<p>Mammals are not only good at hearing sounds, they are especially tuned to voices. A new cross-species study compared humans, dogs, and pigs and mapped how fast the brain flags a voice, then sorts out whether it belongs to one of our own.</p>



<p>The researchers recorded tiny pulses of brain activity while participants listened to people, dogs, and pigs, plus everyday noises. The animals were awake, relaxed, and unmedicated, and the sessions used gentle scalp sensors, not implants.</p>



<p>A team from <a href="https://www.elte.hu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eötvös Loránd University</a> (ELU) focused on two questions that cut to the heart of social hearing in mammals. </p>



<p>The first was whether the brain treats vocal sounds as a distinct category, separate from other noises. The second was whether it goes a step further, recognizing and highlighting voices that belong to members of the same species - a process known as conspecific recognition.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-brain-signals-to-sound">Tracking brain signals to sound</h2>



<p>The setup used non-invasive EEG sensors to track the brain’s fast electrical responses to sound. The signal components the team examined are called event-related potentials, and they are well suited for timing how processing unfolds.</p>



<p>Participants heard short clips such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/laughter-makes-the-stress-of-life-feel-less-overwhelming/">laughs</a>, barks, and grunts, alongside non vocal noises like traffic or a closing door. </p>



<p>The recordings let the researchers compare voice versus non-voice processing, then compare same species voices to all other sounds.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-two-step-brain-response">Two-step brain response</h2>



<p>In humans and pigs, the brain marked any voice very quickly, within about 0.2 seconds after the sound began. </p>



<p>Later, after roughly 0.3 seconds and beyond, all three species showed a second step that tagged same species voices as a special category.</p>



<p>“These patterns were very similar despite the large evolutionary distance between the three species, pointing to shared neural mechanisms that likely predate the divergence of their lineages some 90 million years ago,” said Boglárka Morvai, the study's lead author.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dogs-pigs-and-people">Dogs, pigs, and people</h2>



<p>Dogs did not show the early “any voice” signal as clearly as humans and pigs, even though they live closely with people. </p>



<p>They did show the later step that marked dog sounds as different from other sounds, which matches the idea that same species calls matter most for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gut-bacteria-influence-our-social-behavior-and-sense-of-fairness/">social behavior.</a></p>



<p>Pigs showed both steps and did so on a similar time course to people. That pattern strengthens the case that the early voice flag is a general feature of mammal hearing, not a quirk of primates.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-voice-areas-in-mammals">Voice areas in mammals</h2>



<p>For two decades, brain imaging in humans has found voice sensitive regions in the superior temporal cortex, often called temporal voice areas. </p>



<p>A comprehensive review outlines how these regions support recognition of who is speaking, what they feel, and how the voice changes over time.</p>



<p>Dogs have their own voice sensitive patches too, and they align in function with human areas when both species listen to vocal sounds.</p>



<p> A comparative paper showed that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lost-in-translation-how-we-misread-our-dogs-emotions/">dog</a> and human brains both devote cortex to processing voices, including sensitivity to emotional tone.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-speed-of-voice-detection">Speed of voice detection</h2>



<p>Past EEG work in people has reported early differences between voice and non-voice sounds on the order of a fifth of a second. </p>



<p>One open access article found effects emerging around 0.164 seconds and peaking near 0.2 seconds on frontotemporal sensors.</p>



<p>These timings line up with the early “any voice” response reported in the recent study. The later same species effect fits with known windows for categorical decisions in auditory cognition.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pig-brains-and-voices">Pig brains and voices</h2>



<p>Pigs are increasingly used in neuroscience because their brains share organizational features with ours. </p>



<p>Recent physiology work has mapped clear auditory event-related responses in healthy piglets using scalp EEG, strengthening their value as a model species.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Finding the early voice flag in pigs suggests that this quick detection step is not limited to primates or carnivores. It likely reflects a basic property of mammalian hearing tuned by social life.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolutionary-roots-of-voice">Evolutionary roots of voice</h2>



<p>The two-step pattern, first voice detection, then same species sorting, makes evolutionary sense. Fast detection buys time to orient toward a biologically relevant sound, then a later pass adds the social label needed to decide how to react.</p>



<p>If distantly related species share both steps, the underlying circuitry likely traces back to a common ancestor. That is consistent with decades of work showing conserved organization for voice and affect processing across mammals.</p>



<p>All recordings relied on cooperative, awake participation. Dogs and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/selective-breeding-has-dramatically-sped-up-the-evolution-of-pigs/">pigs</a> were measured in calm settings, often near their owners, and no training or sedation was required for them to rest while the sensors recorded.</p>



<p>The protocol emphasizes trust and low stress, which improves data quality and respects the welfare of companion animals. The approach also allows direct comparisons with human EEG.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sorting-same-species-voices">Sorting same-species voices</h2>



<p>Same-species voices carry information about identity, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/experts-identify-the-simple-emotion-that-gives-life-meaning-and-its-not-happiness/">emotion</a>, age, and intent. That richer meaning calls for more processing than a quick voice versus non-voice flag.</p>



<p>The later timing suggests a categorical decision process in which the brain checks acoustic features against learned templates for its own kind. </p>



<p>In humans, that machinery feeds into language, but it operates in social mammals that do not use speech.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-of-voice-studies">Future of voice studies</h2>



<p>Future studies can add more species and test a wider range of calls to see how acoustic structure shapes the early and late steps. Portable EEG could expand testing into natural settings where animals communicate most.</p>



<p>Combining EEG with imaging can also map the timing onto brain regions, tying the fast electrical signatures to specific circuits. That could clarify how the two steps interact during real world social listening.</p>



<p>Better models of voice processing can guide assistive tech for people with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drugs-may-be-available-to-prevent-hearing-loss/">hearing</a> or language challenges. They can also inform animal welfare by helping us detect stress or need from vocal cues in pets and livestock.</p>



<p>Cross species designs like this one keep us honest about what is uniquely human and what is widely shared. That distinction matters for both neuroscience and ethics.</p>



<p>The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811925003581?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>NeuroImage</em></a>.</p>



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Mammals share ancient brain mechanisms for voice recognition

Mammals are not only good at hearing sounds, they are especially tuned to voices. A new cross-species study compared humans, dogs, and pigs and mapped how fast the brain flags a voice, then sorts out whether it belongs to one of our own. The researchers recorded tiny pulses of brain activity while participants listened to people, dogs, and pigs, plus everyday noises. The animals were awake, relaxed, and unmedicated, and the sessions used gentle scalp sensors, not implants. A team from Eötvös Loránd University (ELU) focused on...

<p>For centuries, humanity relied on coastal landmarks and tide gauges to understand sea levels. But satellites changed everything. Since the early 1990s, orbiting instruments have provided precise, global records of ocean surface height. </p>



<p>These data revealed not only how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctica-is-near-irreversible-climate-tipping-point/">seas</a> are rising but also how predictions from decades ago were impressively accurate.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-satellites-changed-sea-level-tracking">Satellites changed sea-level tracking</h2>



<p>Study lead author Torbjörn Törnqvist is a professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at <a href="https://tulane.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tulane University</a>.</p>



<p>“The ultimate test of climate projections is to compare them with what has played out since they were made, but this requires patience - it takes decades of observations,” said Törnqvist.</p>



<p>He noted that the team was quite amazed at how good those early projections were, especially considering how crude the models were back then, compared to what is available now.</p>



<p>"For anyone who questions the role of humans in changing our climate, here is some of the best proof that we have understood for decades what is really happening, and that we can make credible <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-levels-have-been-rising-longer-and-faster-than-we-realized/">projections</a>.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sea-level-rise-differs-across-regions">Sea-level rise differs across regions</h2>



<p>Professor Sönke Dangendorf emphasized the importance of translating global patterns into regional forecasts.</p>



<p>“Sea level doesn’t rise uniformly - it varies widely. Our recent study of this regional variability and the processes behind it relies heavily on data from NASA’s satellite missions and <a href="https://www.noaa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NOAA</a>’s ocean monitoring programs,” he said. </p>



<p>“Continuing these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/state-of-the-climate-2024-record-heat-and-rising-seas/">efforts</a> is more important than ever, and essential for informed decision-making to benefit the people living along the coast.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-satellites-confirm-acceleration">Satellites confirm acceleration</h2>



<p>When satellites first began tracking <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-model-reveals-dramatic-swings-in-ancient-sea-levels/">sea</a> levels in the early 1990s, they showed an average increase of about one eighth of an inch per year. It was only later that scientists confirmed this pace was speeding up. </p>



<p>By October 2024, NASA researchers announced that the rate of rise had doubled over three decades. That moment offered the perfect opportunity to compare real-world changes against projections made nearly thirty years earlier.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-close-call-with-predictions">Close call with predictions</h2>



<p>In 1996, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its assessment report, just as satellite monitoring began. </p>



<p>The report projected about 8 centimeters of sea-level rise over 30 years. The actual outcome was 9 centimeters, nearly identical.</p>



<p>However, the models underestimated melting ice sheets by over 2 centimeters. Back then, the destabilizing effects of warming ocean waters on Antarctic ice were poorly understood. Greenland’s ice was also flowing into the ocean faster than anticipated.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-components-of-sea-level-rise">Components of sea-level rise</h2>



<p>The study shows that thermal expansion of seawater and melting of smaller glaciers were predicted fairly well. But contributions from Greenland and Antarctica were treated as negligible. </p>



<p>In reality, these ice sheets accounted for nearly a quarter of observed sea-level rise. Another overlooked factor was groundwater depletion, which transferred more water to oceans than expected.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ignoring-ice-sheets-caused-errors">Ignoring ice-sheets caused errors</h2>



<p>Early IPCC reports assumed that the dynamic behavior of ice sheets could be ignored for decades. This assumption proved incorrect. Later assessments that excluded dynamic ice flow produced unrealistically low projections. </p>



<p>Once dynamic ice loss was included, estimates increased significantly. Modern assessments now highlight the “deep uncertainty” surrounding possible ice-sheet disintegration, which could drive sea levels far higher than expected.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-past-models-were-surprisingly-accurate">Past models were surprisingly accurate </h2>



<p>Thermal expansion was slightly overestimated, which balanced out the underestimated role of ice sheets. </p>



<p>This created projections that, by chance, matched reality more closely than their flawed assumptions should have allowed.</p>



<p>Still, the overall accuracy offers confidence in today’s more advanced models, especially since early reports successfully predicted atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-climate-projections">Future climate projections</h2>



<p>Predictions made in the 1990s have proven largely accurate, but the greatest challenges still lie ahead. </p>



<p>Ongoing uncertainty about ice sheets and human emissions makes continuous monitoring vital for helping coastal societies prepare for what lies ahead.</p>



<p>"Given the advances in both resolution and process understanding since the 1990s, the early success of the IPCC-SAR projection gives considerable confidence to climate projections for the future," wrote the researchers.</p>



<p>"Meanwhile, the importance of continued monitoring of all relevant components of the climate system by key agencies cannot be understated."</p>



<p>The study is published in the journal <em><a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2025EF006533" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth's Future</a>.</em></p>



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Sea levels are rising as predicted - with bigger risks ahead

For centuries, humanity relied on coastal landmarks and tide gauges...

<p>Our noses do a quiet job. Every day they flag danger, color our meals, and tie memories to places. A research team in Seoul now reports a straightforward method to temporarily dial up the sense of smell.</p>



<p>The study was led by Yongwoo Jang of <a href="https://www.hanyang.ac.kr/web/eng" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hanyang University</a> with collaborators in South Korea.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-radio-waves-on-the-smell-nerve">Radio waves on the smell nerve</h2>



<p>The group focused on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-your-brain-decides-what-smells-good-or-bad/">olfactory</a> nerve - the cable that carries odor signals from the top of the nasal cavity into the brain. </p>



<p>Instead of chemicals or implanted electrodes, the researchers used radiofrequency energy at 2.45 GHz to stimulate the pathway for five minutes.</p>



<p>Volunteers sat still while a patch antenna, about 2 inches across, rested roughly 4 inches in front of the forehead. The antenna did not touch skin, and the output ranged from 10 to 20 watts.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smell-boost-after-short-radio-waves">Smell boost after short radio waves</h2>



<p>Before and after stimulation, participants took a standard odor threshold test that uses pen like odor sticks and the solvent n butanol. This is the threshold component of the widely used Sniffin' Sticks battery procedure.</p>



<p>Scores rose markedly after one session and stayed higher for about a week. In healthy participants, the average threshold improved from typical baseline values around 9 to near the top of the 16 point scale after stimulation.</p>



<p>The team did not test people with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/your-dna-may-explain-why-you-love-or-hate-certain-smells/">smell</a> loss yet. The next step is to move into patient groups with measurable impairment.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-radio-waves-boost-smell">Why radio waves boost smell</h2>



<p>Odor detection begins when receptors in the nose send impulses to the olfactory bulb, then onward to higher brain regions. The skull blunts surface currents, so typical electrical stimulation does not easily reach this deep circuit.</p>



<p>Radio signals can pass through tissue and bone without contact and deposit small amounts of energy. </p>



<p>In the lab recordings, the experts saw stronger electrical activity in the 30 to 100 Hz band during and after exposure, a pattern that fits enhanced responsiveness in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/body-odor-may-subconsciously-change-how-people-interact/">olfactory</a> pathway.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-safe-but-short-term-effect">Safe but short term effect</h2>



<p>The team noted that the antenna does not heat the skin during a short session. The exposure stayed within a narrow window and the device sat off the body.</p>



<p>“This study represents the first time that a person’s sense of smell has been improved using radio waves without any physical contact or chemicals, and the first attempt to explore radio frequency stimulation as a potential therapy for neurological conditions," said Jang. </p>



<p>"This will help us determine whether the treatment can truly benefit those who need it most."</p>



<p>Two limitations of the study stand out. The sample included only healthy adults, and the benefit faded after roughly a week without retreatment.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-smell-deserves-more-attention">Why smell deserves more attention</h2>



<p>Smell problems are common in respiratory infections and were a striking feature of the early COVID 19 waves. </p>



<p>A 2024 review summarizes how olfactory loss can linger and affect daily life for many patients, even as overall risk has fallen since 2020.</p>



<p>Loss of smell also acts as an early flag in neurodegenerative disease. Robust evidence shows that olfactory dysfunction is prevalent in the first stages of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease - often years before motor or memory symptoms surface.</p>



<p>The current treatments for restoring smell are limited. Olfactory training with selected scents can help some people gradually over months, but it seldom leads to an immediate recovery.</p>



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



<p>If future trials in patients mirror the early pattern in healthy adults, smell clinics could incorporate a short radio wave session. The potential applications range from post-viral anosmia to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/helping-others-can-slow-age-related-cognitive-decline/">age-related decline</a>.</p>



<p>Professionals who rely on fine discrimination, from roasters to perfumers, may also be interested in time limited sensitivity boosts for training and calibration. </p>



<p>These applications will need careful boundaries and clear safety data before moving beyond the lab.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-recovering-smell-with-radio-signals">Recovering smell with radio signals</h2>



<p>The early human data suggest that a brief, contact free radio signal can nudge the olfactory system into a more sensitive state for several days. It is simple, fast, and based on hardware that is easy to standardize.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/losing-your-sense-of-smell-is-linked-to-over-100-diseases/">Loss of smell</a> affects safety, diet, mood, and even memory. Providing clinicians with another safe option for treatment would be valuable, especially for the many people who don’t recover on their own after an infection or injury.</p>



<p>The study is published in <a href="https://pubs.aip.org/aip/apb/article/9/3/036112/3359455/Non-contact-radiofrequency-stimulation-to-the" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>APL Bioengineering</em></a>.</p>



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Radio waves can boost our sense of smell without contact

Our noses do a quiet job. Every day they flag...

<p>We drain urine away daily without even thinking about it. But what if that waste could be used to produce food, provide power, and provide cleaner sanitation? Engineers have created a new system to do just that - and it's powered by sunlight.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-waste-could-be-used-as-sustainable-fertilizer/">Fertilizers</a> are costly in much of the world, electricity is unreliable, and clean water is scarce. At the same time, most wastewater goes untreated, leading to severe health and environmental issues.</p>



<p>The new model provides a workable solution, converting a steady stream of waste into something valuable: power and fertilizer, all while treating wastewater to make it safer.</p>



<p>This system uses solar panels to recover nitrogen from urine - without needing a power grid, chemical plants, or fancy equipment.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-urine-to-crop-nutrients">From urine to crop nutrients</h2>



<p>At the heart of the system is a clever trick: pulling ammonia - a form of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nitrogen-was-plentiful-for-early-life-on-earth/">nitrogen</a> - out of urine and turning it into ammonium sulfate, a type of fertilizer. It does this with a series of chambers and specialized membranes. Solar energy drives ions through the system, separating and capturing ammonia in the process.</p>



<p>Solar panels do more than generate electricity. They also generate heat - typically wasted - that this system captures and uses.</p>



<p>Copper tubing draws heat from the back of the panels and uses it to warm the system. That heat accelerates the process of separation, allowing the gas to become fertilizer more quickly.</p>



<p>There’s an added benefit: when solar panels are cool, they actually generate more electricity. By capturing the heat and putting it to work, the system not only functions at a higher speed - it also produces more energy.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-power-of-nitrogen-in-urine">The power of nitrogen in urine</h2>



<p>“This project is about turning a waste problem into a resource opportunity,” said William Tarpeh, assistant professor of chemical engineering at the <a href="https://engineering.stanford.edu/">Stanford School of </a><a href="https://engineering.stanford.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Engineering</a>.</p>



<p>“With this system, we’re capturing nutrients that would otherwise be flushed away or cause environmental damage and turning them into something valuable - fertilizer for crops.”</p>



<p>Why does that matter? Because nitrogen is essential for growing food. It’s the main ingredient in most fertilizers. But producing nitrogen fertilizers the traditional way uses a lot of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-from-fossil-fuels-kills-5-million-people-each-year/">fossil fuels</a>. It's also centralized in wealthier countries, making it expensive and harder to access in lower-income areas.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-producing-fertilizer-where-it-s-needed">Producing fertilizer where it's needed</h2>



<p>Globally, the nitrogen in human urine equals about 14 percent of annual fertilizer demand. That’s a massive, mostly untapped resource.</p>



<p>“Each person produces enough nitrogen in their urine to fertilize a garden, but much of the world is reliant on expensive imported fertilizers instead,” said Orisa Coombs, the study’s lead author and a Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering. </p>



<p>“You don’t need a giant chemical plant or even a wall socket. With enough sunshine, you can produce fertilizer right where it’s needed, and potentially even store or sell excess electricity.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-better-results-with-solar-heat">Better results with solar heat</h2>



<p>In testing, the updated prototype showed significant improvements over earlier designs. By combining solar power and waste heat, power generation increased by nearly 60 percent. Ammonia recovery also became more efficient - up by more than 20 percent.</p>



<p>That’s because about 80 percent of the energy from the sun that strikes<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/solar-panels-are-1000-times-more-powerful-with-new-tech-breakthrough/"> solar panels</a> typically gets wasted as heat. This system harnesses that heat, preventing panels from overheating and turning what was once a drawback into part of the solution.</p>



<p>The scientists also constructed a simulation to observe how the system would behave in varrying conditions - changing sunlight, temperature, and electrical configurations. </p>



<p>In places like Uganda, where fertilizer is costly and energy is limited, the system could generate up to $4.13 per kilogram of nitrogen recovered. That’s more than twice the potential earnings in the U.S.</p>



<p>The next step is to build a larger prototype with three times the capacity. It will process more urine, produce fertilizer more quickly, and operate more effectively under strong sunlight.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clean-energy-cleaner-water">Clean energy, cleaner water</h2>



<p>This technology could also be a major step forward for sanitation. Right now, more than 80 percent of the world’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/un-report-wastewater-is-a-hidden-solution-to-the-climate-crisis/">wastewater</a> isn’t treated. That means nitrogen and other waste ends up in rivers, lakes, and groundwater, harming the environment and public health.</p>



<p>By removing nitrogen from urine before it enters the water system, the device makes what’s left behind safer to discharge or even reuse for things like irrigation. </p>



<p>And it can do that without needing to be plugged in - perfect for communities without access to sewage systems or reliable power.</p>



<p>“We often think of water, food, and energy as completely separate systems, but this is one of those rare cases where engineering innovation can help solve multiple problems at once,” said Coombs. “It’s clean, it’s scalable, and it’s literally powered by the sun.”</p>



<p>The full study was published in the journal <em><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s44221-025-00477-w" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Water</a></em>.</p>



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How solar power can transform urine into fertilizer

We drain urine away daily without even thinking about it....

<p>Some people stay sharp and steady into old age, while others face illness and limits far sooner. A new study maps 408 genes across distinct patterns of accelerated aging, known as frailty, and shows these patterns arise from different biology.</p>



<p>Rather than one score, the team modeled a general genetic factor plus six specific factors that track shared signals across 30 aging deficits, moving beyond a single category for everyone.</p>



<p>Study lead author Isabelle Foote is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Colorado Boulder’s <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/ibg/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Institute for Behavioral Genetics</a>.</p>



<p>The researchers analyzed genetic and health records from the UK Biobank - a 500,000-person resource designed for large-scale population research. The scale allowed the team to detect subtle effects that smaller cohorts often miss.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-same-score-different-health-risks">Same score, different health risks</h2>



<p>Clinicians often use a frailty index - a count of 30 to 40 deficits across symptoms, diseases, and functions, to estimate risk in older adults. </p>



<p>That approach is useful in clinics but can hide why two people with the same score need different care.</p>



<p>Previous research has shown that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/flavonol-rich-foods-reduce-the-risk-of-developing-frailty/">frailty</a> reflects the accumulation of deficits and varies widely among people the same age. Dividing the score into distinct domains creates a clearer map for intervention.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genes-link-aging-and-frailty">Genes link aging and frailty</h2>



<p>Some of the signals appear in biologically familiar places, including the transcription factor SP1, which regulates genes tied to amyloid and tau in Alzheimer’s disease and shows altered levels in patient brain tissue.</p>



<p>SP1 also participates in immune and stress-response pathways, suggesting one route by which inflammation might contribute to cognitive decline.</p>



<p>Other findings intersect with metabolic control, such as FTO, a gene whose common variants are strongly associated with higher body mass index and obesity across the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/womens-egg-cells-shield-dna-from-the-effects-of-aging/">life course</a>. </p>



<p>Connections like these align with frailty subtypes that center on cognition, mobility, metabolism, and social context without presuming a single cause.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-targeting-aging-not-just-disease">Targeting aging, not just disease</h2>



<p>The findings support geroscience - the idea that targeting the biology of aging could lower the risk for many conditions at once, rather than chasing each disease separately. </p>



<p>“To be able to identify treatments to stop or reverse accelerated biological aging, you need to know what the underlying biology is," noted Foote. "This is the largest study yet to use <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-are-experimenting-with-new-approach-to-fight-and-stop-human-aging-necrosis/">genetics</a> to try to do that.”</p>



<p>“This paper suggests that it’s probably not going to be a single magic pill to address all the diseases that come with aging, but maybe it doesn’t need to be hundreds anymore,” said study co-author Andrew Grotzinger.</p>



<p>The experts recommend adding subtypes to frailty evaluations. This would allow doctors to target cognitive frailty with dementia prevention and metabolic frailty with measures to reduce risks for heart disease and diabetes. Researchers can test these steps now, while genetics fuels the search for new targets.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genetic-scores-may-guide-prevention">Genetic scores may guide prevention</h2>



<p>One near-term tool is the polygenic risk score, which summarizes thousands of small genetic effects into a single number estimating predisposition for a trait like frailty.</p>



<p>Early validation work shows that such scores predict frailty in independent cohorts, explaining about two percent of the variance in older adults. This tool could flag people who may benefit from earlier screening or coaching.</p>



<p>Scores are not destiny, and their performance depends on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/who-are-the-japanese-people-dna-study-results-upend-previous-ancestry-beliefs/">ancestry</a>, sample size, and context. This is why experts caution against overinterpreting a single score outside well-studied populations. As datasets diversify and clinical studies mature, the numbers should become more precise.</p>



<p>The larger lesson here is that precision matters in aging science, because unhealthy aging is not a single pathway. With better maps, researchers and clinicians can match prevention and treatment to the biology that truly needs attention.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genes-cluster-traits-in-aging-science">Genes cluster traits in aging science</h2>



<p>The study draws on a large genome-wide association study, which searches for links between genes and traits. The team applied a method called genomic structural equation modeling to uncover hidden genetic factors that help explain why certain traits tend to cluster together.</p>



<p>In plain terms, this modeling method tests whether the same sets of variants tend to occur alongside specific constellations of deficits - exactly the kind of insight needed when aging is not a single process.</p>



<p>Genomic SEM distinguishes which genetic effects are shared across areas - such as thinking ability, movement, metabolism, and disease risk - and which are unique.</p>



<p>It also accounts for the fact that some of the same individuals may appear in multiple datasets. That is how the team identified a broad factor and six specific factors that better match what doctors observe in practice.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genes-matter-but-context-matters-more">Genes matter, but context matters more</h2>



<p>The authors propose adding subtypes to frailty evaluations. This approach lets doctors target cognitive frailty with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/risk-of-dementia-is-much-higher-than-previously-thought/">dementia</a> prevention and metabolic frailty with strategies to lower heart disease and diabetes risks.</p>



<p>The path forward includes recruiting broader cohorts and building tools that perform equitably across groups.</p>



<p>Genes play a role in aging, but life experiences also matter. Because social and behavioral factors are important, care plans must account for environment, habits, and support networks - not just DNA. The genetic map adds resolution, but it does not erase the rest of the picture.</p>



<p>The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-025-02269-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Nature Genetics</em></a>.</p>



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Why some people age better: Hundreds of genes identified

Some people stay sharp and steady into old age, while...

<p>When people think about climate change, carbon dioxide and melting ice usually come to mind. But there’s another, less obvious factor at play: iron in the ocean.</p>



<p>A new study from the <a href="https://manoa.hawaii.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Hawai‘i</a> at Mānoa shows how the supply of iron in the South Pacific shifted over the last 93 million years.</p>



<p>The shift in iron changed how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/metallic-beads-in-arctic-mud-suggest-a-comet-slammed-into-earth-relatively-recently/">marine</a> life grew and how carbon dioxide moved in and out of the atmosphere.</p>



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



<p>Iron feeds phytoplankton, the tiny plants floating in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-was-once-a-green-marble-before-its-oceans-turned-blue/">seawater</a>. When they grow, they pull carbon dioxide out of the air. Without enough iron, phytoplankton struggle, and less carbon dioxide gets absorbed. </p>



<p>Today we know this link well, but the UH Mānoa team wanted to know how iron shaped oceans in the distant past. To investigate, the researchers studied deep-sea sediment cores collected far from any continent.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-changing-iron-in-ocean">Changing iron in ocean</h2>



<p>Study lead author Logan Tegler is a postdoctoral researcher in the UH Mānoa <a href="https://www.soest.hawaii.edu/soestwp/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology</a>.</p>



<p>"Over the past 93 million years, we found that five primary sources of iron have influenced the South Pacific Ocean: dust, iron from far off ocean sources, two distinct hydrothermal sources, and a volcanic ash," explained Tegler.</p>



<p>"These sources shifted over time as the sites gradually migrated away from mid-ocean ridges." </p>



<p>At first, most iron came from underwater hydrothermal vents. Later, dust carried by wind slowly became more important. Around 30 million years ago, it took over as the main source.</p>



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



<p>The study connects shifts in iron supply directly to major climate events in Earth’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-an-ocean-of-fire-shaped-early-earths-core-according-to-a-new-study/">history</a>. </p>



<p>During warmer greenhouse periods, when the planet lacked polar ice, volcanic ash and seafloor hydrothermal vents acted as the main suppliers of iron to the ocean. These sources provided a steady flow of nutrients, helping sustain marine productivity.</p>



<p>Later, as Earth cooled and Antarctica developed permanent ice sheets, the dynamics changed. Stronger winds began carrying larger amounts of continental dust into the South Pacific. </p>



<p>The dust became a dominant source of iron, replacing volcanic and hydrothermal inputs. The change mattered because not all iron sources are equal. Some forms are more accessible to microbes, while others are harder to use. </p>



<p>These differences influenced which organisms could thrive, altering marine food webs and carbon uptake. By linking climate transitions with nutrient supply, the study shows how even small elements can reshape the global carbon cycle.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ocean-life-under-low-iron">Ocean life under low iron</h2>



<p>“Understanding this historical context helps us comprehend how iron has shaped ecosystems,” said Tegler. </p>



<p>“It also raises questions about how the iron cycle might have favored certain microbes over others - an ecosystem with persistently low iron could favor microbes adapted to survive under iron-limited conditions, such as diatoms.”</p>



<p>In large parts of the Pacific, the amount of available iron still sets the limit on how much phytoplankton can grow. Fewer phytoplankton mean less carbon dioxide leaves the air.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-today-s-unusual-pattern">Today’s unusual pattern</h2>



<p>“Modern dust deposition in the South Pacific is extremely low," said Tegler. “However, our findings surprisingly suggest that the South Pacific is currently receiving more dust than it has at any point in the last 90 million years, which is remarkable given its current reputation as an iron poor region!”</p>



<p>This isn’t just random. Rising dust relates to shifts in climate and geology. Drying in Australia, uplift of landmasses, altered wind paths, human-driven changes, and broader atmospheric circulation patterns all play a part. Compared to the deep past, today’s South Pacific is in an unusual state.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ocean-changes-due-to-iron">Ocean changes due to iron</h2>



<p>“As human activities increase iron input to the oceans through industrial emissions and biomass burning, understanding past perturbations of the iron cycle is crucial for predicting and mitigating adverse effects,” noted Tegler.</p>



<p>Iron’s history shows how one nutrient can shift ecosystems and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-climate-fixes-could-worsen-the-oxygen-crisis/">climate</a>. By studying how iron availability changed over millions of years, scientists gain insight into today’s environmental challenges. </p>



<p>Ultimately, the research helps predict future impacts on Earth’s carbon balance, marine life, and overall climate resilience.</p>



<p>The study is published in the journal <em><a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2025PA005149" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology</a>.</em></p>



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How ocean iron has shaped Earth's climate history

When people think about climate change, carbon dioxide and melting...

<p>Space just dealt astronomers a curveball - one that’s 82 light-years from home, potentially capable of answering fundamental questions about some of the strangest objects in our galaxy: brown dwarfs.</p>



<p>Brown dwarfs are neither stars nor <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-map-twin-stars-to-discover-hidden-planets-with-unprecedented-accuracy/">planets</a>. They're caught in between. Too small to fuel the nuclear fusion that powers true stars, but too massive to be planets, they’ve always been difficult to define. </p>



<p>Now, a strange new quadruple system might give researchers exactly what they’ve needed to make sense of these in-between objects.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-two-stars-two-dwarfs-one-orbit">Two stars, two dwarfs, one orbit</h2>



<p>Astronomers have discovered a system with not just one, but four objects locked together in space. Two <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/planets-orbiting-red-dwarf-stars-may-not-be-habitable-ultraviolet-uv-radiation/">red dwarf stars</a> orbit each other on one side. </p>



<p>On the opposite, two brown dwarfs are in another close pair. And these two pairs, in concert, orbit a common center of mass - like an intergalactic waltz taking more than 100,000 years to complete a full rotation.</p>



<p>This unusual system is called UPM J1040−3551 AabBab. It's located in the constellation <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hundreds-of-glittering-galaxies-captured-in-the-antlia-cluster/">Antlia</a>, about 82 light-years away from us. That might sound far, but on a cosmic scale, it’s relatively close. </p>



<p>The researchers who found the system used data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia satellite and NASA’s WISE mission. These tools helped them spot the signs of two separate objects moving in sync through space. </p>



<p>Because the orbit is so slow, scientists couldn’t see it directly. Instead, they matched angular velocity - basically, the speed and direction of the objects’ motion.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-red-dwarfs-meet-brown-dwarfs">Red dwarfs meet brown dwarfs</h2>



<p>The system breaks down into two main parts. The brighter pair, UPM J1040−3551 Aab, consists of two red dwarfs. These are small, cool stars that appear orange in visible light. </p>



<p>You’d never spot them with your naked eye - not even the closest red dwarf, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/proxima-centauri-the-closest-star-to-earth-is-extremely-violent/">Proxima Centauri</a>, is visible without a telescope. This pair is about 100,000 times dimmer than Polaris, the North Star.</p>



<p>Then there’s the dimmer pair, UPM J1040−3551 Bab. They are brown dwarfs, and they produce hardly any visible light. They're only visible in the near-infrared part of the spectrum and are about 1,000 times fainter than their red dwarf stars. That makes them extremely difficult to observe.</p>



<p>The red dwarf pair was initially indicated by a tiny “wobble” observed in Gaia’s data. It was later verified when astronomers saw it was roughly 0.7 magnitudes brighter than one red dwarf would be if it were alone at that distance. That extra brightness was a tip-off - it meant two stars were glowing together.</p>



<p>The brown dwarf binary was identified in the same manner. They were brighter in the infrared than one object should be, which caused scientists to suspect, and then confirm, that two brown dwarfs in close orbit were present.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-makes-this-system-special">What makes this system special</h2>



<p>The researchers used the SOAR Telescope in Chile to gather more data. Dr. Felipe Navarete led the work on the ground, using optical and near-infrared spectrographs to learn more about the stars and brown dwarfs.</p>



<p>“These observations were challenging due to the faintness of the brown dwarfs, but the capabilities of SOAR allowed us to collect the crucial spectroscopic data needed to understand the nature of these objects," said Dr. Navarete.</p>



<p>The red dwarfs turned out to be <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exoplanet-found-orbiting-the-closest-star-to-our-sun-barnards-star/">M-type stars</a>, each with temperatures around 3,200 Kelvin (about 2,900°C). They’re each about 17% the mass of the Sun.</p>



<p>The brown dwarfs are even more extreme. They’re T-type, with temperatures of 820 Kelvin (550°C/1,020°F) and 690 Kelvin (420°C/790°F). They’re about the size of Jupiter, but with masses 10 to 30 times greater. At the low end of that scale, they’re brushing up against what scientists call “planetary mass.”</p>



<p>“This is the first quadruple system ever discovered with a pair of T-type brown dwarfs orbiting two stars,” said Dr. MariCruz Gálvez-Ortiz. “The discovery provides a unique cosmic laboratory for studying these mysterious objects.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brown-dwarfs-help-measure-age">Brown dwarfs help measure age</h2>



<p>One of the biggest puzzles with brown dwarfs is figuring out their age and mass. That’s not easy, because brown dwarfs cool down over time. That cooling changes how they appear in telescopes. </p>



<p>So when scientists spot a brown dwarf with a certain <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/habitable-exoplanet-gliese-12-b-only-40-light-years-away-earth-like-temperatures/">temperature</a>, they can’t immediately tell whether it’s young and small, or old and large. This is called the “age-mass degeneracy problem.” Basically, temperature alone doesn’t tell the full story.</p>



<p>“Brown dwarfs with wide stellar companions whose ages can be determined independently are invaluable at breaking this degeneracy as age benchmarks,” said Professor Hugh Jones. </p>



<p>“UPM J1040−3551 is particularly valuable because H-alpha emission from the brighter pair indicates the system is relatively young, between 300 million and 2 billion years old.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-orbiting-dwarfs-refine-science">Orbiting dwarfs refine science</h2>



<p>Since the brown dwarfs revolve around one another, astronomers one day expect to follow their path and determine their precise masses. </p>



<p>That would allow scientists to have an unusual opportunity to tune the models that scientists employ to forecast the long-term evolution of the brown dwarfs.</p>



<p>“This system offers a dual benefit for brown dwarf science,” said Professor Adam Burgasser of the University of California San Diego. </p>



<p>“It can serve as an age benchmark to calibrate low-temperature atmosphere models, and as a mass benchmark to test <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-model-reveals-the-evolution-of-the-earths-surface/">evolutionary models</a> if we can resolve the brown dwarf binary and track its orbit.”</p>



<p>For now, UPM J1040−3551 AabBab is one of the best natural laboratories in space for testing ideas about how stars and brown dwarfs form and evolve. It’s a rare find, and for researchers hunting answers about the universe’s strangest objects, it couldn’t have come at a better time.</p>



<p>The full study was published in the journal <em><a href="https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/542/2/656/8155088?login=false" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society</a></em>.</p>



<p>Image Credit: Jiaxin Zhong/ Zenghua Zhang</p>



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Rare quadruple star system may solve the mystery of brown dwarfs

Space just dealt astronomers a curveball - one that’s 82...

<p>Bees are the quiet workers behind much of the world’s food. Their role in pollination underpins ecosystems and agriculture alike. Yet honeybee populations are shrinking due to climate stress, pesticides, diseases, and loss of floral diversity. This crisis now threatens global food security.</p>



<p>A new international study led by the <a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Oxford</a> introduces an innovative food supplement for honeybees. Using engineered yeast, the researchers recreated essential sterols usually found in pollen, creating a diet that supports healthier, more resilient <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heat-and-pollution-are-changing-the-buzz-of-bees/">colonies</a>.</p>



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



<p>Honeybees cannot make sterols on their own. Unlike most <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/when-bees-arrive-late-flowers-may-vanish/">insects</a> that convert dietary sterols into cholesterol, bees must directly consume them. These molecules are critical for cell membranes and hormones. Without them, colonies fail to reproduce and collapse.</p>



<p>Normally, bees obtain sterols from pollen stored as bee bread. Nurse bees digest this pollen, transfer sterols into their glands, and then feed larvae through glandular secretions. </p>



<p>Despite the diversity of sterols in pollen, only six dominate in bee tissues: 24-methylenecholesterol, campesterol, isofucosterol, β-sitosterol, cholesterol, and desmosterol.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-yeast-based-bee-diet">Yeast-based bee diet</h2>



<p>To replace these rare compounds, scientists turned to Yarrowia lipolytica, a yeast already considered safe in aquaculture. Using CRISPR-Cas9 editing, they reprogrammed its metabolic pathways to produce the precise sterols <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/science-is-giving-beekeepers-a-better-way-to-fight-colony-collapse/">bees</a> require. </p>



<p>This involved deleting certain genes and introducing others from plants, algae, and even bacteria. Over several steps, the yeast was redesigned to yield a mixture of all six sterols.</p>



<p>The yeast biomass was then dried into powder and added to artificial diets. This made it possible to deliver complete nutrition without harvesting natural pollen at unsustainable scales.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-feeding-trials-in-glasshouses">Feeding trials in glasshouses</h2>



<p>Colonies were placed in controlled glasshouses and fed only these diets for three months. The results were clear: bees given the sterol-rich yeast raised up to 15 times more larvae than those on standard substitutes. </p>



<p>These colonies also kept brood production going long after sterol-deficient colonies had stopped.</p>



<p>Interestingly, when researchers measured sterols in the larvae, they matched those found in naturally foraging colonies. This showed that bees selectively transfer only the most vital sterols to their young.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-yeast-diets-help-bees-outdoors">Yeast diets help bees outdoors</h2>



<p>Additional semi-field trials reinforced the results. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bees-sleep-like-humans-with-similar-brain-patterns/">Colonies</a> fed the mixed-sterol yeast diet maintained strong brood production into late summer, while control groups dwindled. </p>



<p>Even when a heatwave reduced bee numbers across all groups, supplemented colonies recovered more quickly once nurse bees were added back.</p>



<p>Sterols from the engineered yeast accumulated in nurse bees but were selectively passed to the brood, confirming a fine-tuned biological mechanism. </p>



<p>The sterol surrogate produced during yeast engineering, tetrahymanol, was consumed but never appeared in larvae, suggesting bees filter out unnecessary molecules.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-competition-for-limited-pollen">Competition for limited pollen</h2>



<p>Honeybees pollinate more than 70% of leading crops, including almonds, apples, and cherries. Yet losses in U.S. colonies have reached nearly half per year, with forecasts predicting even higher numbers. </p>



<p>For honeybees, poor nutrition amplifies the damage caused by mites, viruses, and pesticides.</p>



<p>“Honey bees are critically important pollinators for the production of crops such as almonds, apples, and cherries and so are present in some crop locations in very large numbers, which can put pressure on limited wildflowers," said study co-author Professor Phil Stevenson.</p>



<p>"Our engineered supplement could therefore benefit wild bee species by reducing competition for limited pollen supplies.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bee-diets-and-food-security">Bee diets and food security</h2>



<p>“We rely on honey bees to pollinate one in three bites of our food, yet bees face many stressors," said Danielle Downey of Project Apis m., who was not involved in the study. </p>



<p>"Good nutrition is one way to improve their resilience to these threats, and in landscapes with dwindling natural forage for bees, a more complete diet supplement could be a game changer.”</p>



<p>The yeast biomass also offers proteins, fats, and vitamins. The researchers suggest it could be further engineered to add antioxidants, carotenoids, or beneficial fatty acids, creating a truly holistic feed for pollinators.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-of-bees-and-yeast-nutrition">Future of bees and yeast nutrition</h2>



<p>While the results are promising, large-scale field studies are still needed. These will test how colonies perform in open environments and measure long-term pollination effects. If successful, farmers could see this supplement within two years.</p>



<p>Beyond honeybees, this approach could extend to other pollinators or even farmed insects, strengthening the foundation of sustainable agriculture worldwide. </p>



<p>What began as a molecular tweak in yeast could reshape the survival prospects of pollinators and, in turn, our global food future.</p>



<p>The research was in collaboration with <a href="https://www.kew.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kew Gardens</a>, the <a href="https://www.gre.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Greenwich</a>, and the Technical University of Denmark.</p>



<p>The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09431-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Nature</em></a>.</p>



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Engineered bee diets can help protect global food security

Bees are the quiet workers behind much of the world’s...

<p>Struggling to fall asleep at night? Science may have found the answer, and it is not a pill. It has long been known that exercise can help with sleep disorders, but the best type and routine were unclear. </p>



<p>Now, researchers at <a href="https://www.hrbipe.edu.cn/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harbin Sport University</a> in China have compared different workouts to determine which works best.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-study-was-conducted">How the study was conducted</h2>



<p>The team used Network meta-analysis (<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0895435624002932#:~:text=Network%20Meta%2Danalysis%20(NMA),evidence)%20to%20obtain%20network%20estimates." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NMA</a>), a statistical method that allows comparisons across multiple types of exercise.&nbsp;</p>



<p>They searched five major scientific databases to include as many relevant studies as possible. The researchers collected data from Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, and Scopus, up until September 30, 2024.</p>



<p>They included 30 randomized controlled trials (<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6235704/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RCT</a>s) involving 2,576 participants from more than a dozen countries. Participants ranged in age and were all experiencing <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/11429-sleep-disorders" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sleep difficulties</a>.</p>



<p>Importantly, two researchers independently extracted the data to minimize bias or mistakes. After analyzing the data, the researchers ranked the effectiveness of different types of exercise.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-which-exercise-improves-sleep-quality">Which exercise improves sleep quality</h2>



<p>The study revealed that <a href="https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/yoga-effectiveness-and-safety" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">yoga</a> was most beneficial, especially when practiced at higher intensity for 30 minutes or less, twice a week. Consistency is key. The benefits were strongest when continued for eight to ten weeks.&nbsp;</p>



<p><a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/walking/art-20046261" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Walking</a> ranked second, followed by resistance training and aerobic exercise.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Why do these workouts matter? These activities could offer a safer, more accessible way to improve sleep for people with sleep disorders.</p>



<p>Treatments for sleep issues, like cognitive behavioral <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-therapy-may-break-the-cycle-of-overthinking-and-repetitive-negative-thoughts/">therapy</a> (CBT) and sleeping pills, do not always work for everyone. These treatments may also carry <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-sea-cucumbers-could-help-slow-the-spread-of-cancer/">side effects</a>, especially affecting older adults.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-do-shorter-sessions-work-better">Why do shorter sessions work better?</h2>



<p>While this study does not explain exactly why yoga helps with sleep, previous research provides some insights. Yoga combines <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/practicing-mindfulness-can-quiet-the-noise-of-anxiety/">mindfulness</a> and physical activity in addition to boosting heart rate and building strength.</p>



<p>What sets yoga apart is its focus on breath control, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting calmness and inducing good-quality sleep. Timing and intensity both appear to influence its effect.</p>



<p>The key finding of this study was that shorter sessions may actually be more beneficial, contrary to what most of us believed. Excessive exercise can elevate cortisol, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-stress-makes-us-take-more-risks-in-financial-decisions/">stress</a> hormone, which may make it harder to sleep.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-at-odds-with-previous-studies">At odds with previous studies</h2>



<p>These findings challenge some earlier assumptions about yoga and sleep. Past research suggested hour-long yoga classes were best for sleep. </p>



<p>Results also differ from a <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/guidelines/adults.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2023 study</a>, which suggested that moderate-intensity aerobic exercise performed three times a week was most effective. </p>



<p>"If someone were to do some exercise earlier in the day, not right before bedtime, there can be some elevations in cortisol," said Justin Thomas, a sleep specialist at the <a href="https://www.uab.edu/home/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Alabama</a>. Exercising too close to bedtime may interfere with falling asleep.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exercise-and-sleep-it-s-complicated">Exercise and sleep - it's complicated</h2>



<p>The researchers were not able to determine how widely the results apply, since the study included trials with participants from a wide range of age groups.</p>



<p>"Some kinds of interventions may work well for someone who is in their 30s but be more difficult for someone who is in their 80s," said Arsenio Páez, a sleep researcher at <a href="https://www.concordia.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Concordia University</a>.</p>



<p>For instance, older adults or those leading a sedentary lifestyle might benefit more from low-intensity workouts, while younger individuals with an active lifestyle might need a high-intensity routine.</p>



<p>That means the best routine can depend on age, lifestyle, and health history.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-one-size-does-not-fit-all">One size does not fit all</h2>



<p>The scientists still require more data on the long-term effects of exercise on sleep. They stress that while exercise is good for sleep, there is no universal exercise routine that works for everyone.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Sleep and exercise are also influenced by sex and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-fruits-and-vegetables-improve-heart-health/">health</a> history. "We really need to look more at the differences between how men and women respond," said Páez.</p>



<p>For now, experts suggest sticking with what is practical and enjoyable, as the key is to stay active. </p>



<p>"If a patient comes into my clinic and, for some reason, cannot do yoga, but they can walk, then I would still encourage walking rather than doing nothing," said Thomas.</p>



<p>The full study was published in<em> </em>the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41105-025-00596-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Sleep and Biological Rhythms</em></a>.</p>



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One form of exercise is shown to improve sleep the most, according to studies

Struggling to fall asleep at night? Science may have found...

<p>A two year carcinogenicity study in rats reports increased benign and malignant tumor rates after continuous exposure to glyphosate or glyphosate-based herbicides</p>



<p>The exposure levels studied in this research are considered low or acceptable, including 0.5, 5, and 50 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day, with exposure beginning before birth and continuing through two years.</p>



<p>Glyphosate is the most widely used <a href="https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/research/topics/glyphosate" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">herbicide</a> worldwide, spread across farms, parks, and roadsides.&nbsp;</p>



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



<p>Glyphosate is the main ingredient in many popular herbicides, including the well-known product <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundup_(herbicide)">Roundup</a>. Farmers, gardeners, and even city maintenance crews use it to kill unwanted plants, especially weeds that compete with crops. </p>



<p>Glyphosate works by blocking a specific enzyme that plants need to grow, which means the plant eventually withers and dies. </p>



<p>Since animals and humans don’t have this enzyme, glyphosate was originally considered relatively safe for people. That’s one reason it became so widely used across agriculture and landscaping over the last few decades.</p>



<p>Some weeds have developed resistance, meaning they no longer die when sprayed, which forces farmers to use more herbicide or stronger mixes. </p>



<p>Researchers have also debated whether glyphosate might <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-soil-day-2024-protecting-our-planets-lifeline/">harm soil health</a>, reduce biodiversity, or pose long-term risks to people, though studies don’t all agree.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-the-dangers-of-glyphosate">Studying the dangers of glyphosate</h2>



<p>The study was led by the Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center at the Ramazzini Institute (<a href="https://www.istitutoramazzini.it/about/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CMCRC</a>) in Italy, a research center with more than fifty years of experience studying the health effects of chemicals. </p>



<p>The institute coordinated the project and collaborated with universities and public health organizations in Europe and the United States.</p>



<p>The design started exposure in pregnancy and continued through 104 weeks in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/sprague-dawley-rat" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sprague-Dawley</a> rats. That approach captures sensitive windows of development that adult only studies can miss.</p>



<p>Animals received either pure glyphosate or two commercial <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36274693/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">formulations</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/herbicides-are-disrupting-plant-insect-interactions/">Roundup BioFlow</a> in the European Union and RangerPro in the United States, via drinking water at 0.5, 5, or 50 milligrams per kilogram per day. </p>



<p>These doses align with the acceptable daily intake and the no observed adverse effect level used by European regulators.</p>



<p>The researchers examined dozens of organs using standardized pathology and peer review. Survival, body weight, and feed and water intake looked similar to controls, so tumor differences were not explained by general sickness.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-glyphosate-and-leukemia">Glyphosate and leukemia</h2>



<p>Leukemia stood out, with a significant dose-related trend and no cases in concurrent controls.</p>



<p>The study reported organ specific increases spanning skin, liver, thyroid, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-black-widow-venom-attacks-the-nervous-system/">nervous system</a>, ovaries, male mammary gland, adrenal glands, kidneys, urinary bladder, bone, and endocrine pancreas.</p>



<p>“Early life onset and mortality were observed for multiple tumors,” wrote Panzacchi and colleagues. </p>



<p>About 40 percent of leukemia deaths in treated animals occurred before 52 weeks of age, a strikingly early onset for this strain in long term bioassays. </p>



<p>Patterns differed by product, suggesting that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/herbicide-exposure-linked-to-brain-inflammation-and-cognitive-decline/">co-formulants</a> may change toxicity compared with glyphosate alone. </p>



<p>That point is consistent with broader evidence showing that formulated mixtures can act differently than the nominal active ingredient.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-vs-animal-studies">Human vs. animal studies</h2>



<p>In 2015 the International Research on Cancer (<a href="https://www.iarc.who.int/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/MonographVolume112-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IARC</a>) concluded there is “sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in experimental animals” for glyphosate. </p>



<p>The Working Group reviewed animal, human, and mechanistic data, citing signals that include genotoxicity and oxidative stress.</p>



<p>In the U.S. Agricultural Health <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jnci/article/110/5/509/4590280" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Study</a>, the highest exposure group showed an elevated, though imprecise, risk of acute myeloid leukemia among pesticide applicators, even as most site specific associations were null. </p>



<p>That pattern keeps attention on blood cancers while acknowledging the limits of exposure reconstruction in large cohorts.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-regulators-stand">Where regulators stand</h2>



<p>Europe’s food safety authority issued a 2023 peer review supporting renewal of glyphosate while noting data gaps in areas such as risks to some aquatic organisms and full disclosure of formulation ingredients. </p>



<p>Regulatory opinions can diverge because agencies weigh animal, human, and mechanistic evidence differently.</p>



<p>In 2022 the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (<a href="https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/epa-withdraws-glyphosate-interim-decision" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EPA</a>) withdrew its interim decision after a federal appeals court vacated the human health portion and ordered the agency to redo parts of its analysis. </p>



<p>That reset left open questions about hazard classification and risk assumptions that future updates will need to address.</p>



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



<p>The prenatal start to exposure in this work matters, because early development can be more vulnerable than adulthood. </p>



<p>Separate research in a California birth cohort links higher childhood biomarkers of glyphosate exposure to increased odds of elevated liver enzymes and metabolic syndrome by late adolescence.</p>



<p>A practical question now is how low dose, long duration exposures interact with formulation ingredients across different organs. </p>



<p>The answer will influence how acceptable <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/corn-found-to-have-genetic-vulnerability-to-common-tolpyralate-herbicide/">daily intake values</a> are interpreted against animal bioassay signals and how risk managers handle glyphosate versus formulated products in food and non food uses.</p>



<p>The study is published in <a href="https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12940-025-01187-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Environmental Health</em></a>.</p>



<p>-----</p>



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Most widely used herbicide in the world is now linked to leukemia and tumors

A two year carcinogenicity study in rats reports increased benign...

<p>“Solitons” are waves that refuse to spread out or slow down, a stubborn breed that keeps its shape as it travels. In 1834, a Scottish engineer named <a href="https://www.scirp.org/reference/referencespapers?referenceid=1109914" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">John Scott Russell</a> chased one along the Union Canal and recorded it in detail.</p>



<p>A new <a href="https://journals.aps.org/prx/abstract/10.1103/nrv2-9h8z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study </a>reports a version of that wave that pulses as it goes and yet survives in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-create-a-two-dimensional-carbon-material-eight-times-stronger-than-graphene/">systems</a> where energy normally leaks away.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Lead author <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Jonas-Veenstra-2199888314" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jonas Veenstra</a> and his colleagues at the University of Amsterdam’s Institute of Physics (<a href="https://iop.uva.nl/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IOP</a>) carried out the experiments with collaborators in London and Marseille.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-solitons-vanish-in-real-materials">Solitons vanish in real materials</h2>



<p>After Russell’s sighting, mathematicians wrote down an <a href="https://arxiv.org/pdf/math/0602661" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">equation</a> in 1895 that explains these solitary waves in shallow water. </p>



<p>Their equation, the KdV equation, became a template for understanding stable wave packets across physics.</p>



<p>The world is rarely lossless, though. Friction and drag steal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-an-ocean-of-fire-shaped-early-earths-core-according-to-a-new-study/">energy</a>, so even a classic soliton eventually smears out in real materials.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-makes-this-result-different">What makes this result different</h2>



<p>The Amsterdam team built a tabletop metamaterial that breaks symmetry on purpose. </p>



<p>Key ingredient is <a href="https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.124.086801" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nonreciprocity</a>, where element A nudges element B differently than B nudges A, a behavior that can produce the <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.23845" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">non-Hermitian skin</a> effect and strong one-way amplification in active media.</p>



<p>The authors introduce and stabilize a special pulsing wave called a breather that keeps moving without fading, even when the system is losing energy.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“Breathing solitons consist of a fast beating wave within a compact envelope of stable shape and velocity,” wrote Veenstra and colleagues. </p>



<p>In their summary, the team noted that the asymmetry was crucial, and this insight shaped both the experimental design and the theoretical <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/graphene-wonder-material-changing-the-world-is-officially-declared-safe-for-humans/">framework</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-creating-stable-pulsing-waves">Creating stable pulsing waves</h2>



<p>The lab setup is a chain of 50 <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960077921001612" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">active oscillators</a> connected with flexible bands and powered by tiny motors, so each unit can push and sense its neighbors. </p>



<p>By programming an asymmetric coupling, the researchers made waves that prefer one direction and keep a tidy envelope as they travel.</p>



<p>In that regime the breather’s carrier oscillation sits near 5 Hz, while the envelope marches along at about 8 units per second in the experiment’s scaled coordinates. </p>



<p>Those numbers come straight from the team’s measurements and appear alongside the models the authors tested against the data.</p>



<p>The nonreciprocal link is implemented with embedded sensors, microcontrollers, and motors that inject a controlled torque bias between neighbors. </p>



<p>That active feedback breaks <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-sperm-manage-to-defy-newton-third-law-of-motion-physics-with-flagellum/">Newton’s third law</a> at the material level and sets the stage for one-way transport.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dynamics-of-breathing-solitons">Dynamics of breathing solitons</h2>



<p>To explain the dynamics, the team connected their mechanical chain to two workhorse equations in nonlinear physics. </p>



<p>The <a href="https://www.uni-muenster.de/imperia/md/content/physik_tp/lectures/ws2016-2017/num_methods_i/sinegordon.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sine-Gordon equation</a> and the <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/1912.10683" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nonlinear Schrödinger equation</a> capture how a compact envelope can host a rapid internal oscillation that beats as it moves.</p>



<p>Nonreciprocity and damping would normally spoil that structure. Here they create a delicate balance controlled by a mathematical fixed point and a nearby bifurcation, which together govern when a breather decays, explodes, or persists for a long time.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-discrete-materials-help-solitons">Discrete materials help solitons</h2>



<p>In a continuous medium the long-lived state appears only in a tight range of parameters, so getting it is a precision act. The experiment shows that discreteness in the chain actually helps, widening the island where breathers last.</p>



<p>That practical twist matters if you want devices to work outside a perfect lab. Real <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exposing-the-hidden-climate-costs-of-everyday-materials/">materials</a> are made of parts, and that granularity can stabilize waves that theory says should be fragile.</p>



<p>Breathers are not just eye-candy. They can shuttle information or energy while resisting loss, which is one reason optical researchers have <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5622060/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studied</a> breathing dissipative solitons in microresonators used for frequency combs and sensing.</p>



<p>A mechanical platform adds new options. Think of distributed sensors, robust signal paths in soft robots, or energy-harvesting architectures that selectively route motion where you want it.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-it-fits-with-recent-progress">How it fits with recent progress</h2>



<p>This result builds on earlier <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38509280/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> showing that nonreciprocal driving can push solitons and antisolitons in the same direction, unlocking unidirectional transport in active lattices. That mechanism was demonstrated by members of the same community in 2024.</p>



<p>Nonreciprocity is also tied to fresh ideas in non-Hermitian physics that reframe how waves respond to boundaries and defects. Those ideas are now appearing across optics, acoustics, and mechanics.</p>



<p>Russell’s canal wave was a landmark observation, but it lived in a clean natural channel and still faded with distance. Modern experiments push these waves into driven, noisy environments where old assumptions break.</p>



<p><a href="https://kdvi.uva.nl/about/korteweg-and-de-vries/korteweg-and-de-vries.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Korteweg and de Vries</a> gave physics an enduring equation, and that heritage still shows up in today’s models and simulations. </p>



<p>Yet the new work gives those equations a fresh twist by adding asymmetric interactions and active feedback.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-the-claims-hold-up">Why the claims hold up</h2>



<p>The paper pairs millimeter-scale hardware with simulations and perturbation theory, so the team can check the same behaviors in three ways. </p>



<p>They report that a careful balance between energy injection, dissipation, and initial conditions pins the system near the right fixed point.</p>



<p>Crucially, the paper notes that discreteness stabilizes breathers over a broader range of conditions than the continuum predicts. </p>



<p>That insight is already steering the next experiments toward two-dimensional surfaces of nonreciprocal oscillators.</p>



<p>The study is published in <a href="https://journals.aps.org/prx/abstract/10.1103/nrv2-9h8z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Physical Review X</em></a>.</p>



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New 'breathing' solitons could revolutionize information transfer

“Solitons” are waves that refuse to spread out or slow...

<p>A fish built for the margins just turned up in a Canadian river that does not need any new surprises. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (<a href="https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/index-eng.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DFO</a>) confirmed a pond loach, also called the oriental weatherfish, in the LaHave River near New Germany, Nova Scotia, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/non-native-species-are-spreading-at-an-exponential-rate/">first record</a> for the Maritimes.</p>



<p>This species breathes air using part of its intestine, which helps it weather poor water conditions and even brief time on wet land. </p>



<p>“The Japanese weatherloach can exchange gases with air via the posterior region of the alimentary canal,” wrote <a href="https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/133/1/371/5412/Respiratory-Physiology-of-Intestinal-Air-Breathing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brian McMahon</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pond-loach-survival-skills">Pond loach survival skills</h2>



<p>It can endure drought by burrowing and surviving extended dry spells in mud, which is unusual for a freshwater fish. </p>



<p>In <a href="https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/bio_facpubs/252/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Idaho</a>, individuals survived more than 81 days without water or food in experiments that tracked real, wild fish from local populations.</p>



<p>Cold offers little relief. Laboratory tests estimated a critical thermal minimum, the lowest temperature at which normal function is possible, between 30.2 and 28.4 degrees Fahrenheit, with fish surviving in direct contact with ice.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-this-fish-worries-canada">Why this fish worries Canada</h2>



<p>Nicholas E. Mandrak, University of Toronto Scarborough (<a href="https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/home/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UTSC</a>), studies <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-lampreys-help-scientists-decode-stem-cell-origins/">aquatic invasive fishes</a> in Canada. His work has helped shape national screening and detection approaches that aim to keep high risk species out of local waters.</p>



<p>Once established, pond loach can change the character of still and slow waters by rooting through bottom sediments for food. </p>



<p>Controlled experiments in Australia reported significant cuts to macroinvertebrates, the small animals without backbones that feed fish and amphibians, along with higher turbidity and nitrogen levels in the water column.</p>



<p>The species also moves parasites around the world. A team working in New York found Asian monogenean flatworms on feral weatherfish, found evidence that introduced fish can ferry nonnative parasites with risks for other fishes and possibly amphibians when host switching occurs.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-it-beats-tough-conditions">How it beats tough conditions</h2>



<p>Air breathing is not a party trick here, it is a physiology. Intestinal breathing complements gills and skin, and the gut also plays a role in moving ammonia out of the body, a key reason weatherfish keep going in oxygen poor backwaters where many species stall.</p>



<p>These traits add up to flexibility. The fish can use shallow, silty margins, slip into <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/invasive-aquatic-weed-is-spreading-rapidly-in-the-northeastern-u-s/">aquatic plant</a> beds, and wait out heat, cold, or low oxygen in ways that give it options when conditions swing.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-a-single-female-does-not-tell-us">What a single female does not tell us</h2>



<p>One fish does not make a population. A single, egg-bearing female is a warning flag, but by itself it does not prove the species is established or spreading in Nova Scotia.</p>



<p>Reproduction in this species is more complicated than a slogan. Most populations reproduce sexually, yet some lineages are triploid clones that use <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12130809/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gynogenesis</a>, egg development triggered by sperm without incorporating the sperm’s DNA, which allows clonal females to produce offspring once the developmental switch is flipped.</p>



<p>Hybridization matters too. In Europe, crossing experiments between the native weatherfish Misgurnus fossilis and the nonnative M. anguillicaudatus found “no evidence for postzygotic barriers,” wrote <a href="https://neobiota.pensoft.net/article/67708/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Josef Wanzenböck</a>.</p>



<p>Fecundity (the possible number of offspring that can be produced over a lifetime) in introduced North American populations can be high by small fish standards. </p>



<p>In New York, unmated females sampled from feral waters carried about 150 to 18,000 oocytes, and ovary weight reached up to 19 percent of body weight, which helps explain how local numbers can ramp up once conditions suit them.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-pond-loaches-live">Where pond loaches live</h2>



<p>The species is already present in British Columbia, with confirmed records in the Lower Fraser Valley and clear provincial rules that prohibit possession, breeding, release, sale, or transport of live weatherfish.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/northern-pike-are-sneaking-through-the-ocean-to-invade-new-lakes/">South of the border</a>, long running records show it can settle in different kinds of habitats. A published note from Washington <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286872334_An_oriental_weatherfish_Misgurnus_anguillicaudatus_population_established_in_Washington_State" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">documented</a> an established population in the Lake Washington system at the turn of the century.</p>



<p>On the other side of the country, field work in the Hudson River Valley found feral populations using vegetated, silty stream reaches, with stomach contents dominated by small invertebrates.</p>



<p>These threads show a pattern. Pond loach thrives where current is gentle, bottoms are soft, and food is small and abundant, the very places many native minnows, sunfish, and amphibians also need.&nbsp;</p>



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



<p>Never release aquarium fish, bait, or water into local streams or ponds, and do not move live fish between waterbodies. In British Columbia, for example, those actions are <a href="https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.1079/cabicompendium.75075" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">illegal</a> because of the risk of establishment and spread.</p>



<p>Costs pile up when invaders gain a foothold. A 2025 analysis linked species ranges and macroeconomic data to estimate global economic costs of biological invasions over the last six decades.</p>



<p>This underscores how prevention and early <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giant-murder-hornets-eradicated-us-invasion-officially-stopped/">detection pay off</a> compared with long cleanups.</p>



<p>“The costs could have reached 35 billion dollars per year over the last 60 years,” noted the <a href="https://enveurope.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s12302-023-00750-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Doñana Biological Station</a> press office.</p>



<p>The biodiversity stakes are not hypothetical. A major intergovernmental assessment concluded invasive alien species have contributed to about 60 percent of recorded global extinctions, a stark reminder that moving species around has consequences that reach far beyond a single creek bend.</p>



<p>The study is published in <a href="https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=498" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</em></a>.</p>



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Invasive fish breathes through its intestines and carries dangerous parasites

A fish built for the margins just turned up in...

<p>Exposure to industrial pollution during pregnancy may ripple across generations. New evidence shows a child faces a higher risk of intellectual disability if a grandmother lived near clusters of industrial facilities while pregnant with one of the parents. </p>



<p>The risk grows with the density of facilities, and signals are strongest through the maternal line, according to the study.</p>



<p>The work, led by the <a href="https://www.utah.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Utah</a>, draws on rare multigenerational records to test whether historical industrial <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/millions-of-people-die-from-air-pollution-each-year-yet-theres-still-a-lack-of-monitoring/">pollution</a> can shape neurodevelopment in descendants who were never directly exposed in the womb.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-air-pollution-s-future-toll">Air pollution’s future toll</h2>



<p>“We know that breathing polluted air is dangerous for our own health now, but it’s scary to imagine what it could do to people’s unborn grandchildren,” said Sara Grineski, professor of sociology at the University of Utah and lead author of the study.</p>



<p>“The evidence from this study and many others force us to ask: What will be the legacy of the decisions that we make today?”</p>



<p>About one percent of Americans live with an intellectual disability. Past studies have tied risk to direct fetal exposure to toxins such as lead or mercury. The intergenerational question has been harder to test in people.</p>



<p>“It's much easier to study multigenerational effects on animals," Grineski said. "The research in humans is much harder to do - we have longer lifespans, we’re not going to expose people to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastics-supercharge-toxin-absorption-in-plants-and-humans/">toxins</a> on purpose, and it’s hard to get data on people who were alive 80 years ago.” </p>



<p>“But it’s really important, especially as you think about intergenerational equity - what do we need to do to protect our future children and grandchildren?”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-historic-data-on-pollution-exposure">Historic data on pollution exposure</h2>



<p>The team used the Utah Registry for Autism and Developmental Disabilities and the <a href="https://uofuhealth.utah.edu/huntsman/utah-population-database" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Utah Population Database</a> to identify children born statewide between 2000 and 2014. They selected those diagnosed with an intellectual <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-plastics-linked-to-disability-risks-for-coastal-residents/">disability</a> and a control group without such diagnoses.</p>



<p>The population database uniquely retains linked birth certificates and historical addresses for parents and grandparents. This allowed the researchers to pinpoint where families lived during each pregnancy.</p>



<p>To reconstruct industrial exposure, the study tapped Dun &amp; Bradstreet business directories. Those listings include facility locations, years of operation, and <a href="https://www.census.gov/naics/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">North American Industry Classification System</a> codes.</p>



<p>The codes helped estimate health-relevant hazard profiles. Using those data, the team calculated the density of industrial facilities within two to three miles of each residence during the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pregnancy-may-speed-up-aging-in-women/">pregnancies</a> of the child’s mother, the maternal grandmother, and the paternal grandmother.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-toxic-exposure-footprints">Tracking toxic exposure footprints</h2>



<p>Roger Renteria, a doctoral candidate in sociology, and Kevin Ramos, then an undergraduate GIS researcher, led the geospatial work.</p>



<p>“Industrial activity often produces concentrated releases of toxic pollutants that can persist in soil, air, and water for decades,” Renteria said.</p>



<p>“Linking facility data to historical residential addresses makes industrial exposure data especially valuable for studying multigenerational health impacts, which is rarely possible with other environmental hazards.”</p>



<p>Ramos said the process changed how he saw his own neighborhood. “It’s easy to overlook how much our surroundings influence our development and overall health. While working with the data, I discovered polluting industries near my own home that I hadn’t known about,” he said.</p>



<p>“Very few studies have explored this issue, and we believe our work is only beginning to uncover the long-term impacts industrial pollutants may have across generations.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-generational-effects-revealed">Generational effects revealed</h2>



<p>The analysis found a consistent signal. A child’s odds of intellectual disability rose if any grandparent had lived near industrial facilities while pregnant with either parent.</p>



<p>The association was strongest for pollution exposure to the maternal grandmother pregnant with the child’s mother. The relationship followed a dose–response pattern: higher facility density correlated with higher risk.</p>



<p>The team also estimated the mother’s exposure during her own pregnancy with the child. That allowed them to consider present-day and ancestral exposures together. The results suggest risks can stack across time.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-medicine-meets-environmental-history">Medicine meets environmental history</h2>



<p>Multigenerational effects complicate standard risk assessments. They extend the timeline of harm and the circle of those affected. They also raise questions of fairness. Communities living near industrial zones in the past may still be paying a price through their descendants today.</p>



<p>Grineski argues that health care and environmental agencies should respond. “Ancestral exposures, with present-day exposures, may contribute to cumulative <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/traffic-noise-exposure-increases-mental-health-risks/">health risks</a>,” said Grineski.</p>



<p>“The multigenerational impacts of toxics must be taken seriously by medical professionals, government agencies, and anyone concerned with protecting future generations.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-decisions-ripple-through-generations">Decisions ripple through generations</h2>



<p>This is observational research, not a controlled trial. It cannot prove a specific <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/first-ever-detection-of-a-toxic-chemical-pollutant-in-the-atmosphere-mccps/">pollutant</a> caused a specific outcome. But the study’s strengths are notable: large linked datasets, verified addresses, and standardized industry codes across three generations.</p>



<p>The authors plan to probe mechanisms in future work. They will examine whether particular facility types, eras of operation, or mixtures of pollution exposures drive stronger effects.</p>



<p>The core message is simple: industrial decisions echo. They can shape risks for children not yet born when the smokestacks were active. That makes prevention urgent and cleanup more than symbolic. It is a way to reduce harm for families today and ease the burdens carried by their grandchildren tomorrow.</p>



<p>The stakes are summed up in Grineski’s question: What do our choices leave behind? The answer, this study suggests, lies not only in the air we breathe now, but also in the futures we pass along through our family trees.</p>



<p>The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969725015293?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Science of the Total Environment</em></a>.</p>



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Impacts of industrial pollution exposure echo across generations

Exposure to industrial pollution during pregnancy may ripple across generations....

<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=WXXGGiynIjs
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Greenland is not sinking. In fact, it is the opposite.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-contrasting-climate-response">A contrasting climate response</h2>



<p>Most coastal towns are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sinking-land-will-intensify-the-effects-of-rising-sea-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">preparing for higher sea levels</a>, but <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenland-no-longer-has-to-worry-about-rising-sea-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Greenland presents</a> a different scenario during climate change. The ground there is rising at a remarkable rate. Over the past decade, some areas have lifted about 20 centimeters, which translates to roughly 2 meters per century. This rate significantly exceeds current projections for sea level rise.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-geological-rebound-process-through-climate-change">Geological rebound process through climate change</h2>



<p>The mechanism behind this phenomenon is straightforward. As the ice sheet melts, the immense weight is removed from the bedrock, causing the land to rebound upward. This process resembles the way compressed material springs back when pressure is released.</p>



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



<p>Researchers at the <a href="https://www.dtu.dk/english/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Technical University of Denmark</a> are documenting this uplift using the GNET network, consisting of 61 GPS stations positioned around Greenland's coast. These sensors can detect movement with millimeter precision, providing detailed measurements of the ongoing changes.</p>



<p>The data reveal that current uplift rates exceed the gradual rebound occurring since the last ice age ended approximately 12,000 years ago. This acceleration corresponds directly with increased ice sheet melting rates.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coastal-transformation">Coastal Transformation</h2>



<p>This uplift is actively reshaping Greenland's coastline. New islands and rocky formations, called "skerries," are emerging as previously submerged land surfaces rise above the water level. This represents a notable contrast to global concerns about rising seas.</p>



<p>The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, demonstrates the varied regional impacts of climate change. While many locations face rising water levels, Greenland's bedrock is literally rising above the surrounding seas.</p>



<p>The full study was recently published in <em><a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2023GL104851" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geophysical Research Letters</a></em>.</p>



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Greenland's ground rises while coasts worldwide face higher seas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXXGGiynIjs Greenland is not sinking. In fact, it is the...

<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=DSM3EVeGHJU
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Companies like MindStudio help companies train their employees to implement the latest AI Agent building platform.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ai-agent-training-transforms-the-workplace-fear-factor-into-a-competitive-advantage">AI agent training transforms the workplace 'fear factor' into a competitive advantage</h2>



<p>Organizations that offer comprehensive artificial intelligence training to their workers find remarkable value that extends well beyond basic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mind-wandering-might-be-more-productive-than-you-think/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">productivity improvements</a>. Emerging research demonstrates that carefully crafted AI training programs <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-does-not-replace-human-creativity-but-enhances-it/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">enhance</a> corporate performance, lower operational costs, and dramatically improve employee psychological well-being by turning workplace uncertainty into professional empowerment.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-addressing-the-widespread-ai-anxiety-crisis-among-us">Addressing the widespread 'AI anxiety' crisis among us</h2>



<p>A staggering 53% of employees expressed concern that the use of AI tools to automate work tasks could make them appear disposable to their employers, according to <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Microsoft</a>'s 2024 workplace survey. Such pervasive worry about being substituted by machines has caused what researchers have termed "AI technostress" – a psychological state that can result in occupational burnout and poorer mental well-being.</p>



<p>Data published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/palcomms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humanities and Social Sciences Communications</a> showed that belief in AI learning ability was a moderator in the link between technology adoption and work pressure, and higher confidence significantly lowered negative psychological responses. Workers provided ample training to become competent with AI software have significantly lower stress.</p>



<p>Companies like <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MindStudio</a> have platforms for building what are known as "AI Agents".  In essence, AI Agents are simply tools that employees can build for themselves or their teams quickly and inexpensively.   MindStudio will even train entire companies, from the CEO on down, at no cost. By letting MindStudio empower employees, companies avoid hiring more IT staff, buying more software, and implementing solutions to problems that do not exist.</p>



<p>MindStudio even has partners locally for companies, like <a href="http://www.dominnus.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dominnus</a> with offices in the Carolinas, California, and Denver, to help build AI Agents and support employees as they become resident AI experts for their organization.  The training provided by MindStudio is applicable across other AI Agent building platforms as well.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-productivity-through-focused-learning">Revolutionary productivity through focused learning</h2>



<p>Organizations that implement large-scale AI training programs achieve dramatic outcomes. Employees performed tasks significantly better when they utilized AI support compared to when they didn't, according to <a href="https://www.nngroup.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nielsen Norman Group</a> research findings. Their study documented productivity increases of 66% for a variety of professional tasks.</p>



<p>Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis research finds workers record 33% higher productivity in time working with generative AI tools. The benefit is equivalent to 5.4% of work time savings for AI users – around 2.2 hours per week for full-time workers.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-psychological-well-being-benefits-through-ai-competence">Psychological well-being benefits through AI competence</h2>



<p>The emotional transformation when employees are provided with proper technology training is a fundamental transformation from fear to professional confidence. A survey of 600 employees across industries, carried out by ScienceDirect, proved that AI capabilities strengthen work environment commitment and improve job satisfaction.</p>



<p>A <a href="https://www.lut.fi/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LUT University</a> study discovered that AI adoption has no direct effect on workers' well-being but does so indirectly through working conditions like task optimization and safety protocols. Strategically deployed AI that involves correct training can actually increase workplace mental well-being.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-replacement-anxiety-to-partnership-confidence">From 'replacement anxiety' to 'partnership confidence'</h2>



<p>Although 35% of those interviewed in recent McKinsey studies were concerned about workforce displacement, firms with large-scale training initiatives witness such fears dissipate quickly. The World Economic Forum found that two out of three respondents believe AI competencies will enhance their career prospects and job marketability.</p>



<p>This shift from fear to trust has measurable implications for job satisfaction. Applied Sciences research indicates AI can create tailored wellness programs based on individual employee requirements.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-financial-benefits-of-increased-retention">Financial benefits of increased retention</h2>



<p>The mental health advantages of AI learning have a direct impact on organizational bottom lines in the form of a positive feedback cycle with high retention of employees. Recent ROI research validates that artificial intelligence learning has a beneficial impact on employee turnover and satisfaction levels.</p>



<p>PriceWaterhouseCoopers' research documents 20% to 30% improvements in productivity, market speed, and revenue in organizations that attempt systematic AI adoption through comprehensive training.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-environmental-advantages-of-ai-enabled-teams">Environmental advantages of AI-enabled teams</h2>



<p>AI training has unforeseen environmental benefits as it makes the work environment more efficient. According to a study in Scientific Reports, the carbon footprint in writing and illustrating work is significantly lower when AI performs it compared to humans. AI software produces 130 to 1,500 times less CO2 equivalent per page of text created than human authors.</p>



<p>In addition, AI-driven remote work functionality significantly reduces environmental impact. Research by Cornell University and Microsoft indicates that remote workers reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 54% by not commuting daily to offices. Hybrid workers working remotely two to four days a week can reduce their carbon footprint by 11% to 29%.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cumulative-organizational-advantages">Cumulative organizational advantages</h2>



<p>The compounding gains of better mental well-being, reduced turnover, increased productivity, and environmental benefits flow to enterprises from the pairing. McKinsey analysis estimates the long-term AI potential at $4.4 trillion in incremental productivity growth opportunity from business use cases.</p>



<p>As of now, 75% of knowledge workers globally utilize generative AI, mirroring widespread adoption patterns. Organizations that provide organized training and assistance see the most favorable results in productivity, worker satisfaction, and ecological sustainability.</p>



<p>The research overwhelmingly indicates that companies that invest in proper AI education, like that offered through <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MindStudio</a>, establish win-win scenarios where employees are both more empowered and less stressed, and companies enjoy the gains of increased productivity, reduced turnover, and improved mental health outcomes throughout their workforce.</p>



<p>For more on MindStudio's free AI training for companies, visit the website's of MindStudio and Dominnus from the links below.</p>



<p>The research was published across a variety of peer-reviewed journals, including <a href="https://www.nature.com/palcomms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humanities and Social Sciences Communications</a>, <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence</a>, and <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci">Applied Sciences</a>.</p>



<p id="block-9bd989d6-2fd3-4580-957f-6cacce134f08">-----</p>



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<p id="block-1f9a227a-ec37-4140-81b8-ffa4a7cc6689">-----</p>



<p>MindStudio.AI: <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.mindstudio.ai</a></p>



<p>Dominnus: <a href="https://www.dominnus.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.dominnus.com</a></p>

AI agent training boosts mental health and profits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSM3EVeGHJU Companies like MindStudio help companies train their employees to...

<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=0HDXqTGEmi4
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Scientists give plants superpowers against bacterial disease</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-natural-solution-to-disease-through-crop-modification">A natural solution to disease through crop modification.</h2>



<p>The agricultural industry stands at a crossroads between productivity and environmental responsibility, and crop modification often carries a negative connotation. While chemical pesticides have long been the go-to solution for crop protection, their harmful effects on ecosystems and human health have prompted scientists to seek alternatives. The recent breakthrough by <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Southampton</a> researchers offers a promising path forward through the precise manipulation of plant-associated microbial communities.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-science-behind-microbial-partnerships">The science behind microbial partnerships</h2>



<p>Plants naturally harbor diverse ecosystems of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms that function as biological allies. These microscopic partners contribute to disease resistance, nutrient absorption, and stress tolerance. However, until now, scientists lacked the tools to deliberately reshape these communities to enhance crop protection.</p>



<p>The Southampton team's approach centered on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/engineered-plant-microbiomes-the-future-of-crop-protection/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">modifying lignin biosynthesis genes in rice plants</a>. This strategic intervention altered the plant's metabolic output, creating conditions that favored beneficial bacterial populations while suppressing harmful ones. The result was a living defense system embedded within the plant itself.</p>



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



<p>The successful demonstration against Xanthomonas oryzae, the pathogen responsible for bacterial blight in rice, represents more than a laboratory achievement. Rice feeds nearly half the world's population, and bacterial blight causes devastating crop losses annually. Traditional control methods rely heavily on pesticides that contaminate soil and water systems.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-beyond-disease-resistance">Looking Beyond Disease Resistance</h2>



<p>While disease protection represents the immediate application, the research framework opens doors to broader agricultural improvements. Future developments could engineer microbiomes to enhance nutrient uptake, reducing dependence on synthetic fertilizers. This dual benefit addresses both crop productivity and environmental sustainability.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-path-forward">The path forward</h2>



<p>As this technology advances from laboratory to field applications, it promises to reshape sustainable agriculture. The ability to program plants with their own biological defense systems could herald a new era where crops protect themselves naturally, reducing chemical inputs while maintaining yields necessary for global food security.</p>



<p>The study is published in the journal&nbsp;<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-44335-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Nature Communications</em></a>.</p>



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Revolutionizing agriculture through microbiome engineering

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HDXqTGEmi4 Scientists give plants superpowers against bacterial disease A natural...

<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=kVywlgRJXsc
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Some children read facial expressions when making food choices.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-other-people-s-reactions-influence-children-s-eating-habits">Other people's reactions influence children's eating habits</h2>



<p>Many children are finicky eaters, but research explains how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-have-learned-why-so-many-kids-dislike-vegetables/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">watching others eat and social modeling</a> influence the eating habits of children.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Study Methodology Demonstrates Social Learning Impact</h2>



<p>Researchers at <a href="https://www.aston.ac.uk/hls/school-of-psychology" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aston University School of Psychology</a> have published findings in Frontiers in Psychology that illuminate the neurobiological foundations of food preference development through observational learning. The investigation employed controlled video stimuli featuring adults consuming raw broccoli while displaying systematically varied facial expressions to measure participant responses.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Asymmetrical Response Patterns Identified</h2>



<p>The research, conducted with 204 female participants, revealed a pronounced asymmetry in social modeling effects. Negative facial expressions during vegetable consumption significantly diminished observer food preference ratings, while positive expressions failed to produce corresponding increases in vegetable appeal. This finding challenges conventional assumptions about the bidirectional nature of social influence in dietary behavior formation.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Evolutionary Psychology Framework Applied</h2>



<p>Dr. Katie Edwards and her research team propose that these results reflect adaptive mechanisms developed through evolutionary processes. The heightened sensitivity to disgust expressions likely functions as a protective system, enabling individuals to identify potentially harmful foods through social cues without direct risk exposure.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Clinical and Educational Implications</h2>



<p>These findings carry substantial implications for pediatric nutrition interventions and family meal dynamics. The research suggests that parental expressions of distaste during vegetable consumption may inadvertently reinforce children's existing food aversions through unconscious social transmission pathways.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Future Research Directions</h2>



<p>The study establishes a foundation for expanded investigation into real-time social modeling effects and cross-demographic applicability. Researchers emphasize the necessity for longitudinal studies examining actual consumption behaviors rather than preference ratings alone, particularly within family contexts where social learning occurs most frequently.</p>



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<p></p>

Social modeling affects our food choices

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVywlgRJXsc Some children read facial expressions when making food choices....

<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=JynHpMaNO8A
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Chaotic cancer protein finally controlled after decades of mystery</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cancer-causing-protein-bound-and-blocked">Cancer-causing protein bound and blocked</h2>



<p>In a discovery that can one day revolutionize cancer treatment, researchers at the <a href="https://www.ucr.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California, Riverside</a> have successfully developed a means of controlling MYC, a notoriously slippery protein that causes approximately <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chaotic-protein-that-fuels-75-of-cancers-can-be-controlled/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">75% of all cancers in humans</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-makes-myc-different">What makes MYC different</h2>



<p>MYC presents a unique challenge when studying cancer. Normally, this protein plays a vital role in healthy cells. It carefully controls transcription - the process that converts genetic information from DNA and RNA into proteins.</p>



<p>However, cancer changes everything. In cancer cells, MYC becomes a destructive force. It operates in overdrive mode with no regulation whatsoever.</p>



<p>Professor Min Xue, who led the research team, explains it simply: "MYC is less like food for cancer cells and more like a steroid. It drives cancer's aggressive growth." This superactive behavior makes MYC involved in three out of every four cancer cases.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-myc-is-hard-to-target">Why MYC is hard to target</h2>



<p>Despite its clear role in cancer, targeting MYC has been one of medicine's biggest challenges. The main problem lies in MYC's unusual structure - or rather, its complete lack of structure.</p>



<p>Professor Xue describes the protein as "basically a glob of randomness." This means conventional drug discovery methods don't work. These traditional approaches rely on sharply defined protein structures. MYC simply doesn't have one.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A New Approach to Fighting MYC</h2>



<p>The UCR research team developed a clever solution. They designed a special peptide molecule that could selectively bind to MYC. More importantly, this peptide could block MYC's destructive activity.</p>



<p>The key was fine-tuning two specific features: the peptide's stiffness and its shape. Through careful adjustments, researchers achieved something remarkable. They reached "sub-micro-molar affinity" - meaning their peptide binds as strongly as antibodies do.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-breakthrough-results">Breakthrough results</h2>



<p>This accomplishment represents a major leap beyond previous attempts. The researchers enhanced their peptide's binding strength by two orders of magnitude. This dramatic improvement brings the work significantly closer to practical drug development goals.</p>



<p>The research opens new possibilities for treating the vast majority of cancers where MYC plays a destructive role.</p>



<p>The researchers are presently optimizing peptide-delivery systems based on lipid nanoparticles that deliver the peptide effectively into cancer cells. The<a href="https://www.nih.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> National Institutes of Health</a> and the <a href="https://www.defense.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. Department of Defense</a> funded the study, which appeared in the Journal of the <a href="https://www.acs.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Chemical Society</a>.<br>This research offers renewed hope against cancer, and it can potentially open a door to more effective cancer therapies for most cancer patients worldwide.</p>



<p>-----</p>



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<p>-----</p>

The protein that fuels 3 out of 4 cancers has been controlled

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JynHpMaNO8A Chaotic cancer protein finally controlled after decades of mystery...

<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>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>-----</p>



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<p>-----</p>

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>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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."</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



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



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>The forest was remarkably diverse. Scientists identified <em>Eospermatopteris</em>, 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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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."</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>The full study was published in the journal <em>Current Biology</em>.</p>



<p>-----</p>



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<p>-----</p>

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=Veg4HmmRVZY
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Our bodies hits two 'aging cliffs' at these ages.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientists-map-exact-ages-when-your-body-rapidly-ages">Scientists Map Exact Ages When Your Body Rapidly Ages</h2>



<p>Scientists have <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-bodies-begin-breaking-down-two-very-precise-ages/#google_vignette">discovered that aging</a> isn't the gradual, steady process many assume it to be. Instead, researchers from Stanford Medicine have found that our bodies undergo dramatic molecular changes at two specific ages: 44 and 60. This research, published in Nature Aging, reveals that aging happens in sudden bursts rather than smooth transitions.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-two-waves-of-rapid-aging">Two waves of rapid aging</h2>



<p>The Stanford study tracked over 135,000 different molecules and microbes in 108 participants aged 25 to 75 over several years. Results showed that 81% of all molecules studied exhibited non-linear changes, meaning they shifted dramatically at certain ages rather than changing gradually over time.</p>



<p>Michael Snyder, chair of genetics at Stanford School of Medicine and the study's senior author, noted significant findings. "We're not just changing gradually over time; there are some really dramatic changes. It turns out the mid-40s is a time of dramatic change, as is the early 60s. And that's true no matter what class of molecules you look at."</p>



<p>The first wave of changes occurs around age 44, affecting molecules related to alcohol metabolism, caffeine processing, lipid <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/age-related-changes-in-metabolism-dont-match-our-expectations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">metabolism</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heart-disease-remains-the-leading-cause-of-death-worldwide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cardiovascular disease</a>, and skin and muscle function. The second wave hits around age 60, involving changes in carbohydrate metabolism, immune regulation, kidney function, and again cardiovascular and muscle health.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happens-during-these-aging-bursts">What happens during these aging bursts</h2>



<p>During the mid-40s transformation, researchers observed significant changes in how the body processes alcohol and fats. This period often coincides with increased stress levels in many people's lives, potentially contributing to lifestyle factors that accelerate these molecular shifts.</p>



<p>"It's possible some of these changes could be tied to lifestyle or behavioral factors that cluster at these age groups, rather than being driven by biological factors," Snyder explained. For instance, alcohol metabolism dysfunction might result from increased consumption during the typically stressful mid-40s period.</p>



<p>The changes at age 60 are perhaps less surprising, as this is when many age-related diseases begin to manifest more prominently. The molecular shifts affect immune function and kidney health, both critical for maintaining overall wellness as we enter our senior years.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-latest-research-confirms-aging-patterns">Latest research confirms aging patterns</h2>



<p>Recent 2025 studies have validated these findings. Research examining tissue samples from 76 people found similar aging patterns, noting an "inflection point" between ages 45 and 55.</p>



<p>Scientists discovered that blood vessels, particularly the aorta, age fastest among all body tissues. This vascular aging may drive aging in other body parts, highlighting cardiovascular health's central role in the aging process.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cellular-changes-and-microbiome-shifts">Cellular changes and microbiome shifts</h2>



<p>The Stanford research revealed that these aging bursts affect our microbiome – the trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi living in and on our bodies. These microbial communities undergo substantial shifts during both aging periods, potentially affecting everything from digestion to immune function.</p>



<p>Additionally, researchers found that protein production and gene expression begin to fall out of sync as we age. This breakdown in cellular communication becomes especially pronounced during the two aging waves, contributing to the accumulation of damaged proteins associated with diseases such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alzheimers-may-not-be-brain-disorder-important-data-was-fabricated/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alzheimer's</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-health-implications-and-longevity-considerations">Health implications and longevity considerations</h2>



<p>Understanding these aging patterns has important implications for healthcare strategies. Research suggests that people should pay particular attention to their health during their 40s and 60s, when these dramatic molecular changes occur.</p>



<p>Snyder emphasized the importance of proactive health measures. "I'm a big believer that we should try to adjust our lifestyles while we're still healthy," he noted. This might include increasing exercise to protect heart health and maintain muscle mass, or reducing alcohol consumption in the 40s as the body's ability to metabolize it declines.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-approaches-to-anti-aging-treatment">New approaches to anti-aging treatment</h2>



<p>Aging research has seen notable advances in 2025. Harvard Medical School scientists developed chemical cocktails that reverse cellular aging without genetic modification. These six combinations restored aged cells to youthfulness in under a week, offering safer alternatives to gene therapy.</p>



<p>Researchers identified new biomarkers like "InflammAge," a saliva-based test measuring chronic inflammation associated with aging. This non-invasive approach could change how we monitor aging and intervention.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-directions-in-aging-research">Future directions in aging research</h2>



<p>Emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, cellular reprogramming, and senolytic therapies, are opening new possibilities for extending healthspan. Companies develop treatments targeting aging's fundamental mechanisms rather than just managing age-related diseases.</p>



<p>The Stanford findings provide a roadmap for implementing preventive measures. Rather than waiting for symptoms, people can prepare for and potentially mitigate these predictable aging waves.</p>



<p>As aging understanding evolves, one thing becomes clear: aging isn't inevitable decline, but specific biological events we may learn to prevent or reverse. The key is recognizing when these transitions occur and taking proactive health steps during vulnerable periods.</p>



<p>The study was published in the journal <em><a href="https://www.nature.com/nataging" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Aging</a></em>.</p>



<p>-----</p>



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<p>-----</p>

Scientists discover we age in bursts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Veg4HmmRVZY Our bodies hits two 'aging cliffs' at these ages....

<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=PqlF0XKzHY4
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The hidden science behind tickling.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientists-discover-the-brain-s-tickling-command-center">Scientists discover the brain's 'tickling command center'</h2>



<p>Researchers have finally solved one of humanity's most enduring mysteries: why we can't <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/after-centuries-of-debate-we-still-dont-know-how-tickling-works/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tickle</a> ourselves and what makes some people incredibly ticklish while others barely react? Recent scientific discoveries are revolutionizing our understanding of this peculiar human behavior.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-breakthrough-discovery-in-the-brain">Breakthrough discovery in the brain</h2>



<p>In 2023, Dr. Michael Brecht's team at <a href="https://www.hu-berlin.de/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humboldt University</a>-<a href="https://www.hu-berlin.de/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Berlin</a> made a major discovery published in the <a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(22)01991-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">journal <em>Neuron</em></a>. They identified the brain's actual "tickling command center" – specific neurons in a region called the periaqueductal gray that control both tickling responses and play behavior.</p>



<p>When researchers used cutting-edge optogenetic technology to shut down these neurons in laboratory rats, something remarkable happened. The animals completely lost their ability to be tickled or engage in playful behavior.</p>



<p>"We found that global blockade of the rat periaqueductal gray with either muscimol or lidocaine interfered with ticklishness and play," the research team reported in their study.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-two-types-of-tickling-revealed">Two types of tickling revealed</h2>



<p>What we call "tickling" is two completely different phenomena, according to the latest research. Light tickling – that feathery sensation that makes you want to scratch – is essentially your body's sophisticated bug detection system. This alerts you to potential insects or parasites on your skin.</p>



<p>Deep tickling – the kind that makes you laugh uncontrollably – involves complex brain circuits and is fundamentally social. You literally cannot tickle yourself with this type of stimulation.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-self-tickling-is-impossible">Why self-tickling is impossible</h2>



<p>Your cerebellum acts like a prediction machine, recent findings show. When you move your own hand to touch yourself, your brain generates precise predictions about what you will feel and then cancels out the tickling sensation through neural inhibition.</p>



<p>When someone else tickles you, your brain can't predict their movements, so the full tickling response activates. It's like your brain's way of distinguishing between self and others.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-individual-differences-explained">Individual differences explained</h2>



<p>Individual differences in ticklishness depend on genetics, psychology, and even trust. Dr. Xinzhong Dong at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Johns Hopkins University</a> notes that people with denser nerve endings tend to be more sensitive.</p>



<p>Psychological factors matter just as much. You respond more strongly when tickled by people you trust, and anxiety completely shuts down tickling responses. This explains why the same physical stimulus can produce completely different reactions depending on who's doing the tickling.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-controlling-your-ticklishness">Controlling your ticklishness</h2>



<p>Science offers answers for controlling your ticklishness. You can reduce tickling sensitivity through systematic desensitization – gradual exposure in controlled settings.</p>



<p>Dr. Konstantina Kilteni's 2025 research, published in <em><a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adt0350" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a></em>, reveals another technique: place your hand on the tickler's hand. This allows your brain to partially predict the sensations, reducing the tickling response by up to 90 percent.</p>



<p>"Your brain is essentially learning to override its own reflexes," Kilteni explained in her review of tickling research.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolutionary-purpose-discovered">Evolutionary purpose discovered</h2>



<p>From an evolutionary perspective, tickling serves vital functions according to <a href="https://www.umd.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Maryland</a> researcher Dr. Robert Provine's extensive studies. It trains our defense reflexes for vulnerable body areas and facilitates social bonding between family members.</p>



<p>Tickling-induced laughter is actually one of the first forms of communication between infants and caregivers. "Tickle involves a neurological self/nonself discrimination, providing the most primitive social scenario," Provine noted in his research.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clinical-applications-emerge">Clinical applications emerge</h2>



<p>Research shows people with autism spectrum disorder perceive touches as more ticklish than people without the condition. Investigating this difference could provide insight into brain differences and help advance autism research.</p>



<p>People with schizophrenia tend to experience self-touches similarly to external tickles, allowing them to essentially tickle themselves. This suggests altered sensory prediction mechanisms in the condition.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-animal-research-reveals-universal-nature">Animal research reveals universal nature</h2>



<p>Scientists have discovered that many species beyond humans are ticklish. Rats emit ultrasonic "laughs" when tickled, while chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans all respond to tickling stimulation.</p>



<p>This widespread occurrence across species suggests that tickling serves fundamental biological and social functions that evolved long before humans developed complex language and culture.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-directions">Future research directions</h2>



<p>Dr. Kilteni argues that tickling research deserves more scientific attention. "It is a complex interplay of motor, social, neurological, developmental, and evolutionary aspects," she stated in her recent review.</p>



<p>New haptic technologies and advanced research methodologies now permit scientists to investigate tickle sensation with unprecedented precision. Standardized experimental methods using mechanical tickling devices ensure consistent results across studies.</p>



<p>Recent findings published in <em>Science Advances</em> show that tickling research is opening new doors in neuroscience, potentially leading to a better understanding of social behavior, sensory processing, and neurological conditions.</p>



<p>-----</p>



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<p>-----</p>

Scientists solve the mystery of tickling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqlF0XKzHY4 The hidden science behind tickling. Scientists discover the brain's...

<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=elr4948_uOU
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Dr. Ronald Mallett from the University of Connecticut reveals secret mission to create working time travel device.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-could-an-equation-truly-bend-time-a-physicist-s-decades-long-quest-to-rewrite-reality">Could an equation truly bend time? A physicist's decades-long quest to rewrite reality</h2>



<p>Imagine the impossible: stepping back through time in a time machine, not in fantasy, but through a scientific endeavor driven by profound personal loss. For <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astrophysicist-says-hes-cracked-the-equation-for-time-travel/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Ronald Mallett</a>, a distinguished astrophysicist and professor emeritus at the <a href="https://uconn.edu/">University of Connecticut</a>, this deeply human longing has fueled a lifelong mission. He claims to have discovered the equation that could unlock temporal displacement, pushing boundaries once deemed purely science fiction.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-profound-grief-that-forged-a-vision">A profound grief that forged a vision</h2>



<p>Mallett's extraordinary pursuit began with devastating tragedy in 1955. At merely 10 years old, he endured his father Boyd's sudden death—a television repairman whose passion for science had ignited a similar spark in his young son. Boyd Mallett, only 33, succumbed to a heart attack, leaving behind a grief-stricken child searching for solace.</p>



<p>That solace came through H.G. Wells' <em>The Time Machine</em>. Within its pages, Mallett found a captivating concept: "Time is only a kind of Space." These words transformed from a literary phrase into a guiding principle, becoming the driving force behind his unwavering commitment to unraveling time's fundamental mysteries.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-humble-beginnings-to-academic-heights">From humble beginnings to academic heights</h2>



<p>Mallett's journey was far from straightforward. After serving in the Air Force during the Vietnam War era, he utilized the GI Bill for higher education, earning his Ph.D. in physics from Pennsylvania State University in 1973 at the age of 28.</p>



<p>In 1975, he made history as the first African American professor in the University of Connecticut's physics department, achieving full professorship in 1987 before retiring in 2024 as professor emeritus.</p>



<p>Throughout these successful academic years, Mallett harbored his radical ambition as a closely guarded secret. "I kept my time travel goal a secret," he confessed. "I worried people would think I was nuts." His public research centered on black holes, serving as a "cover story" while he quietly developed his revolutionary time travel theory.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-breakthrough-moment">The breakthrough moment</h2>



<p>His pivotal insight arrived while hospitalized for a heart condition—a profound irony given his father's heart attack started this journey. The breakthrough was elegantly simple yet revolutionary: "If gravity can bend time, and light can create gravity, then light can bend time."</p>



<p>"It turns out that black holes can create a gravitational field that could lead to the creation of time loops that could allow us to go back in time," he explained.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-blueprint-for-a-temporal-vortex">The blueprint for a temporal vortex</h2>



<p>Mallett's vision for a functioning time machine replicates spacetime-warping phenomena around black holes. He offers a compelling analogy: "Picture a cup of coffee. Stir it with a spoon, and the coffee swirls. A spinning black hole does the same to spacetime."</p>



<p>In Einstein's general relativity, the universe is a dynamic fabric woven from space and time. Massive objects like black holes warp this fabric—an effect we perceive as gravity. Mallett theorizes that an intense, continuous, circulating beam of light from a ring of powerful lasers could replicate this gravitational torsion, effectively twisting time into a loop.</p>



<p>This "time loop" would theoretically allow information—or perhaps matter—to travel backward in time. He detailed this mathematical concept in his 2006 autobiography, <em>Time Traveler: A Scientist's Personal Mission to Make Time Travel a Reality</em>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-published-research-and-recognition">Published research and recognition</h2>



<p>His work, published in respected journals including <em><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/physics-letters-a" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Physics Letters A</a></em> and <em><a href="https://link.springer.com/journal/10701" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Foundations of Physics</a></em>, suggests circulating laser light could generate gravitational fields potent enough to create closed timelike curves, enabling time travel for data.</p>



<p>Mallett's research has gained worldwide media attention, featured on <a href="https://www.thisamericanlife.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Public Radio's <em>This American Life</em></a>, the <a href="https://www.history.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">History Channel</a>, and <a href="https://www.today.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NBC's <em>Today Show</em></a>. The widespread interest reflects both his compelling personal story and rigorous scientific approach.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-galactic-hurdles-and-persistent-skepticism">The galactic hurdles and persistent skepticism</h2>



<p>While Mallett's equations captivate imagination, the path to reality faces immense obstacles. The energy requirement is staggering—Mallett acknowledges needing "galactic amounts of energy," far beyond current technological capabilities.</p>



<p>There's also a poignant limitation: even if realized, his machine could only send information back to when it was first activated, meaning it couldn't transport him to 1955 to prevent his father's death.</p>



<p>The scientific community remains skeptical. Physicists Ken Olum and Allen Everett argue that Mallett's proposed laser ring would need to be larger than the observable universe to achieve the necessary spacetime distortion. They invoke Stephen Hawking's chronology protection conjecture, suggesting physics may prevent macroscopic time travel.</p>



<p>Astrophysicist Paul Sutter has voiced doubts about Mallett's underlying mathematics, while science writer Brian Clegg finds the concept intriguing enough to warrant experimental investigation.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-legacy-that-transcends-time">A legacy that transcends time</h2>



<p>Now approaching 80, Dr. Mallett remains steadfast. "I believe my work will show time travel is possible," he asserts. "Future generations will build on it in ways we can't yet imagine."</p>



<p>His equations, though yet to physically bend time, have bent our collective imagination. Ongoing public interest, evidenced by his continued media appearances and Spike Lee's film adaptation of his memoir, underscores his ideas' profound impact.</p>



<p>More than a scientific pursuit, Mallett's story testifies to human resilience, intellectual courage, and hope's enduring power. Whether his theoretical time machine ever materializes, his legacy is immeasurable—inspiring countless individuals to challenge conventional limits and perceive time not as an unyielding barrier, but as a boundless frontier awaiting exploration.</p>



<p></p>



<p>-----</p>



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<p>-----</p>

Retired professor claims he solved time travel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elr4948_uOU Dr. Ronald Mallett from the University of Connecticut reveals...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



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



<p>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?</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



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



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



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



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



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



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



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



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



<p><strong>Sources:</strong> <em>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.</em></p>



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



<p><strong>1. Is acid rain completely gone?</strong> 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.</p>



<p><strong>2. How long did solving take?</strong> 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.</p>



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



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



<p><strong>5. Could acid rain return?</strong> 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.</p>



<p><strong>6. Can you recommend any teaching tools on the subject of "acid rain"?</strong> 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></p>



<p>-----</p>



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<p>-----</p>

The environmental problem we actually solved

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

<p>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. </p>



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



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https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



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



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



<p>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. </p>



<p>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).</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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>.</p>

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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<p>Today’s <strong>Video of the Day</strong> 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.</p>



<p>"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.</p>



<p>"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."</p>



<p><em>Video/ Image Credit: ESA</em></p>



<p><em>-</em><em>--</em></p>



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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

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<p>Today's <strong>Video of the Day</strong> 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.</p>



<p>"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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p><em>Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;</em></p>



<p><em>-</em><em>--</em></p>



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



<p>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.</p>

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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<p>Today’s <strong>Video of the Day</strong> 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;</p>



<p>"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.</p>



<p>"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."</p>



<p>"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."</p>



<p><em>Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;</em></p>



<p><em>-</em><em>--</em></p>



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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

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<p>Today's <strong>Video of the Day</strong> 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;</p>



<p>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;</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p><em>Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;</em></p>



<p><em>-</em><em>--</em></p>



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



<p>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.</p>

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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<p>Today’s <strong>Video of the Day</strong> from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Kainji Lake, a reservoir on the Niger River.</p>



<p>In 1968, Kainji Lake was created by the construction of the Kainji Dam. The Niger River, the third longest in Africa, enters the lake in the north.&nbsp;</p>



<p>According to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rivers-in-the-american-west-are-a-lifesaving-resource-for-birds/">ESA</a>, the creation of the lake submerged Foge Island and the town of Bussa and permanently flooded other riverine settlements, leaving around 50,000 people displaced.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Large parts of Foge Island are temporarily exposed during low water tides, and the land is often used by migrating fishermen. Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger River in Niger State of Central Nigeria. </p>



<p>Wild mammals occur at relatively low densities due to illegal hunting. Lake Kainji has suffered a dramatic decline as a fishery due to the high numbers of artisanal and subsistence fisherfolk using the lake. It has been suggested that a period of closure, together with controlled fishing rights may help improve fish stocks.</p>



<p>Kainji Lake National Park is the oldest of its kind in Nigeria. The park contains three distinct areas: a part of the Kainji Lake, the Borgu Game Reserve to the west of the lake, and the Zugurma Game Reserve to the southeast. The park is home to around 65 mammal species, 350 bird species, and 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. </p>



<p><em>Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;</em></p>



<p><em>-</em><em>--</em></p>



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



<p>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.</p>

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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<p>Today’s <strong>Video of the Day</strong> from <a href="https://www.igb.illinois.edu/">Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology</a> reveals how scientists can modify common crops like soybean, rice, and wheat to protect them from heat stress.</p>



<p>“We need to double crop production by 2050 to feed a growing global population, and not only are we not on track to do that, but climate change is further complicating things,” said Amanda Cavanagh, a lecturer at the University of Essex. </p>



<p>The study is part of Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), an international research project that aims to develop food crops that turn the sun’s energy into food more efficiently.</p>



<p>“Using an engineering approach we designed multiple alternative metabolic pathways to photorespiration. Testing them in the field showed increases in productivity which led Amanda to significantly move the project forward by showing our engineered plants can withstand pretty extreme temperature stress,” said study co-author and RIPE researcher Paul South.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“As the climate changes and temperature stresses increase the pressure on our global food supply, farmers will need every tool available including engineering approaches like the synthetic biology used here to maintain safe and productive harvests.”</p>



<p>The experts tested plants modified to have more efficient photorespiration to see if they were better adapted to warmer temperatures.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The team found that the engineered plants produced 26 percent more biomass than the wild-type plants exposed to the same temperatures, and had 15 percent less yield loss under the higher temperatures.</p>



<p><em>Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois</em></p>



<p><em>-</em><em>--</em></p>



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



<p>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.</p>

Designing crops that can beat the heat

[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Carl...

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<p>Today’s <strong>Video of the Day</strong> 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?</p>



<p>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;</p>



<p>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;</p>



<p><em>Video Credit: ACS Reactions</em></p>



<p><em>-</em><em>--</em></p>



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



<p>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.</p>

How does salt makes things taste better?

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<p>Today’s <strong>Video of the Day</strong> 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;</p>



<p>'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)."</p>



<p>"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.</p>



<p><em>Video/ Image Credit: ESA</em></p>



<p><em>-</em><em>--</em></p>



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



<p>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.</p>

Santiago, Chile in South America

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