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...

We are living through the fastest period of environmental change in Earth’s history. Many wild populations no longer carry the genetic diversity they need to keep up.



Some scientists now believe that the same technologies behind drought-resistant crops and efforts to revive extinct species like the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/de-extinction-of-the-woolly-mammoth-should-we-bring-lost-species-back/">mammoth</a> could be repurposed to tackle a more pressing challenge.



The goal is to restore lost genetic diversity in endangered species using gene editing - helping them better adapt to future threats.



In a new study, an international team of experts discusses both the promise and the perils of using cutting‑edge genome engineering for conservation and outlines a roadmap for how it could work in practice.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-restoring-genetic-diversity">Restoring genetic diversity </h2>



Traditional conservation methods - protecting habitat, outlawing hunting, and running captive‑breeding programs - have saved more than a few species from the edge. 



Yet those same species often emerge from population bottlenecks genetically impoverished. When numbers crash, chance replaces natural selection, and whole sets of gene variants disappear.



Even after head counts rebound, the population can remain stuck with a narrow genetic toolkit and a heavy load of harmful mutations. Biologists call this situation genomic erosion.



The authors of the new study, led by Professor Cock van Oosterhout at the <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/">University of East Anglia</a> and Dr. Stephen Turner at <a href="https://colossal.com/">Colossal Biosciences</a>, argue that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/crispr-gene-editing-gets-a-revolutionary-upgrade-with-new-tool/">genome editing</a> can address what traditional measures cannot: it can put lost diversity back into play.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-borrowing-lost-dna">Borrowing lost DNA</h2>



One avenue, the team suggests, is to recover genetic variation that disappeared long ago. Natural history museums, biobanks, and research collections hold feathers, skins, bones, and tissue samples gathered decades or even centuries in the past.



DNA extracted from those specimens can reveal gene variants that no longer occur in today’s populations. Using CRISPR or similar tools, scientists could reinsert those variants into living individuals and breed them back into wild populations.



In essence, the technique would give threatened species access to their own lost history, including immune‑system alleles that could help them stand up to new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plant-pandemic-looms-as-pathogens-move-from-wild-plants-to-crops/">pathogens</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gene-editing-for-endangered-species">Gene editing for endangered species</h2>



A second option involves what the authors call facilitated adaptation. Closely related species or distinct populations often carry genes tuned to hotter climates, novel diseases, or different diets.



By moving those alleles into struggling populations, conservation biologists might give them a genetic boost in a warming, rapidly changing world.



A third potential use is to correct <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/common-genetic-mutation-dramatically-increases-the-risk-of-dementia-in-men/">harmful mutations</a> that became fixed during a population crash. 



If a broken gene reduces fertility or increases disease risk, editors could swap it for the healthy sequence found in ancestral samples. The payoff could be higher reproductive success and better overall health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-lesson-from-the-pink-pigeon"><a></a>A lesson from the pink pigeon</h2>



The pink pigeon of Mauritius illustrates why such interventions might be necessary. Intensive captive breeding and reintroduction lifted the pigeon from around ten surviving birds in the 1990s to more than 600 today.



Genetic studies, however, show that despite the species' numerical recovery, it continues to lose genetic diversity and could vanish within a century unless scientists restore its gene pool.



The team argues that genome editing could restore lost DNA variants, boosting the pigeon’s resilience to disease and climate change.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-risk-of-reducing-genetic-diversity">Risk of reducing genetic diversity </h2>



Farmers already plant millions of acres with gene-edited crops altered for pest or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fertilizer-reduces-plant-damage-caused-by-droughts/">drought resistance.</a> The idea of applying similar tools to wildlife raises both hope and concern.



Off‑target edits, unintended side effects, and the possibility of further reducing genetic diversity are real risks. 



Conservation genome editing must start with small, monitored trials grounded in ecology and guided by strong ethical oversight.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-treading-carefully-working-locally"><a></a>Treading carefully, working locally</h2>



Because conservation often intersects with livelihoods and cultural values, the paper calls for robust engagement with local communities and Indigenous groups. 



It also urges involving the broader public before any genome‑engineered individuals are released.



The scientists stress that genetic interventions should never replace habitat restoration or established protections. Instead, they are meant to complement those efforts when conventional tools fall short.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-lab-genes-to-wild-species">From lab genes to wild species</h2>



The team proposes a phased strategy. First come proof‑of‑concept laboratory edits in cell cultures, followed by controlled experiments in captive animals to test fitness, fertility, and ecological interactions.



Scientists would release edited individuals into semi‑wild or wild settings only after rigorous vetting, regulatory approval, and local consent. Long‑term monitoring would then track both the target species and its ecosystem.



Biotech companies eager to showcase beneficial applications of their technologies may find common cause with conservation nonprofits. This partnership could potentially open new funding channels for endangered species programs.



“The same technological advances that allow us to introduce genes of mammoths into the genome of an elephant can be harnessed to rescue species teetering on the brink of extinction,” noted study co-author Beth Shapiro, chief science officer at Colossal Biosciences.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-endangered-species-beyond-gene-editing">Endangered species: Beyond gene editing</h2>



Genome editing will not reverse habitat loss, curb poaching, or slow climate change by itself. But for species already hanging on by a genetic thread, it could supply the raw material evolution needs to do its work.



“Genome editing is not a replacement for species protection and will never be a magical fix," said Professor Hernán Morales of the <a href="https://globe.ku.dk/">Globe Institute at the University of Copenhagen</a>. "Its role must be carefully evaluated alongside established conservation strategies.”



With careful testing and collaboration, gene editing could become a valuable new tool for conserving Earth’s biodiversity. It may help keep endangered species from vanishing during the turbulent decades to come.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s44358-025-00065-6">Nature Reviews Biodiversity</a>.



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Rewriting evolution: Can gene editing save endangered species?

We are living through the fastest period of environmental change...

Farm chemicals often go everywhere except where farmers want them. A solution from Massachusetts involving silk microneedles could keep those nutrients right where the plants need them.



Associate professor Benedetto Marelli at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (<a href="https://web.mit.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MIT</a>) leads a team that built <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3627464/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">microneedle arrays</a> from silk to inject crops with various substances, including vitamins and minerals.



Their study, co‑authored with colleagues at the <a href="https://web.mit.edu/sma/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Singapore‑MIT</a> Alliance for Research and Technology, was recently published.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-silk-makes-sense">Why silk makes sense</h2>



Silk fibroin is tough yet biodegradable, so it can pierce a tomato stalk without lingering in the field. When the fibers dissolve, they leave no shards to clog harvesters.



They pour a salty silk mix into cone‑shaped molds, let the water evaporate, then wash the salt away to reveal hollow microneedles. The cavity holds liquid nutrients that are ready for slow release.



“Graduate students can make thousands of tips in an afternoon, with no clean room. It can be done outside of a clean room, you could do it in your kitchen if you wanted,” ,” said Doyoon Kim, a former MIT postdoc.



Unlike metal or plastic, silk proteins are gentle on living tissue, an idea that first drew medical engineers to microneedles for painless vaccine delivery two decades ago. That gentleness matters for living stems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-silk-microneedles-don-t-prick-the-planet">Silk microneedles don't prick the planet</h2>



Pesticide sprays and dusts drift on the wind or seep into groundwater. <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7908628/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Reviews</a> show that most of the active chemicals never reach their target leaves, instead soaking the soil and surrounding air.



In contrast, the microneedles anchor inside the plant’s vascular tissue and every milligram of pesticide stays put. That precision means farmers could use far less chemical per acre.



Kim injected iron into chlorotic tomatoes and found the yellowing reversed without any visible damage to the stems. The treatment ran for days because the hollow cores meter out the dose slowly.



“There's a big need to make agriculture more efficient,” said Benedetto Marelli. <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2021.631529/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Iron deficiency</a> chlorosis can trim tomato yields by as much as thirty percent.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-boosting-nutrition-at-the-source">Boosting nutrition at the source</h2>



Silk needles are not limited to farm inputs; they carry human <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vitamin-c-promotes-skin-renewal-and-anti-aging-at-the-genetic-level-dna-demethylation/">vitamins</a> too. The team loaded vitamin B12, a nutrient absent from most plants, into the stalks of greenhouse tomatoes.



Lab tests confirmed that the vitamin traveled from stem to fruit before harvest, opening a path to <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9501456/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">on‑vine biofortification</a>. That could help plant‑based eaters who struggle to meet B12 needs because the vitamin comes mainly from animal foods .



“This new delivery mechanism opens up a lot of potential applications, so we wanted to do something nobody had done before,” Marelli explained. The professor’s lab focuses on using sustainable materials.



The same approach could ferry zinc, iodine, or folate, reducing the cost of fortified staples that are now sprayed or blended after harvest. Researchers see similar potential for chili peppers and strawberries.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-silk-microneedles-for-sample-collection">Silk microneedles for sample collection</h2>



The hollow silk microneedles also work in reverse, sipping sap for analysis. In hydroponic trials the needles detected cadmium in tomato stalks fifteen minutes after exposure.



Current spectral cameras spot stress only after leaves go pale, but sap sampling flags trouble while the crop still looks normal. Early warnings mean early fixes.



Researchers monitored cadmium levels over an 18‑hour window without removing the probes. Continuous readings beat labor‑intensive stem punctures that growers rarely perform.



With the right sensor package a robot could patrol rows, plug in a microneedle, and upload chemistry to a phone in real time. Such automation is already common in high‑tech greenhouses.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-lab-bench-to-field-rows">From lab bench to field rows</h2>



At present, a graduate student presses each patch onto a petiole by hand. Marelli imagines repurposing existing auto‑grafting arms or drone sprayers to stamp whole orchards.



“There shouldn't be a trade‑off between the agriculture industry and the environment,” said Marelli. He argues for tools that boost yields without harming biodiversity.



Farmers, meanwhile, will want proof that the extra step pays for itself and that devices do not clog or snap during harvest. Field economics will depend on automating placement and refilling nutrient reservoirs without slowing crews.



Pilot tests on open‑air <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tomato-plants-talk-to-one-another-to-signal-danger/">tomato</a> plots are scheduled for the coming season, with attention to labor costs, residue testing, and yield bumps. Results will guide scale‑up strategies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-are-silk-microneedles-cost-effective">Are silk microneedles cost effective?</h2>



Silk cocoons are already spun at scale for surgical sutures, so the supply chain exists. Commodity prices fluctuate, but current estimates put the raw protein at a few cents per needle.



The molds can be reused hundreds of times, and the salt reagent is recovered and recycled. That circular chemistry keeps manufacturing overhead low.



Researchers calculate that a single <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenhouse-gases-can-help-detect-alien-life-on-distant-planets/">greenhouse</a> could recoup microneedle hardware costs within one harvest cycle if even a five‑percent yield gain holds true. Independent trials will verify those numbers under field stress.



Investors are interested because the technology fits within existing smart‑farm systems, pairing well with sensors and autonomous vehicles already roaming high‑value crops. Early venture funding talks are under way.



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



The Massachusetts team is already talking with seed companies about combining the needles with seedling clips. That marriage could roll nutrition and monitoring into a single transplant step.



Beyond food, similar silk <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-first-gene-edited-spiders-spin-red-silk/">structures</a> could deliver growth factors to tree seedlings in reforestation projects or vaccines to cash crops threatened by viral blights. Microneedles began in clinics and now stand to branch into orchards and vineyards.



Researchers in Singapore are evaluating whether the same platform can log <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-finally-learn-what-makes-plants-roots-grow-faster-and-stronger-autophagy/">plant</a> hormones in rice paddies that are battered by heat waves. Their results will shape the next generation of silk microneedle sensors for climate‑ready farming.



Their journey shows how ideas migrate when materials meet imagination. If the field trials match the lab promise, tomorrow’s tomatoes might quietly get their vitamins straight from a silk straw.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-025-01923-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Nanotechnology</a>.



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MIT scientists invent new technology that grows much healthier fruits and vegetables

Farm chemicals often go everywhere except where farmers want them....

Climate change conversations often focus on dramatic ecosystem collapse such as icebergs shearing off shelves or coral reefs bleaching overnight. These striking images capture our attention. 



But what if the real danger lies elsewhere? Not in the visible collapse - but in ecosystems quietly shifting out of balance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-magnetic-clues-about-ecosystems">Magnetic clues about ecosystems</h2>



A recent study led by Professor John Dearing at the <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Southampton</a> offers a new perspective. It shows that many ecosystems may collapse quietly, without obvious warning signs. This insight emerges from a surprising source: magnetic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-day-2025-what-were-really-fighting-for/">materials</a>.



Laboratory tests on ferromagnets helped researchers compare how systems respond to stress. 



Simple magnetic structures behaved like lakes turning abruptly green. But more complex ones - like rainforests - shifted gradually. This behavior echoes in nature, revealing how forests or ice sheets might quietly degrade over time.



“Some systems snap. Others sag,” said study co-author Professor Simon Willcock of <a href="https://www.rothamsted.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rothamsted Research</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-many-ecosystems-collapse-slowly">Many ecosystems collapse slowly</h2>



Traditional tipping point models assume abrupt shifts. But the study challenges that idea using new frameworks like Turing bifurcations. These models suggest that complex systems re-organize in stages. They may remain in partial balance while adjusting to rising stress.



This “soft tipping” aligns with real-world observations. Large <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-day-2025-innovation-takes-the-lead-in-environmental-action/">ecosystems</a> often show slow responses and don’t follow classic tipping behaviors. 



For example, changes in lake water quality often happen linearly. Spatially complex areas like semi-arid landscapes shift in patterns, not dramatic breaks.



Importantly, the study warns against relying solely on early warning signals. These signs - like rising variance - may not appear in complex systems. Instead, change may already be happening silently.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ecosystem-collapse-and-recovery">Ecosystem collapse and recovery</h2>



In magnetic systems, changes in domain alignment under stress mirror <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/international-day-for-biological-diversity-2025-bonding-with-nature/">ecosystem</a> responses. Hard magnetic materials behave like simple systems - they change abruptly. Soft magnetic materials shift incrementally. The same applies to ecological systems.



A table in the study compares magnet terms like “coercive force” with ecological ideas like “tipping point.” These parallels reveal how much energy or stress is needed to push a system into collapse - or recovery.



This analogy also explains why recovery in some systems takes more energy than collapse. In magnets, reversing the field after a collapse takes extra effort. In nature, restoring a damaged ecosystem often requires sustained action and sometimes shock interventions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-slow-changes-are-deceptive">Slow changes are deceptive </h2>



According to the study, the speed at which stress is applied matters as much as its size. A rapid rise in temperature or pollution levels can cause systems to tip sooner. These <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-wildlife-day-2025-a-global-call-to-protect-nature/">systems</a> then show more resistance to recovery.



Magnetic tests support this. When magnetic fields change quickly, domains flip faster and require more force to reverse. Climate models show similar results. Fast warming leaves systems less time to adapt, pushing them closer to collapse.



“Slow changes can be deceptive,” said co-author Professor Roy Thompson.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-subtle-signs-of-ecosystem-collapse">Subtle signs of ecosystem collapse</h2>



Viewing ecosystems at the wrong scale hides early damage. Forests may look healthy overall while many small areas degrade internally. These patches act like magnetic domains - each with its own threshold and response rate.



This fragmented degradation explains why early warnings are rare. It also means policymakers might miss the chance to act in time. Waiting for big, visible signs - like widespread forest death - may be too late.



“Our work suggests we may already be crossing tipping points without realising,” said Dearing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-recovery-may-still-be-possible">Recovery may still be possible</h2>



The study offers hope. Systems that collapse gradually may still recover - if we act early. Passive recovery, like letting nature heal itself, might help in some cases. But more often, active measures are needed.



Examples include reintroducing species, removing pollutants, or reshaping collapsed ecosystems. These interventions can push ecosystems back from collapse to a stable state, just like magnetic fields realign domains under the right conditions.



“This work flips the script on climate risk,” said Willcock. “If we wait for ecosystems to scream, we’ll have waited too long. The real danger is in systems that whisper while they fall apart.”



The full study is recently published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/one-earth/fulltext/S2590-3322(25)00184-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">One Earth</a>.



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Some ecosystems collapse quietly without warning signs 

Climate change conversations often focus on dramatic ecosystem collapse such...

Imagine you're a fish - darting through the water, dodging predators, searching for food, and trying to find shelter. Now imagine that your only option is a flat concrete wall with nowhere to hide. This is the challenge many fish face in human-made waterways.



Years ago, Keith Van de Riet started wondering: what if we designed seawalls with fish in mind?



Currently a professor at the <a href="https://arcd.ku.edu/">University of Kansas School of Architecture &amp; Design</a>, Van de Riet has spent more than a decade experimenting with textured seawall panels inspired by mangrove roots.



His latest study - conducted in partnership with scientists from Carleton University in Canada - explored whether freshwater fish, too, prefer these artificial root structures to flat walls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nature-sparked-a-design-shift">Nature sparked a design shift</h2>



Van de Riet’s interest in redesigning <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fighting-coastal-erosion-electricity-turns-sand-into-a-sea-wall/">seawalls</a> began while living along a canal in Florida. One day, something he witnessed made him rethink how fish interact with built environments.



“We saw bait fish being chased by predators literally leaping up against the flat side of the seawall, trying to evade them, because they had nowhere else to go,” he said.



Back then, Florida’s coastlines were thick with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mangroves-help-raise-hundreds-of-billions-of-fish-annually/">mangrove</a> roots - natural hiding places for marine life. Those roots became the blueprint for what he would later call “Reef Wall” panels.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fish-preferred-textured-walls">Fish preferred textured walls</h2>



The Canadian team had followed the professor’s earlier experiments in Florida’s saltwater habitats. 



The researchers wanted to know if similar designs could work in freshwater environments - like lakes and seawall-lined canals - using fish commonly found in Canada.



So they built a controlled experiment. In a test tank, they introduced four species one at a time: bluegill, rock bass, yellow perch, and <a href="https://earthpedia.earth.com/animal-encyclopedia/chordata/fundulidae/fundulus-diaphanus/?_gl=1*1vxpgm*_ga*MTg3OTEyMjQ2Ni4xNzIxMDYzMTg3*_ga_STJW8JPZJQ*czE3NTI3OTYxMDAkbzE2JGcxJHQxNzUyNzk2MzgxJGo5JGwwJGgw">banded killifish</a>. 



The fish were given a choice between a flat concrete wall (the control) and four wall panels with increasing levels of texture and complexity.



The results were encouraging. All the Canadian fish liked the variegated walls more than the flat ones.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-habitat-tastes-varied-by-fish-species">Habitat tastes varied by fish species</h2>



The results also demonstrated that one size doesn't fit all. Some species were pickier than others. Their preference for the most complex design turned out to be fairly species-specific, 



Van de Riet pointed out that bluegill liked - or at least hung out near - the artificial panels the most, followed by banded killifish.



Rock bass and yellow perch showed more versatility, preferring a range of relief depths, according to the researchers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-better-walls-for-healthier-ecosystems">Better walls for healthier ecosystems</h2>



The point of these panels isn’t only to keep smaller fish from being eaten. The more textured the surface, the more nooks and crannies there are for bivalves - like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-freshwater-mussels-are-threatened-by-sea-level-rise/">mussels</a> and oysters - to attach. 



Those animals can filter water naturally, improving water quality for the entire ecosystem, including the humans living nearby.



The team noted that the research is especially important for places where shorelines are already built up or too heavily trafficked for traditional living shorelines.



Professor Van de Riet said the study is challenging because each species has different behavior. "And they behave differently at different ages. When they're younger, they're going to seek refuge, no matter what."



"As bluegill age, they prefer open spaces because they can see everything around them. So they tried to account for those things based on what they already know about the species.”



The takeaway? Fish respond to structure - but there's a sweet spot in the design.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-designing-for-the-real-world">Designing for the real world</h2>



The work has not stopped. This year, the team is testing the root-inspired panels in an actual lake instead of a lab tank. They’re monitoring how fish respond in more natural, uncontrolled conditions.



“The work includes reaching out to waterfront property owners, doing surveys and trying to figure out what's the best way to roll out ideas and concepts that would impact how they build on their shorelines,” said Professor Van de Riet.



As more shorelines are paved over with concrete, this research offers a hopeful message: we can still make room for nature. Fish seem to know what they need - we just have to pay attention.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aqc.70148">Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems</a>.



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Helping fish survive: Building walls with fake plant roots

Imagine you're a fish - darting through the water, dodging...

By the year 2100, nearly a billion people could be living with drastically reduced access to river water. The finding comes from a new study that used some of the most advanced Earth systems models available.



The research was led by scientists at <a href="https://www.northeastern.edu/">Northeastern University</a>, specifically from the Institute for Experiential AI and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.



The researchers reassessed climate model performance and found that improved simulations shift our expectations about future water availability.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-changing-in-the-models">What’s changing in the models?</h2>



Earth systems models simulate the planet’s processes - from the atmosphere and oceans to land surfaces and human activities. They're critical tools for understanding future climate impacts. But not all models are created equal.



The researchers compared two generations of climate models: CMIP5 and the newer CMIP6. 



The CMIP6 system had a clear edge. It used finer spatial resolution - every 100 kilometers instead of 500 - and more advanced physics, including better handling of land, ocean, and ice systems.



"The CMIP6 also did a better job of incorporating comprehensive physics, such as physics of land, ocean and ice into <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-models-underestimate-sea-ice-melt-and-global-warming/">climate model</a> equations," noted Puja Das, a post-doctoral research fellow at Northeastern University.



Some climate models handle cloud formation and atmospheric convection through a process known as parameterization.



"There are some critical parameterizations that need to be correct. We saw that the models that use those parameterizations are performing well," said Das.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-river-runoff-and-water-shortages">River runoff and water shortages </h2>



Understanding future water availability means looking at where the stakes are highest. That’s why the researchers zeroed in on the world’s largest river basins - systems that support vast populations and economies.



"We chose the 30 biggest river basins around the world, including the <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/earth-from-space-the-amazon-river/">Amazon</a>, Congo, Ganges, Brahmaputra and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/heart-shaped-oasis-on-the-nile-river/">Nile</a> rivers," said Das. "We were trying to see how the runoff in those river basins, or water availability in those river basins, are presented in climate models."



Runoff - the water that flows from land into rivers - is a key part of that equation. It feeds into drinking water systems, sustains agriculture, and powers hydroelectric plants. Even small drops in runoff can cause major disruptions.



"Population estimates are important because they give policymakers an idea of what to expect in terms of the availability of food, water and energy," explained Das.



The results were sobering. The five most accurate climate models predict that 40% of these rivers will experience reduced <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/water-cycle/">runoff</a> by the end of the century. That would affect roughly 850 million people - more than triple the number that was previously estimated.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-model-projections-of-water-outcomes">Model projections of water outcomes </h2>



Better resolution and physics help, but that's not enough. The researchers wanted to be sure the improved models actually matched historical data and worked well with each other. That’s where skill and consensus come in.



"She's saying that higher resolution, better parameterization and more physics components do add value. We try to look at all these kinds of metrics based on skills and consensus and that's what Das has done," said study co-author Auroop Ganguly, a professor at Northeastern.



However, even better models can come with trade-offs. As precision improves, the range of possible outcomes - known as uncertainty bounds - can actually grow wider.



"Higher resolutions, more intricate parameterizations and comprehensive physics are hypothesized to improve model projections, but this is not guaranteed until the models are thoroughly evaluated against observations (skills) and against each other (consensus)," said Das.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-shortages-of-river-water">Future shortages of river water</h2>



The research didn’t stop with one future scenario. The team also ran the models through five different emissions pathways. As expected, a lower-emissions world had better results.



"We saw that if there is a greener world, the water availability will be higher and fewer people will be impacted because of the decrease in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/water-reservoirs-are-shrinking-and-becoming-less-reliable/">water availability</a>," said Das.



Even in the best-case scenario, drying rivers will still threaten hundreds of millions of people with water shortages. 



“We found that 500 million people (would be affected) instead of 900 million people, but water availability will still decrease in certain parts of the world.”



The goal of the research is to inform two key groups: policymakers and water resource managers who use these models for future planning, and scientists and modelers working to improve their accuracy.



By identifying the most reliable models and highlighting their projections, the study equips both groups to make more informed decisions in a rapidly changing world.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41612-025-01134-5">npj Climate and Atmospheric Science</a>.



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Drying rivers could cause water shortages for 850 million people

By the year 2100, nearly a billion people could be...

An electric current can clear vineyard weeds as effectively as herbicides and mowing, scientists have shown. It offers growers a chemical‑free option that performs well in real‑world conditions while posing only a minor seasonal fire risk.



The discovery comes from research led by  Catherine Borger and Miranda Slaven from <a href="https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-primary-industries-and-regional-development">Western Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development</a>. 



Working with the <a href="https://zasso.com/">Zasso XPower</a> system, the team compared electric weeding with glyphosate spraying and mowing during two consecutive spring seasons.



The findings give fresh momentum to electric <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/boosting-crop-colors-with-gene-editing-can-improve-weed-control/">weed control</a> at a time when herbicide resistance and consumer concern over chemical residues are on the rise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-testing-high-voltage-weeding">Testing high-voltage weeding</h2>



The trials took place in 2022 and 2023 at four commercial <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wine-production-in-a-warming-world-the-winners-and-losers/">vineyards</a> near Yallingup, a cool‑climate wine region south of Perth. 



Each site carried dense spring growth. It was dominated by annual <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fairy-circles-kill-all-newly-planted-grasses-deepening-their-mystery/">grasses</a> such as rigid ryegrass and long‑flowered veldtgrass, as well as sprawling legumes and hardy kikuyu.



Researchers mounted a 36 kW power unit on a tractor and fitted retractable electrode arrays to reach beneath vine canopies.



Traveling at a cautious 0.7 to 0.9 mph, they applied either the full 48-horsepower or a reduced 32-horsepower setting to each vine row.



Parallel plots received a standard tank mix of glyphosate plus amitrole or were mown at a height of 2 inches.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-effective-alternative-to-herbicides">Effective alternative to herbicides</h2>



The researchers harvested the biomass five weeks later, and the numbers were clear.



Electric weeding at either power level removed 84 to 87 percent of weed mass. This matched the 88 percent weed removal rate that glyphosate achieved. Mowing lagged behind at 65 percent.



“We show electric weed control in viticulture has comparable efficiency to that achieved by herbicides,” Borger said.



Just as important for growers, repeated NDVI scans confirmed that neither voltage setting injured the grapevines themselves; canopy greenness and shoot growth were identical across all treatments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-good-fit-for-organics">Good fit for organics</h2>



Electric pulses kill by puncturing plant tissues and burning roots, and they bring several advantages that chemicals cannot match.



“These advantages include no chemical residues in the environment or food, no rain‑fast period after application, no restrictions on use in windy conditions, no chemical resistance and no impacts on neighboring vegetation or waterways," noted Borger.



The benefits carry particular weight in Australian viticulture. More than six percent of production is now certified organic, and herbicide‑resistant ryegrass threatens many conventional blocks.



“Electric weed control will be of particular importance for organic growers,” Borger added.



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



The technology is not without drawbacks. The disadvantages include slow application speed and high fuel usage.



Fire was the other concern. To quantify the danger, the researchers applied electricity to plots covered with dry barley straw and oat hay. 



Sparks ignited debris only when plant residues were bone‑dry and the tractor moved slowly. Doubling ground speed cut sparks by 90 percent. Real vineyard passes in damp spring conditions produced no ignition at all.



“In every field experiment we conducted during spring, there were zero fires, and this is the most common time of year for weed management in Western Australia,” Borger said.



“Electric weed control is suitable for use in winter/spring weed management within the Mediterranean climate but not for control of summer or autumn weeds.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-integrating-electric-weeding">Integrating electric weeding</h2>



Taken together, the findings suggest a practical pathway for growers. Electric treatment can substitute for one or two spring herbicide applications, reducing chemical load and slowing resistance. Conventional spraying or mowing can still tidy escapes later in the season.



Adoption may accelerate as autonomous tractors become common in vineyards. Slow operating speeds are far less costly when machines can run unattended.



Further work will test performance at higher speeds, different soil moistures, and against perennial weeds with deeper reserves.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sustainable-weed-control">Sustainable weed control</h2>



By proving that electric weeders can match chemicals under commercial conditions, Borger’s team has electrified the weed‑control debate. They have also supplied rare quantitative data on fire risk, giving growers concrete guidance on when and how to use the tools safely.



If follow‑up trials confirm similar benefits in orchards and row‑crop systems, voltage could become a central pillar of integrated weed management. 



Electric weed control would help farmers meet market demands for cleaner produce while protecting the efficacy of precious herbicides.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/weed-science/article/electric-weed-controlhow-does-it-compare-to-conventional-weed-control-methods/488C45B191B97E84E34257E80EB9CFC6">Weed Science</a>.



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Killing weeds without chemicals - the future may be electric

An electric current can clear vineyard weeds as effectively as...

For decades, scientists regarded large portions of our DNA as genetic junk - useless remnants of ancient viruses that invaded our ancestors' genomes. These segments, known as transposable elements (TEs), were long dismissed as evolutionary fossils with no present-day function. 



However, a new international study challenges the view that ancient viral DNA in our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-dna-test-can-tell-your-exact-age-from-just-a-tiny-blood-sample/">genome</a> is useless. Researchers from Japan, China, Canada, and the US focused on a DNA family called MER11. These sequences influence when and where genes turn on, especially during early human development.



The bits of viral DNA are part of a larger group called transposable elements (TEs). Over millions of years, they copied themselves into different spots across our genome. 



Today, they make up nearly half of human DNA. Once thought silent, TEs now appear to act as switches that help regulate nearby genes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-young-and-active-element">A young and active element</h2>



MER11 belongs to a class of TEs known as LTR retrotransposons. It likely entered primate genomes around 40 million years ago. 



While older TEs have been more studied, younger ones like MER11 remained under-characterized due to their repetitive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-dna-reveals-37000-years-of-hidden-human-infections/">nature</a>.



To understand MER11 better, researchers created a new classification system. They used evolutionary history and conservation in primates to sort sequences into four subgroups: MER11_G1 through MER11_G4. These range from oldest to youngest.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-uncovering-hidden-functions">Uncovering hidden functions</h2>



This new method helped uncover regulatory signals hidden in junk DNA and missed by older annotation tools. Researchers matched these junk DNA MER11 subfamilies to epigenetic markers. These chemical tags influence gene activity by modifying DNA or its associated proteins.



They found that the youngest subfamily, MER11_G4, showed strong gene activation potential. Using lentiMPRA (lentiviral massively parallel reporter assay), they tested nearly 7000 MER11 sequences. 



These experiments revealed that MER11_G4 sequences strongly boosted <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-link-autism-to-neanderthal-dna-genetic-variants-found-in-modern-humans/">gene</a> expression in human stem cells and neural cells.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-junk-dna-in-primates">Junk DNA in primates</h2>



The youngest MER11 subfamily stood out for having a unique set of transcription factor binding sites. These DNA motifs serve as landing pads for proteins that control gene activity. They are central to how cells interpret developmental or environmental signals.



The study also found that different primates - humans, chimps, and macaques - show slight variations in their MER11_G4 sequences. These differences may affect how genes are regulated across species.



“MER11_G4 binds to a distinct set of transcription factors,” explained Dr. Xun Chen from the <a href="https://english.cas.cn" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chinese Academy of Sciences</a>. “This group gained different regulatory functions through sequence <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/airborne-dna-can-track-wildlife-diseases-and-even-drugs/">changes</a> and contributes to speciation.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-role-in-neurodevelopment">A role in neurodevelopment</h2>



The paper added new details on how the junk DNA element MER11 may support specific stem cell states. 



Junk DNA from MER11_G4 shows especially high activity in cells resembling early developmental stages. These include pluripotent stem cells and certain neural progenitors.



In neural contexts, MER11 elements were linked to genes involved in brain development. They showed strong regulatory activity in stem cells transitioning into neurons. These functions suggest that MER11 plays a role in setting up developmental gene networks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-viral-dna-is-not-junk-after-all">Ancient viral DNA is not junk after all</h2>



The findings highlight a broader idea: viral DNA sequences that once invaded our genome can be adapted for important uses. 



By tracking how these sequences evolve and testing their behavior, scientists are uncovering layers of genome regulation previously missed.



“Our genome was sequenced long ago, but the function of many of its parts remain unknown,” said study co-author Dr. Fumitaka Inoue from <a href="http://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/ja">Kyoto University</a>. 



Transposable elements are thought to play important roles in genome evolution. Their full impact may only be revealed through deeper research.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-junk-dna-has-real-power-in-evolution">Junk DNA has real power in evolution</h2>



This research significantly reshapes our understanding of what was once labeled as "junk DNA." For many years, scientists believed these segments, especially those originating from ancient viral infections, served no purpose and remained as passive remnants within our genome. 



However, this study on MER11 sequences reveals a very different story. Rather than being inactive bystanders, these viral sequences appear to play vital roles in gene regulation. They help determine when and where specific genes are expressed during critical periods of early development. 



Junk DNA also influence the behavior of stem cells, guiding how they transition into specialized cell types. Even more striking is the possibility that such sequences contribute to the genetic differences that set species apart.



What was once dismissed as useless debris now emerges as an evolutionary toolkit - carefully honed over millions of years - to shape the biology of humans and other primates in subtle but essential ways.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ads9164" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>.



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'Junk DNA' is not actually junk, it's found to play a powerful role in the human body

For decades, scientists regarded large portions of our DNA as...

Debris flows are sudden, fierce, and often deadly. They can flatten forests, sweep away buildings, and catch entire villages off guard. 



Events like those in Blatten (Valais) in May 2025 and Brienz (Graubünden) in June 2023 are reminders of how vulnerable mountainous regions can be after heavy rainfall.



These destructive flows don’t happen just once. In many parts of <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-alps-europes-largest-mountain-range/">the Alps</a>, they are repeat offenders. 



In the past year alone, Sorte in Graubünden, Fontana in Ticino, and the Saas Valley in Valais have all experienced major debris flows.



One of the worst happened in Bondo (Graubünden) in 2017, when a river of mud over 300 feet wide surged down the valley, killing eight people.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-following-the-path-of-destruction">Following the path of destruction</h2>



Because these flows occur in the same spots again and again, scientists use these active locations to monitor how they form and behave. 



And in June 2022, researchers were ready when a major debris flow surged down Illgraben, a steep ravine above the village of Leuk in Valais.



A team from <a href="https://ethz.ch/en.html">ETH Zurich</a>, the Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, and the University of Manchester captured the entire event using a network of advanced sensors. 



In just 30 minutes, 32,700 cubic yards of debris traveled roughly 2.5 miles down the Illbach riverbed into the Rhône at Susten.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-debris-flows-turn-deadly">Why debris flows turn deadly</h2>



The researchers observed something striking. At the top of the valley, the front of the flow surged forward, rising over 6.5 feet high and filled with massive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/maka-lahi-boulder-weighing-1200-tons-washed-inland-by-an-ancient-tsunami/">boulders</a> - some as large as a cubic yard.



Farther down, the debris moved more slowly but showed intense surface activity. The scientists recorded 70 powerful surge waves rippling across the surface in rapid succession.



“We’ve known for a long time that these surges play a key role in the destructive force of debris flows,” said Jordan Aaron, professor of engineering geology at ETH Zurich. “This is because surges make the flow particularly thick and fast.”



Until now, though, there wasn’t a solid explanation for how these surges form. Using their field data and computer models, the research team discovered that the surges don’t need any external trigger. They form on their own, right on the surface of the flow.



“We were able to demonstrate that surges arise spontaneously on the surface of the flow," Aaron said. "They stem from small irregularities, which grow over time, increasing in size and speed until they reach their maximum destructive force.” 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-turning-science-into-safer-cities">Turning science into safer cities</h2>



Understanding these surges isn’t just academic. The findings make it possible to assess how strong a debris flow might be before it strikes. 



This means engineers can better calculate how much force structures - like houses, bridges, and dams - might need to resist in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/effective-managed-retreat-strategies-climate-threatened-areas/">high-risk areas</a>.



“Our analysis provides new insights into the dynamics of debris flows and will enable better hazard management in the medium term,” said Aaron.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lidar-maps-a-moving-threat">LiDAR maps a moving threat</h2>



Illgraben is no stranger to debris flows. Since 2000, it has been equipped with instruments to track debris movements in real time. But the 2022 event gave scientists their best look yet.



The team used LiDAR scanners - laser-based sensors originally developed for self-driving cars - along with high-speed video cameras. Five LiDAR units and six cameras captured the debris flow in incredible detail. 



At three points along the ravine, the researchers recorded the surface of the flow with a spatial resolution of 0.8 inches and a temporal resolution of 0.1 seconds. This allowed them to precisely measure the speed and force of each surge.



Using this data, they developed a detailed numerical model to simulate how the debris flow evolved - and what made it so dangerous.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-boulders-steer-debris">Big boulders steer debris</h2>



Another important takeaway from the study: big boulders can change how debris flows behave. These massive fragments alter the way material moves within the flow, especially at the local level.



“This phenomenon is not included in most previous predictions of debris flows,” Aaron noted. “Being able to observe and measure these effects in the field has allowed us to more accurately describe and better understand these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-weather-is-pushing-nature-toward-a-breaking-point/">natural processes</a>.”



By simulating real debris flow behavior, the new model offers a better way to plan for and respond to future <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forest-removal-can-turn-rare-floods-into-regular-disasters/">disasters</a>. It gives communities, engineers, and planners a better shot at protecting people and infrastructure from one of nature’s most destructive forces.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02488-7">Communications Earth &amp; Environment</a>.



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Scientists finally pinpoint how debris flows become so destructive

Debris flows are sudden, fierce, and often deadly. They can...

Our bodies meet the sensory world long before our minds can make sense of it. Scientists now argue that what we feel, hear, and see in those first hidden months may lay the tracks for later behavior, including the hallmarks of autism <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-link-autism-to-neanderthal-dna-genetic-variants-found-in-modern-humans/">spectrum</a> disorder&nbsp;(<a href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/autism-spectrum-disorders-asd" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ASD</a>).



Carissa Cascio of the University of Kansas <a href="https://lifespan.ku.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Life Span Institute</a> helped assemble the <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2026-24326-001.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence</a> and calls it the “cascading effects model.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-early-sensory-patterns-in-autism">Early sensory patterns in autism</h2>



ASD touches about one in 36 eight-year-olds in the United States, a <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/ss/ss7202a1.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">figure</a> that keeps inching upward. 



Since 2013 the <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4345540/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Diagnostic and Statistical Manual</a> has listed atypical responses to light, sound, or touch right alongside social traits, confirming that sensory quirks are not side-notes.



Those quirks can lean both ways. Some toddlers barely blink at loud noises, while others recoil from a shirt tag, yet both patterns predict later communication <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/common-plastics-chemical-bpa-linked-to-autism-adhd-in-children/">hurdles</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-touch-develops-early-body-awareness">Touch develops early body awareness</h2>



<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6710198/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Research</a> tracing fetal physiology shows the sense of touch forming as early as eight weeks of gestation, long before hearing or vision join the party. 



That early tactile scaffold gives a fetus its first map of “me versus not-me,” a map that guides newborn rooting, grasping, and self-soothing.



At birth the world suddenly grows brighter, colder, and louder, forcing the newborn brain to stitch together sight, sound, and touch in swift <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4215474/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">multisensory integration</a>. 



If any one strand lags or fires too fiercely, later strands, language, joint attention, play, may knot in unexpected ways.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sensory-changes-before-autism-signs">Sensory changes before autism signs</h2>



A landmark eye-tracking <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4035120/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> found that infants who would later be diagnosed with ASD began life looking at caregivers’ eyes as much as other babies but shifted away between two and six months. 



That tiny change in visual preference predates any obvious social difference, hinting that a developing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/autism-and-adhd-disorders-directly-linked-amount-of-time-kids-spend-on-screens/">brain</a> already feels mismatched input.



Brain scans echo the behavior. <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5336143/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Infants</a> who went on to an autism diagnosis showed faster-than-typical cortical surface growth in sensory areas between six and twelve months, a burst linked to later social scores.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-autism-may-begin-with-small-differences">Autism may begin with small differences</h2>



“Our work is rooted in the idea that brain differences in autism are starting much earlier than the age at which we use complex social interactions to diagnose autism,” said Cascio. 



“We’re hopeful that the ideas in this paper will help researchers formulate and test questions about early sensory development,” said Cascio.



By framing sensory pathways as the first domino, the model explains why some children flap, spin, or crave noise: repetitive actions may be self-chosen ways to tame unpredictable signals. 



It also clarifies why others seem distant, if touch or sound barely registers, the wider world offers fewer hooks for connection, so social skills have less raw material.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sensory-signs-may-help-detect-autism-sooner">Sensory signs may help detect autism sooner</h2>



Follow-up <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8740754/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studies</a> show that higher sensory hyporesponsiveness at twelve months foretells lower expressive language at two years. Caregivers usually notice the silence, not the missing “aha” moments humble touch and sound should have sparked months before.



Yet plasticity cuts both ways. A 2025 randomized trial found that a parent-led program called <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-025-06928-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Project ImPACT</a> eased social hyporesponsiveness and, for some infants, boosted later language.



Not all sensory experiences are created equal, and not all babies grow up in the same sensory <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/neanderthal-dna-is-more-common-in-people-with-autism/">environments</a>. Cultural norms, parenting styles, and household dynamics can all shape how infants respond to sounds, touch, and movement in those critical early months. 



A baby raised in a quiet, low-stimulus setting may adapt differently than one growing up in a louder, more chaotic home, even if both develop along typical lines.



These early differences matter. For example, eye contact and physical touch carry different meanings across cultures. 



What one family sees as normal affection, another may view as intrusive. If a child with ASD is raised in a context where reduced touch or gaze is common, it may mask or complicate early signs.



That’s why researchers like Cascio emphasize the need for broader studies that account for diverse families and developmental contexts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-improving-autism-screening-and-support">Improving autism screening and support</h2>



Screening tools that focus only on gestures or words may miss children whose first signals are sensory. 



Pediatric check-ups that include simple tests, does a four-month-old turn toward a rattle, settle with gentle stroking, blink at bright light, could flag risk while brains remain highly <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-10/documents/ace3_neurodevelopmental.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">neurodevelopmental</a> and adaptable.



Interventions might then start with the senses themselves: patterned touch, predictable light, graded sound, and caregiver coaching to read a baby’s comfort zone. 



By tuning the earliest circuits, therapists hope to widen each child’s window for curiosity, play, and later learning.



The study is published in <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2026-24326-001.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Psychological Review</a>.



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Autism may begin with sensory changes well before social signs appear

Our bodies meet the sensory world long before our minds...

Solar farms are blooming across the planet, carpeting deserts, plains, and even former industrial sites with glittering panels that convert sunlight into carbon‑free electricity.



A new review led by wildlife ecologist Trish Fleming from <a href="https://www.murdoch.edu.au/">Murdoch University</a> finds those installations already occupy almost 14,700 square miles of land - roughly the size of West Virginia. That footprint is expanding rapidly.



The study celebrates the role of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/solar-power-has-won-the-prize-to-become-earths-main-source-of-energy/">solar energy</a> in cutting greenhouse gas emissions but warns that poorly designed solar parks could harm birds, bats, and other wildlife. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-solar-reflections-mislead-wildlife">Solar reflections mislead wildlife</h2>



Flat, dark <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/solar-panels-are-1000-times-more-powerful-with-new-tech-breakthrough/">solar panels</a> act like gigantic mirrors. They polarize and reflect light much as a lake does, a visual cue that many flying insects – and the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birds-are-struggling-to-keep-pace-with-a-warming-climate/">birds</a> and bats that feed on them – instinctively follow.



Migrating waterbirds sometimes circle or land on solar panels, mistaking them for water, researchers have observed.



Insects drawn to panels create feeding hotspots, disrupting foraging patterns and increasing collision risks for birds and other predators.



The same reflective quality produces the “lake effect” hazard at concentrating solar power (CSP) plants, where mirrors focus sunlight onto a central receiver.



Some solar sites kill birds with intense heat or light reflections that confuse wildlife, the Murdoch review warns.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fences-block-animal-paths">Fences block animal paths</h2>



To safeguard expensive equipment, solar developers typically surround their sites with chain-link fences. That security measure can have unintended consequences.



Ground-dwelling species such as reptiles, small mammals, and flight-shy birds may find their usual pathways blocked.



In worst-case scenarios, animals become trapped, unable to navigate out of the maze of panels and barriers.



Fleming cites reports from South African vineyards where large birds died after becoming trapped between parallel fences around solar panels.



A more encouraging example comes from Nevada, where a PV project left gaps at ground level and preserved native vegetation corridors.



Motion-camera monitoring has shown desert tortoises, kit foxes, and jackrabbits using those openings to move freely. It’s proof that thoughtful design can meet security needs while allowing wildlife to pass through.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-solar-panels-change-habitat">Solar panels change habitat</h2>



Utility‑scale PV plants usually require two to six hectares of land per megawatt of capacity. Clearing that space can fragment habitat and push sensitive species elsewhere.



Yet the review also finds cases in disturbed agricultural regions where solar parks support more wildlife. 



Managed with flowering groundcovers and minimal mowing, these sites have attracted more <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-country-without-butterflies-rapid-decline-in-u-s-populations/">butterflies</a>, bees, and insect-eating birds compared to nearby croplands.



Whether a solar site turns into ecological desert or a surprising refuge depends on what was there before, how vegetation is managed afterward and where panels are placed.



In arid zones, the shade beneath panels can retain soil moisture and support native grasses that would otherwise struggle. This microclimate benefit is known as “agrivoltaics” when combined with grazing or cropping.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smarter-solar-site-layouts">Smarter solar site layouts</h2>



Technological tweaks could further soften solar’s impact. Lab tests show nano-textured panel coatings cut misleading light signals for wildlife and slightly improve solar efficiency.



Other researchers are experimenting with white grid lines or patterned films that break up large reflective expanses without compromising output.



Placement matters too. Orienting arrays to avoid glare toward flyways and leaving gaps for wildlife corridors can cut risk at little extra cost. 



The Australian review urges project planners to incorporate ecological mapping early, just as they already consider grid connection or slope.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fire-risk-and-seasonal-timing"><a></a>Fire risk and seasonal timing</h2>



One concern the scientists highlight is fire hazard: high-voltage weed zappers, trialed as herbicide alternatives, can ignite dry plant matter beneath panels.



Data from Western Australian vineyards show that operating in wetter months nearly eliminates that danger, suggesting it is wise to schedule maintenance during winter and spring.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-making-solar-wildlife-safe">Making solar wildlife-safe</h2>



Governments are banking on solar, with some projections calling for a tenfold increase in capacity by 2050 to meet climate goals. The study insists that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-action-and-biodiversity-striking-the-right-balance/">biodiversity</a> safeguards must travel in tandem.



The authors advocate mandatory wildlife‑friendly design standards, post‑construction monitoring, and adaptive management that tweaks operations when problems emerge.



Solar energy remains one of the greenest power options humanity has – but only if its rollout respects the creatures that share our sunlit planet. 



Designing solar sites with ecology in mind can protect birds, bats, and biodiversity while still generating clean energy.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032125006689?via%3Dihub">Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews</a>.



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Solar farms need better design to protect wildlife

Solar farms are blooming across the planet, carpeting deserts, plains,...

Heatwaves are getting worse. That’s not new. But a less obvious reason for the rise in extreme heat, especially in cities, might be catching scientists and local governments off guard.



It turns out that a major driver of these heatwaves isn’t just greenhouse gases. It’s the steady decline of something we’ve spent decades trying to eliminate: <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/millions-of-people-die-from-air-pollution-each-year-yet-theres-still-a-lack-of-monitoring/">air pollution</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smog-cuts-raise-urban-heat">Smog cuts raise urban heat</h2>



A new study from scientists at <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">The University of Texas at Austin</a> shows that falling levels of aerosols - tiny particles that contribute to smog and haze - are playing a much bigger role in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-heat-is-pushing-parts-of-earth-beyond-human-survival/">extreme heat</a> than previously thought. 



The researchers found that in populated areas, aerosols are up to 2.5 times more influential than greenhouse gases in driving changes in heatwave exposure.



While earlier research had connected aerosols to regional temperature patterns, this is the first study to look specifically at how those changes affect the number and intensity of heatwaves that people actually experience.



“Heatwaves near urban centers was much greater than we expected,” said study co-author Cameron Cummins. “So, as cities seek to curb their aerosol emissions to improve public health, they will also likely experience more heatwaves.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cleaner-air-hotter-cities">Cleaner air, hotter cities</h2>



Using global climate models, the researchers analyzed aerosol trends from 1920 to the present. They found that in cities and other populated regions, higher levels of aerosols helped cut heatwave exposure by nearly half.



That’s because aerosols can reflect sunlight, essentially shielding certain areas from the full brunt of global warming. But here’s the catch: those protective aerosols are disappearing.



As countries around the world pass clean air regulations to improve health and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/reducing-air-pollution-could-greatly-boost-carbon-sequestration-by-plants/">reduce pollution</a>, aerosol levels are dropping. This is good news for our lungs - but it also means the natural "shade" they provided is vanishing fast.



“Aerosols are really good at counteracting exposure [to heatwaves] right now, but that could rapidly change in the future,” said Geeta Persad, who led the study. 



“We seem to have already crossed a tipping point where declining aerosols are accelerating heatwave exposure in a lot of places.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-heatwaves-on-the-way">More heatwaves on the way</h2>



If aerosol emissions continue to decline at the current pace, the effects could be dramatic. The researchers project that by 2080, the average number of heatwave days globally could nearly triple - from about 40 days a year to 110.



Regions most likely to be affected include Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, South America, and Western Europe. 



In this study, a heatwave is defined as three or more consecutive days during a region’s warm season that exceed the 90th percentile for temperature. 



Sustained heat like this strains power grids, worsens health risks, and pushes infrastructure to its limits.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-not-all-emissions-are-the-same">Not all emissions are the same</h2>



Aerosols and greenhouse gases often come from the same sources - such as burning fossil fuels - but they behave very differently. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenhouse-gas-emissions-reach-another-all-time-high/">Greenhouse gases</a> trap heat, disperse globally, and can stay in the atmosphere for decades or even centuries. Aerosols, by contrast, have a short lifespan. They tend to stay localized and usually fall out of the air in a matter of weeks.



That short-term impact means we can see the effects of reduced aerosols quickly - which is good for health but risky for heat. Persad emphasized that this makes cities especially vulnerable as they clean up their air.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-urban-heatwaves-surge-without-aerosols">Urban heatwaves surge without aerosols</h2>



Western Europe is a clear example. In the latter half of the 20th century, high aerosol levels helped shield the region from heatwaves, even as greenhouse gas concentrations climbed - but that’s changing.



The study showed that in just the next 25 years, reduced aerosols could lead to as many as 40 extra heatwave days per year in urban parts of Western Europe. Still, the researchers aren’t calling for a return to dirtier air. Far from it.



“The study results shouldn’t be taken as a license to pollute,” said Persad. High aerosol levels are dangerous. They contribute to respiratory and cardiovascular problems and cause thousands of premature deaths every year. 



“This work suggests that what happens with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/aerosols-have-an-underestimated-effect-on-clouds-and-climate/">aerosols</a> in the near future is going to be really important for what happens with heat wave hazard and exposure and risk in the near future, the next 20 to 30 years.”



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



The key takeaway? Cleaner air is non-negotiable, but it comes with trade-offs. As we cut pollution, cities need to be ready for more intense heat.



That means planning for infrastructure that can handle heatwaves, updating emergency response systems, expanding access to cooling centers, and rethinking urban design - all while continuing to fight climate change on a global scale.



Cleaner air is saving lives. But without better preparation, it could also mean hotter days ahead.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/addee0">Environmental Research Letters</a>.



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Urban heatwaves are accelerating for a surprising reason

Heatwaves are getting worse. That’s not new. But a less...

Animals are constantly fighting over food, shelter, mates, or space. Most studies judge those clashes in the moment - by who won, who lost, and who got hurt. Two behavioral ecologists argue that this snapshot view misses the bigger evolutionary picture. 



To understand why, when, and how animals choose to fight or flee, the researchers say we have to track the long arc of costs and payoffs across an individual’s whole life. That includes how conflict shapes <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scents-of-survival-how-plant-aromas-shape-insect-diets/">survival</a> and the number of offspring left behind.



The study, led by Paulo Enrique Cardoso Peixoto from the <a href="https://ufmg.br/international-visitors">Federal University of Minas Gerais</a> in Brazil, lays out a path for linking contest behavior to fitness.



“By linking individual contests to lifetime <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/reproductive-success-of-southern-white-rhinos-linked-to-gut-microbiome/">reproductive success</a>, we can understand how different contexts and environmental situations could favor the evolution of decision strategies in different species,” Peixoto said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-animals-fight-often">Why animals fight often</h2>



Displays, jousts, and all‑out fights occur across the animal kingdom. Sometimes they are ritualized shows of strength; sometimes they involve real blows, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mind-body-connection-wounds-heal-faster-if-we-think-more-time-has-passed/">wounds</a>, and death.



Even symbolic standoffs drain energy reserves. Because conflicts can bring both rewards and risks, natural selection should shape decision rules: when to escalate, when to back off, and when to never engage.



Value matters. A top‑tier resource - prime territory, a critical shelter site, or a receptive mate - might justify bigger risks. Lesser resources may not. The type of damage matters, too.



“If snapping <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shrimp-crisis-alarming-virus-threatens-global-seafood-supplies/">shrimp</a> lose a claw during a fight, it can regrow, so it’s not a total loss because they can recover and fight subsequent contests,” Peixoto said. 



“If a beetle breaks a horn during a fight, it will not regrow, so that individual will be unable to fight again. Since they often fight for female access, this means they will be unable to reproduce anymore.”



A recoverable cost and an irreversible cost have very different consequences for lifetime breeding success.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gaps-in-animal-conflict-research">Gaps in animal conflict research</h2>



To see how biologists have been scoring these bouts, the authors reviewed 73 field and lab studies covering 62 species.



They tallied 24 types of contest cost and folded them into six broader themes. These included elevated metabolic expenditure, stress responses tied to weakened immunity, and risks like injury or death. 



Other costs were lost foraging time, reduced vigilance to predators, and cutbacks in parental care.



Different research traditions focus on different angles. Work on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-invasive-crustacean-species-discovered-in-the-mediterranean/">crustaceans</a> and fishes often zeroes in on metabolism. Insect studies tend to document broken body parts. That patchwork makes cross‑species comparisons tough.



“There is huge variation in the measurements researchers take,” Peixoto said. Variation itself is fine; the trouble is that without some common yardsticks, we cannot ask whether, say, crabs and beetles pay similar average prices for fighting.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-expanding-our-view-of-animal-conflict">Expanding our view of animal conflict </h2>



Short‑term metrics also dominate. Many experiments measure what happens minutes or hours after a contest and stop there. 



Yet the most meaningful cost might unfold weeks later if an injured animal skips a breeding season, or years later if <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chronic-stress-disrupts-gut-bacteria-and-fuels-cancer-progression/">chronic stress</a> cuts lifespan.



So what should come next? “We need to link the average cost in a single contest to the individual’s longevity or lifetime reproductive success,” Peixoto said.



“For example, are there contexts that favor individuals that always fight and are more aggressive, and other situations that favor more cautious individuals that only fight weaker rivals to increase their chances of winning?”



The answer likely differs by species, habitat, and the reliability of signals about opponent strength.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-fights-across-lifetimes">Tracking fights across lifetimes</h2>



The researchers propose starting by identifying the cost that matters most for the focal species - irreparable injury, energy drain, or lost breeding time. 



Next, measure how that cost accumulates within a contest relative to baseline. Finally, scale up: track how often individuals engage in fights over a lifetime and tally their reproductive output.



“By knowing the average number of fights that different individuals are involved in and their lifespans, we can estimate whether individuals who fight more or less have better lifetime reproductive success,” Peixoto said.



“This connection would allow us to gain deeper insights into the evolutionary dynamics of animal contests and the trade-offs individuals face.”



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



Wildlife managers, conservation biologists, and evolutionary theorists all stand to benefit from a better understanding of animal conflict. 



If escalating human disturbance changes how often animals must fight for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-heat-shrinking-habitats-insects-face-hidden-threats/">shrinking resources</a>, the lifetime toll could ripple through populations.



Standardizing how we track contest costs - and extending those measures over years - will reveal when aggression pays and when it backfires. It will also show how natural selection calibrates the will to fight across the tree of life.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0169534725001533">Trends in Ecology &amp; Evolution</a>.



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Wild animal fights can harm a species for generations

Animals are constantly fighting over food, shelter, mates, or space. Most...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE
</div></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

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

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">New York is the site of the world's oldest forest.</figcaption></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

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

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The environmental problem we actually solved

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

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

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







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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

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

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

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU
</div></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"]</div>



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"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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