Young aspen trees in Yellowstone are doing something they have not done in almost 100 years. Rather than sprouting and being eaten back to nubs by elk and bison, they're actually growing into tall, adult forest trees rising up towards the canopy.



This matters more than it might seem, because it shows what happens when a missing piece of an ecosystem returns.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-yellowstone-aspens-and-elk">Yellowstone, aspens, and elk</h2>



In the 1920s, people <a href="https://www.yellowstone.org/wolf-project/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eliminated wolves in Yellowstone</a>. At the time, with limited scientific knowledge, managers believed it was the right thing to do.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/from-wolves-to-dogs-did-domestication-begin-without-human-help/">Without wolves</a>, elk herds grew very large. Elk love to eat aspen shoots - the tender young growth is highly palatable to them.



For roughly 70 years, elk browsed aspen sprouts down to stub height, and the trees couldn't grow. 



If you had walked through Yellowstone in the 1980s, you would have seen many tiny aspen shoots covering the ground, but almost no young trees gaining height. 



The forest's regeneration was stalled. Old trees died, and no new ones replaced them.



In 1995 and 1996, park managers reintroduced wolves into the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/yellowstone-supervolcano-eruption-study-sparks-new-debate-on-where-and-when-it-will-erupt/">Yellowstone Park ecosystem</a>. Scientists hoped and wondered whether this would change anything for the trees.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-aspen-matter-to-yellowstone">Why aspen matter to Yellowstone</h2>



Aspen groves provide habitat for many species. Birds nest in them. Beavers eat the bark and use the wood for dams. Butterflies and moths lay eggs on the leaves. 



Their canopy admits enough light for wildflowers and shrubs to grow beneath. When it rains, aspen groves hold water in the soil better than some other forest types.



In short, when aspen return, dozens of other species benefit. More trees support more insects, which in turn support more birds, enriching the ecosystem.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-checking-the-trees-three-decades-later">Checking the trees three decades later</h2>



<a href="https://fwcs.oregonstate.edu/users/luke-painter" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Luke Painter</a>, an ecologist at <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Oregon State University</a>, sought clear answers. His team returned to 87 aspen stands across Yellowstone that scientists had previously surveyed. 



They measured thousands of young trees, looked for bite marks, and counted how many stems were tall enough that elk could no longer reach the tips.



About a third of these stands now have many tall young aspens pushing toward the canopy. 



"About 26 of the 87 aspen stands we examined had large numbers of tall saplings throughout, a remarkable change from the 1990s when surveys found none at all," Painter said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-wolves-matter-to-yellowstone-aspens">Why wolves matter to Yellowstone aspens</h2>



Breaking it all down, the conclusions of this study are pretty simple. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wolves-move-pups-across-mountains-to-adapt-to-climate-pressure/">Wolves hunt elk</a>. When wolves came back, two things happened. First, elk numbers declined from unusually high levels. Second, elk changed their behavior. They spent less time in the same areas feeding.



With fewer elk and shorter feeding bouts, more aspen shoots survived long enough to exceed the browsing zone - about six to seven feet high. 



Once a sapling reaches that height, elk cannot easily reach the growing tip. The tree continues to grow.



"The reintroduction of large carnivores has initiated a recovery process that had been shut down for decades," Painter explained.



Scientists call this a <a href="https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/trophic-cascades-across-diverse-plant-ecosystems-80060347/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">trophic cascade</a> - when adding or removing one species causes changes that ripple through the whole system.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-some-places-recover-others-don-t">Some places recover, others don't</h2>



Unfortunately, not every aspen stand has recovered yet. Some valleys still have many short, heavily browsed shoots, because it's not only elk eating them anymore. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/yellowstones-iconic-bison-have-merged-into-a-single-herd/">Bison herds have grown</a>, and bison browse on aspen as well. They are strong enough to break young trees. 



"Increasing numbers of bison may be emerging as a new constraint to aspen in some areas," Painter confirmed.



Additionally, winter snow depth varies; droughts stress trees; bears and mountain lions also hunt elk; and hunting outside the park influences elk distribution. 



All of these factors interact, which is why some sites show strong recovery, others show moderate recovery, and a few have changed very little.



The key pattern is that places with many tall saplings experience little browsing, and aspen groves that remain popular eating grounds today stay short. 



This fact is the strongest indication that tree recovery is linked directly to wolf presence, not solely to weather or soil conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-proof-in-the-measurements">Proof in the measurements</h2>



Painter's team did not rely on casual observation. They used the same methods as earlier researchers, measuring the same plots. 



They counted recruitment - when young trees surpass browsing height and begin progressing toward maturity. This measure is crucial. Sprouts are insufficient if they never grow; without recruitment, the forest cannot replace itself.



The results are robust. After being stalled for most of a century, Yellowstone's aspens are increasing in height. In recovering stands today, you will see saplings - six, eight, or ten feet tall - that were not present in the 1990s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-future-of-yellowstone-s-aspens">The future of Yellowstone's aspens</h2>



"This is a remarkable case of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giant-viruses-found-in-yellowstones-hot-springs-may-be-near-the-root-of-all-life-on-earth/">ecological restoration</a>," Painter concluded. "Wolf reintroduction is yielding long-term ecological changes contributing to increased biodiversity and habitat diversity."



Trees grow slowly, so even with wolves restored, it will take decades for these young aspens to form a full-grown forest. 



Some areas might never fully recover if bison numbers continue to rise or if the climate becomes too hot and dry.



Thanks to the work of Painter and his team, scientists are now certain that restoring the Yellowstone predator has restarted aspen forest regeneration. Not everywhere and not perfectly, but enough to be measured, creating hope for the future.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112725004499?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Forest Ecology and Management</a>.



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Yellowstone's aspen trees are growing again thanks to the reintroduction of wolves

Young aspen trees in Yellowstone are doing something they have not done in almost 100 years. Rather than sprouting and being eaten back to nubs by elk and bison, they're actually growing into tall, adult forest trees rising up towards the canopy. This matters more than it might seem, because it shows what happens when a missing piece of an ecosystem returns. Yellowstone, aspens, and elk In the 1920s, people eliminated wolves in Yellowstone. At the time, with limited scientific knowledge, managers believed it was the right...

On May 12, 2008, central China was hit by one of the deadliest earthquakes in recent memory. The magnitude 7.9 Wenchuan Earthquake struck along the edge of the Tibetan Plateau, triggering violent landslides across the steep slopes of the Longmen Shan - known as the Dragon’s Gate Mountains.



The disaster killed more than 69,000 people, but nearly a third of those deaths weren't from shaking alone. They came from geohazards - including more than 60,000 landslides that came tumbling down the mountains in the hours and days that followed.



Now, after nearly two decades of research, scientists at <a href="https://www.ucsb.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UC Santa Barbara</a> and the University of Southern California say the story of that earthquake still isn’t over. Their recent study shows that the debris shaken loose by the quake is still working its way through the region’s rivers. 



The team tracked how sediment surged into the Min River and how it changed the river’s behavior - possibly for decades. And their work could help answer a deeper question: Do earthquakes build mountains, or wear them down?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-river-loaded-with-debris">A river loaded with debris</h2>



When the quake hit, millions of tons of rock and soil collapsed into nearby streams. Much of it ended up in the Min River, which runs through the Longmen Mountains. The river became a conveyor belt for that debris.



Geologists call this "<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rivers-show-widespread-change-from-human-activity/">sediment flux</a>" - the amount of material a river carries. It shows up in two forms. The first is suspended sediment, fine particles carried in the water, easy to measure. The second is bedload - coarser stuff like gravel and boulders that roll or bounce along the bottom. That’s harder to track.



“Before our work, people mostly focused on the sediment of very fine size,” said Gen Li, an assistant professor in UC Santa Barbara’s Department of Earth Science.



Suspended sediment is routinely measured by agencies around the world. But bedload? That’s trickier. You can’t collect it with a bottle. And during an event like the Wenchuan Earthquake, there's suddenly a lot of it.



Scientists have long suspected that this surge in bedload plays a big role in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mega-tsunamis-triggered-by-earthquakes-could-wipe-part-of-us-off-the-map/">post-quake flooding</a>. The idea is simple: if a riverbed fills with debris, the channel gets shallower. Then, when a flood comes, it spills over more easily. But proving this has been a challenge.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-a-dam-became-a-natural-lab">How a dam became a natural lab</h2>



Back in 2001, the Sichuan Provincial Electric Power Company started building the Zipingpu Dam. By 2006, the reservoir began filling, just 20 kilometers downstream from where the Wenchuan Earthquake would later strike. It was an unintentional stroke of luck for science.



That dam turned into the perfect sediment trap. Shortly after the quake, Li and his collaborators - including researchers from the <a href="http://www.cjh.com.cn/eng/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chinese Bureau of Hydrology</a> - began surveying it.



Daily data already existed for suspended sediment. What the scientists needed was the rest of the picture. They set out, year after year, using sonar to map the floor of the reservoir. 



Each expedition added a new layer to their data. Over time, they could measure how much total sediment had built up. From there, they did the math. Total sediment minus suspended sediment equals bedload.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-earthquake-effects-last-a-decade">When earthquake effects last a decade</h2>



After the quake, the amount of total sediment in the Min River grew sixfold. But the real shock came with the bedload, which had increased 20 times. That is not normal. Bedload usually makes up about 20% of sediment in a mountain river. Here, it made up 65 percent.



The result didn’t surprise co-author Josh West. He had suspected that sediment flux would spike after a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/can-we-detect-major-earthquakes-months-in-advance/">major earthquake</a>, especially in the form of increased bedload.



What did surprise the team was how long it lasted. The elevated sediment flow didn’t return to normal after a few years. It stayed high for at least a decade.



“In fact, from the data we’ve collected so far, there’s no evidence yet of the total sediment flux declining back to background levels,” West said.



“Usually, we think the influence from earthquakes may last, at most, a few years after the main shock,” said Professor Li. “But this data shows that this is not true.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-earthquakes-set-off-a-chain-reaction">Earthquakes set off a chain reaction </h2>



The study adds weight to a growing idea among scientists: the danger from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/natural-disasters-are-on-the-rise-but-hazard-plans-are-inadequate/">natural disasters</a> doesn’t stop once the main event ends. Earthquakes can set off a chain reaction. One disaster leads to another.



“Earthquake-triggered landslides are a great example,” West said. “As we prepare for natural disasters, we often think of them as being discrete events. But what’s left out of that is the longer tail that follows.”



In other words, rebuilding too quickly - or rebuilding in the same way, in the same place - can be risky. The land has changed. Riverbeds are higher and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earthquakes-and-flood-zones-hidden-risks-in-the-pacific-northwest/">flood zones</a> are different. What was once a safe 10-year floodplain may now be a ticking time bomb.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-do-earthquakes-build-mountains">Do earthquakes build mountains?</h2>



Earthquakes are thought to push up mountain ranges. But they also cause <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/landslide-predictions-could-become-94-percent-more-accurate/">landslides</a> that scrape them back down. So which effect wins?



Professor Li looked into this in an earlier study. He used satellite images to estimate that the Wenchuan Earthquake caused about three cubic kilometers of material to slide off the Longmen Mountains. “That is around half of the sediment flux of all the rivers in the world over one year,” he said.



Li also looked at how much rock the quake pushed upward. Turns out, it was about the same. That means the quake may have added and removed equal amounts of mass. Whether the mountain grows or shrinks depends on what happens next.



If the river can carry all that debris away quickly, the mountain stays tall. If the debris piles up and clogs the system, the mountain starts to erode. So far, the Min River has flushed out about 10% of the landslide debris over ten years.



“The fact that the pace was sustained for ten years was a surprise on its own,” West said. But predicting what happens in the next few decades is harder. Watersheds evolve and landscapes shift. The balance is fragile.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-many-questions-remain">Many questions remain</h2>



Professor Li is now investigating why this particular river carried so much bedload. The 2015 Gorkha Earthquake in Nepal, for instance, didn’t trigger the same kind of sediment surge in Himalayan rivers. This suggests other factors are at play.



The rock itself might be the key. Its type, texture, and how it breaks apart all affect how much debris a quake generates. The size of the grains also matters. And how those grains move downstream is still being modeled.



Li’s team is now studying these patterns in more detail - using field data and computer models to understand how sediment flows over time.



“It’s very satisfying to have been able to quantify something that we’ve struggled to quantify before and that has a wide range of relevance, from hazards to long-term consequences for understanding the evolution of topography over long periods of time," said West.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09354-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



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How earthquakes move mountains - and what comes next

On May 12, 2008, central China was hit by one...

North American monarch butterflies do not use Earth’s magnetic field as a map to find Mexico. They use it as a compass to hold a heading, and cold temperatures later flip that compass for the return trip north.



In lab tests that mimicked different locations relative to their overwintering sites, fall migrants kept pointing toward the equator under every magnetic setting. 



After a 24 day chill, roughly 52ºF days and 39ºF nights, the same <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/butterfly-populations-are-disappearing-and-its-happening-fast/">butterflies</a> switched to a poleward heading, while controls kept aiming south.



A group of scientists in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Cincinnati (<a href="https://www.artsci.uc.edu/natural-sciences/biological-sciences.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UC</a>) collaborated on the research 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-monarch-compass-navigation">Monarch compass navigation</h2>



The team used a righting response setup inside a Helmholtz coil system, which generates controlled Earth-strength magnetic fields.



The butterflies oriented on a vertical mesh after righting themselves, giving clear headings without relying on visual landmarks.



The team tested three field conditions: locations about three days’ flight south of the overwintering sites, the overwintering sites themselves, and locations three days’ flight north. They then recorded the butterflies’ preferred direction.



The magnetic parameter that acts like latitude is inclination - the angle at which magnetic field lines enter the ground. It becomes steeper toward the poles.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cold-triggers-migration-change">Cold triggers migration change</h2>



“Our discovery that coldness triggers the northward flight direction in spring remigrants solves one of the long-standing mysteries of the monarch migration,” wrote Patrick A. Guerra, who led the study.



A decade ago, researchers showed that winter cold flips the monarch’s time-compensated sun compass, turning a fall southbound program into a spring northbound one.&nbsp;



The new study extends that logic to the magnetic system. Fall migrants chilled for 24 days under overwintering-like temperatures reversed their magnetic headings to poleward, while <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/butterfly-species-are-declining-fast-across-the-united-states/">monarchs</a> held at fall temperatures did not.



This points to temperature as a shared recalibration signal across compass systems. It also raises a practical question: how warm can the overwintering microclimate get before this switch fails to flip on schedule.



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



Rising winter temperatures in central Mexico could interfere with the recalibration process by preventing monarchs from experiencing the consistent cold needed to reset their orientation systems. 



Without this signal, they might depart on their spring migration still heading equatorward, wasting critical time and energy reserves.



Conservation strategies may need to account not only for preserving habitat but also for maintaining the microclimate stability of overwintering sites. 



Protecting forest canopy cover, limiting deforestation, and monitoring local weather trends could help ensure that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/butterflies-can-adapt-quickly-but-evolution-has-its-limits/">monarchs</a> continue to receive the environmental cues they depend on for successful migration cycles.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-compass-not-a-map">A compass, not a map</h2>



Several animals use geomagnetic information in two ways, as a compass for direction and as a map for position. 



Tests of fall monarchs have found no evidence that they possess a fine-scale magnetic map that could guide them to a specific Mexican mountain forest.



By contrast, some species do form magnetic maps that help them correct course or home to precise destinations. 



Evidence spans hatchling and adult sea turtles and at least some birds, where animals learn or inherit positional signatures in the field.



Monarchs likely lean on other cues to decide when to stop, including the cool, moist microclimate of oyamel fir forests at roughly 8,000 to 12,000 feet and consistent humidity in those groves. 



Those conditions bracket temperatures close to freezing up to about 59ºF, which help insects conserve energy until spring.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-monarch-compass-works-without-sun">Monarch compass works without sun</h2>



“We now show that migratory monarch butterflies have an inclination magnetic compass that allows them to orient in the proper southern direction during the fall migration,” reported Guerra and colleagues. 



When the sun’s position is clear, monarchs use their sun compass. On overcast days, they can still stay on course with a light-dependent magnetic compass.&nbsp;



Recent genetics and neurobiology work has shown that the cryptochrome 1, a UV-A/blue-light sensitive protein, is essential to this magnetosensory response. Both antennae and eyes appear to serve as magnetosensory organs in this context.



Directional and timing cues are integrated in the brain’s central complex, a midline hub that combines skylight and clock information for orientation. Reviews of monarch neurobiology place this circuit at the center of migratory control.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-travel-speed-and-timing">Travel speed and timing</h2>



Monarchs do not sprint to Mexico. Typical progress averages about 25 to 30 miles per day in reasonable weather, and it can stall or surge with changing winds.



Telemetry studies capture faster days under strong assistance, with a radio-tracked <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-country-without-butterflies-rapid-decline-in-u-s-populations/">monarch</a> covering about 89 miles in a single day. 



Temperature and wind together pushed that pace, demonstrating how sensitive the journey is to weather.



That sensitivity extends to winter. Federal assessments warn that changes to the oyamel fir belt, through logging and climate warming, threaten the microclimate that monarchs rely on to survive and to trigger their spring reorientation.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0328737" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS ONE</a>.



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Monarch butterflies have a built-in compass that flips when it's cold, disrupting migration

North American monarch butterflies do not use Earth’s magnetic field...

Tooth decay is the most common health condition in permanent teeth worldwide, and many adults feel it each time a sip of cold water stings.



A new <a href="https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adhm.202502465" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> suggests toothpaste made from keratin could help protect <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/natures-toughest-teeth-inspire-next-generation-materials/">teeth</a> by guiding an enamel-like shield to form on worn surfaces, moving beyond patchwork fixes.



Lead author <a href="https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/persons/sara-gamea" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sara Gamea</a> and senior author <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/sherif-elsharkawy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Sherif Elsharkawy</a> are based at King’s College London (<a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/sherif-elsharkawy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">KCL</a>), in the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hair-protein-for-tooth-repair">Hair protein for tooth repair</h2>



<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8052392/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Keratin</a> is a structural protein that is abundant in hair and wool, and it can be extracted and processed into films, hydrogels, and scaffolds for biomedical use.



The new work leans on <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4226000/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">biomineralization</a>, the natural process by which tissues organize minerals such as hydroxyapatite crystals to gain hardness and resilience, a long-standing challenge for true <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-successfully-grow-human-teeth-in-a-laboratory-for-the-first-time/">enamel</a> repair.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-testing-keratin-toothpaste">Testing keratin toothpaste</h2>



The team made water-based keratin films that self-assemble, then tested whether these templates could organize calcium and phosphate from saliva-like solutions into ordered, enamel-like minerals.



In lab models of early <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10775501/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">white spot lesions</a>, the keratin infiltrated porous enamel and supported the growth of tightly integrated crystals that restored appearance and improved mechanical properties without drilling.



The authors describe two practical delivery forms, a daily toothpaste for broad use and a professional gel for targeted spots, and note that first consumer <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/4000-year-old-teeth-reveal-the-oldest-evidence-of-betel-nut-chewing/">products</a> could be feasible within two to three years if development proceeds smoothly.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-comparing-keratin-to-current-options">Comparing keratin to current options</h2>



Fluoride toothpastes reduce the risk of cavities compared with non-fluoride formulas, and higher concentrations show a dose-response in children and adolescents.



But fluoride alone cannot rebuild missing minerals where the surface has already opened up.



This is why dentists sometimes turn to <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9100225/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">resin infiltration</a>, a plastic-based approach that can seal pores yet releases trace monomers and by-products with measurable cytotoxic potential in laboratory systems.



Composite <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25048250/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">restorations</a> also carry failure risks over time, with secondary caries and fracture among the main reasons that drive replacement in long-term studies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-could-affect-its-use">What could affect its use</h2>



Even with promising lab results, market adoption will depend on whether keratin-based toothpaste can match the price and convenience of standard products. 



Large-scale production from hair or wool waste will require streamlined collection, processing, and quality control systems to make it cost-effective for daily consumer use.



Public perception may also influence uptake. While some may welcome a natural, sustainable ingredient, others could hesitate at the idea of a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-happens-to-our-teeth-as-we-age-new-details-have-emerged/">dental</a> product derived from hair. 



Clear education campaigns and transparent sourcing will be important to build trust and encourage widespread acceptance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-waste-to-wearables-for-teeth">From waste to wearables for teeth</h2>



Hair and wool are plentiful waste streams, and keratin extracted from them has been moving into wound dressings, tissue scaffolds, and drug delivery, a good match for circular, low-impact materials in healthcare.



“Keratin offers a transformative alternative to current dental treatments," Gamea explained. 



"Not only is it sustainably sourced from biological waste materials like hair and skin, it also eliminates the need for traditional plastic resins, commonly used in restorative dentistry, which are toxic and less durable."



If the keratin platform can be manufactured consistently, it could reduce reliance on petroleum-derived resins for some indications, while better matching tooth color and light scatter for a subtler look.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-safety-of-keratin-toothpaste">Safety of keratin toothpaste</h2>



Before keratin-based toothpaste can reach consumers, it must pass through regulatory review to ensure both safety and efficacy. 



In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (<a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/R/PDF/R42594/R42594.5.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FDA</a>) would likely require it to be evaluated as an over-the-counter drug or medical device, depending on claims and formulation, which involves rigorous preclinical data, human trials, and manufacturing quality checks. 



Similar processes apply in the European Union, where approval would require conformity to Medical Device Regulation <a href="https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/device-advice-comprehensive-regulatory-assistance/overview-device-regulation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">standards</a>. 



Toxicology assessments will need to confirm that keratin derived from hair or wool is free of harmful contaminants and does not trigger allergic reactions. 



Long-term wear studies will also be important to ensure that mineral layers formed on the enamel remain stable and do not flake or stain. 



These steps will help confirm that the product is not only innovative but also safe and reliable for daily use.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-to-buy-keratin-toothpaste">When to buy keratin toothpaste</h2>



Keratin biomaterials already <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32322760/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">show</a> encouraging biocompatibility in areas like wound healing and tissue engineering, which helps the case for oral use, though dental products will still need rigorous safety, wear, and flavor testing before approval.



If trials confirm durable protection and relief from sensitivity in real mouths, the first wave may target early lesions and post-whitening sensitivity, with daily toothpaste following as manufacturing scales.



The study is published in <a href="https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adhm.202502465" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Advanced Healthcare Materials</a>.



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Toothpaste made from hair helps rebuild damaged tooth enamel

Tooth decay is the most common health condition in permanent...

People who live near active volcanoes need alerts they can trust. False alarms wear down that trust, while missed warnings put lives at risk. Steam-driven blasts, which can erupt with few surface signs, are especially hard to predict.



Scientists are testing a signal within <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/650-foot-mega-tsunami-sends-seismic-waves-around-world-dickson-fjord-swot-mission/">earthquake waves</a> called shear-wave splitting that may help. When seismic shear waves cross cracked, stressed rock, they separate into two directions: one faster and one slower. 



Tracking the magnitude of that split and the direction of the fast wave reveals how cracks are aligned and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/supervolcano-campi-flegrei-naples-italy-solfatara-crater-phlegraean-fields-signs-of-waking-up/">how stress changes over time</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-measuring-shear-wave-signals">Measuring shear-wave signals</h2>



Shear-wave splitting rises when cracks open in a preferred direction. It stays low when cracks are scattered or stress doesn’t change much. 



This makes the signal useful for spotting shifts in a volcano’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-and-trees-predict-volcano-eruptions-when-viewed-from-space-satellites/">hydrothermal system</a>, where hot water and steam move through fractured rock. 



At <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Ontake" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mount Ontake</a> in Japan, researchers installed 12 stations to monitor these changes.



A team of scientists, led by Professor Mike Kendall from the Department of Earth Sciences at <a href="https://www.earth.ox.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Oxford University</a>, set out to test whether larger stress changes during an explosive eruption would cause a larger increase in splitting than during a small event.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-the-study-learned">What the study learned</h2>



"Seismic anisotropy - or the effect of rock composition and internal fractures on the speed of shear-waves oscillating at right angles to each other - is a well-documented phenomenon," Kendall explained. 



"When we reflected on how anisotropy increases as the pressure inside a volcano builds, we were excited to explore if we could detect these changes, and if this could be a distinctive signal which could be applied to early warning systems."



Kendall and his team compared earthquake signals from Mount Ontake’s 2007 and 2014 eruptions and found that shear-wave splitting parameters varied with eruption size.



In 2007, during a small steam-driven eruption, the splitting pattern held steady.



In 2014, during a <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2016JB013739" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">larger eruption</a>, the delay between fast and slow waves doubled, anisotropy rose from about 3% to 20%, and the fast-wave direction rotated to align with the maximum stress in the region.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shear-wave-splitting-signal-strength">Shear-wave splitting signal strength</h2>



Their work argues that heating at the base of the hydrothermal system increased cracking and stress before the 2014 blast, pushing the volcano past a threshold that the smaller 2007 event never reached.



They hoped to identify a practical parameter that could flag whether an <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-and-trees-predict-volcano-eruptions-when-viewed-from-space-satellites/">eruption was imminent</a> and whether it might be more damaging. 



Because the splitting changes appeared before the eruption began, the parameter can function as both an early alert and a rough indicator of severity.



"The focal mechanisms of volcano-tectonic earthquakes changed drastically before and after the 2014 eruption," noted Professor Toshiko Terakawa, co-author of the study from <a href="https://en.nagoya-u.ac.jp/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nagoya University</a>. 



"Integrating data from shear-wave splitting and earthquake focal mechanisms could provide deeper insights into conditions required for an eruption to occur."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-tale-of-two-eruptions">A tale of two eruptions</h2>



The 2007 Ontake eruption was small and had far less impact on nearby communities, while the 2014 eruption was much larger and explosive. 



Taken together, the observations suggest a link between eruption size and the strength of the splitting signal.



"The records around two eruptions on Ontake volcano in Japan have been able to show that the method can not only show changes before eruptions, but that they can potentially help to predict the size of an eruption," added co-author Professor Martha Savage of <a href="https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Victoria University of Wellington</a>.



"This work was an example of how cooperation among people from around the globe can address important societal problems."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shear-wave-signals-and-future-safety">Shear-wave signals and future safety</h2>



This study shows how a threshold in stress and cracking can mark the difference between a minor event and a dangerous one, offering a practical way to sharpen alerts.



"We expect to see these effects at other volcanoes across the globe, not just at Ontake Volcano," said Dr. Tom Kettlety, also from the Department of Earth Sciences at Oxford. 



"As changes in volcanic stress occur <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/can-a-volcano-be-stopped-before-it-erupts-to-give-ample-warning-to-citizens/">prior to an eruption</a>, we anticipate that we would see changes in shear-wave splitting. This could be a valuable tool for early warning of volcanic eruptions, especially for local communities," Kettlety concluded.



For people living near volcanoes, early warning systems are a lifeline, and trust matters. 



Reducing false alarms requires tools that respond clearly to real changes within a volcano, and shear-wave splitting signal detection instruments may be the solution.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://seismica.library.mcgill.ca/article/view/1101" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Seismica</a>.



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Volcano alert: Scientists discover a signal that could transform early warning systems

People who live near active volcanoes need alerts they can...

Scientists have now mapped the complete set of chromosomes for the African sweet potato variety “Tanzania,” revealing that it arose from a mix of a wild Ecuadorian species and a Central American relative.



The achievement sheds light on the tangled origins of one of the world’s most important crops - an essential food for millions and a cornerstone of food security and biofortification efforts.



Unlike humans, who carry two sets of chromosomes, the sweet potato holds six. That genetic complexity makes its DNA unusually difficult to untangle and has long slowed efforts to breed improved sweet potato <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-deciphers-plant-dna-a-breakthrough-that-will-transform-agriculture/">varieties</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sweet-potato-dna-is-tricky">Sweet potato DNA is tricky</h2>



The study was led by Professor Zhangjun Fei at the Boyce Thompson Institute (<a href="https://btiscience.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BTI</a>) in Ithaca, New York. His team specializes in building genomic resources that shorten the path from trait to gene for crops.



That complexity starts with hexaploidy - the condition of carrying six complete sets of chromosomes. It forces researchers to keep track of similar copies while avoiding false merges that blur meaningful differences.



To do that, the authors resolved each haplotype, the specific sequence carried on each chromosome copy. They also kept those copies separate through phasing, which prevents the common problem of averaging signals across distinct genomes.



Working on “Tanzania,” an African cultivar widely used by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/altering-rice-dna-improves-its-growth-rate-and-could-end-world-hunger/">breeders</a>, the group assembled chromosome-scale sequences for all six genome copies. That gives a clean scaffold for downstream population studies and trait mapping.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-all-90-chromosomes-mapped">All 90 chromosomes mapped</h2>



The new assembly spans all 90 chromosomes, with each homolog distinguished rather than collapsed. It offers a reference that finally matches the biological reality of a six-copy genome.



“The sequences contributed by different wild species are not distributed in typical subgenomes but are intertwined along chromosomes, possibly owing to the known non-preferential recombination among sweetpotato haplotypes,” wrote Shan Wu, the study’s first author.



Wu’s description matches the team’s phased maps and explains why earlier models struggled to cleanly separate ancestral blocks.



This pattern differs from crops like bread wheat where ancestral contributions often line up in larger, more discrete blocks. In the sweet potato, chromosomes mix in a fine-grained pattern.



That intertwined layout matters because trait loci can sit on segments from different ancestors - even within a single chromosome. Selection will need that context to avoid dragging along unwanted <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-gain-defense-against-a-devastating-crop-disease-with-a-small-dna-tweak/">variants</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracing-the-sweet-potato-s-wild-origins">Tracing the sweet potato’s wild origins</h2>



A sizable share of the genome traces to Ipomoea aequatoriensis, a wild tetraploid from coastal Ecuador that was formally described in 2022. That discovery filled a key gap between diploid relatives and the cultivated hexaploid.



Another large portion aligns with a Central American wild relative often referred to as I. batatas 4x. The precise donor may still be unsampled in the wild, which keeps exploration active across Mesoamerica.



Together, these data explain how a hexaploid crop could arise through hybridization and subsequent recombination. The history is written in small, alternating tracts rather than continent-sized blocks.



That mosaic signature should help breeders link trait variation to its ancestral source. Breeders can now hunt for disease resistance, quality, and adaptation using that geographic and evolutionary context.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sweet-potato-dna-is-finely-mixed">Sweet potato DNA is finely mixed</h2>



The authors interpret the new evidence as consistent with a segmental allopolyploid, a system where parts of the genome behave like an allopolyploid while others retain autopolyploid-like mixing. It is a label that accounts for the observed interweaving across haplotypes.



In practice, that means selection and recombination can shuffle segments among homeologous chromosomes after the initial hybrid forms. Over time, those shuffles can complicate neat boundaries between ancestral <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-manage-to-grow-plants-from-ancient-seeds-that-are-2000-years-old/">genomes</a>.



The sweet potato map shows just how pervasive that shuffling has been. It also sets the stage for tracking which exchanges correlate with yield, quality, or resilience.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-multiple-genomes-stronger-crop">Multiple genomes, stronger crop</h2>



The sweet potato’s status as a polyploid can buffer deleterious mutations through extra gene copies. Redundant copies sometimes pick up changes that help the plant tolerate stress or pathogens.



Experimental and comparative studies support the link between polyploidy and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-have-a-secret-weapon-for-surviving-stress/">stress tolerance</a>, adaptation, and survival under harsh conditions across plants. That context helps explain the crop’s stability in variable climates.



The new sweet potato map shows how that force has played out in a food crop. Many of the world’s staple crops also carry multiple chromosome sets, which means the tools proven here are relevant beyond one species. 



Techniques that cleanly separate genome copies will continue to pay off across breeding programs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sweet-potato-map-advances-food-security">Sweet potato map advances food security</h2>



A phased reference lets researchers follow each allele through a six-copy genome without losing track of dosage. For traits that depend on the number of favorable copies, that precision is essential.



Recent work shows how allele dosage shapes dozens of agronomic traits in sweet potatoes and how breeding has shifted dosages over time. The “Tanzania” reference adds the structural and ancestral context those dosage studies need.



With the new map, breeders can test whether a resistance locus sits on an Ecuadorian or Central American segment, then design markers that capture the right ancestries. That reduces linkage drag and preserves key quality attributes while improving stress responses.



The assembly also provides a framework for pan-genome efforts that catalog variation across regions and markets. Layering multiple cultivars on a phased backbone will reveal rare, locally valuable segments that standard references often miss.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41477-025-02079-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Plants</a>.



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Sweet potato DNA finally decoded to boost food security

Scientists have now mapped the complete set of chromosomes for...

Picture your morning without coffee, your lunch without apples, your snacks without almonds. The table feels empty, doesn’t it? That’s the reality we face if honey bees disappear. 



Far from aimless wanderers, these tiny pollinators are the quiet workforce keeping our food - and our future - alive.



Every visit a bee makes sparks life into motion - crops grow, ecosystems thrive, and nature holds its balance. Take them away, and fields go barren, farmers struggle, and grocery shelves grow bare. 



National Honey Bee Day 2025 isn’t just a date on the calendar; it’s both a celebration and a call to action. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-honoring-national-honey-bee-day">Honoring National Honey Bee Day</h2>



A jar of honey is more than a touch of sweetness - it’s a symbol of tireless bees and the beekeepers who guide them through the seasons. National Honey Bee Day honors this vital partnership, one that provides many of the foods we love and often take for granted.



In 2009, a group of U.S. beekeepers decided that bees needed recognition. They petitioned the <a href="https://www.usda.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Department of Agriculture</a> for official support. The department agreed, and the first observance took place the same year.



Since then, the holiday has grown. The date was fixed to the third Saturday in August, making it easier for people to plan events. 



Today, a nonprofit group organizes the celebrations, ensuring that the message of bee conservation reaches more communities each year.



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



Pollinators are invisible workers that keep our food supply stable. Nearly 90 percent of wild plants and over 75 percent of food crops depend on them.



Bees are efficient, adaptable, and essential. They visit thousands of flowers daily, moving pollen that allows plants to reproduce. This keeps ecosystems diverse and resilient. But despite their importance, bees face serious threats. 



Habitat destruction, pesticides, and climate stress are stripping away the resources they need to survive. Factor in pollution - and even the impacts of conflict - and their struggle becomes more intense.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-growing-dangers-for-honey-bees">Growing dangers for honey bees</h2>



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-bee-day-2025-protecting-the-pollinators-that-feed-the-world/">numbers</a> paint a grim picture. In the U.S., up to 60 percent of managed hives vanished this year alone. That scale of loss is devastating for farmers who depend on pollination services.



Pests worsen the crisis. Varroa destructor mites latch onto bee larvae and spread weakness through colonies. Viruses carried by these mites disrupt normal behavior. Bees fly shorter distances, gather less food, and struggle to keep colonies fed. 



Even treatments designed to fight mites can backfire. Poor timing often damages colonies instead of saving them.



When losses reach this level, it’s not just a beekeeper’s problem. It becomes a problem for everyone.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-finding-solutions-to-protect-bees">Finding solutions to protect bees</h2>



Scientists aren’t standing still. One promising tool is a man-made diet designed for bees when pollen is scarce. In field trials, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/artificial-diet-offers-hope-for-saving-endangered-honey-bees/">colonies</a> that received the diet didn’t just survive - they thrived. This offers hope for hives during tough seasons.



Another <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/science-is-giving-beekeepers-a-better-way-to-fight-colony-collapse/">breakthrough</a> is the UBeeO assay, which allows beekeepers to breed bees that resist disease. These hygienic bees reduce reliance on chemicals and create healthier, more stable colonies. Breeding programs built on this tool could transform beekeeping in the coming years.



Timing matters too. Adjusting mite treatments to match hive needs can prevent unnecessary losses. Instead of blanket approaches, smarter strategies give bees a fighting chance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-making-landscapes-bee-friendly">Making landscapes bee-friendly</h2>



Solutions don’t stop in laboratories. Farmers and gardeners can play a huge role. Honey bees need variety in their diets. Winter bees, in particular, live longer when pollen comes from multiple plants.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bee-survival-depends-on-more-than-just-pollen-abundance/">Farmers</a> can help by planting flower strips, rotating crops, and maintaining organic fields. Home gardeners also hold power. Choosing native flowers, mixing bloom times, and skipping pesticides all strengthen local bee populations. 



A growing collection of research shows that even small gardens can support diverse bee communities.



At larger scales, land management matters. Turning unused farm corners into conservation zones attracts pollinators. Pairing organic fields with perennial meadows provides long-term habitats. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-threats-to-bees">New threats to bees </h2>



Bees now face threats that scientists never imagined. Microplastics infiltrate hives, artificial lights confuse pollinators, and conflict reduces crop diversity, hurting both bees and farmers.



Researchers are testing solutions like solar parks with flower habitats, nectar-rich crop breeding, and less antibiotic pollution. Experts are also developing RNAi treatments that can target pests without harming helpful insects.



These efforts could protect bees while advancing broader climate and conservation goals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-action-on-national-honey-bee-day">Action on National Honey Bee Day</h2>



National Honey Bee Day isn’t about grand gestures. It’s about small, consistent actions. Support a local beekeeper by buying honey from them. 



Plant a mix of flowers in your garden or balcony. Avoid spraying pesticides, especially during bloom periods when <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/science-is-giving-beekeepers-a-better-way-to-fight-colony-collapse/">bees</a> are most active.



You can also spread the word. Share research updates about the artificial diet that keeps colonies alive. Talk about how diverse pollen sources make winter bees resilient. These conversations matter because awareness drives action.



Real progress happens when communities, farmers, scientists, and leaders work together. National Honey Bee Day is not just about honoring bees - it’s a reminder that protecting them means protecting our harvests, our ecosystems, and our future.



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National Honey Bee Day 2025: Why pollinators matter

Picture your morning without coffee, your lunch without apples, your...

Autumn usually keeps a steady pace. Trees grow through spring and summer, soak up light, store energy, and then shed their leaves when colder days arrive. 



For decades, scientists saw one main climate signal in this process: warmer autumns delayed leaf-fall. But a second pattern has emerged, and it flips the old rule. In many places, leaves are falling earlier - and the trigger isn’t just temperature. It’s water, or the lack of it.



A new study from&nbsp;<a href="http://english.ynu.edu.cn" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Yunnan University</a> has mapped the exact drought conditions that make plants call it quits before autumn should start. The work covers more than 70 years of data, from both satellites and field sites, across the Northern Hemisphere above 30° latitude. 



The researchers didn’t just look at whether drought happens - they calculated the&nbsp;thresholds&nbsp;at which plants stop resisting and begin to shut down.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-drought-triggers-early-autumn">Drought triggers early autumn</h2>



The team built a statistical model called a copula-based Bayesian framework. It was designed to link two important factors: the dryness before autumn and the date plants turn their leaves. 



The “pre-season drought threshold” is the point where plants stop holding on and start senescing. That threshold isn’t the same everywhere. In dry regions such as deserts and shrublands, even a mild drought can cross it. 



In wetter forests, drought has to be much more severe before the change happens. But when it happens, it happens fast. Plants shift from resilience to vulnerability almost overnight.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-heatwaves-tip-the-balance">Heatwaves tip the balance</h2>



Drought is only part of the story. Heatwaves, especially daytime ones, make things worse. Hot days force plants to lose water faster through their leaves. Soil dries out quickly, and the drought threshold drops - meaning less dryness is needed to trigger leaf-fall.



Nighttime heatwaves have a weaker effect. Stomata stay mostly closed in the dark, slowing water loss. Still, warmer nights add stress by increasing respiration, sometimes without giving plants the energy boost they’d get from sunlight. 



In many regions, the researchers saw a chain reaction: heatwaves lead to meteorological drought, which becomes soil drought, and then leaves start dropping early.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plant-defenses-have-their-limits">Plant defenses have their limits</h2>



Plants have ways to fight back. A dense leaf canopy shades the soil and stores water. Deep roots pull moisture from far below the surface. These traits - measured as leaf area index (LAI) and ecosystem resilience - delay the moment drought forces plants to stop growing.



But these defenses have limits. In already dry landscapes, even a small drop in water availability can break them. 



The study also found that resilience and LAI depend on rainfall and overall humidity. Wetter conditions strengthen both, while arid conditions weaken them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-droughts-earlier-autumn-seasons">Future droughts, earlier autumn seasons</h2>



The researchers used climate models to see how these drought thresholds might change by the year 2100. The results were clear: more than half of the vegetated land north of 30° latitude will become more sensitive to pre-season droughts. 



In many places, a drought that is considered mild today could have the same effect as a severe drought now.



Northern Eurasia, in particular, may face stronger impacts. There, both droughts and compound drought-heatwave events are expected to push autumn forward more often. 



This means shorter growing seasons, less carbon absorbed by vegetation, and greater pressure on ecosystems that already face other climate stresses.



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



Leaf senescence isn’t just about colour in the forest. It controls how long plants pull carbon dioxide out of the air. An earlier end to the growing season reduces that uptake and can shift some areas from being carbon sinks to carbon sources.



It also affects wildlife. Animals that depend on autumn leaves for food or shelter may find those resources disappearing earlier. Seasonal mismatches can disrupt migration, breeding, and feeding patterns. 



Even farming could feel the impact, as crops and orchards respond to similar drought and heat signals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-drought-changes-the-timing-of-autumn">Drought changes the timing of autumn</h2>



This study shows that climate change doesn’t just warm the planet - it changes the rules plants live by. 



Knowing the drought thresholds for early leaf-fall can help scientists predict where and when the growing season will shorten. This insight also gives forest managers and policymakers a clearer view of which regions may need help adapting.



In the decades ahead, autumn may still arrive in a blaze of color. But in more and more places, that blaze will come sooner - shaped not by the cool air of fall but by the dry heat of late summer.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-62847-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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Drought triggers early autumn by forcing leaves to fall

Autumn usually keeps a steady pace. Trees grow through spring...

Space is getting crowded. Every day, more satellites are launched into Earth’s orbit. Over 11,000 satellites are already active, with thousands more on the way. Add in 1.2 million pieces of space debris larger than one centimeter, and the risk of collision is no longer hypothetical.



For satellite operators, avoiding collisions is now a regular part of the job. This is why the <a href="https://www.esa.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">European Space Agency</a> (ESA) is backing a project that could help prevent chaos. The mission is called CREAM - Collision Risk Estimation and Automated Mitigation.



Developed under ESA’s Space Safety Program, CREAM is designed to lighten the load on satellite operators, reduce false alarms, speed up decisions, and ultimately make spaceflight safer.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-automating-a-messy-process">Automating a messy process</h2>



Risk assessments and avoidance plans currently require a lot of human attention. Communicating between <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/burning-up-of-satellites-severely-harms-ozone-recovery/">satellite</a> operators is often difficult. Sometimes it doesn’t happen at all. And when it does, it's usually improvised. The CREAM system aims to change that.



The vision is simple: let software handle as much of the process as possible. CREAM can evaluate potential collisions, draft maneuver plans, help operators make decisions, and support communication between parties. It can even make it easier for future space regulators to keep track of everything.



A unique part of the system is being built specifically to help different players in the space industry talk to each other more easily. 



Whether it’s operators, service providers, regulators, or observers, CREAM is designed to bring them together on the same platform. This level of collaboration is especially useful when the potential collision involves two functioning satellites, not just <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/what-happens-to-all-the-space-junk/">debris</a>.



In many cases, CREAM may help operators negotiate solutions with minimal back-and-forth. And when disagreements arise, it doesn’t just freeze up. 



CREAM can escalate disputes to a mediation service, ensuring fairness and flexibility while keeping space assets safe.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cream-readies-for-space-trials">CREAM readies for space trials</h2>



The prototype system - built by GMV and Guardtime - is currently operational from the ground. It can already send out <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/space-debris-may-create-a-future-with-no-internet-or-astronaut-missions/">collision</a> alerts, suggest avoidance maneuvers, and support communication between operators. Now, the system is moving into a new phase of testing.



The next step will expand how the system is used and add more decision-making capabilities. At the same time, real-life space tests are in the works.



Some of these tests are “piggyback missions,” where the system will fly as part of another satellite's payload. Others involve a full, dedicated demonstration mission.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-building-tools-for-the-future-of-space">Building tools for the future of space</h2>



The team behind CREAM believes the system can do more than prevent crashes. It could also support future efforts to set rules for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/moon-mining-and-space-debris-will-we-repeat-earths-mistakes/">traffic</a> in orbit.



“The problem with establishing any kind of ‘rules of the road’ depends not only on the need to find consensus on such rules, but also on the availability of the technologies to make them a reality - a kind of chicken-and-egg problem,” the researchers said.



CREAM isn’t just about day-to-day collision avoidance. It’s also built with long-term change in mind - including how future space traffic might be managed and regulated.



“CREAM can support future space traffic management frameworks by offering a standardized toolset allowing operators to comply with best practices and rules, and regulators to monitor compliance,” the team explained. 



“It is designed to be highly adaptable, allowing non-technical users to define evolving standards within the system. This flexibility ensures long-term relevance as best practice, international norms, and technologies will mature.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-managing-the-satellite-surge">Managing the satellite surge</h2>



The number of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-shrinking-earths-atmosphere-and-thats-bad-for-satellites/">satellites</a> in orbit is expected to grow dramatically in the next decade. That means more data, more services, and more opportunity - but also more risk. Managing all of it with current tools isn’t realistic.



CREAM is just one example of how space safety is evolving to meet future demands. It is not only helping solve today’s coordination issues, but also laying the foundation for what comes next: traffic rules, shared standards, and global systems that can scale.



Space isn’t lawless, but it is complex. Systems like CREAM make it easier to stay ahead of problems, instead of cleaning up after them.



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Too much traffic in space? CREAM can help prevent collisions

Space is getting crowded. Every day, more satellites are launched...

The constant hum of city life often fades into the background, unnoticed by those who live in it. Yet, behind the sound of passing cars, rumbling trains, and the distant whir of traffic lights, an invisible health risk may be growing. 



Scientists are now uncovering how this steady noise <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stuck-in-traffic-youre-more-likely-to-grab-fast-food/">pollution</a> can do more than disturb sleep - it can shape mental well-being over time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-traffic-noise-and-mental-health">Traffic noise and mental health</h2>



A new LongITools study, published in the journal Environmental Research, shows a clear link between traffic noise and diagnosed depression or anxiety. It is the first study to investigate long-term exposure in children, adolescents, and young adults.



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.oulu.fi/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Oulu</a> found a sharp rise in mental health risks when traffic noise exceeds 53 decibels (dB) at home. This crosses the safe limit set by the <a href="https://www.who.int" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">World Health Organization</a>. 



The findings support urban planning measures, like designing bedrooms on quieter building sides and lowering speed limits.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-noise-pollution-as-a-health-threat">Noise pollution as a health threat</h2>



Environmental noise from roads, railways, airports, and construction is Europe’s second-largest environmental health concern. It can damage hearing, disrupt sleep, and trigger emotional <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-traffic-cameras-are-preventing-thousands-of-crashes-each-year/">stress</a>. 



Over time, these effects can contribute to cardiovascular issues and neurological diseases.



Noise also activates the body's stress response through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. This can impair emotional regulation, cognition, and behavior - especially in children whose systems are still developing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-noise-exposure-and-mental-health">Noise exposure and mental health</h2>



The study was focused on 114,353 people born in Finland between 1987 and 1998 who lived in the Helsinki metropolitan area in 2007. Participants were tracked for up to ten years, from ages 8 to 21.



Noise exposure was calculated for the most and least exposed sides of each home. Annual averages included road and railway <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stroke-risk-is-elevated-by-air-pollution-and-traffic-noise/">traffic</a> noise, with extra weighting for evening and nighttime hours. 



The researchers examined participants’ medical records to determine whether they had diagnoses of depression or anxiety.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clear-patterns-emerged">Clear patterns emerged</h2>



The World Health Organization advises keeping traffic noise below 53 dB over 24 hours. This study found that risks increase at or above this level. Each 10 dB rise in noise at the most exposed side was linked to a 5% higher risk of depression and 4% higher risk of anxiety.



“Our analysis showed that anxiety risk is lowest when traffic noise is around 45 to 50 dB at the quieter side of dwellings but increases significantly after 53 to 55 dB," noted Dr. Anna Pulakka, senior author of the study.



"Above 53 dB, noise becomes a significant psychological stressor for young people regardless of whether an individual sleeps on the quieter or noisier side of a dwelling."



Anxiety links were stronger for males and for those whose parents had no mental health disorders.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-noise-environment-and-health-effects">Noise, environment, and health effects</h2>



The researchers investigated whether air pollution or access to green space could account for the connection between noise and mental health. They found that noise independently impacted mental health, even after accounting for these other factors.



Nighttime noise was strongly associated with depression, supporting the idea that sleep disturbances from noise may be one way it affects mental health.



For anxiety, the biggest impact was seen in places with 60–65 dB noise levels. These places also tended to have more social and environmental challenges, such as poorer living conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-broader-implications-of-the-study">Broader implications of the study</h2>



"Our findings support further actions towards reducing traffic noise exposure," explained Yiyan He, lead author of the study.



"For policymakers and urban planners, this should include measures such as ensuring bedrooms are on the quieter side of the dwelling and ensuring there is green space nearby. For transport, quieter tyres or reduced speed limits should also be considered."



Roughly 10% of young people in the study were diagnosed with depression or anxiety by the time they turned 30.



Since traffic noise is something cities can change, it becomes a possible focus for prevention efforts. Lowering noise levels in living areas could help protect mental health, especially during the years when the brain and emotions are still developing.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935125016950?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Environmental Research</a>.



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Traffic noise exposure increases mental health risks

The constant hum of city life often fades into the...

Plants don’t think like we do. But they might remember - in their own way. New research shows that soybean plants can pass along stress responses to their offspring.



This means if a plant survives attacks from insects or extended periods without <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plant-roots-rewire-themselves-to-fight-drought/">water</a>, its seeds may be better prepared to handle similar threats. The surprising part? None of this changes the plant’s DNA.



At the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture (<a href="https://uada.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UADA</a>), scientists have found evidence that soybeans adapt not just in the moment but across generations.



This phenomenon, known as transgenerational plasticity, allows traits shaped by stress - such as drought or insect damage - to carry over into the next generation. And it’s all done without genetic mutation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-making-soybean-plants-tougher">Making soybean plants tougher </h2>



Unlike genetic mutations, epigenetic changes don’t alter the DNA sequence. They simply adjust how the plant reads its genetic code. These changes are reversible, but their effects can be powerful.



Soybean is one of the most important crops globally. The research team discovered that both drought and insect damage can leave a lasting impression. These stressors not only influence the parent plant’s traits but also shape how their offspring grow, defend themselves, and yield.



"This gives us the opportunity where we can manipulate the degree of stress of soybean to bolster defenses early in the season without compromising the final yield of the crop,” said Rupesh Kariyat, associate professor of crop entomology. 



“But there is a catch - we have yet to quantify the threshold under <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-a-humble-plant-may-help-us-save-crops-from-drought/">drought</a> and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/streetlights-make-tree-leaves-too-tough-for-insects-to-eat/">herbivory</a> stress that may cause more harm than good to the plants.”



This idea - that carefully timed stress could help strengthen a crop - opens up possibilities. Just like vaccines prime our immune systems, early-season exposure to mild stress could make soybean plants tougher later on.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-memory-in-soybean-plants">"Memory" in soybean plants</h2>



Over the last two years, the researchers have studied how soybean looper and fall armyworm <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/caterpillars-can-stop-their-bleeding-in-seconds/">caterpillars</a> interact with soybean plants. They looked at how drought and sequential insect attacks impact not only the plants themselves but also their offspring.



“Insects are getting bigger, and they’re going through multiple generations each year,” Kariyat said. “That leads to increased pesticide use, which isn’t sustainable.”



With climate change intensifying insect threats, soybeans that “remember” past stress might help farmers cut down on pesticide use. 



This could be a game-changer - especially in regions like Brazil and Kenya, where farmers often rely on saved seeds due to the cost of commercial varieties.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-plant-stress-leaves-behind">What plant stress leaves behind</h2>



So, what changes when a parent plant has been stressed? Seeds from stressed plants contained more <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/soil-is-losing-nitrogen-along-with-its-climate-fighting-power/">nitrogen</a> and protein - two important indicators of plant health. The offspring also produced more flowers and had more trichomes, the tiny hairs on leaves that help defend against insects.



Interestingly, these benefits were most pronounced when parent plants were hit by both drought and insect feeding. But the news wasn’t all good.



Stressed offspring also grew less, yielded fewer pods, and produced more empty ones. And while trichomes increased early on, they declined with plant age. In short, soybeans seemed to face a trade-off: more defense, but less growth.



“It’s not that herbivory always improves the plant performance, but the type, severity and combination of stressors determine whether the responses would be beneficial or detrimental,” Kariyat said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-insects-and-soybean-plants">Insects and soybean plants</h2>



In one experiment, the team wanted to know whether <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insects-boost-plant-evolution-in-surprising-ways/">insects</a> could tell if a soybean plant had previously been through drought. The researchers built little bridges between two plants - one that had been stressed and one that hadn’t.



The soybean looper caterpillars explored both. Many paused, turned their heads, and chose to crawl back to the healthier plants. 



The damage caused by caterpillars was heavier on the non-stressed plants. This supports the “plant vigor hypothesis,” which proposes that pests prefer robust hosts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-timing-changes-everything">Timing changes everything</h2>



Most crop studies focus on a single stressor, but that’s not how real-life farming works. Droughts come and go. Insects swarm in waves. 



Kariyat’s team studied what happens when different pests attack in a certain order. They found that timing made a major difference.



When soybean loopers attacked first, the next generation of plants had 40% higher nitrogen, more flowers, better protein, and more pods than if the order was reversed.



From this, the researchers concluded that some stress may be helpful - but only under specific conditions. For example, drought seemed to amplify the effects of insect damage. 



And when drought was paired with herbivory, offspring focused more on building up internal resources (like protein and nitrogen) than on external defenses (like trichomes).



“From the research so far, while moderate or minimum biotic stress may induce resilience in soybeans - and this is also found in other systems - the combined abiotic and biotic stress may lead to exhaustive performance, triggering expensive defensive responses that often compromise yield and fitness,” said Kariyat.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-soybean-plants-under-stress">Soybean plants under stress</h2>



The idea that soybean plants can "remember" stress across generations could change how we grow crops. It’s not just about surviving the current season - it’s about building stronger, smarter crops for the future.



But like Kariyat said, plant stress comes with trade-offs. Push too hard, and the plant burns out. Get the timing right, and you might have a tougher, more resilient crop.



That’s the challenge ahead: figuring out just how much stress soybeans can take - and when to apply it - without tipping the scales from help to harm.



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Do soybean plants have a memory? Scientists think so

Plants don’t think like we do. But they might remember...

A billionaire’s wedding trends for days, and another mega-yacht launches. Then along comes a careful study with a simple punchline: people who choose to live with less report feeling happier and better about their lives.



New peer-reviewed research finds that people who practice voluntary simplicity tend to report higher hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing.



That result cuts against the everyday marketing script that equates <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/couples-who-gossip-feel-closer-and-happier/">happiness</a> with income and accumulation. 



It also echoes a decade of psychology showing that heavy materialism often travels with lower wellbeing. The study was led by <a href="https://www.otago.ac.nz/marketing/staff/professor-robert-aitken" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Professor Rob Aitken</a> at the <a href="https://www.otago.ac.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Otago</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-simple-living-and-happiness">Simple living and happiness</h2>



The team examined how a commitment to voluntary simplicity relates to two <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/where-does-happiness-come-from-it-depends-on-who-you-are/">flavors of wellbeing</a>. 



<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/hedonic-well-being" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hedonic wellbeing</a> covers pleasant feelings and life satisfaction, while <a href="https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2023/09/subjective-well-being-measurement_a9950ae3/4e180f51-en.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eudaimonic wellbeing</a> tracks purpose, growth, and living in line with one’s values.



Participants represented the national consumer base and answered validated measures that capture simplicity attitudes and behaviors. 



The authors also tested whether age, income, and gender change the strength of those links, which they did in nuanced ways reported in the paper.



The mechanics of simplicity here are practical, not mystical. Think buying less, repairing more, sharing gear, and choosing local when it makes sense. 



In the dataset, simplicity bundled with frugality, self-sufficiency, and local procurement, but the feel-good effect did not stop at thrift.



The statistical story pointed to how people meet psychological needs. Living simply often steers people into routines that increase interaction, mutual help, and civic participation, and those experiences align closely with the eudaimonic side of wellbeing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-simplicity-relationships-and-wellbeing">Simplicity, relationships, and wellbeing</h2>



“It’s not directly the commitment to material simplicity that leads to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-chasing-happiness-makes-you-feel-worse/">wellbeing</a>, but the psychological and emotional need fulfilment that derives from relationships, social connection, community involvement and a sense of living a purposeful and meaningful life,” said Professor Aitken.



Those comments match the evidence base rather than just opinion. The authors validated a recent simplicity scale and showed its links to both types of wellbeing remained after accounting for demographics. 



The pathway ran through social connection and achievement fulfilment, not through austere deprivation.



That distinction matters. People do not feel better simply because they sold a closet of stuff. They feel better because the change frees time, attention, and money for relationships, skills, and contributions that matter to them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-other-studies-show-similar-results">Other studies show similar results</h2>



Independent psychology research backs the caution on high materialism. 



A large <a href="https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/2014_DittmarBondHurstKasser_PPID.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">meta-analysis</a> of 259 samples found that stronger materialistic values are reliably associated with lower personal wellbeing across measures like life satisfaction and vitality.



The same review and follow-on work also suggest that dialing down materialistic priorities can help. 



When people shift focus toward relationships and competence, they tend to report improvements in wellbeing. That maps neatly onto the social and values-based routes highlighted in the Otago study.



It also helps clarify a common confusion. Money can relieve stress up to a point, especially when basics are not covered, but endlessly chasing upgrades does not run the same play for wellbeing. 



The difference between security and status seeking is not academic when the outcomes diverge.



Marketing scholarship has been tracking this tension for years. At the level of macromarketing policy and culture, the question is how to support prosperity without pushing consumption that undercuts health and community.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wellbeing-found-in-daily-simplicity">Wellbeing found in daily simplicity</h2>



Simplicity is not a single script, and the study did not prescribe one. People took diverse routes that overlapped on lower overall consumption and stronger ties.



Common examples in the research context include community gardens, resource sharing, peer-to-peer lending, and local procurement. Those activities reduce acquisition while increasing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/experts-identify-the-simple-emotion-that-gives-life-meaning-and-its-not-happiness/">interaction</a> and mutual help.



Small choices can rewire a week. Sharing tools or swapping clothes creates contact, which often leads to new skills and a wider sense of contribution.



The key is alignment. People reported larger gains when the routines reflected their values and gave them ways to practice those values in daily life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-the-timing-is-urgent">Why the timing is urgent</h2>



There is also a planetary angle that goes beyond personal happiness. Between 2000 and 2019, <a href="https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2023/Goal-12/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">global domestic material consumption</a> rose 66 percent to 95.1 billion metric tons, continuing a long upward trend that strains ecosystems and supply chains.



Those are not abstract curves. Extracting, moving, and disposing of materials drives emissions, biodiversity loss, and pollution, and those costs show up in local health and budgets. 



A lifestyle that demands fewer inputs removes some of that pressure at the margin.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-wellbeing-is-a-more-effective-focus-area-when-discussing-energy-solutions/">Policy and business</a> do not get a free pass here. Product design, repair access, and service models all shape the menu of realistic choices consumers can make. People cannot choose options they cannot reach.



Framing simplicity as deprivation misses the point. The results here suggest the upside sits where <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/simply-looking-at-art-can-improve-your-well-being/">less consumption</a> unlocks more connection and a clearer sense of purpose.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-acting-on-the-simplicity-wellbeing-link">Acting on the simplicity-wellbeing link</h2>



No single study settles big questions, including who benefits most and under what conditions. The authors report that age, income, and gender modulate the simplicity-wellbeing link, which invites follow-up work in more countries and with longitudinal designs.



Measures also matter. Hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing capture different <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-environment-day-the-critical-role-of-nature-in-human-well-being/">aspects of a good life</a>, and national surveys still harmonize the latter slowly, which can blur comparisons across studies and time.



Even so, the direction of travel is clear enough to act on now. If the goal is to feel better and tread lighter, the most promising moves are social, not flashy.



People are happier and more satisfied when consumption takes a back seat to community, competence, and meaning. That is the study’s core message, and it lands with uncommon clarity.



The study is published in the <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02761467251339399" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Macromarketing</a>.



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People who choose to live a simple life are much happier than those who chase materialism

A billionaire’s wedding trends for days, and another mega-yacht launches....

Mountains have always affected how people live. At high altitudes, the body changes to adapt, such as developing stronger lungs or showing slower growth in babies. Now, scientists think living higher up might also help prevent obesity in children.



As obesity <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-childhood-obesity-rate-is-expected-to-soar-by-2050/">rates</a> keep increasing around the world, especially in young kids, researchers are studying more closely how the environment and the human body work together.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-high-altitude-and-childhood-obesity">High altitude and childhood obesity</h2>



Living high up in the mountains may help protect children from becoming obese. A study looking at more than 4 million Colombian children found that those living at higher altitudes were less likely to have obesity compared to children living closer to sea level. 



Scientists think this could be because the air at high altitudes has less oxygen. With less oxygen, the body works harder and uses more energy, which may help keep weight lower.



Most earlier studies on altitude and obesity focused only on adults, like mountaineers or people living in highland areas. This new research is important because it shows the same link in children. 



Since childhood is a key time for health and growth, the findings suggest that where a child lives - whether in the mountains or lowlands - can influence their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/childhood-obesity-rates-are-surging-worldwide/">risk of obesity</a> in the future.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-focus-of-the-study">Focus of the study</h2>



Fernando Lizcano Losada from the <a href="https://www.unisabana.edu.co" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of La Sabana</a> and colleagues analyzed data from 4.16 million children under five years old. 



The data, collected by the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare, covered 1,123 municipalities. 



The researchers categorized children into four groups based on altitude: up to 1,000 meters, 1,001-2,000 meters, 2,001-3,000 meters, and above 3,000 meters.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-obesity-drops-at-altitude">Obesity drops at altitude</h2>



At the lowest altitudes, about 80 in every 10,000 children had obesity. Between 2, 001 and 3,000 meters, prevalence dropped sharply to 40 in 10,000. 



Interestingly, rates rose again above 3,000 meters, reaching 86 in 10,000. The researchers caution that this may reflect limited data from only seven municipalities, with just over 11,000 participants.



“That’s a fair comment,” said David Stensel at <a href="https://www.lboro.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Loughborough University</a> in the UK. He noted the absence of a clear dose-response pattern, which would have strengthened the findings. 



Stensel emphasized that the study is observational, meaning it cannot prove altitude directly prevents obesity.



“They have tried to make sure that they have adjusted for the potential confounding <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mothers-genes-may-hold-the-key-to-childhood-obesity/">factors</a>,” such as poverty and deprivation. Still, “you can’t account for everything."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-broader-evidence-from-latin-america">Broader evidence from Latin America</h2>



According to the researchers, similar results have appeared in other high-altitude regions. In Peru, living above 2500 meters was linked with far lower obesity prevalence compared to lowlands.



Studies in Bolivia and Argentina showed children at higher elevations tended to be thinner, though growth restriction was sometimes observed. 



In Ecuador, children in highland regions displayed lower weight but also higher stunting rates compared to coastal children.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-altitude-obesity-and-metabolism">Altitude, obesity, and metabolism</h2>



Lizcano Losada suggests faster metabolism at high altitudes could explain the lower rates. Stensel agrees this is possible. 



“There’s a few studies that have shown resting metabolic rate, or basal metabolic rate, increases when you’re at high altitude,” he noted. 



An earlier 1984 study found mountaineers lost weight at high elevations, partly because fat was burned or excreted rather than stored.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hormones-and-hypoxia">Hormones and hypoxia</h2>



The researchers explained that high-altitude hypoxia can influence hormones like leptin and ghrelin, which regulate appetite. 



Low oxygen activates hypoxia-inducible factors that enhance leptin sensitivity, supporting appetite suppression.



Cold temperatures common in mountainous regions may also increase energy expenditure through thermogenesis. Together, these mechanisms may reduce obesity <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/obesity-can-be-passed-down-from-parents-to-kids/">risk</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-poverty-shapes-outcomes">Poverty shapes outcomes</h2>



Not all outcomes are purely biological. The research emphasizes how poverty interacts with altitude. 



Municipalities with moderate poverty often saw higher obesity rates, possibly due to reliance on cheap, ultra-processed food.



In contrast, extreme poverty sometimes correlated with undernutrition rather than obesity. This pattern reflects the “double burden of malnutrition” seen in many low- and middle-income countries.



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



Even if altitude helps reduce obesity risk, practical uses remain unclear. “They show us a relationship, and you then need to really design a bespoke study to investigate that hypothesis on its own,” said Stensel.



Lizcano Losada argues that environmental influences vary by region, suggesting that tailored public health advice may prove more effective in addressing childhood obesity. 



The research also supports geographically specific strategies that integrate both biological and social factors for better outcomes.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.14.25329127v1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">medRxiv</a>.



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Obesity is less common in children living at high altitudes

Mountains have always affected how people live. At high altitudes,...

<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=3Y4eLFNYrKE
</div></figure>



On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop and sunlight barely penetrates through the polar winter. It was here, however, that an international team of scientists found <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predatory-worms-were-terror-beasts-half-a-billion-years-ago/#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence of sea monsters</a> that would change our understanding of ocean life in the past.



This video captures the discovery of Timorebestia fossils that had been hidden for more than 500 million years in the Sirius Passet formation. The "terror beasts," as they are called, are a hidden chapter in the evolutionary history of <a href="https://www.earth.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth</a>, showing that sophisticated predator-prey interactions occurred much earlier than previously envisioned.



Dr. Jakob Vinther and his research team at the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bristol</a>, in collaboration with researchers at the <a href="https://eng.kopri.re.kr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Korean Polar Research Institute</a>, braved extreme weather conditions at 82.5 north latitude to locate these giant creatures. Using sophisticated electron microprobe analysis, they revealed the detailed anatomy of the animals, including their muscle and nerve tissues.



The find upsets the traditional timeline of sea predators. Although we've long appreciated that Cambrian oceans were at one time ruled by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWI3-UgA3_o&amp;list=PL1QLQMW9MWDwpkFOnvgAmu7wT6rZmYqdJ&amp;index=19" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">arthropods</a>, these discoveries indicate that relatives of arrow worms were first to dominate the seas. These worms were building sophisticated food webs several million years before other predator groups arose.



Each fossil is a story of ancient hunger, with fossil stomach contents revealing these meter-long beasts dined on heavily armored arthropods regularly, cementing their place as the ocean's first apex predators.



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop...

<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=Ow3JH03PqEQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">New York is the site of the world's oldest forest.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-385-million-year-old-trees-discovered">385-million-year-old trees discovered</h2>



Scientists have uncovered something extraordinary just two hours north of New York City. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-oldest-forest-discovered-close-to-new-york-city/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">world's oldest forest</a>, dating back 385 million years, offers a window into how Earth's first complex forests shaped our planet's atmosphere.



Located near <a href="https://townofcairo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cairo, New York</a>, in Greene County, these weren't merely primitive plants struggling to survive. These were sophisticated trees with root systems remarkably similar to modern forests. This ancient woodland predates dinosaurs by 140 million years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-cairo-forest-discovery">The Cairo forest discovery</h2>



385 million years ago, upstate New York was a tropical paradise near the equator. Thanks to continental drift, this ancient forest has traveled thousands of miles to its current location.



The fossil forest sits in an abandoned quarry, roughly half the size of a football field. This represents just a slice of what was likely a massive forest system stretching from New York into Pennsylvania.



Charles Ver Straeten, curator of sedimentary rocks at the <a href="https://www.nysm.nysed.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York State Museum</a>, made the discovery in 2009. While scouting the former highway department property, his trained eye spotted wandering patterns in the stone that looked like marine features.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-age-and-preservation">Revolutionary age and preservation</h2>



The site contains 385-million-year-old rocks with fossilized woody roots forming horizontal patterns up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) wide. As Christopher Berry, a paleobotanist at Cardiff University, explains: "You are walking through the roots of ancient trees."



This discovery pushes back advanced tree evolution by millions of years. The research, published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a> in December 2019, fundamentally changes our understanding of when complex forests first emerged.



Researchers believe a massive flood buried the forest floor, creating perfect fossilization conditions. Over millions of years, sediment hardened into rock, preserving these root patterns like nature's time capsule.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meet-archaeopteris-the-first-modern-tree">Meet Archaeopteris: the first modern tree</h2>



The star of this ancient forest is Archaeopteris – not to be confused with the feathered dinosaur Archaeopteryx. This tree was far older and more revolutionary.



William Stein from <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Binghamton University</a> describes the roots as "strikingly modern, essentially what you'd see outside in my yard right now." These weren't simple root systems you'd expect from ancient plants.



Some fossilized roots are six inches (15 centimeters) in diameter, forming 36-foot-wide (11-meter) patterns. These giants grew up to 65 feet (20 meters) tall with five-foot-diameter (1.5-meter) trunks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-changing-impact">Climate-changing impact</h2>



These trees fundamentally changed Earth's environment. Kevin Boyce, a Stanford University geoscientist, explains how their deep roots triggered "weathering," chemical reactions that pulled carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.



This process dropped atmospheric CO2 levels from 10-15 times higher than today to roughly modern concentrations. These ancient trees helped create atmospheric conditions that made complex life possible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-forest-ecosystem">Ancient forest ecosystem</h2>



The forest was remarkably diverse. Scientists identified Eospermatopteris, palm tree-like plants with short roots that reached 30 feet (9 meters) tall but lacked woody structure. The forest also housed cladoxylopsids and a mysterious third species still being studied.



All reproduced through spores rather than seeds – millions of years before seeds evolved. This tropical environment had no grass, flowers, or flying insects, just towering trees creating Earth's first complex forest canopy.



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



Before this finding, the Gilboa forest, located 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, held the "oldest forest" title. Cairo's trees are 2-3 million years older, showing that complex forest ecosystems developed much faster than scientists believed possible.



Patricia Gensel, a <a href="https://www.unc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of North Carolina</a> paleobotanist, notes: "The size of those root systems is really changing the picture. Even 20 years ago, researchers assumed trees with such complex root systems didn't evolve so early."



The Cairo site presents three unique root systems, suggesting Devonian period forests were diverse ecosystems with different trees occupying different environmental niches, much like today's forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-preservation-efforts">Modern preservation efforts</h2>



In 2022, New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey secured a $170,000 grant for the town of Cairo to construct specialized fencing around the fossil forest site. The town plans to conduct a feasibility study exploring the possibility of creating an educational center and working lab on-site.



Joe Hasenkopf, chair of the Cairo Planning Board, hopes to partner with educational institutions to create a research facility serving scientists, students, and the public.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-for-today-s-climate">Lessons for today's climate</h2>



Why does a 385-million-year-old forest matter today? It shows how dramatically forests can change Earth's climate. These ancient woodlands created the atmospheric conditions supporting complex life.



Understanding how prehistoric forests transformed the planet helps us appreciate modern forests' critical role in addressing climate change. Forests remain Earth's most effective carbon capture systems.



These prehistoric trees changed Earth's atmosphere by pulling massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the air. As we face modern climate challenges, this ancient forest reminds us of trees' incredible power to transform our planet's environment.



The next time you walk through a forest, remember you're experiencing an ecosystem whose blueprint was established 385 million years ago in upstate New York. These ancient pioneers didn't just survive – they thrived and changed the world forever.



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ New York is the site of the world's oldest...

<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=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-don-t-we-ever-hear-about-acid-rain-anymore-the-environmental-crisis-that-was-solved">Why don't we ever hear about "acid rain" anymore? The environmental crisis that was solved</h2>



Remember the 1980s when acid rain dominated headlines? Dire warnings about rain eating buildings, killing fish, and destroying forests filled every news cycle. Then, almost like magic, acid rain vanished from public discourse. What happened? Did we actually solve one of the late 20th century's most pressing environmental challenges?



The answer might surprise you. Unlike many environmental issues that drag on indefinitely, acid rain represents one of modern history's most successful ecological recovery stories. It's a tale of science, politics, and technology working together to tackle what seemed impossible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What was acid rain?</h2>



Acid rain isn't regular rain having a bad day – it's precipitation that became significantly more acidic due to air pollution. When power plants, factories, and vehicles burn fossil fuels, they release sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The science behind it</h2>



Think of acid rain as nature's chemistry experiment gone wrong. These compounds react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. When mixed with water vapor in clouds, they create precipitation with dangerously low pH levels.



While clean rain has a pH of about 5.6, acid rain could drop as low as 4.2 to 4.4 – roughly as acidic as tomato juice or coffee. According to US Geological Survey documentation, Scottish chemist Angus Smith first coined "acid rain" in 1872, but it didn't become a household phrase until the 1960s and 1970s when Swedish scientist Svante Odén documented its devastating effects on Scandinavian lakes and European forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The crisis at its peak</h2>



During the height of public concern, environmental damage was both widespread and visible. This wasn't some abstract future threat – people could see destruction happening in real-time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Environmental devastation</h2>



The most dramatic impacts were impossible to ignore. Research documented by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation shows that in the Adirondack Mountains, more than 200 lakes became so acidic they couldn't support fish life. The Adirondack Council reports that 409 lakes once supported brook trout, but many lost their fish populations due to acid rain.



By 1976, when scientists cataloged all acidified lakes in the Adirondack Park, researchers found that half of the lakes over 2,000 feet above sea level had no fish, according to studies published in environmental journals. The acidification process worked like a slow-motion disaster. As acid rain fell into watersheds, it gradually lowered pH levels. Fish couldn't survive in acidic water, and their food sources died off too.



Trees at high elevations showed stress directly linked to acid rain. It weakened them by leaching nutrients and making them susceptible to disease. Historical records show Germany's Black Forest saw nearly half its trees damaged by the mid-1980s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic impact</h2>



Acid rain wasn't just environmental – it was expensive. Acidic precipitation corroded infrastructure, buildings, and monuments. Historic stone structures deteriorated at accelerated rates. Tourism suffered as lakes became fishless and forests declined. EPA economic analyses from the period documented repair costs mounting into billions annually.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The solution: government action and technology</h2>



Transformation from crisis to success required unprecedented cooperation between governments, industries, and environmental groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Clean Air Act of 1990</h2>



The turning point came with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, signed by President George H.W. Bush. This represented a fundamentally new approach to environmental regulation, as documented in EPA historical records.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cap-and-trade success</h2>



Instead of mandating specific technologies, the 1990 amendments introduced something revolutionary: a cap-and-trade system for sulfur dioxide emissions. EPA program documentation shows this market-based approach set overall limits but allowed companies to trade emission allowances.



The genius was harnessing market forces to find cost-effective pollution reduction. Companies reducing emissions cheaply could sell excess allowances to those facing higher costs. Research published in environmental economics journals and EPA progress reports shows this resulted in dramatic SO2 reduction at a fraction of projected costs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Technology advances</h2>



Policy provided the framework, but technology made reductions possible. Studies in atmospheric science journals document the widespread adoption of flue gas desulfurization systems ("scrubbers") that removed sulfur dioxide before it reached the atmosphere. By the 2000s, new installations could remove over 95% of SO2 emissions, according to EPA technical reports.



The push coincided with cleaner energy development. Natural gas produces fewer sulfur compounds than coal. Wind and solar, emerging in the 1990s, captured growing market share, reducing reliance on high-sulfur coal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-we-don-t-hear-about-it-today">Why we don't hear about it today</h2>



Why did acid rain disappear from headlines? Simple: the problem was largely solved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Success doesn't make news</h2>



There's an old journalism saying: "If it bleeds, it leads." Environmental success stories don't generate urgency like crisis reporting. Media attention shifted to other challenges: climate change, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss. There's only so much environmental anxiety the public can absorb, and newer concerns replaced acid rain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mission accomplished</h2>



The primary reason is beautifully simple: interventions worked. EPA monitoring data shows sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990. Academic research published in environmental science journals confirms pH levels in formerly affected areas returned closer to normal. This represents one of history's most dramatic environmental recoveries. Studies by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation show fishless lakes now support healthy populations. Forests recovered, and building damage slowed dramatically.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-it-really-gone">Is it really gone?</h2>



The crisis is largely resolved, but monitoring data shows the problem isn't completely eliminated – it's managed to acceptable levels. Some areas still experience occasional events during high pollution periods. International environmental research indicates that rapidly industrializing Asian countries face similar problems to what we experienced decades ago, though they're implementing successful strategies.



EPA research shows nitrogen oxide emissions proved more challenging than sulfur dioxide, coming from vehicles and mobile sources. Climate science studies suggest changing weather patterns add complexity to how acid rain forms and falls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What this teaches us</h2>



The acid rain experience proves that seemingly intractable environmental problems can be solved with scientific understanding, political will, and technological innovation. Environmental monitoring data shows recovery speed was remarkable – within a decade, measurable improvements appeared in air quality and ecosystem health.



Success came from bipartisan support across party lines. Policy analysis studies show the market-based approach appealed to those preferring economic incentives while achieving environmental goals. This support created lasting policy surviving political changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h2>



Acid rain's disappearance from public consciousness represents environmental science's greatest success stories. Through effective regulation, technological innovation, and international cooperation, we transformed an overwhelming crisis into a manageable challenge.



Today's silence isn't because we forgot – it's because we solved it. The 1990 Clean Air Act, combined with technology and energy market changes, reduced acid rain emissions over 90%, according to comprehensive EPA data analysis.



This success offers hope for current challenges. It proves complex problems can be solved when science, policy, and technology work together. As we face climate change and plastic pollution, acid rain reminds us that dramatic positive change is possible.



Next time someone asks whether environmental regulations work, remember acid rain. It's proof that sometimes, we get it right.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Sources: This article draws from EPA official documentation and progress reports, peer-reviewed research published in environmental and atmospheric science journals, historical data from the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation records, US Geological Survey publications, policy analysis studies, and environmental monitoring data collected over three decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



1. Is acid rain completely gone? No, but EPA monitoring shows it's reduced to manageable levels. US sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990, making acid rain much less severe than the 1980s crisis.



2. How long did solving take? Environmental monitoring data shows significant improvements began within 5-10 years of 1990s emission controls. Full ecosystem recovery took longer – some areas need 20-30 years for complete recovery.



3. What made the solution successful? Clear scientific understanding, visible damage motivating action, bipartisan support, available technology, and innovative market-based policies like cap-and-trade.



4. Do other countries have acid rain problems? Yes, particularly rapidly industrializing Asian countries. However, international environmental research shows many implement similar successful control strategies.



5. Could acid rain return? Potentially, if regulations weaken or we return to high-sulfur coal without controls, though effects would take years to become severe according to environmental projections.



6. Can you recommend any teaching tools on the subject of "acid rain"? The United States Environmental Protection Agency produced a wonderful teacher's guide for ages 14 and under that you can find on the EPA website here: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf</a>



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The environmental problem we actually solved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk Acid rain and a crisis solved. Why don't we...

Fresh,Radish,Harvest,On,Soil,In,Garden.

<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://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex
</div></figure>







Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving fall garden, and this guide lays out the best vegetables and herbs to plant now for a fruitful autumn harvest. 



Fast-growing leafy greens such as spinach, lettuce, kale, and arugula perform especially well in the waning summer heat, with harvests beginning as soon as 30 days. 



These cool-season crops relish the transition into fall, offering repeated yields with cut-and-come-again methods.



Root vegetables like radishes, carrots, and beets also excel during this period. Radishes deliver satisfaction in under a month, while carrots and beets mature in about two months. Employing succession planting ensures a continuous stream of produce deep into the cooler months. 



For a boost of fresh flavor, herbs like cilantro, basil, dill, and chervil are excellent picks. These heat-loving varieties flourish in July’s warmth and are harvest-ready in about 30 days, especially when sown continuously.



Gardeners in zones 6 through 9 can benefit from planting bush beans and snap peas, which don’t require trellising and are ideal for compact plots. 



Maturing in 50–60 days, they’re a smart choice for quick, protein-rich harvests. For those in hotter regions, heat-tolerant crops such as okra and southern peas provide reliable yields and thrive in scorching conditions.



This guide emphasizes more than crop selection—it highlights the importance of timing, soil preparation, and ongoing sowing techniques. 



With thoughtful planning and attention to regional climate needs, even late-summer gardeners can enjoy fresh salads, hearty stews, and the satisfaction of a robust, homegrown harvest well into fall.



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

https://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving...

Green,Ecoduct,Over,An,Empty,Highway,During,Sunset.

<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://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU
</div></figure>



A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that wildlife tunnels significantly reduce amphibian road mortality during seasonal migrations. 



Frogs and salamanders often cross roads to reach breeding ponds each spring, but many are killed by vehicles. 



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Vermont</a>, in collaboration with local citizens and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, installed two underpass tunnels in 2015. 



Over a 12-year monitoring period, they observed an 80.2% reduction in amphibian deaths, and up to 94% for non-climbing species like salamanders. 



The study used a before-after-control-impact design and documented more than 5,200 amphibians, highlighting the tunnels’ effectiveness even in nearby buffer zones.



Funded at $342,397 - far cheaper than wildlife crossings for large mammals - the project showcased the power of community-led conservation.



Local groups initiated the effort after observing mass amphibian deaths. Wildlife cameras later captured over 2,200 amphibians using a tunnel in just one spring, along with other species like raccoons and bobcats, indicating wider ecosystem benefits.



This marks the first peer-reviewed, long-term data set in the northeastern U.S. confirming amphibian-specific underpasses work. 



The study urges transportation departments to incorporate these designs into road planning and highlights how community action, thoughtful infrastructure, and persistence can make a real difference for biodiversity.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1617138125000780" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal for Nature Conservation</a>.



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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