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...

Ever get so mentally drained that your brain just says, “I’m done”? That feeling of cognitive fatigue may not be as mysterious as it seems. 



In a recent study, researchers used brain scans to track what happens in our heads when fatigue sets in - and how we decide whether to keep going or give up.



The research team from <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/som">Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine</a> and the Kennedy Krieger Institute studied 28 healthy adults using functional MRI. The goal was to observe brain activity during moments of cognitive fatigue.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-closer-look-at-mental-fatigue">A closer look at mental fatigue</h2>



The volunteers - 18 women and 10 men between the ages of 21 and 29 - were paid $50 to participate. They also had the chance to earn more money depending on their performance. Before starting any tasks, each person received a baseline MRI scan.



Inside the MRI machine, participants were given <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stress-hijacks-the-brain-disrupting-sleep-and-memory/">memory</a> exercises. They saw sequences of letters and had to remember where certain ones appeared. The farther back a letter was in the sequence, the harder it was to recall, making the task mentally taxing. 



Before and after each exercise, the participants rated how mentally tired they felt. They also got feedback on their performance and could earn bonuses between $1 and $8 depending on the difficulty of the task they chose.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-two-key-brain-areas-light-up">Two key brain areas light up</h2>



The scans revealed something striking. When participants felt mentally tired, two brain regions showed a noticeable increase in activity. 



The right insula - a deep brain area linked to feelings of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mental-fatigue-impairs-athletic-performance/">fatigue</a> - and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which helps manage <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-link-pupil-dilation-to-brains-working-memory-levels/">working memory</a>, both lit up. In fact, the activity in these areas more than doubled compared to the baseline.



Dr. Vikram Chib is an associate professor of biomedical engineering at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a research scientist at Kennedy Krieger Institute.



“Our lab focuses on how [our minds] generate value for effort,” said Dr. Chib. "We understand less about the biology of cognitive tasks, including memory and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-sleep-improves-memory-formation-and-recall/">recall</a>, than we do about physical tasks, even though both involve a lot of effort.”



Dr. Chib noted that while cognitive tasks clearly wear people out, there’s still a lot to learn about how and why that fatigue builds up in the brain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-motivation-matters-a-lot">Motivation matters - a lot</h2>



Participants were more likely to push through harder tasks when the rewards were higher. The research team noticed that people needed strong financial incentives to stay mentally engaged.



“That outcome wasn’t entirely surprising, given our previous work finding the same need for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/incentives-help-pregnant-women-quit-smoking/">incentives</a> in spurring physical effort,” said Dr. Chib.



It seems the brain weighs whether mental effort is “worth it,” and only goes the extra mile when it sees a clear benefit.



“Our study was designed to induce cognitive fatigue and see how people’s choices to exert effort change when they feel fatigue, as well as identify locations in the brain where these decisions are made," explained Dr. Chib.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-fatigue-in-mental-health">Rethinking fatigue in mental health</h2>



Fatigue is a major challenge in conditions like PTSD and depression. Understanding how it works in healthy brains is a first step toward better treatment.



“Now that we’ve likely identified some of the neural circuits for cognitive effort in healthy people, we need to look at how fatigue manifests in the brains of people with these conditions,” said Dr. Chib.



He believes the same scanning techniques could eventually help doctors classify cognitive fatigue more objectively. That could open the door for new therapies, including medication and cognitive behavioral therapy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-the-brain-scans-don-t-show">What the brain scans don’t show</h2>



The team is quick to point out the limitations. Functional MRI tracks blood flow in the brain, which signals general activity, but it doesn’t capture the finer details of neuron-level behavior.



“This study was performed in an MRI scanner and with very specific <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/music-can-boost-brainpower-and-productivity/">cognitive tasks</a>. It will be important to see how these results generalize to other cognitive effort and real-world tasks,” said Dr. Chib.



Still, the findings offer a clearer view into how we respond to mental exhaustion - and what it takes for the brain to keep going.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.jneurosci.org/content/45/24/e1612242025">JNeurosci</a>.



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Mental fatigue: When the brain needs a reason to keep going

Ever get so mentally drained that your brain just says,...

Gold is everywhere - in our phones, computers, medical devices, and satellites. But getting it out of the ground or from discarded electronics usually means dealing with cyanide, mercury, and a lot of toxic waste. 



That’s been the trade-off: valuable metal at a steep environmental cost. But now, researchers at <a href="https://www.flinders.edu.au/">Flinders University</a> in Australia are showing there’s a better way.



The Flinders team, working across green chemistry, engineering, and physics, has developed a safer, more sustainable method to recover gold. 



The method works not only on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-largest-iron-ore-deposits-reveal-a-1-3-billion-year-old-secret/">ore</a>, but also on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/electronic-waste-is-growing-five-times-faster-than-recycling/">electronic waste</a> and even scientific byproducts. Instead of relying on mercury or cyanide, the technique uses materials that are widely available and far less toxic.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-extracting-gold-from-e-waste">Extracting gold from e-waste</h2>



At the heart of the method is trichloroisocyanuric acid - a common disinfectant used in pool and water treatment. When mixed with salt water, it becomes a powerful gold extractor. 



Once the gold is dissolved, it’s captured by a sulfur-rich polymer developed by the Flinders team. The polymer binds selectively to gold, even in complex mixtures full of other metals.



Then comes the clever part: the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/everyday-polymers-that-are-considered-safe-release-harmful-toxins/">polymer</a> can be broken down to release the gold and be recycled for future use. This makes the entire process cleaner, safer, and more circular.



“The study featured many innovations including a new and recyclable leaching reagent derived from a compound used to disinfect water,” said Professor Justin Chalker, who leads the Chalker Lab.



“The team also developed an entirely new way to make the polymer sorbent, or the material that binds the gold after extraction into water, using light to initiate the key reaction.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-safer-option-for-small-scale-miners">A safer option for small-scale miners</h2>



The method has already been tested on a wide range of materials, including e-waste, ore concentrates, and mixed-metal scrap. And it's not just a lab experiment. The researchers are planning to scale it up, working with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gold-mining-causes-long-lasting-damage-in-the-amazon-rainforest/">mining</a> companies and recycling facilities to put it into real-world use.



“The aim is to provide effective gold recovery methods that support the many uses of gold, while lessening the impact on the environment and human health,” said Professor Chalker.



This is especially important in small-scale and artisanal mines around the world, where mercury is still widely used to extract gold. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mercury-pollution-in-the-amazon-is-recorded-in-tree-rings/">Mercury pollution</a> from gold mining is one of the leading sources of contamination globally. The team worked with experts in the United States and Peru to test the new method on gold ore, with the goal of offering safer alternatives to these communities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gold-from-a-mound-of-e-waste">Gold from a mound of e-waste </h2>



The researchers aren’t just solving a technical problem. They’re trying to make sure the solution actually fits into real systems -economic, environmental, and social.



“We are especially grateful to our engineering, mining, and philanthropic partners for supporting translation of laboratory discoveries to larger scale demonstrations of the gold recovery techniques,” noted Professor Chalker.



Dr. Max Mann, one of the study's lead authors, highlighted the scale of the problem. “This paper shows that interdisciplinary collaborations are needed to address the world's big problems managing the growing stockpiles of e-waste.”



Dr. Thomas Nicholls noted that the newly developed gold sorbent is made using a sustainable approach in which UV light is used to make the sulfur-rich polymer. He explained that recycling the polymer after the gold has been recovered further increases the green credentials of this method.



“We dived into a mound of e-waste and climbed out with a block of gold! I hope this research inspires impactful solutions to pressing global challenges," said Dr. Harshal Patel.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-path-forward-for-gold-recovery">A path forward for gold recovery</h2>



The work out of Flinders University is more than just a chemistry breakthrough. It’s a potential roadmap for how science can rethink an entire process - replacing toxic practices with something smarter, cleaner, and just as effective.



Dr. Lynn Lisboa connected the project to the bigger picture. “With the ever-growing technological and societal demand for gold, it is increasingly important to develop safe and versatile methods to purify gold from varying sources," she said.



If the new extraction method continues to succeed at larger scales, it could help rewrite how the world mines, recycles, and values one of its most sought-after elements.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-025-01586-w">Nature Sustainability</a>.



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Turning trash into treasure: Scientists are safely extracting gold from e-waste

Gold is everywhere - in our phones, computers, medical devices,...

Rodents don’t usually evolve overnight. Like most species, they change slowly through tiny shifts passed down over thousands or millions of years. But when the world changes fast, like it has in cities over the past century, some animals keep up. 



In fact, some animals even adapt to urbanization in real time. A team of researchers recently spotted signs of that kind of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/invasive-species-are-driving-rapid-evolution/">rapid evolution</a>. The clues were found in hundreds of skills sitting quietly in drawers at the Field Museum in Chicago.



The skulls weren’t newly collected specimens - they spanned more than a century. And hidden in their measurements were subtle changes that told a bigger story.



By comparing the skulls of eastern chipmunks and eastern meadow voles collected over the past 125 years, scientists at the Field Museum uncovered signs of these animals adjusting to an increasingly <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ants-can-effectively-adapt-to-urban-environments/">urban environment</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-time-machine-in-a-museum">A time machine in a museum</h2>



“Museum collections allow you to time travel,” said Stephanie Smith, a mammalogist and XCT laboratory manager at the Field Museum. 



"Instead of being limited to studying specimens collected over the course of one project, or one person’s lifetime, natural history collections allow you to look at things over a more evolutionarily relevant time scale.”



The Field Museum’s mammal collection includes over 245,000 specimens from around the world, but its home city is especially well represented. These Chicago-area animals offer a rare chance to study changes across both time and space - right in the scientists’ backyard.



“We’ve got things that are over 100 years old, and they're in just as good of shape as things that were collected literally this year,” said Smith. “We thought, this is a great resource to exploit.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-comparing-rodents-in-the-city-of-chicago">Comparing rodents in the city of Chicago</h2>



The team focused on two rodent species that still call Chicago home. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/small-mammals-play-a-vital-role-in-maintaining-forest-health/">Chipmunks</a>, which live above ground and eat a wide range of food, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-behavior-of-voles-linked-to-oxytocin-levels/">voles</a>, which live underground and mostly stick to plants. The contrast between them was part of the point.



“We chose these two species because they have different biology, and we thought they might be responding differently to the stresses of urbanization,” said Anderson Feijó, assistant curator of mammals at the Field Museum.



Two interns with the Field Museum Women in Science program - Alyssa Stringer and Luna Bian - played a central role in the work. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rodent-skulls-and-city-adaptations">Rodent skulls and city adaptations</h2>



The researchers measured the skulls of 132 chipmunks and 193 voles. The skulls hold clues about diet, body size, and even sensory abilities.



“From the skulls, we can tell a little bit about how animals are changing in a lot of different, evolutionary relevant ways - how they're dealing with their environment and how they're taking in information,” said Smith.



Stringer and Bian measured basic features of each rodent skull, like overall length and the length of the tooth rows. 



The researchers also used 3D scanning to digitally map 82 chipmunk and 54 vole skulls. This allowed them to compare tiny differences in shape across specimens using a method called geometric morphometrics.



The results revealed small but telling shifts. Chipmunks showed an increase in skull size, but their tooth rows got shorter. 



Voles developed smaller bony structures in their skulls that are tied to hearing. The changes weren’t random - but they also weren’t clearly linked to temperature or climate.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rodents-respond-to-a-louder-bigger-city">Rodents respond to a louder, bigger city</h2>



To dig deeper, the team used satellite data to track how the city grew over time. They looked at building coverage starting in the 1940s and matched those trends to the locations where specimens were collected. 



Older specimens came from areas known to be wild back then - or from downtown areas that were already developed.



“We tried very hard to come up with a way to quantify the spread of urbanization,” said Feijó. “We took advantage of satellite images showing the amount of area covered by buildings, dating back to 1940.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-changes-driven-by-urbanization">Changes driven by urbanization </h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/urbanization-is-a-threat-to-78-of-the-worlds-bird-species/">Urbanization</a>, not climate, seemed to drive the rodent skull changes. And the way each species adapted may reflect how it lives.



“Over the last century, chipmunks in Chicago have been getting bigger, but their teeth are getting smaller,” said Feijó. “We believe this is probably associated with the kind of food they're eating."



"They're probably eating more human-related food, which makes them bigger, but not necessarily healthier. Meanwhile, their teeth are smaller - we think it's because they're eating less hard food, like the nuts and seeds they would normally eat.”



As for the voles? The parts of their skulls that hold the inner ear - the auditory bullae - have shrunk. “We think this may relate to the city being loud - having these bones be smaller might help dampen excess environmental noise,” said Smith.



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



It might be tempting to see this as a success story - rodents adjusting to city life. But the scientists see it differently. 



The adaptations may help, but they’re not necessarily positive. Smaller teeth and smaller ear bones are symptoms of change, not signs of health.



“These findings clearly show that interfering with the environment has a detectable effect on wildlife,” said Feijó.



“Change is probably happening under your nose, and you don't see it happening unless you use resources like museum collections,” said Smith.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/icb/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/icb/icaf081/8158706?redirectedFrom=fulltext">Integrative and Comparative Biology</a>.



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Chicago’s rodents are evolving with the city

Rodents don’t usually evolve overnight. Like most species, they change...

If you walk through a grocery store and grab a box of breakfast cereal or a sports drink off the shelf, there’s a good chance it contains synthetic food dyes. 



These dyes aren't just in candy. They're in many foods and drinks marketed to kids. New research shows that nearly 1 in 5 packaged foods and beverages in the U.S. contains synthetic coloring agents.



The study comes from scientists at <a href="https://www.georgeinstitute.org/">The George Institute for Global Health</a>, the University of North Carolina, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The team analyzed almost 40,000 products from the top 25 U.S. food companies. 



The researchers focused on ingredients, especially in five categories that are heavily marketed to children: candy, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/children-are-consuming-more-sugary-drinks-than-ever/">sugary drinks</a>, frozen meals, breakfast cereals, and baked goods.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-numbers-behind-the-colors">The numbers behind the colors</h2>



Products aimed at kids were far more likely to contain synthetic dyes. About 28% of items in child-targeted categories had these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hundreds-of-ingredients-in-u-s-foods-are-potentially-unsafe/">additives</a>. In contrast, only 11% of products in other categories used them.



Even more concerning is the sugar connection. Products with synthetic dyes had, on average, 141% more sugar than those without them. To put that into perspective: that’s 33.3 grams of sugar per 100 grams of product, compared to 13.8 grams in dye-free products.



Dr. Elizabeth Dunford, a research fellow at The George Institute and adjunct assistant professor at the University of North Carolina, sees this as a clear red flag.



“Given the accumulation of evidence over the last 40 years pointing to the health harms of synthetic dyes, it’s disappointing to see that they’re still so prevalent in our food system, particularly in products that are designed to appeal to children,” said Dr. Dunford.



“The high levels of sugar in these brightly colored products suggests that companies are using synthetic dyes to market <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sweet-snacks-rewire-the-brain-to-prefer-unhealthy-food/">sweet foods</a> and beverages, but both ingredients are linked to poor health outcomes.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-which-brands-still-use-synthetic-dyes">Which brands still use synthetic dyes?</h2>



When it comes to brands, confectionery companies led the pack. Ferrero had synthetic dyes in 60% of its products. Mars was close behind at 52 percent. 



In beverages, the numbers were equally high. Over half of PepsiCo’s energy drinks had synthetic dyes. A striking 79% of all <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/elevated-levels-of-toxic-metals-detected-in-popular-drinks/">sports drinks</a>, no matter the brand, used them.



Dr. Thomas Galligan, principal scientist for food additives and supplements at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, noted the slow progress toward phasing these additives out.



"The FDA recently asked the food industry to voluntarily phase synthetic dyes out of the food supply, but many companies had previously made promises to stop using them and then failed to keep those promises. So, it remains to be seen if food companies will comply with this new request,” said Dr. Galligan.



“If the FDA were to require warning labels on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fda-faces-scrutiny-over-synthetic-food-dyes/">synthetically dyed foods</a>, similar to the rule in place since 2010 in the European Union, there would be a much stronger incentive for industry to reformulate."



Dr. Galligan noted that those warnings would also ensure consumers are better able to protect themselves from products sold by companies who choose not to phase dyes out entirely.



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



There may be hope on the policy front. According to Dr. Dunford, lawmakers across the U.S. are starting to act. Several states have introduced bills this year aimed at limiting or banning synthetic dyes in foods, especially those marketed to children.



“But until the regulatory process catches up with the science, parents and health-conscious consumers should always check the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/controversial-soda-additive-has-been-banned-by-the-fda/">ingredients</a> label for synthetic dyes and for high levels of added sugar. If a product contains either, you are better off not buying it, especially for your kids.”



For now, awareness is key. The colors might make snacks look fun, but what they bring along isn’t harmless. It's worth flipping the box over and reading the label - especially if it's going into a child's lunchbox.



Many healthier products skip artificial dyes entirely. Taking a few extra seconds in the store can help protect your family from unnecessary additives and their possible health effects.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://www.jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(25)00166-2/abstract">Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics</a>.



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One in five packaged foods in the U.S. contains synthetic dyes

If you walk through a grocery store and grab a...

For centuries, exercise has been prescribed as a remedy for better health, strength, and mood. We know that physical activity lowers disease risk, improves mental well-being, and boosts longevity.



Yet, what happens deep within our cells during movement has remained largely a mystery. How do cells "feel" exercise? How does that sensation translate into energy, healing, or even pain? 



A recent study by scientists at the <a href="https://www.uwa.edu.au" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Western Australia</a> and the <a href="https://www.perroninstitute.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Perron Institute</a> offers striking new answers. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-new-look-at-exercise-and-healing">A new look at exercise and healing</h2>



The research, led by Dr. Ziming Chen and Professor Minghao Zheng, shows that cells can feel external forces like stretching and convert them into energy-related responses. This could reshape how we understand exercise and healing.



The researchers found that a mechanical signal travels from the outside of a cell directly into its <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-reduces-depression-and-anxiety-in-children-and-teens-with-mental-health-issues/">energy</a> center, the mitochondria, through an organelle called the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). This signal plays a vital role in tissue health and energy regulation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-cells-sense-exercise">How cells sense exercise </h2>



The endoplasmic reticulum is usually known for building proteins. But in this study, it acts as a sensor that detects stretching or compression caused by movement. 



The ER then connects with mitochondria and shares these signals. This interaction controls energy production.



"Cells constantly experience physical forces, especially in load-bearing tissues such as tendon, muscle and lung," said Dr. Chen.



This signal chain starts with integrins and stretch-sensitive ion channels at the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/colonoscopy-vs-stool-tests-doctors-found-out-which-is-better-at-detecting-cancer/">cell</a> membrane. These sensors activate the ER. 



The endoplasmic reticulum then transmits the signal to mitochondria through a direct contact zone called the mitochondria-associated ER membrane (MAM). This structure acts like a bridge between the two organelles.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mechanical-forces-shape-energy-production">Mechanical forces shape energy production</h2>



To test their ideas, researchers built bioreactors that applied gentle strain to human tendon cells. 



Advanced imaging revealed that with moderate strain, mitochondria became longer and more active. This shape boosts their ability to produce energy.



However, too much strain caused mitochondria to fragment and malfunction. The ER also swelled and failed to communicate properly with the mitochondria. The paper shows this change triggers stress responses and limits energy production.



"We found that the endoplasmic reticulum plays a central role in converting these mechanical <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-you-position-your-arm-can-alter-blood-pressure-readings-according-to-scientists/">cues</a> into metabolic responses, controlling how cells produce energy and prevent tissue damage," said Dr. Chen.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-exercise-helps-or-harms-cells">How exercise helps or harms cells</h2>



The team discovered a “sweet spot” for mechanical stress. At this level, cells respond by enhancing mitochondrial function. 



Go beyond this, and cells enter a danger zone. Too much pressure increases ER stress, reduces mitochondrial contact, and causes energy loss.



The&nbsp;study reveals how increasing strain disrupts ER-mitochondria coupling. The cells shift from adaptive energy production to stress response and dysfunction.



"This research has significant implications for understanding how our tendons and ligaments respond to exercise and physical activity," Professor Zheng said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-beyond-exercise-broader-medical-potential">Beyond exercise: Broader medical potential</h2>



The paper outlines how this <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/soaking-in-a-hot-tub-offers-surprising-health-benefits/">mechanism</a> could potentially be beneficial for people who cannot move due to disease. 



Treatments could mimic mechanical signals to improve cell function without actual movement. This includes patients with motor neuron disease or muscle atrophy.



The discovery also links mechanical stress to chronic conditions. Misregulated ER-mitochondria coupling may contribute to diseases like asthma, tendinopathy, osteoporosis, and even hypertension. 



The study suggests future therapies could target these internal cell bridges.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-exercise-matters-for-cell-repair-nbsp">Why exercise matters for cell repair&nbsp;</h2>



This research demonstrates that cells do not just tolerate movement - they use it to adjust, energize, and repair. 



At the core of this process is a mechanical dialogue between the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria. When tuned right, this system supports health and prevents injury. When pushed too far, it breaks down.



Exercise, even gentle stretching, now appears to influence the cell in profound and unexpected ways. Physical activity sets off a chain reaction that maintains energy and stability inside the body.



The goal now is to learn how to harness this system for healing, performance, recovery, and disease treatment, especially when traditional exercise is not an option.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ads6132" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>.&nbsp;



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How cells sense exercise: A new path to health and energy

For centuries, exercise has been prescribed as a remedy for...

The move from hunting and gathering to farming changed human life forever. It shaped how we live, eat, work, and organize our communities. 



But how exactly this shift happened across regions like Anatolia and the Aegean has long been debated. Did early farmers move in and bring agriculture with them? Or did local hunter-gatherers adopt new ways on their own?



A recent study sheds light on this complex transition. Scientists from Middle East Technical University (METU) and Hacettepe University in Turkey, working with the <a href="https://www.unil.ch/unil/en/home.html">University of Lausanne</a> (UNIL) in Switzerland, used both archaeology and genetics to piece together the story. 



The research shows that the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-neolithic-mountain-settlers-used-complex-farming-methods/">Neolithic</a> shift wasn’t a one-size-fits-all process. In some places, people moved in with new ideas. In others, the ideas moved faster than the people.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-farming-spread-without-people-moving">Farming spread without people moving</h2>



By analyzing DNA and artifacts together, the team uncovered a more nuanced picture of how early farming spread. 



“In some regions of West Anatolia, we see the first transitions to village life nearly 10,000 years ago. However, we also observe thousands of years of genetic continuity, which means that populations did not migrate or mix massively, even though <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/preserving-your-cultural-traditions-drastically-improves-mental-health/">cultural transition</a> was definitely happening,” explained Dilek Koptekin, the study’s first author.



This means that, in parts of Anatolia, people were changing how they lived without being replaced by outsiders. The local communities stayed genetically stable for thousands of years - even as their tools, homes, and rituals evolved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cultural-exchange-of-farming-ideas">Cultural exchange of farming ideas</h2>



We already knew that by around 6,000 BCE, farmers from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-sheds-new-light-on-the-origins-of-the-first-farmers/">Anatolia</a> were moving into Europe, replacing hunting and gathering with agriculture. But what happened before that moment wasn’t clear. 



“Our study allows us to go back in time - to events that were mainly a matter of speculation up to now,” said Koptekin.



One of the key breakthroughs came from sequencing the genome of a 9,000-year-old individual from West Anatolia - the oldest such genome recovered from the region. 



Alongside this, the researchers looked at 29 new paleogenomes and combined that with existing data. The results pointed to something unexpected: very little change in the population’s genetic makeup for over 7,000 years.



“Genetically speaking, these people were mainly locals, meaning that their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossil-discovery-anadoluvius-turkae-suggests-humans-originated-in-europe-not-africa/">ancestors</a> had not recently arrived from elsewhere. Yet their material culture evolved rapidly: they moved from caves to houses, and adopted new tools and rituals from afar," said Anna-Sapfo Malaspinas from UNIL.



"This suggests that these communities adopted Neolithic practices by cultural exchange rather than population replacement.” 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-culture-on-the-move">Culture on the move</h2>



So how did new ideas reach these communities without large migrations? The answer might be in what the researchers call "background mobility." 



“This means a low but steady movement of individuals around different regions, perhaps linked to exchange, finding partners, or other motivations. These encounters then led to the sharing of material and ideas.” explained Mehmet Somel from METU.



Evidence of this kind of subtle movement shows up in trade goods like obsidian - volcanic glass used to make tools - found in West Anatolia but sourced from volcanoes in Central Anatolia, hundreds of kilometers away. 



It’s a clear sign that people were connected, even if they weren’t relocating in large numbers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-matching-genes-and-artifacts">Matching genes and artifacts</h2>



To get a deeper understanding of how movement and exchange worked, the team used a new approach. They matched ancient DNA data with archaeological findings by reviewing hundreds of studies and quantifying things like pottery styles, tools, and architectural remains. 



“By giving quantitative values to the archaeological data, we were able to directly compare large amounts of data across different sites for the first time,” said Çiğdem Atakuman from METU.



This allowed the researchers to see where people might have moved, and where ideas and practices like farming spread independently of population shifts.



The findings also support a long-standing saying among archaeologists: “Pots don’t equal people.” 



Just because a new style of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/baltic-pottery-reveals-ancient-culinary-traditions/">pottery</a> appears in the archaeological record doesn’t mean a new group of people moved in. “Our study confirms this notion,” said Koptekin.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-neolithic-was-a-mix-of-changes">The Neolithic was a mix of changes</h2>



Migration wasn’t completely off the table. In some parts of Anatolia, genetic data shows that around 7,000 BCE, new groups did arrive and mix with local populations. In the Aegean, too, another wave of movement brought new cultural elements that would later spread into Europe.



“These types of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/timeline-early-humans-great-migration-reached-america-challenged-again/">migration</a> events, which leave genetically visible shifts, probably comprised a small fraction of movement happening compared to background mobility,” said Füsun Özer from Hacettepe University. 



“The Neolithic, in this view, was not a single process, but a patchwork of transformations, combining cultural adoption, mobility, and at times, migration.”



Koptekin noted that humans have always been adaptive and inclined to change their way of living. "We don’t need crises or big migration events to bring about change."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-more-balanced-way-to-do-science">A more balanced way to do science</h2>



The study was primarily led by researchers based in Turkey, a point the team sees as crucial. For Malaspinas, this kind of collaboration helps science grow in a more balanced way. 



“Our collaboration shows how we, as a scientific community, should move forward to create a more inclusive and globally balanced research landscape,” she said.



By linking large-scale archaeological and genetic data, the researchers were able to move past overly simple models of how farming spread. The story is richer, more complex, and more human.



And that’s the real takeaway: change didn’t always come from conquest or collapse. Sometimes, people just tried something new - and stuck with it.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adr3326">Science</a>.



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Ideas traveled farther than people in the early days of farming

The move from hunting and gathering to farming changed human...

The story of Earth begins long before forests, oceans, or even life itself. Deep beneath our feet lie ancient stones that silently preserve the secrets of our planet’s earliest days. 



These fragments of Earth’s crust, forged during a time of violent formation and fiery beginnings, are nearly impossible to find intact. But now, a remarkable discovery of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rock-strength-shapes-the-evolution-of-earths-landscapes/">ancient</a> rocks in northern Quebec has changed everything.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-oldest-rocks-on-earth">The oldest rocks on Earth</h2>



In a quiet region near the village of Inukjuak, Nunavik, scientists have confirmed the presence of the oldest known rocks on Earth. The research team was led by Jonathan O’Neil at the <a href="https://www.uottawa.ca/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Ottawa</a>. 



The team's combined efforts proved crucial in confirming the rocks' extreme age. This discovery offers a rare glimpse into the Hadean eon - Earth’s earliest and most mysterious chapter.



"Many questions remain regarding Earth’s earliest crust owing to the rarity of Hadean (>4.03 billion-year-old) rocks and minerals," wrote the researchers.



"The Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt in Canada may be the only known remnant of Hadean crust, although its age is debated, ranging from ≥3.75 to 4.3 billion years old."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-the-hadean-eon-the-basics">Understanding the Hadean eon - the basics</h2>



The Hadean eon was Earth's wild and chaotic origin story - think fiery hellscape, not a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/was-early-earth-a-purple-planet-scientists-say-its-possible/">cozy blue planet</a>. It kicked off about 4.6 billion years ago when the solar system was still sorting itself out. 



Earth was basically a molten ball of rock, constantly bombarded by leftover space debris from the formation of the Sun and planets. We're talking massive impacts, one of which likely gave us the Moon. 



The surface was so hot it probably looked like a lava ocean, and volcanic activity was off the charts. No atmosphere as we know it - just noxious gases, steam, and a whole lot of chaos.



But here's the twist: despite all the fire and fury, Earth was laying the groundwork for life. 



By the end of the Hadean - about 4 billion years ago - things started cooling down. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-first-crust-already-had-chemical-traits-of-modern-continents/">Solid crust</a> began to form, and water from volcanic steam and comet impacts collected into oceans. 



There's even some evidence (like ancient zircon crystals) that water might’ve been around earlier than we thought. No fossils, no life (as far as we know), just the planet slowly becoming habitable.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-rocks-found-in-canada">Ancient rocks found in Canada</h2>



In 2017, Sole collected the samples near Inukjuak, a small Nunavik community. These samples sparked scientific interest due to their unusual properties and unexpectedly <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rocks-reveal-the-turning-point-when-oxygen-changed-earth-forever/">ancient</a> composition. 



After early tests, the researchers continued their work at the University of Ottawa and <a href="https://carleton.ca" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Carleton University</a>, driven by growing curiosity and increasingly promising results.



For over 15 years, scientists had debated the age of the volcanic rocks in this area. Some believed they dated to 4.3 billion years. Still, there was no clear agreement. 



The international research team finally settled the dispute with careful examination and advanced methods. "Our previous research suggested that they could date back 4.3 billion years, but this wasn’t the consensus,” said O’Neil.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clues-in-the-ancient-crust">Clues in the ancient crust</h2>



The breakthrough came when the team studied the intrusive rocks that cut through the volcanic layers. 



The researchers confirmed that these intrusions were 4.16 billion years old. That meant the volcanic rocks they crossed must be even older.



“This confirmation positions the Nuvvuagittuq Belt as the only place on Earth where we find rocks formed during the Hadean eon, that is, the first 500 million years of our planet’s history,” said O’Neil.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dating-earth-s-earliest-rocks">Dating Earth’s earliest rocks</h2>



To confirm how old the rocks were, the scientists used a powerful technique called radiometric dating. This method doesn’t guess or assume - it measures time based on the natural breakdown of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nasa-collects-26th-rock-sample-on-mars-plans-to-bring-them-all-to-earth-for-study/">elements</a> inside the rocks.



The experts focused on two specific elements: samarium and neodymium. These elements are useful because samarium slowly turns into neodymium over a very long period. 



Scientists know exactly how fast this transformation happens, almost like knowing the tick rate of a very slow and precise clock.



When the rock first formed, it had a certain amount of samarium and almost no neodymium. As billions of years passed, the samarium atoms decayed into neodymium. 



By measuring how much of each element is present today, scientists can work backward and figure out when the rock originally solidified.



The team used two different isotope systems involving these elements. Each system worked independently to measure the same time span. And both pointed to the same answer: the rocks formed 4.16 billion years ago.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-origins-of-our-planet">The origins of our planet </h2>



These rocks offer more than just a date. They provide a rare look into how the first continents formed. 



Studying the rocks may reveal the early <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/geologists-found-the-oldest-rock-in-the-us-dating-back-4-billion-years-zircon-crystals/">conditions</a> that led to life. These samples help scientists understand what Earth looked like before oceans, plants, or animals appeared.



“Understanding these rocks is going back to the very origins of our planet. This allows us to better understand how the first continents were formed and to reconstruct the environment from which life could have emerged,” O’Neil explained.



This discovery, made in the quiet northern wilderness of Quebec, is about more than ancient stones. It’s about understanding our origins. 



The research connects today’s Earth to its earliest beginnings - and helps trace the long, complex path from a barren world to one that would one day support people, forests, oceans, science, and mystery.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ads8461" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



Image Credit: Jonathan O’Neil/IUGS



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Geologists say these rocks are the oldest ever found on Earth

The story of Earth begins long before forests, oceans, or...

A single fertilized egg somehow manages to build skin, brain, and blood cells within a matter of days. But how do those first cells know which body parts to build? How do some cells know to create kidneys while other cells immediately start creating skin? 



Solving that puzzle has kept developmental biologists busy for more than a century, yet many lineage maps still look like unfinished sketches. 



Now an Australian team reports a tracking tool called LoxCode that labels every cell in a mouse embryo with a unique DNA tag and follows its descendants as tissues form. 



“This creates a trackable barcode, allowing us to peer inside this fundamental process with unprecedented detail,” said <a href="https://findaresearcher.wehi.edu.au/weber.ts" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Tom Weber</a> of the <a href="https://www.wehi.edu.au/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Walter and Eliza Hall Institute</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-loxcode-tracks-each-cell-from-the-start">LoxCode tracks each cell from the start</h2>



LoxCode relies on the Cre recombinase enzyme to shuffle short DNA cassettes, generating more than 30 billion possible <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41576-023-00624-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">barcodes</a> in a single step. 



Each label is copied faithfully as the embryo grows, so scientists can reconstruct family trees later by simple sequencing.



In pilot tests, the team injected the barcode cassette on day 5.5 of pregnancy, when the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/epiblast" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">epiblast</a> is still arranging its first germ layers. A week later they recovered fetuses and read the tags in bulk tissue and at single‑cell resolution.



“That tells us fate bias appears far earlier than textbooks suggest,” explained <a href="https://www.wehi.edu.au/researcher/shalin-naik/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Prof. Shalin Naik</a>, a laboratory head at WEHI. Some clones reached every corner of the embryo, while others stuck to ectoderm, blood, or limb buds.&nbsp;



By feeding the barcode data into an agent‑based model, the researchers predicted hidden asymmetries, like left‑versus‑right kidney precursors, and then confirmed them experimentally. 



Such computational cross‑checks strengthen confidence that the tags truly record biology, not sequencing noise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-loxcode-writes-billions-of-labels">How LoxCode writes billions of labels</h2>



Earlier <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaf7907" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lineage tracing</a> systems depended on viruses or CRISPR cuts, which can damage cells or miss subtle branches. One <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04994-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CRISPR</a> recorder captured only a few hundred unique edits across a whole zebrafish, limiting resolution.



LoxCode gets around previous limitations by using 13 short pieces of DNA, arranged so that an enzyme called <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/cre-recombinase" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cre recombinase</a> can shuffle them in many different ways. Once the pieces reach a smaller, stable size, the shuffling stops, locking the DNA tag in place for each cell.



Since each DNA piece is very short, these tags are easy to read using standard genetic sequencing tools. That makes the method affordable, even for labs without large budgets.



The team also created a special breed of mouse, called strain 037677, which is available from <a href="https://www.jax.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Jackson Laboratory</a>. Researchers can use it by pairing it with another mouse that activates the barcoding process in specific tissues.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revealing-hidden-bias-in-the-embryo">Revealing hidden bias in the embryo</h2>



<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4699068/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pluripotent cells</a> were long assumed to wait for external signals before picking a destiny. Yet the new data show many clones already lean toward one germ layer while the fetus is still the size of a poppy seed.



For instance, epiblast cells sitting near the forming early streak produced mostly blood and mesenchyme cells, matching earlier dye‑label <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nbt.4103" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studies</a> but adding single‑cell resolution.



Conversely, anterior clones favored neural tissues, hinting that position cues translate into lineage bias before gastrulation starts.



Unexpected asymmetries emerged too. The left limb bud often traced back to different founders than the right, suggesting randomness, not mirror symmetry, seeds the first skeletal blueprint.



Such insights could clarify why some <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cellular-cleanup-helps-preserve-eggs-and-fertility/">congenital disorders</a> strike only one side of the body. LoxCode also gives stem‑cell engineers reference maps for guiding organoids toward balanced growth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-brain-growth-to-stroke-repair">From brain growth to stroke repair</h2>



Because barcoding works in live mice, investigators are already adapting it to study immune development, gut regeneration, and tumor relapse. 



A neuroscientist at the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Queensland</a> is tracing how newborn neurons integrate into adult circuits after a stroke, using LoxCode to mark progenitors at the injury edge.



Cancer biologists plan to follow how therapy‑resistant clones emerge over months of drug exposure. By back‑tracking each surviving cell to its earliest barcode, they hope to spot vulnerabilities before relapse.



Drug developers could one day screen compounds that push harmful lineages back toward healthy fates. That approach pairs naturally with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rna-breakthrough-sheds-light-on-the-beginning-of-life/">single‑cell RNA</a> profiles, revealing not just where a clone goes but how its gene programs shift along the journey.



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



Developmental disorders often arise from mis‑timed cell decisions that happen weeks before clinical symptoms. 



With a cellular ancestry chart in hand, researchers can pinpoint the first wrong turn and design precise interventions.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vitamin-c-promotes-skin-renewal-and-anti-aging-at-the-genetic-level-dna-demethylation/">Gene therapies</a> that swap faulty DNA in founder cells might correct an entire lineage instead of treating tissues piecemeal. 



Similarly, transplant doctors could verify that lab‑grown grafts contain the right mixture of cell types before surgery.



Ethical questions will follow, especially if human embryos are ever tagged at comparable depth. For now, the focus stays on mice, where LoxCode already promises to rewrite textbooks on early embryonic patterning.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0092867425004611" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cell</a>.



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How do your cells know which parts of your body to build? Brilliant new tech is helping us find out

A single fertilized egg somehow manages to build skin, brain,...

The skin is our first protective barrier. With time, the outer layer, the epidermis, thins out. It loses its ability to block external harm. Keratinocytes form most of this layer, moving upward to create the skin’s shield. 



Vitamin C (VC), widely known for its antioxidant power, has also been studied many times in the past for its ability to repair skin. New research adds a deeper genetic angle to its importance.



A Japanese study, published in the&nbsp;Journal of Investigative Dermatology, shows how vitamin C thickens the skin by reactivating specific genes. It strengthens the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/our-skins-bacteria-could-be-a-natural-sunscreen/">skin</a> by encouraging cell renewal through epigenetic changes.



“VC seems to influence the structure and function of epidermis, especially by controlling the growth of epidermal cells," explains Dr. Akihito Ishigami, Vice President at Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Geriatrics and Gerontology (<a href="https://www.tmghig.jp/research/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">TMGHIG</a>), who led the research.



"In this study, we investigated whether it promotes cell proliferation and differentiation via epigenetic changes."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-vitamin-c-the-basics">Understanding vitamin C - the basics</h2>



Also known as ascorbic acid, vitamin C plays a critical role in human biology as a powerful antioxidant and essential cofactor in various enzymatic reactions. 



The body uses it to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-discover-a-protein-that-reverses-cellular-aging/">synthesize collagen</a>, a key structural protein found in skin, blood vessels, and connective tissues. 



It also assists in the production of neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine and aids in metabolizing certain amino acids. 



Unlike most animals, humans cannot synthesize vitamin C internally and must obtain it through diet - primarily from fruits and vegetables like oranges, kiwis, strawberries, bell peppers, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/broccoli-sprouts-have-more-nutritional-value-than-mature-broccoli/">broccoli</a>.



Beyond its structural and metabolic roles, vitamin C strengthens the immune system by supporting the function of white blood cells and enhancing skin’s barrier defenses. 



Its antioxidant properties help neutralize free radicals, potentially lowering the risk of chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease and cancer.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-vitamin-c-thickens-skin">How vitamin C thickens skin</h2>



Researchers wanted to see how vitamin C affects <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-electronic-skin-gives-robots-the-human-touch/">skin</a> growth. But instead of testing on real human skin, they created lab-grown skin called&nbsp;human epidermal equivalents. These are 3D skin models that behave like real skin. 



In these models, the&nbsp;top layer is exposed to air, like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hormones-may-slow-skin-aging-and-reduce-wrinkles/">human skin</a> facing the environment, while the&nbsp;bottom layer gets nutrients, just like how blood vessels nourish real skin from underneath.



They applied&nbsp;vitamin C in two doses: 0.1 and 1.0 millimolar. After 7 days, they noticed that the&nbsp;living part of the skin became thicker, meaning more skin cells had grown. 



The outermost dead <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/future-tech-will-track-emotions-through-changes-in-our-skin/">skin</a> layer didn’t change at this point. But by&nbsp;day 14, the&nbsp;living layer had thickened even more, and the&nbsp;outer dead layer had become thinner.



This suggested that vitamin C was&nbsp;making the skin produce more keratinocytes, which are the main cells that build the protective barrier.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-vitamin-c-speeds-up-cell-division">Vitamin C speeds up cell division</h2>



Samples treated with vitamin C had more Ki-67-positive cells, markers of active division and showed faster skin regeneration. The study then looked into how vitamin C enabled this increase.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/vitamin-c_skin-regeneration_epigenetic_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/vitamin-c_skin-regeneration_epigenetic_1s.webp" alt="Vitamin C promotes epidermal regeneration by activating enzymes that help in activating genes and driving DNA demethylation—a process that reactivates genes involved in cell proliferation, ultimately enhancing keratinocyte growth and leading to thicker, healthier skin. Credit: TMIG" class="wp-image-1975765"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Vitamin C promotes epidermal regeneration by activating enzymes that help in activating genes and driving DNA demethylation - a process that reactivates genes involved in cell proliferation, ultimately enhancing keratinocyte growth and leading to thicker, healthier skin. Click image to enlarge. Credit: TMIG</figcaption></figure>



They discovered that vitamin C reactivates key genes by removing methyl groups from DNA. These methyl groups silence genes. Their removal allows the genes to turn on, promoting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/teen-skin-bacteria-could-hold-the-secret-to-acne-prevention/">skin</a> cell growth and repair.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unlocking-silenced-genes">Unlocking silenced genes</h2>



TET enzymes carry out DNA demethylation. They transform 5-methylcytosine into 5-hydroxymethylcytosine. 



This step requires iron in its Fe2+ form. When iron becomes Fe3+, the process stops. Vitamin C donates electrons to turn Fe3+ back into Fe2+, keeping the process active.



The study identified more than 10,000 areas of DNA that became hypomethylated with vitamin C. Expression of 12 key genes rose between 1.6 to 75.2 times. 



When TET enzymes were blocked, the effects reversed. This confirmed the role of TET-mediated demethylation in skin thickening.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-changing-dna-structure-and-activity">Changing DNA structure and activity</h2>



The paper supports these results with additional experiments. It describes how vitamin C promotes transcriptional activation by increasing chromatin accessibility. 



Vitamin C-treated skin showed elevated <a href="https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Chromatin" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">chromatin</a> openness around growth-promoting genes.



The study shows enrichment of open chromatin regions near gene bodies related to cell proliferation. These genes are essential in epidermal development.



It further proves vitamin C’s action by displaying upregulation of genes such as&nbsp;DLX5,&nbsp;CXCL14, and&nbsp;EFNA1. These genes promote <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/keratinocyte" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">keratinocyte</a> growth and skin structure organization.



Moreover, the paper presents long-read sequencing data. This technique confirmed that vitamin C increases the expression of full-length, functional gene transcripts. 



This strengthens the idea that vitamin C not only activates genes but does so in a way that results in usable proteins.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-vitamin-c-and-skin-health">Vitamin C and skin health</h2>



To sum it all up, these findings suggest vitamin C can strengthen thin or aging skin. It works by restarting growth pathways that decline with age. It reactivates genes and supports cellular rebuilding at a molecular level.



Scientists added vitamin C directly to the skin cells, similar to how a cream or serum would deliver nutrients through the surface of the skin. When vitamin C was present, the skin cells grew more actively, leading to thicker, healthier skin layers.



“We found that VC helps thicken the skin by encouraging keratinocyte proliferation through DNA demethylation, making it a promising treatment for thinning skin, especially in older adults,” concludes Dr. Ishigami.



These changes boosted the activity of genes related to cell growth without interfering with normal skin development.



Although the researchers mentioned that vitamin C levels in the body can increase with supplements, they didn't actually study vitamin C taken by mouth. 



Instead, all the benefits observed - like stronger cell growth and healthier skin structure - came from applying vitamin C directly to the skin model in the lab. 



So, while eating fruits rich in vitamin C is still important for overall health, this study highlights how using it on the skin could help fight signs of aging and keep the skin functioning well.



Thanks to this new study and all of the research that preceded it, vitamin C may soon play a bigger role in daily skincare routines, not just as an antioxidant, but as a genetic rejuvenator.



-----



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.jidonline.org/article/S0022-202X(25)00416-6/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Investigative Dermatology</a>. 



Dr. Ishigami worked with <a href="https://iec.hokuriku-u.ac.jp/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hokuriku University</a> and <a href="https://www.rohto.co.jp/global/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ROHTO Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd</a>. Key contributors included Professors Ayami Sato, Yasunori Sato, and Toshiyuki Kimura.



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Scientists prove this common vitamin acts at the cellular level to reverse signs of facial skin aging

The skin is our first protective barrier. With time, the...

As the world grapples with climate change and resource depletion, our dinner plates are slowly evolving. A quiet revolution in meat alternatives is taking place in food science labs, kitchens, and even grocery stores. The quest for sustainable, plant-based <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meat-consumption-drove-an-evolutionary-leap-in-early-humans/">proteins</a> has never felt more urgent. 



While soy and pea proteins dominate shelves, scientists are exploring new, lesser-known crops. One such candidate for plant-based meat, sunflower seeds, is now under the spotlight thanks to a recent breakthrough from Brazil and Germany.



In a collaborative project between the Institute of Food Technology (<a href="https://www.abc.gov.br/training/informacoes/InstituicaoITAL_en.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ITAL</a>), the University of Campinas (<a href="https://unicamp.br" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UNICAMP</a>), and the Fraunhofer IVV Institute in Germany, researchers have created a new plant-based food. 



The researchers are transforming sunflower flour into a promising meat substitute. This development not only expands choices for vegetarians and vegans but also offers an environmentally sound option for meat lovers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-sunflower-turns-into-meat">How sunflower turns into meat</h2>



Sunflower flour is made by first extracting oil from the plant’s seeds. Once the oil is removed, the leftover material is processed into flour. 



However, this byproduct contains husks and phenolic compounds. These give the flour a dark color and make it harder to digest. So, the research team began by removing these unwanted parts. This step proved essential for making the flour fit for human consumption.



Once refined, the flour became a viable base for two kinds of meat <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lab-grown-chicken-just-got-a-flavor-and-texture-boost/">alternatives</a>. The first version used flour made from roasted grains. The second version used textured sunflower protein. 



Both recipes were boosted with tomato powder and spices. Oils such as sunflower, olive, and linseed were blended in to improve nutrition and taste. 



After shaping the mixture into mini-burgers, the patties were baked and examined through both sensory and lab-based tests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-baking-testing-and-analyzing">Baking, testing, and analyzing</h2>



The results of these tests showed something promising. The textured sunflower protein burgers stood out. They had better consistency, richer protein content, and a good dose of healthy fats. 



These included monounsaturated fatty acids, which are known for their heart health <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meat-protein-boosts-survival-but-plants-boost-longevity/">benefits</a>. Additionally, this version of the product was packed with key minerals.



The textured option delivered remarkable levels of nutrients. It offered 49% of the recommended daily intake (RDI) for iron, 68% for zinc, 95% for magnesium, and 89% for manganese. These figures suggest that sunflower protein can contribute meaningfully to daily nutritional needs. 



As the demand for plant-based proteins grows, this research points to a new option that supports both health and sustainability.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sunflower-as-a-clean-meat-alternative">Sunflower as a clean meat alternative</h2>



The researchers chose sunflower seeds due to their rising popularity in both Brazil and Europe. Sunflower oil already holds a strong presence in European kitchens, and sunflower farming is expanding across Brazilian fields. 



Unlike many other plant protein sources, sunflowers are not genetically modified. This can be an important factor for consumers seeking clean-label foods.



Another driving factor is the increasing call for eco-friendly eating habits. Sunflower flour aligns with this trend by making use of existing agricultural outputs in new ways. 



What was once considered a byproduct is transformed into a protein-rich food <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-humans-first-used-fire-to-preserve-meat-instead-of-cooking/">source</a>. That’s why this study could have a significant impact on both farming and food manufacturing industries.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-taste-and-texture-of-sunflower-meat">Taste and texture of sunflower meat</h2>



For plant-based meat to succeed, taste and texture matter just as much as nutrition. Many plant proteins suffer from strong, sometimes bitter, flavors. Sunflower flour seems to avoid that issue. 



“It should also be noted that, after removing the husks and phenolic compounds, the flour has a very neutral taste and aroma, especially compared to the various vegetable proteins on the market,” said Maria Teresa Bertoldo Pacheco, lead researcher at ITAL’s Center for Food Science and Quality.



Thanks to its neutral flavor, sunflower flour adapts easily to a wide range of recipes. It lets seasonings and textures take center stage without competing background notes, making it a versatile base for creative cooking. This subtle taste profile also makes it more appealing to selective eaters. 



For those cutting back on meat but not willing to compromise on flavor, sunflower-based alternatives could provide a smoother, more satisfying transition.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-essential-acids-and-technological-needs">Essential acids and technological needs</h2>



Beyond taste, sunflower flour holds another secret weapon - essential amino acids. These are the building blocks of protein that the body cannot produce on its own. 



“Pacheco also points out that the product has a favorable composition of essential amino acids. This is another factor that could lead to its incorporation into the food industry as a meat product substitute from a nutritional point of view,” noted the researchers.



However, achieving the ideal meat-like texture remains a challenge. For this, specific production methods are required. 



“From a functional-technological standpoint, processes that build fibrous proteins, such as extrusion, are needed to deliver a product with a more meat-like appearance and texture,” said Pacheco. 



Extrusion technology helps create a chewy, meat-like structure that consumers expect from traditional meat products.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-benefits-of-global-teamwork">Benefits of global teamwork </h2>



The study not only showcases scientific ingenuity but also reflects the benefits of international collaboration. 



The joint research between Brazilian and German teams marks a milestone in food innovation. Their combined expertise made it possible to refine techniques, share methods, and expand knowledge across borders.



“I think the study provided a lot of positive references, both for making full use of the cultivar and for encouraging the consumption and appreciation of the flour," said Pacheco. 



"The partnership with German researchers was also very important, thanks to the sharing of working techniques, the exchange of knowledge, and the exchange of students and researchers."



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



As plant-based eating becomes more than a passing trend, innovations like sunflower flour can change the game. By using a byproduct of oil extraction, this project turns waste into value. 



With its neutral taste, rich nutrition, and non-GMO status, sunflower flour is ready for more than just research labs. It could soon appear in supermarket aisles and home kitchens, shaped into familiar forms like burgers and sausages. 



Sunflower protein may also inspire other countries to explore local crops with untapped potential. In a world searching for healthy and planet-friendly solutions, this humble seed has much more to offer.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0963996925004958?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Food Research International</a>.



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Sunflower protein could change the future of sustainable meat

As the world grapples with climate change and resource depletion,...

Sunlight is nature’s most efficient tool for evaporating water. A recent study from North Carolina State University reveals that the key lies not in heat, but in the oscillating electric field that light carries. 



This field interacts with water molecules in a unique way, helping them escape into the air faster than when heated by conventional <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-water-day-2025-preserving-glaciers-protecting-our-future/">sources</a>.



Study lead author Saqlain Raza, a PhD student at <a href="https://www.ncsu.edu/">NC State</a>, noted that it's well established that the sun is exceptionally good at causing water to evaporate - more efficient than heating water on the stove, for instance.



“However, it has not been clear exactly why. Our work highlights the role that electric fields play in this process," said Raza. 



The researchers simulated water evaporation using molecular dynamics. These simulations allowed them to pinpoint how sunlight’s electric field speeds up the evaporation process by acting on clusters of water molecules at the surface.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-heat-doesn-t-boost-water-evaporation">Heat doesn't boost water evaporation </h2>



The team compared evaporation from pure water and water contained in hydrogels under thermal conditions. When both systems received the same heat input, the evaporation rate remained the same. 



This showed that the presence of hydrogel alone does not boost evaporation beyond thermal limits.



The researchers also investigated the idea that hydrogels reduce water's latent heat through the formation of intermediate water states. 



However, the interaction energy of intermediate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/water-might-have-formed-long-before-galaxies/">water</a> was only about twelve percent lower than free water. This small difference does not justify the much higher evaporation rates seen in previous experiments.



The simulations confirmed that intermediate water states do not make evaporation significantly easier. Most of the enhanced evaporation seen in experiments must result from another factor.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sunlight-has-a-secret-weapon">Sunlight has a secret weapon</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-the-sun-might-be-making-water-on-the-moon/">Sunlight</a> is not just thermal energy. It is an electromagnetic wave with an electric field that oscillates. This field can interact with polar water molecules. 



The researchers mimicked this effect by applying an alternating electric field during their simulations. They found that when this field was active, water evaporated much faster.



“Light is an electromagnetic wave, which consists - in part - of an oscillating electric field,” said study co-author Jun Liu. 



“We found that if we removed the oscillating electric field from the equation, it takes longer for sunlight to evaporate water. But when the field is present, water evaporates very quickly.”



In the simulation, water in hydrogels exposed to the electric field evaporated 2.3 times faster than with heat alone. Pure water evaporated 1.44 times faster under the same conditions. These results point to the electric field as the primary driver of enhanced evaporation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-sunlight-boosts-water-evaporation">How sunlight boosts water evaporation</h2>



Water at the surface does not always evaporate as single molecules. It can also leave the surface as clusters of molecules connected by hydrogen bonds. The study found that electric fields are especially effective at breaking these clusters off.



“Evaporation either frees individual water molecules, which drift away from the bulk of liquid water, or it frees water clusters,” said Raza.



“We found that the oscillating electric field is particularly good at breaking off water clusters. This is more efficient, because it doesn’t take more energy to break off a water cluster (with lots of molecules) than it does to break off a single molecule,” explained Liu.



Hydrogels create conditions where more clusters form near the surface. Their polymer networks disturb the normal hydrogen bonding of water, making clusters more common and easier to cleave under the electric field.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hydrogels-help-but-only-with-light">Hydrogels help but only with light</h2>



The simulations showed that the presence of a hydrogel alone did not increase evaporation under heat. However, when an electric field was added, the rate increased significantly. Hydrogels seem to help by promoting the formation of surface <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/discovery-about-earths-bending-rivers-could-help-us-find-water-on-other-planets/">clusters</a> that the field can act upon.



In one analysis, the researchers found that nearly half of the clusters formed in hydrogel systems condensed back into the water without evaporating. But with the electric field turned on, many of these clusters broke into smaller groups or single molecules that could escape more easily.



The electric field not only helped free clusters but also increased the number of clusters at the surface. This likely happens because the field breaks large clusters into smaller ones that are more prone to evaporation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-photomolecular-effect-in-action">Photomolecular effect in action</h2>



This work supports the photomolecular effect, a theory that explains how light can eject water molecules and clusters from the surface through evaporation. 



The study showed that the electric field enables water evaporation by exciting water at the interface, causing it to separate and escape.



Simulations also showed that under real sunlight frequencies, evaporation increased, but only at very high electric field strengths. This limitation stems from the computational model, which could not capture the full spectrum of light’s interaction with water.



Still, the pattern is clear. Light acts not only through heat, but through field-driven interaction with water molecules.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-toward-future-applications">Looking toward future applications</h2>



This study opens the door for new technologies in solar desalination and clean water production. Understanding the role of the electric field means engineers can design materials that enhance this effect. 



The researchers suggest testing evaporation across different frequencies and materials, and using tools like infrared and Raman spectroscopy to track water clusters.



Experiments with antenna-driven electric fields could also help measure how water responds to oscillating energy at different scales. These insights will be essential for building efficient and sustainable water systems powered by sunlight.



“This work substantially advances our understanding of what’s taking place in this phenomenon, since we are the first to show the role of the water clusters via computational simulation,” said Liu.



By focusing on how sunlight affects water molecules at the interface, this study lays the foundation for more effective water evaporation methods and clean water solutions.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2025/mh/d5mh00353a" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Materials Horizons</a>.



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Sunlight's hidden power supercharges water evaporation

Sunlight is nature’s most efficient tool for evaporating water. A...

We’ve all encountered nosy coworkers - the ones who always seem to appear just as you're having a private chat. They ask questions that feel a little too personal. They linger by your desk a bit longer than necessary, just within earshot of your conversation or a glance at your screen.



Telling the difference between friendly interest and intrusive nosiness isn’t always easy. One person’s casual question can feel like a violation to someone else. Some people are open books, but others prefer to keep their personal lives to themselves.



That gap in expectations has made it tough for researchers to pin down when curiosity becomes a problem at work - until now.



A team of scientists from <a href="https://www.bu.edu/">Boston University</a> and the University of Central Florida has taken a hard look at workplace nosiness. They set out to answer a simple but tricky question: what does it really mean to be nosy at work?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-common-traits-of-nosy-coworkers">Common traits of nosy coworkers </h2>



The research began with surveys of 350 young adults. Participants were asked to describe what nosiness looks like at work. How does it show up? How often does it happen? What does it feel like?



From there, the scientists ran four studies to identify common traits of nosy coworkers and build a scale to measure how intrusive someone might be - both in professional and personal ways. 



The researchers categorized behaviors like frequent questioning, gossip, and pushing for private details into a framework that organizations can now use to track this kind of behavior.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-working-definition-of-nosiness">A working definition of nosiness </h2>



One of the study’s key insights is that nosiness isn’t just what someone does. It’s also how their behavior is perceived.



“If you think of nosiness as a perception or an appraisal of someone else’s information-seeking behaviors, there’s a lot of individual variables - personality, hostile biases - that could determine why someone is more or less likely to perceive someone else as being nosy,” said Richard Currie, an organizational psychologist at Boston University.



In other words, it’s not always about intent. It’s about how it feels. The researchers settled on this working definition of nosiness: “employees’ intrusive attempts to obtain private information from others at work.”



“Defining nosiness is a really big step forward,” they explained. "We came to a firm definition of how it’s different from other related constructs - like social curiosity - that in and of themselves don’t necessarily have overly negative implications; nosiness does, so it truly is a distinct phenomenon.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nosiness-less-sharing-and-more-stress">Nosiness: Less sharing and more stress</h2>



Once they nailed down how to measure nosiness, the next step was to test what it does to workplace culture. Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t help.



In organizations where nosiness is more common, employees are more likely to shut down. The study found they protect themselves by withholding information - even when that knowledge could help their team. 



High levels of workplace intrusiveness correlated with increased stress and lower job performance.



“Employees react to nosiness by pulling down the shutters,” the researchers explained. They tighten their boundaries and share less with the people around them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nosy-behavior-in-competitive-workplaces">Nosy behavior in competitive workplaces </h2>



The experts also noticed another pattern: companies with a strong sense of internal competition tended to have more nosy behavior. 



In environments where employees feel like they’re constantly being compared to each other or fighting for limited opportunities, they’re more likely to pry - and be on guard.



A further detail stood out: younger workers were more likely than older workers to report engaging in nosy behavior. That finding raises questions about how different generations approach privacy, both in giving and receiving personal information.



“Interestingly, we found that younger workers reported engaging in nosy behaviors more than older workers did,” Currie said. 



“I find that to be a fascinating finding. I do wonder if that translates to generational differences - not only in your likelihood of engaging in nosiness or being appraised by others as being nosy, but also how you appraise and respond to others.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-the-boss-gets-nosy">When the boss gets nosy</h2>



The implications go beyond casual office gossip. The team behind the study also tested how nosiness from supervisors affects staff - especially in the field of hospitality, where the line between “professional” and “personal” often blurs.



“We found workers’ shared supervisor nosiness perceptions negatively impacted employee perceptions of interpersonal justice, which ultimately reduced their likelihood of engaging in knowledge-sharing behavior,” said Currie. 



He also noted that when supervisors were more authentic and trusting, this weakened the negative relationship between nosiness and interpersonal justice, which led to more knowledge sharing. 



So while being too curious can make staff feel uncomfortable, a leader who’s open and genuine can soften the blow.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-pressure-to-share">The pressure to share</h2>



For the lead author from Boston University, this topic is personal. "I think we all have been in situations where others felt entitled to our feelings, ourselves in some way,” Currie said.



“What really sparked my interest in workplace privacy is this modern push for authenticity - it sounds healthy to bring your whole self to work, but it seems like it’s almost eroding boundaries between professional and personal lives." 



"That creates pressure, discomfort, perhaps burnout and stress - I wanted to explore that tension a little bit.”



The more we’re encouraged to show up as our “full selves” at work, the less clear it becomes what’s fair game for conversation. And that’s where nosiness creeps in. 



Since starting this research, Currie admits he has become more mindful of his own behavior. "Being the nosiness researcher, you can’t be nosy,” he joked.



The topic has also made its way into his classroom, helping future managers think about how their own curiosity might be perceived by staff. Currie said that it is important for students to understand that people are really complex.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-do-we-deal-with-nosy-coworkers">How do we deal with nosy coworkers?</h2>



The solution to dealing with nosy coworkers is still up for debate. “People are interesting and, naturally, all of us want to know more about the people we encounter regularly,” noted Currie.



“Sometimes, I find myself being overly curious about what others in my workplace and outside of work are doing, so I do keep in check my nosiness behaviors. But I’d also like to believe that I’m not policing others’ information-seeking.”



The full solution? That’s for future research to unpack. But in the meantime, knowing the line between curiosity and intrusion is a good place to start.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10869-025-10018-7">Journal of Business and Psychology</a>.



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How nosy coworkers affect the dynamics of the workplace

We’ve all encountered nosy coworkers - the ones who always...

<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=2E0mn5mTvhQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that scientists never expected.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-waters-beneath-ancient-craters">Hidden waters beneath ancient craters</h2>



Scientists have made a startling discovery that challenges everything we thought we knew about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saturn-moon-mimas-has-remarkably-young-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Saturn's moon Mimas</a>. Beneath the heavily cratered surface that earned it the nickname "Death Star" lies a global ocean that formed just 5 to 15 million years ago—a remarkably young age by cosmic standards.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cassini-data-reveals-orbital-secrets">Cassini data reveals orbital secrets</h2>



The discovery, led by Dr. Valéry Lainey of the <a href="https://observatoiredeparis.psl.eu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Observatoire de Paris</a>, emerged from careful analysis of <a href="https://www.nasa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>'s Cassini spacecraft data. By studying subtle irregularities in Mimas's orbit around Saturn, researchers detected the gravitational signature of liquid water hidden 20 to 30 kilometers beneath the moon's icy shell.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-unlikely-ocean-world">An unlikely ocean world</h2>



At only 400 kilometers in diameter, Mimas seemed like the least likely candidate to harbor a subsurface ocean. Unlike other ocean moons such as Europa and Enceladus, which show clear surface signs of internal activity, Mimas displays no obvious hints of the liquid water beneath its ancient, crater-scarred exterior.



"Mimas is a small moon, and its heavily cratered surface gave no hint of the hidden ocean beneath," explained Dr. Nick Cooper from <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queen Mary University of London</a>, a study co-author.



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



The ocean's recent formation makes Mimas a prime target for studying how oceans develop and potentially support life. This discovery adds another member to the exclusive club of ocean worlds in our solar system, each offering unique insights into the conditions necessary for habitability.



The research, published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a> journal, demonstrates how advanced orbital analysis can reveal hidden features of celestial bodies, opening new possibilities for understanding ocean formation throughout the cosmos.



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Scientists discover unexpected young ocean on Saturn's cratered moon Mimas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E0mn5mTvhQ 'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that...

<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

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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

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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

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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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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