Today’s Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features an incredible phenomenon that was captured on the far outskirts of the Milky Way.



A young, massive star has announced its arrival with a dramatic display. It has fired off twin <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/webb-captures-a-young-stars-jet-colliding-with-space-dust/">jets</a> of gas so powerful they stretch across eight light-years - about twice the distance from our Sun to the Alpha Centauri system.&nbsp;



These streams are confined to narrow beams by the star’s magnetic fields and launched along its spin axis.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-jets-of-a-young-star">The jets of a young star</h2>



The James Webb Space Telescope captured the event in exquisite infrared detail, showing the jets carving their way through interstellar gas and dust.



The stellar outburst belongs to a rare class of cosmic displays known as Herbig-Haro objects. They form when material falling onto a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/baby-star-wsb-52-fires-an-explosive-jet-that-crashed-back-into-its-own-planetary-disk/">newborn star</a> is shot back out into space at incredible speeds.&nbsp;



The star at the heart of this spectacle lies in a cluster about 15,000 light-years away. The star has a mass that is already ten times greater than the Sun’s.&nbsp;



The outflow is hurtling through space at hundreds of thousands of miles per hour, leaving behind a trail that astronomers can now study as a record of the star’s growth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-unexpected-discovery">An unexpected discovery</h2>



The discovery took astronomers by surprise, including Yu Cheng of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (<a href="https://www.nao.ac.jp/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NAOJ</a>). 



“We didn’t really know there was a massive star with this kind of super-jet out there before the observation. Such a spectacular outflow of molecular hydrogen from a massive star is rare in other regions of our galaxy,” said Cheng.&nbsp;



More than 300 Herbig-Haro objects are known, but most of them come from stars much smaller than this one. Webb’s sharp images reveal not just the scale but also the delicate structure of this jet, including knots, shocks, and filaments where the stream slams into surrounding material.



“I was really surprised at the order, symmetry, and size of the jet when we first looked at it,” said Jonathan Tan of the <a href="https://www.virginia.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Virginia</a>.



The perfect alignment of the opposite streams suggests the process fueling this star’s growth has been steady for more than 100,000 years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mystery-of-massive-star-formation-nbsp">Mystery of massive star formation&nbsp;</h2>



The new <a href="https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/09/Immense_stellar_jet_in_Milky_Way_outskirts#msdynmkt_trackingcontext=0ad1e29a-3bb6-4b03-99c0-1f5c2ba20000" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">observation</a> has reopened one of the longest-running debates in astronomy: how do massive stars form? For decades, scientists have been split between two main ideas. 



One theory suggests that stars this large form through a steady process called core accretion, where gas builds up in a stable disk and launches outflows in predictable directions.&nbsp;



The other theory, known as competitive accretion, involves a chaotic tug-of-war in which streams of gas fall in from all sides, twisting the orientation of the jets.



The Webb data now tilt the balance toward the first explanation. The opposing jets are nearly 180 degrees apart, showing that the central disk has remained steady throughout the star’s lifetime.&nbsp;



“What we’ve seen here, because we’ve got the whole history - a tapestry of the story - is that the opposite sides of the jets are nearly 180 degrees apart from each other. That tells us that this central disc is held steady and validates a prediction of the core accretion theory,” said Tan.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-conditions-of-the-early-universe-nbsp">Conditions of the early universe&nbsp;</h2>



The star’s home lies in a cluster called Sharpless 2-284, a relatively pristine region on the galaxy’s periphery. Because it is far from the Milky Way’s busy center, its <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-the-universes-first-molecule-helped-ignite-the-stars/">stars formed</a> in an environment low in heavy elements.&nbsp;



Astronomers call this property metallicity, and it mirrors the conditions of the early universe, before multiple generations of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wild-discovery-twin-stars-with-parallel-disks-and-jets/">stars</a> had enriched space with the products of nuclear fusion.



“Webb’s exquisite data have also shown us that relatively more stars seem to form at lower masses in Sh2-284 than in closer, more metal-rich clusters. This cluster is an excellent region to help us understand star formation throughout the Universe,” said Morten Andersen of the <a href="https://www.eso.org/public/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">European Southern Observatory</a>.



Image Credit: ESA



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Young star lights up the Milky Way with colossal jets

Today’s Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features an incredible phenomenon that was captured on the far outskirts of the Milky Way. A young, massive star has announced its arrival with a dramatic display. It has fired off twin jets of gas so powerful they stretch across eight light-years - about twice the distance from our Sun to the Alpha Centauri system.&nbsp; These streams are confined to narrow beams by the star’s magnetic fields and launched along its spin axis.&nbsp;...

Today’s Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features a dramatic view of dust sweeping across the Tarim Basin in western China - one of the dustiest places on Earth. 



Spring and summer usually grab the headlines for dust activity, but that doesn’t mean the skies clear in the other months. <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/154772/dust-in-the-eye-of-the-tarim-basin" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Satellite data</a> and ground observations show that autumn brings its share of haze too. 



Known for its unusual eye-like shape, the Tarim Basin is surrounded by mountains that often trap dust inside. This natural barrier keeps the fine particles from traveling far beyond the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dust-from-africa-sparked-a-massive-phytoplankton-bloom/">desert</a> floor, creating persistent hazy conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-landscape-shaped-by-tectonic-power">A landscape shaped by tectonic power</h2>



Look north and the “eyebrow” of the Tarim reveals striking ridges running east to west. These aren’t ordinary hills but part of the Kuqa fold-and-thrust belt.&nbsp;



Millions of years of tectonic forces pushed the Tarim Basin against its mountainous neighbors to the north, squeezing rock layers until they buckled and folded. The result is a series of wave-like formations called anticlines and synclines.



Over time, erosion has carved into these ridges, peeling back layers of red and green sandstones and pale limestones. From above, these colorful stripes stand out sharply against the muted tones of the desert around them.&nbsp;



<a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/154126/a-curtain-of-dust-over-the-tarim-basin" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Landsat images</a> have captured the intricate detail of this fractured geology, offering a glimpse into the dynamic forces that continue to shape the region.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-counting-the-dusty-days">Counting the dusty days</h2>



Scientists studied more than 30 years of satellite records and found that the Tarim Basin averaged 60 dusty days a year. The month of September typically saw seven.&nbsp;



About 85 percent of those days fell into a category called “floating dust.” On such days, winds were light but visibility dropped below six miles as particles lingered in the air.



The rest of the time, conditions were harsher. On “blowing dust” days, moderate winds reduced visibility to less than three miles. The most extreme <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dust-storms-are-a-surprising-source-of-deadly-air-pollution/">dust storms</a> cut visibility to under half a mile, carried by powerful gusts that scoured the landscape.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dust-size-tells-a-seasonal-story">Dust size tells a seasonal story</h2>



Not all dust is the same. By comparing seasons, researchers found that larger particles show up most often in spring, fall, and winter.&nbsp;



NASA’s Terra satellite, using its Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer, provided the detail. These coarse grains likely lift when strong horizontal winds sweep across the desert.



Summer is different. Rising heat drives localized convection, creating dust whirls - sometimes called dust devils - that pull smaller, finer grains into the air.&nbsp;



These swirling columns may look less threatening than a full storm, but they can still loft material high into the atmosphere.&nbsp;



The seasonal contrast shows how different forces, from heat to wind, work together to keep the basin’s air loaded with dust.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dust-from-the-tarim-basin-nbsp">Dust from the Tarim Basin&nbsp;</h2>



Dust from the Tarim Basin doesn’t just linger over western China. Depending on weather patterns, it can drift across Asia, impacting air quality in major cities. In extreme cases, it may even cross <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/atmospheric-dust-plays-surprisingly-crucial-role-in-stabilizing-ocean-ecosystems/">oceans</a>.&nbsp;



These particles influence more than visibility. They affect climate by reflecting sunlight or trapping heat, and they alter ecosystems when they settle far from their source.



Understanding when and how dust moves is key for both health and climate research. The Tarim Basin offers a natural laboratory where scientists can track these processes in detail, thanks to decades of satellite coverage and on-the-ground measurements.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-reminder-of-nature-s-reach">A reminder of nature’s reach</h2>



The desert may seem remote, but its restless skies have a global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dust-is-an-understudied-contributor-to-climate-change/">footprint</a>. What satellites recorded in early September was just one episode in a cycle that repeats year after year.&nbsp;



Tectonic history, seasonal winds, and rising heat all converge in this basin to keep the air in motion.&nbsp;



For scientists, the Tarim continues to show how landscapes that appear still and silent are, in fact, alive with change.



The image was captured on September 1, 2025 by the NOAA-20 satellite.&nbsp;



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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China’s Tarim Basin: A desert that never sleeps

Today’s Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features...

Extremely,Detailed,And,Realistic,High,Resolution,3d,Illustration,Of,A

Hurricane Harvey Satellite Photo. This photo of Hurricane Harvey satellite photo was taken from space on August 18, 2017. Hurricane Harvey was a devastating Category 4 hurricane that made landfall on Texas and Louisiana in August 2017, causing catastrophic flooding and more than 100 deaths.

Hurricane Harvey Satellite Photo

Hurricane Harvey Satellite Photo. This photo of Hurricane Harvey satellite...

Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features smoke rising from deadly fires in northern Algeria. By Monday, 65 people had been killed. 

Local media reports claim that at least 86 blazes are yet to be contained across 17 different provinces of the country.

According to NASA, some of the worst fires have occurred in mountain areas near Bejaia and Tizi-Ouzou. 

The image was captured on August 10, 2021 by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite. 

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory 

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Deadly fires in northern Algeria

Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features...

Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features the Dixie Fire, which has been raging across four counties in Northern California since July 13, 2021.

The Dixie Fire has burned at least 490,000 acres, which is more than twice the area of New York City, making it the second largest in California's recorded history. Thousands of people have been displaced. 

By Monday, the blaze was about 25 percent contained, but high pressure building over the western United States could cause new challenges this week. Experts say that extreme heat and strong winds could accelerate the fire. 

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory 

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Dixie Fire has been burning for a month

Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features smoke plumes from more than 175 active fires in the Republic of Sakha in eastern Russia. 

The fires broke out across the region as soon as the snow began melting in May 2021. By the time this photo was captured on August 8, fires had consumed large areas of the region’s larch forests. 

The large clouds of smoke that are visible in the image have been common for weeks. According to NASA, smoke blanketed the skies, turning day into night, closing airports, and prompting talk of an “airpocalypse” in the city of Yakutsk.

Mark Parrington, a scientist with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, reports that the 2021 Sakha wildfires have set a record for estimated carbon emissions for the period from June 1 to August 1. 

“Based on current official burned area reports, Sakha is on track to have an extreme year of fire, but it won’t surpass previous extreme years if the fires are extinguished by the end of August,” said Jessica McCarty, an Earth scientist at Miami University. “If large fire events continue into September and October, we could see burned area totals surpassing 2020.”

According to the researchers, climate change is likely playing a role in how fire seasons in Sakha are changing. 

“There have always been large fires in Siberia. It is a landscape evolved to burn,” said McCarty. “What is different because of climate change is that fires are burning larger areas, affecting places farther to the north, and consuming fuels that would have been more fire resistant in the past.”

The image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory 

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Large smoke plumes rise over the Republic of Sakha

The bright red soil of Australia Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features bright red soil that can be found in the center of Australia. As it is viewed from above, the region bears some resemblance to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/crabs-threaten-the-resilience-of-coastal-salt-marshes/">Mars</a>. 

The photo highlights the red desert soil around Uluru and Kata-Tjuta, which are famous rock formations in the southern part of Northern Territory.

According to <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=nasa&amp;cvid=02e24357e7614fed9f4cd4e5f6940e38&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59j0l5j69i60l3.660j0j9&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">NASA,</a> the presence of vegetation also influences the colors seen in the image. Areas with more vegetation appear darker and browner.

The brightest shades of red and orange most likely signify fires that have exposed the soil more clearly in recent years.

The natural-color image was captured by the HawkEye sensor on the SeaHawk CubeSat. Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is the largest country in Oceania and the world's sixth-largest country. Australia's population of nearly 26 million, in an area of 7,617,930 square kilometres (2,941,300 sq mi), is highly urbanised and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard. Canberra is the nation's capital, while the largest city is Sydney, and other major metropolitan areas are Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide. Indigenous Australians inhabited the continent for about 65,000 years, prior to the first arrival of Dutch explorers in the early 17th century, who named it New Holland. In 1770, Australia's eastern half was claimed by Great Britain and initially settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales from 26 January 1788, a date which became Australia's national day.

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory 

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The bright red soil of Australia

The bright red soil of Australia Today's Image of the...

The Dixie fire in Northern California Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> shows the Dixie fire in Northern California, which is the largest fire so far this year in the United States. By August 6, the Dixie fire had scorched more than 432,000 acres.

An astronaut on the International Space Station captured this photo of thick smoke rising from the Dixie fire on August 4. On this day, wind gusts of up to 40 miles per hour fueled the advancement of the fire across dry vegetation. A raging wildfire in northern California is now the second-largest recorded in state history, officials said on Sunday, growing to more than 463,000 acres. This report produced by Chris Dignam. Thick smoke that held down winds and temperatures began to clear Sunday from the scenic forestlands of Northern California as firefighters battling the largest single wildfire in state history braced for a return of fire-friendly weather. A 3-week-old wildfire engulfed a tiny Northern California mountain town, leveling most of its historic downtown and leaving blocks of homes in ashes, while a new wind-whipped blaze also destroyed homes as crews braced for another explosive run of flames Thursday in the midst of dangerous weather.

The fire practically leveled the historic mountain town of Greenville, leaving residents completely devastated.

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory 

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The Dixie fire in Northern California

The Dixie fire in Northern California Today's Image of the...

Rare view of Malaysia and Thailand Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features a rare view of the Malay Peninsula from the International Space Station (ISS). This region of Thailand and Malaysia is difficult to capture from space due to persistent clouds. 

According to NASA, The photo was taken near the end of Malaysia’s northeast monsoon season, which runs from November to March. Malaysia also experiences a second monsoon season from May to September.

The panoramic view shows thin clouds and possibly small smoke plumes being blown from the northeast, which are typical of wind patterns for this time of year, reports <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=nasa&amp;cvid=894dfc5ae1db499db89ea076cf465d4b&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j0l4j69i60l3.522j0j9&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">NASA.</a>

On this day, it was nearly too hazy to make out Thailand. This is due in part to hundreds of fires that were active during Southeast Asia’s burning season. Throughout the era of Western imperialism in Asia, Siam remained the only nation in the region to avoid being colonized by foreign powers, although it was often forced to cede both territory and trade concessions in unequal treaties. 

The Siamese government was centralized and transformed into a new definite absolute monarchy in the reign of Chulalongkorn. In World War I, Siam sided with the allies, a political decision to amend the unequal treaties. Following a bloodless revolution in 1932, it became a constitutional monarchy and changed its official name to Thailand, which was a satellite of Japan in World War II. Also Thailand has periodically alternated between democracy and military rule.

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory 

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

Rare view of Malaysia and Thailand

Rare view of Malaysia and Thailand Today's Image of the...

Unusual bloom in the Arabian Sea Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> shows a bloom of Noctiluca scintillans in the Arabian Sea at an unusual time of the year. 

An international team of scientists including Joaquim Goes and Helga do Rosario Gomes have spent the past two decades trying to gain a better understanding of how snow cover on the Himalayas may influence the species that thrive in the Arabian Sea.

Over several expeditions, the researchers confirmed something they had noticed in satellite images - the Arabian Sea was full of Noctiluca scintillans in the winter. A great abundance of this particular <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=organism&amp;cvid=533142ffa87044c5a2160ca20ff9401b&amp;aqs=edge.0.0l9.2192j0j1&amp;pglt=43&amp;FORM=ANNTA1&amp;PC=HCTS">organism</a> was unexpected this time of the year. a complex structure of interdependent and subordinate elements whose relations and properties are largely determined by their function in the whole the nation is not merely the sum of individual citizens at any given time, but it is a living organism, a mystical body 

“The changes we have seen in the Arabian Sea ecosystem are among the fastest of any oceanic water body on our planet,” said Goes, a scientist at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. “The habitat of the sea is changing, and that is short-circuiting the food chain.”

“The changes observed in the Arabian Sea are an example of potential ecosystem changes that are induced by climate change,” said Laura Lorenzoni, ocean biology and biogeochemistry program scientist for NASA. 

“As Earth warms, we can expect greater stratification in the ocean and the migration of species poleward. There will also be greater chances of harmful algal blooms and of some more resilient species outcompeting others and shifting the entire ecosystem structure.”

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory 

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Unusual bloom in the Arabian Sea

Unusual bloom in the Arabian Sea Today's Image of the...

When the air turns hot, your body shifts into cooling mode: you sweat from heat, you lose water, and your brain looks for fast relief, usually in the form of sugar. 



Sweetness signals quick energy, and cold, sugary drinks or treats feel extra tempting because they promise two things at once - fluid to cool you down and sugar to perk you up. 



Heat also dulls appetite for heavy foods, so sipping something sweet feels easier than eating a full meal. 



Add bright ads and ice-cold displays by the checkout, and it’s no surprise that warm days nudge many people toward more sugar than they’d normally choose. But is this just observational bias, or is it a real thing? 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-heat-and-sugar-consumption">Heat and sugar consumption</h2>



A new study looked at what millions of U.S. households actually bought in grocery stores from 2004 to 2019 and asked a simple question: when the temperature rises, do people end up taking in more added sugar? 



The short answer is yes, and the increase shows up most in communities with lower incomes or less formal education. 



The longer answer uncovers a demand-side ripple of climate change that most of us haven’t thought about: heat changes cravings and habits, and those shifts can widen health gaps unless we plan for them.



For every 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-use-sugar-in-ways-we-never-imagined/">warming</a>, added sugar rose by about 0.7 grams per person per day, with the sharpest climb from roughly 68 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit. 



That may not sound like much in a day, but across a season and a population, it stacks up.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-heat-and-sugar-link">Heat and sugar link</h2>



The project was led by <a href="https://profiles.cardiff.ac.uk/staff/hep3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pan He</a> of Cardiff University’s School of Earth and Environmental Sciences. 



She and colleagues paired long running scanner data from tens of thousands of households with local temperature, humidity, wind, and precipitation to isolate the temperature effect.



The analysis focused on retail purchases rather than restaurant orders, so it likely undercounts some items consumed away from home. Even so, the signal was clear in warmer months across many regions.



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-type-of-diabetes-type-5-is-now-officially-recognized-linked-to-nutritional-deficiencies/">temperature</a> response was not linear at every extreme. The increase was strongest in moderate to hot ranges, while the very hottest days showed a flattening.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-temperature-alters-food-choices">How temperature alters food choices</h2>



Beverages did most of the work. The extra sugar came mainly from sodas and fruit drinks, while frozen desserts added a smaller share.



Extreme heat can suppress appetite, which helps explain why the total increase slows on the most sweltering days. That kink does not erase the broader upward link between heat and added sugar.



Price movements did not drive the core pattern. When researchers accounted for food prices, the heat signal largely held.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-feels-the-heat-most">Who feels the heat most</h2>



The effect was largest in households with lower income or less education, a reminder that socioeconomic factors shape both exposure and choices. 



Higher income groups showed smaller changes, likely reflecting access to air conditioning, safer water, and steadier routines.



Patterns varied by background <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heat-is-making-crop-harvests-wildly-unpredictable/">climate</a> and work setting. People in cooler baseline regions and households with outdoor workers were more responsive to hotter conditions.



“What surprised us most was that the strongest increase in added sugar consumption occurred not during extreme heat, but within a relatively mild temperature range, between 12°C and 30°C," explained Pan He. 



This suggests that even moderate warming can significantly influence dietary behavior, leading to increased consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and frozen desserts."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-this-means-for-health">What this means for health</h2>



Excess added sugar is <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/php/data-research/added-sugars.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">linked</a> to weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease, and average U.S. adults still take in about 17 teaspoons per day. 



That baseline makes a few extra grams per day under future warming more troubling for those already at risk.



The American Heart Association (<a href="https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/how-much-sugar-is-too-much" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AHA</a>) recommends capping added sugars at about 6 percent of daily calories. That comes to roughly 36 grams per day for men and 25 grams for women.



The study’s projection adds context. Under a high emissions pathway, the researchers estimate nearly 3 grams per person per day of additional added sugar by 2095, with the steepest seasonal rise in summer and fall.



Health burdens do not fall evenly. Communities with fewer resources already face higher rates of diet related disease, so a temperature linked nudge toward more sugar can widen gaps.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-can-be-done">What can be done</h2>



Public policy can help. City level beverage taxes have been followed by higher shelf prices for taxed drinks and lower purchases of sugary beverages, as shown in a <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1002283" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> from Berkeley back in 2017.&nbsp;



Clearer labeling and steady nutrition education can support better choices without adding cost. Water access matters too, especially in neighborhoods with unsafe pipes or limited fountains.



Climate adaptation plans should include diet. Cooling centers, safe drinking water, and employer protocols for hot days can lower the pull of sweet, chilled products when temperatures spike.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-research-on-sugar-intake-and-heat">More research on sugar intake and heat</h2>



Restaurant orders remain a blind spot, and future work can test whether the same pattern appears in quick service and delivery data. 



That matters for sweetened coffees, teas, and blended drinks that often carry substantial added sugar.



The team’s approach can extend to other countries and cultures. 



Regions with popular sweet teas, energy drinks, or bubble teas may show different temperature thresholds but similar upward shifts during warm periods.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-025-02398-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Climate Change</a>.



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Direct link found between the weather and the amount of sugar humans eat

When the air turns hot, your body shifts into cooling...

High in Alaska’s Brooks Range, streams that once ran so clear you could drink from them are now the color of rusty tea. The water looks hazy, smells metallic, and can stain rocks orange for miles.&nbsp;



Fish are struggling, insect life is smothered, and the change has arrived with startling speed. Scientists say the culprit isn’t industry. It’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thawing-permafrost-could-tip-earths-climate-balance/">thawing permafrost</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-frozen-ground-wakes-up">When frozen ground wakes up</h2>



For millennia, Arctic permafrost - permanently frozen soil - locked minerals in place. As the region warms, that icy seal is failing. 



Water and oxygen seep into freshly thawed ground and set off a chain reaction in sulfide-rich rocks (pyrite is a prime example). 



The chemistry is textbook: sulfides oxidize, sulfuric acid forms, and the acid leaches metals like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/iron-was-lifes-first-essential-metal-and-shaped-early-evolution/">iron</a>, aluminum, and cadmium from surrounding rock. Those metals then flush into rivers and streams.



“This is what acid mine drainage looks like,” said Tim Lyons, a biogeochemist at the <a href="https://www.ucr.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California, Riverside</a>. “But here, there’s no mine. The permafrost is thawing and changing the chemistry of the landscape.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-astounding-changes-in-water-chemistry">Astounding changes in water chemistry</h2>



A new study zeroes in on the Salmon River, a key waterway in the Brooks Range, documenting just how far the contamination has progressed.&nbsp;



But the authors stress the pattern isn’t isolated. Similar transformations are underway across dozens of Arctic watersheds that share the same mix of geology and thaw.



“I have worked and traveled in the Brooks Range since 1976, and the recent changes in landforms and water chemistry are truly astounding,” said David Cooper, a <a href="https://www.colostate.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Colorado State University</a> research scientist and co-author of the study.



The alarm first sounded in 2019. Ecologist Paddy Sullivan of the <a href="https://www.alaska.edu/alaska/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Alaska</a> was flying into the backcountry to study northward-shifting forests when his bush pilot mentioned the Salmon hadn’t cleared after snowmelt - it looked, he said, “like sewage.”&nbsp;



Sullivan’s field observations led to a collaboration with Lyons, <a href="https://www.alaskapacific.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alaska Pacific University</a>’s Roman Dial, and others to trace the cause and measure the ecological fallout.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-toxic-metals-in-alaska-s-rivers">Toxic metals in Alaska's rivers</h2>



The team’s analysis confirmed a geochemical cascade. Permafrost thaw exposes sulfide-bearing rocks, oxidation generates acidity, and the resulting acid mobilizes a suite of metals.&nbsp;



In small doses many metals are harmless or even essential. 



But at higher concentrations they become toxic to aquatic life - and the Salmon River’s waters now exceed the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. Environmental Protection Agency</a> thresholds for several metals detrimental to fish and invertebrates.



Iron is the most visible signal. As iron oxidizes, it forms fine, orange precipitates that cloud the water and coat the streambed. 



That haze blocks sunlight that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-algae-that-once-cooled-earth-are-now-disappearing/">algae</a> and aquatic plants need, and the sludge blankets the gravel and cobbles where insect larvae live and fish spawn.



Cadmium is more insidious: it can accumulate in fish organs, potentially affecting predators from Dolly Varden <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trout-living-in-polluted-rivers-evolved-to-tolerate-high-metal-levels-in-the-waters/">trout</a> and grayling to birds and bears.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ripple-effects-in-the-food-chain">Ripple effects in the food chain</h2>



For now, the researchers say metal levels in edible fish tissue are not considered hazardous to humans. But indirect risks loom large.&nbsp;



Chum salmon - central to the diets and culture of many Indigenous communities - lay their eggs in clean, oxygenated gravel. When those spaces fill with fine sediment and metal precipitates, the oxygen drops and eggs can suffocate. 



Changes in insect communities ripple up the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oceans-twilight-zone-stabilizes-the-marine-food-chain/">food chain</a>, weakening the foundation that supports juvenile fish and the species that eat them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-irreversible-shift-in-alaska-s-rivers">Irreversible shift in Alaska's rivers</h2>



Unlike mine sites - where engineers can install liners, drains, or neutralizing systems - these rivers wind through remote, roadless country, and the sources of contamination are everywhere thaw has reached the right rock. There is no single pipe to plug, no settling pond to build.



“Wherever you have the right kind of rock and thawing permafrost, this process can start,” Lyons said. And once it does, it tends to keep going. The only true “off switch” would be for the permafrost to refreeze - an unlikely prospect in a warming climate.



“There’s no fixing this once it starts,” Lyons said. “It’s another irreversible shift driven by a warming planet.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fingerprints-of-global-warming">Fingerprints of global warming</h2>



The experts hope their findings will help communities, land managers, and fisheries prepare. 



They will need to expand water quality monitoring, identifying vulnerable spawning grounds, planning alternative harvests if runs falter, and adapting management practices as conditions change.



The broader message is sobering. The Brooks Range is about as far from cities and smokestacks as you can get. Yet its rivers are wearing the unmistakable fingerprints of global warming.



“There are few places left on Earth as untouched as these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alaskas-rivers-are-rusting-and-the-changes-are-visible-from-space/">rivers</a>,” Lyons said. “But even here, far from cities and highways, the fingerprint of global warming is unmistakable. No place is spared.”



Rivers once known for their wild clarity are telling a new story - one where ancient ice, long trusted to keep the land’s chemistry in check, is finally letting go.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2425644122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



Image Credit: Taylor Rhoades



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Alaska's rivers are turning orange, and the changes are irreversible

High in Alaska’s Brooks Range, streams that once ran so...

A small lump of chewed birch pitch found on the island of Lolland held an unusually rich record of one person’s life. Scientists recovered human DNA, mouth microbes, and food traces from a single piece of resin that still showed tooth marks.



The find dates to about 5,700 years ago, right as farming was spreading into southern Scandinavia. It offers a rare human snapshot from a site without any buried skeletons.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-precise-dating-of-dna-from-gum">Precise dating of DNA from gum</h2>



The work was led by <a href="https://globe.ku.dk/staff-list/?pure=en/persons/329391" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Theis Z. T. Jensen</a> at the Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen (<a href="https://globe.ku.dk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GIUC</a>). 



In this study, the team reconstructed a complete ancient human genome from a chewed birch pitch that calibrates to between 5,858 and 5,661 years before present.



The researchers used <a href="https://news.uchicago.edu/explainer/what-is-carbon-14-dating" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">radiocarbon dating</a> to fix the age of the gum, then confirmed the material as birch pitch using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography mass spectrometry. 



Those tests picked out chemical markers typical of pitch, including betulin and related compounds.



Chewing likely softened the resin for toolmaking, since fresh pitch hardens as it cools. Ethnographic records and chemistry also point to mild antiseptic properties, which could have made it a handy mouth cleaner in a pinch.



The Syltholm site preserved organic materials exceptionally well. Even so, the only direct human material from the site is this one chewed piece of pitch.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-they-pulled-dna-from-gum">How they pulled DNA from gum</h2>



Sequencing produced roughly 390 million DNA reads, and about one third aligned to the human reference genome. 



That volume of authentic ancient DNA made it possible to rebuild the woman’s genome to an average depth of 2.3x.



The researchers were able to build a complete version of her mitochondrial <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dna-from-9000-year-old-skeletons-disproves-migratory-waves-theory-from-south-africa/">DNA</a> and found that it belonged to a group called K1e, which was one of the maternal lineages present in prehistoric Europe.



“The results highlight the potential of chewed birch pitch as a source of ancient DNA,” wrote Jensen. This line captures why the gum matters for both archaeology and genetics.



Ancient DNA studies often rely on teeth or dense bone. This result shows that masticated pitch can sometimes match those tissues in how much human DNA it can hold.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-her-dna-reveals">What her DNA reveals</h2>



The sex determination analysis showed the chewer was female, based on how the reads mapped to the X and Y chromosomes. 



Her genomic profile clusters with Western hunter gatherers rather than early farmers or eastern hunter gatherers.



“We also find that she likely had dark skin, dark brown hair and blue eyes,” wrote Jensen. Trait predictions using the HIrisPlex S system point to dark skin, dark brown hair, and blue eyes.&nbsp;



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/missing-parts-of-the-human-genome-have-finally-been-decoded/">genome</a> lacks the key European variants for lactase persistence, so she was likely lactose intolerant as an adult. That fits a period before dairy tolerance rose to high frequencies in Europe.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-she-fits-in-prehistory">Where she fits in prehistory</h2>



Genetic affinity tests show no detectable influx from eastern hunter gatherers or Anatolian farmers. 



In southern Denmark around 3700 BC, at least some people still carried a largely hunter gatherer gene pool despite visible shifts in tools and pottery.



Later <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4918750/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">research</a> documents strong natural selection on several pigmentation genes during the last few thousand years in Europe. 



That helps explain why light skin spread later, while blue eyes appear in some earlier hunter gatherers.



These patterns suggest culture and genes do not always move in lockstep. Farming practices may arrive through contact and learning before ancestry profiles change.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-mouth-microbes">The mouth microbes</h2>



Beyond human DNA on the gum, the pitch held a detailed oral microbiome profile. The mix of bacteria matched what is typical for the human mouth, including commensal species common today.



The team detected members of the red complex associated with periodontal disease, such as Porphyromonas gingivalis and Treponema denticola. 



Those organisms are opportunists that can flourish under certain conditions and contribute to gum disease.



They also recovered sequences from Streptococcus pneumoniae and Epstein Barr virus. <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/pneumococcal/about/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Streptococcus pneumoniae</a> is a major cause of invasive disease in people today.



Finding ancient pathogen DNA does not prove active illness in this woman. It does show that many familiar microbes already shared our mouths thousands of years ago.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-she-ate-that-day">What she ate that day</h2>



Plant and animal DNA in the pitch point to hazelnut, Corylus avellana, and mallard, Anas platyrhynchos. These foods were common in coastal and woodland diets across Mesolithic and early Neolithic Scandinavia.



Those reads probably reflect a recent meal before the chewing session. The presence of birch <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-link-autism-to-neanderthal-dna-genetic-variants-found-in-modern-humans/">DNA</a>, unsurprisingly, comes from the pitch itself.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-gum-dna-and-modern-science">Ancient gum, DNA, and modern science</h2>



Chewed pitch opens doors at sites where human bones are missing or too fragile. It can capture ancestry, traits, oral ecology, and even dietary hints from a few mouthfuls of resin.



New work extends the approach to other places and periods. A 2024 <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-48762-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">paper</a> from Sweden reports that Mesolithic chewers had signs consistent with poor oral health, and shows that ancient pitch can track diet and microbial imbalance.



These studies turn everyday actions into scientific evidence. A brief chew can preserve a trove of information about bodies, habits, and environments long after bones have vanished.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-13549-9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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5,700-year-old piece of gum reveals the complete DNA of a prehistoric woman

A small lump of chewed birch pitch found on the...

Music feels personal at any age. Yet if your feed suggests artists that do not stick, you are not alone. 



A new analysis of long-running listening histories finds that our taste gradually narrows with age. Younger people sample widely, but by midlife many of us return more often to familiar tracks.



Professor Alan Said and his team at the <a href="https://www.gu.se/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Gothenburg</a> (GU) analyzed 15 years of data to show how listening behavior changes with age, linking it to shifts in variety and personalization.



The team drew on Last.fm histories that connect <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/music-and-the-mind-new-clues-about-how-we-experience-pleasure/">plays</a> from multiple services into one profile. Because many users self-report age at signup, the dataset allows age-linked modeling across years.



The backbone for such research is the LFM-2b dataset. It includes over 2.014 billion listening events from more than 120,000 users between 2005 and 2020, plus track and user metadata that enable careful analysis.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-music-taste-changes-with-age">Music taste changes with age</h2>



Psychology has long described a reminiscence bump in autobiographical memory for music from adolescence and early adulthood. 



Research shows that recognition, preference, and emotion all peak for songs from those years, and even reveals a secondary peak for the music of one’s parents.



Consumer behavior work adds another angle. Classic studies note that favorite popular music often reflects tastes shaped in late adolescence and early adulthood, a pattern that helps explain why songs from those periods feel enduringly salient.



The new findings fit these patterns without reducing older listening to pure nostalgia. Many older listeners still try new artists, yet they circle back more frequently to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/your-music-playlist-may-hold-the-cure-to-motion-sickness/">songs</a> that mattered during youth.



Teenagers tend to share many favorites with peers. With age, overlap falls as tastes become more individualized.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-music-journeys-grow-more-personal">Music journeys grow more personal</h2>



The authors describe a broadening from adolescence into <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/depression-in-early-adulthood-may-lead-to-dementia/">early adulthood</a>, then a contraction into a more personal profile later in life. That turn toward personal history does not stop new discovery, but it shifts the balance toward repeat plays of established favorites.



The age-linked analysis of more than 40,000 Last.fm users, over a 15-year period, counted 542 million plays across more than one millions songs. That is enough data to trace trends across the life course. These numbers explain why the conclusions carry weight.



The team identified a clear pattern among older adults. “Most 65-year-olds do not embark on a musical exploration journey,” noted Professor Said.



The same data show that middle-aged listeners keep engaging with new releases. They just return to earlier personal favorites more often than younger listeners do.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-age-and-music-recommendations">Age and music recommendations</h2>



The study highlights the importance of recommender systems that adapt to life stage. A single strategy for everyone risks missing what different groups actually want, especially when older profiles reflect unique, deeply personal histories.



Age-aware systems can handle exploration and familiarity differently at different times of life. For younger listeners, novelty may play a larger role, while for older listeners, models can weight long term favorites more heavily and still surface fresh material that fits established preferences.



Long window evaluation also matters for system design. Many benchmarks sample a short slice of time, but the longitudinal arc of listening reveals <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/our-brain-doesnt-just-hear-music-it-becomes-the-rhythm/">patterns</a> that short-term tests cannot capture, including how variety and uniqueness shift across decades.



Datasets with age and multi-year histories make it possible to evaluate these choices properly. They also open doors for fairness and inclusivity work, since demographic signals can expose where models overfit to a narrow slice of users.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-building-your-lifelong-soundtrack">Building your lifelong soundtrack</h2>



Younger readers can embrace the broad sampling that comes naturally. Variety now builds the library you will draw on later, and it can sharpen your sense of which artists feel most like you.



If you are in midlife or older, leaning into your personal canon is not a problem. You can still try a measured stream of new tracks that mesh with your history, then save the ones that land so your recommendations keep learning.



The industrial takeaway is simple. Recommendation teams should test strategies that mix new and familiar differently by age, and they should measure success on multi-year horizons.



The human takeaway is just as clear. A personal music <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-soundtracks-stir-stronger-emotions-than-music-composed-by-humans/">soundtrack</a> tightens with age, but it remains alive, and careful design can help it stay that way without forcing change.



The study is published in <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3708319.3733673" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Adjunct Proceedings of the 33rd ACM Conference on User Modeling, Adaptation and Personalization</a>.



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Music taste broadens in youth but narrows with age

Music feels personal at any age. Yet if your feed...

Strength training often brings to mind toned arms and powerful legs. But new research suggests that the benefits extend much further. Lifting weights may also reshape the trillions of microbes living in our gut, which influence everything from metabolism to immunity.



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/studies-learn-the-exact-amount-of-time-you-should-spend-training-to-build-muscle/">gut</a> microbiome is closely linked to both health and aging. Inside of it are microbes like Faecalibacterium, Akkermansia, and Roseburia hominis. These tiny organisms produce short-chain fatty acids that strengthen the gut lining and ease inflammation.



Endurance activities like running or cycling are known to boost these helpful microbes. But when it comes to resistance training, the picture has remained far less clear.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-conflicting-past-studies">Conflicting past studies</h2>



Until recently, research painted a mixed picture. Some trials found that weight training shifted microbial communities, while others reported almost no changes. 



Matthieu Clauss of the <a href="https://www.nih.no/english/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Norwegian School of Sport Sciences</a> in Oslo noted that the existing research remains limited.



To settle this uncertainty, Sven Nahnsen and colleagues at the <a href="https://uni-tuebingen.de/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Tübingen</a> studied 150 sedentary adults. Participants engaged in an eight-week resistance program using advanced machines that adjusted loads in real time and tracked every lift.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-strength-and-gut-microbes">Tracking strength and gut microbes</h2>



This digital system created detailed performance records while ensuring progressive, individualized training. Stool samples collected before, during, and after the program allowed researchers to map microbial changes.



When researchers looked at the whole group, they saw no clear changes in microbial diversity. The story shifted, however, once strength gains came into focus. 



Participants who made the biggest improvements showed noticeable rises in Faecalibacterium and Roseburia hominis. In fact, these microbes were especially abundant in individuals who gained far more <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/strength-training-may-be-the-best-exercise-for-insomnia/">strength</a> than everyone else.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-microbes-differ-in-strong-lifters">Microbes differ in strong lifters</h2>



The study revealed clear differences between high and low responders. The strongest gains were linked with distinct changes in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/natures-sweet-remedy-honey-is-a-microbial-marvel/">microbial</a> composition.



High performers also showed enrichment of members of the Lachnospiraceae family, many of which are linked to anti-inflammatory effects.



Notably, an amplicon sequence variant classified as Roseburia hominis showed the most significant increase in high responders by week eight.



Other enriched microbes included Bacteroides massiliensis and certain Prevotellaceae. Meanwhile, taxa like Lachnoclostridium and Oscillospiraceae declined.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gut-shifts-depend-on-training-progress">Gut shifts depend on training progress</h2>



Why do only some people experience these changes? <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/weight-training-shields-the-aging-brain-from-dementia/">Training</a> compliance was similar, and diet surveys showed no clear differences. 



This suggests factors beyond effort or food intake. One possibility is that microbial shifts themselves supported muscle gains by increasing production of short-chain fatty acids, which enhance energy metabolism and recovery.



Resistance training did not increase overall microbial richness (alpha diversity), unlike endurance training, but it did remodel microbial composition (beta diversity) in high responders. 



This points to a dose-response effect: only when strength improvements cross a certain threshold do microbiome shifts emerge.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lifting-and-running-converge">Lifting and running converge</h2>



Despite differences between <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-running-can-help-you-move-think-and-feel-better/">running</a> and lifting, both exercise types seem to converge on similar microbial outcomes. 



Enriched short-chain fatty acid producers like Faecalibacterium and Roseburia suggest common pathways that support gut integrity, regulate glucose, and reduce systemic inflammation.



The changes occurred without dietary modification, meaning resistance training alone can act as a driver of gut remodeling. This highlights its role not only for musculoskeletal health but also for metabolic and immune regulation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exercise-benefits-are-clear">Exercise benefits are clear</h2>



Some mysteries remain. Stool metabolomics showed no significant changes, which may indicate that functional shifts were subtle, localized, or required longer adaptation. 



The study also lacked a non-exercising control group, leaving room for further confirmation.



Even so, outside experts remain hopeful. The results suggest that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-reduces-depression-and-anxiety-in-children-and-teens-with-mental-health-issues/">exercise</a> of any kind can benefit gut health. They also point to the possibility that resistance training sparks unique, health-related shifts in the microbiome.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-strength-training-as-gut-medicine">Strength training as gut medicine</h2>



From a public health perspective, resistance training may offer far more than toned muscles. It could serve as a non-drug approach to improving gut health, especially for people facing chronic inflammation or the challenges of aging.



The changes happening inside the gut are striking. Beneficial microbes increase, the gut lining becomes stronger, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fasting-helps-the-body-fight-inflammation-and-chronic-diseases/">inflammation</a> settles down. These microbes also help regulate blood sugar and energy use, lowering the risk of long-term conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and digestive problems.



What makes this especially interesting is that participants did not need to change their diets. The exercise itself appeared to reshape the gut community, suggesting that strength training works as its own form of medicine.



For many, this shifts how we think about working out. Exercise is not only about muscles or appearance - it is about keeping the body resilient from within. Regular resistance training might help people recover faster, age more gracefully, and carry less risk of disease throughout life.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.13.670057v1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bioRxiv</a>.



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Strength training can boost healthy gut bacteria

Strength training often brings to mind toned arms and powerful...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXXGGiynIjs
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Greenland is not sinking. In fact, it is the opposite.</figcaption></figure>



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



Most coastal towns are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sinking-land-will-intensify-the-effects-of-rising-sea-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">preparing for higher sea levels</a>, but <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenland-no-longer-has-to-worry-about-rising-sea-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Greenland presents</a> a different scenario during climate change. The ground there is rising at a remarkable rate. Over the past decade, some areas have lifted about 20 centimeters, which translates to roughly 2 meters per century. This rate significantly exceeds current projections for sea level rise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-geological-rebound-process-through-climate-change">Geological rebound process through climate change</h2>



The mechanism behind this phenomenon is straightforward. As the ice sheet melts, the immense weight is removed from the bedrock, causing the land to rebound upward. This process resembles the way compressed material springs back when pressure is released.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientific-monitoring-networks">Scientific monitoring networks</h2>



Researchers at the <a href="https://www.dtu.dk/english/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Technical University of Denmark</a> are documenting this uplift using the GNET network, consisting of 61 GPS stations positioned around Greenland's coast. These sensors can detect movement with millimeter precision, providing detailed measurements of the ongoing changes.



The data reveal that current uplift rates exceed the gradual rebound occurring since the last ice age ended approximately 12,000 years ago. This acceleration corresponds directly with increased ice sheet melting rates.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coastal-transformation">Coastal Transformation</h2>



This uplift is actively reshaping Greenland's coastline. New islands and rocky formations, called "skerries," are emerging as previously submerged land surfaces rise above the water level. This represents a notable contrast to global concerns about rising seas.



The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, demonstrates the varied regional impacts of climate change. While many locations face rising water levels, Greenland's bedrock is literally rising above the surrounding seas.



The full study was recently published in <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2023GL104851" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.



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Greenland's ground rises while coasts worldwide face higher seas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXXGGiynIjs Greenland is not sinking. In fact, it is the...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSM3EVeGHJU
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Companies like MindStudio help companies train their employees to implement the latest AI Agent building platform.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ai-agent-training-transforms-the-workplace-fear-factor-into-a-competitive-advantage">AI agent training transforms the workplace 'fear factor' into a competitive advantage</h2>



Organizations that offer comprehensive artificial intelligence training to their workers find remarkable value that extends well beyond basic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mind-wandering-might-be-more-productive-than-you-think/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">productivity improvements</a>. Emerging research demonstrates that carefully crafted AI training programs <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-does-not-replace-human-creativity-but-enhances-it/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">enhance</a> corporate performance, lower operational costs, and dramatically improve employee psychological well-being by turning workplace uncertainty into professional empowerment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-addressing-the-widespread-ai-anxiety-crisis-among-us">Addressing the widespread 'AI anxiety' crisis among us</h2>



A staggering 53% of employees expressed concern that the use of AI tools to automate work tasks could make them appear disposable to their employers, according to <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Microsoft</a>'s 2024 workplace survey. Such pervasive worry about being substituted by machines has caused what researchers have termed "AI technostress" – a psychological state that can result in occupational burnout and poorer mental well-being.



Data published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/palcomms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humanities and Social Sciences Communications</a> showed that belief in AI learning ability was a moderator in the link between technology adoption and work pressure, and higher confidence significantly lowered negative psychological responses. Workers provided ample training to become competent with AI software have significantly lower stress.



Companies like <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MindStudio</a> have platforms for building what are known as "AI Agents". In essence, AI Agents are simply tools that employees can build for themselves or their teams quickly and inexpensively. MindStudio will even train entire companies, from the CEO on down, at no cost. By letting MindStudio empower employees, companies avoid hiring more IT staff, buying more software, and implementing solutions to problems that do not exist.



MindStudio even has partners locally for companies, like <a href="http://www.dominnus.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dominnus</a> with offices in the Carolinas, California, and Denver, to help build AI Agents and support employees as they become resident AI experts for their organization. The training provided by MindStudio is applicable across other AI Agent building platforms as well.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-productivity-through-focused-learning">Revolutionary productivity through focused learning</h2>



Organizations that implement large-scale AI training programs achieve dramatic outcomes. Employees performed tasks significantly better when they utilized AI support compared to when they didn't, according to <a href="https://www.nngroup.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nielsen Norman Group</a> research findings. Their study documented productivity increases of 66% for a variety of professional tasks.



Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis research finds workers record 33% higher productivity in time working with generative AI tools. The benefit is equivalent to 5.4% of work time savings for AI users – around 2.2 hours per week for full-time workers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-psychological-well-being-benefits-through-ai-competence">Psychological well-being benefits through AI competence</h2>



The emotional transformation when employees are provided with proper technology training is a fundamental transformation from fear to professional confidence. A survey of 600 employees across industries, carried out by ScienceDirect, proved that AI capabilities strengthen work environment commitment and improve job satisfaction.



A <a href="https://www.lut.fi/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LUT University</a> study discovered that AI adoption has no direct effect on workers' well-being but does so indirectly through working conditions like task optimization and safety protocols. Strategically deployed AI that involves correct training can actually increase workplace mental well-being.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-replacement-anxiety-to-partnership-confidence">From 'replacement anxiety' to 'partnership confidence'</h2>



Although 35% of those interviewed in recent McKinsey studies were concerned about workforce displacement, firms with large-scale training initiatives witness such fears dissipate quickly. The World Economic Forum found that two out of three respondents believe AI competencies will enhance their career prospects and job marketability.



This shift from fear to trust has measurable implications for job satisfaction. Applied Sciences research indicates AI can create tailored wellness programs based on individual employee requirements.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-financial-benefits-of-increased-retention">Financial benefits of increased retention</h2>



The mental health advantages of AI learning have a direct impact on organizational bottom lines in the form of a positive feedback cycle with high retention of employees. Recent ROI research validates that artificial intelligence learning has a beneficial impact on employee turnover and satisfaction levels.



PriceWaterhouseCoopers' research documents 20% to 30% improvements in productivity, market speed, and revenue in organizations that attempt systematic AI adoption through comprehensive training.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-environmental-advantages-of-ai-enabled-teams">Environmental advantages of AI-enabled teams</h2>



AI training has unforeseen environmental benefits as it makes the work environment more efficient. According to a study in Scientific Reports, the carbon footprint in writing and illustrating work is significantly lower when AI performs it compared to humans. AI software produces 130 to 1,500 times less CO2 equivalent per page of text created than human authors.



In addition, AI-driven remote work functionality significantly reduces environmental impact. Research by Cornell University and Microsoft indicates that remote workers reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 54% by not commuting daily to offices. Hybrid workers working remotely two to four days a week can reduce their carbon footprint by 11% to 29%.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cumulative-organizational-advantages">Cumulative organizational advantages</h2>



The compounding gains of better mental well-being, reduced turnover, increased productivity, and environmental benefits flow to enterprises from the pairing. McKinsey analysis estimates the long-term AI potential at $4.4 trillion in incremental productivity growth opportunity from business use cases.



As of now, 75% of knowledge workers globally utilize generative AI, mirroring widespread adoption patterns. Organizations that provide organized training and assistance see the most favorable results in productivity, worker satisfaction, and ecological sustainability.



The research overwhelmingly indicates that companies that invest in proper AI education, like that offered through <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MindStudio</a>, establish win-win scenarios where employees are both more empowered and less stressed, and companies enjoy the gains of increased productivity, reduced turnover, and improved mental health outcomes throughout their workforce.



For more on MindStudio's free AI training for companies, visit the website's of MindStudio and Dominnus from the links below.



The research was published across a variety of peer-reviewed journals, including <a href="https://www.nature.com/palcomms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humanities and Social Sciences Communications</a>, <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence</a>, and <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci">Applied Sciences</a>.



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MindStudio.AI: <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.mindstudio.ai</a>



Dominnus: <a href="https://www.dominnus.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.dominnus.com</a>

AI agent training boosts mental health and profits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSM3EVeGHJU Companies like MindStudio help companies train their employees to...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HDXqTGEmi4
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Scientists give plants superpowers against bacterial disease</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-natural-solution-to-disease-through-crop-modification">A natural solution to disease through crop modification.</h2>



The agricultural industry stands at a crossroads between productivity and environmental responsibility, and crop modification often carries a negative connotation. While chemical pesticides have long been the go-to solution for crop protection, their harmful effects on ecosystems and human health have prompted scientists to seek alternatives. The recent breakthrough by <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Southampton</a> researchers offers a promising path forward through the precise manipulation of plant-associated microbial communities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-science-behind-microbial-partnerships">The science behind microbial partnerships</h2>



Plants naturally harbor diverse ecosystems of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms that function as biological allies. These microscopic partners contribute to disease resistance, nutrient absorption, and stress tolerance. However, until now, scientists lacked the tools to deliberately reshape these communities to enhance crop protection.



The Southampton team's approach centered on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/engineered-plant-microbiomes-the-future-of-crop-protection/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">modifying lignin biosynthesis genes in rice plants</a>. This strategic intervention altered the plant's metabolic output, creating conditions that favored beneficial bacterial populations while suppressing harmful ones. The result was a living defense system embedded within the plant itself.



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



The successful demonstration against Xanthomonas oryzae, the pathogen responsible for bacterial blight in rice, represents more than a laboratory achievement. Rice feeds nearly half the world's population, and bacterial blight causes devastating crop losses annually. Traditional control methods rely heavily on pesticides that contaminate soil and water systems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-beyond-disease-resistance">Looking Beyond Disease Resistance</h2>



While disease protection represents the immediate application, the research framework opens doors to broader agricultural improvements. Future developments could engineer microbiomes to enhance nutrient uptake, reducing dependence on synthetic fertilizers. This dual benefit addresses both crop productivity and environmental sustainability.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-path-forward">The path forward</h2>



As this technology advances from laboratory to field applications, it promises to reshape sustainable agriculture. The ability to program plants with their own biological defense systems could herald a new era where crops protect themselves naturally, reducing chemical inputs while maintaining yields necessary for global food security.



The study is published in the journal&nbsp;<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-44335-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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Revolutionizing agriculture through microbiome engineering

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HDXqTGEmi4 Scientists give plants superpowers against bacterial disease A natural...

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