Look out over the desert east of Aswan in southern Egypt, and it might seem like there’s nothing but rocks and sand - no sign of the kings who once ruled here. But look closer, and the walls start talking.



Thousands of years ago, long before the famous pharaohs ruled from pyramids, kings carved their power into stone.



These carvings weren’t just decorations. They were public declarations of who was in charge. And they’ve finally gotten the attention they deserve.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lost-rulers-carved-into-stone">Lost rulers carved into stone</h2>



More than 5,000 years ago, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/solar-eclipse-may-have-changed-the-architecture-of-ancient-egypt-forever/">Egypt</a> was on the edge of something big. Small local rulers had started forming a more connected and controlled territory. 



The place we now call Egypt was becoming the world’s first territorial state. It stretched about 500 miles from north to south. That’s not small for a place that had no highways or phones - just boats, legs, and grit.



In the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/850-paleolithic-artifacts-discovered-with-the-naked-eye-in-a-desert/">desert</a> valleys like Wadi el Malik and Wadi Abu Subeira, rulers made their presence known with carvings. One of the most fascinating figures from this time was a ruler called Scorpion. 



His name appears in rock inscriptions along with a few other symbols, including one that marks it as a place name.



That particular place-name sign is believed to be the oldest one ever found. That discovery made international headlines a few years back. Now, there’s more.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-egypt-s-lineup-of-early-kings">Egypt's lineup of early kings</h2>



Scorpion wasn’t alone. The rocks tell the story of other rulers too. There’s King Bull, who came before him, and Horus-Falcon, who may have been the first in this royal line. 



Some of their names reference dangerous animals - <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/centipede/">centipedes</a>, falcons, bulls - creatures that symbolized strength and fear.



This lineup of names and animal symbols is what researchers call a "royal rock art tableau." It's not just a list - it’s a way to show power, legacy, and control over a tough, rugged landscape. These kings wanted people in Egypt to know: This land is ours. We rule here.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/ancient-egypt_rock-art_ruler-godlike-powers_credit-Johann-Thiele_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/ancient-egypt_rock-art_ruler-godlike-powers_credit-Johann-Thiele_1s.webp" alt="The ruler tramples a man (lying). The two round circular areas behind this are not balls, but rather decapitated heads. Credit: Johann Thiele" class="wp-image-1983776"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The ruler tramples a man (lying). The two round circular areas behind this are not balls, but rather decapitated heads. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Johann Thiele</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-violence-and-power-on-display">Violence and power on display</h2>



These carvings didn’t shy away from violence. One scene shows a ruler standing over a fallen enemy. In the background, two decapitated heads leave no doubt about the message. These weren’t peaceful monuments - they were warnings.



“The most extreme scene is the one showing the ruler trampling an enemy, with two decapitated heads visible in the background,” said Egyptologist Professor Dr. Ludwig Morenz from the <a href="https://www.uni-bonn.de/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bonn</a>, who has been studying these carvings with his colleague Mohamed Abdelhay Abu Bakr.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kings-carved-ties-to-egypt-s-gods">Kings carved ties to Egypt's gods</h2>



The kings from this period didn’t call themselves gods. But they made it clear they were close. 



They aligned themselves with two powerful deities from the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-human-highways-revealed-beneath-the-sea/">Nile Valley</a> - Bat, a celestial cow often shown with a star-covered face, and Min, a hunting god tied to the deserts and outer regions.



“They formed a divine couple, with Bat associated with the fertile land along the Nile and Min with the peripheral regions as a kind of hunting god,” Morenz said.



The connection to these gods helped build something called “pharaoh-fashioning.” This was how early rulers shaped their image - as chosen leaders backed by divine power. They didn’t inherit power quietly. They carved it in stone.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/ancient-egypt_rock-art_ruler-defeating-enemies_credit-Johann-Thiele_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/ancient-egypt_rock-art_ruler-defeating-enemies_credit-Johann-Thiele_1s.webp" alt="Combined with the motif of defeating enemies. Credit: Johann Thiele/ Matthias Lang edited with GigaMesh" class="wp-image-1983774"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Combined with the motif of defeating enemies. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Johann Thiele/ Matthias Lang edited with GigaMesh</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-trade-and-faith-carved-together">Trade and faith carved together</h2>



At the time, this region was more than desert. It had resources, water, and wildlife. People passed through on hunting trips or mineral expeditions. That made it valuable - and contested. It also made it the perfect spot to mark territory.



“It is actually all about a grandiose presentation of the claim to sovereignty,” Morenz said.



And part of that grand display included religion. One large carving shows a "boat of the gods" being hauled by 25 men. This likely represents a sacred procession that tied the desert valley to the better-known Nile Valley.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/ancient-egypt_rock-art_ruler-godlike-powers_credit-Ludwig-Morenz_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/ancient-egypt_rock-art_ruler-godlike-powers_credit-Ludwig-Morenz_1s.webp" alt="The inscription of King &quot;Bull&quot; is on the top, the one with the placename in front. Credit: Photo: Ludwig Morenz" class="wp-image-1983778"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The inscription of King "Bull" is on the top, the one with the placename in front. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Photo: Ludwig Morenz</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-desert-valleys-served-as-crossroads">Desert valleys served as crossroads</h2>



These carvings aren’t easy to see with the naked eye. Thousands of years of wind and sand have taken their toll. But new digital tools have made a difference. 



Researchers used high-powered photo analysis to reveal carvings that would otherwise go unnoticed.



“This is an important region when it comes to our understanding of the emergence of the state at the sociocultural periphery in the late fourth millennium,” Morenz said.



It’s clear there's more to learn here. Compared to central Egypt, this area has barely been studied. But it played a major role in shaping one of the most influential <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-oldest-calendar-discovery-could-rewrite-history-of-civilization/">civilizations</a> in history.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-scans-revived-ancient-history">Modern scans revived ancient history</h2>



Morenz hopes this area will get the attention it deserves. That means more research, bigger projects, and maybe even making the site accessible to visitors.



“I consider this so important that this hot spot should also be made accessible to interested parties with tours and a visitor center,” he said.



What was once forgotten desert might soon become one of Egypt’s most important historical windows. Not just because of what’s carved in stone - but because of what it shows about the earliest rulers who helped create a state that would shape human history.



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Early Egyptian king named "Scorpion" told his blood-thirsty tales in ancient rock art

Look out over the desert east of Aswan in southern Egypt, and it might seem like there’s nothing but rocks and sand - no sign of the kings who once ruled here. But look closer, and the walls start talking. Thousands of years ago, long before the famous pharaohs ruled from pyramids, kings carved their power into stone. These carvings weren’t just decorations. They were public declarations of who was in charge. And they’ve finally gotten the attention they deserve. Lost rulers carved into stone More than...

Kazakhstan just had a busy start to 2025. In the first three months of the year, officials in Kazakhstan identified 38 new mineral deposits, including an estimated 19 tons of gold.



This push is part of a national program to map more of the country for resources by 2026, expanding survey coverage to about 2.2 million square kilometers, or roughly 850,000 square miles.



One name to know in this effort is Yerlan Galiyev of the National Geological Survey (<a href="https://geology.kz/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">JSC</a>). He chairs the state organization that coordinates modern surveys and data systems across Kazakhstan’s mineral sector.



Nineteen tons in a quarter does not mean bars of gold are ready to sell. It signals that sampling and early testing found enough concentration of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lanthanides-common-metal-in-plant-fertilizer-key-to-boosting-global-crop-food-supplies/">metal</a> for follow-up, which can take years to confirm through drilling and feasibility work. 



That timeline can feel slow. It is how mineral pipelines work: find, test, prove, and then build.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kazakhstan-gold-and-minerals">Kazakhstan gold and minerals</h2>



The list goes beyond gold. It includes rare earth metals, copper, nickel, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/letter-lost-for-75-years-led-to-discovery-of-one-of-earths-rarest-minerals-humboldtine/">brown coal</a> - each tied to different industries, from magnets and wind turbines to wire, batteries, and power.



Officials say prospective resources add up to millions of tons across categories. That spread matters because diversified deposits reduce dependence on any single commodity cycle.



These resources sit under different kinds of rocks. Some will be easier and cheaper to mine than others, based on depth, grade, water, and access.



Teams combined geophysical surveys with ground truthing. They analyzed aerial and satellite images, walked the ground, drilled cores, and tested water and soil for chemical traces linked to ore.



These steps sound routine. They are, but they work best when combined, with each method helping the others narrow down targets. Data then feed into maps and models. That keeps the next drill hole from being a guess.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kazakhstan-s-new-rare-earth-find">Kazakhstan’s new rare earth find</h2>



On top of the gold discovery, Kazakhstan also announced a separate rare earth find at a site about 261 miles from the capital. 



Officials described a large deposit with more than 20 million metric tons of material, containing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/promethium-rare-earth-element-elusive-properties-finally-decoded-after-80-year/">rare earths</a> at roughly 700 grams per ton.



Rare earths are a group of 17 elements that help power motors, electronics, and defense systems. Supply is concentrated, so any new source draws attention, as noted by the <a href="https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2025/mcs2025-rare-earths.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">USGS</a>.



Local researchers are also testing extraction methods. A 2025 study on the Kundybay deposit explored sulfuric acid leaching of weathered clays to pull out these elements, which is relevant for cleaner, lower-temperature processing paths.



“We are working with the <a href="https://www.gtk.fi/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Finnish Geological Survey</a> to improve digital geological data systems,” said Galiyev. That digital layer will streamline future mining efforts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-boost-for-the-economy">Boost for the economy</h2>



Exploration spending shows intent. From 2018 through 2024, Kazakhstan attracted 424 billion tenge in exploration investment, with plans to reach 106 billion tenge in 2025.



Budget support is steady as well. The government has set aside tens of billions of tenge for state-led mapping and surveys to accelerate private investment in drilling and development.



Big discoveries do not turn into mines overnight. But a steady deal pipeline, updated data rooms, and clearer offtake agreements can shorten the path from discovery to first ore.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-environment-jobs-and-trade">Environment, jobs, and trade</h2>



New mines bring jobs and infrastructure. They also bring tough environmental needs, from water management to waste rock handling and reclamation.



The rare earth angle ties this story to energy and trade. As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/comprehensive-study-settles-the-debate-about-the-impact-of-wind-turbine-noise-on-humans/">wind power</a> and EV supply chains grow, countries that can supply magnets and related materials may gain leverage in procurement talks and regional partnerships.



Coal sits in a different policy bucket. More brown coal resources raise questions about future power mixes, but they can also support near term grid stability if paired with cleaner technology.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-partnerships-may-capture-more-value">Partnerships may capture more value</h2>



Kazakhstan is signaling that it wants to be more than just a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-silver-and-gold-discovery-morena-confirmed-to-be-extraordinarily-high-grade-deposits/">raw material</a> supplier. 



By inviting international partners into exploration and processing projects, the country is aiming to secure technology transfer, modern equipment, and access to high-value markets.



The government has already approached Italy, South Korea, and China for joint ventures in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/supergiant-gold-deposit-discovery-wangu-field-might-be-largest-ever-found-on-earth/">geology and mining</a>. These partnerships could shape how quickly the new deposits turn into export-ready materials.



They may also determine whether Kazakhstan captures more value through refining and manufacturing at home, rather than shipping out ore to be processed abroad.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kazakhstan-gold-and-drilling-deals">Kazakhstan gold and drilling deals</h2>



Watch for resource upgrades. As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/who-is-drilling-a-hole-more-than-30000-feet-deep-in-the-earths-crust-and-why/">drilling</a> advances, early estimates will change - sometimes upward, sometimes downward - which is normal.



Offtake talks matter too. Early agreements with manufacturers can finance processing plants, which are often the hardest step for rare earths and battery metals.



Keep an eye on permitting and public consultation. Timelines often depend on how well projects address community and environmental concerns from the start.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/15/5/444" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Minerals</a>.



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This country just discovered 19 tons of gold and rare earths

Kazakhstan just had a busy start to 2025. In the...

Lemurs didn’t spring from a single explosive radiation after reaching Madagascar. Instead, their extraordinary variety arose through multiple waves of speciation, some as recent as the middle to late Pleistocene about 500,000 years ago.&nbsp;



Interbreeding between species also played a creative role, feeding genetic novelty into lineages that later split again.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lemur-evolution-in-madagascar">Lemur evolution in Madagascar</h2>



An international team led by the German Primate Center – Leibniz Institute for Primate Research (<a href="https://www.dpz.eu/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DPZ</a>) reports these findings in new research on Madagascar’s primates. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/endangered-lemurs-millions-of-years-of-diversity-at-risk/">Lemurs</a> comprise more than 15 percent of today’s living primate species even though their island home covers less than one percent of Earth’s land. The study challenges a popular island narrative: that a single early radiation explains most living diversity.



Lemurs are strepsirrhines, an ancient primate branch that diverged from the haplorrhines - monkeys, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-apes-lived-in-a-constantly-changing-world-of-fire-and-ash/">apes</a>, and humans - over 70 million years ago.&nbsp;



Their ancestors likely rafted to Madagascar roughly 53 million years ago and then adapted to a striking range of habitats, from humid rainforests to dry spiny thickets, coastal scrub, and mountains.&nbsp;



Today, scientists recognize more than 100 species, with at least 16 more lost in just the past two millennia of human presence.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-multiple-bursts-not-one">Multiple bursts, not one</h2>



The team analyzed genomic data from 79 lemur species spanning the island’s main genera. Their phylogenetic reconstructions revealed a major uptick in speciation about five to six million years ago, long after the earliest lemur radiations.&nbsp;



The surge centered on three genera that dominate modern diversity: mouse lemurs (Microcebus), true lemurs (Eulemur), and sportive lemurs (Lepilemur). Rather than evidence of a single ancient “big bang,” the pattern points to repeated pulses of diversification layered across deep time.



The late burst surprised the researchers. In many groups, speciation rates peak early and then slow as ecological space fills. 



Mouse lemurs, true lemurs, and sportive lemurs bucked that expectation. They kept minting new species into the late Neogene and Pleistocene while also swapping genes across species boundaries within their genera.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hybridization-as-an-engine-of-novelty">Hybridization as an engine of novelty</h2>



The genomic signal of gene flow was clear. Species in the same genus sometimes interbred and produced hybrids, and those hybrids were not evolutionary dead ends. 



In several clades, hybrid-origin species were even more common than “classic” species formed solely by lineage splitting.



“Our analyses show that lemurs split into new species much more frequently than their closest relatives, the lorises in Africa and Asia," explained Dietmar Zinner, a primate researcher in the Cognitive Ethology Laboratory at DPZ.&nbsp;



"We were also able to show that genetic exchange, i.e. hybridization between species, was an important driver of this diversity."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-complex-conditions-of-madagascar">Complex conditions of Madagascar</h2>



Zinner conducted the work with colleagues Peter Kappeler from the Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit and Christian Roos from the <a href="https://www.dpz.eu/en/primate-genetics" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Primate Genetics Laboratory</a>.



On average, lemurs produced about 0.44 new species per million years across the tree, compared with only 0.15 per million years in lorises. In some groups, hybrid species outnumbered divergence-only species by a factor of four.&nbsp;



That contrast demonstrates how Madagascar’s complex landscapes and shifting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-plants-actively-shaped-earths-climate-cycle-throughout-history/">climates</a> likely promoted both isolation and secondary contact, fueling cycles of split, mix, and split again.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-lemurs-outpaced-lorises">Why lemurs outpaced lorises</h2>



Lorises, spread across Africa and Asia, share ancient ancestry with lemurs yet evolved under different ecological rules.&nbsp;



Madagascar’s isolation, its mosaic of microclimates, and repeated environmental swings may have carved and rejoined populations in ways that favored diversification.&nbsp;



Small-bodied lineages such as mouse lemurs, with short generation times, could respond rapidly to new ecological opportunities or barriers. When range edges met again, occasional interbreeding would have injected novel combinations of genes that selection could act upon, speeding the emergence of distinct forms.



The study’s timeline reaches into the middle and late Pleistocene. That means the island’s living diversity is not just a relic of distant Eocene events but a product of more recent evolutionary churn.&nbsp;



Even relatively young climatic oscillations could have opened and closed corridors, fostering the repeated radiations now written into lemur genomes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-conservation-message-written-in-genes">Conservation message written in genes</h2>



The results carry immediate implications for conservation. Roughly 95 percent of lemur species are threatened as forests shrink and climate extremes intensify.&nbsp;



Hybridization can be a source of diversity, but it can also erode distinctive lineages if human-driven <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-species-are-shifting-their-habitats-due-to-climate-change/">habitat</a> change forces species into unnaturally high contact.



“In the future, conservation concepts must also take genetic diversity and the role of hybridization into account,” Zinner said.



That means protecting not just species names but the evolutionary processes that generated them. Safeguarding intact, connected habitats across environmental gradients will help maintain opportunities for natural diversification while limiting risky, human-triggered genetic swamping.&nbsp;



Moreover, genetic monitoring is also needed alongside field surveys to understand where boundaries are stable, porous, or shifting under pressure.



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



“Nevertheless, this is not a license to neglect species conservation,” Roos said. “Without protective measures, many of the lemur species will go extinct before they can make use of this potential.”



For researchers, the next steps are clear. More high-resolution genomic work is needed to pinpoint when and where hybridization shaped lineages, which environmental factors promoted it, and how often it produced adaptive breakthroughs. 



That knowledge can guide strategies that respect natural evolutionary dynamics while preventing unintended outcomes.



“The more we know about their evolutionary history and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-do-asexual-ants-maintain-genetic-diversity/">genetic diversity</a>, the better we can secure their future,” Roos concluded.



Madagascar’s lemurs are a testament to what isolated landscapes and restless climates can sculpt. Their genomes show that evolution doesn’t always proceed in a single burst; sometimes it occurs in waves.&nbsp;



Protecting those waves - and the forests that make them possible - will determine whether this extraordinary experiment continues.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-62310-y">Nature Communications</a>.&nbsp;



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Lemur evolution happened in waves, not a single burst

Lemurs didn’t spring from a single explosive radiation after reaching...

A new analysis of ancient DNA and archaeology from Newgrange challenges the sensational idea that incestuous royals once ruled Neolithic Ireland. 



The experts argue that the famous skull fragment known as NG10 does not prove a hereditary elite, and that the broader evidence points toward a community with shared ritual and modest daily life.



Newgrange sits in the Boyne Valley about 30 miles north of Dublin and dates to roughly 3200 BC - older than Stonehenge and the pyramids at Giza.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revisiting-newgrange-dna-evidence">Revisiting Newgrange DNA evidence </h2>



The reappraisal takes aim at a 2020 study that tied NG10’s close-kin parentage to a supposed ruling stratum. 



That earlier work sequenced dozens of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-does-genome-size-impact-evolutionary-success/">genomes</a> and reported an adult male conceived by either a sibling pair or a parent and child, then linked genetic kin across passage tombs to argue for social hierarchy.



This new reading weighs context, taphonomy, and settlement data alongside genome results from ancient DNA - a field often called archaeogenetics. 



The researchers note that Newgrange’s interior was disturbed for centuries before the 1960s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/egyptian-pharaohs-long-lost-tomb-located-after-3500-years/">excavations</a>, complicating claims about where NG10 originally lay and what that meant socially.



The study also points out a softer signal in the genetic relationships within passage tomb groups. Instead of tight, dynastic pedigrees, the clustering tends to show distant ties, the kind you would expect among second cousins or further removed relations.



The research team includes Professor Penny Bickle of the <a href="https://www.york.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of York</a> and Professor Jessica Smyth of <a href="https://www.ucd.ie/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University College Dublin</a> (UCD). Their collaborators - from Ireland, the U.K., and Australia - bring both archaeological and genetic expertise to the table.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-limits-of-one-skull">The limits of one skull</h2>



NG10 dates to between 3340 and 3020 BC and comes from Newgrange’s chamber - a setting once read as an unmistakable mark of high status. 



The new paper urges caution, noting that the chamber was subject to antiquarian digging and later disturbance, which could have shuffled <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-identify-time-and-location-of-first-humans-who-made-tools-and-harpoons-out-of-whale-bones/">bones</a> and blurred original placements.



It also highlights a basic statistical issue: a single case of consanguinity within a large and complex mortuary record is a weak foundation for sweeping claims about kings or fixed hierarchies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-no-kings-in-the-dna">No kings in the DNA</h2>



In 2020, the team linked NG10’s genome to relatives across Ireland and proposed a dynastic stratum. That interpretation fit one plausible model of how big monuments come together, but it was not the only way to read the pattern.



Carlin and colleagues argue that the same genetic patterning can reflect wide social networks and negotiated identities, not fixed top-down rule. 



Their synthesis of burials, settlements, and biomolecular data lays out a kinship model that emphasizes island-wide ties after about 3600 BC, rather than narrow hereditary dominance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-daily-life-without-rulers">Daily life without rulers</h2>



If a steep hierarchy had governed society, we might expect clear differences in diet, housing, or control of resources. 



Instead, the record shows insubstantial dwellings, few signs of central storage, and scattered evidence of arable downturns between 3400 and 2500 BC - findings that sit awkwardly with the idea of a consolidating royal class.



“Unlike today, bodies were not typically buried ‘whole’ or ‘intact’ during this period. Before they ended up in megalithic monuments, bodies were broken down, sometimes cremated, and even circulated within their communities,” said Smyth. 



Neolithic Irish communities did not treat the dead the way we do today. That distinction matters for how we interpret a single unburnt skull fragment in a mixed chamber. 



Many tombs combine cremated material with disarticulated pieces from multiple individuals, added over time as communities returned to curate and deposit remains.



Selection for passage <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/neolithic-tomb-reveals-ancient-burial-practices/">tomb burial</a> clearly occurred, but the criteria remain uncertain. 



The new work suggests that selection could have tracked social ties that do not map neatly onto bloodlines - such as shared labor, ritual roles, or community standing that shifted across a lifetime.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dna-reveals-wider-networks">DNA reveals wider networks</h2>



The phrase “genetic clustering” can sound like family trees, yet the Irish data rarely show close kin inside the same tomb space. 



Instead, relationships usually sit several degrees out, which undercuts the picture of a tomb reserved for an immediate ruling lineage.



That does not deny hierarchy in all forms. It simply cautions against turning one rare genome into a story about god-kings when settlement and mortuary evidence point another way.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-ireland-s-first-farmers">Rethinking Ireland’s first farmers</h2>



Newgrange demanded labor, planning, and shared meaning. The picture that emerges is a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/farmers-combine-ancient-and-modern-techniques-to-salvage-crop-production/">farming</a> society that pooled effort for monuments while living in modest houses and relying on cooperative networks rather than strict command.



The skull with an incest signature still matters, but as a rare event within a broad social tapestry. The stronger message is how communities built kin through work, ritual, and care for the dead, not only through ancestry.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950236524000409?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Antiquity</a>.



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DNA study changes what we knew about Ireland's oldest graves

A new analysis of ancient DNA and archaeology from Newgrange...

Sweltering heat does more than make people miserable. Repeated exposure to hot spells appears to push the body toward older biology in ways we can measure.



Biological age is not a birthday. It is a reading of how well the body’s systems are functioning. When that reading runs ahead of our calendar age, scientists call it biological <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/life-purpose-the-secret-ingredient-for-healthy-aging/">age</a> acceleration, and that gap tracks with higher risks of disease and earlier death.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-heatwaves-make-us-age-faster">Heatwaves make us age faster</h2>



A team working with health data from 24,922 adults in Taiwan found that more heatwave days over time lined up with faster biological aging.



This new work was led by <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=dbHYypkAAAAJ&amp;hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Siyi Chen</a> at The University of Hong Kong (<a href="https://www.hku.hk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">HKU</a>). 



The first results focused on a two-year window of heatwave exposures before each participant's health checkup and the link to their biological age recorded at those visits. This cohort that stretched from 2008 to 2022.



“Research now shows that exposure to heatwaves affects the rate at which we age,” said <a href="https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/persons/paul-beggs" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Paul J. Beggs</a>, School of Natural Sciences at Macquarie University (<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-025-02395-x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MU</a>).



Heat is not a niche problem. Many regions are already seeing longer, more frequent hot spells, and those patterns push health systems, workplaces, and vulnerable communities to their limits.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-biological-age">Understanding biological age</h2>



Biological age estimates how “worn” your body is compared with the average person of your calendar (chronological) age. Two 40-year-olds can have very different biological ages because bodies don’t wear at the same rate. 



Scientists measure this “wear” with biomarkers - objective signs in your cells and blood. 



Common ones include <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/epigenetic-dna-clocks-predict-biological-age-more-accurately/">epigenetic clocks</a>, telomere length, fitness measures like <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/vo2-max" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">VO₂ max</a> and grip strength, and blood markers tied to inflammation, glucose control, and lipids. 



Your choices and environment push biological age up or down. Regular exercise, enough sleep, nutritious food, not smoking, and managing stress tend to slow aging signals; long-term stress, pollution, ultra-processed diets, and inactivity speed them up.



Some studies even show that improving lifestyle can make certain biomarkers “younger,” at least for a while. Put together, these data predict health risks better than birthdays do.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-biological-wear-and-tear">Biological wear and tear</h2>



For this particular study, the researchers estimated biological <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/breakthrough-method-reverses-aging-in-human-cells-without-modifying-dna/">age</a> using common clinical markers that reflect inflammation, blood pressure, and organ functions. This approach is well established in aging science and has been refined with large biobank <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-023-05456-z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">data</a>.



They calculated biological age acceleration as the difference between a person’s biological age and their birthday age. A higher number means a body that behaves older than the calendar suggests.



They then paired each person’s aging number with the heat they had faced. 



The team built measures of cumulative heatwave exposure in the two years before each screening, including the total number of heatwave days and the intensity of those events.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-hot-days-meant-faster-aging">More hot days meant faster aging</h2>



Each interquartile range increase in cumulative heatwave exposure was associated with a 0.023 to 0.031 year rise in biological <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-some-people-age-better-hundreds-of-genes-identified/">age</a> acceleration. 



That is about 8 to 11 days of extra biological aging for the amount of heat that separates the middle half of exposures in the population.



The total number of heatwave days stood out as the most important driver. Intensity mattered too, but simple counts of hot days carried the strongest signal in this dataset.



The cohort showed some adaptation over the 15 year span, yet the aging effect remained. The pattern suggests communities can adjust, but heat still leaves a mark that adds up over time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-heatwaves-speed-up-age">How heatwaves speed up age</h2>



Heat is a physiological stress that forces cells to respond. Heat shock <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11113869/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">proteins</a> help keep other proteins from misfolding and assist in repair when temperatures climb.



Sustained heat can also raise oxidative stress and cause DNA damage. Those hits accumulate across tissues and nudge multiple systems toward older states.



Biological age acceleration captures this broad wear and tear. It rolls many signals into a single number that tracks future health risk more closely than birthdays do.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-us-studies-confirm-heatwaves-and-age-link">US studies confirm heatwaves and age link</h2>



The Taiwan findings match results in older American adults. A national US <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adr0616" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">analysis</a> used blood based epigenetic clocks to test the link between outdoor heat and aging in 3,686 people.



Short and mid term windows of more heat days aligned with higher PhenoAge acceleration by about 1.07 years, while longer windows showed a 2.48 year rise for one clock and consistent increases across other clocks. 



“These findings provide insights into the biological underpinnings linking heat to aging-related morbidity and mortality risks,” wrote Eun Young Choi, <a href="https://www.usc.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Southern California</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smarter-ways-to-stay-cool">Smarter ways to stay cool</h2>



Access to air conditioning lowers immediate heat risks, but it also releases added heat outside. 



A seven city Japanese <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37951014/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> estimated that AC use can prevent a large share of heat related deaths while a small fraction of deaths may be attributable to the extra outdoor heat it creates.



That tradeoff points to better cooling strategies, not less protection. More shade, reflective roofs, better building ventilation, and efficient cooling lower indoor temperatures while cutting waste heat and power demand.



Policies should follow the data. Manual workers saw around three times the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/defying-time-three-ways-to-slow-biological-aging/">aging</a> impact for the same heat exposure, and rural residents with fewer air conditioners were also hit harder.



This research shows that protections must prioritize those groups with targeted cooling and work practice changes.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-025-02407-w.epdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Climate Change</a>.



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Frequent heatwaves are pushing human bodies to age faster

Sweltering heat does more than make people miserable. Repeated exposure...

For years, scientists have asked whether fossils record how ocean ecosystems actually worked, not just which species were there. A new study answers that question with a careful field test along the North Carolina coast.



The researchers found that the functional makeup of marine communities can be read from the fossil record with surprising accuracy. In other words, many marine species have performed the same jobs for millions of years. 



That result matters because managers often need a trustworthy baseline for restoration in places that have been altered for centuries. If fossils preserve which ecological jobs were present, then restoration targets can be set with more confidence.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-functional-diversity-of-marine-species">Functional diversity of marine species</h2>



The study was led by Carrie L. Tyler of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (<a href="https://www.unlv.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UNLV</a>), with collaborators from the University of Florida. 



Tyler’s group focused on functional diversity, the variety of ecological roles in a community, such as feeding modes and mobility, rather than only <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-an-ocean-of-fire-shaped-early-earths-core-according-to-a-new-study/">species</a> lists.



Across ecology, evidence suggests that functional information can sharpen how we judge stability, productivity, and resilience. The emerging field of conservation paleobiology uses geologic archives to set realistic baselines and to guide restoration in today’s stressed ecosystems.



Scientists did not reach this point overnight. Decades of <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1403660112" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> comparing living seafloor communities to their nearby accumulations of shells and hard parts, called a death assemblage, showed that these remains often mirror local diversity patterns. 



That line of work helped build trust that nearshore fossils can serve as credible yardsticks of past conditions.



“Most of what we know, in terms of biases in the fossil record, is based on mollusks. We designed our study to determine whether those biases are consistent when you include many types of organisms, not just mollusks,” said Tyler. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-testing-fossils-against-living-species">Testing fossils against living species</h2>



The team surveyed 51 coastal sites in Onslow Bay, North Carolina. They sampled the live benthic community, the sympatric death assemblage on the seafloor, and the subset of species known to occur as fossils in the region.



The researchers cataloged more than 200 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-model-reveals-dramatic-swings-in-ancient-sea-levels/">species</a> spanning six major invertebrate groups. For each species, they recorded traits that drive ecosystem processes, including feeding type, motility, and where an animal lives relative to the sediment.



From those traits, they computed a set of widely used functional metrics. These included how much trait space is occupied by the community, how evenly that space is filled, and how many unique functions are covered by one species versus many.



The researchers then asked a simple question. Do the dead and fossil subsets recover the same functional structure as the living community in the same places and habitats?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-marine-species-kept-their-jobs">Marine species kept their jobs</h2>



The answer was yes, and not by a hair. Functional groups present in the living community were also present in the death and fossil samples, and the pattern of how many species filled each function was closely aligned.



The correlations between live, dead, and fossil functional groupings were strong, with reported rank concordance exceeding 0.85 and with P values far below 0.001 in formal tests. 



Functional richness, evenness, divergence, and dispersion were highly congruent across assemblages, with only modest contraction in the fossil subset.



Importantly, the traits that matter for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-sunken-oceans-discovered-between-earth-core-and-mantle/">ecosystem</a> processes were retained. Suspension feeders, burrowers, and predators each maintained their footprint in trait space, which means trophic structure and sediment interaction roles were not washed out by preservation filters.



The team also evaluated functional vulnerability. When they treated functions with two or fewer species as vulnerable, the fossil subset approximated the vulnerability seen in the live community - a practical detail for risk assessment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-it-matters-for-conservation">Why it matters for conservation</h2>



Modern baselines are often shifted by centuries of harvesting, pollution, and warming. Functional reconstructions drawn from the youngest fossil archives can show which ecological roles have been lost and, crucially, which roles still have redundancy to buffer change.



This trait focus is powerful for setting restoration goals that match how systems actually work. It helps managers ask not only which species are missing, but which functions are absent and need reintroduction or support.



Independent syntheses point in the same direction. Previous reviews have outlined how geohistorical data can clarify extinction risk, recovery windows, and the feasibility of rebuilding ecosystem functions in coastal habitats.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-study-limitations-and-next-steps">Study limitations and next steps</h2>



No single study can cover all settings. Communities dominated by soft-bodied organisms, or places with unusually patchy preservation, may show lower functional fidelity and need case by case checks.



The authors also caution about abundance weighting at small habitat scales. In their data, heavy weighting by a few abundant taxa suppressed some evenness metrics in specific <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-was-once-a-green-marble-before-its-oceans-turned-blue/">habitats</a>, so presence absence trait analyses may often be the more robust first pass.



There is room to expand these tests into reef, delta, and deep shelf systems where trait distributions differ. Applying the same framework can reveal where fossil baselines are reliable enough to guide restoration targets.



“There are no pristine ecosystems left on the planet, so when you are trying to restore an ecosystem that can be a difficult and challenging task without having any idea of what it looked like before,” said Tyler. 



“It hasn’t been free of human impacts or pristine for thousands of years, so we don’t have records of what that ecosystem is ‘supposed’ to look like. This study shows the fossil record can be used to give us an idea of what that ecosystem used to look like, and what functions are needed to keep it healthy.”



The study is published in <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2405727122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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Some marine species have had the same jobs for millions of years

For years, scientists have asked whether fossils record how ocean...

Researchers at McGill University report a simple way to steer the behavior of engineered living materials during formation. In a new paper, the team shows that gently vibrating cell-rich gels as they set can make the final material stronger or softer on demand.



The idea could help in emergency <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/red-blood-cells-found-to-squeeze-clots-tight-using-physical-force/">bleeding</a> control, wound care, and future tissue implants. It also opens a practical route to tune materials without changing their chemistry or harming nearby tissue.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-testing-vibrations-on-blood-clots">Testing vibrations on blood clots</h2>



The work was led by <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=qNYDrKLDWR0C&amp;hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aram Bahmani</a>, a postdoctoral fellow at <a href="https://www.yale.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Yale University</a> who completed this research in McGill University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering (<a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/mecheng/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MU</a>). The team used a speaker-driven platform to apply controlled vibration while blood-based and other cell-laden gels solidified.



They tested the approach across several soft materials that clinicians and engineers already know. That list included whole-blood clots, plasma gels with added fibroblasts, and gels based on <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22125349/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">alginate</a>, a common hydrogel used in wound dressings and tissue engineering.



Vibration settings mattered. Different combinations of amplitude and frequency subtly reorganized how cells sat in 3D space inside the forming gel, shifting them from clustered patterns to more dispersed arrangements.



The group then measured stiffness and fracture <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ginkgo-biloba-plant-may-be-key-to-preventing-blood-clots-vericose-veins/">toughness</a> to see how those micro-scale changes played out at the macro scale. 



They also imaged fibrin fibers, tracked clot contraction, and ran a rat liver puncture model to check that the method worked inside a living body.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gentle-shaking-big-changes">Gentle shaking, big changes</h2>



Earlier <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10001275/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">attempts</a> to mold living tissues relied on magnets, acoustic fields, or ultrasound. These tools can be powerful, but at certain settings ultrasound can cause cavitation or heating that damages tissue.



The McGill method avoids those pitfalls by using mild mechanical agitation rather than intense energy. It gives researchers a dial to turn without adding chemicals or embedding foreign particles.



Cell placement shapes the material’s internal scaffold. That change spreads from cell placement to the <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5318294/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fibrin</a> network that bears load.



When cells clump, they leave larger pores and create weaker paths for cracks to grow. When cells stay dispersed, fibrin fibers build a denser, shorter linkage network that resists deformation and slows enzymatic breakdown.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-vibration-changes-clots">Vibration changes clots</h2>



A blood clot that seals a wound must be tough enough to resist tearing. Clots that break can shed pieces that travel downstream, a risk highlighted by <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abc0496" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> from back in 2020.



The McGill team reports that certain vibration settings produced stiffer, tougher clots, while others made clots softer and easier to break down. 



Those outcomes tracked with how cells organized and how the fibrin network took shape, not with any change in chemistry.



“Mechanical nudging allows us to make the material up to four times stronger or weaker, depending on what we need it to do,” said Bahmani. That flexibility points toward tailored <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-says-mouth-bacteria-play-key-role-in-heart-attacks-upending-conventional-wisdom/">materials</a> for very different clinical jobs.



The in vivo tests echoed the lab data. In the rat liver model, optimized settings produced clots that were measurably stiffer than untreated controls, without hurting nearby tissue.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-applications-in-medicine">Applications in medicine</h2>



Emergency medicine often needs fast, firm sealing of bleeding surfaces. On the other hand, certain cases call for clots that break down more readily so that flow is restored, as when doctors use clot-busting <a href="https://www.ninds.nih.gov/about-ninds/what-we-do/impact/ninds-contributions-approved-therapies/tissue-plasminogen-activator-acute-ischemic-stroke-alteplase-activaser" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">therapy</a> to treat an ischemic stroke.



This vibration method could one day be integrated into dressings or surgical tools that tune clot properties at the bedside. 



It might also assist tissue engineers who need scaffold gels with specific stiffness profiles for different cell types.



“What makes this especially exciting is that our method is non-invasive, low-cost and easy to implement,” said Bahmani. The approach uses equipment that is widely available, which lowers the barrier to adoption outside specialized labs.



Beyond blood, the same concept worked in cell-laden gels that matter for regeneration. It also worked in materials built on alginate, suggesting a path to tune constructs in wound care and soft-tissue repair without exotic reagents.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-limits-and-next-steps">Limits and next steps</h2>



Translating a benchtop platform to clinical tools takes careful <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/artificial-sweetener-erythritol-sugar-substitute-linked-to-blood-clots-heart-disease/">engineering</a>. Devices must be miniaturized, made portable, and calibrated so that settings match different tissues and clinical scenarios.



The animal results support safety at the tested settings, but human studies will need to confirm tissue tolerance and long-term outcomes. 



Teams will also need to establish how vibration interacts with drugs that change clotting, such as anticoagulants or fibrinolytics.



Irregular wounds present another challenge because geometry and motion can vary from patient to patient. Real-world tools will likely need built-in feedback so that the delivered vibrations stay in a safe, effective window.



Finally, biology is not one-size-fits-all. What helps in hemostasis might hinder <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10024051/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fibrinolysis</a>, so clinicians will need clear guidance on when to stiffen a clot and when to soften it, and how to time those adjustments relative to other treatments.



The study is published in <a href="https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adfm.202515436" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Advanced Functional Materials</a>.



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Scientists harness sound vibrations to strengthen tissues and quickly heal wounds

Researchers at McGill University report a simple way to steer...

Solar flares are powerful blasts of energy from the Sun that are able to wreak havoc on Earth's magnetosphere when they're pointed in the right direction. 



Now, thanks to the clearest images ever taken of a flare, scientists are finally peeking into the Sun’s smallest hidden features.



On August 8, 2024, something remarkable happened: an X1.3-class flare erupted from the Sun’s surface. And this time, Earth had the perfect view.



Thanks to clear skies and ideal timing, astronomers captured the flare using the <a href="https://nso.edu/telescopes/inouye-solar-telescope/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Daniel K. Inouye</a> Solar Telescope in Hawaii. 



It’s the largest solar telescope on Earth and has the kind of resolution that other telescopes can only dream about. What it revealed is changing the game.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dangers-of-solar-flares">Dangers of solar flares</h2>



Solar flares are dangerous <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/sun/solar-storms-and-flares/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bursts of energy</a> that can mess with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-shrinking-earths-atmosphere-and-thats-bad-for-satellites/">satellites</a>, radio signals, power grids, and even airplane navigation.



These flares shoot out when magnetic field lines on the Sun snap and reconnect. 



But understanding exactly how and where that happens has been tough - because the structures involved are incredibly small. But the new images will change all that.



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



During this flare, scientists saw something they had never been able to see before: ultra-thin coronal loops. These are delicate arcs of hot plasma that trace the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/solar-dynamo-sun-magnetic-field-origin-generated-near-surface/">Sun’s magnetic field</a> lines. 



They usually appear right before or during solar flares. The team measured the loops and found they were only about 30 miles (48 kilometers) wide - some as thin as 13 miles (21 kilometers). 



For comparison, most solar loops we’ve seen before were closer to hundreds or even thousands of miles across.



Before this, scientists could only guess that loops might be this small. “We’re finally peering into the spatial scales we’ve been speculating about for years,” said Cole Tamburri, lead author of the study.



“This opens the door to studying not just their size, but their shapes, their evolution, and even the scales where magnetic reconnection - the engine behind flares - occurs.”



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/sun_X-ray-class_X1.3-flare_GOES_closeup-image_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/sun_X-ray-class_X1.3-flare_GOES_closeup-image_1s.webp" alt="A high-resolution image of the flare from the Inouye Solar Telescope, taken on August 8, 2024, at 20:12 UT. The image is about 4 Earth-diameters on each side. Credit: NSF/NSO/AURA" class="wp-image-1983665"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A high-resolution image of the flare from the Inouye Solar Telescope, taken on August 8, 2024, at 20:12 UT. The image is about 4 Earth-diameters on each side. Click image to enlarge. Credit: NSF/NSO/AURA</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unexpected-discovery">Unexpected discovery</h2>



What’s astonishing is that the team wasn’t even searching for this. They were going to investigate the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sun-covered-with-moss-peculiar-structure-sunspot-groups/">Sun’s chromosphere</a> - the zone just above the surface - using a different device. 



But the observations in the Visible Broadband Imager, which targets the <a href="http://www.astronomyknowhow.com/hydrogen-alpha.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">H-alpha wavelength</a> (a particular kind of red light at 656.28 nanometers), proved to be a treasure trove.



The images showed hundreds of these fine strands arching high above the Sun’s surface, tightly packed together. 



Some were just barely wide enough to be picked up by the telescope, which can resolve details down to about 15 miles (24 kilometers). That’s more than twice the resolution of any other solar telescope in use.



“Knowing a telescope can theoretically do something is one thing,” said Maria Kazachenko, one of the study’s co-authors. “Actually watching it perform at that limit is exhilarating.”



The detail was so fine that scientists started to wonder if they were finally seeing the Sun’s building blocks. 



Not just loops inside loops, but single, distinct magnetic threads. If that’s true, it could completely reshape how scientists model solar flares and the processes that drive them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-earth-and-solar-flares">Earth and solar flares</h2>



There’s a practical side to all this, too. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trees-hold-evidence-of-one-of-earths-most-extreme-solar-storms/">Solar storms</a> can knock out technology that we depend on. GPS, power systems, and internet cables all feel the effects when the Sun sends out a powerful flare.



Better models based on real data help scientists make more accurate forecasts. If we can spot the tiniest structures forming before a flare, we might someday predict them earlier or with better precision.



“This is the first time the Inouye Solar Telescope has ever observed an <a href="https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10109" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">X-class flare</a>,” Tamburri said. “These flares are among the most energetic events our star produces, and we were fortunate to catch this one under perfect observing conditions.”



The telescope itself is run by the National Science Foundation’s National Solar Observatory (<a href="https://www.aura-astronomy.org/centers/national-solar-observatory-2/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NSO</a>), and this kind of discovery is exactly what it was built for.



Tamburri is part of a program that trains Ph.D. students to work with Inouye data so that more people in the field can learn how to use its powerful tools.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-solar-images-prove-theories-right">Solar images prove theories right</h2>



Theories have long predicted that magnetic loops on the Sun might be as thin as 6 miles (10 kilometers) wide, but no one could actually confirm it. Now, with Inouye, they can see it directly.



“Before Inouye, we could only imagine what this scale looked like,” Tamburri said. “Now we can see it directly. These are the smallest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/flickering-loops-solar-storm-warning-signs-appear-on-sun-before-it-erupts/">coronal loops</a> ever imaged on the Sun.”



Even the look of the flare was striking. The image showed threadlike dark loops against a bright background, with two clear flare ribbons: one short and triangular, and one long and curved like an eyebrow.



“Even a casual viewer would immediately recognize the complexity,” Tamburri said. “It’s a landmark moment in solar science,” he added. “We’re finally seeing the Sun at the scales it works on.”



And that’s exactly the kind of vision scientists need to make sense of the star that runs our entire solar system.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/adf95e" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Astrophysical Journal Letters</a>.



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Super-high-resolution solar flare images reveal the Sun’s hidden magnetic forces

Solar flares are powerful blasts of energy from the Sun...

Everyone is aware that large volcanic eruptions have the power to cool the Earth. But here’s something you might not have anticipated: they can also affect floods - and not only locally, but globally.



New studies have discovered that when a volcano erupts and expels gas high into the air, it has the potential to alter global rainfall patterns in a way that soaks or dries out entire areas. And the location of the volcano - especially in relation to the equator - makes all the difference.



It's not <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fresh-lava-from-deep-earth-mantle-pulses-burst-onto-land-where-new-ocean-is-forming/">lava</a> flows or ash clouds covering the sky. It’s about what occurs miles in the air, in the upper atmosphere, where invisible gas molecules alter the way that Earth transmits heat and moisture.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happens-after-a-major-eruption">What happens after a major eruption</h2>



When a big volcano erupts, it tends to release tremendous quantities of sulfur dioxide gas into the stratosphere. There, the gas condenses into tiny particles that are referred to as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-small-aerosols-influence-cloud-formation/">aerosols</a>. 



The aerosols deflect sunlight and trap heat, cooling the Earth's surface and heating the upper atmosphere. That temperature difference alters air's circulation patterns around the globe.



The main player in all of this is something known as the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone, or ITCZ. It's a ring of thunderstorms and clouds that surrounds the Earth just north of the equator where trade winds from the north and the south come together. 



This zone is responsible for heavy tropical rains, and it drifts north or south based on the season.



Volcanic eruptions can nudge the weather band out of its normal position. When that happens, areas that usually get soaked might dry up - and places that are normally dry could suddenly flood.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-volcano-effect-splits-at-the-equator">The volcano effect splits at the equator</h2>



To understand how this works, <a href="https://www.princeton.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Princeton University</a> researchers looked at three major eruptions over the past century: Santa Maria in Guatemala (1902), Agung in Indonesia (1963), and Pinatubo in the Philippines (1991). 



Each one of these eruptions affected flooding in a different way. When Santa Maria erupted in the northern hemisphere, it caused a 25% increase in sites with peak <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coastal-flooding-is-happening-far-more-often-than-we-thought/">flooding</a> in the southern hemisphere’s tropics and a 35% increase in sites with decreased flows in the northern tropics. 



Agung, in the southern hemisphere, had almost the reverse effect: 50% of stream gauges in the southern tropics showed reduced flooding, while 40% in the northern tropics showed an increase.



Both <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-are-volcanoes-in-indonesia-so-dangerous/">volcanoes</a> had one thing in common - their gas plumes stayed mostly in their own hemispheres. That caused the ITCZ to shift away from the eruption, pulling rainfall and flooding with it.



The effects didn’t last forever. "The effects of the increased rainfall are generally strongest in the year after the eruption and lessen after several years," said Gabriele Villarini, one of the study's lead researchers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-eruption-that-flips-the-script">An eruption that flips the script</h2>



Pinatubo was different. Its 1991 eruption sent aerosols into both hemispheres pretty evenly, which led to a different pattern.



Instead of shifting the ITCZ, the eruption cooled the planet more evenly and kicked off a different type of circulation shift. In this case, tropical regions in both hemispheres got less flooding - peak flows dropped at 20% of sites in the southern tropics and at 35% of sites in the northern tropics.



But in very dry places, things got wetter. About 35% of arid-region sites saw an increase in peak flows. This change was probably linked to what’s known as monsoon-desert coupling. 



"Air sinks over Asian monsoon regions and rises over nearby arid regions. The rising air pulls moisture upward, causing greater rainfall in the arid areas," said Hanbeen Kim, lead author of the research paper.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-not-just-a-climate-problem">Not just a climate problem</h2>



What’s important here isn’t just the science - it’s what it means for people. These shifts in rainfall can lead to flooding disasters in places where no one expected it. And that matters for planning, especially as some scientists consider using artificial ways to cool the Earth that mimic volcanic effects.



The authors of the study said their results indicate that climate shifts - whether natural or human-induced - can cause a broad array of impacts. And it’s not only warming and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/volcanic-eruptions-will-lose-their-cooling-effects-on-a-warmer-planet/">cooling</a>, but how water circulates across the Earth.



By connecting volcanic eruptions to flood patterns across the world, this study adds another piece in the puzzle of how we interpret Earth’s systems. It’s not just smoke and ash we need to watch out for - it’s how the invisible gases impact the skies above and the rivers below.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-025-01782-5">Nature Geoscience</a>.



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Volcanic eruptions can affect flooding patterns worldwide

Everyone is aware that large volcanic eruptions have the power...

When people think of armored dinosaurs, images of lumbering creatures with clubbed tails and heavy plates come to mind. But the discovery of Spicomellus afer in Morocco has rewritten that image in ways scientists never imagined.



New research published in the journal Nature reveals this unusual <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/large-and-ornate-sail-on-istiorachis-dinosaurs-head-may-have-been-used-for-mating/">dinosaur</a> carried a unique set of weapons and ornaments that predate similar features in other species by more than 30 million years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-discovery-of-spicomellus">Discovery of Spicomellus</h2>



Spicomellus lived about 165 million years ago in the Middle Jurassic near what is now Boulemane, Morocco. It is the earliest known ankylosaur and the first discovered on the African continent. 



Originally described in 2021 from a single rib bone, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dinosaur-extinction-theories-are-challenged-by-new-research/">species</a> has now been fleshed out by new remains that reveal extraordinary features.



The dinosaur’s ribs fused with long spikes, some nearly 87 centimeters, creating a collar of outward-pointing blades around its neck. No other vertebrate, living or extinct, is known to share this adaptation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-armor-like-no-other">Armor like no other</h2>



“To find such elaborate armor in an early ankylosaur changes our understanding of how these dinosaurs evolved. It shows just how significant Africa’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/life-on-earth-before-during-and-after-the-dinosaur-killing-asteroid-strike-mosasaurs/">dinosaurs</a> are, and how important it is to improve our understanding of them,” noted Susannah Maidment, a professor at the <a href="https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Birmingham</a>.



The new fossils highlight just how extreme this armor truly was. Spicomellus did not only carry spikes on its ribs but displayed a wide variety of protective and ornamental features across its body. Professor Maidment noted that nothing like this has ever been seen in any other animal.



“Spicomellus had a diversity of plates and spikes extending from all over its body, including meter-long neck spikes, huge upwards-projecting spikes over the hips, and a whole range of long, blade-like spikes, pieces of armor made up of two long spikes, and plates down the shoulder."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-puzzling-spicomellus-traits">Puzzling Spicomellus traits</h2>



What makes this especially odd is the timing. “It’s particularly strange as this is the oldest known ankylosaur, so we might expect that a later species might have inherited similar features, but they haven’t,” noted Professor Maidment.



Professor Richard Butler of the University of Birmingham echoed the shock of discovery. He said that seeing and studying the Spicomellus fossils for the first time was spine-tingling. 



"We just couldn’t believe how weird it was and how unlike any other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giant-dinosaur-skulls-reveal-unique-hunting-strategies/">dinosaur</a>, or indeed any other animal we know of alive or extinct," noted Professor Butler.



"It turns much of what we thought we knew about ankylosaurs and their evolution on its head and demonstrates just how much there still is to learn about dinosaurs."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-purpose-of-the-spikes">Purpose of the spikes</h2>



Scientists suggest the extravagant spikes likely played a role in attracting mates or intimidating rivals, rather than in defense. 



Later ankylosaurs shifted to simpler, tougher armor, probably in response to the rise of large predators such as advanced theropods, mammals, crocodiles, and snakes during the Cretaceous.



Despite these changes, one trait may have endured. Evidence from fused vertebrae in the tail hints that Spicomellus already had a primitive club, a weapon previously thought to appear only much later.



The combination of a spiked shield and potential tail weapon suggests that many defining features of ankylosaurs emerged earlier than paleontologists believed. 



This revelation highlights the role of the fossil record in tracking how survival strategies adapted across deep time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-local-and-global-importance">Local and global importance</h2>



Professor Driss Ouarhache of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usmba.ac.ma/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Université Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah</a>, who co-led the Moroccan team, emphasized the importance of regional discoveries.



“This study is helping to drive forward Moroccan science. We’ve never seen dinosaurs like this before, and there’s still a lot more this region has to offer,” said Professor Ouarhache.



The remains were carefully prepared at the <a href="https://www.fsdmfes.ac.ma/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Department of Geology</a>, Dhar El Mahraz Faculty of Sciences in Fez, Morocco, with support from the University of Birmingham. They now remain preserved there for future study.



Spicomellus afer may be gone for over 160 million years, but its spikes and plates still spark wonder. Each fossil fragment reminds us how much remains hidden in Earth’s deep history, waiting for science to bring it to light.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09453-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



Image Credit: Matthew Dempsey



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World's weirdest dinosaur had a spike collar and secret tail weapon

When people think of armored dinosaurs, images of lumbering creatures...

Tiny, strange-looking, and almost impossible to spot in the wild, pygmy seahorses are one of nature’s most impressive masters of disguise. 



No bigger than your thumbnail, these tiny creatures cling to coral in the western Pacific Ocean. But don’t expect to find one easily - they’ve practically vanished into their surroundings.



What makes them nearly invisible isn’t just luck. It’s the result of millions of years of extreme evolutionary fine-tuning. 



A recent study finally cracked part of the code behind camouflage in pygmy seahorses, revealing surprising clues in their DNA.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pygmy-seahorses-built-for-invisibility">Pygmy seahorses: Built for invisibility</h2>



Pygmy seahorses were not found until 1969, and it's no surprise they remained concealed for so long. Their bodies have tiny bumps that are the same texture as coral polyps. They're colored just like the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-grazing-halos-and-parrotfish-reveal-about-coral-reef-health/">coral</a>. 



The snouts of pygmy seahorses are even short and stubby - like the small coral knobs they call home. They do not resemble their larger relatives, which have tube-like, long snouts. 



Pygmy seahorses appear to be the same as the coral they attach themselves to, blending as though they are a part of it. Their camouflage is so strong that in the wild, they are virtually untrackable, and keeping them captive has proven to be a challenge.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genetic-secrets-revealed">Genetic secrets revealed </h2>



The study was led by researchers from the <a href="https://www.uni-konstanz.de/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Konstanz</a> in Germany and the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology in Guangzhou, China. 



The team set out to answer a question that had puzzled scientists: How does a pygmy seahorse end up looking so much like coral?



To find out, the researchers studied the animals’ gene activity at different stages of development. They focused on one odd feature - the pygmy seahorse’s short snout. 



Normally, all seahorses start off with a baby-like face. But as they grow, most develop the long snout that gives them their name. Pygmy seahorses never go through that growth spurt.



“Normally, a combination of different genetic components causes the snout of a seahorse to grow proportionally faster than other parts of the body from a certain age and thus become elongated," noted study lead author Professor Axel Meyer.



"In the pygmy seahorse, however, we have now discovered that these different growth rates are suppressed because the hoxa2b gene has been lost."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-childlike-stage-of-life">A childlike stage of life</h2>



The team confirmed the gene was missing by using CRISPR <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rewriting-evolution-can-gene-editing-save-endangered-species/">gene-editing</a> technology on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/secrets-of-zebrafish-heart-regeneration-could-transform-human-cardiac-care/">zebrafish</a>. The experiments showed that when the hoxa2b gene was removed, the fish retained shorter, baby-like features - just like the pygmy seahorse.



“The head of the pygmy seahorse remains stuck in the ‘childlike’ earlier stage of development. This shape mimicks the coral perfectly and makes it more difficult for predators to detect these animals on the corals,” explained Professor Meyer. 



“With its short snout, the pygmy seahorse merges visually with the coral. A long nose, on the other hand, would stand out and make camouflage less perfect.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genes-tied-to-the-immune-system">Genes tied to the immune system</h2>



The snout isn’t the only thing that changed. The study also revealed that pygmy seahorses have lost a huge number of genes compared to their larger relatives. That includes genes tied to the immune system.



The researchers believe this happened for a reason. Coral can release toxins, and being able to tolerate those chemicals may actually help pygmy seahorses avoid harmful <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/23-new-marine-bacteria-species-discovered-that-influence-global-ocean-cycles/">bacteria</a>. In that case, a strong immune system isn’t as necessary.



“This is probably due to the fact that coral toxins can be tolerated by the pygmy seahorses and even provide them with protection against microbes. Consequently, their immune system no longer needs the corresponding genes,” said Professor Meyer.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-benefits-for-reproduction">Benefits for reproduction </h2>



There’s another twist. In seahorses, it’s the males that carry the eggs in a special pouch. Normally, the immune system would attack anything inside the body that doesn’t match its own cells. 



But if the immune system is weakened or altered, the male can carry the eggs without triggering a rejection.



“As, however, the eggs are not genetically identical to the cells of the male’s body, they would normally be attacked as foreign tissue. Losing immune-system genes was necessary to weaken the corresponding immune response,” said Meyer.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolution-of-the-pygmy-seahorse">Evolution of the pygmy seahorse </h2>



The changes seen in pygmy seahorses are an example of evolution at work. Some traits disappear, while others get stronger. Over time, these changes add up to something completely new.



“In all of these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/for-the-first-time-climate-change-adaptation-is-discovered-at-the-genetic-level/">adaptations</a>, we see examples of massive gene losses and a seemingly paradoxical release of evolutionary creativity, which ultimately explains the unusual appearance and remarkable biology of these creatures,” said Professor Meyer.



Pygmy seahorses may be small, but they offer big insights into the surprising ways that life can evolve on Earth. By losing what they did not need to retain, these organisms developed something remarkable - the capacity to all but disappear in their own environment.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2423818122">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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How pygmy seahorses became invisible to predators

Tiny, strange-looking, and almost impossible to spot in the wild,...

Most of us breathe without a second thought. But change the rhythm, add music, and something unexpected happens. 



A new study shows that high ventilation breathwork (HVB) paired with music can shift blood flow in the brain and create powerful <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/one-psychedelic-dose-may-improve-brain-flexibility/">emotional states</a>.



The work, led by Amy Amla Kartar at <a href="https://www.bsms.ac.uk/index.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brighton and Sussex Medical School</a>, was published in the journal PLOS One.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-breathwork-interest-is-growing">Why breathwork interest is growing</h2>



Breathwork is gaining ground as a tool for stress and emotional struggles. Unlike psychedelics, it needs no prescription and faces no legal hurdles. 



Practitioners report experiences that resemble drug-induced altered <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/magic-mushrooms-are-the-most-popular-psychedelic-drug/">states</a>: euphoria, unity, even bliss. 



Researchers see HVB as a potential therapy, but until now, the biology behind these effects remained a mystery.



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



Kartar’s team studied 42 experienced practitioners across three settings: online at home, inside a lab, and during MRI scans. 



Each participant performed about half an hour of continuous cyclic breathing while listening to music.



Soon after, the participants answered questions about mood, fear, and their state of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-shows-psilocybin-from-magic-mushrooms-delays-aging-and-significantly-extends-lifespan/">consciousness</a>. The researchers then compared brain scans and body signals to these reports.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-less-fear-and-more-unity">Less fear and more unity</h2>



Fear dropped and negative emotions eased. Discomfort rose a little, especially in the MRI machine, but no one experienced panic attacks. 



The most common response was Oceanic Boundlessness, a feeling of unity, insight, and bliss.



Freud described this state more than a century ago. Psychedelic users know it well. Here, breathwork produced it reliably without drugs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shifts-in-the-brain">Shifts in the brain</h2>



The brain told its own story. Global blood flow fell sharply during HVB, which fits with what hyperventilation usually does. But certain regions behaved differently. 



Flow to the posterior insula and parietal operculum dropped, and those decreases linked directly to feelings of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/psychedelic-ibogaine-can-now-be-produced-without-rare-plants/">bliss</a> and unity.



At the same time, the right amygdala and hippocampus lit up with more blood flow. These regions process emotional memory. 



The combination suggests HVB loosens the sense of self while opening access to deep emotional material.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-body-under-stress">The body under stress</h2>



The body reacted as if stressed. Heart rate variability fell, showing a shift toward sympathetic activation. Normally, this signals pressure or strain. Yet participants reported relief, not distress. 



Scientists point to hormesis, the idea that brief stress makes us stronger. Here, the physical demand of rapid breathing may actually create psychological release.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-breathwork-effects-vary-by-setting">Breathwork effects vary by setting</h2>



Not every setting worked the same. Participants in the quiet lab reported stronger states than those at home. The MRI group showed more discomfort, probably from the scanner’s noise and tight space. 



These differences echo psychedelic research, where set and setting often shape the entire experience.



The findings hint at why HVB could help people with trauma or depression. Reduced <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/psychedelic-use-linked-to-higher-risk-of-schizophrenia/">activity</a> in the insula may dissolve rigid self-boundaries, while increased activity in memory and emotion circuits may help people process difficult experiences. 



Together, these shifts might explain why breathwork leaves many feeling lighter and more open.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-significance-of-breathwork">Significance of breathwork</h2>



“Our research is the first to use neuroimaging to map the neurophysiological changes that occur during breathwork. Our key findings include that breathwork can reliably evoke profound psychedelic states,” noted the experts.



“We believe that these states are linked to changes in the function of specific brain regions involved in self-awareness, and fear and emotional memory processing. 



According to the researchers, they found that more profound changes in blood flow in specific brain areas were linked to deeper sensations of unity, bliss, and emotional release, collectively known as "oceanic boundlessness."



This insight highlights how HVB may influence not just mood but the very circuits that shape how we process memory and emotion. It shows why participants often describe the experience as deeply moving, even transformative.



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



“Conducting this research was a fantastic experience. It was thrilling to explore such a novel area," said study lead author Amy Kartar.



"While many people anecdotally recognize the health benefits of breathwork, this style of fast-paced breathing has received very little scientific attention. We are very grateful to our participants for making this work possible." 



The study offers a starting point for future work, especially with larger groups and more diverse settings.



“Breathwork is a powerful yet natural tool for neuromodulation, working through the regulation of metabolism across the body and brain," noted Dr. Alessandro Colasanti, the study's principal investigator.



"It holds tremendous promise as a transformative therapeutic intervention for conditions that are often both distressing and disabling."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0329411" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS One</a>.



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Breathwork creates psychedelic states without drugs

Most of us breathe without a second thought. But change...

From glowing mushrooms on forest floors to plankton that light up the sea, nature has long revealed beauty through bioluminescence. These natural spectacles capture human imagination, inspiring ideas of glowing gardens and self-lit cities. 



Scientists are now moving closer to that vision, crafting houseplants that radiate their own soft <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/amazon-trees-glow-more-under-stress-but-photosynthesize-less/">light</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientists-create-glowing-plants">Scientists create glowing plants</h2>



In a recent study published in the journal Matter, researchers described glowing succulents that recharge in sunlight and emit colorful afterglows. 



By injecting the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/all-living-things-emit-a-subtle-glow-that-ceases-at-death/">leaves</a> with special light-storing particles, the plants become capable of radiating light bright enough to rival small night lamps.



“Picture the world of Avatar, where glowing plants light up an entire ecosystem,” said first author Shuting Liu of <a href="https://www.scau.edu.cn" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">South China Agricultural University</a>. “We wanted to make that vision possible using materials we already work with in the lab. Imagine glowing trees replacing streetlights.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-moving-past-genetic-engineering">Moving past genetic engineering</h2>



Earlier attempts at creating luminescent plants relied on genetic engineering. These methods typically produced faint green light and came with challenges: high costs, complex techniques, and risks such as gene drift. 



The new approach sidesteps these issues by using inorganic afterglow particles, materials already known for their roles in glowing toys and safety signs. These particles are inexpensive, widely available, and capable of storing light energy efficiently, making them an ideal choice for transforming <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-future-climate-conditions-will-transform-plant-growth/">plants</a> into living light sources. 



Unlike genetic methods, which require lengthy cultivation and complex engineering, this strategy allows for quick preparation, reproducibility, and scalability. It opens the door to practical applications in sustainable lighting and everyday decorative uses.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-micron-particles-work">Why micron particles work</h2>



The team worked with micron-sized afterglow phosphors. While nanoparticles move more easily through leaves, the larger particles shine with greater brightness.



Traditionally, their size limited plant absorption, but the succulent Echeveria "Mebina" provided the right internal structure to carry them. Its dense but evenly spaced tissue channels enabled rapid diffusion, producing uniform and strong luminescence.



“Smaller, nano-sized particles move easily within the plant but are dimmer,” said Liu. “Larger particles glowed brighter but couldn’t travel far inside the plant.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-succulents-glow-better-than-leafy-plants">Succulents glow better than leafy plants</h2>



Unexpectedly, succulents outperformed non-succulents like golden pothos and bok choy. Despite having fewer air pockets than leafy plants, their compact, uniform tissue allowed particles to spread smoothly without clumping. 



This created evenly glowing leaves after just minutes of exposure to sunlight or LED light, with brightness lasting for nearly two hours.



“It was really unexpected,” said Liu. “The particles diffused in just seconds, and the entire succulent leaf glowed.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stable-and-safe-glow">Stable and safe glow</h2>



The particles used were specially coated with phosphate to improve water resistance and ensure biocompatibility inside plant tissues. 



Tests showed that plants maintained normal chlorophyll, sugar, and protein levels even after several days, suggesting they can handle the modification without losing vitality.



This stability highlights the protective role of the phosphate layer, ensuring that luminescence persists without harmful side effects. 



The results also show that material-engineered plants can retain their natural functions and growth patterns under experimental conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plants-glow-in-many-colors">Plants glow in many colors</h2>



By mixing different phosphors, researchers created plants that glowed not just green, but also red, blue, and even warm white. The team demonstrated a wall of 56 succulents glowing brightly enough to illuminate books and nearby objects. 



Patterns, such as letters or images, could be temporarily written on plant leaves with UV light, hinting at potential uses in decoration and information storage.



“Each plant takes about 10 minutes to prepare and costs a little over 10 yuan (about $1.4), not including labor,” said Liu.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-eco-friendly-lighting-and-architecture">Eco-friendly lighting and architecture </h2>



The glow fades over time, but repeated exposure to light recharges it. This low-cost, reproducible method could pave the way for eco-friendly lighting in gardens, pathways, or interior design. 



Expanding beyond succulents remains a challenge, but the study shows a path forward. The research offers possibilities for future urban planning, sustainable architecture, and even artistic applications where living plants provide both decoration and functional <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bioluminescent-plants-gene-discovery-now-available-for-any-home/">illumination</a>.



“I just find it incredible that an entirely human-made, micro-scale material can come together so seamlessly with the natural structure of a plant,” said Liu. “The way they integrate is almost magical. It creates a special kind of functionality.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/matter/fulltext/S2590-2385(25)00413-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Matter</a>.



Image Credit: Liu et al., Matter



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Glowing plants could replace street lamps in future cities

From glowing mushrooms on forest floors to plankton that light...

<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>



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.



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



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.



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.



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



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.



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



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.



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



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.



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">Nature Communications</a>.



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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>



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.



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



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.



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



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.



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



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.



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



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.



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



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.



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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>



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>.



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



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.



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



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.



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



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.



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.



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



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.



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.



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



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.



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



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>. This research offers renewed hope against cancer, and it can potentially open a door to more effective cancer therapies for most cancer patients worldwide.



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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>



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



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



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



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



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



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

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

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



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.



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



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.



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."



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.



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



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.



"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.



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.



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



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.



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.



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



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.



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>.



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



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.



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.



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



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.



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.



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



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.



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.



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.



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



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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>



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.



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



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 Neuron</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.



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.



"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.



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



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.



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.



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



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.



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.



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



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.



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.



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



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



Dr. Konstantina Kilteni's 2025 research, published in <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adt0350" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>, 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.



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



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



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.



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.



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



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.



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.



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



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.



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



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



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.



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.



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



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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>



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.



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



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.



That solace came through H.G. Wells' The Time Machine. 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.



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



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.



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.



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.



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



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."



"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.



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



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."



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.



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



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



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



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 This American Life</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 Today Show</a>. The widespread interest reflects both his compelling personal story and rigorous scientific approach.



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



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.



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.



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.



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.



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



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."



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.



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.







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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>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The environmental problem we actually solved

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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;



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;



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. 



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.



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. 



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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Today’s Video of the Day 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.



“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. 



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.



“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;



“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.”



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



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.



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes the first comprehensive estimate of carbon density in the Saharan, Sahel, and Sudanian zones of Africa. In an effort to measure the amount of carbon stored across these drylands, a team of scientists used high-resolution satellite images and artificial intelligence to map nearly 10 billion individual trees. 



"The high spatial resolution (50 cm) combined with AI and field measurements used in this study is key to improving tree inventories in drylands," said Pierre Hiernaux, a French researcher working for NASA. "The ever-increasing availability of very high-resolution satellite imagery will make it possible to assess carbon pools and their dynamics at the individual tree level on a global scale."



"This study is exceptional because it is pioneering a type of approach that will revolutionize the monitoring of trees and forests on a global scale: in the short term, it will be possible to map the world's trees from the centre of the Amazon to our schoolyards," said <a href="https://www.inrae.fr/en">INRAE</a> researcher Jean-Pierre Wigneron.



"Many fields of application will become much more efficient and accurate, such as tracking carbon stocks, biodiversity, monitoring logging and protection against illegal forest degradation, in near real time.”



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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