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...

The ocean covers most of our planet, yet much of it remains out of reach. Scientists have long struggled to study life in the deep sea. Robotic equipment is expensive, and people cannot dive to extreme depths. 



These issues leave entire marine ecosystems unexplored. Nicole Xu, an engineer at <a href="https://www.colorado.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CU Boulder</a>, is confident that her lab's "cyborg" moon jellyfish can help.



These sea creatures, also known as <a href="https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Aurelia_aurita" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aurelia aurita</a>, are simple but remarkable. They move with little effort, pulsing gently as their translucent bells expand and contract. Their tentacles drift behind them like threads, yet every motion is purposeful.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-creating-cyborg-moon-jellyfish">Creating "cyborg" moon jellyfish</h2>



Xu has watched jellyfish for years, first as a fascinated student and now as a researcher. She studies their movements not just to admire them, but to put them to work.



Her team attaches small electronic devices to the animals. These devices stimulate their <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cell-and-developmental-biology/articles/10.3389/fcell.2016.00157/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">muscles</a> and allow researchers to steer them. Soon, the system may carry sensors to track temperature, acidity, and other ocean data.



That could send jellyfish into places humans rarely reach, and return information that is otherwise too costly to gather.



“Think of our device like a pacemaker on the heart,” Xu said. “We're stimulating the swim muscle by causing contractions and turning the animals toward a certain direction.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-survival-through-500-million-years">Survival through 500 million years</h2>



Climate change is hitting the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-ecosystem-sea-creatures-never-before-seen-revealed-antarctica-iceberg-breakup/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">ocean</a> hard. The water is getting warmer and more acidic as carbon dioxide levels rise. 



Marine life struggles to adapt, and many species are in danger. Scientists need to measure how these changes unfold. 



The challenge is scale. The ocean is vast, deep, and unpredictable. Sending ships or robots everywhere is simply not possible.



That is where jellyfish stand out. They are some of the most energy-efficient creatures alive. They have survived in their current form for more than 500 million years. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-moon-jellyfish-are-ideal-explorers">Moon jellyfish are ideal explorers</h2>



Jellyfish don’t have a brain or spine, but their basic organs and nerve nets keep them moving. 



They also lack nociceptors, so they don’t experience pain the way humans do. Their stings cannot break human skin, which makes them easier to work with.



Moon jellyfish live in many environments. They often float near shorelines where food is abundant. But they also dive to extreme depths, even as far as the <a href="https://ocean.si.edu/planet-ocean/seafloor/mariana-trench" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mariana Trench</a>, 36,000 feet (10,900 meters) down.



That range makes them ideal for exploration. Xu first tested her biohybrid jellyfish in 2020, guiding them through shallow waters near Woods Hole, Massachusetts.



“There’s really something special about the way <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/this-blue-button-jellyfish-isnt-actually-a-jellyfish-so-what-is-a-porpita/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">moon jellies</a> swim. We want to unlock that to create more energy-efficient, next-generation underwater vehicles,” she said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-learning-how-moon-jellyfish-work">Learning how moon jellyfish work</h2>



Xu’s lab doesn't only focus on movement. She and her team study how jellyfish push water as they swim. To see this, they fill tanks with biodegradable particles like corn starch. They then shine lasers through the water.



The particles light up the flow patterns created by the jellyfish. This approach replaces older methods that used synthetic tracers such as glass beads. Those tracers were more toxic and less sustainable. Corn starch is safer, cheaper, and better for the animals.



Her group also works on improving steering in natural ocean conditions. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seamounts-are-gathering-hubs-for-ocean-predators/">open sea</a> is far less predictable than a lab tank, so making the technology reliable outside is a big step. 



Xu believes these advances can lead to new tools that draw ideas from nature rather than replacing it. But the research is not only about technology - it also raises ethical questions.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/cyborg-moon-jellyfish_lab-tank_nicole-xu-scientist_CUBoulder_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/cyborg-moon-jellyfish_lab-tank_nicole-xu-scientist_CUBoulder_1s.webp" alt="Nicole Xu stands behind the main jellyfish tank in her lab. (Credit: Glenn Asakawa)" class="wp-image-1983357"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Nicole Xu stands behind the main jellyfish tank in her lab. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Glenn Asakawa</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-caring-for-moon-jellyfish-in-labs">Caring for moon jellyfish in labs</h2>



For many years, scientists believed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-noise-can-be-fatal-to-marine-invertebrates/">invertebrates</a> could not feel pain. New evidence now suggests that some may react to harmful experiences. 



That means researchers must think carefully about how their experiments affect the animals they study. Xu takes this seriously.



She watches for signs of stress in her jellyfish. Stress usually causes them to produce extra mucus and stop reproducing. 



Her jellyfish show none of those patterns. Instead, they seem to be thriving. Inside her tanks, baby polyps the size of pinheads are growing, with tiny tentacles starting to appear. That growth suggests the jellyfish are healthy and reproducing naturally.



“It's our responsibility as researchers to think about these ethical considerations up front,” Xu said. “But as far as we can tell, the jellyfish are doing well. They're thriving.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-jellyfish-as-ocean-allies">Jellyfish as ocean allies</h2>



Jellyfish may look simple, but they represent a major shift in how humans can explore the ocean. By combining engineering with biology, Xu’s work shows that living creatures can serve as allies in research.



They move efficiently, survive in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/life-in-the-extreme-microbial-activity-discovered-in-old-faithful/">extreme environments</a>, and carry little risk to humans. Outfitted with sensors, they could one day map parts of the ocean we know almost nothing about.



This is not science fiction. Xu has already proven the concept in the field. Her next steps include refining the technology and expanding its capabilities. 



She sees jellyfish not only as data gatherers but also as inspiration. Their effortless swimming could shape how we design future underwater vehicles.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-research-tools">Rethinking research tools</h2>



The idea challenges how people think about research tools. Instead of building larger machines, we might adapt what already exists in nature. It is efficient, elegant, and potentially transformative. 



At the same time, Xu insists that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-and-possibly-even-insects-have-emotions/">ethical care</a> for the animals must remain at the center of this work.



Her project stands as a reminder that progress and responsibility can go together. The moon jellyfish, a creature that has floated through Earth’s waters for half a billion years, may now help us understand how those waters are changing today.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.aps.org/prfluids/abstract/10.1103/bg66-976x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Physical Review Fluids</a>.



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Scientists create and control 'cyborg' moon jellyfish to study changes in Earth's oceans

The ocean covers most of our planet, yet much of...

Sex is everywhere - on TV, in music, and online - but for many teens in the U.S., the classroom isn’t where they’re learning about it.



Most parents assume schools teach kids what they need to know about relationships, consent, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections. However, that’s not always the case.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-geography-decides-sex-education">Geography decides sex education</h2>



There’s no federal law requiring schools to teach sex education, so states and school districts decide for themselves. Some teach it well, others offer little or nothing, and some teach things that aren’t even medically accurate.



A new national study found that 42 states require public school students to receive some kind of sex education between kindergarten and high school. 



That sounds good at first, but there’s a catch: only 19 states require the material to be medically accurate. Of those, five apply that rule only to specific topics. So in many places, kids could be taught opinions instead of facts.



Even more troubling, 34 states require schools to teach abstinence. That might sound safe, but research shows abstinence-only education doesn’t work. 



It doesn’t stop teens from having sex, reduce <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-disasters-are-fueling-a-child-exploitation-crisis/">sexually transmitted infections</a>, or prevent unplanned pregnancies. Despite all that, abstinence-only education is still funded and promoted by the federal government.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sex-education-missing-key-parts">Sex education missing key parts</h2>



The study was led by Dr. Kimberly Nelson from the <a href="https://www.bu.edu/sph/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Boston University School of Public Health</a>, along with experts from Cornell Law School and Florida International University. 



The researchers looked at laws, court decisions, and school regulations across all 50 states and Washington, D.C.



They found that 34 states allow parents to opt their children out of sex education altogether. In five states, parents have to opt in, meaning students don’t get any instruction unless their parents actively agree to it.



“While many students in the U.S. are required to get some form of sexual education, our study shows that substantially fewer students are likely to be getting the comprehensive sexual education that public health and medical associations recommend,” said Dr. Johnson. 



“Only 58 percent of students reside in a jurisdiction that requires sexual education to be medically accurate, and many jurisdictions have content mandates that extend only to a few topics."



This means that many U.S. students are living in jurisdictions where they are unlikely to receive the accurate and comprehensive information that we know will help them make informed, healthy choices about their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/does-your-finger-length-predict-sexual-behavior-a-rat-study-says-yes/">sexual behaviors</a> and relationships.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-beyond-anatomy-lessons">Beyond anatomy lessons</h2>



Sex education isn’t just about anatomy or how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-links-teen-pregnancy-to-smaller-newborns/">pregnancy</a> happens. It’s also about relationships, safety, and respect. But the study found that many states skip these key lessons. 



Only 27 states require schools to teach about healthy relationships. Just 21 mandate lessons on dating or intimate partner violence. And only 9 states require instruction on consent.



When it comes to topics like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/male-birth-control-scientists-develop-a-non-hormonal-pill-for-men/">birth control</a>, condoms, and sexual orientation, the numbers drop even lower. Just 20 states require teaching about contraception. 



Only 12 states mandate information about sexual orientation - and in two of those states, Oklahoma and Texas, schools are required to present it negatively. They teach that same-sex activity is “primarily responsible” for AIDS exposure.



Furthermore, only 11 states require schools to include instruction on condoms.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-different-states-different-rules">Different states, different rules</h2>



Not all regions approach sex education the same way. All states in the Northeast require sex education on at least one topic, but only 62 percent of states in the West do the same.



The South and Midwest fall somewhere in between. These differences often reflect local politics and cultural beliefs.



“Because policy decisions about sexual education curricula happen at the state-level, state-level sociopolitical forces exert substantial influence on sexual education,” said Dr. Nelson.



“In states where sociopolitical forces and vocal advocacy groups push an abstinence-focused approach, that approach is likely to be seen as politically advantageous and be adopted.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-poor-sex-education-harms-teens">Poor sex education harms teens</h2>



Teens face higher risks than adults for sexually transmitted infections, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/genetic-variant-linked-to-both-covid-risk-and-hiv-protection/">HIV</a>, unplanned pregnancies, and unhealthy relationships. Incomplete or misleading information leaves them confused and vulnerable.



Good sex education doesn’t encourage kids to have sex. It helps them make better choices when they do. It gives them tools to stay healthy, protect themselves, and treat others with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-rejection-teaches-us-valuable-lessons-about-relationships/">respect</a>.



More states have changed their sex education laws in the last five years. The hope is that this new research will push lawmakers to keep going - to make instruction more accurate, more comprehensive, and more inclusive.



But that won’t happen unless people start paying attention to what’s actually being taught. Right now, millions of kids in America aren’t getting the facts - and that’s a real problem.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2025.308199">American Journal of Public Health</a>.



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Millions of U.S. teens lack reliable sex education in the classroom

Sex is everywhere - on TV, in music, and online...

The United States digs up enough rock each year to cover its need for most critical minerals. Yet elements like cobalt, lithium, gallium, and rare earths still slip through the cracks - ending up in tailings ponds or waste piles instead of being recovered. 



The real bottleneck isn’t the supply, but the ability to capture and reuse what’s already mined.



A new study led by the <a href="https://www.mines.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Colorado School of Mines</a> quantifies the opportunity. The team paired mineral production data from federally permitted metal mines with geochemical surveys from national agencies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-minerals-lost-in-plain-sight">Minerals lost in plain sight</h2>



The result is a first-of-its-kind estimate of how much critical material already flows through U.S. concentrators and smelters every year, then leaves the process unrecovered.



“The challenge lies in recovery,” said lead author Elizabeth Holley, an associate professor of mining engineering. “It’s like getting salt out of bread dough - we need to do a lot more research, development, and policy to make the recovery of these critical minerals economically feasible.”



The database spans 70 elements used in everything from phones and medical devices to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/satellites-capture-dramatic-shifts-in-earths-forests/">satellites</a>, wind turbines, and fighter jets. 



It shows that, for all but two - <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/magnetar-flares-create-gold-platinum-uranium-in-seconds/">platinum</a> and palladium - unrecovered byproducts from ongoing U.S. mining could meet domestic demand if even small fractions were captured.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-minerals-mines-leave-behind">The minerals mines leave behind</h2>



America’s mines for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/supergiant-gold-deposit-discovery-wangu-field-might-be-largest-ever-found-on-earth/">gold</a>, copper, zinc, nickel, and molybdenum handle enormous volumes of rock, with trace elements tagging along in the ore.



Because U.S. plants are optimized for the primary metals, the trace values typically leave in tailings. The new analysis estimates that capturing slivers - often less than one percent - could transform supply.



“This is a brand-new view of ‘low-hanging fruit’ - we show where each critical mineral exists and the sites at which even one percent recovery of a particular critical mineral could make a huge difference, in many cases dramatically reducing or even eliminating the need to import that mineral,” Holley said.



Consider cobalt. It hitchhikes through nickel and copper circuits. Recovering under 10 percent of the cobalt currently mined and processed but not saved would cover the entire U.S. battery market.



Germanium - vital for infrared optics and defense sensors - occurs in some zinc and molybdenum deposits. Recapturing under one percent of the germanium now lost from those mines could erase the nation’s import dependence.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-minerals-in-mine-waste">Tracking minerals in mine waste</h2>



The researchers assembled annual output from U.S. metal mines and matched it to ore chemistry using a statistical resampling method. They drew on recent geochemical compilations from the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. Geological Survey</a>, <a href="https://www.ga.gov.au/">Geoscience Australia</a>, and the <a href="https://natural-resources.canada.ca/minerals-mining/geological-survey-canada" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geological Survey of Canada</a>.



By fusing production volumes with typical concentrations for co-occurring elements, they approximated the quantities of critical minerals already entering U.S. processing streams at mines- and then heading to waste.



Those tailings are not benign. They must be stored, monitored, and sometimes remediated to prevent contamination of air and water. 



Recovering value from them, or better yet before they reach the waste pile, would shrink the waste footprint and lower long-term environmental liabilities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-recovery-is-hard-nbsp-and-worth-it">Why recovery is hard&nbsp;- and worth it</h2>



Existing mills are designed to extract one or two main <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-mantle-may-contain-a-wealth-of-green-metals/">metals</a> efficiently. Capturing gram-to-kilogram-per-ton traces requires new flowsheets, reagents, and hardware. It can also mean slowing a plant or adding stages that raise costs. That’s why economics, not geology, is the constraint.



“Now that we know which sites are low-hanging fruit, we need to conduct detailed analyses of the minerals in which these chemical elements reside and then test the technologies suitable for recovery of those elements from those specific minerals,” Holley said.



Technology is only half the equation. Without the right incentives, mine operators have little reason to retool for tiny revenue streams that can be volatile.



“We also need policies that incentivize mine operators to incorporate additional processing infrastructure," noted Holley. 



"Although these elements are needed, their market value may not be sufficient to motivate operators to invest in new equipment and processes without the right policies in place.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-benefits-beyond-the-mine">Benefits beyond the mine</h2>



Recovering critical minerals onshore strengthens supply security for energy, defense, and technology. It reduces exposure to geopolitical chokepoints and volatile import markets. 



Mineral recovery also creates new revenue lines from rock already mined, delinked from permitting new pits.



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-sea-mining-impacts-marine-life-for-decades/">environmental</a> dividend is real. Every extra ton recovered from existing ore reduces the need to dig and crush new rock somewhere else. It also cuts the mass and toxicity of tailings piles by removing elements that can complicate long-term storage.



In some cases, recovered byproducts can feed low-carbon technologies - neodymium for high-strength magnets, lithium for batteries - creating a virtuous loop.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-trash-to-treasure">From trash to treasure </h2>



The study reframes U.S. critical mineral strategy. Instead of treating supply as a greenfield problem, it points to hundreds of “brownfield” opportunities hidden in plain sight. 



Holley’s conclusion is straightforward: the United States already extracts the very atoms it classifies as critical. The problem is that they exit the process through the wrong stream. 



With focused science and well-designed incentives, that stream can be redirected - transforming “waste” into the strategic materials needed for an electrified, digitized economy.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw8997" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



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Buried treasure: The U.S. is throwing away its critical minerals

The United States digs up enough rock each year to...

The seatbelt sign pings on - trays rattle and drinks slosh. For many flyers, turbulence is unnerving on the best of days. 



A warming climate is adding fuel to the bumps, and a growing body of research shows that choppy skies are likely to become more frequent and intense.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-turbulence-injuries-make-headlines">Turbulence injuries make headlines</h2>



Beyond frayed nerves, turbulence is the leading cause of in-flight weather accidents. The absolute numbers are small, but serious incidents make headlines and underscore the risk.



There were 207 reported injuries on U.S. commercial <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/airline-flights-may-be-slowed-down-intentionally-to-fight-climate-change/">flights</a> between 2009 and 2024. Recent examples include an Air Europa flight in which 40 passengers were hurt, and a Singapore Airlines flight where one passenger died and dozens were injured.



“Typically, injuries (are) to unbelted passengers or cabin crew rather than structural damage,” said John Abraham, a mechanical engineering professor at the <a href="https://www.stthom.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of St. Thomas</a>. “Modern aircraft withstand turbulence, so the main risk is occupant injury, not loss of the plane.”



Even without damage, severe encounters trigger inspections. “Severe” is about 1.5 times the normal force of Earth’s gravity, and those events occur some 5,000 times a year over the United States, said Robert Sharman, senior scientist emeritus at the <a href="https://ncar.ucar.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Center for Atmospheric Research</a>. 



Turbulence also drives up fuel burn when pilots must leave optimal altitudes, alter routes, or change speeds, Abraham added.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-not-all-bumps-are-equal">Not all bumps are equal</h2>



Not all turbulence is the same. Lead author Mohamed Foudad, an atmospheric scientist at the <a href="https://www.reading.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Reading</a>, identified three main types.



Convective turbulence is linked to rising or sinking air from clouds or thunderstorms and can be seen on radar or visually. Mountain wave turbulence forms as winds spill over ranges. The most dangerous is <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/clear-air-turbulence-expected-to-intensify-in-a-warmer-climate/">clear-air turbulence</a> (CAT), which is invisible.



CAT tends to form near jet streams - fast west-to-east rivers of air around six to seven miles up, at the same cruising levels as commercial jets. That’s where wind shear, the change in wind speed and direction with height, can set off sharp, unseen jolts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-change-and-turbulence">Climate change and turbulence </h2>



The physics that drive CAT are changing. With <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-affects-how-we-feel-not-just-how-we-live/">climate change</a>, the tropics are warming faster at cruising altitude than higher latitudes. That increases the temperature difference between low and high latitudes. 



The gradient strengthens jet streams and sharpens wind shear - the volatile vertical shifts that trigger CAT. Foudad and colleagues analyzed data from 1980 to 2021. 



“We find a clear, positive trend - an increase in turbulence frequency over many regions, including the North Atlantic, North America, East Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa,” Foudad said, with increases ranging from 60 to 155 percent.



Further analysis linked rising turbulence in certain regions to increased greenhouse gas emissions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-warming-shifts-turbulence-seasons">Warming shifts turbulence seasons</h2>



A 2023 paper led by Isabel Smith at the University of Reading found that for every degree Celsius of near-surface warming, North Atlantic winters would see about a nine percent increase in moderate CAT, and summers a 14 percent rise.



While winter has historically been the roughest season for turbulence, warming is now amplifying CAT in summer and autumn, closing the gap. Jet stream disruption is not the only concern. 



“Climate change may also increase the frequency and severity of thunderstorms under future scenarios, and turbulence encounters near thunderstorms are a major component of turbulence accidents,” Sharman said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-airlines-brace-for-rough-skies">Airlines brace for rough skies</h2>



Some fixes are operational. Foudad is working on optimizing flight routes to avoid turbulence hotspots and improving forecasting accuracy so dispatchers and crews can plan better climbs, descents, and deviations.



Airlines are adjusting procedures too, encouraging passengers to keep seatbelts fastened more often and ending cabin service earlier when rough air is likely.



Technology may help crews see the invisible. Sharman said promising onboard LIDAR systems are being tested. These beam lasers search the atmosphere to sense subtle shifts in air density and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-method-developed-to-measure-the-wind/">wind speed</a> ahead, giving pilots a preview of clear-air disturbances before the bumps arrive.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-action-less-turbulence">Climate action, less turbulence</h2>



Ultimately, the root cause is the same force remaking weather everywhere. Cutting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenhouse-gas-emissions-reach-another-all-time-high/">greenhouse gas emissions</a> is essential if we want to ease long-term turbulence trends driven by climate change.



Aviation accounts for about 3.5 percent of human-caused warming. Airlines are exploring cleaner fuels to reduce the industry’s footprint, though progress has been “disappointingly slow,” according to the International Air Transport Association.



In the meantime, the advice for passengers is simple and time-tested. Keep your seatbelt buckled when seated. 



Heed crew instructions and expect that summertime and shoulder-season flights may feel rougher than they used to. Moreover, remember that modern airliners are built to handle turbulence.



“Modern aircraft withstand turbulence, so the main risk is occupant injury, not loss of the plane,” Abraham said.



The skies aren’t falling, but they are getting choppier. In a warming world, that’s one more reason to respect the forecast, secure the cabin early, and curb the emissions that are adding extra shake to the jet stream’s natural sway.



The study is published in the <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2023JD040261" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres</a>.



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Bumpy skies ahead: Why air turbulence is getting worse

The seatbelt sign pings on - trays rattle and drinks...

A new study argues that the first urban civilization of Sumer in southern Mesopotamia emerged from a landscape shaped by tides, rivers, and shifting sediments at the head of the Persian Gulf.



Early farmers tapped a dependable, twice-daily pulse of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vanishing-freshwater-earth-continents-are-rapidly-drying-out/">fresh water</a> to grow crops and date groves with simple canals. When the tides withdrew, the system unraveled, forcing societies to reinvent how they managed land and water - setting the stage for city-states and large public works.



The study was led by Liviu Giosan, a senior scientist emeritus in geology and geophysics at the <a href="https://www.clemson.edu/cafls/baruch/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sumer-s-world-shaped-by-water">Sumer’s world shaped by water</h2>



“Our results show that Sumer was literally and culturally built on the rhythms of water,” Giosan said.



“The cyclical patterns of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-warming-is-subtly-changing-the-tides/">tides</a>, together with delta morphodynamics - how the form or shape of a landscape changes over time due to dynamic processes - were deeply woven into the myths, innovations, and daily lives of the Sumerians.”



For millennia, Sumer’s reputation has rested on its inventions: writing, the wheel, planned fields, and temple economies across city-states like Ur, Uruk, and Lagash. The new work reframes those achievements as responses to a coastal world that would not sit still.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-water-reached-deep-into-mesopotamia">Water reached deep into Mesopotamia</h2>



From roughly 7,000 to 5,000 years ago, the Persian Gulf extended far inland. Twice a day, tides pushed tongues of freshened water up the lower Tigris and Euphrates. In that setting, short lateral canals could lift and spread water without monumental infrastructure.



The hydrology was predictable. Fields and groves thrived. Villages clustered along channels, harvesting fish, reeds, and fertile silt while tending irrigated plots.



That coastal geometry did not last. As the great rivers constructed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-does-saturns-moon-titan-have-rivers-but-not-deltas-scientists-have-an-idea/">deltas</a> at the head of the Gulf, tidal reach shrank, channels silted up, and access to the interior by tide was severed. The dependable pulse that once watered fields began to fail.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-water-crisis-to-power">From water crisis to power</h2>



The loss of tides likely set off an ecological and economic crisis. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/flood-fatalities-experts-reveal-the-hidden-health-impacts/">Floods</a> became wilder, droughts harsher, and salt more intrusive. 



To cope, communities scaled up. They cut long canals, raised levees, and coordinated labor across wider territories. Those efforts - irrigation, flood protection, and engineered landscapes - came to define Sumer’s golden age.



Study co-author Reed Goodman is an assistant professor of environmental social science in the <a href="https://www.clemson.edu/cafls/baruch/">Baruch Institute of Social Ecology and Forest Science</a> at Clemson University.



“We often picture ancient landscapes as static,” Goodman said. “But the Mesopotamian delta was anything but. Its restless, shifting land demanded ingenuity and cooperation, sparking some of history's first intensive farming and pioneering bold social experiments.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gods-floods-and-power"><a></a>Gods, floods, and power</h2>



Water shaped belief as well as practice across Mesopotamia. Flood narratives and a water-centered pantheon fit a world where seas advanced and retreated, and rivers remade the land. 



Political order followed the flow, too, as leaders who organized water earned authority.



“The radical conclusions of this study are clear in what we're finding at Lagash,” said Holly Pittman, director of the Penn Museum's <a href="https://www.penn.museum/research/project.php?pid=219">Lagash Archaeological Project</a>. “Rapid environmental change fostered inequality, political consolidation, and the ideologies of the world's first urban society.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rebuilding-the-ancient-coast"><a></a>Rebuilding the ancient coast</h2>



To test their ideas, the team blended paleoenvironmental evidence with archaeology and remote sensing. They assembled ancient environmental and landscape data, analyzed new samples from Lagash, and mapped preserved channels, levees, and shorelines with satellite imagery.



The result is a coastal reconstruction that shows where tides once ran, where deltas prograded, and how settlements tracked those changes.



The picture is of a coast in motion: a tide-fed mosaic that promoted <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ideas-traveled-farther-than-people-in-the-early-days-of-farming/">early agriculture</a> with minimal engineering, followed by a deltaic cutoff that compelled canal states and complex governance. In that sequence, myth and innovation sit alongside mud and tide as co-authors of civilization.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sumer-s-changing-stage">Sumer’s changing stage</h2>



Sumer has often been treated as a fixed stage on which cities appeared. This study argues the stage itself kept changing. The earliest farmers exploited a fortunate hydrological rhythm. When that rhythm stopped, societies did not collapse - they transformed. 



They built the first large-scale waterworks in Mesopotamia, formalized hierarchies, and encoded water’s power into ritual and law.



“Our work highlights both the opportunities and perils of social reinvention in the face of severe environmental crisis,” Giosan explained.



“Beyond this modern lesson, it is always surprising to find real history hidden in myth - and truly interdisciplinary research like ours can help uncover it.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-water-modern-warning">Ancient water, modern warning</h2>



The through-line is sobering and timely. Coastal systems are never still. As seas rise and deltas shift today, communities face versions of challenges the Sumerians knew well: <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/salinity-is-rising-in-coastal-areas-and-hurting-farmlands/">salinity</a>, erratic floods, silt-clogged channels, and the need for collective action. 



The Sumerian experience shows both the gains of cooperation and the costs of delay. Sumer may be the cradle of urban life, but it was also a proving ground for living with change. 



The first cities in Mesopotamia did not just master water. They learned, repeatedly, to live by its rhythms - and to rebuild when those rhythms changed.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0329084" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS One</a>.



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Water shaped the world’s first urban society in ancient Mesopotamia

A new study argues that the first urban civilization of...

Americans are carving out far less time to read for pleasure than they did two decades ago. The drop is large, sustained, and uneven across communities.&nbsp;



In a new study, experts warn the slide could carry cultural, educational, and health costs if it continues.



Researchers at the University of Florida (UF) <a href="https://www.artsinmedicine.arts.ufl.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Center for Arts in Medicine</a> analyzed 20 years of time-use data from more than 236,000 U.S. residents. The study revealed a decline of more than 40% in daily leisure reading since 2003.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-steep-steady-decline">A steep, steady decline </h2>



Study co-author Jill Sonke is co-director of the EpiArts Lab, a National Endowment for the Arts research lab at UF in partnership with <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University College London</a> (UCL).&nbsp;



“This is not just a small dip - it's a sustained, steady decline of about 3% per year,” said Sonke. “It's significant, and it's deeply concerning.”



The trend does not mean everyone has stopped reading. It does mean that, as a nation, fewer people now choose a book, magazine, or long article when they have time to spare.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-is-reading-less-in-america">Who is reading less in America?</h2>



The downturn is not evenly distributed. Steeper declines were found among Black Americans than white Americans, among people with lower incomes or less formal education, and in rural areas compared with metropolitan ones. Even among groups that tend to read more, the pattern is shifting.



“While people with higher education levels and women are still more likely to read, even among these groups, we're seeing shifts,” said lead author Jessica Bone, a senior research fellow in statistics and epidemiology at UCL.&nbsp;



“And among those who do read, the time spent reading has increased slightly, which may suggest a polarization, where some people are reading more while many have stopped reading altogether.”



Reading with children held steady over the period, which is encouraging. But it happens far less often than adults reading for themselves, despite its outsized importance for early literacy and family bonds.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-leisure-reading-and-daily-life-nbsp">Leisure reading and daily life&nbsp;</h2>



The <a href="https://www.bls.gov/tus/">American Time Use Survey</a> offers a granular window into daily life. It captures how people actually spend their hours, not how they wish they did.



“We're working with incredibly detailed data about how people spend their days,” Bone said. “And because it's a representative sample of U.S. residents in private households, we can look not just at the national trend, but at how it plays out across different communities.”



Over two decades, the pattern is consistent: the share of people reporting any leisure reading on a given day keeps shrinking.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-significance-of-leisure-reading-nbsp">Significance of leisure reading&nbsp;</h2>



“Reading has historically been a low-barrier, high-impact way to engage creatively and improve quality of life,” Sonke said. “When we lose one of the simplest tools in our public health toolkit, it's a serious loss.”



Leisure reading supports language growth, empathy, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/surprising-limits-of-human-imagination-revealed-by-science/">imagination</a>, and lifelong learning. Prior work from the EpiArts Lab links creative engagement to better mental health and well-being.&nbsp;



A national retreat from reading could ripple through classrooms, workplaces, and communities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-americans-may-be-reading-less">Why Americans may be reading less</h2>



The study did not test causes, but the authors point to likely drivers. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/screen-time-and-mental-health-a-vicious-cycle-for-kids/">Screens</a> now compete for nearly every spare minute. Economic pressures have squeezed leisure time. Access to books and libraries remains uneven.



“Our digital culture is certainly part of the story,” Sonke said. “But there are also structural issues - limited access to reading materials, economic insecurity, and a national decline in leisure time.”



“If you're working multiple jobs or dealing with transportation barriers in a rural area, a trip to the library may just not be feasible.”



Thus, the decline is not only about preference. For many households, it is about time, money, and proximity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-might-help">What might help</h2>



Interventions can work, the authors argue, but they must be targeted and practical. One of the strongest levers is at home.



“Reading with children is one of the most promising avenues,” said Daisy Fancourt, a UCL professor and co-director of the EpiArts Lab. “It supports not only language and literacy, but empathy, social bonding, emotional development, and school readiness.”



According to the researchers, communities can also make reading easier and more social.



“Ideally, we'd make local libraries more accessible and attractive, encourage book groups, and make reading a more social and supported activity - not just something done in isolation,” Bone added.



Those steps can lower barriers, especially where transportation or cost limits access to books.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-stakes-for-public-health">The stakes for public health</h2>



“Reading has always been one of the more accessible ways to support well-being,” Fancourt said. “To see this kind of decline is concerning because the research is clear: reading is a vital health-enhancing behavior for every group within society, with benefits across the life-course.”



Reversing the slide will take more than nostalgia. It will require policies that protect library budgets, widen digital and physical access to books, and give families back a bit of free time. It will also take creative programs that make reading feel communal and joyful again.



The data show a country drifting away from a simple, proven habit. The choice now is whether to let that drift continue - or to rebuild the everyday moments that keep reading alive.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(25)01549-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">iScience</a>.



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America’s cultural crisis: Reading less, scrolling more

Americans are carving out far less time to read for...

For centuries, humans have gazed into the night sky, wondering what lies beyond the planets we know. Each new discovery in the Solar System reshapes our sense of place in the cosmos.



Now, astronomers are once again pointing to the possibility of an unseen world - one that may be orbiting far beyond Neptune. This hypothetical body has been given the tentative name "Planet Y."



The idea of hidden <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mars-captured-in-true-color-like-youve-never-seen-the-red-planet-before/">planets</a> is not new. Astronomers once speculated about Planet X, which was believed to be seven times Earth’s mass and orbiting 50 times farther from the Sun than Earth.



That idea was mostly debunked. Later came Planet Nine, a still-viable candidate about 10 times Earth’s mass, at least 300 times farther from the Sun. Now, evidence is mounting for yet another contender.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-warped-orbits-suggest-hidden-planet">Warped orbits suggest hidden planet</h2>



Amir Siraj at <a href="https://www.princeton.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Princeton University</a> and his colleagues suggest a new possibility. They noticed a warping effect in the orbits of some Kuiper belt objects, a distant region filled with icy remnants, including Pluto. 



“If that warp is real, the simplest explanation is an undiscovered inclined planet,” Siraj said.



This <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massive-earth-like-planet-may-be-hiding-just-beyond-neptune/">potential world</a> would be smaller than Earth but larger than Mercury, orbiting 100 to 200 times farther from the Sun than Earth does. 



Its gravity seems to nudge nearby objects about 15 degrees out of the solar system’s flat plane, like ripples disturbing a lake’s surface.



“Our signal is modest, but credible,” Siraj said, estimating just a two to four percent chance of being a fluke. Early evidence for Planet Nine carried similar odds, though the signatures differ. 



Planet Nine would tug objects toward it, while this “Planet Y” appears to tilt orbits out of alignment. In theory, both worlds could exist at once.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unexplained-kuiper-belt-tilt">Unexplained Kuiper belt tilt</h2>



The new research shows that if no hidden planets exist, the average plane of the Kuiper belt should align with the invariable plane of the solar system.



 However, astronomers now detect a clear warp between 80 and 200 astronomical units (AU).



This tilt is unlikely to be primordial, since natural orbital precession would erase it in less than 100 million years. For the warp to persist, something must be maintaining it - such as the gravity of a hidden planet.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-the-kuiper-belt">Understanding the Kuiper Belt</h2>



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/streaming-instability-hypothesis-altjira-system-kuiper-belt-hubble-three-body-system/">Kuiper Belt</a> is a vast region of space that lies just beyond Neptune, stretching from about 30 to 55 times the distance between Earth and the Sun. 



Think of it as a cosmic neighborhood filled with icy bodies, leftover building blocks from the early solar system. 



These objects never formed into a planet because Neptune’s gravity stirred things up, keeping them scattered. 



Some are as small as a mountain, while others, like Pluto, are large enough to be considered dwarf planets. The Kuiper Belt is also the source of many comets that swing into the inner solar system.



The objects out there are made of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eris-and-makemake-icy-dwarf-planets-in-our-own-solar-system-may-support-life/">ice, rock, and frozen gases</a> - substances that have barely changed in billions of years - making it like an enormous time capsule, preserving materials from the solar system’s earliest days.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-possible-planet-y-scenarios">Possible Planet Y scenarios</h2>



Jonti Horner at the <a href="https://www.unisq.edu.au" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Southern Queensland</a> in Australia sees this as possible.



“It plays into the fact that we simply don’t know what’s out there. It’s only in the last couple of decades that we’ve really started to explore the space beyond Neptune,” he said.



Astronomers believe such planets might not have formed so far from the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/widest-high-resolution-photo-of-the-sun-ever-captured-solar-orbiter/">Sun</a>. Instead, they could have been scattered outward early in the Solar System’s history. “Scattering seems more likely,” Horner said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-models-support-planet-y-theory">Models support Planet Y theory</h2>



Numerical experiments suggest that a planet with a mass between <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/is-there-life-on-mercury-possibly-in-the-planets-craters-study-reveals/">Mercury</a> and Earth, an orbit of roughly 100 to 200 AU, and an inclination greater than 10 degrees could maintain the observed warp.



Lower-mass bodies like Pluto could contribute, but far less effectively. Planets more massive than Earth would cause distortions in nearer regions, making them poor fits for the data.



The proposed Planet Y differs from Planet Nine in both location and influence. Planet Nine, if real, is thought to explain the clustering of orbital paths at great distances. Planet Y, by contrast, would explain why the Kuiper belt’s average plane is warped.



“The signature is different,” Siraj said, emphasizing that both ideas could coexist without contradiction.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-search-for-hidden-worlds-continues">Search for hidden worlds continues</h2>



The outer solar system is one of astronomy’s greatest frontiers, and the next decade promises breakthroughs. 



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/first-images-from-the-vera-c-rubin-observatory-are-breathtaking/">Vera C. Rubin Observatory</a> will soon begin its 10-year survey, mapping the night sky in unprecedented detail. This facility could spot Planet Y directly or confirm indirect signs of its influence.



“Rubin will rapidly expand the catalog of well-measured trans-Neptunian objects,” Siraj said. If Planet Y exists, “within the survey’s first few years” we may either see it or gather stronger proof of its gravitational effects.



For now, Planet Y remains hypothetical, a hint drawn from subtle orbital patterns. But history shows that careful attention to small irregularities can reveal great discoveries. 



From Neptune’s prediction in the 19th century to Pluto’s identification in the 20th, the search for hidden worlds has always reshaped our cosmic understanding. If Planet Y is real, it may soon step from speculation into fact.



The study is published in <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.14156" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">arXiv</a>.



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Astronomers find signs of a new world called "Planet Y" hiding in our own Solar System

For centuries, humans have gazed into the night sky, wondering...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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LASIK alternative reshapes vision with electricity, not lasers

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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How blood sugar stays steady overnight: Hidden network revealed

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Recognizing different giraffe species is crucial for conservation

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Forests are not adapting fast enough to climate change

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Extinct cave bears reveal threats to modern bears

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

<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...

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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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</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...

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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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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