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...

From glowing mushrooms on forest floors to plankton that light up the sea, nature has long revealed beauty through bioluminescence. These natural spectacles capture human imagination, inspiring ideas of glowing gardens and self-lit cities. 



Scientists are now moving closer to that vision, crafting houseplants that radiate their own soft <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/amazon-trees-glow-more-under-stress-but-photosynthesize-less/">light</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientists-create-glowing-plants">Scientists create glowing plants</h2>



In a recent study published in the journal Matter, researchers described glowing succulents that recharge in sunlight and emit colorful afterglows. 



By injecting the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/all-living-things-emit-a-subtle-glow-that-ceases-at-death/">leaves</a> with special light-storing particles, the plants become capable of radiating light bright enough to rival small night lamps.



“Picture the world of Avatar, where glowing plants light up an entire ecosystem,” said first author Shuting Liu of <a href="https://www.scau.edu.cn" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">South China Agricultural University</a>. “We wanted to make that vision possible using materials we already work with in the lab. Imagine glowing trees replacing streetlights.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-moving-past-genetic-engineering">Moving past genetic engineering</h2>



Earlier attempts at creating luminescent plants relied on genetic engineering. These methods typically produced faint green light and came with challenges: high costs, complex techniques, and risks such as gene drift. 



The new approach sidesteps these issues by using inorganic afterglow particles, materials already known for their roles in glowing toys and safety signs. These particles are inexpensive, widely available, and capable of storing light energy efficiently, making them an ideal choice for transforming <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-future-climate-conditions-will-transform-plant-growth/">plants</a> into living light sources. 



Unlike genetic methods, which require lengthy cultivation and complex engineering, this strategy allows for quick preparation, reproducibility, and scalability. It opens the door to practical applications in sustainable lighting and everyday decorative uses.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-micron-particles-work">Why micron particles work</h2>



The team worked with micron-sized afterglow phosphors. While nanoparticles move more easily through leaves, the larger particles shine with greater brightness.



Traditionally, their size limited plant absorption, but the succulent Echeveria "Mebina" provided the right internal structure to carry them. Its dense but evenly spaced tissue channels enabled rapid diffusion, producing uniform and strong luminescence.



“Smaller, nano-sized particles move easily within the plant but are dimmer,” said Liu. “Larger particles glowed brighter but couldn’t travel far inside the plant.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-succulents-glow-better-than-leafy-plants">Succulents glow better than leafy plants</h2>



Unexpectedly, succulents outperformed non-succulents like golden pothos and bok choy. Despite having fewer air pockets than leafy plants, their compact, uniform tissue allowed particles to spread smoothly without clumping. 



This created evenly glowing leaves after just minutes of exposure to sunlight or LED light, with brightness lasting for nearly two hours.



“It was really unexpected,” said Liu. “The particles diffused in just seconds, and the entire succulent leaf glowed.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stable-and-safe-glow">Stable and safe glow</h2>



The particles used were specially coated with phosphate to improve water resistance and ensure biocompatibility inside plant tissues. 



Tests showed that plants maintained normal chlorophyll, sugar, and protein levels even after several days, suggesting they can handle the modification without losing vitality.



This stability highlights the protective role of the phosphate layer, ensuring that luminescence persists without harmful side effects. 



The results also show that material-engineered plants can retain their natural functions and growth patterns under experimental conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plants-glow-in-many-colors">Plants glow in many colors</h2>



By mixing different phosphors, researchers created plants that glowed not just green, but also red, blue, and even warm white. The team demonstrated a wall of 56 succulents glowing brightly enough to illuminate books and nearby objects. 



Patterns, such as letters or images, could be temporarily written on plant leaves with UV light, hinting at potential uses in decoration and information storage.



“Each plant takes about 10 minutes to prepare and costs a little over 10 yuan (about $1.4), not including labor,” said Liu.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-eco-friendly-lighting-and-architecture">Eco-friendly lighting and architecture </h2>



The glow fades over time, but repeated exposure to light recharges it. This low-cost, reproducible method could pave the way for eco-friendly lighting in gardens, pathways, or interior design. 



Expanding beyond succulents remains a challenge, but the study shows a path forward. The research offers possibilities for future urban planning, sustainable architecture, and even artistic applications where living plants provide both decoration and functional <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bioluminescent-plants-gene-discovery-now-available-for-any-home/">illumination</a>.



“I just find it incredible that an entirely human-made, micro-scale material can come together so seamlessly with the natural structure of a plant,” said Liu. “The way they integrate is almost magical. It creates a special kind of functionality.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/matter/fulltext/S2590-2385(25)00413-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Matter</a>.



Image Credit: Liu et al., Matter



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Glowing plants could replace street lamps in future cities

From glowing mushrooms on forest floors to plankton that light...

Roughly 390 million years ago, the ancient seas witnessed a dramatic change. Marine animals began moving into deeper waters that had long been uninhabitable. New research suggests this expansion was fueled by a lasting rise in deep-ocean oxygen. 



The source of that oxygen traces back to the spread of woody plants on land, the earliest forests on Earth. This environmental shift coincided with an explosion of new species, especially jawed fish. 



These fish became the ancestors of nearly all <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenland-sharks-survive-for-centuries-in-icy-waters/">vertebrates</a> alive today. The link between oxygen levels and evolutionary diversification offers fresh insight into how life reshaped the oceans.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-oxygen-rise-shaped-evolution">Oxygen rise shaped evolution</h2>



“It’s known that oxygen is a necessary condition for animal evolution, but the extent to which it is the sufficient condition that can explain trends in animal diversification has been difficult to pin down,” said co-lead author Michael Kipp, assistant professor at <a href="https://duke.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Duke University</a>.



“This study gives a strong vote that oxygen dictated the timing of early animal evolution, at least for the appearance of jawed vertebrates in deep-ocean habitats.”



For decades, scientists believed deep-ocean oxygenation occurred only once, at the start of the Paleozoic Era about 540 million years ago. 



Later evidence pointed instead to multiple phases. First, shallower waters became livable for breathing organisms, and only later did oxygen reach deeper environments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rocks-reveal-ocean-oxygen-history">Rocks reveal ocean oxygen history</h2>



Kipp and his colleagues focused on timing by studying sedimentary rocks once buried beneath ancient oceans. 



They measured levels of selenium, an element that records traces of oxygen in the environment. Selenium occurs in different isotopes, and their ratios reveal whether <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-levels-are-rising-as-predicted-with-bigger-risks-ahead/">oxygen</a> levels were high enough to support animal life.



The team collected 97 rock samples dating from 252 to 541 million years ago, gathered from five continents. 



At the time, these sites lay along outer continental shelves, the zones where land tapered into the ocean before plunging steeply downward. By analyzing isotope ratios in the samples, the researchers tracked oxygen’s reach through time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-two-deep-sea-oxygen-waves">Two deep-sea oxygen waves</h2>



Results showed two distinct deep-ocean oxygenation events. One brief episode occurred during the Cambrian period, about 540 million years ago. 



The second began during the Middle Devonian, around 393 to 382 million years ago, and continues today. Between these events, oxygen dropped to inhospitable levels for most animals.



“The selenium data tell us that the second oxygenation event was permanent. It began in the Middle Devonian and persisted in our younger rock samples,” said co-lead author Kunmanee “Mac” Bubphamanee, a Ph.D. candidate at the <a href="https://www.washington.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Washington</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-vertebrates-thrived-with-more-oxygen">Vertebrates thrived with more oxygen</h2>



The Middle Devonian oxygen rise triggered what scientists call the “mid-Paleozoic marine revolution.” With oxygen now plentiful, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-fish-had-flexible-joints-like-humans/">jawed fish</a> and other animals expanded into deeper waters and diversified. 



Fossil evidence also shows that many species grew larger, likely supported by the richer oxygen supply. One example is shown in the featured image of this article - a prehistoric jawed fish from the Late Devonian called <a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Dunkleosteus_prehistoric-fish_deep-ocean-oxygen_N-Tamura_1m.jpg">Dunkleosteus</a>.



This geological shift aligned with another event on land: the spread of woody plants. 



“Our thinking is that, as these woody plants increased in number, they released more oxygen into the air, which led to more oxygen in deeper ocean environments,” Kipp said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-first-oxygen-wave-faded-fast">First oxygen wave faded fast</h2>



The earlier <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cambrian-explosion-fossils-push-back-the-rise-of-complex-life/">Cambrian</a> oxygen surge remains puzzling. Its decline likely prevented animals from permanently establishing themselves in deeper waters at that time.



“What seems clear is that the drop in oxygen after that initial pulse hindered the spread and diversification of marine animals into those deeper environments of the outer continental shelves,” Kipp noted.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-oxygen-history-warns-about-today-s-oceans">Oxygen history warns about today’s oceans</h2>



Although the study looks far into the past, its message carries urgency now. 



“Today, there’s abundant ocean oxygen in equilibrium with the atmosphere," said Kipp. "But in some locations, ocean oxygen can drop to undetectable levels."



"Some of these zones occur through natural processes. But in many cases, they’re driven by nutrients draining off continents from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildlife-may-be-the-answer-to-dwindling-fertilizer-ingredient/">fertilizers</a> and industrial activity that fuel plankton blooms that suck up oxygen when they decay.”



“This work shows very clearly the link between oxygen and animal life in the ocean. This was a balance struck about 400 million years ago, and it would be a shame to disrupt it today in a matter of decades.”



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Featured image: An artist’s rendering of a prehistoric jawed fish from the Late Devonian called Dunkleosteus. These sorts of large, active vertebrates evolved shortly after the deep ocean became well-oxygenated. Credit: 2008 N. Tamura/CC-BY-SA



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2501342122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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Ancient forests pumped oxygen into the ocean and helped deep-sea fish thrive

Roughly 390 million years ago, the ancient seas witnessed a...

Wildfire headlines can feel all over the place. One summer brings walls of flames putting millions of people in danger. The next brings lots of fires, but very few near humans. This is called the "wildfire paradox." 



Here’s the twist: the planet has actually seen less land burned in recent years, yet more people are ending up in the path of flames.



From 2002 to 2021, the total area that burned worldwide went down by about a quarter. 



Over the same years, the number of people directly exposed to wildfires - meaning flames reached the places where they live - went up by roughly 40%. Those two facts sit side by side. They also change how we think about risk.



The "wildfire paradox" term fits. The land is burning less, but exposure is rising because more homes and towns now sit where fires naturally occur. That shift is not random. It grows out of how and where people build.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-africa-carries-the-weight">Africa carries the weight</h2>



Across that same period from 2002 to 2021, the authors estimate that about 440 million people experienced a wildfire reaching their community. 



Year to year, exposure climbed by several hundred thousand people annually on average, even as total burned acreage fell. Fewer acres does not automatically mean fewer people in danger.



Most news stories highlight wildfires in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dry-lightning-sparks-the-most-destructive-california-wildfires/">California</a>, Greece, or Australia. Yet wildfires in these places account for less than 2.5 percent of all exposures. Africa, often missing from headlines, saw 85 percent of them.



Just five countries - Congo, South Sudan, Mozambique, Zambia, and Angola - accounted for about half of the global total. 



The United States, Europe, and Australia combined made up less than 2.5%. That contrast says more about population patterns and fire frequency than media attention.



“We are surprised by the disproportionate impacts of wildfires on humans in Africa," said Dr. Mojtaba Sadegh, Climate and Wildfire Analytics Lead at <a href="https://unu.edu/inweh" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UNU-INWEH</a>.



"We knew that around 65 percent of global burned area occurs there, but their 85 percent share of human exposure shows a pronounced impact that deserves more attention.”



Farming plays a big role. Fields break up grasslands and stop large fires from spreading. But they also bring villages and farms closer to the flames.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wildfire-paradox-and-climate-change">Wildfire paradox and climate change</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-making-wildfire-smoke-more-deadly/">Climate change</a> is amplifying fire danger. Since 1979, extreme fire weather jumped by more than 54 percent. Fire seasons now stretch longer. Nights, once safer, often stay hot and dry enough for fires to keep burning.



Still, the story changes depending on where you look. Africa shows smaller fires but far more people exposed. 



In North and South America, invasive plants help fires grow larger. Europe tries to suppress fires, yet expanding settlements keep raising the risks.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/human-wildlife-exposure_growing-globally_map_ScienceJ_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/human-wildlife-exposure_growing-globally_map_ScienceJ_1s.webp" alt="Human exposure to wildland fires from 2002 to 2021. (A and C) Cumulative human exposure to wildland fires (A) and cumulative burned area (C) from 2002 to 2021 at the country level. (B and D) Share of continents in wildland fire exposure (B) and burned areas (D). (E and F) Percentage of population exposed to wildland fire from 2002 to 2021 in each country (E) and continent (F). K, one thousand; M, one million. Credit: Science Advisor" class="wp-image-1983464"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Human exposure to wildland fires from 2002 to 2021. (A and C) Cumulative human exposure to wildland fires (A) and cumulative burned area (C) from 2002 to 2021 at the country level. (B and D) Share of continents in wildland fire exposure (B) and burned areas (D). (E and F) Percentage of population exposed to wildland fire from 2002 to 2021 in each country (E) and continent (F). K, one thousand; M, one million. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Science Advisor</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-actions-reshape-fire-risks">Human actions reshape fire risks</h2>



Study co-author Professor Amir AghaKouchak noted that while the human exposure to fires is rising, the team saw that burned land is shrinking by 26 percent.



“In Africa, farming has broken up large <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/grasslands-are-racing-to-adapt-to-climate-shifts/">grasslands</a> into smaller fields, which stops fires from spreading as widely but also puts more villages and farms closer to fire-prone land."



"In the Americas, invasive plants have fueled bigger and more frequent wildfires, showing how human actions can change fire risks in very different ways.”



The numbers back this up. Nearly half of the world’s people now live in the wildland–urban interface, an area covering less than 5 percent of Earth’s surface.



The study shows that population growth and migration explain about a quarter of all exposures. Without these changes, exposure levels would have fallen alongside shrinking burned area.



Instead, exposure density nearly doubled. In plain terms, more people are living inside or right next to land that burns.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-beyond-burned-land">Beyond burned land</h2>



Focusing only on how much land burns hides the real danger. Intense fires make up just 0.01 percent of all events, but they exposed 2.7 million people and burned 5 percent of the total land in the study. 



Regions like Western North America, Southern Europe, and Southern Australia faced far more human loss than their share of exposures suggested.



“Wildfires are no longer seasonal or regional anomalies; they have become a global crisis, intensified by rising <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-has-made-heatwaves-more-deadly/">heatwaves</a>, worsening droughts, and drastic land use changes,” said Professor Kaveh Madani, Director of UNU-INWEH.



“But instead of stepping up to confront this threat, some of the world’s biggest economies are rolling back protections, leaving vulnerable regions and communities to shoulder the heaviest burden."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-wildfire-paradox-needs-solutions">The wildfire paradox needs solutions</h2>



The study warns that measuring only burned land misses the true danger of wildfires. What matters most is how close people live to fire-prone areas. As populations expand into these zones, exposure to wildfires rises even if less land burns.



The authors stress the need for stronger<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fire-suppression-methods-increase-the-severity-of-wildfires/"> fire management</a> and strategies tailored to local conditions. Communities require infrastructure designed to withstand fire, along with better preparedness. 



At the same time, global climate action is essential to slow the worsening of extreme fire weather. Without these combined efforts, more lives will remain directly in the path of devastating wildfires.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adu6408" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



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"Wildfire paradox" tries to explain why fires are raging across the entire planet

Wildfire headlines can feel all over the place. One summer...

In crowded cities, leafy streets can lift a neighborhood’s appeal - and its home values. But a new analysis finds the boost depends on where those trees are. Nearby canopy that cools sidewalks and frames streetscapes tends to raise prices. 



Trees planted on the lot itself can sometimes do the opposite once maintenance, root damage, and storm risks are factored in.



The study was led by researchers from the <a href="https://pamplin.vt.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pamplin College of Business</a>, working with the <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. Forest Service</a>.



The team stitched together multiple data sets - including Environmental Protection Agency records - across nine U.S. metropolitan areas to map how tree cover at different distances relates to sale prices.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-trees-grow-values-follow">Where trees grow, values follow</h2>



The team broke urban greenery into rings around each property: within 330 feet (about a city block), from 330 feet to one-third of a mile, and from one-third to two-thirds of a mile. 



The researchers then estimated how much added canopy in each ring correlated with a change in value, controlling for local market conditions.



“While tree cover supports owners' property values, their tree cover benefits the greater community property values,” said co-author Kevin Boyle, a professor in the <a href="https://realestate.vt.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Blackwood Department of Real Estate</a>.



That distinction - private trees versus neighborhood trees - runs through the results. Shade you can walk under and scenery you drive past appear to deliver broad benefits that the market recognizes. 



On-site trees, by contrast, carry highly localized costs and risks that can dampen the net effect for the individual owner.



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



The effect differs widely by location, with Fresno, California, at the lowest end and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at the highest.



In Fresno, tree cover adds about $9 to a home’s value - essentially a rounding error. Adding 10 percent more <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/laser-technology-measures-forest-canopy-height-from-space/">canopy</a> on or near the lot, and Fresno values dip by roughly $114 (around 0.1%). This reflects perceived costs such as upkeep, insurance, or interference with structures and utilities.



Shift that same extra canopy outward - between one-third and two-thirds of a mile - and the home’s value rises by about $6,751 (roughly 3.2%).



Milwaukee tells the opposite story. There, the same baseline tree cover near a property adds roughly $3,500. A 10 percent increase in canopy within 330 feet is associated with a jump of about $39,701 (around 24 percent).



Even at a distance - one-third to two-thirds of a mile - extra canopy correlates with another $27,194 (about 16 percent) in value. The Milwaukee case underscores how neighborhood-level trees can powerfully shape perceived livability in some markets.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-neighborhood-trees-pay-off">Neighborhood trees pay off</h2>



The researchers argue the market is pricing two different bundles of attributes. Neighborhood canopy offers shared goods: cooler microclimates during <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-has-made-heatwaves-more-deadly/">heat waves</a> and calmer streetscapes. It also provides a cohesive look that signals care and stability.



Homebuyers will pay for those amenities even if they’re not responsible for pruning the branches that provide them. 



On-lot trees can still be assets, especially when well sited and maintained. But buyers often discount for future costs - leaf litter, gutter clogs, sidewalk heaves, power-line conflicts, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-soil-moisture-can-predict-severe-storms/">storm</a> damage, or insurance implications.



The analysis also acknowledges weather realities. Trees can fall in severe winds or ice storms and increase damage risk. They also cut urban heat, manage stormwater, and improve air quality at block and district scales.



The net economic signal depends on which set of experiences dominates in a given city and how residents value shared versus private benefits.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-private-yards-public-benefits">Private yards, public benefits</h2>



Most urban land is privately owned, which complicates efforts to grow and maintain the “green infrastructure” that benefits entire neighborhoods. 



The authors suggest local leaders consider incentives - <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/planting-trees-is-important-but-reforestation-can-help-too/">planting programs</a>, maintenance support, or right-of-way investments - that nudge canopy growth into the rings where it delivers the biggest bang for the buck.



“Our analysis can be used by community leaders to understand the benefits of tree coverage,” Boyle said. “It can also educate community members that their actions in support of tree coverage can help not only the greater community, but themselves through enhanced property values.”



That strategy could include prioritizing street trees and park expansions within walking distance of homes, where the study finds the strongest and most consistent price effects.



It could also mean offering technical help to homeowners for site-appropriate species selection and root-friendly planting plans that minimize future conflicts with foundations, sidewalks, and utilities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-action-steps-for-greener-cities">Action steps for greener cities</h2>



For owners, the takeaway is practical: trees can add value, but placement, species, and care matter. A well-chosen street-facing canopy that shades façades and sidewalks can enhance curb appeal and comfort. 



In backyards, opt for species with less <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/diverse-forests-can-shut-down-non-native-tree-invasions/">invasive</a> roots and maintain clearances around roofs and lines.



For cities, the findings argue for shifting some canopy growth off private lots and into shared corridors - streets, medians, easements, and pocket parks. They also highlight the need for maintenance budgets that keep those trees healthy and safe.



Doing so aligns who pays with who benefits, reducing the friction that can arise when the public asks private owners to shoulder the costs of a public good.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-greener-neighborhoods-higher-values">Greener neighborhoods, higher values</h2>



The headline is simple: trees can lift home values in cities. The fine print is where the policy levers lie. Market signals in Fresno differ from Milwaukee, and the effects of canopy on the lot differ from canopy down the block.



By parsing those patterns across thousands of blocks in nine metropolitan areas, the study gives planners, assessors, and residents a clearer map. 



Plant where the benefits compound, support owners where responsibilities fall, and grow the shared canopy that keeps neighborhoods cooler, calmer, and more valuable.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0921800925001922?via%3Dihub">Ecological Economics</a>.



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How neighborhood trees can raise - or sink - your property value

In crowded cities, leafy streets can lift a neighborhood’s appeal...

Brewers have long considered beer foam as a quick readout of a fermentation that’s gone right, yet the physics and chemistry that keep those bubbles from collapsing have remained oddly elusive.



Now, a seven-year investigation led by <a href="https://www.tue.nl/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ETH Zurich</a>, with collaborators at <a href="https://www.tue.nl/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eindhoven University of Technology</a> and several European observatories of beer variety, has pinned down why some foams vanish in a blink while others linger. 



The answer blends cutting-edge microscopy with old-world brewing styles - and it has implications far beyond the tap.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-beer-foam-resists-collapse">How beer foam resists collapse</h2>



Foam is a jam-packed city of air bubbles, each one walled off from its neighbors by nanometer-thin liquid films. Those films must resist rupture; if they thin too fast or lose strength, the foam drains and collapses.



In the journal <a href="https://pubs.aip.org/aip/pof/article/37/8/082139/3360405/The-hidden-subtlety-of-beer-foam-stability-A" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Physics of Fluids</a>, the team reported how they used high-resolution imaging and rheometry to watch, in real time, what happens where it matters most: the narrow “neck” where two neighboring bubbles press together.



“We can directly visualize what’s happening when two bubbles come into close proximity,” said ETH researcher Emmanouil Chatzigiannakis. “We can directly see the bubble’s protein aggregates, their interface, and their structure.”



Beer, it turned out, was the perfect model foam: endlessly reproducible, richly variable across styles, and naturally loaded with the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-modified-plant-proteins-to-create-delicious-meat-alternatives/">proteins</a> and surface-active molecules that tune thin-film behavior.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-beer-foam-stability-depends-on-style">Beer foam stability depends on style</h2>



The group put a spectrum of beers under the microscope, from single-fermented lagers to double- and triple-fermented Belgian ales. That stylistic ladder became a physics ladder.



In single-fermentation lagers, foam stability depended chiefly on surface viscosity - the “stickiness” at the bubble interface imparted by malt-derived proteins. The more robust that interfacial viscosity, the longer the walls resisted thinning and popping.



Double-fermented ales, by contrast, told a different story. Here, proteins at the interface didn’t just thicken the surface; they knit together into two-dimensional, net-like structures - elastic skins that endowed the film with tensile strength. Elasticity worked like a trampoline, holding films together against <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-can-map-subtle-shifts-in-earths-gravity-using-atoms/">gravity’s</a> pull and drainage.



Triple-fermented Trappist-style beers went a step further. In these, the team found that surface viscosity was minimal. The foam’s staying power came from Marangoni stresses.



When surface tension varies, fluid flows and circulating currents replenish thinning spots. Sprinkle tea leaves on water and add soap - the fragments rush outward as invisible surface currents form. In these richly fermented ales, persistent Marangoni flows stabilized the bubble walls for the long haul.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-one-protein-three-roles"><a></a>One protein, three roles</h2>



Threading through all three regimes was a single malt protein with many aliases in the literature - LTP1 (lipid transfer protein 1). Its state of “denaturation,” or unfolding, shifted with each fermentation step and rewrote its interfacial job description.



In single-fermented lagers, LTP1 largely retains its native, compact shape. At the bubble surface, these near-spherical particles pack into a dense, two-dimensional suspension, boosting surface viscosity and slowing film drainage.



A second fermentation nudges LTP1 out of that tidy conformation. Yeast activity and the evolving beer chemistry partially denature the protein so it links into mesh-like networks - true interfacial membranes that lend elasticity to the film, the key to the double-fermented foam’s resilience.



A third fermentation pushes the transformation further. LTP1 fragments now present both water-loving and water-repelling ends, behaving like bona fide surfactants. These pieces actively lower interfacial and surface tensions, seeding the gradients that drive Marangoni flows.



“These protein fragments function like surfactants, which stabilize foams in many everyday applications, such as detergents,” noted ETH professor of soft materials Jan Vermant, who led the study.



The net result tracks what beer lovers observe in the glass: triple-fermented Belgian ales show the most persistent heads, followed by double-fermented styles. Single-fermented lagers, including a major Swiss brand the team examined, tend to lose their foam fastest.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-viscosity-elasticity-and-flows">Viscosity, elasticity, and flows</h2>



If you’re tempted to “just add more surfactant” or “just crank up viscosity,” the data examined suggests not to do so. Foam stability doesn’t respond linearly to single tweaks, and the mechanisms can work at cross-purposes.



In <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/elusive-ancestor-of-lager-yeast-found-in-ireland/">lagers</a>, for instance, boosting viscosity can help, but doing so in a system that relies on Marangoni flows may backfire by damping the very surface currents that keep the film alive. 



“The key is to work on one mechanism at a time - and not on several at once. Beer obviously does this well by nature,” Vermant said.



That mechanistic clarity emerged only because the team could watch films evolve in situ. By pairing optical and interfacial measurements, they identified when viscosity dominated. 



The researchers saw when flows driven by elasticity and surface-tension ruled. They also confirmed LTP1’s starring role by analyzing protein content and state across styles.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-the-brewhouse-to-broader-tech"><a></a>From the brewhouse to broader tech</h2>



The work began, fittingly, with a brewer’s rule of thumb. Asked how he controlled <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brewing-beer-in-space-the-future-of-fermentation/">fermentation</a>, a Belgian brewer said: 'By watching the foam.”



The scientists’ answer, years later, explains why that intuition works and how to engineer it. ETH’s group has already partnered with one of the world’s largest breweries to translate the physics into process tweaks that enhance head retention without compromising flavor or stability.



But foam is a universal material, not just a beverage flourish. The lessons from beer apply to firefighting foams, oil–water separations, and even medical sclerosing agents used to treat varicose veins.



In electric vehicles, for example, gearbox lubricants can entrain bubbles and foam - an efficiency and durability risk. 



Vermant’s team is working with industry partners, including Shell, to learn how to suppress unwanted foams by selectively targeting viscosity, elasticity, or Marangoni flows.



The researchers are also pursuing sustainable, fluorine- and silicon-free surfactants inspired by LTP1 fragments, and adapting protein-based strategies to stabilize other food foams such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-study-shows-that-dairy-milk-cheese-consumption-improves-gut-biodiversity-health/">milk</a>. In an EU project, they’re exploring foam scaffolds as carriers for bacterial systems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-recipe-for-lasting-foam">The recipe for lasting foam</h2>



For brewers, the take-home is both empowering and nuanced. Foam longevity comes from different routes in different styles: a viscous interface in lagers, an elastic protein membrane in double-fermented ales, and self-renewing surface flows in triple-fermented Trappist beers. 



You don’t need to - and shouldn’t - force all three at once. Tune the route that fits your beer and your brand.



For drinkers, the science adds appreciation to the spectacle. That persistent cap on a golden pour isn’t just pretty; it’s a living laboratory of thin films, proteins, and surface physics. 



Thanks to advanced imaging and monastic brewing traditions, we now know why some heads last while others fade. This knowledge could soon make perfect pours more common.



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Scientists uncover the mechanics behind the perfect beer foam

Brewers have long considered beer foam as a quick readout...

A new approach to weight control has shown promise in animals: edible microbeads that soak up fat in the gut, escort it out of the body, and help shed pounds.



In rats fed a high-fat diet, the beads led to significant weight loss without obvious gastrointestinal side effects. If the strategy translates to people, researchers could stir the beads into everyday foods and drinks to prevent or treat obesity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-food-meets-fat-blocking-science">Food meets fat-blocking science</h2>



The concept comes as obesity rates keep rising despite decades of prevention campaigns and the advent of potent, but costly, injectable drugs.



Researchers designed the microbeads by combining familiar, food-grade ingredients. Each bead is built from vitamin E and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drinking-tea-delays-biological-aging/">green tea</a> compounds, then sealed in a thin coat of alginate, a fiber derived from seaweed. All three components are approved for food use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.



Once swallowed, the alginate shell swells in the acidic stomach. That expansion creates pores that allow partially digested fats to flow into the bead’s core. 



Inside, fats bind to the tea-derived molecules and vitamin E matrix. The bead - and its cargo - then travel down the intestine and exit in stool, rather than entering the bloodstream.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-microbeads-help-rats-loose-weight">Microbeads help rats loose weight</h2>



To test the idea, the team fed eight <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rats-on-cocaine-investigating-the-cues-that-lead-to-drug-addiction/">rats</a> a diet in which 60 percent of calories came from fat, plus the microbeads. Another eight rats ate the same high-fat diet without beads. A third group ate a 10 percent fat diet without beads. 



After 30 days, the microbead-treated rats had lost about 17 percent of their starting body weight on average. The two control groups did not lose weight.



Dissections and lab tests showed the treated animals carried less body fat and had fewer signs of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/traffic-related-air-pollution-causes-liver-damage/">liver injury</a> than the controls.



The researchers also analyzed fecal pellets. Rats receiving beads excreted about as much fat as a fourth group treated with orlistat, an established weight-loss medicine that blocks fat absorption.



That similarity is important. It means the beads likely deter fat uptake in the gut much like orlistat does - yet without the messy drawbacks that often limit the drug’s use.



“One of the reasons why [orlistat] still isn’t very popular is because it makes it much more difficult to control bowel movements,” said Sander Kersten of <a href="https://www.cornell.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cornell University</a>. In the rat experiments, the bead-treated animals did not show those gastrointestinal side effects.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-new-weight-loss-option">A new weight-loss option</h2>



Newer anti-<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/obesity-is-much-more-complicated-than-we-thought-manifesting-in-11-different-forms/">obesity</a> drugs such as semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Zepbound) can deliver significant weight losses. But they are expensive, require ongoing injections, and carry notable risks and side effects.



A food-based product that passively lowers fat intake could fill a different niche: an add-in for people who cannot tolerate or afford medications, or a preventive option for those who are gaining weight but do not yet have obesity-related disease.



Because the beads are flavorless and can be shaped into small spheres - think tapioca pearls or boba - the team imagines adding them to desserts or bubble teas. 



“We want to develop something that works with how people normally eat and live,” said lead author Yue Wu, a scientist at Sichuan University.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-first-human-trial-launched">First human trial launched</h2>



A first clinical study is underway, with 26 adult participants enrolled to assess safety, tolerability, and early signals of efficacy. “We anticipate that preliminary data may become available within the next year,” Wu said.



Even if the early results look good, several issues will need careful study. One concern is nutrient balance. By binding dietary fats, the beads might also hinder absorption of fat-soluble <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vitamin-c-promotes-skin-renewal-and-anti-aging-at-the-genetic-level-dna-demethylation/">vitamins</a> such as A, D, E, and K.



Dosing will matter too: the beads must capture enough fat to be useful without causing cramps, bloating, or oily stools at higher intakes.



There is also the question of consumer acceptance. Kersten cites the cautionary tale of olestra, a synthetic, non-absorbable fat briefly used in U.S. snack foods in the late 1990s. The drug delivered fewer calories but fell out of favor, in part due to side effects and in part because shoppers simply didn’t warm to it.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-another-route-to-weight-loss">Another route to weight loss</h2>



Mechanistically, the approach is straightforward: reduce the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/americas-addiction-to-ultra-processed-foods-is-getting-worse/">calories</a> that reach the body by filtering fats at the source. In theory, that could pair with lifestyle changes or with drugs that curb appetite or improve glucose control.



Because the components are already widely used in foods, the regulatory path might be simpler than for a new chemical entity - though formal approval would still require rigorous trials demonstrating safety and benefit in humans.



For now, the animal data offer a clear signal: rats on a fatty diet lost weight and excreted more fat when researchers add microbeads to their food.



If a similar effect appears in people - without the bathroom headaches associated with orlistat - the beads could become a practical, low-friction tool. They would not replace other treatments, but they might help tip the daily energy balance in the right direction, one meal at a time.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-biomaterials/fulltext/S3050-5623(25)00010-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cell Biomaterials</a>.



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Fat-soaking microbeads could be the next weight-loss breakthrough

A new approach to weight control has shown promise in...

The ocean is full of enigmas, guarding species that appear once and vanish for decades. One such case is the sailback houndshark, a rare shark distinguished by its unusually tall dorsal fin. 



The shark was first described in 1973 after a pregnant female was caught near the Gogol River in Papua New Guinea’s Astrolabe Bay. For 50 years, this single specimen was the only evidence of its <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shark-awareness-day-protecting-the-balance-of-the-ocean/">existence</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sailback-houndshark-rediscovered">Sailback houndshark rediscovered </h2>



In March 2020, researchers collaborating with local fishing communities came across a remarkable discovery. Fishers near the mouth of the Gogol River shared photographs of several unusual sharks, each with a strikingly tall dorsal fin. 



Upon closer examination, the images revealed five female sharks, all belonging to the long-lost sailback houndshark.



For decades, this species had only been known from a single specimen collected in the early 1970s. The 2020 sighting marked the first confirmed evidence that the species still survived in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dead-cow-placed-on-the-deep-ocean-floor-filmed-sleeper-shark-unexpected/">wild</a>. 



Two years later, the discovery of a male in the same area further strengthened the finding, proving that this rare shark was not extinct but quietly persisting in the waters of Papua New Guinea.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fishers-spot-sailback-houndshark">Fishers spot sailback houndshark</h2>



While science had no records for decades, fishers in Astrolabe Bay occasionally encountered the species. 



Reports suggest the sharks are caught incidentally while targeting jewfish for the lucrative fish maw trade.



Most captures occur between March and July, and again in the dry season from August to November. Unlike other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-the-sharks-body-grows-with-geometric-precision/">sharks</a>, their meat is not valued locally and is often given away, while their fins are of poor quality for the fin trade.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-species-with-limits">A species with limits</h2>



Surveys confirm that all modern records come from near the Gogol River mouth. The shark appears to prefer deeper waters close to the continental shelf, which is narrow in this part of Papua New Guinea. 



These deeper trenches bring the species into contact with small-scale fishers. Its apparent restriction to Astrolabe Bay suggests it may be microendemic, existing only in this limited area.



Some researchers believe its distribution may once have stretched further, across Papua New Guinea and perhaps even Indonesia. As David Ebert notes, it might now be reduced to “this last little remnant population.” 



Such contractions have parallels with other local shark <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/guitar-shaped-ray-species-discovered-for-the-first-time-lives-in-the-deep-ocean/">species</a>, including bamboo and epaulette sharks, that are also confined to small habitats.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sailback-houndshark-under-threat">Sailback houndshark under threat</h2>



Overfishing and habitat pressures are among the biggest threats to sharks and rays worldwide. For the sailback houndshark, rising demand for fish maw presents a serious risk. 



Even if not directly targeted, regular bycatch could jeopardize its survival. Rare species with such limited ranges face heightened vulnerability when human activity intensifies.



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



The sailback houndshark represents a unique evolutionary lineage within the triakid sharks, making it of high scientific interest. 



Two preserved specimens are now held at the University of Papua New Guinea, where researchers are preparing DNA analyses with colleagues in Australia and Florida.



“These efforts will help create a genetic baseline for future monitoring and guide protection strategies,” said Jack Sagumai, first author of a study describing the discovery.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-saving-the-sailback-houndshark">Saving the sailback houndshark</h2>



The rediscovery of the sailback houndshark after fifty years is both inspiring and concerning. On one hand, it shows that this rare species has managed to survive despite decades without a scientific record, offering hope that other elusive marine animals might still be found. 



On the other hand, its rarity and restricted range reveal how vulnerable it is to threats such as overfishing and habitat pressures. A species can vanish quietly when its population is small and localized, making urgent action essential. 



By combining scientific research, conservation strategies, and the knowledge of local communities, this shark has the potential to be more than just a rediscovered curiosity. 



It could become a powerful emblem of Papua New Guinea’s unique marine biodiversity and the importance of protecting fragile ecosystems before they are lost forever.



The study is published in the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jfb.70196" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Fish Biology</a>. 



Image Credit: Jack Sagumai et al. (2025)



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Rare shark rediscovered after 50 years

The ocean is full of enigmas, guarding species that appear...

Outdoor,,Couple,And,Thumbs,Up,For,Support,,Fist,Bump,And

New research shows that primates with longer thumbs also tend to have larger brains. The finding suggests that brains and hands evolved together, not on separate tracks.



The study covered 94 primate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brains-learn-new-skills-much-faster-than-expected/">species</a>, living and extinct. From lemurs to humans, the same trend appeared: longer thumbs, bigger brains. That pattern stayed strong even when humans were left out of the data.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-longer-thumb-means-bigger-brains">Longer thumb means bigger brains</h2>



Long thumbs allow a precise grip. Picking up a nut, holding a stick, or shaping a stone requires control. The study shows that as this skill sharpened, brain size followed. 



Dexterity and intelligence were not two unrelated steps. They moved forward side by side.



“We’ve always known that our big <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-the-brain-learns-study-reveals-an-unexpected-twist/">brains</a> and nimble fingers set us apart, but now we can see they didn’t evolve separately," said Dr. Joanna Baker, lead author from the <a href="https://www.reading.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Reading</a>.



"As our ancestors got better at picking up and manipulating objects, their brains had to grow to handle these new skills. These abilities have been fine-tuned through millions of years of brain evolution."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-connection-in-the-brain">Surprising connection in the brain</h2>



The researchers first assumed that thumb length would be tied to the cerebellum, since that region directs movement and coordination. 



To their surprise, the connection was with the neocortex, the part of the brain responsible for thought, awareness, and sensory <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-prepares-the-brain-for-the-future-while-protecting-memories-of-the-past/">processing</a>.



This shows that the thumb’s evolution was not limited to better movement but was also linked to higher cognitive demands. 



Controlling fine hand actions requires more than quick reflexes. It involves planning each step, adjusting based on feedback, and maintaining focus.



These are exactly the kinds of tasks managed by the neocortex, explaining why its growth paralleled the rise of dexterous hands.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dexterity-beyond-thumb-length">Dexterity beyond thumb length</h2>



The researchers also tested whether other hand features mattered. They found that dexterity comes from many factors including finger proportions, joint structure, and even the role of the fifth digit. 



Still, thumb length proved a reliable indicator of how well a primate could manipulate objects.



The team measured “manipulation workspace” - the range where the thumb and finger can move an object. Species with longer thumbs had larger workspaces. 



Those workspaces also lined up with brain size. Both hands and brains paid the cost of better <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/your-brain-literally-changes-based-on-daily-activities-and-lifestyle/">skills</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hominins-in-focus">Hominins in focus</h2>



Most hominins fit the general pattern, but there were exceptions. Australopithecus sediba had an unusually long thumb compared to its brain size. That didn’t make it more skilled. 



In fact, biomechanical models suggest the species wasn’t great at thumb opposition. A long thumb without extra brain power did not guarantee complex manipulation.



Homo naledi also had long thumbs and smaller brains, yet it followed the general rule across primates. The difference between species shows that hands cannot be studied alone. The brain always enters the picture.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-grew-inside">What grew inside</h2>



When researchers examined specific brain regions, the neocortex emerged as the key player. Thumb length showed a strong connection to this region, but not to the cerebellum, which mainly handles coordination. 



This finding means that fine hand control relied more on higher-level processing than simple movement control. 



Areas in the motor and parietal cortices likely expanded to support the growing demands of precise manipulation.



Some scientists suggest this expansion had wider effects, linking hand use with the evolution of language. 



Both tool use and speech require planning, sequencing, and complex control, so shared brain networks may have supported the rise of these defining human skills.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-strongest-thumb-and-brain-link">Strongest thumb and brain link</h2>



Humans sit at the far edge of this evolutionary story. Our species combines the longest thumbs with the largest brains among primates, a pairing that gave us the capacity to make tools, form cultures, and build societies. 



But this link between dexterity and intelligence did not appear suddenly with us. It runs deep across the primate family tree, shaping species long before humans emerged.



The evidence shows that smarter brains and skilled hands advanced together over millions of years. Our ability to think was never separate from our ability to grasp and shape objects. 



Intelligence, in this sense, is tied to action. The human mind grew stronger because our hands demanded it.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-025-08686-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Communications Biology</a>.



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How thumbs played a key role in shaping human brains and intelligence

New research shows that primates with longer thumbs also tend...

Giraffatitan was a huge sauropod dinosaur, but its tail was not a stiff anchor bolted to the hips. New digital models show a tail that lifted, bent, and twisted with control, helping the animal move and stay stable.



The study was led by Dr. Verónica Díez-Díaz from the <a href="https://www.museumfuernaturkunde.berlin/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Museum of Naturkunde</a> in Berlin. Her team worked from a well preserved section of the tail, including 18 vertebrae and 14 associated bones beneath them. Their goal was to map how each joint could move, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-humans-ate-tough-plants-and-changed-the-world-forever/">bone</a> against bone, without guessing about soft tissues.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-giraffatitan-s-tail-movement">Giraffatitan’s tail movement</h2>



The researchers built precise 3D joints and rotated each vertebra until the bones would either separate or collide. That produced upper limits on bending upward, downward, sideways, and twisting, all based on what the skeleton itself allows.



They anchored the work in a specimen labeled MB.R.2921 from Tanzania’s Late Jurassic rocks. The researchers identified a mechanical observation: changing the location of each joint’s center of rotation altered the amount of safe motion.



They also compared several possible joint centers to see which ones produced the highest or most realistic ranges. That sensitivity test matters because in living <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stone-tools-flint-created-400000-years-show-technological-advancement-of-early-humans/">animals</a> the true center can shift slightly as forces change during motion.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-special-tail-bones-limited-downward-bend">Special tail bones limited downward bend</h2>



Many sauropod dinosaurs have special tail bones called <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/veterinary-science-and-veterinary-medicine/haemal-arch" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hemal arches</a>. These are thin, V shaped bones that hang under each tail vertebra and protect blood vessels while anchoring parts of the tail’s underside muscles.



“Our results highlight the importance of considering haemal arches as functional units and osteological constraints in ventroflexion of the tail,” wrote Díez-Díaz. Hemal arches acted like hard stops that limited how far the tail could bend downward.&nbsp;



That is not just a small tweak to a model. It changes how we picture tail posture in life, because downward bend is the motion that hemal arches most resist.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tail-helped-movement-and-lift">Tail helped movement and lift</h2>



The tail’s upper bend was strongest in the middle section and weaker close to the hips. That pattern fits the shape of the joints and the tall spines on the front vertebrae, which act like built-in stops.



Lateral bend and small amounts of twist were also possible, though both were capped by the facet joints called <a href="https://www.imaios.com/en/e-anatomy/anatomical-structures/zygapophyseal-joints-1160108#" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">zygapophyses</a> that interlock neighboring vertebrae. Those same joints are nature’s guardrails that keep the spine aligned when the animal moves.



Earlier work by this team mapped the big tail muscles on Giraffatitan, including the powerful <a href="https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/meeting-minds/2014/poster-pres/37/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">caudofemoralis longus</a> that helps pull the hind legs back. That <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/earth-science/articles/10.3389/feart.2020.00160/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reconstruction</a> showed where muscles attached and how they could have powered the base of the tail.



Put together, the current ranges of motion and the earlier muscle map point to a tail that stayed off the ground, stabilized the hips, and contributed to smooth strides. It was a moving part of the animal’s gait, not a dead weight.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-giraffatitan-s-tail-made-walking-efficient">Giraffatitan's tail made walking efficient</h2>



The baseline model suggested that the tails can even set the rhythm for efficient walking, at roughly 2.9 miles per hour (4.7 kilometers per hour) which would have been a comfortable walking pace.



The method uses the tail’s natural frequency to find the speed that costs the least energy, which emphasizes why tail mechanics matter beyond simple posture.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-myths-versus-real-giraffatitan-limits">Myths versus real Giraffatitan limits</h2>



Popular media often implies thunderclap tail whips that break the sound barrier. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-21633-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Testing</a> of a diplodocid style tail found a top speed near 108 feet per second (33 meters per second), which is far below the speed of sound in air.



That converts to about 74 miles per hour (119 kilometers per hour) at the tip, which is fast but not supersonic. For Giraffatitan, the new joint limits suggest controlled, useful movement, not fragile, boom producing snaps.



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



Across <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-early-homo-species-discovered-lived-with-australopithecus-challenges-human-evolution-theory/">animals</a>, tails serve for balance, maneuvering, signaling, swimming, and more. A broad integrative <a href="https://academic.oup.com/icb/article/61/2/352/6298228" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">review</a> points out that tails are multifunctional tools that have drawn less attention than limbs, even though they often do as much work.



Applying that mindset to sauropods helps explain why a flexible, lifted tail makes sense. It frees the hips to conserve energy, keeps the body stable on uneven ground, and gives room for small course corrections during turns.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-joints-changed-flexibility">How joints changed flexibility</h2>



The study shows that picking a joint’s centres of rotation is not a throwaway choice. Move the center a little, and the calculated range can grow or shrink, especially for upward bending and twisting.



By reporting several reasonable choices, the team made it easier for future studies to compare apples to apples. It also makes the results more transparent, so modelers can reproduce the work and test new ideas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-museum-models-show-lifted-tails">Museum models show lifted tails</h2>



Museum mounts that let the tail float, not drag, are on the right track. The new limits match that look and give animators and exhibit designers numbers they can defend.



There is still more to learn. Soft tissues like cartilage, ligaments, and muscle bulks will trim these skeletal limits in life, but the bone based cap is a solid place to start.



When we picture how a giant moves, we change how we think about its world. A tail that can lift and steer alters group spacing, defense options, and even how tracks form in wet ground.



It also shows how science works on long-extinct animals. Careful modeling of real bones, step by step, beats catchy myths every time.



The study is published in <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.250851" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Royal Society Open Science</a>.



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Giraffatitan's tail contributed to its stability and locomotion

Giraffatitan was a huge sauropod dinosaur, but its tail was...

Sleep touches every part of our lives. It influences how we think, feel, and even how long we live. Science has long measured sleep in hours and activity in minutes, but consistency is becoming just as important. Patterns matter as much as total duration, and their role in health is gaining more attention.



Recent research shows that people with regular sleep <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-quality-could-be-the-key-to-better-metabolic-health/">schedules</a> enjoy stronger hearts, longer lives, and lower risks of dementia. 



Yet, one question remained unclear. Do these benefits also apply to individuals already experiencing subtle memory problems, early cognitive decline, or the very first signs of Alzheimer’s disease in daily life?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-sleep-patterns">Tracking sleep patterns</h2>



To investigate the link, researchers recruited 458 adults between the ages of 45 and 89. Everyone in the group reported having problems with sleep, memory, or both. 



Each person wore a small wrist device called a three-axis accelerometer for seven days straight. This device recorded every movement and period of rest, giving researchers a precise picture of each person’s daily <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-prepares-the-brain-for-the-future-while-protecting-memories-of-the-past/">sleep</a>-wake rhythm.



Besides tracking sleep, the participants also took tests that measured how well they could focus, remember things, and solve problems. These tests gave the researchers a clear idea of each person’s thinking abilities. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-testing-a-key-marker-of-brain-health">Testing a key marker of brain health</h2>



Many participants also gave blood samples, which were checked for levels of a protein called BDNF. This protein is crucial for brain health because it helps brain cells grow, form new connections, and adjust to changes.



"Day-to-day sleep patterns have been hypothesized to influence cognitive health and Alzheimer's disease," wrote the study authors. 



"However, it remains unclear whether sleep irregularity is associated with cognitive function and its key marker, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), especially in individuals with subjective concerns about cognition and sleep but who are otherwise relatively healthy."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-impact-of-sleep-on-the-brain">Impact of sleep on the brain</h2>



The study showed that people with consistent sleep schedules did better on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-may-have-just-solved-the-mystery-of-sleep/">memory</a> and thinking tests. Their minds worked more sharply when they went to bed and woke up around the same time each day.



But when the researchers measured levels of BDNF, the results didn’t follow the same straight line. Instead, they found what’s called an inverse U-shaped curve. This means BDNF was highest in people whose sleep was moderately regular - not too loose, not too rigid.



People with irregular sleep had lower BDNF, which makes sense since disrupted patterns can harm the brain. But here’s the surprising part: those who kept extremely rigid sleep schedules also had lower BDNF. That suggests the brain may need a bit of flexibility in daily rhythms to stay adaptable.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-strict-vs-irregular-sleep-timing">Strict vs. irregular sleep timing</h2>



The findings show that being too strict with sleep isn’t always good. Irregular <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/one-night-of-lost-sleep-can-trigger-hidden-health-issues/">patterns</a> clearly hurt memory and thinking, but going to bed and waking up at exactly the same time every single day may also cause problems. 



The brain seems to work best when there’s some consistency, but also a little room for flexibility.



This balance matters when thinking about ways to lower dementia risk. Instead of telling people to stick to a rigid bedtime, future strategies may focus on building routines that are steady but not extreme. 



Living with a routine that is steady but not overly strict may be the healthiest choice. Having some structure helps the brain, but leaving room for flexibility keeps it adaptable. 



This mix can protect thinking skills and resilience, even for people who are starting to notice memory issues or who may be at higher risk of decline.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sleep-and-brain-resilience">Sleep and brain resilience</h2>



These findings point to new ways of thinking about daily habits. Instead of only counting hours, we may need to measure how patterns shift day to day and recognize their impact on long-term brain resilience and overall health. 



Sleep regularity could soon become an important marker in preventing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.



This work was supported by the COI STREAM initiative launched in 2013 by <a href="https://www.mext.go.jp/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MEXT</a>, as well as the COI-NEXT initiative launched in 2020 by MEXT.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1389945725003636?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sleep Medicine</a>.



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Being too strict with sleep times can actually hurt brain health

Sleep touches every part of our lives. It influences how...

The world already grows more food than we need. In 2020, global croplands produced enough calories to feed 15 billion people. Yet only half of those calories actually reached people’s plates. The rest vanished into animal feed, fuel tanks, or other uses.



The issue isn’t about having more land - it’s about how we use it. A new analysis finds that while total food production has risen quickly, the calories actually available for people have grown much more slowly.



Between 2010 and 2020, total calories from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vicious-cycle-food-systems-both-suffer-from-and-cause-emissions/">crops</a> rose nearly 24 percent. But calories people could actually eat rose only 16 percent.



The biggest culprit is meat, especially beef. It takes 33 calories of feed to make one calorie of beef. Chicken, eggs, and milk are far more efficient. 



Researchers estimate that if wealthier countries cut back on beef and ate more chicken instead, the calories saved could feed around 850 million people.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-growing-fuel-cuts-into-food-supply">Growing fuel cuts into food supply</h2>



In 2020, more than five percent of the world’s cropland calories went into ethanol and biodiesel. Palm oil and maize dominated this shift. 



Biofuels help with energy goals, but they cut into the food supply. Land that could grow meals for families instead grows fuel for cars.



The problem is bigger than it looks. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/food-waste-is-a-growing-climate-threat-can-composting-help/">Crops</a> used for feed at least give some calories back through meat, milk, or eggs. Biofuels give nothing back. 



Once a crop becomes fuel, it’s gone from the food system completely. That means fewer calories on plates and more pressure on farmland.



With global hunger still widespread, using cropland to grow fuel creates a direct conflict between energy security and food security. 



It forces a tough question: should fertile land grow food for people’s stomachs or fuel for engines? The answer will shape how we balance climate goals with the urgent need to feed billions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-countries-use-food-differently">Countries use food differently</h2>



How calories are used looks very different depending on where you live. In the United States, only about 23 percent of cropland calories ended up as food. Brazil fared only slightly better, at 29 percent.



In India, nearly 80 percent went directly into diets, much of it through grains and dairy. India’s efficiency comes partly because milk has a higher feed-to-food return than beef.



Globally, croplands produce enough calories to feed 12 people per hectare. After losses, that number drops to six. The gap is striking: we are growing enough food, but <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-devastate-global-food-production/">choices</a> about meat, fuel, and trade decide who gets fed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-environmental-cost">The environmental cost</h2>



Calories lost to feed and fuel aren’t just a food problem, they’re an environmental one too. Growing food already drives deforestation, drains freshwater supplies, and produces nearly a quarter of global greenhouse gases.



Beef sits at the center of this issue. It wastes the most calories and creates the most carbon. In comparison, chicken, eggs, and dairy use fewer resources and return more calories to people. 



Even small dietary changes matter. Replacing some beef with other proteins could lower emissions and make more food available at the same time. That means fewer forests cleared, less water consumed, and fewer tons of carbon in the atmosphere.



It’s not about eliminating meat entirely but about shifting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/food-waste-has-a-surprising-impact-on-climate-change/">choices</a>. The data shows that changing what’s on our plates can directly reduce environmental damage while improving food security. What we eat shapes not only our health, but the planet’s future too.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-food-security-grows-from-choices">Food security grows from choices</h2>



“It is an important reminder that the problems we face in feeding 8 billion people today - and even in the future with a few billion more - are not about biophysical limits; it’s not that we can’t produce enough calories,” said Hannah Ritchie of the <a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Oxford</a>. “It’s about distribution and human choices on what we do with them.”



Calories alone don’t tell the whole story. Nutrition depends on proteins and micronutrients too. But the numbers already reveal how much potential is lost in the way crops are used.



Global data from the <a href="https://www.fao.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Food and Agriculture Organization</a> of the United Nations continues to track these trends. And healthy diet frameworks like the EAT–Lancet Commission show how eating differently can feed more people and ease pressure on the planet.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://eartharxiv.org/repository/view/9713/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EarthArXiv</a>.



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We already grow enough food, but much of it never reaches people

The world already grows more food than we need. In...

A recent announcement has confirmed that 30 Tauros cattle will be released into Saksfjed Wilderness in Lolland, Denmark. The release area covers about 800 hectares, roughly 2,000 acres, and aims to restore natural grazing at a meaningful scale.



Aurochs, known scientifically as Bos primigenius, once roamed Europe, Asia, and North Africa. The last recorded animal died in 1627. 



Genetic <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/hdy201679" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> has traced cattle domestication to the Near East about 10,000 years ago and found signs that wild aurochs mixed with early European herds. That research was led by Jens-Christian Svenning of <a href="https://www.au.dk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aarhus University</a>.



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



Large herbivores can suppress woody growth, change plant communities, and reshape landscapes when they reach sufficient densities, according to an ecological framework.



The presence of large herbivores can influence fire patterns, nutrient cycling, and habitat structure in ways that many smaller species cannot match.



Conservationists call these animals keystone species because their actions support many others. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/livestock-grazing-is-changing-soil-plants-and-insect-populations/">Grazing</a>, trampling, and browsing create bare ground, short grass, and mixed patches that benefit plants, insects, birds, and fungi.



This Danish effort focuses less on individual animals and more on the processes they trigger. The question on the table is simple, and important for Europe: can free-ranging cattle analogs keep landscapes open without constant human mowing or machines.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-tauros-cattle">What are Tauros cattle?</h2>



Tauros are not cloned or engineered: they are produced by backbreeding. This means that hardy heritage cattle, chosen for traits that resemble aurochs, are crossed and then offspring that show those traits are selected over generations.



The result is a large, athletic bovine built for year-round life outdoors, with minimal inputs. Bulls can stand about 6 feet (1.8 meters) at the shoulder and weigh more than 3,000 pounds (1,360 kilograms). Their horns can top 3 feet (0.9 meters).



The herd headed to Lolland comes from Southern and Eastern European lines with robust frames and strong survival instincts. Those lines retained behaviors and body plans that modern dairy and beef breeds often lost under intensive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-grazing-halos-and-parrotfish-reveal-about-coral-reef-health/">farming</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-learning-from-tauros-cattle">Learning from Tauros cattle</h2>



"The Tauros is not only a spectacular animal, but also an important key to understanding how large herbivores can enhance the effect of rewilding and promote biodiversity," said Jens-Christian Svenning. 



"The research program will provide us with important knowledge about large herbivores in today's ecosystems and lay the foundation for future nature management," he added. Aarhus University researchers will monitor ecological effects and animal behavior over multiple years.&nbsp;



Thor Hjarsen is a biologist and project lead for the Hempel Foundation’s biodiversity portfolio in Denmark. He noted that large herbivores such as wild cattle and similar wild animals have played a crucial role in nature for hundreds of thousands of years. 



"They are referred to as 'keystone species' because their impact is so important to other species," said Hjarsen.



Animal health checks preceded the move of the Tauros cattle, including screening for diseases of concern to European cattle. Field teams will continue welfare monitoring alongside vegetation and wildlife surveys. The site will also track costs and practicality for scaling up.&nbsp;



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



Sequencing the DNA of a 6,750-year-old British aurochs documented gene flow into ancestors of British and Irish breeds. This strengthens the case that wild bulls occasionally bred into domestic herds. 



That <a href="https://genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13059-015-0790-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> also mapped how selection for behavior, growth, and immunity shaped modern cattle.



Ancient DNA from Iberia adds a wider view. Researchers report repeated interbreeding between domestic cattle and local aurochs since the Neolithic, with wild ancestry stabilizing around 20 percent over the past 4,000 years.



These findings help explain why some traditional European breeds still carry traits that fit living with rough forage and open range. They also support the logic behind choosing old, hardy lineages for a backbreeding program.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-grazing-restores-habitats">When grazing restores habitats</h2>



Ecologists expect to see more structural diversity, with short turf patches, tussock islands, and scrub shaved back in places. In other regions, controlled experiments suggest large <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/grazing-animals-have-an-unexpected-role-in-climate-change/">herbivores</a> can slow plant community change and help check diversity loss.



If Tauros cattle maintain open habitats, ground-nesting birds and sun-loving insects should benefit. Over time, managers will look for fewer mowing passes, lower brush cutting costs, and stronger natural regeneration where <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seaweed-supplements-reduce-methane-in-grazing-cattle/">grazing</a> patterns create safe microsites for seedlings.



The work will not answer every question about rewilding in one go. It can, however, deliver clear, measurable data that helps Denmark decide where big grazers fit into future nature policy.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/hdy201679" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Heredity</a>.



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Tauros cattle released in Denmark to restore wild grazing habitats

A recent announcement has confirmed that 30 Tauros cattle will...

<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.

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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.

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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...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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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



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How does salt makes things taste better?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" 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.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



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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

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

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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

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

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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