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...

Most of us think of smartwatches as tools to keep tabs on our steps, sleep, or heart rate. But what if these devices could do more than just track wellness habits? What if they could give us a head start on stopping a pandemic before it spreads?



That possibility is closer than it sounds. A study published earlier this year shows that smartwatches can detect subtle signs of illness hours before a person even feels sick. 



Scientists at <a href="https://www.tamu.edu/index.html">Texas A&amp;M University</a> and Stanford University modeled how this kind of early detection could play a major role in slowing, or even stopping, the spread of infectious diseases like COVID-19 or the flu.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smartwatches-sense-symptoms-early">Smartwatches sense symptoms early</h2>



Using a computational model, the research team found that smartwatches could reduce the risk of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predicting-disease-transmission-between-wildlife-and-humans/">disease transmission</a> by nearly 50 percent. Why? These devices can detect physical changes that occur before symptoms appear.



Dr. Martial Ndeffo-Mbah is an assistant professor in the Texas A&amp;M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS), in the Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences.



"Even before a person starts showing symptoms of disease, there are physiological changes that happen to their body - like an increase in temperature or a change in sleeping pattern - that are usually too subtle for a person to notice but that can be detected by a smartwatch," he said. 



The key is catching the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-do-we-quantify-the-risk-of-a-covid-infection/">infection</a> early. If people get alerted by their smartwatch to potential illness, they can isolate, get tested, and reduce the chance of passing the disease to others.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-responding-before-symptoms-hit">Responding before symptoms hit</h2>



People often don’t act until they feel clearly sick - a delay that makes outbreaks harder to control.



"Research on influenza indicates that most people initiate treatment quite late, many days after the onset of symptoms, when they should ideally begin treatment before symptoms begin," said Dr. Ndeffo-Mbah.



"Even in the presymptomatic stage, infected individuals are often contagious; studies have shown that as much as 44% of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-death-toll-of-covid-19-pandemic-revealed/">COVID-19</a> infections were transmitted by presymptomatic individuals."



This delay in action makes it harder to control outbreaks. But smartwatches could change that by detecting symptoms early and making alerts personal and immediate.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smartwatches-bring-personal-warnings">Smartwatches bring personal warnings</h2>



Smartwatches could help people take public health guidelines more seriously. By turning early signs of illness into real-time alerts, they make the risk feel immediate, even if you feel fine.



"The protocols for COVID-19 included steps like isolating even after being in contact with someone who is sick, but many people tend to ignore that advice if they don’t feel sick themselves," said Dr. Ndeffo-Mbah.



"With a smartwatch, you could find out in real time - with a high degree of accuracy - if you are starting to get ill, which would hopefully give you a stronger motivation to follow protocols."



Dr. Ndeffo-Mbah noted that while the research focused on two specific respiratory diseases, there is a lot of potential to use smartwatches as a preventative tool for many other illnesses, including RSV. 



"Whenever the immune system responds to infection, there will be physiological changes that a smartwatch could help detect."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smartwatches-fill-testing-gaps">Smartwatches fill testing gaps</h2>



Testing is still critical. It gives people a definitive answer and helps track outbreaks. But smartwatches could help fill a major gap in testing behavior.



"During the COVID-19 pandemic, at-home testing kits became very popular, which is a good thing because they’re a great public health tool," said Dr. Ndeffo-Mbah.



People often use tests only when they feel sick or need to travel, and since they typically test just once, that’s not frequent enough to catch every infection - especially early ones.



"If you can seek treatment early, you may be able to prevent the worst symptoms from occurring, which is particularly important for high-risk and immunocompromised individuals."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wearables-reshape-public-health">Wearables reshape public health</h2>



Getting people to follow health guidelines is never easy. Fatigue, inconvenience, and skepticism often get in the way. 



"If you wake up in the morning and feel a little tired, you’re probably not going to assume that you need to get tested for COVID-19 or the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/long-flu-may-be-more-harmful-to-the-brain-than-covid/">flu</a>, especially when some of the tests involve nose swabbing and other hassles," said Dr. Ndeffo-Mbah.



Smartwatches may encourage testing and reduce contact before symptoms appear, especially among people missed by traditional methods. The potential is huge, but there’s still work to be done.



"Teams are working on the science and epidemiology side, and developers are working on the technology," he said. "Because there is so much potential good that this technology can do, we are working hard to make sure we get it right."



The future of disease prevention might already be on your wrist. And with the right tools, it could make a difference when it matters most. Pandemics move fast. Smartwatches could help us move faster.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/4/3/pgaf044/8046445">PNAS Nexus</a>.



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Smartwatches show promise for early disease detection

Most of us think of smartwatches as tools to keep...

There is an apparent paradox in evolutionary theory. The rate of evolution seems to run like a sprinter over a few million years yet crawl over tens of millions, a pattern so regular that textbooks use it to link microevolution with macroevolution.&nbsp;



For decades, biologists treated that apparent increase in evolutionary rate as biological truth, arguing that young groups diversify faster than old ones, shed species more quickly, and tweak body plans at record pace. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolutionary-rate-paradox">Evolutionary rate paradox </h2>



Early molecular studies showed that mutation rates estimated from contemporary samples were 5-20 times higher than those calibrated with fossils drawn from deep <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/physicists-confirm-the-incredible-existence-of-time-mirrors/">time</a>, jolting confidence in the evolutionary “<a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.12.02.569704v1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">clock</a>.” 



Paleontologists spotted the same mismatch in the rock record: the evolutionary rate in newly arisen dinosaur lineages seemed faster than in lineages that had persisted for tens of millions of years.



Some theorists proposed that ecological opportunity drives early bursts, while competitive saturation dulls the pace later on. 



Others hinted that developmental constraints lock traits into “optimal” configurations and slow further change, an idea that made intuitive sense but resisted firm testing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-statistical-noise-warps-the-picture">Statistical noise warps the picture </h2>



A research team led by Brian C. O’Meara at the <a href="https://www.utk.edu/">University of Tennessee</a> and Jeremy M. Beaulieu at the <a href="https://www.uark.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Arkansas</a> has recently investigated this paradox of evolutionary theory. 



O’Meara and Beaulieu built a simulation that treats every evolutionary rate estimate as a fraction - change in trait divided by elapsed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/negative-time-observed-measured-tangible-in-new-quantum-experiments/">time</a> - and then distributed measurement error evenly across every numerator.



Because the denominator (time) varies wildly while the error does not, the ratio traces a <a href="https://math.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Algebra/Algebra_and_Trigonometry_1e_(OpenStax)/12%3A_Analytic_Geometry/12.02%3A_The_Hyperbola" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hyperbola</a> that plummets with age - exactly the pattern that inspired all those stories of adaptation.



“By employing a novel statistical approach, we found that this time‑independent noise … makes it seem like evolutionary rates increase over shorter time frames when, in fact, they do not,” explained O’Meara.&nbsp;



When the team randomized real datasets, shuffling trait differences while leaving times intact, the fake data reproduced more than 85 percent of the scatter found in genuine evolutionary rate studies. This level of mimicry stunned even longtime rate‑modelers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-running-the-numbers">Running the numbers</h2>



The analysis covered molecular substitutions in birds and primates, body‑size shifts in mammals and lizards, speciation surges in flowering plants, and extinction tallies drawn from conservation lists.&nbsp;



Across five independent datasets totaling almost 9,000 evolutionary rate estimates, the fitted curves showed the same steep drop in the first 10 million years followed by a flattening tail, just what the noise model predicts.



In one mammal dataset, the median coefficient of variation for repeated measurements at the same age was 0.59, meaning the standard <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/traditional-computers-verify-errors-made-by-quantum-computers/">error</a> was more than half the mean value. 



Put differently, five percent of those “measurements” would have placed the Eiffel Tower shorter than a giraffe or taller than twice its real height - an error band that is wide enough to drown any subtle biological signal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-viral-evolution-and-the-cosmos">Viral evolution and the cosmos</h2>



The statistical noise idea echoes work on viral evolution, where apparent mutation‑rate “decay” with time has been traced to mutational saturation and sampling bias rather than to fundamental shifts in replication chemistry.&nbsp;



Astronomers face a parallel dilemma: the “<a href="https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/nasas-webb-hubble-telescopes-affirm-universes-expansion-rate-puzzle-persists/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hubble tension</a>” arises because recent supernova surveys and ancient cosmic‑microwave‑background data give different expansion rates. 



Some physicists now attribute the Hubble discrepancy, at least partly, to mismatched error structures.



Both cases remind scientists that plotting a ratio (rate) against one of its components (<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/time-may-not-just-move-forward-experts-say-it-could-rewind/">time</a>) courts mathematical traps unless errors are modeled explicitly. 



The new study argues that evolutionary biology has been caught in just such a trap, mistaking geometry for genetics.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-next-steps-in-evolutionary-rate-research">Next steps in evolutionary rate research</h2>



Comparative methods that search a phylogeny for bursts of trait change may flag any young <a href="https://evolution.berkeley.edu/the-tree-room/evolutionary-trees-a-primer/clades-within-clades/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">clade</a> as “rapidly evolving” even when its true rate of change matches the background, simply because less time has accrued to dilute measurement error.



Diversification analyses that exclude small groups with zero speciation events risk overestimating average rates near the present, further skewing the perceived trend. 



O’Meara suggests that researchers of evolutionary theory adopt fixed‑window approaches, examining change per 100,000 years or per 1 million years, much as <a href="https://www.environmentalscience.org/dendrochronology-tree-rings-tell-us" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dendrochronologists</a> study tree rings, thereby holding the denominator constant.



He also urges journals to require explicit error terms for trait means, branch‑length estimates, and dating calibrations - allowing models to partition signal from noise instead of forcing error to zero by fiat.



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



Far from closing the doors of research into evolution rates, the work clears the field to tackle fresh questions: which traits truly <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-tunneling-allow-particles-break-light-speed-barrier/">speed</a> up or slow down over time, and under what ecological or genetic circumstances? 



With the hyperbolic mirage out of the way, biologists can focus on signals that remain after accounting for error, signals that may illuminate how life diversifies, adapts, and sometimes stalls.



Tools developed for sequencing error in virology or for tip‑dating in paleogenomics could be repurposed to model measurement uncertainty in comparative datasets from diverse branches of the tree of life.&nbsp;



“Biology is rich in mysteries: actually answering one lets us move on to the next,” wrote the authors in an unpublished summary of their work. The statement highlights their view that solving the rate paradox frees, rather than constrains, evolutionary thought.



The study is published in <a href="https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012458" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS Computational Biology</a>.



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Scientists debunk key evolutionary theory as "statistical noise"

There is an apparent paradox in evolutionary theory. The rate...

Killer whales have been spotted doing something unexpected: using seaweed to massage one another.



Experts observed them breaking off pieces of kelp, placing it between themselves and another whale, and rolling it between their bodies. The behavior looks deliberate - and it’s something researchers had never seen before.



The discovery was made by scientists at the Center for Whale Research, working with the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>. They used high-quality drone footage to study southern resident killer whales in the Salish Sea, off the coast of Washington State. 



What they saw was new: pairs of whales using kelp together in a way that might count as tool use - a first for marine mammals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-whales-shared-seaweed">Whales shared seaweed</h2>



Killer whales have long been known to engage in “<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/whales-play-with-seaweed-and-roll-in-its-antibacterial-properties/">kelping</a>,” a term used when they rub themselves with seaweed. But this new behavior goes further. The whales aren’t just grabbing kelp for themselves. They’re using it with each other - what the scientists are calling “allokelping.”



What makes this behavior stand out is how the kelp is used. Whales were seen selecting it, trimming it, and then coordinating with a partner to rub it between their bodies. That makes it more like tool-making than simple play.



“We were amazed when we first noticed this behavior,” said Dr. Michael Weiss of the <a href="https://www.whaleresearch.com/">Center for Whale Research</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-whales-favor-kin-for-kelping">Whales favor kin for "kelping"</h2>



The whales didn’t allokelp randomly. Most of the time, they did it with relatives - especially close maternal kin - or whales of similar age. The researchers think it may help strengthen social bonds or even benefit <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mysterious-skin-disease-threatens-endangered-killer-whales/">skin health</a>.



“Bull kelp stalk is firm but flexible, like a filled garden hose, with a slippery outer surface. I suspect these features make it an ideal grooming tool,” said Weiss.



“What I find remarkable about this behavior is just how widespread it is in the population. Males and females of all life stages and from all three southern resident pods were seen using kelp in this way. All evidence points to it being an important part of their social lives.”



Allokelping was seen on two-thirds of the observation days. Based on the consistency, the researchers think it might be universal within the group.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-quality-of-drone-footage">Quality of drone footage</h2>



So why hadn’t anyone noticed it before? The quality of drone footage made all the difference.



“This population of whales has been formally studied for 50 years - the best-studied <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sign-of-the-times-solitary-orcas-are-hunting-great-whites/">orcas</a> on the planet - and yet major new discoveries can still be made,” said Rachel John, a graduate student studying animal behavior at the University of Exeter.



According to John, the researchers hadn’t noticed ‘allokelping’ before because the videos being collected from their previous aircraft weren’t of high enough quality, but the footage we’re getting now shows this behavior in great detail.



She recalled the moment they realized what they were seeing: “Drone cameras allow us to see things that were invisible to us from boats or the shore. I was watching one of those really close-up videos when I saw something that looked like a brown stick between two whales that were in contact with each other."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kelping-behavior-of-killer-whales">Kelping behavior of killer whales</h2>



John said her team didn’t think much of this at first, but they had also noticed pairs of whales staying in contact with each other for long periods - several minutes at a time.



"We looked back at lots of videos and realized that rubbing kelp between their bodies wasn’t just a one-off thing - it was happening all the time," she noted.



"Once we saw whales breaking off pieces of kelp intentionally, it became clear that this is not just play - this is something important in the social lives of the southern resident killer whales.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-importance-of-touch">The importance of touch </h2>



Professor Darren Croft, of the University of Exeter and the Center for Whale Research, thinks the answer lies in the importance of touch. “We know touch is really important," he said. “In primates - including humans - <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-discover-a-hidden-way-that-humans-feel-and-sense-touch/">touch</a> moderates stress and helps to build relationships."



“We know killer whales often make contact with other members of their group - touching with their bodies and fins - but using kelp like this might enhance this experience."



This behavior may also play a role in skin health. Whales and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dolphins-hear-special-whistles-and-change-their-behavior/">dolphins</a> use a variety of strategies to shed dead skin - and this could be yet another adaptation serving that purpose.



“Brown algae like bull kelp also have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that may provide further benefits to the whales," Croft said.



Scientists are now working to confirm these initial findings and investigate the social and skin health benefits of this behavior.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-population-on-the-brink">A population on the brink</h2>



As of July 2024, there were only 73 southern resident killer whales left. They don’t breed with other killer whale groups. That makes them a closed population - and a critically endangered one.



Their main food source is <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/distinctly-different-chinook-salmon-are-part-of-the-same-population/">Chinook salmon</a>, which is also declining. The salmon face pressure from overfishing, habitat destruction, climate change, and pollution. On top of that, whales have to deal with noise and chemical pollution from boats and industry.



Dr. Weiss warned that without significant change, the future of southern resident killer whales looks grim.



“Under the status quo, all of our projections indicate the population will continue to decline," he said. “They are struggling to find enough of the large Chinook salmon needed to survive and successfully rear their young.



“We often think about biodiversity in terms of protecting the phenotypic variation we see in animal populations - such as differences in size, shape, and color. However, conserving cultural and behavioral variation may be just as important."



Dr. Weiss added that allokelping is yet another piece of evidence of the southern residents’ uniqueness. If we lose them, he said, we lose so much more than 73 individual animals or a genetic lineage.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-vanishing-kelp-forests">Vanishing kelp forests</h2>



The new findings also suggest that the future survival of southern resident killer whales may face an added threat: the decline of kelp forests they rely on for grooming tools. This decline is being driven by rising ocean temperatures linked to global warming.



Protecting the kelp forests where these whales craft their grooming tools could be vital to preserving their unique cultural behavior. It may also help ensure the long-term survival of the southern resident killer whale population.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)00450-6?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982225004506%3Fshowall%3Dtrue">Current Biology</a>.



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Killer whales use kelp to massage and groom each other

Killer whales have been spotted doing something unexpected: using seaweed...

The hairy frogfish looks more like a tuft of drifting seaweed than a hunter. Yet beneath the mop of filaments sits an anglerfish that can inhale prey faster than most cameras can blink.



Marine ecologist Dr. Maarten De Brauwer of <a href="https://research.csiro.au/environomics/our-people/early-career-researchers-separate-bios/dr-maarten-brauwer/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Curtin University</a> first noticed that the fish’s lure shines neon orange under blue light, while the rest of the body stays dull. 



His team’s 2016 field <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00338-016-1493-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">survey</a> on Philippine reefs linked that glow to free‑swimming worms that share the same color and size.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hairy-frogfish-hides-by-copying-reef-textures">Hairy frogfish hides by copying reef textures</h2>



The hairy frogfish belongs to the anglerfish <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/frogfish-lure-their-prey-with-a-built-in-fishing-rod-and-bait/">family</a>, but instead of lurking in the deep it prowls coral rubble in tropical shallows. 



A coat of branching spinules lets it copy the texture of algae, sponge, or coral until the head seems to vanish into the seafloor.



Individuals can swap pattern and shade within weeks, shifting from lemon yellow to mottled black as sediment, light, and growth change around them. 



That rapid makeover is a textbook example of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022519323002801" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Batesian mimicry</a>, a tactic where harmless looks discourage predators while inviting unsuspecting prey.



Sight alone does not give the trick away, because even the fish’s eyes carry radiating stripes that obscure the pupil. 



Only the stubby “arm” formed by the first dorsal spine, called the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/illicium-zoology" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">illicium</a>, rises above the camouflage like a tiny fishing pole.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-glowing-lure-helps-the-hairy-frogfish">How the glowing lure helps the hairy frogfish</h2>



“These observations indicate a novel function, prey capture, for biofluorescence in coral reef fishes,” wrote De Brauwer. 



Under daylight the illicium ends in a dull worm‑shaped tassel, but blue‑filtered lamps reveal intense <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-59528-9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">biofluorescence</a> that converts blue light to orange. 



The idea fits a wider pattern, because a survey of 180 fish species found <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0083259" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">glowing pigments</a> clustered in cryptic reef lineages. 



<a href="https://www.amnh.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Museum of Natural History</a> ichthyologist <a href="https://www.amnh.org/research/staff-directory/john-s-sparks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. John Sparks</a> noted that “biofluorescence is especially common and morphologically variable in cryptically patterned coral‑reef lineages,” hinting at communication or hunting value.



By matching the fluorescent worms that drift over sandy bottoms at night, the lure likely acts as a living decoy. 



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-sea-anglerfish-defy-evolutionary-expectations/">fish</a> twitches the tip in arcs and pulses that copy the jellied plankton’s swim, drawing curious gobies and cardinalfish within lunging range.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fastest-strikes-on-record">Fastest strikes on record</h2>



Once a victim lines up, the mouth opens twelve times wider than its resting size, pulling in water and prey through rapid <a href="https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/species-profiles/striated-frogfish/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">suction feeding</a>. 



High‑speed videos have timed the attack at just six milliseconds, making the frogfish one of the quickest predators recorded.



That burst happens because elastic ligaments around the jaw store energy while the fish crouches. Releasing the latch snaps the head forward, creating a pressure wave that drags prey inward before the target knows it moved. 



The stomach then stretches like a balloon, letting a four‑inch frogfish swallow a meal almost twice its own length. Mouth, stomach, and even gill covers reset within minutes, ready for the next ambush without swimming far.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hairy-frogfish-lives-without-swimming">Hairy frogfish lives without swimming</h2>



Frogfish seldom swim, preferring a slow shuffle powered by limb‑like pectoral and pelvic fins. The gait looks clumsy, yet it lets the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-frog-day-2025-protecting-natures-tiny-guardians/">animal</a> creep through branching corals or over sponges without stirring mud.



<a href="https://fishbase.se/summary/Antennarius-striatus.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FishBase</a> records show the species from New Jersey to Brazil and across the Indo‑Pacific, at depths ranging from tide pools to 720 feet. 



Most adults settle below 100 feet where wave surge is gentle, but juveniles often lurk among shore grass beds that teem with shrimp.



Males change color during courtship, trailing females to the surface where a buoyant ribbon of up to 288,000 eggs drifts free. Larvae hatch in open water and later drop to the bottom, beginning the camouflage dance anew.



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



“Aggressive mimicry allows a predator to masquerade as something harmless to approach prey,” wrote marine zoologist <a href="https://zoolstud.sinica.edu.tw/Journals/44.3/299.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">John E. Randall</a>. Aggressive mimicry, where a predator disguises itself as the prey’s food, shows up in a handful of reef hunters.&nbsp;



The fluorescent lure adds a light signal to that illusion, effective only for animals with visual pigments tuned to blue and green. Future lab tests will measure how often fish reject non‑fluorescent lures compared with glowing ones, refining ideas about sensory ecology.



Understanding these cues may also improve non‑invasive survey methods that use fluorescence to spot cryptic species on night dives. Conservation teams already trial blue‑light transects to count seahorses and pipefish that vanish under white lamps.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-to-protect-hairy-frogfish">How to protect hairy frogfish</h2>



Antennarius striatus sits on the <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/16406979/115354869#assessment-information" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IUCN list</a> as “Least Concern,” but habitat loss threatens local populations on polluted coasts. 



Collectors sometimes trawl adults for the aquarium trade, yet demand remains modest compared with bright reef staples like clownfish.



Protecting rubble fields and sea‑grass beds will likely benefit the frogfish alongside countless small invertebrates. Marine parks can also restrict night fishing with lights that might interfere with fluorescent signaling.



Citizen scientists armed with blue torches contribute valuable sightings through photo databases. Each image builds a map of occurrence, molt timing, and lure color that researchers can mine for long‑term trends.



The study is published in <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00338-016-1493-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Coral Reefs</a>.



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Strangest fish in the ocean walks on the seafloor, changes colors, and uses a fishing lure

The hairy frogfish looks more like a tuft of drifting...

Organs are not molded like blobs of passive clay. They rise from busy landscapes where cells crawl, tug, and signal until form emerges. 



In new work with the humble fruit <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/flies-are-more-vulnerable-to-climate-change-than-bees/">fly</a>, researchers watched future muscle cells roam across a juvenile testis, squeeze it like a drawstring bag, and twist the tissue into its adult spiral.



What they learned about this roaming workforce may also explain how tumors invade distant sites. 



Dr. Maik Bischoff of the <a href="https://www.unc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of North Carolina</a> at Chapel Hill, together with colleagues in the <a href="https://tarheels.live/peiferlab/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Peifer Laboratory</a>, led the project and captured the shape‑shifting drama in living <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-is-just-three-years-away-from-dangerous-carbon-milestone/">animals</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fruit-fly-organs-shaped-by-muscle-cells">Fruit fly organs shaped by muscle cells</h2>



The fruit fly <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/drosophila-melanogaster" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Drosophila melanogaster</a> starts with a smooth, oval testis. Within hours, waves of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/mesenchymal-cell" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mesenchymal cells</a> - motile precursors that resemble fibroblasts - glide over its surface.



These cells do not travel at random; they move as a sheet in a process known as <a href="https://journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/137/12/jcs261549/358091/perspectives-in-collective-cell-migration-moving" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">collective cell migration</a>. Coordination keeps gaps from forming and ensures every patch of the organ gets covered.



Most textbooks credit nearby <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22062-epithelium" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">epithelial cells</a> with the heavy lifting of organ building, because epithelial sheets act like bricks and mortar. 



The new study shows that migratory peers can be just as important, especially when an organ must change length, curvature, or torsion.



Each <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adu3741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">precursor</a> advances roughly one body length every ten minutes, a pace that, scaled to human size, would equal a jog along a football field every hour.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cells-crawl-to-shape-the-fruit-fly-testis">Cells crawl to shape the fruit fly testis</h2>



“Trying to figure it out from static images is like learning the rules of basketball from a handful of screenshots,” said Bischoff. His team labeled the precursors with fluorescent markers and filmed them for six hours.



The videos of fruit fly organs forming revealed alternating bouts of advance and constriction: cells first crawled distally, then tightened the actin belt wrapped around the testis. 



To capture these speeds, the team used a spinning‑disk microscope paired with adaptive optics that collected volumetric stacks every 30 seconds without bleaching the tissue.



The group found that each precursor keeps at least three filopodia in contact with its neighbors, acting like fingers in a zip‑lock seam. When one cell stalled, the seam held firm and force propagated through the sheet, much like hikers roped together on ice. 



The choreography echoed <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/applied-mathematics-and-statistics/articles/10.3389/fams.2023.1163583/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">computer models</a> showing that follower‑guided migration remains robust even when leaders falter.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fruit-fly-organs-and-nerve-signals">Fruit fly organs and nerve signals</h2>



Unexpectedly, the roving precursors spoke in the chemical language best known from neural development. The key messenger is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/semaphorin" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">semaphorin</a>, and its receptor <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/plexin" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plexin</a> sits in the cell membrane acting as a brake and steering wheel at the same time. 



Biochemists often study the pair for their role in guiding axons, but the same duo now turns up in gonad shaping.



Genetic tricks showed that reducing plexin made testis‑wrapping cells clump together, while too much plexin caused them to drift apart. Either imbalance opened holes in the muscle coat. 



The effect mirrors work in vertebrates where <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39490515/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">semaphorin‑plexin circuits</a> can either loosen or tighten junctions depending on context.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-fruit-flies-to-mammals">From fruit flies to mammals</h2>



Intriguingly, fruit‑fly semaphorin‑1b seems to temper plexin rather than activate it, an antagonism that is echoed in mammalian <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11482903/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">semaphorin‑6A</a> that fine‑tunes cortical neuron spacing. 



Downstream of plexin, the small <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/cr2012110" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GTPase R‑Ras2</a> flips between on and off states to regulate integrin‑mediated grip on the underlying matrix, a mechanism previously linked to blood vessel stability.



The fruit‑fly result hints that the same switchboard may tune adhesion in very different tissues.



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



Cancer cells hijack developmental playbooks when they leave a primary tumor. They often assume a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nri2395" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mesenchymal</a> identity, migrate collectively, and "talk" through semaphorin‑plexin signals that were turned down after birth. 



A 2024 <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0024320523001339" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">review</a> cataloged over a dozen tumors in which plexin signaling correlated with invasion depth and metastatic load.



“Mesenchymal cells are often overlooked in organ development, but they’re incredibly dynamic and influential,” noted senior author Dr. Mark Peifer.



Because the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21610676/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fly testis</a> is easy to image and manipulate, it offers a rare window into how normal migratory sheets avoid tearing. Tumor clusters face the same engineering problem when they travel through cramped extracellular spaces.&nbsp;



The team’s discovery that a neuron‑style guidance cue balances cohesion and flexibility could explain why <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-91559-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">blocking</a> specific semaphorins slows breast cancer spread in mice. 



If the pathway keeps malignant cells together, disrupting it might splinter a cluster into cells too weak to survive alone.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fruit-flies-and-organ-development">Fruit flies and organ development </h2>



Beyond oncology, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dragonfly-larvae-expose-climates-hidden-influence-on-biology/">insights</a> from fruit flies add a control knob for future tissue‑engineering projects. Synthetic organoids usually rely on patterned growth factors and stiff scaffolds, yet they still collapse or fold unpredictably.



Tuning semaphorin or plexin activity could let bioengineers guide cell streams to carve channels, chambers, or helical shells without external molds. 



Pharmaceutical firms already test small‑molecule plexin inhibitors for neuropathic pain; the same toolbox now has potential in regenerative medicine if dosing can be localized.



The approach may also help repair injuries in adults. <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsbiomaterials.2c00039" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Endothelial sheets</a> that line blood vessels regenerate by collective migration, and aberrant R‑Ras signaling is tied to leaky capillaries in diabetes. 



Insights from fruit fly organ development could point to drug targets that restore vessel integrity after trauma or stroke.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-building-transplant-ready-tissues">Building transplant-ready tissues</h2>



Finally, Bischoff’s high‑speed imaging of fruit flies, which records thousands of cell paths in deep tissue, sets a new standard for studying morphogenesis. 



Combining it with optogenetic switches that toggle plexin within seconds might reveal how transient pulses of adhesion control long‑term shape.



 Such precision will be essential for building transplant‑ready tissues where every curve counts.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adu3741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>.



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Muscle cells crawl across fruit fly organs to build body structures

Organs are not molded like blobs of passive clay. They...

Some people believe the moon landing was staged. Others say dinosaurs never existed. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, such conspiracy theories thrive. But what truly drives these beliefs? Is it loneliness, narcissism, or a need to feel special?



A new study from <a href="https://www.cornell.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cornell University</a> takes a different angle. It shifts the focus from emotional needs to cognitive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-some-people-believe-conspiracy-theories/">misjudgment</a>. The research shows that overconfidence and misperception about social agreement fuel conspiracy thinking. 



People who believe in conspiracy theories are often unaware of how isolated their views really are. They think they’re part of a larger consensus. But in reality, they stand nearly alone.



This mismatch between belief and reality is not only puzzling. It is also dangerous. With the rise of online misinformation, understanding this psychological pattern has never been more urgent.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-conspiracy-believers-are-very-confident">Conspiracy believers are very confident </h2>



Overconfidence is a key trait of those who hold conspiracy <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/conversations-with-ai-chatbots-can-reverse-reduce-conspiracy-theory-beliefs/">beliefs</a>. In the Cornell study, the researchers tested participants on numeracy and visual perception. 



Despite performing poorly, conspiracy believers thought they had done well. This wasn't a one-off event. It was consistent across different types of tasks. Participants routinely overestimated their own abilities.



But that wasn’t the most striking finding. These individuals also assumed that others agreed with them. According to the data, conspiracy believers thought they were in the majority 93 percent of the time. In most cases, they weren’t even close.



“This group of people are really miscalibrated from reality,” said Gordon Pennycook, associate professor of psychology. "In many cases, they believe something that very few people agree with. 



"Not only is it something that doesn’t make a lot of sense, based on what we know about the world, but they also have no idea how far out in the fringe they are. They think they are in the majority in most cases, even if they’re in a tiny minority.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-people-believe-conspiracy-theories">Why people believe conspiracy theories</h2>



Past studies often blamed conspiracy <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dark-matter-stars-conspiracy-theory-may-have-been-officially-put-to-rest/">thinking</a> on narcissism or the need to appear unique. This new work paints a more cognitive picture. 



Belief in false ideas doesn’t always arise from intentional bias. Sometimes, it's just poor self-evaluation.



To reach these conclusions, researchers conducted eight separate studies involving 4,181 U.S. adults. Four of the studies focused on individual levels of overconfidence. 



Participants were not just asked to take standard tests. Instead, they engaged in tasks where real performance couldn’t easily influence their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/physicists-confirm-the-incredible-existence-of-time-mirrors/">perception</a>. 



In one case, they had to guess images that were heavily obscured, so difficult that they might as well have been guessing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-measuring-the-unmeasurable">Measuring the unmeasurable</h2>



Overconfidence is tricky to measure. People who are least competent are often the least aware of it. 



To bypass this issue, the team created tasks where the outcome was disconnected from actual ability. This allowed them to isolate confidence as a trait, rather than a result of success.



“Participants have little reason to believe that they did well - allowing higher estimated performance to more directly index higher levels of trait overconfidence without being confounded by actual performance,” noted the researchers.



With this method, the team could see a clear pattern. People who held strong conspiracy beliefs were more likely to inflate their test performance. They were also more likely to assume their beliefs were widely shared.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-conspiracy-believers-think-most-people-agree">Conspiracy believers think most people agree</h2>



In the next phase of the study, participants were asked about well-known conspiracy theories. 



The theories included claims like the Apollo moon landings being faked, Princess Diana’s death not being accidental, and the idea that dinosaurs never existed.



While these theories have been widely debunked, belief in them persists among some. The key insight was not just in who believed these claims - it was how they perceived the beliefs of others. 



Even when only a small minority shared a belief, those participants thought the majority agreed with them. This gap between actual consensus and perceived consensus is central to the problem.



Overconfident individuals assume that what they believe must be common knowledge. That assumption makes them resistant to correction. If you think most people agree with you, why would you change your mind?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-internet-spreads-belief-in-conspiracies">Internet spreads belief in conspiracies</h2>



The internet has expanded the reach of conspiracy theories. Social media allows fringe ideas to spread quickly and widely. Once isolated views now find instant communities of believers. 



But the issue is deeper than just access to bad information. It’s about how people process that information and how confident they are in their own views.



Pennycook points to the changing information landscape. This “expanded marketplace for conspiracy theories” makes it easier than ever to find validation online, but the underlying overconfidence makes that validation feel unnecessary. People don’t seek opposing views because they don’t think they need to.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-real-challenge-in-correcting-beliefs">Real challenge in correcting beliefs</h2>



Efforts to counter misinformation often focus on facts. But facts alone may not be enough. If someone is unaware of their own errors, they won’t see the value in correction. This cognitive barrier makes misinformation harder to dislodge.



“The people who most need help distinguishing truth from falsity are the least likely to recognize that they need it," noted the researchers.



This creates a cycle that feeds itself. The more confident someone is in their beliefs, the less they question them. The less they question, the more isolated they become from reality.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-the-way-we-talk-about-truth">Rethinking the way we talk about truth</h2>



This research changes how we think about conspiracy theories. It suggests that tackling misinformation requires more than better education or clearer facts. We need to find ways to address overconfidence directly.



Helping people recognize the limits of their own knowledge could be the first step. Only then can they begin to question what they believe and understand how few others might actually agree with them.



The fight against conspiracy thinking might start not with facts, but with humility. And that may be the most difficult challenge of all.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/01461672251338358" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin</a>.



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Overconfidence makes conspiracy believers think they're right

Some people believe the moon landing was staged. Others say...

Synthetic chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances - commonly called PFAS - are quietly contaminating soil and water across the country. 



Used in everything from mascara to nonstick pans, these substances are at the center of a growing environmental crisis.



The chemicals don’t break down in nature. Once they’re in the environment, they stick around for good. That’s a serious problem for people, wildlife, and ecosystems. But a team of scientists may have found a surprising solution, and it starts in the dirt.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-soil-bacteria-target-pfas-toxins">Soil bacteria target PFAS toxins</h2>



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.unicatt.it/">Catholic University</a> in Piacenza, working with collaborators from the University of Padua, have discovered nearly 20 species of bacteria capable of breaking down PFAS.



The researchers found these bacteria in soil contaminated by industrial waste in the Veneto region of northern Italy. 



PFAS are notoriously tough to get rid of. Their strength comes from a powerful bond between carbon and fluorine atoms, which makes them <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exposure-to-forever-chemicals-costs-billions-in-the-us/">resistant to heat, oil, and water</a> - and almost impossible to biodegrade.



That’s why they’re often called “forever chemicals.” But this same strength is what makes them so harmful. PFAS can build up in soil, crops, and even <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/millions-of-people-in-the-u-s-rely-on-contaminated-groundwater/">drinking water</a>, with potential links to serious health problems like diabetes and hormone disruption.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pfas-contamination-leads-to-discovery">PFAS contamination leads to discovery</h2>



In Vicenza, high levels of PFAS contamination - upwards of 1,000 ng/L - have been detected in aquifers, soil, crops, and tap water. 



The source is likely a nearby factory. Faced with this environmental threat, researchers from the Catholic University set out to find microbes that might be able to degrade these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-deadly-and-widespread-environmental-pollutants/">pollutants</a>.



The team collected soil samples from polluted sites in Veneto, focusing on Vicenza and Padua provinces. The goal was to isolate bacterial strains that not only survive in PFAS-laden environments but actively break the chemicals down.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-microbes-meet-modern-tools">Microbes meet modern tools</h2>



To find the right <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-strain-identified-that-can-eat-forever-chemicals/">bacteria</a>, the researchers combined two approaches. First, they used traditional microbiology methods to grow and isolate bacteria from the soil. 



Next, the team used DNA metabarcoding to identify which microbial species were present and analyze their potential for PFAS degradation.



“We obtained these PFAS-eating bacteria through a process called 'enrichment,' which involves growing them in media where they only have PFAS to feed on," explained Professor Edoardo Puglisi, who led the research.



"We already have the complete genomes of these 20 PFAS-eating strains,” the expert continues, “and information on the degradation rates for each one.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-testing-the-capabilities-of-the-bacteria">Testing the capabilities of the bacteria</h2>



Working with the university’s chemistry department, the team measured how well these bacteria degraded PFAS in controlled tests.



"In collaboration with the chemistry group in our department, we have measured the degradation efficiency of PFAS, reaching values in some cases above 30%, which is very high for this class of compounds," Puglisi said.



"Tests are now underway on various PFAS, which will be followed by initial lab experiments to verify their remediation capabilities under more representative conditions.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-future-of-biodegradation">The future of biodegradation</h2>



According to Puglisi, the team is studying these strains in more detail and analyzing their genomes. "They are classified in the genera known in the field of bioremediation such as Micrococcus, Rhodanobacter, Pseudoxanthomonas, and Achromobacter."



Puglisi noted that these bacteria are easily cultivated in the laboratory and they usually are not harmful to humans.



"Furthermore, it is possible that genome analysis could lead to the discovery of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gene-regulation-controlling-cells-to-improve-medical-treatments/">genes</a> involved in biodegradation that could be exploited biotechnologically in the future.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-significance-of-pfas-eating-bacteria">Significance of PFAS-eating bacteria </h2>



Although PFAS pollution isn’t going away anytime soon, these new findings offer a glimmer of hope. Identifying PFAS-eating bacteria marks a key step toward sustainable cleanup of contaminated environments.



The ability of these microbes to use PFAS as their sole carbon source is especially promising, showing real potential for natural degradation of even the most persistent compounds.



It’s still early, but if the results hold up in the field, they could reshape how we tackle toxic waste. And the best part? The solution might already be under our feet.



The team presented their findings at the European SETAC conference in Vienna in May 2025.



Image Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain



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-----

Bacteria that eat 'forever chemicals' discovered in contaminated soil

Synthetic chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances - commonly...

In 1936 Albert Einstein described how gravity could briefly magnify the light of a distant star, an effect now called gravitational microlensing.



A team of astronomers has now used that cosmic trick to reveal the presence of a gas giant planet more than 3,200 light-years from Earth. This adds a rare data point to the growing exoplanet catalog.



The discovery is special because only two other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-planet-named-enaiposha-is-unlike-anything-in-our-solar-system/">planets</a> have ever been found using this method outside the crowded center of the Milky Way. The international project is led by Dr. Marius Maskoliūnas at Vilnius University’s <a href="https://www.ff.vu.lt/">Faculty of Physics</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-microlensing-reveals-distant-exoplanets">Microlensing reveals distant exoplanets</h2>



Most <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tiny-star-giant-gas-planet-toi-6894b-breaks-current-planetary-formation-rules/">exoplanets</a> are detected when they dim or tug on their host stars - an approach that favors the discovery of hot new worlds hugging their suns.



On the other hand, gravitational microlensing measures a transient brightening when two stars align, allowing astronomers to probe cool planets in wide orbits.



Since the alignment is never repeated, each event provides a unique, one-time glimpse - free from the glare of the host star. This means that even planets orbiting dim red dwarfs accessible for study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-simple-concept-challenging-practice">Simple concept, challenging practice</h2>



This capability is crucial for testing how planetary systems assemble beyond the region where volatiles freeze and giant cores can quickly accrete gas.



Detecting such events demands round-the-clock monitoring of millions of stars and rapid follow-up once a brightness surge appears. The logistical challenge keeps planets discovered using microlensing to a small fraction of all confirmed discoveries.



The principle is simple in concept but hard in practice. Astronomers must distinguish a genuine microlensing spike from thousands of variable stars, instrumental glitches, and asteroids that clutter automated surveys. 



Custom software and worldwide alert networks now flag promising <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astronomers-announce-evidence-suggesting-that-our-solar-system-has-nine-planets-again/">signals</a> in minutes, allowing observers to swing telescopes onto the event before the brief peak fades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-detecting-an-exoplanet-with-microlensing">Detecting an exoplanet with microlensing </h2>



In August 2021 the <a href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Gaia" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gaia</a> satellite spotted a subtle uptick in a star about four billion times dimmer than what the unaided eye can see. Telescopes in Lithuania and Poland pivoted within hours, capturing the distinctive U-shaped light curve that reveals a planetary companion.



“This kind of research demands a great deal of expertise, patience, and, frankly, a bit of luck,” said Dr. Maskoliūnas. He and his colleagues sifted through two years of <a href="https://lco.global/spacebook/telescopes/what-is-photometry/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">photometry</a> data before confirming the exoplanet's existence.



Gaia’s real-time alert arrived 39 days before the main peak, giving the team enough time to coordinate observations on three continents. 



Continuous coverage enabled them to model the light curve with unprecedented precision for a halo event, thus pinning down the planet’s mass to within about 20 percent.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-gas-giant-exoplanet">A gas giant exoplanet </h2>



The newcomer, <a href="https://ciencia.nasa.gov/exoplanet-catalog/at2021ueyl-b/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AT2021ueyL b</a>, weighs about 1.3 times as much as Jupiter, sits roughly 3,262 light-years away, and appeared in data collected from both Gaia and ground-based surveys. 



The planet circles a small <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/physics-and-astronomy/m-dwarf-stars" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">M-dwarf star</a> roughly once every 11 Earth years, staying well beyond its host’s snow line. Because the mass ratio between planet and star is large, the brightening was easier to catch, despite the faintness of the lens. 



For comparison, the first microlensing planet detected outside the bulge surfaced only in 2018, highlighting how slowly such detections accumulate.



The host star glows at about half the Sun’s mass and temperature, placing the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/webb-telescope-reveals-a-chaotic-cold-and-strange-exoplanet-14-herculis-c/">planet</a> roughly four times farther out than Earth sits from the Sun.



At that distance, temperatures likely linger below minus 200°F (93°C), a zone where methane and nitrogen could condense onto any moons.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exoplanet-in-a-quiet-part-of-the-galaxy">Exoplanet in a quiet part of the galaxy</h2>



Most microlensing events cluster toward the dense galactic center, yet this one lies in the sparse <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/physics-and-astronomy/galactic-halos" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galactic halo</a>, nearly 19 degrees below the plane. Its unusual location extends the range of environments where planets are known to form.



“This is only the third planet ever discovered so far from the Galactic bulge,” noted Professor Edita Stonkutė of <a href="https://www.vu.lt/">Vilnius University</a>. The halo setting raises fresh questions about planet formation in metal-poor regions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-microlensing-detects-rare-exoplanets">Microlensing detects rare exoplanets </h2>



As of June 2025 astronomers have confirmed the existence of 5,921 <a href="https://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">exoplanets</a>, using a variety of techniques. 



Only about one percent of those worlds come from microlensing surveys, yet they provide vital statistics on orbits beyond about two astronomical units.



Cold planets are hard to study with transits because they block their stars infrequently, and their radial-velocity signals are slow. 



Microlensing fills that gap by sampling systems that resemble the outer reaches of our own Solar System.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-microlensing-and-exoplanet-formation">Microlensing and exoplanet formation</h2>



The presence of a Jupiter-mass planet in orbit around a half-solar-mass star challenges <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adn6088" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">models</a> that predict giant planets should be rare around low-mass hosts. 



Planet counts from microlensing already hint that nature makes such pairings more often than theory once allowed.



Each new detection helps refine those statistics, especially when the host resides in a different galactic environment. 



Comparing halo, disc, and bulge populations will reveal whether metal-poor stars build planets in the same way as their richer cousins.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-improving-microlensing-discoveries">Improving microlensing discoveries</h2>



The Nancy Grace Roman <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/roman-space-telescope/frequently-asked-questions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Space Telescope</a> is slated to launch no later than May 2027 and will devote months to a high-cadence microlensing survey. 



Simulations suggest that Roman could unveil more than a thousand cold planets, including Earth-mass bodies that are invisible using other techniques.



Until then, collaborations like the Lithuanian-Polish team are combing Gaia alerts and ground observations for the fleeting brightenings that betray hidden worlds. 



Every success, including AT2021ueyL b, sharpens the strategies that Roman and future missions will apply at scale.



Research on this unlikely alignment expands the map of where planets can thrive, offering a reminder that even the quiet outskirts of the galaxy can host giant worlds.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2025/05/aa54236-25/aa54236-25.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Astronomy &amp; Astrophysics</a>.



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Microlensing trick reveals a rare gas giant exoplanet

In 1936 Albert Einstein described how gravity could briefly magnify...

Generate,An,Image,Of,A,Human,Settlement,On,Mars.

When the first astronauts step onto the surface of Mars, they will need more than courage and curiosity. They will need water - lots of it - for drinking, breathing, growing food, and even making rocket fuel for the trip back home.



A new study led by <a href="https://olemiss.edu/">University of Mississippi</a> planetary geologist Erica Luzzi points to a promising source: a patch of terrain in Mars’ mid-latitudes where ice may lie just beneath the dusty soil.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scanning-mars-volcanic-plains">Scanning Mars’ volcanic plains</h2>



Using ultra-sharp images from the HiRISE camera aboard <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-reconnaissance-orbiter/">NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter</a>, Luzzi and collaborators examined Amazonis Planitia, a broad volcanic plain straddling the planet’s equator and poles.



The pictures revealed telltale textures - fresh-looking, bright-rimmed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mars-insight-mro-spacecraft-teamed-up-with-ai-to-find-a-fresh-impact-crater/">craters</a>, polygonal fracture patterns, and subtle undulations - that on Earth are often carved by ground ice.



The evidence indicates that pockets of water ice may lurk less than a meter below ground, shallow enough for robotic drills or future astronauts to bore into without heavy equipment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ice-that-astronauts-could-reach">Ice that astronauts could reach</h2>



The discovery is significant for two intertwined reasons: survival and self-sufficiency. “If we’re going to send humans to Mars, you need H₂O - and not just for drinking, but for propellant and all manner of applications,” Luzzi explained.



Hauling those tons of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mars-water-reservoir-discovered-medusae-fossae-formation-two-miles-deep/">water</a> from Earth would make missions prohibitively expensive. Instead, planners hope to practice in situ resource utilization, or ISRU - tapping local materials to slash launch mass and cost.



Mars is known to harbor vast stores of ice at high latitudes, especially near the poles. But those zones are bitterly cold and receive limited sunlight, making them ill-suited for solar-powered surface bases.



Near the equator, temperatures and light improve, yet the ice retreats several meters underground. Amazonis Planitia, however, sits in the climatic sweet spot.



“The mid-latitudes offer the perfect compromise -&nbsp; they get enough sunlight for power, but they’re still cold enough to preserve <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/does-life-exist-below-the-icy-surface-of-mars/">ice</a> near the surface,” Luzzi said. “That makes them ideal for future landing sites.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mapping-mars-from-above">Mapping Mars from above</h2>



HiRISE - short for High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment - can pick out objects on Mars just 30 centimeters across. In its images, Luzzi’s team identified small, sharply defined impact craters that appear to have excavated bright material before it quickly darkened.



On other parts of Mars, landers have confirmed such bright layers are ice. The researchers also saw patterned ground - networks of cracks and polygons similar to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/permafrost-is-no-longer-permanent-arctic-communities-in-danger/">permafrost</a> regions in Siberia and Alaska. 



The team also observed multi-mile hummocks called “brain terrain,” all hinting at buried ice that expands and contracts as it seasonally warms and cools.



To strengthen the case, the scientists mapped how these features cluster on gentle slopes and in shaded hollows, places where ice could persist for millions of years despite Mars’s thin, dry atmosphere.



The experts concluded that Amazonis Planitia likely holds accessible ice suitable for ISRU, a notion that will now move higher on NASA’s list of candidate landing zones.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-astronauts-survive-mars">How astronauts survive Mars</h2>



For engineers planning a crewed mission, the numbers are daunting. Even a small expedition of four astronauts could require more than 20 tons of water over a 500-day stay. Carrying that from Earth would demand extra launch vehicles and astronomical budgets.



Polar ice is abundant but dark and frigid; equatorial ice is deep or scarce. But mid-latitude ice only a shovel’s depth away could be the Goldilocks solution.



Giacomo Nodjoumi, an expert at the <a href="https://www.asi.it/en/">Italian Space Agency</a>, emphasized the stakes by comparing Mars logistics to lunar missions.



“For the moon, it would take us one week, more or less, to go back and forth to Earth for resupply,” said Nodjoumi. “But for Mars, it would take months. So, we have to be prepared for not having resupply from Earth for extended periods of time.”



“The most important resources are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/moxie-has-successfully-extracted-oxygen-from-mars-atmosphere/">oxygen</a> to breathe and water to drink. That’s what makes our candidate landing site really promising.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ice-may-preserve-life">Ice may preserve life</h2>



Water ice is interesting for more than thirsty astronauts; it could preserve signs of ancient or even present-day life.



“This also has astrobiological implications,” noted Luzzi. “On Earth, ice can preserve biomarkers of past life, and it can also host microbial populations. So, it could tell us if Mars was ever habitable.”



Accessing relatively pristine ice would let scientists analyze trapped gases or organic molecules that have been shielded from harsh surface radiation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-verifying-mars-icy-promise">Verifying Mars’ icy promise</h2>



Before boots can crunch Amazonis dust, robotic scouts must verify the team’s interpretation. 



Luzzi proposes orbital radar sounders - like SHARAD on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter or the future ESA-NASA Mars Ice Mapper - to probe the thickness and continuity of the buried ice.



“The next step would be radar analyses to better understand the depth and patchiness of the ice,” she said. 



Variations in the “lag deposit,” a protective layer of soil and rock atop the ice, could determine whether it survives or sublimates away. “Understanding that will help us decide where a robotic precursor should land.”



Ultimately, a rover or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nasas-insight-lander-is-still-teaching-us-about-mars-after-its-retirement/">lander</a> equipped with a drill and spectrometers will need to sample the material directly. 



“We will never be sure of something if we don’t have a rover, a lander, or a human to take real measurements. Until we go there and measure it, we won’t be 100% sure," said Nodjoumi.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-charting-the-first-footsteps"><a></a>Charting the first footsteps</h2>



Humans may still be a decade or more from trekking across the Red Planet, but every new dataset refines the map of where those first habitats could thrive.



By spotlighting a neighborhood where life-giving water lies just an arm’s length below the surface, Luzzi and colleagues have given mission planners a tantalizing target. They’ve also reminded the rest of us that Mars is far from a barren wasteland.



Beneath its dusty plains, essential resources and perhaps clues to past or present <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/clay-layers-on-mars-may-have-harbored-ancient-life/">life</a> await the explorers willing to dig.



The study is published in the <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024JE008724">Journal of Geophysical Research Planets</a>.



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Scientists found the perfect location on Mars where the first human settlers can live

When the first astronauts step onto the surface of Mars,...

Roughly 300 million years ago, long before dinosaurs roamed the land, Earth’s atmosphere underwent a series of sudden carbon dioxide surges. Each burst - dubbed a “carbon burp” by geoscientists - was followed by an ominous drop in ocean oxygen.



In a new study, researchers from the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">University of California, Davis</a>, the <a href="https://english.cas.cn/">Chinese Academy of Sciences</a>, and <a href="https://www.tamu.edu/">Texas A&amp;M University</a> show that these episodes cut global ocean oxygen by as much as 12 percent, enough to stall <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-ocean-day-a-unified-approach-to-protect-biodiversity/">marine biodiversity</a> for hundreds of thousands of years at a stretch.



“This is our only analog for big changes in carbon dioxide at levels comparable to what we’re living in today, where we see doublings and triplings of the levels,” said senior author Isabel Montañez, a professor of Earth and planetary sciences at UC Davis.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-signs-of-past-ocean-loss">Signs of past ocean loss</h2>



The team drilled into a famous geological archive known as the Naqing succession in South China. Layer by layer, the cores preserve chemical snapshots of a 20-million-year window between 310 and 290 million years ago.



By measuring uranium isotopes locked inside carbonates, the scientists reconstructed how much of the global ocean became breathless - what researchers call “anoxic” - during each CO2 surge.



“Through that analysis, we see these ‘burps’ not just in carbon dioxide but in the ocean’s uranium isotope signature too,” Montañez explained. “They’re totally aligned, and the size of those uranium spikes tell us about the magnitude of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cascading-oxygen-loss-could-endanger-our-oceans/">ocean anoxia</a>.”



Five distinct events emerged from the data. Each one coincided with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/atmospheric-co2-could-push-temperatures-much-higher-than-expected/">atmospheric CO2</a> increases large enough to force a four-to-twelve-percent drop in dissolved oxygen, conditions severe enough to stress marine life even in an era when atmospheric oxygen was far higher than today’s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-supercomputers-model-co2-spikes">Supercomputers model CO2 spikes</h2>



To translate those chemical fingerprints into a planet-wide narrative, co-author and climate-model specialist Chen-Xiao integrated the proxy data into a suite of advanced simulations.



“It’s a mathematical framework in which we put in all our proxy information and we run it hundreds of thousands of times on a supercomputer,” Montañez said.



The exercise confirmed that each carbon pulse likely lasted 100,000 to 200,000 years, long enough to halt evolutionary diversification in the marine fossil record.



“We do see these pauses in biodiversity each time these burps happen,” she noted, adding that although no mass extinction aligns perfectly with the events, the stops and starts echo through Paleozoic reef communities and other marine ecosystems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-natural-vs-human-burps">Natural vs. human burps</h2>



Back then, the main culprit behind sudden CO2 spikes was rampant volcanism tied to the assembly of the supercontinent Pangea. 



Today the trigger is very different: <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/more-warnings-fossil-fuels-are-causing-climate-health-and-biodiversity-crises/">fossil fuels</a>, cement production, deforestation, and other human activities pushing atmospheric carbon upward at a speed the geological record rarely, if ever, matches.



“We’re creating a burp now and at a rate two, maybe three, orders of magnitude faster than in the past,” Montañez said.



Put another way, the modern ocean could experience oxygen losses comparable to those ancient downturns - but compressed into mere centuries rather than millennia.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-today-s-oceans-at-risk">Today’s oceans at risk</h2>



If a four-to-twelve-percent global drop in ocean oxygen unfolded today, the first casualties would be coastal food webs that sustain major fisheries from the Gulf of Mexico to the Bay of Bengal.



Low-oxygen zones already appear more frequently in warming seas, squeezing habitats for species such as cod, anchovy, and squid. 



The study suggests these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gulf-of-mexicos-dead-zone-is-unusually-large-this-year/">dead zones</a> could grow far larger if humanity continues to pump carbon into the sky unchecked.



“This is a huge discovery because how do you take an ocean sitting under an atmosphere with much more oxygen than today and permit this?” Montañez said. 



In other words, high atmospheric oxygen couldn’t prevent ancient anoxia, and it won’t save modern oceans from the same fate.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ocean-change-tied-to-carbon">Ocean change tied to carbon</h2>



The Paleozoic record offers no neat rescue plan, only a warning that Earth’s systems can respond dramatically to carbon overload.



“The message for us is, ‘Don’t be so sure that we can’t do this again with our current human-driven release of carbon dioxide,’” Montañez said.



The study’s blend of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-new-form-uranium/">uranium</a> isotope chemistry and high-resolution modeling now provides a template for tracking ancient ocean oxygen with far greater precision.



Armed with that deep-time perspective, scientists and policymakers can better judge how today’s emissions trajectory might play out beneath the waves. 



Whether humanity heeds the ancient alarm - or repeats history on fast-forward - remains an open question.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2420505122">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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Carbon ‘burps’ from Earth’s past warn of ocean trouble ahead

Roughly 300 million years ago, long before dinosaurs roamed the...

Mammals usually avoid sour flavors, but a robin can devour berries so tart they would make most of us pucker in pain. How do birds pull off this dietary feat?



A new study answers the riddle by showing that evolution has rewired birds' sour-taste machinery. 



The discovery not only reveals why avian diners relish fruits with pH values as low as lemon juice, it also hints that a molecular tweak in taste may have opened new ecological doors during <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bird-evolution-timeline-pushed-back-20-million-years-by-baminornis-zhenghensis-discovery/">bird evolution</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-sour-switch-in-birds">The sour switch in birds</h2>



To decode avian acid tolerance, scientists at the <a href="http://english.kiz.cas.cn/">Kunming Institute of Zoology</a>, the <a href="https://english.cas.cn/">Chinese Academy of Sciences</a>, and the <a href="https://www.bi.mpg.de/en">Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence</a> focused on OTOP1. It is the only known vertebrate receptor that detects <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-surprising-amount-of-adults-like-intensely-sour-flavors/">sour flavors</a>.



In mammals - including people - OTOP1 channels fire vigorously when acidity rises, sending a sharp warning to the brain. 



In many birds, however, OTOP1 does the opposite: as the surrounding fluid turns more acidic, the channel shuts down. With the bitter alarm silenced, beaks keep munching.



The team began by cataloging bird feeding habits across Asia, Europe, and South America. The data confirmed that many songbirds, pigeons, and parrots thrive on fruits whose pH dips below 3 - a level similar to vinegar.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genes-that-change-taste">Genes that change taste</h2>



Genetic sequencing of their taste receptors revealed a cluster of four amino acid changes - H239, L306, H314, and G378 - that alter how the OTOP1 protein behaves under acid stress.



Functional tests delivered the clincher. When researchers used <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/crispr-used-to-remove-extra-chromosomes-in-down-syndrome-and-restore-cell-function/">CRISPR</a> to edit these mutations into the OTOP1 gene of laboratory mice, the rodents’ brain cells fired far less in response to sour liquids.



Conversely, when they blocked OTOP1 in pigeons and canaries with a targeted inhibitor, the birds promptly abandoned their usual acidic fare. The receptor is therefore both necessary and sufficient for avian acid tolerance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sour-and-sweet-together">Sour and sweet together</h2>



Tracing the family tree of OTOP1 revealed another twist. The last of the four mutations - G378 - arose only in songbirds, a lineage that today accounts for nearly half of all living bird species.



The timing is suggestive. Earlier work had shown that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/songbirds-benefit-from-social-networks-during-migration/">songbirds</a> also gained a sweet-taste receptor not found in most other birds. 



The new study raises the possibility that upgrades in both sour suppression and sweet perception co-evolved, enabling ancestral songbirds to exploit nectar and acidic fruit simultaneously. That ecological flexibility might help explain the group’s modern success.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-impacts-from-taste">Big impacts from taste</h2>



Why should anyone beyond ornithology circles care about a bird’s taste tolerance? For one, the findings illuminate how sensory systems evolve under dietary pressures.



Sour taste originally signaled unsafe or unripe food. Turning that alarm off required a molecular workaround - achieved with just a handful of amino acid swaps. This shows how rapidly chemosensory genes can reshape animal behavior and niche use.



There are broader ecosystem implications too. Birds that devour harshly acidic fruits are pivotal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insects-play-a-much-bigger-role-in-seed-dispersal-than-we-thought/">seed dispersers</a> in many tropical forests. Birds ability to stomach such fare ensures that plant species with defensive sour pulp still find willing couriers.



Understanding the molecular roots of that partnership refines predictions about how changing climates or fruit chemistry could cascade through food webs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-blueprint-for-taste">A blueprint for taste</h2>



The study also provides a roadmap for probing taste evolution in other animals. Similar OTOP1 edits might help explain why some primates relish citrus while others avoid it, or why certain fish tolerate acidic streams. 



Meanwhile, the CRISPR-mouse model offers a living platform to test how sour aversion shapes diet, metabolism, and health.



For agricultural science, the insights could guide breeding of poultry or songbird populations used in pest control, tailoring feed formulations to their altered taste sensitivities. 



Plant biologists might likewise engineer fruit acidity to attract or deter specific avian consumers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-taste-and-bird-evolution">Taste and bird evolution</h2>



Birds captivated biologists with their songs, colors, and aerial exploits. Now, thanks to a little proton-gated channel in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/electronic-tongue-could-revolutionize-food-safety/">tongue</a>, they have added another evolutionary marvel: an internal dial that mutes the sting of acid.



Researchers found that tweaks to sour taste may have co-evolved with sweetness, reshaping how birds sense and seek food. Together, these changes helped propel birds into ecological niches overflowing with nectar and tangy fruit.



The work highlights a recurring theme in evolutionary biology: subtle molecular changes can yield sweeping macro-scale outcomes. 



A quartet of amino acid substitutions may sound trivial, yet it probably influenced what early songbirds ate, where they migrated, and how they diversified.



The next time you watch a thrush gulp down a crabapple or a tanager feast on still-green berries, remember their dauntless palate is the legacy of eons of microscopic tinkering. That subtle adaptation continues to shape forests and fields around the globe.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adr7946">Science</a>.



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Why birds have an unusual appetite for sour foods

Mammals usually avoid sour flavors, but a robin can devour...

Marine pollution usually conjures images of oil slicks and plastic waste, but a new study shifts the focus from visible pollutants to the invisible metals and toxins that have infiltrated every ounce of water in our oceans. 



Researchers examining stranded dolphins on the southeastern coast of Brazil discovered that unborn calves already carry a cocktail of metals absorbed from their mothers’ <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/national-dolphin-day-2025-honoring-the-oceans-most-playful-minds/">bodies</a>.



The tissues of two dolphin species found stranded on the Brazilian coast over the period of a year were analyzed. 



Samples were taken from stranded Guiana dolphins (<a href="https://us.whales.org/whales-dolphins/species-guide/guiana-dolphin/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sotalia guianensis</a>), as well as from franciscana dolphins (<a href="https://nmmf.org/marine-mammal/franciscana-dolphin/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pontoporia blainvillei</a>).



The franciscana dolphin, also known as the La Plata dolphin, is a species of river dolphin that is endemic to the Southwestern Atlantic and is critically endangered. 



One unborn calf of a franciscana dolphin was also sampled in order to identify whether toxic metals cross the placenta.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-metals-cross-the-placenta-in-dolphin-calves">Metals cross the placenta in dolphin calves </h2>



The team detected copper, zinc, arsenic, vanadium, and mercury in the fetus recovered from the pregnant franciscana dolphin.  



“This is direct evidence of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969721023585" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">transplacental transfer</a>,” stated Guilherme dos Santos Lima, a doctoral researcher at <a href="https://www.international.unesp.br/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">São Paulo State University</a> and first author of the work.



The one‑year monitoring data showed higher average levels of cadmium, mercury, and molybdenum in older calves, indicating that, although calves are first exposed to these metals while in utero, there is progressive <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/bioaccumulation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bioaccumulation</a> in the bodies of individuals as they age.



Earlier <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230616951_Mercury-Selenium_Relationships_in_Liver_of_Guiana_Dolphin_The_Possible_Role_of_Kupffer_Cells_in_the_Detoxification_Process_by_Tiemannite_Formation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">investigations</a> of Guiana dolphin mother–fetus pairs in neighboring regions found mercury transfer ratios as high as 0.19, confirming the placenta is no barrier to certain <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3409158/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">heavy metals</a>. 



Those metals can disrupt enzyme systems and neuronal development long before an animal even takes its first breath.



Franciscana populations are already shrinking because of gill‑net by‑catch and habitat loss. Adding in‑utero exposure to contaminants increases the odds of developmental <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-dolphin-brains-evolved-to-see-underwater-by-using-sound-echolocation/">problems</a> that could lower survival rates.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dolphins-are-sentinel-species">Dolphins are sentinel species</h2>



Cetaceans breathe air, nurse their young, and feed high on the food web. Their long lifespans and coastal habits make them ideal sentinels of ocean health. 



When scientists track toxin loads in dolphins, they gain a time‑averaged snapshot of everything moving through the local food chain.



<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5644643/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Atlantic bottlenose dolphins</a>, for instance, helped researchers link mercury‑laden fish to neurodevelopmental delays in children who ate similar seafood. 



The same “one health” logic applies in Brazil: what harms a calf tethered to its mother by an umbilical cord could also harm communities that rely on coastal fisheries.



Lima’s group worked with Brazil’s long‑term <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0025326X23012821" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Beach Monitoring Project</a>, turning what would have been simple necropsies into an eight‑year contaminant record. Their approach echoes global calls for integrating wildlife toxicology with public‑health surveillance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unborn-dolphin-carried-high-levels-of-metals">Unborn dolphin carried high levels of metals</h2>



Copper and zinc are essential for growth, yet the fetal liver carried them at roughly five times the mother’s concentration, implying active transport across the placenta. 



By contrast, cadmium and mercury rose steadily with age, matching classical patterns of dietary uptake.



Laboratory <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11274124/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">data</a> show that mercury can interfere with dolphin immune cells and cause hepatic damage at sub‑lethal doses.



Vanadium’s presence surprised the team because few marine‑mammal studies report it. Though needed only in trace amounts, prenatal vanadium exposure in humans has been <a href="https://www.figo.org/resources/figo-statements/toxic-chemicals-and-environmental-contaminants-prenatal-vitamins" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">linked</a> to lower birth weights and preterm delivery. 



Detecting the metal in a dolphin <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dolphins-face-serious-threats-from-chemical-pollution-and-ocean-warming/">fetus</a> suggests an unexplored risk pathway in marine food webs.



Spatial analysis showed little difference among the three São Paulo sub‑regions, indicating that ocean currents disperse effluents broadly along the 370‑mile (595-kilometer) stretch of coast. 



Only cadmium spiked in Guiana dolphins from the industrialized southern sector, a finding that is consistent with local phosphate‑fertilizer discharge records.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shared-risks-and-next-steps">Shared risks and next steps</h2>



“The detection of metals in fetuses is not just a conservation red flag, but a potential indicator of broader ecosystem disruption,” noted Lima. 



Regulators could use such fetal markers as early‑warning signals, much as amphibian deformities once forecast pesticide problems on land.



For conservationists, the results argue for stricter catch limits on franciscana dolphins, and targeted cleanup of heavy‑industry outfalls. 



For scientists, they open questions about how mixed‑metal exposure interacts with other stressors such as warming seas and ship noise.



Several countries already track persistent organic pollutants in pinnipeds; incorporating trace metals in cetacean monitoring would complete the chemical picture. 



Long‑term health studies, including hormone assays and immune‑function tests, could reveal whether today’s metal burdens are likely to translate into tomorrow’s reproductive failures.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-metals-harm-dolphins-before-birth">Metals harm dolphins before birth</h2>



Recent conservation efforts often focus on visible threats like entanglement, overfishing, and habitat degradation. However, the presence of contaminants in unborn <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dolphins-hear-special-whistles-and-change-their-behavior/">dolphins</a> adds a new layer of urgency to these strategies. 



Without addressing chemical exposures during critical developmental windows, rehabilitation or population recovery plans may fall short.



Scientists studying other marine mammals have found that early exposure to pollutants can compromise neurological development, immune function, and growth rates. 



If dolphin calves and the offspring of other marine mammals are already burdened with toxic elements before birth, they ultimately face higher mortality and lower fitness, regardless of protections offered later in life.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969724050034" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science of The Total Environment</a>.



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Unborn dolphin calves have toxic metals in their blood, revealing horrific ocean pollution

Marine pollution usually conjures images of oil slicks and plastic...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

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

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

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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.



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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

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features 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

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"] Astronomers at Johns Hopkins University have created...

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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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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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



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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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