brain that helps prevent levels from rising too high or dropping too low.



For years, researchers have understood how the nervous system responds in emergencies like fasting or sudden dips in sugar, but its role in everyday control hasn’t been as clear. 



That gap in knowledge has left big questions about how the body keeps itself stable from one day to the next. It also explains why even small disruptions in this system can set the stage for health problems over time.



Recent work shows that specific neurons in the brain take on the everyday task of keeping <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/squats-vs-walking-the-definitive-winner-for-reducing-blood-sugar/">blood sugar</a> steady under normal conditions. It’s another important clue to how the brain helps the body maintain its energy balance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-master-regulator-in-the-brain">A master regulator in the brain</h2>



The hypothalamus, a small region deep in the brain, is already known as a master regulator. It controls <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/our-brain-has-a-meal-memory-that-controls-hunger/">hunger</a>, temperature, fear responses, and even <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/does-your-finger-length-predict-sexual-behavior-a-rat-study-says-yes/">sexual behavior</a>. 



Within it lies the ventromedial nucleus, a hub that past studies linked to raising blood sugar during stressful events. What scientists wanted to know was whether this region also contributes during calm, routine conditions - like sleep.



The answer, it turns out, is yes. Researchers at the University of Michigan’s <a href="https://diabetes.med.umich.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Caswell Diabetes Institute</a> have pinpointed a set of neurons, called VMHCckbr neurons, that take on this task. 



These cells contain a protein known as the cholecystokinin b receptor, and their role becomes especially important overnight.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-night-shift-for-neurons">Night shift for neurons</h2>



By studying mice, the team discovered that VMHCckbr neurons spring into action in the first few hours after bedtime. 



Study co-author Dr. Alison Affinati described the important role of the neurons - which act as a safety net that operates while we sleep.



“In the first four hours after you go to bed, these neurons ensure that you have enough glucose so that you don't become hypoglycemic overnight,” explained Dr. Affinati.



The process works through <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/late-morning-exercise-may-burn-more-fat/">fat metabolism</a>. The neurons signal the body to start lipolysis, breaking down stored fat into glycerol. That glycerol is then converted into sugar, helping keep glucose levels stable until morning.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-blood-sugar-control-at-night">Blood sugar control at night</h2>



To test how crucial these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/first-complete-map-of-every-neuron-in-the-brain-revealed/">neurons</a> are, the researchers turned them off in mouse models. When silenced, blood sugar control faltered during the early fasting hours of the night. 



On the other hand, when the neurons were activated, glycerol levels rose, confirming their role in fueling overnight glucose production.



This activity may also shed light on prediabetes. People with prediabetes often show an increase in nighttime lipolysis. The study suggests that overactive VMHCckbr neurons could be part of the reason their blood sugar runs high.



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



“Our studies show that the control of glucose is not an on-or-off switch as previously thought,” said Dr. Affinati. 



“Different populations of neurons work together, and everything gets turned on in an emergency. However, under routine conditions, it allows for subtle changes.”



This layered system ensures flexibility. One group of neurons may control fat breakdown, while others likely fine-tune sugar balance through different mechanisms involving the liver or pancreas. 



That teamwork allows the body to adjust to different states - eating, fasting, or stress - without slipping into dangerous extremes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-brain-s-next-puzzle">The brain’s next puzzle</h2>



Scientists now aim to determine how all the various neurons in the ventromedial nucleus fit together. One part of that is mapping how brain signals feed into the liver and pancreas, which are key players in maintaining blood sugar levels. 



Dissecting these connections could ultimately lead to new ways to attack metabolic disorders like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-can-counteract-the-genetic-risk-for-diabetes/">diabetes</a>, which afflicts millions of individuals.



What this research makes unmistakably clear is that blood sugar regulation is not all about crises - it's something the brain is doing every day. 



When we’re asleep, these neurons work quietly in the background, keeping balance so we have the fuel that we need in the morning.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2212877825001231">Molecular Metabolism</a>.



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How blood sugar stays steady overnight: Hidden network revealed

The brain plays a constant role in managing blood sugar,...

Giraffes are instantly recognizable with their tall necks, patterned coats, and slow strides across African plains. For a long time, scientists believed they were all one species. New research shows that’s not the case.



A detailed analysis shows that giraffes aren’t one single group, but four separate species. This discovery reshapes conservation and forces a fresh look at Africa’s most iconic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-giraffe-day-2025-calls-for-urgent-action-to-save-giraffes/">animal</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-discovery-of-four-giraffe-species">Discovery of four giraffe species</h2>



After years of genetic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giraffes-have-gut-bacteria-that-are-unaffected-by-their-diet/#google_vignette">analysis</a>, researchers have identified four distinct giraffe species. These include Northern giraffes, reticulated giraffes, Masai giraffes, and Southern giraffes.



Michael Brown from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (<a href="https://iucn.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IUCN</a>) explained why the split matters. 



“Each species has different population sizes, threats and conservation needs,” said Brown. “When you lump giraffes all together, it muddies the narrative.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-giraffes-face-various-threats">Giraffes face various threats</h2>



Northern and Masai giraffes face very different pressures. Northern giraffes live in South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Central African Republic, where conflict and poaching continue to shrink their populations. 



Masai giraffes in Kenya and Tanzania confront another problem - rapid habitat loss. Expanding farms and cattle grazing steadily replace open savannas, leaving less room for giraffes to roam. 



These contrasting threats highlight why conservation cannot treat all giraffes as one group.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unique-conservation-needs-of-giraffes">Unique conservation needs of giraffes</h2>



Each species lives in unique conditions, shaped by political, social, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giraffes-hate-slopes-and-its-threatening-their-survival/">environmental factors</a>, and each requires tailored strategies to prevent further decline and secure its future in the wild.



In Uganda’s Kidepo Valley National Park, Northern giraffes show just how fragile the situation has become. 



Stuart Pimm, an ecologist from <a href="https://duke.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Duke University</a>, praised the new classification. “Considering four giraffe species is absolutely the right decision, and it’s long overdue,” he said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-science-reveals-differences">Modern science reveals differences</h2>



Old studies focused on the giraffe’s coat. Spots seemed like a clue, but they were not considered strong enough evidence to define multiple species.



In more recent studies, researchers used genetic sequencing and skull comparisons to find differences. Even the giraffe’s bony head protrusions, often mistaken for horns, carry distinctions.



The task force behind the current study argued that taxonomy is never just academic. It shapes how funds get used, how laws protect animals, and how people understand risk. Getting the classification wrong means protecting the wrong populations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genetics-reshape-giraffe-conservation">Genetics reshape giraffe conservation</h2>



Stephanie Fennessy from the&nbsp;<a href="https://giraffeconservation.org/">Giraffe Conservation Foundation</a>&nbsp;highlighted how falling sequencing costs transformed giraffe research. Two decades ago, analyzing a single genome cost tens of thousands of dollars, making large-scale studies nearly impossible. 



Today, the cost is around $100, a dramatic drop that opened access for nonprofit groups and conservationists. 



With this affordability, researchers gathered over 2,000 genetic samples from giraffes across Africa, building a vast dataset that reshaped understanding of giraffe diversity. But the assessment emphasized that genetics alone cannot carry the burden of taxonomy.



Strong conclusions need multiple forms of evidence. Anatomy, such as skull differences, and ecological patterns, like habitat ranges, must align with genetic data to build a reliable picture. If classifications depend only on one source, conservation planning risks misdirection. 



By combining disciplines, scientists ensure that strategies reflect reality, giving giraffes a better chance at survival in an increasingly pressured environment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-population-counts-show-urgency">Population counts show urgency</h2>



Population counts reveal the stakes. Northern <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giraffes-are-suffering-a-silent-extinction-and-need-more-protection/">giraffes</a> are the scarcest, with around 7,000 left. "It’s one of the most threatened large mammals in the world,” said Fennessy. 



Reticulated giraffes number around 21,000, while Masai giraffes total nearly 44,000. Southern giraffes have the strongest population, with about 69,000 individuals remaining.



These numbers show why the new classification matters. Without separating species, losses in one group hide behind stability in another. With clarity, strategies can actually match the dangers each group faces.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-protecting-giraffes-individually">Protecting giraffes individually</h2>



The story of giraffes and their conservation is no longer simple. “If not all giraffes are the same, then we have to protect them individually," said Fennessy.



A change in perspective could determine giraffes’ future in Africa - either remaining a familiar presence or vanishing from the wild. 



Science now provides conservationists with stronger tools to act. The pressing challenge is simple yet urgent: will these tools be applied effectively before it becomes too late?



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Recognizing different giraffe species is crucial for conservation

Giraffes are instantly recognizable with their tall necks, patterned coats,...

Forests hold our climate together. They store carbon, balance rainfall, and shelter more life than we can count. Among them, the Amazon and Andes stand out. These vast forests feed rivers, shape weather, and anchor communities of plants, animals, and people.



But they are now falling behind. A new study by <a href="https://www.wfu.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wake Forest University</a> and international partners shows that tree communities in the region are not adjusting fast enough to rising temperatures. 



Decades of monitoring reveal that while some forests near the cloud base shift slightly, most remain stuck. That slow pace threatens not just biodiversity, but also the services humans rely on every day.



"These <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forests-are-lagging-centuries-behind-in-climate-adaptation/">forests</a> are simply not keeping up with climate change," said lead author William Farfan-Rios of Wake Forest University. "The result is a growing climatic debt that threatens the integrity and functioning of the most diverse forests on Earth."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forests-lag-behind-climate-change">Forests lag behind climate change</h2>



The team followed 66,000 trees across 2,500 species for more than 40 years. They expected to see warm-adapted species slowly replacing those suited to cooler conditions - a process known as thermophilization. But the forests told a different story.



From the low Amazon basin to the high Andes, tree communities showed almost no sign of this shift. Trees grew, died, and recruited, yet the overall balance barely moved. 



Scientists call this gap between climate warming and ecological response a climatic debt. If that debt builds, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/old-growth-forests-remain-earths-strongest-carbon-vaults/">forests</a> risk crossing thresholds that they cannot recover from.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stress-at-the-cloud-base">Stress at the cloud base</h2>



The clearest signs of strain appeared in mid-elevation <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-most-diverse-forests-are-failing-to-adapt-to-climate-change/">forests</a> between 1,200 and 2,000 meters. Here, mortality of cool-adapted trees rose sharply. These cloud-base forests seem to carry the heaviest burden of warming.



The Amazon lowlands, by contrast, showed little consistent movement at all. On the surface, that looks stable. In reality, it signals trouble ahead. 



Heat stress and drought will hit harder in the coming decades, and these forests have no hotter-adapted species waiting to take over.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forests-must-change-with-climate">Forests must change with climate</h2>



The Amazon and Andes together hold the greatest variety of life on Earth. They also act as giant carbon sponges, slowing the buildup of greenhouse gases. 



If their tree communities fail to adapt, the consequences will spread far beyond South America. Carbon storage will shrink, species will vanish, and ecosystems could unravel.



"You have to be there for long periods of time to understand how these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/protecting-forests-helps-birds-and-humans-in-many-ways/">forests</a> change," said co-author Miles Silman of Wake Forest University. 



"If we lose these climate observatories, these natural labs, we blind ourselves to our future. What we found is that forests are changing, but they're not changing in the ways that make them resilient to climate change."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-limits-of-forest-adaptation">Limits of forest adaptation</h2>



Tree communities simply cannot keep pace with today’s speed of warming. Individual trees die within decades, but species turnover takes centuries. 



On top of that, forests need dispersers and pollinators to expand into new ranges. Yet many of these animals are disappearing as habitats shrink.



"They also need the full complement of animal dispersers and pollinators to help expand their range - and loss of habitat is shrinking their ranks," noted Silman. 



"If you look at the magnitude of changes happening in the Andes-Amazon, the forest communities likely are not going to keep up. That's why research like this is important."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-decades-of-data-serve-as-a-warning">Decades of data serve as a warning</h2>



Tropical species face sharper limits than temperate ones. They tolerate only narrow temperature ranges, and they often have nowhere warmer to move. In the lowlands, for example, no hotter-adapted species exist to take over. That leaves communities locked in place.



This study, authored by more than 20 scientists across the Americas and Europe, draws on decades of collaboration. 



Networks like ABERG, RAINFOR, and <a href="https://www.forestplots.net/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ForestPlots.net</a> made it possible to track forests over long stretches of time. The collective data show that the tropics, once thought resilient, may be less able to adjust than forests in temperate zones.



The message is stark. The world’s most diverse forests are changing, but too slowly to match the heat. If this pattern continues, the Andes and Amazon could face tipping points that threaten both ecosystems and people.



For now, continued monitoring remains vital. These forests act as early warning systems, showing us how nature responds to climate stress. Without them, we lose both knowledge and time.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2425619122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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Forests are not adapting fast enough to climate change

Forests hold our climate together. They store carbon, balance rainfall,...

Extinction stories are not just about the past. They tell us how fragile survival can be. The cave bear that once dominated Europe was adaptable, widespread, and seemed secure. Yet around 25,000 years ago it disappeared.



Cave <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/polar-bear-cubs-are-emerging-earlier-from-dens/">bears</a> vanished after climate change, dwindling resources, and human pressure collided. This deadly mix shows survival requires more than adaptability. 



Modern bears now face similar overlapping threats. Their future depends on reducing these pressures before resilience alone proves insufficient - as history already warned with the extinction of cave bears.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-cave-bear-bones-revealed">What cave bear bones revealed</h2>



The study was led by <a href="https://www.uclan.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Central Lancashire</a>&nbsp;archaeologist Dr. Jennifer Jones, along with colleagues from Spain, Serbia, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University College London</a>. 



The team examined cave bear remains from Šalitrena Pećina in Serbia. The bones, more than 40,000 years old, still held chemical traces of the bears’ diets.



The study overturned old assumptions, showing cave bears were flexible eaters. Instead of relying on one food, they consumed plants from forests, open landscapes, and even lichens. 



This adaptability should have improved their survival odds, yet environmental upheaval and human pressures proved stronger than their dietary range.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-adaptable-but-not-invincible">Adaptable but not invincible</h2>



During the last Ice Age, Europe’s climate shifted dramatically, with colder temperatures, longer winters, and shrinking vegetation reduced food supplies.



At the same time, humans expanded into their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brown-bears-move-where-their-food-grows/">habitats</a>, competing for shelter and hunting bears. Neanderthals and modern humans occupied caves once essential for hibernation. 



Predators like hyenas further stressed populations by preying on vulnerable cubs. Each threat alone might have been manageable, but together they overwhelmed even a resilient species. 



The combination of climate stress, human pressure, and natural predation pushed cave bears past their survival threshold.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pressure-from-every-side">Pressure from every side</h2>



"Our study found that cave bears were flexible and could adapt to local conditions, much more so than previously thought. But when large-scale climate change was combined with human expansion, even a resilient species couldn't cope," said Dr. Jones. 



"This should serve as a warning for us as we explore ways of protecting endangered bears today."



Cave bears were strong, but they were not immune. Humans occupied caves, cut into their territory, and hunted them. The bears’ story is not just about climate, but about pressure from every side.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-bears-at-risk">Modern bears at risk</h2>



Today, six out of eight bear <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/grizzly-bears-help-huckleberries-thrive-in-a-changing-climate/">species</a> face the same kind of squeeze. In Europe, only about 17,000 to 20,000 brown bears remain. They live across more than 20 countries, but in small, scattered groups. Some survive in mountains, others in forest patches, but few live in strong connected populations.



Habitat loss, poaching, and conflict with humans keep pushing them back. Climate change adds new stress. Isolation weakens their genetic strength. Every problem stacks on top of the last. 



Groups like the&nbsp;International Union for Conservation of Nature (<a href="https://www.iucn.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IUCN</a>)&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">World Wildlife Fund</a>&nbsp;track these populations and warn of their growing vulnerability.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-for-bear-survival">Lessons for bear survival</h2>



The cave bear’s extinction reveals that survival collapses under overlapping pressures, not a single cause. Climate, habitat loss, and human conflict together prove fatal. 



Today, brown bears and their relatives face the same dangerous mix, standing at a crossroads where combined threats could decide their future survival.



"We need to recognize that adaptability isn't enough for bear species to survive, if the threats against them continue to mount," said Dr. Jones. 



"The more pressure that we pile on today's wildlife like aggressive habitat loss, climate change and ongoing human conflicts, the smaller their chance of survival is."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-urgent-action-needed-to-protect-bears">Urgent action needed to protect bears </h2>



The past makes one point clear. Protecting today’s bears means lifting some of the heavy weight. That includes bigger habitats, safer food sources, and less conflict with humans. 



The study on cave bear extinction shows what happens when every margin of survival is erased. If we want brown bears to endure, the time to act is now.



Organizations like <a href="https://rewildingeurope.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rewilding Europe</a>&nbsp;already work to secure habitats and reconnect populations, but much more remains to be done.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14614103.2025.2521944" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Environmental Archaeology</a>.



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Extinct cave bears reveal threats to modern bears

Extinction stories are not just about the past. They tell...

Many of us associate air pollution with traffic, industry, or outdoor smog. Yet daily personal care routines can expose people to invisible risks within their own homes. 



Hair sprays, serums, and heat styling tools release <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scented-products-release-indoor-air-pollutants/">particles</a> so tiny they can slip deep into the lungs. New research reveals just how significant these exposures may be.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-billions-of-tiny-particles">Billions of tiny particles</h2>



A <a href="https://www.purdue.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Purdue University</a> team led by Nusrat Jung and Ph.D. student Jianghui Liu found that a 10-20 minute hair styling routine can produce more than 10 billion <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-dust-is-making-indoor-air-more-polluted-than-outside/">airborne nanoparticles</a>. 



These particles are smaller than 100 nanometers and can penetrate deeply into the lungs, triggering respiratory stress, inflammation, and even cognitive effects.



"This is really quite concerning," Jung said. "The number of nanoparticles inhaled from using typical, store-bought hair-care products was far greater than we ever anticipated."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-heat-drives-the-release">Heat drives the release</h2>



The study shows that heating tools like straighteners or curlers are the primary drivers of nanoparticle release. 



At temperatures above 300 degrees Fahrenheit, volatile and low-volatility chemicals rapidly evaporate, nucleate, and condense into dense clouds of particles. 



At 360 degrees and higher, sub-100 nanometer particles made up more than 95 percent of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cutting-super-pollutants-could-quickly-cool-the-planet/">emissions</a>.



"Atmospheric nanoparticle formation was especially responsive to these heat applications," Liu explained. "Heat is the main driver - cyclic siloxanes and other low-volatility ingredients volatilize, nucleate and grow into new nanoparticles, most of them smaller than 100 nanometers."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-harmful-hair-styling-chemicals">Harmful hair styling chemicals</h2>



Among the chemicals, D5 siloxane stands out. This ingredient is widespread in hair products because of its smooth texture and thermal stability. 



Yet it is very persistent in the environment and bioaccumulates in living organisms. Animal studies link D5 siloxane to respiratory, liver, and nervous system damage.



"When we first studied the emissions from hair care products during heat surges, we focused on the volatile chemicals that were released, and what we found was already quite concerning," Jung said. 



"But when we took an even closer look with aerosol instrumentation typically used to measure tailpipe exhaust, we discovered that these chemicals were generating bursts of anywhere from 10,000 to 100,000 nanoparticles per cubic centimeter."



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



The Purdue study revealed that two mechanisms fuel nanoparticle creation. The first is volatilization of siloxanes and similar ingredients during heating. 



The second involves atmospheric chemistry: fragrance additives and terpenes can react with indoor ozone, producing secondary organic aerosols. 



Even when no heat was applied, some nanoparticle formation still occurred through these chemical reactions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-breathing-zone-risks">Breathing zone risks</h2>



Hair styling often happens close to the face, placing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/millions-of-people-die-from-air-pollution-each-year-yet-theres-still-a-lack-of-monitoring/">emissions</a> directly in the breathing zone. Modeling shows that nanoparticles deposit most efficiently in the pulmonary region, the deepest part of the lungs. 



Pulmonary deposition rates for sub-100 nanometer particles are especially high, raising concern over repeated exposures from daily routines.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hair-styling-products-and-tools-matter">Hair styling products and tools matter</h2>



The researchers found that temperature mattered more than product type. At 410 °F, more than 46 billion nanoparticles deposited in the respiratory system, compared to less than one billion at 300 °F. 



Long hair also led to higher doses, since longer styling times produced more emissions.



Interestingly, appliances behaved differently. Straighteners and curlers emitted the most ultrafine particles, while wavers generated fewer but larger particles. 



Even so, larger particles can carry greater mass, meaning risk cannot be judged by particle counts alone.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-safer-hair-styling-practices">Safer hair styling practices</h2>



For context, 20 minutes of hair straightening at high heat can equal the nanoparticle dose of 20-200 minutes of sitting in vehicle traffic or 30-100 minutes of exposure to urban outdoor air.



In poorly ventilated homes, these exposures can become even higher as particles linger longer in indoor air.



Jung and Liu recommend limiting the combined use of hair products and heat tools. If use cannot be avoided, ventilation becomes essential. Exhaust fans, open windows, or air purifiers can help reduce particle buildup.



"If you must use hair care products, limit their use and ensure the space is well ventilated," Liu said. "Even without heating appliances, better ventilation can reduce exposure to volatile chemicals, such as D5 siloxane, in these products."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-directions">Future research directions</h2>



Future studies aim to measure even smaller particles down to one nanometer and identify their chemical makeup. This will help clarify the full health implications of these emissions and refine strategies to reduce risks.



"By addressing these research gaps, future studies can provide a more holistic understanding of the emissions and exposures associated with heat-based hair styling, contributing to improved indoor air pollution assessments and mitigation strategies," Jung said.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.4c14384" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a>.



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Hair styling releases billions of toxic nanoparticles that then enter your body

Many of us associate air pollution with traffic, industry, or...

A burst of radio energy from deep space just set a new record. It was brighter than anything like it ever seen before - and it came from a galaxy only 130 million light-years away. That’s unusually close by cosmic standards. 



The burst, known as a fast radio burst or FRB, lasted just a few milliseconds but packed enough power to outshine entire galaxies in radio light.



This one was so intense, scientists gave it a nickname: RBFLOAT - short for “radio brightest flash of all time.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-a-fast-radio-burst">What is a fast radio burst?</h2>



A <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fast-radio-bursts-from-space-may-be-signs-of-alien-life/">fast radio burst</a> is a short, intense spike of radio waves that lasts only a few milliseconds. That’s a thousandth of a second. But in that split second, it can outshine entire galaxies in the radio part of the spectrum. 



FRBs have been baffling astronomers since they were first discovered in 2007. Nobody knows for sure what causes them. But this new detection could finally help change that.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-rbfloat-is-a-big-deal">Why RBFLOAT is a big deal</h2>



The burst was detected by an international team using a network of radio telescopes known as CHIME - short for Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment - and a new system called the CHIME Outriggers. 



The Outriggers, located at separate sites across North America, give the main CHIME telescope a powerful upgrade. Together, they allow astronomers to pinpoint exactly where a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/spacexs-starlink-satellites-leak-radio-signals-that-threaten-to-ruin-astronomy/">radio signal</a> came from. This precision made all the difference. 



On March 16, 2025, CHIME picked up an ultra-bright flash. It was so bright, in fact, that scientists weren’t sure if it was coming from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-space-radio-burst-frb-20220610a-reaches-earth-after-8-billion-year-journey/">deep space</a> or just a burst of radio interference here on Earth.



But the CHIME Outriggers quickly narrowed it down: the signal came from a galaxy called NGC 4141, located in the constellation Ursa Major.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-do-the-bursts-come-from">Where do the bursts come from?</h2>



The burst came from the outer edge of the galaxy - right near a region where new stars are being born. This area is hot, chaotic, and full of activity, which makes it a prime candidate for violent events like FRBs.



The current leading theory is that FRBs come from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/huge-outbursts-from-quiet-magnetars-have-a-surprising-source/">magnetars</a> - a type of neutron star with insanely strong magnetic fields. These stars are known for producing powerful flares, especially when they’re young. 



Because the burst came from just outside the star-forming region, it might have been produced by a magnetar that’s slightly older than most and had more time to develop.



“These are mostly hints,” said Kiyoshi Masui, associate professor of physics at <a href="https://web.mit.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MIT</a>. “But the precise localization of this burst is letting us dive into the details of how old an FRB source could be."



"If it were right in the middle, it would only be thousands of years old - very young for a star. This one, being on the edge, may have had a little more time to bake.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-eyes-on-the-sky">New eyes on the sky</h2>



CHIME was originally built to map <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massive-star-forming-hydrogen-cloud-discovered-surprisingly-close-to-earth-eos/">hydrogen</a> in space. But over time, it became clear that the telescope was picking up something else: FRBs. 



Since 2018, CHIME has detected about 4,000 fast radio bursts. However, until recently, it couldn’t tell exactly where the bursts were coming from.



That changed with the addition of the CHIME Outriggers - smaller versions of the telescope placed in different locations. When a flash is picked up, all of the telescopes work together to trace it back to a specific location in the sky.



“Imagine we are in New York and there’s a firefly in Florida that is bright for a thousandth of a second, which is usually how quick FRBs are,” said Shion Andrew, a graduate student at MIT’s Kavli Institute. 



“Localizing an FRB to a specific part of its host galaxy is analogous to figuring out not just what tree the firefly came from, but which branch it’s sitting on.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-diversity-of-fast-radio-bursts">Diversity of fast radio bursts</h2>



Once they had locked in the location of RBFLOAT, scientists went back through six years of CHIME data to see if anything similar had been seen before in the same spot. Nothing was found. That puts RBFLOAT firmly in the “one-off” category - a burst that flares once and then goes silent.



“Right now we’re in the middle of this story of whether repeating and nonrepeating FRBs are different. These observations are putting together bits and pieces of the puzzle,” said Masui.



That’s a major question in FRB science: are the ones that repeat caused by something different than the one-time flashes? This discovery doesn’t answer that question - but it gives researchers a big piece of evidence to work with. 



Because it’s so bright and close, they can study the area around the burst in greater detail than ever before.



“There’s evidence to suggest that not all FRB progenitors are the same,” said Andrew. “We’re on track to localize hundreds of FRBs every year. The hope is that a larger sample of FRBs localized to their host environments can help reveal the full diversity of these populations.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-race-to-understand-frbs">The race to understand FRBs</h2>



For now, scientists are digging deeper into the data - studying not just the burst itself, but also its environment, its galaxy, and any signs of activity that might hint at what caused it. 



The discovery of RBFLOAT doesn’t solve the FRB mystery, but it’s one of the clearest clues yet.



The more fast radio bursts that scientists find and locate, the closer they’ll get to cracking the code. And with CHIME and its new Outriggers up and running, the race is on.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/adf62f" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Astrophysical Journal Letters</a>.



Image Credit: Danielle Futselaar



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Astronomers spot the brightest fast radio burst on record

A burst of radio energy from deep space just set...

Rice feeds billions. It thrives in warm, wet fields and stores energy in a way that fits busy lives and tight budgets. Those same flooded fields can also make arsenic more available to rice plants, and some of that arsenic can end up in the grain.



A growing body of field evidence points to a new twist: <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astonishing-global-heat-in-january-2025-defied-climate-expectations/">as the planet warms</a> and CO₂ rises, flooded soils lose oxygen more often and for longer stretches. That chemical shift frees arsenic from soil particles, and rice roots take up more of it.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-rice-and-arsenic">Climate, rice, and arsenic</h2>



After years of outdoor trials, researchers report that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-water-day-2025-preserving-glaciers-protecting-our-future/">climate conditions</a> expected by mid-century would increase the flow of inorganic arsenic - the harmful form - from soil to plant to grain.



The work appears in a leading medical journal and was conducted by teams at Columbia University’s <a href="https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mailman School of Public Health</a>, with collaborators in China and the United States. 



“Our results suggest that this increase in arsenic levels could significantly elevate the incidence of heart disease, diabetes, and other non-cancer health effects,” explained <a href="https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/profile/lewis-ziska" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Lewis Ziska</a>, associate professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the Columbia Mailman School.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-arsenic-is-in-rice">Why arsenic is in rice</h2>



Arsenic occurs naturally in many soils and waters. In paddies that stay flooded, oxygen dwindles. Iron minerals that normally bind arsenic dissolve, and arsenic becomes more mobile. 



Warmer conditions paired with higher CO₂ push that chemistry along, especially in fields that remain waterlogged. 



Under future settings - temperatures <a href="https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/why-did-ipcc-choose-2deg-c-goal-limiting-global-warming" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">more than 2°C</a> (about 3.6°F) above pre-industrial levels plus elevated CO₂ - the balance tilts toward more inorganic arsenic entering the plant.



That does not make every bowl risky. Local geology, irrigation sources, soil type, and farming practices all shape grain levels. It does mean that the odds can shift in places where paddies stay saturated for long periods.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-rice-and-arsenic">Studying rice and arsenic</h2>



The scientists did not rely on short greenhouse trials. They grew 28 rice varieties outdoors for roughly a decade using a Free-Air CO₂ Enrichment (<a href="https://ess.science.energy.gov/face/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FACE</a>) system.



This process releases extra CO₂ around crops in the open air so that sunlight, wind, microbes, and soil behave as they do in real life.



Those long-running field data then fed into models linking plant arsenic levels to typical rice intake and body size across major <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/feeding-the-world-without-harming-nature-the-complex-balance-of-farming/">rice-eating countries</a> in Asia.



The projections indicate a sizable shift in risk. Lifetime cancer risks, particularly for lung and bladder cancer, increased by 44% relative to ambient conditions. China alone may face 19.3 million excess cancer cases related to arsenic exposure through rice. 



“From a health perspective, the toxicological effects of chronic iAs exposure are well established; and include cancers of the lung, bladder, and skin, as well as ischemic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heart-disease-kills-differently-now-than-five-decades-ago/">heart disease</a>,” said Dr. Ziska.



Non-cancer outcomes also matter. The modeling points to increased risks for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases tied to long-term inorganic arsenic exposure in populations with high rice intake.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-risks-are-the-highest">Where risks are the highest</h2>



Diet and water sources shape exposure. Regions where rice is a daily staple and paddies are often kept flooded will see the largest impacts under warmer, CO₂-richer conditions. 



“Ingesting rice in regions like southern China and Southeast and South Asia is already a significant source of dietary arsenic and cancer risk,” said Dr. Ziska.



Within countries, irrigation that draws from arsenic-rich groundwater can raise grain levels. Varieties also differ in how strongly they transport arsenic from roots to grain, which creates room for practical solutions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-this-is-bad-what-can-be-done">This is bad, what can be done?</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/genetic-fixes-may-save-crops-from-climate-stress/">Plant breeding</a> can help: select and develop varieties that limit arsenic uptake even when soils push it toward the roots. Breeders already see large differences among rice lines in how much arsenic reaches the grain. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trillions-of-cubic-meters-of-water-is-used-to-grow-crops-each-year/">Water management</a> is another lever. Continuous flooding increases arsenic mobility, while giving soils time to drain lets oxygen return, which can hold arsenic in less available forms.



Post-harvest steps matter too. Milling and cooking methods can reduce how much arsenic ends up on the plate. 



No single fix works everywhere. Shifting water regimes, for example, can raise cadmium in some settings, so local testing and tailored management are essential to avoid trading one problem for another.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-limits-and-moving-parts">Limits and moving parts</h2>



Any mid-century projection carries uncertainty. Policies can bend emissions paths, and farmers adapt as technology and economics shift. 



Diets change with income, urbanization, and migration. The underlying processes are well established. The decade of fieldwork done for this study adds weight because it includes real weather, pests, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/engineered-plant-microbiomes-the-future-of-crop-protection/">microbial communities</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rice-arsenic-and-human-health">Rice, arsenic, and human health</h2>



Rice remains a staple food, and the findings from this research don't claim that every bowl on every table becomes unsafe. Instead, the scientists point to smarter ways of managing risk and a need to act upstream.



Farmers can adjust irrigation where feasible. Breeders can favor varieties that move less arsenic to the grain. Public health agencies can track arsenic in grains and irrigation sources to guide choices in hotspots. 



“Our study underscores the urgent need for action to reduce arsenic exposure in rice, especially as climate change continues to affect <a href="https://www.nifa.usda.gov/topics/global-food-security" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">global food security</a>,” said Dr. Ziska.



Keeping rice safe in a warming world is within reach: breed smarter, water smarter, process smarter—and cut emissions, because the air over our fields follows us to the table.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(25)00055-5/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Lancet Planetary Health</a>.



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Study finds that the 'king of poisons' is building up in rice fields around the world

Rice feeds billions. It thrives in warm, wet fields and...

From the songs of dawn to the soaring silhouettes over oceans, birds often inspire us with grace and freedom. Yet, beyond their beauty lies a deeper role: they act as movers of nutrients, linking land, sea, and sky. 



Just as whales recycle nutrients through their excretions, seabirds may quietly influence <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seabird-flights-and-amazing-feeding-behavior-in-the-ocean-captured-with-tiny-cameras/">marine life</a> with something far less glamorous: their droppings.



While bird guano has long been known as a rich fertilizer for land and coastal ecosystems, what happens in the open sea is still a mystery. 



Researchers recently turned their eyes to an unlikely subject, bathroom habits of seabirds far from shore. What they uncovered sheds light on how even the smallest actions can ripple across vast ecosystems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seabirds-that-only-poop-midair">Seabirds that only poop midair</h2>



On Japan’s remote islands, researchers noticed something unusual about streaked shearwaters. Instead of relieving themselves while floating, these seabirds poop midair. 



The study revealed that the birds follow this routine every 4 to 10 minutes. This aerial approach may keep them clean and at the same time fertilize the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-is-harming-seabirds-even-more-than-we-realized/">ocean</a> below.



Study lead author Leo Uesaka from the <a href="https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Tokyo</a> explained that the initial focus of the research had nothing to do with bird waste. 



“I was studying how seabirds run on sea surface to take off,” said Uesaka. “While watching the video, I was surprised that they dropped feces very frequently. I thought it was funny at first, but it turned out to be more interesting and important for marine ecology.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seabird-poop-and-ocean-nutrients">Seabird poop and ocean nutrients</h2>



Seabird droppings are rich in nitrogen and phosphorus. On land, they enhance soils and boost coastal ecosystems. Yet, their impact at sea remains less explored. 



Streaked shearwaters and their relatives, with populations totaling around 424 million, may deliver a steady nutrient supply to the open <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seabirds-have-highly-sensitive-beaks-to-locate-food/">ocean</a>. These nutrients support plankton - the foundation of marine life.



The new study compared this process to the “whale pump,” in which whales recycle nutrients through their excretion.



Just like whales, vast seabird populations may shape marine productivity through their waste. This makes their periodic bathroom habits more than just a quirk - they could influence entire food webs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seabirds-avoid-pooping-in-water">Seabirds avoid pooping in water</h2>



The team strapped tiny backward-facing cameras, the size of erasers, to 15 shearwaters. They recorded nearly 200 bathroom events. 



The footage showed that the birds usually relieved themselves after takeoff. Some even took off briefly just to poop, returning to the water moments later.



Interestingly, nearly all excretion occurred midair. Only one recorded event happened while floating. This suggests the birds actively avoid releasing waste on the surface. 



Researchers believe this may help seabirds keep feathers clean, reduce pathogen risks, avoid predators, and release nutrients into the ocean. The flight posture may also make it easier to exert gut pressure compared to floating.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-patterns-and-body-weight">Patterns and body weight</h2>



“Streaked shearwaters have very long and narrow wings, good for gliding, not flapping,” said Uesaka. 



“They have to flap their wings vigorously to take off, which exhausts them. This means the risk of excreting on the sea surface outweighs the effort to take off. There must be a strong reason behind that.”



The research uncovered another surprising detail: the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shrinking-sea-ice-makes-it-harder-for-seabirds-to-find-food/">birds</a> kept a steady rhythm, often every few minutes, regardless of how much time passed after eating. Each bird excreted about 30 grams per hour, more than 5% of its body weight. 



That rapid loss could help lighten their load mid-flight, making gliding more efficient. This finding challenges earlier land-based estimates, which suggested lower excretion rates.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-ecosystems">Implications for ecosystems</h2>



While the waste of a single bird seems trivial, the collective output of millions becomes immense. Their droppings may transport nutrients far from breeding colonies, enriching distant ocean waters. This influence might be crucial in areas where seabirds gather in large numbers.



The study also raises a health dimension. Seabird feces can carry pathogens like avian influenza. If excreted in shared feeding grounds, they might spread diseases across colonies. 



This possibility highlights how seabird behavior links not only to nutrient cycles but also to marine epidemiology.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seabirds-and-hidden-nutrients">Seabirds and hidden nutrients</h2>



“We don’t know why they keep this excretion rhythm, but there must be a reason,” said Uesaka. 



He plans to expand studies with longer-lasting cameras and GPS to map where droppings fall at sea. "Feces are important. But people don’t really think about it," said Uesaka.



Ultimately, the study shows that even small, seemingly insignificant behaviors can shape ecosystems. What seems trivial may hold vital clues to how life sustains itself across the oceans.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(25)00818-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a>.



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Seabirds only poop when they are flying, and that's a great thing for the ocean

From the songs of dawn to the soaring silhouettes over...

Some of the first human settlers in the Americas carried more than primitive skills and tools, they also brought a small but powerful genetic variant called MUC19. 



That gene fragment, inherited from an extinct hominin called Denisovans, appears to have helped early people cope with new diseases, foods, and landscapes.



In a new study, a team of scientists led by the University of Colorado Boulder (<a href="https://www.colorado.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CU Boulder</a>), with collaborators including <a href="https://www.brown.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brown University</a>, traced a Denisovan-derived variant of a gene called MUC19 that is unusually common in people with Indigenous American ancestry.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-denisovans-gave-us-muc19">Denisovans gave us MUC19</h2>



“In terms of evolution, this is an incredible leap,” said Fernando Villanea, an assistant professor in the Anthropology department at CU Boulder and a lead author of the study. “It shows an amount of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-most-diverse-forests-are-failing-to-adapt-to-climate-change/">adaptation</a> and resilience within a population that is simply amazing.”



The result ties a deep past event to a much later journey. Long before humans crossed the Bering Strait ice corridors, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mysterious-denisovan-species-humans-lived-undisturbed-tibetan-plateau-160000-years/">Denisovans</a> and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-link-autism-to-neanderthal-dna-genetic-variants-found-in-modern-humans/">Neanderthals</a> interbred.



Later, Neanderthals and humans did the same. Along that chain, a Denisovan version of MUC19 made its way into some human populations. Natural selection then favored it in the Americas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-extinct-cousins-left-their-mark">Extinct cousins left their mark</h2>



Denisovans were close cousins of both humans and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dna-analysis-reveals-most-recent-modern-human-to-interbreed-with-neanderthals/">Neanderthals</a>. They ranged from Siberia south toward Oceania and west onto the Tibetan Plateau. 



Fossil traces are sparse, and the first recognized Denisovan was identified only 15 years ago through DNA in a bone fragment.



Like Neanderthals, Denisovans likely had prominent brow ridges and lacked chins - we think. What we know much more about is their genetic legacy. 



“We know more about their genomes and how their body chemistry behaves than we do about what they looked like,” Villanea said.



They left DNA behind in many modern people, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/discovery-evolution-not-random-can-be-predicted-pangenome-genetic-history/">shaping biology</a> from immunity to altitude tolerance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-muc19-improved-human-health">MUC19 improved human health</h2>



MUC19 sits in a family of 22 mucin genes in mammals. These genes help build mucus, a frontline barrier that protects tissues and traps pathogens. 



“It seems like MUC19 has a lot of functional consequences for health, but we’re only starting to understand these genes,” said Villanea.



Earlier work showed Denisovans carried a distinctive MUC19 sequence. Some modern humans inherited it. That kind of admixture was common in the ancient world. 



While all modern humans carry some Neanderthal DNA, only about 5 percent of us have Denisovan genes in our blood.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dna-reveals-american-adaptation">DNA reveals American adaptation</h2>



Villanea and co-lead author David Peede examined already published <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-does-genome-size-impact-evolutionary-success/">genomes</a> from people in Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, and Colombia. 



They asked a simple question with big implications: Where is the Denisovan MUC19 variant most common?



The answer pointed to the Americas. Roughly one in three people of Mexican ancestry carries a copy of the Denisovan MUC19 variant. 



The signal is strongest on genomic segments that reflect Indigenous American heritage. In contrast, only about 1 percent of people with Central European ancestry carry it.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-denisovan-core-neanderthal-shell">Denisovan core, Neanderthal shell</h2>



The team found another twist. The Denisovan segment sits inside a larger stretch of Neanderthal-derived DNA. “This DNA is like an Oreo, with a Denisovan center and Neanderthal cookies,” Villanea said.



That sandwich points to the path this gene likely took. Denisovans first passed MUC19 to Neanderthals. Later, Neanderthals passed that package to humans.



It is the first clear case of Denisovan DNA reaching humans through Neanderthals and not only through direct Denisovan-human mixing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-first-settlers-in-the-americas">First settlers in the Americas</h2>



After humans reached the Americas, selection seems to have boosted the Denisovan MUC19. Why here and not elsewhere? 



The first Americans faced environments unlike any their ancestors had known. New pathogens, new foods, new seasons and new terrains.



A mucus-related gene that improved barrier defenses or mucosal health may have offered an edge.



“All of a sudden, people had to find new ways to hunt, new ways to farm, and they developed really cool technology in response to those challenges,” noted Villanea. “But over 20,000 years, their bodies were also adapting at a biological level.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-genes-and-new-worlds">Ancient genes and new worlds</h2>



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/neanderthal-superhighways-through-eurasia-recreated-with-supercomputers/">migration</a> story spans ice, coastlines, and time. Early people moved from a shared ancestral population around the Bering Strait into a continent that contains rainforests, deserts, high mountains, and grasslands.



“What Indigenous American populations did was really incredible,” Villanea said. “They went from a common ancestor living around the Bering Strait to adapting biologically and culturally to this new continent that has every single type of biome in the world.”



Genes like MUC19 offer a record of that adaptation. They capture how ancient encounters with cousins like Denisovans left tools that descendants later used.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-muc19-humans-and-the-future">MUC19, humans, and the future</h2>



The team now wants to test what different versions of MUC19 do in living people. 



Does the Denisovan variant change mucus properties in the mouth, gut, or airways? Does it alter infection risk or inflammation? Those answers would connect a striking evolutionary story to present-day health.



For now, the lesson is broad. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-early-homo-species-discovered-lived-with-australopithecus-challenges-human-evolution-theory/">Human evolution</a> is not a straight line. It is a braided river with tributaries from Neanderthals and Denisovans. Some of those tributaries carried genes that mattered when humans stepped into a new world.



The first Americans adapted with ingenuity, culture, and technology - and, as this study shows, with a little help from very ancient DNA.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adl0882%C3%B9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



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DNA from extinct human cousins helped early humans colonize the Americas

Some of the first human settlers in the Americas carried...

Mountain forests don’t keep rising endlessly. At a certain point, trees run out of room to grow. A new global study shows why: cold temperatures set the upper limit everywhere, while water availability determines which tree species can survive close to that edge. 



This boundary, called the treeline, is where tall forests give way to smaller, scattered, and stunted growth. 



Research over decades has found that treelines align with temperature - not with a fixed altitude. They typically appear where the growing season lasts about 90 days and the average temperature hovers around 6.4°C (43.5°F).



The latest study was led by Yuyang Xie in the Department of Biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (<a href="https://bio.unc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UNC</a>). 



The researchers pulled together one of the largest datasets of its kind to test a straightforward idea: heat sets the treeline’s height, while moisture determines which tree species can survive there.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cold-sets-mountain-tree-boundaries">Cold sets mountain tree boundaries</h2>



Xie’s team compiled more than 2,000 treeline records for dozens of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-evidence-reveals-ice-age-life-in-the-australian-blue-mountains/">mountain</a> regions. Across genera and continents, the uppermost trees appeared where local heat fell well below each species’ comfort zone.



“Heat deficits, averaging around 35 percent below genus and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trees-get-a-boost-from-diverse-neighbors-especially-in-wet-forests/">species</a> level thermal optima, consistently restrict the presence of treeline,” said Christian Körner, a plant ecologist at the <a href="https://www.unibas.ch/en.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Basel</a>.



Water availability then sorted which species could endure those margins. Sites with similar cold at the limit showed different species mixes depending on how wet or variable the climate was throughout the year.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-predicting-treeline-shifts">Predicting treeline shifts</h2>



To move past one-size-fits-all models, the team introduced the Relative Distance to Optimum (RDO) index. It measures how far a species lives from the temperature and moisture it prefers.



RDO captures the slack or stress that a population carries at the limit, making projections of upslope or downslope shifts more precise for particular tree groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rainfall-steers-the-forest-edge">Rainfall steers the forest edge</h2>



Independent evidence backs the moisture filter. A Himalayan study found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tree-species-face-unprecedented-climate-shifts-across-their-ranges/">treelines</a> advanced faster on the wet eastern slopes but slowed or stalled on drier sites despite warming.



Spring precipitation emerged as a key control. The pattern reinforces the idea that water availability governs whether warming translates into actual upslope establishment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shifting-trees-impact-ecosystems">Shifting trees impact ecosystems</h2>



Treelines often lag behind climate change because trees take years to reach stature that qualifies as a tree. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rainforests-replanted-seedlings-after-logging-do-not-recover-well/">Seedlings</a> may appear far above today’s forest but remain shrubs for decades.



Local conditions can blunt simple warming signals. Windswept ridges that dry quickly can resist upward transitions, while lee slopes with late melting snow may shelter starts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-better-forecasts-for-forests">Better forecasts for forests</h2>



Land managers can think of treelines as following two simple rules. Cold determines how high trees can grow in a region, and water decides which species can survive near that limit. 



Forecasts that include species-specific tolerances will be more accurate than those based on temperature alone. Using RDO-style metrics can highlight areas where moisture is the main barrier, pointing to hotspots where monitoring or targeted planting could have the greatest impact.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-map-shows-tree-limits">Map shows tree limits</h2>



The new map does not claim that water controls treeline height. Instead, it shows that cold fixes the height, while water determines which species can function there.



This framing explains why distant <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-surprising-role-of-low-relief-mountain-ranges-in-climate-regulation/">mountain ranges</a> share similar thermal limits yet display very different tree lineups. It also explains why some places shift quickly while others hardly budge.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-research-refines-treelines">Climate research refines treelines</h2>



Improved climate data near the ground will help scientists better define the limits within which each species can survive. 



Long-term monitoring across the treeline zone will show whether seedlings are able to grow into mature trees or if their growth stalls at a younger stage.



The biggest gains will come from pairing physiology with climate. Knowing when populations live far from their optima can guide restoration and risk assessment before the forest edge moves. 



"Our findings highlight the synergic effects between heat and moisture in determining the taxonomic variation in treeline formation, offering insights for alpine treeline studies under climate change," the researchers concluded. 



The study is published in <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2504685122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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How cold air and water shape the limits of mountain trees

Mountain forests don’t keep rising endlessly. At a certain point,...

Silhouette,Business,People,Discussion,Communication,Meeting,Concept

Body posture sends steady social signals. Long before anyone speaks, the way a person naturally stands can hint at how they see status, power, and the people around them. Not just in heated moments - your baseline stance matters.



Most research on posture looks at quick shifts tied to mood. This current study asked a different question: Are there trait-level differences in posture that stick over time and actually tell us something <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/psychologists-claim-the-7-38-55-rule-is-secret-to-exceptional-eq-emotional-intelligence/">about personality</a>?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-linking-posture-to-social-personality">Linking posture to social personality</h2>



The research tested whether <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-men-and-women-react-differently-to-stress/">individual differences</a> in everyday, natural posture relate to individual differences in personality. 



In a large sample, the team tracked posture in neutral settings and linked those measures with attitudes toward competition, power, and social hierarchy.



The work was led by Soren Wanio-Theberge and Jorge Armony at <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">McGill University</a>, who have argued that body language connects directly to emotions; these studies put that idea in a more precise frame.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-social-mood-and-posture">Social mood and posture</h2>



The relationship the authors describe reflects individual differences in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36048034/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">postural dominance</a> and submission. 



People vary in how “open” or “closed” they tend to hold themselves at rest, and those patterns align with how they think about social rank. 



The work suggests that postural signaling of social rank occurs not only in brief displays but as a stable individual trait with consequences for <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/social-processing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">socioaffective processing</a>.



To ensure the posture measure was sound, the researchers validated it against physiological data from relevant musculature and showed that it remained stable over a one-month interval.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-they-measured-it">How they measured it</h2>



Across the five studies, four relied on photos participants submitted of themselves standing in a natural pose. One brought participants to the lab for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-humans-felt-emotions-in-unusual-body-parts/">physiological measurements</a>. 



In total, there were 608 young adult participants. Postural ratings across time tended to be stable, which supports the idea that baseline stance is more than a passing mood.



In one experiment, participants were instructed to pose in a dominant or submissive way. 



In the submissive stance, they adopted a stooped, bent-forward posture. When instructed to appear dominant, they stood upright, with hips forward and torso leaning backward. 



This might remind you of the “power pose” idea, but there was no indication in this particular study that an altered posture produced an altered state of mind.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-neck-flexion-and-positioning">Neck flexion and positioning</h2>



The most informative feature was how much the head tilts down or up - <a href="https://www.stonybrookmedicine.edu/lifestyle-medicine/movement/resources/neck" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">neck flexion</a>. The scientists focused on the angle that captures chin-down vs. chin-up - i.e., how much the head is tilted forward relative to the neck/torso. 



The team extracted body keypoints from simple front/side photos, then computed posture angles - including a neck-flexion angle - from those keypoints.



The position of your neck, combined with your body posture and stance, correlated to personality: more-upright individuals tended, on average, to endorse more dominance-oriented views and scored higher on some manipulative/antisocial trait measures. 



To clarify, people who naturally held their head higher (less flexion; more “chin up”) tended, on average, to score higher on dominance-related and some antisocial/manipulative traits (e.g., social dominance orientation, primary psychopathy, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/machiavellianism" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Machiavellianism</a>). They also scored lower on empathy and anger control.



Crucially, neck flexion was a group-level correlation, not a diagnosis, and the pattern held when participants returned about a month later, suggesting a stable trait rather than just a passing mood.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-posture-and-social-cues">Posture and social cues</h2>



Some <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/body-language-expresses-emotions-across-cultures/">body-emotion links</a> are well known: raising the fists (anger), moving the torso backward (fear), curving the lower back or “lordotic” posture (sexual receptiveness in female mammals), and arching the back (rats and other four-legged animals). 



In social situations, an open, erect, and expanded stance often reads as dominant. A slumped, closed posture tends to read as submissive.



These visible patterns form a practical “menu” of cues people use, especially with strangers. Any one of them, or a mix, can help you <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39311863/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">figure out what someone may be signaling</a> without saying a word.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-personality-links-that-showed-up">Personality links that showed up</h2>



Early in the series, people with more erect postures scored higher on personality traits associated with psychopathic tendencies. Later work broadened the view. 



The final study assessed psychopathy, manipulativeness, competitiveness, and belief in the existence of social hierarchies. 



In the authors’ words, this range of attributes reflects “the use of intimidation in order to improve one’s access to resources in the environment at the expense of others."



The authors reasoned that for some dominant individuals, “the experience of being at the bottom of the heap can be intolerable." 



A feedback loop can follow: standing tall and straight takes effort and often draws deferential treatment. That social response can reinforce a dominant posture over time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-not-everyone-stands-the-same">Not everyone stands the same</h2>



People who scored lower on these dominance-related traits showed a wider range of stances rather than sticking to one “strong” look. 



Flexibility in posture - opening up in some moments, settling into neutral in others - fits with lower endorsement of competitive, top-down views of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/having-an-active-social-life-helps-the-brain-make-better-sense-of-the-world/">social life</a>.



The big picture here is that natural posture, captured in everyday conditions, carries information about personality and social attitudes. It wasn’t just a flash in the pan.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-underlying-issues">Underlying issues</h2>



There are limits. The sample leaned heavily toward female undergraduates, and the methods were correlational. Culture also shapes how people use space and stance. 



As people age, normal changes in muscle and body mass can affect posture, no matter their personality. Those realities matter when you apply these findings to new groups or settings.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bringing-this-into-the-real-world">Bringing this into the real world</h2>



When you meet someone new, you take in many cues at once - <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/facial-expressions-arent-enough-to-understand-human-emotions/">face</a>, voice, handshake, movement. Posture is one cue among many, and it’s a useful one. 



A person standing up straight can come across as confident and trustworthy. However, in special circumstances, a consistently erect, expanded stance was associated with stronger endorsement of social dominance and related traits. 



On the flip side, a person who slumps isn’t automatically timid; context matters.



The study closes with a practical note: a person who appears to use their body to intimidate you - even if they do not fully succeed - is someone to avoid.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-you-should-take-from-this-study">What you should take from this study</h2>



Trait-level posture exists - that isn't up for debate. It links directly to how people think about rank and competition. The measure was checked against muscle activity and held steady over one month. 



Briefly adopting a pose - dominant or submissive - didn’t seem to change people’s mindset in this set of studies. 



And while posture can inform first impressions, it should sit alongside other signals before you decide how to engage.



That’s the takeaway: pay attention, stay thoughtful, and use posture as one clear piece of the larger social puzzle.



The full studies were published in the <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fpspp0000515" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Personality and Social Psychology</a>.



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Observing how a person stands will quickly reveal their personality type and traits

Body posture sends steady social signals. Long before anyone speaks,...

Molecule,And,Communication,Background.,Brochure,Or,Web,Banner,Design.,Lines

Gold behaves differently when it is reduced to a single layer of atoms. Electrons take new routes and light couples to the surface in surprising ways. A team reports they have isolated such a layer and given it a fitting name: "goldene," echoing graphene’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/graphene-wonder-material-changing-the-world-is-officially-declared-safe-for-humans/">single-atom carbon sheet</a>.



Why would anyone fuss over atom-thick gold? Shrinking to two dimensions can unlock properties you don’t see in bulk metal. 



That includes tunable <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/researchers-announce-an-unexpected-breakthrough-in-graphene-physics-that-could-lead-to-a-new-generation-of-ultra-efficient-computers/">electrical behavior</a>, stronger interactions with light, and a hyperactive surface useful for catalytic reactions. 



This new work shows how to make a freestanding gold sheet just one atom thick, rather than only growing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/altermagnetism-third-form-of-magnetism-existence-confirmed/">ultrathin films</a> on a supporting surface.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-they-made-goldene">How they made goldene</h2>



According to Lars Hultman, a materials scientist at <a href="https://liu.se/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Linköping University</a> in Sweden and senior author of a study in Nature Synthesis, the method could “expand the boundaries of what it’s possible to do with materials,” and it starts with a naturally layered crystal.



The group first created a gold-containing “MAX phase,” a crystal that stacks atomic layers in a repeating pattern. 



They began with <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32384996/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ti₃SiC₂</a>, then heated a gold-coated film to approximately 670°C (1,238°F), allowing gold atoms to replace silicon and form Ti₃AuC₂. 



In earlier work, that swap left atom-thick gold trapped between other layers. 



“The good news was that we had gold layers that were just one atom thick,” Hultman says. “The bad news was that they were stuck inside the host crystal.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-freeing-the-monolayer">Freeing the monolayer</h2>



Metals prefer to bead up, not spread flat at the atomic scale. The team avoided that by etching away the non-gold layers while protecting the newly exposed gold. 



They used Murakami’s reagent, a classic etchant that reacts strongly with titanium and carbon but largely ignores gold under the right conditions.



Surfactants acted like traffic control on the gold surface. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0040609008012030" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CTAB</a>, a bulky molecule, and small sulfur-bearing molecules such as cysteine or cysteamine attached to gold and helped keep the sheet from curling or merging into blobs during the etch.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tuning-goldene-s-chemistry">Tuning goldene's chemistry</h2>



Selectivity mattered. If the etchant was too strong, the structure broke into nanoparticles. If it was too weak, the process dragged out and damaged the sheet. 



The sweet spot used low concentrations paired with the right surfactants. The etch ran in darkness to prevent light-driven reactions that generate cyanide species capable of dissolving gold.



Spacing between the gold layers in the starting crystal mattered too. 



Layers that were too close attracted each other as they were freed, merging into thicker pieces. More separation gave surfactants time to slip in and stabilize the sheet.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/goldene_supermaterial_graphene-cousin_one-atom-thick_infographic_NatSynth_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/goldene_supermaterial_graphene-cousin_one-atom-thick_infographic_NatSynth_1s.webp" alt="a, Schematic atomic positions corresponding to a square in b, and HR-STEM image of Ti3AuC2 orientation marked in b. Yellow, blue and black balls represent Au, Ti and C atoms, respectively. Scale bar, 5 Å. b, Cross-sectional HR-STEM image of Ti3AuC2, after etching by Murakami’s reagent with CTAB, where the original Ti3AuC2 structure remains at the left side and goldene appears at the right side of the etching frontline. Scale bar, 5 nm. c, Zoomed-in partly twisted goldene after etching away Ti3C2 slabs marked in b. Scale bar, 2 nm. d, Schematic illustration of the preparation of goldene. Credit: Nature Synthesis" class="wp-image-1983205"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">a, Schematic atomic positions corresponding to a square in b, and HR-STEM image of Ti3AuC2 orientation marked in b. Yellow, blue and black balls represent Au, Ti and C atoms, respectively. Scale bar, 5 Å. b, Cross-sectional HR-STEM image of Ti3AuC2, after etching by Murakami’s reagent with CTAB, where the original Ti3AuC2 structure remains at the left side and goldene appears at the right side of the etching frontline. Scale bar, 5 nm. c, Zoomed-in partly twisted goldene after etching away Ti3C2 slabs marked in b. Scale bar, 2 nm. d, Schematic illustration of the preparation of goldene. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Nature Synthesis</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tighter-atomic-spacing">Tighter atomic spacing</h2>



Electron microscopes revealed true monolayers: freestanding gold sheets only one atom thick. The flakes were not large; most spanned from a few nanometers to about 100 nanometers across (about 0.0000039 inches).



As with many single-atom materials, the sheets showed natural ripples and slightly curled edges, but they remained single layers rather than stacks.



Measurements showed the distance between neighboring gold atoms shrank by about 9% compared with ordinary gold. 



Confinement to two dimensions can tighten bonding, and that’s reflected in the shorter spacing. Elemental mapping confirmed the identity: the sheets were truly gold, not a titanium-based lookalike.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-the-x-rays-revealed">What the x-rays revealed</h2>



<a href="https://jlab.chem.yale.edu/research/techniques/photoelectron-spectroscopy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy</a> found a higher binding energy shift - about 0.88 electronvolts - compared with regular metallic gold. 



That shift signals a different electronic environment for goldene’s atoms, consistent with a two-dimensional metal rather than bulk gold.



Atomistic simulations suggest that a perfect goldene sheet remains stable at room temperature. The same modeling helps explain the observed ripples and the tendency for edges to curl or aggregate when surface chemistry is not tuned correctly. 



That guidance, together with the experiments, points to practical levers - etch strength, surfactant choice, light exposure, and layer spacing - to improve yield and size.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-goldene-matters">Why goldene matters</h2>



Gold already plays a role in electronics, photonics, sensing, and medicine. Flattening it to a single layer boosts surface area and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/graphene-superhighway-allows-electronic-devices-to-use-much-less-power/">tweaks electron behavior</a>. 



That combination could help catalysts that convert waste streams into useful chemicals, enhance light-harvesting in solar components, or make photothermal therapies more efficient by heating tumors locally with less material.



Because goldene exposes so many atoms directly on the surface, you can get more effect from less metal than with larger particles. That can cut costs while trimming environmental impact tied to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/graphene-new-wonder-material-earth-technology-found-moon-soil/">mining and refining</a>.



In short, the team hid a monolayer of gold inside a layered crystal, then etched away everything else while “soaping” the gold so it stayed flat. 



The result is a freestanding, one-atom-thick metal sheet with clear structural and electronic signatures that differ from those of bulk gold - and a wide-open set of possibilities that now moves from wish list to working material.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s44160-024-00518-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Synthesis</a>.



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Introducing 'goldene': the world's newest supermaterial that is one atom thick

Gold behaves differently when it is reduced to a single...

You know that feeling when everyone tells you something is impossible, so you never even try? That is what happened in chemistry for a hundred years. Students memorized a rule, one called Bredt's rule, and then everyone obeyed it. Professors taught it. Nobody questioned it. And it was wrong.



The team of chemists behind this study didn't set out to break Bredt's rule, it just happened. 



They made molecules that supposedly couldn't exist. Not only did they make them - they used them to create novel compounds that could become tomorrow's medicines. 



This is not a tiny correction. It is like learning that you can divide by zero under narrowly defined conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-bredt-s-rule">Understanding Bredt's rule</h2>



Back in 1924, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Bredt" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Julius Bredt</a> examined certain molecules and concluded it could not happen. He was talking about molecules where two rings connect at a bridge point - the bridgehead. 



Bredt argued you cannot place a double bond there in small molecules. The bond would be extremely twisted and break.



For a century, every chemistry textbook repeated this. They called these impossible molecules "anti-Bredt olefins." Students learned to spot them and cross them out. Case closed.



However, <a href="https://garg.chem.ucla.edu/about-neil" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Neil Garg</a>, a distinguished professor of chemistry and biochemistry at <a href="https://www.ucla.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UCLA</a>, disagreed. His team went ahead and made these "impossible" molecules anyway. 



"People aren't exploring anti-Bredt olefins because they think they can't," Garg pointed out.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-proving-bredt-s-rule-false">Proving Bredt's rule false</h2>



The UCLA team took a strategic approach. They knew these molecules would fall apart quickly, so they never tried to isolate them. Instead, they set up a chemical relay.



When fluoride is added, the molecule expels the leaving group and forms the forbidden, twisted <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/capturing-carbon-directly-from-the-air-is-now-much-more-efficient-thanks-to-new-material/">double bond</a> at the bridgehead. Before it can fall apart, another molecule quickly captures it. The sequence happens quickly.



The anti-Bredt olefin exists just long enough to react, then transforms into something stable. It is like crossing hot coals - you keep moving.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evidence-of-formation">Evidence of formation</h2>



So how can you prove something existed if it vanished instantly? You look at what is left behind. The products tell the story.



When the team made a twisted molecule with a specific handedness - left-handed versus right-handed - the final product preserved the same twist. 



That outcome occurs only if the anti-Bredt olefin formed in between. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/molecular-fingerprints-could-be-key-to-early-cancer-detection/">molecular fingerprints</a> are consistent with that conclusion.



Computer simulations supported the findings. The calculations predicted what they observed in the lab. When theory and experiment align, the result is compelling.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-medicine-needs-3d-shapes">Medicine needs 3D shapes</h2>



This is why drug companies are interested. Many molecules lie relatively flat, but bodies are full of pockets and grooves that need three-dimensional shapes to fit properly. These techniques build molecules with pronounced three-dimensional features.



"There's a big push in the pharmaceutical industry to develop chemical reactions that give three-dimensional structures like ours because they can be used to discover <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/generic-drugs-are-not-created-equal-and-a-new-study-reveals-why/">new medicines</a>," Garg explained.



Each new shape is a potential key for a biological lock we have not opened yet. The anti-Bredt olefins are doorways to thousands of molecular structures nobody could make before.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-bredt-s-rule">Rethinking Bredt's rule</h2>



Bredt was not entirely wrong - his rule works most of the time. But treating it as an unbreakable law was the mistake. Science advances when exceptions are discovered.



"We shouldn't have rules like this - or if we have them, they should only exist with the constant reminder that they're guidelines, not rules. It destroys creativity when we have rules that supposedly can't be overcome," Garg said.



Now <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-chemistry-of-wine-what-actually-shapes-its-texture/">chemistry</a> teachers face an interesting problem. How do you teach something that was "never" but is now "sometimes"? How do you tell students about rules while also telling them to question everything?



The answer is to teach the rule and the exception together. Show how clever chemistry can outsmart the limitations. That is more honest.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happens-next">What happens next</h2>



Labs everywhere are already planning experiments. Some groups want to make new drugs. Others are exploring additional “impossible” molecules. Materials scientists are considering plastics and electronics with novel properties.



"What this study shows is that contrary to one hundred years of conventional wisdom, chemists can make and use anti-Bredt olefins to make value-added products," Garg noted.



The techniques keep improving. Each successful reaction teaches chemists something new about controlling <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-may-have-just-solved-the-mystery-of-sleep/">unstable molecules</a>. Today's impossibility becomes tomorrow's routine procedure.



But the real victory is not just about molecules. It is about mindset. When you stop accepting "can't" as final, you start finding ways around it. 



The UCLA team did not discover a new element or invent a new instrument. They simply refused to accept that something was impossible without checking for themselves.



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



Most of us are not going to synthesize anti-Bredt olefins in our kitchens. But we all encounter rules that might be more like suggestions. 



Sometimes the biggest advances come from people brave enough (or stubborn enough) to test the boundaries.



The chemists did not break physics. They found a path nobody thought to look for. The mountain was still there - they just discovered a tunnel. After a hundred years of going around, someone finally went through.



Next time someone says something is impossible, ask whether anyone has actually tried it recently. You might be surprised by what is possible when you stop assuming and start experimenting.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adq3519" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



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100-year-old chemistry rule proven false, textbook updates needed

You know that feeling when everyone tells you something is...

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